Lenovo Y580 15.6-Inch Laptop (Dawn Grey) Review

Customer Ratings:

Aesthetics: I think it's a beautiful laptop. Metal all around the keyboard area. The lid is entirely metal on the outside. It's a sleek design that is minimalist which I love.

Function: The 1080P screen is gorgeous. Watching movies and high quality YouTube videos is great. The JBL speakers sound better than any laptop speakers I have heard. One of my favorite features is the keyboard the feedback you get from the keys and the solid build quality makes it enjoyable to type on. Also, for you gamers, I get a solid 40-50 FPS on medium to high settings playing Battlefield 3.

I looked at about 5 different models from a variety of companies and this beat them in almost every category. My one gripe so far is Windows 8. The touchpad gestures can be quite annoying but I'm sure I will adjust to it in time. Of course, that is not the fault of the laptop, just an observation.

Also DO NOT ORDER THROUGH LENOVO. I had a lot of issues ordering through them and their customer service has been less than helpful (that is putting it very nicely). I don't know why I made the mistake of ordering through them initially. Ordered through Amazon and it was easy and they delivered on time, as always.

All in all, if this laptop fits in your price range, you will not find a better product. Highly recommend.

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This is an amazing product. Not only super fast, with excellent screen resolution and very reliable but for sure the best that you can get for this Price.

On top of that it comes with Windows 8 which believe me is simply fantastic and easy to use with your current mouse.

I can see now everything in just one single dynamic tiles based home screen. My mail (all accounts), my messages, sports news, whats going on in Facebook, twitter etc.

If you are considering buying a computer in this price range, this is by far the best choice.

Best Deals for Lenovo Y580 15.6-Inch Laptop (Dawn Grey)

The Laptop runs smoothly, has great resolution and graphics and also has a blue-ray player! The computer is equipped with a full keyboard with number pad, which is a plus, and is a good looking design. However, I don't particularly care for Windows 8; there still seems to be some issues that need to be worked out. Also, the track pad needs some getting used to. I often find myself playing a game using the track pad and then all of a sudden I am brought to the desktop screen. Overall, I recommend this computer to anyone interested in a multi-media device that doesn't want to spend over $2,000 on a Mac Book Pro, but still wants to have great performance.

Honest reviews on Lenovo Y580 15.6-Inch Laptop (Dawn Grey)

I purchased the IdeaPad Y580 model 59359513 directly from Lenovo. It came with a 1TB HDD, 8GB of RAM, a Blu-Rady/DVD-RW optical drive, and no mSATA. It replaced a 6-year-old ThinkPad T60p. I have been using my Y580 since late December, 2012. So far, it has been a very good computer.

The Good:

Fast Processor

Great graphics card

Beautiful full-HD display

Blu-Ray drive

JBL speakers

Fast boot time

Large hard drive

Backlit keyboard

The not-so-good (but definitely not deal-breakers):

Overall construction feels a little fragile, especially if you are used to a rugged ThinkPad

Keyboard takes a little getting used to

Windows 8 is a bit clunky

Generates some heat

A bit noisy

Could use more RAM

Some junkware, not enough useful software preloaded

Size & weight

Slow 5400 rpm hard drive

The Bad:

Awful track-pad

Glossy screen

Detailed review:

On the plus side, this machine is very fast, both in terms of performance and boot time. The NVIDIA video card and on-board Intel GPU work beautifully together and provide great graphics. This is a great machine for work (astrophysics) and play (games and movies). The display is crisp and gorgeous, and games look stunning on it. The JBL speakers perform amazingly well. Honestly, this machine is worth the price just for the speakers. It came with a huge, but slow (5400 rpm), 1 TB hard drive (although there are 4 partitions pre-installed on it, which makes the usable size about 884 GB; and you would have to clear out and resize one partition if you wanted to dual-boot Linux).

The machine is a little on the big and heavy side. But, it is supposed to be more of a desktop replacement than a mobile laptop. If you are looking for a machine to take on trips (especially when flying), this is probably not the best option.

Unfortunately, the overall feel of the machine is a little cheap. However, this could just come from me comparing it to my old, rugged ThinkPad. I often feel the shell bending when I carry the laptop from room to room, and the keyboard flexes noticeably when I am typing. Also, the screen hinges are not very stiff and the screen shakes a bit even when on a sturdy desk. The machine generates a significant amount of heat and makes some annoying noises, but both of these are only really noticeable when you have it actually sitting on your lap. I wish it came with more RAM. Both the Lenovo and Crucial websites claim the max supported RAM for this machine is 8 GB. I have read on a couple online forums that it is possible to upgrade the RAM to 16 GB (usually the claim is that the European models are based on the same motherboard and they come with 16 GB of RAM), but I have not tried it myself.

The new Windows 8 OS is not as bad as I feared it would be. It is a little clunky, though. I think Microsoft did their customers a serious disservice by getting rid of the Start button. Almost all of my complaints about the OS experience would have been avoided if they had just kept the Start button (and there are ways of putting it back, if you really just can't live without it). Overall, Windows 8 boots very fast, runs smoothly, and is not hard to get used to, but it does still feel like a beta release and often seems to have unnecessary steps for what used to be simple tasks (e.g., opening Notepad).

The machine comes loaded with some junk software, but that is easy to fix (once you figure out how to get to the Control Panel under Windows 8). The real annoyance is that it did not come loaded with enough of the standard software. A great example of this is the lack of Adobe Reader. Instead, it came with Microsoft's terrible PDF Reader application (an app which is so poorly made that I think it should be classified as a war crime). Again, a minor complaint and easily fixed.

