Showing posts with label best laptop in the world. Show all posts
Showing posts with label best laptop in the world. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Reviews of AS5742Z-4459;INTEL Pentium Pro P6200(3M Intel Smart Cache
I will probably never buy another Acer. It was great for maybe the first month (and it really is otherwise a wonderful computer), but I'm now having to buy a chill pad so that it stops overheating. It shuts down rather randomly because it gets too hot. Sometimes it happens more than once a day; other times it might go a week between shutdowns. It is really unreliable and is starting to get really sluggish now, too, even with a recent defrag. From what I've read, it is probably slowing down because of the heat issues. This seems to be a common problem with Acers. Buyer beware!
Thursday, December 25, 2014
Discount Sony - VAIO Laptop / Intel® CoreTM i7 Processor / 16.4" Display
Using this laptop for at least 6 hours a day, I can assure you: it is fast. The i7 is so much better than the i3 or i5 chip. The wireless networking is also very reliable, and easy to use with Windows 7. I rarely use the blu-ray but I watched the sample video and it was beautiful, clear, better than expected. The one thing that really bothers me about this laptop is the heat. Using the touchpad burns my fingertips, regularly. Normally I use an external wireless keyboard but when I travel, that is a pain. Overall, this is the best value-for-money laptop I have bought since 1980.
Monday, December 1, 2014
Buy Lenovo IdeaPad Y580 20994KU 15.6-Inch Laptop (Dawn Gray)
First off, I want to thank Amazon for their amazing service once again. Ordered this laptop with prime and got it in 2 days. I was going to pull the trigger on the Lenovo website but now I'm glad I didn't. People on the forums are complaining their units kept being delayed... for even months!
Okay, lets get into the computer.
Un-boxed it, first thing I noticed was how nice it looked out the box, build quality was above average and looked great. Much better than the HP DV6T Quad that I returned due to terrible quality control and build quality on that thing was atrocious!
Powered it up and wow the screen is gorgeous. Beautiful glossy display, in FULL HD 1920x1080 of awesomeness. Viewing angles are great, colors pop and blacks are deep making a very rich viewing experience. The screen is very comparable to the DV6T FHD screen which I also loved, viewing angles can't quite match a quality IPS but it's close. This is subjective but one of the main selling points for me would be the gloss screen. Ever wonder why the displays on Macbooks and iMacs ect are so amazing and colors are so rich and vibrant? A big reason for that is the glossy overlay.
Keyboard and mouse feels literally 10x better than the DV6T, the touchpad clicks registered nicely, almost Macbook like. The tracking is great, keyboard travel is just right with just the right amount of feedback for you fast typists. Backlit keys are a great feature to have. No complaints here. Love the input combo.
Make no mistake by it's appearance on the outside, though it may look like any other normal multimedia laptop, inside is the guts of a MONSTER. This baby will run neck and neck with custom Sager's and Alienwares costing twice as much! Which is amazing since it doesn't weigh 15 lbs, isn't 4 inches thick and doesn't look like a fallen piece from the stealth bomber.
This thing rips, it will play literally any new game on High or Ultra settings at full 1080p! With very smooth 30-60fps! It packs a double whammy, Ivy Bridge 3rd Generation Core i7 Quad Processor and a Kepler based GTX660M with 2GB of GDDR5 memory! Throw any project at it, it will churn it up and beg for more.
Toss in an open mSATA slot that operates in SATA III 6GB/s and you can stick a 128/256GB mSATA SSD in there as the main duty drive, then use the mechanical drive for all your storage needs. It's a win/win situation! Lesser mortals who are stuck with computers that don't have an mSATA port need to take drastic measures in order to have the same awesome capabilities. Usually needing to remove the optical drive completely in order to replace it with a hard drive caddy, allowing room for their mechanical drive since the original space would be now occupied with a full size SSD.
Let's wrap up this review with some straight to the point answers.
Does it have USB 3.0? Of course it does!
HDMI out? YES!
Blu-ray burner? YES!
Card reader? YES!
Does it really come with a FHD 1920x1080 display? YES! YES! YES!
This is the swiss army knife of computers, If I had to write down everything I wanted in a computer, this one would have it all. I would pay twice as much for this system if I needed to, it's really that good! Go buy one yourself, dooooo it!
I expected higher quality construction/assembling from lenovo.
1) The build quality is solid with anodized rose-golden metal backing and inside. No keyboard reflex while typing.
2) The keyboard layout takes some time to get used to. The keys are a bit too small.
3) Very little heat or noise dissipation while surfing the net, unlike my 3-yr-old mbp.
4) The screen is bright and clear from wide angles, A+.
5) It weighs maybe even lighter than my 15" mbp, which is decent.
6) To my surprise, very few bloatwares installed if any.
7) heard it's lighting fast with mSATA. Can't wait to try it out.
If you're looking to purchase a gaming laptop, I would highly recommend this one. I would also recommend buying it here, off Amazon. Lenovo's website store seems to be incredibly slow. When I originally went to place my order with Lenovo, the site said the laptop would SHIP in 3 weeks. Here on Amazon, it shipped the day after I purchased it, and arrived in 2 days.
Okay, lets get into the computer.
Un-boxed it, first thing I noticed was how nice it looked out the box, build quality was above average and looked great. Much better than the HP DV6T Quad that I returned due to terrible quality control and build quality on that thing was atrocious!
Powered it up and wow the screen is gorgeous. Beautiful glossy display, in FULL HD 1920x1080 of awesomeness. Viewing angles are great, colors pop and blacks are deep making a very rich viewing experience. The screen is very comparable to the DV6T FHD screen which I also loved, viewing angles can't quite match a quality IPS but it's close. This is subjective but one of the main selling points for me would be the gloss screen. Ever wonder why the displays on Macbooks and iMacs ect are so amazing and colors are so rich and vibrant? A big reason for that is the glossy overlay.
