Showing posts with label chrome notebooks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chrome notebooks. Show all posts
Sunday, December 7, 2014
Discount Certified Pre-Owned Aluminum PowerBook G4/1.5 GHz, 1.3 GB of RAM
This product arrived super quick, with extra software included. The seller even included a 1 GB card to upgrade the RAM. Would definitely buy from this seller again.NO AIRPORT CARD LOOKED LIKE IT WAS REBUILT SCRATHES EVERYWHERE NO USB NO ETHERNET INPUT IT WAS JUST AWFUL SPECS WERE WRONG LIED ABOUT EVERYTHING
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Buy HP Pavilion dv7-7010us 17.3-Inch Laptop (Black)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program After owning various other laptop computers (Toshibas, Gateways, etc.), I can say I'm sold on the HP Pavillion series. This is my second Pavillion laptop from HP, the first being the 11.6 inch Pavillion dm1 which I've owned and used daily for a couple years now. HP Pavillion computers are built sturdy and reliable, intuitive in design and simple to use.
This HP Pavillion dv7-7010 model has met my expectations and has been a joy to use so far. It's large! At 17.3 inches (on the other end of the size spectrum from my 11.6" HP) it's slightly less portable and versatile just because of it's size. The battery that came with it is also large, it has a foot that props the laptop up a bit--which was strange to me at first, but I like it. This also probably allows air to circulate under the laptop to prevent overheating.
Set up is simple, although we did encounter a hiccup with our model. When it arrived, I immediately began setup, which is as simple as loading the battery and plugging it in. Once I powered it on, however, the computer initially had issues and gave an error message telling us the hard drive was failing. While this was a major let down at first, it was resolved quite quickly by a call to HP tech support (I was happy to have my call answered straight away) and the tech had us disconnect the hard drive and plug it back in, then restart and see if it worked. The computer then started up just fine and has worked perfectly ever since. Apparently, this was probably caused by a loose connection due to jostling during shipping or something. Sometimes the hard drive gets disconnected slightly or wasn't properly connected at the factory. I'm happy to say that tech support was very helpful, and even offered to call back the next day to check and see if the computer was still functioning properly. Since then, as I said, there have been no further issues. My experience with the tech support was a good one, and I'm happy to report that is the first time I've ever needed to contact them, my other HP has had zero issues over the last couple years. So, obviously, I think this is a very reliable brand!
The screen is bright and clear (and large!), the sound is better than most laptops with it's fancy Beats Audio speakers, and the laptop itself is sturdy and good looking. One of the coolest features that is new to me as a laptop user was the "HP Simple Pass" fingerprint scanner. Located on the right side, just below the keyboard, is a little scanner that uses your fingerprint as a password! You can sync it to most accounts (Yahoo Mail, bank accounts, Facebook, Twitter, Paypal, etc). I think this feature is really neat and cutting edge.
With 6GB of memory, a 750GB hard drive, and ginormous screen, this would make a great laptop for mild to moderate gaming (or moms like me, who store a million and one photos and videos of their kids...)and young professionals. Due to it's size, this laptop makes a great desktop replacement. If you like the style of a desktop, but need a portable computer, this is a great choice. The Cyberlink You Cam software is fun, and the webcam seems to be better quality than on my smaller, older HP Pavillion.
The touch pad is smartly designed, a double tap in one corner will lock it, and you can pinch your fingers inward or outward for easy-zooming in, and two fingers drawn up or down controls scroll.
Though I haven't had this Pavillion dv7 for long, it's been impressive and met my expectations. I'll definitely update this review if I encounter any changes in performance or reliability. Since I've been using an HP Pavillion laptop for a few years now, however, I can definitely vouch for this series having a reputation of reliability and durability. I really love the HP style keyboards, too. I used to have lots of issues with my old Toshiba & Gateway losing keys like crazy, they seemed much more fragile.
HP is a trustworthy brand, in my book, and I'm so happy to have another great laptop from the Pavillion series. I would definitely recommend this laptop to those searching for a large, competent computer that will last you a long time. If you have questions I didn't answer about this product, feel free to leave a comment and I'll be happy to answer it the best I can.
UPDATE 7/26/12: I've had a request for photos of the battery size, which I've added and you can now see in the photos on this product listing. The battery does definitely add some bulk. That, and the size of the entire laptop, is why I suggest this might be the perfect choice for those who'd really prefer a desktop, and will mostly be keeping a stationary computer, but for whatever reason need to have it be portable from time to time.
Weighing in at over 6 1/2 lbs, this is really a desktop replacement and not a very travel-friendly machine. It's possible, but not recommended. I tried lugging it around for several days to and from the office on my commute and it felt very awkward carrying such a large contraption around. The protruding battery makes for an awkward handhold and may cause fitting problems with laptop sleeves. It makes the laptop look lumpy and causes an unsightly bulge in my Case Logic LAPS-117 17 17.3 -Inch Laptop Sleeve (Black)! The battery is meant to elevate the laptop off the desk and provide better airflow underneath, but it doubles the height profile. True to its claims, the CoolSense technology keeps the laptop operating at very cool temperature. By far, it's the coolest laptop I've ever used. I've had many lap cookers, but this one is comfortable and I don't have to worry about starting a fire on my bed or baking my thighs. It's been on for an hour and the bottom of the laptop is only slightly warm. Battery life is very good. At the 1 hr mark, it has only depleted 15%, but of course, this will vary greatly depending on what you're doing. I'm only typing in a browser, so I'm not demanding a lot of processing. If you're watching a movie or playing a game, the battery will drain faster.
I like the dedicated WiFi on/off button. It makes it easy for me to switch between WiFi and a hard line. I also like the integrated AuthenTec finger print scanner. It's the wave of the future (Apple recently acquired them for $350 million). You can login to your machine with it. When you login to a website for the first time, it'll ask you if you want to remember the password. The next time you come back to the site, the finger scanner will blink. Just swipe your finger on it and the system will login for you. The swiping isn't perfect and if you do it too fast, or are off-center, you'll have to do it again. This is a huge help because I have so many passwords to so many sites that I cannot keep track. You do know NOT TO keep passwords in something like an Excel file, right? Or using the same password for multiple sites? This finger scanner gets rid of that huge headache. The functionality isn't browser dependent. If you register a site in Internet Explorer, you'll be able to swipe if you go there in Chrome, or any other browser. Coming back from sleep, however, HP SimplePass failed. It did not recognize when I was trying to login and the sensor did not blink. Worst of all, Windows reported that the sensor was disconnected. I had to reboot to restore functionality. I will update my review if this keeps happening. So far it's only happened once.
HDMI is another great feature, if you do presentations or want to watch movies on your HDTV. A Blu-ray drive would've made this perfect as a complete portable entertainment rig. The speakers are loud and suitable for parties or presentations. Sound output varies greatly with laptops and I'm glad this one is loud. You'd have no problems hearing it from across the room at max volume. Other features: SD card is standard these days as is integrated webcam. It has three USB 3.0 ports to be future-proof, since most portable hard drives these days are USB 3.0. The new plug is up to 10x faster than USB 2.0. All 4 ports are the same, so you can still plug in USB 2.0 devices into the 3.0 ports.
I have not yet tested gaming performance.
DISLIKES:
The full keyboard, to me, is suboptimal and less of a blessing and something of a curse. As my first 17" class laptop, I'm finding myself having to relearn the keyboard layout to account for the extra keypad. My spatial memory wants to think that the keys just end before that. I rarely use the keypad on a desktop keyboard, so I don't need it on a laptop. The arrow keys are way too small in comparison to their importance, particularly the up and down keys, which are half the height of the left and right. I have to feel for them to locate if I don't want to look down. Other laptops have the familiar inverted T configuration. On a full-sized desktop keyboard, the arrow keys are usually isolated into its own block of buttons (just look down at your keyboard if you're on a desktop computer). Here, they are jammed together under the Shift key in a very cramped and poorly thought-out configuration. For gamers, this is very detrimental. It is also worth mentioning that my spacebar squeaks.
Another very big annoyance is that during typing, if you brush your palm even slightly against the trackpad, the cursor will get moved to another location. This has happened about 5 times as I type this review. I consciously tried to avoid triggering the pad, but all of a sudden, the cursor will pop to someplace new or click into a previously browsed page in my history. While trying to write some code in a text editor, the cursor kept popping to different lines in my editing window. This makes for a very frustrating experience as it's easy to just type over entire blocks of text and I have to spend time undoing the accidental typing. I've never experienced this ever on another laptop.
Pinch to zoom I didn't like at all and turned it off. It kept misfiring in Google Chrome and zooming my text up and down unintentionally. I highly recommend an external mouse, like Logitech M305 Wireless Mouse.
Space-wasting power jack: the plug goes in the right side of the laptop and sticks out another 2 inches. As if the laptop itself isn't taking up enough space! Most laptops have it coming out the back.
SUMMARY:
All in all, a very solid laptop with a lot of ports, features, and versatility at a very competitive price. Well worth considering if you're in the market for a new machine.
UPDATE 9/19/12: I left this in my office drawer for several weeks and then took it on a work trip, but forgot to take the AC adapter! It had about 35% power left and lasted a good 2 hours before shutting down. That's pretty impressive for the battery.
I continue to be underwhelmed by the screen and poor visibility unless you are directly looking at it. Any other angle and visibility is reduced.
UPDATE 10/19/12: I installed my first game, XCOM: Enemy Unknown. Runs very fast, even with all the graphics options turned to high. Absolutely no complaints here!
One of the features I hardly cared about or noticed, fingerprint scanning, has been one of the more use-changing features about it. It is great logging in to the computer, all websites and even opening custom sets of pages with a swipe of a finger! That's right, swipe your finger when you're not at a login page, and it opens the specific pages you choose! :)
This computer runs everything I wanted it to (including some high-demand CAD programs!). It is the "best of the rest" when it comes to mid-level laptops. The performance ratings seem to be on par with most $900-$1400 laptops for how I use it (CAD, music, video, browser, lots of specialized background programs such as flux and launchy). I have ran all of those run at once without any major slowdowns.
For me, this laptop is sleek and sturdy and light enough to carry around anywhere. I don't even bother carrying the cord. Want to know why? The battery lasts 7-9 hours with the way I use the laptop (normal brightness, lots of programs running). If I put it on power saver and only run a couple things, that can be stretched out. 7-9 hours of usage is plenty for most any given day while I am out and about.
The glossy screen is not ideal but if that doesn't bother you, the rest of the laptop will impress. This is the best laptop I've ever used. I wouldn't even compare this to a macbook air... macbook airs are not in this class of performance and capabilities. If this package had an apple on it, it would be, just rough guessing :P, $1800 or more.
So why did I feel the need to have a full-size laptop? I wanted the storage capacity for one. And this workhorse really has it 6gb of RAM and a 750gb hard drive. Plenty of room for all my photos (LOTS), all my music (LOTS AND LOTS) and copies of my reviews and other correspondence. Those are my main uses for the laptop.
I also wanted a larger keyboard and I especially like having the numeric keypad, too, since I have an accounting background and find it easier to use for long strings of numbers. I like the feel of the alpha keypad, too. Very nice to type on.
This machine is a monster, though. Who would have thought that 17.3 inches was so big...hmmmm...There are a couple of differing sets of outer dimensions listed on Amazon for this laptop so I went ahead and measured it again for you. What I come up with is 16 1/2" length; 11" width; 1 3/16" height at the front of the laptop and 2 3/16" height at the back of the laptop, which includes the battery pack.
One thing I found out is that this laptop is too big to sit on my lap and type in front of the television. Other reviewers who have said this would make a good work station computer are right. But I decided to get a small table to set this on so I could still use in the living room. I went with the 2 Smart Table Mate TV Foldable Adjustable Trays. Free shipping on the tables (I got two since there was a price break). Easy to assemble table, pretty sturdy, the laptop fits nicely on it. The table legs slide under the couch and I can see my TV over the open laptop.
One of the first things I did to the laptop was turn off the touchpad. Call me old school but I like having a mouse. I plugged in my wireless mouse Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse 4000 Special Edition Wool Blue and I was ready to go. There's not a lot of extra room on my little table so I use the mouse on the couch. Works fine for me.
I guess I should mention set up. My husband is the tech guru in the house and got the laptop ready for me. He said it came out of the box basically ready to use. The only problem we had and it was OUR problem was we ended up having to get a new wireless router with more band width. Our old one was just that OLD and we had too many wireless devices using it. We got the new router and no problem. My husband downloaded all my old files onto the laptop and I've been using it since.
Things I like:
1. I love the big screen. Photography is one of my hobbies and the bigger screen is great for viewing and editing my photos. Great color too. It is also wonderful to watch movies, TV shows, You Tube, etc. on. Much easier to see than my netbook or the Fire.
2. Typing is much easier on the bigger keyboard than I am used to, at least once the touchpad is turned off. If you leave the touchpad on, you will find that you hit it with the palm of your right hand and the laptop then takes you all over where you don't want to go. I kept losing a review I was typing until I finally turned the touchpad totally off. Double tap on the top left hand corner of the touchpad to turn off (you will see a tiny red light come on to the left of the touchpad when you do this).
3. The camera is wonderful. It adjusts for light and the picture is then very clear for Skype or for videos or whatever you might use it for. There is a fun little program included with the laptop Cyberlink You Cam and you can do fun little things with your picture such as wear hats, etc. while skyping or taking photos.
4. I LOVE the Beats Audio system on the laptop. I am partially deaf and am NEVER able to hear on any of my equipment (until now) unless I put headphones/ear buds on. I don't even have the audio turned up full blast on this and I can hear just fine with no distortion. I love being able to listen to my music on it. There are four speakers two in the lid and two in the base and then a sub woofer underneath the unit. Great sound. I can actually hear movies I'm watching on it, too.
5. My husband played World of Warcraft on the system. Great graphics and sound, he said.
Some minor issues I've noticed:
1. The arrow keys on the alpha keyboard are not set up well at all. The up and down keys sit in between the left and right keys and are half the size of the left-right keys. When my husband was playing World of Warcraft, he turned off the numeric lock on the numeric keypad and used the arrows on it. Much easier for game playing, he said.
