Reviews of Acer Aspire S5-391-9880 13.3-Inch HD Display Ultrabook (Black)

Customer Ratings:

ORIGINAL 7/4/2012 REVIEW:

I've been waiting for (stalking) this laptop since it was announced at CES, so when word came out that it was finally going to be available in June, I was thrilled. Unfortunately, Amazon kept saying it was still a pre-order, even well past the June 24th release date that Amazon published on their site (as of writing this review, Amazon provides for a 3-4 week shipping time). I was able to order it from another online retailer on July 2nd, and with overnight shipping had it in my hands on the 3rd.

At this point I've had the S5 for a little over 24 hours... but here is what I've seen.

The Good:

-Super fast load times, fast install times, just overall snappy response.

-The metalic case has a nice feel. Much nicer than the last Acer laptop I used (an Acer One Netbook)

-Video is clear and sharp to my eyes. I saw some of the forums complained about the resolution, but I use my computer for work and browsing, not gaming or watching hi-def videos.

-Comes with a blue-tooth mouse. This is probably in the product description someplace, but I hadn't noticed it. It appears to be the logitech V470.

The Mediocre

-The keyboard has a bit of a weird feel to it, though I understand this is a common issue with ultrabooks due to the lack of depth in the case. Doesn't feel bad, just weird.

-A couple times I've come close to dropping it when it started to slip out of my hands, may need to add some grip tape or something. This may just be me though.

-The Magic Flip I/O port is surprisingly noisy. I was expecting something a little more refined.

The Bad

-The screen hinge is a little soft, causing the screen to move back and forth when I type. More of an annoyance.

-In addition to the hinges being soft, the screen/clamshell-top is not very stiff, and feel a little flexy. It would definitely be nice if this were stiffer, just from a carrying around perspective.

So far I love this thing, but I'll update the review once I've used it for a few weeks in the real world. As this is a newly released hardware platform for Acer, I'm expecting to run into some bugs that require driver or firmware updates.

______

UPDATED 8/28/2012

I've now been using this laptop as my main computer for almost two months (10+ hrs a day during the week, 5-6 hrs over the weekend), and still think it rates 5 stars. Here is my updated breakdown:

The Good:

-Battery Life: Still getting about 5-6 hrs depending on what I'm doing, I think if I turned down the brightness and ran in power saver mode I would have no problem hitting the advertised 6.5 hours.

-Thunderbolt: I was wondering what to do with this port until I tried plugging in a coworker's apple mini display port adapter, and was able to drive a 3rd monitor with no issues, so I picked up a cheap aftermarket adapter off Amazon. When I'm at my desk, I run two external monitors (1 off the thunderbolt, 1 off the HDMI) and the laptop monitor, and everything works pretty seamlessly.

-The keyboard: I'm completely used to the keyboard and have no issues typing on it.

-Still super light, super fast (even with all the junk I've loaded), and still very pleased with the machine overall.

The Mediocre:

-I had a few random shut downs and freezes, hard to tell whether this is the hardware or the OS, although this seems to have cleared up in the last 3 weeks.

-The Fan: It is noisy. And it runs a lot.

The Bad:

-It's 2012 and this is supposed to be an ultra portable, only desktops should have port in the back. Acer, why would you put the ports on the back when people are frequently picking up and moving the laptop? The ports would be much more convenient on the side rather than the back.

Things that no longer bother me:

-Magic Flip I/O port

-The soft screen hinge

Accessories I've purchased (and work):

-BlueRigger High Speed HDMI to DVI Adapter Cable (replace the HDMI/VGA dongle)

-Rocketfish Mini Display Port-to-VGA Adapter

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I got this laptop yesterday. I was in the market for an Ultrabook with all-SSD storage, which, it turns out, narrows down the options quite a bit. It turns out that most Ultrabooks have regular spinning drives for mass storage, plus a small SSD for quick booting, etc.

One unique feature is the "I/O door". Basically, during normal use, the USB, etc. ports are hidden. You press a button on the top-right area of the keyboard and a little motor activates and sort of extrudes the ports. The whole back of the laptop lifts a quarter inch or so. I didn't even know about the I/O door before I opened the package, so it wasn't a selling point for me. Seems like a decent idea--the ports should get less gunked up if they're hidden during normal unplugged use and when it's sitting in a bag.

Pros:

Very fast.

Very nice screen.

Boots hella fast.

All SSD storage, and enough of it for this to be your primary computer (256GB)

Good power consumption, although I haven't really tested it yet. It lasted several hours last night, and it was downloading gigabytes of updates and email the whole time.

Light (just over 2.5 pounds)

Thin

Comes with an HDMI-to-VGA adapter for older monitors

Cons:

Fan is somewhat noisy and runs most of the time. I guess that's what you get with so much awesome inside, but I feel like the cooling could be better designed.

I/O door is noisy. Not a big deal, but it surprised me the first time I opened it. If you have pets, they might freak out.

Could be a little sturdier. I was coming from a MacBook Pro, which was really solid. I don't expect problems with this, but you can tell it's made a little more cheaply.

Best Deals for Acer Aspire S5-391-9880 13.3-Inch HD Display Ultrabook (Black)

This is possibly one of the fastest laptops I have ever used in my life. With its usage of Solid State Drive and an Intel Core i7 Processor, its turning on time and shutting down time is blazing fast. From sleep mode, it will return to where you left at within 1 second and from a shut down mode to on, it takes less than 10 seconds. It's a ready when you need it laptop. A perfect one for business and school/college work.

It's slimness is fascinating considering the automated usb drives and such. The 250GB is a no problem if it is planned to be used for work instead of any media heavy/video game heavy files.

The Good/Benefits:

-It's ultra fast (1 second boot from sleep and 6 second boot from off)

-It's ultra slim

-Has Thunderbolt (Although there really is no purpose for this)

-Has 2 3.0 USB Drives

The Oks...

-Good enough screen (Not that clear, not that pixelized.

-Good enough Keyboard (The keyboard is a bit noisy when typing up in the night, and it could possibly disturb someone sleeping)

-A solid 6.25 Hours of Battery life

The disadvantages:

-Hot! Hot! Hot! (This laptop's temperature increases like crazy compared to others with just browsing)

-The screaming noise when you turn open and close the USB port thing.

-USB port thing opens and closes when it gets too hot for "more ventilation"

-Very noisy fan

Overall: If you don't mind the noise and put in ear plugs whenever you work, then you are completely find with this ultrabook. Just like how I'm writing this review with this laptop, you want to get more out of this speed!

Honest reviews on Acer Aspire S5-391-9880 13.3-Inch HD Display Ultrabook (Black)

I will probably keep this ultrabook, the geek hacker in me really likes the dark brushed maganesium/aluminum metal look everywhere including the keyboard. And the thin light nature of this, nice for taking in a backpack biking or to a coffee shop. My friend says the keyboard and touchpad look identical to the Mac Airbook, and given that the box said this is made in China, it would not surprise me if the same company makes some of the same components for both ultrabooks. I will likely buy a SquareTrade warranty off Amazon now that I have decided to keep this.

I don't use USB or Thunderbolt so the back ports that appear with the use of the magic button are not much use or of interest to me.

PROS:

Very cool brushed dark metallic magnesium aluminum finish, not 'plastic' like so many laptops.

Thin, and light

Boots insanely fast from both power on cold boot or from sleep suspend mode

Keyboard is fine, and I am a writer; I was worried about this from some reviews but it is not an issue for me.

Screen brightness and colors are fine, especially if you adjust the graphics (right click on desktop); some reviews talked about washed out colors-yes the screen is dimmer and more subdued if you are on power saving mode.

