Amazon.com: Customer Reviews: HP Pavilion Media Center M8120N Desktop PC (Intel Core 2 Quad Processor Q6600, 3 GB RAM, 640 GB Hard Drive, Vista Premium)
41 of 45 people found the following review helpful:
A Good Solid Machine
I've had this HP for a week or two now. Its my fourth HP desktop over the years...I like HP, not because their product is superior (frankly I dont know if there's really a lot of difference between various manufacturers' products, since they basically install other companies' hardware ((like Intel's) and software (like Microsoft) in a computer case with their logo on it),...
I was expecting that the bugs would have already been worked out
I bought the m8120n along with a HP w2207 monitor. It came with a standard GeForce 7350 LE video card and a Windows Vista home premium operating system. The system seems rather slow and sluggish, especially for having a quad core processor. Windows update says that there are updates to be installed for the monitor but when I tell it to go ahead, it tries to install...
I've had this HP for a week or two now. Its my fourth HP desktop over the years...I like HP, not because their product is superior (frankly I dont know if there's really a lot of difference between various manufacturers' products, since they basically install other companies' hardware ((like Intel's) and software (like Microsoft) in a computer case with their logo on it), but because I've found HP technical support to be superior when I've had problems over the years. (I recently bought a Toshiba laptop, and speaking with their "tech" reps was an amazingly frustrating experience -- I never thought I'd see the day when I'd know more than somebody getting paid to give me advice).
As for this model, i'm pleased with its performance, though I do not recommend anyone buy a new computer so they can have Vista - trust me, its no great improvement over XP. But this HP has a lot of power, and most importantly, I got it with 3 GB RAM, which is not all that much in a "media" pc.
The Windows Media Center is a simple but useful tool for bringing together TV, internet capabilities etc in one place. And there is a new disk burning capability built in that will do the job for most layman like me. (Dont rush into one of the video editing software packages now available--they are really big headaches for most users who have no interest in becoming computer technicians in their spare time).
This one also has a good number of USB2 and firewire ports, and lots of inputs/outputs for speakers, media centers, DVDs etc.
Like all computers these days, it comes loaded with software applications you probably dont want, and which are just there in the hopes you'll buy the "full" product. You'll want to uninstall a lot of this stuff, but wait a few weeks, so you dont accidentally uninstall a piece of software you wish you had kept a while...
AND burn your backup emergency reinstallation DVDs right away...they dont come included with the computer these days.
As usual with Amazon, delivery was amazingly fast -- it came one business day after I ordered it on-line -- and there are a few rebates that lower the price by about 15%.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Like a recent reviewer, I have also been comparing prices against a similarly configured Dell Machine (9200 with a quad-core). But to correct a few possible mis-perceptions:
(1) While it is not possible to configure the Dell 9200 to the same specs as the HP m8120n, trying to do so would run about $1400-$1600. $700 is not a realistic price-point, as the base Dell system would not include: (a) the 3rd GB of RAM, (b) the dual TV tuner card, (c) the dual firewire inputs, (d) the wireless mouse/keyboard, or the PS2 ports (whooopee), (e) Windows Vista Home *Premium*, (f) gigabit ethernet, (g) the media-card reader, nor (h) the built-in WIFI (handy for those using the m8120n as a media center near the TV). The media expansion slot is another possible perk ($100 will buy you a portable 300GB HP drive, that has a USB port for universal hook-up).
(2) By most accounts, HP build and customer support are a notch above Dell's. I personally have a 700m laptop that attests to the endless phone calls that occur with a defective Dell.
(3) The m8120n does *not* have a 300GHz power supply, it has a 350 watt power supply. Nowhere have I read that installing a new power supply voids the warranty (it may be true), but just visit CC's website and you will see several users have upgraded it without incident.
(4) The overall "low" Windows rating of 3.4 is very misleading. Two subscores (Windows Aero and gaming graphics) are due to the entry-level video card, while the other three scores on the stock system are 5.9, 5.5 and 5.8 (for processor, RAM, and hard drive, respectively). That is out of a possible 5.9 points, remember. As Windows explains it, the 3.4 "average" score is in fact given due to the lowest subscore. Several owners have also reported upgrading their video card to an nVidia 7- or 8-series without requiring a new power supply.