2. I wish there were a DVD/CD slot in the side of the laptop, having the entire system internal with an exterior eject button, rather than a disc tray that pops out. It feels a little flimsy as I'm pushing the discs down onto the spindle. Be sure to support the tray from underneath. It works fine, though.
3. There is a hinged cover on the left side of the laptop, covering the network jack. It opens easily but is rather difficult to get lined up and closed correctly. I'm not quite sure why there is a cover on this anyway. None of the other jacks have covers. This one has a rubber hinged little door that fits in slots. Or it's supposed to fit in the slots.
4. I really wish the keyboard was backlit on the laptop especially when watching movies. In the user manual, it says F5 is supposed to light up the keyboard. Well, it's not included on this unit (and it's not supposed to be as far as I can tell).
5. I do NOT like Windows 7 which is included with the laptop. I was perfectly fine with Windows XP. Watch out when you have multiple windows open they are extremely easy to close and thus lose information.
But, all in all, I am very happy with the laptop. I'm glad I made the move to the bigger laptop. I still miss holding the laptop actually on my lap and typing, which you can't easily do with this, but I'm getting used to the table. And the typing is much easier.
Oh, I got a great laptop case for this that looks nice and fits well. It is 17.3" Slipsuit Sleeve Red. Good price and very well made. The only thing that would have made it better is a shoulder strap. But I don't foresee traveling with this laptop too much. It is just too big.
I haven't had this too long. If anything else comes up, I will edit my review and let you know.
The stuff I like (What I think makes it Good)
* AMD Quad-Core A10-4600M (2.3 GHz )
* AMD Radeon HD 7660G Discrete-Class
* Up to 12 hours and 30 minutes Battery Life
* 17.3" diagonal HD+ BrightView LED-backlit (1600 x 900)
* Full-Size Island-Style Keyboard with Integrated Numeric Keypad
* Beats Audio; HP Triple Bass Reflex Subwoofer; 4 speakers
* 3 Super Speed USB 3.0
* SATA III
What would make this Excellent (Which is available as parts) if you could Customize & Buy, and add the following and FYI. These options are not available with the HP Pavilion g7z-2100 Notebook PC
* Radon HD 7730M graphics (dual graphics)
* Second hard drive(so that you could add a SSD for Boot Drive)
* Keyboard with backlight
* Blu-ray writer & SuperMulti DVD burner
* WINDOWS 7 ULTIMATE 64-BIT
Well to end this, I hope HP comes out with a Customize & Buy for this, I think it would sell very well, I have sent them emails to this effect
Please!! Contact HP, if you agree about Customize & Buy for This Laptop
This HP Pavillion dv7-7010 model has met my expectations and has been a joy to use so far. It's large! At 17.3 inches (on the other end of the size spectrum from my 11.6" HP) it's slightly less portable and versatile just because of it's size. The battery that came with it is also large, it has a foot that props the laptop up a bit--which was strange to me at first, but I like it. This also probably allows air to circulate under the laptop to prevent overheating.
Set up is simple, although we did encounter a hiccup with our model. When it arrived, I immediately began setup, which is as simple as loading the battery and plugging it in. Once I powered it on, however, the computer initially had issues and gave an error message telling us the hard drive was failing. While this was a major let down at first, it was resolved quite quickly by a call to HP tech support (I was happy to have my call answered straight away) and the tech had us disconnect the hard drive and plug it back in, then restart and see if it worked. The computer then started up just fine and has worked perfectly ever since. Apparently, this was probably caused by a loose connection due to jostling during shipping or something. Sometimes the hard drive gets disconnected slightly or wasn't properly connected at the factory. I'm happy to say that tech support was very helpful, and even offered to call back the next day to check and see if the computer was still functioning properly. Since then, as I said, there have been no further issues. My experience with the tech support was a good one, and I'm happy to report that is the first time I've ever needed to contact them, my other HP has had zero issues over the last couple years. So, obviously, I think this is a very reliable brand!
The screen is bright and clear (and large!), the sound is better than most laptops with it's fancy Beats Audio speakers, and the laptop itself is sturdy and good looking. One of the coolest features that is new to me as a laptop user was the "HP Simple Pass" fingerprint scanner. Located on the right side, just below the keyboard, is a little scanner that uses your fingerprint as a password! You can sync it to most accounts (Yahoo Mail, bank accounts, Facebook, Twitter, Paypal, etc). I think this feature is really neat and cutting edge.
With 6GB of memory, a 750GB hard drive, and ginormous screen, this would make a great laptop for mild to moderate gaming (or moms like me, who store a million and one photos and videos of their kids...)and young professionals. Due to it's size, this laptop makes a great desktop replacement. If you like the style of a desktop, but need a portable computer, this is a great choice. The Cyberlink You Cam software is fun, and the webcam seems to be better quality than on my smaller, older HP Pavillion.
The touch pad is smartly designed, a double tap in one corner will lock it, and you can pinch your fingers inward or outward for easy-zooming in, and two fingers drawn up or down controls scroll.
Though I haven't had this Pavillion dv7 for long, it's been impressive and met my expectations. I'll definitely update this review if I encounter any changes in performance or reliability. Since I've been using an HP Pavillion laptop for a few years now, however, I can definitely vouch for this series having a reputation of reliability and durability. I really love the HP style keyboards, too. I used to have lots of issues with my old Toshiba & Gateway losing keys like crazy, they seemed much more fragile.
HP is a trustworthy brand, in my book, and I'm so happy to have another great laptop from the Pavillion series. I would definitely recommend this laptop to those searching for a large, competent computer that will last you a long time. If you have questions I didn't answer about this product, feel free to leave a comment and I'll be happy to answer it the best I can.
UPDATE 7/26/12: I've had a request for photos of the battery size, which I've added and you can now see in the photos on this product listing. The battery does definitely add some bulk. That, and the size of the entire laptop, is why I suggest this might be the perfect choice for those who'd really prefer a desktop, and will mostly be keeping a stationary computer, but for whatever reason need to have it be portable from time to time.
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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I'm a graphics/web professional and have owned many laptops over the years, from tiny netbooks to larger portables like the Macbook Pro 15", but none this large. At 17", this HP DV7 is a hulking beast. It's a beautiful machine with a beautiful wide screen, perfect for people who keep a lot of windows open. Most of the programs I use have a lot of menus and floating toolbars all over the place, especially Adobe Creative Suite, so a wider screen lets you see more of the workspace unobstructed. The machine is loaded up with plenty of hard drive space and RAM, so for it should fits the bill for most users. Set up was easy. It took about 15 or 20 minutes from unboxing to getting the laptop all configured and getting online. I find the contrast of the screen a bit low, however. Colors aren't as deep as I've seen on other laptops. Viewing angle is also limited. You have to look dead on at the screen at a 90 degree angle, otherwise the contrast and colors look slightly faded. In Chrome, under low light conditions, the screen kept adjusting the brightness by itself as I scrolled from top to bottom. I did not find a way to disable this.Weighing in at over 6 1/2 lbs, this is really a desktop replacement and not a very travel-friendly machine. It's possible, but not recommended. I tried lugging it around for several days to and from the office on my commute and it felt very awkward carrying such a large contraption around. The protruding battery makes for an awkward handhold and may cause fitting problems with laptop sleeves. It makes the laptop look lumpy and causes an unsightly bulge in my Case Logic LAPS-117 17 17.3 -Inch Laptop Sleeve (Black)! The battery is meant to elevate the laptop off the desk and provide better airflow underneath, but it doubles the height profile. True to its claims, the CoolSense technology keeps the laptop operating at very cool temperature. By far, it's the coolest laptop I've ever used. I've had many lap cookers, but this one is comfortable and I don't have to worry about starting a fire on my bed or baking my thighs. It's been on for an hour and the bottom of the laptop is only slightly warm. Battery life is very good. At the 1 hr mark, it has only depleted 15%, but of course, this will vary greatly depending on what you're doing. I'm only typing in a browser, so I'm not demanding a lot of processing. If you're watching a movie or playing a game, the battery will drain faster.
I like the dedicated WiFi on/off button. It makes it easy for me to switch between WiFi and a hard line. I also like the integrated AuthenTec finger print scanner. It's the wave of the future (Apple recently acquired them for $350 million). You can login to your machine with it. When you login to a website for the first time, it'll ask you if you want to remember the password. The next time you come back to the site, the finger scanner will blink. Just swipe your finger on it and the system will login for you. The swiping isn't perfect and if you do it too fast, or are off-center, you'll have to do it again. This is a huge help because I have so many passwords to so many sites that I cannot keep track. You do know NOT TO keep passwords in something like an Excel file, right? Or using the same password for multiple sites? This finger scanner gets rid of that huge headache. The functionality isn't browser dependent. If you register a site in Internet Explorer, you'll be able to swipe if you go there in Chrome, or any other browser. Coming back from sleep, however, HP SimplePass failed. It did not recognize when I was trying to login and the sensor did not blink. Worst of all, Windows reported that the sensor was disconnected. I had to reboot to restore functionality. I will update my review if this keeps happening. So far it's only happened once.
HDMI is another great feature, if you do presentations or want to watch movies on your HDTV. A Blu-ray drive would've made this perfect as a complete portable entertainment rig. The speakers are loud and suitable for parties or presentations. Sound output varies greatly with laptops and I'm glad this one is loud. You'd have no problems hearing it from across the room at max volume. Other features: SD card is standard these days as is integrated webcam. It has three USB 3.0 ports to be future-proof, since most portable hard drives these days are USB 3.0. The new plug is up to 10x faster than USB 2.0. All 4 ports are the same, so you can still plug in USB 2.0 devices into the 3.0 ports.
I have not yet tested gaming performance.
DISLIKES:
The full keyboard, to me, is suboptimal and less of a blessing and something of a curse. As my first 17" class laptop, I'm finding myself having to relearn the keyboard layout to account for the extra keypad. My spatial memory wants to think that the keys just end before that. I rarely use the keypad on a desktop keyboard, so I don't need it on a laptop. The arrow keys are way too small in comparison to their importance, particularly the up and down keys, which are half the height of the left and right. I have to feel for them to locate if I don't want to look down. Other laptops have the familiar inverted T configuration. On a full-sized desktop keyboard, the arrow keys are usually isolated into its own block of buttons (just look down at your keyboard if you're on a desktop computer). Here, they are jammed together under the Shift key in a very cramped and poorly thought-out configuration. For gamers, this is very detrimental. It is also worth mentioning that my spacebar squeaks.
Another very big annoyance is that during typing, if you brush your palm even slightly against the trackpad, the cursor will get moved to another location. This has happened about 5 times as I type this review. I consciously tried to avoid triggering the pad, but all of a sudden, the cursor will pop to someplace new or click into a previously browsed page in my history. While trying to write some code in a text editor, the cursor kept popping to different lines in my editing window. This makes for a very frustrating experience as it's easy to just type over entire blocks of text and I have to spend time undoing the accidental typing. I've never experienced this ever on another laptop.
Pinch to zoom I didn't like at all and turned it off. It kept misfiring in Google Chrome and zooming my text up and down unintentionally. I highly recommend an external mouse, like Logitech M305 Wireless Mouse.
Space-wasting power jack: the plug goes in the right side of the laptop and sticks out another 2 inches. As if the laptop itself isn't taking up enough space! Most laptops have it coming out the back.
SUMMARY:
All in all, a very solid laptop with a lot of ports, features, and versatility at a very competitive price. Well worth considering if you're in the market for a new machine.
UPDATE 9/19/12: I left this in my office drawer for several weeks and then took it on a work trip, but forgot to take the AC adapter! It had about 35% power left and lasted a good 2 hours before shutting down. That's pretty impressive for the battery.
I continue to be underwhelmed by the screen and poor visibility unless you are directly looking at it. Any other angle and visibility is reduced.
UPDATE 10/19/12: I installed my first game, XCOM: Enemy Unknown. Runs very fast, even with all the graphics options turned to high. Absolutely no complaints here!
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I love this laptop. The more I use it, the more I love it. Large easy-to-use touch pad, large screen with brilliant quality, powerful cpu for a laptop, impressive unique style, great keyboard with number pad, very nice sound for a laptop and much more!One of the features I hardly cared about or noticed, fingerprint scanning, has been one of the more use-changing features about it. It is great logging in to the computer, all websites and even opening custom sets of pages with a swipe of a finger! That's right, swipe your finger when you're not at a login page, and it opens the specific pages you choose! :)
This computer runs everything I wanted it to (including some high-demand CAD programs!). It is the "best of the rest" when it comes to mid-level laptops. The performance ratings seem to be on par with most $900-$1400 laptops for how I use it (CAD, music, video, browser, lots of specialized background programs such as flux and launchy). I have ran all of those run at once without any major slowdowns.
For me, this laptop is sleek and sturdy and light enough to carry around anywhere. I don't even bother carrying the cord. Want to know why? The battery lasts 7-9 hours with the way I use the laptop (normal brightness, lots of programs running). If I put it on power saver and only run a couple things, that can be stretched out. 7-9 hours of usage is plenty for most any given day while I am out and about.
The glossy screen is not ideal but if that doesn't bother you, the rest of the laptop will impress. This is the best laptop I've ever used. I wouldn't even compare this to a macbook air... macbook airs are not in this class of performance and capabilities. If this package had an apple on it, it would be, just rough guessing :P, $1800 or more.
Honest reviews on HP Pavilion dv7-7010us 17.3-Inch Laptop (Black)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program This is my first REAL laptop. I feel so grownup (about time many would say). I am not a technophobe but I am definitely not a computer geek either. I have been using an ACER netbook for quite a few years now. And I also have had a Kindle Fire since Christmas 2011. And a desktop PC I never use any more. I sit on the couch, watch television and take care of business (very slug-like I know).So why did I feel the need to have a full-size laptop? I wanted the storage capacity for one. And this workhorse really has it 6gb of RAM and a 750gb hard drive. Plenty of room for all my photos (LOTS), all my music (LOTS AND LOTS) and copies of my reviews and other correspondence. Those are my main uses for the laptop.
I also wanted a larger keyboard and I especially like having the numeric keypad, too, since I have an accounting background and find it easier to use for long strings of numbers. I like the feel of the alpha keypad, too. Very nice to type on.
