Showing posts with label laptops under 200. Show all posts
Showing posts with label laptops under 200. Show all posts
Friday, January 2, 2015
Reviews of Hp Pavilion 15.6" Laptop 4gb Memory 500gb Hard Drive AMD A6-4400m
A friend needed a laptop and she picked this one as her first laptop. I showed her the basics and she was off on her own. She has had it a few months without a single problem or complaint :)Very good machine .... is fast everything works fine, I have to adapt to windows 8 but all in excellent condition
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Best Acer Aspire V5-571-6605 LED Notebook (6GB Ram, 500Gb hard drive Deals
Slim, sleek, lightweight and fast. Great screen. Keyboard is good, and the overall fit and finish is good silver body better than my dark blue laptop, which is a fingerprint magnet. W7 working well. I actually bought this for my wife she loves it. I may get one for me.
Larry H50
Larry H50
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This is the first computer/laptop that was not an H. P. I was out of my comfort zone when I purchased this one. For a short while I had a Samsung Series 3. I like the Acer laptop better than the Samsung laptop. The other thing was the Acers Windows 7 is more user friendly than Samsung Windows 8. This Acer laptop speaker has a really poor sound quality compared to the other computers. This is the only complaint I have. Good Luck.Best Deals for Acer Aspire V5-571-6605 LED Notebook (6GB Ram, 500Gb hard drive
I've had it for a few weeks and the touchpad is a bit sensitive and I'm just starting to get used to that, but the computer seems pretty fast and nice so far, otherwise. Very thin and lightweight. Happy with my purchase.Honest reviews on Acer Aspire V5-571-6605 LED Notebook (6GB Ram, 500Gb hard drive
this is my second acer laptop and it's doing me well. getting this much RAM for the price made it worth the purchase. the screen is large and overall quite light. and it didn't come with windows 8, so that was a plusFind helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Acer Aspire V5-571-6605 LED Notebook (6GB Ram, 500Gb hard drive
This purchase was well worthwhile i am boasting alot to my friends about the cost the features and it's capabilities. however the only thing i am alittle disappointed about is the battery life i find it does run to fast.
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Cheap DELL Latitude D531 Laptop with 2.0GHz CPU, 2GB RAM, 80GB Hard
We recently purchased a computer. It runs great. It was in great condition. We are very happy with it. It arrived in a good amount of time and the price was right. I will be ordering from you again I'm sure.
This product is working fine so far, it's an older model so it may need to have some newer drivers installed to operate the new plug and play products like optical mouses, but but my printer booted up fine with no driver disk needed.
The seller answered my questions promptly, i would purchase from this seller again.
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Received exactly what was advertised. The laptop runs great and has very minimal scratches on it. It shipped fast and in good packaging. I'm very satisfied with the purchase.Best Deals for DELL Latitude D531 Laptop with 2.0GHz CPU, 2GB RAM, 80GB Hard
This was a great deal and I will be buying again for sure! This was the best deal I found on this computer.Honest reviews on DELL Latitude D531 Laptop with 2.0GHz CPU, 2GB RAM, 80GB Hard
three weeks after ordering two dell latitued D531's for my elementary school kids, I finally received the laptops to only find out that despite the way they were advertised as 2GB RAM, they came with 896 MB of RAM, I am calling their office but the recording says they are not taking calls... What a rip off...Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for DELL Latitude D531 Laptop with 2.0GHz CPU, 2GB RAM, 80GB Hard
As a person who is still on a budget because of the economy, this was a suitable option and price range for my purpose. Of course the battery is useless, i knew it would be, but I'll just replace it when i can. Mine came with windows vista business, so long as it had windows i was happy.This product is working fine so far, it's an older model so it may need to have some newer drivers installed to operate the new plug and play products like optical mouses, but but my printer booted up fine with no driver disk needed.
The seller answered my questions promptly, i would purchase from this seller again.
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Cheap ASUS K50AF-X1 15.6-Inch Versatile Performance Laptop (Black)
The Asus K50AF-X1 is a solid performing laptop with a very reasonable price tag. The dual core AMD processor and 4 gigs of ram make windows 7 perform well, even in the Aero environment. Additionally, the ATI dedicated video card enables this laptop to perform decently on modern games such as Left 4 Dead 2, Split/Second, etc. However, it's not a miracle machine, so bear in mind you will have to run some of these games on medium/low graphics settings. However, it certainly runs rings around any laptop using intel's onboard graphics. Burnout Paradise runs flawlessly at maximum settings with high framerate. To get any better gaming performance out of a laptop, you would have to break the $1000 barrier, possibly even going into the 1200-1500 dollar range. When I bought this laptop, it was on sale here at amazon for $550, and it has proven itself an astoundingly good deal.
Win7 boots pleasingly fast, and the install is relatively clean. It does come with some proprietary asus software loaded, but very little of it is memory resident, and what little IS is actually pretty useful, such as the on-the-fly ability to change between four power useage settings. The laptop also has the option to use facial recognition software as a login alternative (via the built-in webcam), but this is mostly just a cool convenience gimmick and adds no real security features. I am at a bit of a loss as to why Asus decided to partition the 500 gig hard drive into two logical drives, but that's a minor gripe I suppose. The built in microphone performs acceptably for voice chat. The button on the optical drive is protected by a protrusion just above and below the button, which I suppose helps prevent accidental pressing of the eject button, but it also means you pretty much have to get in there between the protrusions with a fingernail to press the button in far enough for the computer to realize you want to eject the disk.
I also don't particularly care for 16x9 aspect ratio displays (I prefer 16x10), but I suppose that's what all the laptops are going to these days.
Pros:
Very competitively priced
Good graphics performance for the price range
Decent sound for a laptop
Large hard drive
Good keyboard, with good layout
4 USB ports, two on each side
No plugs in back
Wireless N and ethernet jack both
Cons:
High reflectivity on display
High gloss case gathers fingerprints/smudges like crazy
touchpad uses "multiple finger touch" to scroll instead of having a scroll zone at the sides of the touchpad, which can be a little slow to respond
No HDMI out (does have VGA out, however)
Minor gripes:
A little annoying to push the button to eject optical drive
16x9 aspect ratio (1344x768)
Overall, I am very satisfied with this purchase.
Pros
Keyboard is well-made
Screen. Bright and easy to read.
Asus FastBoot Program lets you choose which programs load during startup and which load after. Speeds up the boot quite a bit.
Speaker audio quality is pretty good for a laptop
Cons
Case is a fingerprint magnet.
Web cam is low res and has difficulty in low light (haven't tried different drivers yet).
I've also been playing games on it. so far the frames i get (with fraps on) are as follows:
StarCraftII Beta 30-32 fps on med-high settings
World of Warcraft 35-60 fps on high (depending on what you're doing)
League of Legends 25 fps on high, 33 on med
CoD Modern Warfare 2 25-26 fps on med
F.E.A.R. 2 35 fps on med
Left 4 Dead 2 33 fps on med-high
Overall recommended for the price point. wasnt expecting it to be able to play games so well but i was pleasantly surprised. I'd give it a 4.5/5.
On the plus side, the build quality seemed to be very good, and it did run cool and quite. The aforementioned problems were problems too significant for me to ignore.
I don't have strong cons to the computer really... The hard drive is only 5,400 RPM, and of course I would have like to heave seen 7,200 RPM instead. I honestly don't perceive any real delay, though. If I did intense 3D graphics, there may be a noticeable one, but I believe that just partitioning the drive to have a small, quickly searchable sector will make just about and hard drive work reasonably fast. The keyboard will take a bit of getting used to and Windows 7 has some odd quirks (My screen saver would not come on when I purchased the computer; checking the box to ask for a password upon awakening apparently solved the problem). This is obviously a problem with Windows 7 and not the computer.) The keyboard takes a bit of getting used to but is actually pretty good... Certainly a bit different, though.
The Turion II is another matter of discussion with this computer, because many people are discrediting it for the reported clock speeds from independent reviews. This chip has a lot of features that make it a quality processor though, like the integrated memory controller. The Turion II certainly handles the GPU in this computer better than a comparable Intel (...I would rather have this Turion II in this system than many others, including some Core 2s, though a Turion II Ultra with double the cache carainly would have been nice. I give this computer 4.5 stars overall... Bottom line: the features are great for the price. I haven't seen another computer that has this combination of features in the ~$600 range.
****EDIT Notes**** I have used this computer much longer now and got to experience the problem with the low Audio. The speakers, even if you get SRS Premium Audio Sandbox (SRS's own software) to utilize these SRS speakers, is still mediocre at best. I played with it for a little while and was satisfied, but came back with some Jazz tunes and they sounded horrible if the effects were turned up enough to hear. If the effects weren't turned up, then hearing more than a faint melody would be near-impossible. For this reason, I knock this computer down another half star to 4 overall. It is a great computer, but the speakers are not as good as advertised, even if you buy software to utilize the speakers better; Also, throwing in a Turion II Ultra or triple-core Phenom II for a higher-end AMD based system would have been really nice, in my opinion.
The computer I traded this in for: Toshiba Satellite L645D-S4036 LED TruBrite 14.0-Inch Laptop (Black)... It is similar, has a slightly worse graphics unit, but the M880 shipset with the Phenom II processor make for a decent GPU that actually ranks a bit better than the one in this ASUS. The Phenom II or the Turion II Ultra were my two choice processors for this replacement, and I decided to go with the 1.8ghz Phenom II. I am definitely happy so far!
Win7 boots pleasingly fast, and the install is relatively clean. It does come with some proprietary asus software loaded, but very little of it is memory resident, and what little IS is actually pretty useful, such as the on-the-fly ability to change between four power useage settings. The laptop also has the option to use facial recognition software as a login alternative (via the built-in webcam), but this is mostly just a cool convenience gimmick and adds no real security features. I am at a bit of a loss as to why Asus decided to partition the 500 gig hard drive into two logical drives, but that's a minor gripe I suppose. The built in microphone performs acceptably for voice chat. The button on the optical drive is protected by a protrusion just above and below the button, which I suppose helps prevent accidental pressing of the eject button, but it also means you pretty much have to get in there between the protrusions with a fingernail to press the button in far enough for the computer to realize you want to eject the disk.
I also don't particularly care for 16x9 aspect ratio displays (I prefer 16x10), but I suppose that's what all the laptops are going to these days.
Pros:
Very competitively priced
Good graphics performance for the price range
Decent sound for a laptop
Large hard drive
Good keyboard, with good layout
4 USB ports, two on each side
No plugs in back
Wireless N and ethernet jack both
Cons:
High reflectivity on display
High gloss case gathers fingerprints/smudges like crazy
touchpad uses "multiple finger touch" to scroll instead of having a scroll zone at the sides of the touchpad, which can be a little slow to respond
No HDMI out (does have VGA out, however)
Minor gripes:
A little annoying to push the button to eject optical drive
16x9 aspect ratio (1344x768)
Overall, I am very satisfied with this purchase.
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i decided to get this laptop since the price seems pretty good after the $150 off.Pros
Keyboard is well-made
Screen. Bright and easy to read.
