 "Fast, Big and Somewhat Annoying" | 2005-04-09 |
| - Reviewed By User: AKEJZP933UCLR |
This is a solid machine. Nicely built, and easy to remove the panel to upgrade. The Ram and processor are eminently upgradable for future consideration.
This machine is *Very* fast, has a large disk and enough ports, firewire, ethernet etc. to satisify most anyone.
BTW, I am an engineer who knows and designs hardware.
The down side?
1. It looks like a 1940's toaster. Hmm, maybe thats good...
2. The bundled software is full of trials and even annoying reminders (advertising) that I will soon strip out.
3. The memory is 512MB of DDR333. Not bad, but could be a little better.
I removed it and replaced it with 4 512MB modules (2GB)of DDR400. Already faster than blazes with the DDR333, the new memory moves yet faster; I would say my apps now move 25 to 40 percent faster with this.
Upside:
The 250 watt rated power supply in this unit is enough for most anything; most people, even technical support folks don't understand this.
The processor uses about 35 watts; each drive less than 25 watts, the sound card less than 15 watts and add on cards less than 20 watts each.
So everything uses less than 130 watts for real.
Even with that fancy $500 video card which warns you to use a 300 watt supply, there is overhead. That card draws a max of 50 watts more for a grand total of 180 watts.
Another thing; I cannot stand computer noise and this unit is very, very quiet. Nice!
Also, there is more software inside than the package indicates: Take a look.
For $800 or so a great deal. Even some $1500 units are not this good.
Then again, I like the doggie search character, so that shows what my opinion is worth.
Cheers!
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 "Best computer of all time (READ THIS REVIEW)" | 2004-06-15 |
| - Reviewed By User: A24GPEKTJY5XDJ |
This computer is worth every penny. I am a big fan of gaming (Counter-Strike) and tis computer preforms like the game was ment to be played on it. My friend just bought a top of the line computer with the best grphic card and i cant tell the difference between mine ans his.
My computer
$1,000(1 Gig memory upgrade)His
$3,000 This computer fits all my needs. It is very fast, I havent had 1 single problem with it, it runs great, and it is perfect for gaming! I used to have a sony vaio and i hated it. Teh memory went out in a second and it lagged like there was no tomorrow! Any Questions at all about this computer email me at seany012012@yahoo.com! Buy it! You wont regret it ! i promise!!! |
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 "Returned the first two befor getting a great PC" | 2004-02-20 |
| - Reviewed By robertow |
| I hate the idea that I had to return this system twice before finding one that worked or me. Both of the first two did not see the DVD and after hours on the phone was finally told to return the PC. But the third was a charm and it works fine. The media ports (2 USB 1 Firewire) and headphone speaker access on the face are very user friendly and the hardware package overall is decent. Access to the inside of the PC is simple and everything is at your fingertips. So installing new Ram and a Video card for gaming was a breeze. The only complaint is the onboard audio card. I would have had second thoughts if it had been brought up before the purchase. But the marked down price and rebate made the decision for me. Overall it's been a great computer very few problems and as I already noted the hardware package is decent. I would like to have had a better software package but the cost of the Hardware made it cheaper to purchase the A350n than build a new PC that would have been close to the same performance. |
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| "A great home PC" | 2004-02-08 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2RCW68DVTNZJL |
| I got this PC two weeks ago and I must say this is a great desktop. It has almost everything an intermediate PC user wants: it is fast( P4 HT @ 2.8 GHz), lots of hard disk space(160 GB, good if you want to edit videos), 512 MB of RAM, USB and IEEE 1394 ports(to connect to digital camcorders), CD and DVD burner, etc, etc. The HD makes some noise, but the performance of this desktop as a whole is fantastic. The absence of recovery CDs, used when you need to format the HD, is not a source of problems at all, once you can create the CDs set very easily(there is even an application for that included among the provided softwares), as long as you do not make a mess of the HP Recovery Drive. It is an excellent HP product. I really recommend it. Congratulations to HP. |
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 "Decent hardware & price; Terrible technical support" | 2004-02-06 |
| - Reviewed By Anonymous |