This machine is a monster, though. Who would have thought that 17.3 inches was so big...hmmmm...There are a couple of differing sets of outer dimensions listed on Amazon for this laptop so I went ahead and measured it again for you. What I come up with is 16 1/2" length; 11" width; 1 3/16" height at the front of the laptop and 2 3/16" height at the back of the laptop, which includes the battery pack.
One thing I found out is that this laptop is too big to sit on my lap and type in front of the television. Other reviewers who have said this would make a good work station computer are right. But I decided to get a small table to set this on so I could still use in the living room. I went with the 2 Smart Table Mate TV Foldable Adjustable Trays. Free shipping on the tables (I got two since there was a price break). Easy to assemble table, pretty sturdy, the laptop fits nicely on it. The table legs slide under the couch and I can see my TV over the open laptop.
One of the first things I did to the laptop was turn off the touchpad. Call me old school but I like having a mouse. I plugged in my wireless mouse Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse 4000 Special Edition Wool Blue and I was ready to go. There's not a lot of extra room on my little table so I use the mouse on the couch. Works fine for me.
I guess I should mention set up. My husband is the tech guru in the house and got the laptop ready for me. He said it came out of the box basically ready to use. The only problem we had and it was OUR problem was we ended up having to get a new wireless router with more band width. Our old one was just that OLD and we had too many wireless devices using it. We got the new router and no problem. My husband downloaded all my old files onto the laptop and I've been using it since.
Things I like:
1. I love the big screen. Photography is one of my hobbies and the bigger screen is great for viewing and editing my photos. Great color too. It is also wonderful to watch movies, TV shows, You Tube, etc. on. Much easier to see than my netbook or the Fire.
2. Typing is much easier on the bigger keyboard than I am used to, at least once the touchpad is turned off. If you leave the touchpad on, you will find that you hit it with the palm of your right hand and the laptop then takes you all over where you don't want to go. I kept losing a review I was typing until I finally turned the touchpad totally off. Double tap on the top left hand corner of the touchpad to turn off (you will see a tiny red light come on to the left of the touchpad when you do this).
3. The camera is wonderful. It adjusts for light and the picture is then very clear for Skype or for videos or whatever you might use it for. There is a fun little program included with the laptop Cyberlink You Cam and you can do fun little things with your picture such as wear hats, etc. while skyping or taking photos.
4. I LOVE the Beats Audio system on the laptop. I am partially deaf and am NEVER able to hear on any of my equipment (until now) unless I put headphones/ear buds on. I don't even have the audio turned up full blast on this and I can hear just fine with no distortion. I love being able to listen to my music on it. There are four speakers two in the lid and two in the base and then a sub woofer underneath the unit. Great sound. I can actually hear movies I'm watching on it, too.
5. My husband played World of Warcraft on the system. Great graphics and sound, he said.
Some minor issues I've noticed:
1. The arrow keys on the alpha keyboard are not set up well at all. The up and down keys sit in between the left and right keys and are half the size of the left-right keys. When my husband was playing World of Warcraft, he turned off the numeric lock on the numeric keypad and used the arrows on it. Much easier for game playing, he said.
2. I wish there were a DVD/CD slot in the side of the laptop, having the entire system internal with an exterior eject button, rather than a disc tray that pops out. It feels a little flimsy as I'm pushing the discs down onto the spindle. Be sure to support the tray from underneath. It works fine, though.
3. There is a hinged cover on the left side of the laptop, covering the network jack. It opens easily but is rather difficult to get lined up and closed correctly. I'm not quite sure why there is a cover on this anyway. None of the other jacks have covers. This one has a rubber hinged little door that fits in slots. Or it's supposed to fit in the slots.
4. I really wish the keyboard was backlit on the laptop especially when watching movies. In the user manual, it says F5 is supposed to light up the keyboard. Well, it's not included on this unit (and it's not supposed to be as far as I can tell).
5. I do NOT like Windows 7 which is included with the laptop. I was perfectly fine with Windows XP. Watch out when you have multiple windows open they are extremely easy to close and thus lose information.
But, all in all, I am very happy with the laptop. I'm glad I made the move to the bigger laptop. I still miss holding the laptop actually on my lap and typing, which you can't easily do with this, but I'm getting used to the table. And the typing is much easier.
Oh, I got a great laptop case for this that looks nice and fits well. It is 17.3" Slipsuit Sleeve Red. Good price and very well made. The only thing that would have made it better is a shoulder strap. But I don't foresee traveling with this laptop too much. It is just too big.
I haven't had this too long. If anything else comes up, I will edit my review and let you know.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for HP Pavilion dv7-7010us 17.3-Inch Laptop (Black)
Exactly the laptop I have been waiting for, I like AMD, Could go from Good to ExcellentThe stuff I like (What I think makes it Good)
* AMD Quad-Core A10-4600M (2.3 GHz )
* AMD Radeon HD 7660G Discrete-Class
* Up to 12 hours and 30 minutes Battery Life
* 17.3" diagonal HD+ BrightView LED-backlit (1600 x 900)
* Full-Size Island-Style Keyboard with Integrated Numeric Keypad
* Beats Audio; HP Triple Bass Reflex Subwoofer; 4 speakers
* 3 Super Speed USB 3.0
* SATA III
What would make this Excellent (Which is available as parts) if you could Customize & Buy, and add the following and FYI. These options are not available with the HP Pavilion g7z-2100 Notebook PC
* Radon HD 7730M graphics (dual graphics)
* Second hard drive(so that you could add a SSD for Boot Drive)
* Keyboard with backlight
* Blu-ray writer & SuperMulti DVD burner
* WINDOWS 7 ULTIMATE 64-BIT
Well to end this, I hope HP comes out with a Customize & Buy for this, I think it would sell very well, I have sent them emails to this effect
Please!! Contact HP, if you agree about Customize & Buy for This Laptop
Monday, September 22, 2014
Discount Samsung Series 3 NP305E5A-A03US 15.6-Inch Laptop (Silver)
This laptop would make the perfect family notebook, desktop replacement on the go laptop, or even a college gamer laptop!!
I played Batman Arkham City, Half Life and did the 3d Marked 2011, with low settings and just used the stock unit with out any adjustments:
Arkham City:
Average:18
Maximum:20
Lost Coast50fps
I did the free edition of 3DMark 11:
Graphic Test:
1-2.4
2-2.35
3-2.75
4-1.61
Physics Test-6.01
Combined Test-2.06
I got this as a "College Gamer" laptop. I could have spent more, but I don't feel it was necessary. The fastest graphics card in a laptop will cost you thousands of dollars, while a basic desktop card, like the one i got in my desktop, will out perform any laptop. So i saved my money and upgraded my desktop and got this affordable guy!
This little guy has a better multi-touch pad than the silver apple computers, and i am not lying. I can't emphasize on how much the feel of the mouse and the keyboard are when it comes to choosing this laptop. It makes the actual use of this laptop much more worth it! The only mouse that has as good as feel is the $1200 MBP.
This AMD Model is the way to go. From everything i know, the graphics will out perform the stock Intel graphics that are in the more expensive laptops. The quad core AMD is very powerful cpu. The i3 line are just dual core's that are slightly faster, but have way less graphic power! Not to mention that Intel charges more. So you get a great price/performance when you stick to AMD!
Description of Laptop:
It doesn't have any place where your finger prints smudge. The lid is solid and not all shaky. The screen is actually really crisp. Surprisingly there was very minimum bloatware, like a bunch of games, samsung software that is useful and a pack of cyber link software.
The GPU isn't the best you can get, but for under $600 you can't get anything this strong especially on the Intel's. All the other brands at this range all lack in 2 or more places and all the others lack when it comes to graphics.
This one is seriously top notch compared to the others. They all have smudge city, cheap plastic, worth-less touch pad and flimsy keys. The chiclet keys on this make cleaning it much easier. and way easier to use.
The weight on this is very light and I could barely feel it in my backpack. I started a timer from the second the computer booted and the battery said 100%. When the timer started I began playing Arkham City with 75% lighting. The laptop went "4 HOURS", with about 20% left. It probably would have gone another 30-40 minutes, but I don't like draining the battery.
There was surprisingly no heat at all. The hottest spot is on the left side of the mouse, but the other side was just cold. The sound on this can get as loud as you need. The sound played beautifully and was real crisp. I mean it was really nice quality!
Unless you want to spend an extra $250-$500, then this is your best bet for a good gaming/college laptop. Actually this is a laptop that everyone should get! Think of the graphics as the best you can get for under $800-$900!
1.5 Ghz Quad core processor with Turbo Core (2.4 Ghz)
4 GB of RAM
Multi in 1 card reader
BRIGHT, vibrant, matte finish screen
Full sized chiclet keyboard
500 GB HDD
Bluetooth
Discrete class graphics processing unit with 512 MB RAM with HDMI capable of 7.1 audio output
Light
Mostly ingerprint resistant
Webcam and digital microphone array
Easy access hardware upgrades
3+ hour battery life on "full" charge
Real, fully functional restore disc set
Can be easily and safely overclocked
Cons:
Some keyboard buttons are a bit small, placement makes editing your typing a chore sometimes
Touchpad gets in the way when typing
HDD is 5400 RPM instead of 7200
Frame around keyboard and screen is not fingerprint resistant
Battery configuration is slightly annoying
Restore disc set is one part aggravation
3 USB instead of four, no 3.0
Optical drive will not read all types of recordable media
Bloatware is partially necessary
----------
Indepth:
1.5 Ghz Quad core processor with Turbo Core (2.4 Ghz) can be overclocked to 2.4 for base speed and 2.6 for Turbo Core...and it's stable! (The free k10stat program is required, but not included.)
4 GB of RAM, with one slot unoccupied. Throw in a second stick 4 GB and max out the system to 8 with ease. (This upgrade should be a priority. The full 8 gigs really make a difference.)
Multi in 1 card reader (You'd be amazed how much you'll use it. Can also be used to make your spare SD cards function as a ReadyBoost device. (creates a cache to help with HDD read times speed up)
BRIGHT, vibrant, matte finish screen with no glare, no gloss to grab fingerprints. Beautiful.
Full sized chiclet keyboard with numeric pad, really comes in handy since the Fn key isn't always needed.
500 GB HDD is spacious, even with their recovery partition. They even give you partition software that makes it simple and easy to customize your PC.
Bluetooth works amazingly well. Grabs a hold of all the signals I've sent it's way.
Discrete class graphics processing unit with 512 MB RAM is more than enough power to run Source engine games such as Left 4 Dead at 1366x768 with everything maxed out in the graphics settings, along with 2-4x AA and 16 AF! Even Sega's Sonic Generations and Activision's War For Cybertron can be run at 1024x768 to 1366x768 with medium graphics quality and look gorgeous, with no drops in frame rates.
Lightweight. Not a back breaker if carried in backpack, or shoulder bag. Weighs 5 pounds, even!
Easy access hardware upgrades with ONE panel and screw to remove. So easy. HDD, RAM and optical drive access in one spot!
Real, fully functional restore disc set...with a catch. The Windows disc is factory made and comes in the box. The drivers/software disc must be made by the user, through an easy to use wizard interface.
Battery configuration is slightly annoying because of the 80/100 setting. When charged all the way to 100%, the overall life span will diminish like all batteries of this type. You have to go into the BIOS to fully unlock the battery, plus settings in Windows. A real hassle. If you leave it locked at 80% (factory, out of the box setting) it's supposed to ensure long life of the battery.
Restore disc set is one part aggravation because the optical drive is picky about which brands it'll use. Philips will not work. Maxell and Verbatim will. Of those that won't, it won't even read them or detect their presence.
Bloatware is partially necessary to get full functionality, such as enable/disable of: wifi, touchpad, backlight, print screen key, you get the idea. Without it, many important things will not work. At all.
All in all, this is a very powerful system for under $400.00. As is, it's a fantastic multimedia machine. With the mods I made (maxed out RAM, overclocked CPU, Blu-Ray I added) this is a hearty HTPC, with medium to high gaming, that is easily a desktop replacement PC that's portable!
I highly recommend it. Fantastic machine.
Aside from the RAM upgrade, I would also recommend a decent laptop cooler mat, as like every other laptop this thing can get a bit hot after several hours of gaming. One that props the laptop up a little allowing air to move beneath it is the best. I picked up this one at best buy for $20 and it does a great job:All in all I paid less than $500 for the Laptop, Ram Upgrade, Cooling Pad, a nice case and a mouse for when I game.
This is unbeatable and if you are considering doing any gaming at all, I would definitely recommend these AMD systems over the I3 and I5. Only when you get up to I7 do they start beating the A6 in graphics capability.
The screen resolution is amazing once you get the proprietary ATI driver installed.
I had a little trouble with this system at the start. It would boot to blank black screen in Bodhi 1.3 and the current Linux Mint. However this seems to be an issue with "new hardware" and the lag time of linux support for the chipsets related to the amd a6 3400m family. luckily google pointed me to a message board thread relating to this; setting the linux kernel boot parameter with the option "radeon.modeset=0" made mint and bodhi installable from CD.
My summary of pros and cons is listed below.
Pro:
--speed of quad cores and GPUs, as well as the internal drives and memory; amazing, especially considering the low wattage of the integrated CPU chip--a supercomputer that runs on batteries, something that could not be imagined a decade or two ago.
--great value for a sub 500 usd laptop.
--amazing crisp display; has hdmi output also.
--great touchpad, good keyboard, and first impression makes me believe quality of components seems nice.
--fits in a backpack; light and fairly compact.
Con:
--bluetooth (nor wifi) cannot be turned off from bios directly or from keyboard fn buttons--needs --software to do it. haven't figured out how to make linux do it yet.
--no caps or num lock lights.
--only 3 usb jacks (1 left, 2 right)
--linux setup and support leaves a lot to be desired; thank goodness for message boards, google, and the kind geniuses posting on said boards.
--I'm still very bothered and annoyed by not being able to shut off the RF of wifi and bluetooth with a single tap of two buttons like I was in my old laptop.
I played Batman Arkham City, Half Life and did the 3d Marked 2011, with low settings and just used the stock unit with out any adjustments:
Arkham City:
Average:18
Maximum:20
Lost Coast50fps
I did the free edition of 3DMark 11:
Graphic Test:
1-2.4
2-2.35
3-2.75
4-1.61
Physics Test-6.01
Combined Test-2.06
I got this as a "College Gamer" laptop. I could have spent more, but I don't feel it was necessary. The fastest graphics card in a laptop will cost you thousands of dollars, while a basic desktop card, like the one i got in my desktop, will out perform any laptop. So i saved my money and upgraded my desktop and got this affordable guy!
