Overall the Vizio CT14-A1 is a solid Ultra book. It is extremely fast, the screen is beautiful and its very light. The design of the laptop is elegant and it is very well built, similar to a MacBook Air (solid aluminum chassis). I installed Windows 8 about a week ago, and its made the laptop even faster. Like others mention, the keyboard is very light and it feels significantly different from the Dell laptop I'm used to. My only real complaint with the computer is also with the keyboard. It has a propensity to double letters and not acknowledge when the shift key is pressed. Other reviewers have mentioned this as well. It doesn't do it often, or consistently, but I do notice it occasionally.
As far as I know the only difference between the CT14-A1 and the CT14-A4 is the windows version. When upgrading to Windows 8 I did have to find the drivers for the wireless NIC by doing a google search and manually installing them. I am also using a USB to LAN adapter to speed up my internet connection, although the wireless also works great.
I was a little concerned about gaming performance due to the Intel 4000 integrated graphics. Overall it's adequate for light gaming. It's runs graphics intensive games like World of tanks at 1600x900 on low settings with 25+ frames per second.
Pros
+Beautiful construction
+Fast for everyday uses (
Showing posts with label cheapest laptop. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cheapest laptop. Show all posts
Friday, October 24, 2014
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Buy Dell Inspiron i1545-4583JBK 1545 15.6-Inch Laptop (Jet Black)
I'm not sure where the above bad reviews came from, but I find it hard to believe that anyone had such a bad experience with the same system that I bought from Amazon. Looks like most of the reviews are for computers bought from someone else or even directly from Dell, and the guy that bought 3 in the last year and had all of them crash within a month after the warranty expired????? well that doesn't make since.... they all come with a 1 yr warranty, and if he bought three within the last year, then they would still be under warranty..... but I digress,,, and here is my review:
I bought the Inspiron i1545 that is sold on Amazon.com and it has more than met my expectations. I figured that a $619 laptop would be the low end of the spectrum when looking for performance, but this has all the componants of the "high end", as far as RAM and Hard disc. Win 7 makes it easy and has very fast start up and shut down times. It runs very effeciently when I have multiple windows open and I'm gettting close to 8 hours between charges (so far). I did a ton of research for computers before making this purchase, and even went to places like Best Buy so I could get a better feel for what the computer looks and feels like. This Inspiron has all the qualities I was looking for: Sleek, light weight, incredibly clear screen, and responsive keys. Add that together with the 4GB of RAM, 500GB of Hard disc, and I love the "Dell Dock" that allows me to put all my icons in one place, which keeps my desktop clean and professional looking.
My opinion is that you cannot go wrong with this system. You certainly get more for your money!
Within a month after each warranty expired, the hard drive died. Nothing could be done but order a replacement which first requires a $49 diagnostic fee....before they can even tell you what the part is that is needed and how much that will cost.
They cannot replace items lost on the drive --so be sure to have your own external hard drive or system for back up. They are no help.
This happened three times!! Three different laptops!! All with simple use at home and university. Each just AFTER the warranty expired -and they are in India -and make no adjustments to "policy" -and have the most effective system of blocking customers from access to attaining help.
Never, ever again. Burned THREE times -with THREE different laptops. Never, never again.
Not now.
This laptop, which is my wife's, has been nothing but a nightmare from day one. Pathetic battery life, hardware and software issues, trackpad problems, cursor jumping around, intermittent wireless problems, a shoddily-made machine with flimsy screen hinges that easily break.
Dell's customer service has been the absolute worst experience I have ever had with any company in my entire life. I started out trying to return the unit, but quickly found out that they count the number of days that you have had the computer as starting on the day you order the unit, not the day you receive it, so I was two days past the last day I could return the unit. After being transferred back and forth between two different departments who each thought the other department was supposed to help me, I finally found someone who understood the issue and said he would work on getting special approval to return the unit and then call me back. He also sent me an email. He never called back, never responded to emails, never answered the phone, never returned calls. Anyone else I talked to acted like they knew nothing and told me I could not return the unit. Then I tried to appeal to their business sense, by trying to exchange the unit for a higher model (figuring that if they saw I wanted to pay them more money, they would forgive the 2-day thing).
It took me two more weeks of calling every day to find a guy in their corporate customer service group who (even though he shouldn't have even helped me) agreed that what I wanted to do made good business sense and would help the company hold onto a loyal customer. It took him two more weeks to get what he told me was internal approval for the return (their system only allowed them to process it as a return, not a repair or replacement). He even CC'd me on the email where the manager approved the return and gave him instructions on how to process it. I was told I would receive a return code and instructions on how to return the unit for credit. A week went by--nothing. I called and emailed the guy over and over. No response. I finally got someone else who's email address was on the approval email to respond, who explained that the person who approved the return was in one of two different departments who had to approve the return. He said what everyone else always told me--that he would personally take responsibility for resolving my case. He gave me a phone number that was supposedly his direct number and an email. Never heard from him again. The phone number went to a generic mailbox.
After months of getting the runaround and taking every my lunch hour every day to sit on the phone while eating a sandwich, I simply gave up and decided it just wasn't worth it for a $560 laptop. We are already shopping for a replacement after 7 months of owning this thing. Guess who we won't be buying it from.
I've owned this laptop now for a little over a week and I am very happy with the experience so far. I am very knowledgeable about computers, and currently run several machines running Windows 7, Windows Home Server, Mac OSX, and Ubuntu. I have also worked in IT support in the past, so diagnosing and upgrading PCs is something I'm very comfortable with.
Quick Pros and Cons List:
PROS:
+ Windows 7 (it really is a nice and stable OS)
+ Intel dual-core T4400 processor (works well for most users, easy on battery life)
+ 4GB of RAM (helpful for running programs simultaneously, such as Office, Photoshop, Media Center, etc)
+ 320GB hard drive (plenty of storage for most users)
+ Integrated 1.3MP Creative Labs Live! webcam
+ 7-in-1 media card reader (almost a necessity today)
+ Easily upgradeable (discussed below)
CONS:
T4400 is a dual-core processor, not as powerful as a Core 2 Duo, or the current Core i3 (1545R)
Memory is slower 800MHz speed, not current 1066MHz (1545R)
Wireless (wifi) card is A/B/G, but not N-spec
While the webcam is 1.3MP, it isn't of the highest quality but it's okay
VGA-out included, not HDMI-out like on the newer 1545R
Bluetooth not included (though upgradeable)
High gloss surfaces do attract fingerprints (not a big negative)
OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:
I've owned many Dells, and this is the third computer I've purchased from Dell this year... not because something was wrong, but they've had good deals on desktops and laptops this year. This is the first entry level laptop that I have purchased from Dell, and overall I am happy with the design, layout, and quality of the build. The high gloss plastic areas on the palmrest and LCD bezel are obvious fingerprint magnets, but not as bad as an iPhone or iPod. They keyboard is laid out well, with good distance between the keys and a nice feel when typing. The keyboard includes dedicated buttons on the right hand side for Home, Page Up/Down, End, and the four arrow keys.
The hard drive, a Seagate Momentus 5400.6 has decent storage space at 320GB, though it is slower at 5400RPM with an 8MB cache. After formatting, you have about 300GB of usable storage. The memory for this machine is 4GB, though the motherboard can support up to 8GB. The memory speed is 800MHz, which is fine, but is slower than the current 1066MHz memory available. It would have been nice if Dell included an HDMI video port, but instead chose VGA. The HDMI comes standard on the new 1545R with the Core i3 processor. The LCD is crisp and bright, with decent viewing angles. The native resolution of 1366x768 is good, though a little compact, but makes viewing 720p video very nice. The AC adapter is the slim variety... the only issue is that the power plug into the computer fits a little loosely though probably on purpose to prevent damage to the laptop if the cable is snagged by a passerby.
UPGRADEABILITY:
The nicest aspect of this laptop is that if you find that you need more speed, hard drive space, memory, faster wifi, or even bluetooth all of these components can be easily upgraded. Reading the service directions at Dell, you can see that taking apart the Inspiron 1545 is easy and straight forward. By removing the keyboard, you can easily add the bluetooth module and cable, which together go for about $25 on eBay. By removing the bottom cover, you can replace the memory, wifi card, and processor with little difficulty. An Intel 5100 N spec wifi card goes for about $12 on eBay. You can also add memory if need be up to 8GB is supported. The processor can also be replaced, though make sure that the processor you choose is supported by the laptop's bios. The 1545 supports Intel Socket P (478-pin Micro FCPGA) processors; with the bios specifically supporting the Celeron 900, Dual-Core T4200, T4300, T4400, and the Core 2 Duo T6400, T6500, T6600, P7350, P7450, P8600, and P8700. The faster processors, like the P8700 include more onboard cache, faster processor speed, faster bus speeds, and virtualization. Replacement processors like those mentioned can be found on eBay for around $20-150. The hard drive can also be easily upgraded I installed a new Western Digital 64GB SSD, which took about 60 seconds to install. The hard drive slot is on the right hand side, and comes out with the removal of two screws. I installed the new wifi in about 60 seconds, adding bluetooth took about two minutes. It doesn't take a lot of know-how to upgrade these components just a screwdriver and a quick read of the manual.
