Best Toshiba Satellite S875-S7140 17.3-Inch Laptop (Ice Blue Brushed Deals

Customer Ratings:

***SEE UPDATE AT BOTTOM***

I do copious amounts of research when buying electronics, but it's reading product reviews that gives me a sense of comfort about the product. Therefore, when I literally couldn't find any descriptive reviews of this laptop, I was terrified. However, the technical specs swayed me. And I'm glad I took the plunge.

What you need to know is that this computer delivers on performance. I've already loaded up about half of the hard drive, and it's still just as fast as when it was clear. It's not lightening fast (maybe around 7-10 seconds for it to come on) but is certainly a lot faster than my older laptop that took around a minute each time to start up. The graphics are very sharp as well.

The two big disappointments from me concerning hardware, are the sub-par speakers and glossy screen. My five year old Lenovo speakers had a much richer, fuller sound with a discernible bass. These speakers are tiny and shrill sounding in comparison. It's not the end of the world for me as I hardly use the built in speakers (use headphones or a speaker set), but it certainly surprised me. The screen is glossy as opposed to matte, which I knew when buying it, but it pisses me off. I hate glossy screens--I do a lot of graphics work and they just annoy me. However, given that everyone is trying to make their hardware look like Apples', I couldn't find any laptops with the same specs with a matte screen.

The metal brushed finish and casing is really nice though. It feels sturdy and expensive as well as looks seriously cool. It is heavy and quite large though. This is not a "carry around in the backpack" laptop. It's not a monster--but is also not portable in my opinion. The keyboard is a bit odd as well. I've always had laptops where the keys are very tightly placed. On this keyboard, there are large gaps between keys. I initially thought this would screw up how fast I type as I thought my fingers would have to relearn distances--but it's been fine actually. It might take a few minutes to get used to though. Also, in my perfect world--this computer would have a trackpoint.

Anyone upgrading from Windows 7 to 8, needs to be aware that there are initially some very big differences. Being a child of the tech era, I was convinced that I would just naturally be able to figure everything out immediately within a few minutes. Not so. It took me a good hour and watching a couple of youtube tutorials to figure out how to run programs, how to navigate between my desktop app and the start screen properly and even how to actually put it to sleep. At first it was just confusing and tedious, but now it's really not so bad. It's simple to use once you get used to the new layout and extra options, and is additionally very fast and very clean. The graphics are sharp and well done. As I'm using 8 on a laptop, I don't think I'm ever really going to have a use for the app start screen, but it's just one click from there to a traditional desktop--and the desktop now has even more functions and capabilities, so overall not too bad. I have to say though, if it was a tablet--I think it would be a pretty killer and simple operating system. I was planning on buying a Google Nexus tablet eventually, but now given the ease, fluidity and high performance of Windows 8--I will be seriously looking at other tablets now.

All in all, I got what I wanted--a high performing laptop with lots of space for a great price. It's not the most portable and isn't perfect, but I'm happy. And that's what counts.

***Update, so today I was horrified that I had a defective laptop. The mouse and touch-pad were completely frozen. I restarted several times figuring that would make it snap out of it, and nothing. With my heart in my stomach, I did what all people should do when they have computer problems---googled it. Come to find out, Toshiba put a key that freezes the mouse close to the volume controls keys. I'm not really sure what the point of this key is, and it's not a problem now that I know that it's there--but I figured if I had a mini panic attack over it, probably other people will eventually have this same problem. So just a heads up on this key.

****UPDATE****10/7/13

Due to my recent experience with the laptop I am taking off two stars. I tried taking it on a trip a few months ago--and even though I was very careful with it and had it padded at all times, my inner screen somehow cracked. Toshiba support said that this was my fault, and I ended up having to pay about $250 to get it fixed. I would concur that it was "user error" on my part as I did not receive a defective laptop; however, I think it is ridiculous that the laptop couldn't survive one measly weekend trip in a thickly padded backpack (had it in my photography backpack which protects my thousands of dollars of camera gear just fine). So unfortunately, when I said above that this laptop is not portable--I was more right then I knew at the time. It's not just a size issue, it's actually a build issue too. Despite feeling sturdy, its just not. I would recommend buying it only if you plan on barely moving it (ie. it staying on top of a desk).

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I did quite a bit of shopping around to find a good laptop for not a ridiculous amount of money. I'm very happy with the choice I've made. I use this computer primarily for work, and the programs I use are graphically intensive and rough on a processor. This computer maintains its speed regardless of what I've got running. It's comfortable to use, doesn't get hot on your lap, the graphics are great, and it looks cool too! Many have complained about Windows 8. I'm actually enjoying it now that I've become acclimated to using it. As for long term usage of this computer, I can't yet say, but so far I am very impressed.

Best Deals for Toshiba Satellite S875-S7140 17.3-Inch Laptop (Ice Blue Brushed

This is basically a good laptop: plenty of hard drive and memory, and a very fast chip. The problem with it is that it's not properly grounded. I sent back the first one, received a second one, and they both had the same issue. I had to return it and cancel the order. Amazon customer service was very nice, very cooperative, but that doesn't make up for the product being faulty.

Here's the problem I'm talking about:

In the middle of the power cord is a rectangular box. It's supposed to convert AC current (from the wall outlet) to DC current. I know somebody with a pretty good knowledge of electronics, and with the proper equipment, and we were able to measure a little bit of AC current leaking out of the box. There's not supposed to be any AC current going to the laptop. As a result, I could feel a slight vibration, or tingling, on the outside of the laptop. The outside is aluminum, so it conducts electricity. What I was feeling was not a physical vibration, it was a small AC current. Besides being uncomfortable having electric current coming from the case, this is bad for the equipment in the long run. Even worse, there's a person in my house with a pacemaker, and stray electric fields/currents are downright dangerous for them.

Toshiba needs to deal with this issue. I wouldn't use a laptop with this problem.

Honest reviews on Toshiba Satellite S875-S7140 17.3-Inch Laptop (Ice Blue Brushed

It works very good and fast, a lot of space on the Hard drive It is not too heavy and so quiet.

I read a review about this Laptop from some reviewer who said that it does not have a LED

on the "Caps Lock" key, it is not true, I see the green light when I hit the Caps Lock key.

I have the Laptop just 4 weeks but I love it.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Toshiba Satellite S875-S7140 17.3-Inch Laptop (Ice Blue Brushed

got this item in a timely fashion,packaged carefully,works great.this Toshiba is a quality machine and I am very pleased with its performance.i highly recommend this product.

Reviews of SONY VAIO VPCCA3AFX/PI 2nd gen Intel® CoreTM i3-2330M (2.20GHz)

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $699.99
Sale Price: $629.00
Today's Bonus: 10% Off

I bought this computer from Sony brand new less then 30 days ago.

I could not wait for it get to my doorstep!

It's a beautiful looking computer ( if you like pink ).

Raised and lightened keyboard.

Wireless turn off / on.

Comes with Windows 7 64 bit and windows home premium.

It's light and easy to carry.

It has had one consistent problem that I cannot over come and therefore I am returning it.

As much as I don't want to.

The problem is the mouse freezes then the entire computer freezes.

The only way to fix the problem is to turn the entire computer off.

You lose everything that you were working on.

I have tried everything I can to fix it, but nothing helps.

Sony support cannot seem fix it.

Speaking of Sony support it's bad really bad.

You cannot understand them, they cannot understand you.

They don't really care if they help you or not.

My computer get's returned tomorrow.

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Discount Compaq Presario CQ56-219WM 15.6" 2GB 250GB Notebook PC

Customer Ratings:

I bought the presario cq56-219wm from walmart for $279 and it is well worth the price. For the price of a netbook gets you a laptop that can easly surf the web, messgae, check e-mail, watch and burn dvds and play some not to graffic intence games.

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Samsung NP700Z5A-S03US 15.6-Inch Laptop Review

Customer Ratings:

Just received mine and finished going through setup. Not too much crapware installed. Nice option during setup to set partition sizes.

Out of the box Windows Experience Index: 5.9.

Processor: 7.5

RAM: 7.6

Graphics: 6.1

Gaming Graphics: 6.1

Hard disk: 5.9

I wish the arrow keys were a bit larger maybe 3/4 size (if not full size) instead of the 1/2 size that they are (on the other hand, I need to remember that the numeric keypad does double duty with full size navigation keys). I would have preferred to have power connection in the rear rather than the side.

