Windows 7 Home Premium
Intel Core 2 Duo 2.2GHz
4GB RAM
64 -bit OS
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3670
500GB Hard Drive
I have owned my Dell Laptop for a year and have no complaints. It can get pretty warm with graphic intense games, but so did my old laptop, which would freeze up every few minutes. My favorite features are the backlit keyboard and slot-load DVD drive. I miss the plethora of USB slots, and prefered the earphone jacks up front, instead of on the side, as they are on the XPS. The screen makes movie-watching fun. I carry it to work almost daily and reccomend a case of substance as it feels quite heavy. Probably not a good idea for a travel laptop; it is billed as a desktop replacement, but it works well for me on the go.
Showing posts with label best value laptops. Show all posts
Showing posts with label best value laptops. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Saturday, December 6, 2014
Cheap Dell Latitude E5420 14" LED Business Notebook / Intel Core i3-2350M
I contacted the seller regarding this laptop in advance to make sure it did, in fact, come with a webcam, and when it arrived; everything was as expected. Packaged in OEM Dell boxes I was quite happy.
To greatly improve performance, I'd recommend pulling the 2gb ram out and replacing with 8gb (2x4gb) or 16gb (2x8gb) of ram; it really will make a big difference with the I3 processor...
For the price; can't really beat it for a NEW system.It's fast but heavy. I did not realize that there was no camera. Screen is fine. But still it is good for the price.
To greatly improve performance, I'd recommend pulling the 2gb ram out and replacing with 8gb (2x4gb) or 16gb (2x8gb) of ram; it really will make a big difference with the I3 processor...
For the price; can't really beat it for a NEW system.It's fast but heavy. I did not realize that there was no camera. Screen is fine. But still it is good for the price.
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Buy HP ProBook D8C11UT 14' LED Notebook - Intel Core i5 i5-3230M 2.60
List Price: $699.00
Sale Price: $667.79
Today's Bonus: 4% Off
I am so pleased with this laptop. The i5 processor is speedy, and the computer is beautifully made..solid and not flimsy feeling but lightweight as well. I was a little worried about its graphics abilities, because it does not have a separate graphics card, but there is a good menu for adjustments of the visuals and that works well for me.
I like HP business computers in general; they come stripped of the garbage you find on the screen of most home laptops and have a remarkable service process standing behind them. This one is really outstanding for the price, efficient and very responsive, perfect size for me, and very well put together.
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Cheap HP G62-147NR 15.6" notbook featuring an Intel Core i5-430M
I have purchased the g62 last year. It has a dedicated graphics card ATI 4500. If youre running office and not multitasking you should be ok. Once you try to watch a movie or check your email this laptop will overheat quicker than you can say your name. Once it overheats it will shutsdown and shutdown and shutdown again. The problem is although its packed with cpu and preformance the actual case that laptop is structured in does not have enough space to allow heat to escape. Theres tons of reports from google if you dont take my word on it.
Friday, September 12, 2014
Cheap HP Promo 3115M E-300 11.6 4GB/320 Pc Hp Promo 3115M,AMD E-300, 11.6
a full laptop with a real processor, win 7 home premium, 4 GB RAM. a really good value and runs great. Shipping was prompt and as expected. I would buy from seller again. So much better than the ASUS mini 10" with atom processor and only about 6 ounces heavier. I recommend this laptop to those who need a real laptop that is very light.It has good battery life and is very quiet. Sound production is good. Pretty much all I need for work and is a light carry for bicycling to work. Don't buy it directly from HP. They're nuts.
Thursday, June 12, 2014
HP Pavilion dv6-3013nr 15.6-Inch Laptop - Argento Reviews
I ordered this laptop on Thursday and just in 1 day, it was delivered in a perfect condition. Didn't have the chance to see every feature, but I can say that I loved this PC at first sight.. Looks so solid, not like some others giving you a feeling that they will break down if you don't be very careful. Only problem for now seems to be the touch pad. I can say that its little bit sticky, hard to move the cursor precisely.. Also, left and right click buttons are really hard to press. Clicking means really clicking for this laptop !!! Don't hesitate to buy, perfect item for its price. But make sure you order a nice mice too..
Now, after using the PC for a few days, I m happy to see that the touch pad buttons are getting easier to press. Finger print reader and Hp Simple Pass application that allows you to use your fingerprint instead of entering usernames and passwords works very well. Swipe your finger once and all the websites you enrolled in fingerprint system shows up. Swipe it once more, you are logged on in seconds. No Username No Password..
Also, some want just the Windows 7 OS! This is easily done by pressing the F11 key during boot up. You will then go into the Recovery console and choose the one on the left that says "Minimal Install". After you reboot the only thing on the laptop will be the Windows 7 premium (64bit) OS and I checked in device manager and everything is working!
As noted above the F11 key that kicks off the HP recovery console is a very nice feature but another is the one built into Windows 7 called "Backup" (type in Backup in the search when in Windows). Choose to create a "System Image" and have a portable USB/eSata hdd ready. You can then save the image to that drive in case of disaster. At the end of the System Image creation make sure you create the System Repair CD. The System Repair CD will be used to restore the "System Image" if you ever need to. This is very usefull after you get the laptop loaded and customized with all the software that you want.
The touch pad, don't be so quick to judge. Look in the control panel for the touchpad control and try a few different options. The all-in-one touchpad works fine for me.
Bought an HP Pavilion dv6 series notebook new from Best Buy on 11/01/09.
Repair history:
HD died and was replaced on 03/22/10.
HD died and was replaced on 05/24/10.
Integrated mouse broke 08/22/10
HD died 11/12/10 parts and laptop are out of warranty
Replacement parts have a 90 days warranty.
Tech support in India is not allowed to connect me to a manager
or refer me back to a customer support department in the US.
They do want me to sign up for extended care for another $200/year
but even if it were free who would want to go through this type of
ordeal. Every support call takes between 60 and 90mns.
Now, after using the PC for a few days, I m happy to see that the touch pad buttons are getting easier to press. Finger print reader and Hp Simple Pass application that allows you to use your fingerprint instead of entering usernames and passwords works very well. Swipe your finger once and all the websites you enrolled in fingerprint system shows up. Swipe it once more, you are logged on in seconds. No Username No Password..
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
I looked at many of the reviews and most complained about the amount of bloatWare on the computer and this is true. I removed many including Norton. Try AVG free for anti-virus, search google you will find it.Also, some want just the Windows 7 OS! This is easily done by pressing the F11 key during boot up. You will then go into the Recovery console and choose the one on the left that says "Minimal Install". After you reboot the only thing on the laptop will be the Windows 7 premium (64bit) OS and I checked in device manager and everything is working!
As noted above the F11 key that kicks off the HP recovery console is a very nice feature but another is the one built into Windows 7 called "Backup" (type in Backup in the search when in Windows). Choose to create a "System Image" and have a portable USB/eSata hdd ready. You can then save the image to that drive in case of disaster. At the end of the System Image creation make sure you create the System Repair CD. The System Repair CD will be used to restore the "System Image" if you ever need to. This is very usefull after you get the laptop loaded and customized with all the software that you want.
The touch pad, don't be so quick to judge. Look in the control panel for the touchpad control and try a few different options. The all-in-one touchpad works fine for me.
Best Deals for HP Pavilion dv6-3013nr 15.6-Inch Laptop - Argento
Buyer Beware. I purchased a HP Pavilion laptop with a Windows 7 Professional operating system in March 2010. The hard drive crashed while the system was under warranty in September 2010. I discovered the external Seagate backup drive performed a selective backup instead of a complete backup, backing up only 18 GB out of 200 GB of data. According to one computer repair technician, many of the files were still readable on the defective HP drive. I then decided to replace the hard drive myself at my cost and reload the OS, only to learn that HP "tatoos" their drives preventing anyone from replacing the drive with anything other than the exact same drive from HP. Without the tatoo, I could not reload my operating system which came from HP. HP quoted me a price over $300 for the HP replacement "tatooed? hard drive. Identical drives without the tatoo cost approximately 1/3 the price of the HP drive. As I had already purchased a hard drive from a local "big chain" computer repair shop, I decided to obtain a new copy of Windows 7 Professional and just reload the operating system. Again, I learned that this also does not work. HP informed me that they would give me a replacement hard drive only after I gave them my original hard drive. Since I first needed a computer with the Windows 7 operating system installed to transfer the recoverable data files from the bad drive to a good drive and then to securely erase data on the the old drive, this was not an acceptable option. HP tech support failed miserably during this process since the HP technician (who had a heavy India English accent) told me that I had to go back to the computer store where I purchased the hard drive and have them fix the system. It took four weeks for me to discover that ONLY HP could fix the laptop. I did take the laptop back to the place of purchase. They experienced the same problem in attempting to get HP to fix the laptop. The computer has been broken now for seven weeks. While the HP laptop operated okay (not great, just OK) when it worked, I discovered that HP laptops are simply no longer repairable unless you bite the bullet and allow HP to make the repairs at an incredibly high price. In reviewing prior laptop purchases, I realized that ALL of my prior HP laptops had broken after a year or so and that the other brands of laptops I purchased while old and banged up from use continued to operate. It does not make sense: why would a company (HP) which brags that it is a "green" company produce disposable laptops whose users will throw them away into the dumpster when they break and when they learn they are not economical to upgrade or repair.Honest reviews on HP Pavilion dv6-3013nr 15.6-Inch Laptop - Argento
You be the judge:Bought an HP Pavilion dv6 series notebook new from Best Buy on 11/01/09.
Repair history:
HD died and was replaced on 03/22/10.
HD died and was replaced on 05/24/10.
Integrated mouse broke 08/22/10
HD died 11/12/10 parts and laptop are out of warranty
Replacement parts have a 90 days warranty.
Tech support in India is not allowed to connect me to a manager
or refer me back to a customer support department in the US.
They do want me to sign up for extended care for another $200/year
but even if it were free who would want to go through this type of
ordeal. Every support call takes between 60 and 90mns.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for HP Pavilion dv6-3013nr 15.6-Inch Laptop - Argento
I just got this laptop as a gift. It looks very cool and it is very thin. I so want to keep it but the track pad is driving me crazy. It is very hard to use and it's already causing me finger pain on my second day. The cursor jumps around as I am typing on the keyboard, but when I do need to use the track pad to scroll up and down, it is half dead. Very very frustrating to use. Another thing I hate about this laptop is the monitor. The colors appear strangely purplish and it is nearly impossible to see details if the colors are light. For example, it is impossible to see a lace pattern on the screen. I went through color calibration but it didn't help. It hurts my eyes to stare at the screen.
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Cheap HP ENVY DV7-7212nr Windows 8 Notebook PC
Very fast laptop.
Boots up in seconds.
Stunning display.
Runs cool.
Looks nice.
ssd + hdd Impressive
No compatibility issues.
I am a technical co-founder for a health tech startup. I needed a laptop for road warrior demos of clinical data warehouse analyses, and this fit the bill.
I bought it in the following configuration: 1080p screen resolution with internal 32GB SSD, 125W power supply, 2GB video card, oversized battery, 8GB RAM, 750GB 7200rpm disk. I then upgraded to 16GB RAM and added an additional 1TB 5200RPM Hitachi internal drive. The second internal drive required purchasing an OEM drive caddy and cable for $45.
The backlit keyboard is ever so cool... I have wanted something like this for years.
I replaced the existing 2 800MHz 4GB DIMMs with 2 666MHz 8GB DIMMs. The BIOS recognized the lower-speed DIMMs, and adjusted the interface appropriately.
I'm now running a 16GB RAM/1.75 TB disk laptop.
My workaround for Windows 7 compatibility is to run a Windows 7x64 virtual box client on the machine.
The machine runs MS SQL Server 2012 without a problem. SQL Server database performance is on a par with comparably-equipped desktop machines.
Network data transfers: with Jumbo Frame support set to 6KB, I get 118MB/sec network transfers over a gigabit switch; best I've seen in a notebook-class computer.
The USB 3.0 ports transfer data from an external Seagate 2TB 7200RPM drive to the internal 750GB 7200RPM drive at 100 to 125MB/sec.
The internal 32GB SSD consistently transfers data at 191MB/sec.
The internal 750GB 7300rpm drive transfers data at 70 to 125 MB/sec, averaging 97MB/sec.
