Buy Toshiba 15.6" Satellite P755-S5215 Laptop / Intel® CoreTM i3

Customer Ratings:

Bought this laptop from a bigbox store recently for $549 plus tax. Great deal. So far it's worth every penny. The Core i3 processor with 6 gigs of RAM makes it sufficiently fast. I bought it to replace my 4 year old Toshiba and have been delighted to know that it still has many of the features that I like and has improved or upgraded other features. Although heavier than most computers in it's class it is lighter than my previous Satellite of the same size. The screen is now a little longer and narrower than before. Colors I think are a little brighter. It has 640 gigs of hard drive but I can't imagine that I will ever use more than 100 gigs of that. The built in speakers were a selling point for me. They are very loud and clear, unlike many of it's competitors whose speakers sound like they were taken out of one of those stuffed animals that talk when you squeeze them. You can lock the touch pad when you are typing. The volume control is now a touch sensor instead of a little wheel. The only downsides that I can think of are the weight and the mouse buttons which are a little stiff. The frame of the lap top has a weird textured look and feel. I guess the idea was so that fingerprints don't show but its grainy, textured feel is a little distracting at first. I'm sure I will get used to it soon. This new model also has a key pad, HDMI, and USB 3.0 although I'm still trying to figure out which one it is as it is not labeled.

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The P755-S5215 is the second Toshiba Satellite that I've owned and I've had it for 7 months now without issue, as I expected. The first one (a U205-S5057 bought in mid 2007) still works perfectly except for 5 bad pixels on the monitor. Both of these laptops take regular trips in the tail bag of my motorcycle with all the vibration and lack of climate control that goes with it.

The good...

It has volume and a few media controls near the monitor. Why are manufacturers making laptops without volume and media controls? This was one of the few, including many of the more expensive units, with at least some controls! Seems cheap and lazy to me.

The Harmon/Kardon speakers were some of the best in its price range. Even cranked up, voices are easily understood. Its headphone output makes good use of my Sennheiser PX200's and has enough power to make full volume uncomfortable.

The monitor has good color and contrast and is a pleasure to watch movies on.

Battery life is decent and even with the wi-fi on I had no problem watching the 162 min 'Watchmen' with headphones and brightness turned up. Mine seems to average about 3 to 3.5 hours and charges in around 30 to 45min.

The unit is well balanced and even with the monitor tilted fully it won't flop over on its back.

The keyboard has a great feel and seems solid and durable. The 'F' keys, arrow and number keys are separated enough to make them easy to find by feel in the dark.

The case texture looks slick but is easy to hold onto even one handed and, for those concerned, doesn't show fingerprints too badly.

The unit runs cool (unless you block the bottom vents!) and the fan is very quiet.

The power cord is nice and long and easily reaches inconveniently placed motel outlets.

The bad...

To me, the only bad I can think of are really just annoyances.

The mousepad buttons make a positive, but loud in quiet environments, 'click'. The pad itself is about an inch or so left of center and in the dark I find myself scrolling instead of moving the pointer.

Speaking of dark, I like to turn down the brightness to surf and read in bed at night. Annoyingly, there is a lighted 'Satellite' logo on the bottom left corner that can't be turned off. It's now covered with a piece of tape.

The monitor hinge closes positively but takes a firm two hands to open.

The only thing I can't comment on is Windows 7. The Vista installed on the U205-S5057 left a very bad taste in my mouth and after suffering for 2 months I switched to Linux Ubuntu. When I bought the P755-S5215, I used Windows just long enough to burn a system restore disc (in case I ever need to return the laptop) then immediately installed Ubuntu. I can say that Ubuntu runs perfectly except for the 'loss' of the 2 finger mousepad which Ubuntu doesn't support...yet. I say 'loss' because after playing with a friend's laptop so equipped, it didn't add to my experience enough for me to miss it.

I'll update this post If any issues come up.

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I WOULDN'T BUY THIS BRAND LAPTOP FOR A DOG... check Google first..... google TOSHIBA WIRELESS ISSUES...... hadI not already PURCHASED MICROSOFT 2013......because it did NOT COME INSTALLED......I would have returned......no wonder the seller sold at such a "great" price....... CRAP CRAP CRAP

Honest reviews on Toshiba 15.6" Satellite P755-S5215 Laptop / Intel® CoreTM i3

My only big issue with this laptop is that it randomly decides a key in which wants to stick... today it is the "n" key. Very annoying. Other, a good laptop.

Review of E-Machine E525-2632 2.2GHz 2GB 250GB 15.6'' Win7

Customer Ratings:

I needed a VERY inexpensive computer for my worker to use at the scanning station. This arrived very quickly and is actually a very nice machine. All we will be using it for is scanning documents and burning CDs so it may not be fast enough for more complex users but it sure is nice to have this machine here. (The old one literally died right as I was bringing this one over to the station). It jumped right on the internet. it did have that annoying "Do you want Norton Antivirus" crap on the first bootup but I got rid of that.

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Reviews of Dell Inspiron 14R i14RMT-7475sLV 14-Inch Touchscreen Laptop (Moon

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $749.99
Sale Price: $599.99
Today's Bonus: 20% Off

I like its design, i.e. touch screen, Windows 8, screen size, and above all, the price is right. Only glitch is the screen glare or resolution.

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The computer is nice, fast, light, ok. But the windows 8 is confused, i m still trying to learn it!

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I have had this computer for almost two months and it is working very well, the only think is that sometimes it takes to stopped, but I think so that is for the W8, maybe because I have a virtual account and not a PC account. I recommend this PC for people who need it to study or just review o create documents. I don't really recommend the PC for people who wants install heavy games programs.

In general the PC work very well and it faster, I love the touch screen, that make use it very easy.

Discount Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 11.6-Inch Convertible Touchscreen Laptop

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $699.99
Sale Price: $408.88
Today's Bonus: 42% Off

I actually purchased the Yoga 11" directly from Lenovo's site. I do want to point out that my entire experience was really positive working with their sales and customer service staff. The item shipped quickly and without hassle they required signature but since they ship via UPS, they allowed my neighbor to sign. Ultimately I did return this item which I'll explain more on, but that process too was outstanding. They immediately (like while on the phone with them) emailed me pre-paid UPS shipping labels and provided all the instruction I needed to get it sent back.

Pros:

Versatility and form factor: The 11" size is plenty portable, and it's relatively light for a laptop. The available touch-screen with it's various "modes" makes it nice to use while standing itself up in a wide range of positions across it's 360 degree rotation.

Build quality: It feels solid, the lines fit together well, it doesn't creak or flex when you hold it from outer edges. The palm rest is textured and it seemed more durable than others I've used that discolored over time. That said it's casing is made of plastic and I hoped for higher grade materials. i.e. the aluminum found in Apple's products.

Cons:

Internal hardware: It uses the same Tegra 3 processor that comes available in $200 Android tablets, and as a result you're stuck with a diluted version of Window's 8, and it occasionally has a hard time keeping up with the performance demands.

Windows RT: This isn't a review for Windows RT so I'll keep this brief. It's too limited, the Windows Store comes up short on apps I find essential, and being an ARM chip means you're stuck with RT indefinitely with no declared upgrade path to RT Pro.

Tablet Mode: I thought I wanted the Yoga because it was the ideal compromise between laptop and tablet. Unfortunately, it isn't. It's just a bit to long (or tall) when holding it in portrait style. It weighs 3.8lbs which is definitely too heavy for practical tablet use, and the keyboard remains exposed when in this mode, which for me felt very awkward.

Price: Considering the sacrifices with the weak-ish CPU, being stuck with Windows RT, and that it doesn't quite deliver on the tablet concept it's overpriced at $799.

In summary: I returned the Yoga because I found it to be fundamentally the same offering as the Microsoft Surface, but you're charged $300 more for the attached keyboard and it's various "modes". The stand mode is super convenient, but it's not worth the difference in price.

It needs a capable, lap-top grade processor that can run full Windows 8, and it needs to get closer in width/height ratio to true tablets while still offering lap-top productivity for it to be worth $799.

When the app store is ready, I will want a Windows 8 device. And a convertible of some kind would make a lot of sense for me if someone can produce one that delivers beyond concept and pays attention to the details that reveal themselves in daily use.

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Lenovo's Yoga 11 is pretty great. I had some trepidation about Windows RT until a friend of mine let me use his Surface. After using it, I knew I had to have an RT device, but I wanted something that felt more like a laptop than a tablet. Lenovo makes incredibly good hardware right now and this device is no exception.

The keyboard, typing surface, palm rests, and track pad are the absolute best I've use in an 11" form factor. It's even better than my MacBook Air for purposes of generating text and casual computing. Some of that credit is due to Windows RT and the Windows 8 gestures one can employ using both the screen and the track pad.

The screen is extremely good for a device this size and very easy on the eyes for extended typing sessions. Text and pictures are crisp and the range of colors and trueness of their hue is very good. I particularly like watching streaming media and reviewing photographs with the device. The touch screen is responsive and as accurate as my iPad or Nokia Windows Phone.

