Windows 7: Thinking of a new Laptop, what do you all think?

tlarseth · 09 Nov 2012

I was thinking of getting this laptop, I am planning on downgrading it to windows 7 if I get it. I found it for $599 at one of my distributors catalogs. I normally don't deal with laptops, but I was thinking of getting this one. It normally retails at $998 at local retailers. This will be for my personal use, and I was planning on getting a new laptop, but didn't want to spend more than $600, and thought this one might work for me. What do you all think, and yes I checked all the hardware inside this has Windows 7 drivers available.

Here is the info on it.

Quote: Originally Posted by HP

SPECIFICATIONS

Processor and Memory
Processor Type: 3rd generation Intel® Core™ i7-3630QM Processor
Processor Speed: 2.4GHz with Turbo Boost Technology up to 3.40GHz
Cache: Not Specified
Memory (RAM): 8GB DDR3 SDRAM (2 DIMM)
Maximum Memory: Not Specified
Hard Drive and Multimedia Drives
Hard Drive: 1TB 5400RPM hard drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
Optical Drive: Not Specified
Multimedia Card Slot: Blu-ray player and SuperMulti DVD burner
Graphics and Audio
Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 650M switchable graphics with 2048MB gDDR5 and up to 1664MB total graphics memory
Audio: Beats Audio™ quad speakers and a subwoofer
Display, Keyboard, Mouse and Webcam
Display Size: 17.3-inch diagonal HD
Display Type: BrightView LED-backlit display
Display Resolution: (1600 x 900)
Keyboard: Full-size island-style keyboard with numeric keypad
Mouse: Touchpad supporting multi-touch gestures with on/off button
Webcam: HP TrueVision HD Webcam with integrated dual array digital microphone
Connectivity
Ethernet: 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN (RJ-45 connector)
Wi-Fi: 1x1 802.11b/g/n WLAN
Bluetooth: Not Specified
Modem: Not Specified
Ports/Slots
Ports:
3 SuperSpeed USB 3.0
1 Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0
1 HDMI
1 VGA (15-pin)
1 RJ-45 (LAN)
1 Headphone-out
1 Microphone-in
Expansion: Not Specified
Power
Battery Type: 9-cell 100WHr 3.0 Ah lithium-ion battery
Typical Battery Life: Up to 100 Watt Hours
AC Adapter: 120W AC adapter
Software
Operating System: Windows 8
Manufacturer Software:
Getting started with Windows 8
Beats Audio
Other Software: Not Specified
Trial Software:
Free 60-day Norton™ Internet Security subscription
Microsoft Office 2010: Buy Microsoft Office to activate Office software on this PC
Physical Specifications
Environmental Specifications:
ENERGY STAR® qualified
EPEAT® Silver registered where applicable/supported
BFR and PVC free
Mercury-free LED display and arsenic-free display glass
Operating Temperature: Not Specified
Storage Temperature: Not Specified

DavidW7ncus · 09 Nov 2012

I'm interested in the answer to your question.

I just posted (post #44) in Windows 8: Ready, set, preorder asking about downgrading.

Here is a thread i found that you should read.
HP urges consumer customers not to downgrade new PCs to Windows 7 - Computerworld

In your post/specs I don't see what version of Win8 you get, so maybe you have to buy a Win 7 license to downgrade???

I'm guessing this an HP laptop based on this in the specs you posted:
Webcam: HP TrueVision HD

Carl Lawrence · 09 Nov 2012

It looks like a good laptop to get.

Cymbal Man Freq · 09 Nov 2012

If Windows 8 has gotten rid of permissions, I'd stick with Windows 8.

jimbo45 · 09 Nov 2012

Hi there
USB3 well worth it -- really much faster than USB 2.

Cheers
jimbo

Cymbal Man Freq · 09 Nov 2012

Reading the HP article about Windows 8 being preinstalled with no downgrade rights reminds me that I've already reformatted my hard drive during the first week and took out the Recovery of Factory Condition partition. Luckily I got that onto a flash drive in the nick of time. I had to download a Windows 7 .iso, install that, then run the factory restore from the flash drive because neither the USB flash drive or recovery partition worked on the first try without a fresh install from the .iso DVD. There's a lot of crapware from HP I'm sure I'll love once I find out more about it, but there was no Wi-Fi just from the .iso install, I got that from the flash drive recovery. I should order recovery discs, but HP warns recovery takes like 6 hours instead of 45 minutes on a thumb drive. I'm easily spending several weeks reeling from the problems of Windows 7, not to mention my XP computer appears to have died this week.

tlarseth · 09 Nov 2012

I have a free Windows 7 Home Premium Key that I can use to install Windows 7, as for Windows 8, all I would have to do is remove both partitions, and create a new one and install Windows 7. I have already had to do this for a customer, so downgrading would work for me, since this isn't a touch screen, and Win8 is designed for touch screens, that is the main reason I was thinking of downgrading, since Windows 7 is more mouse and keyboard friendly.

Not to mention 99% of the hardware has drivers for Windows 7 on their sites for the laptop editions, so HP not providing drivers is fine with me, I hardly use them since HP is notorious for not posting new drivers already, when I bought my current laptop DV6-2057cl, HP never released new drivers at all, even though ATI/AMD has updated the Video Drivers 6 times in the first few months to fix various issues, but HP still only has the original drivers that shipped with the system on their site 3 years later.

indianacarnie · 09 Nov 2012

Looks like a very nice machine. Kinda funny with all the goodness on it that the HDD is such slow spinner. I would have figured at LEAST a 7200 rpm. , but it still looks like a deal to me.

Cymbal Man Freq · 09 Nov 2012

The slow hard drive knocks the experience level down to 5.9.

Cymbal Man Freq · 09 Nov 2012

I need some 7 port USB 3.0 hubs.

Windows 7: Thinking of a new Laptop, what do you all think?

Thinking of a new Laptop, what do you all think? problems?