[ehaber]

I am in the process of getting a Non-Profit Corp up and running. This Company will benefit families of children who have received an organ transplant. I realized the need for this Company last year when my daughter had to have a Liver Transplant. Although there are other Non-Profits out there that will help it was not enough. So I decided to find a way to help people in this situation. At the time I made this decision I still had my job. I was working as a System Admin for a wonderful company and many of my coworkers donated time so I could be at the hospital with my daughter. Their generosity just made me want to give back even more. Unfortunately there was a company wide layoff and because I was away so much I was a prime candidate for the layoff. There was nothing anyone could do about it. Since then money has been really tight and there has been limited money to get this company up an running. I have several professionals doing the work on this pro bono just because they see the need and want to help.
This laptop would provide equipment that i cannot afford but is desperately needed and it would be put to good use. I would use it for marketing, editing video of fundraising events, bookkeeping, broadcasting company updates, reaching families in need and contacting hospitals and other organizations to find ways to work together to provide assistance to those who need it. My daughters website can give you an idea of our journey through this process. Welcome to GiveLibertyLife.Com

[SYMATRIX]

After reading adacosta's expressions of the HP HDX Dragon Notebook, I would agree for him to win this Cutting edge of Technology. I think both Adacosta and the HP HDX Dragon Notebook would be a great team as they display sophisticatedness and the style that would without a doubt, complete the Dragon. Therefore, he is the man for the machine

[Rupart]

This is Rupart.We both chat on MSN regularly.he's really a cool guy & always helpful.he's very informative about technology products.He has put much efforts in his entry.I hope he wins.He deserves to win this HP laptop

[sushrukh]

Thanks very much capper , Edu & Rupart for supporting my entry.I owe you guyz.Now, i atleast have got a chance to get rid out of my old & crappy computer.Thanks again.

[Larrabee]

First of all I'm glad I can enter this competition of the HP Pavillion HDP, codename: The Dragon. Thanks to notebook.com!

My Story: (make some time to read this all)

Design:
I will give some information about my computing life. I'm a designer and use Photoshop 7. Why I don't use CS, CS2 or CS3? It wouldn't run smooth on my current system. I'm a photoshop-fan. (See review: Photoshop)


Mapping & development:
But I'm not designing all the time. Even if I did, I think you don't deserve the notebook. Now I come to my second (big) point. I also love games. What I most like is the engine of the game. "The brain" of the game. I'm a moderate level/map designer. I realy like my current map editor: the Source SDK (games as CS: Sources, Half Life 2, Team Fortress 2 and Portal are based on this engine). Another name is the Hammer tool.


Problems?
But I wouldn't start talking about this if there was no problem. Developing maps take a lot of time and resources of my desktop. I will correct my prevous sentence: It use ALL my resources! If I create a large map (still smaller as the_dust2) then I need huge amounts of ram, which I simply don't have. My desktop reboots... In the contest thread you posted, you wanted the HP HDX would be given to people who still realy use the power of the dragon.

Here it is:
"We want the HP HDX to go to a good home where it’ll be used to its full potential and to someone that could really use it. If you just need a basic notebook for email and Web surfing the HP HDX isn’t for you."

I will prove it I will use all his potentials. First of all their was the RAM problem. But why should I win this notebook? Add some RAM for $100 and you are done? I could do that but RAM isn't realy the biggest problem. I will tell you my other hardware problems.

When maps become detailed by adding light, textures and models I need much GPU power. I currently have an old ATI 9800 Pro with 128Mb of dedicated ram. It's a card that is five or even six years old! I can almost hear the card crying for help.

So after the ram and the GPU power, what else do I need?
A CPU. This is maybe the most important, although, the GPU is also very important. When do I need the full CPU power? When I place objects but isn't the heavy one. Compiling maps is the heavy thing. I always say, compiling is something like rendering. It takes hours! Why?

This must be clear now, very complex map:



Compiling:
Compiling with an old Pentium 4 isn't realy a pleasure. I can go downstairs and make some coffee, watch television and eat some toast. When I go back I see compiling is done. 100% (finaly) I can click OK and run the map, by loading the game. And what do i see? Some errors, no big deal, because you can't simply make a map without any errors or mistakes the first time you compile.
Now I can edit the errors and correct my mistakes. Now I can compile again (after getting some errors like "Out of Memory") Again this take a while.


Screenshots:
A huge is also an advantage, 1900x1200 would give me an overview of the map. You can't see much of the map @ 1024x768 or 1280x1024 and playing @ 800x600.

Atleast I can show you some screenshots. Here they are:

The outside, the first I compile, some errors (you can see one, there is still one big box with lines)
ImageShack - Hosting :: outsidejd9.gif (could only add 4 <IMG> tags that's why there 's an url)


Adding skyboxes, uses light techniques and shadows is very GPU intensive.



