HP pavilion zd7000 Woes

Back in Nov. 2004 I bought a HP zd7000 notebook and I was very pleased. Four months later I was no longer pleased. The display on my brand new 17″ desktop replacement notebook remained black. I had to send it in for repairs. So I did and they replaced the motherboard. That all went fairly fast and I was a happy camper once again until two months ago when the same thing started all over. The display would remain black, come back on after one hour, just as it pleased. TV-Out is still working, lucky me I have a SONY TV!

Still, it seems HP does have some serious issues with some of its notebook models and what are they doing about it? Your warranty expired? Then I am afraid you need to shell out $$$ to get it fixed. If you are within your warranty period then there still is no permanent fix for you. The problem will persist, you may say it is a design flaw.

Doth the word “recall” come to mind now? Ah, well but we are talking money here! A recall will not happen, since you can use the zd7000 just fine if you only use it for a limited time and only for non CPU intense purposes. “Outrageous!” you say? Well, yes. But what can you do about it?

The “black display” problem with some of HPs notebook models is well known even at HP and you need only google for zd7000 to find other disgruntled customers. Be it on the HP tech forums or customers writing open letters or even filing a law suit.

The real question is, would it not be far more beneficial for HP to keep its customers happy? I can always buy a MacBook Pro instead…

Merry Christmas!

I wish all my readers a merry christmas and peace and love, good food, quiet hours, cozy afternoons, snowy slopes and icy lakes and all things merry. If you need a good laugh then go see “Bad Santa“. He doesn’t care if you’re naughty or nice.

I have currently 21 (!) reviews in the queue which I will publish one by one on a weekly basis, so stay tuned! January will be crammed! Also, I recently joined the eyecravedvd.com team as reviewer and this means more movie news and reviews!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Shopping – Round 1

It’s that time of the year again and the day of days approaches faster than you think. The hunt for presents is on but fret not! I have compiled a small list of exquisite movies and special DVD box sets that will bring joy to any movie fan.

The Hot Stuff – DVDs

Frank Miller\'s Sin City (Recut & Extended Edition)Frank Miller’s Sin City (Recut & Extended Edition)
» buy at amazon.com

“Walk down the right back alley in Sin City and you can find anything.”
This special 2 disc uncut and unrated edition with never before seen scenes comes with tons of extras and goodies to satisfy all your Sin City needs.
It also includes the complete reprinted first issue of Frank Miller’s THE HARD GOODBYE graphic novel.

King Kong (Collector\'s Edition)King Kong (Collector’s Edition)
» buy at amazon.com

“The Most Awesome Thriller Of All Time”
The original from 1993 featuring Fay Wray now on DVD in a Collector’s Tin Box. This box is so crammed with goodies that it should leave no wishes open and truly is the King version of Kong. Along with the King of all Kongs you also get a 20-page reproduction of the original 1933 souvenir program, King Kong memorable scenes postcards and much more.

The Val Lewton Horror Collection (Cat People / The Curse of the Cat People / I Walked with a Zombie / The Body Snatcher / Isle of the Dead / Bedlam / The Leopard Man / The Ghost Ship / The Seventh Victim / Shadows in the Dark)The Val Lewton Horror Collection
» buy at amazon.com

This box includes: Cat People / The Curse of the Cat People / I Walked with a Zombie / The Body Snatcher / Isle of the Dead / Bedlam / The Leopard Man / The Ghost Ship / The Seventh Victim / Shadows in the Dark.
You probably have seen them all at one point in your life. Every single one is a classic in its own right. Now available in one box set this is the perfect gift for all fans of classic horror movies.

Blackadder - Complete Blackadder Black Adder – The Complete Collection (Limited Edition)
» buy at amazon.co.uk

For the first time you get all four Series plus Blackadder’s Christmas Carol, The Cavalier Years & Back and Forth on a newly released 6 Disc Set!
If you haven’t got your Black Adder yet then now is the time. Finally, a complete release of one of the most classic British comedy shows of all time.
Note: This box set is only available as a Region 2 release.

Die Dollar-Holzbox (Limited Edition, 4 DVDs)Die Dollar-Holzbox (Limited Edition, 4 DVDs)
» buy at amazon.de

This wooden box comes with the two classic Leone western in a fully restored and remixed version offering English DD 5.1 sound on “For a Few Dollars More” and DTS on “Fistful of Dollar”. On top of it you get a silver one dollar coin, an engraved golden pocket watch and collectible film frames all packaged in a wooden box. The perfect present for all Western fans.
Note: This limited edition is only available at amazon.de as a Region 2 release.

