Buy Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 14-Inch Touchscreen Laptop (Black)3444CUU

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $1,999.99
Sale Price: $1,475.00
Today's Bonus: 26% Off

Update: Got machine on Jan 18th. It stopped working on Jan 21st. I had to lower my rating from 5 to 3 stars due to service problems. My new laptop is stuck in "depot" repair, waiting for a new touch screen to arrive. They can't offer me even an ETA on the repair. I would not ding them for having a design problem in a new machine, so long as they fix it quickly. As it is, they're selling new machines with new displays, but they're not fixing the machines that are breaking. Service really is everything, and Lenovo failed in this case.

Update: I lowered my rating from 3 to 1 stars due to the continued service nightmare. I've paid for depot service, and couldn't get a person to talk to me about my machine for two weeks. Now, my machine is in limbo... I needed that machine desperately in January, and now the slow hard drive in my old one is causing some schedule slip. You just can't develop Microsoft Visual Studio 2012 web apps with a slow laptop hard drive... it's totally miserable. Two months in limbo and counting. when will a company finally figure out that business users need good support? It's just like the freaking airlines that no longer get me to my meetings reliably.

Update: March 15th, and I can't even get Irma, Lenovo's customer loyalty person assigned to my case, to call me or e-mail me about the new machine Lenovo was supposed to build to replace the broken one.

Update: March 20th. I just got an email saying Lenovo estimates my replacement machine will ship April 10th. Unfortunately, it seems to be standard practice at Lenovo to lie about ship dates.

Update: April 9th. PC Connections rocks. They sent me a replacement machine a week ago when Lenovo wouldn't. I'm using it right now. This machine is fantastic when it works. Lenovo finally delivered the new machine yesterday. In theory, my replacement from PC Connections is from the same batch of machines which have bad displays, so I started to configure the new machine from Lenovo so I would not be left with another broken machine any time soon. The new machine is already dead! It's battery is fully charged and diagnostics say it has good health, but when power is disconnected, the machine dies instantly! Thank goodness for the machine from PC Connections! That's 2 out of 3 of these things that broke within 3 days! On top of that, Lenovo service is a disaster!

In short, I strongly recommend looking elsewhere, and avoid Lenovo. I don't know who makes good hardware or offers good support, so you're on your own. However, I do think it's a good idea to buy through PC Connections.

------------------------------

Pros:

Touch screen works well with Windows 8

Fantastic build quality

Beautiful, small, thin, and light

Outstanding keyboard

Keyboard backlight

Excellent touchpad

Very fast SSD, excellent overall performance

Rapid charging

Fingerprint scanner

Good phone support

Quiet

Spill resistant keyboard

Does not get hot

Cons:

Some Lenovo bloatware

No VGA or Ethernet port

A bit light on battery life

Power brick is a bit large

This machine will change how you use your laptop. Before, I always left my laptop on the table by my chair when I got up. With the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch, I grab the laptop in one hand, my soda in the other, and walk around. Because it stays cool, I don't mind using it in my lap, unlike my previous workstation class laptops. I'm finding that I'm working all over the house. It's not quite as mobile as a tablet, but it's close. If I'm going out for coffee, taking it along is a no-brainier. Being so mobile, I find that I don't bother plugging in the laptop as often. I'm finally truly wireless.

While Windows 8 has issues, I doubt I will ever again buy a laptop without a touch screen. Being able to pinch and zoom in the browser is huge, and half the time I see something I need to poke on the screen, I just poke it, rather than finding my mouse cursor, moving it over and tapping the touchpad. As someone with poor vision, I have to give Microsoft huge kudos for their work on accessibility. Windows 8 is the most accessible operating system ever. The high contrast mode works wonderfully, and zooming in on text has never been easier. With Windows 8, most people should choose a touch screen.

Compared to my wife's 13" MacBook Air, the X1 Carbon Touch is slightly heavier, but has a slightly larger screen. My screen seems slightly brighter, but both seem excellent to me. I'm not one to worry about screen resolution, but I love the high contrast on the X1 Carbon Touch. Like many people, my wife protects her MacBook Air with a plastic shell. With that protector, her machine is thicker, feels all plasticy, is uglier, and slips on surfaces easily. Why anyone would want a phone or laptop that they worry about scratching so much that they dorkify it is beyond me. With a ThinkPad, you just throw it in your case and don't worry about it. The main difference in thickness is the X1 Carbon Touch has a much thicker lid. It's stiffer than the MacBook Air's, which is good for the touch feature. Overall, with this machine, I am finally rid of MacBook Air envy. Now it's my wife's turn to envy my laptop's touch feature.

The touchpad deserves special attention. It is nearly as large and works nearly as well as the one on the MacBook Air. Why did HP, Dell, Lenovo and others ship laptops for years with horrible multi-touch touchpads? That drove me crazy on my last too machines, so I'm excited to finally have one that works well. There are a couple of features I thought I would not use, but was wrong. I have sensitive data on my machine, so I got the 240G encrypting drive. I have an insanely long and difficult to type password (> 35 characters, with a mix of upper/lower case letters and digits). I found that my old 24 character passphrase had only 44 bits of strength, and could be cracked with a GPU in a few days. The fingerprint scanner saves me a lot of time, though I worry that it's not secure enough. The backlight on the keyboard is more useful than I'd thought it would be. Having low vision, I'm a solid touch typist, and often code in the dark, but with the new keyboard layout, the backlight actually helps. However, the extra pointing device in the middle of the keyboard seems to have zero utility now that the touchpad is solid. Because I wander around so much without my power supply, the rapid charge is quite useful. I spend a couple hours here, an hour there, and then in half an hour in my work chair, I've got back most of my charge. Still, the battery wont last all day, so you have to have access to a power source. I was worried about not having a VGA connector for presentations, or an Ethernet port for the rare cases when I have to plug in. However, I'll just put USB adapters in my laptop carrying case, and problem solved. I don't miss having a DVD drive at all. Why do people still carry these devices around when a USB thumb drive is cheaper, smaller, faster, higher capacity, and can be written to many times? As for the spill resistant keyboard, I've killed two laptops in the past with a spilled beverage, so I'm a fan. Also, I've read a number of complaints about having a USB 2.0 port, in addition to the USB 3.0 port. The reason for this is the USB 2.0 port has an always-on feature, which can be pretty useful.

I'm a full-time programmer, a power user, and I hammer my laptop about 10 hours a day. I require high built quality, high speed, a good screen, and an outstanding keyboard and touchpad. Our IT guys want us to buy ThinkPads, and I need a laptop with a touch screen to develop touch features in our software. Those requirements mean I had little choice but to buy the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch. Fortunately, I didn't have to compromise much. I would have preferred having a graphics chip, and a quad-core high voltage CPU capable of full speed full-time, rather than just in bursts. That would have required a bigger fan and much larger battery, but I would have chosen such a machine if Lenovo offered a ThinkPad W line laptop with a touch screen and large SSD. In reality, this machine is faster than anything in Lenovo's ThinkPad W workstation line of high performance laptops. My older high voltage quad-core laptop is slower, because the SSD drive in the X1 Carbon Touch is amazingly fast, and more than makes up for the loss in CPU power. Incredible boot times and wakeup times are the first thing you'll notice, but also file copy, starting bloated apps like Libre Office or my CAD tools, and doing any disk-grinding tasks are several times faster. I'm probably going to save 2-3 hours a week, because I do a lot of huge software builds and installs, and run lot's of huge applications. So far, I've installed 100G of stuff on my 240G SSD. On a regular laptop, just writing 100G would have taken all day, but with this machine, I hardly had to look at the hour glass cursor. Also, I'm enjoying the lack of fan noise compared to my older power-laptops.

For a professional programmer, reliability and durability are huge, and I feel good going with the ThinkPad line. When something does go wrong, I require quick and capable support. Losing a couple days of work can easily cost my company more than the price of a laptop. So, I tested Lenovo's phone support. If you buy an IdeaPad don't bother calling Lenovo when things go wrong you're mostly on your own. However, for ThinkPads, the support guys are located in Atlanta. I had a hard technical question, so after a few minutes, the guy I was talking to put me on hold and consulted their guru. He had the right answer when he came back. I miss the old support Dell had in the 1990's when a guru would answer the phone directly, but Lenovo's ThinkPad support is good enough. This is the main reason our IT guys are pushing employees to buy ThinkPads, rather than anything from Dell or HP. Because Lenovo offers the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch, I was able to get a machine that fulfilled my requirements with few compromises, while keeping our IT guys happy. At the same time, I'm finding new freedom in where I choose to code. All in all, at least for initial quality, it's easily the best machine I've owned.