This little guy has a better multi-touch pad than the silver apple computers, and i am not lying. I can't emphasize on how much the feel of the mouse and the keyboard are when it comes to choosing this laptop. It makes the actual use of this laptop much more worth it! The only mouse that has as good as feel is the $1200 MBP.
This AMD Model is the way to go. From everything i know, the graphics will out perform the stock Intel graphics that are in the more expensive laptops. The quad core AMD is very powerful cpu. The i3 line are just dual core's that are slightly faster, but have way less graphic power! Not to mention that Intel charges more. So you get a great price/performance when you stick to AMD!
Description of Laptop:
It doesn't have any place where your finger prints smudge. The lid is solid and not all shaky. The screen is actually really crisp. Surprisingly there was very minimum bloatware, like a bunch of games, samsung software that is useful and a pack of cyber link software.
The GPU isn't the best you can get, but for under $600 you can't get anything this strong especially on the Intel's. All the other brands at this range all lack in 2 or more places and all the others lack when it comes to graphics.
This one is seriously top notch compared to the others. They all have smudge city, cheap plastic, worth-less touch pad and flimsy keys. The chiclet keys on this make cleaning it much easier. and way easier to use.
The weight on this is very light and I could barely feel it in my backpack. I started a timer from the second the computer booted and the battery said 100%. When the timer started I began playing Arkham City with 75% lighting. The laptop went "4 HOURS", with about 20% left. It probably would have gone another 30-40 minutes, but I don't like draining the battery.
There was surprisingly no heat at all. The hottest spot is on the left side of the mouse, but the other side was just cold. The sound on this can get as loud as you need. The sound played beautifully and was real crisp. I mean it was really nice quality!
Unless you want to spend an extra $250-$500, then this is your best bet for a good gaming/college laptop. Actually this is a laptop that everyone should get! Think of the graphics as the best you can get for under $800-$900!
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
Pros:1.5 Ghz Quad core processor with Turbo Core (2.4 Ghz)
4 GB of RAM
Multi in 1 card reader
BRIGHT, vibrant, matte finish screen
Full sized chiclet keyboard
500 GB HDD
Bluetooth
Discrete class graphics processing unit with 512 MB RAM with HDMI capable of 7.1 audio output
Light
Mostly ingerprint resistant
Webcam and digital microphone array
Easy access hardware upgrades
3+ hour battery life on "full" charge
Real, fully functional restore disc set
Can be easily and safely overclocked
Cons:
Some keyboard buttons are a bit small, placement makes editing your typing a chore sometimes
Touchpad gets in the way when typing
HDD is 5400 RPM instead of 7200
Frame around keyboard and screen is not fingerprint resistant
Battery configuration is slightly annoying
Restore disc set is one part aggravation
3 USB instead of four, no 3.0
Optical drive will not read all types of recordable media
Bloatware is partially necessary
----------
Indepth:
1.5 Ghz Quad core processor with Turbo Core (2.4 Ghz) can be overclocked to 2.4 for base speed and 2.6 for Turbo Core...and it's stable! (The free k10stat program is required, but not included.)
4 GB of RAM, with one slot unoccupied. Throw in a second stick 4 GB and max out the system to 8 with ease. (This upgrade should be a priority. The full 8 gigs really make a difference.)
Multi in 1 card reader (You'd be amazed how much you'll use it. Can also be used to make your spare SD cards function as a ReadyBoost device. (creates a cache to help with HDD read times speed up)
BRIGHT, vibrant, matte finish screen with no glare, no gloss to grab fingerprints. Beautiful.
Full sized chiclet keyboard with numeric pad, really comes in handy since the Fn key isn't always needed.
500 GB HDD is spacious, even with their recovery partition. They even give you partition software that makes it simple and easy to customize your PC.
Bluetooth works amazingly well. Grabs a hold of all the signals I've sent it's way.
Discrete class graphics processing unit with 512 MB RAM is more than enough power to run Source engine games such as Left 4 Dead at 1366x768 with everything maxed out in the graphics settings, along with 2-4x AA and 16 AF! Even Sega's Sonic Generations and Activision's War For Cybertron can be run at 1024x768 to 1366x768 with medium graphics quality and look gorgeous, with no drops in frame rates.
Lightweight. Not a back breaker if carried in backpack, or shoulder bag. Weighs 5 pounds, even!
Easy access hardware upgrades with ONE panel and screw to remove. So easy. HDD, RAM and optical drive access in one spot!
Real, fully functional restore disc set...with a catch. The Windows disc is factory made and comes in the box. The drivers/software disc must be made by the user, through an easy to use wizard interface.
Battery configuration is slightly annoying because of the 80/100 setting. When charged all the way to 100%, the overall life span will diminish like all batteries of this type. You have to go into the BIOS to fully unlock the battery, plus settings in Windows. A real hassle. If you leave it locked at 80% (factory, out of the box setting) it's supposed to ensure long life of the battery.
Restore disc set is one part aggravation because the optical drive is picky about which brands it'll use. Philips will not work. Maxell and Verbatim will. Of those that won't, it won't even read them or detect their presence.
Bloatware is partially necessary to get full functionality, such as enable/disable of: wifi, touchpad, backlight, print screen key, you get the idea. Without it, many important things will not work. At all.
All in all, this is a very powerful system for under $400.00. As is, it's a fantastic multimedia machine. With the mods I made (maxed out RAM, overclocked CPU, Blu-Ray I added) this is a hearty HTPC, with medium to high gaming, that is easily a desktop replacement PC that's portable!
I highly recommend it. Fantastic machine.
Best Deals for Samsung Series 3 NP305E5A-A03US 15.6-Inch Laptop (Silver)
I am a computer person. I do my research before I purchase anything and usually know exactly what I am getting for my money. I found this beautiful little machine and grabbed one for $399 while they were at Best Buy. I was completely surprised by the performance of this little beast. First of all, the laptop is beautiful, light, feels well built, and has a battery that lasts 4-5 hours even while streaming video over wifi. What really blew me away however was how strong the AMD processor and graphics capabilities are for a notebook at this price point. Since the video card shares system memory I bought another 4GB stick of DDR3 Ram for about $30 and installed it in the second slot (A nice feature) that starts empty on this laptop. I can run World of Warcraft on high with consistent 60fps everywhere, or even on ultra with up to 60fps in dungeons and 20-30fps everywhere else. I was also able to run The Old Republic for several hours at a time on medium settings with 30fps. This is a fantastic laptop for the price point, and for the mobile gamer or MMO person it gets the job done. The screen is very clear and resolution looks great, plus the HDMI port is a nice plus. Bluetooth built in is a feature usually found on more expensive laptops and makes uploading photos from your smartphone an absolute breeze.Aside from the RAM upgrade, I would also recommend a decent laptop cooler mat, as like every other laptop this thing can get a bit hot after several hours of gaming. One that props the laptop up a little allowing air to move beneath it is the best. I picked up this one at best buy for $20 and it does a great job:All in all I paid less than $500 for the Laptop, Ram Upgrade, Cooling Pad, a nice case and a mouse for when I game.
This is unbeatable and if you are considering doing any gaming at all, I would definitely recommend these AMD systems over the I3 and I5. Only when you get up to I7 do they start beating the A6 in graphics capability.
Honest reviews on Samsung Series 3 NP305E5A-A03US 15.6-Inch Laptop (Silver)
I liked this laptop and still kinda like it, I got what it says on the box, fast, lightweight and cheap. The only reason what I am giving a 1 star is because of the material what is made of, pretty cheap plastic. I mean this is a portable device, the case material gotta be enough resistant for the daily handling: holding, lifting, open/close the lid, whatever. Well the story is after 2 months of having this computer, after a full day of working on it (was pretty hot btw) I grabbed from the left side of the case using one hand (lid open) and then I heard the crack and a big fissure appeared at the topcase, from the internal side of the lid support until reaching the keyboard (even through the keyboard by now), I gotta say this is not a heavy laptop, it weights the half of my former vaio computer and I am really not a strong person that crush stuff while holding it. I would feel better if I just dropped it or something, at least it would be my fault, but in this case I don't feel that was my fault, it wasn't a crack on the screen which the most common thing that might happen when you hold a laptop badly, it was a fracture on what's suppose to be the strongest part on a laptop. The temperature might also influence in this situation, but if you have bad quality plastic and heat then there is not surprise. Called Samsung and they consider this as an accident so it's not covered by the warranty. The crack is on the topcase, which is not a common replaceable part, after digging on the web for a replacement found a chinese site that sells the top cases for this brand, 50 bucks + shipping, received it today and during the replacement just found out that everything is cheap regarding this computer from screws to wires used on it. I almost broke the new topcase while replacing it. So beware about this product, use both hands while holding it, treat it extremely careful like you were holding a baby.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Samsung Series 3 NP305E5A-A03US 15.6-Inch Laptop (Silver)
Before buying this I had my doubts if I'd ever get used to or get to like this weird keyboard. However, it did not take long. The keyboard is nice. The touchpad is the best I've had so far yet in a laptop.The screen resolution is amazing once you get the proprietary ATI driver installed.
I had a little trouble with this system at the start. It would boot to blank black screen in Bodhi 1.3 and the current Linux Mint. However this seems to be an issue with "new hardware" and the lag time of linux support for the chipsets related to the amd a6 3400m family. luckily google pointed me to a message board thread relating to this; setting the linux kernel boot parameter with the option "radeon.modeset=0" made mint and bodhi installable from CD.
My summary of pros and cons is listed below.
Pro:
--speed of quad cores and GPUs, as well as the internal drives and memory; amazing, especially considering the low wattage of the integrated CPU chip--a supercomputer that runs on batteries, something that could not be imagined a decade or two ago.
--great value for a sub 500 usd laptop.
--amazing crisp display; has hdmi output also.
--great touchpad, good keyboard, and first impression makes me believe quality of components seems nice.
--fits in a backpack; light and fairly compact.
Con:
--bluetooth (nor wifi) cannot be turned off from bios directly or from keyboard fn buttons--needs --software to do it. haven't figured out how to make linux do it yet.
--no caps or num lock lights.
--only 3 usb jacks (1 left, 2 right)
--linux setup and support leaves a lot to be desired; thank goodness for message boards, google, and the kind geniuses posting on said boards.
--I'm still very bothered and annoyed by not being able to shut off the RF of wifi and bluetooth with a single tap of two buttons like I was in my old laptop.
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Review of Dell Inspiron i17RN-5295BK 17.3" Laptop | 2nd Generation Intel®
List Price: $999.99
Sale Price: $699.99
Today's Bonus: 30% Off
Purchased this computer and when it arrived the charger didn't work. When I contacted the company they stated they knew there was a problem with the transformer and issued me a $20.00 credit to buy another one. So, I bought another one and when I hooked it up the computer said the battery is bad. Now I am once again attempting contact with the seller and still don't have a computer that I can run via the battery (only plugged in) . What a dragThe first one crashed after a few days. It was quickly replaced. The new one works great and is a bargain that the price I purchased it -under $500.
Saturday, May 31, 2014
Buy Samsung Series 9 NP900X3A-B01UB 13.3" Notebook (1.6 GHz Intel Core
Very fragile laptop design. USB doesn't work intermittently. Worst laptop design have ever used.
Pros:-
Light Weight
Lightening fast processing. Boots in 12 secs win 7 HP
Bright Screen
Back lit Keyboard
Cons:-
Fragile Design
Generates lot of heat
Intermittent connectivity issues Wired and Wireless
No Touch Screen
inconsistent Touchpad
Pros:-
Light Weight
Lightening fast processing. Boots in 12 secs win 7 HP
Bright Screen
Back lit Keyboard
Cons:-
Fragile Design
Generates lot of heat
Intermittent connectivity issues Wired and Wireless
No Touch Screen
inconsistent Touchpad
Friday, May 9, 2014
Buy HP Pavilion DV2-1110US 12.1-Inch Entertainment Laptop
Just one week after I buy this notebook from Amazon, the price falls by $27 and Amazon refuses to match the price drop. Quite disappointing in that regard. I ordered this on a Wed, Amazon shipped on Sunday and it arrived on Tuesday with free shipping. So that was good.
On to the notebook. First the pros:
Build quality is good and it feels expensive compared to most sub $500 note/netbooks.
Large keys on the keyboard while not as spacious as a regular keyboard works better than than those from Acer that use the chicklet size keys. One of the reasons why I chose this over the Acer Timeline series.
Screen is bright and sharp.
Small compact and lightweight since it doesn't have a built-in DVD drive (uses an external drive). Design looks clean and modern with none of that clunky look from the low end Lenovos or Toshibas.
Uses Vista 64 bit edition
Has HDMI port to plug into HDTVs
Dedicated graphics processor and memory.
Now the cons:
Battery life is average 2-3 hours
Uses single core AMD Athlon Neo processor which is underpowered for Vista. There're occasional lags when running basic things like browsers, Word, etc. The CPU is maxed out at 100% most times.
The initial applications and drivers installed seem to make the notebook run really slow. I tried to watch videos on Hulu.com and they were jerky and slow. After installing updated video drivers and IE8 and Firefox, it worked better. Strange for a notebook professing to be an "Entertainment" notebook to be that bad at video until the drivers were updated. Despite the dedicated graphics processor and memory, video performance is just average and can a bit slow at times.
Bloatware. There are several but not too bad.
HP MediaSmart: this is pretty useless since the notebook already has Windows Media Center. The software itself is nothing great and eats up additional memory and CPU cycles.