Asus FastBoot Program lets you choose which programs load during startup and which load after. Speeds up the boot quite a bit.
Speaker audio quality is pretty good for a laptop
Cons
Case is a fingerprint magnet.
Web cam is low res and has difficulty in low light (haven't tried different drivers yet).
I've also been playing games on it. so far the frames i get (with fraps on) are as follows:
StarCraftII Beta 30-32 fps on med-high settings
World of Warcraft 35-60 fps on high (depending on what you're doing)
League of Legends 25 fps on high, 33 on med
CoD Modern Warfare 2 25-26 fps on med
F.E.A.R. 2 35 fps on med
Left 4 Dead 2 33 fps on med-high
Overall recommended for the price point. wasnt expecting it to be able to play games so well but i was pleasantly surprised. I'd give it a 4.5/5.
Best Deals for ASUS K50AF-X1 15.6-Inch Versatile Performance Laptop (Black)
Yes, I knew before hand of the poor battery life, which is ~2 hours, in power saving mode. This was not the issue. My biggest concern was with the wireless ability, as my download speeds would constantly fluctuate, often times pausing altogether. The laptop also rebooted twice randomly while I used it throughout the night. These two issues are unacceptable, so I promptly spoke with customer service, was given a return shipping label, and purchased this item instead:On the plus side, the build quality seemed to be very good, and it did run cool and quite. The aforementioned problems were problems too significant for me to ignore.
Honest reviews on ASUS K50AF-X1 15.6-Inch Versatile Performance Laptop (Black)
I received this computer not too long ago, and have been very happy with my purchase. There are a good amount of features on the computer, especially for the price. I particularly like the versatility and balance of specs, the Altec Lansing speakers (more on these in the edit), and that it has an actual graphics card. The one-year accidental damage warranty and the "IceCool" technology that keeps your hands/ wrists cool as they rest on the computer while you type or use the touchpad are certainly nice, too. Speaking of the touchpad, it is a pretty good one in my opinion, and I am fairly picky with these... It doesn't have the scroll pad on the side, but it has a "multitouch" function that allows you to scroll by touching the pad with two fingers. These are the features that stand out to me the most.I don't have strong cons to the computer really... The hard drive is only 5,400 RPM, and of course I would have like to heave seen 7,200 RPM instead. I honestly don't perceive any real delay, though. If I did intense 3D graphics, there may be a noticeable one, but I believe that just partitioning the drive to have a small, quickly searchable sector will make just about and hard drive work reasonably fast. The keyboard will take a bit of getting used to and Windows 7 has some odd quirks (My screen saver would not come on when I purchased the computer; checking the box to ask for a password upon awakening apparently solved the problem). This is obviously a problem with Windows 7 and not the computer.) The keyboard takes a bit of getting used to but is actually pretty good... Certainly a bit different, though.
The Turion II is another matter of discussion with this computer, because many people are discrediting it for the reported clock speeds from independent reviews. This chip has a lot of features that make it a quality processor though, like the integrated memory controller. The Turion II certainly handles the GPU in this computer better than a comparable Intel (...I would rather have this Turion II in this system than many others, including some Core 2s, though a Turion II Ultra with double the cache carainly would have been nice. I give this computer 4.5 stars overall... Bottom line: the features are great for the price. I haven't seen another computer that has this combination of features in the ~$600 range.
****EDIT Notes**** I have used this computer much longer now and got to experience the problem with the low Audio. The speakers, even if you get SRS Premium Audio Sandbox (SRS's own software) to utilize these SRS speakers, is still mediocre at best. I played with it for a little while and was satisfied, but came back with some Jazz tunes and they sounded horrible if the effects were turned up enough to hear. If the effects weren't turned up, then hearing more than a faint melody would be near-impossible. For this reason, I knock this computer down another half star to 4 overall. It is a great computer, but the speakers are not as good as advertised, even if you buy software to utilize the speakers better; Also, throwing in a Turion II Ultra or triple-core Phenom II for a higher-end AMD based system would have been really nice, in my opinion.
The computer I traded this in for: Toshiba Satellite L645D-S4036 LED TruBrite 14.0-Inch Laptop (Black)... It is similar, has a slightly worse graphics unit, but the M880 shipset with the Phenom II processor make for a decent GPU that actually ranks a bit better than the one in this ASUS. The Phenom II or the Turion II Ultra were my two choice processors for this replacement, and I decided to go with the 1.8ghz Phenom II. I am definitely happy so far!
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for ASUS K50AF-X1 15.6-Inch Versatile Performance Laptop (Black)
I have had great luck with ASUS in the past, however this product failed to perform. Shockwave/Flash player errors upon arrival, a BSOD during initial setup, and no luck attempting even simple fixes for the product. 85 windows 7 updates later, it still failed to perform both functionally and at the level I would expect of a laptop with this parts list.
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Review of Satellite L855-S5385 15.6" Intel Core i7-3630QM 2.4Ghz 8GB RAM
on the specs page, it states that this computer weighs a WHOPPING 17 POUNDS.....There's no way, right? It has the shipping weight at twenty pounds...
Fast CPU, and enough ram. nice laptop for anyone even pc gammer. However, this laptop have serious key board problem.
key board is not senstive. this problem is make a lot of mis type during the work.
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I bought this laptop from Micro Center at last January.Fast CPU, and enough ram. nice laptop for anyone even pc gammer. However, this laptop have serious key board problem.
key board is not senstive. this problem is make a lot of mis type during the work.
Best Deals for Satellite L855-S5385 15.6" Intel Core i7-3630QM 2.4Ghz 8GB RAM
I've only had the laptop for 1 month but so far so good. Win 8 takes a little getting used to but has a desktop window that works like win 7.
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
Best Toshiba Satellite A665D-S6059 LED TruBrite 16-Inch Laptop (Black) Deals
This is a great computer for someone that is looking for a decently powerful notebook but wants to remain in the sub-$1000 range. It has a quadcore AMD Phenom II CPU. Sadly it is a lower clock speed (1.6 Ghz) and it lacks L3 cache. It may struggle in single threaded applications compared to the Intel line up, but the difference in performance is hardly noticeable to the average user. In fact, I am perfectly happy with the CPU thus far.
Next I will discuss the graphics card, and this notebook actually has two. There is an integrated GPU which is an ATI Radeon 4200 series. This processor is activated when the notebook is on battery power. It consumes far less energy than the dedicated card and prolongs the battery life. The dedicated card is a ATI Radeon 5650 with 1 GB of DDR3 RAM. It is possible to switch between GPU's and by default the notebook automatically switches to the 4200 when unplugged and to the 5650 when plugged in. This card is very capable for this price range. I have only tested it with one game thus far. I was able to play Battlefield Bad Company 2 on medium graphics settings fairly smoothly. Games older than this should play on medium to high settings.
The 16-inch LED backlit screen is great and it provides a nice clean picture.
My only gripe with this notebook is the battery life. It is under 3 hrs, which is not great. Although for me it is not enough of a flaw to take off a star as I will be plugged in most of the time. Even when I am mobile I will not be far from a plug.
I also want to state that the previous two reviews where hasty in there complaints. This computer is capable of playing games and functions well with the ATI Radeon 5650. They were either not switched to 5650 or where using the battery and trying to play games.
I am very happy with my purchase and can see my self recommending Toshiba to friends.
Pros:
ATI Radeon 4200/5650 switchable graphics
16-inch LED screen
Backlit Keyboard
Windows 7
Not a fingerprint magnet
Speakers are pretty good
Price
Cons:
Battery life is only okay
5400 rpm Hard drive (I wish it was a 7200 rpm)
Limited bloatware (not as bad as other computer brands)
EDIT: I edited the review to correct my mistake about the amount of video RAM. I changed the review to reflect the correct amount of DDR3 RAM. There is in fact 1 GB instead of the previously stated 512 Mb.
I have installed EA's Battlefield bad company and it runs with the highest configuration. But the best I have played with this was Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, with highest values, and it runs smoothly with perfect sound and image.
Buy it, no doubt about it.
About the video card, it has a process running all the time which changes the display driver on the run when it is disconnected, but only if user allows it to do it. So, it comes with two video cards, one of them with 1GB accelerated video.
Great machine. I would buy it again!
I don't know what to make of the comments regarding missing drivers. The Device Manager on my system reports both ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4200 and ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650 adapters; both are said to be "working properly", the 5650 has an IRQ of 0xFFFFFFFD, and its driver DLLs show a raft of DLLs. I'm not in any way a hardware maven, but I certainly don't feel cheated. The system has a Windows' Experience rating of 5.9, with the limiting factor being the disk drive transfer rate. The Graphics and Gaming Graphics ratings are both 6.7, better than the ratings of any of its other components.
When I bought this laptop, I was looking for a lot of bang for the buck, and I think that I've got it.
Next I will discuss the graphics card, and this notebook actually has two. There is an integrated GPU which is an ATI Radeon 4200 series. This processor is activated when the notebook is on battery power. It consumes far less energy than the dedicated card and prolongs the battery life. The dedicated card is a ATI Radeon 5650 with 1 GB of DDR3 RAM. It is possible to switch between GPU's and by default the notebook automatically switches to the 4200 when unplugged and to the 5650 when plugged in. This card is very capable for this price range. I have only tested it with one game thus far. I was able to play Battlefield Bad Company 2 on medium graphics settings fairly smoothly. Games older than this should play on medium to high settings.
The 16-inch LED backlit screen is great and it provides a nice clean picture.
My only gripe with this notebook is the battery life. It is under 3 hrs, which is not great. Although for me it is not enough of a flaw to take off a star as I will be plugged in most of the time. Even when I am mobile I will not be far from a plug.
I also want to state that the previous two reviews where hasty in there complaints. This computer is capable of playing games and functions well with the ATI Radeon 5650. They were either not switched to 5650 or where using the battery and trying to play games.
I am very happy with my purchase and can see my self recommending Toshiba to friends.
Pros:
ATI Radeon 4200/5650 switchable graphics
16-inch LED screen
Backlit Keyboard
Windows 7
Not a fingerprint magnet
Speakers are pretty good
Price
Cons:
Battery life is only okay
5400 rpm Hard drive (I wish it was a 7200 rpm)
Limited bloatware (not as bad as other computer brands)
EDIT: I edited the review to correct my mistake about the amount of video RAM. I changed the review to reflect the correct amount of DDR3 RAM. There is in fact 1 GB instead of the previously stated 512 Mb.
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I was very please when I received my new Toshiba within 3 days of ordering. The laptop is as specified, bar one specification. The specs both on Amazon and Toshiba's website show that the Laptop has gigabit ethernet, but mine only came with a fast ethernet card (10/100 Mbit speed). I have called Toshiba Tech Support to find out why this is so, as that was one of the specs that was on my must-have list. They have promissed to call me back in a couple of days, to try to resolve the issue. I await patiently, and will update this review, if I can. So a thumbs up for Amazon for great service, but I am afraid a thumbs down so far for Toshiba, for apparently not selling me the Laptop they advertised.Best Deals for Toshiba Satellite A665D-S6059 LED TruBrite 16-Inch Laptop (Black)
I wrote a previous review, but I had no idea what this laptop really was about!I have installed EA's Battlefield bad company and it runs with the highest configuration. But the best I have played with this was Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, with highest values, and it runs smoothly with perfect sound and image.