The inside. Some sofas, a table, carpet, ceiling, some Terrorist bots and much more. There's a fireplace behind me.
ImageShack - Hosting :: 05pg3.gif (could only add 4 <IMG> tags that's why there 's an url)


The last screenshot, to end.



You can see this isn't realy a big map. Simpley because if I would go for bigger maps, my computer would reboot. I hope you enjoyed the screenshots.


Gaming:
Like I told you in the beginning, there are a lot of problems. I also play Age of Empires III. Playing is a big word. I can't make fun online with friends. I have to build my town at 20-30FPS and fight with 10-20FPS @ lowest details.


School:
Although gaming and mapping are important to me I also have to finish school. So I will need Windows Office with programs like Word, Powerpoint and Excel (math!)

I also would be very glad to have windows Vista. It's just a "mush-have" operating system. I cannot install it. To heavy for my desktop...


Vlexo - hosting company
I'm also part of the team at vlexo.com What do we do? We are providing free webhosting to hostless people. Working with a good PC and one that can run the lastest Photoshop would be great.
Then I can design something more for the company. I, the team and the admin or hosting people that can't realy afford to pay hosting. Jonathan our admin is paying the server and the staff are helping the clients. More information can be found on the Forum: Vlexo Community - Powered by vBulletin


The future:
In the future I will use this system to finish school like I told and create maps. I will learn for level designer or game engineer so a good PC is necessary!


The end:
Anyway I think I've to stop because the staff of notebooks.com will also have to read other stories. Today. I simply couldn't stop writing. You don't know how much I want this HP Pavillion HDX. There are so many reasons to have this 20.1 inch machine! But I must stop.
It''s the perfect combination of performance and style. It's a design and entertainment product. Are these two words "design" and "entertainment" not what I'm looking for? :P

I know I will probably not win this contest, but atleast I tried. I can just dream from this beauty...


Thanks anyway,
It rocks xxx
Larrabee

(This is the longest post I ever made. It's more like a letter :P Thanks for reading, if you did )

[ChrisTheFeral]

Originally Posted by djeuro

its funny christheferal because you have videos on your youtube actually 3 that says i hate hp and compaq i need a mac, and other videos saying "NEVER buying hp again"

Have you actually watched them? They were taken down because as I stated in the videos I am willing to give HP another shot.
Even so, it shouldn't mean I am out of the contest when HP was at fault...

Anyway, this is not the place to argue, it is obvious that my current HP came faulty and the bottom line is, I need a good computer to do my work and try and set up my company, you shouldn't say things to try and get people kicked out of the contest (at least, it comes across to me that way - it seems you are just trying to eliminate me for some reason) you should vote for the person who you think needs the computer and would actually use it to their full advantage (ie, me)

Yes, HP were at fault the first time, no I don't have the money for a new computer, it is too late to talk to HP now as it is a 5 year old computer and I think it is obvious I need and would use this powerful system, and give something back to the community - actually quite a lot considering I'd also be employing people.

Anyway, yes - I do "need a mac" - I can't afford one, this PC however is more powerful spec wise than the $3,500 mac I was looking at - the Dragon is a beast of a computer and to tell you the truth, I'd be using windows as well on a mac as the mac os. That said, this system would STILL be more powerful for what I am doing, the reason I was looking at a mac is because it's $1,500 cheaper. THIS DRAGON LAPTOP/PORTADESKTOP IS MY DREAM SYSTEM! It would help me so much in not just the life of me but many other people out there and I can imagine people at home setting my/our(?) companies products up in their house - I can imagine how happy they would be (you'd have to know my ideas to understand this)
I am aiming to build "bug-free" products and I can't even try creating a product with this pc that I have now (came out in 2002 I believe, I may be wrong)

If I won - my head would probably explode with excitement (I actually have a planned video for this in case I win, a lot more funny than my head exploding too.)



EDIT: I hope I didn't misinterpret anything you said - yikes, that would be embarrassing :P lol

EDIT: And even so, those videos were comical, that was the MAIN purpose of the system - what you said doesn't really have to do with the contest!

[MacBros]

Originally Posted by ChrisTheFeral

Hi, my name is Chris AKA ChrisTheFeral (please refer to me as that when voting)
I am 15, from Australia and I absolutely and a tech addict – there you go, I admit it! I have been into tech since I can remember, always trying things out and setting things up.

I finally got (a now old) PC about 5 years ago from HP, it came with faulty hardware an we were overcharged a hell of a lot of money. I help people EVERY day with computers and yet my current computer sucks, not because it's old but because I can't do anything that I want to do with it.