Keyboard and mouse feels literally 10x better than the DV6T, the touchpad clicks registered nicely, almost Macbook like. The tracking is great, keyboard travel is just right with just the right amount of feedback for you fast typists. Backlit keys are a great feature to have. No complaints here. Love the input combo.
Make no mistake by it's appearance on the outside, though it may look like any other normal multimedia laptop, inside is the guts of a MONSTER. This baby will run neck and neck with custom Sager's and Alienwares costing twice as much! Which is amazing since it doesn't weigh 15 lbs, isn't 4 inches thick and doesn't look like a fallen piece from the stealth bomber.
This thing rips, it will play literally any new game on High or Ultra settings at full 1080p! With very smooth 30-60fps! It packs a double whammy, Ivy Bridge 3rd Generation Core i7 Quad Processor and a Kepler based GTX660M with 2GB of GDDR5 memory! Throw any project at it, it will churn it up and beg for more.
Toss in an open mSATA slot that operates in SATA III 6GB/s and you can stick a 128/256GB mSATA SSD in there as the main duty drive, then use the mechanical drive for all your storage needs. It's a win/win situation! Lesser mortals who are stuck with computers that don't have an mSATA port need to take drastic measures in order to have the same awesome capabilities. Usually needing to remove the optical drive completely in order to replace it with a hard drive caddy, allowing room for their mechanical drive since the original space would be now occupied with a full size SSD.
Let's wrap up this review with some straight to the point answers.
Does it have USB 3.0? Of course it does!
HDMI out? YES!
Blu-ray burner? YES!
Card reader? YES!
Does it really come with a FHD 1920x1080 display? YES! YES! YES!
This is the swiss army knife of computers, If I had to write down everything I wanted in a computer, this one would have it all. I would pay twice as much for this system if I needed to, it's really that good! Go buy one yourself, dooooo it!
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This computer is just awesome. It has very nice specs considering the price. Overall, this computer has handled everything I have thrown at it, which includes: Crysis, Ableton, and Photoshop. Aesthetically speaking, this computer looks very nice with it's gunmetal finish, very classy. The screen on this computer is flawless, especially with 1920x1080p. It looks just like the retina display on the new mac book pro. The JBL speakers do nice work to any music (mind you they have actual sub-woofers.) The webcam is also very nice, with a nice 720p output. The i7 processor can be overclocked, which allows it to multitask with easy. I have had no problems with this computer and is a very good competitor to the new mac book pro. So, if you want performance with a sleek design and at an affordable price, this is the ultimate laptop!Best Deals for Lenovo IdeaPad Y580 20994KU 15.6-Inch Laptop (Dawn Gray)
This computer is fast and has amazing speakers. The display, however, started to show deadpixels. I believe this problem is because of the too fragile display, with which i had to play around to 'fix' the problem temporarily. I have returned the item because of this problem only. All other aspects of the computer are very good.I expected higher quality construction/assembling from lenovo.
Honest reviews on Lenovo IdeaPad Y580 20994KU 15.6-Inch Laptop (Dawn Gray)
Found there are some reviews grossly off mark when I finally have it in my hand. here is my take:1) The build quality is solid with anodized rose-golden metal backing and inside. No keyboard reflex while typing.
2) The keyboard layout takes some time to get used to. The keys are a bit too small.
3) Very little heat or noise dissipation while surfing the net, unlike my 3-yr-old mbp.
4) The screen is bright and clear from wide angles, A+.
5) It weighs maybe even lighter than my 15" mbp, which is decent.
6) To my surprise, very few bloatwares installed if any.
7) heard it's lighting fast with mSATA. Can't wait to try it out.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Lenovo IdeaPad Y580 20994KU 15.6-Inch Laptop (Dawn Gray)
I purchased this laptop after doing some research for laptops tuned toward gaming. PC Magazine rated this laptop as a top pick and gave it their "Editor's Choice" for it's power and capabilities. I have had this laptop for over 6 months, and I absolutely love it. The screen resolution (1080p) is fantastic and along with the NVIDIA graphics card provides a crisp and clear visual experience. The cooling element is nicely designed, with the heat vent on the left side of the computer, allowing the heat of the machine to escape through one vent, thus making the keyboard always cool (This was unlike my old HP laptop, where the heat escaped through the bottom and sides of the laptop, making the keyboard incredibly hot after long gaming sessions). The keyboard itself is very crispy--my hand freely flows from key to key, and the keys are filled in in-between so no food/dirt/etc. gets underneath the keys, and the keys can be lit up during nighttime. The only real complaint I have is the trackpad. The right and left keys on the track pad are like an Apple laptop, where they are embedded within the trackpad itself (there is a faint visible line that separates the right and left keys, unlike an Apple laptop. However, I wouldn't not buy this laptop because of this (I also personally use an external mouse). On another note, I recently did a complete factory restore (to clear a lot of program clutter I had) and I found it incredibly easy to do. You simply hit the One-Touch Recovery button, hit accept and the laptop takes care of the rest.If you're looking to purchase a gaming laptop, I would highly recommend this one. I would also recommend buying it here, off Amazon. Lenovo's website store seems to be incredibly slow. When I originally went to place my order with Lenovo, the site said the laptop would SHIP in 3 weeks. Here on Amazon, it shipped the day after I purchased it, and arrived in 2 days.
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Discount Gateway M675 Notebook Laptop Computer
My experience with Gateway has been terrible. Here is my story. I decided to purchase a new laptop computer last month and with Lenovo buying IBM Thinkpads, I decided to try a new brand (I have owned IBM Thinkpads in the past). I ordered the $3,000 Gateway NX 860 XL before leaving for vacation in March and received it while on vacation. Upon returning home, I had a business trip scheduled and decided to open and use my new computer. Within 3 days of using the computer, my power supply failed and I was without my laptop the last 2 days out-of-town. At the same time, Gateway was proactively trying to schedule a technician visit to fix a faulty video card within this computer. At this time, I decided to return the machine because of its lack of dependability. Now it came time to deal with the customer service department. When buying the machine I was assigned a sales rep who promised to be available with any questions I might have in the future. Therefore, this was the first person I tried to contact with the problems on my new machine. Needless to say, I NEVER received an answer from him after numerous voice/emails. Next, I wrote a letter to the CEO and finally received a call back from Gateway executive offices. A gentleman in that department informed me that I was outside the 15 days return policy (by 2 days) and that instead of getting a refund, I would have to return the machine for service. The next day my machine incurred another defect the screen failed. I can hear the machine start but I get no response from the screen (I even attempted to externally connect the laptop to another video screen with no luck). This was the final straw. I called both my sales representative (no response) and my new contact (from Gateway executive offices) leaving 4 messages in 2 days with no return call. It was not until I searched through the Gateway voicemail system that I got a real person who physically delivered the message to my contact for me.
