Compare Laptop Computers: Compaq Presario V2030us Laptop Review

The Compaq Presario V2030us is the latest and smallest member of the Compaq family. It's a well-equipped system that provides a lot of mobile computing options; all at a price that's tough to beat. The Compaq V2010us is equipped with an Intel Celeron processor, while the Presario V2030us has a Pentium M.

The black and silver chassis is very functional and appealing, creating a Thin & Light laptop that's has an excellent feature set and is almost without compare on the present market. It measures 13 x 9.2 x 1.5 inches, weighs 5.3 pounds, and carries a widescreen, 14-inch display. With the 8-ounce AC adapter, this notebook would be a great travel companion.

Inside the Compaq Presario V2030us is a 1.5-GHz Pentium M processor, 60GB hard drive, and 512MB of system memory; the machine can hold up to 2GB of RAM chips. You can order CPUs as fast as a 1.7-GHz Pentium M or as slow as a 1.4-GHz Celeron, and either a 40GB or 80GB hard drive. Base systems carry a combo DVD/CD-RW, but you can configure it with a 4X DVD+RW drive. The unit's clear, sharp 14-inch WXGA display is matched with an adequate Intel Extreme2 graphics chip that can use up to 64MB of system RAM.

The Compaq V2030us offers excellent connectivity, with three USB ports, as well as ones for an external monitor, FireWire, and S-Video-out. There's also a Type II PC Card slot and a multipurpose flash card reader that can work with Secure Digital, MultiMedia-Card, Memory Stick, Smart Media, and xD. Its modem and Ethernet are complimented by an Intel PRO/Wireless 2200 802.11b/g Wi-Fi radio, which has a lengthy range of 110 feet, but eats up about 20 minutes of battery life. Adding Bluetooth costs an extra $20.

The Presario V2030us can run for 3 hours 45 minutes on its standard battery, but with the optional $150 extended-capacity battery, that can be lengthened to about 6 hours. The $130 media cable is for connecting to a home theater, while the $300 port replicator adds a handy stand that holds your laptop up at eye level, has a lot of ports, and includes a wireless mouse and keyboard.

The V2030us comes with some useful software. On top of Windows XP Home, it includes Microsoft's Works and Money, Apple iTunes for Windows, and a startup version of Intuit's Quicken. The V2030us is covered by a 1-year warranty; extending it by 2 years costs $179, and getting 3 years of full coverage with accidental breakage insurance adds $300.

With a stronger graphics accelerator, it could have been a premier gaming machine, and adding a TV tuner could have completed its entertainment capabilities. But even as it is, the V2030us delivers a lot of widescreen notebook for the money.