About Compaq Laptops

It has been awhile since the introduction of Compaq and its first computer that debuted for $3,590. It had two floppy drives, 128K RAM, and a 9-inch screen. Today, Compaq offers computers and notebooks ranging from as little as $329 to over $3,000. Much more sophisticated, there are Compaq laptops for students, homeowners, and business people. With so many models and series, it is important to know what features are necessary before purchasing that new notebook.

History

Compaq began in 1982. Joseph R. Canion, James M. Harris, and William H. Murto invested $1,000 each and looked to Ben Rosen, president of a venture capital firm, for additional funds. Compaq did well until 1991 when sales and earnings fell for the first time. The Presario, a line of home computers launched in 1993, met with success. In 2002, Compaq merged with Hewlett-Packard.

Types

Compaq offers a large variety of notebooks, or laptops, through Hewlett-Packard. The Mini laptop starts at $329.99, as of 2009. The Versatile performance begins at $469.99. The Mobility starting price is $549.99. The Entertainment powerhouse series starts at $799.99. The most elite of the notebooks is the Voodoo Envy 133 series, which starts at $1,899.99.

Features

The Mini and Mobility laptops are for the person on the go. The Mini series has an 8.9- to 10.1-inch screen. They weigh 2 1/4 pounds for easy travel. The Mobility laptops are larger with 12.1- to 14.1-inch screens, but are still lightweight. They offer Blu-Ray and a webcam. The Versatile series is a good choice for movies and music. The Entertainment Powerhouse series offers screens as large as 18.4 inches, which is good for TV, movies, music and photos. The Voodoo Envy 133 series is an elite laptop that offers ports for expansion and instant-on capability.

Benefits

Hewlett-Packard offers extended service plans starting under $50. They have 1- to 4-year extended service plans for accidental damage. HP also offers an online backup plan for $29.99, in 2009. Accessories are numerous, including batteries, docking, carrying cases, speakers and media receivers.

Contact

To study the different laptops, start online with Compaq.com (see Resources). Click "Notebooks" to begin surfing all the models. Click the PC Learning Center for specific features information. For questions or to order, call [phone]. There are also free online instruction classes.

Resources

• Compaq's History
• Compaq.com