Audio is nice.

Touchpad is centered (i like that, so many today are way off to the left which makes no sense and is annoying when writing), large, wonderful, allows some gesture movements, etc.

CONS:

Battery life is not what one would hope given the competition of the Mac Airbook (12 hrs). Looking at something like 3-4 hrs out of the box here unless you dim the screen and turn off wifi (turning off wifi seems to give an extra 30 minutes, same with dimming screen. So, not listening to music or watching video, just typing, no wifi, dim the screen, you might tweak 4-5 hrs on a full battery charge.

It was a a painful experience to get the bluetooth mouse to work, might have had something to do with windows updates; ultimately if had to do updates, reboots, delete existing bluetooth mouse device then reinstall it, still unsure if it will 'stick'.

Why Acer put the audio earbud/headphone jack on the right side and far back near the hinge eludes me because that means the cord is all over in the way of where i normally use the fricken mouse. Why did't they put the audio jack port on the left?! Annoying design flaw! If I can figure out this bluetooth issue, i might just buy a bluetooth set of headphones and avoid the cord altogether.

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So far so good. This machine is a different experience. Let me set the stage.

I am 75, I do a lot of investing, I am big on photos, movies and the making of DVDs on a personal basis. I travel a lot. Add to that I have no cable service where I live in NH. And you can then see how important a mobile computer is to me. Smartphones will not do it for me and I really do not want to work in clouds or rely on some other system for my work.

I use a bigger computer for the big jobs. I currently have an HP 311 mini computer. It has been a great aid but it lacks power and is very slow. The S5 is clearly an incredible improvement. I can now process photos through Photoshop and make movies using Win Movie Maker with no problem while on the move. At a later point I can do DVDs on my larger computer. The 2.5 # weight of the S5 compares to 3.8# while the screen of the S5 is 13.3" vs. 11.7". The HP was a great machine for the price at the time. The S5 is much pricier at $975 but it's features make it worth having. The HP is 3 years oldan eternity in this business. When I think back of the days that it would cost me about 10 grand to do pictures with a Mac and windows got me in for $2500 with a 100 mb machine-something else.

We are always learning in this computer business. I can understand the frustrations some folks have with the USBs in the back and the raising of the ports using a mechanical device. At the same time it seems that you should have as much faith in mechanical as well as electronic systems. It is critical to realize that a lightweight device will sacrifice strength unless you use expensive sophisticated materials. Whether or not it will fail is up to the quality Acer is exacting from production. Since I do not hear well the noise is meaningless. The lightness and size of the screen more than justifies the location of the ports. It is only with flash cars where it is a problem and yes if you are wanting to put a usb device in while you are on a bus it could be difficult. For me I use external drives for all of my files. I only keep stuff on my desktop (not supposed to do that) on a temporary basis. I then clean it up and put it on an external drive for use in the larger computer. Mobility is important to me but I am always in my car or a residence. Where Photoshop would not even install on the 311 it installs and works well on the S5.

The typing is far better than on my HP 311. The 311 is the dark ages compared to the S5. But the HP did serve a great need. I use Verizon for my internet connection(we have no cable in my town in NH). So it is important for me to use the machine in the car to check on the markets. On volatile days it is critical to pay attention. I am a long term investor with a short term view if the market demands it. Originally the connection was through the computer. Now I am using a Verizon Jetpack. Since it serves up to 4 computers it was an obvious choice and the cost is similar.

Recently we had a power failure in Jersey and NY and my wireless jetpack did a great job. By using the S5 in a judicious way I was able to keep up with the market when it opened on Wednesday. We got power intermittently in my location and I was able to charge the S5 so I do not know how long it would have lasted. It recovered quickly when I started using it. So I have no real complaints yet. The only issue I have now is my Garmin Streetpilot 2723 software will not install because of the lack of a disk drive. But I can get around that issue.

Update: 11/12/12

The machine is performing well. Having conditioned the battery according to instructions I see it lasting about 5-6 hrs., depending on use.

?The Bluetooth mouse that came with it was a real buster. It turned out after all of the tech talk and uninstalling and whatever that what I needed to do when I saw the mouse in 'devices and printers' was to remove it and then 'add a device'. Computers can really be silly sometimes but there it is. Otherwise the machine is light,the ports are tricky but manageable and the typing seems better than the HP mini but not as good as a full size computer. Photoshop runs well and the speed of working with the usb ports is great. Right now it is difficult to tell of the wireless works as well as I would like but Sandy's effect on Verizon makes me wait in judgment-so that will come later. Also the size of the screen is great given the light weight.

Discount ASUS Zenbook Prime UX31A-DB72 13.3-Inch Ultrabook

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $1,599.99
Sale Price: $1,519.99
Today's Bonus: 5% Off

I wanted an ultrabook with Windows 7, not Windows 8, and this one fit the bill. The screen resolution is fantastic and the speakers are excellent. The front facing camera is very good and video chats are excellent quality. The ultrabook is lightweight and easy to carry. It comes with a sleeve and can be carried around like a paper notebook if desired.

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I bought this for my wife, a lawyer. She has no problems and it was very easy to get her up and running. Great battery life (I don't use it so I do not know the time but she is very please with the system). She takes it every where with her. The boot speed is excellent, 10 sec. She was using a full size notebook and did not like to take it to court it was very heavy and took a min. to boot.

This Ultrabook is excellent for her. We installed a remote hard drive hooked to her wireless router. This is used to store files since the hard drive is 256 Gi. All works well.

Would buy again.

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I'm an IT guy, bought this for the boss, who is almost as technical as he thinks he is. He loves the machine. He was all about the Apple book because it was sleek and sexy, and with some luck we were able to talk him out of that and into a Windows machine. We chose this because specs were comparable to the apple, nice and thin and sleek. The specs are better and the machine runs as gret as expected. ASUS is known in our circle at least for fantastic and reliable parts. I build my servers with ASUS boards. The touchpad is large, which is against my personal preferance, but it is nicer to use than many others.

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Worst laptop ever. The mouse trackpad is unreliable. Sometimes the cursor flies around in the middle of typing. It is unusable. The keyboard sticks. Randomly the backspace key would not work slowing me down. The letter "D" worked off and on and I was unable to password into accounts that had the letter "d" in it. My text gets randomly deleted sometimes. When I sent it in for repair it took a very long and it came back unfixed. I would not recommend this laptop to anyone!!

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I purchased this Asus through Amazon late last year It worked perfectly initially but the keyboard is faulty and I have had to upload a virtual keyboard so that I can use it. Currently the "c" and the "k" are not working. There are others with the same problem according to the various tech web-sites. If it weren't for this extremely irritating factor I would recommend it highly as the screen, the portability are all exceptional. It is not as though it has been subject to over-use or travelI have had it mainly at home in benign conditions.

Review of Sony Vaio VPCEG1BFX/W Intel Core I3-2310M 2.1Ghz 4GB 500GB DVD+/-RW

Customer Ratings:

I purchased this laptop at Walmart for 500 bucks as a quick replacement for my old Sony Vaio which finally died last year. I've had this laptop for a year. And I have had a few issues with it. I've had 2 fairly destructive trojans and I have had to reinstall Windows once. And take it in for maintenance for a broken A/C power jack. Otherwise, it has been a powerful, speedy and lightweight laptop. Very thin and actually quite stylish. I must say, I use this laptop daily for hours upon hours, and the letters on my keyboard are already wearing off. Despite a few setbacks,I have been very impressed with this machine. Even though I know this laptop won't last me 10 years, for the low price, I am happy it has been so reliable for now. Looking forward to updating to Windows 8 very soon.

