Buy Lifebook Ah562 15.6" Touchscreen with Windows 8, Intel® CoreTM

Customer Ratings:

I bought this laptop for my son. This is the first Windows laptop that we have bought in 2 years and our first foray into Windows 8. My last few laptops have been MacBooks, one of each of the last 3 generations. We decided to try a touch screen laptop as we thoroughly enjoy our tablets. This machine has been more than I had hoped. It's responsive and Windows 8 is extremely easy to use for basic operations that my son will be using it for. Easy set up, synch plug and go. No real hiccups so far. The screen is very nice and I am interested in how it will hold up as it ages. It's a little heavy but that suits his use just fine as he is not yet permitted to lug it out of the house. The keyboard is an almost odd size (coming from a new MacBook, the keys are much closer than the MB) but they keys feel solid. Also it's supposedly water resistant. I hope we really dont need to find out. The audio while not stellar (whiat laptop is?) is every bit as good as a Mac for general use. Who critically listens to anything on a lappy? Startup and restarts are reasonable far out performing the desktop that this machine is replacing (hard core custum built 3 years ago) so my son is happy. There are a ton of ports to use. We were going to use the second screen HDMI outs but the main user doesn't want to. Overall, we are very happy with this machine and it should serve us for the next few years.

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Sony VAIO Fit Series SVF14217CXP 14-Inch Core i5 Touch Laptop Reviews

Customer Ratings:

I was really excited about the high resolution screen,touch screen and other features. Two days after my purchase the laptops touch screen stopped working. I contacted sony support and tried PC refresh and then reformatting as suggested by them. Nothing worked!! Sony support person said that it is the automatic window 8 update that is causing the problem. I don't think its worth spending 800+ on something has obvious issues. Now I am returning the device!

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I'll start with my only serious beef with this laptop: the built-in wireless, which is godawful. I tried out the wireless with three different wireless networks, and could only get one bar of service by sitting mere feet from the wireless router. More than 10 feet away and connections were choppy-to-nonexistent. Luckily, this was fairly easily and cheaply resolved with a USB wireless adapter: Edimax EW-7811Un Wireless USB Adapter. Still, there's not really an excuse for a laptop made in 2013 to not have solid wireless, and now 1 of 4 USB ports on my laptop are committed to wireless internet.

Other than that one serious problem, this is a good machine and a pretty good value. The sharp graphics are great for video and games, it's light, the rapid wake technology really is quite fast, and it seems that Windows 8 is the most intuitive iteration yet. The touchscreen bells and whistles, though, which are this line's main selling feature, are pretty cheesy. Think about it--a touchscreen is designed to give an ultra-portable computer device like a tablet or smartphone more functionality; it gives these devices mouse functionality and keyboard functionality in exchange for their small size and portability. A laptop ALREADY HAS a keyboard AND a trackpad, which are always a more effective option than touchscreen analogs; putting a touchscreen on something that already has a trackpad and a keyboard is like wearing a belt and suspenders at the same time--this is made comically apparent when you pull up the touchscreen's keyboard function--there is real keyboard LITERALLY inches away from the graphic keyboard on the screen! I understand people are hot for tablets and smartphones right now, but in the end this is still a laptop--it's got a screen and a body, and because of this it's not as portable as a tablet. The trade-off is the added functionality of USB drives, a keyboard, a CD/DVD drive, etc. I can only imagine using the touchscreen in preference to the laptop controls if scrolling through a photo slideshow or something, but even then, that's what the arrow keys and space bar on the keyboard are for. So, Sony's attempts to replicate an iOS experience are definitely superfluous and a bit on the cheesy side. Luckily, this doesn't stop this laptop from being "traditionally" operated with great success.

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I was skeptical when I recieved this laptop after a reviewer had issues with the touchscreen. I've used this everyday for 24 days and have had no issues!

Windows 8 has been a challenge, this is the first time using it. I have to say, the touchscreen has made it so easy to swipe from one page to another, from one internet window to toher applications. I love the keyboard how it lioghts up. It seems very durable. The hinges are solid, it's lightweight and comfortable. If you're not familiar with windows 8 then it may be difficult to navigate at first. You can download apps, such as amazon & netflix for easy access. I'm very impressed with not only the style but the ease of the latop use. It does have a disc compartment, which I really appreciate to watch dvd's or listen to CD's. I haven't even used everything it comes with yet.

Out of the box set up was super easy. In the box was the laptop, ac/adaptor cable plug & instructions. All you have to do is follow the guickstart guide, connect to the wireless internet and it's that simple.

My only con is it has zero office software.

Honest reviews on Sony VAIO Fit Series SVF14217CXP 14-Inch Core i5 Touch Laptop

Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program Let me start by letting you know that this is a very snappy machine (thanks to in part to the i5, discrete graphics, and 8GB or RAM) and it's very well suited with Windows 8. The capacitive touchscreen is a necessity for this OS, even if you do use mostly desktop apps. The keyboard is very comfortable with responsive back-lit chicklet style keys, which I have come to enjoy. The battery life is reasonable at 3+ hours, not as long as some tablets, but it has a lot more power and a DVD drive. The 1600x900 resolution is sharper than most 14" laptops. I liked that in addition to keeping the laptop light they also kept the power cable slim. The plug is a simple two prong (swap-able with 240 volt cables) and the AC adapter box is out of the way in the middle of the cable is a diminutive 1"x1"x4". NFC has been a particularly fun gimmick, it made paring a set of bluetooth headphones ridiculously simple. NFC also let me transfer URLs between my Android phone and the laptop, unfortunately Windows doesn't yet support transferring images or large files to and from Android phones yet (although Windows phones will work fine for this). The included software is fortunately without too much bloat, there are a few media creation type apps that may appeal to novice music and video creators as well as a few Windows 8 apps (which are easy to uninstall if undesired, just right click). The only app that is a blatant up-sell is the 30 day trial of Kapersky anti-virus, it's easy enough to buy or uninstall, but it feels spammy until you do (although it's good in that at least it makes you think about anti-virus).

Okay so now what are my quibbles... The biggest is the touchpad supports multi-touch, which is great but, the two finger swipe to scroll is too similar to the two finger pinch and zoom action. I was zooming in and out so much that I eventually had to disable the pinch and zoom action (control panel... mouse... device settings... settings... uncheck pinch zoom). Problem solved... except that now you can't have pinch-zoom since the touchscreen doesn't seem to support it (maybe it will with a software update). The rest of my quibbles are more along the lines of why can't my family car drive as fast as a sports car... The screen can open up to 120 degrees but can't lay flat (or flip), which would be nice for some touch screen centric apps. Also the screen is not IPS so it quickly degrades as your viewing angle shifts away. The a security feature if you have nosy neighbors, but it makes it a little less share-able with more than maybe one person. I would also have liked a few for direct access buttons instead of having to use the FN button to access volume, mute, and the page up/down controls. Oh and I'd also like infinite battery life and a built-in money printer.

But overall this laptop is a joy to use (especially after disabling the touchpad's pinch zoom). It's a great compromise for power, speed, weight, capacity, capabilities and price. There are also a lot of high end spec sheet type things that I haven't fully enjoyed yet, but it nice to know it's waiting for me... Like USB 3, Bluetooth 4 BLE, Wireless N, and HDMI out.

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program A few months back I bought a Lenovo $400.00 laptop, and it came with Windows 8 and it was bad. The laptop is fine, it's Windows 8 that is the problem. The first thing you need to know is that if you are getting a laptop with Windows 8, GET A TOUCH SCREEN. Even with Classic Windows software on your computer, if you want to take advantage of Windows 8, the touch screen is the way to go.

I have had no issues with the touch screen functionality thus far (other than trying to touch the screen of my Lenovo and being frustrated because nothing was happening.)

Really, every aspect of my experience with this computer has been great. It's fast, the visuals and sound are good. It has 4 USB ports. (2 ultrafast, 2 standard) Rapid wake is awesome, the touchpad is SO much better than the Lenovo. The keyboard has a great feel.

As this point, no down sides. I'm really happy.

Hp Pavilion Dm3-1044nr /13.3 in Wxga Brightview Led Backlit (1366 X Review

Customer Ratings:

I have been using this laptop every day for over a month and have had no problems. I paid $417 including shipping and it's one of the best bargains I've ever had. I'm still getting use to the touch pad because it feels slippery.