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Lenovo was kind enough to send me a review unit of the X1 Carbon Touch for a few weeks to play around with and write a review of it.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch is an impressive ultrabook that is (you guessed it) made of carbon fiber and it is extremely light (only 3.4lbs/1.55kg), slim and durable. Lenovo has done a fantastic job at making it as thin and light as possible and it really shows when holding it. It is slightly thicker and heavier than the original X1 Carbon non-touch (2.93lbs) which is hardly noticeable. The X1 Carbon Touch has the same look and feel as the regular X1 Carbon non-touch and Lenovo has added an impressive touchscreen to the X1 Carbon Touch. My review unit came with an Intel Core i5-3427U, 4GB of Ram DDR3, Intel HD 4000 graphics, and a fast Intel 180GB SSD. The X1 Carbon Touch comes with Windows 8 Pro 64bit that is (obviously) designed for multi-touch and can support up to 10 fingers and the screen is extremely responsive even to the lightest touches.

While the X1 Carbon Touch is definitely a premium ultrabook made with high quality materials, it also costs more than other ultrabooks on the market. The base for the X1 Carbon Touch starts at $1,257 and goes up to $1,785. Those prices were taken directly from Lenovo's website in case you are wondering. It's defiantly not a gaming laptop by any means but it has absolutely no problem handling all of your business work like a champ. The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch has an excellent touchscreen and a great keyboard that I have always been very fond of. The battery life is also acceptable and it can charge extremely quickly and when I say quickly I mean you can easily charge it from 0% to 100% in less than 90mins.

Pros:

+Build Quality / Design:

The build quality is absolutely fantastic and it is made of the same materials as the original X1 Carbon non-touch. Previous Lenovo laptops were made of magnesium but the X1 Carbon Touch is made of carbon fiber (hence the name) and it is as strong as aluminum but only a 1/3 of the weight and almost fifty-percent lighter than magnesium. This makes it for a slim, durable and super light ultrabook. I love the nice thin bezel that it has around the edges and viewing angles are amazing in both the horizontal and vertical planes. The touchscreen is extremely responsive and supports up to 10 fingers and works really well with Windows 8. I found myself using the touchscreen more than the keyboard just because I'm so used to using smartphones.

+Keyboard:

The keyboard is easily the best thing about the X1 Carbon Touch. The reason why I purchase Lenovo laptops over some other brands is purely because of the keyboard. I mean it just doesn't get any better than this. It has an excellent backlight keyboard with scalloped keys that make it easier to type. The track-pad is glass this time around and it works really well. There's no hard buttons on the bottom of the track-pad but they are hidden beneath it and it works very well. I'm used to having hard buttons there with my personal Lenovo laptops but the soft buttons work really well in the X1 Carbon Touch. There's nothing negative to say about the keyboard on any ThinkPad laptop because Lenovo has perfected the keyboard so well that even if it had only the arrow keys, it would still be awesome.

+Ports / Sound:

On the front side you don't have anything but on the right side you have an SD card reader, mic/headphone jack, mini-display port, USB 3.0 and a Kensington lock. Moving on to the left side we have the AC adaptor, vent holes, USB 2.0 and a Wi-Fi switch. On the back side we have an option to put a full size sim card for 3G only, not 4G LTE. Both the USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 have the same color so make sure to use the correct one. The USB 3.0 port should have obviously been colored blue but oh well, it's not the end of the world. It doesn't have a lot of ports and lacks some ports that I would have loved to see such as HDMI but you can get an adapter for that. On the bottom of the X1 Carbon Touch, we have a small straight line cut on each side of the laptop and that's where the sound comes from. The sound is pretty decent and I normally keep it at 45% when watching YouTube videos but at 100%, it is somewhat loud and a bit distorted.

+Web Browsing:

The web browsing experience is awesome on the X1 Carbon Touch thanks to the touchscreen display. I found myself using the keyboard only when having to write something on forums but for everything else, I was using the touchscreen because it's so much easier and a lot of fun. I absolutely love the touchscreen and the on screen keyboard is pretty sweet. You can pinch to zoom which is awesome if you are reading something that has a tiny text.

+Screen/Display:

The screen is 14 inches and the resolution is 1600x900 HD+ and I'm glad that Lenovo didn't go with a 1366x768 resolution because that wouldn't have made any sense for an ultrabook this good. I know that Lenovo likes the 1366x768 resolution quite a lot and most of their laptops come with that resolution but they just need to let it go and stick with either 1600x900 or go full 1080p like other companies. What would be even better is if Lenovo put a 1080p display on the X1 Carbon Touch because most of the ultrabooks nowadays come with a 1080p display and 1600x900 is sort of small. The Dell XPS 13 offers a 1080p display that's IPS and looks fantastic. Don't get me wrong because the 1600x900 fits perfectly well with the 14 inch screen size in the X1 Carbon Touch but a 1080p display would have been better. The colors and viewing angles are fantastic and you can even tilt the screen all way back (180 degrees) and it still looks fantastic. The screen has a matte finish and it can handle glare from the window pretty good but the colors won't look as good.

+OS / Camera:

The X1 Carbon Touch comes with Windows 8 Pro 64bit that is optimized for multi-touch. You don't have the option to choose between Windows 7 or 8 when purchasing one because Windows 7 (obviously) doesn't utilize the touch screen and it wouldn't be smart to have an OS that's non-touch on a touchscreen ultrabook. For some reason, the X1 Carbon Touch comes with some bloatware that it is just not needed in my opinion and really harms the experience when using the laptop. Most of the bloatware runs in the background and I feel like it is wasting precious battery life and you could really improve the battery life if you just uninstall them. These are some of the bloatware that come pre-installed on the X1 Carbon Touch: Kindle, Lenovo Companion, Skitch Touch, rara.com, Evernote Touch, Accuweather.com, Norton Internet Secutiry, Skype, Intel AppUp, and an ad for Microsoft Office.

Another pre-installed program is Lenovo's QuickLaunch which is essentially a start button that includes the typical search functions that you would see in Windows 7's start button. I replaced Lenovo's QuickLaunch with ViStart 8 which is a third party program that replaces it with a start button that's identical to Windows 7's start button. I just had to have a start button because it was driving me crazy. But other than that, Windows 8 is awesome and works very well on the X1 Carbon Touch. The camera on the X1 Carbon Touch is 720p and takes acceptable low light pictures. It's not by any means the best camera on an ultrabook but it's more than acceptable if you ask me.

+Battery:

The battery capacity on the X1 Carbon Touch is 4-Cell 45.8 Whr which roughly translates to around 5-6hrs with the brightness turned down a bit. It is non-removable and you do not have the option of adding an external slice battery. I tested it by fully charging it to 100% and then letting it drain by just watching YouTube videos, web browsing, Facebook and other basic things like that and it lasted ~5hrs and 10minutes and that was with the brightness turned down a bit. It's not the best battery life on an ultrabook but for me it's more than acceptable. I know that there are other ultrabooks that get more hours than the X1 Carbon Touch but 5-6hrs isn't bad either considering that it's still running an Ivy-Bridge CPU and not Haswell. If you want the best battery life

on an ultrabook then you should wait for Haswell to be released and possibly wait for the ThinkPad T440s to be released as well.

+Storage:

It comes with a fast Intel 180GB SSD that has ~120GB of free space after doing all the configurations and installing all the windows updates/drivers. It boots extremely fast, less than 4 seconds if you don't have a lot of startup items and if you put it to sleep, it can resume in less than a second. Applications load extremely quickly and you never have to wait for anything to open. Transferring large files (10GB+) on the X1 Carbon Touch is blazing fast thanks to the SSD. I also installed the latest AHCI driver using Lenovo System Update software before I did any of the benchmarks listed below. I tested the speed of the SSD by transferring my large movie collection folder and it transferred in less than a few minutes considering my movie collection folder is 10GB+. I benchmarked it using CrystalDiskMark and I posted the results below.

+System Performance / Processor:

My review unit came with a Core i5-3427U (dual core/four threads) that runs at 1.8Ghz and turbo boosts itself up to 2.8Ghz. The Core i5 is a typical ultra-low voltage CPU that uses far less voltage than a regular full CPU. This is (obviously) done to prevent it from overheating and using as little battery as possible. At idle, the CPU uses around 0.801 volts and under full load (2.8GHz turbo boost) it goes up to 1.01volts but the majority of the time it hovers around 0.966 volts. The i5-3427U has a max TDP of 17 watts and has 3MB of L3 cache which is pretty nice. I find that dual cores are more than enough on an ultrabook for doing pretty much everything except gaming even though some people want quad cores on an ultrabook. There would be no way to cool a quad core CPU on an ultrabook and it would waste a ton of battery but I guess some people really want the very best performance.

