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July 27, 2009 10:55 AM
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norm

Member
Joined: 07/26/2009

Well nearly a new owner! Just ordered a TX2-1250ea from HP UK. The first official batch should be in the UK next week. Thanks for all the help I have got from reading the threads. Obviously, I am a little apprehensive about some of the adverse comments about the matte screen and the heat and noise. I want to love it but, if I have to, I have a week to return it.

Some of the stories here about problems after the expiry of the warranty have persuaded me to go for the 3 year care pack. It's comparatively good value and the current HP 10% discount offer applies to the care pack as well. I also recently signed up with Quidco and it looks like I should get back another 8% from them.

It's disappointing you can only get one configuration from HP here with the RM-75 processor and Vista 32bit. So my free upgrade to Windows 7 will only be to 32bit and I'll have to buy 64bit - though that's cheap enough at the moment.

I will upgrade the RAM from the included 3gb to 4gb but can anyone tell me if it is easy to upgrade the processor to one of the better ones? A quick search hasn't found where I could buy a better processor in the UK. Any suggestions?

Anyway, thanks again for all the great advice!

Norm

Discussion:    Add a Comment | Comments 1-20 of 22 | Latest Comment | 1 2 Next »

DaveTN Avatar
Expert Member
July 27, 2009 11:40 AM

Welcome and I'm glad the info you have found has been helpful.

First, since you are purchasing an extended warranty, it is not a good idea to replace the processor on your own...or at all. it WILL void the warranty. With the faster processor comes more heat too.

As far as the heat issues go, these are pretty fast dual core processors shoehorned into a very small laptop formfactor, so heat is a consideration but not a major issue. Yes, when the processor is running at full speed it gets a bit hot and the fan is noisy, but that is normal. It is also a consumer class laptop, so it does not have the higher grade cooling fans, heat pipes that the business class tablets/laptops do. I've owned my share of tablet pc's and laptops and this one falls in at the top end of performace but the lower middle as far as noise and heat.

Take care,

David

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l299/xz550rj/HPMagicGiveaway.jpg

Woohoo! I won my Touchsmart!

norm Avatar
Member
July 27, 2009 12:08 PM

Thanks for the advice and the welcome. I am pretty sure I will follow your advice to leave the processor well alone, although I will probably upgrade the RAM and the HDD.

I am thinking of getting the Photodon crystal clear screen protector. As it will take time to get from the States to the UK, I would prefer to order it now so, hopefully, it will arrive about the same time as the computer.

I have emailed Photodon and they do not yet have details of the TX2-1250ea. They tell me the their TX protector is 163 x 261mm allowing for a 1mm margin around the screen. Is that the size of the TX2-1020us and similar models? I must assume the 1250 will use the same screen as the others.

TIA

Norm

DaveTN Avatar
Expert Member
July 27, 2009 12:19 PM

Yes, the screen size for all of the TX series is the same.

David

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l299/xz550rj/HPMagicGiveaway.jpg

Woohoo! I won my Touchsmart!

Generic Member Avatar
Member
August 4, 2009 6:48 AM

I had this laptop on order from HP Uk, but they've just pushed back the order by 2 weeks (on the day it was due to be dispatched). This would of been fine as its a back order, but they didn't even inform me by email or phone. As this was the case, and the shocking customer service I have recieved so far, I have decided to cancel my order! :-( (and even then, I got the impression that they didn't care less!

norm Avatar
Member
August 4, 2009 7:40 AM

I'm also thoroughly [insert your own word] with HP Sales. I spoke to them yesterday and they confirmed it would be in today. Now there is two weeks' delay. The problem is this machine is not available elsewhere. EXCEPT I spoke to simplyhp, whose website says they have more than 10 in stock, and they confirmed they definitely have it. Their price is £749 compared with HP's basic price of £799. The problem for me is that using the code HPSHARE gives you 10% discount which brings it down to £720 and using Quidco gets me an extra £57 so I've decided I'm going to wait. When I pressed them, they also offered me a £20 evoucher against a future purchase. Unfortunately, I could not get them to put it against the current purchase.

How they could not know yesterday it was delayed, I cannot understand!

Cry

Generic Member Avatar
Member
August 4, 2009 10:22 AM

They knew yesterday! I checked the product page, and they had changed it to "normally ships within 4 weeks!" (as i was woking nights) i checked the order arround 4am this morning and it still said due in today!

norm Avatar
Member
August 4, 2009 11:49 AM

Phil Have you tried simplyhp. It's still not a bad price.

Storm Avatar
Member
August 4, 2009 12:46 PM

norm, what HDD are you planning to install instead of the stock one?