There are only two genuinely bad aspects of this computer. First, the track-pad is absolutely awful. It is oversensitive in some spots and not sensitive enough in others. It seems to love the Windows 8 Charms menu and takes you there whenever you make the smallest mistake in movement. Clicking and dragging is often tricky and unpleasant. I highly recommend getting an external mouse with this machine. Second, the glossy screen is like a mirror. Even in a dim office, you can see your reflection. I honestly do not know why there is such a fad for glossy displays in the computer world right now. A matte screen is so much more useful in ALL settings.

Overall:

I definitely like this computer and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a great work-horse/gaming/entertainment laptop. It has some shortcomings, but for the price it is by far the best machine out there. To get a similar laptop from any other manufacturer would cost you at least $400 over the price of a Y580. I have yet to have any real problems with mine.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Lenovo Y580 15.6-Inch Laptop (Dawn Grey)

This is a great gaming/college pc. It has a great video card, fast processor, and comes with 8gb of preinstalled ram. The hard drive is a little slow but it's an easy replacement for a faster one or possibly an ssd. Build quality is excellent and the backlit keyboard is very nice.

The only complaint I had with this computer ( and the reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5) is that when it arrived the backlit keyboard was not working. Rather than send it back for who knows how long I searched around online for a fix. In order to fix this you have to remove the keyboard and check if all the connections underneath are intact. Sounds simple enough. It took about 1 1/2 hours to do this. The manual says to simple press on the keyboard with your fingers and it will lift out. Not the case. There are tiny little black clips along the top and sides of the keyboard. you have to gently pry the keyboard up with one hand while using an extremely small needle to push the black clips in. Once you have them all pressed the keyboard will come out. It sounds simple but is extremely hard and time consuming. After the keyboard was out I had to simply connect the ribbon that had come undone. It was a ton of work but worth it as I didn't have to send it back for an unknown amount of time.

Overall it's a fantastic keyboard and Amazon had the cheapest price around when I purchased it in early January ($1,049.) If you're not sure about it just go for it. You won't regret it.

Cheap ASUS V500CA-BB31T 15.6-Inch Touchscreen Laptop (Black)

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $569.00
Sale Price: $499.99
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Great!!!! Does everything an expensive model does and it half the price. Second Asus that I own. The first one is a netbook and I still love it.

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System was light and performs well. Elegant looking machine with great functionality. The only thing missing for me is an optical drive.

Best Deals for ASUS V500CA-BB31T 15.6-Inch Touchscreen Laptop (Black)

I researched which laptop to purchase for a good 6 months and I was deciding between an acer or asus. I do have an acer tablet and my sibling has an asus tablet so I knew which ever one I choose it would be a great product. At the last minute I decided to purchase an asus, I felt more comfortable knowing that asus has a great customer care service. I did purchase this product elsewhere as they had a better deal at the time. The laptop is thin and feels sturdy, looks amazing out the box. The laptop is listed at 4.6lbs, actually holding it I wasn't expecting it to be this heavy. The touchscreen response is great and makes windows 8 easier to use. I've read a few comments where people complained about the key board where the space buttons response isn't great but so far I've had no issue. I use the laptop mostly for streaming videos, school work and surfing web. When I stream videos it does drain the battery pretty quickly. Im still learning about shortcuts on the keyboard but overall Im happy with my purchase. This laptop is great, if your looking for a touchscreen laptop and don't want to spend a lot this is it.

Honest reviews on ASUS V500CA-BB31T 15.6-Inch Touchscreen Laptop (Black)

The system works great but I'm surprised how slow the 1.4 GHz processor is compared to my i5. I really don't like WIN8 but I hear there is a new version coming soon that could fix a lot of the undesirable problems.I do wish the computer was up-gradable to use a SSD in conjunction with the existing HDD.

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I have been very pleased with the overall of this computer. I enjoy the touch screen. The look of the computer is very nice and easy to carry it is very light weight.

Buy Lenovo 43302AU 15.6-Inch Laptop

Customer Ratings:

I own this brand and I am very impressed with the quality and reliability. Lenovo was once a division of IBM so its no surprise. The product details are impossible to read above so I posted them here.

Features Include:

15.6" screen with LED backlight (1366x768)

Intel i3-380M Dual-Core 2.53GHz Processor with 3MB cache

320GB hard drive, 5400 RPM

2GB DDR3 RAM (8GB Max)

Intel Graphics Media Accelerator HD

Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit OS

WiFi 802.11 b/g/n built-in, Gigabit Ethernet

DVD Super Multi Dual Layer Burner

0.3Mp Webcam with microphone

SD/MMC/MS.MS PRO/xD memory card reader

Keyboard & ouchpad with 2 click-buttons

Fingerprint reader

Stereo speakers

Connectivity: 3x USB 2.0, 1x USB/eSATA, PCI Express Mini Card Slot, VGA, Mic & Headphone mini-jacks

6-cell lithium-ion battery with 4 hours of battery life

Dimensions: 14.9 x 0.7 x 10.1"

Weight: 5.5 lbs.

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Weary of hearing my husband complaining about his laptop, I ordered him this one. He says it's a dream to use. He has his working in four languages, plays Civilization V, uses Skype, as well as MS Office. No problems except that I want one now, too!

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Straight out of the box, I love it. I ordered my Lenovo laptop (4330AU) over Thanksgiving weekend. Paid $376 for it with free shipping. Received in 3 business days. I purposely did not want the latest and greatest computer, and looked for solid customer reviews before purchasing. This is my 3rd laptop and, so far, after only using for one day, I like this one best. For the money, I'm pleased. Some of the little things I liked immediately included: a 10-key pad; a textured surface that doesn't show finger prints (finally!); easy to setup with no added crap; fast; quick to connect to my home wi-fi; very nice screen (although seems just a tad bit smaller than stated size). This laptop doesn't get hot like my old one, and the battery life appears to be as stated (4 hours) while running several websites and the wireless card.