CONCLUSION:
It's a good laptop for the price, which can be upgraded into a better computer easily and cheaply... all you have to do is read the manual, which is straightforward. I usually keep computers for about a year or two, and by next year I'll probably be ready to sell this at a decent price and use the proceeds to get another Inspiron but it will have been worth it for sure. In my opinion, for the price, quality, and support, you can't go wrong with a Dell.
The one I bought at Best Buy lasted 5 days before having hardware failure. I returned it.
I bought the second one at Staples. It lasted 3 hours before giving an error saying, "No hard drive detected."
Don't buy this laptop!
I bought the Inspiron i1545 that is sold on Amazon.com and it has more than met my expectations. I figured that a $619 laptop would be the low end of the spectrum when looking for performance, but this has all the componants of the "high end", as far as RAM and Hard disc. Win 7 makes it easy and has very fast start up and shut down times. It runs very effeciently when I have multiple windows open and I'm gettting close to 8 hours between charges (so far). I did a ton of research for computers before making this purchase, and even went to places like Best Buy so I could get a better feel for what the computer looks and feels like. This Inspiron has all the qualities I was looking for: Sleek, light weight, incredibly clear screen, and responsive keys. Add that together with the 4GB of RAM, 500GB of Hard disc, and I love the "Dell Dock" that allows me to put all my icons in one place, which keeps my desktop clean and professional looking.
My opinion is that you cannot go wrong with this system. You certainly get more for your money!
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
I have purchased three from this company in the past year -we have twins in college and each needed one -then one for personal/home use.Within a month after each warranty expired, the hard drive died. Nothing could be done but order a replacement which first requires a $49 diagnostic fee....before they can even tell you what the part is that is needed and how much that will cost.
They cannot replace items lost on the drive --so be sure to have your own external hard drive or system for back up. They are no help.
This happened three times!! Three different laptops!! All with simple use at home and university. Each just AFTER the warranty expired -and they are in India -and make no adjustments to "policy" -and have the most effective system of blocking customers from access to attaining help.
Never, ever again. Burned THREE times -with THREE different laptops. Never, never again.
Best Deals for Dell Inspiron i1545-4583JBK 1545 15.6-Inch Laptop (Jet Black)
My wife and I have been loyal Dell customers over 10 years and four machines. All our previous machines have performed well and we have never had much reason to call customer service for anything. The few times we did (years and years ago) were reasonably pleasant experiences, though. My impression of Dell has always been that they are a solid company that produces solid products.Not now.
This laptop, which is my wife's, has been nothing but a nightmare from day one. Pathetic battery life, hardware and software issues, trackpad problems, cursor jumping around, intermittent wireless problems, a shoddily-made machine with flimsy screen hinges that easily break.
Dell's customer service has been the absolute worst experience I have ever had with any company in my entire life. I started out trying to return the unit, but quickly found out that they count the number of days that you have had the computer as starting on the day you order the unit, not the day you receive it, so I was two days past the last day I could return the unit. After being transferred back and forth between two different departments who each thought the other department was supposed to help me, I finally found someone who understood the issue and said he would work on getting special approval to return the unit and then call me back. He also sent me an email. He never called back, never responded to emails, never answered the phone, never returned calls. Anyone else I talked to acted like they knew nothing and told me I could not return the unit. Then I tried to appeal to their business sense, by trying to exchange the unit for a higher model (figuring that if they saw I wanted to pay them more money, they would forgive the 2-day thing).
It took me two more weeks of calling every day to find a guy in their corporate customer service group who (even though he shouldn't have even helped me) agreed that what I wanted to do made good business sense and would help the company hold onto a loyal customer. It took him two more weeks to get what he told me was internal approval for the return (their system only allowed them to process it as a return, not a repair or replacement). He even CC'd me on the email where the manager approved the return and gave him instructions on how to process it. I was told I would receive a return code and instructions on how to return the unit for credit. A week went by--nothing. I called and emailed the guy over and over. No response. I finally got someone else who's email address was on the approval email to respond, who explained that the person who approved the return was in one of two different departments who had to approve the return. He said what everyone else always told me--that he would personally take responsibility for resolving my case. He gave me a phone number that was supposedly his direct number and an email. Never heard from him again. The phone number went to a generic mailbox.
After months of getting the runaround and taking every my lunch hour every day to sit on the phone while eating a sandwich, I simply gave up and decided it just wasn't worth it for a $560 laptop. We are already shopping for a replacement after 7 months of owning this thing. Guess who we won't be buying it from.
Honest reviews on Dell Inspiron i1545-4583JBK 1545 15.6-Inch Laptop (Jet Black)
After seeing some of the other reviews I thought I would add my two cents worth, as it may help out some of you who are looking to purchase an Inspiron 1545.I've owned this laptop now for a little over a week and I am very happy with the experience so far. I am very knowledgeable about computers, and currently run several machines running Windows 7, Windows Home Server, Mac OSX, and Ubuntu. I have also worked in IT support in the past, so diagnosing and upgrading PCs is something I'm very comfortable with.
Quick Pros and Cons List:
PROS:
+ Windows 7 (it really is a nice and stable OS)
+ Intel dual-core T4400 processor (works well for most users, easy on battery life)
+ 4GB of RAM (helpful for running programs simultaneously, such as Office, Photoshop, Media Center, etc)
+ 320GB hard drive (plenty of storage for most users)
+ Integrated 1.3MP Creative Labs Live! webcam
+ 7-in-1 media card reader (almost a necessity today)
+ Easily upgradeable (discussed below)
CONS:
T4400 is a dual-core processor, not as powerful as a Core 2 Duo, or the current Core i3 (1545R)
Memory is slower 800MHz speed, not current 1066MHz (1545R)
Wireless (wifi) card is A/B/G, but not N-spec
While the webcam is 1.3MP, it isn't of the highest quality but it's okay
VGA-out included, not HDMI-out like on the newer 1545R
Bluetooth not included (though upgradeable)
High gloss surfaces do attract fingerprints (not a big negative)
OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:
I've owned many Dells, and this is the third computer I've purchased from Dell this year... not because something was wrong, but they've had good deals on desktops and laptops this year. This is the first entry level laptop that I have purchased from Dell, and overall I am happy with the design, layout, and quality of the build. The high gloss plastic areas on the palmrest and LCD bezel are obvious fingerprint magnets, but not as bad as an iPhone or iPod. They keyboard is laid out well, with good distance between the keys and a nice feel when typing. The keyboard includes dedicated buttons on the right hand side for Home, Page Up/Down, End, and the four arrow keys.
The hard drive, a Seagate Momentus 5400.6 has decent storage space at 320GB, though it is slower at 5400RPM with an 8MB cache. After formatting, you have about 300GB of usable storage. The memory for this machine is 4GB, though the motherboard can support up to 8GB. The memory speed is 800MHz, which is fine, but is slower than the current 1066MHz memory available. It would have been nice if Dell included an HDMI video port, but instead chose VGA. The HDMI comes standard on the new 1545R with the Core i3 processor. The LCD is crisp and bright, with decent viewing angles. The native resolution of 1366x768 is good, though a little compact, but makes viewing 720p video very nice. The AC adapter is the slim variety... the only issue is that the power plug into the computer fits a little loosely though probably on purpose to prevent damage to the laptop if the cable is snagged by a passerby.
UPGRADEABILITY:
The nicest aspect of this laptop is that if you find that you need more speed, hard drive space, memory, faster wifi, or even bluetooth all of these components can be easily upgraded. Reading the service directions at Dell, you can see that taking apart the Inspiron 1545 is easy and straight forward. By removing the keyboard, you can easily add the bluetooth module and cable, which together go for about $25 on eBay. By removing the bottom cover, you can replace the memory, wifi card, and processor with little difficulty. An Intel 5100 N spec wifi card goes for about $12 on eBay. You can also add memory if need be up to 8GB is supported. The processor can also be replaced, though make sure that the processor you choose is supported by the laptop's bios. The 1545 supports Intel Socket P (478-pin Micro FCPGA) processors; with the bios specifically supporting the Celeron 900, Dual-Core T4200, T4300, T4400, and the Core 2 Duo T6400, T6500, T6600, P7350, P7450, P8600, and P8700. The faster processors, like the P8700 include more onboard cache, faster processor speed, faster bus speeds, and virtualization. Replacement processors like those mentioned can be found on eBay for around $20-150. The hard drive can also be easily upgraded I installed a new Western Digital 64GB SSD, which took about 60 seconds to install. The hard drive slot is on the right hand side, and comes out with the removal of two screws. I installed the new wifi in about 60 seconds, adding bluetooth took about two minutes. It doesn't take a lot of know-how to upgrade these components just a screwdriver and a quick read of the manual.