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Best laptop for that price !!! Fast speeding douwnloads! easy to get any options , fine camera,WIFI,white cloud color with white keyboard!!! Recommended!!!

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when i found this computer online, i was really hesitant about buying it, but to my surprize i got exactly what i ordered to the T. i would defly recommend this seller. fast shipping, tracking, and great customer service. when i had a question, they emailed me back with minutes with answers.

Discount Acer Aspire AS5250-BZ873 15.6" Widescreen Laptop (1.0 GHz AMD

Customer Ratings:

Very dissapointed! Wireless adapter made by "Aerothos"...never heard of them....

Can't be more than 10 feet from the router...., whats the point of it being wireless?

Even went and exchanged it for another duplicate lap top because I thought the first one must have been defective...

Nope! the second one was the same....I even called tech support at Acer....tech admitted it must be a poor brand of adapter...no fooling....dont waste your time or money on this one!

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I purchased this laptop from Walmart, not Amazon, for $278.00, smoking price.

I never really buy computers because I usually build my own. Since you can't build your own laptop at $278.00

I had to give this one a shot. Needed a laptop just in case my desk top took a dump.

All the bad stuff everyone is saying about this is true, but once I reconfigured the operating system it works great,

the wifi is working fine, even for an old G router I am using.

It took about 4 minutes to boot up and had about 10 icons next to the clock loading up all kinds of garbage.

After reconfiguring the system it now takes less than a minute to boot and has only 5 icons loaded up.

Manufacturers have no clue when configuring Windows OS's, MORONS really.

Do yourself a favor when buying any computer from an Acer, HP, Dell or whoever, re-do the OS and you'll have

a completely different system, for the better.

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This is my very 1st laptop i have a 2 core quad desktop but have been wanting a laptop for a long time.

Prices on the ones i wanted were to high for me to afford so i hadnt gotten one.

I was at walmart the other day and seen this dual core processor and it was priced at $278

I purchased it brought it home and its a awesome computer for the money.I see not much differance in my core 2 quad this one.This computer gets a A ttt from me

Honest reviews on Acer Aspire AS5250-BZ873 15.6" Widescreen Laptop (1.0 GHz AMD

Out of the box I couldn't be further than 10 ft away from the router for this to connect to the wifi. I went to Acer's website and downloaded all the updates. I could then be further away from the router, but I kept losing the connection even though the signal was excellent. Three days after I bought it, I returned it.

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Bought this for my granddaughter at walmart and she had nothing but problems with internet connection. She took it back and exchanged it thinking it was faulty then she called tech support when the same problem happened and they really did nothing. This lap top is not worth the money it took to make it! If you are looking for a good laptop dish out the extra $50-$100 for a higher quality one.

Cheap Apple MacBook Pro 15.4" Laptop - 500 GB HARDRIVE - i7 QUAD-CORE

Customer Ratings:

Note: This review is from someone who knows very little about computers.

Although I truly enjoy PCs and will still continue to keep and use my PC laptop, I felt it was time for a change. It took minutes to load up videos and photos, and I was starting to get very frustrated with the entire process. I hadn't considered purchasing a Macbook Pro before, because I felt the cost wouldn't be worth it. I spent over a month researching and reading and watching reviews. I finally took the leap. The following describes features of the Macbook Pro that I find important to an everyday user.

External Appearance: I sometimes look at the laptop and get surprised by how thin it is. However, once I lift it up, I am surprised again by how heavy it is. Apple has done an amazing job at creating a laptop that thrives on outward simplicity. The cold aluminum feels strong and almost indestructible. The Magsafe adapter is a great feature to have, especially if you need to connect your laptop and sit further away. A trip over a cord easily separates the adapter from the laptop, and nothing is harmed. At first I was surprised that there were only two USB ports, but I can't imagine a time where I will need more than two. The difference I noticed from my other laptop is that there is a lack of ports which might add to the fact that it has an incredibly simple design and that it uses only what it needs. What it thrives on is what's inside.

The Screen: I was originally considering getting a large monitor for the Macbook Pro, so I could easily edit documents and pictures. It's not worth it. Even watching Youtube videos looks great. I was looking at pictures taken on a simple point and shoot camera, and they looked phenomenal on the screen as well. However, the glossy screen can seem like a mirror at times and can get incredibly annoying. 15.4 inches is perfect for anyone considering making the Macbook Pro their primary computer at home.

iLife & other apps: I haven't used iLife as much as I would want, but I was able to look at the Mac app store, and I am pleasantly surprised by the quality of apps provided. If you love writing, Scrivener is great for drafting stories, novels, screenplays, and poetry. iWork is also available at the app store. Each of them are sold separately for $20.00 each, which is cheaper than purchasing iWork altogether! Pages and Numbers are incredibly intuitive, and they definitely compete with Microsoft Word and Excel. Like the app store for the iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPad, there's something for everyone. There are apps for work, play, and everything in between.

Speed: From opening Safari to opening apps, there isn't a glitch in speed. Once I start editing film, I'll update if it changes but if not, that means it's still working amazingly. I did play a few games and not only are the graphics amazing, but there isn't any stopping or starting.

Finder: I didn't think it would be very useful until I downloaded a program and had no idea where it went. Finder (of course) finds every single thing on your Macbook Pro, but it does it with speed.

Trackpad: I wasn't sure whether or not I would like the trackpad. I didn't like the original settings but once I changed it, I'm not even considering getting a mouse. It's fun experimenting with it at first and learning the different motions on your own. The trackpad has made surfing the web easier than before.

Keyboard: I was hesitant about the backlit keyboard. I love that I can type at night, but I am used to the keys being closer together. It did take a couple of hours to get used to it but once I did, it vastly improved my typing speed. The spaces between the letters helped, and the fact that the keys aren't raised high definitely helps. Even better? The keys are practically silent.

Heat: I had read reviews about how hot a Macbook Pro gets but after a week, I haven't noticed any extreme heat. Again, I haven't done anything extreme, so I will update if it changes.

Portability: If you decide to take the laptop around, I would recommend getting a case for it. It is prone to scratches and dents, so any protection helps. I carry the laptop in my backpack, and the weight is quite noticeable. I think it's something I'll get used to, but I'm still surprised by its weight. It is, however, a great device to carry around but if I wanted it for true portability, I might have gone with the 13.3 inch or possibly a Macbook Air. Given the fact that this my primary device used at home, I prefer to keep it there unless I know I will absolutely need it.

The hard drive and RAM are completely replaceable. People were disappointed with the slow performing 5400 RPM hard drives, but I honestly don't see a difference in speed. If it is a huge problem, again, it can easily be upgraded. I plan on upgrading the RAM to 8gb soon. My initial benchmark test showed a score of 8843, so I'm excited to learn what the score will be after upgrading.

If there are any major changes with the laptop, I will update.

UPDATE:

The first thing I would like to update on is battery life. The battery life for the Macbook Pro is pretty good. I no longer worry during lectures or taking it to work. I average about six hours with going on the internet, watching a few videos, and writing.

Secondly, gaming on this machine is great. I played Left 4 Dead 2 for a few hours with a friend. There were maybe one or two times where the game would lag, but it would be for a split second. Other than that, it looks amazingly clear. Load up times for gaming is FAST. As soon as my game booted up, I would ask my friend where he was, and he was still only halfway done with loading. Playing with the trackpad is also very responsive and pretty fun. When gaming, the fan is loud and the laptop gets very hot. However, it's not as hot as my 2009 Toshiba laptop.