Buy it, no doubt about it.
About the video card, it has a process running all the time which changes the display driver on the run when it is disconnected, but only if user allows it to do it. So, it comes with two video cards, one of them with 1GB accelerated video.
Great machine. I would buy it again!
Honest reviews on Toshiba Satellite A665D-S6059 LED TruBrite 16-Inch Laptop (Black)
I've been greatly pleased with my Satellite A665D: it seems solid, well-built, the keyboard LEDs are a useful feature, and the keyboard has the best feel of any laptop I've ever had. All my adjustment problems have been getting used to the differences between Vista and Windows 7. I've not done much in the way of stress testing the system, but it brings up Mass Effect 2 with no problem.I don't know what to make of the comments regarding missing drivers. The Device Manager on my system reports both ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4200 and ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650 adapters; both are said to be "working properly", the 5650 has an IRQ of 0xFFFFFFFD, and its driver DLLs show a raft of DLLs. I'm not in any way a hardware maven, but I certainly don't feel cheated. The system has a Windows' Experience rating of 5.9, with the limiting factor being the disk drive transfer rate. The Graphics and Gaming Graphics ratings are both 6.7, better than the ratings of any of its other components.
When I bought this laptop, I was looking for a lot of bang for the buck, and I think that I've got it.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Toshiba Satellite A665D-S6059 LED TruBrite 16-Inch Laptop (Black)
Excellent performing laptop, the driver issue mentioned in the other reviews is a result of user error, not a problem with the machine. For the price, it runs games well. Left4Dead 2 at max settings averages about 30-35 frames per second and Assassin's Creed II at max runs about 20-25 frames per second. Included in my review are links to the proper drivers for the graphics card for both Vista and Win7.
Sunday, July 27, 2014
HP ENVY 14-1010NR 14.5" Laptop (2.40GHz Intel Core i5-450M Reviews
If I were a professor grading papers and if notebooks were research papers, the very first Envy 15 which debuted over a year ago definitely deserved a C+ grade. Imagine that the Envy 15 1st generation is a 5-8 page paper. A typical prof would give HP that very grade for good effort and creativity, but poor organization, sentence structure, and grammar and thus a rather low level of coherence altogether. The Envy 15 2nd Gen which came out less than a year after that corrected most of the infamous problems such as heating issues, creaky palmrests, and a jumpy touchpad. This refresh (or rewrite?) raised HP's grade to a B+. But while some may celebrate over a "most improved award," just as people tend to be more critical of a BMW 7-series than of your average, run-of-the-mill Corolla, the bar is set rather high for the luxury notebook segment that notebooks like the Envy and Macbook Pro fall into.
Now onto the Envy 14. This time around, the grade for this notebook is rather controversial and definitely open to debate.
The Envy 14 was released on June 27th. It was advertised as sporting HP's edge-to-edge 1600x900 Radiance Display which would afford the user better color reproduction and brightness than most if not all notebooks out there, yes, even better than the Macbook Pro's, ATI infin
Without the (continually updating) Google touchpad software that can be found in the Trackpad Discussion thread of Notebookreview, this notebook IMO stays on the accursed borderline 89.5% which for many teachers can be a B+ grade or an A-. But with a 3rd party touchpad software written by a few good souls on notebookreview forums that leads to greatly improved two-finger scrolling, the Envy 14 gets a 93%. Just shy of Abut still in straight A territory. Toss in the Radiance display and you indeed get a potential top of the class paper not to mention another reason(with others to follow) for the professor to hand HP a letter of recommendation.
NOTE: If anyone wants the Google software in question, go to notebook review forums (notebookreview.com), go to the HP section, and visit the HP Envy 14 Owners' lounge. The first page will have a link that takes you to the touchpad software lounge. Make an account and ask people to redirect you to the software because my goodness, you WILL want the drivers designed by reil for smooth 2-finger scroll! Ask someone there for reil's Google touchpad software.
There's also a way to configure bottom left, bottom right and upper right as deadzones. I've configured the top right as right-click, the bottom left as go back a browser page, and the bottom right zone as go forward a browser page. Ask people on the Envy 14 notebook owners' lounge how to configure it!
To HP: Great job. You not only get the most-improved award in my grade book. You get a 93%, which rounds up to an A. Not a strong A, mind you, but an A nonetheless. Keep up the good work, and work on those lingering issues. I expect to see great things from you in the future.
What I liked:
(1) Edge-to-edge screen. I don't mind for now that it's not genuine glass. Still have to admit the edge-to-edge black border gives the screen a nice look.
(2) Radiance Display Bravo. Need I say more? If this screen isn't good enough for photographers, I don't know WHAT is!
(3) Keyboard It's simply fantastic. It's a joy to type on. The LED backlit keyboard may not be bright as the Macbook Pro's, but it's still bright enough to use at night time when there's low or no light.
(4) Aesthetics I've already drawn many glances with this notebook. Also to those who're concerned with how "fruity" the design looks, the laser etchings really grow on ya. The thin/light form factor and the laser-etched drawings really ooze of quality and refinement when you hold it.
(5) Specs With the i5 processor and the ATI 5650, you can game on StarCraft 2 easily at medium settings. My suggestion is still to get a cooling pad as thin and light notebooks CAN get hot.
A few critiques on areas which upon consideration and improvement will put the Envy 14 closer to A+ territory:
(1) Keep working on the touchpad software and install a real clickpad. Work with Synaptics on improving it so that we don't have to rely on the good will and charity of software coders in the NBR community. Improve 2-finger scroll and toss in inertial scrolling, 3-finger swipes, and 4-finger swipes.
(2) Consider doing away with the optical drive when the time is right. I understand some people need their DVD drive. That's fine. But in the future, if it'll shave off a lot of weight and allow for the installation of a 3rd fan, I'm willing to pay the usual $40 for an external optical drive. (Yes, it's true. The HP Envy 15 comes with 3 fans because the absence of an optical drive creates enough real estate for the 3rd fan)
(3) Backlit keyboard This isn't really a criticism. But making the brightness adjustable would certainly tempt me to toss in another % point to your grade.
(4) Build Construction I had an argument with the other "professors" over this. A tiny bit of keyboard flex which I myself barely noticed is fine for now. A little flex with an optical drive to boot is understandable. I gave you a high score in this area, but try to get rid of the flex. Until then, repeat after me: Perception. Matters. Take this from someone who worked several months at Subway serving some really particular customers!.
(5) Find a way to get rid of that God-awful CPU whine. I know this isn't HP-specific, but if HP could find a way to reduce the sound or get rid of completely, that would be a Godsend!
************UPDATE FOR SEPTEMBER 9, 2010************
It's been about a month and a half since I first bought and started using the Envy 14. I have to say that two issues really bothered me:
(1) Synaptics engineers decided to be a bunch of lazy jerks by omitting the option to turn off the touchpad while typing. I mean, seriously? If you're going to specialize in something, the least you can do is do the job right!
(2) The screen touches the keyboard when closed. The interesting part is it doesn't leave behind any permanent scratches. It just leaves smudges.
The first problem was easily solved by installing a third party software called "Paradisoft Touchpad Locker. Google it and you will find it. It is free and easy to install.
I've found that my touchpad problems have been reduced by at least 90% as a result of the software.
The Envy is sleek and powerful pretty much handles anything I throw at it. Instead of pros/cons I'm just going to list some gotchas so that people are aware of some of the quirks of this product
Build quality I've read about issues with build problems with the chassis but my own laptop is perfect. No issues with dead pixels, bent frames or misaligned trackpad.
Alignment of ports Unlike my old laptop, the Envy has no ports on the back. They are all on the sides. This is only really an issue if you have a million USB devices and connect to a monitor. It will tend crowd out the sides of the laptop with cables. Even the power cable connects from the side. Doesn't really bother me but might bother folks used to having everything organized behind the laptop.
Display The Radiance display is no longer available. I think they went out of business. I am happy with the Brightview its clear and sharp so it meets my needs. If I need something more dramatic, I just link my Envy to my HDTV via HDMI and use that as a gigantic monitor.
Video card If you get anything other then then i7 you will have the ability to switch between the integrated graphics and the discrete graphics card. This is great for battery life as the ATI is a power hog. However, this is controlled by software so you are more or less bound to the HP drivers. If you are doing a clean install, you need to install the HP drivers first don't just put the ATI drivers in or you lose the switching ability. While this laptop isn't designed as a gaming rig, the ATI Radeon can handle its own. I'm able to get SC2 to run on medium high with no issues.
Pre-installed Software Some people really dislike all the stuff that come preloaded with the laptop. You can do a clean install (follow the instructions on NBR) but I wouldn't recommend this unless you comfortable tinkering with OS installs. You can run into odd stuff related to drivers and the like. Another option (which I did), is to just go to the control panel and uninstall the software you don't like. I kept the HP webcam and Wireless Assistant since I found them useful. Mine also came with Adobe Elements and Premiere which isn't bad for pre-installed software.
CPU choice I was initially tempted to the get the i7 for the raw power but instead opted for the i5 once I learned that it came with integrated graphics. This helps conserve battery life when off the A/C and runs cooler overall. This laptop wasn't going to be near an outlet at all times so I needed something that could balance power with battery life so I found the i5 to be perfect for that use. The i7 has to use discrete graphics all the time.
Trackpad I use a mouse so I don't use it much. However, I wish that it was more offset to the left. If you want to disable the trackpad (from responding if your palm brushes against it while typing), double tap the upper left corner. An orange light goes off indicating that the trackpad is off.
Bluetooth This is really a software issue but I will note it here since it really bugged me until I figured it out. Sometimes my mouse would lose connectivity to my laptop randomly. I thought it was a battery issue but then discovered that it was the driver doing something odd. If you go to the properties of the Bluetooth radio (not the enumerator), there is a tab called Power Management. Unclick the option that says "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power". Viola problem solved!
Overall, I'm pleased with my purchase. I guess I was lucky not to get the odd build issues that others have reported. In terms of what I use it for, it works perfectly.
Battery Life: I purchased this laptop primarily for use in school. I use it about 3 hours every day I have classes and the battery will last when switched to on board graphics if it is fully charged the night before. I would say it has about 3 hours of battery life. Obviously this is depending on your brightness settings and what you are doing on the laptop at the time. With the 5650 turned on the battery life is poor at best. If your an IT major I would say to not get this laptop and instead go one with similar specs without switchable graphics since you will most likely have a plug near by.
Grahpics: The 5650 is a good all around card that will still allow you to get up to about 2 hours of battery life. With this card you can easily play starcraft 2 on medium high settings. You can easily watch 1080P videos with the dedicated card as well. If you turn on the on board intel gma graphics, you will experience choppyness on high quality videos on youtube. Skype video calling and basic flash sites will run fine though.