I plan to use this laptop mostly for internet, Microsoft Office, photo editing, PC games, etc. Nothing serious. If this laptop holds up even 1 year for me, it will be my best purchase ever!

Updated 12/28/12

I have had two cases where, after a long period of time idle, the screen blinks when a key is pressed. Makes it impossible to shut it down using the mouse, so I use task manager and keyboard commands. After rebooting, the problem goes away. Never experienced this type of issue before, and not sure if it's serious. I plan to look into more over the weekend. Other than that, still very happy with this laptop.

Honest reviews on Lenovo 43302AU 15.6-Inch Laptop

These were Christmas presents for my twin girls. Both computers worked great at 1st. But then the hard drive died on one of them. I had a major run around with Lenovo on getting it repaired. Their website told me I had to take it a local authorized repair company I tried this and after going to the 3 places they listed the 1st two told me do not make repairs on these computers the 3rd one said they could do the repair but just as i was leaving they called me back to let me know that Lenovo had just changed their policy and now they could not fix it. This company showed me the email they had received from Levono and sure enough the laptop was listed as one that they could no longer repair.

I then called Levono the following day and at first was told that I needed to take the laptop to a local repair company, I explained that that was not the case and I was put on hold for quite a while. When the person came back they said I was right and would have to ship it to them at my expense for repair. I was not happy about this but what choice did I have so back it went and 10 days later it arrived back with a new hard drive.

I will not be buying another Levono product again due to their service.

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This computer is a great buy. It fits all my needs and then some. I like the keyboard set up with the numbers on the side like a PC. It was delivered before the due date in good condition.

Lenovo G470 Laptop Computer - 432826U (Dark Brown) - Intel Core Reviews

Customer Ratings:

It's very good choice. I have it more than 8 months and still it runs in its original windows. Its buttery, LCD, camera, keyboard, sound, weight is just perfect. I strongly recommend it.

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In the era of digital entertainment, this laptop is the equivalent of a vacuum tube device. How can a laptop be made in this day and age without single button volume controls? The volume adjustments require the mandatory use of both hands, unless you are Shaq O or Jordan. That set the tempo for continuing disappointments. Video playback would invariably have at least 2 occasions any given day when the audio would all of a sudden turn to "weak battery mode", you know the funny jarring sound in slow motion. It would pick up within a second or two but its annoying when you think you paid 500 bucks for this glitzy hardware. After thoroughly researching all Lenovo products I finally had it replaced with a much more expensive and advanced model which has better media controls and sound/video support infrastructure. To their credit, the product replacement procedure is efficient, fast and no-fee. A lot of Lenovo's models are absolutely thoughtless. Any one with one hand or digital (no pun) impairments would be offended right out of the box.

Discount HP Pavilion DV4-1547SB 14.1-Inch Black Laptop - Up to 4.25 Hours of

Customer Ratings:

I didn't expect to buy this. First, I *hate* white electronics (they usually look cheap and like they should carry the Fisher Price logo). Second, I know people who have had serious issues with HP laptop motherboards. However, last week Staples had it for about two hundred bucks less than its MSRP which was about two hundred less than I expected to pay for these specs. I couldn't resist.

I'm happy with the design. First, the white is not so bad. It has a shiny "pearl" like surface, a subtle graphic design on the cover/wrist rests and black and silver trim. This all makes it look more grown up and stylish than other white laptops. Second, compared to other laptops with these specs it's not too big or heavy. It's in-between a netbook and most full sized laptops. Also, the weight can be reduced by half a pound by swapping out the DVD drive for a dummy piece which is included.

I'm overall happy with the performance and quality. Seems fast and smooth for the most part, and I'm not currently having any problems with it. But I had a couple of initial problems. First, I had to take the first one I got back due to a stuck pixel that I couldn't unstick with any software programs. I didn't want to risk voiding the warranty with any physical methods. The second one I got was stuck-pixel-free. However, I was having serious issues playing internet video. That was a big deal to me. I tried a live chat rep I think he was illiterate he kept asking for info I had already provided, completely misconstrued my problem and even when I explained it for the 3rd time, he offered completely inappropriate solutions (e.g. program specific solutions, when I had told him it was in all programs). Somewhat dubious, I finally called tech support. I got a guy who was GREAT. Granted it took us over an hour of troubleshooting, but he finally figured it out. The issue was the wi-fi card driver. It just needed to be updated with the newest, which was posted on HP's site. So, I highly recommend checking HP's site for the latest driver updates, especially if you're having this issue.

And I agree with the other reviewer about the battery 2 to 3 hours is what you can reasonably expect, but it depends on what you are doing. And yes, it is very quiet. Also, I should note that I did not get the rectangular remote shown on the bottom of this page with mine. I only got the small card one shown in the pictures up top. So, I don't think that other remote comes with it. (EDIT: Since I posted this review, Amazon has replaced the picture of the remote, it now shows a correct remote).

Just in case, I picked up Squaretrade's 3rd party extended warranty. It was a great price compared to Staples' and HP's plans. And it will protect me if this ends up being a lemon or if my dog flies into the cord and knocks it off the coffee table.

***UPDATE*** Good thing I got that Squaretrade warranty. I was carrying it from one room to the other with the cord and the cord's loop caught on a doorknob forcing everything out of my hand when I took my next step, and that was the end of my DV4-1540US. Hard drive survived, but screen didn't and Squaretrade reimbursed instead of fixing. I had planned on just buying the exact same thing, but learned it's been discontinued. The DV4-2170US seems to be its successor, basically being the same except with an upgraded processor (i5).