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HP Pavilion dv5-2070us 14.5-Inch Laptop Reviews

Customer Ratings:

I own a powerful gaming desktop PC, and my previous laptop was just a mid-okay 2GB ram/AMD 2.0GHz with less that 250MB of graphic memory on it. So I only used it for school work and that was pretty much it. Now with this HP pavilion dv5, I find myself completely ignoring my gaming desktop. Because this laptop can play most of the PC games that I play (Just finished playing call of duty 4 Modern warfare). It has 500GB space on it and comes with a HMDI port, so that means I connect it to my sumsung HD 1080p screen and everything looks pandora. Also has a very good webcam with a lot of options. It is simple light weight machine with a slick design. It comes with the super quick HP start up, so no need to start up win 7 all the time, especially if you just wanna go online.

Cons: The mouse pad is annoying, just grrrrrrrrrrruugghh!

The inbuilt speakers are so poor. But works great (dolby advance audio) if you connect them to good PC speakers.

I like it ...

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Pros: Everything it's supposed to be, Light, Slick, Nice Design, Good Webcam.

Cons: Touchpad is different than what i'm used to but that's just personal preference.

All in All this laptop is good.

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Superfast delivery........ i am very impressed. i got it delivered within 2 working days.

Thanks Amazon.

ASUS U56E-EBL8 Laptop Review

Customer Ratings:

It took me a long time to decide which laptop to buy, I probably looked at more than a hundred models by different companies, around this price range of 500-700$, but finally, about 3 months ago, I decided to buy this one, after many people who own Asus laptops told me that they are simply great. What can I say, they were right. This laptop is everything I expected and more. Truly lightning fast, everything works fluently. The battery is amazing, lasts for around 7 hours. The screen is crispy clear and vibrant with colors, watching movies on it is awesome. The keyboard is great and there is also a very comfortable pad for the hands, I guess that's one of the pros of buying a 15 inch screen. The only con I can find is that it's a pretty large (not heavy though) piece to put inside a bag if you're a student like I am and want to take it with you. Anyway, this one rocks, go for it.

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I spent a lot of time researching my next laptop PC purchase. I was predisposed to ASUS, but looking at other brands too. I found this model because it best fit my requirements. I could not find any info or customer reviews. I wanted a PC with an i5 quad-core processor, with more than 4GB RAM, with more than 500GB HDD, with a large screen, and with a DVD/CD drive, plus all of the expected ports. This is what I found, and even in the absence of specific reviews and info, ultimately I took the plunge based on the general reputation of ASUS ...

* As with everything I purchase from Amazon (Prime), it arrived when expected and sufficiently packaged

* OOB experience was simple and perfect

* Powered-up, and ran great from the start

* My previous PC is a 7 year-old Celeron based unit ... WOW what a difference a quad-core i5 CPU with 8GB RAM makes

* Add the 8 GB of RAM, even though a portion is shared for video RAM, and the system is very fast and responsive

* The HDD is quite large and fast enough for Office Apps and Web Apps and Web browsing

* Though one downside (not an knock against ASUS) is the large amount of HDD space consumed by preloaded MS Office 2010; though I suppose it was advantageous to have that since I did purchase a copy of MS Office

* Build quality is quite good; screen is excellent; keyboard & trackpad are all more than adequate

* Finally I have a PC with sleep and wakeup that not only work consistently & reliably, but FAST too!

* I haven't fully tested the batteries, however it does seem battery life tracks what is spec'd

* Size & Weight ... I wanted a large screen, and the unit is therefore wide (again, my choice); however what is impressive is how thin and light it is

* It also runs cool ... I have never felt any heat

* It also runs very quiet, even if it has to use its fan

Summary -

I am thoroughly pleased with this PC and its performance and price point. If the specs for this laptop PC meet your requirements, it's a great choice.

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I was previously a diehard Dell owner (something about which I am now ashamed). This product arrived on time and shipped quickly. It was packaged pretty well. The laptop looks expensive, but was probably the least expensive one I've owned...and it works better than my previous $2,300 laptop. It never crashes, never freezes, never erases my files, etc. The hardware works fine. It's very versatile software-wise. I highly recommend it.

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I bought this laptop 9 months ago for school and I am pleased. The one knock I have is the extremely annoying ASUS firmware... Updates that never work, downloads that don't work,etc. as for performance and battery life I am very pleased. ASUS claims 10 hours of battery life..... Well if you run on power mode and only type then possibly.... However, for average computing you're looking at 5.5-6 hours of battery life tops. Not a bad laptop at all, but for the same price range, I'd go Fujitsu Lifebook if I had the choice again.

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I ran into similar problems as another reviewer my hard drive completely failed 1 1/2 weeks after the warranty ended (I think they design products this way, I swear). I took the hard drive out and attempted to access it via an external enclosure on my desktop, and it won't even recognize it. I ordered and installed a new hard drive thinking I could reinstall Windows and cut my losses. Go back to original package...and no windows disk. But how could that be? I called them up and got this gem of a response: "Did you create a backup recovery disk when you received your laptop?" Me: "No" Them: "Well, you had the opportunity to create as many backup disks as you wanted so it's not our fault if you didn't do that."

They then directed me to asus product page where I can order one for the tidy sum of $50.

$50!? You can get a blank DVD for a buck. It's highway robbery. I can get an entirely new copy of windows 8 for $20 more.

Anyway, I gave it 2 stars instead of 1 because it was a nice computer before it crashed.

Pros:

Battery Life

Mousepad love the two finger swipe, pinch in/out like a Mac

Speed Boots up quickly, around 15-20 seconds

Cons:

Speakers are worthless. I mean totally worthless. Full volume 2 feet away on the table in a quiet room and you can't hear a thing. God forbid you have a fan running in the background

..and speaking of fans, the one in the laptop gets a little loud sometimes...making it even harder to hear the speakers

Reviews of Toshiba Satellite PSK2CU-0K101S P3200

Customer Ratings:

I was in the market for a new laptop for school that I could pick up for a good price. I ended up narrowing it down to a few models in the $400 $500 range with a 15.6" display. I ended up getting the Toshiba Satellite L655-5150 at Best Buy for $450, but seriously considered a few others. The Toshiba had 4GB of RAM, the most offered in this price range. The hard drive was only 320GB, but for me that is plenty. I have 2 TB of external drives I use to store videos and archived files on. If hard drive space is more important to you, you can find models offering 500 GB in this price range (The Gateway NV5105u is one I was considering.). The Intel P6200 processor is good, but not necessarily the best offered in the range (The Dell Inspiron I15R-1197MRB comes with a 2.4GHz I-3.). The inclusion of a number pad on the keyboard was a big selling point for me, and the overall aesthetics of the computer are good. Setup was extremely easy and the computer came with very little bloatware installed on the system. I am happy with the Toshiba, but there are several contenders in the "value-priced" laptop category. I think my second choice would have been HP's G62-457DX for $400.

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I had the opportunity to set up the Best Buy (Torrance, CA) version and the experience was easy -for a PC -which is saying a lot from this Apple fiend. These are the steps this set-up required: 1) This rig was added to an existing PC only network behind a Lynksys router running a desktop and a Toshiba Satellite L505; 2) I registered w/ Toshiba; 3) Microsoft driven updates totaled 40 which took 3 turns of installing & restarting, but with this speedy machine it was a breeze; and 4) I downloaded and installed individually a menu of free/open source security software including AVG AV, Clam AV, Clam Win, Zone Alarm Firewall, and Panda Cloud AV -(so much because one of the users is Skype/social networks fiend, and so far no problems, and I like to keep it so).

The actual hardware is fabulous -very responsive keys on the keyboard which look like chiclet design to me. The boot and re-boot and turn off times are incredible for this price range. It feels like a well made and well thought out laptop. The only problem I had was the balance on my Podium Cool Pad laptop stand ( ) -the laptop is top heavy perhaps due to the 6-cell battery -and unless balanced precisely it will fall over screen first which is not good for rugged, gaming, dorm room/student use.

The owner set up the webcam, Skype and facial recognition features, and they must be very easy and smooth because I have received no Help! requests, and I hear much laughter from their area.

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If you want a laptop that won't charge (not due to the charger) but because the charger port is faulty, then this laptop is for you!

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I bought the toshiba satellite L655-S5150 last February when my old computer broke. I was in a pinch and had to buy a computer that day. I ended up getting this one on sale in the $400 to $500 price range (I can't remember the exact price). I love this laptop. It is by far my favorite computer that I have owned and I have had no problems with it. I like that a numeric pad is also on the key board. My husband ended up getting the same series but a different model than mine and the only difference I notice in his is that his keyboard is backlit. Nice feature, but I wouldn't have paid for it. All in all you can't go wrong with this laptop. I am a full time student and I can keep everything I need on here.

