"Before making ANY major purchase, DO YOUR HOMEWORK! I bet most of the folks here complaining about not being able to upgrade would never have bought COMPAQ if they had done some research into the models that they were considering. I probably would not buy a COMPAQ desktop computer. I would (and have!)built my own. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to build your own PC! There are any number of good books on the subject, so check out(pun intended!) your local library. On the other hand, I bought my Compaq laptop after at least 40 to 50 hours of research online (over about 3 to 4 weeks) knowing exactly what to expect. Sure it is kind of slow by today's standards (an Armada 4120...120Mhz Pentium), but I knew that it would run the applications that I wanted to run. It has Compaq's proprietary hardware, but what laptop doesn't have proprietary components? The point is, that I defined my needs (and budget!), researched refurbished laptops in my price range, and chose the laptop with the most features (more memory, faster processor, etc.) from the models that I had researched. I am very happy with my laptop! So don't buy a bargain basement priced PC, and expect to run high end applications on it. DO YOUR HOMEWORK FIRST!!!!!"
"Compaq sells a "home" line of machine (Presario), and a "business or office" line (Deskpro or Prosignia). The office type machines are usually open architecture, and are easy to upgrade with standard PC components. Also, these machines usually have some open IRQs. They are also better built, and designed for easy access and upgradability. If you want a Compaq that can easily be upgraded, stay away from the Presario line. Go for a Deskpro or Prosignia.