(5) Speaking of video cards, the stock card (nVidia 7350LE) occupies the one PCI-express slot. If you hate it, pull it out and put in a new PCI-E card. There is also an occupied PCI slot with the modem in it, which I would pull out in a second if I wanted to put in a different PCI card (there is also a PCI-E 1-bit slot).
My overall feeling is that I absolutely love the m8120n. I had been watching the Dell 9200 price weekly since April, and two weeks after I bought the HP the Dell price came tumbling down...it broke my cheap little heart, but I've since remembered all the troubles and pain caused by my Dell laptop. I think I swore a few times that I'd never buy another Dell (how easily we forget). But paired with a 22" Hanns.G monitor and Canon MF4150 all-in-one printer, the HP is a beautiful system, and everything works seamlessly.
I might add that my son plays Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings (the video games) on our machine, and the video card does a superb job. I wouldn't expect it to keep up with a high framerate game, but for our purposes it fits the bill perfectly.
Another thought: I originally scoffed at the built-in TV tuner card, but after the monitor arrived, I started Windows Media Center, and just for fun set it to record all the episodes of SpongeBob and Simpsons for my kids that it could find...a week later, and they have dozens of episodes (with 200 GB still left on the second hard drive) to watch. I call it "Daddie makes dinner (or mows the lawn) time". With a portable media player coming in a few weeks (ARCHOS 605), I've started compressing the recorded episodes to 100MB each with a DivX converter...at that rate, the player will easily hold all of our DVDs plus day's worth of cartoons.
By the way, let me share a naughty secret: Windows Media Center records in (what looks like) a proprietary .DVR-MS format. But drop that file into the included MyDVD Basic program that comes loaded on the m8120n, and guess what it does first? It asks if it can transcode (i.e., convert) the Media Center file into a different format...really, what it seems to be doing is stripping the DRM (digial rights management, i.e., copy protection), leaving you with a generic mpeg video file. Nice. (Update: I've been reading up on DRM, and realize my recordings thus far are not protected content...will update again later if MyDVD can indeed convert protected files.)
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
On the M8120n Microsoft and HP have teamed up to put the WOW factor back into personal computing. The Vista home premium works to perfection and the HP support software and personal help line make using and supporting this computer a pleasure. Most of my questions are handled through a search function in Vista that takes me to answers. The HP telephone support line seems to be always available even at 11 PM PDT with fewer than 5 minutes to get a live person who is knowledgeable.
My objective for this desktop was to run investment and home office applications and it does that without breathing hard. I thought the four processors in the machine would be overkill, and I guess it is because it never labors under the most demanding workloads with multiple applications running at the same time. At the same time I have been backing up, running Schwab Street Smart Pro, running a DOS program in the background, OneNote, word, using Quicken (a total of 95 processes) and showing CPU utilization in the 27% range and memory use of 1.56 GB out of the 3 GB available. The high speed memory is 3 GB, the maximum that the 32 bit Vista can handle; you have to go to 64 bit Vista to address more memory.
The media capabilities were an afterthought for me. But what do you do after the markets close...opt for entertainment. And this machine has plenty of it. I hooked the 7.1 sound card to my Yamaha AV processor though the SPID digital cable out to the CD in on the Yamaha. That combination produces Dolby Digital or DTS surround sound through the speakers already cabled to the Yamaha. I set up a simple $10 antenna to receive 28 digital TV stations in Orange County, many of them broadcasting in HD. I haven's hooked up the cable antenna yet, but that is additionally available. TV show recording is a snap, one button to record a single show or a series; it is easier to use than my Time Warner cable recorder. The DVI cable from computer to the HP w2207 monitor provides the single cable HD content. With the HP remote control all multimedia selections are one click away. I discovered that while listening to disk stored music, a simple click for slide show randomly displays pictures from my picture gallery.
A few hassles were encountered but solved quickly though HP live support. The wireless keyboard didn't work out of the box and the support person told me about the reset button that got them to sync up. The combination CD/DVD LightScribe player seems to address all available CD and DVD formats, however the support person told me about incompatibilities with some media manufactures, he mentioned Memorex, but my Memorex DVD-ROM reads and writes OK. Overall, this machine will not disappoint and provides the WOW above your expectations.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
[...]I recently purchased the HP m8100n and am pleased with it. Out of the box, it is a lot of computer for the price (plenty of high speed memory, huge fast hard drive, a good processor, a tv card, 7.1 channel sound output, all for $[...] here at Amazon, after rebates). It will easily do the job of recording tv shows, burning dvds, playing music, surfing the net, and so forth, as well as handle word and data processing with ease. The Vista operating system sometimes does odd things (like occasionally opening, behind other windows, a little box you can't see which asks you to click on a yes or no button, which in turn causes you to think your computer has locked up when really all it's doing is waiting for your to answer the question in the hidden box). But this is not HP's fault, it's going to be true of any computer you buy today with the Vista OS.
