sdc100 wrote:Here's a screen capture of my receipt. tax is highlighted. It definitely did not indicate any taxes in the initial ordering screen, where you choose 1,2 or 3 units. After selecting the amount, it gives you a total composed from the item's price and $5 s/h. After clicking on the little yellow button. it gives another status screen which I didn't not examine carefully. I merely clicked on the large yellow button because i didn't expect any surprises.

I just tested Woot again using this laptop as an example. I went to order screen, and sequentially chose 1 laptop, then 2 laptops and then 3 laptops. Sure enough, tax never shows up. Just the [Number of laptops] x $679.99 + $5. Then only after clicking on the little yellow "this info is correct" button are you surprised with the tax! True, I can cancel at this point but I never expected anything to be different from my last 100+ Woots so I didn't look carefully. After all, what could have gone wrong? I already checked everything in the previous screen.

I'd encourage everyone to try my little experiment out to see if they too get a surprise tax on teh last screen. Just remember not to click on the final screen so that the order won't go through.

Why Woot, why???????

noodlesalan wrote:The integrated video and 8-cell battery on this computer is good for hours and hours of light gaming.

This is NOT, I repeat NOT, a gaming laptop. The vid memory is shared, not dedicated. Try running anything with demanding graphics and you will be screaming at it because of the lag.

Seriously, Woot, if you don't stop charging tax, not only will you lose me as a frequent customer (97 Woots + 12 Woots by my girlfriend), but I'll tell the Tea Party to picket you. Do you really think you can listen to Sarah Palin for more than half an hour????

Here are some links comparing the AMD m520 to some common intel processors

i5

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100125123035AAwzvO3

i3

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/280891-28-laptop-intel-330m-turion-dual-core-m520

Core 2 duo
http://www.computing.net/answers/cpus/intel-core-2-duo-vs-amd-turion-ii-dual-core/15674.html

Seems like its intel counterpart is the core 2 duo because of the lack of hyperthreading. Probably a good fit for the average user
looking for a well rounded basic multimedia machine

This laptop is surprisingly overpriced, especially for Woot.

Two months ago, I bought the HP Ultra Dual Core Entertainment Notebook with 17.3" LCD, Blu-Ray and HDMI from Woot for $599. It is nearly identical to this. Here are the few differences, which in my opinion, are not worth the $80 difference. This is especially true given the the introduction of the Intel i3 processor, which many newer laptops use. The AMD Turion is old technology.

I should start out by saying that I'm VERY happy with my purchase. It has surpassed my expectations, and has been trouble-free, despite running 24/7.

The differences:

MEMORY:
This has 6gb. Mine has 4gb

VIDEO:
THis has an "ATI Radeon HD 4200 Graphics (128MB Display Cache Memory)". Mine has an "ATI Radeon HD 3200 Graphics RS780M with up to 1918 MB video memory." I assume that the higher Model Number of this is better than mine but I don''t know for sure.

WiFi:
This has 802.11b/g/n. Mine only has 802.11b/g, no 802.11n. For what it's worth, I have an 802.11n router, and it's no better than 802.11g on my desktop which can handle both g and n. In fact, g seems more stable.

BUT....

CPU:
This has a "2.3Ghz AMD Turion II Dual Core Mobile Processor M520 (2.3Ghz, 1MB L2 Cache)." Mine has a "2.40 GHz AMD Turion II Ultra Dual-Core Mobile Processor M600 with 2 MB L2 Cache." Although mine doesn't say "Vision" in the description, there is a sticker on my laptop that says "AMD Vision."
In other words, my CPU is 0.1GHz faster and has double the L2 cache. Even worse, about a month after I bought mine, Woot offered an identical model that ran at 2.5GHz.


So for $80 more, you're getting some memory, a better video card (?) and 802.11n. But the CPU seems worse. This is surprisingl since new laptops are using the latest generations of Intel i3 CPUs, which would normally cause older AMD-based laptops to drop in price. Compared to what I got 2 months ago for less, I wouldn't consider this a drop in price given the minimal improvements (and worse CPU).

You can get an BlueRay 15.4" 320gb HD laptop for about $499. An i3-based laptop will cost a little more. They're advertised weekly on CompUSA and Circuit City.

The Great White Whale has landed at Woot! Heft, girth and price tag all place this squarely in Moby Dîck territory. And like whales, the rarer AMD+ATI combo is good to find.

