Compaq Presario Series

This laptop is great.. i over paid for it to begin with because i went to downtown los angeles to one of those little electronic stores thinking i was getting a deal. I latter found out it was refurbished and and i paid about $400 about a year ago. I seen the same one for about three hundred dollars at walmart. This model came with a celeron processor, and honestly this think is great. It is not an i core and it runs a 64 bit processor which i never heard of a celeron running but it runs great, never any problems. I highly recommend it..

I bought a Presario CQ62, i went to downtown Los Angeles, thinking i was going to get a deal, which i didn't in the long run, i over paid by about one hundred dollars so it came out to about 400.00 dollars. Also, it was refurbished, but this machine for the price even though i over paid is still great. It only runs on a celeron processor and it has window seven and it is a 64 bit machine. And i run this baby all day every day, i think Walmart is running a special on these with an AMD II i think it was PHenom or something like that but i have no complaints with this machine. It is a perfect buy if you are on a budget.

I like it! I have a feeling it's not going to last as long as my last one (pimped out dell), but it's $330 bucks! How can you complain! If you're going to run Abobe apps though, like photoshop, etc - then get something more powerful. Also, you DON'T need to buy windows! Just download Open Office (for free) and it does the same job.

i had my compaq presario sr1103wm for over 5 years now... windows xp...and just recently had to put in a power supply box...other than that...its the best i have ever owned.

(talking about the Presario CQ50) Hell yes. I can get around 90 FPS on Normal graphics settings on Nexuiz, and around 130 in the next one down. It has around a 2 hour battery life, and i got it for $400!!!! if i had to decribe this in 1 word, it would be "Pwnsauce"

i have used many compaqs. ain't got no problems. good computer for the budget.

In May of 2007 I purchased a Presario 440 notebook.a few months ago my keys started falling off. First the 2 then the g then v,and finally the space bar just fell off when I opened it one day. This computer is a monstrosaty. I have never in my life seen anything like this. I should have called 2 months ago but to be honest, the shock threw me off. I am truely befuddled. I called Customer Service and Mark B (he said he wasn't allowed to give his last name, I am assuming after reading the reviews, for fear of angry customers)told me there was nothing that could be done unless I paid them 49.99, then someone could diagnose the problem.....I know the problem....my keys are missing. My ONLY OPTION is to send the computer to them for repairfor 289.00. This company is a disgrace to the technical industry.

Unfortunately, I can only give this 1 star. Unfortunate, because I can't go into negative stars. This brand is terrible. One problem after another. I bought a Compaq computer in 2006. Come to find out, two years later, that the parts they used to make it- WERE MADE IN 1985. Do NOT trust Compaq as your source for a computer. Not only that, but they have terrible customer service, many people complain about Compaq's customer support. You cannot rely on them, they install pointless things that come with their computer. The computer I have, the disktray does not have a button to push it back it back in itself, I have to forcefully push it. It needed a definite RAM enhancement, and even then, it is not good enough. I, like many people who bought a Compaq, are disappointed. Please consider ANY other computer BUT a Compaq.

Never....everever again.  What a piece.

I own Pressario V5000 and it is the worst crap I ever had! The first laptop broke in one week. And I discovered it acidently. The dvd-rom just did not read CDs. Since it was only a first week, I brought it back to the Best Buy and the gave me another one. But in a few months I had a series of problems... dvd-rom did not burn DVDs and there were series of error messages. When I contacted a Support Center, all they could say was to recover all my data, after non of their suggestions worked. I did it 5 times!!! Now my laptop hardly can recognize mouse and after RErecognition it just switches off!! It tries to download something in black skrin mode, but it does not work and it only says "mouse initialise error". It allso freezes all the time, and all Technical Support can say is to recover data! I'm so angry at them! That is what they say all the time! I want to return it and get my money back! Worst computer ever! Never buy it!

