I have two HP Media Center 'puters, one for work and one for home use, that are form 2004. I have FiOS and I upgraded their memories to close to 4. I am hping to get a few more years out of it as I run Norton, Spybot, and Ad-Aware once a week. My daughters play so many girl games on it I decided to get a laptop so "I can drink beer outside on the porch and visit my favorite sites. Does anyone know of any problems with the HP EliteBook 8540w as CNET listed it 4 out of 5 from the editors, but 2-1/2 out of five from the users? Does anyone use thier laptop as a desktop in that that is their only computer?
FF

 

Notebook (or laptop, whatever you want to call them) sales are almost 70% of all computer purchases in the USA now. Desktops will never be completely phased out, I don't think, but they will become a very small market in time.

HP laptops are a great initial value, which is what CNET rates. Good bang for your buck, usually. However, they do not hold up well, longevity wise.

I sell laptops, desktops, all-in-ones, and almost all associated parts/accessories at my job. Here is a rough estimation from what I've seen recently.

Most Reliable Laptop Hardware (not ranking OS or software), best to worst (if numbers are the same, its a tie):
1. Apple (Mac)
2. Lenovo
2. Toshiba
2. Asus
2. Samsung
3. HP
4. Dell
5. Gateway (Acer)

Most Durable Hardware, best to worst (if numbers are the same, its a tie):
1. Apple (Mac)
2. Toshiba
2. Lenovo
3. Asus
3. HP
3. Samsung
10. Dell
50. Gateway (Acer)

No, the 10 and 50 spots above are not typos. Dells are pretty fragile, and Gateway (owned by Acer) are even worse.

Not saying you need to run out and buy a MacBook Pro either, but they are, technically and statistically speaking, the most durable and reliable units money can buy in a retail market. The only thing I've seen better is the Panasonic ToughBooks that the military uses.

The HP EliteBook, just from a hardware standpoint, is a little outdated, no offense.

If you want a laptop about the same caliber as the EliteBook 8540w, but up-to-date and better built, take a peek at these:
Samsung:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Samsung+...&skuId=2235132
Toshiba:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Toshiba+...&skuId=1854928

My wife uses her laptop as her only machine. I use a smaller 14" Samsung laptop for college, and will be selling it after I graduate in December. My gaming desktop is enough for me.

 

CNET rated the Apple #1 and the Toshiba #2 (or #3), but I need windows for work so the Mac would not be a choice. I am hoping I can get a few more years out of my desktop and then hand it down to my four year old. Eight to ten years for a computer is past it's prime, but it is not slow and has not given me any problems in the last seven years. What desktop would you recommend?
FF

 

That depends on what you want to do with it. HP desktops are great for basic to middle of the road, and if you want high end, a custom built may be an option as well. Custom built is not a route to go, budget wise, for a basic to middle of the road machine.

Roughly equivalent to those laptops (higher end units):
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/HP+-+Pav...&skuId=1757159

Thats if you want a high end unit.

 

I need to use a hard drive with windows XP on from an old laptop in a newer laptop. The newer laptop does not recognize the hard drive from the old laptop. How can I get the laptop to recognize the old laptops hard drive?

The hard drive from the newer laptop does not work properly so I want to use the hard drive from an old laptop that already has windows XP installed on it (drivers will not be a problem).

The hard drive does work and should work in the old laptop.

 

You cannot move a HDD like that usually without reinstalling Windows, especially if Windows XP was involved (Windows 7 can sometimes handle that, but XP rarely could). The reason being the motherboards are not the same, and when the PC boots up to the drive it will usually "blue screen" right away (not even get past the Windows loading screen). Sometimes it even crashes so fast you don't have time to see the blue screen, it just reboots.

Depending on how new a laptop the newer unit is, if it came with Windows 7, you may not be able to get complete compatibility for Windows XP. XP may not work, due to driver support. Not sure how you say "drivers are not a problem," will need that one explained to me.

With the old HDD plugged into the new laptop, have you booted into the BIOs and seen if its being recognized?