Windows RT does a really good job managing system resources. I thought I would have to exert a greater degree of workspace management to keep it running smoothly, but it handles multiple tasks rather well. The WiFi is a little slow being single channel I think, so pages don't load instantly like you think they would. However, this is all in the name of battery life I think, and a worthwhile endeavor it was.

The battery lasts for 11.5 hours or thereabouts from what I can discern. This was with WiFi on, and 3-5 applications running with the screen at 50% brightness. Unless you're working outside, 50% is still plenty bright to do whatever and nice enough for streaming video.

For most of what I do, the device has the functionality and the included Office Programs are preferred to 2010 Professional loaded on my other machines. While you can't side load applications other than what it comes with or what you can find in the Windows Store, I haven't found myself missing much except a decent PDF viewer. I've had to make due with Adobe's touch version and the one Microsoft included to get my by most of the time, but I rarely need more than two open at once.

The machine came with very little bloatware. Three applications in the Start menu that took as many seconds to uninstall and the machine was free and clear. The fact that Windows RT doesn't have too many applications out for it yet isn't all bad I suppose.

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Summary great at $500 (or below), if you want a laptop-focused convertible/hybrid and can work within RT's limits. Great design and build quality. Epic battery life. Surprising performance.

First, a kind-of "caveat emptor" many reviews of Windows 8 and RT devices have negative feedback that's really about the OS. So, I'll leave most of those aside and suggest people search for general reviews of W8 and RT prior to purchase. But first, some specific heads-up regarding RT:

Yes, it's essentially a "locked down" version of Windows 8 and you can't install any "traditional" Windows programs. Check the websites of your key programs or substitutes to see if they're available via the Windows Store. Note to MS: It's maddening that you can only browse the Store on a W8 or RT device; let people do this BEFORE buying. And because you're stuck with IE 10, you're also stuck if you need a specific browser extensions/add-on that isn't available for it. For me, in Chrome, they are the bit.ly, Pocket, Springpad, and a user agent string changer (to deal with temperamental hotspots). Given the slow growth of Windows Apps, IE 10 needs to step up and fill in the gaps, but it feels only partially done. RT has Office, but without Outlook and some power-user features. If you need those, you likely need a full W8 laptop anyway. I'm also concerned that MS doesn't have 2-step authentication for its services, especially since many W8 "social integration" features give it access to your Gmail, FB, etc. There are many more personal issues I have with RT's execution, which were deal breakers at the original $799, but are tolerable at $500.

Positives there are many.

Build quality: excellent and the materials are well-chosen: the rubberized texture on the palm rest also keep it secure when it's face down, flipped over in "stand mode". The black, soft-touch, chiseled look is sharp, and I prefer its feel, durability and scratch-resistance to aluminum or worse, the faux silver plastic. The hinges, case edging, and various details are top-notch.

Screen/keyboard/mouse: resolution is okay, but works well for W8/RT's "Metro" interface. On an 11.6" screen, the resolution limit is most noticeable in something like Next Issue, when magazines are zoomed to fill the screen in landscape-mode. The keyboard is great; FAR better than on comparable RT and Atom-based W8 convertibles, and any portable bluetooth one. The trackpad is mostly good. Sometimes, it doesn't easily register physical clicks, and there's weak (or non-existent) palm rejection. But as you get more comfortable with touch in W8, it becomes a smaller issue.

"Modes": as a laptop, it feels just as good as an 11" Macbook Air, and has very similar dimensions and weight. Many 10"-or-larger tablet owners will love "stand mode" on their laps. It's an easy, very natural setup for reading, watching movies, Skype'ing, etc. It's a bigger difference than you think from just having a laptop on your lap. Tablet mode is less appealing, given its dimensions and weight, but I find that the case with anything bigger than a 7"+ tablet. And I haven't found reason to use tent mode yet.

Battery life and performance: battery life is truly great. On a full charge, the day I set it up (with screen brightness at 70% and all the downloading/installing, background music streaming), it lasted nearly 12 hrs. It re-charged in about 1hr. RT and apps run well on this Tegra 3. The "user experience" feels far more like a 1st-generation Ultrabook on W7 than not. My Nexus 7, which has a slightly slower Tegra 3, tends to choke and feels slower. So while there are legitimate issues with RT, it is definitely well-optimized for ARM chips.

Other pluses: Navigating many everyday "computer-y" things in Android and iOS is tougher than in RT. Adding printers? USB ports with storage? Traditional, drop-and-drag files and folders? In Desktop mode, RT is mostly as good and easy to navigate as W7.

In June, there will be an Intel i5-powered, "full" W8 version. Much faster, and install mostly whatever you want. It'll be $799, almost ½ lb heavier, slightly bigger, and probably realistically squeak out only 5 hrs of battery life. But for many people, it might be worth it.

Think of it this way... what would you think of an 11" MacBook Air that had the same 360 degree "flip", touch screen, and 10+ hr battery life? But running only iOS, but only some of the apps. No? How about at $500?

Honest reviews on Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 11.6-Inch Convertible Touchscreen Laptop

The Yoga 11 is an incredible product for those who can work in the Windows RT operating system (research Windows 8 vs Windows 8 RT if you do not know the difference). After doing my research, I knew my computing needs could be met with Windows RT. I chose the Yoga 11 over the Microsoft Surface RT after much debate.

I am attending graduate school online and needed a comfortable typing device for the long hours of school work I do. I liked the Yoga 11's attached keyboard much better than the touch and type keyboards that are attachable to the Surface RT that I tested out in the store. The two devices have the same internals so the choice really came down to form factor. The Yoga 11's keyboard is one of the best laptop keyboards I've ever typed on.

For schoolwork I have no difficulties accessing my class blackboard website and doing my required work or watching lectures. Microsoft Office 2013 is included with Windows RT devices and is perfect for all the Word, PowerPoint, and Excel work I do. This was a huge benefit because I would have had to still purchase Microsoft Office separately if I had decided to get a standard Windows 8 device. The only thing I wish RT had was a desktop PDF viewer as I read many research articles in this format. The included PDF viewer does get the job done, it just requires you to leave the desktop. I got over it quickly.

For personal use I love the ability to convert quickly between a tablet and laptop. This eliminates the need to have a device for each purpose. Some say this is too heavy to use as a tablet. If the weight of the device bothers you as you are using it as a tablet, you can put it into "stand" or "tent" mode and set it on your lap or a table. Feeling the keys on the back when using it as a tablet is a little weird at first, but I got used to it very quickly and never think twice about it. Also, the keys are disabled once you take the Yoga out of laptop mode so don't worry about accidental key presses in the other 3 modes.

Every once in a while there are some stutters or lag. This happens rarely and is no different than any regular laptop or desktop I've seen stutter from time to time. Some programs load a little slower than they do with the more powerful x86 processors, but we're only talking a few seconds.

As other reviewers have stated, Windows RT cannot run certain "traditional" windows programs like Photoshop or play traditional CD-ROM games. If you need to run specific programs that are not supported, then clearly this device is not for you. DO YOUR RESEARCH BEFORE BUYING. Windows 8 and Windows 8 RT (or just Windows RT) are two different, but very similar operating systems. It's sad how many people bought this device without researching the limitations and then frustratingly gave it a low rating because it didn't meet their needs. *Keep in mind you can remote desktop into other computers and access all their programs. I've done this to test it out and it works great for programs, though I have not tried playing a game through remote desktop.

I chose an RT device for a few reasons.

--10+ hours of battery life on a single charge while most laptops last only about 4 or 5 with real use

--the ability to leave the device on for days without turning off

--there are no fans, this does not get noisy after hours of use the way standard laptops do

--Microsoft office is included at no extra cost. This is only on Windows RT devices. Buying a standard Windows 8 device will require you to purchase Microsoft office separately.

--I do not need to run any x86 programs that would require me to get standard Windows 8

--This has the ability to use Remote Desktop to get into my Windows 8 Pro desktop to run any x86 programs as if they were on this device as long as I am on the same network. That means I can use Google Chrome, Photoshop, or whatever else can only be installed on standard Windows 8.

The one thing that annoys me with Windows RT is the speed at which it loads some websites. Most websites pop up instantly while a few seem to load and reload for 10-15 seconds before I can view them. It seems like it's mostly the ones with a lot of ads. Hopefully this will be fixed in a software update. Speaking of software updates, there have been a ton of them out for Windows RT devices. Before you do anything else on your Yoga, update it. Many of the bugs and quirks have been worked out through these updates.

The Yoga 11 is incredible in looks and performance. Do your research. If a Windows 8 RT device meets all of your computing needs software-wise, then I would definitely recommend the Lenovo Yoga 11.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 11.6-Inch Convertible Touchscreen Laptop

Great laptop....fast start up and shut down. Slim, lightweight, and the touchscreen works great, but the biggest disappointment is the Windows RT operating system. I can't install my printer or other previously used devices and drivers defeating the entire purpose of the laptop capabilities for my business needs. Great for tablet use, but not for Laptop use.