Update Dec 13: The wifi antenna is giving me noticeably worse performance than my previous laptop. Working from the same chair, my 5 year old Dell D620 was getting link speeds of 36-48Mbps. This laptop is getting 5-18Mbps. Loss of 1 star.

Update Dec 14: There's no BREAK key on the keyboard! This forces you to use the mouse to enter/leave full screen remote desktop (instead of ctrl+alt+break). No ctrl+break either. The touchpad is taking some getting used to. It produces an audible click, but the force required to produce the audible is less than the force required for a mouse click to actually register with the OS need to see if that can be adjusted. The display has an ambient light sensor near the delete/home/end/page-up/page-down keys. Using those keys causes the display to dim. Disable the sensor via the easy settings apps.

Figured out the problem with the touchpad. It has a deadzone that is about 3/4" inch long by 1/2" tall. The deadzone is located on the left half of the bottom edge. The right-half works fine for right-click. Left-click is a bad experience. No clicks are ever registered in that zone even though the pad does make an audible click.

The external power supply isn't too large. But it makes a heck of a lot of noise even though it is on the floor underneath a table. I thought I was hearing clicking of disk drive head movement. Nope, the power supply makes a staticy-clicking sound whenever I alt+tab between windows. That sound is also made when using arrows keys to move up and down lists or when using the mouse to reposition scrollbars.

The bottom of the laptop is very smooth/slick. Keeps sliding around on my legs and requires that I apply downward force with my palms. I'll need to put some textured tape on the bottom.

Starting to regret this purchase...

Update Dec 15: The deadzone on the touchpad is getting smaller. But the lower right corner of the touchpad feels like it has gotten a flat tire. It is now noticeably lower than the rest of the touchpad and right-clicks are more difficult there as there is almost no travel left for clicks.

I now understand what the other reviewer wrote about jumpy cursor. The problem is due to the deadzone. When I do full left-right sweeps on the touchpad, it is very responsive except over the deadzone. Then the cursor hiccups it doesn't jump, it just stops moving, then starts moving again when my finger makes it to the other side of the deadzone.

I really want to like this machine (all the features are there and the form-factor is fantastic 1600x900 in a small 15 inches), but the wifi performance and touchpad durability/performance are killing it for me. Maybe this will also turn into a review of Samsung repair service.

Got AutoHotKey to map CapsLock to Break. Search for the "How to add a Pause/Break key to a keyboard that doesn't have one?" question at superuser com.

At every new user session, there are like 4 or 5 samsung apps (battery, easy settings, harddisk, ...) that require UAC elevation when you login if using a standard Windows account. Administrative accounts are only prompted 2 or 3 times. All of these apps are scheduled tasks that are triggered by login.

And the wifi performance still stinks.

Update Dec 17: I like the display and hardware (other than the wifi and the busted touchpad). I'll buy a new router to see if wifi performance improves. The touchpad will need repair, but I don't want to part with it quite yet. The dmhkcore.exe app that provides oem fn key functionality does not work properly with standard user accounts. It needs to be terminated and then restarted with admin privileges in order for fn+(f1, f2, f3 or f12) to work correctly (the other fn key combinations do work without admin privileges).

Update Dec 20: I got a new Netgear WNDR4000 dual-band N router (the old Linksys router did G). Wifi link speed improved but is still on average lower than my old laptop from my working position (read that as: the N performance of my new laptop is slightly lower than the G performance of my old laptop). If I move about 12 feet closer to the router, then I start to see what N is really about.

Update Dec 21: I checked out the B model that was on display at Best Buy. The touchpad is the same but that one did not have the deadzone that mine has. It does have a similar flat-tire right-click area.

Update Jan 6: check out the samsung forum over at notebookreview dot com.

Update Jan 18: This laptop does not support OpenGL running on the AMD graphics card. See the forum over at notebookreview. /samsung/630666-series-7-chronos-all-:models-push-samsung-implement-fixed-mode-bios-23.html#post8247924 and /samsung/630666-series-7-chronos-all-models-push-samsung-implement-fixed-mode-bios-23.html#post8248124

Update Feb 17: OpenGL issue is resolved with just released drivers. I removed the 4GB stick and replaced with 8GB now I have a total of 12GB. Nice.

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Our biggest concern before buying this Samsung Series 7 laptop was the horror stories relating to poor Wi-Fi performance for units equipped with the Broadcom Wi-Fi card.

But a family member wanted it and asked me to set it up. I have now had a chance to use it for the last 6 weeks.

Fortunately Wi-Fi turned out to be OK (details below).

This laptop is fast, quiet and runs cool. The matte anti-glare display is very pleasing and bright.

It is a pleasure to use, the backlit keyboard is a must, no more fumbling in the dark.

It's also great that it is equipped with a full size HDMI port for connecting to a TV etc. By the way, it switches automatically to the dedicated AMD Radeon HD 6750M graphics board when plugging into the HDMI.

Two of the three USB ports are USB 3.0 (great for fast data transfer to external drives)

It has a very large TrackPad which obeys somewhat similar hand-gestures you may have become used to from smart phone displays. I am a mouse fan and turn the pad off because my thumbs rest on it when I type making the cursor jump all over.

This Series 7 SO3US model comes with Win 7 Pro and a factory recovery disk that allows you to do a clean install (nice touch and almost unheard of these days).

The -SO3US model may be the best value as compared to the other models -S0AUS, -S0BUS, -S04US, -S09US etc. because the S03 comes with the maximum 8GB RAM, 1GB of dedicated graphics memory and Win 7 Professional already installed (although one of the other models has 1TB HDD).

It has 8 GB of RAM and a 750 GB 7200 RPM HDD.

This Series 7 is faster than a typical PC equipped with HDD (Hard Disk Drive) because Samsung equipped the motherboard with an 8GB SSD (Solid State Drive) used for faster execution of programs and boot-up (as compared to a PC with HDD only).

The optical drive loads the DVD automatically when partly inserted into the slot (similar to a Mac). Push Fn and Delete simultaneously to eject (not mentioned in the Quick Start instructions).

I personally prefer the old fashioned mechanical tray-loader with a push button for opening. The disadvantage of the slot loader type is that it may not accept the small diameter CDs often containing drivers for accessories (I did not dare try).

But I guess it is a matter of preference because you may prefer to download drivers from the manufacturer(s) website which will ensure that you always get the latest/updated version.

WI-FI PERFORMANCE

As mentioned our biggest concern before buying was the horror stories relating to poor Wi-Fi performance of Samsung Series 7 laptops equipped with the Broadcom Wi-Fi card.

The first thing I did after opening the box was to test the Wi-Fi signal strength using inSSDer 2.1 (free software). A great tool, it will show you all the routers in your area including signal strength (and much more).

My hart almost stopped when comparing the 15" Series 7 with my own 17" Samsung RF711 S03US.

I could only see 3 routers on the 15" Series 7 whereas I could see at least 16 routers on the 17". Also the signal intensity measured in dB (decibel) was significantly stronger on the 17" (a smaller negative number indicates higher signal strength = closer to zero).

Any difference is significant as 3 dB increase represent a DOUBLING in strength.

I was ready to pack it up and send it back but decided to put it to the test using "LAN Speed Test" a highly effective program to map and troubleshoot transfer speeds in your network.

To my surprise the 15" with the Broadcom Wi-Fi board did better over "long" distances compared to the 17" with the Intel Wi-Fi board. As you will notice the 17" did better at short distances where the speed was 1.5 to 2 times higher but "relatively poorly" at longer distances.

In my opinion the 15" Samsung Series 7 with the Broadcom Wi-Fi card came out as the winner in these tests.

YOU CAN CLICK ON COMMENTS BELOW THIS REVIEW TO SEE THE ACTUAL TEST RESULTS.

SSD UPGRADE

The computer was fast in the factory configuration however if you desire EXTREME SPEED or longer battery life you can replace the original HDD with a SSD.

This is exactly what we did to this laptop and boy it's fast!

To find out how it's done click on this link .... Samsung 830 Series MZ-7PC512N/AM 512 GB 2.5 Inch SATA III MLC Internal SSD Laptop Kit with Norton Ghost 15 and search in the reviews for the heading: "NEED FOR SPEED! You got it... and without losing the factory F4 recovery option. HERE IS HOW!"

WOULD I RECOMMEND THIS LAPTOP TO A FRIEND?

