Compaq Presario R3320US 15.4" Laptop (Intel Pentium 4 Processor with HT Technology, 512 MB RAM, 60 GB Hard Drive, DVD+/-RW/CD-RW Drive)

by HP

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00062W34I
• Item model number: PL986UA#ABA
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 21, 2004

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

The Compaq Presario R3320US notebook PC blends the bold and the beautiful, with a powerful, hyper-threaded 3.0 GHz Intel Pentium 4 processor and a widescreen 15.4-inch display that's perfect for both business presentations and watching DVD movies. It also features a 60 GB hard drive, 512 MB of installed RAM, integrated 54g Wi-Fi connectivity, and a DVD+RW drive that can write both DVDs and CDs. For a step up in price, the R3340US has a 64-bit AMD Athlon 3200+ processor and an 80 GB hard drive.

The Basics

• Hard Drive: The 60 GB hard drive is becoming the average size for notebook PCs, enabling road warriors enough capacity for storing documents, digital media files, and productivity software.
• Processor: The 3.0 GHz Intel Pentium 4 processor offers Hyper-Threading technology that allows a single CPU system to behave in some aspects like a dual-CPU system. This results in more efficient software performance (such as faster reaction times in gaming applications) and enhanced multitasking. It is well suited for professional-quality image, audio, and video editing. It also has A 1 MB L2 cache and an 800 MHz front-side bus (FSB).
• Memory: The 512 MB of built-in memory (2 x 256 MB, PC2700 DDR SDRAM) is becoming standard on notebooks and it's a good start for power users. It has two memory slots in total, with a maximum memory expansion up to 1.2 GB. One memory slot is occupied with 256 MB of non-removeable RAM.
• CD/DVD Drive: It is equipped with a combo DVD+/-RW and CD-RW drive. For DVD-RW discs, it has a 1x write/rewrite speed, while for DVD+RW discs it has a 2x write/rewrite speed (DVDs are read at 5x). For CDs, it has a 16x write/8x rewrite/24x read speed.
• Keyboard & Mouse: This notebook has a standard 101-key keyboard and two-button touchpad with on/off button and dedictated vertical scroll up/down pad.

Sound and Graphics
The R3320US has a 15.4-inch widescreen TFT display with a native resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. The ATI Mobility Radeon 9000 video graphics card is a relatively strong renderer of 3D graphics. Combined with the hyper-threaded Pentium 4 processor, this notebook will handle graphically strong games nicely. It has 128 MB of shared memory (taken from the main system). It also features 16-bit Sound Blaster Pro-compatible audio and JBL Pro Performance stereo speakers.

Connectivity and Expansion Slots
This R3320US model has an integrated 802.11g wireless LAN (which is compatible with the more widespread 802.11b and offers faster data transmission rates). You get a basic offering of connectivity options, which does include super-fast USB 2.0:

• 3 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players
• 1 VGA monitor port
• 1 parallel port
• 1 S-Video out
• 1 PCMCIA (or PC Card) slot (Type I/II, 32-bit)
• 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). It also has a hot-swappable bay for adding an optional optical drive or second battery.

Preloaded System and Software
This system comes with the Windows XP Home Edition operating system, and it also features Microsoft Works (for working with word processing and spreadsheet documents). Other preloaded software includes Microsoft Money, Quicken New User Edition, Norton Antivirus 2004 (with 60-day LiveUpdate subscription), Adobe Acrobat Reader, Encarta Plus, HP Image Zone Plus, InterVideo WinDVD Creator, Sonic RecordNow, and Apple iTunes.

Dimensions and Weight
At 14.25 x 10.96 x 1.8 inches and 7.8 pounds, the R3310US is a bit larger in size compared to other notebooks in its class.

Power
It's powered by a 8-cell rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which provides an average of battery life of around 2 hours (depending on usage).

What's in the Box
This package contains the Compaq Presario R3320US US notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions. It is backed by a one-year limiited hardware warranty.