The Core i5-3427U is blazing fast; it never lags and has absolutely no problem handling everything you throw at it. If you do a lot of multi-tasking then the Carbon Touch is fantastic on that area because it has a ton of ram (4GB), a fast dual core CPU and an Intel SSD 180GB that can handle everything you want running in the background.

It does run quite hot if you start running heavy applications such as Adobe After Effects or benchmarking tools such as Cinebench 11.5 or PCMark Vantage that really stress test the CPU to its limits. When I tested it by running PCMark Vantage, the laptop automatically shut down itself half-way through the test because the temperature of the CPU had gone well over 95c. I had to let it cool down for a few minutes before booting it up again. Running the CPU at 100% for a few minutes will give you a warning at the bottom of the screen which tells you to close whatever you are running. Even when the CPU was running at 100%, you could hardly hear the fan spinning. The fan is silent at all times and doesn't make any noise at all.

+Bios:

The bios has the typical features that you would see in a standard bios. Under the config tab, you have the basic options such as USB, Keyboard/Mouse, Display, Power, Beep and Alarm, Serial ATA, CPU, Intel AMT. If we go over to the Security tab, you will see that we have Password, Fingerprint, Security Chip, UEFI Bios Update Option, Memory Protection, Virtualization, I/O Port Access, Anti-Theft and Secure Boot. It also has Bluetooth 4.0 as well as Intel a/b/g/n Wi-Fi. I have posted some pictures of all the options in the bios here on Amazon along with other info so be sure to check it out.

+Benchmarks (CPU/GPU/SSD):

I'm copying the results that I got here but they are also uploaded on Amazon.

CrystalDiskMark:

---------------------Read ----------Write

Sequence: 437.5MB/sec --173.4MB/sec

512K: 370.0MB/sec -------179.3MB/sec

4K: 23.70MB/sec -----------45.76MB/sec

4K QD32: 235.2MB/sec -----80.86MB/sec

Cinebench 11.5:

CPU: 2.56 (Multi-Threaded)

CPU: 1.15 (Single-Threaded)

GPU: 14.54fps

Windows Experience:

Processor: 7.0

Memory: 5.9

Graphics: 5.4

Gaming graphics: 6.4

Primary Hard-Disk: 8.1

PCMark7: Score: 4836

Futuremark 3D Mark (2013) Fire Strike: 538

Cons:

-Expensive:

As I have already said, the price is the biggest con for this laptop and it is priced a lot higher than other ultrabooks on the market that offer better specs (i7, 256GB SSD, 1080p IPS and even a dedicated GPU) and are cheaper. It is a premium laptop and the built quality easily sets it apart from the rest but it just needs to be priced a little lower so it can grab people's attention. That's just my opinion.

Conclusion:

The X1 Carbon Touch is one the sexiest looking ultrabooks on the market and it is made of carbon fiber that is extremely light, slim and durable. I can safely say that it is by far my favorite looking ultrabook on the market but the price is what sets me off. It has a superb touchscreen that is very responsive, an excellent keyboard that is by far my favorite feature of this laptop and charges extremely fast (you can go from 0% to 100% in less than 90mins) thanks to the RapidCharge technology from Lenovo. It has a fast CPU that can handle of all your work without a hassle, more than enough ram for multi-tasking and an extremely fast SSD from Intel that can boot the laptop in less than 4 seconds. It is just all around a great looking ultrabook with great features.

The price of the X1 Carbon Touch starts at $1,257 and comes with a Core i5-3427U, 4GB of ram, Intel HD 4000 graphics and an 180GB SSD. There other ultrabooks out there that are cheaper (less than $1,000) that come with a Core i7, 256GB SSD, 1080P display and even a dedicated graphics card (Dell XPS 13 being one of them). If you have deep pockets then I highly recommend the X1 Carbon Touch to anyone who wants possibly the most attractive looking ultrabook on the market. It is made of high quality materials which make it extremely light, slim and very durable. When holding it, you can really feel that you are holding a premium ultrabook in your hands! Lenovo has another winner in their hands but the price easily ruins it.

I'd like to thank Lenovo once again for sending me a review unit of the X1 Carbon Touch and letting me write a review of it.

Best Deals for Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 14-Inch Touchscreen Laptop (Black)3444CUU

Having read about screen problems with Lenovo X1 Carbon Touch was wary but the new (2013) version seems fine and the machine is really attractive and fast. With Windows 8 and Office 365 I can get through my work very efficiently. Admittedly downloaded a free start button replacement (Classical Start Menu) which also has a "Shut Down" and "Restart" command and starts the X1 Carbon Touch in the Desktop, not Start screen.

Lightweight and fast somehow attractive, after a months use I am in love with this very useful companion.

Disadvantages new power socket (throw away your old extra power packs) and no Ethernet input, also built in battery so cannot carry a spare. However, now very rapid charging and it is easy to get a USB 3.0 Gigabit Ethernet adapter (Cable Matters SuperSpeed).

Honest reviews on Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 14-Inch Touchscreen Laptop (Black)3444CUU

The product was delievered quickly and was packaged for shipment extremely well. Everything worked out of the box and I had no troubles. I was concerned about getting a 14 inch screen because my eyesight is not that great. But the HD screen makes all the difference and I can read the small print just fine. I need the business features like encryption and connection to an LCD projector so was willing to pay more. It is surprisingly thin and light which my shoulders appreciate. The battery life seems as advertised. Windows 8 takes some getting used to but that was expected. I have not yet tried the web cam. It looks beautiful and I certainly will never feel outclassed in the laptop department. Overall I am very happy with my choice.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 14-Inch Touchscreen Laptop (Black)3444CUU

After I turned the computer on for the first time, i realized the touchscreen was not working. I tried to apply the fix that was released by Lenovo and that didn't work either. Contacted the store (17th Street) requesting the item to be replaced (a few hours after i received my notebook), and received the following message from them:

"Unfortunately we cannot take back opened computers, as stated on our Amazon page at this time we are not able to issue a return authorization for your order; you do have a manufacturer's warranty."

How would I know that the touchscreen was defective, had i not opened the box and turned the computer on?

Avoid buying anything from this seller. If the item is defective, you are on your own.

Reviews of HP Pavilion DV6-6112NR Notebook Pc

Customer Ratings:

I have had my share of desktop computers, and I used to hate laptops, mostly because of their not so finger friendly and sluggish little mouse pads. Well, I stand corrected. I have only had this wonderful little laptop for a couple of days, and it has converted me from a laptop hater to a laptop lover. Where can i start?? The mouse area is super responsive, the quad core i5 processor is so fast, that I almost think it reacts before I finish typing, The

Audio is quite good for laptop speakers, and The security measures are a welcomed sight. I plan on beefing up this already great machine by adding some more ram memory, and maybe a Usb sound care later on. I am glad to obtain a laptop with windows 7, and not the bug infested windows8 before they disappear. V. Godfrey

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Buy Dell Latitude D610 1860MHz 1024MB 40GB CDRW/DVD 14.1" Notebook

Customer Ratings:

I purchased this as a gift, but I did test it myself first. This works wonderfully. It is fast. It is just as good a new. I also purchased another dvd rw drive to install on it because it only has a cdrw/dvd. This computer works great though. I am very impressed with the quality of this refurbished product. The WIFI works great as well. Very good range.

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Cheap ASUS N56VM-AB71 Full-HD 1080P 15.6-Inch Laptop

Customer Ratings:

Build:

First of all, the build quality on this machine is EXCELLENT. Having never owned any asus product, I'm seriously impressed at the build quality on this thing. Even though I only paid $899, this feels like a $1500+ machine. The aluminum finish is fantastic and feels really good. I will say it's a bit of a fingerprint magnet, but that's nothing a quick wipe with a cloth won't fix. Also, since Amazon doesn't disclose this, the ASUS logo on the front lid is BACKLIT. Some reviewers have knocked on the weight a bit, but for everything you're getting, it's a non issue. Unless you weigh about 30lbs, I don't see how you could knock on the weight.