Discount ASUS VivoBook S400CA-RSI5T18 14-Inch Touchscreen Laptop (Black

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $699.99
Sale Price: $548.00
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This laptop is very light and easy to transport. It's the perfect size! Love the touch screen, which is very responsive, and the display is wonderful. Still getting used to windows 8 though.

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HP ENVY 14-1010NR 14.5" Laptop (2.40GHz Intel Core i5-450M Reviews

Customer Ratings:

If I were a professor grading papers and if notebooks were research papers, the very first Envy 15 which debuted over a year ago definitely deserved a C+ grade. Imagine that the Envy 15 1st generation is a 5-8 page paper. A typical prof would give HP that very grade for good effort and creativity, but poor organization, sentence structure, and grammar and thus a rather low level of coherence altogether. The Envy 15 2nd Gen which came out less than a year after that corrected most of the infamous problems such as heating issues, creaky palmrests, and a jumpy touchpad. This refresh (or rewrite?) raised HP's grade to a B+. But while some may celebrate over a "most improved award," just as people tend to be more critical of a BMW 7-series than of your average, run-of-the-mill Corolla, the bar is set rather high for the luxury notebook segment that notebooks like the Envy and Macbook Pro fall into.

Now onto the Envy 14. This time around, the grade for this notebook is rather controversial and definitely open to debate.

The Envy 14 was released on June 27th. It was advertised as sporting HP's edge-to-edge 1600x900 Radiance Display which would afford the user better color reproduction and brightness than most if not all notebooks out there, yes, even better than the Macbook Pro's, ATI infin

Without the (continually updating) Google touchpad software that can be found in the Trackpad Discussion thread of Notebookreview, this notebook IMO stays on the accursed borderline 89.5% which for many teachers can be a B+ grade or an A-. But with a 3rd party touchpad software written by a few good souls on notebookreview forums that leads to greatly improved two-finger scrolling, the Envy 14 gets a 93%. Just shy of Abut still in straight A territory. Toss in the Radiance display and you indeed get a potential top of the class paper not to mention another reason(with others to follow) for the professor to hand HP a letter of recommendation.

NOTE: If anyone wants the Google software in question, go to notebook review forums (notebookreview.com), go to the HP section, and visit the HP Envy 14 Owners' lounge. The first page will have a link that takes you to the touchpad software lounge. Make an account and ask people to redirect you to the software because my goodness, you WILL want the drivers designed by reil for smooth 2-finger scroll! Ask someone there for reil's Google touchpad software.

There's also a way to configure bottom left, bottom right and upper right as deadzones. I've configured the top right as right-click, the bottom left as go back a browser page, and the bottom right zone as go forward a browser page. Ask people on the Envy 14 notebook owners' lounge how to configure it!

To HP: Great job. You not only get the most-improved award in my grade book. You get a 93%, which rounds up to an A. Not a strong A, mind you, but an A nonetheless. Keep up the good work, and work on those lingering issues. I expect to see great things from you in the future.

What I liked:

(1) Edge-to-edge screen. I don't mind for now that it's not genuine glass. Still have to admit the edge-to-edge black border gives the screen a nice look.

(2) Radiance Display Bravo. Need I say more? If this screen isn't good enough for photographers, I don't know WHAT is!

(3) Keyboard It's simply fantastic. It's a joy to type on. The LED backlit keyboard may not be bright as the Macbook Pro's, but it's still bright enough to use at night time when there's low or no light.

(4) Aesthetics I've already drawn many glances with this notebook. Also to those who're concerned with how "fruity" the design looks, the laser etchings really grow on ya. The thin/light form factor and the laser-etched drawings really ooze of quality and refinement when you hold it.

(5) Specs With the i5 processor and the ATI 5650, you can game on StarCraft 2 easily at medium settings. My suggestion is still to get a cooling pad as thin and light notebooks CAN get hot.

A few critiques on areas which upon consideration and improvement will put the Envy 14 closer to A+ territory:

(1) Keep working on the touchpad software and install a real clickpad. Work with Synaptics on improving it so that we don't have to rely on the good will and charity of software coders in the NBR community. Improve 2-finger scroll and toss in inertial scrolling, 3-finger swipes, and 4-finger swipes.

(2) Consider doing away with the optical drive when the time is right. I understand some people need their DVD drive. That's fine. But in the future, if it'll shave off a lot of weight and allow for the installation of a 3rd fan, I'm willing to pay the usual $40 for an external optical drive. (Yes, it's true. The HP Envy 15 comes with 3 fans because the absence of an optical drive creates enough real estate for the 3rd fan)

(3) Backlit keyboard This isn't really a criticism. But making the brightness adjustable would certainly tempt me to toss in another % point to your grade.

(4) Build Construction I had an argument with the other "professors" over this. A tiny bit of keyboard flex which I myself barely noticed is fine for now. A little flex with an optical drive to boot is understandable. I gave you a high score in this area, but try to get rid of the flex. Until then, repeat after me: Perception. Matters. Take this from someone who worked several months at Subway serving some really particular customers!.

(5) Find a way to get rid of that God-awful CPU whine. I know this isn't HP-specific, but if HP could find a way to reduce the sound or get rid of completely, that would be a Godsend!

************UPDATE FOR SEPTEMBER 9, 2010************

It's been about a month and a half since I first bought and started using the Envy 14. I have to say that two issues really bothered me:

(1) Synaptics engineers decided to be a bunch of lazy jerks by omitting the option to turn off the touchpad while typing. I mean, seriously? If you're going to specialize in something, the least you can do is do the job right!

(2) The screen touches the keyboard when closed. The interesting part is it doesn't leave behind any permanent scratches. It just leaves smudges.

The first problem was easily solved by installing a third party software called "Paradisoft Touchpad Locker. Google it and you will find it. It is free and easy to install.

I've found that my touchpad problems have been reduced by at least 90% as a result of the software.

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I purchased the Envy 14 to replace an old Dell 6400 which was crashing and overheating constantly. Vista is probably the cause of all its woes but I needed new hardware anyway. The Envy runs considerably cooler despite the more advanced hardware (used HWMonitor to compare) it was easily a 40 degree difference.

The Envy is sleek and powerful pretty much handles anything I throw at it. Instead of pros/cons I'm just going to list some gotchas so that people are aware of some of the quirks of this product

Build quality I've read about issues with build problems with the chassis but my own laptop is perfect. No issues with dead pixels, bent frames or misaligned trackpad.

Alignment of ports Unlike my old laptop, the Envy has no ports on the back. They are all on the sides. This is only really an issue if you have a million USB devices and connect to a monitor. It will tend crowd out the sides of the laptop with cables. Even the power cable connects from the side. Doesn't really bother me but might bother folks used to having everything organized behind the laptop.

Display The Radiance display is no longer available. I think they went out of business. I am happy with the Brightview its clear and sharp so it meets my needs. If I need something more dramatic, I just link my Envy to my HDTV via HDMI and use that as a gigantic monitor.

Video card If you get anything other then then i7 you will have the ability to switch between the integrated graphics and the discrete graphics card. This is great for battery life as the ATI is a power hog. However, this is controlled by software so you are more or less bound to the HP drivers. If you are doing a clean install, you need to install the HP drivers first don't just put the ATI drivers in or you lose the switching ability. While this laptop isn't designed as a gaming rig, the ATI Radeon can handle its own. I'm able to get SC2 to run on medium high with no issues.

Pre-installed Software Some people really dislike all the stuff that come preloaded with the laptop. You can do a clean install (follow the instructions on NBR) but I wouldn't recommend this unless you comfortable tinkering with OS installs. You can run into odd stuff related to drivers and the like. Another option (which I did), is to just go to the control panel and uninstall the software you don't like. I kept the HP webcam and Wireless Assistant since I found them useful. Mine also came with Adobe Elements and Premiere which isn't bad for pre-installed software.

CPU choice I was initially tempted to the get the i7 for the raw power but instead opted for the i5 once I learned that it came with integrated graphics. This helps conserve battery life when off the A/C and runs cooler overall. This laptop wasn't going to be near an outlet at all times so I needed something that could balance power with battery life so I found the i5 to be perfect for that use. The i7 has to use discrete graphics all the time.

Trackpad I use a mouse so I don't use it much. However, I wish that it was more offset to the left. If you want to disable the trackpad (from responding if your palm brushes against it while typing), double tap the upper left corner. An orange light goes off indicating that the trackpad is off.

Bluetooth This is really a software issue but I will note it here since it really bugged me until I figured it out. Sometimes my mouse would lose connectivity to my laptop randomly. I thought it was a battery issue but then discovered that it was the driver doing something odd. If you go to the properties of the Bluetooth radio (not the enumerator), there is a tab called Power Management. Unclick the option that says "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power". Viola problem solved!

Overall, I'm pleased with my purchase. I guess I was lucky not to get the odd build issues that others have reported. In terms of what I use it for, it works perfectly.

Best Deals for HP ENVY 14-1010NR 14.5" Laptop (2.40GHz Intel Core i5-450M

If your graphics is switched to on board you will experience choppyness in 1080p videos on youtube. You do not get this issue when the 5650 is switched on. I cay play starcraft 2 comfortably on medium high settings.

