Desktops have always been a sore spot for some when it came to giving up some of their precious desk space. Now thankfully we have options like desktop replacement notebooks, all in one PC’s as well as slimline desktops which leave a much smaller footprint then their full sized brethren. I’ve gotten my hands on one of HP’s slimline notebooks, specifically the S3200N. I’m going to let you know how it performs and if it really is worth that HP premium. First we’ll get started with a few of the essentials.
Hardware:
Processor:2.5 GHz AMD Athlon 64 X2 4800+ dual-core
Storage Space: a 320 GB hard drive
RAM: 1 GB of RAM (upgradable to a 2 GB max)
Optical Drive: a CD R/RW with integrated dual-layer LightScribe DVD +/- burner
Graphics Card:a Nvidia GeForce Go 6150 video card (using up to 319 MB of shared system memory)
This desktop does have a small footprint but I think it is clear even just by looking at the specs you will be seriously sacrificing performance. This desktop has a great processor but it is really held back by the lack of RAM. When you consider that the graphics card is using system memory for it’s video memory it really starts to look dirty. This desktop has a decent book time, and only minimal lag during multitasking (with tabbed browsers and some office programs open) but it isn’t going to do a whole lot more than that.
Connectivity:
5 USB ports (these are the gold standard of peripheral connectivity, use these with items like mice, printers, and iPods)
1 FireWire port (this is often used for high speed data transfer between a digital camcorder and sometimes other compatible PCs)
15 in 1 memory card reader (these ports allow the consumer to insert the memory from their mobile devices directly into their PC)
2 PS/2 ports (these are old school ports used for input devices like mice and keyboards)
1 VGA monitor output (this is a typical monitor connection)
1 audio out / 1 microphone in / 1 digital audio out
Ethernet port (this allows the computer to connect to a wired LAN)
56K modem (so that this computer can use a dial up connection to the internet)
For such a small desktop it does manage to have plenty of connectivity. I wish that this notebook has something in the way of a typical television output. This would really expand it to the living room. As it stands though this is a no nonsense PC and really does more work than anything. It will be fine for managing and printing digital pictures, surfing the internet, and getting work done. It isn’t going to play the newest games though (not without a graphics card and RAM upgrade anyway). Priced at $700 this desktop is right on target and is a decent buy at that figure.