Absolutely, the factory configuration and performance is excellent. It is very thin, light and perfect for travel.

Only users that need to manipulate large graphics/video files or perhaps have been "spoiled" by SSD systems may want to consider a SSD upgrade. (This category will also want their computers connected via a wired network).

Some early versions of the Series 7 laptops that hit the market may have Wi-Fi issues (as reported in some early reviews and complaints all over the internet) however if you have problems, the first thing to do would be to verify that you have the latest drivers (I have added the Driver details and HOW TO DO THE TEST as a comment below this review).

Before this purchase, we compared a lot of different laptops and eventually ended up with this one over the Sony Series S VAIO laptop. The Sonys (in the store) were running so hot that the back was unpleasant to the touch.

A couple of important points

This 7 Series is up and running in TWO SECONDS from sleep mode and a reboot takes 22 seconds.

You only reboot once a week when you use the Fast Start feature (it will ask you once a week).

Also the backlit keyboard is fast and pleasant.

I hope this review can bring some facts to the table regarding the ongoing Intel/Broadcom Wi-Fi discussion and also help you find the right laptop.

Best Deals for Samsung NP700Z5A-S03US 15.6-Inch Laptop

I've used Desktop PCs for as long as I could remember and this is the first laptop I've ever purchased. However I did tons of research before I purchased this machine. So as a new laptop user, I just want to say I'm pleased I made the change to mobile computing.

The laptop has a lot pros, but it also has some cons that really stand out. The hardware itself is solid. Aluminum build with a clean brushed look on top. The keyboard is very easy to type on, but the edge of the laptop is sharp and it digs into your wrist while your typing. It's more than a minor annoyance. You'll find yourself lifting your wrist off (mainly your right wrist) to see the marks the edge leaves behind. I'm not going to lie, the edge is sharp enough to put in some pain. I suggest wearing a wrist band while typing.

Another issue that bugged me a little bit was the video graphics. If you don't optimize the graphics to play videos off the web, such as Facebook videos, the video itself will get scrambled. It will continue to play, as you'll still hear the audio, but the video will be glitched. And it just won't happen once. It will continue to happen until you go into the Catalyst Control Center and deal with the issue.

Seeing that I'm coming from a desktop PC, I really don't have much to compare the battery life to. But from using the computer for over 6 hours continuously, with WiFi on, I can say that it's sufficient enough to get you through a full day's worth of work.

The backlit keyboard is beautiful, and the display is straight up gorgeous. The "max screen" technology they added to the display really helps it stand out among other laptops. The viewing angles, however could have been a little better.

For the price of the laptop, I wish a BluRay player added instead of a DVD writer. But in the end, you'll be trading the BluRay for the newest i7 quad core processor, and a top the line graphics card. So in my opinion it evens out. Besides, who uses physical discs for anything anymore? :P

I haven't played any games on this yet so I really can't say much about the graphics itself.

Pros

Backlit keyboard

Fast start up from cold start or sleep

Sleek look

NumPad

Slot load Disc Drive instead of Tray Load

Long Battery Life

Cons

Edge of laptop digs into wrist, leaving marks

Graphics aren't set up out of the box

No BluRay Drive

Jumpy mouse

I would Recommend this item to others.

Honest reviews on Samsung NP700Z5A-S03US 15.6-Inch Laptop

There is a common issue with the space key on this laptop in that pressing it on the edge will often not register even if you press really hard. This is incredibly irritating for a touch typist, but today I solved the problem on my laptop! So if you have the same issue see my video on the quick fix over at . Basically you just need to stick a square of paper between the space bar and its pressure sensor.

Also note that this S03US version is functionally exactly the same as the S01US version, with the only difference being that the first 4GB of RAM is permanently attached to the motherboard on the S03US. The S02US and S04US are likewise functionally identical. The Best Buy version (I don't know the product code) is completely different though. I have no idea why anyone would buy that one.

Among the positives for this laptop are its speedy CPU and GPU, readable resolution on the bright non-reflective 15" display, light weight, stylish form factor, really superb battery life, a great backlit keyboard (once the space key problem is resolved), and a good amount of RAM and hard drive storage.

Because the positives are so great I am giving this laptop 5 stars even though it has several negatives.

First, the space key issue. This is a quality control issue that should have never occurred, and I hope Samsung will send new space bar keys to all the people who bought this laptop. But until then, you can try the quick fix I referenced above.

The choice of DVD instead of blu-ray is odd and perplexing. However, I so rarely use even the DVD and to be honest I would probably never use blu-ray if it were included, so as strange as it is that the feature is missing, I don't mind.

I am not pleased with the choice of the broadcom wifi, which does not support 5ghz wifi. I have opened up this laptop, which is very easy (close the LCD, flip it over, remove the ten screws on bottom, then flip it back over, open the LCD and gently pry the case shell loose along the edges and then close the LCD and flip it over again and gently pull the bottom off), and replacing the broadcom wifi adapter with the Intel 6230 part should be very easy [SEE EDIT BELOW]. There are only 2 antenna wires, so getting the 3 antenna version would be pointless. Also, be sure to get the one with bluetooth if you try this, otherwise you will lose bluetooth since it is provided by the broadcom wifi adapter.

The webcam camera does not work well in low light. Meh. Turn on a light, I guess.

I use the touch pad as little as possible and prefer to use a mouse. It seems to work alright for me when I need it, but I sometimes disable it while typing so I can rest my palms while typing.

Overall the negatives are not a big deal for me.

Edit Dec-2012: It is indeed very easy to replace the broadcom wifi/bluetooth adapter with the Intel 6230 part. Do NOT get the newer Intel 6235 part as it WILL NOT WORK, as I discovered. Some people have also reported issues with getting the 6230 to work, but the trick is to uninstall all Broadcom software related to the wifi/bluetooth BEFORE installing the 6230. This very importantly includes the WIDCOMM Bluetooth SOftware software. You should also download the Intel drivers for the 6230, and install them after you have removed the Broadcom software. Then open up the laptop and swap the parts and reboot. Your mileage may vary, but it worked for me.

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I can tell you right now, this computer is poorly designed and poorly serviced. My laptop has already been back to Samsung THREE TIMES!! The space bar has never worked right! I type with my hands in an upright position and usually only tap the outside edges of the space bar. If you do not hit the space bar within 1 inch of exact center, IT DOESN'T WORK!

The first time I sent my Laptop back it was due to HD failure.

The second time was because the DVD drive was grinding and failing

This time my Video card went out..

SAMSUNG'S RESPONSE: Samsung would like to provide you with an exchange offer of Model: NP700Z5C-S02US.

Based on the features and specifications of your original unit Samsung feels that this is the most comparable unit based on our inventory.

THIS IS A DOWNGRADE!!!

I offered to pay the difference to let me upgrade to a newer version. Their answer was: NO how about a refund??

The worst part is.. I wanted to love this computer, it was my first laptop purchase in years.

If you care at all about your sanity, do everything you can to avoid buying this computer and supporting this company.

Reviews of ASUS Republic of Gamers G53SX-AH71 15.6-Inch Gaming Laptop (Black)

Customer Ratings:

As others have mentioned this laptop has a few "issues" as follows:

1. First one arrived DOA. Ordered from Tigerdirect, which has a local outlet, where I brought it for exchange. They only had the floor model left--and discounted it an additional $150 for me! At approx. $750, such a deal!

2. However, with that in mind, buying extended warranty might be advisable.

3. I've tested this laptop on the following games: Modern Warfare 3, Batman Arkham City, Skyrim, Crysis 2, Portal 1 & 2, and Minecraft. All games tested ran flawlessly, although I did have to lower the resolution from "ultra" to "high" for MW3 and Skyrim.

3. This laptop is heavier than even my 18.4" laptop, and is also larger than most 15" laptops, will not fit into a 15" laptop case. The styling of this laptop was inspired by stealth jet fighters and looks pretty sharp, so I guess its just the price you pay for beauty.

4. As another reviewer mentioned, when compared to the 3GB Nvidia GTX 360M with 3GB RAM, the video card in this laptop has only 2GB RAM, and is slightly "crippled", meaning it runs at a 128 bit bus width, and not the full 192. It's still a high-end, Class 1 video card, contains all the most desired features, and runs all the most "graphic intensive" modern games wonderfully, but why?