| I bought my first HP a350n 3 weeks ago for $1,000. Decent package of hardware for the price and it worked fine for a week. Contacted HP's online tech support about a trivial problem and they had me perform a system recovery that blasted my downloaded programs to Saturn (after assuring me no programs would be lost). Their technical expert neglected to tell me to disconnect the printer before doing the system recovery which evidently damaged the system. I returned the PC and like either an idiot or masochist, I bought another a350n through Amazon.com/Home Depot due to what seemed like a great price, $796. That a350n ran OK for one day before seizing up and losing Internet connections. HP's telephone tech support had me perform 2 system recoveries, again sending my programs into deep space. Every day since then I have spent numerous hours online with HP's tech center in India which is apparently manned by untrained goat herders or with HP's telephone tech people. The a350n seizes up, loses Internet connections, loses settings, and generates a steady stream of serious error messages. HP's technical instructions are contradictory, nonsensical, bizarre, inaccurate and sometimes make problems worse. HP's technical wizards have not helped me resolve a single problem. I have spent night after night online with HP and it's like something out of the Twilight Zone. They give instructions that are impossible to comply with, contradict each other, fail to respond, and accomplish nothing (while telling you what a "valuable customer" you are). I bought an HP based on horror stories I read about Dell's tech support center in India, never imagining HP's online center was also manned by lackwits in India. HP's telephone tech support is no bettter. They castigated me for downloading Windows XP updates from Microsoft which both Microsoft and other HP tech reps said the a350n needed. They complained I am running too many programs while I ran as many on an old Emachines PC with only a 400 Mhz Celeron and 32 MB of RAM. The a350n has a 2.8 Ghz Pentium 4 with 512 MB of RAM yet I have had far more problems with it in 3 weeks than with my old Emachines relic in 3 years. If you get an a350n that works, great. But if you need competent technical help, forget HP. Now I understand why Home Depot was selling them for only $796. |
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| "Decent hardware & price; Terrible technical support" | 2004-02-06 |
| - Reviewed By User: A244HPPHCOLKWI |
| I bought my first HP a350n 3 weeks ago for $1,000. Decent package of hardware for the price and it worked fine for a week. Contacted HP's online tech support about a trivial problem and they had me perform a system recovery that blasted my downloaded programs to Saturn (after assuring me no programs would be lost). Their technical expert neglected to tell me to disconnect the printer before doing the system recovery which evidently damaged the system. I returned the PC and like either an idiot or masochist, I bought another a350n through Amazon.com/Home Depot due to what seemed like a great price, $796. That a350n ran OK for one day before seizing up and losing Internet connections. HP's telephone tech support had me perform 2 system recoveries, again sending my programs into deep space. Every day since then I have spent numerous hours online with HP's tech center in India which is apparently manned by untrained goat herders or with HP's telephone tech people. The a350n seizes up, loses Internet connections, loses settings, and generates a steady stream of serious error messages. HP's technical instructions are contradictory, nonsensical, bizarre, inaccurate and sometimes make problems worse. HP's technical wizards have not helped me resolve a single problem. I have spent night after night online with HP and it's like something out of the Twilight Zone. They give instructions that are impossible to comply with, contradict each other, fail to respond, and accomplish nothing (while telling you what a "valuable customer" you are). I bought an HP based on horror stories I read about Dell's tech support center in India, never imagining HP's online center was also manned by lackwits in India. HP's telephone tech support is no bettter. They castigated me for downloading Windows XP updates from Microsoft which both Microsoft and other HP tech reps said the a350n needed. They complained I am running too many programs while I ran as many on an old Emachines PC with only a 400 Mhz Celeron and 32 MB of RAM. The a350n has a 2.8 Ghz Pentium 4 with 512 MB of RAM yet I have had far more problems with it in 3 weeks than with my old Emachines relic in 3 years. If you get an a350n that works, great. But if you need competent technical help, forget HP. Now I understand why Home Depot was selling them for only $796. |
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