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Since my Dell laptop is seven years old, I've been looking for a replacement for the last few months. There are so many options that it was hard to make a choice. Since I bought a Sony Vaio for my wife recently the VGN-NW270F, I had a good laptop to compare to this HP DV4.

You basically have two general choices to make: do you want a powerful laptop that can do lots of things, but has a shorter batter life or do you want a lighter less powerful laptop which has an extended life. I went with the power laptop which the HP is.

In general, I'm very happy and impressed. The HP is a bit smaller 14" vs 15.6", but I actually prefer the smaller form factor. The 15.6 is more a desktop replacement size. They both have the same 320 GB hard drive and plenty of other ports and 4 GB or ram. I wanted an HDMI port and both have this feature. When you connect the HP to my 42" TV the screen looks sharp and stunning. I can now watch internet video and ripped movies on my big screen. One feature the Sony has is the ability to play Blue Ray disks, but since I don't own any of those, it's not a factor.

The HP does have a nice Recovery partition and a few other features, but I don't use them. The Sony has a better metal body, keyboard and track pad area (I use a real mouse.), but the HP is ok.

Windows 7 is a joy to work with and even though I bought a manual, I haven't had to crack it open yet. I've gone from XP to Windows 7 without a hitch.

Pros

Fast bootup and performance

One click to turn wireless on and off.

Fantastic HDMI video to home TV

Cons

Case and keyboard not as nice as Sony Vaio.

Track area doesn't have the nice feel of a Sony

A little bit of junkware you need to uninstall.

Best Deals for HP Pavilion DV4-1547SB 14.1-Inch Black Laptop - Up to 4.25 Hours of

Ordered this over the weekend, what a superb machine i mean super quiet, really fast, doesn't heat up and has all the latest multimedia features. I removed the optical drive (slide and remove) and lost about half a pound on the weight. Battery is great gave me 3.5hrs. I don't have any complaints. Do yourself a favor and ignore the other two reviews. For $689 this is a steal.

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I got this laptop this week from Staples deal, around $ after all trade-in, rebates and tax included. It's a very nice laptop w/ white color, look sharp, easy set up, runs very fast, and super super quiet when it's on, almost all features included. I especially like the remote control. The only draw-back is the battery life seems it didn't last 4.25 hrs as it described, only around 3.5hrs. Overall, it's absolutly a good-buy for around hundred bucks.

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I paid full price for this HP DV4 1540US laptop on November 5th 2009. I received the delivery of the computer promptly on Monday November 9th 2009. But when I opened the box it felt like I got a used/refurbished computer

Computer was loosely placed in the box without any cover. The power cord was open and placed loosely on the top of the computer....The user manual was open and placed on the computer instead of its designated location...I was very disappointed with the quality of packaging...It felt like the computer was opened used and then sent to me...It was very disappointing to get this kind of service quality from Amazon...

...I was so excited when I ordered the new computer after almost 5 years...(My Dell Dimension 5100 desktop died on me week before!! so decided to get a new computer)..but this made me rethink/doubt about Amazon's commitment to customer satisfaction and quality.

Please keep this in mind before ordering electronics from Amazon.com.

HP Pavilion DV4-1540US 14.1-Inch White Laptop Up to 4.25 Hours of Battery Life (Windows 7 Home Premium)

Reviews of 10.1" Mini Notebook Black

Customer Ratings:

Im in high school and the laptop worked great. Ive had it a year and a half now and never had an issue. It went through everything a laptop possibly could and came out strong and still like new.

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Cheap Gateway MT3422 14.1" Notebook Computer

Customer Ratings:

The laptop is really nice. Everything as promised. Very quiet. A bit heavy, but I dont't carry it much and if I do it doesn't matter. Windows Vista is not really faster then XP :-( nor is it better.

All in all a good choice.

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I had this system for a week now and I am pleased with it. I use it for ViOP and VPN using a wireless network for work and it works great. It is what it is, a mid to low range Laptop. The only thing that I can gripe about is that the pointing device is low grade. The left click button is aready loosing its spring. I knew the pointing device was not an everyday use device and I have heavy fingers. So I am going to a mouse.

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I have enjoyed the laptop so far. Crisp display, ok graphics. Only gripe is it's a touch slow it needs to think about things for a little before they load up. Might be worth the mem upgrade to 2g for vista prem.

Buy HP ENVY 17-j020us Quad Edition Notebook PC

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $1,236.00
Sale Price: $827.99
Today's Bonus: 33% Off

This laptop is perfect, it handles everything without any problems. there is no back-lit keyboard on this model(j020us), but if that's what you need then i don't recommend it. the screen size is perfect for watching movies/videos. Windows 8 is honestly not even as bad as people make it seem. it took me about 20 minutes to figure out everything. the only bad thing is the 5400rpm hdd, which isnt a super big deal. the laptop boots pretty quick and the battery life isn't terrible, but what do you expect out of a 17.3-inch screen with 1600x900 pixels and a beast processor. the sound on this laptop is pretty good the beats audio is alright, you can definitely hear the base. there is bluetooth on this model. its build quality is pretty nice it doesn't feel super cheap but its nowhere near Apple quality. it doesn't seem to run too hot it stays around 40-50 degrees when running most applications which is decent. browsing the web it gets around mid 30s to low 40s. I bought a 2 year warranty from Square Trade and its way better than paying for an HP warranty, so for people complaining its pointless never buy a warranty from the company that makes the product as they will take their sweet time. Overall this is a pretty good laptop that will handle just about any application you throw at it. I wouldn't recommend it for gaming as the GPU is pretty weak, so if you're a gamer on a budget I'd recommend the Lenovo y410p which has been on sale for quite some time and the specs are more gamer oriented, but it will take them forever to ship it.