The 1TB 5400rpm drive that I added to the second drive bay transfers data at 50 to 104 MB/sec, averaging 82MB/sec.
I haven't tested the BluRay movie playback capability.
There is much hubbub about Windows 8, and here is my two cents: I have been well-experienced in every Windows platform since ME, so I feel I have a pretty good grasp of both consumer-level interaction and tech-level interaction. From a consumer point of view, I think Windows 8 is very good. While having a touchscreen would be a big advantage, I find that the multi-touch pointing device does a considerable job, and makes W8 very easy to use. Before purchasing or upgrading a PC to W8, make sure it has either touchscreen or multi-touch capabilities in my opinion, a must!
I am 99.9% pleased with this purchase, and recommend it highly to anyone looking for a desktop replacement processing power on a budget.
I want to thank Eluktronics Inc for a perfect transaction. You have to love these guys, Eluktronics Inc at Amazon. 4 hours after placing the order for the HP ENVY dv7-7212nr, the order was shipped, free shipping. And what a pleasant information exchange, email messages about all the process, right when it was happening; it doesn't get better than this. The delivery was the next business day, unheard of. If you want to feel secure about your purchase and, more important, your money, buy with total confidence from Eluktronics Inc at Amazon, I highly recommend them.
There's something I want to mention that HP forgot to do. To let you know that the 9-cell battery makes this thin laptop a lot taller in the back, something you're not expecting at all. If you need the laptop to be flat in the bottom, you will be better with the 6-cell battery. Eluktronics Inc have a 6-cell battery with 5400 Mah (5.4 Ah) that last longer than the one at the HP website with 2800 (2.8). This 6-cell 5400 Mah battery last around 6 hours.
The HP ENVY dv7-7212nr is a magnificent laptop, supreme in its class. Believe me, this is the third one I've tried.
Boots up in seconds.
Stunning display.
Runs cool.
Looks nice.
ssd + hdd Impressive
No compatibility issues.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
This laptop has amazing capabilities for the price. My only complaint is that I have not been able to install Windows 7x64 Ultimate, and HP's response is that it does not support Win 7x64.I am a technical co-founder for a health tech startup. I needed a laptop for road warrior demos of clinical data warehouse analyses, and this fit the bill.
I bought it in the following configuration: 1080p screen resolution with internal 32GB SSD, 125W power supply, 2GB video card, oversized battery, 8GB RAM, 750GB 7200rpm disk. I then upgraded to 16GB RAM and added an additional 1TB 5200RPM Hitachi internal drive. The second internal drive required purchasing an OEM drive caddy and cable for $45.
The backlit keyboard is ever so cool... I have wanted something like this for years.
I replaced the existing 2 800MHz 4GB DIMMs with 2 666MHz 8GB DIMMs. The BIOS recognized the lower-speed DIMMs, and adjusted the interface appropriately.
I'm now running a 16GB RAM/1.75 TB disk laptop.
My workaround for Windows 7 compatibility is to run a Windows 7x64 virtual box client on the machine.
The machine runs MS SQL Server 2012 without a problem. SQL Server database performance is on a par with comparably-equipped desktop machines.
Network data transfers: with Jumbo Frame support set to 6KB, I get 118MB/sec network transfers over a gigabit switch; best I've seen in a notebook-class computer.
The USB 3.0 ports transfer data from an external Seagate 2TB 7200RPM drive to the internal 750GB 7200RPM drive at 100 to 125MB/sec.
The internal 32GB SSD consistently transfers data at 191MB/sec.
The internal 750GB 7300rpm drive transfers data at 70 to 125 MB/sec, averaging 97MB/sec.
The 1TB 5400rpm drive that I added to the second drive bay transfers data at 50 to 104 MB/sec, averaging 82MB/sec.
I haven't tested the BluRay movie playback capability.
Best Deals for HP ENVY DV7-7212nr Windows 8 Notebook PC
Does everything the description says. Runs very smoothly. Most of the Windows 8 kinks have been worked out already. I personally enjoy windows 8 more than any previous operating system. The learning curve is small for anyone tech savvy, though it may not be the best OS for business purposes. Love the fingerprint reader combined with the HP Simple Pass. Truly a desktop replacement. Should last me many years with the current hardware, though I'm sure Ill drop and break it before it is outdated, as is when I usually upgrade.Honest reviews on HP ENVY DV7-7212nr Windows 8 Notebook PC
I did much product research on notebooks prior to this purchase, and finally settled on this one. The biggest reason I was shopping for a new laptop was to handle the loads of graphics work in Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom. I work occasionally on very large .psd files, and my former laptop would really bog down. This new HP ENVY is indeed as advertised and as expected. I have done a considerable amount of photo editing work, and it is superb. I do plan to upgrade the RAM to 16GB, but haven't encountered a situation where I really needed it yet. This notebook is a very competent system, and better than most for the price. The only feature I wish this laptop had is Lightscribe capabilities.There is much hubbub about Windows 8, and here is my two cents: I have been well-experienced in every Windows platform since ME, so I feel I have a pretty good grasp of both consumer-level interaction and tech-level interaction. From a consumer point of view, I think Windows 8 is very good. While having a touchscreen would be a big advantage, I find that the multi-touch pointing device does a considerable job, and makes W8 very easy to use. Before purchasing or upgrading a PC to W8, make sure it has either touchscreen or multi-touch capabilities in my opinion, a must!
I am 99.9% pleased with this purchase, and recommend it highly to anyone looking for a desktop replacement processing power on a budget.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for HP ENVY DV7-7212nr Windows 8 Notebook PC
This laptop is beautiful, thin and loaded; lightning fast, 32 GB Flash Cache, 2GB NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M graphics, Blu-ray player, Backlit keyboard, incredible 4 speakers 1 subwoofer, and exclusive 2-year warranty.I want to thank Eluktronics Inc for a perfect transaction. You have to love these guys, Eluktronics Inc at Amazon. 4 hours after placing the order for the HP ENVY dv7-7212nr, the order was shipped, free shipping. And what a pleasant information exchange, email messages about all the process, right when it was happening; it doesn't get better than this. The delivery was the next business day, unheard of. If you want to feel secure about your purchase and, more important, your money, buy with total confidence from Eluktronics Inc at Amazon, I highly recommend them.
There's something I want to mention that HP forgot to do. To let you know that the 9-cell battery makes this thin laptop a lot taller in the back, something you're not expecting at all. If you need the laptop to be flat in the bottom, you will be better with the 6-cell battery. Eluktronics Inc have a 6-cell battery with 5400 Mah (5.4 Ah) that last longer than the one at the HP website with 2800 (2.8). This 6-cell 5400 Mah battery last around 6 hours.
The HP ENVY dv7-7212nr is a magnificent laptop, supreme in its class. Believe me, this is the third one I've tried.
Saturday, May 3, 2014
Cheap Apple ibook A1054 G4 1.07Ghz 768MB 40GB DVD/CDRW WiFi Firewire
I will be ordering my next one in just a few weeks. I got a Apple ibook G4. I got if for myself, but ended up giving it to my 6 year old savant. He loves it and will NOT let anyone touch it, that includes me. I will be getting another one for my youngest. I guess it depends on the parenting you have with your children to get them a product like this. I love it and would tell others to shop with them. Thank you Desiree
Saturday, April 5, 2014
HP Pavilion g4-1318dx - 14" LED Backlit Laptop/ Intel Pentium B950 Reviews
I got this product at best buy for 350 dollars. The graphics are great, it is only 4.7 pounds, and does not get hot. the only thing I would change about this computer would be to make it have a longer battery. Another con is that the CD drive sticks out a little bit. These two cons that I found should not stop you from buying this product. This is one of the best computers out there for less then 450 dollars.
I will admit, I am not into the WOW or online games like that so I cannot rate it's perfomance in that category. But for what I want it to do online surfing and some old school non online games like American Mcgee's Alice, the Command and Conquer series, Sports Mogul football and baseball, Sim city, etc. With the portability it works great. I am extremely happy with it for the price I paid. Compared to the Toshiba I had used in the past, this is definitely a much better laptop/notebook, for me and when I know it was so much more affordable then I truly have no complaints and LOVE HP (BTW this was my first HP product besides a printer).
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
I bought this at bestbuy for $350, must I say I am impressed by the laptop! you cant beat that performance and battery life at the pricepoint. HP has left dell and lenovo WAYY behind in terms of quality. I love the laptop, and love it that i didnt have to break the bank to purchase it.Best Deals for HP Pavilion g4-1318dx - 14" LED Backlit Laptop/ Intel Pentium B950
Like many others, I got this laptop for $357(yes, tax is an expense too) from Best Buy, and it is honestly one of the best investments I've ever made. I've had this beautiful laptop for a little over a year now and wow has it been absolutely phenomenal in every way. The keyboard is very nice and the CAPS LOCK button has a cute light right on the button itself. The touchpad has a lock feature which never once was activated by accident, but it's a super helpful feature when watching a video. This little powerhouse has 3 USB ports, CD/DVD drive, ethernet AND HDMI ports! I've never had any speed issues, it is not unpromising if the connection is okay. I can watch a youtube video and skype at the same time with not a single lag in both program's performance. I only give a product 5 stars if I REALLY REALLY LOVE it, and it's a huge shame that this has been discontinued. I fear I won't get another laptop this good for such an affordable price ever again.Honest reviews on HP Pavilion g4-1318dx - 14" LED Backlit Laptop/ Intel Pentium B950
This is my first laptop, although I have used others, primarily a Toshiba Satellite series (which was over $200 more. I find this extremely fast (especially with Roadrunner as my ISP). The graphics are sharp and crystal clear. The CD/DVD player is about the only downfall I have experienced with this, but I do have an external cd/dvd drive, so I just use that. It puts my Dell Optiplex desktop to shame. The only "issues" i have experienced in the 5 months I have been using it are fairly new (within the past week or so)occasionally the wifi does not turn itself on nor will it turn on when the key button is pressed. (I just restart it when that happens), battery life is shorter than it could be and when I play YouTube too long the laptop will freeze and make a very annoying noise (I just restart it), if I pay close attention I can catch it before it freezes (the video will stop but the audio continues).I will admit, I am not into the WOW or online games like that so I cannot rate it's perfomance in that category. But for what I want it to do online surfing and some old school non online games like American Mcgee's Alice, the Command and Conquer series, Sports Mogul football and baseball, Sim city, etc. With the portability it works great. I am extremely happy with it for the price I paid. Compared to the Toshiba I had used in the past, this is definitely a much better laptop/notebook, for me and when I know it was so much more affordable then I truly have no complaints and LOVE HP (BTW this was my first HP product besides a printer).
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for HP Pavilion g4-1318dx - 14" LED Backlit Laptop/ Intel Pentium B950
now, this is my first laptop, so I don't have EXTENSIVE knowledge about comparisons and the like, however, I do like this laptop. its not too big, but its also not too small. I do think that it could be a little bit faster, but for my first laptop, its pretty nice. you can't bog it down with a bunch of resource-intensive programs but I have frostwire, gimp, audacity, skype, AVG(my anti-virus), and CCleaner(who doesn't love CCleaner??), and it still works fine! this is one of those computers where you HAVE to take care of it, you can't be like most people and not clean out the history and the cache and all that. CCleaner is a NECCESSITY for this computer, otherwise youre going to have a $400 paperweight :/ overall, very good product for a cheap price. OH! and I LOVE the trackpad! its got these ridges so its tangible, the smooth trackpads just feel weird to me. (I actually bought a wireless mouse to use with it because the mouse buttons aren't very good quality if you like to click on a lot of things, they start to get loose, and that just worried me, so I got the mouse!)
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Lenovo IdeaPad U410 43762BU 14-Inch Ultrabook (Graphite Gray) Review
I bought the U410 because it had the best price for an ultrabook with the speed my work requires. The key is the hybrid hard-drive. It has a 32G solid state drive (SSD) and a large traditional drive givin speedy computing experience and capacity. The hybrid works as well as having only a solid state drive but this allows capacity not available in solid state HDs.
The keyboard is good, typical Lenovo. The keys are flat chicklet style. Back lighting is not possible at this price point. I use a LED laptop keyboard light that is USB powered and works better than back-lit keys.
Ultrabooks do not have an optical drive so you need an accessory drive to install new software from DVD. There is no numbers keypad; that is easy to give up in exchange for being much easier to carry.