Acer Aspire V5-471P-6843 14-Inch Touchscreen Laptop (Silky Silver) Review

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $799.99
Sale Price: $577.72
Today's Bonus: 28% Off

This is my first Windows 8 touchscreen laptop. The aesthetics of it are very pleasing it's a very sleek design that still manages to fit a disk drive without any real bulk or weight. The touch screen is very responsive and start-up is very prompt. It doesn't have a full HD resolution, but the screen is still very crisp and clear.

The keyboard has been taking me a while to get used to. The keys are softer than on my previous laptop, but I feel that it definitely improves my typing speed. The keys are all beautifully backlit and makes the whole aesthetic of the laptop, again, very pleasing.

I've only had this laptop for about a week now and my only real concern about it is the touchpad. It doesn't seem to be too responsive and scrolling with it is extremely difficult. Maybe I'm still getting used to it, but I often have to opt for scrolling by using the touch screen (which, by the way, works really well and does a good job at reducing finger prints and smudges) or arrow keys. I hope that it all will just take practice but this problem is pretty noticeable.

It comes with Dolby Advanced Audio which works really well. Music sounds great off of this laptop but the speakers are underneath it, so playing music or otherwise off a flat surface really improves the experience.

Overall, you get a very sturdy and complete touchscreen laptop for a very, very reasonable price.

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The laptop is super fast, excellent performance, however to that Wi-Fi is very sensitive, only manages to keep the Connect wifi device near, otherwise I can not. It's really very sad that I can not ge Connect achieve and maintain, at least in the house .... not really happens .. the rest all good

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Best laptop I've ever owned!!! Love all the features. Package was delivered promptly, and package in perfect condition. Love all the special features, especially the lighted keyboard! Would definitely recommend!!

Honest reviews on Acer Aspire V5-471P-6843 14-Inch Touchscreen Laptop (Silky Silver)

very good computer, good quality. Very good the touch screen is a computer that is well designed and very fast processor

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Excellent purchase. Compact yet powerful. This is a great product. Very please to have made the purchase. Great for college students.

Review of Samsung Series 3 NP350V5C-T01US 15.6-Inch Laptop (Titan Silver)

Customer Ratings:

My wife wanted a laptop that could play World of Warcraft. We normally play on desktop computers with high performance video cards, so laptops have historically been a disappointment. This year, she requested (for Christmas) a laptop that was capable of playing WoW so that when she is upstairs with the kids she has something more fun to play than solitare and more entertaining than watching Barney or Sesame Street on television.

I shopped around, but honestly knew very little about laptops. I have always custom built my own gaming PCs, but laptops were never on my radar. And gaming laptops can get very expensive.

I saw this Samsung on Amazon and was impressed by the price. The KEY feature is the included Radeon HD 7730M video card. If you want to play video games, you must have a 3d graphics card. The built-in Intel HD graphics card is great for anything else, but for playing video games good luck.

I was skeptical about Windows 8. I still am, I suppose, but I've heard such horrible reviews that I almost didn't buy this laptop. I took a chance, and honestly within about an hour or two I find myself using it just fine. I've already connected to our printer, network drive, installed World of Warcraft, etc. It was pretty painless. I'm not sure I like it better than Windows 7, but it seems to work just fine.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This laptop has two graphics cards. It took me an hour of playing around with graphics settings to figure out how to "switch on/enable" the Radeon card. This made a massive difference in performance. The Intel HD card struggled to play World of Warcraft at "Good" settings, and the laptop became very hot to the touch. When I finally figured out how to enable the Radeon card, I was able to bump the graphics to "High" and I even turned on 4x anti-aliasing. I'm getting 25 frames per second, and the laptop doesn't feel nearly as "hot." It is very important to configure this setting or you will be disappointed and you won't know why. One annoying thing about computers is that it is sometimes difficult to tell how the hardware is being used. This is the primary reason that I wanted to post this review right away (I wish I could have read this before I bought it.)

They key detail that isn't obvious: Right-Click on the desktop, select "Configure Switchable Graphics." Everything else is relatively obvious.

Here is a tip: Turning on anti-aliasing in a video game is a good way to "test" if your graphics card is working. You should get similar frame rates either way. With the Intel HD graphics adapter, anti-aliasing destroys your performance.

Bottom line: This laptop is great for the price. Windows 8 was a pleasant surprise. I don't hate it, and it seems to work just fine. It really isn't that different from Windows 7 once you get used to it. This laptop DOES have a Radeon graphics card. It seems to work just fine. It can play World of Warcraft with High settings and 4x anti-aliasing. Not bad. Plenty for what my wife wants/needs. Note: I couldn't update the driver from the web. The generic Catalyst drivers say the hardware is incompatible, "check with your hardware manufacturer." Hopefully this doesn't become a problem in the future. For now, the drivers seem to work just fine, but it is slightly troubling that I can't update them manually.

In case you are wondering how I posted this review before Christmas: I didn't want to wait until Christmas to give this to her. I didn't want to take any chances (I wanted plenty of time to find something that works -what if I needed to send it back?) Plus, with the long Thanksgiving weekend, now she can use it and have fun right away. My wife is pretty awesome, I'm glad she now has a laptop that works well.

Update June 17th, 2013:

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

My wife is still using this laptop daily. Windows 8 hasn't grown on her (she would still prefer Win 7), but she does still play WoW frequently and still likes the laptop. So far so good. The quality level seems high. It hasn't broken yet (knock on wood).

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I've owned this laptop for about two weeks now and I can say that I'm pretty happy with the purchase. I hate investing in computers, seeing how new processors are released every 3 months, that's why I did a lot of research and compared dozens of models before committing to this one.

So let's start with the good stuff first:

Intel i7-3630QM, quad-core processor 2.4 GHz with Turbo Boost technology to 3.4 GHz, released in Q3 2012.

Two graphics cards: the built-in Intel HD Graphics 4000 and the dedicated AMD Radeon 7730M with 2 GB (performances similar to the NVIDIA GT 640M).

Being able to choose which applications use the dedicated graphics card to help save battery.

Being able to only charge the laptop 80% to extend the laptop's battery life.

The HD screen, with native 720p resolution.

Assassin's Creed 3, Hitman Absolution and Far Cry 3 run on high and ultra.

Now the bad stuff:

The HDD on SATA II with 5400 rpm is pretty outdated. This was probably my biggest disappointment about this laptop, but I'm planning on investing in at least a Hybrid SSD.

6 GB of RAM seems a little bit cheap on Samsung's part, but considering a new 4 GB dim is $20, whatever.

The numpad. I can't see how this is useful, unless you're an accountant.

I'm OK with the keyboard not being backlit, but what I find annoying is there's not even a small LED on the Num Lock and Caps Lock keys. I think that's a little detail that would have raised the overall quality and look of the laptop.

The one problem I did have and upon doing some research it turned out this is a problem with all Samsung models, not this one in particular: the mouse pointer freezes when using the touch pad from time to time for a few seconds. Mine did it while installing games for example and the HDD was going at max speed, but I don't think this is a general rule. If I also had a mouse connected at the time, the mouse would work while the touch pad was still frozen. Not a show stopper, but irritating for sure. So what I did was a system refresh (Settings -> Change PC Settings -> General -> Refresh your PC without affecting your files). What this does is basically restore the system to a fresh Windows 8 install. So all the applications/drivers you or Samsung installed will be removed, but the pictures, videos, music and downloads will not be affected. This is probably overkill and just removing the touch pad driver will fix this issue, but I simply wanted to get rid of all that stuff since it was slowing down the laptop. Now I get boot times around 5 seconds long, compared to 30 seconds 1 minute.

Overall a good buy.

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Pro's:

For the price I got this at, it was more than a steal. I bought this laptop for $700 and from what i've seen, its worth almost double that! The speed is unbeatable for gaming and despite the fact that I haven't replaced the 6GB standard ram, It still runs games like planetside 2, starcraft 2, Diablo 3, and league of legends on full graphics without any lagging or choppy moments. Not to mention I've never experienced this thing getting hot before. Windows 8 is a breeze once you get used to it! so anyone who is thinking secondly about this computer because of windows 8... JUST GIVE IT A TRY! I was skeptical at first, but after removing some bloatware apps and getting the start menu organized, I actually like it a lot more that any other windows operating system. It is compatible with nearly any program, and is very easily connected to wireless devices. Now for the Wi-Fi on this computer, Its probably the best I've seen on my or any of my friends' laptops. Its always connected to my router with full bars and never skips a beat when it comes to watching videos or playing games. If you are looking for an all around amazing computer with gaming/editing capability, an excellent wireless receiver, awesome built in speakers, a FULL keyboard, anti-glare screen, and a sleek and very appealing exterior than this is the one for you!