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Fast but great battery life for day-to-day tasks. Only gripe is the slow 5400x HDD, but I understand what I was getting from the start, so I can't complain.

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This item came quickly, set up quickly, and I was using it right away. Windows 8 was a little confusing at first, but that would be the only (small) complaint.

Honest reviews on HP ENVY 17-j020us Quad Edition Notebook PC

Seems to work well enough..some setup issues, and on line support didn't seem to be very knowledgeable about the product. Works well now, though.

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We've had this notebook just a couple weeks. Setup was easy. It boots up fast, but login is disappointingly slow. It came with Windows 8 and the upgrade to 8.1 is now available for free. We haven't done the upgrade yet, but plan to do so. We understand there is an option in 8.1 to boot to the desktop and a start menu, which will resolve most of the issues we have with Windows 8.

Like another reviewer remarked, the edge of the notebook is tapered and isn't as thick as a network (RJ-45) jack. I don't find it an issue when plugging a network cable in, but it can be darn near impossible to get it out. Good thing the WiFi works great.

HP's touchpad is very "touchy", plus the buttons are integrated into the pad. We are using a mouse with it.

The size of the screen is great until you take it on the road. It's nearly impossible to use on a plane. It's heavy, although not nearly as heavy as another HP 17.3" we have that has the bigger, longer-life battery. We call that one the "aircraft carrier".

Samsung Series 7 NP700Z7C-S01UB 17-Inch Laptop (2.40 GHz Intel Core Review

Customer Ratings:

First of all, I'd have to say that I am very impressed with this product, though it does have a few minor flaws.

The good: Nice, bright 17.3" matte HD screen, backlit keyboard, 8 GB RAM, Windows 8 preinstalled.

This laptop has a nice, solid frame that doesn't flex much, making it especially suited to pick up one-handed while it's running without having to worry about the battery unlatching and turning the machine off (a problem with my last laptop). It is weighty, but about right for it's size I guess.

It's painless to disassemble the back cover to access the hard drive (about 8 screws), though it will take a little effort to pry the cover off. I took mine apart to replace the stock 5400 RPM hard drive with a Seagate Momentus XT 7200 RPM drive. I'm also not a fan of having a built-in DVD drive on my laptop (wasted space to me), so I stuck the OEM 1 TB 5400 drive there to back up my OS and data drive using a hard drive caddy from my last Samsung laptop.

It looks as firm and well-built inside as it is on the outside. I love the brushed aluminum frame. It dissipates heat fairly well, even with the extra mods. It doesn't get anywhere close to the heat output of my wife's MacBook Pro 15". I don't hear the fan ever, and my temperatures sit around 50 degrees C.

You may read other reviews about the battery being "integrated" and customers who worry about what to do when it comes time to replace it. In this laptop, after removing the back cover, you have full access to the battery which just plugs into the motherboard. One drawback is the motherboard has 4 GB RAM soldered into the board and is not easily accessible by removing the back cover. The other 4 GB doesn't require the entire back cover to be removed at all, it has a separately latched compartment that is bound to the bottom by a single screw. It IS upgradable to 8 GB, for a total capacity of 12 GB of RAM for this machine. 8 GB is sufficient for Windows 8 for now (for what I do anyway), but if you run virtual machines while doing other stuff you may consider the upgrade.

I don't do much gaming, but the graphics seem ok. It has both the built-in Intel HD graphics and a discrete Nvidia graphics card.

I've also read other complaints about the Wifi card. I have had no issues so far out if it.

The screen is amazing, a 1920 X 1080 HD screen. This makes watching movies very enjoyable, but sometimes the on-screen font can be a little difficult to read without changing font size or DPI. I prefer to use the Microsoft ZoomIt tool to get around this.

The not-so good: Battery life is so-so, 5400 RPM drive sucks, reinstalling Windows 8 is a major pain on this laptop (see below), trackpad takes some getting used to.

I am a fairly experienced computer technician and I love to start fiddling with my laptops as soon as I get them. This being no exception, I figured I'd just slap a copy of Acronis on the computer and backup to my new hard drive. Not so fast! Windows 8 out-of-the-box comes with UEFI Secure Boot enabled, which effectively binds an OS installation to the BIOS. After I cloned the original hard drive and installed the new one, the laptop wouldn't boot. After changing some settings in the BIOS (turning Secure Boot off), I could boot the drive (blazing fast on the Seagate Momentus XT by the way) but I had lost a key feature of Windows 8. So I opted for the clean install. Be prepared to format a USB stick for EFI boot plus extracting the contents of the Windows 8 ISO to the stick. I could not get an external CD drive to work with the UEFI BIOS. End of story. It may work better if you keep the original DVD drive though. The whole process (research included), took about 3 hours. But after all the crap, Win 8 installs just like on any other computer.

By doing a clean install, be warned! You will no longer have access to Samsung's pre-installed apps in the Windows Store. Still haven't found a way to reinstall them. A minor flaw.

The original hard drive was SLOW. Very slow, even with the 8 GB Express Cache. The 8 GB cache on the Momentus XT works much better. You do have plenty of space with 1 TB though. And that's good, because out-of-the-box Samsung uses multiple partitions (2 system, 2 recovery partitions). The 2 system partitions are a product of Secure Boot and Windows 8, so there's nothing you can do about those. The 2 Samsung recovery partitions use up about 24 GB of space. I deleted these during the clean install, but if you don't keep your Windows 8 disc on you, you may want to consider keeping these partitions.