After speaking again with Gateway executive offices, I received the same conclusion no return and I would need to send it back to the company. He informed me that it would take 1-5 days to receive a box from Gateway to pack up and ship out my product. Then, it would take 2 weeks to service and if I'm lucky to have my machine back in a month. Are you kidding? I have already ordered a new machine (Lenovo). Right now, it is as good as a $3000 doorstop.
All I wanted to do was return a product that did not work. In my business, reliability is extremely important and this machine is not reliable. Also, Gateway does not show respect for their customer. They hide behind policies instead of standing behind their product and realizing a product defect on their side.
Don't buy Gateway. The computer is lousy and the customer service stinks.
The wireless, Gigabit Ethernet, CD-RW/DVD-RW drive works great, keyboard, LCD panel, front audio controls and everything else.
The only thing that I've had to buy for the system for replacement was a new battery (about $35) and a new power supply (about $45) a couple years ago. I also upgraded the RAM to the max capacity of 2GB and the hard drive to a 160GB drive.
Overall, I'd place the downfalls on this unit with the fact that it doesn't boot from USB devices, but then again, this laptop was made in 2003 and was no longer manufactured after 2005. The boot from USB requirement in the hardware simply did not exist in 2003. Why they haven't since added it, I don't know (the existing hardware technology would certainly support it).
Also, other downfalls are weight and heat. It's 8.7 lbs on my bathroom scale and the heat it generates is quite a bit...don't actually use this system on your lap, your thighs will be burning in no time. My boss felt the heat coming from the system while sitting on my desk and he actually said "Man...you can pop popcorn with that kind of heat!"
Other than those, I would place this system as a very, rock solid system. I've had more parts fail in my desktop computers than I have with this laptop (which is actually a desktop replacement system given it's got a 2.4Ghz Pentium 4 processor, 2GB of RAM, 160GB HDD, 802.11g/b wireless, CD/DVD burner, four USB 2.0 ports and a FireWire (1394) micro port, and an ATI Raideon Mobility 9600 with 64MB Video RAM). Oh...it's got a floppy drive as well, but you can obtain accessories to go into the left bay (where the floppy drive is) that will enable other functions and features.
After speaking again with Gateway executive offices, I received the same conclusion no return and I would need to send it back to the company. He informed me that it would take 1-5 days to receive a box from Gateway to pack up and ship out my product. Then, it would take 2 weeks to service and if I'm lucky to have my machine back in a month. Are you kidding? I have already ordered a new machine (Lenovo). Right now, it is as good as a $3000 doorstop.
All I wanted to do was return a product that did not work. In my business, reliability is extremely important and this machine is not reliable. Also, Gateway does not show respect for their customer. They hide behind policies instead of standing behind their product and realizing a product defect on their side.
Don't buy Gateway. The computer is lousy and the customer service stinks.
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I am an IT Professional with 7 Degrees and Certifications. In fact I am working on 3 more now. I have had the M675 since 2004. It is still going strong. I also have a Gateway M685 (2007) that has bit the dust hard. It needs a new laptop screen. And I have a Gateway NW78 (2010). Obviously I like Gateway and their full size keyboards. The M675 is as solid as can be. It has had some work done on it but it still works. I am going to upgrade it to Windows 7 in the next two weeks. It does get hot but I am sure it will be around for years. It just works. It has 4 TB of external drives attached and just has no issues at all. Wireless works great.Best Deals for Gateway M675 Notebook Laptop Computer
I've owned the Gateway M675 notebook since February of 2003. The only problem that I've had with the system was a motherboard problem, which Gateway fixed without issue. Aside from that, I've used this computer for all of eight years and while heavy, it's extremely reliable.The wireless, Gigabit Ethernet, CD-RW/DVD-RW drive works great, keyboard, LCD panel, front audio controls and everything else.
The only thing that I've had to buy for the system for replacement was a new battery (about $35) and a new power supply (about $45) a couple years ago. I also upgraded the RAM to the max capacity of 2GB and the hard drive to a 160GB drive.
Overall, I'd place the downfalls on this unit with the fact that it doesn't boot from USB devices, but then again, this laptop was made in 2003 and was no longer manufactured after 2005. The boot from USB requirement in the hardware simply did not exist in 2003. Why they haven't since added it, I don't know (the existing hardware technology would certainly support it).
Also, other downfalls are weight and heat. It's 8.7 lbs on my bathroom scale and the heat it generates is quite a bit...don't actually use this system on your lap, your thighs will be burning in no time. My boss felt the heat coming from the system while sitting on my desk and he actually said "Man...you can pop popcorn with that kind of heat!"
Other than those, I would place this system as a very, rock solid system. I've had more parts fail in my desktop computers than I have with this laptop (which is actually a desktop replacement system given it's got a 2.4Ghz Pentium 4 processor, 2GB of RAM, 160GB HDD, 802.11g/b wireless, CD/DVD burner, four USB 2.0 ports and a FireWire (1394) micro port, and an ATI Raideon Mobility 9600 with 64MB Video RAM). Oh...it's got a floppy drive as well, but you can obtain accessories to go into the left bay (where the floppy drive is) that will enable other functions and features.