(Caveat emptor; Woot!/Amazon is almost certainly lying about the warranty provider AGAIN. It's almost certainly not from HP but instead from a refurb vendor hiding in a dark alley somewhere - if they had a good name, wouldn't Woot! advertise them??).

Here are my .02's

I do tech support for a University and the vast majority of laptops with hardware problems are HP's just like this one. I also wouldn't recommend a 17" laptop if you're looking for a good college laptop. I'd suggest 13" or 15" Max.

sdc100 wrote:Seriously, Woot, if you don't stop charging tax, not only will you lose me as a frequent customer (97 Woots + 12 Woots by my girlfriend), but I'll tell the Tea Party to picket you. Do you really think you can listen to Sarah Palin for more than half an hour????

As of June 1, 2008, the state of NY requires any out of state company that has affiliates in the state and does at least $10000 worth of business to collect the appropriate tax for anything shipped to the state. As others have noted, most states have use taxes that are legally required to be paid by the buyer on anything purchased out of state, although most people conveniently ignore this requirement. It isn't Woot's fault that your state is broke and decided to do a better job of collecting the taxes they are legally owed. Go complain to your legislators or move to another state.

coyoteaz wrote:As of June 1, 2008, the state of NY requires any out of state company that has affiliates in the state and does at least $10000 worth of business to collect the appropriate tax for anything shipped to the state. As others have noted, most states have use taxes that are legally required to be paid by the buyer on anything purchased out of state, although most people conveniently ignore this requirement. It isn't Woot's fault that your state is broke and decided to do a better job of collecting the taxes they are legally owed. Go complain to your legislators or move to another state.

Er, read my posts carefully. Really. I wrote that I am more annoyed with Woot's sudden change in policy than the tax itself. I know our tax laws very well, thank you. But what does it have to do with Woot's sudden UNANNOUNCED policy change? And the failure to show this tax when I start to order? They have my zip code, so why couldn't they indicate this total cost early on?

So yes, the issues in my complaint ARE Woot's fault.

coyoteaz wrote:As of June 1, 2008, the state of NY requires any out of state company that has affiliates in the state and does at least $10000 worth of business to collect the appropriate tax for anything shipped to the state. As others have noted, most states have use taxes that are legally required to be paid by the buyer on anything purchased out of state, although most people conveniently ignore this requirement. It isn't Woot's fault that your state is broke and decided to do a better job of collecting the taxes they are legally owed. Go complain to your legislators or move to another state.

Furthermore, if you are an observant Wooter, you'd know that Woot has an aversion to sales tax. This is evident by the fact that Texans get their tax taken off the final purchase price (in the form of discounted s/h, up to $5) if they enter the Coupon Code "taxsucks." Only Texans had that privilege because only they were taxed. If we NYers are suddenly taxed yet we're not given a similar code, is that not a violation of Woot's anti-tax philosophy?

So yes, it is Woot's fault.

http://www.woot.com/forums/viewpost.aspx?postid=407121

coyoteaz wrote:Go complain to your legislators or move to another state.

There's a third choice which many customers are likely to take: Just not buy from Woot, or buy less from Woot because they no longer have such a big price advantage due to tax.

CaptainWes wrote:Listen, unless you enjoy pools of molten video card on your lap, I don't recommend this machine. And it isn't new. I really love woot, but you are playing laptop roulette with HP. They have serious build quality issues.

o ya like the dv2000 and dv6000 and dv other ones problems where they didnt fix my laptop for free cuz they suck

ervindhima wrote:well, you are supposed to pay taxes on these items when you file your taxes anyway

What a pinhead answer that is!!

sdc100 wrote:Furthermore, if you are an observant Wooter, you'd know that Woot has an aversion to sales tax. This is evident by the fact that Texans get their tax taken off the final purchase price if they enter the Coupon Code "taxsucks." Only Texans had that privilege because only they were taxed. If we NYers are suddenly taxed yet we're not given a similar code, is that not a violation of Woot's anti-tax philosophy?

So yes, it is Woot's fault.

I am from WA. state and have made many purchases from Woot,
I predict, that if Woot must start charging certain "state taxes" arbitrarily, as you see on Amazon, simply because the "drop shipment" comes from a state where business retail tax is mandatory to the shipper THEN OK, the Woot I have been attracted to buy from is doomed.
The beauty of "woot" was simplicity of purchase, meaning the use of flat rate consistant shipping cost and all taxes included in the price--- not addded later like I am reading here tonight.This is bad news!!

Thumbs down on this deal. Tell HP and Wootazon it is not OK to offer an almost $700 notebook computer with only a 90 day warranty, refurbished or not.