Battery Life: I purchased this laptop primarily for use in school. I use it about 3 hours every day I have classes and the battery will last when switched to on board graphics if it is fully charged the night before. I would say it has about 3 hours of battery life. Obviously this is depending on your brightness settings and what you are doing on the laptop at the time. With the 5650 turned on the battery life is poor at best. If your an IT major I would say to not get this laptop and instead go one with similar specs without switchable graphics since you will most likely have a plug near by.

Grahpics: The 5650 is a good all around card that will still allow you to get up to about 2 hours of battery life. With this card you can easily play starcraft 2 on medium high settings. You can easily watch 1080P videos with the dedicated card as well. If you turn on the on board intel gma graphics, you will experience choppyness on high quality videos on youtube. Skype video calling and basic flash sites will run fine though.

Performance: I am extremely happy with the core i5 in this build. It is a very powerful duel core with hyper threading. I almost prefer it to my Athlon X4 on my desktop build. 6GB of DDR3 is more than enough for a year or two to come. I never cap out. The 500gb 7200 HDD is fast enough to handle anything you can throw at it an SSD would be nice but whats in there is not noticeably slow at all.

Software: ATTENTION!!!! If you buy this laptop DO NOT WORRY ABOUT BLOATWARE! Immediately after I turned it on I booted into HP Recovery and did a minimal recovery. This got rid of EVERYTHING except the drivers. The HP Cam software and the HP update/warranty software. Simply amazing. Sony offers this feature for $50 when you purchase a laptop from them. So happy that HP included this. That is probably why mine is running so fast is due to the lack of bloatware :)

Other thoughts: The Keyboard is great. At first I thought it was a little too small but its perfect. I was originally attracted to a Vaio because of the huge nice keyboard. This one is pretty darn good.

The track-pad sucks. Buy a mouse..

Back lit keyboard is very nice and is pretty classy :)

quick brightness controls work well and effectively.

DVD Drive works great and speakers are great sounding compared to other laptops.

Honest reviews on HP ENVY 14-1010NR 14.5" Laptop (2.40GHz Intel Core i5-450M

No one can dispute the HP Envy 14's Radiance Infinity LED display is the best display on any laptop in this class. It's 50% brighter than anybody else's. (Sorry Mac Book Pro users) Unfortunately that isn't the display for sale with the system listed here. This is just to give anyone checking out this system the information to make them an informed consumer. (By the way, the Radiance Infinity display will set you back $200 additional.)

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for HP ENVY 14-1010NR 14.5" Laptop (2.40GHz Intel Core i5-450M

Overall I love this laptop, the screen display and back lit keyboard are wonderful, can't be beat. The processor is fast and the machine is beautiful to look at. Not too much bloatwhere came with it. Didn't have any keyboard issues.

Pros: Speed and screen display

Cons: Lot heavier than I expected, short battery life, and I had to purchase a VGA converter cable (I present and I was sorry to see that it didn't come with the machine).

Over-all I would purchase the machine again for use at home, and would recommend to anyone who wants a good laptop for home use, too heavy for business trips and conferences.

Reviews of HP Pavilion DV6-6047CL 15.6" Laptop (2 GHz Intel Core i7-2630QM

Customer Ratings:

I received this laptop as my graduation present almost a year ago. To help anyone looking for that right laptop, I will share my own experiences with this HP dv6-6047cl.

My parents and I thought a laptop would be a good graduation gift, something I can carry through college, work, and lifes many adventures. While myself being a big gamer, I looked for best gaming laptop I could find in the price range. I spent a month on research, looking at specs, features and benchmark results for popular games. I really couldn't decide, until my dad showed my this laptop being sold at Sam's Club. I looked at all the specs online and thought it would be an awesome deal. In the end this is what I ended up receiving.

Enough with the story!

On to the features! First off, this laptop looks sexy. Very clean, very light, but a finger-print magnet. The keyboard feels very comfortable to type with, and comes with a full-sized num-pad. The up and down arrow keys are very small, but still totally functional (I got 250,000 points in Starcraft 2 Lost Viking mini-game with them lol). The track-pad is your average laptop mouse, nothing special. It comes with a finger-print scanner, but I have never used it. The display is small (1366x768) but very sharp. I have yet to find a good way to clean it however :( The HP Beats Audio is an awesome feature, you can notice a huge difference in audio quality when Beats is on. The battery life is pretty average for a laptop. After a year, it can still run about 3-4 hours surfing the internet with power saver settings. If your running anything intense, you will need to plug-in (as the case with every laptop). This laptop usually idles 20-40 celsius. When playing games, the highest I have seen it go is 80 celsius.

On to the games! The laptop comes with amd radeon hd6770M (for gaming) and an integrated graphics GPU (not for gaming). Here is a list of some games I have run: Skyrim on high runs around 30 fps outdoors (lower in the forest areas) and 40-50 fps indoors. Starcraft 2 on ultra runs above 30 fps except during the most intense high food battles. Borderlands runs seamless at the highest settings. Crysis on high/ultra (with shaders medium) runs close to 30 fps. Overall this laptop handled everything I have thrown at it! I doubt there is a game today that this can't handle to at least medium settings.

The only problem I have had with this laptop happens during long game-sessions. When the graphics card gets very hot, and I try to minimize to the desktop, the screen goes black for a second and comes back (though 20% of the time I have to hard restart) and I get this message "The display driver has stopped working and has recovered" I have yet to find a solution for this, but I have found a work-around. Most of the games today support windowed mode, and I have yet to have this problem when a game is in windowed mode.

To sum everything up, this laptop perfect for the price. Great keyboard, good battery life, excellent gaming ability, and a very compact design. I would highly recommend this laptop to anyone looking for a laptop in the mid price range. You can't beat it!

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I purchased this item last week as I saw this laptop provides with a separate graphic card. But after I received it, I found that the graphic card is Intel Graphic 3000, not the one stated in the product (ATI HD 5770M). What should I do?

Best Deals for HP Pavilion DV6-6047CL 15.6" Laptop (2 GHz Intel Core i7-2630QM

I Have Done quite some Research before buying this laptop and i must say that i am super happy with it for 650 bucks your not going to find a laptop with Gpu Power like this one. It runs Most game at ultra high and high. High end games like skyrim and bf3 it runs at medium perfectly fine. I'm Playing dishonored and it runs it al maxed setting at 30 to 60fps. The Beats is also a plus boost headphones sooo much. This laptop is already Great but if you want to make it future proof and boost it from fast to super fast? Just get A solid state drive and BOOM you got a Dynamite LAPTOP.

Service: the laptop Came Perfect took a bit longer to get here but no dents of anything. Came packaged very good.

Cons: None i can find.

Overall: You Really are getting a Bang out of Your buck with this deal.

Honest reviews on HP Pavilion DV6-6047CL 15.6" Laptop (2 GHz Intel Core i7-2630QM

I'd like to buy this computer, but the title says it 1T HDD and the description/specs say 640G HDD. Which is it?

Cheap HP Pavilion DV6-1230US 15.6-Inch Entertainment Laptop

Customer Ratings:

Recently I purchased a different version of this HP DV6 laptop for my mother-in-law and I looked at this model during that process (all HP DV6 laptop models share a common chassis and only vary on a few components). The first thing about the DV6 line that impressed me was the build quality. It is well constructed with a metallic toned black plastic exterior. Take a good look at the shell art since it is something that may not appeal to everyone but my mother-in-law definitely appreciated having something a little more individual than the usual dull grey exterior. Despite the glossy exterior we haven't noticed much in the way of finger prints or any scratches despite the helping hands of our kids who love to "help" grandma with her computer.

The specs for this model are aimed at someone focused on web browsing and office type applications who wants superb battery life:

CPU The Core 2 duo is the best performing notebook CPU on the market and the T6500 included with this computer is a mid-range Core2 Duo (2.1 GHZ w/2MB cache). It can handle two threads which means you can have the virus scanner running while you surf the web with no noticeable slowdown. It's not the highest performing CPU out there today but it's far above what you need for non-gaming tasks and it has a enough performance head-room to keep your computer from becoming outdated anytime soon.

RAM The 4GB of RAM is combined with a 64bit OS to which should provided more than enough memory for pretty much any application you can think of outside of extremely high end gaming.

HDD 320GB plenty is far more space than you need now but again, I like the future proofing. Some people may not like that it is 5400 RPM vs. 7200 RPM but the performance difference for home users is nearly zero and the reliability of 5400 RPM drives makes me prefer them in notebooks which are hard on hard disks (because they move around while in use notebook HDDs suffer far more failures than desktop drives)

Graphics While I am a fan of Intel CPUs their graphics performance has lagged the competition. The good news is that the integrated Intel 4500MHD graphics controller in this model is a step up from previous Intel offerings and all most home users will need. I still wouldn't recommend you try and run graphics hungry 3-D games on it but it's fine for playing videos, surfing the web, doing light gaming, and running office applications.

