HP Pavilion zd8205us 17.0" Laptop (Intel Pentium 4 Processor 520 (H-T), 512 MB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, DVD?R/RW and CD-RW Combo Drive)

by HP

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 13.3 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B000A39X6Y
• Item model number: EC300UA#ABA
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: June 30, 2005

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Balance your need for productivity with great multimedia performance with the HP Pavilion zd8205us notebook PC, which features an amazingly bright, widescreen 17-inch BrightView display--perfect for multitasking between document windows and watching movies in their native aspect ratio. The zd8205us can also unleash your digital creativity with the multiformat DVD/CD burner with dual layer support and included Image Zone photo editing and management software. This multimedia notebook features a fast, hyper-threaded 2.8 GHz Pentium 4 processor, 80 GB hard drive, 512 MB of installed RAM (2 GB maximum), 54g wireless connectivity with 125HSM/SpeedBooster support, multiformat memory card reader, and a powerful video/graphics card with 128 MB of dedicated RAM.

The Basics

• Hard Drive: The 80 GB hard drive (4200 RPM) is slightly above average in size, but is a tad small when you compared to other entertainment-centric laptops. That said, you'll be able to store a hefty digital audio library as well as load a good range of software.
  
• Processor: The Intel Pentium 4 520 processor (2.8 GHz) is at the low end of the spectrum for this processor (as of October 2005). Its hyper-threading feature allows this single CPU system to behave in some aspects like a dual-CPU system, helping to deliver faster transistors and increased performance. It also features a very fast 800 MHz front-side bus speed, which measures how fast a processor and the main memory communicate, and a 1 MB L2 cache. (An L2, or secondary, cache temporarily stores data; and a larger L2 cache can help speed up your system's performance.)
  
• Memory: The 512 MB of built-in memory (2 x 256 MB, 400 MHz DDR2) is fine for basic productivity and multimedia software, and it offers what's becoming an average RAM speed (333 MHz). It has two memory slots in total, with a maximum memory expansion of 2 GB (2 x 1 GB).
  
• CD/DVD Drive: Offering the latest in DVD writing technology, this multiformat DVD/CD drive is compatible with both DVD+ and DVD- disc formats as well as dual-layer (DL) DVD+R discs, which can store up to 8.5 GB of data. It features 16x DVD+R, 8x DVD-R, 4x DVD+/-RW, 2.4x DVD+R DL, 16x DVD-ROM, 40x CDR, 24x CD-RW, and 40x CD-ROM ROM speeds.
  
• Keyboard & Mouse: This notebook has a standard keyboard with scroll bar and integrated numeric keypad, and a touchpad with on/off button and dedicated vertical scroll up/down pad.

Screen, Graphics and Sound
The 17-inch WXGA+ high-definition BrightView widescreen (1440 x 900 resolution) provides a 45 percent larger picture for DVD movies than a 15-inch screen. The ATI Radeon X600 is a high-end video card, powerful enough to run one large virtual screen across two displays. It features 128 MB of dedicated video RAM, S-Video and the higher-fidelity DVI connections out, and PCI Express x16 support, which enables graphics to process faster. It also features 16-bit Sound Blaster Pro compatible audio and internal Altec Lansing speakers.

Connectivity and Expansion Slots
The zd8205us has an integrated 54g wireless LAN that's fully compatible with 802.11b/g wireless networks. The 125 HSM/SpeedBooster support will enable it to be ready for tomorrow's 125 Mbps wireless LANs and the BroadRange support provides your 802.11g connection up to 50 percent more range than competing technologies. This notebook also features an integrated USB digital bay for an optional HP USB Digital Drive--a pocket-sized drive that uses SD (Secure Digital) memory cards for storing and transferring files such as digital pictures, music, video, and data. You get a good offering of connectivity options, including super-fast USB 2.0 and Firewire:

• 4 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players
• 1 FireWire (also known as IEEE 1394 or i.Link) port for connecting digital video camcorders and other peripherals
• 1 VGA monitor port
• 1 S-Video out
• 1 PCMCIA (or PC Card) slot (Type I/II, 32-bit)
• 1 notebook expansion port
• 1 IR receiver
• 6-in-1 memory card reader (compatible with Secure Digital, MultiMedia, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, SmartMedia, and XD Picture Cards)
• 1 headphone jack and 1 microphone jack

It also has an integrated 56K modem (V.90) and an RJ-45 LAN network port (for a 10/100 Ethernet connection to networks and DSL/cable modems).

Preloaded System and Software
This system comes with the Windows XP Home Edition Service Pack 2 operating system with Advanced Security Technologies, which helps to reduce unwanted downloads and pop-ups while surfing the Web. It also comes preloaded with Microsoft Works (for working with word processing and spreadsheet documents), Norton Internet Security 2005 (with 60 days of complimentary updates), Microsoft Works, Microsoft Money 2005, MSN Encarta Plus, Sonic Digital Media Studio, Apple iTunes, Intervideo WinDVD, and MuVee Autoproducer.

The included HP Image Zone Plus photo and imaging software makes it easy to organize, edit, share, print, protect, and store your photos and video clips. Organize and find your photos easily by timeline, keywords, and/or location using the unique photo-globe mapping tool. Remove red eye and fix other common problems. Share your photos quickly via e-mails that include thumbnails with links to the full-sized images--without downloading time-consuming attachments.