I had a compaq presario and within 1 year and a half went through 2 hard drives, 2 motherboards, 3 dvd drives. It was considered a lemon and I was given a VERY discounted store credit to replace it. My daughters presario went through 2 hard drives, 2 motherboards and a cd-rom . It was considered a lemon and she was given a VERY discounted store credit. My mothers presario (she uses it very little - the only reason she has it is because it was a gift from someone) is only a few months old, but so far the monitor has had to be replaced twice because it got very hot and was considered a fire hazard. Now its making a very loud noise so I'll be calling to have it diagnosed. Like all phone calls that I've made though, I absolutely DREAD calling because its VERY hard to understand the technicians, and its so very obvious that they are only looking up and reading to you what you need to do to test the computer during the diagnosis. I've found myself MANY times explaining things to them instea... Read more

I have a presario2100. I got it cheap as hell and now I know why. This computer has nothing and can do nothing. It takes everything it has to run IE and still then it wants to dreeze up and shut down... WILL NEVER BUY A COMPAQ AGAIN. THIS A BIG WASTE OF MONEY... The next notebook I get will be a TOSHIBA Had one before and loved it. Just spilt to many cokes on it and then it got stolen. But that was the best computer I every had. Expensive but the best. ITS worth every penny...

i have only had my laptop for 3mnths, and already the hard drive had to be replaced, and is the computer working properly now, well you have to be kidding, it freezes and shuts down on me continually. do the compaq people help, you are really joking now, they have had me completely reinstall the system twice now. this is not a joke, i have never been so ripped off in my life. i will never buy another compaq again.

I have the Compaq Presario V2312US. It has a AMD Turion 64 chip. It has a dvd/cd burner. I've never had a laptop before so cannot compare to others. However, this computer has been everythin I've hoped it would be and at a good price. It is "on" most of the time and I've never had it overheat. I use it for surfing, photoshop, downloading music and video, and word processing. It boots up and shuts down fast. If you are looking to replace a bulky home system or looking for a laptop for school I highly recommend this model.

Worst computer I ever had. It's been one problem after another. At 9 months the hard drive died. They sent me a new drive with 9 recovery CDs and expected me to install the new drive and restore it to original status as when I bought the computer. Not being a techie, I feared I'd mess it up, so I hired a professional. It took him 6 1/2 hours to do the job. He said they could have sent me a drive that already had all the software on it and the job could have been done in two hours or less, including the transfer of all my data. The warranty states that they cover parts and labor, but they have refused to pay for the labor. I'm coming up on the 11 1/2 month mark now and the fan in the computer now sounds like an airplane engine - no exaggeration, it's that loud. I'm at the end of my rope with Compaq. I would never purchase another compaq or HP computer. The person I hired to do the job for me said that after seeing what they sent me, he would never recommend them either.

We have had this Compaq Presario SR1103WM for about 2 years and it hasn't crashed once and it is just as fast now as it was on the day of the purchase. Highly recommended.

Wonderful computer. Still runs brilliantly and I've had it since 1998 (compaq presario 5100c)

I have a compaq r3210 notebook which i got a yr ago as a graduation gift. I like the computer, although it gave me only a problem once when a big virus attacked it. I called HP and it took me 1 hour to restore back my notebook to normal. The best aspect about the Hp support team is that they are patient and they'll help you with anything. I installed spyware and anti-virus and now its working better than before. I also installed extra memory in my computer to boost its speed. It now has 768 MB of Ram, which is faster than the original 256 Mb the notebook came with. The other positive thing about my notebook is that it has 60GB harddrive, thats plenty of space that can store photos, music and videos. Oh, and if you want to get cheaper memory(ram) for your computer go to this site http:www//4allmemory.com - They have good deals, great business, and cheaper prices on memory than any other store ive seen out there.

Awful! I've had it repaired 4x. After researching my specific problem, I've learned that HP should have recalled this computer years ago. And HP's customer service even sucks worse! After how good the US has been to HP, how could they go to India & stick us with support that doesn't understand our language or terms? I am boycoting any HP product from now on.

Can you say Lemon?