Be sure you are getting the 3rd generation Intel CPU. Ads are confusing at the moment and you can get 2nd generation and a non-hybrid hard-drive if not careful. In Lenovo series, look for "Prime" in its model name.
Along with the third generation chip, the subsystems in the U410 are quick. The RAM is more than adequate for business use; it may be fine for gaming but I don't know.
I am pleased and can recommend this laptop atLenovo IdeaPad U410 43762BU 14-Inch Laptop (Graphite Gray) $900.
I ran three speedtests:
Ideapad U410 Download Speed: 1.50Mbps, Upload Speed: 13.29Mbps
Acer Aspire 5740 Download Speed: 51.29Mbps, Upload Speed: 45.01Mbps
I couldn't even watch a YouTube video without it stopping every 5 seconds for several minutes. Insane!
Updating the Wi-Fi drivers did not solve the problem.
FYI, the Lenovo support forum has a 57-page thread about this Wi-Fi issue, which Lenovo still does not acknowledge.I would strongly recommend NOT purchasing this item because it comes with this serious flaw.
But, there is a design flaw in terms of the wi-fi. I was aware of an extremely common wi-fi issue coming from Lenova U series (includes this U410 and U310). People would complain that they have either 1) a disconnecting wi-fi internet problem 2) low signals until very close to wi-fi access.
My theory is that since the casing of the laptop is almost 100% thin aluminum, the metal casing is reducing the wi-fi strength. In other words, the wi-fi adaptor is like your cell phone trying to text inside a metal elevator casingreducing the signal or losing it frequently like when you go through a tunnel. Maybe the design flaw is because they are almost mimicking the mac's metal chassis and they failed mimicking on one key part... like allowing an opening for the wi-fi antenna....
RegardlessMy love for this laptop will outweigh returning the laptopfor nowas I am currently purchasing an external wi-fi antenna USB. An antenna will test my hypothesis of whether it is the whole casing, which is the design flaw, or if the brand new network adaptor sucks (unlikely but possible).
Keep you posted.
Edit: 12/6/2012
Design flaw averted by simply adding on cheap external wifi adapter. Acts like an antenna to get better signals than many laptops. Yay!
I bought a CISCO Lynksis external wi-fi adapter for $49.99even though on best buy I saw it for half off. I needed internet ASAP, so I went for it (I can always order the cheaper version, then return with receipt for the current to save 25$ once it arrives)it works! I can even access my n network now. My download speed went from 0MB to 8.6MB; Upload speed from 0MB to 3.6MB on
I tentatively recommend getting this laptop and investing in a $10-50 external wifi.
Edit: 8/15/2013
DO NOT GET A CISCO Lynksis external wi-fi adapter! Its long extension broke. Here is my review link:
http://www.amazon.com/review/R2R6U9F61SMVW0/ref=cm_cr_ryp_det?ie=UTF8&channel=ryp
I recommend a shorter, cheaper external wifi adapter. Size matters.
Otherwise, I am typing on the U410 right now and it is great. Depending on how I am sitting, the abrupt edge can cut uncomfortably into my wrists. The keys are still intact. Sound is a little strange occasionally? Like when I am watching a show voices will 1% of the time sound gargled like listening submerged in an electronic pool. Maybe it's just a software driver issue? My laptop can handle most games I play with my brother. It can also handle engineering software well, especially 3D rendering. I love watching how crisp transitions are between switching views. I could care less about Windows 8, since I normally go to Windows 7 mode (go to desktop). Don't get suckered into Windows 8 UNLESS you intend on getting Office 2013 and/or get a touch screen.
I hope this was helpful!
The internet at my place is a 10mb plan and works well on all others computers and smartphones I have, however, my U410 shows onl 0.3-0.4mb download speeds even if I'm right close to my router!! That is unacceptable! Lenovo says it's a hardware issuae, but how does that work if they can't fix the problems themself?? This company has scre*&^% over so many customers that I don't understand how they are still in business selling this notebook everywhere!
Another big issue I have is with the battery. Do not fool yourself into thinking you've got an 8 hour battery that is supposed to last a full day at the office.... hahahaha it's more like 3.5-4 hours at the max on balanced mode! Plus, this unit does'nt have a backlit keyboard, the screen resolutions is a joke at 1366x768, it's thicker than the pictures illustrate and a little too heavy for a 14" ultrabook.
The only pros I find is the processor and the HD4000 graphics which is just as good as the also installed Geforce 610m... yes, go read the reviews on this old video card and see it for yourself what kind of hardware they are pushing to us.
This is the most valuable piece of info you may find online:I wish I read that before buying this notebook.
PS: No, all U410/U310 manufactured after 7/23/2012 STILL have the same wifi issue, do not trust the administrators from Lenovo! Would you buy a computer from a company which allegedly sells faulty items and just ignores customers when they ask for help in the forums??
The keyboard is good, typical Lenovo. The keys are flat chicklet style. Back lighting is not possible at this price point. I use a LED laptop keyboard light that is USB powered and works better than back-lit keys.
Ultrabooks do not have an optical drive so you need an accessory drive to install new software from DVD. There is no numbers keypad; that is easy to give up in exchange for being much easier to carry.
Be sure you are getting the 3rd generation Intel CPU. Ads are confusing at the moment and you can get 2nd generation and a non-hybrid hard-drive if not careful. In Lenovo series, look for "Prime" in its model name.
Along with the third generation chip, the subsystems in the U410 are quick. The RAM is more than adequate for business use; it may be fine for gaming but I don't know.
I am pleased and can recommend this laptop atLenovo IdeaPad U410 43762BU 14-Inch Laptop (Graphite Gray) $900.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
Right out of the box (November 8, 2012) the Wi-Fi speed of my Ideapad U410 was ridiculously low compared to my other laptop, which was sitting right next to it.I ran three speedtests:
Ideapad U410 Download Speed: 1.50Mbps, Upload Speed: 13.29Mbps
Acer Aspire 5740 Download Speed: 51.29Mbps, Upload Speed: 45.01Mbps
I couldn't even watch a YouTube video without it stopping every 5 seconds for several minutes. Insane!
Updating the Wi-Fi drivers did not solve the problem.
FYI, the Lenovo support forum has a 57-page thread about this Wi-Fi issue, which Lenovo still does not acknowledge.I would strongly recommend NOT purchasing this item because it comes with this serious flaw.
Best Deals for Lenovo IdeaPad U410 43762BU 14-Inch Ultrabook (Graphite Gray)
Hi everyone, I have had this beautiful laptop (ruby red) for a week now. It is a quality built laptop (made of aluminum alloy) and is often compared to the mac due to its quality build. It has windows 8 which I am getting used to (coming from Windows Vista). I love the 3.0 USBs X2. You do not know how important having those is, especially when I am transferring data constantly for homework and projects for engineering. Extremely lightweight and portable which is important for me since I am moving between classes and carrying this on my backpack all dayneed something light. No "optical" drive, or CD ROM drive for playing movies/cd's/etcknow that when you are buying this since it is for making it lighter weight; one can work around this by burning the CD on another laptop and transferring via USB OR by buying an external CD ROM. I might need to purchase an external CD ROM since I desire to download photoshop... and there are 8 CD's. Good to know and be informed as you are deciding..But, there is a design flaw in terms of the wi-fi. I was aware of an extremely common wi-fi issue coming from Lenova U series (includes this U410 and U310). People would complain that they have either 1) a disconnecting wi-fi internet problem 2) low signals until very close to wi-fi access.
My theory is that since the casing of the laptop is almost 100% thin aluminum, the metal casing is reducing the wi-fi strength. In other words, the wi-fi adaptor is like your cell phone trying to text inside a metal elevator casingreducing the signal or losing it frequently like when you go through a tunnel. Maybe the design flaw is because they are almost mimicking the mac's metal chassis and they failed mimicking on one key part... like allowing an opening for the wi-fi antenna....
RegardlessMy love for this laptop will outweigh returning the laptopfor nowas I am currently purchasing an external wi-fi antenna USB. An antenna will test my hypothesis of whether it is the whole casing, which is the design flaw, or if the brand new network adaptor sucks (unlikely but possible).
Keep you posted.
Edit: 12/6/2012
Design flaw averted by simply adding on cheap external wifi adapter. Acts like an antenna to get better signals than many laptops. Yay!
I bought a CISCO Lynksis external wi-fi adapter for $49.99even though on best buy I saw it for half off. I needed internet ASAP, so I went for it (I can always order the cheaper version, then return with receipt for the current to save 25$ once it arrives)it works! I can even access my n network now. My download speed went from 0MB to 8.6MB; Upload speed from 0MB to 3.6MB on
I tentatively recommend getting this laptop and investing in a $10-50 external wifi.
Edit: 8/15/2013
DO NOT GET A CISCO Lynksis external wi-fi adapter! Its long extension broke. Here is my review link:
http://www.amazon.com/review/R2R6U9F61SMVW0/ref=cm_cr_ryp_det?ie=UTF8&channel=ryp
I recommend a shorter, cheaper external wifi adapter. Size matters.
Otherwise, I am typing on the U410 right now and it is great. Depending on how I am sitting, the abrupt edge can cut uncomfortably into my wrists. The keys are still intact. Sound is a little strange occasionally? Like when I am watching a show voices will 1% of the time sound gargled like listening submerged in an electronic pool. Maybe it's just a software driver issue? My laptop can handle most games I play with my brother. It can also handle engineering software well, especially 3D rendering. I love watching how crisp transitions are between switching views. I could care less about Windows 8, since I normally go to Windows 7 mode (go to desktop). Don't get suckered into Windows 8 UNLESS you intend on getting Office 2013 and/or get a touch screen.
I hope this was helpful!
Honest reviews on Lenovo IdeaPad U410 43762BU 14-Inch Ultrabook (Graphite Gray)
I needed a solid upgrade from my EeePC (what a terrible computer). Typing on the u410 is a dream. The screen isn't the highest quality I've ever seen, but one of the best for the price point. YouTube, Hulu and Netflix look great. Stupid fast boot time. All in all, I was leaning heavily on the MacBook Pro. I swore to myself a little while ago that my next computer would be a mac. However, the specs on this Ultrabook blow my friends with their macbooks out of the water. A backlit keyboard would have put this at 5 stars for me. Other than that... purely lovely.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Lenovo IdeaPad U410 43762BU 14-Inch Ultrabook (Graphite Gray)
If you are doing your research before buying a new ultrabook, be advised that this particular model, as well as the U310 from Lenovo, both have MAJOR wifi issues. The problem is so bad that even Lenovo doesn't know what to do. Just read the forums and you will find people all over the globe sending their machines for over 3 different times with no successful fix!The internet at my place is a 10mb plan and works well on all others computers and smartphones I have, however, my U410 shows onl 0.3-0.4mb download speeds even if I'm right close to my router!! That is unacceptable! Lenovo says it's a hardware issuae, but how does that work if they can't fix the problems themself?? This company has scre*&^% over so many customers that I don't understand how they are still in business selling this notebook everywhere!
Another big issue I have is with the battery. Do not fool yourself into thinking you've got an 8 hour battery that is supposed to last a full day at the office.... hahahaha it's more like 3.5-4 hours at the max on balanced mode! Plus, this unit does'nt have a backlit keyboard, the screen resolutions is a joke at 1366x768, it's thicker than the pictures illustrate and a little too heavy for a 14" ultrabook.
The only pros I find is the processor and the HD4000 graphics which is just as good as the also installed Geforce 610m... yes, go read the reviews on this old video card and see it for yourself what kind of hardware they are pushing to us.
This is the most valuable piece of info you may find online:I wish I read that before buying this notebook.
PS: No, all U410/U310 manufactured after 7/23/2012 STILL have the same wifi issue, do not trust the administrators from Lenovo! Would you buy a computer from a company which allegedly sells faulty items and just ignores customers when they ask for help in the forums??
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Samsung ATIV Book 9 Lite NP915S3G-K01US 13.3-Inch Laptop (Mineral Reviews
Samsung is one of the rising companies in this down economy. With the success of their cell phones and television, they have broadened their horizons to ultrabooks and notebooks. This review of the Ativ Book 9 Lite is more like a first impression as I have only played around with it for two days. On the software side of things, it is a Windows 8 computer, which speaks for itself. I am reviewing the unit itself, not the operating system, which is albeit a pretty decent one.