Honest reviews on Gateway M675 Notebook Laptop Computer
I have had this computer for about a month now.And it is great.At first I said I would not buy a gateway when they first came out because I owned one a long time ago and it was not nice.Thats when windows 98SE was out and that was the worse operating system I have ever noticed. Ever! But now you have vista to take it's place.So I decided to go ahead after years of thinking and I bought this gateway and it is by far the best looking and the best working one I have seen today.I work on computers and I would normally by a dell are a IBM around 5 years of age because they last forever.They new model computers I don't care what model they are will last you for a year tops if you use them enough.As you can see this laptop is still around and still working! Get it ! How many can say that when they go to besy buy and buy a laptop new! How many times did you go back and if your warranty was up you were screwed! Its a great laptop with a full keyboard I mean a full keyboard like you have on a desktop.Not squeezed together like the newer model laptops! All kind of buttons for your every need.I give this laptop rave reviews and its still going and count the years when it first came out and then count the years of the newer model laptop you have and does it still work.For this laptop to still work after 8 years I am please with no problems so how about that! Cant say that for many laptops now a days.You get 1 year with all that junk in it and it will last 1 year.Now I ask you whats better a laptop working for a long time are a suped up one that last a year.I got my money worth plus and this laptop still works without a hitch.Upgraded to 2gb of memory and 100gb hardrive.And now I can add up to 500 gigs with the new IDE PATA DRIVES.Man I have no complaints take it from me it will last you for ever! And I can put any operating system on it including Windows 7. Hows that for a laptop 8 years old and still can hang better than the new laptops Haaaa! haaa!! I bet you understand me now! Good luck cause this laptop rocks!Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Gateway M675 Notebook Laptop Computer
I purchased my new Gateway laptop and since I had not heard anything bad about the company, expected to have a satisfactory product. My main complaint is the exceptionally slow time it takes to install a program. The install goes along at a reasonable time frame copying the program to my hard drive from CD. But at the final install step which it states will take two minutes, instead goes on and on for hours. That was my spyware program. A few days later, I tried to install programs which came with the computer and again, two hours later when I tried to stop the install, a message came up that 'program xxx is still installing, do you want to quit?' I responded 'no' and the install contined for another two hours. I finally stopped it and have not bothered to install any other programs. My advice? Do not buy a Gateway.Sunday, September 28, 2014
Buy Toshiba Tecra A8-S8513 - Core 2 Duo T5600 / 1.83 GHz - Centrino Duo
Preface This weighs about 6 1/3 pounds or so Not 11 Pounds as Amazon Has Erroneously Noted. To be honest, I never intended to spend this amount on a laptop but I am very very happy with this. What happened to me was, I originally bought a refurbished Toshiba A105 Satellite 1.66 Core 2 Duo, XP, from a very good computer seller for $799 before tax & really liked it but there were major problems with the Hard Drive which was all screwed up. I thus returned the A105 and then bought the brand new faster Tecra A8-S8513, mainly because it has XP and I didn't want to deal with Vista. I also upgraded the RAM from 1GB to 2.5 GB. All told I spent $500 plus more then the $799 I originally budgeted for because I had to use the stores credit on the refurbished notebook with problems & wanted a New Core 2 Duo with XP. The good news is I'm very happy with this as its very fast, super sturdy & built like a tank, the sound of the fan & hard drive is the lowest I've ever heard on a laptop (the refurbished A105 was way too loud), works great with the built in wireless card, is very easy to use, is relatively
light at 6oz or so. So what I'm trying to say is, if you have the money for this & want a laptop with XP, buy it and add another gig of RAM to it & you'll be very happy. My only negative is that the USB ports are in the back instead of the side like the A-105.
Lately though she said it freezes occasionally. Don't know what's wrong yet.
light at 6oz or so. So what I'm trying to say is, if you have the money for this & want a laptop with XP, buy it and add another gig of RAM to it & you'll be very happy. My only negative is that the USB ports are in the back instead of the side like the A-105.
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Bought it for a friend (with her money). She's had it exactly 2 years now and nothing major to report. Software got cluttered, but I sorted that by removing some unnecessary startups and reloaded the problem apps. Then it was soaring again.Lately though she said it freezes occasionally. Don't know what's wrong yet.
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Buy Acer AS4830T-6678 14" Laptop (Intel i3-2370 Processor, 320GB Hard
Contrary to the Amazon product features description, this particular model does not have bluetooth installed, so keep that in mind if ever bluetooth constitutes an important feature for you. This laptop also has an integrated, non-user replaceable battery, which could be an issue 2 or 3 years from now when the battery dies (following the apple/ultrabook trend). The weight is also a bit heavy for the sleek form factor.
Enough of the cons and on to the pros...
Price Compared with other laptops with comparable specs the price is very competitive
Processor Very capable processor with Passmark score of 2862 can handle anything you care to throw at it (aside from graphics intensive games, though I personally haven't tested it out).
Looks Brushed aluminum lid and metal accents on the faux speaker grill look classy
Sound Dolby home theater works wonders when you connect a set of headphones
Battery life I got 6.5 hours on the first charge, though I'm still conditioning the battery. It's advertised to get 8+ hours.
Power brick Small, light and compact
OS from the feedback I've been reading on Windows 8, I'm glad I stuck with Windows 7 this time around. Maybe I'll consider Windows 9.
In summary, it's a handsome, powerful, affordable laptop.
Enough of the cons and on to the pros...
Price Compared with other laptops with comparable specs the price is very competitive
Processor Very capable processor with Passmark score of 2862 can handle anything you care to throw at it (aside from graphics intensive games, though I personally haven't tested it out).
Looks Brushed aluminum lid and metal accents on the faux speaker grill look classy
Sound Dolby home theater works wonders when you connect a set of headphones
Battery life I got 6.5 hours on the first charge, though I'm still conditioning the battery. It's advertised to get 8+ hours.
Power brick Small, light and compact
OS from the feedback I've been reading on Windows 8, I'm glad I stuck with Windows 7 this time around. Maybe I'll consider Windows 9.
In summary, it's a handsome, powerful, affordable laptop.