I was very worried about how hot the device gets after a period of time. After reading many reviews, I noticed that one of the main problems was the laptop getting so hot, it would burn someone's lap. However, I noticed that this was more a worry with previous generation's of the Macbook Pro, and I have yet to notice a real problem with it.

The speaker quality is amazing. I was originally going to get separate speakers and a mouse for the laptop, but it's not really worth it.

The great thing about this laptop is that it's small enough to take anywhere you need it, but it's powerful enough to use as a regular desktop.

Update #2 1 Month Later:

I thought I'd give one last update. Since people generally give reviews right after they receive a product, I think it would be great to give people an idea of how a product is running a month and a half into ownership

The first thing I would like to mention is lag time. A few times I've experienced considerable lag while trying to perform a few tasks. Once or twice it would happen while I was attempting to play a game. Or I'll attempt to switch out windows, and the infamous beach ball appears. What I would like to mention isn't about that lag itself but the performance AFTER it happens. Each time I experience this, I was tempted to press CTRL + ALT + DELETE (in typical Windows fashion) but after waiting a few seconds, my programs would run as usual. I don't have to restart or worry about my files being corrupted. No computer is without hiccups, but I would like to mention that this laptop is great at handling them. I no longer have to cross my fingers and close my eyes for five minutes while it reboots. It just works.

If you like creating short films or Youtube videos, the speed of creating and uploading films is incredibly fast and easy. After playing with iMovie and iPhoto, I'm glad they're additions to preinstalled programs. Although this isn't exactly a review of the laptop itself, I do enjoy the built in programs and how they easily integrate themselves with the Macbook Pro. The lack of bloatware is also very refreshing. When I first purchase a laptop, I spend the first hour or two attempting to delete free trials.

As someone who has used both PCs and Macs for the past decade, the choice really is up to the consumer. Honestly, I feel that both have very easy user interfaces and both are great for any project that might come up. Why did I choose a Mac over purchasing another PC? I think I was ready for something I wasn't used to in my own home. I've had two PC laptops that failed in less than two years of my persistent aggression. I also wanted impeccable design quality. I didn't want something that just looked good. I wanted it to be both functional and durable. It just so happened that the design for the Macbook Pro fits it all perfectly.

I hope this helps.

9/15/2011 Update:

This is the last update. I promise. I have had this product for close to five months, and I've definitely had some ups and downs with it. I've noticed that while watching Netflix, there's considerable lag when I have more than three programs open. I have to force quit Safari from time to time due to a very sluggish performance. At some point, I really want to upgrade the RAM and update the hard drive, but I'm waiting for prices of SSDs to go down.

Despite this, it continues to amaze me. For the first time in my life, I can open up my laptop and not have to wait a few minutes for it to load up. It's just there. The issue of portability is nonexistent, as I never have to bring my charger if I'm going somewhere for a day or two. The battery life is phenomenal. I have been scanning and uploading a lot of pictures, and it handles it with ease. Creating videos is still a fun process.

While the cover is aluminum, it is still very fragile. I do have a couple of small scratches on the bottom. It still continues to go strong.

I will actually update this a year from now to see how it really holds up. A year is right when I need a new laptop. We'll see if it can take the abuse.

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The update to the 15-inch MacBook Pro in February 2011 was significant. Indeed, significant is an understatement. Quick thanks to Amazon and Apple Stores for having these immediately available at launch.

The primary upgrade to this revision? The processor! Intel has a brand new architecture called Sandy Bridge, and these MacBook Pros are the first Macs to feature this technology. Some have called it some of the most significant changes to Intel architecture since Pentium 4 was introduced. These 15-inch MacBook Pros as well as its big brother, the 17-inch, not only take advantage of Sandy Bridge, but the Quad Core i7 Variant. Quad Core processor in a notebook Mac! Wow.

I actually chose the 13-inch model for my personal use (only Dual Core on the 13-inch), but this 15-inch is replacing an aging iMac at the office to save space and leap over its performance. These Quad Core Chips are amazing. Early benchmarks are showing this entry-level 15-inch, 50 percent faster than the upper end i7 15-inch MacBook pro from a year ago. A dramatic improvement. Furthermore, if you're still on a Core 2 Duo machine such as the iMac I am replacing, the performance is as much as 2.5 times faster. At least in terms of the processor. This is most beneficial in processor intensive applications, for consumers such applications are iMovie and Garageband. Professionals will see the new processors beneficial in any professional photo editing, video, or music work.

One downside is that due to cost, the machine still comes with a spinning hard drive standard. In this case, the standard drive is a 5400 RPM 500 GB drive. That offers plenty of storage, but is slightly slower than a desktop 7200RPM drive and much slower than a new, solid state drive. You do have options. You can special order the machine from Apple with a 7200RPM drive, or Solid State Drive. However, what I have decided to do, is simply, when I'm ready, swap out the drive myself. Other World Computing sells solid state drives compatible. It might not be easy for every user, but for those with some computer experience, it is a fairly easy swap. Then I can install a faster solid state drive, when the more acceptable capacity drives come down a bit in price. You might also choose to do the swap yourself because you can then put the hard drive that was originally in the machine, into an external enclosure, and use it as an external drive for backup. Of course, any damage you cause to the machine would not be covered under warranty. Therefore, if you have any concern, you might want to see if you can special order from Apple online, or in many situations, you will find the standard hard drive to be acceptable.

After the processor advancement, Thunderbolt is the other great new technology included in this revision to the MacBook Pro. Thunderbolt looks like the Mini Displayport that was already included on the MacBook Pros. Indeed, it will still function perfectly as a Mini Displayport, for connecting an external display. However, Thunderbolt is more importantly a new interface to connect external devices in the future, such as, external hard drives, HD camcorders, and perhaps even iPads, iPods, or iPhones someday. Data would then transfer many times faster to and from these devices than it does currently. These devices were not available at the time of the MacBook Pro's launch, but we have already heard that external drives should be available later this year with Thunderbolt connectivity.

iSight camera has been upgraded to HD resolution and Face Time pre-installed on the computer. This gives you the ability to video chat, easily, with other Macs and notably, iPhone 4s and the newest iPod Touch with front facing camera.

The consumer software you expect to be included by Apple is once again here. The latest version of Mac OS X Snow Leopard (operating system), iLIfe 11 including iPhoto, Garageband, iMovie, iDVD, and iWeb is all here. OS X always includes Safari web browser, iTunes, and Mail applications too. The average user would be good to go out of the box. You might pick up Microsoft Office for your office document needs, or simply purchase Apple's iWork applications (Pages, Numbers, and Keynote) from new Mac App Store on your computer.

The new MacBooK Pros, thanks to Sandy Bridge technology are fast. They will save you time, when using processor intensive applications. Time in business, saves people money and frustration. The average consumer might see less gains with this update as physically the MacBook Pro has retained it identical appearance, size, and weight. Nevertheless, under the unibody, improvements have certainly occurred which result in a much faster notebook. The fact that these 15-inch and 17-inch models now include Quad Core Processors standard is really extraordinary. This is putting recent top of the line desktop performance, into a sleek and attractive Mac Notebook. A breakthrough. Recommended Product!

Best Deals for Apple MacBook Pro 15.4" Laptop - 500 GB HARDRIVE - i7 QUAD-CORE

I discovered the new line of MacBook Pros the day after they became available for sale and immediately decided I was ready to upgrade. I've had a 13" 2.26GHz Core2 Duo mid-2009 MacBook Pro for a few months and since it was my main computer I decided a bigger screen was necessary, and the CPU upgrade would be awesome. I ordered through Amazon Prime and paid the extra $4 for overnight shipping and it arrived yesterday. I considered buying through Apple but the $150 tax savings with Amazon Prime is a no-brainer. I would have loved if Amazon had the anti-glare screen option even if it was a little more expensive but I'll live. I had a great cheap anti-glare (matte coating) screen protector from eBay on my 13" and just ordered one for my new 15".