Oh well, I actually bought this laptop as an Xmas present for my 8 year old nephew. He didn't really ask for or expect a gaming laptop, but the netbook I orginally bought couldn't even run Minecraft, much less any of his school applications, and he's not exactly allowed to "surf the net." The specs and performance of this laptop are truely impressive, even with a slightly "crippled" video card.

Aside from supporting DirectX 11, and OpenGL 4.0, even though the monitor renders in 2D, the Nvidia video card supports 3D, meaning that you can hook the laptop up to an external 3D monitor via HDMI, for 3D video gaming, and streaming 3D internet content, including 3D movie viewing!

At least at this time, Nvidia only provides support though for certain 3D monitors that employ ACTIVE 3D technology, and also requires a 120HZ monitor (ie., refresh rate of 120 fpm "frames per second), however, I understand that drivers are now being developed to support passive 3D technology as well. I have a passive 3D TV, and connected the laptop via HDMI to see whether it would support 3D gaming. It kind of worked, but not very well.

5. Although games run smooth as silk, we've experienced some buffering issues when playing youtube videos. To resolve, I went to the Asus ROG forum, and took the advice of others, flashed the bios, installed the latest drivers and ran CCleaner, to clear out temp. files. Seems to have resolved that issue, for the most part anyway.

As I notice other reviewers have had similar issues, I wouldn't doubt that might be the very reason Asus discounted this particular model so deeply. Laptops with comparable specs cost almost twice as much, and for the savings, the issues experienced are fairly minor. So far anyway.

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Great performance, construction and pricetag! It's ASUS! I love it!

BUT...

I have 2 things to complain about:

I dont know why ASUS's choice was the 128bits gtx 560 and not the 192bits...

I saw in many forums zillions of problem about the magnet sensor that tell when the lid is closed or not, well, my asus came with this and i dont know how to permanently fix this problem, im in brazil and I cant sendo to RMA (global guarantee?? maybe not).

Best Deals for ASUS Republic of Gamers G53SX-AH71 15.6-Inch Gaming Laptop (Black)

Bought it, had it shipped, received it in perfect working order. It's a great laptop with a super-bright screen. Everything's as it should be, except for one thing: there is no way the published dimensions are right.

I bought a Targus Revolution XL specifically because it was designed for 15-16 inch laptops, and this beautiful monster of a laptop wouldn't fit. Had to get a more boring backpack instead. The only reason this review isn't 5 stars is because there's less choices for bags and protection.

EDIT:

The USB 3.0 driver on the machine was buggy -it wouldn't play nice with my Western Digital 1TB portable drive. Windows said the driver was up to date, but I was able to update it from an external site and that fixed the problem. (The drive would be detected, but transferring anything over 1MB would cause it to be "disconnected" and would prompt Windows to reformat the drive.)

Honest reviews on ASUS Republic of Gamers G53SX-AH71 15.6-Inch Gaming Laptop (Black)

The last year Circuit City was selling this laptop on black Friday for $910 dollars with 2 years warranty + 1 year of accidental warranty included.

When I saw that I did not think it twice, I bought it right away! the next day out of stock!

If you are looking to buy a cheap gaming laptop with awesome features and quality, only Asus meets the requirements!

My fist laptop I owned was a Dell (before buying this Asus G53SX) and Dell customer service lied to me saying that the XPS editions can handle everything, any game, + they are REALLY USELESS when you are having any issue!!! Months later when Battle-field 3 came out......... I was lucky if I was able to enjoy the game for 30 minutes without lagging!

When I was buying the laptop online the specs said 15.6 inches.... when I opened the box, the screen was pretty big for being a 15.6 inches.....

I measured it and is 17 inches... No idea why!

Asus Republic of gamers G53SX does a AWESOME job running games!

I run Battle field 3, Call of Duty MW3 in low or medium performance without any issue or lagging at all (only when the server is bad).

Battery life is AWESOME!!!!!

After 3 hours of doing research, listening music, I have to run to get my battery charger.

Asus offers a battery saving software which is kinda cool because when you unplug your laptop, this software does everything to save energy!

Sound quality is pretty good, not awesome, but let's say 8 of 10!!

Do not spend $1600 dollars to buy an Alien-ware!

The Asus G53SX does the same job than any Alien-ware laptop for less money.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for ASUS Republic of Gamers G53SX-AH71 15.6-Inch Gaming Laptop (Black)

Bad build quality. Let's begin my story with ASUS when I purchased this computer last year. I have always used ASUS motherboards in my computers because of their high performance, so I decided that their laptop would be suitable for my needs. I originally looked at Alienware, but decided that ASUS gaming computers had more performance in my price range. Since I have received this computer it has been nothing, but a nightmare. First, within a few weeks my soundcard decided to die and had strange feedback noises from the microphone. The power cord plug that goes into the computer also snapped as is a seemingly reoccurring theme with ASUS laptops. The pin design does not work and when I sent the computer in I requested a different power supply. When I received the computer back I was astonished to find that the repair center did not package the laptop with any wrapping and as a result the screen and case had huge cracks. I sent the computer back to the repair place.

By the time I got my computer back for the second time (about a month and a half later), ASUS had not fixed the power cord problem and the built in memory card reader no longer functioned. Now for the third time my power cord pin has broken in the laptop and will have to be sent back for repairs. ASUS support at best has been minimal as the technicians do not seem to care or listen to you when you talk to them about their bad design. I am a college student and have been without my laptop and unable to easily complete my work several times as a result of ASUS. I am extremely frustrated with the quality for the amount I spent on a laptop. The computer works good for gaming when it actually works, but I would advise you to save your money and go with Alienware because at least you get to deal with Dell's support.

Buy Toshiba Satellite C655-S5068 Laptop Notebook PC / Intel Pentium

Customer Ratings:

For this price and get a dualcore and dual layer dvd rw drive, you can't go wrong. Bought this for college and couldnt be happier does what I need it to do, multi tasking for example burning 360 games, listening to some tunes checking email surfin the web and writing papers all at once with no lag.

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

Customer Ratings:

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

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

Best Deals for Sony Vaio VPCEG1BFX/W Intel Core I3-2310M 2.1Ghz 4GB 500GB DVD+/-RW

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

Buy Apple MacBook Pro ME662LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop with Retina Display

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $1,699.00
Sale Price: $1,449.00
Today's Bonus: 15% Off

I am not an apple junkie. I hate the iPhone and the iPads and find them to be outdated technology. Be assured I'm not an Apple cult follower who will tell you everything Apple has ever made is a piece of gold.

Now, on with my review.

I used to be a PC user. I know Windows 7 inside and out. My old laptop was just getting outdated and weighed no less than 8 lbs and was getting heavy to carry back and forth from school. I intensely dislike the windows 8 interface but I didn't want to be stuck behind on an old OS either. My father turned me on to the Apple Macs and I am glad he did.

The screen is beautiful. As a Windows user that was always something I envied. This retina is supposed to have a 30% less glare than the MacBook pro without Retina display. I can't say I know for sure (because I don't have a previous macbook to compare it too) but I haven't had a problem with glare.

The overall physical quality of the product is outstanding. Nothing feels cheap, no pieces that don't belong. It's a very attractive piece of equipment and it feels like it will last me a few years.

The Solid State Drive (SSD) is no joke. I read some other reviews that say there is lag and I think they are crazy. This computer doesn't hesitate to do anything I ask it to do. 8gb of RAM is more than I have had on any other computer and it easily handles everything. I'm not a gamer or a high tech junkie but I do expect my computer to perform quickly and flawlessly. This beast far surpasses my demands. 256 GB may or may not be enough memory. I have had the computer for about a month and have a little under 200 GB left. The only downfall to this computer is that YOU CANNOT UPGRADE THE RAM. The RAM, mother board, and battery are all soldered to the chassis. That means any modifications will destroy the computer.

Another small issue, but easily fixed, is there is no ethernet connection. I'm well aware that wifi is now keeping up with the wired internet, but I do find the wired connection much more reliable and much quicker when downloading big files. A $30.00 adapater is needed (which I have), but it is still something I would have liked to have been actually on the laptop itself.

The computer weighs less than 4lbs and my back thanks me.

The battery life is astounding, but like I said I'm coming from an outdated laptop in which 3 hours was a generous battery life. 7 hours of HEAVY use is much more than I could ask for.

This computer also comes with some cool features. I really dig the keyboard backlight. I've never had a computer with that before and I do find it really helpful. The facetime camera is also of excellent quality.