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If this computer had a built-in light, like Lenovo's think light, it would be perfect. Otherwise, I like the design. It really is a pretty computer. Fast. Runs cool. Speaker sound is excellent. Long battery life. Key placement good too. Yeah, I really like this one.Best Deals for Acer AS4830T-6678 14" Laptop (Intel i3-2370 Processor, 320GB Hard
This laptop is the epitome of an amazing laptop. It NEVER crashes, lags, or breaks down and I've had it for a while now! It's amazing and I'd recommend it over any other laptop the Sonys, the Toshibas, HPs, Asus, and even the Macs. It's reliable and best part is, for $450 you're getting quite a steal of a deal!!!Honest reviews on Acer AS4830T-6678 14" Laptop (Intel i3-2370 Processor, 320GB Hard
I've had great performance on this computer since I bought it last summer. For the price, I would definitely recommend this Laptop!Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Acer AS4830T-6678 14" Laptop (Intel i3-2370 Processor, 320GB Hard
I love everything about it except that it doesn't have a number keypad. Super fast, runs very cool on your lap.Saturday, June 28, 2014
Cheap Lenovo Thinkpad T61 15.4" Notebook (Off-Lease)
I have been wanting an older laptop to purchase that would still be in good running shape and fairly fast. I looked through a lot of them here on Amazon and found this one. It came today and it's working great. Who ever owned it before me took great care of it. I can tell it will serve my needs for many years to come.
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Reviews of Lenovo ThinkPad 0578F7U Notebook - Core i3 i3-370M 2.4GHz - 14-Inch
I was looking for a reasonable replacement for my terminally ill Sony Vaio that I bought just over 5 years ago. The specs on this Lenovo looked right in terms of speed, storage, size, and bells and whistles and was a 4-5 fold upgrade from the Sony. So far, I cannot complain. Set-up took less than 30 minutes. Microsoft Office Pro nice and fast (purchased separately). Browsing fast. Speaker/Sound nice for this size machine. Keyboard is a bit old school with the firmer key. I can see why some might not like that, but it feels like sturdy quality to me (back lit WOULD be nice). Windows 7 will take a little getting used to from XP. The notebook actually weighs 4.5 lbs, NOT 8 as advertised on this amazon product description, so that is a plus! 3 USB ports is a nice feature and I look forward to trying out a Bluetooth mouse. This Lenovo has a DVD/RW which it seems is uncommon for a Thinkpad this size and price. The fingerprint security system I am also liking so far. I also think it is somewhat upgradeable so if that is important to you, definitely check out the details. The only real compromise I made was in battery life; I was hoping to find a Lenovo with the 7-8 hour battery life, but this one advertises as 4.5 only (which is still a 2 hour improvement from my Sony). Some folks haven't been too impressed with the Intel Core i3 processor (it's a 3 out of 5 star rating) but this is faster than anything I've owned. Perhaps that will change as I collect more pics/videos/programs/junk over the coming years. Anyhow, the price WAS 599.99 plus 19.99 SH, but it looks like the price went up a few days ago on Amazon. J&R.com did have this for $550 and free next day shipping if you called them directly, but it recently sold out. Laptop Authority may still have it for around $560 with free shipping no tax. I think if you are looking for something that meets current competition standards with Windows under $600 this is the right machine for you.
Set-up took no more than 15 minutes. Windows 7 is a vast improvement over Vista, though they may look the same on the outside. Taskbar is more functional, and this computer even comes with Windows 7 Professional, not just home premium like all other laptops around this price.
It also must be noted that quality of this computer is outstanding. The keyboard is the best I've ever used, and the red scroll cursor in the middle is a great way of navigating web pages instantly. The integrated fingerprint reader is a cinch to use, and is fun at the same time. The screen is amazing, clear and bright no complaints. My only complaint is the battery life, a relatively short 2.5 to 3 hours. However, I'm not going to complain. All the other positives of this laptop overshadow it.
The intel core i3-370m processor is snappy and quick. Web pages load fast, as do Windows Media Player, music editing programs, and Microsoft Office. The 4 GB of ram is plenty, and adds to the speed of the laptop. Also, the 320 GB hard drive is big enough, and at 7200 rpm, stores files quickly.
Hope this review helped. This model is perfect for the college-bound and the small business. I would definitely recommend buying this laptop.
* Nice feeling keyboard
* TrackPoint
* Middle mouse button
* 180 degree screen rotation
* HDMI port
* Small power brick
* Almost no crapware
Cons:
* Arrow keys are too small
* Fn/Ctrl keys swapped (easy to change, just mislabeled when changed)
* Home/End PgUp/PgDn keys not along right-hand side of keyboard
* Glossy screen
So I bought a ThinkPad because I was extremely impressed with the quality of my used ThinkCentre desktops so I figured I'd buy a new Lenovo/IBM product. The aesthetics of the older ThinkPads were getting dated a decade ago, but I do consider them iconic. I was very surprised to see pictures of the ThinkPad Edge series. A ThinkPad that was sexy? *gasp* Yeah, it looks like a cheap MacBook clone, but it's sexy for a ThinkPad (especially the red, but I couldn't justify paying an extra $300 just for the color).
The first thing I notice is the Chiclet keyboard. It looks so clean compared to the older ThinkPads. I can see that the designers were inspired by the MacBook. Beyond the aesthetic, the keyboard is a pleasure to type on. I am typing this very review on the keyboard. It feels very solid with almost no hint of cheap plastic. It even sounds like a high quality keyboard. In fact, this keyboard is better than every desktop keyboard I've typed on. Comparing the Edge's keyboard to other laptop keyboards is like writing with a nice ink rollerball pen versus a cheap ball-point pen. It is an amazing difference.