The packaging was great. The main white MBP box was packed inside two layers of plain brown cardboard boxes, so it was well protected. For cheaper, less-fragile items I don't always understand why Amazon occasionally uses bigger boxes, but for something this fragile and expensive I welcome that. Once I opened the main white box I saw the usual stuff: the power cable, the manuals and discs, and of course the MBP. The MBP was enclosed in a plastic sheet which comes off easily.

Once I booted the MBP I was surprised at how quickly it arrived at the desktop, given that the hard drive is a plain old 5400 RPM. I assume the CPU accounts for that extra speed. It was nice and snappy, but I knew I wouldn't be using an HDD, rather an SSD. I also had an 8gb kit of RAM I would replace the 4gb with.

I sold my 'old' MacBook Pro with it's original hard drive and kept the 60gb solid state drive I had been using for a few months. I had previously upgraded from a 2008 unibody MacBook with the same SSD and it worked no problem in the 13" MBP, but that was not the case with this new early 2011 MBP. The machine starts fine with the 500gb HDD that it came with, which is to be expected, but it won't boot from the SSD. It freezes at the Apple logo with no spinning indicator. I assume it's because of the significant change in hardware. I tried booting from my old Snow Leopard DVD and repairing permissions but no luck. I had a second 60gb SSD with Windows 7 installed (via boot camp) which started fine but at least 10 drivers needed to be installed. I used the Boot Camp installer on the Snow Leopard DVD and all installed well in Win7. Luckily I do not need to use Vista or XP on this machine since Apple has announced that only Win7 is supported for these early 2011 MBPs.

After I finished getting Windows 7 back running properly I wiped the OSX SSD (I have backups on a network drive) and re-installed Snow Leopard. I did not monitor the installation but it definitely installed quickly. Of course the SSD and new RAM accounts for a lot of that speed, but the CPU definitely is quicker than the Core2 Duo I've been used to.

Once I was up and running in Snow Leopard I was pleased with the smoothness of the machine. Time will tell whether there are any issues and I'll be sure to update with any new findings or problems. I will say that if you can find good prices on an SSD (even a 60gb is enough for many) and an 8gb RAM upgrade it will definitely make the MacBook Pro experience much more enjoyable.

UPDATE 3-15-2011:

I've now had this laptop for a couple of weeks and I have to say it's exceeded my expectations. I ordered an anti-glare screen protector and painstakingly applied it so now I have no problems with glare. I also ordered a new stand so now it sits at an angle which allows for better airflow out the back vent. I installed SmcFanControl to be able to monitor the internal temperatures and can adjust the fan speed in case it runs a little hot. I've installed Windows 7 in a virtual machine and no longer intend on using boot camp as I don't like having to close all my Mac apps and things to reboot into Windows, so I just run it in a VM and all runs well.

One thing I've noticed though is that Google Chrome takes up a LOT of CPU resources and increases the temp by 15 to 20 degrees and I can't figure out why. It's a fresh install with no extensions so I guess I won't be using Chrome unless they resolve that. It's not an issue with the laptop but I figured those Chrome fans out there would like to know that I've had an unfortunate experience with it on this MBP.

Finally, it runs pretty cool on average but when I run a VM or a few things at once it does tend to heat up and I end up turning up the fan speed with SmcFanControl. There are only minor quirks, otherwise it's great! Once I have some more free time I'll try some games, such as a port of GTA San Andreas, and update with how they run and what happens to the MBP.

UPDATE 2 on 4-11-2011:

I decided that I would sell my month-old MBP on eBay and splurge on the high-resolution anti-glare version directly from Apple. I received a $100 student discount and ended up paying $150 tax since I ordered directly from the Apple web store. My new MBP was shipped from China over the weekend. I have to say that it is amazing. The high resolution is almost too high and the small text can hurt your eyes even if you have relatively good eyesight like me (I'm 22 so no reading glasses anytime soon hopefully). However being able to see more on the screen can be a blessing, as it reduces the need for scrolling on web pages and documents.

As for the anti-glare part of the screen, it looks great and I'm able to use it outside with very few issues. The anti-glare protector I had on the previous MBP was fine but there's nothing like an actual anti-glare screen. Plus I am happier with the silver bezel than I initially expected. I ended up paying just over $2000 which is a crazy investment for a college student but I know that its resale value will stay high and it will last me much longer than my previous HP and Dell notebooks. Overall I have no regrets and praise these new MacBook Pros highly.

Honest reviews on Apple MacBook Pro 15.4" Laptop - 500 GB HARDRIVE - i7 QUAD-CORE

I just bought one of these, so I my comments are based on fairly limited experience. It replaces a MacBook Pro I bought in May 2006 that's still working fine, but I needed to upgrade to something faster for a major project I'm going to be working on.

What I have:

I got the model with the high-res non-glare display (Amazon doesn't offer upgrades like the non-glare option). I find reflections to be very distracting, so the non-glare option is a must-have for me. If you go that route note that while the glossy screens are glass with black borders, the non-glare screens are plastic and have an aluminum frame just like all of the older MacBook Pros had.

After using it for a while to ensure there weren't any problems I upgraded the memory to 8GB. It only takes a few minutes, it's easy to do, and the cost of the memory from a third party vendor was half of what Apple charges for their 8GB upgrade.

Next I replaced the optical drive with a 60GB solid state hard drive (there are third-party mounting brackets you can use to replace the optical drive with a second hard drive), cloned the original drive to it, and then set my home folder to be the original home folder on the original drive. The result of all this that I have two internal hard drives, one of which is the original 500GB hard drive and the other is a 60GB solid state drive.

This gives me the best of both worlds. I get the speed of an SSD when booting (< 20 seconds) and launching applications (really, really fast), and the space of a regular hard drive for the minimal cost of a 60GB SSD. So the system and all applications run off a solid state drive while stuff like pictures, music, and so on resides on the original drive. This also means that if I push the system hard enough even 8GB of memory isn't enough the virtual memory system will use the much faster solid state drive. I put the optical drive in a cheap case so I can use it on the rare occasion I have a need for it to install software.

I use this MacBook Pro most of the time with Apple's original 30" Cinema Display. This requires an adapter that has to be powered by a USB port, but seems to work fine. Before I bought this I read some less-than-flattering reviews of the adapter in which a lot of people said they experienced problems trying to use it, but it's worked fine for me. Apple's current line of displays will connect directly without an adapter.

My impressions so far:

It's a tiny bit lighter than my old MacBook Pro, a little thinner, a little wider, and a little deeper. It definitely runs cooler, though the temperature seems to vary based on how hard the processor is working. But it's much more comfortable when I'm using it on my lap.

The body is machined from a block of aluminum. The bottom is open and covered with a solid sheet of aluminum with only the four feet and ten tiny screws holding it down. The result is a laptop that feels amazingly solid. If I grab my old MacBook Pro by the sides and twist it I can feel it give and hear a little squeak as parts rub against one another. With this I feel and hear nothing.

I recommend upgrading the memory to 8GB. I experienced a few pauses I attribute to the virtual memory system kicking in when I used it with 4GB, but not one since I upgraded the memory to 8GB. If you have deep pockets, these actually support 16GB of memory although Apple only claims 8GB. Unfortunately, as I write this 8GB chips cost 16x what 4GB chips cost (you need two), so it wasn't worth it to me to upgrade to 16GB, but if you have the money and want to max out the memory you have the option of taking it to 16GB.