The battery life with all OEM hardware was only about 6 hours. This was 2 hrs less than the Best Buy salesman had advertised (which jives with Samsung's claims on 8 hrs). After adding the extra hard drive, I find that I get about 5.5 hours of battery life, which is ok for what I need the laptop for. Just understand this is a full-featured, desktop replacement laptop and not an ultrabook.

I read a lot about the Elan touchpad issues with this laptop. A lot of people don't like it. Mine came with Elan driver 11.2.7.1 out-of-the-box. This was ok, and I didn't experience the touchpad causing the pointer "jumping" too much on the screen. It's definitely sensitive, which is good for the Windows 8 gestures. Be prepared to change some settings in the Control Panel. After making a few tweaks and spending some time with the touchpad, I've come to actually enjoy it as much as the Synaptics on my last laptop. I especially like the 2 finger tap that mimics the right-click of the touchpad. I really don't use the integrated touchpad click buttons that much.

Final thoughts: This is a great laptop that is worth every cent. I feel like I'm getting twice the computer for half the price I'd expect for these many features.

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Important to note that Samsung has the worst warranty process I've ever experienced, and as a result, I'll never purchase their laptops again. I've had Toshibas, Dells, IBMs, etc. I'm a high-end power user (Photoshop, Dreamweaver, etc.) and I'm also extremely tech-savvy when it comes to fixing electronics. I purchased this laptop and the drive crashed after 2 months. I had to send the laptop to their Texas facility (it took 3 weeks for the turnaround)... 2 months later, the system crashed a second time. In a 1 year period, this laptop has crashed a total of 4 separate drives. Each time, reloading my system with all my software takes a good 4hrs. Imagine, each time you lose your laptop for 3 weeks. Their "executive customer relations" department is without a doubt, the worst, rudest, and most arrogant department I've ever had the misfortune to deal with. Samsung's entry into the laptop market really leaves a lot to be desired. This has been a nightmare experience from beginning to end. They don't give a damn about the customer.

When they finally offered a "same as or better" replacement, they considered that offering me a 15.6" laptop screen instead of the 17.3" I currently had was the "same or better". Also, their "refund" was not for my full purchase price it was for $200 less after a year of continual crashes. I finally gave up with them, filed a claim with Amex platinum and they refunded me the entire price let them deal with this garbage. My time is worth much more than spending in excess of 10hrs dealing with Samsung...

Incidentally, after the 1TB drive failed that arrived with the system, I purchased a solid state drive. It then crashed that drive. Luckily that drive (by Crucial) was under its own warranty and they have had to continually replace it for me 3 times. At this point, they won't replace it for me any more as it's obvious the fault is with the laptop. So, I'm out the price of the solid state drive ($350). Samsung, even though they accept responsibility that the laptop caused the failures will give me no reimbursement at all.

It really is the absolute worst customer service. It is not only the laptop that stops me from buying from them again, it's the support if something goes wrong, you really are in trouble.

Best Deals for Samsung Series 7 NP700Z7C-S01UB 17-Inch Laptop (2.40 GHz Intel Core

Nice looking and solid design notebook with good price compared to other brand names. So far every thing is working well. I do not have problem with weak wireless connection and over heat issue as I read some reviews previously. The fan is running rather quite which I like it. This notebook model is pre-loaded with Windows 8. At first I was disappointed with Windows 8 because it did not have the old start menu and it forced me to use Window Metro GUI. After downloading the free Classic Shell from the Internet and installing it, I now have the old start menu back and I have a choice to use Metro GUI by selecting Shift + Window key. I am happy with the purchase.

Honest reviews on Samsung Series 7 NP700Z7C-S01UB 17-Inch Laptop (2.40 GHz Intel Core

I love the computer. Exceed my expections. Good packing. Good product. On time and affordable price. Samsung best computer. like it.

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It's perfect for me! Not expensive for the specs it has, it runs great games like GTA4 on best quality easy!

Best Acer Aspire S7-391-9886 13.3-Inch Touchscreen Ultrabook Deals

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $1,649.99
Sale Price: $1,449.99
Today's Bonus: 12% Off

The best of its kind to provide a balance between battery performance between 7 hours with wifi on to do projects. An excellent gaming device especially playing NBA 2k13 and Skyrim with no lagging at all. Provide landscape and portrait mode for reading at 13 inch monitor. Touch screen responsive with no lag. Touch pad feeling smooth similar to Macbook air. It is even lighter on hand with its 13 inch compare with the weight of macbook air 11 inch. It eliminated the arrow key problem macbook air had. Comes with acer leather high class feeling case, white mouse, white power cable that matches the color of S7. Comes with HDMI port and VGA port. Also a screen cloth to protect the monitor's contact with keyboard when closed. Highly recommanded for casual gaming or project work. Excellence Ultrabook to show off to your Macbook friends.

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From the minute you open the box, you have the feeling that this is no ordinary laptop and you are right. Each component is packaged in its own little unit within with care. Inside you will find the Acer S7, AC power adapter, a wireless mouse, 2 special adapters for VGA and for HDMI, and a case for your S7. Acer even includes an anti-static cloth. Sweet. Turn on and set-up is straightforward though I won't say I am a fan of the Windows 8 operating system.

The S7 is everything an ultrabook should be. It has a very nice intuitive design and layout. The power button is located outside the unit in the middle on the left hand side. Also on the same side is the port for the VGA/HDMI adapter and the headphones. Outside on the right side are located two 3.0 USB ports and a 2-in-1 card reader. The S7 has a 1.3 MP webcam that delivers high resolution images that won't disappoint. The 13.3-inch HD touch screen display is uniformly bright. The active matrix TFT color display delivers very crisp true images no fading even to the edges of the screen and boasts a resolution of 1920x 1080. The touchscreen is very responsive. This ultrabook has all the perks including IEEE 802.11 wifi and 4.0 bluetooth.