Display I like this 15.6" display though I got my mother-in-law the 16" version of the DV6. While a little smaller than what I settled on it is far superior to the 14-15" screens you usually see in this price range.

Sound Surprisingly good sound for a notebook. The speakers are well positioned and deliver a good range. I've heard better but it was on a $3K notebook.

Battery For years the retail notebook market has been plagued with cheap six cell and even four cell batteries that could barely deliver 90 minutes of real computing use. To see HP bundle a 12 cell Li-Ion battery in with this notebook is hopefully a sign the industry is recognizing that notebook users want good battery life. With a 12 cell battery you can realistically plan to go all day without plugging in. This does add slightly to the weight but few users will notice. You will be hard pressed to find another laptop in this price range with a batter this good. Most will have a 6 cell.

I don't have any serious "cons" for this computer. The "Touch Media Controls" for things like the volume (as opposed to buttons you push) are a little odd at first but we got used to them quickly and hey, they look cool when they light up.

To wrap it all up: a good computer for home users who don't plan on running high-end games and who looking for something with above average build quality and really good battery life.

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Note: I was going to buy this laptop from Amazon but I saw the same model at Office Depot for $650.

CPU The T6500 is great for General usage. It's okay for gaming and HD playback too.

RAM 4GB makes multitasking a breeze

Hard Drive The main partition is 285GB with a 12.5GB recovery partition. 285GBs is a nice size to work with too it'll take long, long time to fill that up.

Graphics The 4500MHD is okay for light gaming like Counter-Strike. It also does HD playback fine.

Sound This laptop has great speakers. They don't get too loud but that's fine. The quality of the sound is great.

Battery Will last a good long while and is better than most laptops. Most laptops have 6 cell batteries, this one has a 12 cell. Also the battery sticks out from the bottom. Some people may not like it but it is also a good thing because heat won't get stuck under the laptop.

Heat This laptop will get warm from extended use. It gets slightly uncomfortable to type on because of it. It's not really that bad though.

Keyboard This laptop is easy to type on. I can type really fast on it. It is a full keyboard with a numpad so most of your keys are there.

The Home, End, Pgup, PGdown, keys are above the trackpad and delete is above the backspace.

Trackpad The trackpad may seem a little hard to move on at first but after a while it becomes smooth. You can also turn it on and off with a button conveniently placed above it if you want to use a mouse. It also has a scroll bar.

Other Thoughts This laptop has 2 head phone hacks. Both are in the front. I'd prefer one in the front then one in the side or back for speakers.

HP Logo on the cover lights up when the laptop is on. This annoys me when I leave my laptop on overnight and I have to put something over the light to cover it because it's kinda bright.

The remote it comes with is kind of small and it can be difficult to push the buttons but it still is a nice addition so I don't have to get up and pause, skip, etc. on the keyboard.

NOTE: This laptop only has the touch volume controls and a touch wifi button. There is no Play, Pause, Stop, etc. touch buttons on this model. That was kind of a disappointment because I have to press Fn+F12 if I want to change songs.

Overall this a great laptop and I am pleased with my purchase

Best Deals for HP Pavilion DV6-1230US 15.6-Inch Entertainment Laptop

I purchased this for my college bound daughter. I had it up and running for her in under 20 minutes that includes the time it took me to get the wireless internet. This laptop has a very artsy cover that will make any student look extra cool.

Great Things about this laptop for your student:

Size: It's light enough to carry around but still sturdy. I suggest a targus messanger bag.

Battery: 12 cell battery will keep you going most of the day. It does stick out the back some, so your laptop is not as skinny as it would be with a smaller battery.

Power/Speed: This laptop is fast. I was impressed with how fast it would start up and run all the applications. There's lots of ram and the graphics are awesome.

Software: There is a 2 month trial version of Windows Office for students. If you want to keep it, all you have to do is enter your serial number (can be purchased online), there's no long install.

DVD : No need to have a TV too, watch your DVDs on this laptop! Even has a tiny remote control.

Huge Hard Drive: 320 gigs. You could use it for years without deleting anything.

User Input: The keyboard is great. It is a full keyboard and the keys only require a light touch. You can input a lot of information quickly. The trackpad is a little annoying, but I prefer a mouse. My daughter likes it.

Overall, this is a great buy. My daughter loves hers and it meets the requirements of all the colleges in this area.

Honest reviews on HP Pavilion DV6-1230US 15.6-Inch Entertainment Laptop

Others have posted comprehensive reviews, so I just want to add a note about the battery that I don't think any of the reviews so far have mentioned.

There is a plug in the 12-cell battery which permits you to charge the battery separate from the laptop -just plug it into the charger. The very first laptop I ever owned, a WinBook, had this feature and I have been amazed that it is not standard in every laptop. The battery even has it's own flashing light to indicate the charging status.

With a second battery, this makes life a lot easier. For example, when I'm at an all-day deposition, I don't need to bring and run an extension cord from a wall socket to the conference table out of concern that my battery will die. Rather, I can just use the laptop with the battery while I charge another battery at a wall socket across the room. Get a spare power brick ($11 on ebay), and you can just plug in the battery to charge at night like you charge your cell phone, without having to pull out your laptop and charger.

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The short version. This laptop is great. The long version. This laptop meets all the basic functions and features expected of laptop today.

Pro's: Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T6500 2.10GHz, (ANY GHz AT 2.0 OR ABOVE IS EXCELLENT)

Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD (GOOD FOR WATCHING HD VIDEOS AND CAN HANDLE MOST GAMES REQUIRING HD GRAPHICS)

4 GB DDR2 RAM (2 Dimm) (8 GB Maximum) (THE IMPORTANT NUMBER IF {4GB}. THIS MEANS YOU COMPUTER SHOULD HANDLE GAMES WITH LOTS OF ACTION AND

GRAPHICS)

320GB (5400RPM) Hard Drive (SATA) (YOU HAVE TO TRY REALLY HARD TO FILL THIS UP. If you have 1000 dvd's and put them on your machine you

will have space left to download songs and install games)***1gb mp3 player can hold about 500 songs,

do the math***

SuperMulti 8X DVD±R/RW with LightScribe and Double Layer Support (burn cd's and make your own label)

Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit edition with Service Pack 1 (THE IMPORTANT NUMBER HERE IS 64-bit. This means you have a really fast

operating system. Put it this way. 32 bit is better than 64-bit.)

15.6 inch Diagonal High Definition HP BrightView Display (1366x768) (NICE BRIGHT SCREEN THAT IS VISIBLE IN LOW LIGHT OR BRIGHT LIGHT)

SD Card Reader

Tv tuner with remote

Cool touch volume interface (no actual buttons to turn volume up and down)

Webcam with microphone.

Larger battery provides longer battery life and helps keep vents free so the laptop stays relatively cool on your lap or whichever surface you put

it on.

Comfortable keyboard for it's size.

Great for a teen, college student or someone that wants a laptop that looks unique out the box.

Con's: 2 usb ports

attracts dust easily

Bigger battery makes the machine a little heavy.

Finish is a fingerprint magnet. Actually, a fingerprint and smudge black hole.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Many reviews do not tell you this but be sure to run an update within the first week of using the laptop. Be be sure to but some blank

dvd's and make your own recovery cd's. Amazon does not provide one with the computer so if your laptop crashes and you did not do it then

you have to fork OUT AT LEAST $50 to get the right recovery discs. BE SURE TO AT LEAST RUN THE UPDATE BECAUSE THE ARE MANY.

Certified Pre-Owned MacBook Intel Core 2 Duo/2.4 GHz, 2 GB of RAM Review

Customer Ratings:

I bought this laptop in June 2011. About 1 month after receiving the laptop the screen would go black for no reason and the keyboard would phantomly type. Attributing the problems with the screen to the laptops age I made no attempt to fix it since it was still useable by adjusting the brightness. Unfortunately about 1 week ago the screen totally went black. So I took it to the apple store to get either the invertor cable or lcd screen or both replaced. In doing so apple called me back 2 days after dropping it off to tell me that someone had spilled significant amounts of liquid on the laptop and they wont touch it without sending it to their repair department for no less than $750, more than the laptop is even worth. Unfortunately the laptop totally crapped out after the date that I could get amazon to file a guaranteed A-Z claim.

So thanks for lying about selling me a damaged laptop that you obviously ruined and sold before the damage was obvious to me the sap who was totally taken by you. I advise that no one trust this crappy person and I rely on Karma to pay you back for the $500+ you stole from me.

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WOW...what a great Mac. It replaces my aging G4 PowerBook. It is faster, lighter, has a larger screen, and does everything I could want. And the cost was half of a new one. Kudos to Instant Replay Electronics. Prompt delivery, great product, and good price. No one could expect more.

