Customer Reviews

HP Special Edition L2105NR 14" Laptop (AMD Turion 64 Processor ML-32, 512 MB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, DVD+/-R/RW and CD-RW Combo Drive)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is an excellent notebook. The screen is bright and clear. The CPU is fast and compatible with VISTA 64 bit when it becomes available.

For those who complain about this notebook running on the warm, there is a quick and easy solution. This notebook can easily be run at lower voltage without stability issue. Just download a program calle RMCLOCK. I am able to run at full clock speed of 1.8GHz while dropping the core voltage from 1.35v to 1.175v (havn't tried lower voltage yet but most likely can go lower.) It barely warms up even while running PRIM95 at 100% CPU.

This HP Turion is the best notebook I have owned.

You will not regret purchasing this notebook from HP. The display is very sharp (movies look great on it, especially those in widescreen format). It is easily upgraded as well, as there is easy access to the RAM, HDD, and Wi-Fi card. Even the DVD drive can be upgraded by removing a single screw, although this is pointless unless you want to install one of the new lightscribe drives as I have done. The bezels on notebook disc drives are interchangeable, so any replacement drive you install will still look factory. The final upgrade point I would like to make is that the processor can be upgraded! I took a Turion ML-40 (2.2gHz 1MB L2 cache) and put it in this notebook in place of the factory installed ML-32. If this is a thought anyone else is having, I just wanted to confirm for you that it CAN be done. That upgrade made this very good notebook a GREAT notebook.

One important note: at one point in the description it is stated that "XP Professional" is included. This is not so as the system has XP Home installed. Another important point to make is that the amount of system RAM will show up as 384MB as the "Radeon shared video memory" actually takes over 128MB of the 512MB on the system. You will probably want to upgrade the amount of RAM as a result.

The only flaw I have found with this notebook is that the plastic is a bit flimsier than I would have liked, however it will stand up to the amount of abuse I will throw at it. If you require a really solid notebook then you might wish to look at other systems, as this one is designed to be lightweight and this impacted the type of plastic used. Overall four out of five stars.

Ahmad Mumtaz's review of this AMD HP noterbook is completely false. He makes several statements that are completely untrue.

"First of all, if you are into home computing like surfing the web, chatting, emailing and using office type software then this is not a recommended machine. Why? Well, for starters it is a 64bit AMD machine with a 14" screen. For the same price (or thereabouts) you can get an Intel with 15.4" screen with similar performance."

FALSE. In general, AMD laptops are cheaper than Intel laptops in equivalent models and performance specifications. This item is a Special Edition laptop and some of the money is donated to the Lance Armstrong Foundation which is why it costs more. If you compare laptops that are not special edition, AMD Turion64 will be less than the equivalent Intel Pentium M/Centrino.

"Well, for the home user it means half the battery life of an equivalent Intel machine. that is you will run out of juice within 1 and half hour and will be forced to plug it in."

FALSE again. I have an article comparing the Turion64 and the Centrino in benchmark tests and battery life tests (http://www.laptoplogic.com/resources/detail.php?id=17&PHPSESSID=919641a04b956510a20751d3fd2d03a3). If you read the article and get to the updated BatteryMark2004 tests, you will see that Intel's Pentium M (Codename Dothan) only beats the Turion by 3 minutes under consistent load battery life. Then if you look at realistic load, which simulates loads with several periods of idle (which is how most laptops are used) you can see that the Turion actually gets 20 minutes more of battery life.

"Unless, you are planning on running linux. That is the only operating system (and its various flavors- solaris etc) that is available in pure 64bit and therefore can exploit the power of this computer to its maximum."

False. Windows XP x64 is an operating system that functions in 64 bit mode and utilizes every aspect of the extended instruction set of AMD64. When running Windows XP x64, you can run 32bit programs as well. One more thing, Solaris is based on Unix and is not a "flavor" of Linux.

I don't mean to offend the writer of this review, but to me it seems like he has written unjustified claims and it could mislead a consumer to believe something false as common knowledge.

I got this notebook last fall and was quite happy with it - for a reasonable price the configuration you get is much more better than the competitive laptops. I was thinking that this is a good deal that cannot be true - and I was right.

After half a year, now I clearly see the many SERIOUS disadvantages which are caused by LOWER QUALITY:

- it gets HOT - if you plan to work with a laptop on your lap (what of course is quite often), after a while it becames REALLY HOT and impossible to work with. You MUST put it away from your legs because you cannot stand the heat. And this happens EVERY TIME! Right now as well, you would never believe how bad it makes you feel - almost impossible to work with!

- LOW BATTERY LIFETIME - when the laptop was new, I got about 2-2.5 hours of lifetime. Now it stays for 1 hour!!! After a clean installation of OS, it is still 1 hour. Unbelievable when I consider that my friend with old ASUS laptop with INTEL mobile processor gets 3 hours at least. I am quite sorry but I have to admit that AMD really cannot do the same job in processors for notebooks. All marketing talks about TURION as the new "mobile" 64-bit processor of AMD that offers advantages for notebook users were just TRASH. Now I feel so ashamed because I am the only one that must recharge after one hour of working when working at school group projects.