The m8100n was also (to me at least) relatively easy to upgrade in the one area it is weak (graphics for high end gaming). I upgraded the on-board Nvidia 6150 LE graphics to one of the newest Nvidia cards, so I could play (on occasion) some of the current and upcoming high-end games. Because of the possible increased power requirements of the new video card, I first replaced the existing 300 watt power supply with a Cooler Master 600 watt power supply [...], then I added an Nvidia GeForce 8600 GTS OC video card [...]. The only thing that required some technical knowledge was the need to change the BIOS setting (accessible at the blue HP boot up screen) to reflect that the primary video output was now to be through the previously empty PCIe slot (where I'd placed the 8600 card), not through the original on-board video. Vista now reports that I have 5.9s on the graphics performance measures (the highest value you can get), compared to the previous 3.0s I got from the original on-board Nvidia 6150 SE. The HP web site that discusses the specs of this model states that the machine only supports video output through one source, hence the need to tell the BIOS the changes I'd made. It probably helped, in making the change, that I had two monitors available, one connected to the old vga port, and one connected to the new dvi port of the 8600.
Now replacing power supplies and fooling around with a computer's BIOS isn't for everyone. A lot of things might go wrong, including things that can render your machine unusable until some tech guy looks at it. So if you want to play high-end games, you probably should just go ahead and buy a machine with one of those high-end cards already installed.
Also, while I'm very pleased with the performance of the AMD cpu on this model, if you're into power, you should probably consider the sister to this machine that just came out, the HP m8120n. It comes with an Intel Q6600 Core 2 Quad processor, which is faster than the AMD dual core in this machine (5.9 versus 5.3 on the Vista measure of cpu calculations, though the memory measures are faster with the AMD -- 5.9 -- than the Intel -- 5.3, probably due to the differences in FSBs). The m8120n also comes with the Nvidia GeForce 7350 LE video card (which is better than the Nvidia 6150 LE, but still not really fast enough for serious 3D gaming), and with wireless keyboard and mouse and built-in b/g wireless networking (though you can buy a b/g wireless usb plug for very little these days, if you want to add that to the m8100n, or simply replace the modem card in the m8100n with a $10 wireless g card from Amazon or Target). Good usb wireless mouse/keyboard combo are also available everywhere for less than $40. Still, the m8120n is the machine I'd probably have bought instead of the m8100n if it had been available one week earlier, though there is at least a $250 difference in price between the two models.
The m8120 should be even easier to upgrade, graphics-wise, than the m8100n, since all you should need to do is switch out your new Nvidia video card with the one already in the machine. No need to change any BIOS settings, and as long as you stick to an Nvidia card, no need to even update the drivers (the Vista OS should handle that automatically, since 7000 and 8000 series of Nvidia cards use the same driver package).
Neither model comes with speakers (I guess they figure you'll want to use your own 7.1 setup). Also, neither comes with a monitor. I picked up a Samsung 22 inch LCD, and it perfectly complements the m8100n.
By the way, the m8100n comes with an empty PCIe X16 slot, so I think HP was anticipating users might want to upgrade their video performance. A lot of video cards you can buy today say they operate with only a 300 watt power supply, but the high end ones invariably require something greater. The ATI 1600 Pro I put a year ago in the other desktop I own (a Sony VAIO) has functioned just fine with the 350 watt power supply the computer came with, though it did turn a previously silent computer into one with a slight noise (from the fan on the card). The new power supply and video card I put in the m8100n also changed the sound level from nearly silent to noticeably noisy, but that's one of those trade offs in life.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
First off, just because I gave it a 4 star rating doesn't mean it is less than outstanding because for the deal this machine gives you, it's really worth 5 stars, but I'll get to that in a moment. The power and features this machine has are absolutely amazing and over the weekend I've had quite the adventure tweaking and dealing with some of the features this wonderful architecture of plastic, metal and silicon has. There are SO many ports on this thing to stick all sorts of USB, firewire and audio jacks in-- I honestly don't even think you need to buy a soundcard upgrade for this thing because the integrated audio is actually just that good!