Best Deals for Certified Pre-Owned MacBook Intel Core 2 Duo/2.4 GHz, 2 GB of RAM

So this product works so well. Since this Black Macbook came out in late 2006 at a staggering price of $1600 I have wanted it and never got around to buying it up until they stopped making it. Then this year I decided to try and get a refurbished version as I already bought a refurbished Ibook G4 for my mother earlier in January 2012 which works wonderfully for her. I am so pleased I did. Although the seller I bought this from had 100% positive reviews, I was thinking I might end up being that one person who has a problem with them, especially since the shipping was not as fast as it was described by many(came day before the last day it was estimated to arrive). I am so glad I ignored all my fears and bought it. It works so so well and came with so many surprises from the seller that I wasnt expecting and feel so blessed that I received them. I mean, as a designer, who wouldnt love to buy a laptop with the entire CS5.5 Suite AND Final Cut Pro installed in? So far it hasnt been a month but the black Macbook works well. Its been upgraded to Mountain Lion OS so I am able to do my work at warp speed. It has Face Time installed although I am yet to use it. My only issue was I know the 2.4Ghz Macs have the illuminated keyboard but this one doesnt seem to do that :(. If I can figure out a way to make that happen I will be in 7th heaven. Highly recommend this refurbished product for anyone who cant afford a Mac Pro at the moment but still want to be able to achieve great things on a reasonably fast system.

Honest reviews on Certified Pre-Owned MacBook Intel Core 2 Duo/2.4 GHz, 2 GB of RAM

This Mac was better than I expected and works great. The computer arrived quickly and was just as advertised. I would purchase again from this vender.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Certified Pre-Owned MacBook Intel Core 2 Duo/2.4 GHz, 2 GB of RAM

Was more than expected and had extra software, very happy with quality and total experience with this buyer and highly recommend!

Reviews of Dell Inspiron 17R 7720 Special Edition Laptop i17Rse-1155ALU

Customer Ratings:

when i bought this computer i was a little bit scare, but when i received the laptop was perfectly new. i recommended to buy It. and it was shipped before the date they said. this was the best think i could buy for far.

who wants this laptop for gaming, i can recommending it too, I've played games as assassins creed 3, need for speed most wanted 2012, skyrim all of them with full graphics, so enjoy it

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Reviews of Gateway 17.3" Laptop 4GB 500GB | NV76R23u

Customer Ratings:

I wanted something affordable with a big screen that I could play games on. I upgraded the memory to 8gb and I have yet to find a game that wouldn't run. Newer games have to be set on lower settings to get a good FPS, but I don't mind. It's about the gameplay for me, not the graphics.

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Reviews of HP EliteBook 8460p XU060UT 14" LED Notebook - Core i7 i7-2620M

Customer Ratings:

This is a sturdy, fast, dependable, neat professional computer with very few compromises.

I get 4 solid hours of battery life while working with large files in graphics programs and connected to the internet all the time. This is how I measure battery life. Measurements with dim brightness and doing almost nothing are nonsense to me.

The keyboard layout, tactile feel, touchpad and peripheral ports are all well laid out, strong and functional. Every component works great. The computer creates almost no noise and very little heat after you update the BIOS.

Strongest characteristic is that I have used it intensively for 3 months and it has never crashed. The outside appearance is still top notch, thanks to the great quality metal finish all over, with no cheap plastic that starts scratching or disassembling after a few weeks.

People tend to look at it and ask the brand name and model, because its clean aesthetics stand out in a world of laptops full of snazzy motives and funny useless gadgets and gizmos.

I only have 3 complaints:

The trackpoint falls off. Not sure if I should glue it in place and shut up.

The 1600x900 display is outdated and there is no better display option. It lacks contrast and brightness compared to today's mainstream laptop displays. My eyes suffered initially but I got used to it. Pickier users wouldn't tolerate it and return the computer.

The speakers are cheap garbage. Even my Blackberry sounds better and louder :). Anyway I frequently use headphones, so I tend to forget about this issue.

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Great laptop. Verry Professional, Verry Stable, and Verry Secure. This is a great laptop for anyone who needs to meet that criteria. My whole i.t. firm has one. Network Engineers, Helpdesk, Management, and Sales.

It also runs games ok. :-P

Best Deals for HP EliteBook 8460p XU060UT 14" LED Notebook - Core i7 i7-2620M

I just love my laptop, speedy and wonderful design. Love the aluminum body which definitely helps with the temperature of the machine. Only complaint is with Win7 which did strange things to the headset plug to not disable on board sound.

Cheap Apple MacBook Air MC503LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop (OLD VERSION)

Customer Ratings:

I have owned many Apple laptops and computers over the years, and without a doubt think that the 2010 13" Macbook Air is one of the strongest offerings the company has ever had. I am a 'power user' and use my laptop for heavy photo and video editing. I frequently have Photoshop running simultaneously with many other memory-intensive programs, including Windows 7 (through Parallels), and use my laptop for hours every day.

I purchased the 13" Macbook Air (which I'll refer to as 'MBA' for simplicity) directly from Apple, and added 2GB of RAM to make the set-up 4GB total. I do not know if Amazon allows you to customize it this way, so if it doesn't consider buying it directly from Apple or another store which does allow this upgrade. From what I understood, due to the MBA's construction the RAM is soldered onto the motherboard you won't be able to add RAM yourself later. If you're a light user, you should probably be fine with just 2 GB of RAM, but if you plan to intensively multi-task, consider upgrading the RAM.

This laptop is expensive, but is worth every penny if you can afford it. While it lacks an optical drive and certain ports which can at times be inconvenient it makes up for that by offering great performance and a stunning design.

DESIGN

I thought my 2010 13" Macbook Pro (which I'll refer to as 'MBP') was sleek and stylish, but this is just amazing. The MBP looks sleeker in some ways since its keyboard is backlit and its display has a nicer black trim to it, but in overall design, the MBA just can't be beat. You won't truly appreciate the Macbook Air's portability and stylish design until you physically play with it in person. The Macbook Air is very thin, but because it employs a tapered unique design it's not uniformly thin throughout the device.

The 13" model features 2 USB ports and an SD card reader (the 11" model doesn't have the SD card reader). The USB ports are cleverly located on opposite sides of the laptop so that you can have even bulky peripherals plugged in simultaneously. The built-in SD card reader is incredibly convenient (more on that below). What's more important to read here is not what connections it does have, but what it doesn't. The most important things missing on the Macbook Airs, in my opinion, are the optical disc drive and an Ethernet port. While I don't necessarily use and therefore, miss either of those too much, there are times when Wi-Fi is problematic or when you need to use a disc for something. Still, the Macbook Air has a great portable design that should offer more than enough for most people's daily use.

PERFORMANCE

Even with my heavy use, this has been very reliable for my daily multitasking. While some of that speed might result from my expanded RAM (mentioned above), the bulk of it comes from the Air's use of a Solid State Drive (SSD). While SSD technology is relatively expensivewhen compared to traditional hard drives on a per-Gigabyte basis, it is worth the money! You can find many comparison videos on YouTube showing how much faster Solid State Drives are when compared to traditional hard drives. The SSD really shines when cutting down the time when launching a program, or when turning the system on or off.

DISPLAY

The high-resolution display of the Macbook Air is great. The 13" Air features a 1440x900 resolution (like that of the 15" Macbook Pro), which is better than the 1,280x800 resolution of my 13" 2010 Macbook Pro. It is very sharp and crisp!

LIFE WITHOUT AN OPTICAL DRIVE

Some people have argued that the lack of an optical drive makes the Macbook Air impractical for daily use. Honestly, I have for the past several years used my optical drive very rarely, and knew I wouldn't miss it too much on the Air. That being said, you usually don't appreciate something until you no longer have it, and I have since noticed that there are times when having a built-in optical drive is convenient.

Since thumb drives and external hard drives are becoming very affordable, digital distribution of software and games is rapidly growing, and many videos are now available through streaming services as opposed to hard copy DVD forms, a lot of the inconveniences associated with lacking an optical drive can be worked around. That being said, there are times when an optical drive is necessary, especially when it comes to installing software (i.e. Windows).

While the MBA doesn't have one built in, you can 'Share' the optical drive of another computer wirelessly. That is understandably less convenient than having an optical drive physically connected to the same computer, so you can instead plug in an external CD/DVD drive through the USB port. The major inconvenience of doing this is that you have to buy an external drive. That being said, you do not need the Apple brand 'Superdrive', and can instead get a 3rd party external optical drive for a considerably cheaper price.

HAVING A BUILT-IN SD CARD READER IS VERY CONVENIENT

The SD card reader is very convenient, and helps compensate for the relatively small hard drive found on the Macbook Air. While my largest SD card is only 16GB, I find SD cards to be even more convenient than using a thumb drive. Without the built-in SD card reader you could always plug in an external SD card reader, but having it built into the system frees up a USB port.

BATTERY LIFE

If you've ever felt that your cell phone, laptop, or other battery-based device doesn't hold nearly as long a charge as it should, it's not just you. Battery life is something that a lot of electronics manufacturers frequently distort the truth about. Amazon often omits external links from reviews and replace it with a so I can't paste the link, but on the Apple website's section on Macbook Pros, for example, they state in the fine text: 'The wireless productivity test measures battery life by wirelessly browsing various websites and editing text in a word processing document with display brightness set to 50%.' In other words, their battery life claims are based on situations many more intensive users don't find themselves in...