I work in the IT field troubleshooting and repairing business units. Here is the problem with these types of units. Lots of processor power, memory and a very large hard drive all jammed into a tiny case generates a lot of heat.

HP has had numerous problems with their notebooks in the past. Google "hp dv series enhanced warranty". You will see HP offered free repair on these consumber notebooks because of defective parts causing the motherboard to fail. This is such a widespread problem ,people have since started eBay businesses repairing this issue. (more details http://news.cnet.com/8301-13554_3-10020782-33.html )

Remember, this unit is a refurb which means someone else has already had problems with it.

I buy HP notebook computers, but only the business units because they come with a 3 year warranty. You will pay $100 for Squaretrade's 1 year extended, but that is not long enough.

Price a replacement motherboard from HP and I bet it is over $400.

Trust me, on day 91 if your notebook dies, HP will send you packing or offer to troubleshoot the issue for $50, and then charge you full price for additional repairs.

Craig234 wrote:You always owed the tax before, it's called 'use tax' and you owe it on the income taxes if you didn't pay it as sales tax. You were a 'tax cheat' not paying it, albeit unwittingly.

State and local tax revenue has fallen, I'd rather the money go there than higher price.

The real reason for the tax is that now Woot and Amazon are Bed-Fellows!...

flynnerdsp wrote:I don't think so. The three separate hp models I've dealt with have all had serious heat issues.

Why would you buy a second computer with heat issues , let alone a third?

CaptainWes wrote:Listen, unless you enjoy pools of molten video card on your lap, I don't recommend this machine. And it isn't new. I really love woot, but you are playing laptop roulette with HP. They have serious build quality issues.

That's just silly. You can get a bad egg from any company. I've had a number of HP's, only a couple of issues here and there, but they have been taken care of under warranty, no issue. I would buy HP once again. (just not this laptop simply because it's not a fantastic deal)

ervindhima wrote:well, you are supposed to pay taxes on these items when you file your taxes anyway

Thank you Joe Biden..."Its patriotic to pay your taxes" Bite me

sdc100 wrote:Seriously, Woot, if you don't stop charging tax,...

Woot isn't charging taxes, they are collecting taxes.

I own this laptop. Purchased new at QVC for $900+. It's a great PC. The only complaint i have is poor speakers. It's user friendly. I don't use half of the functionality. My son is Skypeing with and loving it. I am sending it with him to college. the 17 inch screen is a beautiful thing. love the number pad. I am hesitant to buy refurb. I'm gonna wait on this one. I need a new laptop since my son will be taking this one in a couple of weeks. $600 is step for a refurb. Only $300 off new.

HP has the WORST customer service ever. Read HPsucks.com before even considering an HP product.

Software & Driver Downloads

Manuals

lukesed wrote:The value of the blu-ray is diminished when the screen can't contain 1080p.

Which is why when you watch 1080p movies, you broadcast it out over the HDMI port, to a much bigger screen.

shamcy wrote:How is that cheating? It is called STATE sales tax. Are you KIDDING ME !!! If I live in New York, I should not pay Texas sales tax. It's that simple.

It is called state sales tax. You owe Texas nothing when you buy online, depending on how Texas laws work. You do however, owe NY tax when you purchase anything out of state and transport in within the lines.

Same way MA residents "owe" sales tax on alcohol if they bring it back from NH, or if you buy something overseas: you're supposed to pay customs a tax on it.

"Nevertheless, a resident of a state with a sales tax who purchases goods from a place with no sales tax (or at a lower rate) might be subject to pay a "use tax" (often at the same rate as the state sales tax) for non-exempt purchases (see also tax-free shopping)."

Yes, woot should announce the taxes beforehand, but if tax is what makes you decide an item from them isn't worth it, then maybe you should start reexamining if your woot's are currently worth the price you pay, tax or not. Perhaps you have simply outgrown buying refurbished and repackaged woot items.

TheSevenSongs wrote:Which is why when you watch 1080p movies, you broadcast it out over the HDMI port, to a much bigger screen.

Exactly right. And if you're on the road, you hardly need 1080p on this 17" screen. Screen Size vs. Viewing Distance vs. Resolution

How to Improve the Performance of the Battery from HP.

Things to consider with HP:

Your new HP will be glutted with hard to remove and useless software trials and offers.

Customer service is only so-so and (at least by my experience) it's impossible to talk with someone working in the United States.

Repairs are not, repaired. My DV9000 had a problem with the WiFi and came back from the service with a broken web cam. Service tech sold me a 2-year extended warranty that only covered 1 additional year.