Bottom line: This notebook is just barely able to run Vista 64 since the CPU is underpowered. It's a compromise between a full blown notebook and netbook since it has a decent size hard drive and screen. To make it perform better, you'll have to remove all the bloatware and unnecessary applications, and download the latest software updates and drivers. I'll be upgrading to Win 7 when it arrives so hopefully, that'll improve the performance further. Also probably look into upgrading the 2gb ram to 4gb.
as I wanted. There are some reasons I didn't bought a netbook:
Almost all have 160 GB HD
It has only 1gb ram, instead some that have 2gb
Some have reduced keyboard
They don't have dedicated video card
This HP-Dv2 has more good things like:
It's also thin as netbooks
It's only 2 inches bigger than netbooks
It comes with an exteral usb dvd drive
Good processor similar to the intel atom in netbooks
More space 250GB HD
Dedicated video card
2GB ram
The price doesnt have a big difference comparing with netbooks cause
the aditional things and performance are compensated in the aditional
money. The external DVD drive is original HP, if it would be sold it
could cost like U$100.
Well those who are thinking in buying a netbook I recomend to you this DV2
the model is very nice and interesting.
Here you have a review of this product:
Things it can do better than a netbook:
1. Play games to an extent (slightly older games or newer ones with lower settings). Left 4 Dead ran fine on medium settings.
2. You can watch 720p HD video thanks to the discreet video! I used Media Player Classic with the CoreAVC h.264 codec. HDMI output to my HDTV played flawlessly.
The screen's native resolution negates 1080p, but even with CoreAVC 1080p is barely watchable.
3. Hard drive is larger so it holds more.
Things it can't do as well as a laptop:
1. Single core cpu doesnt to multitasking well. It was a little slow loading vlcplayer and IE at the same time.
2. Flash video on the web can stutter if it's high def. I blame Adobe for this. Flash is poorly coded. Why can this computer run 720p video with a good codec yet stumble on streaming flash video?! Adobe is working on hardware acceleration but it looks platform specific. Seems shady that I can play a 4gb video file flawlessly yet web video that streams at 150kbps stutters. Shame on you Adobe.
3. Edit photos or video. Photoshop loads and runs fine but can't handle large files well. I used a 150MB PSD file and it took forever to run some filters.
4. 1080p video basically requires at LEAST dual core.
Another downer BLOATWARE. Come on HP, things are ridiculous. I had to uninstall probably 15 different apps/trials and used msconfig to trim the startup to get decent boot times. This should be resolved with the free upgrade to Windows 7 I'm due. Clean OS load = happy computer!
Ratings 10/10 system
1. Hardware config 8/10 ( dual core proc probably would up the price $50 and GREATLY increase performance but also chip away battery life.)
2. Performance 8/10 (720p video is fine, flash stumbles, gaming performance is on par with hardware config)
3. Software config 5/10 (HP loaded bloatware, needed driver updates for best performance)
In short, this computer is a great step up from a netbook because I can watch movies on the plane, and play some games for entertainment. The battery life is about 3.5 hrs which is better than what I would get with a laptop that CAN edit video. I estimate I can get 4-4.5 hrs out of the battery if I play movies from a thumb drive (no spinning platters = power savings!) and dim the screen. I actually like the external optical drive cause it saves battery life! It does what I got it for. Plays 720p video, surfs the web, basic gaming. A netbook with similar performance is $700 at the moment, and this HP has a larger screen!
Can't wait to load Windows 7 on it. Since I'm an IT guy, I am used to tweaking units to get the best performance. I know having a straight load of Windows 7 will be best, loading only the HP drivers and performance might even go up a little more above its current "cleaned out" state. A standard user may not be comfortable doing what it takes to get an OEM computer performing as it should, but that's what it takes. That's why HP, Dell, Gateway, etc can sell computers so cheap, the money they get for including bloatware covers some of YOUR costs.
It was loaded with HP garbage and it is annoying to have to spend the time to get that stuff off. HP gets two thumbs down for continuing this annoying practice.
On to the notebook. First the pros:
Build quality is good and it feels expensive compared to most sub $500 note/netbooks.
Large keys on the keyboard while not as spacious as a regular keyboard works better than than those from Acer that use the chicklet size keys. One of the reasons why I chose this over the Acer Timeline series.
Screen is bright and sharp.
Small compact and lightweight since it doesn't have a built-in DVD drive (uses an external drive). Design looks clean and modern with none of that clunky look from the low end Lenovos or Toshibas.
Uses Vista 64 bit edition
Has HDMI port to plug into HDTVs
Dedicated graphics processor and memory.
Now the cons:
Battery life is average 2-3 hours
Uses single core AMD Athlon Neo processor which is underpowered for Vista. There're occasional lags when running basic things like browsers, Word, etc. The CPU is maxed out at 100% most times.
The initial applications and drivers installed seem to make the notebook run really slow. I tried to watch videos on Hulu.com and they were jerky and slow. After installing updated video drivers and IE8 and Firefox, it worked better. Strange for a notebook professing to be an "Entertainment" notebook to be that bad at video until the drivers were updated. Despite the dedicated graphics processor and memory, video performance is just average and can a bit slow at times.
Bloatware. There are several but not too bad.
HP MediaSmart: this is pretty useless since the notebook already has Windows Media Center. The software itself is nothing great and eats up additional memory and CPU cycles.
Bottom line: This notebook is just barely able to run Vista 64 since the CPU is underpowered. It's a compromise between a full blown notebook and netbook since it has a decent size hard drive and screen. To make it perform better, you'll have to remove all the bloatware and unnecessary applications, and download the latest software updates and drivers. I'll be upgrading to Win 7 when it arrives so hopefully, that'll improve the performance further. Also probably look into upgrading the 2gb ram to 4gb.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
This device is a better option for those who are thinking to buy a netbookas I wanted. There are some reasons I didn't bought a netbook:
Almost all have 160 GB HD
It has only 1gb ram, instead some that have 2gb
Some have reduced keyboard
They don't have dedicated video card
This HP-Dv2 has more good things like:
It's also thin as netbooks
It's only 2 inches bigger than netbooks
It comes with an exteral usb dvd drive
Good processor similar to the intel atom in netbooks
More space 250GB HD
Dedicated video card
2GB ram
The price doesnt have a big difference comparing with netbooks cause
the aditional things and performance are compensated in the aditional
money. The external DVD drive is original HP, if it would be sold it
could cost like U$100.
Well those who are thinking in buying a netbook I recomend to you this DV2
the model is very nice and interesting.
Here you have a review of this product:
Best Deals for HP Pavilion DV2-1110US 12.1-Inch Entertainment Laptop
Straight to the point This little guy is great for the price. It runs great and I see no problems in Vista. HP's bloatware is a seperate issue.Things it can do better than a netbook:
1. Play games to an extent (slightly older games or newer ones with lower settings). Left 4 Dead ran fine on medium settings.
2. You can watch 720p HD video thanks to the discreet video! I used Media Player Classic with the CoreAVC h.264 codec. HDMI output to my HDTV played flawlessly.
The screen's native resolution negates 1080p, but even with CoreAVC 1080p is barely watchable.
3. Hard drive is larger so it holds more.
Things it can't do as well as a laptop:
1. Single core cpu doesnt to multitasking well. It was a little slow loading vlcplayer and IE at the same time.
2. Flash video on the web can stutter if it's high def. I blame Adobe for this. Flash is poorly coded. Why can this computer run 720p video with a good codec yet stumble on streaming flash video?! Adobe is working on hardware acceleration but it looks platform specific. Seems shady that I can play a 4gb video file flawlessly yet web video that streams at 150kbps stutters. Shame on you Adobe.
3. Edit photos or video. Photoshop loads and runs fine but can't handle large files well. I used a 150MB PSD file and it took forever to run some filters.
4. 1080p video basically requires at LEAST dual core.
Another downer BLOATWARE. Come on HP, things are ridiculous. I had to uninstall probably 15 different apps/trials and used msconfig to trim the startup to get decent boot times. This should be resolved with the free upgrade to Windows 7 I'm due. Clean OS load = happy computer!
Ratings 10/10 system
1. Hardware config 8/10 ( dual core proc probably would up the price $50 and GREATLY increase performance but also chip away battery life.)
2. Performance 8/10 (720p video is fine, flash stumbles, gaming performance is on par with hardware config)
3. Software config 5/10 (HP loaded bloatware, needed driver updates for best performance)
In short, this computer is a great step up from a netbook because I can watch movies on the plane, and play some games for entertainment. The battery life is about 3.5 hrs which is better than what I would get with a laptop that CAN edit video. I estimate I can get 4-4.5 hrs out of the battery if I play movies from a thumb drive (no spinning platters = power savings!) and dim the screen. I actually like the external optical drive cause it saves battery life! It does what I got it for. Plays 720p video, surfs the web, basic gaming. A netbook with similar performance is $700 at the moment, and this HP has a larger screen!
Can't wait to load Windows 7 on it. Since I'm an IT guy, I am used to tweaking units to get the best performance. I know having a straight load of Windows 7 will be best, loading only the HP drivers and performance might even go up a little more above its current "cleaned out" state. A standard user may not be comfortable doing what it takes to get an OEM computer performing as it should, but that's what it takes. That's why HP, Dell, Gateway, etc can sell computers so cheap, the money they get for including bloatware covers some of YOUR costs.
Honest reviews on HP Pavilion DV2-1110US 12.1-Inch Entertainment Laptop
I got it for net of the rebate, and came with a free DVD player. Nice slick appearance, neat and light. I use the HDMI port to interface to a wide screen TV and play Netflix and other movies. I thought about paying more for the upgraded model with the dual core Neo but went ahead and took the deal for this one and I do not regret it. Without a doubt the dual core is faster, but this does what I need.It was loaded with HP garbage and it is annoying to have to spend the time to get that stuff off. HP gets two thumbs down for continuing this annoying practice.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for HP Pavilion DV2-1110US 12.1-Inch Entertainment Laptop
This is a good price BUT with one BIG CATCH! There's only one ram slot in this laptop and one 4 gig ram cost around $200. Not a good deal if u plan to upgrade the ram. From what I read this laptop runs slow if u go beyond emails, surfing....even streaming video is jerky without the additional ram. You better of getting the Dv2z with the duo core and ram upgrade from hp.
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Cheap Apple 14in iBook G4 @ 1.07ghz 512MB 40G CDRW/DVDROM Wifi Osx 10.4
The computer arrived in a timely fashion, much more quickly than I even expected.
I haven't had any problems using it.
I know it's been factory reconditioned, but it acts like a brand new computer.
I'm very satisfied.
tried contacting the seller to return this computer under the subject"unwanted " or something like that cuz is worthless but that was useless too.they said about dealing with deffective or doa but it is defective!! again malfunctioning and freezing i cannot do anything on it. So i wrote the exact same thing back on a second review under the subject"defective" And he wrote back OH alll of sudden its defective....uh no its been from the start.So i took that as a rude remark.
and then yesterday i tried using it one more time and BAM shut off on me ...
yeah its cheap but there is nothing that you can do with it. I would feel bad to even try and re sell it. With all sincerity SAVE YOUR MONEY FOR SOMETHING BETTER AND ACTUALLY USEFUL.
I haven't had any problems using it.
I know it's been factory reconditioned, but it acts like a brand new computer.
I'm very satisfied.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
I considered just dumping it in the trash. Its not worth anything not even the simple basics like cant even surf the web on tons of basic things example icloud isn't supported with the system things like that I even tried downloading firefox nope not supported by the system but that's NOT why I'm upset with the product I mean its an older computer I'm upset because its just malfunctioning on the simple things . Not to mention how much it kept FREEZING continuously.tried contacting the seller to return this computer under the subject"unwanted " or something like that cuz is worthless but that was useless too.they said about dealing with deffective or doa but it is defective!! again malfunctioning and freezing i cannot do anything on it. So i wrote the exact same thing back on a second review under the subject"defective" And he wrote back OH alll of sudden its defective....uh no its been from the start.So i took that as a rude remark.
and then yesterday i tried using it one more time and BAM shut off on me ...
yeah its cheap but there is nothing that you can do with it. I would feel bad to even try and re sell it. With all sincerity SAVE YOUR MONEY FOR SOMETHING BETTER AND ACTUALLY USEFUL.
Best Deals for Apple 14in iBook G4 @ 1.07ghz 512MB 40G CDRW/DVDROM Wifi Osx 10.4
matches the description very well wonderful laptop does everything i need it too setup was very easy and over all a great choice other than for having to replace the battery which i already knew from the descriptionHonest reviews on Apple 14in iBook G4 @ 1.07ghz 512MB 40G CDRW/DVDROM Wifi Osx 10.4
If you're reading this then don't buy!!!!!! I bought two. They worked for a month 1/2 and the hard drive crashed on mine and my brothers charging port fell out and they're constantly turning off! they dont support adobe of any types, cant play disks in them (sims games, cds barely work, dvds work ok, any games NOPE). you cant get on your email because it wont support the old program and not to forget that the charger sucks so it constantly breaks if you move it the wrong way. i bought over 5 in one month. rediculous, I thought I was getting a deal. turns out i was only paying for the looks. almost $300 altogether WASTED.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Apple 14in iBook G4 @ 1.07ghz 512MB 40G CDRW/DVDROM Wifi Osx 10.4
I made a change from windows to apple. What big change. I getting use to apple censoring, what I download and sticking to a lot of apple products. However, it work really fast
Monday, April 14, 2014
Review of O Asus O - Asus Eee Pc 701Sd 8G Xp - Galaxy Black
This is a very lightweight, small netbook computer. It has received many positive reviews. The computer itself would rate 5 stars, however the high price would rate it a 1 star.
People, please compare prices. Amazon makes this very easy. If you want to spend this much money on an ASUS netbook, perhaps you should also look at the ASUS 1000-HE model.
however it WAS advertised as "REFURBIISHED". i looked up Amazon's definition of 'Refurbished', and i don't think this product met the criteria. Specifically, the cable from the power supply was twisted into a dramatic pretzel shape throughout its entire length, and the outer jacketing had begun to disintegrate, revealing the ground braid around the inner conductor. Also, there was no original packaging with the product. Other than that, i didn't find any obvious defects. "Used, Fair condition, power cable shows some wear" would have been a more honest description.
With external combo drive,you can watch DVD or burn CD's.
I use mine in my room just for basics.
I bought mine refurbished for $129,but just bought another used one for $89.
It was largely limited to CPU and power consumption though.
Played back upto regular DVD resolutions (720x512 pixels), or 480pix; when overclocked using EEECTL plays back some 720p video, though most is with lagging.
Qua games, most DX9 games on a low resolution can be played on it, and in a limited way Dosbox games can be played too.