The key layout on the right-hand side is strange to me. It makes the keyboard look more centered though. I use the Home/End and PgUp/PgDn keys frequently when navigating text and I'm used to them all in a column along the right side of the keyboard. I hate the smaller arrow keys. The up/down, left/PgUp, and right/PgDn buttons combined are the size of a normal key. The PgUp/PgDn keys are also shorter in height than the arrow keys. I also don't like that the Fn key is where the Ctrl key should be. The functionality can be swapped in the BIOS, but you can't change the physical appearance of the keys. I have muscle memory of the normal position of the Ctrl key, but I have a momentary brain lapse when I look down at the keyboard for the Fn key's function.
For the mouse control there is the traditional IBM TrackPoint in the middle of the keyboard and a touchpad. I've never used a laptop with a TrackPoint before, but it was easy to get used to using it. Having both options means there are twice the mouse buttons as well. The touchpad's buttons are actually too narrow to use comfortably. The buttons are flush with the touchpad and they drop too much when pressed so it feels awkward. I also seem to hit the area on the touchpad above the buttons when I try to press the button quickly. The TrackPoint's buttons below the spacebar is much nicer since they are beveled and have a nice red accent stripe. As a bonus, there is a middle mouse button! It has bumps on it and reverse beveled from the left/right buttons. It comes in handy for me because I use the middle mouse button all the time for Firefox.
The screen is nice and bright, but I wish it wasn't glossy. I believe it can be special ordered with a matte screen, but for most off-the-shelf computers the glossy screen is standard. It has an auto-dim feature that will dim the screen based on the color of what's on the screen. For example, if you view a webpage that has mostly dark colors like black and gray then the screen will brighten and if you switch to Word to type something the screen will dim from the white. Thankfully this annoying feature can be turned off in the Intel Graphics control panel. One cool feature of the screen is that it will flip all the way back so it is parallel with the keyboard. The screen can also be opened with one hand albeit slowly (the ridge for the lid is on the right instead of center so it pushes harder on that side of the laptop when opening).
The Core i3 is a pretty good little processor. It can handle full-screen Hulu and Netflix without a hiccup unlike the Pentium Dual-Core which lags badly even on the lowest resolution Hulu video. The battery life is decent. It's nowhere near 4 hours with casual use. The best I got was 3.5 hours and that's just reading blogs and watching a few videos on YouTube using WiFi and the screen set at 50% brightness. That is still pretty impressive though as my old Compaq and Dell barely made it two hours unplugged doing the same things. The 4 GB of RAM is more than enough for most people. For comparison when I'm at work and have 4 instances of Visual Studio as well as instances of Word, Outlook, OneNote, and Firefox with eleventy billion tabs open I'm hovering around 2.5 GB RAM usage.
The computer comes with Windows 7 Pro preloaded with Office Starter. You can read about Windows 7 being amazing everywhere so I'll focus on Office Starter. This is the full version of Word and Excel 2010 with the advanced features removed. It is not a trial as there is no expiration date. It also has a right-had sidebar with a small 1.5" rotating banner ad. It is perfect because everything you do here is compatible with every other version of Office unlike MS Works. Plus there is an option to save Office Starter to a flash drive to use on a different computer. It boggles the mind how far Microsoft has come to pleasing users! Besides the Microsoft software, there isn't very much crapware on the laptop either. It just has a suite of Lenovo tools that contains an app that shows diagnostics, a password manager linked to the fingerprint scanner, a back-up disk creator, and a hardware update program. There is not much to uninstall except for the anti-virus trial. Uninstall that and install Microsoft Security Essentials instead (which is free, monitors in real-time, and it doesn't take up a lot of system resources).
This laptop exceeded my expectations so it is an excellent value. I am pleased with the quality and features it has. You can definitely feel the quality in this machine. It isn't a supercomputer, but I didn't intend to game or run any intensive programs on it as that's what I have a nice desktop for. I would definitely recommend picking this up over the other name brands just for the lack of crapware alone. It's perfect for sitting on the couch and doing some leisurely reading/video watching or catching up on some office work.
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All I can say is wow. For the price, this laptop cannot be beat. Even from the beginning everything was great. Amazon shipped this computer in only 5 days for super saver shipping (7-14 days). When I got the laptop everything was neatly and securely packaged, with nothing damaged. The laptop looks great too, a deviation away from the usually bland lenovo design.Set-up took no more than 15 minutes. Windows 7 is a vast improvement over Vista, though they may look the same on the outside. Taskbar is more functional, and this computer even comes with Windows 7 Professional, not just home premium like all other laptops around this price.
It also must be noted that quality of this computer is outstanding. The keyboard is the best I've ever used, and the red scroll cursor in the middle is a great way of navigating web pages instantly. The integrated fingerprint reader is a cinch to use, and is fun at the same time. The screen is amazing, clear and bright no complaints. My only complaint is the battery life, a relatively short 2.5 to 3 hours. However, I'm not going to complain. All the other positives of this laptop overshadow it.
The intel core i3-370m processor is snappy and quick. Web pages load fast, as do Windows Media Player, music editing programs, and Microsoft Office. The 4 GB of ram is plenty, and adds to the speed of the laptop. Also, the 320 GB hard drive is big enough, and at 7200 rpm, stores files quickly.
Hope this review helped. This model is perfect for the college-bound and the small business. I would definitely recommend buying this laptop.