If you buy this computer from Apple (I bought mine in July, maybe its running through August 2013) as a student they take $100.00 off at the store and give you a $100.00 itunes gift card. I used this gift card to purchase things like pages, keynote, and numbers. The service I received at the Apple store was phenomenal and I got an excellent deal on this computer.

Overall I love this computer. I went all crazy and cased it up and got ridiculous unnecessary accessories (like a keyboard cover) but it's all because I love my Macbook pro. While the price tag may be eye-popping, you are getting your money's worth out of it.

UPDATE:

I've been using this computer about 2 months now for various activities like school work, video viewing and surfing the internet. This computer leaves me with no wants. The battery life is awesome and I do not worry that I need to bring my charger to school just in case because I know it will make it through the day.

I have also found that while viewing videos for about half an hour or so (like workout videos), it only eats about 5% of the overall battery life with brightness on a good setting.

Now here was something I found interesting. If one were to shop around for a comparable computer, such as an Asus or Samsung, one would end up paying almost as much as you would for this MacBook Pro. All the computers I've looked at all have touch screen (a feature I do not want) 4GB of RAM and about the same SSD storage. I'm sure those are quality computers, but I really dislike the Windows 8 interface.

I still love this computer and expect to keep loving it as I use it more and more.

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I was a PC user for all my life, this was the first time I decided to buy a Mac and I was a little bit scared by the OS but really ... this laptop its simply awesome! Works perfect, fast and smooth! If you are an active pc gammer DO NOT BUY THIS LAPTOP I do play some games and this its the main drowback of this product for me (I knew it before buying it so ... im not going to take off a star for it!)

If you are a software developer, designer, musician or anyone who need a really strong fast performance for work buy this!

If you are like a internet browsing person... do not do the investment in this laptop, you can find something cheaper that will do the job.

Best Deals for Apple MacBook Pro ME662LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop with Retina Display

These reviews really helped me when I was figuring out what to buy, so here are my two cents. I couldn't figure out if I wanted the Pro Retina or the Air, and I wasn't sure if I wanted 13 in. or 11 in. Now, I actually own both the Macbook Pro 13" Retina and the new Macbook Air 11 inch, and I understand most people won't want to buy both but these are my thoughts. I first got the 13" Retina, because I loved the screen, esp. the way text looked because I read a lot and it made such a difference. I have the i7 version, plus the 8 GB RAM, and 256 hard drive. I love this thing. It's gorgeous and fast, a pleasure to work on. BUT. The only problem with it for me is the weight. I know it's lighter than it used to be but I'm petite and when I'm traveling and need to give presentations, this thing is in my bag the entire day, and I find it heavy. Many people may well be stronger than I am but I personally find it a pain to drag around when I'm on the road. Also, the battery life is good but not brilliant, so if I use it all morning and a part of the afternoon unplugged, it's dead.

So I recently bought the 11 inch Macbook Air as well, the new version, also maxed out, i7, 8 GB, etc. That thing is so light, it's amazing. It is lightning fast and the battery life is incredible. I can use it and use it and the battery won't budge. However. The screen is so much less good than my Retina Pro. I'm not a picky person and before I got used to the Retina screen, I didn't mind but now, it's a huge difference. The text is pixelated and very small, the whole thing looks much less good.

Basically, I think that if you're going to be mainly stationary when using the laptop, I would definitely go for the Retina Pro 13 inch. At home, it's all I use nowadays. It's a joy to use and looks amazing. However, if you travel a lot and will mainly be using it on the go, I think the new Air is fantastic. I hardly notice it in my bag and the screen is fine, just not as beautiful as the Retina, plus the performance and battery life are incredible. If the weight and shorter battery life of the Retina doesn't bother you, that would be the clear choice.

Honest reviews on Apple MacBook Pro ME662LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop with Retina Display

Luckily I was able to get this model on educational discount with tax exempt, but the price tag is still too high for the performance.

The MD213LL/A model with a 256GB SSD is selling for $1499 now and that's probably the best value for the 13" retina models. The 3210M and 3230M intel processors differ less than 5% in performance. The only trouble with the older model is the screen burn-in issue that may be present in a large batch. On this current model, the burn-in is not noticeable unless you go all white from a high contrast still image, then there is still some minor burn-in. But other than this minor annoyance, the screen looks amazing in terms of details and color saturation.

Intel HD 4000 on a 3230M is a joke for a 2560x1600 screen. It will play movies and do some light design work, but anything a bit advanced causes problems. Even AutoCAD 2D work and Photoshop CS6 presented display problems in multiple instances for me. This should really be a Macbook Retina, not Pro at all.

A few years back, Intel barred Nvidia from making Northbridge chips for Intel which included an embded NVidia graphics chip, so now Apple has to put 3 large chips in a Macbook Pro for it to have discrete graphics. This is very sad. The Intel HD 4000's performance on a 3230M chip is at best on par with a NVidia 320M. I would have been VERY happy if the 13" model had even a 630M graphics chip, not to mention one of the new mid-range 700M series. It would have made this little laptop almost PERFECT! The price tag then wouldn't be so unjustified neither.

I use many Windows applications, Bootcamp with centralized drivers allowed me to install Win 7 on it hassle free and runs as it should.

It really depends on what you use this laptop for. For everyday internet browsing, documents and typical use, this laptop will run very nice for you. For design work, heavy processor usage or ANY graphics intensive applications, this laptop is a major disaster. For gaming, steer away completely.

UPDATE: The newer batch of the 2103 MacBook Pro 13" Retina does not seem to suffer from image burn-in at all. A burn-in test revealed no ghosting at all (as of April 30th). Apple seems to have silently resolved the issue in production.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Apple MacBook Pro ME662LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop with Retina Display

The retina display is amazing as far as doing everyday tasks with so much detail to each application. I started out with the 15inch cMBP w/ i7 Core and 8GB RAM and 750 GB HDD with nVidia discrete graphics card. I took it back the week after because 1. 15inch is getting less exposure for day-to-day tasks such as: browsing, editing, and recording. 2. The larger screen with all the bells did not look as well as the retina 3. Retina is getting to be where the future is. I thought I needed the 15 or 13 with optical drive now that I have used my 13 I realize I do not use it as much as I thought I would. I love this Notebook it is so portable yet very powerful and can handle multiple tasks that are more typical of your average laptop user.

Best Sony Open Box VAIO(R) Duo 11 SVD11215CXB 11.6" Capacitive Deals

Customer Ratings:

REPLACING...

15" Macbook Pro, Fujitsu T730, HP TC4200

PRIMARY USAGE GOAL:

Software development / coding

* I wanted a highly portable, stylus-enabled device that could replace my existing combination of my trusty -but bulky -15" Macbook Pro for development and HP/Fujitsu for drawing. For the type of software development I do, I wanted an i5 chip and 6GB RAM minimum (with strong preference for 8+GB). This ruled out many other contenders, like the Ativ 700T and perhaps even the yet-unreleased Surface Pro. So far, the performance of the i7 Duo has been wonderful and just what I wanted.

* I also wanted a high screen-resolution to maximize real estate for my IDE and the Duo delivers with a beautiful 1920x1080 display. It also delivers a smooth and accurate touchscreen experience.

* On the down side, the optical trackpad on the Duo just doesn't compare with the excellent Mac trackpad. Today's development environments and text editing applications are still heavily mouse-oriented (read: small widgets) so an accurate pointing mechanisms are pretty important. The stylus can help offset this, but without a pen dock in the device, it's not always there when I need it. I've taken to adding a bluetooth mouse to the kit.

* The keyboard on the Duo is really solid. It looks small at first, but it's quite comfortable to use and has a satisfying touch.

SECONDARY USAGE GOALS:

digital sketching, light gaming, and portable photo/music collection

* For sketching, I really, really wanted a Wacom pen. But unfortunately, none of the Wacom-enabled devices met the CPU/memory requirements I was looking for so I had to settle. On the flip side, I've been very pleasantly surprised with the accuracy of the Duo pen once I left Photoshop behind and started using ArtRage / Sketchbook Pro instead. Just to drive this point home for artists looking at this device -this stylus does NOT support pressure sensitivity in Painter/Photoshop, but it does so wonderfully in ArtRage/SBP. PS support in PS is technically possible, but given the long history of this issue I would not hold your breath waiting for those driver updates.