No Cons whatsoever!

Hope this helps!

Honest reviews on Samsung Series 3 NP350V5C-T01US 15.6-Inch Laptop (Titan Silver)

When i started looking for a laptop the first thing i came to look for is the graphics performance, because i'm a designer and sometimes a gamer. This laptop combines an integrated intel hd 4000 and a 2gb radeon chipset with an i7 processor: Just what i wanted!... or so i was thinking until the app responsible of managing both graphic cards failed to work, and soon i discovered how many people were having the same issues trying to enable their radeon graphics when playing games or 3d applications.

Now, i have to say it was a desperate situation for me, for i tried every suggested solution from samsung and other people, it was days, weeks, and a month almost, with no success. But now that's in the past thanks to a new generic driver released by amd, wich is compatible with all models and systems so i highly recommend getting it, specially if you're running windows 8.

So, after the change it seems like a totally different laptop, i can't believe how i was thinking on selling it before, now i just can't wait to finish working and start the games!

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I purchased this computer to replace my 8 year old gateway crap heap, so by comparison this is next to a super computer. With this out of the way their are things that are important to say about this computer.

Structure of the computer:

The computer has a very plain look, this shouldn't scare people away considering the cases that you can buy to make it look allot better. The number pad is a nice feature, but the arrow keys are too close together, this is a problem that more than one person has had, not just me and my stubby fingers, however, it should be noted that most games use the WASD controls over the arrows so for gamers this isn't that big of a deal. Very nice to have 2 3.0 USB ports, and the additional 2 2.0 USb ports, I can plug allot of things in. The finger mouse pad is cheap material and probably wouldn't last longer than 2 years of use,that being said extra wireless mice can be purchased for really cheap, thats what I did and its worked very well. The camera is standard cheap laptop camera, Don't touch the camera screen! it scratches very easily. The line around the edge of the screen is rather cheap material, and has begun to move and wobble after a month of light use, just don't open and close too much and it should be fine though. CD/DVD drive is a bit wobbly and looks like its going to fall out, but it has held tight for a while, don't apply allot of direct pressure to it and it should be fine though. and finally, the SD card port is nice and works well.

Interior of the computer:

What this computer lacks in looks it makes up for in running capacity. This computer has 6 gigs of ram which is enough for most things that you could need, including gaming. The i7 processor is magnificent, its an amazing core for a laptop, lighting fast and doesn't crash,I have only had crash problems once and that was a game problem not the computer itself. The Radeon graphics card is great for most gaming, it cant handle incredibly taxing games on high but it can handle them on medium to low. It flies however through almost all other games. Here is a list of the games I play on max settings without problems.

Star Wars Kights of the Old Republic 1

Star Wars Kights of the Old Republic 2

Star Wars Starfighter

Star Wars Republic Commandos

Star Wars Empire at war

Star Wars Empire at war forces of corruption

Lego Star Wars 1

Lego Star Wars 2

American Conquest

Star Wars Battlefront 2

Eragon

Age of Mythology

Age of empires

Rome Total War (Have to download from amazon, doesnt work from anywhere else)

Lego Digital designer

All of these games work on peak graphics settings with no problems. It is fair to note that these are lower graphics intense games.I am assured however that most other games will work quite well on this computer.(If compatible with windows 8)

The Graphics card mixed with the low price is after all the reason I bought this computer. Now lets move on to the Operating system. Windows 8 is a disaster! I cant stand it. I have been going strait to the desktop short cut menu every time I use the computer because I cant get used to the app page. it reminds me too much of my iPhone. Windows 8 is fast ill admit, but i cant get used to it. I attempted to install windows 7 home premium but I had many errors and it wouldn't let me, so im stuck with windows 8. I appreciate the people who know how to use it and like it. I may have gave up too early, but I just dont like change. Even though I cant stand windows 8, that doesn't mean you shouldn't. Dont let that stop you from buying this computer. The majority of the low ratings on this computer are due to windows 8, which is absurd,I am the first person to say that windows 8 inst great, but it shouldn't stop someone from buying a computer, that can be fixed later. I guess what im saying is, windows 8 isn't great, but you can live with it.

The computer doesn't get very hot as long as you remember to turn on the Radeon graphics card.(Remeber not to delete the Radeon catalyst otherwise you lose all control over the graphics card.Yes that includes the clean install of windows 7) And it is quite quiet when your not gaming or downloading large files.

Conclusion:

What this laptop doesn't have in looks it makes up for in internal workings. it has amazing specs for such a low price.(I bought it for 689.99) I would highly recommend the laptop to anyone who wants a good laptop for a cheap price. And don't let windows 8 stop you from getting this computer. The only reason that you shouldn't like windows 8 is if your favourite games aren't compatible. But most games are coming out with compatibility modes though. Just remember this isn't meant to look amazing, its meant to run very well, and thats all I need.

Cheap Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 15 031946U 15.6 LED Notebook Core i3 i3-380M

Customer Ratings:

I got this laptop from an IT school. Considering it was part of the tuition and it is supposed to be used FREQUENTLY in class especially for VMs (virtual machines) ie, Server 2003 and Server 2008. I am very disappointed with their (the school) choice of laptop. I eventually upgraded the 4 gb of RAM to 8GB max (cost $50). I had also went ahead and upgraded the stock 5400rpm, 320 GB SATA HD with a crucial 512GB SSD (cost $300). I transfered the whole OS/Drive onto the new SSD via a USB/SATA cable, worked like a charm. Now, instead of waiting literally 5 minutes for Windows 7 to load. The OS is up and running in 30 seconds. For me the cost of $350 was ok, even though I had already kinda' paid for it in my tuition. I use it as a 'test' laptop. I will most likely try to find ways to upgrade/change the FAN and CPU (maybe to an i7).

So, I would value this laptop at $400 max. There are others out there that can be upgraded piece by piece and still be under the asking price of $600.

hope this helps.

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Best ACER V5-471-6569 14" Notebook (Intel i3-2367M, 4GB Ram, 500Gb hard Deals

Customer Ratings:

There is a lot of extra programs. like games, that I am having to remove and it is slow sometimes , plus my biggest irritant is the key board keys stick. Letters dn't get typed. I have togo overand over the keys and sace bar to getthem to work. Here isan example. I have tried pressing harder, then softer. Nothing works. I am ot happy with this prouct so far.

Judy

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I needed to replace a laptop and did not want sink a fortune into a new system. My prior system was a Dell which lasted 3.5 years before collapsing, and with good care on my part, so I was very disappointed in its performance. This summary is based on one week of experience with the new laptop.

My main use of the laptop is to check and compose email, do internet searches, and draft various written pieces. Most of my intense work is done on a desktop system; the laptop is a convenience device as I use it.

I wanted a Windows System 7 for compatibility reasons and I've heard negative impressions of Windows System 8.. Acer was recommended to me by IT technicians and a salesperson in a big box store. The main reason I purchased it is because Acers are said to not require repairs or service and are said to be reliable. I also looked at user reviews prior to purchase.

My prior system weighted 7 lbs and this one is around 4 pounds, so the Acer will be easier to take on travels.

I am satisfied with the performance of the laptop to date. It was easy to set up, with easy to follow directions. The only bothersome aspect is the "mouse pad" which varies from being sometimes unresponsive to overly responsive. To "click" on an item you press the bottom left of the "mouse pad" and to edit (such as copy/paste, etc) you press on the bottom left corner. I find this awkward to use. Some reviews state that the space bar is unresponsive except in the middle only, but I have not found that to be a problem. Using the "mouse pad" is not easy. It is very difficult to control the cursor it flies all over the place.

The overall appearance of the laptop is satisfactory. The CD/DVD drive looks a bit flimsy but works adequately. The sound is acceptable for a laptop. There are a lot of icons for products and services in which I have no interest, but these can be removed.

Except for the mouse pad and related issues, this is a good, serviceable laptop. The 4GB Ram and 500 Gb hard drive is a very attractive feature of this notebook.

Best Deals for ACER V5-471-6569 14" Notebook (Intel i3-2367M, 4GB Ram, 500Gb hard

Bought as a school laptop for our son. This laptop gets used on a daily basis by a 10 year old so it does get some abuse but has worked wonderfully.

Honest reviews on ACER V5-471-6569 14" Notebook (Intel i3-2367M, 4GB Ram, 500Gb hard

I have never bought electronic through the internet in the past. I was even more skeptical because it was refurbished. I extremely pleased with the performance and value.