Best Deals for Lenovo ThinkPad 0578F7U Notebook - Core i3 i3-370M 2.4GHz - 14-Inch
Well, less than a year later and I am having issues. The hard drive started to fail, so I called Lenovo. They said the warranty had expired in August even though I bought it in December 1, 2010 and it is a one year warranty. I had to fight with them and they finally agreed that Amazon was a covered seller therefore the changed to warranty to expire on Dec 1. So, they sent me a new hard drive, but no recovery CDs. I called back and they said they should have sent them with the hd. So, they send the discs. I formatted my damaged hd and went to install the new one and realized they sent me a 5400 rpm hd and this unit comes with a 7200 rpm hd. So, I called them back and the guy argued with me that this system does not come with a 7200 rpm hd. I told him the product number right off the hd and this is a new machine and it is advertised as having a 7200 rpm. I am still sitting on the phone with the guy and he is trying to find a 7200 hd because the one that is in this machine is out of stock. So, first the machine is not very good if the hd is going in less than a year, second Lenovo screwed up three times in trying to get the problem resolved and I still don't have the right hd.Honest reviews on Lenovo ThinkPad 0578F7U Notebook - Core i3 i3-370M 2.4GHz - 14-Inch
Pros:* Nice feeling keyboard
* TrackPoint
* Middle mouse button
* 180 degree screen rotation
* HDMI port
* Small power brick
* Almost no crapware
Cons:
* Arrow keys are too small
* Fn/Ctrl keys swapped (easy to change, just mislabeled when changed)
* Home/End PgUp/PgDn keys not along right-hand side of keyboard
* Glossy screen
So I bought a ThinkPad because I was extremely impressed with the quality of my used ThinkCentre desktops so I figured I'd buy a new Lenovo/IBM product. The aesthetics of the older ThinkPads were getting dated a decade ago, but I do consider them iconic. I was very surprised to see pictures of the ThinkPad Edge series. A ThinkPad that was sexy? *gasp* Yeah, it looks like a cheap MacBook clone, but it's sexy for a ThinkPad (especially the red, but I couldn't justify paying an extra $300 just for the color).
The first thing I notice is the Chiclet keyboard. It looks so clean compared to the older ThinkPads. I can see that the designers were inspired by the MacBook. Beyond the aesthetic, the keyboard is a pleasure to type on. I am typing this very review on the keyboard. It feels very solid with almost no hint of cheap plastic. It even sounds like a high quality keyboard. In fact, this keyboard is better than every desktop keyboard I've typed on. Comparing the Edge's keyboard to other laptop keyboards is like writing with a nice ink rollerball pen versus a cheap ball-point pen. It is an amazing difference.
The key layout on the right-hand side is strange to me. It makes the keyboard look more centered though. I use the Home/End and PgUp/PgDn keys frequently when navigating text and I'm used to them all in a column along the right side of the keyboard. I hate the smaller arrow keys. The up/down, left/PgUp, and right/PgDn buttons combined are the size of a normal key. The PgUp/PgDn keys are also shorter in height than the arrow keys. I also don't like that the Fn key is where the Ctrl key should be. The functionality can be swapped in the BIOS, but you can't change the physical appearance of the keys. I have muscle memory of the normal position of the Ctrl key, but I have a momentary brain lapse when I look down at the keyboard for the Fn key's function.
For the mouse control there is the traditional IBM TrackPoint in the middle of the keyboard and a touchpad. I've never used a laptop with a TrackPoint before, but it was easy to get used to using it. Having both options means there are twice the mouse buttons as well. The touchpad's buttons are actually too narrow to use comfortably. The buttons are flush with the touchpad and they drop too much when pressed so it feels awkward. I also seem to hit the area on the touchpad above the buttons when I try to press the button quickly. The TrackPoint's buttons below the spacebar is much nicer since they are beveled and have a nice red accent stripe. As a bonus, there is a middle mouse button! It has bumps on it and reverse beveled from the left/right buttons. It comes in handy for me because I use the middle mouse button all the time for Firefox.
The screen is nice and bright, but I wish it wasn't glossy. I believe it can be special ordered with a matte screen, but for most off-the-shelf computers the glossy screen is standard. It has an auto-dim feature that will dim the screen based on the color of what's on the screen. For example, if you view a webpage that has mostly dark colors like black and gray then the screen will brighten and if you switch to Word to type something the screen will dim from the white. Thankfully this annoying feature can be turned off in the Intel Graphics control panel. One cool feature of the screen is that it will flip all the way back so it is parallel with the keyboard. The screen can also be opened with one hand albeit slowly (the ridge for the lid is on the right instead of center so it pushes harder on that side of the laptop when opening).
The Core i3 is a pretty good little processor. It can handle full-screen Hulu and Netflix without a hiccup unlike the Pentium Dual-Core which lags badly even on the lowest resolution Hulu video. The battery life is decent. It's nowhere near 4 hours with casual use. The best I got was 3.5 hours and that's just reading blogs and watching a few videos on YouTube using WiFi and the screen set at 50% brightness. That is still pretty impressive though as my old Compaq and Dell barely made it two hours unplugged doing the same things. The 4 GB of RAM is more than enough for most people. For comparison when I'm at work and have 4 instances of Visual Studio as well as instances of Word, Outlook, OneNote, and Firefox with eleventy billion tabs open I'm hovering around 2.5 GB RAM usage.
The computer comes with Windows 7 Pro preloaded with Office Starter. You can read about Windows 7 being amazing everywhere so I'll focus on Office Starter. This is the full version of Word and Excel 2010 with the advanced features removed. It is not a trial as there is no expiration date. It also has a right-had sidebar with a small 1.5" rotating banner ad. It is perfect because everything you do here is compatible with every other version of Office unlike MS Works. Plus there is an option to save Office Starter to a flash drive to use on a different computer. It boggles the mind how far Microsoft has come to pleasing users! Besides the Microsoft software, there isn't very much crapware on the laptop either. It just has a suite of Lenovo tools that contains an app that shows diagnostics, a password manager linked to the fingerprint scanner, a back-up disk creator, and a hardware update program. There is not much to uninstall except for the anti-virus trial. Uninstall that and install Microsoft Security Essentials instead (which is free, monitors in real-time, and it doesn't take up a lot of system resources).
