HP 9600...something just short of a dream!
Mar 16 '00
On March 2, 2000, I ordered a custom configured HP 9600 from the HP web site. I'd been researching various OEM and configurations for over two months and felt that HP offered more of what I wanted at a good price than any other first tier OEM. Briefly, I ordered an Athlon 600 processor, 256 mg SDRAM, 28.5 gb, 7200 rpm hard drive, 32 mg nVidia video card, both DVD and a CDRW drives, and a 19" monitor for $2283. I knew that the basic price included only a one year warranty and was somewhat puzzled as to why HP could not give me even a "ballpark" figure for an extended, 3 year warranty, until after the computer had been delivered.
On the positive side, the computer and monitor shipped separately, but both pieces arrived in only six days, not the 8 days that had been predicted. Both pieces were in excellent working order right out of the box and were fairly easy to set up for an experienced computer user.
On the negative side, the documentation was exceptionally thin; only a generic poster (printed in 3 languages and bearing some incorrect information) and a "HP Users Guide" CD which was rather elementary; did not have the technical data I had come to expect from the manufacturers of the other four computers I'd previously purchased.
With the computer set up and running, I called HP regarding the extended three year warranty and was told that the price was $250 for carry in service at a HP certified center, or $275 for at home service. The price still seems excessive and, thus, since I have one month to decide whether or not to avail the extended warranty, I'm still thinking about it. Then I could not find the Windows 98 reinstallation disk in any of the packing material; this too was rather unusual (in my experience). Since HP tech support is NOT toll free, I instead went to the HP Customer Care Forum and posted a question about where the Windows 98 OS could be found; after three days and no response from HP or any other party, I then went to <remarq.com> and posted the same question and was immediately answered that HP has only a proprietary System Recovery Disk (which I'd found in my material) and that reinstallation involves a complete reformatting of the hard drive. Yuck!!
Other than for the foregoing, I'm presently quite satisfied with my HP 9600; the Athlon processor is very fast, the extra SDRAM enables having several windows open at the same time, the video card enables very speedy and highly defined graphics, the hard drive is also very fast and has PLENTY OF ROOM, both the DVD and the CDRW are getting a heavy work out from both my teen age son and I, and the monitor is just beautiful. If only HP had a better consumer rating for dependability and reliability, I probably wouldn't even consider an extended warranty, but as it is....??
After only one weeks use of my new HP 9600, I'm still in the "honeymoon" stage of my relationship with the computer; I will post again is things go sour with the machine. At present, however, I'd give the 9600 a "guardedly great" rating.
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Epinions.com ID:
basgav
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Member: Basil Johnson
Reviews written: 3
Trusted by: 0 members
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