Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Purchased this PC for light use, 95% just email, calendar, and web browsing. The main goal was something small that would be unobtrusive on a desk. The intended user didn't want a laptop, and we already had a nice big monitor to use with it. After looking at all the small form factor desktops available, this seemed like the best value.
For perspective, I should mention that I'm a professional software developer and computer systems manager and have made many hundreds of PC purchases and installations since day one of PCs - about thirty years.
I was very pleasantly surprised by this PC. The small size sits nicely out of the way at the back of a desk, as expected. What I didn't necessarily expect was:
1) Very good performance. With a decent combination of processor, adequate RAM, and Windows 7 operating system, this PC is quick to start up and launches applications (Firefox web browser and Outlook 2010 for email and calendar) almost instantly. Performance will be very good for any normal home or office use. The biggest reason for this is the 4 GB of standard RAM (memory). Most inexpensive systems will have only 2 GB RAM and that can make a very big difference in performance, especially when running two or three applications at once. Since many users will leave their email program open and perhaps have several web sites open as well, this is more important than you might realize!
2) Very quiet. The fans hardly every run under normal use so the system is virtually silent.
3) Very nice design. The appearance, with the glossy finish and nicely integrated components, is very elegant. One simple, but unusual, design tweak is that the power button is large, illuminated, and is located on top of the unit. This makes it very easy to use and lets you put the unit out of the way while maintaining ease of operation. The color of the illumination changes when the computer goes into standby mode. Nice.
Responding to a couple of previous negative reviews:
One reviewer complained about the inability to expand this PC by adding a high powered graphics card for high-end gaming. Why on earth would someone choose this system if high-end gaming was the intended use? This is like buying a Prius and then complaining that it won't tow your RV. In fact this system has better graphics capability than is typical for this kind of PC and will work fine for light gaming, viewing videos, etc.
Another complaint was about the standard Windows 7 operating system - "And 7 is just a mess. Vague, difficult to navigate menus." Really? Windows 7 is the best reviewed and received version of the Windows OS ever. For most users, it is very easy to navigate and get started with. The performance of Windows 7 on a modern PC like this one is excellent - significantly better than Windows Vista. Using an older version of Windows is not really a great idea, unless you have some very specific reason, such as a mission critical piece of software that can't run under Windows 7 - not a common situation. In any case, you're not going to buy a new Windows PC with any older version of Windows on it - that's not how the world works.
As with almost all PCs from major manufacturers, there are a number of HP "custom" programs pre-installed. If you like to choose and acquire your own software for basic photo, music, and other media uses, you will want to remove some or all of these, as I did. That's simple enough to do using the Windows Control Panel. However, many basic users will find these programs useful and won't have any need to replace them. So many users will benefit from them and others will simply move on without them - hardly something that warrants a lot of complaining!
One change that I do very strongly recommend for any new Windows PC purchased: Remove whatever security / anti-virus program comes pre-installed on the PC and replace it with the free download of Microsoft Security Essentials. Every manufacturer installs some trial version of security software, such as McAfee or Norton. They do this because the software companies pay them to include these trials, which expire and then hope to lock you in to an endless and costly update subscription. These programs are overly complicated and do slow system performance more than necessary. Microsoft Security Essentials is completely free forever, very simple to work with, updates itself continuously and automatically, has a very minimal effect on system performance, and provides comprehensive protection against virus and spyware. Just Google "Microsoft Security Essentials" - the download and installation only takes a couple of minutes and you're permanently protected - for free.
I would recommend this HP Pavilion Slimline s5730f to any typical home user who wants a smaller desktop PC for general use. Buy and enjoy!
Click Here to see more reviews about: HP Pavilion Slimline s5730f PC (Black)
Save on space but don't skimp on performance with the HP Pavilion Slimline s5730f PC-this sleek desktop computer handles all of your essential computing needs like word processing, digital music and photos and e-mail, and it lets you easily transfer photos, music, and other files to and from your digital camera and other peripheral devices with the front-panel 6-in-1 memory card reader. The HP Pavilion Slimline s5730f PC has an AMD Phenom II 511 Dual-Core Processor, a 750GB hard drive and comes with Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit and HP MediaSmart Software Suite pre-installed. With HP MediaSmart Software Suite, you can share and browse your photos via Snapfish by HP, burn music, slideshows and playlists to DVDs for sharing or saving and add your favorite music as background to your photo slideshows. Front-access USB ports are within easy reach, and this stylish desktop PC also lets you create custom, silkscreen-quality labels and artwork directly onto LightScribe-enabled CD and DVD discs.
Click here for more information about HP Pavilion Slimline s5730f PC (Black)
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