HP TX2 1160-eo with 120GB OCZ Vertex SSD Drive
Currently: Enjoying win7 and hating school. Have a job as a barista which I intend to go further with after finishing school.

norm Avatar
Member
August 4, 2009 12:54 PM

Storm said: norm, what HDD are you planning to install instead of the stock one?

Hi

Planning on a Seagate Momentus 7200.4 500gb - the anti-shock version as it was only an extra £3 or so.

Regards

norm

Storm Avatar
Member
August 4, 2009 4:00 PM

Ok, If I were you I'd do like me and buy an SSD =b

HP TX2 1160-eo with 120GB OCZ Vertex SSD Drive
Currently: Enjoying win7 and hating school. Have a job as a barista which I intend to go further with after finishing school.

Generic Member Avatar
Member
August 4, 2009 4:24 PM

norm said: Phil Have you tried simplyhp. It's still not a bad price.

I got it from CCL, Same price as simplyhp (nearly didn't but the hardware and price hits the spot and cant find anything else in the region). They had two in stock, paid £15 extra for them to check for dead pixles, check the hardware, and load the latest updates. and an extra £5 for nextday delievery. 2.5 hours of ordering i got a text from ccl saying that it had been dispatched. Its currently with city link! Now thats what I call customer service. (HP take note!)

  I think its worth the extra £28 for the laptop (after the 10% off share discount) for the better service. An who knows, the better service might extend to any repairs/replacment if needs be. (Hopefully it wont come to that!)

norm Avatar
Member
August 4, 2009 4:41 PM

Well done, Phil. I envy you. Funny, I looked at CCL a few days ago and they showed no stock. It begins to look like they arrived in the UK but not enough to cover our orders from HP. I agree their customer service is terrible. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it and I am just hoping that the adverse comments about noise and heat don't apply to our units.

Generic Member Avatar
Member
August 4, 2009 6:07 PM

Storm said: Ok, If I were you I'd do like me and buy an SSD =b
Iv'e not looked in to SSD, what are their advantages? Less heat/noise? Less Power? Faster?

Storm Avatar
Member
August 5, 2009 2:35 AM

Phill said:

Storm said: Ok, If I were you I'd do like me and buy an SSD =b
Iv'e not looked in to SSD, what are their advantages? Less heat/noise? Less Power? Faster?


They are much faster (not even comparabe with a 15k rpm SCSI-drive). They draw less power. They are more quiet. They don't get hot at all.

HP TX2 1160-eo with 120GB OCZ Vertex SSD Drive
Currently: Enjoying win7 and hating school. Have a job as a barista which I intend to go further with after finishing school.

Generic Member Avatar
Member
  • member since: 08/08/2009
  • rank: 9783 of 12554
  • 2 comments
August 8, 2009 7:22 PM

Hey Norm,

Have you received your TX2-1250EA yet? Because I would like to hear your view on the screen quality and whether or not HP have fixed their grainy anti-glare matte screen problem, or at least reduced it.

I had to send back my TX2-1160EA due to the fact I couldn't bare the grainy speckle of the screen, a shame to since everything else was brilliant :(

norm Avatar
Member
August 8, 2009 7:57 PM

Hi Tucker

Think it's going to be at least ten days before I get it. Phil should have had his by now and may be able to answer you sooner.

Generic Member Avatar
Member
  • member since: 08/07/2009
  • rank: 9799 of 12554
  • 3 comments
August 30, 2009 7:49 AM

finally got my TX2-1250ea!! Have to say I'm very disappointed with it. the noise is absolutely terrible, the screen quality is not that great as well. as well to start up the comp it takes ages before I can access any program. ( have reinstall now 3times the software ) . As well I upgrade the RAM from the included 3gb to 4gb have but still very slow,

Generic Member Avatar
Member
August 30, 2009 3:55 PM

You need to get rid of the bloatware (Google it).

Sound has never really been a problem for me, but use the power saver plan if it is too much.

I have had the laptop for around 2 months now, and am used to the screen. It takes a week or so, but you stop noticing it.

I do not even bother turning off the computer anymore, and would suggest using hibernate instead of shutdown overnight, and sleep during the day. It takes about half a minute to a minute to start and have programs running smoothly.

Generic Member Avatar
Member
  • member since: 08/07/2009
  • rank: 9799 of 12554
  • 3 comments
September 2, 2009 3:28 PM

yeah the sound gooed! but still he noise of the fan is very annoying, I have removed software that i don;t us!.. Overall very disappointed!

Generic Member Avatar
Member
September 2, 2009 6:08 PM

You could undervolt for the noise issue, with the advantage of a longer battery life.

Also, reinstalling the software 3 times? Very odd.

Discussion:    Add a Comment | Back to Top | Comments 1-20 of 22 | Latest Comment | 1 2 Next »

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