Dimensions and Weight
At 9.4 pounds, the zd8205us isn't the most easily portable notebook. It measures 15.7 x 11.4 x 1.96 inches (L x W x H).

Power
This notebook is powered by a 12-cell rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which offers an average of 3 hours of battery life (dependent upon computing conditions).

What's in the Box
This package contains the zd8205us notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions. It is backed by a limited warranty for parts and labor for one year from date of purchase as well as technical telephone assistance for one year. Software is also covered for 30 days from date of purchase.

Product Description

Includes: 12-cell lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition with Service Pack 2, Norton Internet Security 2005 (60 days live support), Microsoft Works, Money, WinDVD, & more. hp Pavilion zd8205us Notebook Computer - This notebook computer provides you with an exceptional entertainment experience. The ATI MOBILITY RADEON X600 graphics card, allows you to play some of the latest PC games without sacrificing a lot of graphic detail. The double layer DVD writer and 17" widescreen LCD are perfect at delivering an awesome DVD movie experience. The double layer drive also has a host of other uses - like creating your own DVD movies, burning audio or MP3 CDs, backing up gigabytes of data, and more! Altec Lansing Audio 80GB 4200RPM HDD Integrated USB Digital Bay for USB Digital Drive Double Layer DVD Writer - Supports DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, CD-R, & CD-RW media 17 WXGA+ High-Definition BrightView Widescreen LCD Native Resolution - 1440 x 900 Built-in 56k Fax Modem Built-in 802.11b/g Wi-Fi Wireless Network Adapter with 125HSM/SpeedBooster and BroadRange 6-in-1 integrated Digital Media Reader - supports Secure Digital, MultiMedia Cards, Memory Sticks, Memory Stick Pro, SmartMedia, & xD Picture Cards 1 ExpressCard/54 (also supports ExpressCard/34) Card Slot 1 Type I/II 32-bit PC Card Slot Ports - 10/100 Ethernet, 4 USB 2.0, 1 VGA, 1 FireWire, 1 S-Video Out, Headphone Out, Microphone In, Consumer IR, & Expansion Port 2 Connector

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars computer is great, amazon is disappointing, February 1, 2006

By 

C. Rogers "chukr" (Orange, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: HP Pavilion zd8205us 17.0" Laptop (Intel Pentium 4 Processor 520 (H-T), 512 MB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, DVD?R/RW and CD-RW Combo Drive) (Personal Computers)

I've had the computer for a month or so now. I run AutoCAD 2002 all the time with little trouble. It does have some weight, but I'm a big guy so that's ok. Everyone comments on how great the monitor is.

However, all of that said, Amazon's rebate center won't process my rebate; and I was told by an amazon rep over the phone that the rebate center is down, and they don't know when it will be active again...AND they can't process it over the phone till after the rebate period expires...just prolonging the amount of time it takes to get your money back.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful piece of machinery, August 16, 2005

By 

Abby Shellenberger (York, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: HP Pavilion zd8205us 17.0" Laptop (Intel Pentium 4 Processor 520 (H-T), 512 MB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, DVD?R/RW and CD-RW Combo Drive) (Personal Computers)

I just bought this computer a few days ago, and already I've been blown away. The picture is amazing on the 17" widescreen. I've watched a couple DVDS on it, and I do believe the picture is better then my television's. I also have it fully Sims2 loaded, and I have never had the game run so fast, and look so perfect. The graphics are just A-one. I've seen things in the game on this computer that I have never seen before. The sound is very nice as well, at least better then my current Desktop's. It is also fully equipped to handle just about any media card from a digital camera, and seems to have a fair share of media software to use. This HP is a great buy, especially if you are looking for something for entertainment purposes. The only minor complaint I have is that the machine is a lot heavier then I had hoped. It weighs in at about 10lbs.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Powerfull equipment for not so much money, March 23, 2006

By 

H. Jonsson "SW Guru" (Iceland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: HP Pavilion zd8205us 17.0" Laptop (Intel Pentium 4 Processor 520 (H-T), 512 MB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, DVD?R/RW and CD-RW Combo Drive) (Personal Computers)

I will cut this one short.

Pros: The screen is supurb. I am running SW 2004 on this machine and no problems what so ever. All the extra features, lot's of slots and the DVD player. Only thing missing is a tv adapter for those that would want to tape their favorite tv show and burn.

Cons: Of course heavy and big but what to expect from a PC packed into the smallest volume. Worse things are noise from fans, heat generation is huge and the fans don't ever shut of. It only comes with 2x 256 MB memory modules and I have been unsuccessful in finding extra memory that I do require. It is supposed to be expandable to 2 gig mem but these memory modules are some abnormal parts that are not easy to locate a replacement for. Need extra modules to hook up to tv signal. Extra modules for different memory cards from cameras. The fans are located such that one can't have the machine laying flat on a table (At least for cooling effect, I wouldn't risk it) When the machine goes warm, it works considerably slower and is prone to hang on processes.

SW users, this is a good machine for this program. I am designing highly complicated parts with more than 400 features in some of the parts and part assembly of about 2-400 parts. The only hickup that I see compared to a desktop is that in technical drawings,the rendering of parts during moving of parts within the technical drawing is no good but once you drop the part, everything works honkidori.

Hope this helps.

Conclusion: If you know where to locate memory modules for this laptop that will work and can bring you up beyond 10Gb, then I recommend this machine to you for this price. Nothing wrong with the video card.