Keyboard:

The keyboard is great. I very much enjoy the feel of the keys and the response is excellent. Even for someone with big hands like me, I have no trouble typing at full speed. Also, this keyboard is BACKLIT for those of you not sure, and it looks great in the dark. You can also adjust the level of brightness as you see fit.

Touchpad:

Wasn't too happy with this at first but I've grown to like it. I'm a big fan of the pinch to zoom and all the other features it comes with. Yes, sometimes you might not get the exact response you want or you'll accidentally zoom in on something, but the touchpad is great. No regrets and no serious complaints.

Performance:

Initial boot up takes a bit, but even with all of the bloatware ASUS puts on this thing, it's pretty fast. The i7 along with the 6GB of RAM really makes navigating through all programs a breeze and I've no freeze ups or noticeable lag. I plan on installing an SSD sometime in the near future and doing a clean install but for the average user, there shouldn't be any performance issues.

Graphics:

As some reviewers have previously mentioned, you are using dual cards for graphics. The laptop uses the Intel 4000 for non extensive actions and the NVIDIA for heavy graphic tasks such as gaming. I don't really plan on gaming at all so this is perfect for me. But from what I've read, gaming shouldn't be an issue.

Display & Sound:

The display is AMAZING. Videos, websites, programs......everything looks excellent. Hands down the best display I've used on a Windows machine. I would highly recommend pushing for 1080p if possible. The sound quality for a laptop is amazing. It's loud and clear. I've just started doing insanity workouts and using this and the sound and look of everything is amazing. No complaints at all. I haven't used the included speaker, but I'll get around to it. Webcam is also nice and clear and video chatting is no issue. Other party can hear me loud and clear with no echo.

Overall, I am completely satisfied with my purchase.

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I asked a few questions about this laptop from other reviewers but could not get an answer... to anyone who needs to know, it does indeed have a backlit keyboard. I got mine this morning and it's simply beautiful, the screen and sound are amazing, typing is a joy and I could not be happier.

I really wish Amazon would get proper specs up for this. I ordered in hope that it would have a backlit keyboard, and I got lucky.

I will update this review with more info if I find anything worth remarking on the specs speak for themselves, and of course there is a ton of nonsense bloatware, but that's easily dealt with.

I highly recommend this machine to anyone who wants something that looks good and you can be proud to own.

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Received it yesterday, great turn around time by Amazon. That said, I have the following gripes with this laptop already.

1). I bought this laptop hopefully to build a Hardware Specification equivalent of a Macbook Pro without paying the Apple Hardware Tax and without having to use MACOS.

2). Window 8 Sucks. Hated it immediately. I would have bought the Windows 7 version of this Laptop, except it is slightly different and has less base memory. So I bought the Windows 8 version and just installed my own copy of Windows 7.

3). The UEFI is locked to Windows 8. I removed the hard drive and replaced it with a SSD. The Boot process would not hand-off to Windows 7 during the setup process when using UEFI and mounting Windows 7 install as a CD. If I toggled the "Launch CSM" setting in the BIOS to "Enabled" this worked fine, but without UEFI. Less exciting but still very usable. (CSM means Compatibility Support Module and it's a UEFI setting for backwards compatibility with older BIOS devices.)

4). The only 16gb memory I was able to get to work to upgrade this machine to 16gb was Kingston ValueRAM 8GB 1600MHz DDR3 (PC3-12800) Non-ECC CL11 SODIMM Notebook Memory (KVR16S11/8). I tried three other sets of 16gb DIMMs without any of them working before I found the Kingston. Thanks to the person in the comments who suggested it.

5). The upgrade plate is on the bottom toward the front and merely requires removing the one center front screw. This involves prying up the plastic foot thing in the center and unscrewing. Easy access to the HDD, the Memory and the NIC from there.

6). The laptop was both heavier and thicker than I expected. This is not a fault of what is reported, but a fault of my expectations. Temper your own expectations to match.

7). As others have noted here and elsewhere, the trackpad gets in the way of typing sometimes. It's very easy to click things with you wrist while typing. I personally think this is true of many laptops due to my own typing style, so YMMV.

8). Once I got Win7 installed on the SSD, this laptop screams. Really loved how fast it boots. Haven't installed much yet though, so we will see.

9). If I could not have gotten Win7 working I would have RMA'd this faster than you can say... well, just about anything.

10). If you are looking for Windows 7 x64 Drivers, you will not find them on the Asus website under the N56VJ model. You need to look under the N56VZ model and use those drivers. The N56VJ and the N56VZ are basically the same computer with slightly different specs. All the drivers are common and seem to work just fine. Drivers can be found there.

Honest reviews on ASUS N56VM-AB71 Full-HD 1080P 15.6-Inch Laptop

I received this laptop about four days ago and still in the process of removing and loading software. Started with the standard operating procedure, Windows updates and removing McAfee (this requires a special removal tool from the McAfee website to do a clean uninstall). Had trouble with the wireless connection crashing and had to call Asus customer support who directed my to their website to download a new driver for the Atheros AR9485-EG wireless adaptor. Seems to have taken care of the problem from what I can tell. 1920 x 1080 resolution is nice most models with that resolution are $1,200 or more.... 750 GB and 6 GB ram great specs. Having some problem with the spacebar. I type about 70 w/minute and it doesn't respond as well as I am used to unless I hit it dead center and pretty firm. Other people reported a similar problem after researching this issue in forums. I will wait for a few days and if needed have Asus install a new keyboard under warranty. Sound/speakers are OK not great and for movies I would recommend external speakers. This model has the separate numeric keyboard off to the side (good for working on spreadsheets) which makes the model a bit larger and likely heavier.

Ran down the battery yesterday and got over 4 hours out of it no games but lots of installing and downloading. Good buy for the price and is has everything once could ask for for a desktop laptop.

Update I had to return the first laptop because I did not want to go through the hassle of getting the keyboard repaired Amazon exchanged it with no problem (same model) and the keyboard on the replacement laptop works great. The first one didn't have the backlighting (or maybe it was a driver problem) this one works without any hitches.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for ASUS N56VM-AB71 Full-HD 1080P 15.6-Inch Laptop

Good:

-The best screen on any Windows machine released so far!

-The sound quality is amazing!

-Premium quality overall!

-It is really fast!

-Very nice soft back-lid keyboard!

Bad:

-This machine is relatively bulky for 15.6 inch laptop.

-Quality control issues. My first machine was defective (crack under monitor). I had to replace it.

Conclusion:

Perfect home multimedia center. At this price level there is no competitors at all! There are no other 15.6 inch laptops with the same specification and the same screen and sound quality under 1000$.

I expected it to be a good machine but it is much better than I expected!!!!!!!

Update:

After listening to music on this laptop for a month I realized that with this laptop you probably dont need any external speakers. The sound quality is just that good.

Update:

I have been taking this laptop to my work to use it with DELL 2408WFP UltraSharp 24-Inch Monitor. Usually most external monitors beat any laptop monitor. And this Dell is relatively expensive and accurate monitor. Monitor on ASUS laptop represents colors much more accurately than external Dell monitor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Update: After 6 month of using this beautful machine I think that it has the best screen on any electronic device I saw. Colors on this machine are bette then on iPad 3, my panasonic 42 inch plasma, my HTC sensation and any other electronic monitor I have look at in my life. Defenitely there are some professional monitors for 1000 dollars that might have better colors, but for a notebook I colors on this screen are probably unbeatable. When Apple presented iPad 3 they wanted to make a big deal with its screen. In real life iPad 3 has very high resolution but just good colors, nothing exeptional. Screen on this laptop is trully exaptional.

Dell Latitude D610 14.1-inch 1.73GHz Laptop Review

Customer Ratings:

I want others to know how happy I am with my new laptop. I needed to have wifi computer access for a trip I had to make. I decided a laptop would be the only way and purchased it from Amazon. I have purchased other items from them before and have always been pleased with my purchases. This item was sold through a company named Tampa Laptops in Tampa, Fla. The computer arrived in great condition, however when I shipped it to my travel location it was damaged during that shipment. I contacted Tampa Laptop and they repaired it within 2 days and shipped it back. Zack at Tampa Laptop was great. Due to their service and helpfulness, I would not only purchase from them again but strongly recommend them for any laptop purchase or service.

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This computer was a great buy for our family. We were specifically looking for a smaller computer that we could take on trips to download photos of our travels and transport photos from home to show family and friends. It also allows us to check our e-mails and Facebook on trips.