What a piece of SH*T! I swear this thing is terrible... 1. It's always getting hot and you can't even keep it on your lap. 2. It crashes if you have more than 2-3 windows running.(What is this DOS!?) 3. The battery pack... ohhh the STUPID, WORTHLE$$ battery pack. I have bought 3 new battery packs and they NEVER work. I can only used this plugged into the wall. Now it doesn't even charge the battery. Sometime the power will SURGE and my computer will go off (when I have it plugged into the wall) because there is NO power in the battery. 4.I'm ALWAYS having to unplug the power source, take out the battery and restart it that way. 5. It is SLOW... just really really slow. Compaq is a terrible terrible make. Get a DELL, SONY, GATEWAY, ANYTHING OTHER THAN THIS WORTHLESS PIECE OF $H!T! THIS COMPUTER SUCKS!

I purchased my computer not even one year ago and have had many problems with this computer since then. I have a desktop presario s4120wm and I am very dissatisfied!!! With this computer I have a one-year warranty on this computer for technical support well I can assure you that this is a joke. A simple little question about purchasing a system recovery disk and never got the answer. I have been calling for 2 days straight and all I get is we are experiencing technical difficulties call tommorrow. When I ask who I am speaking with and there extensions they say Robbie/George Robbie. Go figure, a whole company that has hired differant people with the same name..Robbie. I am so dissatisfied with my product and my so-called support. Please take this advice...do not purchase a Compaq Presario..go DELL!! Michelle from Ohio.

Interesting postings. I feel a little better. As a computer professional (tha means a scientist/engineer who is forced to work with computers as they take over the workplace) I have been building/programming/interfacing microcomputers for over 20 years. Needless to say I have been dragged into helping friends, family and *others* with their PCs many times. I have exactly 0 'good' stories about Compaq, and more bad ones than I can put here. So why did I take a chance and buy a compaq 2500 presario notebook? Price. And some research that showed there were some happy compaq notebook users out there in the 2003-2004 time frame. DON'T BELIEVE IT!!! Compaq is as BAD or WORSE than they have ever been. It has been 6 months . . . the thing has never worked, and frankly I don't think it ever will. My problems closely follow many of the postings here, leading me to believe that they have design flaws as well as manufacturing quality problems the like of which the GODS have never seen. ... Read more

Well....where do I begin. Ive had this computer for just over 2 years. I tried going through the first six months with millenium but could not even type a letter with out the system crashing. Upgraded to XP and found things to be more bearable. COmputer was still slow. Hardware malfunctions were commonplace and unless yuo have some sort of decent knowledge of computers you will be on a first name bases with customer service. And the iceing on the cake was when the laptop literally went up in smoke. That is the last action my compaq presario has made. If your looking into buying a cheap computer, get a bottom of the line dell or even a toshiba. These compaqs are nothing but trouble. Happy computer shopping.

had one it was great!

I have a 2 year old Compaq Presario, and I am sorry every single day that I wasted my money. It crashed hourly (till I replaced the MR with XP) and it did not come with enought RAM to even run the damn thing. The keys fall off the keyboard, and the letters are actually rubbed off of the keys. Its heavy, the battery is crap, most of the "internet zone" buttons don't work--never did--it still crashes often--it came with McAfee "virus" acan which was totally worthless--and the worst? Every single time I tried to call for "assistance" not a SINGLE STUPID PERSON on their "help line" spoke English. I will never buy any Compaq or HP product, ever. What a huge waste of money--so now I am stuck with the thing.

These laptops are pretty good so far has HW goes. Now if you get one... Please dont get ANY windows service packs!!! All they do is mess up your systems completly! My teacher got the service paacks for win2000 and it now takes a 1/2 hour for it to boot up and it is a 2+GHz with over 312MB RAM and a 40GB HD. Also had DVD-ROM drive and a good video card. I like this system but it's windows and the dang service packs that is the problem!