Fit and finish are flawless, same as you see in all the pictures.

Beyond that I'm not sure what I can tell you that you can't learn from the product description here or on Apple's web site. You'll save money buying it from Amazon, but if you want either the high-res glossy or anti-glare displays you'll have to order your MacBook Pro from Apple or another vendor that offers them. The only other two optional upgrades Apple offers are a memory upgrade to 8GB and some hard drive options, but it's cheaper to upgrade those yourself.

I've been using Mac laptops for years and this is fine successor to previous models. Solid build quality, clean look, and all the latest technology. With every generation laptops become more viable alternatives to desktops, giving you the ability to use them as a desktop by connecting them to an external display and keyboard and then you can take the whole system with you if you want. With support for up to 16GB of RAM, an Intel i7 quad-core processor, and the ability to install a second internal hard drive and have 2TB of internal hard drive storage (with dual 1TB third-party drives) this latest generation MacBook Pro is serious stuff in an elegant, portable package.

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I'm over all happy with my new mac...this is my first. it's fast battery life is AMAZING!!!! even right now. I unplugged it this morning...it's been on for about 8 hours and i still have 2 hours left! WHAT!?!?!?!?! unheard of. it's crazy i run Photoshop CS5, Apatrure, Final Cut, Lightroom, and others....And the Rendering time incredible...5 star :)

Buy Dell D630 + Windows 7 (Notebook Laptop Computer) 2.2 GHz CPU / 2 GB

Customer Ratings:

I'm in IT and purchased this for a friend...this was a great deal, and came just as described. All the software was authentic, and the system had been thoroughly cleaned. I was a bit hesitant to buy an older and used laptop, but it's been cranking for 6 months with no problems.

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It had some problem with a video card driver(or something like that)so I had to send it back. Just a few days later I got it back and it works great. I love it. Also the people at Tampa laptops are real nice and helpful.

Best Deals for Dell D630 + Windows 7 (Notebook Laptop Computer) 2.2 GHz CPU / 2 GB

The review board must have ate my earlier review of this product. So, here is another. Looks "new", works great, fast.. whats not to love about it including the price. They are easy to do business with. Answered/responded to mail. Thanks, Tampa Laptop for a nice affordable, dependable laptop!!

Honest reviews on Dell D630 + Windows 7 (Notebook Laptop Computer) 2.2 GHz CPU / 2 GB

This computer works great with Windows 8. Loads in 30 seconds. Great workhorse computer for office or school with about 5 hours on a 9 cell battery. Not for gaming however, plays videos well and no issues with streaming video and You Tube up to 720. Will buffer too much with 1080 video. Had no issues with Camera Raw batching and using the Canon Utility for remote operation of my DSLR. If you are on a tight budget and not a gamer or video editor this computer will work just fine.

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My mother needed a new laptop and got one with windows 8 and could not use it, so this laptop loaded with windows 7 was perfect for her. Arrived quickly, started right up. GREAT!

Review of Lenovo X1 Carbon 34442DU 14-Inch Laptop

Customer Ratings:

Pros:

Fast, Solid build quality,Low fan noise, Low heat, Excellent keyboard,

The only con i could find was the trackpad isn't as slick as some of the newer ultrabooks and feels a bit wobbly when I click it. If you can get past that, it's an amazing laptop.

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Dell XPS XPS14-3636sLV 14-Inch Ultrabook Review

Customer Ratings:

I searched a lot of sites and reviews before finally deciding on getting the XPS 14 and I was not disappointed.

The Good:

It is solid, fast and with Windows 8, it is even more fast and presents an enjoyable experience. It is also very solid and stable and you can see the materials used are top quality. It is really good.

The battery life is around 7 9 hours of regular use and it boots and shuts down in 7-10 seconds. Really quick. This can be due to to SSD portion of the drive and also Windows 8

The bad:

Keyboard: The keyboard will need getting used to as they are not like your regular keyboard but once you re used to it, you will enjoy the feel of it.

***Display: The display is good and crisp but when you look closely to the display, the images are not definite and does not look perfect for an HD display. But it is ok and manageable. I am not sure if it is the notebook or it is Windows 8.

***Update: After video driver updates picture quality is much better and HD videos are truly HD. Nice nice now.

Touch Pad: Another new from dell that needs a lot of getting used to. The touchpad is larger and sometimes when typing, there is a likelihood you will touch it. So again, it will take you are while to get used to it.

The mouse has just a line dividing the clicks and you will need some time as well to adjust when right-clicking. The clicks make some sound I don't actually like but well, I am getting used to it.

Weight: It is heavier than the average ultrabook but hey, it is loaded with heavy materials and content.

Ports: No Serial/VGA port, 2 USBs which I think is not enough, No CD/DVD drive. But you can get some of the connectors on Amazon and use the mini port to get VGA etc.

Wifi: Dell confirmed they had fixed the wifi issue but I still experience some disconnections to the wifi once in a while. Not really good though.

It can also get a little hot sometimes.

On the whole, I think it is one of the best notebooks/Ultrabooks I have used yet. It is fast, solid, intuitive, and almost perfect and I wil recommend it to everyone if you can ignore the minor flaws.

It is a good buy for me ad I think it is a real competitor to the MacBook Pro (but not in display).

I will recommend this ultrabook.

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The fan was creating problem which they replaced, but actually its a tape or something which was continuously touched to the fan. The warranty is 2-3 months less than a year whcih is quite disappointing.

Best Deals for Dell XPS XPS14-3636sLV 14-Inch Ultrabook

I ve been very dispointing by the wireless capability of this PC.

I should have read the review , I am experiencing trouble with the wireless card ( hard to make it work more than 10 feet away from the router, very unstable, create instability on the network even for other users)...

I called dell 3 times already they finally send someone to change the wireless card, the technician came, but without the card... he has to come back again...

That may be that I am unlucky and got the wrong one, but I read other review about trouble with the wireless capability of this PC.

UPDATE : DELL Send a tecnician to my place, ;ore than 2 weeks after I reported the issue ( supposed to have a Next business day on site warranty included with this XPS). Technician came a first time, without the wireless card. Technician came a second time 1 week later, change the wireless card, then it was still having issue, he left and tell me : I am only in charge of hardware, this maybe software.

I bought this computer a month ago and Wifi is still not working properly, and I spent maybe 4 hours with the technical support....

Honest reviews on Dell XPS XPS14-3636sLV 14-Inch Ultrabook

This laptop works great, feels great and looks great. It is heavier than a standard ultrabook it's hardware is beefier and it even feels sturdier. How many ultrabooks have dedicated graphics cards? The speed and battery life is great. The keyboard and touchpad take a while to get used to but, it feels great once you do. Screen is quite bright is detailed, fun to watch movies on. The battery life is a pleasant surprise.

Ports: there are only two USB ports on the 14", so one more would be ideal. The video ports are HDMI and mini-dvi, so hi def reigns (outdated VGA ports should never be included on quality machines). The ethernet port is cleverly designed and the audio port doubles as a microphone port.

This laptop loses one star because of persistent issues with the WIFI.

Overaall, Very sturdy, powerful computer and a great buy. Great alternative to a macbook pro. Heavier and thicker than most ultrabooks, but more powerful too.

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My original review was 1 star because the laptop would not restart after shut down. I didn't want to deal with technical support for a brand new laptop so I requested a replacement. It worked fine until I tried to restart the laptop. Same problem, the Dell splash screen appeared but Windows did not load. This was a bit different because I was able to get into Setup easily and this was a problem with the earlier laptop. I did decide to call technical support since I suspected a driver conflict or something similar. I had to change a hard disk setting in the Setup menu and the tech support guy installed all Windows updates remotely. (Dell tech support is really good, by the way.) That solved that problem.