I switched to this from a Macbook Air. The drop off in build quality is quite spectacular. While the Air feels sturdy and very nicely crafted, the same cannot be said for the Ativ 9 Lite. It is all made of plastic and pressing on the wrist portion where the keyboard is you can tell its a pretty big downgrade. The plastic has this sort of give to it, pressing down on it will cause it to flex. It has cheap written all over it. It does have a nice look to it but the same cannot be said for the feel. The one biggest dropoff that I notice is in the touchpad. The touchpad is awful. Truly awful. It has an unsatisfying click, sometimes a right click registers as a left click and it wiggles as you move your fingers around the pad. The material it is made out of is also not very pleasant. While Apples interpretation of a touch pad was the best I've ever used; the Ativ 9 Lite has one of the worst. Vaio and Dell, I feel are both better.
The other disappointment is the screen. Understandably it is not a full hd screen (it runs at 768) but the blacks seem washed out and grey and it is impossible to open the lid without holding the lower portion of the computer down. It feels like a flimsy mechanism when its open, mostly because Samsung allows you to flip open the screen to 180 degrees, which is pretty useless when thinking about the sacrifice made on the sturdiness of the hinges. It's not all bad when it comes to the screen however. Despite its low resolution, it handles colors relatively vibrantly, albeit not black. The brightness is downright blinding and the screen reacts pretty well to light and reflections. It is also a performer when it comes to capacitive touch and reacts pretty accurately, making windows 8 a joy to use. The speakers however are very loud from such a small computer and it runs very quitely.
The battery over all is pretty decent. It lasts about 4 to 6.5 hours depending on the use, with a full charge while not being used from completely drained to full in about 180 minutes. One of my gripes with the power aspect of things comes with the charging port itself. It is very hard to pull out. So if you happen to drag your cable on accident, you'll be assured to know that this laptop is coming down along with it.
On the performance spectrum, the quad core 1.0ghz processor powers the laptop pretty well with 1.4ghz available to you (AMDs equivalent to turbo boost.) It breezes through most tasks although it did take me about 20 minutes to uninstall adobe photoshop software that came with it (not the full version obviously.) While it does perform pretty well, I'm not sure its quite something to admire as even the cheapest Windows 8 computers perform pretty well on the solid windows 8 platform. The Ativ 9 Lite also comes with a lot of bloatware. It's equipped with a 128gb solid state drive that ships out to you with about 60gb available. Norton, adobe, samsung; its chaulk full of this unnecessary "crapware" which was the first thing to go during my use of it and left me with about 75gb of free space to use.
Overall the Ativ 9 Lite is a budget computer and it should be reviewed as such, keeping in mind that the Plus version of it will run you over $600 more. I am a student and was getting sick of running dmg images of programs I needed on Apples platform. I am more comfortable with Windows and prefer it more overall which is the reason I made the switch to this ultrabook. The Ativ 9 Lite is a solid performer with very good looks. It performs day to day tasks with ease, and it is an okay purchase based on what I require from it. I purchased in white and I am happy with the color, as I am sure black will be an absolute fingerprint magnet. I can easily recommend this laptop for a person looking to use Windows 8 that can put aside some of the bells and whistles (does not have backlit keyboard) for an average price of $749, I would tell them to consider this as the go-to budget ultrabook.
If it had a better Touchpad, I can easily give this a 4 out of 5, but as it stands the touchpad is a major component of a laptop and one so poorly executed certainly deserves a deduction of a full star. If the clicking bothers you as much as it does me though, you do have the option of single finger left click and two finger right click which is a lot nicer to use in my humble opinion. I recommend this ultrabook, but not as sure-heartedly as I would want. It gets a 3 out of 5.
Affordable. It does not get better!
I am very happy with my new ATIV.
On the Samsung website, they only rate the battery life as 5.5 hours.
The samsung website also provides insight into the processor which is clocked at "Up to 1.40[ghz]". Anything below 1.4ghz is stepping back into the realm of pre-2006 computing. It might be fine for basic tasks, but other than that, 1.40ghz is inexcusably slow.
Another thing to consider is that AMD chips tend to run hot and inefficiently. Samsung may have slowed this one down to 1.4ghz to give it "5.5" hours of battery life. It only has a 30Wh 2-cell battery. This is an extremely small battery.
I just feel that Amazon is being misleading with this vital information. This computer is far overpriced. It would fit better with a $550 price tag. For $700, you can get so much more.
I switched to this from a Macbook Air. The drop off in build quality is quite spectacular. While the Air feels sturdy and very nicely crafted, the same cannot be said for the Ativ 9 Lite. It is all made of plastic and pressing on the wrist portion where the keyboard is you can tell its a pretty big downgrade. The plastic has this sort of give to it, pressing down on it will cause it to flex. It has cheap written all over it. It does have a nice look to it but the same cannot be said for the feel. The one biggest dropoff that I notice is in the touchpad. The touchpad is awful. Truly awful. It has an unsatisfying click, sometimes a right click registers as a left click and it wiggles as you move your fingers around the pad. The material it is made out of is also not very pleasant. While Apples interpretation of a touch pad was the best I've ever used; the Ativ 9 Lite has one of the worst. Vaio and Dell, I feel are both better.
The other disappointment is the screen. Understandably it is not a full hd screen (it runs at 768) but the blacks seem washed out and grey and it is impossible to open the lid without holding the lower portion of the computer down. It feels like a flimsy mechanism when its open, mostly because Samsung allows you to flip open the screen to 180 degrees, which is pretty useless when thinking about the sacrifice made on the sturdiness of the hinges. It's not all bad when it comes to the screen however. Despite its low resolution, it handles colors relatively vibrantly, albeit not black. The brightness is downright blinding and the screen reacts pretty well to light and reflections. It is also a performer when it comes to capacitive touch and reacts pretty accurately, making windows 8 a joy to use. The speakers however are very loud from such a small computer and it runs very quitely.
The battery over all is pretty decent. It lasts about 4 to 6.5 hours depending on the use, with a full charge while not being used from completely drained to full in about 180 minutes. One of my gripes with the power aspect of things comes with the charging port itself. It is very hard to pull out. So if you happen to drag your cable on accident, you'll be assured to know that this laptop is coming down along with it.
On the performance spectrum, the quad core 1.0ghz processor powers the laptop pretty well with 1.4ghz available to you (AMDs equivalent to turbo boost.) It breezes through most tasks although it did take me about 20 minutes to uninstall adobe photoshop software that came with it (not the full version obviously.) While it does perform pretty well, I'm not sure its quite something to admire as even the cheapest Windows 8 computers perform pretty well on the solid windows 8 platform. The Ativ 9 Lite also comes with a lot of bloatware. It's equipped with a 128gb solid state drive that ships out to you with about 60gb available. Norton, adobe, samsung; its chaulk full of this unnecessary "crapware" which was the first thing to go during my use of it and left me with about 75gb of free space to use.
Overall the Ativ 9 Lite is a budget computer and it should be reviewed as such, keeping in mind that the Plus version of it will run you over $600 more. I am a student and was getting sick of running dmg images of programs I needed on Apples platform. I am more comfortable with Windows and prefer it more overall which is the reason I made the switch to this ultrabook. The Ativ 9 Lite is a solid performer with very good looks. It performs day to day tasks with ease, and it is an okay purchase based on what I require from it. I purchased in white and I am happy with the color, as I am sure black will be an absolute fingerprint magnet. I can easily recommend this laptop for a person looking to use Windows 8 that can put aside some of the bells and whistles (does not have backlit keyboard) for an average price of $749, I would tell them to consider this as the go-to budget ultrabook.
If it had a better Touchpad, I can easily give this a 4 out of 5, but as it stands the touchpad is a major component of a laptop and one so poorly executed certainly deserves a deduction of a full star. If the clicking bothers you as much as it does me though, you do have the option of single finger left click and two finger right click which is a lot nicer to use in my humble opinion. I recommend this ultrabook, but not as sure-heartedly as I would want. It gets a 3 out of 5.
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Came quick, looks good, works great, fair price, well constructed, good design, what I expected, would highly recommend to a friendBest Deals for Samsung ATIV Book 9 Lite NP915S3G-K01US 13.3-Inch Laptop (Mineral
Great keyboard...crisp images...fun and easy touch screen...powerful...lightweight.Affordable. It does not get better!
I am very happy with my new ATIV.
Honest reviews on Samsung ATIV Book 9 Lite NP915S3G-K01US 13.3-Inch Laptop (Mineral
I did some research, and amazon needs to update their description. The "Quad core processor" is an AMD quad core processor. AMD doesn't make bad chips, they just aren't as good as intel in laptops. They tend to run hotter, and they are generally less efficient. They do however have better graphics. That brings me to my second point. The "AMD Radeon(tm) Graphics" are just integrated graphics. To me, "AMD Radeon(tm) Graphics" makes it sound like there's discrete graphics. There is not. These graphics share the 4GB of RAM.On the Samsung website, they only rate the battery life as 5.5 hours.
The samsung website also provides insight into the processor which is clocked at "Up to 1.40[ghz]". Anything below 1.4ghz is stepping back into the realm of pre-2006 computing. It might be fine for basic tasks, but other than that, 1.40ghz is inexcusably slow.
Another thing to consider is that AMD chips tend to run hot and inefficiently. Samsung may have slowed this one down to 1.4ghz to give it "5.5" hours of battery life. It only has a 30Wh 2-cell battery. This is an extremely small battery.
I just feel that Amazon is being misleading with this vital information. This computer is far overpriced. It would fit better with a $550 price tag. For $700, you can get so much more.
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Discount Acer Aspire V3-771G-9441 17.3-Inch Laptop (Nightfall Gray)
I am a fan of smaller laptops if you plan to actually carry them around. This is a pretty good sized machine, but I wanted it to use in place of a Desktop system, so it will seldom move from the top of my computer table. The screen is great -very, very clear at 1920x1080 native resolution. I actually run it with a second, 24" monitor connected, and it has no problem with the dual monitor setup.
While not a barn-burner, it is pretty fast. The experience index numbers are: Processor, 7.8, Memory. 7.8, Desktop Graphics, 5.8, Gaming Graphics, 6.7, and Primary HDD, 5.9. It also doesn't get hot at all -very cool running. The reason for two graphics scores is because it has two graphics controllers. It uses the IBM controller for most applications, and switches to the Nvidia for games and other more graphics intensive software.
We actually bought two of these. My wife uses here for Photoshop, Lightroom, Office, and also plays World of Warcraft. She says it is plenty fast for WOW, and the graphics are very smooth. When not playing games, we both tend to have a lot of programs open at once. We both teach college, and when we are working on class stuff it is common to have Word and several browser windows open at once. If I am doing research, I may have as many as a dozen sources open in browser windows. It handles this with no issues. I teach photography, and do professional work as well, so it would be common for me to have Adobe Lightroom open and also have a dozen or so photos open in Photoshop at the same time. These are 18 MP photos, so they aren't small files. Again, it keeps up with no issues.
All in all, we are very happy with these Laptops. To make it better, we bought them before the price went up a couple of hundred dollars, but they are still an excellent computer at the current price.
People have gripped about Windows 8, which I can understand. There is a bit of a learning curve to it, and until you get the hang of it, it is rather frustrating. However, once you do get used to it, it's really not all that bad. I will not let any grumbles about Win8 discredit the great laptop though.
Overall, I am extremely pleased with the laptop. I bought it to Skype and keep in touch with family, but also to give me great gaming performance, which it definitely does! I am able to load a game of Civilization 5 in about 30-40 seconds, which is absolutely incredible to me.
EDIT: I am unfortunately reducing the rating by one star. Don't get me wrong, this laptop is AWESOME, but there are a couple oversights that would have completed the package.
First, in my opinion, any laptop of this caliber should be shipped with a 9 cell battery instead of a standard 6 cell. I have a 17.3" HP LA laptop that shipped with a 9 cell and the battery life was much much longer. I know battery life is specific to each laptop, but when you're running a laptop with a V8 engine in it, you are going to want a larger "gas tank" to hold the extra fuel you are going to need (or else you run the risk of being stranded somewhere.) I know you can but a 9 cell for it, but it really should come with it.