Performance: I am extremely happy with the core i5 in this build. It is a very powerful duel core with hyper threading. I almost prefer it to my Athlon X4 on my desktop build. 6GB of DDR3 is more than enough for a year or two to come. I never cap out. The 500gb 7200 HDD is fast enough to handle anything you can throw at it an SSD would be nice but whats in there is not noticeably slow at all.
Software: ATTENTION!!!! If you buy this laptop DO NOT WORRY ABOUT BLOATWARE! Immediately after I turned it on I booted into HP Recovery and did a minimal recovery. This got rid of EVERYTHING except the drivers. The HP Cam software and the HP update/warranty software. Simply amazing. Sony offers this feature for $50 when you purchase a laptop from them. So happy that HP included this. That is probably why mine is running so fast is due to the lack of bloatware :)
Other thoughts: The Keyboard is great. At first I thought it was a little too small but its perfect. I was originally attracted to a Vaio because of the huge nice keyboard. This one is pretty darn good.
The track-pad sucks. Buy a mouse..
Back lit keyboard is very nice and is pretty classy :)
quick brightness controls work well and effectively.
DVD Drive works great and speakers are great sounding compared to other laptops.
Pros: Speed and screen display
Cons: Lot heavier than I expected, short battery life, and I had to purchase a VGA converter cable (I present and I was sorry to see that it didn't come with the machine).
Over-all I would purchase the machine again for use at home, and would recommend to anyone who wants a good laptop for home use, too heavy for business trips and conferences.
Now onto the Envy 14. This time around, the grade for this notebook is rather controversial and definitely open to debate.
The Envy 14 was released on June 27th. It was advertised as sporting HP's edge-to-edge 1600x900 Radiance Display which would afford the user better color reproduction and brightness than most if not all notebooks out there, yes, even better than the Macbook Pro's, ATI infin
Without the (continually updating) Google touchpad software that can be found in the Trackpad Discussion thread of Notebookreview, this notebook IMO stays on the accursed borderline 89.5% which for many teachers can be a B+ grade or an A-. But with a 3rd party touchpad software written by a few good souls on notebookreview forums that leads to greatly improved two-finger scrolling, the Envy 14 gets a 93%. Just shy of Abut still in straight A territory. Toss in the Radiance display and you indeed get a potential top of the class paper not to mention another reason(with others to follow) for the professor to hand HP a letter of recommendation.
NOTE: If anyone wants the Google software in question, go to notebook review forums (notebookreview.com), go to the HP section, and visit the HP Envy 14 Owners' lounge. The first page will have a link that takes you to the touchpad software lounge. Make an account and ask people to redirect you to the software because my goodness, you WILL want the drivers designed by reil for smooth 2-finger scroll! Ask someone there for reil's Google touchpad software.
There's also a way to configure bottom left, bottom right and upper right as deadzones. I've configured the top right as right-click, the bottom left as go back a browser page, and the bottom right zone as go forward a browser page. Ask people on the Envy 14 notebook owners' lounge how to configure it!
To HP: Great job. You not only get the most-improved award in my grade book. You get a 93%, which rounds up to an A. Not a strong A, mind you, but an A nonetheless. Keep up the good work, and work on those lingering issues. I expect to see great things from you in the future.
What I liked:
(1) Edge-to-edge screen. I don't mind for now that it's not genuine glass. Still have to admit the edge-to-edge black border gives the screen a nice look.
(2) Radiance Display Bravo. Need I say more? If this screen isn't good enough for photographers, I don't know WHAT is!
(3) Keyboard It's simply fantastic. It's a joy to type on. The LED backlit keyboard may not be bright as the Macbook Pro's, but it's still bright enough to use at night time when there's low or no light.
(4) Aesthetics I've already drawn many glances with this notebook. Also to those who're concerned with how "fruity" the design looks, the laser etchings really grow on ya. The thin/light form factor and the laser-etched drawings really ooze of quality and refinement when you hold it.
(5) Specs With the i5 processor and the ATI 5650, you can game on StarCraft 2 easily at medium settings. My suggestion is still to get a cooling pad as thin and light notebooks CAN get hot.
A few critiques on areas which upon consideration and improvement will put the Envy 14 closer to A+ territory:
(1) Keep working on the touchpad software and install a real clickpad. Work with Synaptics on improving it so that we don't have to rely on the good will and charity of software coders in the NBR community. Improve 2-finger scroll and toss in inertial scrolling, 3-finger swipes, and 4-finger swipes.
(2) Consider doing away with the optical drive when the time is right. I understand some people need their DVD drive. That's fine. But in the future, if it'll shave off a lot of weight and allow for the installation of a 3rd fan, I'm willing to pay the usual $40 for an external optical drive. (Yes, it's true. The HP Envy 15 comes with 3 fans because the absence of an optical drive creates enough real estate for the 3rd fan)
(3) Backlit keyboard This isn't really a criticism. But making the brightness adjustable would certainly tempt me to toss in another % point to your grade.
(4) Build Construction I had an argument with the other "professors" over this. A tiny bit of keyboard flex which I myself barely noticed is fine for now. A little flex with an optical drive to boot is understandable. I gave you a high score in this area, but try to get rid of the flex. Until then, repeat after me: Perception. Matters. Take this from someone who worked several months at Subway serving some really particular customers!.
(5) Find a way to get rid of that God-awful CPU whine. I know this isn't HP-specific, but if HP could find a way to reduce the sound or get rid of completely, that would be a Godsend!
************UPDATE FOR SEPTEMBER 9, 2010************
It's been about a month and a half since I first bought and started using the Envy 14. I have to say that two issues really bothered me:
(1) Synaptics engineers decided to be a bunch of lazy jerks by omitting the option to turn off the touchpad while typing. I mean, seriously? If you're going to specialize in something, the least you can do is do the job right!
(2) The screen touches the keyboard when closed. The interesting part is it doesn't leave behind any permanent scratches. It just leaves smudges.
The first problem was easily solved by installing a third party software called "Paradisoft Touchpad Locker. Google it and you will find it. It is free and easy to install.
I've found that my touchpad problems have been reduced by at least 90% as a result of the software.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
I purchased the Envy 14 to replace an old Dell 6400 which was crashing and overheating constantly. Vista is probably the cause of all its woes but I needed new hardware anyway. The Envy runs considerably cooler despite the more advanced hardware (used HWMonitor to compare) it was easily a 40 degree difference.The Envy is sleek and powerful pretty much handles anything I throw at it. Instead of pros/cons I'm just going to list some gotchas so that people are aware of some of the quirks of this product
Build quality I've read about issues with build problems with the chassis but my own laptop is perfect. No issues with dead pixels, bent frames or misaligned trackpad.
Alignment of ports Unlike my old laptop, the Envy has no ports on the back. They are all on the sides. This is only really an issue if you have a million USB devices and connect to a monitor. It will tend crowd out the sides of the laptop with cables. Even the power cable connects from the side. Doesn't really bother me but might bother folks used to having everything organized behind the laptop.
Display The Radiance display is no longer available. I think they went out of business. I am happy with the Brightview its clear and sharp so it meets my needs. If I need something more dramatic, I just link my Envy to my HDTV via HDMI and use that as a gigantic monitor.
Video card If you get anything other then then i7 you will have the ability to switch between the integrated graphics and the discrete graphics card. This is great for battery life as the ATI is a power hog. However, this is controlled by software so you are more or less bound to the HP drivers. If you are doing a clean install, you need to install the HP drivers first don't just put the ATI drivers in or you lose the switching ability. While this laptop isn't designed as a gaming rig, the ATI Radeon can handle its own. I'm able to get SC2 to run on medium high with no issues.
Pre-installed Software Some people really dislike all the stuff that come preloaded with the laptop. You can do a clean install (follow the instructions on NBR) but I wouldn't recommend this unless you comfortable tinkering with OS installs. You can run into odd stuff related to drivers and the like. Another option (which I did), is to just go to the control panel and uninstall the software you don't like. I kept the HP webcam and Wireless Assistant since I found them useful. Mine also came with Adobe Elements and Premiere which isn't bad for pre-installed software.
CPU choice I was initially tempted to the get the i7 for the raw power but instead opted for the i5 once I learned that it came with integrated graphics. This helps conserve battery life when off the A/C and runs cooler overall. This laptop wasn't going to be near an outlet at all times so I needed something that could balance power with battery life so I found the i5 to be perfect for that use. The i7 has to use discrete graphics all the time.
Trackpad I use a mouse so I don't use it much. However, I wish that it was more offset to the left. If you want to disable the trackpad (from responding if your palm brushes against it while typing), double tap the upper left corner. An orange light goes off indicating that the trackpad is off.
Bluetooth This is really a software issue but I will note it here since it really bugged me until I figured it out. Sometimes my mouse would lose connectivity to my laptop randomly. I thought it was a battery issue but then discovered that it was the driver doing something odd. If you go to the properties of the Bluetooth radio (not the enumerator), there is a tab called Power Management. Unclick the option that says "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power". Viola problem solved!
Overall, I'm pleased with my purchase. I guess I was lucky not to get the odd build issues that others have reported. In terms of what I use it for, it works perfectly.
Best Deals for HP ENVY 14-1010NR 14.5" Laptop (2.40GHz Intel Core i5-450M
If your graphics is switched to on board you will experience choppyness in 1080p videos on youtube. You do not get this issue when the 5650 is switched on. I cay play starcraft 2 comfortably on medium high settings.Battery Life: I purchased this laptop primarily for use in school. I use it about 3 hours every day I have classes and the battery will last when switched to on board graphics if it is fully charged the night before. I would say it has about 3 hours of battery life. Obviously this is depending on your brightness settings and what you are doing on the laptop at the time. With the 5650 turned on the battery life is poor at best. If your an IT major I would say to not get this laptop and instead go one with similar specs without switchable graphics since you will most likely have a plug near by.
Grahpics: The 5650 is a good all around card that will still allow you to get up to about 2 hours of battery life. With this card you can easily play starcraft 2 on medium high settings. You can easily watch 1080P videos with the dedicated card as well. If you turn on the on board intel gma graphics, you will experience choppyness on high quality videos on youtube. Skype video calling and basic flash sites will run fine though.
Performance: I am extremely happy with the core i5 in this build. It is a very powerful duel core with hyper threading. I almost prefer it to my Athlon X4 on my desktop build. 6GB of DDR3 is more than enough for a year or two to come. I never cap out. The 500gb 7200 HDD is fast enough to handle anything you can throw at it an SSD would be nice but whats in there is not noticeably slow at all.
Software: ATTENTION!!!! If you buy this laptop DO NOT WORRY ABOUT BLOATWARE! Immediately after I turned it on I booted into HP Recovery and did a minimal recovery. This got rid of EVERYTHING except the drivers. The HP Cam software and the HP update/warranty software. Simply amazing. Sony offers this feature for $50 when you purchase a laptop from them. So happy that HP included this. That is probably why mine is running so fast is due to the lack of bloatware :)
Other thoughts: The Keyboard is great. At first I thought it was a little too small but its perfect. I was originally attracted to a Vaio because of the huge nice keyboard. This one is pretty darn good.