The best about this netbook is it's blazing fast SSD,
The worst is it's small sized 8GB SSD.
This netbook needs an SSD and RAM upgrade.
A 2GB 667Mhz DDR2 SODIMM ram stick works fine, Some 800Mhz SoDimm sticks I tried do hang up on them though (meaning freeze or crash)..
Aside from that, it still works great as a home theatre projector driver for standard DVD-quality video's and TV shows (at 800x600pix).
Also as bittorrent client, or personal webserver; or even as a basic midi router/samplebox!
But the device is largely outdated, and you constantly need to struggle with harddisk and ram space issues.
People, please compare prices. Amazon makes this very easy. If you want to spend this much money on an ASUS netbook, perhaps you should also look at the ASUS 1000-HE model.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
Upgraded the ram, installed windows, and overclocked it. Able to run all my work apps. Runs Unreal tournament 2004, Morrowind, and Fable at playable framerates.Best Deals for O Asus O - Asus Eee Pc 701Sd 8G Xp - Galaxy Black
well, it wasn't BLACK, it was WHITE, which is okay, i don't really care about color.however it WAS advertised as "REFURBIISHED". i looked up Amazon's definition of 'Refurbished', and i don't think this product met the criteria. Specifically, the cable from the power supply was twisted into a dramatic pretzel shape throughout its entire length, and the outer jacketing had begun to disintegrate, revealing the ground braid around the inner conductor. Also, there was no original packaging with the product. Other than that, i didn't find any obvious defects. "Used, Fair condition, power cable shows some wear" would have been a more honest description.
Honest reviews on O Asus O - Asus Eee Pc 701Sd 8G Xp - Galaxy Black
I have this little netbook. Its great for basics like internet,video chat,internet radio,basic gaming,and email. The ssd is very small of 8 gig. Also with Win XP Home on it from the install CD it is very slow. More ram helps,but best to install Joli OS,Leeenix,Puppeee,Android X86, or Win XP Pro from install cd. I did this and now it flies with 1 gig of ram! Cause it is small,it is kinda hard to type on unless you have small hands. I love how small it is and easy to carry.With external combo drive,you can watch DVD or burn CD's.
I use mine in my room just for basics.
I bought mine refurbished for $129,but just bought another used one for $89.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for O Asus O - Asus Eee Pc 701Sd 8G Xp - Galaxy Black
This was one of the first netbooks that actually worked with a trimmed down version of XP.It was largely limited to CPU and power consumption though.
Played back upto regular DVD resolutions (720x512 pixels), or 480pix; when overclocked using EEECTL plays back some 720p video, though most is with lagging.
Qua games, most DX9 games on a low resolution can be played on it, and in a limited way Dosbox games can be played too.
The best about this netbook is it's blazing fast SSD,
The worst is it's small sized 8GB SSD.
This netbook needs an SSD and RAM upgrade.
A 2GB 667Mhz DDR2 SODIMM ram stick works fine, Some 800Mhz SoDimm sticks I tried do hang up on them though (meaning freeze or crash)..
Aside from that, it still works great as a home theatre projector driver for standard DVD-quality video's and TV shows (at 800x600pix).
Also as bittorrent client, or personal webserver; or even as a basic midi router/samplebox!
But the device is largely outdated, and you constantly need to struggle with harddisk and ram space issues.
Saturday, March 29, 2014
HP Pavilion g6-2210us 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black) Reviews
List Price: $509.99
Sale Price: $412.88
Today's Bonus: 19% Off
I had an hp pavilion from 2007 and decided to stay with the line because of the four good years I got out of that hp computer. I purchased this pavilion because it was(at the time) under 400 dollars. Windows 8 takes some getting used to, but I haven't experienced many frustrations once I downloaded chrome. Firefox and Internet Explorer did have some strange issues and once in a while took some time to open(which I think is a windows 8 issue) so I downloaded chrome, adobe flash, open office and have been using my new computer mostly hassle free.
I would recommend this computer to anyone who is going on the internet, word processing, streaming videos, and saving pictures and movies. I don't know if it's good for gaming or putting together videos. I wouldn't pay the 450 or whatever price it is now for this computer due to some of the hardware limitations.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
This laptop is awesomely fast and terribly pretty to look at. Plenty of computer for a student or home office, with pretty good gaming capabilities too. Boots up like lightning, shuts down without a bunch of questions, and never gets hot due to the HP cooling feature. A little big for your lap on a bus, but I have a small lap. lol Windows 8 has a glitch or two, but I think I like it and they stay on top of it, update-wise.. If you want something really familiar, go with XP or Windows 7.Best Deals for HP Pavilion g6-2210us 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black)
This computer has been very reliable. The keyboard keys are a little small or shallow for fast typists. The touchpad keeps affecting typing. When you type, you might drag you thumb on the touchpad a bit. This moves the cursor sometimes which then changes the text insertion point. Result? Lots of typos that you have to go fix. Changing the touchpad sensitivity helps but it still happens a bit. Two fingered typists wouldn't notice.Honest reviews on HP Pavilion g6-2210us 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black)
I am still new to trusting this whole buy from the internet. The first HP had an issue right out of the box. HP support said ship it right back. The amazon return process made it extremely easy for even this novice. But what mazed me wa sthe fact my replacement laptop was being shipped before i even had the old one back to the UPS store. That impressed me. The laptop was actually for my daughter who was in college and because they shipped it expressed, she got it on Monday with very little delay. Anyone can sell stuff. Its service after the sale that is hard to come by these days. Amazon has my business as long as they continue to treat me this way. This is my second very positive return experience this year.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for HP Pavilion g6-2210us 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black)
Great computer. runs smooth, looks beautiful, not heavy, fast, excellent keyboard, a lot of space to store music and pictures. My only major concern was windows 8 but after about 3 days use i can honestly say i prefer this os over windows 7. Would recommend giving this laptop a go, especially if you are on a budget.
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Best HP Pavilion dv7-1451nr Entertainment Notebook, 2.20 GHz AMD Turion Deals
Pros
On the plus side, 500gb hd, 4gb memory, large screen, remote control for watching videos, plenty of external ports, built in webcam and microphone.
Cons
No bluetooth, runs very hot (90C+), loud fan, poorly designed power connection, poor battery life (
On the plus side, 500gb hd, 4gb memory, large screen, remote control for watching videos, plenty of external ports, built in webcam and microphone.
Cons
No bluetooth, runs very hot (90C+), loud fan, poorly designed power connection, poor battery life (
Friday, March 7, 2014
Lenovo ThinkPad T60 Notebook Review
Couldn't be happier with this very inexpensive refurbished model from Metro Trading, I'd ordered it quickly based mostly on very low refurbished price because all my other computers had just died, it arrived at my son's at the beginning of a month's stay...fast shipping, perfect timing, very well-packed...well, it's so much more than I was expecting, worked perfectly & connected with WiFi right out of the box, I and my two grandsons have given it quite a workout over the last month, I've dropped it several times and the baby slobbered on it, it's taken a licking and keeps on ticking!! Love this machine, it's my first time with Giga-anything after using many older (but still wonderful Dell) machines since the 90's, including a crappy (but not cheap) Colby Kyros tablet that broke into pieces after 1 minor drop. Highly recommended, next month I'm going to buy one for each grandson!!!!!!! Was thinking about getting them Androids but for just a few dollars more, I can do so much better!!! I've been buying from Amazon since the 90's when it seems to me they only sold books, always very satisfied here, had maybe one or two problems which they solve immediately.
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Great Laptop for those on a budget and that are just looking to do basic things on their computer. Has a really nice slim design that makes it very portable.Best Deals for Lenovo ThinkPad T60 Notebook
I used to work with this type of notebooks and know they are tough. I had my kids crippling every laptop I bought them. So far this one has resisted :)Honest reviews on Lenovo ThinkPad T60 Notebook
This thing is incredible. I mean, it's really old, even though it's been refurbished. It came with exactly what the seller promised but it takes to upgrades like a dream. It's durable, perfect, and an excellent example of why IBM products are to be trusted.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Lenovo ThinkPad T60 Notebook
The product was delivered promptly and was ready to use right out of the box. It actually looked like a brand new T60, and functioned like one too! Not a single problem with it, including good battery function. I like it when I get the exact product that I ordered instead of a product that has cosmetic problems and/or function problems. The last T60 I ordered through Amazon had a battery problem that the seller would not even discuss. I would buy another computer or computer related product from this seller in a heartbeat...and I intend to do so in the near future. Two BIG thumbs up for this seller.
Monday, March 3, 2014
Review of Sony VAIO VPC-EA43FX/BJ 14-Inch Widescreen Entertainment Laptop
So, I bought this laptop two months ago. I ended up getting a pretty good deal on it (better than this specific item. On the whole, I am very satisfied with my purchase (aside from a few minor things: read further).
Pros:
The processor is fast, the harddrive is big enough, and there is plenty of ram. And, Windows 7 is a nice upgrade from Vista. It stays cool in your lap, even with moderate to high use (although can heat up if you're using video and don't have a standalone graphics card, which I don't). The display is pretty, and the 14" is plenty for me to do most things. The laptop on the whole looks very nice (particularly the keyboard) and is very portable and pretty light.
Cons:
I spent the first day trying out the TONS of software that came preloaded onto the computer. By try out, I mean uninstall/disable.
Sony loaded up this computer w/ a lot of bloaty bloat software that really just didn't need to be there. I ended up just going through the msconfig services menu and disabling everything to do w/ Sony: mostly because some of them were just using up ~5% of my CPU for nothing (particularly the sony media center).
Secondly, the speakers aren't amazing. In fact, they're pretty disappointing. Definitely rock the headphones for this one, or external speakers.
Summary:
Good computer (i3 kills it), decent price, good performance besides the bloatware and speaker issues.
Pros:
The processor is fast, the harddrive is big enough, and there is plenty of ram. And, Windows 7 is a nice upgrade from Vista. It stays cool in your lap, even with moderate to high use (although can heat up if you're using video and don't have a standalone graphics card, which I don't). The display is pretty, and the 14" is plenty for me to do most things. The laptop on the whole looks very nice (particularly the keyboard) and is very portable and pretty light.
Cons:
I spent the first day trying out the TONS of software that came preloaded onto the computer. By try out, I mean uninstall/disable.
Sony loaded up this computer w/ a lot of bloaty bloat software that really just didn't need to be there. I ended up just going through the msconfig services menu and disabling everything to do w/ Sony: mostly because some of them were just using up ~5% of my CPU for nothing (particularly the sony media center).
Secondly, the speakers aren't amazing. In fact, they're pretty disappointing. Definitely rock the headphones for this one, or external speakers.
Summary:
Good computer (i3 kills it), decent price, good performance besides the bloatware and speaker issues.
Friday, February 7, 2014
Best Dell Inspiron mini 9 - BLACK, Intel® Atom Processor® N270 1.6 Ghz Deals
Before searching do a simple search on 'netbooks' and buy anything else. Over $600 for a 1Gb, Linux 9" netbook? My goodness, I can find the same specs for around $250. I guess fools with money will always find a way to flow their wad...I guess this would be one way.
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I purchased a Mini 9, black obsidian color, with 1.6 Ghz Atom processor, 16 GB solid state drive, 1 GB memory, external portable CD/DVD-RW, integrated webcam, GMA 950, wireless 802.11g, and Windows XP. This netbook boots up Windows XP very swiftly, plays NetFlix movies via wireless/DSL without a single screen blip or stutter, sound is quite good (headphones best when watching a movie or listing to music, very good stereo sound, and the built in speakers are adequate for regular browsing). DVDs and other media play excellently as well. My Firefox browser can be viewed full screen, and screen quality is good and easy on the eyes (very crisp and clear, good color). With a 4 GB Sandisk card I have 20 GB of disk space in total, which is more than enough for portability on vacation, to school, to the beach, the airport or on a plane, wherever I just need connection but don't need all the major attributes of a desktop system or bulky heavy 15 inch laptop. The battery lasts me 3 hours with my screen brightness down to mid level before my battery-low alarm sounds, and the battery charges very swiftly. The power cord is very lightweight and not bulky. I'm glad I made this purchase.
Friday, January 10, 2014
Review of Toshiba Portégé R835-P56x 13.3-Inch LED Laptop (Magnesium Blue)
I've had this laptop for nearly three weeks, and think it's great!
Summary:
Pros:
Lightweight
Clean and understated design
Sturdy: most surfaces are made of metal (only the bezel, hinges, and a few bottom panels are plastic). You can easily lift it up by the corner with one hand.
Battery life is good (7.5+ hours with mixed usage). Also, no "battery bulge" in the back!
Battery is removable
Trackpad has a nicely configurable driver (Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Mouse > Device Settings > Settings...)
Value; saves enough money for an SSD compared to a competing system like a Macbook Pro (see below)
Cons:
Screen isn't great. (It isn't bad, though -just narrow in vertical viewing angle).
Black color means you might be tempted to clean the keyboard/trackpad a little obsessively.
Industrial smell coming from the vent in the first few days of ownership (now gone)
When closed, the lid depresses a little when you apply pressure to the middle. I suggest keeping the included fabric insert thing to protect the lid from keyboard scratches. (Note that keyboard scratches also occur on other notebooks, including the sturdy Apple Macbooks, so I'm not taking off any points).
Overall:
I'm giving this laptop five stars because it represents a great value. I paid $835 for the system, and replaced the hard drive with an Intel X25-M 120GB SSD ($175). The total cost of my system therefore was $1010, which puts it in entry-level Macbook territory.
(Note that the SSD is very easy to install -you unscrew two panels in the back, swap the drives, and clean-install your operating system).
Why the SSD? With the SSD plus Sandy Bridge processor, performance is superb -startup is fast (15 seconds from button to login screen, plus 8 seconds from login to loaded desktop). Programs launch quickly, and shutdown is quick as well. I'd say the stock system with the hard drive is a bit imbalanced (processor is too fast for the 5400 RPM hard drive) but at least it comes with plenty of room and doesn't cost much. With this configuration, program launching and startup are slower, and you are stuck with bloatware, but the computer still operates reasonably fast.