Second, with a full 1080 HD display, it's a true shame that it doesn't come with a blu-ray drive, but rather just a DVD drive. Huge loss of potential without having to fork out more money for a blu-ray drive.
I'd still recommend this laptop to anyone who isn't looking for something that is portability focused. Everything that it runs is practically instantaneous.
While not a barn-burner, it is pretty fast. The experience index numbers are: Processor, 7.8, Memory. 7.8, Desktop Graphics, 5.8, Gaming Graphics, 6.7, and Primary HDD, 5.9. It also doesn't get hot at all -very cool running. The reason for two graphics scores is because it has two graphics controllers. It uses the IBM controller for most applications, and switches to the Nvidia for games and other more graphics intensive software.
We actually bought two of these. My wife uses here for Photoshop, Lightroom, Office, and also plays World of Warcraft. She says it is plenty fast for WOW, and the graphics are very smooth. When not playing games, we both tend to have a lot of programs open at once. We both teach college, and when we are working on class stuff it is common to have Word and several browser windows open at once. If I am doing research, I may have as many as a dozen sources open in browser windows. It handles this with no issues. I teach photography, and do professional work as well, so it would be common for me to have Adobe Lightroom open and also have a dozen or so photos open in Photoshop at the same time. These are 18 MP photos, so they aren't small files. Again, it keeps up with no issues.
All in all, we are very happy with these Laptops. To make it better, we bought them before the price went up a couple of hundred dollars, but they are still an excellent computer at the current price.
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My last laptop was an Acer Aspire 7741G-7017. I loved it! We were burglarized and my laptop was stolen. Despite having the Serial number and everything, we never recovered my previous laptop. I was debating between this model and the 1199 model. After a lot of thought, we purchased this one. I love the screen. It's got great viewing angles, full 1080 HD, and is a vast improvement from the last one I had. The laptop comes with 8 GB RAM and can be upgraded to 16 GB. It also has Dual Hard Drive support. I don't regret my decision at all.Best Deals for Acer Aspire V3-771G-9441 17.3-Inch Laptop (Nightfall Gray)
This really gives a lot of bang for the buck! Great, clear screen (not glossy, 1080 hd). VERY very fast at everything you throw at it. I recommend investing in a SSD to run Windows and other select programs from and using the 1TB drive for storage of everything else (and for the installation of programs that don't need SSD performance, like utilities and such, reserving SSD space for games or other high performance apps.) I had a 120 SSD waiting to be installed as soon as mine came in and it makes it really REALLY fast! I also recommend looking into a 9 cell battery as the standard 6 cell that comes with it does not last very long (maybe 2-4 hours with normal browsing.)People have gripped about Windows 8, which I can understand. There is a bit of a learning curve to it, and until you get the hang of it, it is rather frustrating. However, once you do get used to it, it's really not all that bad. I will not let any grumbles about Win8 discredit the great laptop though.
Overall, I am extremely pleased with the laptop. I bought it to Skype and keep in touch with family, but also to give me great gaming performance, which it definitely does! I am able to load a game of Civilization 5 in about 30-40 seconds, which is absolutely incredible to me.
EDIT: I am unfortunately reducing the rating by one star. Don't get me wrong, this laptop is AWESOME, but there are a couple oversights that would have completed the package.
First, in my opinion, any laptop of this caliber should be shipped with a 9 cell battery instead of a standard 6 cell. I have a 17.3" HP LA laptop that shipped with a 9 cell and the battery life was much much longer. I know battery life is specific to each laptop, but when you're running a laptop with a V8 engine in it, you are going to want a larger "gas tank" to hold the extra fuel you are going to need (or else you run the risk of being stranded somewhere.) I know you can but a 9 cell for it, but it really should come with it.
Second, with a full 1080 HD display, it's a true shame that it doesn't come with a blu-ray drive, but rather just a DVD drive. Huge loss of potential without having to fork out more money for a blu-ray drive.
I'd still recommend this laptop to anyone who isn't looking for something that is portability focused. Everything that it runs is practically instantaneous.
Honest reviews on Acer Aspire V3-771G-9441 17.3-Inch Laptop (Nightfall Gray)
Only problem, no backlight on the keyboard or indicator light for caps lock and such. But other than that this is a beast of a rig. if this build can't handle what you throw at it...WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING WITH YOUR LAPTOP, DOING A SPEED RUN OF THE HUMAN GENOME PROJECT ON YOUR FLIGHT TO DALLAS?!! This has plenty of juice to do many things. If you have the cash look into this laptop.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Acer Aspire V3-771G-9441 17.3-Inch Laptop (Nightfall Gray)
I have come to trust Asus and Acer as leaders in well priced equivalent hardware for the money. I am thoroughly impressed with this laptop, great features and very functional. The one downside in my opinion is the lack of an OS install CD so it seems a re installation of the OS is not possible without purchasing another copy of windows. Outside of that it is truly a superb abd stylish machine with great stats for the cost. Go Go Acer!!
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
HP Pavilion dm4-2180us Entertainment PC - Gray Reviews
I love this computer. Absolutely head-over-heels love it. It's compact and light enough for me to carry to and from class without breaking my back (can't say this of my old, 7-lb Dell!). They keyboard feels WONDERFUL. Construction feels solid. Beautiful design. Really amazing specssame hardware as a MacBook Pro!for half the price. The trackpad is a tad finicky, but I've adjusted the settings so it works for me. It'll take a tiny bit of getting used to, but there's an adjustment period with any new computer. I'm super happy with my purchase, and with the SquareTrade warranty I bought with the computer, I see us having a long, happy life together!
EDIT: I just realized that the keyboard on this computer has a strange hill in the center, like it's being squeezed or something. It doesn't interfere with typing at all, but a brand new computer shouldn't have this kind of defect. What's more, when researching this computer, this was one of the things someone cited as a flaw in a review on another website, so I guess it happens fairly frequently. I didn't mention in the first draft of my review that this is my second of this model of computer; I bought the first one at Staple's a couple of weeks ago and had to return it because it had a faulty "W" key and a really jumpy track pad. I've noticed that this track pad is kind of inconsistent, and maybe more finicky than I previously thought. These design flaws have me considering returning the machine, but you just can't find this kind of hardware and gorgeous design for the same price point. Maybe I'll just get another one... third time's a charm, right?
I had a HP DM4-2070us and it skip letters like crazy after 3 months. Every 5-6 keystrokes you type will have one keystroke that is missed, that is, even though you did type that key, it will not appear on the screen. Or, you would hit the space bar or the Backspace key and it will not respond.
I had to call and deal with HP Technical Support. They wasted my time trying out all kinds of stuff: Windows system restore point, uninstall and re-install keyboard drivers, full system recovery (that's a fancy term for re-formatting your whole hard disc), etc., etc. All these attempts failed to fix the problem.
After struggling with all these for over two weeks, I have to ship it back to HP Warranty Repair Center and that took two weeks back and forth. During those two weeks I was out without a laptop to do my work. The Warranty Repair Center replaced the keyboard and ship it back to me. Unfortunately, that does not fix the problem. HP is kind enough to replace it with HP DM4-2180us but the whole process took another 7 days. I would be happy if that solve the probelm. Unfortunately, when I get the brand new HP DM4-2180us, it has exactly the same problem -as soon as you type fast (over 45 wpm), the problem is obvious.
I am not the only one with this problem. Use the two links below to take you to the HP Support Forum website and you will see different people with DM4-1165DX, DM4-1127 sb, DM4-2015dx, DM4-2070us and most recently, DM4-2180us having the same problem:
EDIT: I just realized that the keyboard on this computer has a strange hill in the center, like it's being squeezed or something. It doesn't interfere with typing at all, but a brand new computer shouldn't have this kind of defect. What's more, when researching this computer, this was one of the things someone cited as a flaw in a review on another website, so I guess it happens fairly frequently. I didn't mention in the first draft of my review that this is my second of this model of computer; I bought the first one at Staple's a couple of weeks ago and had to return it because it had a faulty "W" key and a really jumpy track pad. I've noticed that this track pad is kind of inconsistent, and maybe more finicky than I previously thought. These design flaws have me considering returning the machine, but you just can't find this kind of hardware and gorgeous design for the same price point. Maybe I'll just get another one... third time's a charm, right?
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
If you type reasonbly fast (i.e. 45wpm or above), you want to think twice before you buy any HP DM4-xxxx series of Pavilion laptop.I had a HP DM4-2070us and it skip letters like crazy after 3 months. Every 5-6 keystrokes you type will have one keystroke that is missed, that is, even though you did type that key, it will not appear on the screen. Or, you would hit the space bar or the Backspace key and it will not respond.
I had to call and deal with HP Technical Support. They wasted my time trying out all kinds of stuff: Windows system restore point, uninstall and re-install keyboard drivers, full system recovery (that's a fancy term for re-formatting your whole hard disc), etc., etc. All these attempts failed to fix the problem.
After struggling with all these for over two weeks, I have to ship it back to HP Warranty Repair Center and that took two weeks back and forth. During those two weeks I was out without a laptop to do my work. The Warranty Repair Center replaced the keyboard and ship it back to me. Unfortunately, that does not fix the problem. HP is kind enough to replace it with HP DM4-2180us but the whole process took another 7 days. I would be happy if that solve the probelm. Unfortunately, when I get the brand new HP DM4-2180us, it has exactly the same problem -as soon as you type fast (over 45 wpm), the problem is obvious.
I am not the only one with this problem. Use the two links below to take you to the HP Support Forum website and you will see different people with DM4-1165DX, DM4-1127 sb, DM4-2015dx, DM4-2070us and most recently, DM4-2180us having the same problem:
Best Deals for HP Pavilion dm4-2180us Entertainment PC - Gray
I spent a long time researching computers and this one fit the bill in terms of functionality and price point. I really like almost everything about this machine its cool, quiet (even with the fan running), and fast. I did uninstall a little bloatware when it first arrived, but that was easy and quick. The only issue i'm having is with the keyboard. It is very stiff and significantly slows down my typing speed because I have to hit all of the letters very hard to make sure they all come up on the screen. The shift key in particular is hard to use to the point of severe frustration. Nobody else seems to have this issue, so it may just be my machine.Honest reviews on HP Pavilion dm4-2180us Entertainment PC - Gray
I was looking for a computer to replace my 4 year old Dell laptop, and came across this HP in consumer reports. It was recommended by them, so I figured it must be a good one. And it certainly is!!! I have always had Dell laptops, but I thought it would be a good time to try HP and I'm really glad I did. It has wonderful features, and Windows 7 is amazing. I don't do any sort of gaming or anything like that, so I can't speak to the graphics or processor capabilities. I do however, normally have many internet and excel windows open at once, and it has yet to skip a beat. It never hesitates. This is an excellent computer, and I highly recommend it.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for HP Pavilion dm4-2180us Entertainment PC - Gray
I was very hopeful getting a laptop, having been used to desk top computers for business and home. I must say, that I agree with the reviewer that if you type more than 40wpm or so, the keyboard inputs aren't always correct. The "shift" button seems to me to be too low and to the right and I always end up hitting the "enter" key, changing the paragraph. When I consciously type slow, as when I force myself to look at the keyboard, it's ok. Worse yet, when I type an email, the message often times gets deleted mid-sentence. I'm not sure what key does this all the time, but it's annoying because I have to retype a message, sometimes multiple times, to get it through. I love the computer in every other respect and find the display to be crisp and the navigation and speed excellent. But the small keyboard introduces many mis-keys and errors typing. To me,it seems like a desk version of an ipad. Is it a sub-notebook? I don't know...it's not advertised as such. But for all but the most ardent believers of everything small, this notebook computer should be skipped for one with a full-size keyboard.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Cheap Apple MacBook Air MC503LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop (OLD VERSION)
I have owned many Apple laptops and computers over the years, and without a doubt think that the 2010 13" Macbook Air is one of the strongest offerings the company has ever had. I am a 'power user' and use my laptop for heavy photo and video editing. I frequently have Photoshop running simultaneously with many other memory-intensive programs, including Windows 7 (through Parallels), and use my laptop for hours every day.