You will spend hours and hours on the phone if anything goes wrong.

Here's some reviews on the graphics:

notebookcheck.net

computermonger.com

...and the processor:

notebookcheck.net

ervindhima wrote:well, you are supposed to pay taxes on these items when you file your taxes anyway

Ya Right, WHAT A CROCK!!

Perhaps Woot added an office in NY or Amazon might be headquartered there. I know Dell charges sales tax for any state they have their property in... and they're headquartered in Texas, just like Woot.

I'm not sure Woot has really done anything wrong here, although I agree that it would have been nice to see a sales tax warning somewhere.

DON'T BUY HP! They knowingly sold a lot of poorly designed Pavillion laptops. They get extremely hot and damage the video card. Mine also damaged the wood table I used it o. HP knows about these problems but won't stand by their product and repair the laptops for free. Google "Pavillion video card problem" and read the countless frustrated posts. There's even a website called hplies.com that addresses their coverup of the problem.

kakucis wrote:That's just silly. You can get a bad egg from any company. I've had a number of HP's, only a couple of issues here and there, but they have been taken care of under warranty, no issue. I would buy HP once again. (just not this laptop simply because it's not a fantastic deal)

No, it's not silly. Search the internet and you will find endless complaints about HP laptops overheating and failing video cards. A lot of people are getting in on a class-action suit to get satsifaction from the company. hplies.com

timpaulcollins wrote:Well done giving a shout out to the UCB Theatre, which is always under-appreciated--although maybe that's why they're still so good.

i agree! the only thing less-than-spectacular about ucb in nyc is the chairs in the theater.

bigdroo wrote:Perhaps Woot added an office in NY or Amazon might be headquartered there. I know Dell charges sales tax for any state they have their property in... and they're headquartered in Texas, just like Woot.

I'm not sure Woot has really done anything wrong here, although I agree that it would have been nice to see a sales tax warning somewhere.

This lawsuit is still ongoing.

MichaelSF wrote:You are right in that this is something to take into account, if tax is added that can affect the bottom line price and not end up being worth it, much less the lowest price.

You sure it didn't say somewhere that tax would be added?

I take screen captures of all my Woot receipts. Looked at three for the last week, no tax on any. I am in California.

Interesting. Maybe somewhere on Woot they mention the tax issue.

I for sure won't be buying on Woot if they tack on sales tax.

This must one of a feature resulted from Amazon acquisition of Woot. Amazon charges tax on NY. Woot should've said somewhere if there is change of policy. I think woot as of we know of is gone.

sdc100 wrote: ...
SINCE WHEN DID WOOT COLLECT TAXES FOR NYC RESIDENTS? ... i have never paid taxes on a Woot purchase before and am distressed by this.

If not you and I, sdc100, who pays school tax? Who pays the teachers' salaries? Not paying sales tax on internet purchases is an idea whose time has long passed.

majorman wrote:Here are my .02's

I do tech support for a University and the vast majority of laptops with hardware problems are HP's just like this one. I also wouldn't recommend a 17" laptop if you're looking for a good college laptop. I'd suggest 13" or 15" Max.

Good point major. The bigger the laptop the heavier it is. Something to remember when you have to carry it across campus all day.

neophool wrote:i wonder how that vid card would do with 1080p mkv files? been looking for a decent lappy that can double as a home theater PC outputting 1080p thru HDMI to an HDTV.

I have the same video card in a Toshiba netbook paired with the Neo x2 processor. You should be able to do the mkv files fine (mine does get REALLY warm, but I'll blame the small form factor).

What will disappoint you is how the card handles flash video. Fullscreen YouTube, Hulu Megavideo etc are "alright" on the native screen, but via HDMI are pretty much unusable. Maybe the 6GB of RAM compared to the 4GB I have will help?

ohmelovelo wrote:If not you and I, sdc100, who pays school tax? Who pays the teachers' salaries? Not paying sales tax on internet purchases is an idea whose time has long passed.

Er, no - this is a complicated and contentious issue that has nothing to do with school costs. However, in-depth discussion of this topic probably doesn't belong here.

I'm using the 14 inch version of this, and I'm really unhappy with it. The fan is ridiculously noisy, and it's too heavy to carry around conveniently (way heavier than most 14 inch laptops). I'm skeptical of the processing speed, as the computer really doesn't seem that fast at all. As an "entertainment PC", the audio quality could be better. Really the only good thing about it is its looks -- this is a pretty computer.