One area where I've noticed it outperforms the Wacom is edge accuracy -I don't know if this is a properly representative sample, but my Wacom-enabled Fujitsu T730 was sometimes frustrating as an art platform because while the pen was accurate in the center of the screen, as you went outwards toward the edges a noticeable gap between the pen tip and screen pointer would develop. This meant I had to stay within the central area of an already smallish screen if I wanted to noodle in details. The n-trig on the Duo seems to be more accurate from edge-to-edge so I feel I can use the whole screen with confidence. (for the record, my much-beloved TC4200 did NOT seem to have the same edge-accuracy issue the Fujitsu did)

* It's been a solid gaming device so far. I'm not an FPS guy, but I've been playing XCOM: Enemy Unknown and Starcraft 2 with my daughter and both games have run smoothly using the default settings. I'm the type of guy who normally would rather play on a desktop just to get the extra graphical oomph and the Duo has been a satisfactory replacement.

* I wanted the biggest available SSD, 256gb, with the idea of taking my photos and music with me when I travel. However, only around 170gb was actually available for use. WTF is using up so much space? Now, after installing apps, frameworks, games and source code, I'm down to 60gb free without even loading any photos or music. Bummer. I'm probably going to have to pick up an SD card for the photos and music. Thumbs-up for the full-size SD slot though. I hope it can take a 128GB card.

WHERE I USE IT:

on desk at work and home, on lap while sitting in bed at night watching TV, on lap on trains and airplane

* I was skeptical when I first saw photos of the Duo's slider form-factor at work, but it has really turned out to be a versatile design and works comfortably both on a desk and in cramped train seating. This is one area where the technical specs couldn't help my decision, so I set out to play with my finalists, the Surface RT (while guesstimating about the Surface Pro experience), the Ativ Pro, and the Duo in stores before finally deciding on the Duo.

95% of the time I want a keyboard available, so the tablet-only modes of the both the Surface and Ativ, while nice, were of limited appeal to me. I focused on judging the devices based on form factor with keyboard attached.

The Ativ Pro has been my great hope for a laptop replacement ever since I first started looking at the Windows 8 devices a few months ago. But after finally seeing it in person, I found that the weight distribution of the Ativ Pro, while docked, was just too top/back-heavy for my liking. It reminded me a lot of my wife's HP TM2, and that is NOT a comfortable laptop to use without a steady surface for it to rest on. This unfortunate fact led me to cancel my pre-order for it and crushed my dreams of a Wacom-enabled ultraportable.

I absolutely loved the build quality of the Surface RT, but questioned whether the kickstand design would be steady enough on my lap in the train or while sitting in bed at night watching TV with my wife. I will be re-evaluating this when the Pro comes out though, since the wife also needs an upgrade.

In contrast to the two other devices, I found the Duo's slider design to be wonderfully stable. Since the screen is closer to the center of gravity of the base, it's not back-heavy like the Ativ. The flat, stable base also requires less depth to support than the Surface design w/keyboard does. I haven't tried this yet myself, but I think this is really going to turn out to be a blessing in that most uncomfortable of workspaces... the dreaded economy-class airplane seat! I am actually looking forward to it now.

* I also really, really wanted a backlit keyboard since I use my computers so much at night. I was prepared to give this feature up, though, if there was a device that hit on all the other priorities. Thankfully, it's included on the Duo and works very well! Could it have been too much to ask to light up the trackpad buttons too though?

IN SUMMARY...

The need for a stylus-enabled device with a powerful CPU, lots of RAM and a large SSD dramatically limited the field for me. Then after judging form-factor and other intangibles, there really was only one choice: the Duo.

And so far... I love it!

OTHER NOTES/NITPICKS....

* The build quality, as others have noted, feels very high quality. Even though the Duo was more expensive, I still just couldn't justify the Ativ Pro purchase after playing with both machines in person.

* Screen does feel small given the chassis. If they made a 13" display version of this in a few months... I would absolutely consider upgrading for it.

* Machine runs very cool and quiet even while being stressed. My macbook, on the other hand, will torch you when it gets a workout.

* Battery life is a bit of a letdown. I'm getting 4+ hours including lots of cpu-heavy compilation tasks, but was hoping for more.

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Specs wise the machine is so much more than the Toshiba U925 but that doesn't tell the whole story. It just works better. Little things like the auto backlight and the Windows button that was iffy at best on the Toshiba just work here. Its also just much better built. There is no flex in this one because its made from metal. The screen has much better color and the resolution is twice the Toshiba, though on the desktop I would definitely play with the screen settings to make things look bigger. The one complaint I have that's not Windows 8 related is the battery. I'm getting about 5 hours. I would have liked to see better on a machine this pricey. There is and extended battery available though. All in all a winner though if you want this kind of functionality.

Best Deals for Sony Open Box VAIO(R) Duo 11 SVD11215CXB 11.6" Capacitive

I bought this item some time ago and I can surely say that it is a very good product after playing around with it. Bear in mind that I like the new windows 8 and this operational system makes perfect sense for a hybrid tablet/ pc.

The screen resolution is mind blowing and the touch screen capability is very sharp. I have been using the device as a tablet and as a PC. The sound, video and mic are great too. Overall a great piece of hardware indeed. As a tablet, I find it very convenient to read books, newspapers and check on social media. The keyboard slide feature makes it easy to convert to a tablet or full laptop mode. I think the Duo 11 very light, but as a tablet it is a bit heavy. On the other hand it would be impossible to make as light as the IPAD I realize that. In fact, I find the design simple and sharp and Sony got a nice compromise between laptop/ Tablet in my opinion.

As a laptop, I cannot complain either. The duo 11 is packed with ports and the specs are great (something other models are missing). I went for the 256 SSD hard drive with 8 gig of Ram. The performance is stunning and boots pretty fast and I have been working with it just fine writing reports,emails and running simulations.

It took me sometime, however, to get used with the keyboard. The back light feature of the keyboard make it easy to use it at night and after a while I find the keyboard comfortable.

The only downside is the trackball which is very sensitive. I use a wireless mouse instead. The other downside is the battery which does not hold for long. I may have some guilt on this because I use the hybrid as a tablet therefore using more the device.

All in all I am satisfied and the device has successfully replaced both the tablet and laptop I used to have,

Honest reviews on Sony Open Box VAIO(R) Duo 11 SVD11215CXB 11.6" Capacitive

This is my first review on Amazon. I own following tablets

1. ASUS BP121 Core i5, 8GB Ram, 256 GB HDD with Wacom Pen

2. Fujitsu Stylistic Q702, Core i5 Ivy Bridge, 256 GB HDD, 4GB Ram with 4th Generation N TRIG Pen

3. SONY VAIO DUO 11, Core i7, 255 HDD, 8GB RAM

4. Samsung ATIV Pro PC, 128GB HDD, 4GB RAM, Core i5 Ivy Bridge.

User Profile: Executive with Engineering and Technology Background. Time to time I like to do bit of programming or running programs with heavy process / ram utilisation. 95%+ time emails, and smaller process utilization.

I will be selling all tablets on eBay except Sony for following reasons.

1. Build Quality: Sony build quality is superior when compared to all other tablet above. The screen is Full HD and it is superior.

2. Core i7 Ivy Bridge process with 8GB Ram beats every other tablet performance in market. Even the latest Lenovo Helix is rumored only to have MAX 4GB ram.

3. Connectivity on this hybrid is superior when compare to other tablets. E.g. it has VGA support, HDMI and 2 USB 3.0 ports.

4. I like the fact it has a slider keyboard.

5. There is no heating issues and fan noise is minimal. Only if you put the tablet close to your ears you can hear the fan.

6. Pen is very responsive.

Issues with this Device.

1. 200-300 heavier. It would be better if carbon or any other light weight materials are used in future for decreasing the weight.

2. The N-TRIG pen is not attached with laptop, however they have provided a nice sleeve which has tablet pen holder.

3. Battery life can be improved. Currently 3 Hrs. battery life is not good enough. Considering when travelling you would need more battery life. However if you are using this machine more in office and home then it's not any issue. As you most of the time it will be connected with power adapter.

4. No LTE / 3G support

Closet competitor to this product would be Fujitsu Stylistic Q702. Fujitsu Q702 is a perfect device except following issues. If the 8GB ram did not exist I would have retained this tablet.