Toshiba libretto W105-L251 7-Inch Dual Touchscreen Laptop Review

Customer Ratings:

I got mine last week..paid under $1000 from Amazon.

I love this. I am 47 so I need to use my magnifying glasses to view the screen but I expected that. The touch is very responsive. I have no trouble clicking links in internet explorer or scrolling by swiping the screen. The keyboard is pretty responsive although you have to be in a different position directly over the keys..unlike a 3d keyboard where you type more at an angle.

I did buy a stylus but havent needed to use it. I bought one of those tiny usb mouses and that has really helped to speed navigation. I have perfected a combo of the mouse the keyboard and touch that makes this device a productivity whiz.

The screen is amazing. the processor very speedy. Programs download and install quickly. Web surfing is fast.

As far as the dual screen, it is nice to open windows and split them. I have used the accelerometer when I have enarged windows using the pinch technique too large to view a whole window.. turning the device lets me see the bottom or viewing the page over the two windows does also. One tip maximizing with the keyboard open..the page goes under the keyboard so close it to see it! I didnt realize this right away.

Yes the fan is louder than expected but it is not on all the time and sounds almost like light static mroe than a fan.

If you are used to using an ipod touch you will love using windows in the same manner. If you are looking for a mini laptop this isnt really how it functions.

Bravo toshiba..this is the future of mobile computing!

Update Oct 6,2010.

Now that I have had a chance to play with this thing I absolutely love it! My favorite thing is reading kindle books..in full screen.. i open it like a tablet and it divides the page into an upper and lower screen. I find my reading is much more focused because I am not scanning an entire page..the hinge makes a great partition for brain concentration. It surfs the web amazingly fast.. I have grown to love Toshiba's bulletin board which I thought was hokey at first. Now that I am used to the finger mechanics i rarely use the usb mouse.

I took this to the car dealer today during my service and the car was done too fast lol! Much better than my ipo touch.. i just wish windows gadgets were more like apple apps. I updated my rating to 5 star!

Who am I?

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Ordered it via 2 day shipping, delivered today via UPS next day. It was defective out of the box. Called Toshiba tech support, spoke to Tier 1 (twice) and Tier 2. Toshiba USA DOESN'T support this product and at this time they don't know who will. The dual screen would not work.

Level 1 support gave me a number. It was a toll number and when I called it was "local computer store" in CA. (Did not to post the number to protect the poor store owner)

Called again and got Level 2, he too was not helpful.Said he would get Level 3 to call me. He "spoke to the higher ups in Toshiba" and has no answer or help at this time.

My case may be unique so here is my short summary (Based on 6 hours of use) .

PROS:

1. Looks Cool, great concept, dual screen

2. Small form factor

3. USB Port

4. External battery can be replaced

5. Inbuilt camera

6. Flash compatible.

CONS:

1. No tech support for now

2. Not sure if the defective machine is a software or hardware issue and if it limited to just this one computer.

3. No replacements in stock any where, if you have defective machine.

4. Expensive, for $1300 can get a lot of computer if you can live without the "Dual screen" and form factor

5. Touch screen has no stylus, if you have thick fingers you are out of luck, can't make it work, will keep hitting the wrong icon or text.

6. Noisy fan, (placed in the top screen), runs almost the minute you turn it on.

7. Speakers have a very weak output.

COMPARISON TO OTHER MACHINES

None to do so. Small form factor, dual touch screen. It would be a stretch to compare to iPad, but the iPad is cheaper, easy to use and in stock every where, but it has no dual screen, limited os, no USB, No flash

SUMMARY: I think I am going to return it to Amazon, defective product. Would suggest that buyers hold off this laptop. Save your money and buy something else.

UPDATE:

Trying to restore the device to make it work. No help from Tech Support.

UPDATE 2:

Toshiba has a utility that restores the device to the "out of box state"

Went ahead and did it as a last resort and finally after about a 15 minute process the the OS was reinstalled and that finally made the dual screen work.

Have now used it and seems to be working fine and have decided to hold on to it, and changed the rating to 2 stars.

Still no support from Toshiba. (They took down my numbers and never called me, apparently this is how Level 3 responds to you).

So for now NO SUPPORT.

In case somebody need's it like I did, here are steps: (are also in the manual). Prior to doing this please back up any info.

A)Turn off the computer.

B) Ensure that the power cord is plugged in

C) While holding down the Keyboard button (left side if the bottom screen, when using as a standard laptop configuration), turn on the computer.

D) Will turn on as a safe mode type screen.

E) Choose restore and then restore out of box and will ask that confirmation twice.

F) Need to choose "out of box restore"

The whole process will take about 15 min, is faster due to the SSD drive. It worked for me.

Best Deals for Toshiba libretto W105-L251 7-Inch Dual Touchscreen Laptop

The Toshiba Libretto W100 (the W100 is the Japanese version with a WiMax radio and the W105 is the practically the same hardware sans WiMax sold in the US) is most exotic computer form factor to be released in years, Toshiba after all branded it a "concept" device. Whatever it is called or compared to (Nintendo DS, Courier, iPad) the W100 is a mix of the tried and true spiced with uniqueness while delivering a compelling product. For most people it is probably too expensive but there isn't any other device on the market this size that has this level of functionality, in essence it is a pound and a half miniature laptop with virtual input devices.

Build & Design

The most striking characteristic of the W100 is unquestionably its two 7" 1024x600 touchscreens housed in a diminutive clamshell package measuring 7.95" x 4.84" x 1.2", weighing 1.55 lbs. with the 4 cell battery and about 1.8 lbs. with the 8 cell power source. It's much smaller and lighter than the average 10" netbook and it'll easily fit in a woman's purse and even fits in some of my pants pockets. After reading other comments about the new Libretto I don't think enough emphasis is put on just how small and portable it truly is, arguably the coolest things about this device.

One design aspect to note is that the CPU and motherboard comprise the top of the unit, the reverse of practically all other clamshell computers. As a result the top does get warm, not scalding but not comfortable to hold for long periods of time especially if the unit is running hard. This issue is part of the reason why I don't think the Libretto's portrait mode is particularly useful, and the fact that the portrait orientation of 600x1024 simply doesn't work well for many things as the horizontal width is simply too narrow. I've read a lot of discussion about fan noise and while the fan is audible much of the time almost any amount of ambient sound will practically drown it out and when it's on my beside table it doesn't keep me awake at night while on. It's definitely a matter of individuality but the fan noise hasn't in any way impacted where or the way I use the W100.

Screen(s)

The W100's screens are centerpiece of the device since there's literally nothing else and they do the job well. They are based on Toshiba's TrueBright technology and have good brightness, color accuracy, viewing angles and text is laser sharp. In standard clamshell laptop mode the bottom screen can appear a little dark compared to the top screen but fortunately screen brightness can be set independently for each screen so it's possible to make the bottom screen brighter than the top and thus evening out the brightness. The screens are glossy so the W100 isn't good for outdoor use but it works as well as any laptop in shade.

Keyboard & Mouse

The virtual keyboard and mouse are most impressive and are controlled manually via the button on the left of the bottom screen; press it once to toggle the keyboard and quickly twice to toggle the mouse. Both work on either screen even simultaneously and they provide haptic feedback on both screens as well. The keyboard has six different layouts that allows it to be configured for optimum size and features based on the task at hand. I find typing on this keyboard MUCH better than any other touch screen keyboard I've tried and even with pretty big hands (I wear extra-large men's gloves) I can get 40+ WPM out of it. I typed this review on it and while it's not something I'd do normally writing large amounts of text on this device is practical if not entirely efficient but it's awesome for on the go and walking around typing.

The virtual track pad while virtual is very much like any physical track pad found in netbooks and laptops, many are just smooth surfaces these days anyway. Ironically the W100's track pad isn't multi-touch enabled and it is not quite as effective as the keyboard but it helps immensely by adding increased precision and comes in particularly handy in situations where apps are a little difficult to work with in Windows 7 given the small screens, the old argument that Windows doesn't work well on small screen devices is largely mitigated by the track pad.

Ports and Integrated Hardware

There aren't a lot expansion ports or integrated hardware in the W100 understandably but the necessities are here, one USB 2.0 port, a micro-SD slot, one 3.5mm headphone jack, two internal microphones and a decent one megapixel web cam good for video calls and conferencing. Perhaps the biggest thing not here is a video output but it should be possible to hook up an external monitor or projector via the USB port.