For the 2010 Macbook Air, Apple has supposedly changed their battery testing method from the aforementioned Pro testing, and used improved technology to prolong the battery life. The Macbook Air's battery is rated to last for around 7 hours, but you might get less than that with heavy use. I have been pleased with the battery life so far, but I have had less than 7 hours of battery life when I was using the computer intensively. While the battery life isn't the strongest of all of Apple's offerings, the 30-day standby time is very impressive. I believe that the impressive standby time is a result of the SSD drawing less power in sleep mode than a traditional hard drive.

COMPARED TO PREVIOUS AIRS

I was really intrigued by the Macbook Air when it was first announced in 2008, but couldn't justify the high price tag. Since with this generation prices have gone down considerably, all models employ Solid State Drives, and there are 2 USB connections (instead of just one), now is a much better time to buy a Macbook Air than ever before. The only thing changed for the worse is that this model does not have backlit keys not such a big deal for fast typers, but probably inconvenient for people who 'hunt and peck'.

COMPARED TO THE 2010 11-INCH MACBOOK AIR

Prior to deciding on the 13" Macbook Air I considered the 11-inch model. While the 11-incher is lighter and smaller than the 13-inch model, I decided against it because I felt that the screen was too small to be reasonably effective for my intended use. Additionally, the 11-inch model lacks a built-in SD card reader not a huge deal since external USB-based SD card readers are cheap and also employs a weaker 1.4 GHz processor (as opposed to the 13-inch model's 1.86 GHz processor). You lose half a pound in weight going from the 13" and 11" models, but I decided a slightly heavier laptop was more worth it for the screen real estate. You will have to play with the models in store to see what works best for you, but if you like opening multiple windows side-by-side, you will more likely than not also prefer the 13" model.

COMPARED TO THE 13-INCH MACBOOK PRO

Due to the similar price points between this and the 13" Macbook Pro, the two computers naturally lend themselves to head-to-head comparison, which I'll focus the rest of the review on.

Comparing a 2010 13" 128GB 1.86 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Macbook Air with 4 GB of RAM (again, upgraded, the default configuration is 2 GB) with my 2010 13" 250 GB 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Macbook Pro with 4 GB of RAM, I definitely felt the Macbook Air was faster. This is not an official comparison with benchmark tests official benchmarks actually rated the Pro to be a faster machine but for my use I felt things were noticeably faster with the Air's SSD in spite of its weaker processor.

Advantages Compared to Base Configuration 2010 13" Macbook Pro

Lighter (2.9 pounds vs 4.5 pounds)

Thinner (0.11 inches at its thinnest point and 0.68 inches at its thickest vs 0.95 inches)

Considerably faster in spite of a weaker processor (see below) due to its use of a Solid State Drive (SSD)

Higher resolution display (1440x900 vs 1280x800)

Disadvantages Compared to Base Configuration 2010 13" MacBook Pro

Slower Processor (1.86 GHz vs 2.4 GHz)

Smaller Hard Drive (128 GB vs 250 GB)

No backlit keys (Not a big deal for most, but some might find this inconvenient)

Fewer ports (the lack of an Ethernet jack can be a big inconvenience if you don't have secure Wi-Fi available)

No optical drive

FINAL THOUGHTS

The speed of a Solid State Drive is one of the selling points of the Macbook Air, but its ultra-portability is its stronger selling point (keep in mind prior to 2010 only the higher-end Air models featured SSDs). That being said, think of what's important to you. For students and business professionals who travel frequently, I think the Air is an ideal solution.

To those for whom speed is more important than portability, consider purchasing a Macbook Pro and upgrading its hard drive to a SSD yourself. You can also upgrade the Pro's RAM on your own, up to 8 GB (Air maxes out at 4GB, and you can't upgrade it yourself).

Think about what your primary use for the machine will be. If you don't have reliable access to Wi-Fi networks or need a CD/DVD drive regularly, you might find the Air constraining. For most people, however, the 13" 2010 Macbook Air is a great purchase that will offer a very powerful computer in an incredibly portable and sleek package.

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I chose the 256 GB storage option model, but the other specifications on this machine are the same.

I do have fairly recent Mac desktops, but my own personal Mac notebook had become aged. It was a Powerbook.

With the release of iPad last Spring, I had considered not going back to owning a new notebook, with a desktop and iPad at my disposal.

However, I decided I simply need a keyboard for some on the go work, and my machine was simply too old now.

This October 2010 MacBook Air redesign is the answer for me. I will try to post some images of the device soon.

Physically, the footprint is not much different than a 13-inch MacBook or MacBook Pro that other members of my household own. However, it's the thinness and lightweight design that brings out the "wow," for those who see it. If you want to use it on your lap in a large chair or sofa, it is simply comfortable. If you need to stop while walking, and stand against a wall and check something very quickly, while it can still be slightly awkward, the light weight makes this possible. Still, I'd try not to do this, in fear of dropping the precious unit. You do see some Apple marketing images of people using the device standing up. This would likely be even more comfortable with the 11-inch model.

The reason one would choose this updated 13-inch MacBook Air is simple! This particular model gives you the thinness and light "wow," factors that defined the MacBook Air since its introduction nearly four years ago. However, this model gives you something that was not offered at this price point previously. A nearly fully functional and performing notebook computer. The included 1.86 GHZ Core 2 Duo processor is not a slouch. 2GB of memory is not bad in efficient OS X, and the decent storage. I chose the 256GB model, but for a second Mac, a light user, or someone with an external USB hard drive when back at there desk, even this 128 GB is not too far behind an entry hard drive notebook. PLUS, there is a huge benefit of this solid state storage. It is INCREDIBLY fast. The slight hit in processor and memory compared to a MacBook Pro is at least partly made up for by the speed of solid state memory. Just check out the boot up time on this device. It boots up fast. Plus, when it sleeps, open it back up, for instant on. It's a new way of experiencing a computer. If you need it to look something up, edit an image, or type a report, it's ready for you.

The battery life is impressive too. Apple is quoting 7-hours on this 13-inch model, and I will get close to that it appears. Apple is using a new battery testing standard than they have used to quote hours on previous systems. Therefore, this 7 hours quoted might be closer to the optimistic 10 hour advertised on the MacBook Pro than the numbers themselves would have us believe.

This 13-inch model has a higher resolution display than the 13-inch MacBook Pro, so you will fit more of your windows, pictures, etc. on the display. Indeed, it matches the resolution of the stock 15-inch models.

What don't you get on this model and do I miss it? Obviously, once again, Superdrive is missing. I do not miss this. I have Superdrive on my desktop computer, and you can always buy the USB Superdrive for less than one hundred dollars, if you want that capability when at your desk. This Air loses the backlit keyboard, one suspects due to the even slimmer and lighter design. However, I type efficiently, so I only lose the cool factor of illuminated keys, not function.

Truly, with the add on of the USB superdrive for pinch situations, this particular model is a Mac that could actually be one's main computer. Decent processing speed, decent memory, and most of all plenty of solid state storage and the speed benefits of that storage. The graphics processor in this release is much improved over the previous generation too enabling watching of high definition videos. Two USB ports allow for connecting your iPod, external USB hard drive, USB Superdrive, printer, or whatever other USB device you might have. SD Card slot is included on this 13-inch Air model for the first time too.

Note The brand new iLife '11 is loaded on this machine too. It's fun to try out the new features of iLife on a brand new computer! iPhoto 11 enhanced full screen mode is fun to use with this high resolution display!

Sure, a graphic designer, developer, or engineer might need more horse power or a larger display. However, a 2.9 pound Mac that is fully capable of being a great second Mac, or primary Mac, for many users is an incredible achievement. Do not let the significance of this creation not take us back a bit. It is an impressive feat. Recommend unit.

Best Deals for Apple MacBook Air MC503LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop (OLD VERSION)

This review addresses specifically the screen quality.

Those who demand desktop performance from a portable should consider the iMac. That being said, I have noticed that this low-voltage Core 2 duo 2.13GHz can easily keep up with its big cousins (MacBook Pro 13.3"). The performance is good enough, so I am unconcerned about benchmarks.

Let's look at the screen. Even if you have a tonal range of medium grey to complete darkness, the reflection on the screen is not as bothersome as the MacBook Pro's highly-reflective glass and the previous version MacBook Air's glossy screen (it, too, had a coating, but not as good as this version).

I am in my mid-40s, so I initially thought the 1440 x 900 pixels being squeezed down to 13.3" area may be too small for me to read. Not so. The increased pixel density and the increased contrast makes the text much more readable. Those who are skeptical should forget about the specifications and just see it in person.

I wouldn't consider the 11.6" because the screen's height has been chopped off 10% (16:9). This screen is 16:10. Those who think that 2.3lbs versus 2.8lbs is a big difference should think again. The smaller one has about 25% battery run time, which means you may want to carry the power adapter. It does not have an SD-card reader, which means another piece of cable (for camera) or card reader to lose. The lack of vertical space causes the user to scroll more. All these reasons combined, the 11.6" holds no advantage over the 13.3"--not to mention the fact that the processor and level-2 cache are not as robust as the 13.3" at the same RAM/SSD configuration.