I purchased the 13" Macbook Air (which I'll refer to as 'MBA' for simplicity) directly from Apple, and added 2GB of RAM to make the set-up 4GB total. I do not know if Amazon allows you to customize it this way, so if it doesn't consider buying it directly from Apple or another store which does allow this upgrade. From what I understood, due to the MBA's construction the RAM is soldered onto the motherboard you won't be able to add RAM yourself later. If you're a light user, you should probably be fine with just 2 GB of RAM, but if you plan to intensively multi-task, consider upgrading the RAM.
This laptop is expensive, but is worth every penny if you can afford it. While it lacks an optical drive and certain ports which can at times be inconvenient it makes up for that by offering great performance and a stunning design.
DESIGN
I thought my 2010 13" Macbook Pro (which I'll refer to as 'MBP') was sleek and stylish, but this is just amazing. The MBP looks sleeker in some ways since its keyboard is backlit and its display has a nicer black trim to it, but in overall design, the MBA just can't be beat. You won't truly appreciate the Macbook Air's portability and stylish design until you physically play with it in person. The Macbook Air is very thin, but because it employs a tapered unique design it's not uniformly thin throughout the device.
The 13" model features 2 USB ports and an SD card reader (the 11" model doesn't have the SD card reader). The USB ports are cleverly located on opposite sides of the laptop so that you can have even bulky peripherals plugged in simultaneously. The built-in SD card reader is incredibly convenient (more on that below). What's more important to read here is not what connections it does have, but what it doesn't. The most important things missing on the Macbook Airs, in my opinion, are the optical disc drive and an Ethernet port. While I don't necessarily use and therefore, miss either of those too much, there are times when Wi-Fi is problematic or when you need to use a disc for something. Still, the Macbook Air has a great portable design that should offer more than enough for most people's daily use.
PERFORMANCE
Even with my heavy use, this has been very reliable for my daily multitasking. While some of that speed might result from my expanded RAM (mentioned above), the bulk of it comes from the Air's use of a Solid State Drive (SSD). While SSD technology is relatively expensivewhen compared to traditional hard drives on a per-Gigabyte basis, it is worth the money! You can find many comparison videos on YouTube showing how much faster Solid State Drives are when compared to traditional hard drives. The SSD really shines when cutting down the time when launching a program, or when turning the system on or off.
DISPLAY
The high-resolution display of the Macbook Air is great. The 13" Air features a 1440x900 resolution (like that of the 15" Macbook Pro), which is better than the 1,280x800 resolution of my 13" 2010 Macbook Pro. It is very sharp and crisp!
LIFE WITHOUT AN OPTICAL DRIVE
Some people have argued that the lack of an optical drive makes the Macbook Air impractical for daily use. Honestly, I have for the past several years used my optical drive very rarely, and knew I wouldn't miss it too much on the Air. That being said, you usually don't appreciate something until you no longer have it, and I have since noticed that there are times when having a built-in optical drive is convenient.
Since thumb drives and external hard drives are becoming very affordable, digital distribution of software and games is rapidly growing, and many videos are now available through streaming services as opposed to hard copy DVD forms, a lot of the inconveniences associated with lacking an optical drive can be worked around. That being said, there are times when an optical drive is necessary, especially when it comes to installing software (i.e. Windows).
While the MBA doesn't have one built in, you can 'Share' the optical drive of another computer wirelessly. That is understandably less convenient than having an optical drive physically connected to the same computer, so you can instead plug in an external CD/DVD drive through the USB port. The major inconvenience of doing this is that you have to buy an external drive. That being said, you do not need the Apple brand 'Superdrive', and can instead get a 3rd party external optical drive for a considerably cheaper price.
HAVING A BUILT-IN SD CARD READER IS VERY CONVENIENT
The SD card reader is very convenient, and helps compensate for the relatively small hard drive found on the Macbook Air. While my largest SD card is only 16GB, I find SD cards to be even more convenient than using a thumb drive. Without the built-in SD card reader you could always plug in an external SD card reader, but having it built into the system frees up a USB port.
BATTERY LIFE
If you've ever felt that your cell phone, laptop, or other battery-based device doesn't hold nearly as long a charge as it should, it's not just you. Battery life is something that a lot of electronics manufacturers frequently distort the truth about. Amazon often omits external links from reviews and replace it with a so I can't paste the link, but on the Apple website's section on Macbook Pros, for example, they state in the fine text: 'The wireless productivity test measures battery life by wirelessly browsing various websites and editing text in a word processing document with display brightness set to 50%.' In other words, their battery life claims are based on situations many more intensive users don't find themselves in...
For the 2010 Macbook Air, Apple has supposedly changed their battery testing method from the aforementioned Pro testing, and used improved technology to prolong the battery life. The Macbook Air's battery is rated to last for around 7 hours, but you might get less than that with heavy use. I have been pleased with the battery life so far, but I have had less than 7 hours of battery life when I was using the computer intensively. While the battery life isn't the strongest of all of Apple's offerings, the 30-day standby time is very impressive. I believe that the impressive standby time is a result of the SSD drawing less power in sleep mode than a traditional hard drive.
COMPARED TO PREVIOUS AIRS
I was really intrigued by the Macbook Air when it was first announced in 2008, but couldn't justify the high price tag. Since with this generation prices have gone down considerably, all models employ Solid State Drives, and there are 2 USB connections (instead of just one), now is a much better time to buy a Macbook Air than ever before. The only thing changed for the worse is that this model does not have backlit keys not such a big deal for fast typers, but probably inconvenient for people who 'hunt and peck'.
COMPARED TO THE 2010 11-INCH MACBOOK AIR
Prior to deciding on the 13" Macbook Air I considered the 11-inch model. While the 11-incher is lighter and smaller than the 13-inch model, I decided against it because I felt that the screen was too small to be reasonably effective for my intended use. Additionally, the 11-inch model lacks a built-in SD card reader not a huge deal since external USB-based SD card readers are cheap and also employs a weaker 1.4 GHz processor (as opposed to the 13-inch model's 1.86 GHz processor). You lose half a pound in weight going from the 13" and 11" models, but I decided a slightly heavier laptop was more worth it for the screen real estate. You will have to play with the models in store to see what works best for you, but if you like opening multiple windows side-by-side, you will more likely than not also prefer the 13" model.
COMPARED TO THE 13-INCH MACBOOK PRO
Due to the similar price points between this and the 13" Macbook Pro, the two computers naturally lend themselves to head-to-head comparison, which I'll focus the rest of the review on.
Comparing a 2010 13" 128GB 1.86 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Macbook Air with 4 GB of RAM (again, upgraded, the default configuration is 2 GB) with my 2010 13" 250 GB 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Macbook Pro with 4 GB of RAM, I definitely felt the Macbook Air was faster. This is not an official comparison with benchmark tests official benchmarks actually rated the Pro to be a faster machine but for my use I felt things were noticeably faster with the Air's SSD in spite of its weaker processor.
Advantages Compared to Base Configuration 2010 13" Macbook Pro
Lighter (2.9 pounds vs 4.5 pounds)
Thinner (0.11 inches at its thinnest point and 0.68 inches at its thickest vs 0.95 inches)
Considerably faster in spite of a weaker processor (see below) due to its use of a Solid State Drive (SSD)
Higher resolution display (1440x900 vs 1280x800)
Disadvantages Compared to Base Configuration 2010 13" MacBook Pro
Slower Processor (1.86 GHz vs 2.4 GHz)
Smaller Hard Drive (128 GB vs 250 GB)
No backlit keys (Not a big deal for most, but some might find this inconvenient)
Fewer ports (the lack of an Ethernet jack can be a big inconvenience if you don't have secure Wi-Fi available)
No optical drive
FINAL THOUGHTS
The speed of a Solid State Drive is one of the selling points of the Macbook Air, but its ultra-portability is its stronger selling point (keep in mind prior to 2010 only the higher-end Air models featured SSDs). That being said, think of what's important to you. For students and business professionals who travel frequently, I think the Air is an ideal solution.
To those for whom speed is more important than portability, consider purchasing a Macbook Pro and upgrading its hard drive to a SSD yourself. You can also upgrade the Pro's RAM on your own, up to 8 GB (Air maxes out at 4GB, and you can't upgrade it yourself).
Think about what your primary use for the machine will be. If you don't have reliable access to Wi-Fi networks or need a CD/DVD drive regularly, you might find the Air constraining. For most people, however, the 13" 2010 Macbook Air is a great purchase that will offer a very powerful computer in an incredibly portable and sleek package.
I do have fairly recent Mac desktops, but my own personal Mac notebook had become aged. It was a Powerbook.
With the release of iPad last Spring, I had considered not going back to owning a new notebook, with a desktop and iPad at my disposal.
However, I decided I simply need a keyboard for some on the go work, and my machine was simply too old now.
This October 2010 MacBook Air redesign is the answer for me. I will try to post some images of the device soon.
Physically, the footprint is not much different than a 13-inch MacBook or MacBook Pro that other members of my household own. However, it's the thinness and lightweight design that brings out the "wow," for those who see it. If you want to use it on your lap in a large chair or sofa, it is simply comfortable. If you need to stop while walking, and stand against a wall and check something very quickly, while it can still be slightly awkward, the light weight makes this possible. Still, I'd try not to do this, in fear of dropping the precious unit. You do see some Apple marketing images of people using the device standing up. This would likely be even more comfortable with the 11-inch model.
The reason one would choose this updated 13-inch MacBook Air is simple! This particular model gives you the thinness and light "wow," factors that defined the MacBook Air since its introduction nearly four years ago. However, this model gives you something that was not offered at this price point previously. A nearly fully functional and performing notebook computer. The included 1.86 GHZ Core 2 Duo processor is not a slouch. 2GB of memory is not bad in efficient OS X, and the decent storage. I chose the 256GB model, but for a second Mac, a light user, or someone with an external USB hard drive when back at there desk, even this 128 GB is not too far behind an entry hard drive notebook. PLUS, there is a huge benefit of this solid state storage. It is INCREDIBLY fast. The slight hit in processor and memory compared to a MacBook Pro is at least partly made up for by the speed of solid state memory. Just check out the boot up time on this device. It boots up fast. Plus, when it sleeps, open it back up, for instant on. It's a new way of experiencing a computer. If you need it to look something up, edit an image, or type a report, it's ready for you.
The battery life is impressive too. Apple is quoting 7-hours on this 13-inch model, and I will get close to that it appears. Apple is using a new battery testing standard than they have used to quote hours on previous systems. Therefore, this 7 hours quoted might be closer to the optimistic 10 hour advertised on the MacBook Pro than the numbers themselves would have us believe.
This 13-inch model has a higher resolution display than the 13-inch MacBook Pro, so you will fit more of your windows, pictures, etc. on the display. Indeed, it matches the resolution of the stock 15-inch models.
What don't you get on this model and do I miss it? Obviously, once again, Superdrive is missing. I do not miss this. I have Superdrive on my desktop computer, and you can always buy the USB Superdrive for less than one hundred dollars, if you want that capability when at your desk. This Air loses the backlit keyboard, one suspects due to the even slimmer and lighter design. However, I type efficiently, so I only lose the cool factor of illuminated keys, not function.
Truly, with the add on of the USB superdrive for pinch situations, this particular model is a Mac that could actually be one's main computer. Decent processing speed, decent memory, and most of all plenty of solid state storage and the speed benefits of that storage. The graphics processor in this release is much improved over the previous generation too enabling watching of high definition videos. Two USB ports allow for connecting your iPod, external USB hard drive, USB Superdrive, printer, or whatever other USB device you might have. SD Card slot is included on this 13-inch Air model for the first time too.
Note The brand new iLife '11 is loaded on this machine too. It's fun to try out the new features of iLife on a brand new computer! iPhoto 11 enhanced full screen mode is fun to use with this high resolution display!
Sure, a graphic designer, developer, or engineer might need more horse power or a larger display. However, a 2.9 pound Mac that is fully capable of being a great second Mac, or primary Mac, for many users is an incredible achievement. Do not let the significance of this creation not take us back a bit. It is an impressive feat. Recommend unit.
Those who demand desktop performance from a portable should consider the iMac. That being said, I have noticed that this low-voltage Core 2 duo 2.13GHz can easily keep up with its big cousins (MacBook Pro 13.3"). The performance is good enough, so I am unconcerned about benchmarks.
Let's look at the screen. Even if you have a tonal range of medium grey to complete darkness, the reflection on the screen is not as bothersome as the MacBook Pro's highly-reflective glass and the previous version MacBook Air's glossy screen (it, too, had a coating, but not as good as this version).