The track-pad sucks. Buy a mouse..
Back lit keyboard is very nice and is pretty classy :)
quick brightness controls work well and effectively.
DVD Drive works great and speakers are great sounding compared to other laptops.
Honest reviews on HP ENVY 14-1010NR 14.5" Laptop (2.40GHz Intel Core i5-450M
No one can dispute the HP Envy 14's Radiance Infinity LED display is the best display on any laptop in this class. It's 50% brighter than anybody else's. (Sorry Mac Book Pro users) Unfortunately that isn't the display for sale with the system listed here. This is just to give anyone checking out this system the information to make them an informed consumer. (By the way, the Radiance Infinity display will set you back $200 additional.)Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for HP ENVY 14-1010NR 14.5" Laptop (2.40GHz Intel Core i5-450M
Overall I love this laptop, the screen display and back lit keyboard are wonderful, can't be beat. The processor is fast and the machine is beautiful to look at. Not too much bloatwhere came with it. Didn't have any keyboard issues.Pros: Speed and screen display
Cons: Lot heavier than I expected, short battery life, and I had to purchase a VGA converter cable (I present and I was sorry to see that it didn't come with the machine).
Over-all I would purchase the machine again for use at home, and would recommend to anyone who wants a good laptop for home use, too heavy for business trips and conferences.
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Lenovo G500s 59380376 15.6" Laptop i5 8GB 1TB Reviews
List Price: $599.99
Sale Price: $536.99
Today's Bonus: 11% Off
This laptop has some incredible specs for its price, and I am really impressed with its power and look. I bought it in the spring and I am kicking myself for not waiting to get it at these prices. This will last me for at least 2 years before I upgrage, and I usually upgrade every year because I do all my work on my computer. The style is very clean and sleek. The huge hard drive is fast and efficient. The i7 processor and powerful graphics card let me run more applications and keep more browser windows open than I ever need. Also my kids play high-end games on it and play it all the time. For $550 this one is a STEAL and IO recommend it to everyone who wants a high end laptop for mid-range prices! Even with Black Friday coming up.I came across this product first on Amazon as Lenovo didn't have this product info on their site. It's totally worth the money!!!
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Discount Dell Latitude D620 Intel Core Duo 1600 MHz 40Gig Serial ATA HDD
I ordered a refurbished Dell Laptop computer and was very happy with the quality of the laptop but also with the very short delivery time. It arrived in perfect condition like new with preloaded software, even more than I anticipated, in only 2 days! I wasn't expecting it before 3-5 business days. I definitely would recommend this seller and will use them myself again.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
It was unfortunate but the computer had problems from day one. It had a small window that came up every time the system was booted for no apparent reason, couldn't find me, fan made noise, and other issues. It appeared to be a good computer and fast, couldn 't keep it because of problems. Ordinarily Amazon has provided me with great products every time. Computer has been returned and my money was refunded.Best Deals for Dell Latitude D620 Intel Core Duo 1600 MHz 40Gig Serial ATA HDD
Excellently priced refurbished laptop with plenty of RAM, HD and Win7. Connects easily to internet wirelessly. Meets my needs for lightweight, highly functional laptop.Honest reviews on Dell Latitude D620 Intel Core Duo 1600 MHz 40Gig Serial ATA HDD
i recomend this product to anyone wanting an excellent lap top. has same quality as new.is not slow and ponderous like my former computer. startup is very fast and since i began using this unit i have had no unit crashes or related problems as with my former equipment.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Dell Latitude D620 Intel Core Duo 1600 MHz 40Gig Serial ATA HDD
Very disappointed in this refurbished lap top, it crashed a few months after purchase. I'll never buy refurbished again. It's the second one that crashed.
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Discount HP Pavilion DV6-2190US 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black)
This DV6-2190us model is a desktop replacement.
Pros: The i7 processor is very fast, has 8 threads of execution (4 hyper-threaded cores) and the turbo boost kicks in when needed. It boots quickly, and runs applications quickly. I was able to install software and still use the machine without noticing any slowdown. It has a dedicated onboard graphics processor, with 1GB of dedicated graphics memory for gamers, I presume (I do not have any games to test it with).
Cons:
1. The fan runs continuously unless you turn it off in the BIOS. If you turn it off, it cycles, which is even more annoying. It cycles even when the laptop is idling (using very little cpu time). I did not notice the fan noise until I worked with it in my quiet office.
2. The keyboard layout takes learning. The pgup/dn are in the far upper right. The arrow keys and keypad keys are smaller than the QWERTY keys.
3. The power adapter has 120 watts output, and is huge and heavy.
Other:
1. touchpad has a lot of friction, but if you use your fingertips, it glides pretty well.
2. The battery life wasn't too bad, but I wasn't pushing the CPU or graphics.
I exchanged it after a week for the HP DV4-2170us model, which is cheaper and more portable.
I posted a long review of the current crop of DV6-21xx series of notebooks here: HP Pavilion DV6-2170US. The models are mostly the same with different CPUs (one has a discrete graphics chip). All include the newest mobile processors from Intel which eclipse the older Core2 line in terms of performance. Those with integrated graphics include Intel's new HD graphics which are also a big improvement over Intel's old 4500HD graphics (which are still inferior to discrete graphics chips from AMD/ATI and Nvidia when it comes to 3D gaming).
One specific thing I want to highlight about this model is that the CPU is the Intel i7-720QM, one of the top performing notebook CPUs on the market. With four cores running two threads each you computer can (if needed) act like a 8 core processor. When not needed the extra cores shut down and the frequency goes up (part of what Intel calls "Turbo mode". The downside is that the combination of this quad core CPU and the discrete graphics chip from nVidia will drain your battery much faster than a dual core CPU with Intel's integrated graphics (expect the battery to last 1-2 hours during typical use). Unless you are a 3D gamer this is probably not the notebook for you. If you are a 3D gamer the included nVidia 230M graphics chip will make 3D games at lot more playable. For example Fear2 goes from 12FPS on Intel HD to 45FPS on the nVidia 230M at medium settings.
The other thing to note about this model is that it has Gigabit ethernet (10/100/1000) whereas the dual core HPs have standard 10/100 ethernet. Not something that matters to most people but I thought I'd mention it since it's easy to miss when you are comparing models.
If you are really sold on this model but need better battery life you can buy a HP KS526AA 12-Cell Multi Battery for it and get another 1-2 hours of battery life. It adds another $100 to your purchase price. You can order direct from HP with this battery but I'm not sure if that gets you a better price (taxes, shipping, etc...) over Amazon or not. It's worth pricing out.
Pros: Great speed
Full keyboard with number pad
Easy volumn adjustment with visible slider
Cons: No separation between touch pad and buttons too easy to get both fingers on touch pad
I purchased this to serve mainly: 1) to connect to 50" plasma and stream Internet TV and 2) as an emergency backup to my work laptop.
Initially had issues with network connectivity. After much time,frustration and effort discovered that the HP DV6 would "break" my network each time I tried to access Internet. Turns out the setting in Networking for hardware had IPV6 box checked. What does IPV6 mean? Turns out IPV6 is a new IP address scheme and my network router did not recognize IPV6 and would cause it to crash. Since unchecking the IPV6 box, there have been no further Internet connectivity issues. Whew!!
However, some unresolved issues remain with Mediacenter. Currently I am unable to setup Netflix through mediacenter, well actually Netflix is setup and I see my queue but when I select from my watch instantly list it just shows "loading" and never plays. GRRR. More troubleshooting needed before I criticize. Instead of going through media center for Netflix viewing, I connect to internet, login to Netflix and then am able to play NF movies/progams up to the connected 50" plasma screen. Not ideal, but a work around for now.
Yesterday I connected a HP USB Hybrid Atsc NTSC QAM Fm High Definition TV Tuner KS523AA#ABA KS523AUSB which allows me to receive digital over-air TV channels. The video quality is very good. The HP USB tuner product specs state the TV tuner is compatible with Windows7. Unfortunately, the remote that is included with the USB TV tuner does not function as described in the user guide. Number keys do not change channels and other remote buttons do not work another issue to troubleshoot. UGH!! Perhaps just a newer driver is needed for Windows7 OS?
Some of the other mediacenter features I intend to use but have yet to test include playing dvds, recording TV programs, managing photos and editing video. Although I am no computer wizard, and this could account for many of my set-up woes it seems as if there have been a significant number of problems. Yet, I am confident all will be resolved, with more time, effort and yes, frustration!
Pros: The i7 processor is very fast, has 8 threads of execution (4 hyper-threaded cores) and the turbo boost kicks in when needed. It boots quickly, and runs applications quickly. I was able to install software and still use the machine without noticing any slowdown. It has a dedicated onboard graphics processor, with 1GB of dedicated graphics memory for gamers, I presume (I do not have any games to test it with).
Cons:
1. The fan runs continuously unless you turn it off in the BIOS. If you turn it off, it cycles, which is even more annoying. It cycles even when the laptop is idling (using very little cpu time). I did not notice the fan noise until I worked with it in my quiet office.
2. The keyboard layout takes learning. The pgup/dn are in the far upper right. The arrow keys and keypad keys are smaller than the QWERTY keys.
3. The power adapter has 120 watts output, and is huge and heavy.
Other:
1. touchpad has a lot of friction, but if you use your fingertips, it glides pretty well.
2. The battery life wasn't too bad, but I wasn't pushing the CPU or graphics.
I exchanged it after a week for the HP DV4-2170us model, which is cheaper and more portable.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
Note: since I wrote a few reviews for some very simliar DV6 models Amazon has cross posted all those reviews.I posted a long review of the current crop of DV6-21xx series of notebooks here: HP Pavilion DV6-2170US. The models are mostly the same with different CPUs (one has a discrete graphics chip). All include the newest mobile processors from Intel which eclipse the older Core2 line in terms of performance. Those with integrated graphics include Intel's new HD graphics which are also a big improvement over Intel's old 4500HD graphics (which are still inferior to discrete graphics chips from AMD/ATI and Nvidia when it comes to 3D gaming).
One specific thing I want to highlight about this model is that the CPU is the Intel i7-720QM, one of the top performing notebook CPUs on the market. With four cores running two threads each you computer can (if needed) act like a 8 core processor. When not needed the extra cores shut down and the frequency goes up (part of what Intel calls "Turbo mode". The downside is that the combination of this quad core CPU and the discrete graphics chip from nVidia will drain your battery much faster than a dual core CPU with Intel's integrated graphics (expect the battery to last 1-2 hours during typical use). Unless you are a 3D gamer this is probably not the notebook for you. If you are a 3D gamer the included nVidia 230M graphics chip will make 3D games at lot more playable. For example Fear2 goes from 12FPS on Intel HD to 45FPS on the nVidia 230M at medium settings.
The other thing to note about this model is that it has Gigabit ethernet (10/100/1000) whereas the dual core HPs have standard 10/100 ethernet. Not something that matters to most people but I thought I'd mention it since it's easy to miss when you are comparing models.