I NEED this computer so I can set up not only my websites and do my comedy, tutorials and general tech videos but to also earn money back from the videos and websites so I can start building a tech company that sells mp3s, phones, computers, tvs, stereos, THE LOT! I know it's a heck of a long shot but I have the motivation, the skills, the know how and the ONLY thing that is stopping me is money, NOW, no this computer can't solve my money issue alone BUT, it will allow me to finish the websites and videos I have been wanting to make which in turn can earn me money to set up this company!

I want to use this for CAD, Photoshop, After Effects, Premiere, Flash, general coding and a heck of a lot more, I also will play the occasional game! This system is perfect for me and really, this would be an absolute life changer for me, I have always wanted to set up a company that sells electronic products and the thing is, I have some NEW ideas to bring to the market that are so awesome you wouldn't believe it, obviously I can't say them here because we haven't patented them.

ANYWAY, basically, all in a nutshell,
1)My current computer sucks
2)I can't afford even a $200 computer or upgrade (upgrading would be pointless anyway, my CPU is slow as heck)
3)I need a better computer to help me set up my company
4)I'd use this to it's full extent
5)I'd give back to the community that gave to me – eg weekly (at minimum) video tutorials on all the software listed above, monthly contests exclusive to notebooks.com, discount coupons if I get my products on the market (I have so much motivation it's not funny I am sure I can get these things on the market)
6)I have always been a tech addict and always will be, I have thought myself and thought other people so many things about tech and I'd love to share it with the community (my current computer really effects my tutorial recording)
7)I need a computer for my school work, I put in extra effort at school for presentations and I want to go even further – plus, it will help me greatly with extra time on my hands as I can get things done faster on the computer!

Anyway, PLEASE take the time to watch the two videos below both uploaded on dial-up (6 hours - due to numerous connection drops) JUST to show you how much I need this computer. Please note I was a little sick at the recording of this video so I TRIED to warp it up with a little bit of comedy. Just to give you an idea, the 10 mins of video on the first half took 50 minutes to render at 480 x 360 :|
I've spent over 14 hours, just putting together this (crappy for that amount of time) production, mainly due to my slow graphics card.

PART 1:
YouTube - Why I Should Win the HP Dragon Part 1
PART 2:
YouTube - Why I Should Win the HP Dragon Part 2


PLEASE VOTE #1 CHRISTHEFERAL
Thanks SO much for reading and watching, I REALLY need this computer, not for bragging rights (well partly ) but for helping me set up my future and the future of many other people, not just people I will employ but people that watch my tutorials and decide to go down a different career path.

This will defiantly save me a heck of a lot of money, it took me 1 year (I don't get pocket money) to save up $200 and this takes out the need for me to buy: a screen, microphone, graphics card, blu-ray player, HD TV, HDTV recorder and much more! It will also allow me to use my surround sound system that is going to waste at the moment.

Finally, remember that if my company gets REALLY big like Sony or Apple, it was ALL thanks to NoteBooks.com for helping me get past an obstacle that nobody else can help me with – getting a computer that I can work on. THANKS SO MUCH IN ADVANCE!

THANKS AGAIN! Vote #1 ChrisTheFeral



Here are some designs (slightly lowered in res but higher than the video)





More can be found here:
Design #2
Design #3
Design #4
Design #5
Design #6
Design #7
Design #8

I think Christheferal should receive all the votes.
The best reason so far that I have read from all the entries is that he plans to use the Notebook for furthering his career. He's looking into his future ans sees great things, but can only be achieved with a better and more stable system. Also if he accomplishes his dreams of running his own company, that will mean employment for others also.

[Jvd]

Great!
I think so you're the best! and you must take the hp pc!

[Xavier]

Hi all, here's a video of the prize, posted at Notebooks.com (click here)

[likebutta]

I have 2 people who will benefit with the HDX DRAGON Notebook,ME and my Undead Priest ,yeah yeah i need this Laptop for WOW so what? at least im not lying,Yes im a Priest at WOW and i need to heal my friends while we are at an instance,and thats my job.i am currently playing on a Toshiba Satellite with a 512 RAM and the other slot is empty.my FPS is HORRIBLE! i get 15 FPS sometimes 9!and i need to heal efficiently and dont lag.i bought this laptop at Bestbuy on 2002.The guy said it was for "Gaming" so i bought it with my savings.But boy was i wrong.This HDX DRAGON is making my palms itch!You know who NEEDS it more than me? YOU! YOU NEED to bless me with this ***y machine.and i will give my old 512 RAM laptop to my moms so she can pay her bills online.so that makes 3 people benefit! Thanks Notebooks.com for the opportunity!

p.s. PICK ME!

p.s 2 PICK ME!

-john