I am in my mid-40s, so I initially thought the 1440 x 900 pixels being squeezed down to 13.3" area may be too small for me to read. Not so. The increased pixel density and the increased contrast makes the text much more readable. Those who are skeptical should forget about the specifications and just see it in person.
I wouldn't consider the 11.6" because the screen's height has been chopped off 10% (16:9). This screen is 16:10. Those who think that 2.3lbs versus 2.8lbs is a big difference should think again. The smaller one has about 25% battery run time, which means you may want to carry the power adapter. It does not have an SD-card reader, which means another piece of cable (for camera) or card reader to lose. The lack of vertical space causes the user to scroll more. All these reasons combined, the 11.6" holds no advantage over the 13.3"--not to mention the fact that the processor and level-2 cache are not as robust as the 13.3" at the same RAM/SSD configuration.
* * * * * speed * * * * *
I thought I might as well mention a few things.
The unit I just installed is a 13.3", 2.13GHz, 256GB SSD, 4GB RAM
* cold boot to desktop: 13 seconds
* all MS Office 2011 applications take 1-1.5 seconds to launch
* iLife 11 apps all take about a second to launch, except Garage Band takes a bit longer to initialize.
The Macbook air is the Terminator 2 of apple laptops, the second one is so much better. I had purchased a 13 macbook pro about 4 months ago and I sold it to get this 13 macbook air, and I am so happy I did. Just the better screen and flash memory alone is worth it. Read below for a detailed pros and cons list from a general to medium power user.
Pros : Beautiful display, they squeezed all the pixels of the 15" macbook pro, into the 13.3" macbook air, they also have improved ten fold on the glare problem because the coating or screen is glare free, its unbelievable.
Flash memory. 128GB is enough for 90% of people out there. With the ability to have dropbox or .mac account and so much stuff in the cloud nowadays 128GB is really not unreasonable, also what I will do If I run out of space is pop a 32gb (or maybe bigger when they release them) into the sd slot and boom, an extra 32gb of space for $55 as of now on amazon. I enjoy NEVER seeing the rainbow wheel, applications run smoothly and everything is very snappy, it is a noticeable difference from a regular hard drive, at least twice as fast, multitasking and doing tasks is enjoyable and zippy with the flash memory and the boot up time is great at just 14 seconds, and instant on from hibernate or sleep is very welcome, I can edit in photoshop easily with no lag at all, actually better than my macbook pro, watching hd video and other tasks are handled just as well, I am really surprised.
Lightweight. Never mind how gorgeous the design looks, the size and weight are amazing. I would never want to take my macbook pro out in the car or on the bus/train, even though the air is just a couple pounds lighter, it sure makes a huge difference, playing on the laptop out and about has never been more enjoyable, its like the laptop is not even there and its just me and the screen, I find myself taking my air everywhere.
Cons : No backlit keyboard! although personally I never look at the keys when I type. Battery Life, I wish I could get 10 hours like my macbook pro, but 7 is fine and worth losing the lbs and inches to attain that goal.
I'm sure there are more pros, and maybe even a con or two, but these are the big deciding factors in choosing an air over any other laptop. I truly feel this laptop could serve 99% of users needs, with only the select few people needing huge hard drives and super fast processors on a 17" laptop screen with firewire needing the top of the line fast mobile computer.
The good:
-FAST. I mean this thing is blazingly fastyou really have to use it to understand. Every application I've tried is open before it finishes its first "bounce" on the dock. Even monsters like Excel and Powerpoint take less than two seconds to completely open. Chrome launches in milliseconds. Shutdown is ~3 seconds, cold boot is ~7 seconds to OSX, 15 seconds to Win7. Sleep is instantaneous.
-Battery life is great. For my usage I charge it overnight, unplug around 7am and use casually throughout the day, in and our of sleep. At the end of the day around midnight I plug it in with around 20% charge remaining. This is with the screen at 50% brightness (more on that in a minute) and wifi on all the time.
-The keyboard and trackpad are the same fantastic combination you get in all the other Macs (minus the backlight on the Pro)roomy, comfortable, and multi-touchy.
-The screen is incredible, the 1440x900 resolution makes my old Macbook's 1280x800 look terrible. The LED backlight is shockingly brightat 50% brightness it is as bright as my old Macbook at full-tilt. At 100% it is like staring at the sun. I keep it at around 50% during the day, slightly lower at night, and am quite happy with it. Another note: The screen has a nice matte finish which is great with reflections.
-Size. This thing is so thin and light it's practically non-existant. But you know that already :) Also, it is silent. Not quietsilent.
The meh:
-2GB RAM. While in OSX this really isn't a problem as long as you're using it reasonably. I haven't tried VMWare with it (I use bootcamp), but I imagine it might cause some swap issues if running Win7 virtualized with anything else (Word, excel, PP, etc). I just use bootcamp since it shuts down in under 3 seconds, and boots fully to Win7 in around 15 seconds.
-Outdated processor. This is really more of a principle issue than a practical one. I haven't found a situation yet where I'm lacking for CPU-oomph, but it's outdated and annoys me slightly as a spec-nerd.
-Price. There is no way around it, this is an expensive machine, especially for a second computer.
Final thoughts:
If you're looking to upgrade from an older Macbook Pro or any Macbook this computer will NOT disappoint. The size, speed, and screen come together to form a fantastic overall product. I've always said the best Windows machine is a Mac and bootcamp, and this is no exception. As an engineering student I have to use Windows all the time, Win7 runs great, with no issues whatsoever. This is by far the best laptop I've ever owned or used. Period. If you can afford it, I promise that you will not regret it.
I purchased the 13" Macbook Air (which I'll refer to as 'MBA' for simplicity) directly from Apple, and added 2GB of RAM to make the set-up 4GB total. I do not know if Amazon allows you to customize it this way, so if it doesn't consider buying it directly from Apple or another store which does allow this upgrade. From what I understood, due to the MBA's construction the RAM is soldered onto the motherboard you won't be able to add RAM yourself later. If you're a light user, you should probably be fine with just 2 GB of RAM, but if you plan to intensively multi-task, consider upgrading the RAM.
This laptop is expensive, but is worth every penny if you can afford it. While it lacks an optical drive and certain ports which can at times be inconvenient it makes up for that by offering great performance and a stunning design.
DESIGN
I thought my 2010 13" Macbook Pro (which I'll refer to as 'MBP') was sleek and stylish, but this is just amazing. The MBP looks sleeker in some ways since its keyboard is backlit and its display has a nicer black trim to it, but in overall design, the MBA just can't be beat. You won't truly appreciate the Macbook Air's portability and stylish design until you physically play with it in person. The Macbook Air is very thin, but because it employs a tapered unique design it's not uniformly thin throughout the device.
The 13" model features 2 USB ports and an SD card reader (the 11" model doesn't have the SD card reader). The USB ports are cleverly located on opposite sides of the laptop so that you can have even bulky peripherals plugged in simultaneously. The built-in SD card reader is incredibly convenient (more on that below). What's more important to read here is not what connections it does have, but what it doesn't. The most important things missing on the Macbook Airs, in my opinion, are the optical disc drive and an Ethernet port. While I don't necessarily use and therefore, miss either of those too much, there are times when Wi-Fi is problematic or when you need to use a disc for something. Still, the Macbook Air has a great portable design that should offer more than enough for most people's daily use.
PERFORMANCE
Even with my heavy use, this has been very reliable for my daily multitasking. While some of that speed might result from my expanded RAM (mentioned above), the bulk of it comes from the Air's use of a Solid State Drive (SSD). While SSD technology is relatively expensivewhen compared to traditional hard drives on a per-Gigabyte basis, it is worth the money! You can find many comparison videos on YouTube showing how much faster Solid State Drives are when compared to traditional hard drives. The SSD really shines when cutting down the time when launching a program, or when turning the system on or off.
DISPLAY
The high-resolution display of the Macbook Air is great. The 13" Air features a 1440x900 resolution (like that of the 15" Macbook Pro), which is better than the 1,280x800 resolution of my 13" 2010 Macbook Pro. It is very sharp and crisp!
LIFE WITHOUT AN OPTICAL DRIVE
Some people have argued that the lack of an optical drive makes the Macbook Air impractical for daily use. Honestly, I have for the past several years used my optical drive very rarely, and knew I wouldn't miss it too much on the Air. That being said, you usually don't appreciate something until you no longer have it, and I have since noticed that there are times when having a built-in optical drive is convenient.
Since thumb drives and external hard drives are becoming very affordable, digital distribution of software and games is rapidly growing, and many videos are now available through streaming services as opposed to hard copy DVD forms, a lot of the inconveniences associated with lacking an optical drive can be worked around. That being said, there are times when an optical drive is necessary, especially when it comes to installing software (i.e. Windows).
While the MBA doesn't have one built in, you can 'Share' the optical drive of another computer wirelessly. That is understandably less convenient than having an optical drive physically connected to the same computer, so you can instead plug in an external CD/DVD drive through the USB port. The major inconvenience of doing this is that you have to buy an external drive. That being said, you do not need the Apple brand 'Superdrive', and can instead get a 3rd party external optical drive for a considerably cheaper price.
HAVING A BUILT-IN SD CARD READER IS VERY CONVENIENT
The SD card reader is very convenient, and helps compensate for the relatively small hard drive found on the Macbook Air. While my largest SD card is only 16GB, I find SD cards to be even more convenient than using a thumb drive. Without the built-in SD card reader you could always plug in an external SD card reader, but having it built into the system frees up a USB port.
BATTERY LIFE
If you've ever felt that your cell phone, laptop, or other battery-based device doesn't hold nearly as long a charge as it should, it's not just you. Battery life is something that a lot of electronics manufacturers frequently distort the truth about. Amazon often omits external links from reviews and replace it with a so I can't paste the link, but on the Apple website's section on Macbook Pros, for example, they state in the fine text: 'The wireless productivity test measures battery life by wirelessly browsing various websites and editing text in a word processing document with display brightness set to 50%.' In other words, their battery life claims are based on situations many more intensive users don't find themselves in...
For the 2010 Macbook Air, Apple has supposedly changed their battery testing method from the aforementioned Pro testing, and used improved technology to prolong the battery life. The Macbook Air's battery is rated to last for around 7 hours, but you might get less than that with heavy use. I have been pleased with the battery life so far, but I have had less than 7 hours of battery life when I was using the computer intensively. While the battery life isn't the strongest of all of Apple's offerings, the 30-day standby time is very impressive. I believe that the impressive standby time is a result of the SSD drawing less power in sleep mode than a traditional hard drive.
COMPARED TO PREVIOUS AIRS
I was really intrigued by the Macbook Air when it was first announced in 2008, but couldn't justify the high price tag. Since with this generation prices have gone down considerably, all models employ Solid State Drives, and there are 2 USB connections (instead of just one), now is a much better time to buy a Macbook Air than ever before. The only thing changed for the worse is that this model does not have backlit keys not such a big deal for fast typers, but probably inconvenient for people who 'hunt and peck'.
COMPARED TO THE 2010 11-INCH MACBOOK AIR
Prior to deciding on the 13" Macbook Air I considered the 11-inch model. While the 11-incher is lighter and smaller than the 13-inch model, I decided against it because I felt that the screen was too small to be reasonably effective for my intended use. Additionally, the 11-inch model lacks a built-in SD card reader not a huge deal since external USB-based SD card readers are cheap and also employs a weaker 1.4 GHz processor (as opposed to the 13-inch model's 1.86 GHz processor). You lose half a pound in weight going from the 13" and 11" models, but I decided a slightly heavier laptop was more worth it for the screen real estate. You will have to play with the models in store to see what works best for you, but if you like opening multiple windows side-by-side, you will more likely than not also prefer the 13" model.
COMPARED TO THE 13-INCH MACBOOK PRO
Due to the similar price points between this and the 13" Macbook Pro, the two computers naturally lend themselves to head-to-head comparison, which I'll focus the rest of the review on.
Comparing a 2010 13" 128GB 1.86 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Macbook Air with 4 GB of RAM (again, upgraded, the default configuration is 2 GB) with my 2010 13" 250 GB 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Macbook Pro with 4 GB of RAM, I definitely felt the Macbook Air was faster. This is not an official comparison with benchmark tests official benchmarks actually rated the Pro to be a faster machine but for my use I felt things were noticeably faster with the Air's SSD in spite of its weaker processor.