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So far so good. I am very impressed with the performance and speed. I replaced an HP computer bought new 4 years ago, and believe me this is an upgrade from that. I did have to load anti virus, I prefer Trend Micro Internet Security. I use the computer for bill paying, e-mail, and my medical records. I plan on buying a extended service policy from Square Trade. You can't go wrong buying from Tampa-Laptops.

Honest reviews on Dell Latitude D610 14.1-inch 1.73GHz Laptop

I was a little skeptical about buying another used computer, but after getting this lap top and giving it a test. It showed it was a good machine. Also the delivery was prompt which couldn't have made me happier as a buyer. I would encourage anyone to buy from him.

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Always wanted a laptop but was way over my budget. Now I have the best of both worlds have a great laptop and even though it is not new it is new to me. Great product, great price if I had it to do over I would of bought it sooner.

Cheap Wireless DELL Latitude D510 LAPTOP, 1.7 GHZ CPU, CD Burner, DVD

Customer Ratings:

First, I received my laptop in 3 days from the time of purchase. It was exactly as described. It was in perfect condition. It runs great and looks great. I am a mom going back to school and was thrilled to find this laptop for this price.

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I'm a pc and this pc definetley can make dell proud. Definetley great for any use may it be household use or on the go. Thanks for a great pc!

Best Deals for Wireless DELL Latitude D510 LAPTOP, 1.7 GHZ CPU, CD Burner, DVD

I know old and used laptops will hardly get a good battery in them. I still complained though about mine and was impressed by how well they addressed my concern. I like this merchant. No wonder they got high ratings from a huge number of customers.

Honest reviews on Wireless DELL Latitude D510 LAPTOP, 1.7 GHZ CPU, CD Burner, DVD

I got two of these I got one for my self and it worked like a new one I never got anything from on line until I was turned on to Amazon My wife liked mine so I got her one We went to Walmart and found we was going to have a lot more in just one computer We got two and it was still cheaper then going to any store Thanks Amazon I will be getting alot of things from you

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This product came a week early, and it works great. I am having no troubles. I could have been warned about the scratches and stickiness, but other than that its awesome.

Samsung - Laptop R480 / Intel Pentium Processor / 14" Display / 4GB Review

Customer Ratings:

Incredible laptop with blue ray and LED 16:9 wide angle screen. The look is hot red ceramic with a touch of purple.

The blue ray is incredible. It's fast and feels very well made and solid in your hands. Great keyboard and the picture

is astounding. For the price and the features it beats Apple hands down. Buy this, it will be superior for years to come.

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I only got mine for 260 bucks and its not bad. The bluray drive is nice and its a reliable pc. Its pretty fast and it looks sleek, just dont expect much out the graphics card other then that its fine with a solid build.

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This is a great computer! The blu ray is nice and love the speed of everything. The only drawback was adding kaspersky. It caused my computer to go blue screen of death for over 3 months. I finally fixed it, no thanks to kaspersky.

Get one!

Honest reviews on Samsung - Laptop R480 / Intel Pentium Processor / 14" Display / 4GB

This is a nice Product.. I'm Using it for past 4 months.. Graphic quality is superb.. And its really nice to have a High end Blue ray disk driver for this prize. But I'm Not happy with the webcam quality..

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I was very excited about this computer and for 90% of actions it is great. However, I plug it into my Samsung DLP via HDMI and it won't show the TV. My HP connects perfectly. Samsung support absolutely no help. More important, I tried to connect it to my home group (my HP and Gateway connect perfectly) and it won't connect. I call a tech guy out and he says it is a samsung issue. I call samsung and they won't even do any diagnostics other than to say if the drivers show they work then that is all they do. I have now had 2 problems and Samsung has been useless. So long as everything is working, it is a great computer, once there is a problem, you are on your own. I won't but from them again.

Review of Gateway NV4402u Laptop / Intel® Pentium Processor / 14" Display

Customer Ratings:

I've had this laptop for half a year now, after buying from a relative who upgraded his laptop. It is very good! I watch movies here always in great clarity. Very fast and easy to use. My needs are basic, as most of us probably do: surf the net, watch movies and word/spreadsheet processing, and I'm glad I didn't shell out too much money to get these jobs done. If you're not a heavy gamer or a video editor, this one should be right for you.

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Great laptop for the money, lots of power packed into a small package. No problems with this laptop whatsoever. I would have given 5 stars but I have one complaint and that is that the "fit and finish" of this laptop isn't as good as it should be. The battery doesn't fit tightly in place, it is a bit loose... also the main cover seems a bit flimsy and thin. But even so, I haven't had a problem with it.

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I absolutely love my new laptop!!!!! You can't see it well from these pics but it has a cool pattern on the case and it works excellent.

Reviews of Toshiba Satellite L505D-GS6000 Laptop - AMD Turion II dual-core

Customer Ratings:

I purchased this laptop recently for school purposes. So far it's running beautifully, and I haven't had any problems with it. Windows 7 is good, much better than Vista at launch. The only big issue I have with it is the sound: it's not that good, but I've heard that other L505 laptops have the same issue, and the problem is usually fixed with drivers. The problem here is that I think BestBuy started selling this piece early, so it's not supported yet on Toshiba's website.

I found it at BestBuy for $550 before tax, which is considerably lower than other places. Try to find it for that price if you can. If you cannot, then wait until it's supported on the Toshiba website.

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I purchased the gs6000 last weekend. The salesperson recommended the Toshiba gs6000 with the AMD processor over the computer I was going to purchase with the Intel processor. That left me confused since I had not heard of the AMD processor. I went home and did some research on AMD processors. The AMD won hands down in almost all reviews I read, excelling in graphics. So far, I love the Toshiba. It's very quiet. The touch pad was scrolling at times, which I thought was not working correctly until my step daughter got on it and informed me the right side of the touch pad was made to scroll! I have always owned a Dell. One thing I really like about the Toshiba is that the fan vent is on the side, keeping the bottom much cooler than my old Dell where the fan was on the bottom. The only complaint I would have is the keys are not concave, which I am used to. Just a preference. I mainly use it for photography. So far, it's great!

Best Deals for Toshiba Satellite L505D-GS6000 Laptop - AMD Turion II dual-core

I helped in buying this laptop for my mother as a replacement for an old 2001 computer she was struggling with.

After setting it up for her I spent a day experimenting. Here is my assessment of the Satellite L505D-GS6000:

Pros:

it runs smoothly on Win-7 with a minimum of the balky behavior experienced with XP

video and video card are excellent

the webcam is much better than expected

battery life is well-inline with specs

comes with Microsoft works, which is perfect for those not wishing to spend a lot of money

on software they won't use, such as the Office Suite

Cons:

speaker, though turned up to maximum did not allow hearing of media player

64-bit software limitations are still severely limiting

cooler will be needed, unless you like replacing the hard drive every 12-24 months

The sound quality can easily be improved with cheap speakers provided by Microsoft and Logitech, two reliable providers. The cost would be in the $30-40 range.

When I used Vista 64-bit in July 2009, I found it impossible to find replacements for expensive upgrades provided by Norton (antivirus), Webroot (Spysweeper) and others. Many technical software providers, such as AutoDesk require complete upgrades such as over $800 for AutoCAD Lt 2010. To my surprise, Win-7, which was a vast improvement over clunky Vista, would not allow me to run AutoCAD Lt 2007. I purchased AutoCAD Lt 2007 for about $1000.

Here's how I met the challenge. First, I went back to Win-7 32-bit, although this will cost me RAM; you need 4G minimum for Win-7 anyway (not 2G they said in 2006 this happened before with MS XP!). I run a gamer machine with 8G, so I can tolerate using it all to run 32-bit Win-7.

With 64-bit Win-7, it's different. You will find that the new and improved Internet Explorer has a pretty good firewall according to PC magazine. However, I recommend using the Norton Internet Security package that comes with the Toshiba L505D-GS6000. It runs much smoother than the original Norton software of 2009. Next, you should add CCleaner, which is an excellent tool for removing cookies and such for free; go to CNET or another reliable free software site with less chance of picking up spyware.

Unfortunately, you will find than many 32-bit softwares won't run such as Avast! Free Antivirus. You will get warning that the software did not load or than no warning at all. Look for the software on your computer faceplate. If it isn't there, it probably didn't load. You can check using Control Panel too.

I'm advising everyone owning a laptop to buy a cooler. I've owned laptops for years and the new duo-cores run very hot; hot enough to eventually destroy the hard drive, CD player and even the CPU. You will want a fan-driven cooler because the so-called passive coolers don't do the job. I've tried both and you can expect to see a 20 F improvement with a fan unit compared to half of that with a passive unit. Believe me, it's cheap insurance. A cooler will cost about $30-50 and a new hard drive will cost about $200, so you do the math. I prefer a Targus twin-fan unit.