If you are really sold on this model but need better battery life you can buy a HP KS526AA 12-Cell Multi Battery for it and get another 1-2 hours of battery life. It adds another $100 to your purchase price. You can order direct from HP with this battery but I'm not sure if that gets you a better price (taxes, shipping, etc...) over Amazon or not. It's worth pricing out.
Best Deals for HP Pavilion DV6-2190US 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black)
Have used now for over a month and have found this to be a great little machine. Only problems I've had are related to Win 7 compatability and not the Laptop.Pros: Great speed
Full keyboard with number pad
Easy volumn adjustment with visible slider
Cons: No separation between touch pad and buttons too easy to get both fingers on touch pad
Honest reviews on HP Pavilion DV6-2190US 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black)
This is a Fast machine!! Internet pages are there instantly the graphics card is excellent and for that matter the specs on this machine are outstanding.I purchased this to serve mainly: 1) to connect to 50" plasma and stream Internet TV and 2) as an emergency backup to my work laptop.
Initially had issues with network connectivity. After much time,frustration and effort discovered that the HP DV6 would "break" my network each time I tried to access Internet. Turns out the setting in Networking for hardware had IPV6 box checked. What does IPV6 mean? Turns out IPV6 is a new IP address scheme and my network router did not recognize IPV6 and would cause it to crash. Since unchecking the IPV6 box, there have been no further Internet connectivity issues. Whew!!
However, some unresolved issues remain with Mediacenter. Currently I am unable to setup Netflix through mediacenter, well actually Netflix is setup and I see my queue but when I select from my watch instantly list it just shows "loading" and never plays. GRRR. More troubleshooting needed before I criticize. Instead of going through media center for Netflix viewing, I connect to internet, login to Netflix and then am able to play NF movies/progams up to the connected 50" plasma screen. Not ideal, but a work around for now.
Yesterday I connected a HP USB Hybrid Atsc NTSC QAM Fm High Definition TV Tuner KS523AA#ABA KS523AUSB which allows me to receive digital over-air TV channels. The video quality is very good. The HP USB tuner product specs state the TV tuner is compatible with Windows7. Unfortunately, the remote that is included with the USB TV tuner does not function as described in the user guide. Number keys do not change channels and other remote buttons do not work another issue to troubleshoot. UGH!! Perhaps just a newer driver is needed for Windows7 OS?
Some of the other mediacenter features I intend to use but have yet to test include playing dvds, recording TV programs, managing photos and editing video. Although I am no computer wizard, and this could account for many of my set-up woes it seems as if there have been a significant number of problems. Yet, I am confident all will be resolved, with more time, effort and yes, frustration!
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for HP Pavilion DV6-2190US 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black)
This is the 5th HP laptop I've had in the last 3 years. I've only had it for 5 months and it is constantly freezing and the USB and SD-MD ports work only about half of the time. The HP model I had before this (DV$-1433US) also had problems, it wouldn't boot, again after only 6 months of use. I sent it back to HP and they said that I had spilled some sort of liquid on the keyboard, which was not case. I never spilled anything on it. I asked them to prove it and they sad that if I wanted pictures I would have to pay for them to send them to me!! Before that one, I had an earlier model which also had the same problem, it just wouldn't boot. I was a fan of HP of many years but the last 3 models I've bought have been a big headache. I just bought 2 Toshiba Satellites for almost half the price of HP and a very similar configuration. So far no problems. Adios HP!
Sunday, May 4, 2014
Buy Sony VAIO VGN-FW465J/B 16.4-Inch Laptop - Black
I got this laptop as a birthday present for myself. Before getting this, I browsed different computers and considered Dell XPS 16, Mac Pro 15 inch and Lenovo Y650 as well. After all the comparisons that I made according to the design & features of all the laptops, Vaio FW won over a lot of mile.
Price: The price is very reasonable having jam-packed features. If you customized all the features that Vaio FW has to the other aformentioned units, i bet it will cost a lot lot more. See below prices comparison according to specs that Vaio FW465 offers with certain differences:
a.) Sony FW From the main Sony site it is Less than 1,200 (including the mail-in-rebate) plus free 100 music downloads while from amazon.com it will be 1,029 (including rebate)
b.) Mac Pro 15 Around 2k! The difference in specs with the Vaio FW are the following: backlit keyboard and battery life are the pros for Apple as I can see it. Apple have Mac OS but Sony offers free Windows 7 upgrade, sooo I still stick to that. The graphic card of Mac is Nvidia 9400m while Vaio have the astonishing HD4650. Vaio have bigger and brighter screen not to mention the Dolby sounds and Blu-ray capability Mac Pro? .... NOT!
Disclaimer:Mac fan boys might read this and may say that I am just poor or anything (like they always do to people who didn't choose Mac) ---you're wrong. I can afford Mac but the features they offer doesn't meet my standards. So chill and understand that people have different options in choosing computers.. peace!
c.) Dell XPS 16 From its site Around 1,650 having the same specs as the Vaio FW. I am also alright with this, but I have been reading so much negative reviews about the heat and the death blue screen for Dell lately. Soooo, that actually makes me a little bit cautious about recent Dell products.
d.) Lenovo Y650 Around USD1,300 without the blu-ray capability, only 5400 rpm HD, having NVIDIA GeForce G 105M 256MB Graphic card and Screen LED 1366x76. This is still ok, knowing that Lenovo's are really durable.
Main Features: I like how they customized it to have 2.53ghz of processor speed with 320gb of memory having 7200rpm. That feature itself is already a plus compared to any other laptops out there. The blu-ray capability makes your HD experience of watching movies really great combined with High Definition Audio with Dolby Digital Live and the brightness of the screen. Nobody else (as of now) does great Blu-ray experience the same way Sony does it, for me. The graphic card was also upgraded to Ati Radeon HD4650 with 1gb dedicate dvideo RAM making your gaming experience really great. I also like the classy look of Vaio FW with the hinge and just seeing the Vaio logo makes people WOW already. Also, almost all my gadgets (PSP, my cellphone, camera and music player) are sony, so I find this convenient having the magic gate card slot. The motion eye camera, the pebble black key panels and the multimedia dedicated buttons are awesome as well. One more thing, if you guys are concerned about the heat being produced by this laptop don't worry because it has a great cooling system and dock design. The heat is common to all laptops but this one is a lot cooler than others (compared to my old gateway, dell, macbook and my dad's toshiba).
I just wish it has a backlit keyboard to make it a complete package already (though the screen is too bright that you can see the keyboard panel as well, during night). Also, the bloatwares should be lessen -I don't find this an issue but I know it's a hassle for some. You can delete them anyway but you have to allot some of your time in doing so. One more thing, you have to do a lot of things to maximize the performance of the laptop during the setup.
I don't need to make this really long. Overall, the unit is very nice and it has totally awesome features with it. This is a great buy and you can never go wrong with Vaio FW. I bet you can make use of this laptop for many years without being out-dated. I am a meticulous person when choosing my gadgets --and this unit meets my expectation!
I ordered the Vaio FW neoprene together with this unit and it fits quite well.
I've been using an exceptionally-well equipped Dell Latitude D620 for the past 3 years. This computer was just an all around workhorse. Very reliable, consistent performer and pretty decent speed for it's generation.
But you know, that love fest could not last forever. The screen is now politely giving me hints that it's about to kick the bucket. So, anyways, that's where I'm coming from. Need a new laptop, up to the task.
And this is when the Sony VAIO FW came into my life. Love it ! I'm a sucker for the hinge-mounted power button and charger plug. Absolute convenience. The flashing light is pretty cool too.
But at this price tag, that is obviously not near enough to cut the cheese. I need a powerhouse multimedia Dell-D620-killer to make the switch. Also I needed something well rounded enough to justify spending an additional $100-200 more than a comparably well equipped dell/HP and at the same time be good enough to talk me out of buying a mac. Enter the Vaio FW-465J.
I bought the Vaio FW-351J first from the Sonystyle website, but was not impressed at all. But between the 351j/h and the 465j, there is a big leap in configuration specs. I already knew I liked the 351j/h looks and styling, but was really just disappointed with it's performance. Having windows Vista didn;t help much either. I'm running Windows 7 on my Dell, and have never had to deal with Windows Vista before. What a terrible OS. I can't wait until I get the official Windows 7 release version. Needless to say, the first thing I did when I got my new VAIO, was install Windows 7 right away. Total bliss ...
Alright, so now down to what you need to know ...
Sony VAIO VGN-FW465J/H
Pros:
-Blazing processor. Yes, the Pentium P processor (versus T processor) and the upped 3MB L2 cache do make for significant differences. Quieter, faster and less heating up = smiley face.
-7200 RPM hard drive. When I upgraded my dell hard drive to 7,200 RPM (Toshiba), from 5,400 RPM (Seagate), there was a noticeable increase in cooling needs and heating up without noticing much difference in the speed and performance. It may have been that the old processor was not up to par, but I felt like it was a bad upgrade. I have not found this to be the case with the Sony-installed hard drive (whoever makes it). It does the job of a 7,200 RPM but acts like a 5,400 RPM (less heating, less power consumption = longer battery life).
-The 16.4 widescreen is p-e-r-f-e-c-t. Sony found it's niche. It's not good, it's not better, it's just perfect. The 16:9 ratio (reflected in the 1600x900 resolution) is just what widescreen movies beg to be played on. Add bluray playback capabilities, and you've got a home run. Seamless Sony bluray playback makes for an even better experience. I'm loving the dedicated A/V controls too.
-1GB dedicated video RAM coupled with ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650. Says it all.
-HDMI outlet for hooking up movies to HD tv's for a full 1080p experience (I don't know who uses firewire -not mebut it's there also if you need it).
-4 GB ram is nothing to brag about anymore. It's actually become quite mainstream, but they're all at your disposal with the 64-bit processor.
-Bluetooth connectivity big plus !
-Although resolution could be improved, webcam and mic do a pretty decent job for great skyping.
Cons:
-I miss the white keys on the FW351J. The black keys are alright, but the white ones were more easy on the eyes for me. They look more Sony than the black ones.
-Most (if not all) shortcut keys do not work with the Windows 7, but I am confident that will be resolved with the updated Sony 7 drivers included in the upgrade kit. No biggie.
-Spaced out pebbled keys on keyboard take some time to get use to, but are oddly comfortable.
-I would like bigger mouse clickers. I think these are a tad too narrow for my taste. It's probably just a matter of getting used to them.
-Not exactly a nimble, light and portable laptop. That's the price you pay for a 16.4 screen. If you're always on the go, or have to move your PC around a lot for work or school, this may not be for you. If you move around only occasionally, and would like a portable multimedia powerhouse of a desktop replacement, then look no further.
-Even with the "better" LCD on this configuration, it is still not a true 1080p resolution you would get on a flat screen TV. I can't tell much of difference between 720p and 1080p on a 16.4 screen, but if I am burning to see a movie in 1080p, I'll just output it to my TV via HDMI cable. If you're on a train, and you just ABSOLUTELY NEED to watch Narnia bluray in 1080p HD resolution, then you may be disappointed (brat!).