Advantages Compared to Base Configuration 2010 13" Macbook Pro
Lighter (2.9 pounds vs 4.5 pounds)
Thinner (0.11 inches at its thinnest point and 0.68 inches at its thickest vs 0.95 inches)
Considerably faster in spite of a weaker processor (see below) due to its use of a Solid State Drive (SSD)
Higher resolution display (1440x900 vs 1280x800)
Disadvantages Compared to Base Configuration 2010 13" MacBook Pro
Slower Processor (1.86 GHz vs 2.4 GHz)
Smaller Hard Drive (128 GB vs 250 GB)
No backlit keys (Not a big deal for most, but some might find this inconvenient)
Fewer ports (the lack of an Ethernet jack can be a big inconvenience if you don't have secure Wi-Fi available)
No optical drive
FINAL THOUGHTS
The speed of a Solid State Drive is one of the selling points of the Macbook Air, but its ultra-portability is its stronger selling point (keep in mind prior to 2010 only the higher-end Air models featured SSDs). That being said, think of what's important to you. For students and business professionals who travel frequently, I think the Air is an ideal solution.
To those for whom speed is more important than portability, consider purchasing a Macbook Pro and upgrading its hard drive to a SSD yourself. You can also upgrade the Pro's RAM on your own, up to 8 GB (Air maxes out at 4GB, and you can't upgrade it yourself).
Think about what your primary use for the machine will be. If you don't have reliable access to Wi-Fi networks or need a CD/DVD drive regularly, you might find the Air constraining. For most people, however, the 13" 2010 Macbook Air is a great purchase that will offer a very powerful computer in an incredibly portable and sleek package.
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I chose the 256 GB storage option model, but the other specifications on this machine are the same.I do have fairly recent Mac desktops, but my own personal Mac notebook had become aged. It was a Powerbook.
With the release of iPad last Spring, I had considered not going back to owning a new notebook, with a desktop and iPad at my disposal.
However, I decided I simply need a keyboard for some on the go work, and my machine was simply too old now.
This October 2010 MacBook Air redesign is the answer for me. I will try to post some images of the device soon.
Physically, the footprint is not much different than a 13-inch MacBook or MacBook Pro that other members of my household own. However, it's the thinness and lightweight design that brings out the "wow," for those who see it. If you want to use it on your lap in a large chair or sofa, it is simply comfortable. If you need to stop while walking, and stand against a wall and check something very quickly, while it can still be slightly awkward, the light weight makes this possible. Still, I'd try not to do this, in fear of dropping the precious unit. You do see some Apple marketing images of people using the device standing up. This would likely be even more comfortable with the 11-inch model.
The reason one would choose this updated 13-inch MacBook Air is simple! This particular model gives you the thinness and light "wow," factors that defined the MacBook Air since its introduction nearly four years ago. However, this model gives you something that was not offered at this price point previously. A nearly fully functional and performing notebook computer. The included 1.86 GHZ Core 2 Duo processor is not a slouch. 2GB of memory is not bad in efficient OS X, and the decent storage. I chose the 256GB model, but for a second Mac, a light user, or someone with an external USB hard drive when back at there desk, even this 128 GB is not too far behind an entry hard drive notebook. PLUS, there is a huge benefit of this solid state storage. It is INCREDIBLY fast. The slight hit in processor and memory compared to a MacBook Pro is at least partly made up for by the speed of solid state memory. Just check out the boot up time on this device. It boots up fast. Plus, when it sleeps, open it back up, for instant on. It's a new way of experiencing a computer. If you need it to look something up, edit an image, or type a report, it's ready for you.
The battery life is impressive too. Apple is quoting 7-hours on this 13-inch model, and I will get close to that it appears. Apple is using a new battery testing standard than they have used to quote hours on previous systems. Therefore, this 7 hours quoted might be closer to the optimistic 10 hour advertised on the MacBook Pro than the numbers themselves would have us believe.
This 13-inch model has a higher resolution display than the 13-inch MacBook Pro, so you will fit more of your windows, pictures, etc. on the display. Indeed, it matches the resolution of the stock 15-inch models.
What don't you get on this model and do I miss it? Obviously, once again, Superdrive is missing. I do not miss this. I have Superdrive on my desktop computer, and you can always buy the USB Superdrive for less than one hundred dollars, if you want that capability when at your desk. This Air loses the backlit keyboard, one suspects due to the even slimmer and lighter design. However, I type efficiently, so I only lose the cool factor of illuminated keys, not function.
Truly, with the add on of the USB superdrive for pinch situations, this particular model is a Mac that could actually be one's main computer. Decent processing speed, decent memory, and most of all plenty of solid state storage and the speed benefits of that storage. The graphics processor in this release is much improved over the previous generation too enabling watching of high definition videos. Two USB ports allow for connecting your iPod, external USB hard drive, USB Superdrive, printer, or whatever other USB device you might have. SD Card slot is included on this 13-inch Air model for the first time too.
Note The brand new iLife '11 is loaded on this machine too. It's fun to try out the new features of iLife on a brand new computer! iPhoto 11 enhanced full screen mode is fun to use with this high resolution display!
Sure, a graphic designer, developer, or engineer might need more horse power or a larger display. However, a 2.9 pound Mac that is fully capable of being a great second Mac, or primary Mac, for many users is an incredible achievement. Do not let the significance of this creation not take us back a bit. It is an impressive feat. Recommend unit.
Best Deals for Apple MacBook Air MC503LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop (OLD VERSION)
This review addresses specifically the screen quality.Those who demand desktop performance from a portable should consider the iMac. That being said, I have noticed that this low-voltage Core 2 duo 2.13GHz can easily keep up with its big cousins (MacBook Pro 13.3"). The performance is good enough, so I am unconcerned about benchmarks.
Let's look at the screen. Even if you have a tonal range of medium grey to complete darkness, the reflection on the screen is not as bothersome as the MacBook Pro's highly-reflective glass and the previous version MacBook Air's glossy screen (it, too, had a coating, but not as good as this version).
I am in my mid-40s, so I initially thought the 1440 x 900 pixels being squeezed down to 13.3" area may be too small for me to read. Not so. The increased pixel density and the increased contrast makes the text much more readable. Those who are skeptical should forget about the specifications and just see it in person.
I wouldn't consider the 11.6" because the screen's height has been chopped off 10% (16:9). This screen is 16:10. Those who think that 2.3lbs versus 2.8lbs is a big difference should think again. The smaller one has about 25% battery run time, which means you may want to carry the power adapter. It does not have an SD-card reader, which means another piece of cable (for camera) or card reader to lose. The lack of vertical space causes the user to scroll more. All these reasons combined, the 11.6" holds no advantage over the 13.3"--not to mention the fact that the processor and level-2 cache are not as robust as the 13.3" at the same RAM/SSD configuration.
* * * * * speed * * * * *
I thought I might as well mention a few things.
The unit I just installed is a 13.3", 2.13GHz, 256GB SSD, 4GB RAM
* cold boot to desktop: 13 seconds
* all MS Office 2011 applications take 1-1.5 seconds to launch
* iLife 11 apps all take about a second to launch, except Garage Band takes a bit longer to initialize.
Honest reviews on Apple MacBook Air MC503LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop (OLD VERSION)
Short answer is yes, this laptop is a good buy and your best option for a laptop from apple.The Macbook air is the Terminator 2 of apple laptops, the second one is so much better. I had purchased a 13 macbook pro about 4 months ago and I sold it to get this 13 macbook air, and I am so happy I did. Just the better screen and flash memory alone is worth it. Read below for a detailed pros and cons list from a general to medium power user.
Pros : Beautiful display, they squeezed all the pixels of the 15" macbook pro, into the 13.3" macbook air, they also have improved ten fold on the glare problem because the coating or screen is glare free, its unbelievable.
Flash memory. 128GB is enough for 90% of people out there. With the ability to have dropbox or .mac account and so much stuff in the cloud nowadays 128GB is really not unreasonable, also what I will do If I run out of space is pop a 32gb (or maybe bigger when they release them) into the sd slot and boom, an extra 32gb of space for $55 as of now on amazon. I enjoy NEVER seeing the rainbow wheel, applications run smoothly and everything is very snappy, it is a noticeable difference from a regular hard drive, at least twice as fast, multitasking and doing tasks is enjoyable and zippy with the flash memory and the boot up time is great at just 14 seconds, and instant on from hibernate or sleep is very welcome, I can edit in photoshop easily with no lag at all, actually better than my macbook pro, watching hd video and other tasks are handled just as well, I am really surprised.
Lightweight. Never mind how gorgeous the design looks, the size and weight are amazing. I would never want to take my macbook pro out in the car or on the bus/train, even though the air is just a couple pounds lighter, it sure makes a huge difference, playing on the laptop out and about has never been more enjoyable, its like the laptop is not even there and its just me and the screen, I find myself taking my air everywhere.
Cons : No backlit keyboard! although personally I never look at the keys when I type. Battery Life, I wish I could get 10 hours like my macbook pro, but 7 is fine and worth losing the lbs and inches to attain that goal.
I'm sure there are more pros, and maybe even a con or two, but these are the big deciding factors in choosing an air over any other laptop. I truly feel this laptop could serve 99% of users needs, with only the select few people needing huge hard drives and super fast processors on a 17" laptop screen with firewire needing the top of the line fast mobile computer.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Apple MacBook Air MC503LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop (OLD VERSION)
I'm a computer engineering student, so I own several computers, each with their own purpose. I have a tablet for note taking in class, a desktop super computer (i7, SSD, 3x 23" monitors) for serious work and gaming. Previously I had a 2009 Macbook which I used for goofing off and light work (pspice, eagle pcb, office, etc). I loved my Macbookit was quiet, the battery life was better than a comparable Windows laptop, and it was quick enough for my needsbut I enjoyed using my desktop more. That has all changed since I bought the Airholy sweet jesus I love this machine.The good:
-FAST. I mean this thing is blazingly fastyou really have to use it to understand. Every application I've tried is open before it finishes its first "bounce" on the dock. Even monsters like Excel and Powerpoint take less than two seconds to completely open. Chrome launches in milliseconds. Shutdown is ~3 seconds, cold boot is ~7 seconds to OSX, 15 seconds to Win7. Sleep is instantaneous.
-Battery life is great. For my usage I charge it overnight, unplug around 7am and use casually throughout the day, in and our of sleep. At the end of the day around midnight I plug it in with around 20% charge remaining. This is with the screen at 50% brightness (more on that in a minute) and wifi on all the time.
-The keyboard and trackpad are the same fantastic combination you get in all the other Macs (minus the backlight on the Pro)roomy, comfortable, and multi-touchy.
-The screen is incredible, the 1440x900 resolution makes my old Macbook's 1280x800 look terrible. The LED backlight is shockingly brightat 50% brightness it is as bright as my old Macbook at full-tilt. At 100% it is like staring at the sun. I keep it at around 50% during the day, slightly lower at night, and am quite happy with it. Another note: The screen has a nice matte finish which is great with reflections.
-Size. This thing is so thin and light it's practically non-existant. But you know that already :) Also, it is silent. Not quietsilent.
The meh:
-2GB RAM. While in OSX this really isn't a problem as long as you're using it reasonably. I haven't tried VMWare with it (I use bootcamp), but I imagine it might cause some swap issues if running Win7 virtualized with anything else (Word, excel, PP, etc). I just use bootcamp since it shuts down in under 3 seconds, and boots fully to Win7 in around 15 seconds.
-Outdated processor. This is really more of a principle issue than a practical one. I haven't found a situation yet where I'm lacking for CPU-oomph, but it's outdated and annoys me slightly as a spec-nerd.
-Price. There is no way around it, this is an expensive machine, especially for a second computer.
Final thoughts:
If you're looking to upgrade from an older Macbook Pro or any Macbook this computer will NOT disappoint. The size, speed, and screen come together to form a fantastic overall product. I've always said the best Windows machine is a Mac and bootcamp, and this is no exception. As an engineering student I have to use Windows all the time, Win7 runs great, with no issues whatsoever. This is by far the best laptop I've ever owned or used. Period. If you can afford it, I promise that you will not regret it.
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