CONCLUSION:
It's a good laptop for the price, which can be upgraded into a better computer easily and cheaply... all you have to do is read the manual, which is straightforward. I usually keep computers for about a year or two, and by next year I'll probably be ready to sell this at a decent price and use the proceeds to get another Inspiron but it will have been worth it for sure. In my opinion, for the price, quality, and support, you can't go wrong with a Dell.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Dell Inspiron i1545-4583JBK 1545 15.6-Inch Laptop (Jet Black)
I have purchased two of these now.The one I bought at Best Buy lasted 5 days before having hardware failure. I returned it.
I bought the second one at Staples. It lasted 3 hours before giving an error saying, "No hard drive detected."
Don't buy this laptop!
Friday, September 26, 2014
Review of HP G60-553NR Notebook PC - Intel Pentium Dual Core T4300 2.1 GHz
This is my second HP and I love it! My other laptop is a netbook and it is great as well. The only thing I do not like is that the screen is so shiny because it reflects glares, but if you are using it somewhere that does not have any glare then the screen is really beautiful. I definitely recommend HP products even though my computer tech says they suck.
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Discount Toshiba Tecra M9 -S5513X 14.1 Notebook PC (PTM90U-020015)
It's not clear for me, the following specifications:
Win XP pro or Win 7 pro? I prefer XP.
Does it have? serial DB-9 port and PCMCIA slot?
thanks in advanced.
Win XP pro or Win 7 pro? I prefer XP.
Does it have? serial DB-9 port and PCMCIA slot?
thanks in advanced.
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Review of Acer Aspire E1-571-6837 15.6-Inch Laptop (Glossy Black)
List Price: $579.99
Sale Price: $495.98
Today's Bonus: 14% Off
It's an impressive laptop to say the least. It hasn't been the most popular selling laptop as of yet, but it sure does pack some decent hardware. This laptop will replace my old HP laptop. Acer has been dominating the laptop charts lately, and their E1-571-6837 laptop honestly appeared as another great release. So if you're looking for a low priced Acer Aspire laptop, than keep on reading.
At a mere 15.6 inches, this cheap Acer Aspire laptop packs a 1366 by 768 pixel resolution. Great for watching movies in 720p HD. Windows 8 is the default operating system, and it looks stunning on the Aspire's LED display.
The processing unit contains Intel's third generation Core i5 processor, running at 2.6 GHz with turbo boost abilities of up to 3.20 GHz. 4 GB of DDR3 RAM can also be found inside this laptop.
Graphics will be basic — Intel HD Graphics 4000. Just enough to play basic computer games, such as The Sims 3. Higher end games will run, but quite possibly on a lower setting.
Pros
This Aspire laptop can be described as a great desktop replacement system. It has the right amount of speed and build quality that most desktop computers contain. The Intel Core i5 processor does one heck of a great job in my opinion. It runs Adobe Premiere Elements 11, Quick books Premiere 2013, and so much more — without the hassle of lag.
Battery life isn't anything shocking, but it also isn't bad either. On average, the battery will last 3.25 hours while on the internet. That's somewhere around average for a laptop of its caliber.
The whole laptop was designed a glossy black color. It looks great It's very professional looking.
Price-wise it goes up and down, but as i said before and i say it again Amazon has the best prices
Cons
It's a great deal already, but wish Acer would've added more RAM. Currently, it has 4 GB of RAM, however I prefer to be on the safer side with around 6 GB of RAM. This can be upgraded for less than $20.00 yourself and it's extremely easy to install. It requires removing a few screws and inserting the ram into the empty slot.
i recommend this laptop to all..............
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
It took a few minutes to work out windows 8, but once I did I couldn't be happier with this computer. It is so lightweight, the bottom of the computer doesn't get hot, and I love the number pad next to the keyboard. I would recommend this to anyone.Best Deals for Acer Aspire E1-571-6837 15.6-Inch Laptop (Glossy Black)
Pros: Good computer. Cons: annoying keyboard. Hate windows 8. Wish it had an ssd drive instead of the old IDE.Honest reviews on Acer Aspire E1-571-6837 15.6-Inch Laptop (Glossy Black)
This notebook offer all the bells and whistle for a good price. Must update memory for greater performance. Deliver was on-time ThanksFind helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Acer Aspire E1-571-6837 15.6-Inch Laptop (Glossy Black)
Would be five stars if it came with Windows 7. Now I have to ship it to myself and correct that before giving it to my friend. I needed a laptop with an SSD, but they were all prohibitively expensive. Why do manufacturers charge $250 more for a $90 SSD?I bought this + a $30 4 gig crucial sodimm and a $100 120GB SSD, Mushkin Enhanced Chronos Deluxe MX, and a $6 external enclosure. For $600 I ended up with a laptop better than any sub $1000 I was able to find plus a bonus external 500 gig hard drive. Excellent value.
Discount ASUS N55SL-DS71 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black)
This notebook PC is aimed at the gaming, entertainment use and though not inexpensive, it contains a lot of power in a very small format. The components are choice, so I'd rate this as a luxury laptop. It weighs just a shade under 6 lbs, and is 15 1/2 by 10 1/2 inches with a thickness of just over an inch, so it's very small in size.
Features:
CPU--this is a multi-core, Intel 2.2 GHz Core i7-2670QM, there are two of them. 8 GB RAM (2 x 4GB)
Media: Blu-Ray drive, HD display
Input: Keyboard and touchpad
Expansion slots: none
Communications: Gigabit Ethernet LAN and Blu-Tooth 3.0 802.11b/g/n built in, antennae built in.
Sound: Bang & Olufson speakers, mic and headphones outlet
Camera: 2 megapixel
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition; included software is Microsoft Office 2010 suites but requiring a key for activation.
Graphics Interface: NVIDIA GeForce GT 635M with 2 GB DDR3 SDRAM
Hard Drive: 750 GB
Warranty: 2 year limited, 1 year accident coverage
Performance: This is clearly aimed at the gaming and entertainment market--great sound, wonderful graphics display and power enough for games, but usable as a PC for general applications (word processing, spreadsheets, internet access, email) as well. The battery is a lithium ion six-cell unit, but with all the power output for graphics, media and sound, you get about 3 or 4 hours of battery time, which is average but not bad.
Accessories: For gamers and blu-ray films, there is a bundled sub-woofer to add to your enjoyment of the sound. SonicMaster makes a small, tin-can sized unit that gives those deep bass sounds that add so much to exciting viewing or playing.
Bottom line: Very powerful, sleek, attractive game and entertainment PC with enough power, sound and display capability to make a very enjoyable experience in a very small format.
-So far, the computer has kept pretty cool.
-The screen isn't extremely glossy. I wanted a matte screen, so I was a little nervous ordering this computer.
-Sound quality is excellent. Even the included subwoofer packs a punch.
-Everything runs nice and fast (I've watched DVDs, streamed shows, and played games. It's all great).
-Keyboard has several buttons that my previous computer didn't have (and it's super convenient!)
-It's a very aesthetically attractive computer.
Cons:
-You may have trouble with this computer if you have small hands.
-The finger pad (If that's what it's called...) isn't centered! That's taken some getting used to. Apparently, that's actually fairly common.
-Just like all computers I've seen, it comes with a bunch of junk that I've gone through and uninstalled.
-The subwoofer started having issues connecting to it's port the same day I got the computer.
Ultimately, the computer is a bargain! The hardware is great, the computer's build is attractive and structurally sound, and everything is running wonderfully.
I was wary of buying this notebook because user reviews were sparse. I like to read complaints to get an idea of common issues. That said, I took a leap of faith and it turned out well.
I wanted a gaming laptop and was looking at higher priced models with dedicated/high performing graphics cards. This laptop has neither, but for the price and features, I don't feel bad about the compromise. (The GPU isn't shabby, but you won't be able to play some games on ultra high settings.)
Another reviewer detailed the specs, so I'll just mention my initial impressions.
**The Good**
I was checking out the Toshiba Qosmio X775-Q7384 17.3-Inch Gaming Laptop Fusion X2 Finish in Red Horizon, and compared to that beast, my ASUS is the prom queen. (It also offers a native resolution of 1980 x 1080p vs. 1900 x 600p for the Qosmio, but the Qosmio has a 7200rpm hdd vs. the 5400rpm hdd on the ASUS). The AC adapter is the size of a brick.
