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It is out of warranty so the burden of getting it fixed is on me. I did a quick search on the internet for the problem which turns out to be hardware related. I loved this computer for 1.5 years and then got vertical lines on the monitor at start-up. Thankfully my credit card doubled the warranty automatically. It also appears to happen after 1.5 years to these computers. HP denies anyone else ever had the problem but I found 8 people with it at about the 1.5 yr mark on the HP user forum. Unfortunately HP won 't give me the cost to fix it in writing so I can get it pre-approved by the warranty company. I hope HP is nicer to their other customers.
Connected. It can thus be used as a standalone unit, with no wires attached except for the power cord.For input devices, it has a keyboard, mouse and remote control, each wireless. Hmmm.Once you get the thing situated, it will probably not move. Looks like I have to return it to Fry's.My next guess is to see if there is a software update from HP. In the middle of a song, it quit playing. So, I try some external speakers, and it says no audio devices are connected. I have needed a good radio for years, but the others in my house cannot handle a component system, or a computer with a lot of speaker wires.
You get a radio station, and listen to it. I have seen lots of complaints about the keyboard, but they are not justified.One thing I can see is that I can use it for a radio. Hmmm. Hidden. The first thing you do is set the computer up for performance, to curb the complaints about this thing being slow. And also guess what.It sounds great.
Then I noticed that there was a small fly on the screen walking around, and the cursor was following the fly. I now played O-Brother and could hear the train go from one side to the other. The first thing you notice is the specifications which are spectacular. It is a combination laptop and desktop. But for some reason, this one is easily fast.
It just sits there.So, I fired it up. I also use it to listen to CDs.A Computer Bug: The other night, I had it on, playing music, with no lights on in the house. It fails to start, because an error message comes up that says there are no audio output devices connected (whatever that means). Well I have to say that this is a really impressive system. Working. When the fly got off the screen, the mouse and cursor worked fine. It seemed to keep playing fine.
This is not necessarily a complaint. I got a refurbished All-In-One desktop computer from Fry's electronics in Anaheim. All of the wires are inside. The video on the monitor is mighty fine, and the sound is great. It started up easily, and the first thing you notice is the beautiful display. But, I read the specs, and is says it has 2 great speakers (although you can't see them). This seems to be a really integrated package, which makes all of the internal components work well together.Of course, I need to try out the TV. Hmmm.
I think maybe this is because this has 2GB of 667 memory. The second thing you notice is the weight, it is really heavy. The 2 speakers are hidden on the 2 sides of the monitor, and are really fine.So now what. I have not seen anything this nice before.I bought it because the other people in my house love to disassemble everything, and it is impossible to have anything with components for them, so I have been relegated to laptops, because there is only one button to push, and you don't have to get a lecture every time it is fired up.Now, this thing is different. The computer sound came alive.
I'm thinking that it has no speakers (duh). How interesting.a REAL computer bug. So I downloaded the file on the laptop, transferred it to the desktop computer and ran it.So guess what. It was checked by the Fry's technician the day before, and was presumed to be ready to go.I unpacked it, and the thing was in great condition, with just a little dust on a small ridge at the back.
So now I have my answer. When you use it as a radio, it is just fine. Since the Fry's Guy had done a Windows Update the day before, I thought that this may be the problem. Seemed like a skip on a record. Checking the website, using my other HP laptop, I see something that looks like an audio driver, and it says it solves a problem due to a Windows Update. Methinks that if you have the CPU box and monitors separate, they don't really seem that heavy.There is a total lack of wiring. Then I noticed that the mouse cursor was moving around the touch-screen in a sort-of random pattern.
I try a DVD video, and it plays O-Brother Where Art Thou, with no sound. It doesn't work. Then it started operating again, and then it started playing another song. Later, there was a little beetle, very small, and the cursor was moving around the screen following him.
We use it basically as our kitchen tv and a way to browse the internet. I've also loaded a selection of my favorite audio CDs on to the disk, so it's my jukebox as well. We purchased this unit during a kitchen remodel. So I use both the coax signal inputs; one from our cable provider and one from my antenna in the attic. All in all - a GREAT unit. We have it hooked into the family network via a cat-5 cable connection, although the wireless does work, it's just a good distance from the wireless access point. I love the fact that with the remote control, you can backup and replay a portion of a tv program.
The only thing I would change is that the unit will turn itself on after I've shut it down and I think this is to update some settings related to tv programming or virus updates, etc. It replaces the older smaller tv of course, but is a much nicer unit. I've had no problems at all with the unit. The feature that I like the most is the ability to display HDTV signals from an antenna that I placed in the attic; it's just hanging there pointed in one direction. I can get reliable HDTV signal from 3 stations in our area - would get more with an outside antenna with a rotator unit. If I looked hard enough, I could probably find those. Everyone who comes in our kitchen want's to know 'What is THAT.' This kind of aggravates my wife who is the interior decorator who did the rest of the kitchen.
Great computer, we have in our kitchen and use it several times a day. Couldn't happier with this new touch screen computer.
If you are looking for something new, definitely give this a try. After having the problems with the keyboard on the 770 I invested in a Microsoft Wireless Keyboard but found that I didn't really need it with the 775.
That was a great start but while we were at the store I found this model. The next computer that we purchased was the 775.
We first purchased the HP IQ770. They are easy to use.
We purchased 3 of them, they are for our business. We love them.
I like it better then the condensed keyboard, but it doesn't tuck away like the keyboard that came with the computer.We also love the option of being able to watch and record tv with our computer. You will soon find that you are trying to touch every screen that you come to :)
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