--
Comparisons with other systems:
Compared with the Air, the R835 (with SSD installed) gives you:
more storage space (120GB SSD on my R835 vs. 64GB for the $999 11" MBA model)
--with SSD, similar bootup times (23 seconds for R835 vs. 15 seconds *see 6/2/2011 edit* for MBA) and wakeup times (both about 2 seconds)
a better processor (core i5-2410M vs. a core 2 duo) and more memory
longer battery life + removable battery
a DVD drive, USB 3.0 port, eSATA, VGA (no need to carry a dongle around)
0.9 or 0.3 pounds more weight (vs. the 11" and 13" MBA models, respectively).
about 0.25" more thickness
Compared with the Macbook Pro (13" entry-level model), you get:
$190 in savings (with SSD in the R835) or $365 savings (with stock HDD)
-With SSD swap, you get performance gains compared to the MB. With the default hard drive, you get twice as much storage (640GB vs. 320GB, both 5400 RPM).
Removable battery
Similar metal build quality (Macbook pro feels a little sturdier, but weighs 40% more)
1.3 pounds in weight savings (!)
Compared with the plastic Macbook (13" $999 model), you get:
Metal build quality
an SSD (for about the same total cost), or $165 in savings + 390GB more hard drive space
Better processor (two generations ahead) and RAM (4GB vs. 2GB).
1.5 pound weight savings (!)
So, I saw no reason to go with the Macbooks when I could get superior performance and save money, weight, and battery flexibility with the R835.
Compared to other PC systems -It's thinner and slightly less expensive than the Lenovo x220 (but isn't as rugged and has slightly shorter battery life), and is very much cheaper and has a better processor (but has an inferior screen) than the Sony Z series.
In short, the R835 makes its Apple competitors look seriously overpriced (or under-featured, depending on how you look at it) and costs less than its PC competitors.
--
My evaluation of the unit:
I liked the design -it's quite sturdy (with its metal construction) and light (3.2 pounds). It doesn't feel as "dense" as the Macbook Air, but it's sufficiently sturdy and light enough, such that you can lift it by a corner with one hand. Also, it certainly breaks a threshold in thinness, so it certainly *looks* thin. The CD/DVD drive makes a great "but wait, there's more" parlor trick!
(The design also appeals to me because it's pleasantly different from the Macbooks' design. In my Econ class, it looks stealthy and elegant compared to the sea of glowing Apples. Funny how "Think Different" should now apply to a PC rather than a Mac...)
As noted above, the performance is good, especially with an SSD installed. The weakest point is the integrated graphics, though it's not completely pathetic; I was able to play Portal without too much choppiness.
The battery life is great -I got 7.5 hours with mixed use (web browsing, spreadsheets, including an hour of Steam running). I estimate you get about 4-5 minutes per percent used (according to the Windows battery icon), or 400-500 minutes total.
There are a few minor drawbacks. For one, the screen is merely average because the vertical viewing angle is not good. Also, a downside to the black body color is that I obsessively clean it with every fleck of dust. The unit had a distinctly industrial smell when it first came, but now it's gone. Also, its lid depresses a little, which I suspect will lead to the keyboard leaving scratches on the screen (this also happens to Macbooks, which are supposed to be the pinnacle of design, so I guess it's acceptable). To counter this, I use the included piece of fabric between the screen and keyboard when I transport the unit around.
Despite these minor drawbacks, the system overall exudes great quality, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a well-built, fast, and highly portable notebook. I would strongly recommend replacing the stock hard drive with an SSD to balance the performance, especially given that the relatively low price (for this weight class) leaves some money to acquire an SSD.
EDIT (5/16/2011): PCMark Vantage scores for my system are here: [ ... ] . You can compare with other Core i5-2410M systems here: [ ... ]
EDIT (6/2/2011): I visited the Apple Store today. The 11-inch MBA started up in about 50 seconds (not sure what took so long), while the Core i7 MacBook Pro ($1500) started up in about 35 seconds (didn't have a chance to try the i5 MBP). If I remember correctly, the default R835 took about 60 seconds to start up. Again, the startup time for my configuration is 23 seconds.
EDIT (7/24/2011): Thanks to several reviewers for bringing this up: apparently, the motherboard does support SATA III speeds, but Toshiba disabled the speed, thus getting you SATA II speeds. This would mean that it wouldn't be too valuable buying a SATAIII SSD for use in this computer. I'll update this after I confirm this limitation.
PROS:
The battery life is excellent. Only if I am doing really demanding computational tasks do even think about plugging it in to the AC adapter.
The weight is fantastic. A lot of people I've showed it to can't believe how light this notebook is. My bookbag is so much lighter now. Even the AC adapter is way lighter than my Dell's.
The CPU power is more than sufficient as is the RAM at 4GB.
The trackpad is a good size. I don't think you could ever make a trackpad too big. It also has multi-touch and gesture support.
I was able to play L4D2 with this machine at medium settings. Much more than I was expecting given the graphics on here.
For the price, this is such a great notebook if you need something that is really light and still has a full blown mobile CPU.
The build quality is really good. Just a little bit of flex under the DVD drive. Everything else feels solid.
It has USB 3.0 and you can charge through USB even it the notebook isn't on. That's great for a gadget geek like me.
It also has HDMI, VGA and eSATA. So many ports!
CONS:
They just released the R830 series which offers faster CPU's and a docking port. If you have the money to spend, look at those instead. The i7 CPU R830 is actually rated at over 11 hours. They also have an SSD options too.
I am going from a 1920x1200 15.4" on my Dell to this 13.3" 1366x786. It's been kind of a shock for some of my programming related apps that require lots of screen real estate but haven't really noticed the difference for everyday home and office tasks. I am also going from matte to glare so that has lead to a couple new problem with reflections but nothing too bad.
Two finger scroll is not as smooth as I wish it could be but it's still very usable.
No bluetooth. Again, look at the R830 series.
Maybe this isn't the perfect notebook for you for whatever reason, but you really need to consider it if you are in the market for a new one.
since I'm not doing any hardcore computing and just using it for a few basic functions like browsing, streaming movies, programming, etc, it satisfies me (but then again I think any computer in this day an age could pull those tasks off). unfortunately, even for those basic functions there are a few issues that Toshiba can improve on:
1) the keyboard keys CLACK... really loudly. typing in the library or in class will probably stir up a ruckus. clackity clackity clack. not that big of a deal though, I guess.
2) I don't know where everyone is getting all these claims about a 9 hour battery life (even cnet said they were able to get something like 7 hours in their tests) when I'm running the laptop in 'eco' mode with 77% battery life left and only 4 hours and 11 minutes of claimed life left. a second later, I have 76% batter life left but only 3 hours and 41 minutes left??? I'm only on my battery's second charge but I've been noticing these really sporadic projections and it's really annoying.
3) the track pad straight up sucks. I'm not a fan of mac at all, but when my girlfriend had her 13.3" macbook, one of the things I found coolest was how easy it was to surf the net. the 2 finger scroll feature they had was super cool and some other functions included: three finger swipe up to open a new tab, three finger swipe down to close a page, three finger swipe left to go 'back' and right for forward, two finger tap to function as a right click [extremely useful]. comparatively, you can't really set any three finger functions to your own liking, the two finger scroll is really jittery if it manages to detect your fingers there is no sensitivity and can go insane and jump entire pages at any given moment. overall it's pretty frustrating to use the multi-finger features.
4) could be a part of gripe #3, but the two clicker buttons for the track pack are stiff. I like to use the tap function because my thumb would probably get sore if I used the clicker too much. yes, it is that stiff.
other than that, it's really light and powerful enough that I can use it without getting frustrated and just looks awesome which is good enough for me. I would give this laptop 5 stars otherwise and while a 2-star deduction might seem harsh, I feel these basic attributes could have easily been included and are prerequisites to just being a decent laptop. I mean, how expensive could it be to develop and include a good track pad?? overall, laptop seems sturdy and reliable and I'm looking forward to using it
update: an issue with the r705 series was that the fans would get really loud or that the laptop would get hot, but for either case, toshiba has remedied the problem on this model. the laptop stays extremely quiet even after I have been using it for 6 hours with just one break. it does warm up when in my lap on top of a blanket, but on a desk it doesn't heat up at ALL.
4/25 I've had the laptop for two or three weeks now but since it's my backup/extra I'm really taking care of it and haven't used it that much yet. Mostly for school and not for browsing/videos pretty much. But one thing I noticed today was a little clacking noise that's from the chrome hinge, which is loose. I have no idea how it could have gotten loose as I've used the laptop probably less than a total of 7 times and it's only been handled with the utmost care. REALLY annoying because for a $900 laptop, this really shouldn't be an issue.
For me, the most important features of a laptop are good processing power and portability. And when it comes right down to it, after a point, processing power would not matter so much.
I was originally considering buying the Toshiba Portege R835-P50X (Intel i3 processor) from Best Buy. The Portege R835-P56X (i5 processor) was the model reviewers all over the internet were raving about, but the P50X had a higher battery life--which I attributed to the slower processor--than the P56X. (CNET reported approx. seven hours from the R835-P56X, while PC Magazine reported over nine hours from the P50X.)
When I went onto Best Buy's website to check store inventory, though, I discovered that a newer model, with what appeared to be the same specs (including the Intel i5) as the R835-P56X, had just been released--enter the Portege R835-P70. Added bonus: it was $20 cheaper than the older (and slower) R835-P50X, and even cheaper still than the R835-P56X sold by online retailers.
The new Intel Sandy Bridge i5 processor certainly can perform. I use screen-reading software to access the computer (I am blind), and I am able to use some very memory-intensive text-to-speech voices that had previously been too unresponsive on older machines.
The battery appears to work as advertised, though I have not pushed it to its limit yet. If real-world usage tests indicate a 6-7 hour battery performance, I am inclined to believe them. The thing to remember when gauging battery performance is not the amount of time the computer says is remaining, but rather the percentage that is remaining. This is because the software calculates the amount of time remaining based on the current workload of the computer, and that changes from minute to minute.
While the keys do make a bit of a "clicking" sound when pressed, it is not annoying to me. The keys are firmer than I was used to, but there is always a learning curve with a new keyboard and the firmness is certainly not a bad thing. As far as the key placement, my response to those who say it feels "cramped" is that anyone who has used a 13-inch laptop before will have no trouble using this keyboard. But again, there is always a learning curve, especially for those who are used to larger setups.
The only thing I am not wild about is the placement of the cooling fan intake. It is on the underside of the laptop on the bottom left, and it is easier to cover it accidentally if the computer is sitting on your lap. It is not a deal-breaker, by any means--it is just something to keep in mind. (If the intake is blocked, the fan will run at a higher RPM.)
In several reviews, the sound of the Portege R835's speakers was criticized...and rightly so. The sound they put out is tinny and distorted--the higher the volume, the more distortion there is. My solution? Uninstall the preinstalled Realtek High Definition Audio driver--it makes a world of difference. When I uninstalled said driver and cranked up the volume, I was pleased (and a bit surprised) to find that the speakers were just as loud, but with no distortion! (As a general rule, I uninstall the preinstalled Realtek HD audio driver in favor of the default Microsoft one, mainly because the Microsoft driver allows independent control of speaker and headphone volumes.)
Overall, this is a wonderful little laptop--great battery life, fast processor performance, and all of that in a very lightweight (but sturdy--almost all-metal) frame. While the fan intake placement is not all that great, one can work around it. If you get nothing else useful from this review, please take my advice on uninstalling the Realtek audio driver in favor of the Microsoft one--you'll be glad you did.
The keyboard is a little loud, sure, but aside from that it is just about perfect. I've always liked the old IBM clicky keyboards. Typing on this reminds me of those, which I think is awesome.
The touchpad was *kinda* weird, but I got used to it quickly (have had the machine for about 2 weeks now). Another reviewer commented on the scrolling, and has a solution posted as well. After a couple hours of use, I have no problem using the touchpad (have even played Portal 2 a bit with it).
The performance is amazing, the only thing slowing it down is the hard drive. I have SSDs in my other machines, so the difference is pretty apparent to me. I'll pick up an SSD and make this the perfect little laptop.
Battery life is as advertised. I took it in to work one day and downloaded all of Portal 2, OpenSUSE 11.4 ISO, and Office, all while doing normal browsing with max brightness. I proceeded to burn and install OpenSUSE, and the battery still lasted roughly 6.5 hours. I was impressed.
The screen is definitely bright. I used it in a car with sunlight coming through the window with no issues. As most, I'd prefer a matte screen, but any glare on this is barely noticeable, I didn't even think about it while using it in the sun. I just mention it because I just read a ThinkPad review that had me thinking about it.
I mentioned above that I played Portal 2 on it, yup! Works better than I expected, the sandy bridge i5 is a beast!
I've already recommended this laptop to family and friends, it is definitely worth a look if you're in the market.
Summary:
Pros:
Lightweight
Clean and understated design
Sturdy: most surfaces are made of metal (only the bezel, hinges, and a few bottom panels are plastic). You can easily lift it up by the corner with one hand.
Battery life is good (7.5+ hours with mixed usage). Also, no "battery bulge" in the back!
Battery is removable
Trackpad has a nicely configurable driver (Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Mouse > Device Settings > Settings...)
Value; saves enough money for an SSD compared to a competing system like a Macbook Pro (see below)
Cons:
Screen isn't great. (It isn't bad, though -just narrow in vertical viewing angle).
Black color means you might be tempted to clean the keyboard/trackpad a little obsessively.
Industrial smell coming from the vent in the first few days of ownership (now gone)
When closed, the lid depresses a little when you apply pressure to the middle. I suggest keeping the included fabric insert thing to protect the lid from keyboard scratches. (Note that keyboard scratches also occur on other notebooks, including the sturdy Apple Macbooks, so I'm not taking off any points).
Overall:
I'm giving this laptop five stars because it represents a great value. I paid $835 for the system, and replaced the hard drive with an Intel X25-M 120GB SSD ($175). The total cost of my system therefore was $1010, which puts it in entry-level Macbook territory.
(Note that the SSD is very easy to install -you unscrew two panels in the back, swap the drives, and clean-install your operating system).
Why the SSD? With the SSD plus Sandy Bridge processor, performance is superb -startup is fast (15 seconds from button to login screen, plus 8 seconds from login to loaded desktop). Programs launch quickly, and shutdown is quick as well. I'd say the stock system with the hard drive is a bit imbalanced (processor is too fast for the 5400 RPM hard drive) but at least it comes with plenty of room and doesn't cost much. With this configuration, program launching and startup are slower, and you are stuck with bloatware, but the computer still operates reasonably fast.