-No fingerprint recognition
-Keyboard not backlit
-Speakers are just OK. Nothing sensational. Would expect a bit more for this price range, and a "multimedia minded" laptop. Laptop mounted BOSE speakers ... that's what I'm talking about !
-1.3MP webcam, opposed to 2.0MP.
Overall:
Would I buy this Vaio all over again ? 8/10
Would I recommend it ? 9/10
Am I satisfied with my purchase ? 8/10 (I feel I'm paying $100 more just because it's a Sony, which I'm fine with, but not 10/10).
*** 3 year update: Works great! Have not had a single incident where this thing has let me down. The battery has been pretty lousy lately, but come on ... 3 years isn't a bad run at all.
Great purchase, solid quality build and a fantastic product so far.
.
Price: The price is very reasonable having jam-packed features. If you customized all the features that Vaio FW has to the other aformentioned units, i bet it will cost a lot lot more. See below prices comparison according to specs that Vaio FW465 offers with certain differences:
a.) Sony FW From the main Sony site it is Less than 1,200 (including the mail-in-rebate) plus free 100 music downloads while from amazon.com it will be 1,029 (including rebate)
b.) Mac Pro 15 Around 2k! The difference in specs with the Vaio FW are the following: backlit keyboard and battery life are the pros for Apple as I can see it. Apple have Mac OS but Sony offers free Windows 7 upgrade, sooo I still stick to that. The graphic card of Mac is Nvidia 9400m while Vaio have the astonishing HD4650. Vaio have bigger and brighter screen not to mention the Dolby sounds and Blu-ray capability Mac Pro? .... NOT!
Disclaimer:Mac fan boys might read this and may say that I am just poor or anything (like they always do to people who didn't choose Mac) ---you're wrong. I can afford Mac but the features they offer doesn't meet my standards. So chill and understand that people have different options in choosing computers.. peace!
c.) Dell XPS 16 From its site Around 1,650 having the same specs as the Vaio FW. I am also alright with this, but I have been reading so much negative reviews about the heat and the death blue screen for Dell lately. Soooo, that actually makes me a little bit cautious about recent Dell products.
d.) Lenovo Y650 Around USD1,300 without the blu-ray capability, only 5400 rpm HD, having NVIDIA GeForce G 105M 256MB Graphic card and Screen LED 1366x76. This is still ok, knowing that Lenovo's are really durable.
Main Features: I like how they customized it to have 2.53ghz of processor speed with 320gb of memory having 7200rpm. That feature itself is already a plus compared to any other laptops out there. The blu-ray capability makes your HD experience of watching movies really great combined with High Definition Audio with Dolby Digital Live and the brightness of the screen. Nobody else (as of now) does great Blu-ray experience the same way Sony does it, for me. The graphic card was also upgraded to Ati Radeon HD4650 with 1gb dedicate dvideo RAM making your gaming experience really great. I also like the classy look of Vaio FW with the hinge and just seeing the Vaio logo makes people WOW already. Also, almost all my gadgets (PSP, my cellphone, camera and music player) are sony, so I find this convenient having the magic gate card slot. The motion eye camera, the pebble black key panels and the multimedia dedicated buttons are awesome as well. One more thing, if you guys are concerned about the heat being produced by this laptop don't worry because it has a great cooling system and dock design. The heat is common to all laptops but this one is a lot cooler than others (compared to my old gateway, dell, macbook and my dad's toshiba).
I just wish it has a backlit keyboard to make it a complete package already (though the screen is too bright that you can see the keyboard panel as well, during night). Also, the bloatwares should be lessen -I don't find this an issue but I know it's a hassle for some. You can delete them anyway but you have to allot some of your time in doing so. One more thing, you have to do a lot of things to maximize the performance of the laptop during the setup.
I don't need to make this really long. Overall, the unit is very nice and it has totally awesome features with it. This is a great buy and you can never go wrong with Vaio FW. I bet you can make use of this laptop for many years without being out-dated. I am a meticulous person when choosing my gadgets --and this unit meets my expectation!
I ordered the Vaio FW neoprene together with this unit and it fits quite well.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
Some perspective here;I've been using an exceptionally-well equipped Dell Latitude D620 for the past 3 years. This computer was just an all around workhorse. Very reliable, consistent performer and pretty decent speed for it's generation.
But you know, that love fest could not last forever. The screen is now politely giving me hints that it's about to kick the bucket. So, anyways, that's where I'm coming from. Need a new laptop, up to the task.
And this is when the Sony VAIO FW came into my life. Love it ! I'm a sucker for the hinge-mounted power button and charger plug. Absolute convenience. The flashing light is pretty cool too.
But at this price tag, that is obviously not near enough to cut the cheese. I need a powerhouse multimedia Dell-D620-killer to make the switch. Also I needed something well rounded enough to justify spending an additional $100-200 more than a comparably well equipped dell/HP and at the same time be good enough to talk me out of buying a mac. Enter the Vaio FW-465J.
I bought the Vaio FW-351J first from the Sonystyle website, but was not impressed at all. But between the 351j/h and the 465j, there is a big leap in configuration specs. I already knew I liked the 351j/h looks and styling, but was really just disappointed with it's performance. Having windows Vista didn;t help much either. I'm running Windows 7 on my Dell, and have never had to deal with Windows Vista before. What a terrible OS. I can't wait until I get the official Windows 7 release version. Needless to say, the first thing I did when I got my new VAIO, was install Windows 7 right away. Total bliss ...
Alright, so now down to what you need to know ...
Sony VAIO VGN-FW465J/H
Pros:
-Blazing processor. Yes, the Pentium P processor (versus T processor) and the upped 3MB L2 cache do make for significant differences. Quieter, faster and less heating up = smiley face.
-7200 RPM hard drive. When I upgraded my dell hard drive to 7,200 RPM (Toshiba), from 5,400 RPM (Seagate), there was a noticeable increase in cooling needs and heating up without noticing much difference in the speed and performance. It may have been that the old processor was not up to par, but I felt like it was a bad upgrade. I have not found this to be the case with the Sony-installed hard drive (whoever makes it). It does the job of a 7,200 RPM but acts like a 5,400 RPM (less heating, less power consumption = longer battery life).
-The 16.4 widescreen is p-e-r-f-e-c-t. Sony found it's niche. It's not good, it's not better, it's just perfect. The 16:9 ratio (reflected in the 1600x900 resolution) is just what widescreen movies beg to be played on. Add bluray playback capabilities, and you've got a home run. Seamless Sony bluray playback makes for an even better experience. I'm loving the dedicated A/V controls too.
-1GB dedicated video RAM coupled with ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650. Says it all.
-HDMI outlet for hooking up movies to HD tv's for a full 1080p experience (I don't know who uses firewire -not mebut it's there also if you need it).
-4 GB ram is nothing to brag about anymore. It's actually become quite mainstream, but they're all at your disposal with the 64-bit processor.
-Bluetooth connectivity big plus !
-Although resolution could be improved, webcam and mic do a pretty decent job for great skyping.
Cons:
-I miss the white keys on the FW351J. The black keys are alright, but the white ones were more easy on the eyes for me. They look more Sony than the black ones.
-Most (if not all) shortcut keys do not work with the Windows 7, but I am confident that will be resolved with the updated Sony 7 drivers included in the upgrade kit. No biggie.
-Spaced out pebbled keys on keyboard take some time to get use to, but are oddly comfortable.
-I would like bigger mouse clickers. I think these are a tad too narrow for my taste. It's probably just a matter of getting used to them.
-Not exactly a nimble, light and portable laptop. That's the price you pay for a 16.4 screen. If you're always on the go, or have to move your PC around a lot for work or school, this may not be for you. If you move around only occasionally, and would like a portable multimedia powerhouse of a desktop replacement, then look no further.
-Even with the "better" LCD on this configuration, it is still not a true 1080p resolution you would get on a flat screen TV. I can't tell much of difference between 720p and 1080p on a 16.4 screen, but if I am burning to see a movie in 1080p, I'll just output it to my TV via HDMI cable. If you're on a train, and you just ABSOLUTELY NEED to watch Narnia bluray in 1080p HD resolution, then you may be disappointed (brat!).
-No fingerprint recognition
-Keyboard not backlit
-Speakers are just OK. Nothing sensational. Would expect a bit more for this price range, and a "multimedia minded" laptop. Laptop mounted BOSE speakers ... that's what I'm talking about !
-1.3MP webcam, opposed to 2.0MP.
Overall:
Would I buy this Vaio all over again ? 8/10
Would I recommend it ? 9/10
Am I satisfied with my purchase ? 8/10 (I feel I'm paying $100 more just because it's a Sony, which I'm fine with, but not 10/10).
*** 3 year update: Works great! Have not had a single incident where this thing has let me down. The battery has been pretty lousy lately, but come on ... 3 years isn't a bad run at all.
Great purchase, solid quality build and a fantastic product so far.
.
Best Deals for Sony VAIO VGN-FW465J/B 16.4-Inch Laptop - Black
I just got this laptop on Saturday. Upgraded to Windows 7 RC the same day. This computer is phenomenal. Great, and I mean great for watching blue ray movies. I dont know how time will influence my opinion of this computer but my first impressions are it is a power house of fun. Performance is great in all areas tested so far, have yet to do any gaming though. Oh by the way yes the AW series is designed for "Photographers" but this is a perfectly capable computer, the 18" screen on the AW series is a bit to big to lug around in any photographers gear bag, this computer is superior performance wise then athe VGN-AW310J (which is priced higher) it just has a 2 inch smaller screen, which to some may find important. I am happy with better performance than a bigger screen since I have a 22" samsung anyway.Honest reviews on Sony VAIO VGN-FW465J/B 16.4-Inch Laptop - Black
Gorgeous wide screen notebook that is ideal for graphics editing. It lacks useful features found in less expensive notebooks of comparable size (e.g. 16" HP notebooks), such as fingerprint security and hard drive auto-lock, but the faster hard drive (7200 rpm vs 5400 rpm), faster CPU and front-side bus, and additional RAM, make this Sony much more ideal for Photoshop and Lightroom use. The keyboard and touchpad are excellent. On the minus side, it is a little pricey, it gets warmer than I would like, and its battery loses power much more quickly than I would like. All things considered, however, it is a high quality notebook and is great-looking in chocolate brown.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Sony VAIO VGN-FW465J/B 16.4-Inch Laptop - Black
I have owned several Sonys before and they have always been good computers. I don't think this one is any different. Problem is computers have operating systems and tons of other programs that the computer manufacturer doesn't make. Well whether you pay $500 or $1500 for your computer you can still get OS and software issues. This computer came with a CORRUPTED OS FROM THE FACTORY. Normally you would think customer service would help you figure it out and fix it no problem. Well that's where Sony has proven to be light years behind everyone else. I have never had a worse experience with a customer service department EVER, computers or other products. I have already talked to 4 people who all keep handing me off to the next person who then claims to read the transcript yet then asks me the exact same questions and attempts the same repair procedures as the previous agent. Personally I hate the way the computer manufactures don't send out physical OS/Driver back up discs. Sony installs a "secret" backup partition on your hard drive instead that eats up 10gb of precious space. In my case we tried to create the discs but just like the OS that feature was also corrupt and could not be performed. You would think they would immediately say okay lets just send you some discs. No, after it failed the tech said he was sending me to a tier 2 support. The "tier 2" agent claimed to read the transcript but then asked all the same questions and same recovery procedures. I was literally pleading with him "wait stop we already did this I need discs" and yet they completely ignored me and kept reading their scripted responses as if I didn't exist. Finally the 4TH AGENT, after of course asking all the same questions, told me that tech support cannot order recovery discs and that I needed to contact a department called "Customer's Information Service Center" whom I will need to BUY a recovery disc from, not to mention that number isn't even a 1-800 number. So basically I have to pay to call a department to pay to get a disc to a computer I just bought that came messed up out of the box? Well needless to say I seriously hope you never have a problem with you Sony because if you do you're basically screwed. I would recommend saving the extra money you would pay for a Sony and buy a Dell. I have one at work and they have great customer service, not to mention they give you with your computer actual backup discs. Maybe this is a good computer, I wouldn't know, but based on their customer service, which is supposed to be the justification for Sony's premium price, I would STAY FAR AWAY FROM VAIOS and probably any Sony products since they probably all use the same support system. I hope this helps save some of you a lot of time and hassle. Good luck.