The nicest surprise was the incredible sound. An external subwoofer is included with your purchase; coupled with the Bang and Olufson speakers, the sound is better than my Samsung HDTV's.
The picture is crisp with a sweet 1080p resolution. No lackluster reds, good viewing angles, and fairly clean under a glare. Enjoy watching those 3D Blu-Rays (and burning regular BD's too).
It stays a lot cooler than my Lennovo Thinkpad while running TF2 for hours.
**The Bad**
The nastiest surprise was the amount of bloatware that came pre-installed. Google "ASUS Bloatware" and find the comprehensive forum post that details what programs you can safely uninstall. (Note: ASUS will force you to install the Bing toolbar before using the computer, but it is easily removed with CCleaner, PC Decrapifier etc. Don't remove the ATK package or Lifeframe, despite what the forums say.)
The power cord jack is going to spell trouble for some people. Be careful pulling the cord out of the computer, or you might damage it.
If you use the Cyberlink burner, the only way to get rid of the widget that appears is to end the Power2Go process. I don't appreciate having to take that step to close something I don't want to see.
**The Grey**
The keyboard is wide. This is not bad, but it takes some getting used to. If you ever took piano lessons and learned to stretch your fingers to hit the keys, it is a mildly similar feeling.
The touchpad is fairly sensitive. Also not bad, just takes some getting used to.
MS Office (Home) 2010 is pre-loaded. I went to Amazon to purchase the keycard, and was annoyed to find that they snail mail a paper keycard. I'm sure there is a "security" related justification for this, but not having electronic delivery as an option is painfully dumb.
**Final Thoughts**
Thus far I am satisfied with my purchase, minus the wireless card issue that I am keeping an eye on. Unless you are shipped a lemon, I think you will be satisfied too. I notice that Amazon jacked the price up from $1100 to over $1233 today... sucks. But I still think it's worth it at that price.
Features:
CPU--this is a multi-core, Intel 2.2 GHz Core i7-2670QM, there are two of them. 8 GB RAM (2 x 4GB)
Media: Blu-Ray drive, HD display
Input: Keyboard and touchpad
Expansion slots: none
Communications: Gigabit Ethernet LAN and Blu-Tooth 3.0 802.11b/g/n built in, antennae built in.
Sound: Bang & Olufson speakers, mic and headphones outlet
Camera: 2 megapixel
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition; included software is Microsoft Office 2010 suites but requiring a key for activation.
Graphics Interface: NVIDIA GeForce GT 635M with 2 GB DDR3 SDRAM
Hard Drive: 750 GB
Warranty: 2 year limited, 1 year accident coverage
Performance: This is clearly aimed at the gaming and entertainment market--great sound, wonderful graphics display and power enough for games, but usable as a PC for general applications (word processing, spreadsheets, internet access, email) as well. The battery is a lithium ion six-cell unit, but with all the power output for graphics, media and sound, you get about 3 or 4 hours of battery time, which is average but not bad.
Accessories: For gamers and blu-ray films, there is a bundled sub-woofer to add to your enjoyment of the sound. SonicMaster makes a small, tin-can sized unit that gives those deep bass sounds that add so much to exciting viewing or playing.
Bottom line: Very powerful, sleek, attractive game and entertainment PC with enough power, sound and display capability to make a very enjoyable experience in a very small format.
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This laptop is amazingly beautiful. It's my second Asus and I only had to buy this because I had to give my older one to my wife. The sound is incredible with its sonic master bundle. Although it is an entertaintment notebook, it's capable of playing many of the hard games and actually it's a pleasure to play on this laptop with its sonic master. You can watch blue ray movies in full resolution on its amazing screen even under sunlight. It appears Asus and B&O created a very good product. Highly reccomendable.Best Deals for ASUS N55SL-DS71 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black)
Pros:-So far, the computer has kept pretty cool.
-The screen isn't extremely glossy. I wanted a matte screen, so I was a little nervous ordering this computer.
-Sound quality is excellent. Even the included subwoofer packs a punch.
-Everything runs nice and fast (I've watched DVDs, streamed shows, and played games. It's all great).
-Keyboard has several buttons that my previous computer didn't have (and it's super convenient!)
-It's a very aesthetically attractive computer.
Cons:
-You may have trouble with this computer if you have small hands.
-The finger pad (If that's what it's called...) isn't centered! That's taken some getting used to. Apparently, that's actually fairly common.
-Just like all computers I've seen, it comes with a bunch of junk that I've gone through and uninstalled.
-The subwoofer started having issues connecting to it's port the same day I got the computer.
Ultimately, the computer is a bargain! The hardware is great, the computer's build is attractive and structurally sound, and everything is running wonderfully.
Honest reviews on ASUS N55SL-DS71 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black)
**Introduction**I was wary of buying this notebook because user reviews were sparse. I like to read complaints to get an idea of common issues. That said, I took a leap of faith and it turned out well.
I wanted a gaming laptop and was looking at higher priced models with dedicated/high performing graphics cards. This laptop has neither, but for the price and features, I don't feel bad about the compromise. (The GPU isn't shabby, but you won't be able to play some games on ultra high settings.)
Another reviewer detailed the specs, so I'll just mention my initial impressions.
**The Good**
I was checking out the Toshiba Qosmio X775-Q7384 17.3-Inch Gaming Laptop Fusion X2 Finish in Red Horizon, and compared to that beast, my ASUS is the prom queen. (It also offers a native resolution of 1980 x 1080p vs. 1900 x 600p for the Qosmio, but the Qosmio has a 7200rpm hdd vs. the 5400rpm hdd on the ASUS). The AC adapter is the size of a brick.
The nicest surprise was the incredible sound. An external subwoofer is included with your purchase; coupled with the Bang and Olufson speakers, the sound is better than my Samsung HDTV's.
The picture is crisp with a sweet 1080p resolution. No lackluster reds, good viewing angles, and fairly clean under a glare. Enjoy watching those 3D Blu-Rays (and burning regular BD's too).
It stays a lot cooler than my Lennovo Thinkpad while running TF2 for hours.
**The Bad**
The nastiest surprise was the amount of bloatware that came pre-installed. Google "ASUS Bloatware" and find the comprehensive forum post that details what programs you can safely uninstall. (Note: ASUS will force you to install the Bing toolbar before using the computer, but it is easily removed with CCleaner, PC Decrapifier etc. Don't remove the ATK package or Lifeframe, despite what the forums say.)
The power cord jack is going to spell trouble for some people. Be careful pulling the cord out of the computer, or you might damage it.
If you use the Cyberlink burner, the only way to get rid of the widget that appears is to end the Power2Go process. I don't appreciate having to take that step to close something I don't want to see.
**The Grey**
The keyboard is wide. This is not bad, but it takes some getting used to. If you ever took piano lessons and learned to stretch your fingers to hit the keys, it is a mildly similar feeling.
The touchpad is fairly sensitive. Also not bad, just takes some getting used to.
MS Office (Home) 2010 is pre-loaded. I went to Amazon to purchase the keycard, and was annoyed to find that they snail mail a paper keycard. I'm sure there is a "security" related justification for this, but not having electronic delivery as an option is painfully dumb.
**Final Thoughts**
Thus far I am satisfied with my purchase, minus the wireless card issue that I am keeping an eye on. Unless you are shipped a lemon, I think you will be satisfied too. I notice that Amazon jacked the price up from $1100 to over $1233 today... sucks. But I still think it's worth it at that price.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for ASUS N55SL-DS71 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black)
Ive been contemplating so many different laptops lately. This one caught my eye. & Ive researched this particular laptop a lot. It actually has 4 cores. A great video card as well. I only wish that I could find a larger battery pack. I suggest buying a wireless mouse for this lappy. & if you are a gamer like moi, this will suit you perfectly for gaming on the go or if you are in the military.
Sunday, August 31, 2014
Cheap ASUS X55C Series Laptop Computer, Intel Core i3-2328m, 6GB Memory
My previous laptop was perfectly adequate but the screen pixels were dying. I asked our IT guy at work for a recommendation and he suggested ASUS. So far I've been extremely pleased with it. The speed is great! I wasn't sure I was going to like the scrolling over screen but am getting used to it. It has plenty of memory for my purposes it may actually be more computer than I need...