- DVD ROM PROBLEMS - I have so much trouble reading DVD movies (even original new dvd movie sometime cannot be read and DVD stops playing) and writing DVD disks (errors and ruined blank medium), there is apparenty something wrong with this line of DVD-ROMs in the notebook because when looking for help on the Internet, I found that I am not the only one with those trouble! Plus, the new drivers that could maybe solve this problems were never made (TSSTCorp TS-L532R)- there is NO SUPPORT. And double layer writing? Don't even think it could work!!!!

- the plastic cover of the screen is cracked on two spots (right next to hinges). First I thought that I dropped the notebook somewhere and I don't remember, but the cracks look really specifically to be done from material stress - which does not come from falling on the ground or bad manipulation but solely from regularly opening the laptop!!! The material is just cheap and not designed to last for a long time.

If I were to choose now, I would prefer to pay a bit more or to pay the same price for worse configuratuion - because the real truth is that the quality of Livestrong is not really great. The worst thing is AMD TURION PROCESSOR - absolute disaster to choose for your laptop! I have always preffered AMD over INTEL but now I see that the quality gap is still very very considerable.

I like this machine, I really do. It's a fairly stout performer, it looks good, it offers snappy performance and good expandability. The size is nice, as is the weight. The built-in wireless performs quite well. The screen is killer.

There are, however, some problems.

The case isn't strong enough. It flexes when handled, and if picked up in the wrong areas, the optical drive will open. It makes creaking noises when the lid is opened. There is a hairline crack forming near one of the hinges. One of the rubber feet fell off, and HP can't get me a replacement. The scroll "wheel" feature on the trackpad is slow, and isn't supported by most of my softwhere - though my external mouse wheel works with everything.

It's a good laptop, with money going to a good cause, but it's really not sturdy enough. I wanted five years out of it, like my old Sony and Apple. I don't think this laptop is built for that. I suggest this laptop only if it will be moved about rarely, and will not see many open/close operations of the lid.

Well, after a couple of months of use, I mostly agree with the comments of previous reviewers, although I can't give it five stars.

Pros : Light and comfortable to carry, good definition of picture on the horizontal-like screen, easy to use, pleasant to type on the keyboard, good sound coming from the loudspeakers. The processor is generally said to be better and adapted to future evolution of technology than the Intel ones (question is if you are going to keep this machine for more than three years or so...). You can lock the touchpad so that the cursor doesn't start moving around each time your hand is close to the touchpad. However, the ultimate solution is to use a mouse. It does have bluetooth and all the necessary connections around the machine(on the sides and front). To give you an idea, I also looked at a Sony Vaio, which did not have an S-Video, and this HP does ! Finally, the price around 1K (but you might get what you pay for, remember that rule).

Cons : Yes, the overheating issue -even if you remedy it by downloading softwares, its original condition is that it overheats after an hour or so of use-; it seems fragile (lots of plastic, sound buttons look flimsy); boot up is perhaps a bit slow (slower than my IBM R40); no button to use as mouse in the middle of the keyboard (although it seems most builders are dropping this, but that is what I prefer in terms of accuracy and speed), but a -very- sensitive touchpad; the wifi is less performing than the one on my "older" IBM R40, in terms of connection from the same spot (tested and compared, connection is slower and weaker, though it shouldn't be). I don't really care for the marketing side of the product (Armstrong's signature etc.), but I can live with it if the machine is up to expectations. Also, despite the multiple connections, there isn't one for the -perhaps older?- printer plug. Got to get an adapter for that one. Life battery is a bit short; it can de remedied by purchasing a better battery, but you will be again adding another cost...

Also note that this comes prepared for windows XP, but doesn't have any really useful programs preloaded, so if you want microsoft products and the traditional virus protections, be prepared for an increase of 150 dollars or so to the purchase price of the computer. The easy way around for me was to download openoffice (free) together with AVG (free virus protection from grisoft), and lavasoft and spybot (also free of charge), in order to protect the machine.

Overall, a nice computer that I fear is probably and unfortunately NOT strong (live- or arm-). Without that feeling, it would get 4 to 5 stars. Time will tell and be the judge, but my impression is that if you want to avoid bad surprises you really must (1) treat it with great care and transport it as little as possible, which seems nonsense since it's a laptop, (2) avoid using it as your main computer or work station, it just might not "hold the distance..." Is it the best laptop I've owned ? No, but this is only the third one I've had (Toshiba Satellite 2685, very outdated, IBM thinkpad R40, which I use constantly, and this one). I was looking at the Hp 1000dv and got this one because of the processor, but the 1000dv looks sturdier, sharper, and has an independent dvd viewing system which enables you to see films without starting the whole computer. Anyway, what is done is done.