I did notice however occasional and brief WiFi dropouts so I checked Dell technical support and changed the settings on the WiFi adapter. Note: the Intel adapter on the laptop was not identical to the one on the support page so I was not able to change one of the properties. I'll wait to see if the changes I made did work and if not, another call to tech support.

It seems that some initial tweaking is required to get this laptop sync'ed with Windows 8, drivers, adapter, etc. However, the laptop is very fast and Windows 8 loads very quickly after fixes.

So if you don't mind a little tweaking, this laptop is a good purchase. You can check the reviews to verify this.

Windows 8 is another issue with software incompatibility, etc. but you will have to deal with this with any new laptop or computer that you buy right now.

Best Lenovo X120E 1.50 512 2/320W7P Deals

Customer Ratings:

This little laptop is great. Since I rarely use a disc drive except to load programs and drivers, this is perfect for me, It has an ll.6" screen, weighs about 3 pounds, and Windows 7 profesional 64 bit, so I now have loaded 4 Gb of RAM. It is a very fast laptop, doesn't heat up like my old one, and the battery gives over four hours of use on a single charge.

Thanks,

Richard

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This notebook is cute, tiny, and extremely portable. I look forward to using this as my daily development machine, once the new wifi card arrives... (see below)

The graphics performance is what you would expect: slightly better than a modern integrated card. This is not a gaming laptop by any means, but it packs enough power to run less demanding OpenGL games and demos. It is capable of playing 1080p video in Windows (haven't tried in Linux yet).

This laptop may have either a Broadcom or Realtek wireless card. If you plan to use Linux with this laptop and end up with the Realtek card, be ready to replace the card. There is a whitelist, but there are ways around it.

All in all, I would recommend this if you love Thinkpads and low-profile laptops.

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I bought two of these machines-one for work and one for my husband. About 1 year after purchase (right after warranty ended), the keyboard stopped working on my work machine. A quick search found that this is a known problem. This has been a pain for us at work. My husband's keyboard is still working which is why I'm giving it 2 stars.

Honest reviews on Lenovo X120E 1.50 512 2/320W7P

This is a very nice little netbook, but it is a little limited with only 2GB of RAM. 2 more fits the bill nicely and is cheap from Crucial!

Toshiba Satellite L505D-S5965 Athlon X2 QL-65 2.1GHz 3GB 250GB Review

Customer Ratings:

Five stars for bang for the buck.

Got this for my long-suffering Dell-owning girlfriend three months ago, after much searching for a basic laptop at a good price. We paid well under five bills for it new, and have had no problems whatsoever. Even the dreaded Vista is working fine, as there's plenty of RAM for it to hog.

First time with a Toshiba laptop and I must say I'm impressed. The body and keys are light plastic, but still feel solid. To sell this unit this cheap, some corners must be cut. Those are good ones to cut. The stuff under the hood is what matters, and that stuff is solid. The burner burns cds and dvds well and quickly. The computer gets a tad warm but not overly so; the fan blows very warm air out to the left, and is so efficient that you can warm your hands in the air in the winter! The screen is wider than most and I like that effect.

We got it mainly for the net and it does that very well indeed. As fast as my friend's 2,500 clams MacBookPro, in fact. Sure, his graphics are tighter and the machine is way more solid...but it cost six times more. If, like my gal, you mainly use your laptop for the net and making cds, looking at photos and the occasional movie, this is a very fine unit. I've been writing on this one for nine hours straight today, and have no eye fatigue or signs of impending carpal tunnel. Gotta like that.

One thing well worth mentioning is the amazingly intelligent idea of having an analog dial for the volume on the front of the unit. Duhhh!! Why have I never seen this on a laptop before? It makes so much sense. Plus there's a mute button up top near the power button, and ff/rew and play buttons. These are features we use a lot and it's wonderful to not have to open them on the screen every time. Very smart design.

We looked at every laptop out there and decided that this Satellite offered the most value.

So far, we think we made a very good choice.

Well done, Toshiba.

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It is a nice laptop with good memory. It has a variety of DVD viewers I use a few different ones depending on the type of movie. I have my iTunes on my laptop ... playback is good. The only thing I recommend is to have a laptop cooler pad and additional speakers because the computer speakers are good but not great. It is definitely a good buy if you are on a budget. If you looking for a light weight laptop ....it is kinda on the heavy side. It works for me though!

Best Deals for Toshiba Satellite L505D-S5965 Athlon X2 QL-65 2.1GHz 3GB 250GB

First thing to note: I did not purchase this computer on Amazon. I bought it through Best Buy. Second, I've had this computer for nearly three years at the time of this review. Originally, I purchased it around July of 2009. It came with Win Vista, but it qualified for the free upgrade to Windows 7, which I got through the mail a few months after that OS came out. So, my time with Vista was limited, and I can't say for certain how the computer performed then versus now, because it seems to me that the performance is similar.

I've done a lot of personal experimenting on this computer. When I upgraded to Win 7, I originally stayed with 32 bit for awhile, just to get a feel for the OS in a more stable environment. Eventually, I did a clean install of Win7 64 bit and ran into a few surprises. First, the drivers that Toshiba provides for the 64 environment didn't seem to work as well. Flash cards didn't work at all (the utility that uses your FN keys to do nifty things). The display driver was atrocious. I had screen lags, and a lot of my software didn't display properly. I even looked for an update from ATI directly, but because this is a device that is heavily controlled by Toshiba, I couldn't find a workable solution.

So, I went back to Win 7 32bit, and I've been using that ever since. My overall experience has been satisfactory, but there have been issues with this laptop. First, the battery life was terrible on both Vista and 7. On average, I was only getting about an hour and a half with mild usage. Second, several of my ports displayed bad behavior. In particular, I haven't had much luck with the built in SD card reader. It tends to lose the drives after awhile, causing corrupted files. Sadly, this is one feature that I haven't been able to use.

About a year into owning this notebook, I had to have the screen looked at. I took it to a friend who works on computers, and he told me that the connector for the display didn't have a locking mechanism on it, so it just kind of sat on the motherboard. He reconnected it for me, and I haven't had trouble since, but I'm still waiting for it to happen again.

I also had to replace the hard drive early on, because it apparently shipped with defective sectors. Probably physical damage. I was constantly losing files because of this, and so I wasn't productive. Once I replaced the hard drive (a very simple process), the problem was cured, and I haven't had those issues since.

I've also noticed a tendency for the USB ports to function in an erratic way. This problem has become worse in the past few months, and I beleive that the motherboard may be about to quit on me.

Despite these issues, the notebook has given me two and a half years of computing. I've done light gaming on it, ran virtual machines, surfed the web. All without a hiccup. My biggest complaint with this notebook, is the screen brightness. Even on its highest setting, the display doesn't seem very bright, which makes watching TV and movies a disappointing experience.

I've also come to dislike the volume knob on the front of the computer. I sometimes work in my car, and so the computer is jammed up against my stomach. As I move in the seat, the knob often gets hit, causing the volume to fluctuate. This isn't a big issue, but it can sometimes surprise me when I get home and fire up a video or song.

The speakers are blah. If you tweak the setting in Realtek manager, you can get a somewhat better experience. But don't expect miracles there. A decent set of headphones will solve the problem, as will external speakers.

I did eventually get a high capacity battery for this thing. 98,000 mWh versus something like 47,000. The irony is, I get about 2.5X the amount of battery life. So, I went from an hour and a half on average to about five hours, fifteen minutes.