PD: dont forget to buy one ;)
when you restart sometimes works well this port. but then the other port (USB 3.0) does not recognize the hard drive. the problem occurs only with the hard drive and other devices that it works well. as pendrives and celulales
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this laptop was well above my expectations. absolutely love it. never have i had a better laptop than this one.Best Deals for ASUS X55C Series Laptop Computer, Intel Core i3-2328m, 6GB Memory
Perfect size, look and details... included with a nice hardware makes it a great choise!!!PD: dont forget to buy one ;)
Honest reviews on ASUS X55C Series Laptop Computer, Intel Core i3-2328m, 6GB Memory
I team presents problems in USB 2.0 port to connect a laptop hard drive laptop is turned off.when you restart sometimes works well this port. but then the other port (USB 3.0) does not recognize the hard drive. the problem occurs only with the hard drive and other devices that it works well. as pendrives and celulales
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for ASUS X55C Series Laptop Computer, Intel Core i3-2328m, 6GB Memory
I purchased two of these laptops. The specs are great on paper, but I have had nothing but problems when trying to install updates, restart, or install applications. It may be a Windows 8 issue, or defective hardware. I figure if I am going to spend the money on a product it should work out of the box. I would spend more time troubleshooting the issue if my kids did not need them for school.
Monday, August 11, 2014
Best Toshiba Satellite A205-S5843 15.4" Laptop (1.73 GHz Intel Pentium Deals
I've written two books and a bunch of articles; I've designed and created a website with intensive graphics; I've used it for Skype and Netflix. No problems with any of it. Maybe it's not a Mercedes, but it's certainly a Cadillac. The only real complaint would be the battery life; running heavy graphics and text at full screen power, I'll get maybe three hours. If I ever need more, I'll get an external.
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I like this laptop because it has such good battery life. Would recommend this. Plays games fairly well..I installed Windows 7 after a bluescreen of death, and haven't had any problems since. It starts up fairly quickly, as well.
Monday, July 21, 2014
Thinkpad SL510 15.6" HD Review
This laptop seems OK after using it for a month or so. But you will spend a fair amount of time uninstalling the Lenovo crapware that comes pre-installed. Plus, their tech support is awful. If you go to Lenovos site you will find a bunch of broken links, and won't even be able to find the user guide if you need it. You will have to download the user guide from a third party site. My experience with Lenovo so far puts it pretty low on my trusted vendors list.
Friday, July 18, 2014
Review of ASUS NX90JQ-B2 18.4-Inch Versatile Entertainment Laptop (Silver
First, it is huge. Which is good, I think. The screen is incredibly crisp. A bit too reflective, but excellent for indoors use. The HDD led and the WiFi led are a bit too bright for me, so I placed color tape on them, now they don't bother me as much. Finding a laptop backpack was a pain for this monster, and I ordered the Toshiba backpack from Amazon, which was the largest backpack I could find, but it just barely fit in. It would have been a better idea to ship this laptop with a backpack or a bag. The sound of the speakers is great when typical laptop sound is considered, but it is not the best I have ever listened to. Keyboard is nice and firm, does not bounce. Two touchpads on the two sides are a nice touch, especially not having a touchpad right in the middle of the laptop is more comfortable than I thought. It is sort of like reaching out for the mouse. In sum, the advantages are:
best bang for the buck although not cheap,
the looks
the screen is wonderfully sharp,
the speakers are much better than any other laptop I have ever seen,
the i7 is wonderful,
the graphics card is one of the best you can get in a laptop,
the power this laptop packs is fantastic,
runs amazingly cool,
the high speed usb ports,
the touchpads
The disadvantages are
preinstalled junk software that is not needed at all,
bluetooth problems that were corrected simply by first upgrading and then uninstalling the wireless/bluetooth Widcomm software (let the operating system do it!)
DO NOT attempt to uninstall the WiFi/bluetooth software without upgrading it first, or you may lose all or part of your programs! (just google for "Widcomm uninstall wipes" and see for yourself).
I wish the speakers were removable, so that the laptop could be easier to pack.
screen should have been a bit more glossy.
I am not sure if I can unscrew the cover at the bottom of the laptop and reach for a HDD or install more ram, because I can't see any screws under the laptop!
Well, my 2 cents on NX90...
One more thing I love about this computer is that its very Silent and u wouldn't think u have it on if not for the screen and the lights on it. its so far the best computer i have experienced now and I have been a PC User for over 15 years... I have had and still have a control Room of self built Networked Powerful desktop computers that i use for other purposes So i really have a lots of experience with Windows PC's starting from Windows 95----to Windows 7 ultimate and Fredora Core as Well as SUSE Linux. this Laptop is worth the price its going for cos its fully Loaded and so beautiful that my Wife asked me what is that when I had it Closed and lying on the front seat of my car lol. And its also already prepared for international Use with regarding the Charger, at first I said to myself, this charging Unit looks kinda bulky and big, until I realized that it takes Electrical Voltage starting from 100v(America) to 224(international) without any Step down adapters or anything, just plug it in any country... NICE.
best bang for the buck although not cheap,
the looks
the screen is wonderfully sharp,
the speakers are much better than any other laptop I have ever seen,
the i7 is wonderful,
the graphics card is one of the best you can get in a laptop,
the power this laptop packs is fantastic,
runs amazingly cool,
the high speed usb ports,
the touchpads
The disadvantages are
preinstalled junk software that is not needed at all,
bluetooth problems that were corrected simply by first upgrading and then uninstalling the wireless/bluetooth Widcomm software (let the operating system do it!)
DO NOT attempt to uninstall the WiFi/bluetooth software without upgrading it first, or you may lose all or part of your programs! (just google for "Widcomm uninstall wipes" and see for yourself).
I wish the speakers were removable, so that the laptop could be easier to pack.
screen should have been a bit more glossy.
I am not sure if I can unscrew the cover at the bottom of the laptop and reach for a HDD or install more ram, because I can't see any screws under the laptop!
Well, my 2 cents on NX90...
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I ordered for this laptop on the labor day weekend online Sale. I had it for 1313.00 on buy.com and that was the cheapest anyone could ever have had as I did an extensive research in buying an i7 processor laptop. This laptop is Solid and very Nice. Powerful Led Screen and the speakers really have very good and crisp sound quality as well as loud for a laptop. its really a magnificent piece of Art work due to the Silver aluminium finish... it has a Metallic Look and the key board is very comfortable and smooth as I am typing this review with it Now. I just ordered a memory upgrade from corsair on Amazon recently and am looking forward to have a feel of this i7 processor at 12gb Rams of system Memory on windows 7. I think it will be super fast cos its already a fast machine...One more thing I love about this computer is that its very Silent and u wouldn't think u have it on if not for the screen and the lights on it. its so far the best computer i have experienced now and I have been a PC User for over 15 years... I have had and still have a control Room of self built Networked Powerful desktop computers that i use for other purposes So i really have a lots of experience with Windows PC's starting from Windows 95----to Windows 7 ultimate and Fredora Core as Well as SUSE Linux. this Laptop is worth the price its going for cos its fully Loaded and so beautiful that my Wife asked me what is that when I had it Closed and lying on the front seat of my car lol. And its also already prepared for international Use with regarding the Charger, at first I said to myself, this charging Unit looks kinda bulky and big, until I realized that it takes Electrical Voltage starting from 100v(America) to 224(international) without any Step down adapters or anything, just plug it in any country... NICE.
Best Deals for ASUS NX90JQ-B2 18.4-Inch Versatile Entertainment Laptop (Silver
The Asus NX90 is an amazing computer. It's very large and at 9.7 pounds isn't very portable,however as a desktop replacement it really works. The screen clarity is great,and the sound out of the Bang & Olufsen speakers is unreal. Runs very quiet and has a very nice feeling keyboard. The touchpads work really well ones you get used to it.Overall this computer is a great value,with top of the line specs, metal casing and very premium feel.The mirror finish looks really cool.Honest reviews on ASUS NX90JQ-B2 18.4-Inch Versatile Entertainment Laptop (Silver
I have laptops all the way up from an Acer to an Alienware and I call this one the Boss. In my opinion, I could easily switch that statement to "all the way up from an alienware to an Acer Iconia" and still be right. (I had a very bad experienc with Alienware, but never again) I think the biggest problem with this laptop is that no photos nor videos can do it justice. The look and feel of this laptop is un-real. I wish it had just a bit more memory, not that I would use it on this computer, but just to say that I had more. I also wish it had a better video card, and again, not that I would use it. I purchased this laptop for veiwing movies so it handle all needs. If you can find one I say buy now!Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for ASUS NX90JQ-B2 18.4-Inch Versatile Entertainment Laptop (Silver
The laptop was delivered quickly. The item was double boxed, but the ASUS shipping box had lots of writing on it, and did not look good. The ASUS black box and the computer was sealed and brand new. The computer worked fine, although you need to update the wireless switch on the ASUS site to get wireless networking to work. The seller was great and I would recommend him for your computer needs. This was a real good deal on this model with a good price and free shipping since it was the Amazon offer.
Saturday, July 5, 2014
Marathon 7" (178mm) Intel Atom 2GB 1.6GHz HDD 32GB Windows XP Review
List Price: $3,550.00
Sale Price: $3,030.74
Today's Bonus: 15% Off
I love. Many good time. I use for to build many mansion and for to fountains. Have good number to find thing in air. Trouble I am to have, is it were only one! I am to buying many more!