My only complaint is that the laptop makers haven't caught up. The fan for most laptops draw air in the bottom through a tiny 1-2 inch grated spot in the lower upper left corner of the laptop and expell at the side. Wouldn't it be nice if the cooler fan were located near the inlet? A push-pull system would improve cooling. When it gets really hot, i.e., in the 90's, I use a wash cloth and ice pack to cool my computer for web-brousing. The wash cloth goes under the ice pack to catch humidity collecting on the ice pack. This works well.

If this review was helpful, please add your vote.

Honest reviews on Toshiba Satellite L505D-GS6000 Laptop - AMD Turion II dual-core

I bought this at bestbuy and it was a great price..you have 14 days to try a laptop there and I tried couple of dells then for the first time said heck with it and went with toshiba with amd..I have always had Pentium..but, I have this amd one and its great..the speakers arent bad in this at all..matter of fact its louder than some and even louder than the asus brand i tried. I even had to turn it down! go figure..this machine is awesome..and the design is sexy! the key board is great and I even like the numbers on the right side..I never had a laptop with that on the side..I actually use it more than I thought..I am happy with my final choice..I think that toshiba has won me over for a couple of years..anyway..I will more than likely got another one from toshiba..!!

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This laptop works like a dream! This is my 2nd Toshiba laptop and though I had my heart set on a Satellite Pro (just because, LOL), this, to me, was a much better value for money ($530.00 before tax, from BestBuy). It has worked beautifully from day one and has never given me cause for regret.

My first laptop (Toshiba Satellite also) came with Vista and gave me no end of headaches, to the point where I had to change to WinXP and upgrade the memory. (After this, it worked great.) Because of this, I was a little wary of Win7 but I shouldn't have been no problems there at all. It recognizes everything I stick in it (except for my HP printer, but it was easy to get the drivers online) and I've had no thought of upgrading the memory it came with, something I've had to do with every other computer I've owned.

I must also mention how much I like the keyboard beautiful, wide keys and a number keypad (!!!), which my previous laptop did not have and which was a constant source of grumbling to me.

My one and only complaint about this product would be the speakers quite frankly, they're terrible! But no biggie for me, I simply use external speakers.

Overall, great product at a great price!

ASUS X54H-BD1BH Refurbished Notebook Intel Pentium B950(2.10GHz) Reviews

Customer Ratings:

This laptop is very fast, easy to use, and is an excellent choice for children. This laptop is best for web browsing and media although it can be used in an office. I do have a few complaints. This laptop breaks easily. I have owned this laptop for about six months now and have already broken the microphone and cracked the inside of the screen. Even with these defects, the laptop is still usable and better than nothing. The keys are quite loud and the sound quality is much better with headphones. I f you are looking to install windows 8 release preview or similar products, it works great. I installed the 64bit version and it is running perfectly. Overall I am satisfied although I will have to replace it soon due to damage.

psplease excuse my grammar. I am only 12 years old. most people won't bother to read my reviews if they know this.

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I bought my first laptop 20 years and have thus far been through about 12.

In my educated opinion ( I repair computers for a living)this is on of the nicest, most full featured computers out there. I use a High End Sony VIO for my most difficult work but I keep a second machine to use in the field. The HDMI output is fantastic (I subscribe to Netflix) and hook this baby up giving a FABULOUS picture on a 60" screen!I also LOVE the feature that lets you log in using Facial recognition. I personally have many confidential files and trust me nobody and I mean nobody can get access to this machine but me. There is a "backdoor" way of getting in but I put in a 21 character password, just in case I grow a beard or something. Trust me, if you are in the market for a laptop costing less than $500.00 then this is the one. I give it 5 stars because it is top of the line in that price range. I have ordered 12 for resale and already have 3 "presold"

Best Deals for ASUS X54H-BD1BH Refurbished Notebook Intel Pentium B950(2.10GHz)

I just got this laptop as a gift only 30 hours ago but I have to say so far I love it. The only complaint I've had thus far is an issue using WiFi. As it turned out that was an problem with the Internet connection to my home and had nothing at all to do with the laptop. As another reviewer mentioned it doesn't come with a manual but it does come with an eManual on the computer which appears as an icon. I found the eManual to be quite helpful and easy to follow. The best review I can give you is this... my 15 year old niece also got the same laptop as a gift and she loves it. So if it can please a teenage girl surely it will please you too.

Honest reviews on ASUS X54H-BD1BH Refurbished Notebook Intel Pentium B950(2.10GHz)

I was a little apprehensive about buying this computer, but so far it's great. It's running well. No problems as of yet.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for ASUS X54H-BD1BH Refurbished Notebook Intel Pentium B950(2.10GHz)

To be fair, all budget-lines laptops are forgoing user manual booklet nowadays. There is a PDF version of the user guide on the computer. You need to know how to get to it.

Asus is very good with their laptops, their machine always feel slim and not too bulky compare to some of the other brands. They invented netbook (eee-PC) after all. I saw on pcmagzine this laptop scored 4.9 out of 5 on user rating.

TLDR: don't let the lack of user manual book & recovery CD discourage you, I guess there is a reason why GeekSquad are so successful. The laptop is great.

HP dv6-6c35dx 15.6" Pavilion Laptop (AMD Quad-Core A8-3520M CPU Review

Customer Ratings:

I can run all my major programs fast. I love the fingerprint scanner. I can sign in to different websites by just sliding my finger. I can also play games like FreeRealms and The Sims 3 with my expansions very well and with medium-high graphic settings. I bought mine for about $326.00. Very well worth it:)

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I really like this pc, is my first computer actually mine. The only complain that I have is that many times is slow. I have read that it could be thanks to the amd A8 cpu, but than is after 8 months of extremely hard work. if you want a pc with the classic windows 7 to do your basic every day stuff and even a little more, this is perfect for your. I had run several virtual machines on it and manage it ok, even some games like halo and imperial glory (not at the same time). Well that all.

'

Reviews of Toshiba Satellite L955-S5370 15.6-Inch Laptop (Fusion Finish in

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $699.99
Sale Price: $629.90
Today's Bonus: 10% Off

My son needed a Core i5 laptop for his gaming programming classes at college and this was the most reasonable one I could find. He says it works flawlessly and runs the most popular games in high resolution.

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Its a great laptop, i received just like i ordered and was dispatched realy fast. I only had problems with the hard drive.

Buy Toshiba Satellite C855D-S5900 Notebook Laptop / AMD Dual-Core E-300

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $399.99
Sale Price: $346.97
Today's Bonus: 13% Off

First off I should state I bought this computer for schooling purposes, as well as entertainment when I'm not using it for school, which most would do. That being said, I do play video games, and I was not able to play a video game, and watch a YouTube video at the same time without my processor being at 97-99%, so if you're looking to use it for gaming with no modifications afterward you might want to look elsewhere.

The OS of Windows 8 irked me at first, but it's not too bad for the laptop when you get used to it, the 500 GB Hard Drive is pretty nice especially if you're using it for what I am where you might have some pretty hefty files. The boot up time is slow the first few times (for me at least, which was expected), but after about 2 days of using it, the boot time is around 10-15 seconds, which is not too bad.

Overall in terms of hardware, the computer can handle light tasks and heavy tasks, but not more than 1 or 2 at a time. The boot time is pretty dang good.

Software that comes on this computer is pretty standard stuff, Internet Explorer (like all windows) and things like that, but it also has Netflix installed, Kindle apps, and I believe an Amazon app as well, which was really nice seeing as I use a lot of the applications that come pre-installed.

In terms of security programs you should be using, they have apparently boosted the Windows Firewall and Windows Defender and claim you really don't need any other security program,(Though I'd get MalwareBytes or something just in case). However, it did come with Nortan Security as one of the other pre-installed programs, so maybe something like that it likes? I'm not too sure.

TL;DR / Overall:

Laptop is pretty decent, good if you're using it for School or Work, can handle a few processes at once as long as they're not too hefty like YouTube video + (Insert Generic Online Video Game here) or something along those lines. The pre-installed apps and programs are nice, and you can pretty much get on the internet as soon as you boot up the computer and do what you will (After connecting to a network of course.)The boot up is fast after the first few times, and the Windows 8 OS isn't as bad as I personally thought it would be on a laptop (I had Windows 8 the first day it came out for my desktop, and I haven't used it, AKA I wasn't a fan).