DO NOT BUY THIS COMPUTER! Compaq really sucks. Yes Compaq blows, I have had a compaq presario 1200 notebook (laptop) for three years now and it is a total peice of crap!!!! the first month it was fine and then it started crashing on me three to four times a day. it is a real frustrating worthless piece of sh*t! Forget about downloading anything unless you want to be up all night. Microsoft word takes five minutes to open, even opening my C drive or D drive takes a while - even when i am not plugged into the internet! oh and forget about checking email - it will crash before you can reply to your freinds! I really hate this piece of SH*T! I bought a Dell Inspiron notebook and it is fantastic. Let me put it this way. Let's say you are typing a word document and you have music playing. BOOM it crashes. So you restart it, and are chekcing email and one of your freinds instant messages you to chat. BBOOMMM smoke starts to spill out the back and the computer is so boiling hot that y... Read more

I had a Presario 2620. Old, yes, picked it up in 98 for six hundred dollars. First year, the system crashed out horribly twice. After that crash, all it did was freeze up. Windows 98 had to be reinstalled 11 times and it wouldn't accept anything but the Win98 disk that came with the package until I figured out how to get around that. Not upgradeable at all. Worst garbage I've ever owned, and I know computers. I had a Compaq laptop back in 1997, too, which was also crap. Still, stuck with the stinky Presario till 2002 (somehow, with lots of maintenance) living with 1.3G and 64 megs until I built my own stupid REAL computer. I use Dells at work, and they are far superior in every way.

My brother and I recently bought a Presario 2100. We are very happy with it. It has lived up to all of my expectations. One of the main reasons we purchased this notebook was to play games. I am very impressed with the quality of the display and there is very little distortion. I would recommend this unit to anyone who wants to get a reasonably priced highly functional laptop for first time owners.

i've had the presario 1700t for two years now. i loved it for about two weeks. then it went dead on me. nothing happened it just went off and wouldn't turn on again. i can't count the number of times it has crashed on me! so far i've had to have EVERYTHING replaced except the screen and the motherboard. luckily it was all under warranty. but of course that warranty is now up and guess what died a few months ago, the mother board! the their support and customer service is horrible. i bought it direct from the compaq.com site just in case something did happen they'd have my purchase on record there. everytime something broke, i'd call them and they'd tell me i wasn't the registered buyer for the laptop. i had to fax them copies of my invoices, a photo copy of the bottom of the unit showing the serial # each time before they would even think about helping me. the first time it died it took a good two weeks for them to return it to me once they got around to shipping me a box to send it ... Read more

I'm surprised that comments regarding Compaq's tech support have been positive. I've had an awful experience-- literally getting different answers every time I call, and technicians apparently unaware of previous related problems. I had to struggle with tech support for days upon getting the computer. Turns out that it was a hardware problem, and I had to ship it back. A year and a half into the life of the computer, and the AC adapter connection inside the computer keeps breaking-- my repair shop insists that this is a common problem with Presarios, Compaq support denies it and tells me to take a hike. The computer looks nice, but it's heavy- and Compaq is clearly a poorly run company. Go with another brand- I know I will next time.

been in shop 5 times. cd burner went bad first month I hgad it, hard drive crashed after 1 year.

Buy a CompCrap if you are a masochist. Bought 5430US in 2/02. Within a few months, slowed terribly, then started shutting off and rebooting more and more frequently...until it was almost always endlessly looping. Tried to backup and restore using Restore CD...IT didn't work. Took it in for repairs: failed chip. Got it home with a new chip. Ran like a 286 or worse. Brought it back. Hard Drive was defective so they installed new HD. Still crawling. They then said it needed a new IDE cable. Have not yet turned it on this evening, as I can't bear the thought of facing yet a new masochistic torture. Do NOT but a CompCrap. You'll regret it. A nightmare.

I'm giving it a 1, only because they do not offer negative numbers! Compaq's are crap! We bought one and have had nothing but trouble for 3 years. It is a 5360 Presario with an mv720 monitor. Thank god the monitor just blew up, now we are going to buy a whole new system (probably a gateway). WE have been on the phone with tech support numerous hours over the past 3 years and are sick of it. We also talked our friends into buying a compaq after we "thought" we were getting a great deal at first. Between the 3 sets of compaq computers that we and our friends have purchased, we have been through 3 harddrives and 2 modems (2 of these systems are less than 2years old--most of these problems occurred within the firstyear). Not to mention the fact that ours is the second monitor to go. NEVER NEVER NEVER AGAIN!! We have learned our lesson. Hopefully in about a month, I will be able to get on here and give an outstanding rating for our gateway!! If this computer turns out to be crap, ... Read more

17XL360 - Owner for 1 1/2 yr, poor battery life initially, battery died completely after 6 mo, new batteries expensive, worthless Windows ME OS, runs very hot - bottom of case temp measured at 60 deg C, fan never comes on unless machines is crashed, no access to advanced BIOS functions, provided w/o standard OS install disk.