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
Discount Toshiba Satellite S855-S5378 15.6-Inch Laptop (Ice Blue Brushed
List Price: $799.99
Sale Price: $759.99
Today's Bonus: 5% Off
Usually I go with Asus for PC laptops. I'm replacing my MacBook Pro (I just don't need a Mac) and had two major requirements... an i7 Intel processor and 8G of RAM minimum. This system matched those easily.
There is a similar version of this laptop that has a Blue Ray burner instead of the DVD-RW, a much better graphics card (with 2G onboard RAM...), and an SSD boot drive with a 5400RPM regular drive (instead of just the 5400 regular drive). It was a little over $900. None of these were things I absolutely needed so I opted for the savings.
I have one qualm which docked it a star. The colors on the monitor are a bit muted. Its brightness, clarity, and so forth are all great, but the contrasts aren't as good. Then again, I am almost always hooked up to a dual monitor (which I haven't tested yet) instead of using the laptop monitor so I don't care quite as much, and movies still look fine, but don't expect the screen to be something fabulous.
The one thing that almost kept me from buying the system was its form factor. I was afraid from the pictures that it was going to be bulky and ugly. I have been pleasantly surprised, it is sleek. The weight is very well balanced, the keyboard is very comfy (and full size), the touch pad is well placed (I'm not having any palm problems).
In so far as speed, absolutely no problems there at all.
I really like this system, and am looking forward to a good long run with it.
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The other reviewer was upset that the specifications "did not match" the computer. As for speed, the processor runs "normally" at 2.4 GHz with turbo boost of speeds up to 3.4 GHz. I agree that the speed may be misleading, but it's important to note that with mobile processors, the speed difference is employed to help prolong battery life and only deliver the 3.4 GHz performance when absolutely needed.As for the hard drive only being reported as 688 GB when it is supposed to be 750 GB, there are 2 things probably affecting thisFirst, there is probably a hidden recovery partition and Windows won't report that as part of the drive. Second, Windows reports drives using powers of 1024 whereas drive manufacturers us powers of 1000 to report drive size. As an example, my computer has a 750 GB drive, but Windows only reports it as 654 GB. The recovery partition is using 29 GB and the remainder is accounted for by the "math error" that is manifested by the 2 different methods of calculating drive size. If you do a search for why the difference in reported hard drive sizes, you will find many articles that will explain this more clearly.
Best Deals for Toshiba Satellite S855-S5378 15.6-Inch Laptop (Ice Blue Brushed
This is my first Toshiba computer, and I love it. Fast attractive and fairly priced. I also love Windows 8, it is well designed and practical. The keyboard and mouse are very nice and the picture is beautiful. A great purchase at a very reasonable price. The brushed aluminum finish resists finger prints and cleans up like new.Honest reviews on Toshiba Satellite S855-S5378 15.6-Inch Laptop (Ice Blue Brushed
I've had mine for 2 months and am very pleased with it. Purchased it specifically to run Dragon Dictation, which requires a great deal of memory to run smoothly ~ never freezes, and I've never even used more than 35% of it's operating capacity... even running all of my programs at once.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Toshiba Satellite S855-S5378 15.6-Inch Laptop (Ice Blue Brushed
Overall, it's a wonderful computer. The keyboard is very nice, the screen is great, I really like that I have physical buttons to press down by the mousepad, shortcut keys are nice, windows I'm still adjusting to, but over-all great computer. There is no scroll feature on the mousepad, so that is kind of a let down. At first I was unsure if I wanted to go with this computer because of the screen resolution, but that hasn't really been a problem. The size is perfect, honestly. I don't think that the computer could be a better fit. It is a little heavy, but it's a full metal case, so that was expected. Also, I have noticed that I don't hit the shift key every single tie that I try to create a capital letter. That is one thing about this computer that I don't like. Even though the layout of the keyboad is nice, I have noticed that I need to put a little more pressure on the keys than what I am accustomed to doing. This is something I think most people need to adjust to when they get a new computer... Also, entirely my own fault so this is a warning to anyone that gets a computer through toshiba. When you turn the computer on for the first time, you need to go through the registration process where you type in all of your personal information, model number etc. Don't mess that up. It sounds like common sense, but I miss-typed one letter in my email, and I had try to figure out how to fix that by getting the ring around with Toshiba. Part of the problem was, at the time, I didn't know what my personal problem was with the computer, just that something went wrong in the registration. I was on the phone for literally hours before I finally figured it out and got the appropriate help. Moral of the story, if you don't know what the problem, then the help service isn't going to be incredibly helpful because they don't really fine tune the problems while on the phone. Don't make the stupid mistake I made and fill in the wrong registration information (duh, but it happens.Based on the product itself
4.5/5
Product and Service
I've had better service elsewhere, but this was just one isolated bad experience. Toshiba might actually have really good costumer service, I don't know.
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Reviews of HP Pavilion G6-1C77NR Notebook PC - Core i3-370M, 15.6" HD LED, 4GB
This computer appears to be very solidly belt. The keys and touchpad feel solid and well-designed. The touchpad has very good ballistics. The screen is bright and clear. This computer worked very well right out-of-the-box and is very quiet and fast. It also runs extremely cool, I have not detected any hot air emanating from it despite the large hard drive and fast processor. All my software installed easily with no hiccups. The performance exceeds my expectations. At the price I paid this computer is probably one of the best laptop values I have experienced. This one is a winner.
What might make it better? HP and Logitech make a deal to install the transceiver for a wireless mouse\keyboard internally? Bluetooth? All I am sure of is that this computer is pretty sweet for the price.
My old laptop was repaired twice in the past three years, I could have stretched it out a little longer, but I'm glad I upgraded. The shipping was extremely quick, the package was mediocre (the computer box packaged in an external shipping box with no fragile sticker, no peanuts, nothing to absorb a faulty shipping company. Luckily, the shipping company did not put one dent on the outer box.
The battery life thus far has been great, LED screen resolution takes a bit of getting used to from these LCD and plasma affixed pair of eyes, networking is relatively painless, the on-board mouse pad has awesome functionality (zoom-in, zoom-out, two finger scrolling, etc). Keys are easy to use, webcam/microphone built-in is amazing, look is sleek, design is light and easy to transport, the fan output has been routed to the side, so it doesn't heat up your lap, restricting airflow, the dvd drive can be somewhat loud during loading software, but I guess the spin rate is just that high that it creates that type of sound. The average battery lifespan thus far has been three (3) hours fully charged.
Great buy for students, working professionals, desktop users who are weary of buying a laptop and for those like me wishing to replace their older laptops with newer and sleeker designed laptop for the general public.
We have started to understand each other well. The keyboard is comfortable to use and the touch-pad has features like auto-scrolling, zooming in & out (even the desktop can be easily zoomed in to magnify everything if need arises, perhaps showing something to my uncle who has a poor eye-sight etc. )
The pavilion g6 is very user friendly.
The reason why I did not give it a five star rating though, is that I have had some problems of getting slight electric shocks through the keyboard while charging. The customer service said it is because the plug I use for charging is not earthed probably, but I have experienced the electric current even when the laptop was not plugged on for charging. Anyhow, it is only occasionally that happens, and since everything else about the laptop is just great (the webcam, the speed, the smooth start-up & shut-down, auto-updates for every thing, great HP support etc.) I'm all happy.
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Bought one of these from Fry's ~2 weeks ago. Worked right out of the box w/ easy setup instructions. I am in the age bracket that has been buying a computer, upgrading and then replacing repeatedly for almost 30 years now. I think we have collectively made Mr. Gates wealthy having to do the same thing with software. This is now all the computer I expect to need the rest of my life. It does everything quickly and cleanly and now it sees better and is probably smarter than I am. It certainly can remember more. We have come a long way baby from my first hard drive with only 20MB to the 640GB on this well-configured computer which, ironically, was also the least expensive of the bunch. All I need to do now is keep it clean (thank you Norton), use automatic updates (yeah Microsoft), install another 4GB memory (thank you HP for designing to leave one open slot) and my long love-hate relationship may tip the balance clearly to love.What might make it better? HP and Logitech make a deal to install the transceiver for a wireless mouse\keyboard internally? Bluetooth? All I am sure of is that this computer is pretty sweet for the price.