Product Description

Includes: 12-cell lithium ion battery, AC adapter, Microsoft Windows XP Home with Service Pack 2, Norton Antivirus, WinDVD, Works, Money, Quicken New User's Edition, & more. Compaq Presario R3320US Notebook PC - This notebook is a great portable computing solution, offering you plenty of power and features to keep you productive, entertained, and connected while you're on the go. RAM is upgradable to 1.2GB ATI MOBILITY RADEON 9000 with 128MB of shared memory (memory is taken from the main sytem) 60GB HDD DVD+RW Writer - also writes to CD-R & CD-RW media! 15.4 WXGA Widescreen LCD with a native resolution of 1280 x 800 56K Fax Modem Integrated 802.11g Wi-Fi Wireless Networking Adapter 2 Internal JBL Pro Performance Speakers 1 Type I/II 32-bit Card Bus PC Card Slot Ports - 10/100 Ethernet, 3 USB 2.0, 1 Parallel, 1 Headphone, 1 Microphone, 1 VGA Monitor, & 1 S-Video Out

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Good, December 7, 2004

By 

Randy Given (Manchester, CT USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Compaq Presario R3320US 15.4" Laptop (Intel Pentium 4 Processor with HT Technology, 512 MB RAM, 60 GB Hard Drive, DVD+/-RW/CD-RW Drive) (Personal Computers)

This is a very good notebook. With most purchases like this, it depends on what you want.

For example, I wanted a larger keyboard, full-size if possible. This one fit the bill. So, it is not going to fit in an 8.5x11 package.

I also wanted it to be a desktop replacement so that I could do my software development on the road. That being the case, it is hard on the batteries, so don't expect them to last a long time on a charge.

Good sound was a nice bonus and one that I kept an eye on. The speakers are decent. The headphone output isn't as clean as I had hoped, but it won't both most people like it does us audiophiles.

So far, it seems durable. Only time will tell. Although I wish I had gotten DVD-R (it only has DVD+R like most of its competitiont), this was a good purchase and gets used regularly.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Very Good Desktop Replacement Notebook, May 27, 2005

By 

Randy Y. Tung (San Jose, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Compaq Presario R3320US 15.4" Laptop (Intel Pentium 4 Processor with HT Technology, 512 MB RAM, 60 GB Hard Drive, DVD+/-RW/CD-RW Drive) (Personal Computers)

Pros:
Performance: Even though faster CPU is available on notebook computers today, Pentium IV 3.0GHz still has a very satisfying performance. This notebook can handle almost all the applications well
Vent: Ventilation is very good, I ran the "CPUStabilityTest" over 12 hours continuously. It vented out very hot air and the CPU kept running at 100% usage without any problem.
Screen: The display is very sharp and crisp, wide screen is also very good for movie, love it!
Networking: With build-in wireless 802.11g networking, it is very convenient if you have a wireless network access point either at home or public locations. Build in Ethernet adapter also work flawlessly with my router and switches.
DVD-R/RW: It comes with a DVD-R/RW drive. I consider this is a very good deal at this price range. The DVD drive works flawlessly with the free burning software bundled with the notebook computer
Keyboard: The touch and feel of the keyboard is much improved than the previous version of HP/Compaq notebook computers. It gives you a light and firm touch while you type.
USB Ports: This computer gives you 3 USB ports which is adequate for today's need since there are more and more USB devices available
Appearance: Looks very sleek, I especially like the silver look when you flip open the display.

Cons:
Size/Weight: A bit too heavy and bulky to carry around, but consider it as a desktop replacement, then it is not that bad
Support/Docs: Very hard to find support document, HP/Compaq needs to do some improvement on this. I could not find any document showing us how to replace faulty parts, e.g. keyboard, touch pad ...etc.
Serial Port: Consider the size of this notebook computer; it should at least include a PS2 and serial. I have a Palm Pilot requires a serial port for hot sync and now I will have to buy an extra adapter for this purpose.
Memory: Maximum memory is only 1.2GB. It should be able to handle at least 2GB.

Summary:
For the performance and the price I paid for this computer (around $900), I consider this is a very good deal. I did the CPU stability test and the memory test, and they all passed without any problem. HP's notebook computer used to have over heating problems and this HP/Compaq notebook seems have a much better design on venting the heat. If you are not going to carry it around all the time then I would highly recommend the R3320US notebook computer.

Note: R3320US doesn't come with the Blue Tooth and memory card reader.