My speakers are an ollld stereo system I had lying around from almost a decade ago, but when I hooked this thing up as my only liability for speakers, I'd never heard it sound this good-- do yourself a favor and get some treble-terrorizing, bass-bazookaing speakers and you'll be more than happy you did so for this.
Despite the mixed reviews I've seen of this machine of people saying it sucks, it's terrible, Vista's to blame and all that-- those are all personal experiences that should not hinder your own and I say you should just get one if you're more than convinced on the sheer power this thing has to offer, because take it from me, I've only seen the best from this machine so far. I'll be honest and say I got a refurbished system of this computer, as that may have put me under some distress that someone obviously didn't want this and sent it back-- but their loss was my gain and I am glad I made this purchase.
This is my newest computer I've bought in a long time considering the whole transition I've seen from computers into the multi-core processing trend technology has forced computers through and I can easily say I've missed out on alot: The Athlon-64 chipsets, the X2's, the Intel Core Duos all the way up till now where I did alot of research to see if it was really worth getting this thing as a quadcore processor... and it really is! It's more like an investment into the future as more software developers and hardware integration will take advantage more on the hyperthreading/multicore processor capabilities and because this system has the ability to ramp up to 8 Gigs of RAM (you'll have to switch to Vista Ultimate of course... 64-bit OS besides.) This thing is as loaded as you'll get and with the set up it has now, I've thrown almost everything that I can at it as far as tasks go-- installing, uninstalling, websurfing, burning cds/dvds, playing music, watching videos, editing scores images in Photoshop abusing filters and about 20 more other functions mix and matching all at once-- and this machine won't even break a sweat. It's like a dream come true... HOWEVER...
GAMER ENTHUSIASTS BEWARE==
THIS is why I gave it the four star rating because I myself am a gamer but I use my computer for other programs besides which take advantage of its quadcore processors. While the processing power and RAM surplus this system has will help benefit you-- this system is very limited in size as far as upgrading goes... the plus to this was that I found out it had 2 PCI-Express slots, so I figured I'd be able to SLI. That's when I actually got the thing, took a look inside and saw how compactly minimalistic this thing is. From about 1/4ths of the base of the computer up, the thing is crammed with all the other things going on, wires, fans, RAM, harddrives, all the 15-1 media reader stuff and dvd-writer, all of it... then from the rest of it down where your videocard, modem (toss it...) and tuners are, there's just enough space to fit something big in there like a an eVGA 8800 GTS or something of the same size... if you're thinking of getting this system because it's the cheapest Q6600 you'll find as a built up system, you'll be highly mistaken and displeased not to go SLI because there's just not enough space for it to happen... also the power supply is pretty weak, just 350w where you'll definitely need an powerful 400w at best but a 500w will do the trick, just as long as your amps peak at around 26 or more, you'll be alright, but if you're looking to upgrade the weak optical drive (video card) in this thing... buy a new power supply and an 8800 GTS or something because that's the ONLY thing holding this system back from being the beast it can really be. You just won't be able to SLI, but SLI is overrated and overkill only for the gamer enthusiast who'll more than likely spend two to three times the price tag of this system alone just for RAM, motherboard and CPU...
===
Take my word for it, this computer is at best FLAWLESS and all its features, bells & whistles are so much fun... I don't even use my mouse half the time I'm using this computer because I've found out how to use the remote specifically to look through songs, switch through files and do just about everything I want it to do without fault!
One last word about this system and it's its operating system... take what you want about people's word on Vista and how they say it's a horrible operating system and that "there isn't a need to move to Vista" but I still think about Vista as an investment of time I won't have to worry about once it becomes an integrated core of operating systems (and for gamers because of DX10...) and I'll admit I've had some fault with Vista... it's a bit touchy when you try to do certain things, especially uninstall and sometimes it'll have spaztastically freak moments you'll think the computer is broke, but it's not... Vista is just a really unstable OS at the moment I REALLY hope has all the kinks worked out by the end of the year, if not January and 1Q2008.
Unless you're willing to hold out a little longer for something else, buy this system and do yourself a favor... I don't think I regret buying this system and I doubt I will for quite some time because I'm just that confident in how this system feels and works.
What would it have taken to give this a 5? Probably if it had an 8800 GTS loaded with it to begin with... but we all can't be winners I suppose. So a four for the awesome computer easily capable of a 5 star rating!