Wow .... never knew crap could cost so much. $2316 spent and the only thing decent is the 19" monitor that came with my Presario 7000. I have been involved with computers for 20 years and feel kind of stupid buying one of these things. Don't buy a Compaq. About the only hardware changes you can make are to the PCI cards and adding memory. Forget about changing the video card. You must stick with the NVIDIA TNT that came with it. Thank god at least they put a decent vid card in it. I've had to restore mine from the restore CD 4 times in 1.5 years. The more software you add the slower it gets. It's 1.2ghz with 768MB of ram and runs as slow as my P1 166mhz HP that I sold for a 100 bucks. DOH!!!! Go for a Dell (dude) or a Gateway and not an HP. HP just bought Compaq recently so maybe .... just maybe they might improve the quality of their machines. Stear clear of Compaq. Compaq bought DEC who service VAX machines which are no longer being supported. So why would you buy a ma... Read more

Buying a Compaq is a mistake. After two years, my Compaq notebook broke down. The graphics became worst and it ruined my favorite CD-rom game. The notebook always crashed. The Comapq help service was terrible. They overcharged our family without fixing the problem. Dell is better!!!

I have a model 5242. My first computer, had it for 2 years and totally trouble free. I am now having one built by Digirex, if its as good as this one I will be happy. Any one had any experience with Digirex?

I had written about not getting my CD burner to work, and how poor their Customer Service was. Well, the CD burner works, and I'm actually quite satisfied with my computer overall, but their service was still not the greatest. I'm upping my rating to "ok"

Great viewing and makes computers worth while.

I just bought a 5004US. I tried to use the CD to burn some MP3's. After many frustrated hours of reading the help menue and other information, I call Support. I could not get it to work because the CD Drive didn't work. Now on day 14 the machine is in the shop. I have now found out that there are constant problems with Compac. I tried to return the broken thing to Circuit City and they informed me that there would be a 15% restocking charge. I guess they restock and then sell broken computers. I like the way the Compac performs other functions, but I am worried that this computer will remain a problem. I would not buy another Compac. Support was helpful. They told me to take in to be repaired.

These are certainly dependable. They offer service wherever you are in the world. Good after sales service. The components are also dependable.

My wife bought this computer but lately she has stopped using it in favor of our PowerMac G4. The computer has sharp edges and the screen is top heavy. The battery power doesn't work efficiently and as a result, it's easier to just leave it plugged in (defeating the purpose of a portable). The screen is not very sharp and a lot of pixels have odd coloring. It runs windows so there's lots of software though.

I have found that these laptops are pretty good overall, except for the fact that if you have a dial up account like Earthlink, the connection does not work, and it is quite unreliable. Also, the quickdocks for the laptops are quite ineffective where at times only half of the ports worked for the monitor, printer, keyboard, memory, etc.

Speed could be faster. Very convenient when on the go. Applications are friendly like a desktop.

I bought my Compaq Presario notebook because I needed a notebook computer that was reasonably priced and of good quality. I appreciate the tech support that is offered by Compaq. The operators are friendly and knowledgeable.

My roommate has this computer and regrets it. I have rebuilt her hard drive because it crashed. It still doesn't work right, and starts up in safe mode all the time for no reason, and the desktop always crashes, leaving a white warning screen. This is the worst computer I have ever used. I have to keep it running instead of customer support because they won't honor the warranty because she lost the receipt.

Powerful machines that are very user friendly, especially for students. Unfortunately, because the machine is built in a certain manner, upgrading hardware is next to impossible.

The Compaq desktop computer has a bad reputation of breaking down before the year warranty is up. I know of three incidents including my own where we had to call the computer 800 number on a consistent basis.