* * * * * speed * * * * *

I thought I might as well mention a few things.

The unit I just installed is a 13.3", 2.13GHz, 256GB SSD, 4GB RAM

* cold boot to desktop: 13 seconds

* all MS Office 2011 applications take 1-1.5 seconds to launch

* iLife 11 apps all take about a second to launch, except Garage Band takes a bit longer to initialize.

Honest reviews on Apple MacBook Air MC503LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop (OLD VERSION)

Short answer is yes, this laptop is a good buy and your best option for a laptop from apple.

The Macbook air is the Terminator 2 of apple laptops, the second one is so much better. I had purchased a 13 macbook pro about 4 months ago and I sold it to get this 13 macbook air, and I am so happy I did. Just the better screen and flash memory alone is worth it. Read below for a detailed pros and cons list from a general to medium power user.

Pros : Beautiful display, they squeezed all the pixels of the 15" macbook pro, into the 13.3" macbook air, they also have improved ten fold on the glare problem because the coating or screen is glare free, its unbelievable.

Flash memory. 128GB is enough for 90% of people out there. With the ability to have dropbox or .mac account and so much stuff in the cloud nowadays 128GB is really not unreasonable, also what I will do If I run out of space is pop a 32gb (or maybe bigger when they release them) into the sd slot and boom, an extra 32gb of space for $55 as of now on amazon. I enjoy NEVER seeing the rainbow wheel, applications run smoothly and everything is very snappy, it is a noticeable difference from a regular hard drive, at least twice as fast, multitasking and doing tasks is enjoyable and zippy with the flash memory and the boot up time is great at just 14 seconds, and instant on from hibernate or sleep is very welcome, I can edit in photoshop easily with no lag at all, actually better than my macbook pro, watching hd video and other tasks are handled just as well, I am really surprised.

Lightweight. Never mind how gorgeous the design looks, the size and weight are amazing. I would never want to take my macbook pro out in the car or on the bus/train, even though the air is just a couple pounds lighter, it sure makes a huge difference, playing on the laptop out and about has never been more enjoyable, its like the laptop is not even there and its just me and the screen, I find myself taking my air everywhere.

Cons : No backlit keyboard! although personally I never look at the keys when I type. Battery Life, I wish I could get 10 hours like my macbook pro, but 7 is fine and worth losing the lbs and inches to attain that goal.

I'm sure there are more pros, and maybe even a con or two, but these are the big deciding factors in choosing an air over any other laptop. I truly feel this laptop could serve 99% of users needs, with only the select few people needing huge hard drives and super fast processors on a 17" laptop screen with firewire needing the top of the line fast mobile computer.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Apple MacBook Air MC503LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop (OLD VERSION)

I'm a computer engineering student, so I own several computers, each with their own purpose. I have a tablet for note taking in class, a desktop super computer (i7, SSD, 3x 23" monitors) for serious work and gaming. Previously I had a 2009 Macbook which I used for goofing off and light work (pspice, eagle pcb, office, etc). I loved my Macbookit was quiet, the battery life was better than a comparable Windows laptop, and it was quick enough for my needsbut I enjoyed using my desktop more. That has all changed since I bought the Airholy sweet jesus I love this machine.

The good:

-FAST. I mean this thing is blazingly fastyou really have to use it to understand. Every application I've tried is open before it finishes its first "bounce" on the dock. Even monsters like Excel and Powerpoint take less than two seconds to completely open. Chrome launches in milliseconds. Shutdown is ~3 seconds, cold boot is ~7 seconds to OSX, 15 seconds to Win7. Sleep is instantaneous.

-Battery life is great. For my usage I charge it overnight, unplug around 7am and use casually throughout the day, in and our of sleep. At the end of the day around midnight I plug it in with around 20% charge remaining. This is with the screen at 50% brightness (more on that in a minute) and wifi on all the time.

-The keyboard and trackpad are the same fantastic combination you get in all the other Macs (minus the backlight on the Pro)roomy, comfortable, and multi-touchy.

-The screen is incredible, the 1440x900 resolution makes my old Macbook's 1280x800 look terrible. The LED backlight is shockingly brightat 50% brightness it is as bright as my old Macbook at full-tilt. At 100% it is like staring at the sun. I keep it at around 50% during the day, slightly lower at night, and am quite happy with it. Another note: The screen has a nice matte finish which is great with reflections.

-Size. This thing is so thin and light it's practically non-existant. But you know that already :) Also, it is silent. Not quietsilent.

The meh:

-2GB RAM. While in OSX this really isn't a problem as long as you're using it reasonably. I haven't tried VMWare with it (I use bootcamp), but I imagine it might cause some swap issues if running Win7 virtualized with anything else (Word, excel, PP, etc). I just use bootcamp since it shuts down in under 3 seconds, and boots fully to Win7 in around 15 seconds.

-Outdated processor. This is really more of a principle issue than a practical one. I haven't found a situation yet where I'm lacking for CPU-oomph, but it's outdated and annoys me slightly as a spec-nerd.

-Price. There is no way around it, this is an expensive machine, especially for a second computer.

Final thoughts:

If you're looking to upgrade from an older Macbook Pro or any Macbook this computer will NOT disappoint. The size, speed, and screen come together to form a fantastic overall product. I've always said the best Windows machine is a Mac and bootcamp, and this is no exception. As an engineering student I have to use Windows all the time, Win7 runs great, with no issues whatsoever. This is by far the best laptop I've ever owned or used. Period. If you can afford it, I promise that you will not regret it.

Cheap Toshiba - Satellite L755-S5216 Laptop / Intel Pentium Processor

Customer Ratings:

i did get a bad hard drive after 1 month. which took about 2-3 weeks to fix. it did not come with a recovery disk and i did not create one, so i had to order it from toshiba for $25 and wait 1 week to get it. best buy did change the hard drive for free, offered to install window 7 from the recovery disk, and gave me a lowner laptop you actually pay for it, but have an extended period to returm it so unless something happens to it, u do get your money back i did.

other than that this laptop is 5-star/great very quite, does not heat up, excellent track pad, screen, fast boot, somewhat light ... and cheap ...

i am comparing it to a previous hp dv4 with win vista. that laptop was solid built (dropped it few times, ... never had any hardware issue for 2 years) but did not run smoothly had many issues like noisy fan, heat, badly located track pad which made typing realy hard, needed frequent reboots and slow to reboot ...

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Worked ok for a week or two, then started acting kinda strange. 2 months later, no boot. I will send it in for repair, sell it and buy something else. I also bought from people in blue shirts, and it was a bad buy. I will never buy another toshiba product. Although their customer service is good, I have found that manufactures with bad products tend to have really good service.

Best Deals for Toshiba - Satellite L755-S5216 Laptop / Intel Pentium Processor

My Mom purchased this laptop for me from Best Buy after my 8-year old desktop desktop. Fortunately, the Geek Squad were able to transfer all the info from my hard drive to the laptop. That was a relief because I have thousands of songs and thousands of pictures that I was so worried about losing.

It does last about 4 hours when not plugged up. I guess that's good for a laptop; I'm just not used to it. However, I love the speed. The keyboard took some getting used to, but I think I have it mastered. The touchpad mouse was also a new experience, but it's become second nature. If it becomes too difficult, you can always purchase a physical mouse. The separate number keypad was also a plus.

It also comes with a built-in microphone and web camera. I like being able to change the settings so it powers on as soon as I lift up the screen. I do wish that the speakers would get louder when I want someone else to hear something. However, it's adequate for when I'm alone. If you're at all saavy with a computer, this computer isn't difficult to figure out. On a long trip, I would suggest purchasing a compatible car charger.

Overall, it's an awesome computer!

Honest reviews on Toshiba - Satellite L755-S5216 Laptop / Intel Pentium Processor

I did not buy from Amazon but it was less than $400 at a local brick and mortar with blue shirts. Thought this laptop was a terrific deal.

After a little over 2 weeks, it wouldn't boot up. Just a black screen. Called Toshiba to send it for repairs. The local store only had a 2 week return policy, which sucks too. (Never buying anything from them again.) Toshiba's option was 1) wait a couple of days for a free UPS box, shipping back is free too, or 2) go to a UPS store today to send but I have to pay $15 shipping. I decided to wait for the free box.

Packed everything, filled out the form, sent it via 2nd day UPS. It took over a month to repair and get it back. You can get the repair status online.

Got it back, booted up fine now. But after 30 seconds, "problem with system cooling, shut down immediately and send in for repair." WTF??? Called tech support and asked to send me another box. It's on its way back to repair again. Probably another month til I get it back.

When it worked, I liked it. Nice screen, big keyboard. I didn't like the trackpad as it was too small and can't tell where the edge is. Battery life was pretty good, over 4 hours.

Did I get a lemon or did I get what I paid for?