Best Deals for HP Pavilion G6-1C77NR Notebook PC - Core i3-370M, 15.6" HD LED, 4GB
I purchased this laptop to replace my bulky six year old HP laptop. My primary use for a laptop is for pleasure, I'm not an avid gamer, nor a programmer. My needs are simple, internet for search functions, office software for work, downloading pictures off the camera, storage of old pictures, movies, etc.My old laptop was repaired twice in the past three years, I could have stretched it out a little longer, but I'm glad I upgraded. The shipping was extremely quick, the package was mediocre (the computer box packaged in an external shipping box with no fragile sticker, no peanuts, nothing to absorb a faulty shipping company. Luckily, the shipping company did not put one dent on the outer box.
The battery life thus far has been great, LED screen resolution takes a bit of getting used to from these LCD and plasma affixed pair of eyes, networking is relatively painless, the on-board mouse pad has awesome functionality (zoom-in, zoom-out, two finger scrolling, etc). Keys are easy to use, webcam/microphone built-in is amazing, look is sleek, design is light and easy to transport, the fan output has been routed to the side, so it doesn't heat up your lap, restricting airflow, the dvd drive can be somewhat loud during loading software, but I guess the spin rate is just that high that it creates that type of sound. The average battery lifespan thus far has been three (3) hours fully charged.
Great buy for students, working professionals, desktop users who are weary of buying a laptop and for those like me wishing to replace their older laptops with newer and sleeker designed laptop for the general public.
Honest reviews on HP Pavilion G6-1C77NR Notebook PC - Core i3-370M, 15.6" HD LED, 4GB
el equipo es sencillo, perfecto de todo... bastante completo y rapido. me refiero a sencillo por que es un equipo que lo unico que le falta para ser perfecto es el bluethoo integrado. de resto el equipo es perfecto.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for HP Pavilion G6-1C77NR Notebook PC - Core i3-370M, 15.6" HD LED, 4GB
HP Pavilion g6 is my first ever personal laptop that I got about a year ago, and I don't think I would ever want a replacement since I am in love with it.We have started to understand each other well. The keyboard is comfortable to use and the touch-pad has features like auto-scrolling, zooming in & out (even the desktop can be easily zoomed in to magnify everything if need arises, perhaps showing something to my uncle who has a poor eye-sight etc. )
The pavilion g6 is very user friendly.
The reason why I did not give it a five star rating though, is that I have had some problems of getting slight electric shocks through the keyboard while charging. The customer service said it is because the plug I use for charging is not earthed probably, but I have experienced the electric current even when the laptop was not plugged on for charging. Anyhow, it is only occasionally that happens, and since everything else about the laptop is just great (the webcam, the speed, the smooth start-up & shut-down, auto-updates for every thing, great HP support etc.) I'm all happy.
Saturday, June 21, 2014
Best Lenovo IdeaPad Z580 215127U 15.6-Inch Laptop (Grey Metal) Deals
I have had this laptop for about a week now and I have to say that it has exceeded my expectations.
I was unsure of purchasing a Lenovo product since I never have before but after reading countless gret reviews for their products and reliability I was convinced to buy one. Since receiving this laptop everything has worked flawlessly. The screen has very good colours and viewing angles, the touch pad and keyboard is great and what Lenovo is known for. The speakers are loud and clear. My favourite thing is how cool it stays on my lap with a quiet fan on the left.
I was about to buy a Sony laptop but read that a lot of their recent laptops have poor reliability which is my top concern with buying a computer. Lenovo was at the top of the recent laptop reliability study that I read and I can now see why.
The only thing I ca think of that isn't great is the microphone. Over skype they said I had an echo when I talked. Otherwise I highly recommend this laptop. For it's price range it can't be beat.
I love that the bloatware is minimal to non-existent. First thing I did was delete McAfee Anti-Virus and installed AVG instead. The YouCam software is awesome. Also I'm pretty impressed with the Lenovo Boot Optimizer. My first boot took 67 seconds after running the app every other boot was between 43 & 49 seconds.
All in all I think this is a great bang for your buck. I highly recommend this product to any other consumers like me who are in the market for something that combines quality, performance & a great price. Also if I happen to stumble on to anything unpleasant in regards to this laptop I will be sure to update this review.
I've had computers since 1983, have studied programming, and consider myself an experienced user, but am not a programmer or geek. My last laptop was a SONY, and it was my favorite computer before this one. For me, this Lenovo is very well thought out. The gray brushed metal finish, which appears brown, looks great. I like the large ultra smooth touchpad, and that turning the "tap" feature off was easy to do by right clicking the touchpad icon in the taskbar. The LEDs are nice and dim, which is good at night.
I like the click and response of the keyboard, and that the delete key is a different shape, slightly bigger, and that controlling the sound volume and brightness is easy to do with the Fn key and arrow keys, and that the volume can also be adjusted with the LED lit sensor buttons above the keyboard. Incidentally the button on the right with the quarter moon is a fan clean dust button. In Windows 8, it will not adjust fan speed. The fan sound is quiet, but not perfectly silent like my SONY where I had to be about 2 inches away to even hear it.
It comes with a few somewhat useful little programs and not too much bloatware. My favorite software that it comes with, is the Dolby Home Theater v.4 with full equalizer. You access it through an icon in the taskbar (bottom right) and I have configured that so it shows on the taskbar, rather than being in the hidden section of taskbar icons.
At first I thought the speakers were not that great, but surprisingly, to watch a movie at night on them is like having a small home theater system for one, when you set the Dolby. The Dolby has to be turned on an off from an icon on the taskbar. The laptop speakers lack bass, but they are surprisingly clear, and much better than my previous SONY which required external speakers at all times. On the Dolby software, after you click on the Dolby icon and click the "on" button, it's the small button at the bottom middle to get to the equalizer and all the controls, including presets you can create yourself. The Dolby sound software will also come in handy if you have desktop speakers that don't come with a lot of controls, or just to use the terrific surround sound.
Most of the time, I use this laptop interfaced with a monitor, keyboard, old touchpad and speakers but I also use it as a laptop too. I like the 4 USB ports, and VGA and HDMI outputs. The Bluetooth, and WiDi are good to have even though I don't use them. WiDi allows wireless transmission to a TV with that receiver, or you can buy a receiver separately.
The screen is shiny and probably not the best for use outside or where glare is a problem.
The Windows 8 situation has little to do with the laptop, but I will mention that the worst thing about that at first was that when you make the least little left-to-right movement near the left side of the touchpad, it will take you back to the Metro/tiles and out of whatever you were doing. Do the swipe again, and you're back. I found the setting to turn that off in Windows.
When I plug this into my monitor, it sensed the monitor brand and resolution, which is something Vista wouldn't do.
I downloaded the classic shell to look like Windows 7, and may delete that later. I didn't want to deal with learning Windows 8 while setting it up. I'm glad I didn't get Windows 7 though, and the fast startup/shutdown times of Windows 8 are nice, and I keep discovering new, cool features about Windows 8.
Some people have complained about the jumpiness of the touchpad in that there are no left and right buttons but the entire pad dips down in the two bottom corners when depressed. It can cause your cursor to jump but hasn't been a problem for me. For me, turning off the tapping, and a few of the swipe features has it working well.
The battery life is only a few hours if playing a movie but twice as long if you're just using less power. The WiFi has automatic recognition, no switch. For me, the range is the same as my other laptop, about 50 feet. If you have trouble with the range, I'd suggest reconfiguring your wireless router with the laptop.
Before this worked really well, I had to do all the updates for Windows 8. I did other things too like transfer my browser profile -not just bookmarks but cookies, history, passwords and everything -which made switching to a new computer painless but was a surprisingly convoluted thing you have to do, to do that. The i5 is speedy and I like it a lot. It came with 8G of RAM which is the max, but it should last me another 6 years hopefully, maybe longer.
The Metro tiles and all that? I've played around with some of it. It's really more for touchscreen users, and if you know what you're doing, you can pretty much ignore it. I'm still exploring some of the things that might be useful about them.
Pros:
It's fast.
Cheap for what I got.
Haven't had any issues with software or things breaking.
I paid 600 dollars for this laptop, a mouse, and a case for the laptop.
Cons:
The touchpad is very sensitive and you need to be careful or you will barely press the touchpad and it will jump you to wherever the cursor is and you will start typing there.
When in sleep mode, whenever you wake it up it stays locked and you can't move the cursor for about seven seconds.
The battery life is truly 4 hours or sometimes less.
Update: The thing that I dislike the most is the touchpad buttons. Whenever I try to right click it will usually have the same function as a left click. The solution, get a mouse.
Some have complained about the keyboard but I disagree. The keyboard is a nice size, and the keys aren't poorly spaced. The only thing that I would change is somehow make the backspace button a little bit bigger.
Pros:
* Low noise emission, includes Lenovo's "smart fan, noise control"
* Full size keyboard with numpad
* Separate mic and headphone jacks
* HD, 1.2 MP (1280*720) webcam
* 4 USB ports (2 usb 3.0 and 2 usb 2.0)
* Descent built in speakers
Cons:
* Size (near 15" in length, common for this screen size)
* Screen resolution (1366*768, common for this screen size/price range)
* WiFi/ethernet (works ok, but can take up to 2~3 minutes to make a connection)
Overall, not a bad laptop for the price.