I gave it a 4/5 because it does the job I want it to which was for schooling or work, but if you're looking to use it for recreation purposes like Gaming or something along those lines, it's where this laptop has issues.

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This laptop is good for student in college. Cheap, high system, fashionable.. This laptop is using AMD processor (Dual Core) and 4GB DDR5 with 500GB hard drive. It is enough for the basic needs. The disadvantage of this laptop is HDMI, this machine did not support HDMI. So, you can not plug it with Smart-TV or something else.

If you are finding a laptop is cheap and easy to work, I will give you some advices.

Mobility

lightweight

high system

cheap

And I found Asus has a good one. That is a touchable laptop and you can discover many functions on that.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BKRMMUS/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00BKRMMUS&linkCode=as2&tag=best-refer-20

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Warning, I had this laptop for 3 months and then it self set a BIOS password that no one knows. I contacted Toshiba about the problem and they said it was my fault for running a BIOS update suggested by their maintenance software. Toshiba refuses to acknowledge the motherboard self locked and claims since it boots to a password screen, the motherboard is working. What doesn't work is my laptop and they want me to pay $140 for a new motherboard, with no guarantee that it will not happen again. I have an HP that is 5 years old and still works great, hate I updated and went to a company that will not back its product.

Honest reviews on Toshiba Satellite C855D-S5900 Notebook Laptop / AMD Dual-Core E-300

I don't like the new windows 8 but i am getting used to it. It runs smoothly and no issues with it, its exactly what i need at this time.

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I am using this computer right now to write this review. Truly awesome. Toshiba really lives up to it's name. The brand is good and this product is great. Will recommend it for anyone.

Reviews of Lenovo U300s 10802BU 13.3-Inch Ultrabook (Graphite Grey)

Customer Ratings:

I have waited to get my hands on an ultrabook since Intel basically threw the challenge at PC manufacturers to build something high end that could actually approach the standards that have made Apple so popular. Let's face it, these ultrabooks are in response to the wildly popular Air series by Apple. Companies like Lenovo, Asus, Acer, HP, Sony, have stepped up to the plate and took a swing at it.

After having owned an Acer, Asus, Mac, and now Lenovo's ultrabook, I can safely say that in the Windows family of computers, the Lenovo u300s is by FAR the winner over the others. Here is why:

1. WiFi Asus UX31e has a serious problem with its internal wifi adapter. Out of the box, two of the UX31e had serious problems with wifi. I updated the bios, flashed it, you can read about the entire review on the Asus ux31e customer review by me. None of the issues I have had with wifi have occurred with the u300s. In fact, the Lenovo is blazingly fast.

2. The Touchpad Lenovo got it right by using the much better Synaptics pad than Asus who went with an inferior product and it shows. The touchpad on the Asus has required them to release software updates and it still doesn't have the fluidity that this Lenovo has. The pad feels much more rich and the smoothness is on par with perhaps the best experience I have had using a touchpad on a laptop. Even the multi touch features similar to the MacAir are done the best on the Lenovo u300s.

3. Keyboard The Lenovo just feels solid. The keys are brisk and responsive and you actually love typing on it. It makes typing fun if that's even possible. The Asus has shallow keys and I don't mind the Asus keyboard at all but the one on the Lenovo just feels like its a much better quality. The biggest factor on the keys, and its a big one for me, is that function keys are natively computer functions. Meaning, if you want to raise the volume using keys, you don't have to hold the FN key down and then the corresponding action key. So, when I want to raise volume, I just hit what would be F3. This makes a lot of sense because you are much more likely to do things like raise lower volume, adjust screen brightness, mute it with one key strike, etc than use actual function keys. I love this. On the Asus if you wanted to raise the volume, you have to hold down the function key on the left side and hit the raise volume key on the right side. Trying to do this with one hand cause you to stretch that hand nearly all the way from tip of thumb to tip of pinky if you want to reach this functionality. I play music on my laptop and key functionality is a big deal to me.

4. Speakers The Asus does seem to have better speakers. Side by side, the quality of the UX31e speakers seems more full with deeper bass tones. The Lenovo is not bad though and I am very happy with the quality of the speaker on the u300s.

5. Performance both for their own specs seem fine. It's an ultrabook so don't think you're going to be doing much video editing on it. However, for internet, word processing, email, and multi-tasking both are fine.

6. Heat I couldn't use the Asus on my lap after about 15 minutes because the back portion of the laptop gets very hot. I've currently had the lenovo on my lap for the last 30 minutes and its warm but not hot at all. I wouldn't worry about having the Lenovo resting on my lap while I type, even in shorts.

7. Webcam both seemed fine. I tested it out and it may just be me, but google chat seemed more clear with the u300s than the Asus. This could be related to the Asus's poor wifi signal?

8. Screen both are nice to look at. Viewing angles are about the same. No complaints on either one for the screen although when looking closely at them, I dare say that the contrast seems better on the Lenovo. The Asus does have a higher resolution so for those who need that for photos, Asus may be better here.

9. Ergomomics by this I mean typing, using the mouse pad, etc. The edge of the u300s is sharp and if your wrists rests on it for too long, I can see how this could get uncomfortable. I've been typing on it for an hour now, doing emails, etc and I have no problems with it but think others might. The Asus doesn't have this issues because of the tapered nature of it.

10. Portability and Ports I wish the Lenovo had a SD card slot. Alas, it doesn't. The Asus however does. So if you're doing a lot with SD cards, you'll need an adapter for it on the u300s. Both are highly portable. The power supply on the Lenovo is thinner than the Asus and doesn't feel cheap, whereas the Asus feels like it could break if you dropped it.

11. Other Considerations There isn't much bloatware with either. However, you have to spend A LOT more time fine tuning the Asus to fit your style than the Lenovo. The Lenovo in other words just seems to feel more natural right out the box and that's what you should expect in this price range.

12. Winner Lenovo U300s hands down. After going through so many of the first generation ultrabooks from Asus, Acer, and now Lenovo, the U300s is by far the superior machine. Let's put it this way: The Lenovo is an elegant minimalistic design that just feels and screams sophistication and reliability. It's stylish without being so flashy like the Asus. While the Asus gets a lot of "ooooo aahhhh" looks, the U300s is more subtle, like that very beautiful lady in a room that is genuinely stunning because she is confident without being flashy. The Asus on the other hand is like the girl with a lot of flash, trying to get the most attention, but for me was too flaky (just making an analogy, I don't mean any disrespect to any females!).

Feel free to comment. I hope this has helped you all in deciding. If you're going to get an ultrabook, go for the Lenovo U300s. I ended up returning my Asus UX31E and Acer Inspire because they just are not in the same category as the U300s. After you experience the Lenovo u300s, you don't even want to type on anything else. Honestly. As a gift, I can tell you the Lenovo would be amazing for anyone who gets it. They will love it.

Congrats to Lenovo. If you continue to make quality high end products like this, you will lead in the PC World.

Happy Shopping everyone!

***UPDATE 11/04/11***

Here is a link to another review (with benchmarks) in the Lenovo U300s vs Asus UX31E debate:

[check in comments; amazon apparently didn't want the link post here but it is in the comments]

Hope this helps everyone pick the ultrabook that's right for them. The U300s just happens to be right for me. Good luck!

***UPDATE 11/09/11***

Asus has acknowledged the problem and posted this on Amazon in response to the customer reviews of the ASUS UX31E (search for UX31E on Amazon.com and read the customer reviews to see this there):

"Please check your Device Manager and verify if the touchpad is Sentelic or Elantech. If it is Elantech, it will show that it is Elantech. If it is Sentelic, it won't show the name but rather will just say General or something along those lines. The latest drivers fix the issues a lot of you are having and you can download the latest drivers from [..link in amazon review of ASUS UX31E...]. When you select the TouchPad download category you will see the latest update for Sentelic and for Elantech.

To fix the wireless issue some of you are experiencing, please download the latest WLAN driver from [...link in Amazon review of ASUS UX31E...].

Best Regards,

ASUS Notebook Support"

So there you have it. They have acknowledged that the UX31E has issues unfortunately. It's a beautiful ultrabook. Maybe their 2nd generation of the UX31E will get it right.

Also, why have two different providers for their touchpad??? I don't see the logic in this because it confuses customers when they need to update the drivers and they have to go digging through their device manager. This is why Apple understands what customers truly want: a computer that's consistent and easy to use and upgrade. The Lenovo U300s in my opinion is the closest thing to Apple quality for a Windows ultrabook. I sincerely hope Asus listens to what the customers are saying, especially with their wallets.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

First review ever, but the U300s is worthy of a try.