Performance

For a device of this size and the less than mighty 1.2 Ghz U5400 Pentium Ultra-Low Voltage processor and on-chip Intel HD graphics the W100 is rather speedy. The performance overall equals a modern entry level laptop and is much better than the typical Atom-based netbook. The 62GB SSD helps to boost disk I/O tasks significantly in many cases and as a result the Libretto boots, shuts down and goes in and comes out of sleep quickly. My informal tests show the W100 cold booting and becoming responsive in about 40 seconds and that's with a few startup apps loading. I've been running Office 2010 for the last three weeks, primarily Word, Excel and OneNote with zero performance issues.

Entertainment

The W100's strengths are geared towards productivity but it's not just all work, it serves well as a media player imbued with all the power of Windows so just about anything you could want in the world of media will be possible. I found 1080P playback to be spotty but everything 720P and below played well, including regular DVDs using an external DVD drive. And while the W100 doesn't afford the ability to play the latest high-end blockbuster PC games there are thousands of casual and Flash games that will work great including the touchscreen classic Plants vs. Zombies (PvZ). You may have to disable one of the screens however as in the case of PvZ, I'd recommend turning off the top as the bottom stays cooler and that's now easily accomplished in Windows 7 using the Win+P keys. The internal speaker is VERY weak however, even in a quiet room there's just not much volume coming from it so for most media playback headphones will be needed.

For the avid reader, Windows supports all of the major eBook sources including Kindle and the Barnes & Noble Nook which both have basic touch support in Windows 7 and will sync up and share content with other reading devices such as standalone Kindles and Nooks. None of the readers I've tried work well in portrait mode as they are not dual screen aware but they do work well in landscape mode using both screens. Any type of document that breaks naturally like a web page should work fine spanning both screens.

The W100 really shines as a mobile web browser especially if you have the Japanese W100 with a WiMax radio. Any browser, any plug in (Flash, Silverlight, etc.) and at PC speeds compared to mobile device speeds. A nice development in the browser world is the inclusion of Windows 7 features in Firefox 4 including multi-touch.

Productivity

The W100 runs Windows so its uses as a productivity tool are limited only by imagination and I won't go into much detail but it's all here, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Photoshop, etc., any application that will run well on an entry level laptop with Intel integrated graphics. If you find working on a netbook (a very fast netbook) a productive experience then the W100 should work as well as long as the virtual input devices agree with you and of course there's always Bluetooth keyboard and mice.

Wireless

The W100 includes both a WiFi 802.11n and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR radio but the W100 proper, the Japanese version includes a WiMax radio. If you're lucky to live in a 4G area like me and have a W100 you'll at least want to try it out, it's amazing how much faster Sprint's 4G compared to Verizon's 3G which I have had on my Tablet PCs for four years. 4G coupled with the Libretto's portability make it a fantastic device for mobile web browsing and other on the go network action. If you have a good signal you may find WiMax preferable to WiFi because it can often be faster.

Conclusion

If the Libretto W100 were in the $500 to $700 range I don't believe Toshiba would be able to make enough of them, it's unique design and its full Windows 7 OS put a lot functionality in a little package. At its current price it's hard to recommend and it certainly won't win any value product awards but its FAR more than an overpriced toy, it's a full function computer that can go anywhere and do most anything. If the battery life isn't an issue for you there's simply nothing currently that will match the W100's mobile productivity.

I love this device and I can't put it down.

Cons

Mediocre battery life

Doesn't work well in portrait mode

Fan noise will bother some

VERY weak internal speaker

Pros

Great overall performance

Good virtual keyboard and track pad

Exceptionally mobile

Integrated 4G provides fantastic network speeds for great on the go web browsing and streaming video

Honest reviews on Toshiba libretto W105-L251 7-Inch Dual Touchscreen Laptop

This is an amazing item, i'm glad i didnt get anything defective. Mt libretto runs amazingly, the features are magnificent, and i love the sleek style of it!

I noticed they go for way more on here though....

I typically buy everything on amazon because i can find it cheaper, but this product turned out to be the opposite.

Toshiba's website sells this products for only 1,099.99 where as on here its going for 1,699.99.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Toshiba libretto W105-L251 7-Inch Dual Touchscreen Laptop

Look I'm not going to sit here and say the Libretto isn't flawless because it is. But what device isn't? They all have issues it is up to you to decide if you can deal with it or not. Clearly the Libretto is pricey and not everyone will be able to justify purchasing it and that's fine you have no arguments from me that is totally understandable.

The biggest complaint I have seen people talking about is the noise the fan makes. It is loud you can't dismiss that but me personally it doesn't bother me. The funny thing is my computer fan makes more noise and irritates me more compared to what the fan on the Libretto does. Unless you have super sensitive ears I don't think you will notice it much though unless you are in a super quiet room in my opinion maybe other Libretto's are different and thus it is hard to judge for sure just how loud the fan noise is.

The battery life is clearly a concern as well but I'm not sure what else they could have done to make it better. I think with technology as it is today and the punch they put in this little portable computer they did a fine job doing so. I'm sure as other models are developed they will learn and be able to do more but this is the result of a first run model.

The internal speaker is weak no doubt about that but it's made to be a portable device so just use some headphones and you should have no problems.

I also can see how people may have issues with Windows 7 and being a touchscreen yes it can be a struggle at first navigating the "start" menu and what not but I think the more you use it the better you will get it doesn't happen overnight just play around with it and learn to adjust to it.

Reviews of Apple iBook G3 800mhz 256MB 30GB CDROM 12.1'' w/ Original Airport

Customer Ratings:

Yes right, it's not a most powerful laptop(obviously it's older model)out there but this machine is very reliable and great for somebody who try out Apple brand for first time. This great looking (white) laptop never crashes or freeze. And remember when it comes to Apple laptop, they don't get virus somehow. Just for these reason it's worth to own a apple ibook to me. Great machine!!

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i brought it used from amazon, the screen broke within 3 weeks, i spoke to others, theirs had the same problem, the screens are old now and if buying used be careful.

Best Deals for Apple iBook G3 800mhz 256MB 30GB CDROM 12.1'' w/ Original Airport

First, I love Macs, and when this iBook G3 800 works, it's a fine machine.

BUT... this series of G3 iBooks suffers from a very common and notorious soldering defect on the motherboard that affects about 90% of the systems.

In fact, for 3 years after they were made, Apple was replacing them for free because the problem was so rampant, but that offer is long expired.

Symptoms? The system won't boot, or will boot and immediately freeze, or will freeze after a few minutes. Many times, the machine will boot, but the display will be all black, all white, covered in stripes, or any of a zillion other display problems. Some people "live with" the problem by

actually clamping a C clamp onto the case in just the right spot to put

pressure on the chip inside, which keeps it in contact with the board.

Some people open the case and wedge pieces of paper on top of the chip, so that when the case is closed, they press on the chip to keep all the pins in contact. But this is pretty dicey.

The problem was faulty soldering on a ball grid array (BGA) chip on the motherboard. In my case, I knew this going in, and sent the machine out to

a repair services that specializes in this repair. They disassemble the machine, and re-solder the BGA. It's been trouble-free for 2 years and still going strong since I had that repair done.

Search the web for "iBook G3 BGA defect" and you'll find all you need to know about this issue. You can find many places that can fix this for $50 $75, plus shipping. Just expect to have to do this, and build that into your total cost if you buy one of these.

ALSO these machines are now far too slow to play YouTube videos (or most on-line video of any kind). Just be aware of that, if that is important to you. When I bought it 2 years ago, it played YouTube fine, but YouTube and most on-line video continues to get more and more processor-intensive, so now a processor this slow cannot handle it.

Honest reviews on Apple iBook G3 800mhz 256MB 30GB CDROM 12.1'' w/ Original Airport

I bought this item in January. Worked fine till May. Now all it can do is power up. Won't even get past the first screen. If I knew who sold this to me, I would contact them and demand my money back. Don't buy computers from internet, you never know what they have been through and you can't trust an invisible seller!

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My son loves his first lapbook and I am so grateful for the outstanding customer service and the low price and awesome clean computer

Cheap Toshiba Satellite L755-S5248 Laptop 4Gb Ram 500GB Hard Drive WebCam

Customer Ratings:

It product is is in okay position. It was described as "like new" but has scratches on it. Also, a lot of food crumbs in the keyboard area. The shipping was awful. The company used USPS and shouldn't have. I had to sign for the package and the nearest USPS was 30 mins away.