=== Nov. 10, 2007 Update!!!
I've had this computer for about a month now and again, flawless design and scheme as far as this thing goes. I had a GeForce 8800 GTS 640 MB in this thing but had it taken out and returned for reasons besides, such as the new 8800 GT on the 65mm transistor size scale, which gives it a HUGE performance boost and size difference comparably better than the GTS 640 and VERY close to the monstrously sized and overpriced 8800 GTX/Ultra series. (Let's hope something else dethrones that beast and we can all have decent videocardware). Anyway, Again, this computer is a mark for potential that's severely untapped and if you can, consider seriously to upgrade the Operating System in this thing from its standard 32-bit OS (Vista Home/Premium) to Vista Ultimate, or if you're thinking of switching the OS reverted back to XP if you can, bet on the 64 bit system OS of it and load this system out with a full 8 Gigs of RAM.
Expensive? If you can manage to land a good deal on the 64-bit OS like XP64 or Vista Ultimate, then yeah, that'll be your most costly endeavor but the RAM itself being upgraded to 8 GB couldn't be easier or simpler. How so? Hit up www.newegg.com and check out the Crucial Technology 2GB RAM Memory sticks which go for about under 50 bucks a pop with FREE, that's right, FREE Shipping & Handling. I've been a Crucial Technology customer in the past and I can easily say they're a mighty endeavor when it comes to stable memory purchases. There's always www.4allmemory.com, which gives up tax-free, shipping & handling free memory, and there's the upstart memory business Patriot, but Crucial has the greatest benefit to your financial satisfaction if you're looking to max out and upgrade your RAM Memory to a staggering amount of memory that will not disappoint. They also have their items guaranteed for life, how's that for customer service?
It's true, RAM Memory upgrading is the most efficient, cost-effective way to upgrade your system despite whatever the GHz rate of your core processor might be and it gets the job done faster, makes the graphics run by smoother, your experience all that much better-- do yourself a favor and stake out any means necessary to upgrade this computer's system if you can to its full potential of 8GB, you won't be disappointed nor will you feel left out from obsoletion ESPECIALLY with its quad-core processing abilities being able to scream like banshees with unprecedented power.
I'm not preaching empty promises, just facts and open mind for anyone curious as what to do and where to go with this system if they aren't sure or needed assurance on what seems beneficial to make the most out of your system, specifically this one. JUST DO IT.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
I have to start off to say that I was looking for quite some time before settling down on this computer. After rebates and a little help from Amazon prime for shipping, I couldn't hold off and decided to make the purchase. As far as power, the processor speed is great, it has an enormous hard drive with room for expansion and 3GB of memory definitely makes multi-tasking through many of my web development programs and tools a breeze.
A few minor things I would have liked to see was an option to come with windows xp, or xp pro. Vista, while it looks nice, is way too buggy still and quite a resource hog. So the first thing I did was back up Vista, and wipe the whole computer and install xp pro. Another thing I did was replace the video card with my bfg, since I needed dual DVI inputs for my dual monitor setup. Lastly, it would have been nice to either a)remove a GB of memory and knock a few bucks off, or b) add another, and add a few bucks. Now if I want to upgrade, I have two useless 512MB sticks laying around.
Some minor changes I would have liked to see definitely do not change the fact that for the money and performance, this is a great machine. All you need to do is a little cleanup once you open it up, and add a few minor upgrades, if needed, down the road.
PS - I haven't messed around with the tv card at all, but once I do I will be sure to update my review. I am curious as to how HD will capture and display on this card, and I can give my DVR a little rest or help if I want to record more than two shows at once.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
My wife and I purchased this desktop about 2 weeks ago. It replaced our older pavilion. I'm generally loyal to hp products as they've been better over the last 10 years.
Believe ALL of the hype you read about this system. It's all true. Super quiet, fast. The wireless keyboard and mouse are SOOO much more convenient (less wires to trip over). Card reader built in and 640GB of hard drive?!?!? Incredible. We also purchased the HP w1907 (19" widescreen monitor). It' all a dream. This system is essentially our third HDTV. The tv card installed allows you to pick up ATSC and NTSC broadcasts. Simply amazing. I can go on and on about the many features of this system. Just know that everything that's on the back of your high-end stereo reciever is on the back of this tower. Seriously. It's truly top-of-the line. It supports digital audio, digital video (via DVI), and of course cable and satellite connections in the back of the tower don't hurt either.