1. Heating: you can feel the heat when holding the tablet.

2. MAX RAM is 4GB, which is generally not enough. Well not enough for me

3. Build quality is not superior.

4. The screen is not HD.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Sony Open Box VAIO(R) Duo 11 SVD11215CXB 11.6" Capacitive

What is good

Screen is perfect !

Screen is totatly perfect !

responsive

Windows 8 is a great os for it

Touch with pen combines a perfect pair for using

Fast, fluid, grat battery life

Light portable

Great memory

Screen is aways spodes. please be sure to purhase a case for it.

What is bad..

Stylus is a n-trig, not a Wacon Photoshop does not recognizes it

Keyboard is not so responsive. somethimes a type is missed

MSI Computer Corp. Notebook GT70 0NE-452US;9S7-176212-452 17.3-Inch Review

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $2,199.99
Sale Price: $1,694.00
Today's Bonus: 23% Off

Not much in the way of reviews on this product yet. But, I found this machine to be compliant with my existing software and device's. All installed & rsn smoothly... extra eye-candy from the powerful GPU was delivered to my older games. Skyrim runs like a dream. No glitches, stuttering, or crashes. I don't have anything heavy enough to put any real stress on this power-beast

I love it so far. .. but, I've only had it for 3 days. .. I will update this review as time goes by.

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I've had my GT70 for about a month now and haven't had any issues what-so-ever. I tested it's gaming ability on steam before I went overseas and every game from Portal 2, Rage, Civ V ran flawless on the highest settings. Also ran Dead Space 2 with no issues. I use external speakers but the GT70 speakers sounded pretty average. Now this baby is supposed to be running the lastest and greates Nvidia graphics chip and that's what I purchased it for but bluetooth and the USB 3.0 ports are also good perks. Oh one other gripe, when I connect 2 USB 3.0 externals only one shows up, not sure if that's happened to anyone else. All in all pricey but you get what you pay for and I'm happy.

Best Deals for MSI Computer Corp. Notebook GT70 0NE-452US;9S7-176212-452 17.3-Inch

This is my first gaming laptop that I ever bought and believe me, this thing is amazing. Changable keyboard light, super ultra cool sound, and anti-glare screen with some turbo boost and stuff... This guy is a monster! I played vindictus, league of legends and call of duty on max setting, damn, it is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! The price is worth for the spec :D

Honest reviews on MSI Computer Corp. Notebook GT70 0NE-452US;9S7-176212-452 17.3-Inch

very powerfull laptop!!! happy with it!!! Would absolutely recommend this to just about anybody!!!! it is a great monster machine !!!

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for MSI Computer Corp. Notebook GT70 0NE-452US;9S7-176212-452 17.3-Inch

I'm the kind of person that buys a computer about every 4-5 years so as you can imagine I was making a major upgrade no matter what i bought but we this in mind I also like to buy the best when I do so it will last that long and I tell you this... This computer is awesome, the speed and performance of the GT70 ONE-452US is incredible, I have loaded most all the games I have and maxed them out and its an entire new experience, guild wars 2 is meant to be played on Ultra graphics settings its amazing! The value of the GT70 is the best I found, compare the guts and power to other models and you will see the value!

Best Lenovo G580 15.6-Inch Laptop Deals

Customer Ratings:

This is the third sub-$400 Lenovo laptop I've owned in the past 3 years (since 2009). I've purchased and resold one annually. The first was a 15-inch model (forgot which one exactly) with no number keypad and the second was a G560.

All three had dual-core Intels running under the hood, 4 gigabytes of RAM, and 320Gb hard drives. All were made entirely of plastic and came in essentially the same simple packaging.

In terms of build, I am under the impression that all Lenovos are very solidly built and the plastic feels adequate.

The sub-$400, and now sub-$300, Lenovo laptop product line has progressively become lighter, quieter, and cooler.

I think about my first Lenovo (the one that I can't remember the model number for); it was not terribly light, the fan was loud enough that it was audible from several feet away, and after 45 minutes to an hour, was hot enough to cause discomfort in certain parts underneath.

The Lenovo G560, although a definite improvement in terms of weight and fan noise, still ran hot.

This new Lenovo G580 is not only the lightest Lenovo I've owned thus far, it's also completely silent. After using it for several hours, the fan runs completely silently. Perhaps the biggest improvement in the 580 is the absolute lack of heat! This puppy runs completely cool, even after several hours of continuous use!!

I purchased mine from Fry's on Nov. 7th for $288 ($328 with tax) and I couldn't be happier.

Any potential buyers should note that this model's Core2Duo processor is more than sufficient for web browsing, Word and Excel processing, and even playing high-quality Blu-Ray discs!

I mostly use this laptop for CAD drawing (I produce architectural blueprints using AutoCAD 2007). I've even install the Adobe Master Suite CS6 and although it's nothing like my desktop Core i7 (2600K), this laptop surpassed all my performance expectations.

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I was looking for a value laptop but not a cheapo laptop that would struggle to run things like HD YouTube. I settled on the G580 and so far it's met my expectations. I am not going to review Windows 8 (I happen to like it), this is a hardware review only.

Pros:

Nice bright colorful screen

Quality build, feels sturdy, not cheap even though its a value laptop

Runs very quiet and cool

Not Ultrabook thin but its pretty light and thin enough for a casual user

Good keyboard, works well and easy to type on. Like having 10 digit keypad

Touch pad works fine, messed with a little. Still prefer usb mouse but it works fine

Most needed ports-hdmi, sd card, usb 3.0

Color is nice (but see cons)

Speakers sound pretty full (but see cons)

Not the top of the line processor but it's zippy for casual use (Office, Internet, Flash games, etc.)

Plays 1080P HD and Flash content easily

Battery life is pretty good, it probably goes 3.5 hours with light moderate use and decent settings

Webcam works fine, quality seems good

Cons:

Color and design is nice but it's a fingerprint magnet, don't even bother trying to wipe it clean daily (or every 5 minutes it seems)

Speakers sound pretty decent and full for a laptop, but I am not a big fan of speakers placed in the front underneath. Prefer them up top near the screen. Sounds more natural to me, this is only minor and a personal preference of mine they still sound pretty good for laptop speakers.

Placement of usb 2.0 port, too close to power plug, again, minor annoyance. Use that port for something like your nano usb mouse.

It's nice that Lenovo makes it easy to setup for recovery but I would still prefer having physical media of some kind. But better embrace it as that's the way the worlds moving. There are no Windows discs or any discs for that matter included.

A lot of bloatware, but what PC brand doesn't come loaded with tons of unnecessary crap? Again minor, just go on your uninstall rage fest.

I'm very happy with my purchase and recommend this laptop if you are like me and need a good value laptop without having to compromise too much performance. Cons are mostly minor (except for fingerprints, it annoys me) but overall I think you will be very happy with the quality of Lenovo and the value performance you get with this G580.

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I just received my computer and I am completely in love with it. Windows 8 is amazing and this computer its amazing too. I love the camera to take pictures and videos. Its not heavy and the color its nice too. I was doubting about this laptop, but I think so far its great! Totally recommended you get a lot for the price you pay

Honest reviews on Lenovo G580 15.6-Inch Laptop

I'm on my new Lenovo right now as I type this. It's a great laptop and has a ton of value for what you pay. The only thing I had a hard time getting used to was the keyboard. I've never had a laptop with a numerical pad on the right, so I've had to learn to shift everything to the left when typing. No biggie though, after a few days of typing it wasn't an issue. I'm so glad I took a chance on this laptop!

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Laptop was nicely priced. It does everything I want it to, but HDMI port stopped working after a few weeks of use. May return it, or pay to have it repaired, as everything else is exactly what I want.

Gateway M405 Centrino Black Notebook Reviews

Customer Ratings:

I have been using a M405 laptop for over 5 years at work, have turned down new Dell systems because I am happy with my Gateway. Its very durable and works wonderfully with my RP9A Docking Station. The Computer has never had a problem, even though my work has a ton of malware, spyware and firewall software that makes it run a bit slow at times.

Durable frame, and strong hinge for the screen makes it not as light as a notebiik, but its worth the trade off. Excellent battery life as well. Would love to find one for my personal use.

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Of course this completely died after return period and warranty ended so I just lost money. It does not even turn on.Useless.

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I bought this for a first computer for my 7 year old. Her school has online resources for her to learn. I updated the browser and downloaded a free DVD driver and she was ready to go. It has been 5 months and it still works great and it is faster than my husband's desktop. I am very pleased.