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I got this laptop in September 2011 at a great sale price as I was looking for a nw laptop that would handle HD videos and output them through an HDMI port. This laptop has the HDMI port and has many great features for the price, such as Pentium dual-core processor, webcam, 4gb RAM and 500GB HDD, a wide 15+ inch screen, and Toshiba's reputation for quality. It doesn't have a ton of software loaded on but that wasn't a concern for me. It runs smoothly and handles pretty much any task you can perform. The battery lasts pretty long and so far no heating up problems, which can plague some laptops. If this lasts as well as my last Toshiba laptop (which still runs OK after 7 years) then it will represent a great value for a portable computer.

Best Deals for Toshiba Satellite L755-S5248 Laptop 4Gb Ram 500GB Hard Drive WebCam

I bought this laptop from OfficeMax when it was on sale for $369 $50 in store coupon for computers a couple weeks ago for a total $319. The price triggered me to buy it since I needed a laptop with HDMI out to play movies, netflix, etc... on my TV. For the price, the laptop is excellent. It is fast enough for my purposes, and certainly has enough installed memory.

My only concern is the quality of the LCD. I find it not very vibrant and the viewing angles are limited. However, for $319, this was an excellent buy !!

Review of Toshiba Portégé R835-P56x 13.3-Inch LED Laptop (Magnesium Blue)

Customer Ratings:

I've had this laptop for nearly three weeks, and think it's great!

Summary:

Pros:

Lightweight

Clean and understated design

Sturdy: most surfaces are made of metal (only the bezel, hinges, and a few bottom panels are plastic). You can easily lift it up by the corner with one hand.

Battery life is good (7.5+ hours with mixed usage). Also, no "battery bulge" in the back!

Battery is removable

Trackpad has a nicely configurable driver (Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Mouse > Device Settings > Settings...)

Value; saves enough money for an SSD compared to a competing system like a Macbook Pro (see below)

Cons:

Screen isn't great. (It isn't bad, though -just narrow in vertical viewing angle).

Black color means you might be tempted to clean the keyboard/trackpad a little obsessively.

Industrial smell coming from the vent in the first few days of ownership (now gone)

When closed, the lid depresses a little when you apply pressure to the middle. I suggest keeping the included fabric insert thing to protect the lid from keyboard scratches. (Note that keyboard scratches also occur on other notebooks, including the sturdy Apple Macbooks, so I'm not taking off any points).

Overall:

I'm giving this laptop five stars because it represents a great value. I paid $835 for the system, and replaced the hard drive with an Intel X25-M 120GB SSD ($175). The total cost of my system therefore was $1010, which puts it in entry-level Macbook territory.

(Note that the SSD is very easy to install -you unscrew two panels in the back, swap the drives, and clean-install your operating system).

Why the SSD? With the SSD plus Sandy Bridge processor, performance is superb -startup is fast (15 seconds from button to login screen, plus 8 seconds from login to loaded desktop). Programs launch quickly, and shutdown is quick as well. I'd say the stock system with the hard drive is a bit imbalanced (processor is too fast for the 5400 RPM hard drive) but at least it comes with plenty of room and doesn't cost much. With this configuration, program launching and startup are slower, and you are stuck with bloatware, but the computer still operates reasonably fast.

--

Comparisons with other systems:

Compared with the Air, the R835 (with SSD installed) gives you:

more storage space (120GB SSD on my R835 vs. 64GB for the $999 11" MBA model)

--with SSD, similar bootup times (23 seconds for R835 vs. 15 seconds *see 6/2/2011 edit* for MBA) and wakeup times (both about 2 seconds)

a better processor (core i5-2410M vs. a core 2 duo) and more memory

longer battery life + removable battery

a DVD drive, USB 3.0 port, eSATA, VGA (no need to carry a dongle around)

0.9 or 0.3 pounds more weight (vs. the 11" and 13" MBA models, respectively).

about 0.25" more thickness

Compared with the Macbook Pro (13" entry-level model), you get:

$190 in savings (with SSD in the R835) or $365 savings (with stock HDD)

-With SSD swap, you get performance gains compared to the MB. With the default hard drive, you get twice as much storage (640GB vs. 320GB, both 5400 RPM).

Removable battery

Similar metal build quality (Macbook pro feels a little sturdier, but weighs 40% more)

1.3 pounds in weight savings (!)

Compared with the plastic Macbook (13" $999 model), you get:

Metal build quality

an SSD (for about the same total cost), or $165 in savings + 390GB more hard drive space

Better processor (two generations ahead) and RAM (4GB vs. 2GB).

1.5 pound weight savings (!)

So, I saw no reason to go with the Macbooks when I could get superior performance and save money, weight, and battery flexibility with the R835.

Compared to other PC systems -It's thinner and slightly less expensive than the Lenovo x220 (but isn't as rugged and has slightly shorter battery life), and is very much cheaper and has a better processor (but has an inferior screen) than the Sony Z series.

In short, the R835 makes its Apple competitors look seriously overpriced (or under-featured, depending on how you look at it) and costs less than its PC competitors.

--

My evaluation of the unit:

I liked the design -it's quite sturdy (with its metal construction) and light (3.2 pounds). It doesn't feel as "dense" as the Macbook Air, but it's sufficiently sturdy and light enough, such that you can lift it by a corner with one hand. Also, it certainly breaks a threshold in thinness, so it certainly *looks* thin. The CD/DVD drive makes a great "but wait, there's more" parlor trick!

(The design also appeals to me because it's pleasantly different from the Macbooks' design. In my Econ class, it looks stealthy and elegant compared to the sea of glowing Apples. Funny how "Think Different" should now apply to a PC rather than a Mac...)

As noted above, the performance is good, especially with an SSD installed. The weakest point is the integrated graphics, though it's not completely pathetic; I was able to play Portal without too much choppiness.

The battery life is great -I got 7.5 hours with mixed use (web browsing, spreadsheets, including an hour of Steam running). I estimate you get about 4-5 minutes per percent used (according to the Windows battery icon), or 400-500 minutes total.

There are a few minor drawbacks. For one, the screen is merely average because the vertical viewing angle is not good. Also, a downside to the black body color is that I obsessively clean it with every fleck of dust. The unit had a distinctly industrial smell when it first came, but now it's gone. Also, its lid depresses a little, which I suspect will lead to the keyboard leaving scratches on the screen (this also happens to Macbooks, which are supposed to be the pinnacle of design, so I guess it's acceptable). To counter this, I use the included piece of fabric between the screen and keyboard when I transport the unit around.

Despite these minor drawbacks, the system overall exudes great quality, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a well-built, fast, and highly portable notebook. I would strongly recommend replacing the stock hard drive with an SSD to balance the performance, especially given that the relatively low price (for this weight class) leaves some money to acquire an SSD.

EDIT (5/16/2011): PCMark Vantage scores for my system are here: [ ... ] . You can compare with other Core i5-2410M systems here: [ ... ]

EDIT (6/2/2011): I visited the Apple Store today. The 11-inch MBA started up in about 50 seconds (not sure what took so long), while the Core i7 MacBook Pro ($1500) started up in about 35 seconds (didn't have a chance to try the i5 MBP). If I remember correctly, the default R835 took about 60 seconds to start up. Again, the startup time for my configuration is 23 seconds.

EDIT (7/24/2011): Thanks to several reviewers for bringing this up: apparently, the motherboard does support SATA III speeds, but Toshiba disabled the speed, thus getting you SATA II speeds. This would mean that it wouldn't be too valuable buying a SATAIII SSD for use in this computer. I'll update this after I confirm this limitation.

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I love this notebook. My last one was a 6.5 pound beast of a Dell that I carried around for four years and got 2 hour battery life if you were lucky. This is such a huge improvement.

PROS:

The battery life is excellent. Only if I am doing really demanding computational tasks do even think about plugging it in to the AC adapter.

The weight is fantastic. A lot of people I've showed it to can't believe how light this notebook is. My bookbag is so much lighter now. Even the AC adapter is way lighter than my Dell's.

The CPU power is more than sufficient as is the RAM at 4GB.

The trackpad is a good size. I don't think you could ever make a trackpad too big. It also has multi-touch and gesture support.

I was able to play L4D2 with this machine at medium settings. Much more than I was expecting given the graphics on here.

For the price, this is such a great notebook if you need something that is really light and still has a full blown mobile CPU.

The build quality is really good. Just a little bit of flex under the DVD drive. Everything else feels solid.

It has USB 3.0 and you can charge through USB even it the notebook isn't on. That's great for a gadget geek like me.

It also has HDMI, VGA and eSATA. So many ports!

CONS:

They just released the R830 series which offers faster CPU's and a docking port. If you have the money to spend, look at those instead. The i7 CPU R830 is actually rated at over 11 hours. They also have an SSD options too.