The keyboard is backlit which is a nice touch. The keyboard has a Windows start key and a menu key. Overall the keyboard is well laid out. It has a nice feel to it but there's very little travel when typing which may lead to repeat character errors when typing.

Physically the unit has a solid feel to it and it should since the unit's body is lightweight aluminum. The top of the unit is covered in Gorilla glass. When the unit is on the "Acer" logo glows white on the face. Closed the unit is quite literally razor-thin less than 0.5-in and will give the MacBook Air a run for the money. The unit travels well. It has excellent battery life long enough for an east-to-west coast flight (ca. 5-h). In my book, the Acer S7 comes out on top without a doubt!

In terms of the processor, the S7 has a 3rd generation dual core i7 chipset clocked at 1.9 GHz which can be boosted to speeds of 3.0 GHz. The unit comes with 4G SDRAM. I use large dataset applications such as NVIVO and SPSS and have been quite impressed with the speed. Unlike many other computers this unit doesn't heat up noticeably even when you use it all day. It does have a fan that is relatively quiet and turns on when needed to help dissipate heat.

Disadvantages include the fact you are limited to 4G RRAM the RAM is soldered into the motherboard so you can't add RAM. I want to note that this is common problem with ultrabooks. To hook up to a projector or digital screen you must use one of the two adapters provided with the unit. Don't lose these as the adapter is a proprietary product. The audio is supposedly Dolby Home Theatre 4.0 but don't get excited the sound is nothing to write home about = so-so very tinny and thin. As I stated earlier, the keyboard is a tad too responsive which leads to repeat character errors which can be annoying if you are a speed typist.

Bottom-line if you are a working technical professional looking for a laptop and don't want to compromise performance and capabilities for travelability then look no further the Acer S7 is well worth it's sticker price of $1649.00

Recommendations: I highly recommend purchasing a second AC power adapter and an Acer onsite service plan.

Best Deals for Acer Aspire S7-391-9886 13.3-Inch Touchscreen Ultrabook

As the owner of an Ipad and a 17 inch laptop, I must say that the Acer Aspire S7 is the perfect mix between the two.

Here are some of the concerns you might see online addressed:

1) The keyboard was reviewed to be slightly uncomfortable. I find it quite pleasant and easier to type on than my other (Vaio) laptop.

2) The battery life is wonderful as it goes up to 6.5 hours on battery saver, and a bit above 5 hours on balanced.

This is a beautiful device that is bound to get plenty of attention from all your friends, especially since it is super thin and touch-screen enabled.

I'll edit my review if anything goes wrong, but so far it is going perfectly.

Honest reviews on Acer Aspire S7-391-9886 13.3-Inch Touchscreen Ultrabook

I received this laptop as an anniversary gift. We had originally focused on a heavy duty but lightweight Windows 8 laptop/tablet. No Windows RT for me. Maybe I wanted too much out of one device. I was hoping for the perfect blend of ultrabook and tablet.

Prior to that we had tried the Zen Book Prime, but the keyboard and touchpad were just too buggy. We considered the Samsung Series 9 as well. Against all of my programmer boyfriend's belief's we tried a juiced up Mac Air 13 but ultimately decided against the Apple OS.

We didn't want to wait any longer for the Yoga or HP Envy 2 convertibles. I decided I needed an ultra portable laptop over a tablet. I wanted to be able to do some work on it as well and not use it primarily for entertainment.

My boyfriend surprised me with this beautiful laptop. Beautiful, feels solid, and has all the goodies, at this price, it better.

First, it's gorgeous. Beautiful display, feels solid, the keypad looks like the Macbook Air but less comfortable. Feels good but a little awkward,and the delete key is located to the right of the space bar.

This was my first experience with Windows 8, and let me say you really need a touch screen to utilize it. I strongly recommend that you DON'T update to Windows 8 UNLESS you have a touchscreen.

Back to this gem, I've now had it two weeks and still beautiful but instead of being more at ease with the keyboard, it's actually getting more cumbersome as I'm very aware of as I'm typing this review. It's great for basic apps and web browsing but if I just wanted that I could have gotten a tablet or Chromebook for a fraction of the price.

The fan is so loud that my visiting mother thought it was the radiators. I'm very aware of the fan as I'm typing this. Sometimes the fan is SO loud lately that it seems like it's going to self-destruct.

Three stars because of the layout of the keyboard, the fan, and for this price why not make this gorgeous machine fully convert to a tablet?? It's already a touch screen so most of the job is done.

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When you spend $1,700 on a laptop, you just don't want to compromise or settle. There's so much to love about the S7....gorgeous styling, light, and stunning screen. It became the envy of everyone in my office. So what's the unpardonable sin for me?

Noise. The fan noise was random and extraordinarily loud. So much so that I couldn't take a conference call on a speaker. Also anyone sitting in my office when the fan kicked in remarked about the jet engine taking off. I tried to ignore it, or tell myself that I would get used to it, but I just couldn't and it ended up going back.

Another annoying factor for me is that the trackpad is not centered. I know it's a common placement, but it still really bothered me. The left side of the palm rest is significantly smaller than the right side of the palm rest. I have large hands and I ended up having to change how I type, having to really tuck my left thumb under my fingers and it just wasn't comfortable for all day computing.