One last word. Some are wondering if it is an HP or a Compaq. I don't know about that. What I can tell you is that mine had the inscription "made in China" on the outside box when it came in. Since that is the only place I saw that (no mention of China anywhere else, why would that be?), most consumers just might not realize it. But it does have Chinese eyes...

For the last two years I've had it in my mind to buy a laptop, but nothing ever caught my eye. Working in a retail store that carries laptops, I've seen them come and go. One day, while browsing online, I happened across the L2105 and I knew I'd found the laptop I'd been looking for. Without ever having touched one, I took a leap of faith and ordered the L2105 from Amazon.

First off, I'd like to say that the delivery time was superior. I've ordered lots of things from Amazon, but this laptop came with lightening speed. According to Amazon's order estimate time I shouldn't even be writing this review on my L2105 right now. Yet, here I am, having received my laptop three days after ordering it, writing this review, and having used super saver shipping on top of it.

From the moment I opened the box, I was in love with this laptop. It's super light, quick, and has an amazingly clear wide screen. In comparison to other Compaq's and HP's I used in my store in the same price range, this one outperforms them all. Its load time for Windows is quick, application load time is quick, and the onboard speakers sound incredibly good for a laptop.

While I wouldn't recommend this laptop for anyone who is looking for a gaming machine, the L2105 has so far lived up to all my expectations as an excellent all-around laptop that will serve my on-the-go needs.

The L2105 is stout enough to handle playing a movie or playing itunes in the background while typing, transferring files, or burning CDs / DVDs (when applicable). The burner itself is pretty decent. CDs write at 24x and DVDs at 8x. This is by no means the fastest burner out there, but it gets the job done fairly quickly.

Did I mention the 80gigs of hard drive space? Holy cow... I put my whole music collection on this laptop along with ever digital picture I've ever taken in my life and still have over 50 gigs of space to play with.

The only downfall I've noticed is that the battery life is extremely low. The 6-cell lithium ion battery that comes with the L2105 only gets me about an hours and twenty minutes of straight use. I already have the 12-cell battery coming in the mail, a necessary upgrade in my opinion, but the way I see it is the 6-cell will serve as a nice backup for those occasions when I'm out and about longer than I had planned on being.

Also, like one reviewer noted... The L2105 does seem to get a bit on the warm side. I've gotten a Targus collapsible lap pad to put under it for ventilation when using it. It almost seems like when the L2105 is sitting on any level non-porous surface it starts getting warmer than I'd like it to get. Although, certainly never hot to the touch.

All this I might add, and on top of it HP makes a donation to help cure cancer! Excellent! How could I not fall in love with this laptop?

If you're looking for a nicely rounded laptop look no further, this is the one!

This laptop came in a box that said basically no returns once it is opened. I nearly sent it back. I should have. It came with so little RAM that it was frustrating to use the entire time I owned it, until I put in 2G of RAM. Like the other users who critiqued it... the lid cracked very early on. The latches stopped working and jammed. The wireless won't work now and says it is fine. The DVD player now skips. I think this laptop was made to be of use for the 1 year warranty and that's all. I bought an extended warranty and they were much more helpful than the people at HP. It was a nice idea to offer a special LiveStrong computer but they picked the wrong one. I paid too much for this computer.

I bought this notebook a few months ago, and I have to say that I love it. I carry it back and forth to work regularly and she's holding up well. She's pretty speedy, except my iTunes sucks up a TON of memory which slows everything down. I think it's an issue with iTunes, not the laptop.

I love the ports on both sides. Built in ethernet and wireless ports provide great access to the internet (with a service provider, of course!)

I have had a few minor issues, though. One is RAM. I didn't realize that the 512 MB RAM would be shared with the video RAM. Effectively, that has reduced the total amount of useable RAM. Memory-intensive programs (ex. Illustrator or Photoshop) cannot be installed without upgrading. Bigger programs (including PowerPoint) tend to run slowly, especially during multi-tasking or working on the Internet. Everyone has mentioned that the laptop generates a LOT of heat and that the battery is pretty weak (though almost every laptop comes with a 6-cell these days).

Overall, this is far better than I could have expected for the price. I will upgrade the RAM soon, though, for my personal needs.

This laptop was quite a good buy for its price. I liked the fact that I got an 80 GB hard drive and DL DVD burner and the overall price of the laptop was under[...](after rebate of course). It was also great to get Radeon Xpress 200M instead of the usual Intel Extreme Graphics on other laptops. There were some things I wished were better in this laptop. The standard 6 cell battery could only last a little under 2 hours, which made taking notes in class a tricky proposition unless I plugged it into an outlet. Also, for some strange reason, the iTunes that came pre-installed on the laptop failed to launch no matter how many times I uninstall and reinstall (I don't think anyone else would have this problem). The laptop also could get hot quite quickly, but not a problem if you prop up the laptop. Overall, this was a great buy for me and I believe everyone would enjoy it