Just for some background, this is my personal laptop purchase. I'm a gadget junkie, but on a budget and look for value. I don't mind paying a little more if it's worth it. I'm an engineer by profession and was looking for something versatile to be able to use for personal but also powerful enough for work. I'm also a Windows person who for many years sat idly by while Apple fans have gotten the best hardware. My alternative prior to an Ultrabook was going for a dual boot of the Macbook Pro 13" to use Windows on it.

Been wanting a new notebook for a while, so thought long and hard. Looked hard for any piece of information I could grab on Ultrabooks. Waited as long as I could for reviews too. Unfortunately, I was struck early by the unique looks of the U300s. Poor reviews of the Acer, and mixed reviews on the Asus UX31 also helped to affirm my decision.

I purchased the Core i5/128GB version of the Lenovo Ideapad U300s from Amazon via ABT Electronics. I actually cancelled a CompUSA order because the ABT price was so much better plus NO TAX!! Shipping was fast. Delivered in about 3 days.

Here's a quick review, it's not a technical review. Just a mix of likes/dislikes addressing some of my main concerns:

1) Overall, very good build quality. I'd say 8.5/10, as there is some creaking on the palm rests. I really have to try to make it creak, but creak nonetheless. Otherwise, very good tolerances, everything is tight and sharp. Great balance. Lid opens with one hand (UX31 doesn't even do that all the way).

2) I love my Apple desktop keyboard with the number pad, but I really like Lenovo's keyboard. I've used the Thinkpad keyboards for a while, and really like those too. The island keys on the Ideapad are good. If I had to rate them:

Apple keyboard = 9.5

Thinkpad notebook = 8.5

U300s Ideapad = 8.0

Trackpad does sometimes get in the way, as it is close to the keyboard. I'm using F6 to turn it off for right now.

It's not backlit, but I've never had a backlit keyboard, so it wasn't a deal killer.

3) LOVE the ventless bottom. I use the laptop in bed, and the ventless bottom was a key selling point. Machine never gets hot. I haven't even gotten it too warm. Fan does go on constantly, but it's hardly noticeable. Feel comfortable using or leaving on a bed.

4) Unit's main body color was darker than I expected. I have the "graphite grey" version. The marketing pictures makes it look more silverish (like the MBA) but it's darker. The lid and bottom are also more of a "greyish brown" color. I like the colors, but not my favorite, and also not exactly what I expected. Ironically, it's more in line with and matches the colors of my Nexus One phone.

One issue is though metal, the lid and bottom seem to absorb oils from the hand. No finger prints, but oil. You can wipe off, but still annoying.

5) 128GB SSD is fast. No benchmarks, but feels snappy. Cold boot is ~15-20 seconds. Wake from sleep is as little as 2 seconds and up to 6 seconds! There have been times where like the MBA, you open the lid (one handed) and it's there on the sign-on screen. Love that.

Yes, it's only 128 GB, but I have broken it out into 2 main partitions, one for the system and the other for programs install and storage. There are other smaller partitions, including I think the recovery partition. I'm not messing with those. Using Spotify for my main music source. I have all of my photos and pictures downloaded which is about 25GB. I still have ~30GB to play with on the storage partition.

I also have a 750GB USB 3.0/7200 RPM Hitachi Touron Pro external HDD for portable storage. So between the two, I have plenty and fast storage.

6) Screen is 1366x768, which is okay for me. Over the years, my eyes have gotten worse, so I actually appreciate that it's not too high resolution. I can attach to my 24" monitor directly via HDMI port. This was not a deal killer.

7) My main gripe is no SD card slot. Silly oversight on Lenovo's part. Not a dealbreaker, as I have a USB card adapter. Not a photographer or anything, but still...so small, Lenovo could have put one in. It was a big gripe in reviews of their U260 model from earlier in the year.

I saw the Asus UX31 at Best Buy today in person on display, and had I seen it before I purchased the Lenovo, I would have considered it more seriously. Probably a better machine, great build quality (no creaking), great sound. Keyboard was okay too.

Overall though, a happy camper with the Lenovo. The U300s has it's flaws (no SD card, and honestly wish it was a little lighter colored), but almost perfect for me. Love that it's a Windows machine and looks more akin to a Macbook Pro than an Air, which I appreciate, but < 3 pounds.

I plan to keep this little guy for a while.

There are very good professional reviews out there which you should check out. Here's a list compiled by Ultrabooknews.com

personally, I've read the Mobile Tech Review, Engadget's and The Verge's reviews.

Happy hunting.

Best Deals for Lenovo U300s 10802BU 13.3-Inch Ultrabook (Graphite Grey)

This is a belated review. I was really looking forward to the U300s and got one on amazon as soon as it was available.

I really really liked this laptop, but one day after lifting up the screen, I found the display no longer worked. There were strips running along the screen that were now whited out. After looking this problem up and talking to customer support I found that several other people had this same issue due to the fragility of the screen. It basically has to be lifted only in the center and if you lift off center you risk bending the screen enough to break it, even if not that much force is applied.

I'll give some of my general impressions as well. The laptop has a great professional look with a thin profile. The screen was bright enough for me but in the sunlight the gloss made it difficult to see. The keyboard was sturdy without much flex although it didn't feel as solid as the old thinkpad keyboards. And this computer is fast. I got the I5 and was quite happy with the startup time and processing speed.

In the end I had to return this laptop, and while it has a ton of things going for it, to have a screen that can break that easily is a disappointment. I think being a 1st gen ultrabook it wasn't ready for primetime.

Honest reviews on Lenovo U300s 10802BU 13.3-Inch Ultrabook (Graphite Grey)

I'm a student. I use my laptop on a daily basis, mostly for watching video recorded lectures online and accessing PowerPoint, Word, and pdf files. Tried to write a review on Lenovo's website and for some unknown reason they screened it out.

Likes:

look & design

super quiet

doesn't overheat

fast startup

great keyboard

pretty long battery life though decreasing over the year I've had it (that's what batteries do)

Dislikes:

speakers sound tinny, volume unimpressive

trackpad erratic despite adjusting sensitivity

trackpad stopped working after 5 months

even after replacement the trackpad still freezes--invariably so when computer is cold

no SD port (c'mon, Lenovo. for this pricetag??)

the keyboard scratched the screen (I recommend placing a cloth over the keyboard before closing it)

Lenovo Tech Support*

Bottom line: I LOVE this laptop and could never go back to one that isn't equipped with a solid state drive, but like any computer it's not w/o problems. Except for the trackpad issue they're problems I can live with. An external mouse helped me deal somewhat.

*The very first U300s I purchased was defective. I think the fan was hitting the keyboard--sounded like an electric razor in the left corner near the esc key. Lenovo Tech Support infuriated me when the rep told me it was a "customer perception issue" and that was how the laptop was supposed to sound. Ended up calling Lenovo Customer Service and exchanging it for the same model--sure enough, second one was just fine. No buzzing.

Trackpad issues were there with both laptops. The mouse spontaneously freezes--only way to fix is to close the lid and open it again (variable success) or use external mouse (always successful). UPDATE 4/17/13 Trackpad is freezing more frequently. It will have to be sent in for the 3rd time, all three repairs being due to trackpad issues. Upside is they usually fix it and have it back to me within a week. Downside is the problem persists. Glad I got an extended warranty, but it's really annoying that it never seems to be a long-term fix.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Lenovo U300s 10802BU 13.3-Inch Ultrabook (Graphite Grey)

I have had nothing but troubles with this computer. the hardware is faulty. I had to take it in for service to get the wifi fixed. i was unable to get on a network. it also does not have a ethernet port. the mouse pad is horrible in so many ways. the sensor does not do a good job on picking up the multiple functions like scrolling or pinching. However it picks up your palm while your typing and your mouse jumps around and makes it difficult to type. the mouse also freezes and the computer has to shut down for it to start working. the mouse pad is so bad that i try not to ever use it, just use an external mouse.

This is the first lenovo i have owned and the last. I bought it b/c it had a graphic card unlike some of the other ultra books..doesnt matter..the computer is so slow to do simple tasks. i have rebooted and started from scratch three times so i know it is not my software or virus or anything else that is slowing it down.

Compared to the other ultra books this computer lacks a lot of simple but great details. like a backlit keyboard, waterproof keyboard, not as light as the others. the only thing i like is that it didnt come with a bunch of bloatware like others.