I am going from a 1920x1200 15.4" on my Dell to this 13.3" 1366x786. It's been kind of a shock for some of my programming related apps that require lots of screen real estate but haven't really noticed the difference for everyday home and office tasks. I am also going from matte to glare so that has lead to a couple new problem with reflections but nothing too bad.

Two finger scroll is not as smooth as I wish it could be but it's still very usable.

No bluetooth. Again, look at the R830 series.

Maybe this isn't the perfect notebook for you for whatever reason, but you really need to consider it if you are in the market for a new one.

Best Deals for Toshiba Portégé R835-P56x 13.3-Inch LED Laptop (Magnesium Blue)

what initially got me into the portege series was the aesthetic. it has a very simple and clean look. I'm not exactly tech savvy as I don't keep up with all the latest processors and whatnot, but for all the praise and hype about the new Sandy Bridge processors, this laptop seems decently quick. doesn't blow me away compared to my several years-old core duo desktop or even my 1-2 year-old, $500 toshiba satellite. overall, I like it a lot because it's big enough that hopefully it won't give me carpel tunnel syndrome, but small enough for easy mobility, which is good for a student.

since I'm not doing any hardcore computing and just using it for a few basic functions like browsing, streaming movies, programming, etc, it satisfies me (but then again I think any computer in this day an age could pull those tasks off). unfortunately, even for those basic functions there are a few issues that Toshiba can improve on:

1) the keyboard keys CLACK... really loudly. typing in the library or in class will probably stir up a ruckus. clackity clackity clack. not that big of a deal though, I guess.

2) I don't know where everyone is getting all these claims about a 9 hour battery life (even cnet said they were able to get something like 7 hours in their tests) when I'm running the laptop in 'eco' mode with 77% battery life left and only 4 hours and 11 minutes of claimed life left. a second later, I have 76% batter life left but only 3 hours and 41 minutes left??? I'm only on my battery's second charge but I've been noticing these really sporadic projections and it's really annoying.

3) the track pad straight up sucks. I'm not a fan of mac at all, but when my girlfriend had her 13.3" macbook, one of the things I found coolest was how easy it was to surf the net. the 2 finger scroll feature they had was super cool and some other functions included: three finger swipe up to open a new tab, three finger swipe down to close a page, three finger swipe left to go 'back' and right for forward, two finger tap to function as a right click [extremely useful]. comparatively, you can't really set any three finger functions to your own liking, the two finger scroll is really jittery if it manages to detect your fingers there is no sensitivity and can go insane and jump entire pages at any given moment. overall it's pretty frustrating to use the multi-finger features.

4) could be a part of gripe #3, but the two clicker buttons for the track pack are stiff. I like to use the tap function because my thumb would probably get sore if I used the clicker too much. yes, it is that stiff.

other than that, it's really light and powerful enough that I can use it without getting frustrated and just looks awesome which is good enough for me. I would give this laptop 5 stars otherwise and while a 2-star deduction might seem harsh, I feel these basic attributes could have easily been included and are prerequisites to just being a decent laptop. I mean, how expensive could it be to develop and include a good track pad?? overall, laptop seems sturdy and reliable and I'm looking forward to using it

update: an issue with the r705 series was that the fans would get really loud or that the laptop would get hot, but for either case, toshiba has remedied the problem on this model. the laptop stays extremely quiet even after I have been using it for 6 hours with just one break. it does warm up when in my lap on top of a blanket, but on a desk it doesn't heat up at ALL.

4/25 I've had the laptop for two or three weeks now but since it's my backup/extra I'm really taking care of it and haven't used it that much yet. Mostly for school and not for browsing/videos pretty much. But one thing I noticed today was a little clacking noise that's from the chrome hinge, which is loose. I have no idea how it could have gotten loose as I've used the laptop probably less than a total of 7 times and it's only been handled with the utmost care. REALLY annoying because for a $900 laptop, this really shouldn't be an issue.

Honest reviews on Toshiba Portégé R835-P56x 13.3-Inch LED Laptop (Magnesium Blue)

Please note: I have the Toshiba Portege R835-P70 now sold by Best Buy (as of late June 2011), which appears to have the same specs as the P56X. Thus, I post the following review, as I think it should apply:

For me, the most important features of a laptop are good processing power and portability. And when it comes right down to it, after a point, processing power would not matter so much.

I was originally considering buying the Toshiba Portege R835-P50X (Intel i3 processor) from Best Buy. The Portege R835-P56X (i5 processor) was the model reviewers all over the internet were raving about, but the P50X had a higher battery life--which I attributed to the slower processor--than the P56X. (CNET reported approx. seven hours from the R835-P56X, while PC Magazine reported over nine hours from the P50X.)

When I went onto Best Buy's website to check store inventory, though, I discovered that a newer model, with what appeared to be the same specs (including the Intel i5) as the R835-P56X, had just been released--enter the Portege R835-P70. Added bonus: it was $20 cheaper than the older (and slower) R835-P50X, and even cheaper still than the R835-P56X sold by online retailers.

The new Intel Sandy Bridge i5 processor certainly can perform. I use screen-reading software to access the computer (I am blind), and I am able to use some very memory-intensive text-to-speech voices that had previously been too unresponsive on older machines.

The battery appears to work as advertised, though I have not pushed it to its limit yet. If real-world usage tests indicate a 6-7 hour battery performance, I am inclined to believe them. The thing to remember when gauging battery performance is not the amount of time the computer says is remaining, but rather the percentage that is remaining. This is because the software calculates the amount of time remaining based on the current workload of the computer, and that changes from minute to minute.

While the keys do make a bit of a "clicking" sound when pressed, it is not annoying to me. The keys are firmer than I was used to, but there is always a learning curve with a new keyboard and the firmness is certainly not a bad thing. As far as the key placement, my response to those who say it feels "cramped" is that anyone who has used a 13-inch laptop before will have no trouble using this keyboard. But again, there is always a learning curve, especially for those who are used to larger setups.

The only thing I am not wild about is the placement of the cooling fan intake. It is on the underside of the laptop on the bottom left, and it is easier to cover it accidentally if the computer is sitting on your lap. It is not a deal-breaker, by any means--it is just something to keep in mind. (If the intake is blocked, the fan will run at a higher RPM.)

In several reviews, the sound of the Portege R835's speakers was criticized...and rightly so. The sound they put out is tinny and distorted--the higher the volume, the more distortion there is. My solution? Uninstall the preinstalled Realtek High Definition Audio driver--it makes a world of difference. When I uninstalled said driver and cranked up the volume, I was pleased (and a bit surprised) to find that the speakers were just as loud, but with no distortion! (As a general rule, I uninstall the preinstalled Realtek HD audio driver in favor of the default Microsoft one, mainly because the Microsoft driver allows independent control of speaker and headphone volumes.)

Overall, this is a wonderful little laptop--great battery life, fast processor performance, and all of that in a very lightweight (but sturdy--almost all-metal) frame. While the fan intake placement is not all that great, one can work around it. If you get nothing else useful from this review, please take my advice on uninstalling the Realtek audio driver in favor of the Microsoft one--you'll be glad you did.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Toshiba Portégé R835-P56x 13.3-Inch LED Laptop (Magnesium Blue)

The other reviewers pretty much hit the spots that needed hit.

The keyboard is a little loud, sure, but aside from that it is just about perfect. I've always liked the old IBM clicky keyboards. Typing on this reminds me of those, which I think is awesome.

The touchpad was *kinda* weird, but I got used to it quickly (have had the machine for about 2 weeks now). Another reviewer commented on the scrolling, and has a solution posted as well. After a couple hours of use, I have no problem using the touchpad (have even played Portal 2 a bit with it).

The performance is amazing, the only thing slowing it down is the hard drive. I have SSDs in my other machines, so the difference is pretty apparent to me. I'll pick up an SSD and make this the perfect little laptop.

Battery life is as advertised. I took it in to work one day and downloaded all of Portal 2, OpenSUSE 11.4 ISO, and Office, all while doing normal browsing with max brightness. I proceeded to burn and install OpenSUSE, and the battery still lasted roughly 6.5 hours. I was impressed.

The screen is definitely bright. I used it in a car with sunlight coming through the window with no issues. As most, I'd prefer a matte screen, but any glare on this is barely noticeable, I didn't even think about it while using it in the sun. I just mention it because I just read a ThinkPad review that had me thinking about it.

I mentioned above that I played Portal 2 on it, yup! Works better than I expected, the sandy bridge i5 is a beast!

I've already recommended this laptop to family and friends, it is definitely worth a look if you're in the market.