Honest reviews on Gateway M405 Centrino Black Notebook

I don't own this specific model, however I did purchase the Gateway DS 450XL. My laptop worked well for a year and then the nightmare began. The harddrive and screen went bad. I didn't worry because I had purchased the 3 year warranty. After exhanging numerous calls and shipping my laptop back to Gateway. The lapto was returned. It worked well for 2 weeks. I called Gateway again we spent 45 min. attempting the fix the problem. This was unsuccessful. They wanted me to pay another $40 to send the computer back to them . THe service is unsatisfactory and the computer had never worked properly since the first year. Owning a Gateway Product is a nightmare and trying to keep their produts running well is a full time job. I will NEVER purchase another Gateway product. I wouldn't even accept one as a gift.

Reviews of Dell Studio XPS 13 (1340) Laptop

Customer Ratings:

We purchased one of these for our son to take to college. It has been nothing but trouble with overheating, hinges and other things. Three times Dell replaced the hard drive, which of course resulted in the loss of the software, files, etc. and required rebuilding. After the third time, I started insisting they replace it and the agreed. But now we're 5 weeks into this as the end of a semester approaches and the replacement Laptop still hasn't shippped. This has required many hours on the line with Dell over the year and the three rebuilds of the hard disk and other things. This seems to be a systemic problem with this product that Dell should have been aware of through the design and testing process and through it QA processes once the product was in the field. It kept overheating and they kept insisting that a BIOS update and things were going to fix it.

We've been long-time Dell users and have a number of Dell Systems. it's going to be easier in the future just to switch back over to HP or Toshibia or some other manufacturer with better product reliability, because Dell as failed with this. And now trying to get it replaced is something started in Oct, and yet here in Mid-Nov we can't get an estimated shipping date. Totally uancceptable.

I was also about ready to get a new powerhouse Dell desktop, but I'll buy that from a manufacturer with more reliable products too.

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I have had nothing but problems with this computer. My frustration with the computer is surpassed only by my frustration with abbysmal support from Dell. It took them THREE tries just to get me a computer that had a functioning "hybrid" video card. After all that (literally tens of hours of run around from customer support), it turned out that the problem was a one-line glitch in the Dell drivers that could have been solved in about 30 seconds if anyone at Dell support had known what they were talking about. All the support people seem capable of is reading from an obviously prepared script.

Eventually they substituted a refurbished unit for the new one I ordered and would not offer me any discount (go figure). Just "sorry." Gee, thanks. They made no attempt whatsoever to even make a gesture of compensation for the many, many hours of time I wasted trying to get their $1000+ computer to work. Even though I ended up with a refurbished unit.

On that unit the DVD drive never worked and I had to have it replaced. The video card still malfunctions frequently but they can not come up with a fix other than a replacement. I am so tired of dealing with their support, that I am just sucking it up and dealing with a very sub-par performance.

Very glitchy computer, awful support. Very, very sorry I bought a Dell.

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This is an excellent system, great graphics, speed and performance. However there is a slight heating issue with this model. After a few months of regular use, the base warped. When I sat it on a flat surface one corner did not sit flat and the whole thing bounced when I typed.. very annoying! It was under warranty so Dell replaced it (the whole unit, couldn't just replace a part) and now a few months later, the replacement is having the same issue and the whole system is being replaced again... even though I used a cooling pad on this one! I'd look at a different model, no telling what other damage the heating problem will cause after more than 3 months.

This is my first Dell, before this I've had HP for the last 10 years with no issues. My next system will be an HP.

Honest reviews on Dell Studio XPS 13 (1340) Laptop

This machine overheats. Not just a little bit, scorching hot. Then crashes. Some may escape this affliction, but Dell should have recalled this laptop as it is more often than not defective.

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Pros: Very lightweight, decent speed, decent hard drive memory (500GB), decent ram (4GB). Overall, there's nothing that sticks out or is exceptional especially compared to what computers and laptops have to offer today.

Cons: Runs VERY HOT even when just browsing the internet or watching videos. A cooler is a must have. Even with updated bios, and drivers, the laptop runs very hot primarily due to the inefficient GPU(s) terrible frame design (the vent for the fan is on the back of the screen and is blocked when you put the screen upright in viewing position). The GPU is pathetic, and if you're looking to run modern games such as sc2, cod, bf, don't even bother with this laptop. Needing to update the bios and vbios in the first place is risky and annoying. Also in terms of aesthetics, this laptop has an uncanny attraction to grime on the keyboard, and is a fingerprint magnet. Also, battery power was found to be very poor as well, and will only get worse as time goes on w/ only about 2-3 hrs w/ low power settings. Also, had issues with the DVD drive freezing while playing DVDs, and being unable to play CDs at all.

Conclusion: For anyone looking for a light, transportable laptop that looks pretty, with some relatively mediocre specs, but enough juice to be somewhat of an entertainment machine, than this might be what you're looking for. HOWEVER, you can get another laptop with the same and/or better specs for about 400-500$ if you look well. I suggest you look elsewhere and save your money for a better investment in a laptop.

Toshiba Satellite U845t-S4165 14-Inch TouchScreen Laptop (Sky Review

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $799.99
Sale Price: $755.94
Today's Bonus: 6% Off

This laptop exceeded my expectations, it is thin & light while not compromising performance with its i5 processor and 6 GB of RAM. I bought this laptop after CNET dubbed it their "most recommendable laptop of 2013" so far. The battery life is fantastic. The touch screen is very responsive and the battery life is fantastic compared to its peers. The only downside in my mind is the screen could be a higher resolution. I did not know what to expect switching to windows 8 from windows 7 after reading very mixed reviews. I personally think windows 8 is fantastic once you get the hang of it and it boots in 5 seconds! At under $800 dollars this a solid buy that I do not regret.

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This is my 10th personal notebook and it is by far the best of them all! It is faster than other Toshiba with i7 processor, as this one comes with a 3rd Generation i5. Really fast. The fact of the solid state drive is a plus and a must for these type of devices from now on. Turns on in 5 seconds, battery life is amazing 6 hours of work, will connect to any local network with other computers running windows 7 or XP with no problem when a took it to the office. Light weight and excellent back-lit keyboard. Touchscreen is a plus when using some programs for faster screen changes. Win 8 might be an issue but you get used to it. Personally I downloaded Thinix RetroUI Pro Personal, a $4.95 license that gives me the best of both worlds (Win 7 and Win 8) and is an incredible enhancement that allows you to master Win 8 and use it when you want or simply move though a Win 7 like environment. Try it for free and you will buy the license. I also upgraded to 8 Gb Ram, not a big difference, but for $40 I opted to max out RAM. For a basic $777 cost I believe I got more than expected. No complaints from my side on screen resolution, I do not need a lot of graphics and when playing movies excellent outcome so far. Once again, battery life is superb, believe me. It is a pity I have been browsing and Toshiba is not offering this model anymore, it seems they now go up to 13 inches.. this one 14 inches, thin and light is my Nr 1 choice for the time being.

Side note, bought ultrabook mid April 2013 so 3 months of use when writing this lines. Also use a Kingston microSD 64 gb with a nano microSD adapter and leave it plugged into the ultrabook and acts as a secondary drive. Also have a portable 1T external disk with usb 3.0 that is really faster than regular usb 2.0 and take it with me when travelling out of town with all info needed and movies to watch.

Happy Amazon/Toshiba customer.

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This laptop starts up instantly. No waiting around. The touchscreen is something I have to get used to but it's an interesting feature. The visuals and graphics are all very good. I was going to use this one mainly for my writing, but since my main laptop began having issues right after I bought this one, I've had to use this for everything. So far it works just as well and better. Super fast and light. This is a great purchase if you're looking for an ultrabook.

Honest reviews on Toshiba Satellite U845t-S4165 14-Inch TouchScreen Laptop (Sky

Many legacy Windows programs don't work well on this machine. The same programs work well on other Windows 8 machines, including a laptop and desktop. There are also unaccountable delays of 3-5 seconds when executing common functions. Tech support couldn't figure out what the problem was. The item was returned without incident for a full refund.

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I have used number of Lap tops from different brands for last 20 years and I found Toshiba U845t-S4165, by far the best value for the money I spent. Very light to carry and sleek looking!. It has provided me with all the features that I was looking and more from a lap top. I got the products within few days of ordering and highly recommended.