Deadwood - The Complete First SeasonDeadwood – The Complete First Season
» buy at amazon.com

“A show set in the late 1800′s, revolving around the characters of Deadwood, South Dakota; a town of deep corruption and crime.”

Still looking for the gritty wild wild West full of intrigue, violence and greed for gold? Look no further! Season 1 of “Deadwood” has 720 minutes full of wild West vileness infested by intrigue and murder. A must see for any Western fan.

Battlestar Galactica  - Season One (2004)Battlestar Galactica – Season One (2004)
» buy at amazon.com

“With the 12 colonies of man virtually destroyed in the climax of a hundred-year war with the Cylon Empire, President Roslin and Commander Adama gather up the few humans left and embark on a journey to find the mythical planet Earth, not realizing that the Cylon robot is no longer a recognizable enemy.”
This 5 disc DVD set includes all 13 thrilling episodes of Season 1 and the four hour TV miniseries that started it all. No Sci-Fi fan should be without it.

Battlestar Galactica - Season 2.0Battlestar Galactica – Season 2.0
» buy at amazon.com

“After losing the war against the Cylon robots, the Battlestar Galactica crew speed toward the fabled 13th colony, Earth. Galactica Commander Adama and President Laura Roslin face waning supplies, crushed morale, … and the credible threat Cylons aboard the ship.”
Just in time for Christmas and just before the second half of season 2 airs in January 2006 we get the first half of Season 2 of one of the currently best Sci-Fi shows on DVD. Perfect for completing your BSG collection.

Rebel Samurai - Sixties Swordplay Classics (Criterion Collection)Rebel Samurai – Sixties Swordplay Classics (Criterion Collection)
» buy at amazon.com

( Rebellion / Kill! / Ibun sarutobi sasuke / Kedamono no ken )
“These four classic films, from four masters of Japanese cinema, turn a genre upside down, redefining for a modern generation the meaning of loyalty and honor, as embodied by the iconic figure of the samurai.”

This Criterion box set release includes four of the most classic of all Japanese Samurai movies from the Sixties, featuring Toshirô Mifune, the man, the legend.
Akira Kurosawa - 4 Samurai Classics (Seven Samurai / The Hidden Fortress / Yojimbo / Sanjuro) - Criterion CollectionAkira Kurosawa – 4 Samurai Classics – Criterion Collection
» buy at amazon.com

(Seven Samurai / The Hidden Fortress / Yojimbo / Sanjuro)
“Leading off the set of four Akira Kurosawa classics is Seven Samurai (1954), unanimously hailed as one of the greatest masterpieces in the history of the motion picture. ”

This Criterion box set release includes four masterpieces from master filmmaker Akira Kurosawa and should not be missing from any DVD collection. These four classics have inspired countless films but remain unmatched until this very day and are a simple must see, esp. “Seven Samurai”, the first of the four.

Paris Hilton has an XBox 360!

So what? Who cares?! Gamers on fan sites complain about how there are shortages already and are enraged that Microsoft gives out XBox 360 consoles to people who don’t need them (funny, because who says they don’t? I am sure Elijah Wood likes to play, too!) and over at blogcritics.org the whole unveiling of the XBox 360 at the Spike TV video game award show earlier this year is described as one pitiful desaster.
I guess they haven’t been at the recent XBox 360 Hollywood Kick-Off! You should take a look at this picture. What does it have to do with the XBox 360? Nothing! Still, looking at the goodie bags will probably infuriate the gamers who will not get their XBox 360 fix at launch even more.

Be that as it may, yours truly has already pinned one of those suckers down and will pick it up after his christmas vacation. Mass Effect here we come.

Canon Ixus 750

Gadget Alert! I almost bought the Ixus 700 (Powershot SD 500) the other day when a friend brought it to my attention that Canon is about to release the 750 (SD550). The difference? The display! It finally has a decent sized display with a wide viewing angle plus you get a grid option for aligning your photo stitches plus a galore of other features like the zoom ability while in video mode! So if you think about getting an Ixus700, don’t! The Ixus 750 (SD 550) comes in 2 colors with bigger display (2.5″ instead of 2″) at the same price. I can’t resist. I must go get one.