I was unsure of purchasing a Lenovo product since I never have before but after reading countless gret reviews for their products and reliability I was convinced to buy one. Since receiving this laptop everything has worked flawlessly. The screen has very good colours and viewing angles, the touch pad and keyboard is great and what Lenovo is known for. The speakers are loud and clear. My favourite thing is how cool it stays on my lap with a quiet fan on the left.
I was about to buy a Sony laptop but read that a lot of their recent laptops have poor reliability which is my top concern with buying a computer. Lenovo was at the top of the recent laptop reliability study that I read and I can now see why.
The only thing I ca think of that isn't great is the microphone. Over skype they said I had an echo when I talked. Otherwise I highly recommend this laptop. For it's price range it can't be beat.
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So I just received my Z580. After playing with it for a couple of hours let me say that I have zero regrets so far. I'm still tinkering with it. I was a little concerned about the integrated graphics card but in reality I'm not much of a PC gamer. I've viewed a couple of HD videos on YouTube and they render perfectlyI love that the bloatware is minimal to non-existent. First thing I did was delete McAfee Anti-Virus and installed AVG instead. The YouCam software is awesome. Also I'm pretty impressed with the Lenovo Boot Optimizer. My first boot took 67 seconds after running the app every other boot was between 43 & 49 seconds.
All in all I think this is a great bang for your buck. I highly recommend this product to any other consumers like me who are in the market for something that combines quality, performance & a great price. Also if I happen to stumble on to anything unpleasant in regards to this laptop I will be sure to update this review.
Best Deals for Lenovo IdeaPad Z580 215127U 15.6-Inch Laptop (Grey Metal)
I shopped around doing research online for a few weeks, for a sub-$500 laptop. I found the Z580 from an online store (they sold out quickly) for $445, but with 8G of RAM, same 3rd generation i5 and the rest the same as this one, except it came with Windows 8. When I found it, and then read and watched reviews, I ordered it immediately. In two weeks of looking, this stuck out as a great buy.I've had computers since 1983, have studied programming, and consider myself an experienced user, but am not a programmer or geek. My last laptop was a SONY, and it was my favorite computer before this one. For me, this Lenovo is very well thought out. The gray brushed metal finish, which appears brown, looks great. I like the large ultra smooth touchpad, and that turning the "tap" feature off was easy to do by right clicking the touchpad icon in the taskbar. The LEDs are nice and dim, which is good at night.
I like the click and response of the keyboard, and that the delete key is a different shape, slightly bigger, and that controlling the sound volume and brightness is easy to do with the Fn key and arrow keys, and that the volume can also be adjusted with the LED lit sensor buttons above the keyboard. Incidentally the button on the right with the quarter moon is a fan clean dust button. In Windows 8, it will not adjust fan speed. The fan sound is quiet, but not perfectly silent like my SONY where I had to be about 2 inches away to even hear it.
It comes with a few somewhat useful little programs and not too much bloatware. My favorite software that it comes with, is the Dolby Home Theater v.4 with full equalizer. You access it through an icon in the taskbar (bottom right) and I have configured that so it shows on the taskbar, rather than being in the hidden section of taskbar icons.
At first I thought the speakers were not that great, but surprisingly, to watch a movie at night on them is like having a small home theater system for one, when you set the Dolby. The Dolby has to be turned on an off from an icon on the taskbar. The laptop speakers lack bass, but they are surprisingly clear, and much better than my previous SONY which required external speakers at all times. On the Dolby software, after you click on the Dolby icon and click the "on" button, it's the small button at the bottom middle to get to the equalizer and all the controls, including presets you can create yourself. The Dolby sound software will also come in handy if you have desktop speakers that don't come with a lot of controls, or just to use the terrific surround sound.
Most of the time, I use this laptop interfaced with a monitor, keyboard, old touchpad and speakers but I also use it as a laptop too. I like the 4 USB ports, and VGA and HDMI outputs. The Bluetooth, and WiDi are good to have even though I don't use them. WiDi allows wireless transmission to a TV with that receiver, or you can buy a receiver separately.
The screen is shiny and probably not the best for use outside or where glare is a problem.
The Windows 8 situation has little to do with the laptop, but I will mention that the worst thing about that at first was that when you make the least little left-to-right movement near the left side of the touchpad, it will take you back to the Metro/tiles and out of whatever you were doing. Do the swipe again, and you're back. I found the setting to turn that off in Windows.
When I plug this into my monitor, it sensed the monitor brand and resolution, which is something Vista wouldn't do.
I downloaded the classic shell to look like Windows 7, and may delete that later. I didn't want to deal with learning Windows 8 while setting it up. I'm glad I didn't get Windows 7 though, and the fast startup/shutdown times of Windows 8 are nice, and I keep discovering new, cool features about Windows 8.
Some people have complained about the jumpiness of the touchpad in that there are no left and right buttons but the entire pad dips down in the two bottom corners when depressed. It can cause your cursor to jump but hasn't been a problem for me. For me, turning off the tapping, and a few of the swipe features has it working well.
The battery life is only a few hours if playing a movie but twice as long if you're just using less power. The WiFi has automatic recognition, no switch. For me, the range is the same as my other laptop, about 50 feet. If you have trouble with the range, I'd suggest reconfiguring your wireless router with the laptop.
Before this worked really well, I had to do all the updates for Windows 8. I did other things too like transfer my browser profile -not just bookmarks but cookies, history, passwords and everything -which made switching to a new computer painless but was a surprisingly convoluted thing you have to do, to do that. The i5 is speedy and I like it a lot. It came with 8G of RAM which is the max, but it should last me another 6 years hopefully, maybe longer.
The Metro tiles and all that? I've played around with some of it. It's really more for touchscreen users, and if you know what you're doing, you can pretty much ignore it. I'm still exploring some of the things that might be useful about them.
Honest reviews on Lenovo IdeaPad Z580 215127U 15.6-Inch Laptop (Grey Metal)
I have had this laptop for the last four months and have been using it for college. There are many things that I like about it and there are some things that bug me about the laptop but aren't too big of an issue.Pros:
It's fast.
Cheap for what I got.
Haven't had any issues with software or things breaking.
I paid 600 dollars for this laptop, a mouse, and a case for the laptop.
Cons:
The touchpad is very sensitive and you need to be careful or you will barely press the touchpad and it will jump you to wherever the cursor is and you will start typing there.
When in sleep mode, whenever you wake it up it stays locked and you can't move the cursor for about seven seconds.
The battery life is truly 4 hours or sometimes less.
Update: The thing that I dislike the most is the touchpad buttons. Whenever I try to right click it will usually have the same function as a left click. The solution, get a mouse.
Some have complained about the keyboard but I disagree. The keyboard is a nice size, and the keys aren't poorly spaced. The only thing that I would change is somehow make the backspace button a little bit bigger.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Lenovo IdeaPad Z580 215127U 15.6-Inch Laptop (Grey Metal)
I purchased this as a replacement for a Toshiba laptop I purchased a few weeks earlier that was too noisy for my liking. This was a huge improvement in the noise department, the laptop is fairly quiet in regular running mode, only when benchmarking it was the fan really noticeable. The other improvement was the touchpad's multi-touch scrolling, it was more accurate than other Laptop's, although I did have to disable the "pinch-to-zoom" feature as it was problematic when web-browsing. The downside was the processor wasn't quite as powerful as the laptop it replaced, but that was a mostly an unavoidable tradeoff to get something less noisy without a significant jump in price. The other drawback was size, the laptop case is just under 15" in length making it a bit bulkier than I would have liked as I would be carrying it with me quite a lot. Because of the size, I ended up going for the 14" Lenovo Z480 instead, it has all the same basic specs as the 580, but in a smaller case size. The Z480's other tradeoffs (aside from the screen size) were a smaller hard drive (500GB vs 750), smaller keyboard (no numpad), and a slightly louder running noise (maybe a decibel or 2 higher). I kind of regretted returning it, if the ~15" length isn't an issue for you this is a very good machine.Pros:
* Low noise emission, includes Lenovo's "smart fan, noise control"
* Full size keyboard with numpad
* Separate mic and headphone jacks
* HD, 1.2 MP (1280*720) webcam
* 4 USB ports (2 usb 3.0 and 2 usb 2.0)
* Descent built in speakers
Cons:
* Size (near 15" in length, common for this screen size)
* Screen resolution (1366*768, common for this screen size/price range)
* WiFi/ethernet (works ok, but can take up to 2~3 minutes to make a connection)
Overall, not a bad laptop for the price.
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