The BIG DRAWBACK....this is NOT really HP's fault either. It's the VISTA driver nightmare! Beware of of the dreaded "80070005" error code. A lot of us that have bought new systems (from many different manufacturers) are coming across this error. It seems to be some kind of permissions error. The problem is that VISTA has an on-going issue with permissions in some instances where users cannot even download the most updated version of their drivers. I have 3 things being effected by this very problem my monitor (thank goodness the video card's driver is in order), our printer and even windows media player (in particular playing of DVD's). It's a problem I've researched on my own and surely will resolve. I'm just surprised how Microsoft has put such a flawed product into the chasis of HP and other manufacturer's without little support or solutions as to how to resolve issues deriving from their software.
I do like Microsoft software...however, early on, this OS seems to have too many issues to be on the market at this point. Maybe another 6 months to year to work out all of it's kinks that users/buyers are finding the hard way.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
I'm sure this would be a smokin' computer if not for Vista. That really drags it down. One note to watch out for. When you get the computer it comes with NO CDs. You have to create a recovery set - do that before you do anything. You can only make a recovery set once. The first computer I got said the recovery set had already been made so I returned it and got another computer. It said it would take 2 regular DVDs or 1 dual layer DVD. I tried the dual layer and after burning the first disk it said to insert another. Then I got an error message after turning saying the validation failed and to try again. I wasted 4 DVD's before I gave up and called HP. They mailed me a set of recovery disks. I guess this happens alot. So before wasting your DVD's, call them if it doesn't work the first time.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
I have owned the m8i20n for about one week. My main application is for heavy duty photo editing using Photoshop CS2, and Lightroom 1.2. It is performing up my expectations and contrary to other reviewers, Vista works well. Here are some thoughts:
Strengths:
1. The Quatro processor is incredibly fast. Vista Processor score is 5.9.
2. The mother board has empty slots for upgrades.
3. Plenty of hard disk capacity. I opted for 2 360GB disks in a RAID 1 configuration (two identical drives at all times).
4. I like the CF slot on the front panel.
Weaknesses.
1. The video board is useless for my needs. It is slow (Vista - 3.4), and it only supports one (DVI)monitor.
2. The power supply is at best adequate if you upgrade the system.
3. The wireless keyboard is inadequate. (Non-ergonomic, skips keystrokes).
Other thoughts.
1. I replaced the video board with a PX8500 form Leadtek. I now have support for two DVI monitors, and the Vista Aero score is 5.9. The gaming score is 5.3. Best of all, this board does not require a new power supply.
2. The keyboard must go. Fortunately I have several surplus ones, so this is not an issue for me.
3. Since the two disk are in a raid configuration, I purchased a 360Gb HP Personal Media Drive. It works well as a backup drive and as a buffer drive for Photoshop.
4. Since I do not use my computer to watch TV, I removed the Video card. I was able to sell it on an auction site for $70.
5. With the video board and the modem board both removed, I now have 2 PCI slots for upgrades.
4. The unit is not as quiet as I would like, but it is not worse than others.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
This is a fabulous machine.....BUT I received it with one minor and ONE MAJOR problem. First, the major one: when I booted it up, I had a message, "Insert boot disk and push enter". That doesn't bode well! After contacting HP a couple of times (my friend in India had me remove the side panel and pull the cables to the hard drive [very disconcerting!], I was authorized to return it. Now, it is somewhat self-assuring to know that HP pays for overnight shipping and return. Having said that, there was no clear indication what was wrong. Did HP forget to put VISTA on the system? Or what?
2nd problem (minor): Apparently HP no longer provides for a VGA monitor connection. Instead, it uses a DVI connection. It did provide a VGA to DVI connector but it was a very small item shippped with the computer along with many other components and NO clear indicator that this was the situation. "For the lack of a nail......." Fortunately, my many years dealing with PCs helped to overcome this minor annoyance.
HOWEVER, after a week I got everything up and running and it is magnificent! I probably would have given it a 5 star if it hadn't been for this unfortunate episode!
As an aside, converting software and equipment from XP to VISTA is an adventure requiring patience and a few bucks! It's not for the faint hearted or those with limited budgets.
Tech Savvy Raimondo
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Recent discussions in the HP Pavilion Media Center M8120N Desktop PC (Intel Core 2 Quad Processor Q6600, 3 GB RAM, 640 GB Hard Drive, Vista Premium) forum