--
Comparisons with other systems:
Compared with the Air, the R835 (with SSD installed) gives you:
more storage space (120GB SSD on my R835 vs. 64GB for the $999 11" MBA model)
--with SSD, similar bootup times (23 seconds for R835 vs. 15 seconds *see 6/2/2011 edit* for MBA) and wakeup times (both about 2 seconds)
a better processor (core i5-2410M vs. a core 2 duo) and more memory
longer battery life + removable battery
a DVD drive, USB 3.0 port, eSATA, VGA (no need to carry a dongle around)
0.9 or 0.3 pounds more weight (vs. the 11" and 13" MBA models, respectively).
about 0.25" more thickness
Compared with the Macbook Pro (13" entry-level model), you get:
$190 in savings (with SSD in the R835) or $365 savings (with stock HDD)
-With SSD swap, you get performance gains compared to the MB. With the default hard drive, you get twice as much storage (640GB vs. 320GB, both 5400 RPM).
Removable battery
Similar metal build quality (Macbook pro feels a little sturdier, but weighs 40% more)
1.3 pounds in weight savings (!)
Compared with the plastic Macbook (13" $999 model), you get:
Metal build quality
an SSD (for about the same total cost), or $165 in savings + 390GB more hard drive space
Better processor (two generations ahead) and RAM (4GB vs. 2GB).
1.5 pound weight savings (!)
So, I saw no reason to go with the Macbooks when I could get superior performance and save money, weight, and battery flexibility with the R835.
Compared to other PC systems -It's thinner and slightly less expensive than the Lenovo x220 (but isn't as rugged and has slightly shorter battery life), and is very much cheaper and has a better processor (but has an inferior screen) than the Sony Z series.
In short, the R835 makes its Apple competitors look seriously overpriced (or under-featured, depending on how you look at it) and costs less than its PC competitors.
--
My evaluation of the unit:
I liked the design -it's quite sturdy (with its metal construction) and light (3.2 pounds). It doesn't feel as "dense" as the Macbook Air, but it's sufficiently sturdy and light enough, such that you can lift it by a corner with one hand. Also, it certainly breaks a threshold in thinness, so it certainly *looks* thin. The CD/DVD drive makes a great "but wait, there's more" parlor trick!
(The design also appeals to me because it's pleasantly different from the Macbooks' design. In my Econ class, it looks stealthy and elegant compared to the sea of glowing Apples. Funny how "Think Different" should now apply to a PC rather than a Mac...)
As noted above, the performance is good, especially with an SSD installed. The weakest point is the integrated graphics, though it's not completely pathetic; I was able to play Portal without too much choppiness.
The battery life is great -I got 7.5 hours with mixed use (web browsing, spreadsheets, including an hour of Steam running). I estimate you get about 4-5 minutes per percent used (according to the Windows battery icon), or 400-500 minutes total.
There are a few minor drawbacks. For one, the screen is merely average because the vertical viewing angle is not good. Also, a downside to the black body color is that I obsessively clean it with every fleck of dust. The unit had a distinctly industrial smell when it first came, but now it's gone. Also, its lid depresses a little, which I suspect will lead to the keyboard leaving scratches on the screen (this also happens to Macbooks, which are supposed to be the pinnacle of design, so I guess it's acceptable). To counter this, I use the included piece of fabric between the screen and keyboard when I transport the unit around.
Despite these minor drawbacks, the system overall exudes great quality, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a well-built, fast, and highly portable notebook. I would strongly recommend replacing the stock hard drive with an SSD to balance the performance, especially given that the relatively low price (for this weight class) leaves some money to acquire an SSD.
EDIT (5/16/2011): PCMark Vantage scores for my system are here: [ ... ] . You can compare with other Core i5-2410M systems here: [ ... ]
EDIT (6/2/2011): I visited the Apple Store today. The 11-inch MBA started up in about 50 seconds (not sure what took so long), while the Core i7 MacBook Pro ($1500) started up in about 35 seconds (didn't have a chance to try the i5 MBP). If I remember correctly, the default R835 took about 60 seconds to start up. Again, the startup time for my configuration is 23 seconds.
EDIT (7/24/2011): Thanks to several reviewers for bringing this up: apparently, the motherboard does support SATA III speeds, but Toshiba disabled the speed, thus getting you SATA II speeds. This would mean that it wouldn't be too valuable buying a SATAIII SSD for use in this computer. I'll update this after I confirm this limitation.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
I love this notebook. My last one was a 6.5 pound beast of a Dell that I carried around for four years and got 2 hour battery life if you were lucky. This is such a huge improvement.PROS:
The battery life is excellent. Only if I am doing really demanding computational tasks do even think about plugging it in to the AC adapter.
The weight is fantastic. A lot of people I've showed it to can't believe how light this notebook is. My bookbag is so much lighter now. Even the AC adapter is way lighter than my Dell's.
The CPU power is more than sufficient as is the RAM at 4GB.
The trackpad is a good size. I don't think you could ever make a trackpad too big. It also has multi-touch and gesture support.
I was able to play L4D2 with this machine at medium settings. Much more than I was expecting given the graphics on here.
For the price, this is such a great notebook if you need something that is really light and still has a full blown mobile CPU.
The build quality is really good. Just a little bit of flex under the DVD drive. Everything else feels solid.
It has USB 3.0 and you can charge through USB even it the notebook isn't on. That's great for a gadget geek like me.
It also has HDMI, VGA and eSATA. So many ports!
CONS:
They just released the R830 series which offers faster CPU's and a docking port. If you have the money to spend, look at those instead. The i7 CPU R830 is actually rated at over 11 hours. They also have an SSD options too.
I am going from a 1920x1200 15.4" on my Dell to this 13.3" 1366x786. It's been kind of a shock for some of my programming related apps that require lots of screen real estate but haven't really noticed the difference for everyday home and office tasks. I am also going from matte to glare so that has lead to a couple new problem with reflections but nothing too bad.
Two finger scroll is not as smooth as I wish it could be but it's still very usable.
No bluetooth. Again, look at the R830 series.
Maybe this isn't the perfect notebook for you for whatever reason, but you really need to consider it if you are in the market for a new one.
Best Deals for Toshiba Portégé R835-P56x 13.3-Inch LED Laptop (Magnesium Blue)
what initially got me into the portege series was the aesthetic. it has a very simple and clean look. I'm not exactly tech savvy as I don't keep up with all the latest processors and whatnot, but for all the praise and hype about the new Sandy Bridge processors, this laptop seems decently quick. doesn't blow me away compared to my several years-old core duo desktop or even my 1-2 year-old, $500 toshiba satellite. overall, I like it a lot because it's big enough that hopefully it won't give me carpel tunnel syndrome, but small enough for easy mobility, which is good for a student.since I'm not doing any hardcore computing and just using it for a few basic functions like browsing, streaming movies, programming, etc, it satisfies me (but then again I think any computer in this day an age could pull those tasks off). unfortunately, even for those basic functions there are a few issues that Toshiba can improve on:
1) the keyboard keys CLACK... really loudly. typing in the library or in class will probably stir up a ruckus. clackity clackity clack. not that big of a deal though, I guess.
2) I don't know where everyone is getting all these claims about a 9 hour battery life (even cnet said they were able to get something like 7 hours in their tests) when I'm running the laptop in 'eco' mode with 77% battery life left and only 4 hours and 11 minutes of claimed life left. a second later, I have 76% batter life left but only 3 hours and 41 minutes left??? I'm only on my battery's second charge but I've been noticing these really sporadic projections and it's really annoying.
3) the track pad straight up sucks. I'm not a fan of mac at all, but when my girlfriend had her 13.3" macbook, one of the things I found coolest was how easy it was to surf the net. the 2 finger scroll feature they had was super cool and some other functions included: three finger swipe up to open a new tab, three finger swipe down to close a page, three finger swipe left to go 'back' and right for forward, two finger tap to function as a right click [extremely useful]. comparatively, you can't really set any three finger functions to your own liking, the two finger scroll is really jittery if it manages to detect your fingers there is no sensitivity and can go insane and jump entire pages at any given moment. overall it's pretty frustrating to use the multi-finger features.
4) could be a part of gripe #3, but the two clicker buttons for the track pack are stiff. I like to use the tap function because my thumb would probably get sore if I used the clicker too much. yes, it is that stiff.
other than that, it's really light and powerful enough that I can use it without getting frustrated and just looks awesome which is good enough for me. I would give this laptop 5 stars otherwise and while a 2-star deduction might seem harsh, I feel these basic attributes could have easily been included and are prerequisites to just being a decent laptop. I mean, how expensive could it be to develop and include a good track pad?? overall, laptop seems sturdy and reliable and I'm looking forward to using it
update: an issue with the r705 series was that the fans would get really loud or that the laptop would get hot, but for either case, toshiba has remedied the problem on this model. the laptop stays extremely quiet even after I have been using it for 6 hours with just one break. it does warm up when in my lap on top of a blanket, but on a desk it doesn't heat up at ALL.
4/25 I've had the laptop for two or three weeks now but since it's my backup/extra I'm really taking care of it and haven't used it that much yet. Mostly for school and not for browsing/videos pretty much. But one thing I noticed today was a little clacking noise that's from the chrome hinge, which is loose. I have no idea how it could have gotten loose as I've used the laptop probably less than a total of 7 times and it's only been handled with the utmost care. REALLY annoying because for a $900 laptop, this really shouldn't be an issue.
Honest reviews on Toshiba Portégé R835-P56x 13.3-Inch LED Laptop (Magnesium Blue)
Please note: I have the Toshiba Portege R835-P70 now sold by Best Buy (as of late June 2011), which appears to have the same specs as the P56X. Thus, I post the following review, as I think it should apply:For me, the most important features of a laptop are good processing power and portability. And when it comes right down to it, after a point, processing power would not matter so much.
I was originally considering buying the Toshiba Portege R835-P50X (Intel i3 processor) from Best Buy. The Portege R835-P56X (i5 processor) was the model reviewers all over the internet were raving about, but the P50X had a higher battery life--which I attributed to the slower processor--than the P56X. (CNET reported approx. seven hours from the R835-P56X, while PC Magazine reported over nine hours from the P50X.)
When I went onto Best Buy's website to check store inventory, though, I discovered that a newer model, with what appeared to be the same specs (including the Intel i5) as the R835-P56X, had just been released--enter the Portege R835-P70. Added bonus: it was $20 cheaper than the older (and slower) R835-P50X, and even cheaper still than the R835-P56X sold by online retailers.
The new Intel Sandy Bridge i5 processor certainly can perform. I use screen-reading software to access the computer (I am blind), and I am able to use some very memory-intensive text-to-speech voices that had previously been too unresponsive on older machines.
The battery appears to work as advertised, though I have not pushed it to its limit yet. If real-world usage tests indicate a 6-7 hour battery performance, I am inclined to believe them. The thing to remember when gauging battery performance is not the amount of time the computer says is remaining, but rather the percentage that is remaining. This is because the software calculates the amount of time remaining based on the current workload of the computer, and that changes from minute to minute.
While the keys do make a bit of a "clicking" sound when pressed, it is not annoying to me. The keys are firmer than I was used to, but there is always a learning curve with a new keyboard and the firmness is certainly not a bad thing. As far as the key placement, my response to those who say it feels "cramped" is that anyone who has used a 13-inch laptop before will have no trouble using this keyboard. But again, there is always a learning curve, especially for those who are used to larger setups.
The only thing I am not wild about is the placement of the cooling fan intake. It is on the underside of the laptop on the bottom left, and it is easier to cover it accidentally if the computer is sitting on your lap. It is not a deal-breaker, by any means--it is just something to keep in mind. (If the intake is blocked, the fan will run at a higher RPM.)
In several reviews, the sound of the Portege R835's speakers was criticized...and rightly so. The sound they put out is tinny and distorted--the higher the volume, the more distortion there is. My solution? Uninstall the preinstalled Realtek High Definition Audio driver--it makes a world of difference. When I uninstalled said driver and cranked up the volume, I was pleased (and a bit surprised) to find that the speakers were just as loud, but with no distortion! (As a general rule, I uninstall the preinstalled Realtek HD audio driver in favor of the default Microsoft one, mainly because the Microsoft driver allows independent control of speaker and headphone volumes.)
Overall, this is a wonderful little laptop--great battery life, fast processor performance, and all of that in a very lightweight (but sturdy--almost all-metal) frame. While the fan intake placement is not all that great, one can work around it. If you get nothing else useful from this review, please take my advice on uninstalling the Realtek audio driver in favor of the Microsoft one--you'll be glad you did.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Toshiba Portégé R835-P56x 13.3-Inch LED Laptop (Magnesium Blue)
The other reviewers pretty much hit the spots that needed hit.The keyboard is a little loud, sure, but aside from that it is just about perfect. I've always liked the old IBM clicky keyboards. Typing on this reminds me of those, which I think is awesome.
The touchpad was *kinda* weird, but I got used to it quickly (have had the machine for about 2 weeks now). Another reviewer commented on the scrolling, and has a solution posted as well. After a couple hours of use, I have no problem using the touchpad (have even played Portal 2 a bit with it).
The performance is amazing, the only thing slowing it down is the hard drive. I have SSDs in my other machines, so the difference is pretty apparent to me. I'll pick up an SSD and make this the perfect little laptop.
Battery life is as advertised. I took it in to work one day and downloaded all of Portal 2, OpenSUSE 11.4 ISO, and Office, all while doing normal browsing with max brightness. I proceeded to burn and install OpenSUSE, and the battery still lasted roughly 6.5 hours. I was impressed.
The screen is definitely bright. I used it in a car with sunlight coming through the window with no issues. As most, I'd prefer a matte screen, but any glare on this is barely noticeable, I didn't even think about it while using it in the sun. I just mention it because I just read a ThinkPad review that had me thinking about it.
I mentioned above that I played Portal 2 on it, yup! Works better than I expected, the sandy bridge i5 is a beast!
I've already recommended this laptop to family and friends, it is definitely worth a look if you're in the market.
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