Regarding the hardware issues. I purchased this notebook from a Best Buy store. Honestly, I believe it was something in the way they handled the thing when they brought it into their inventory. Maybe they were careless or something. With the exception of the screen going out, I can't really say that it's a design issue. It cools well enough, and it's been a pretty reliable computer for the most part.

I'll be retiring this beast in another few weeks as I have a replacement on the way. I should tell you that I purchased another Satellite through the Toshiba website. I hope that tells you how much I've liked this one. For less than $500, it was a good bargain at the time. Despite the problems I've had with it over the years, I've come to love it. It was my workhorse for a long time. I'm thinking of either selling it, or re-purposing it for a linux installation.

A sidenote: I have tried linux on this computer. Mainly Ubuntu. The notebook did well with it, although the fan seemed to run all the time. I noticed that the usb ports didn't seem to have as much of an issue, and even the SD card reader worked a lot better.

I would recommend this product to someone who's thinking of buying it as a refurbed model. It's not a bad computer for the money. A little dated now, but still a worthy road warrior.

Honest reviews on Toshiba Satellite L505D-S5965 Athlon X2 QL-65 2.1GHz 3GB 250GB

I bought this laptop in the late summer/early fall of 2008. This was a quick/cheap replacement as I boke the screen on my old HP. Got this bad boy for $375 with a wireless printer package deal at a local best buy mainly got it for college papers, movies, the usual college stuff... I TAKE iT EVERYWHERE with me and has not failed me yet. Its now 5/16/11 and about time for a new battery as it only holds about 30 minutes of charge but its a cheap replacement and well worth it!! I'd buy another one with out hesitation.... For under $400 after tax this laptop has saved me thousands and still runs fast and is reliable. Finally going to upgrade to 6GB memory as I now have 3. it runs quick with 3 can't wait for 6!!!!

2/21/12 UPDATE: My PC is still running like a champ! :)

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Toshiba Satellite L505D-S5965 Athlon X2 QL-65 2.1GHz 3GB 250GB

The battery life is short, you will need external speakers or head phones. But the biggest problem I had was the motherboard was fried, dead as a door nail three days after the manufacturers warranty ran out. I had to send it in for repairs twice in the year I had it because of loose connections to the screen. So if you are looking for a cheap disposable laptop this one is for you.

Review of Dell Latitude D620 Notebook Computer Duo Core 1.66GHz 1GB 40GB

Customer Ratings:

I've been enjoying my Dell D 620 for about 10 days now and I am very happy with it! Worked great right out of the box connected to the internet in 3 seconds! Purchased from BTG Electronics. I would recommend them for any computer purchase. They answer any question promptly and are very helpful in making your decision. If you are like me and cannot afford a new laptop, try a refurbished one from them. Great product and reliable seller!

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I RECIEVED THIS PRODUCT RITE AWAY. IT HAS MET MY EXPECTATION FOR A USED PC. IT WAS VERY CLEAN AND WORKS WELL. FOUND ONE MINOR FLAW, BUT IT GETS THE WORK DONE THAT IS NEEDED. GOOD SIZE. NOT TOO BULKY OR HEAVY.

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I bought two of these one for my daughter and one for myself, they both work great and were in great condition , look forward to purchasing from this co again. Good Customer service, product arrived quickly and was what was advertised.

Honest reviews on Dell Latitude D620 Notebook Computer Duo Core 1.66GHz 1GB 40GB

It must have been dropped because a peice of the outer casing is broken off on the corner. The DVD drive does not play DVD's, only CD's, but this may have something to do with the original video card that can't be updated. Taking it in to have it upgraded would probably cost as much as I paid for this. Have to touch the mouse pad with a delicate touch or the cursor barely moves. I bought this for my daughter because it has the software used by her school which benefits her to get homework and online assignments done. The graphics is the only dissapointment because she has to use my pc to get somethings done.

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The product was shipped in time. I Received the product in time and in a good condition however the System Software is informing me to replace the battery! Thanks.

Discount HP EliteBook 2560p LJ458UT Notebook PC

Customer Ratings:

These are small, light weight, powerful laptops. Keep in mind, no internal DVD/CD, but for the price they are a great value as a corporate laptop. The dockng stations are effective and inexpensive, so far so good with the 7 that we've placed. I prefer these to the more expensive options I have seen from Dell, as we have many Elitebooks in the field, and after 2 years, no failures.

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This ultra portable meets all the standards of a full powered laptop with long battery time (7 hours!) DVDRW and an i7! The laptop is VERY portable and I find myself using more often than my other laptops.

I am a computer shop owner and LOVE this laptop. She is always ready when I need her and is very responsive. Elitebooks have always been a step up above the rest but this one seems to be a LEAP up the rest.

This is supposed to compete with Apples Airbook and Macbook Pro. The Airbook is at 11" while the Macbook is 13-This HP is 12.5 which means its right in the middle. It easily outperforms the Air and is onlevel or above the Macbook pro. (considering the MB Pro has the same internals)

She is small, light but carries a thickness...which is still good because all it makes is a solid ultra portable. Anyone complaining about the thickness has never felt a flimsy laptop. This one is solid with an aluminum base and shell-thats GOOD!

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Finally the whole package in one 12". I'm not a business person but I love this thing. It basically does it all. No complaint's after 1 year of it.

Honest reviews on HP EliteBook 2560p LJ458UT Notebook PC

The 3.6-pound HP EliteBook 2560p offers excellent portability for frequent travelers, yet is built rugged enough to withstand fairly extreme conditions. The EliteBook 2560p includes plenty of business-friendly features, including an optical drive, a 720p webcam, fingerprint and facial scanning technology and lots of connectivity options. Although the integrated graphics don't have enough power for demanding graphics work, the HP EliteBook 2560p excels in other areas, including multitasking, number crunching and word processing. The keyboard and touchpad are responsive and comfortable and battery life averages six to eight hours. However, reviewers say the pointing stick is slippery and sticky. Some also wish the keyboard was backlit and that the USB ports supported the latest 3.0 standard.

So, it it worth buying? In my opinion it is wort every cent if your desire for the laptop isn't just for video games and HD videos.

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If you are looking for an all usage laptop, this is not the one you should choose. If you are looking for a great contrast screen with vivid colours for filsm or videos, buy something else. This notebook is not as light and thin as the most recent ultrabooks. No it is aimed at professionals who want their purchase to last and to be reliable. I like the possibility of having an optical drive to have a matte screen to be able to work in any light environment. Otherwise its SSD (my option) is very reactive and its processor (i5) powerful enough for any multi-tasking work. I hesitaed between a Sony Vaio and an Asus but I like the HP Elitebook series so...

Pour les Français, si vous cherchez un portable ultra-léger, avec un écran à fort contraste et aux couleurs chatoyantes, allez plutôt du côté d'Asus ou de Sony. non cet Elitebook est destiné aux travailleurs sérieux qui ont besoin d'être productifs, pas de jouer... ou de regarder des videos; Très réactif dans sa version SSD il est un parfait compagnon de travail qui n'a pas 10.000 logiciels maison... ouf ! Il est plus proche des 2 kgs que des 1.5 kgs...encore plus en main, mais au moins on sait qu'il sera résistant !

Acer Aspire V3-551-7423 15.6-Inch Laptop (Midnight Black) Review

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $479.99
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best laptop ive had in a while , would recommend to anyone okay with a 720p laptop it runs very fast havent had a problem for 2 months not one

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bought this computer not too long ago, amazing !!! runs like usain bolt, great battery life. the only this it has a glossy body and finger prints can be seen all over, but all you need is a soft cloth.( i just use it for basic needs) otherwise great computer, i highly recommend it.