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Best Lenovo G780 17.3-Inch Laptop Deals
I decided not to try and get a Windows 7 machine, and just went with the best Windows 8 machine I could get in my budget (it was on sale for $500 at the time.) For that money, I get more computer than I ever have before. My last machine was an HP Win XP business model with 100GB hard drive, which I got at a discount for $700 five years ago. So I felt really good about how much I was getting for the price.
The machine is satisfyingly large without being heavy. It is in fact surprisingly light for the size. It also runs very quietly and doesn't get hot, even sitting on a lap. The case (a semi-shiny black) is a fingerprint magnet, but that's not uncommon these days. The screen is large, bright, and I found no issues with the angle. The keyboard is really nice; it has very shallow key wells, so no little crumbs falling and getting stuck under the keys to get crunched unpleasantly and make them sticky. It is also much slimmer than I expected.
I get the griping about the Windows 8 PC/Tablet compromise, but it took me all of five minutes of Googling to find some add-ons and programs to revert to Windows settings I was more comfortable with, as an XP user. There are a number of very nice programs available to add a Start button back in, for example (I chose to use Classic Shell, which also adds more functionality to Win Explorer, but that's just one of many.) I have so far not found that convenient "Adjust for Best Performance" setting I used in XP to knock the sleek windows appearance back a bit, but with 6 GB RAM, I haven't found all that fancy animation to affect performance at all. In fact, I had six apps/programs running along and was installing new ones without a hiccup. It is irritating that the Apps don't have an in-program close button, but they can be closed on the left-hand side of the screen. Counter-intuitive but easy enough once figured out.
I am a little irked that all the pre-loaded Lenovo apps have no explanations about what they do or a booklet describing them or something. I couldn't even find a description of them on the Lenovo site, and am not inclined to Google each one to figure out whether I need it or not.
Overall, I found it to be a wonderful laptop for the money. Time will tell if it proves reliable enough to last years, but my first impression is very positive.
Thinking of purchasing system myself. Amazon has been great itself.
The machine is satisfyingly large without being heavy. It is in fact surprisingly light for the size. It also runs very quietly and doesn't get hot, even sitting on a lap. The case (a semi-shiny black) is a fingerprint magnet, but that's not uncommon these days. The screen is large, bright, and I found no issues with the angle. The keyboard is really nice; it has very shallow key wells, so no little crumbs falling and getting stuck under the keys to get crunched unpleasantly and make them sticky. It is also much slimmer than I expected.
I get the griping about the Windows 8 PC/Tablet compromise, but it took me all of five minutes of Googling to find some add-ons and programs to revert to Windows settings I was more comfortable with, as an XP user. There are a number of very nice programs available to add a Start button back in, for example (I chose to use Classic Shell, which also adds more functionality to Win Explorer, but that's just one of many.) I have so far not found that convenient "Adjust for Best Performance" setting I used in XP to knock the sleek windows appearance back a bit, but with 6 GB RAM, I haven't found all that fancy animation to affect performance at all. In fact, I had six apps/programs running along and was installing new ones without a hiccup. It is irritating that the Apps don't have an in-program close button, but they can be closed on the left-hand side of the screen. Counter-intuitive but easy enough once figured out.
I am a little irked that all the pre-loaded Lenovo apps have no explanations about what they do or a booklet describing them or something. I couldn't even find a description of them on the Lenovo site, and am not inclined to Google each one to figure out whether I need it or not.
Overall, I found it to be a wonderful laptop for the money. Time will tell if it proves reliable enough to last years, but my first impression is very positive.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
This is a well designed and powerful laptop for the family. The screen is large 17.3" by limited by the 16:9 resolution. So, video enjoyment is not as good as full 1080, but at this price point, it does okBest Deals for Lenovo G780 17.3-Inch Laptop
Bought this laptop for school work for my 2nd grader who is homeschooled. Everything works great EXCEPT for connecting to wifi....did everything that was suggested to do to fix it....still didn't work. Finally called Lenovo support...they fixed it by uninstalling then reinstalling the wifi driver....then it only worked for a day...so now I'm back to no wifi...have to plug in a long CAT6 to get Internet access...gonna call Lenovo tech support AGAIN to see if they can fix it....NOT A HAPPY CUSTOMER RIGHT NOW!!!!!Honest reviews on Lenovo G780 17.3-Inch Laptop
Love this laptop. Has all the features I need at an affordable price. Quiet, does not get hot, sound is great.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Lenovo G780 17.3-Inch Laptop
Purchased this Laptop for my son attending College. After looking at several systems I found this one. Checked Best Buy and Lenovo's site. Found good reviews on youtube. After purchasing from Amazon found the price had dropped $90.00. After asking Amazon customer service was immediately refunded the $90.00. Son has been using the system for a month now and loves it. Does exactly what he needs it to do. 17.3 inch monitor looks great in HD.Thinking of purchasing system myself. Amazon has been great itself.
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Dell Inspiron N5030 iN5030-1723OBK 15.6-Inch Laptop (Obsidian Black) Reviews
I had tried to order this laptop with the 10 key layout version, but was told it had been sold out. We opted for this one and it is a good laptop for our needs. We had a copy of windows office that we installed, because it only comes with a bare bones trial version, hence the price.
I can have Excel, Internet Explorer, and Windows Media player all working at same time without problems. Or my daughter can play games online and it works fine. Not great, but fine.
It burns DVDs and has a webcam for Skyping. So it has almost all the stuff, just not the 10 keypad. Battery life is good. For a regular user this is a solid laptop for the price.
Overall I'm very satisfied. It was an easy set-up out of the box and so far does everything I need it to do and very well.
The battery stopped holding a charge and the power supply had to be replaced early on. Worst of all the LCD just stopped working one day and displayed nothing but a white screen. I checked around and many others had run into this same issue. After 2.5 years of use the machine was worthless. To make matters worse, I'm a software consultant who bills by the hour and these failures led to a loss in billable hours.
Family and friends come to me when they're looking for new computers and I can state with certainty that I won't recommend Dell to anyone again.
The computer doesn't come with much processing power or ram compared to most decent computers now, and won't be doing much more than internet browsing and using microsoft office. Dell support is crap and their build quality leaves something to be desired in anything but their flagship products.
tl;dr: this computer is not reccomended
I can have Excel, Internet Explorer, and Windows Media player all working at same time without problems. Or my daughter can play games online and it works fine. Not great, but fine.
It burns DVDs and has a webcam for Skyping. So it has almost all the stuff, just not the 10 keypad. Battery life is good. For a regular user this is a solid laptop for the price.
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I like the new laptop. Always had good service from the Dell desktop we had. Had a Toshiba laptop but it was junk from the get-go. The Dell is plenty fast for my needs web surfing, e-mail, a few spreadsheets, etc. A couple of complaints I adjusted the touchpad but it still seems way too sensitive. Also could do without McAfee popping up every little while warning me of how much danger I'll be in once the 30 days of protection expire.Overall I'm very satisfied. It was an easy set-up out of the box and so far does everything I need it to do and very well.
Best Deals for Dell Inspiron N5030 iN5030-1723OBK 15.6-Inch Laptop (Obsidian Black)
i will have to say this is the worst laptop i have ever owned. i had a problem with it after about a month of owning it. some of the keys would stop operating at random times. the two buttons used to navigate the mouse totally quit working. so, i have to double click the touch pad to be able to do anything, which is a pain because it calls for 3 or 4 clicks. i had to buy a wireless mouse to be able to navigate effectively on the computer. my main complaint i have is about a week after owning the laptop it wouldn't charge at all. it would say the electrical current is low and it would operate slow if i plugged it in. come to find out, i have to have it in the same place every time i plug it in and the laptop to charge. which is about a 20 minute task each time i want to charge my laptop. the charger is a circular one so i had to spend about 3 hours finding the location that it will charge in order for me to mark the location. all in all, a really awful buy and i wouldn't recommend it to anyone ever.Honest reviews on Dell Inspiron N5030 iN5030-1723OBK 15.6-Inch Laptop (Obsidian Black)
I share the opinion with other reviewers and can state that this is one of the worst laptops I have ever owned and I've owned about 15 in my lifetime. The only other that was worse was another Dell. They have really gone downhill from what I once considered to be a decent product.The battery stopped holding a charge and the power supply had to be replaced early on. Worst of all the LCD just stopped working one day and displayed nothing but a white screen. I checked around and many others had run into this same issue. After 2.5 years of use the machine was worthless. To make matters worse, I'm a software consultant who bills by the hour and these failures led to a loss in billable hours.
Family and friends come to me when they're looking for new computers and I can state with certainty that I won't recommend Dell to anyone again.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Dell Inspiron N5030 iN5030-1723OBK 15.6-Inch Laptop (Obsidian Black)
I have this laptop with windows 7 on it, and it has given me more trouble than any computer I've owned before or since. The first problem I had was a power supply problem fried the hard drive. Oh well, these things happen from time to time. Called dell support and got a new harddrive installed (which they incorrectly assured me would have all the original programs on it). Went about my day. Problem two arose a little while later. The computer completely locked up. Hard restart resulted in windows not being able to boot. Startup repair does nothing, whether run from the reinstallation disc or from the computer recovery partition. Since the computer was no longer under warrenty by this time, I recovered my files using a drive enclosure, formated, and reinstalled windows. which worked for about a week. Just enough time to get it just how I wanted before it did exactly the same thing. Looking to replace the harddrive, but I don't have high hopes for that solution.The computer doesn't come with much processing power or ram compared to most decent computers now, and won't be doing much more than internet browsing and using microsoft office. Dell support is crap and their build quality leaves something to be desired in anything but their flagship products.
tl;dr: this computer is not reccomended
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