The other factors that I would have overlooked if it wasn't for the above 2 deal breakers:

Key travel is shallow on this keyboard. Coming from 15 years of using ThinkPads, the difference was significant, but it would not have been the deal breaker for me.

The other thing I wasn't crazy about was that the edging on the bottom half of the laptop was sharper that it should have been. Again, when you're looking for all day comfort, this is one of the little things that work against you. Another non-deal breaker for me, but just a point of feedback.

I would have loved better battery life as well.

Other than these few items, I absolutely loved the S7 Ultrabook. I'm going to give either the Asus UX31A Touch or the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch a shot next.

Cheap Dell Latitude D630 14.1" Laptop (2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo

Customer Ratings:

very good and easy to use --IT IS NOT A GAMING MACHINE--the wife loves to use it for internet and causual gaming

problems are 1)VERY short battery life--2 hours

2) gets hot fast

3) did not come with a restore cd (made one as soon as it was hooked up)

4) came with windows 7 (not xp) (not really a bad thing )

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I bought 2 of these as gifts for my children for Christmas. They arrived quickly and were in good shape. I appreciated the help I received when I called the company asking for a referral to what laptop would be appropriate. The man I spoke to took the time to help me.

Best Deals for Dell Latitude D630 14.1" Laptop (2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo

I bought this Laptop D630, 14.1 inches, because I needed a small computer to take on my trips. It worked for about one week, then it gouldn't turn on! Also, it was creating so much heat coming out from the CPU heat sink. Since I'm a technician, I made some repair on it, chainging 3 SMD Aluminum Electrolytic Capacitors (Aluminum body devices located around the heat sink) and replacing the CPU heat sink thermal grease, applying new "Arctic Silver 5 3.5G Polysynthetic Silver Thermal Grease Compound" to CPU Heat Sink. Now it works fine again.

Honest reviews on Dell Latitude D630 14.1" Laptop (2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo

I purchased a refurbished Dell Lattitude D630 from Tampa in July of 2012. It came very quickly and I was pleased that the computer was better than advertised. It came with windows 7, a larger hard drive and a RW DVD drive all of which were not part of the deal. After making the mistake of installing McAfee (which caused all sorts of conflicts)and then uninstalling it and restoring the computer, all was great. Then in the early days of September, a bizarre problem occured where the display starting tiling in two columns miniature images of the desktop. Occasionally, it would boot up correctly but not often. The folks at Tampa happily replaced the computer for me but saved the hard drive from the defective unit which saved me hours of rebuilding the unit. And did this exchange in a week. Top marks for these folks!

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I bought this inexpensive laptop from Tampa Laptops thinking i was getting a great deal on a Christmas gift for my 7 year old . the computer works and had fresh install of XP pro. the wifi has shut itself down a few times and has required a reboot, that is a little annoying. i purchased this d630 that was listed as 'refurbished' and 'great condition' for $5 more than the 'used' one in 'good condition' thinking they would give me the pick of the litter, i would hate to see the 'used' one. there are a few buttons that the letters are half gone and the computer itself is filthy. i would expect this computer had i chose the 'used' d630. as a refurb in 'great condition' i expect every component to be 'like new' and gone through and cleaned, not just a fresh install of the operating system. what do you get with the used one? do you get someone's old virus riddled pos? had i known that i would have just bought the used one for 5 bucks less and refurb it myself. what a joke. also seller stated item would ship with in 2 days, it took 3 not a big deal. item was to be shipped ups and came usps in a destroyed box. buyer beware

Items Ordered Price

1 of: Dell Latitude D630 Laptop Core 2 Duo Dual Core 2.0ghz, 2gb Ram, 80gb Hdd, DVD Player, Windows Xp Pro Installed and Restore Cd

Condition: Refurbished

Sold by: Tampa-Laptops (seller profile)

$199.95

Best ThinkPad Edge E430 3254AEU 14" LED Notebook Intel Core i5-2450M Deals

Customer Ratings:

This is a good business laptop. I am a Field Engineer with a lot of stops throughout my day. A tablet just isn't enough. This laptop handles itself well with good battery life. It will burns dvd's in reasonable time. It is just the right size to carry everywhere you have to go. Fits well in a Timbuktu media commuter bag. Easy to carry, nice screen size. Solid performance from OS and hardware. Good features, and reliable performance. Thinkpad has a decent contender here

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This is a great laptop. I travel much and it provides the right features for traveling AND is durable. I highly recommend!

Buy Dell Inspiron I15R-2104SLV Intel Core i5 2.5GHz 8GB 1TB DVD+/-RW

Customer Ratings:

I am very satisfied with the machine. I especially like the power and speed. I took a long time researching for a Windows 7 operating system. This had everything I needed. Unfortunately it was offered as a used machine in like new condition. I think it had been dropped, because when using the right shift key the curser goes everywhere sometimes. It's no big deal, if it bothers me too much I will have another key board installed. I have another Dell that had the same problem. New keyboard, $49.00, everything is just dandy, except my wife uses it. Again, I am perfectly happy with everything. D. Thomas.

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Reviews of Lenovo - IdeaPad Laptop V570-1066AJU / Intel® CoreTM i5-2430M

Customer Ratings:

I purchased this item and received it in a timely manner. However, 34 days after receiving it, the backlight was going out, etc. I contacted seller and was told that it was over 30 days and I had to return it to the manufacturer. When I contacted Lenovo, and gave them the serial number and model number, I was told it was a year old on December 28, 2012 so the year warranty had expired also. I have no recourse for the issues with this computer and Amazon won't even assist me. I've very disappointed in Amazon, and will not buy anything like this from them again.

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Bought it for the wife for her birthday. Great value but could use light colered keys with dark letters/numbers for ease of sight.