This laptop exceeded my expectations so it is an excellent value. I am pleased with the quality and features it has. You can definitely feel the quality in this machine. It isn't a supercomputer, but I didn't intend to game or run any intensive programs on it as that's what I have a nice desktop for. I would definitely recommend picking this up over the other name brands just for the lack of crapware alone. It's perfect for sitting on the couch and doing some leisurely reading/video watching or catching up on some office work.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Lenovo ThinkPad 0578F7U Notebook - Core i3 i3-370M 2.4GHz - 14-Inch
Bought his laptop in Nov 2010. Has a nice look and feel. But somehow lenovo's attempt to sexy up the thinkpad line kinda falls flat for me. From the perspective of functionality, speed, and reliability it is definitely a thinkpad. No issues there. But it lacks the solid rockhard feel that experienced thinkpad users usually look for. I could go so far as to saying that it looks kinda cheap. It is also not very slim. Has a bulky feel to it (though not heavy at all). Its best feature is the keyboard. An amalgam of the Apple chiclet style and the robust thinkpad keyboard that we all love, this is probably THE best keyboard on a laptop I have seen/used. Bottomline, if u are looking for a cheap functional laptop, this is the way to go. If u really want a thinkpad in performance and feel pay a little more and get a T-series. It will be worth it.Friday, May 23, 2014
Review of Toshiba Tecra R940-S9441 14 LED Notebook Intel Core i7-3540M 3 GHz
Over the past 21 years I've had a total of 12 different notebooks including Macs, Sony Vaios and Toshibas plus a brief and disastrous flirtation with Dell. The processing power & memory of tablets are both too feeble if you need to do serious work with real software; Macs are still excluded due to lack of compatibility with Sage Line 50 accounts software (besides other issues) so to replace my 2-year old Portege I looked again at the current crop of Toshiba notebooks.
The Intel Core processor in the Tecra offers a Goldilocks combination of VERY fast data processing even with high-demand programs, with long battery life and at 3.6kg slightly heavier than the Portege but still easily manageable. After 4 weeks it's proved fast and trouble-free, with >8-hours of battery life continuously working away from the mains.
As usual with Toshibas the Tecra is discrete and tasteful rather than flashy, with a dark aluminium casing. It has the usual integral mike and camera, good speakers with clear volume & tone as well as plentiful connecting ports for externals. I can never get the fingerprint-security facility to recognize even two of my finger scans as from the same person, so don't use it.
The Tecra boots in about 30 seconds and is then fully functioning. The screen color resolution is beautifully clear and sharp, windows7 one of the easier, more user-friendly operating systems MT has offered us.
Overall this Tecra is very good value for a mid-range machine with a lot of processing power and memory combined with lightweight, carry-in-your-hand portability and long battery life. I'd award five stars if it were 20% lighter, and 10% less expensive. But generally in a free market, with IT you get what you pay for.
I have only one experience of Toshiba's warranty service. With a previous machine I had a screen fault, and on that occasion they sent someone to collect and return it, repaired, after two days: very efficient and all FOC.
If you're going to get one of these I'd also recommend a good transport case for mobile working, and a `port replicator' (check them out) for your office.
The Intel Core processor in the Tecra offers a Goldilocks combination of VERY fast data processing even with high-demand programs, with long battery life and at 3.6kg slightly heavier than the Portege but still easily manageable. After 4 weeks it's proved fast and trouble-free, with >8-hours of battery life continuously working away from the mains.
As usual with Toshibas the Tecra is discrete and tasteful rather than flashy, with a dark aluminium casing. It has the usual integral mike and camera, good speakers with clear volume & tone as well as plentiful connecting ports for externals. I can never get the fingerprint-security facility to recognize even two of my finger scans as from the same person, so don't use it.
The Tecra boots in about 30 seconds and is then fully functioning. The screen color resolution is beautifully clear and sharp, windows7 one of the easier, more user-friendly operating systems MT has offered us.
Overall this Tecra is very good value for a mid-range machine with a lot of processing power and memory combined with lightweight, carry-in-your-hand portability and long battery life. I'd award five stars if it were 20% lighter, and 10% less expensive. But generally in a free market, with IT you get what you pay for.
I have only one experience of Toshiba's warranty service. With a previous machine I had a screen fault, and on that occasion they sent someone to collect and return it, repaired, after two days: very efficient and all FOC.
If you're going to get one of these I'd also recommend a good transport case for mobile working, and a `port replicator' (check them out) for your office.
Friday, March 7, 2014
Dell Inspiron 15.6-Inch HD LED Laptop - Intel Core i5 i5-3210M 2.5 Review
Its an okay Dell. However I found that the mouse touch pad is too sensitive and I can't find a way to fix it. It also over heats quickly and sometimes the screen freezes. I wouldn't buy it again.
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Lenovo - IdeaPad N585 Laptop / AMD Dual-Core E1-1200 processor Review
I have to disagree with most of Andrew McDowell's points. This is a great laptop, especially considering that open box returns and refurbished versions of this laptop are going for less than $250.
First, at least on mine, Windows 8 experienced no problems or compatibility issues. WiFi connectivity is also smooth. There is no reason to downgrade to Windows 7 and mess with the UEFI(even with the goofy Metro interface) because of Classic Shell and/or Start8, which allow you to bypass the Metro UI and have the glorious start button back. Windows 8 is also just as easy on the processor as Windows 7, so even with the standard 2GB of RAM, few things slow down.
Second, the build quality is actually quite good, even though the front edge is a tad sharp and the construction is all plastic. It feels solid in hand like it might survive a few small drops unscathed. The weight is well-balanced and it feels lighter than its 5.5 pounds. The keyboard is the best "chiclet" keyboard I've experienced. Though I prefer the older keyboards (non-island), the concave shape of the keys makes this much easier to adjust to than Apple or HP or Samsung, which stick to flat-topped keys that allow your fingers to slide across. There are a couple of keys that are slightly smaller than their counterparts on other laptops, but my typing speed was better with the Lenovo than it was with my flagship quad-core HP!
Most importantly, this is a great media laptop. The screen is very bright and contrasty (with no color gradients), the Dolby sound is above average if you are using the advanced options (click speaker and then click the "bass boost" option in the menu), and the battery life is pretty astounding for a budget laptop. I got 5 hours of real use at 70% screen brightness performing light tasks, which means you can confidently watch a couple DVDs on a long flight. 480p video plays great, and 720p youtube stretches the APU but most 720p videos are fine. Netflix HD shouldn't be a problem (since it usually isn't real HD). The laptop also games fairly well, punching well above the weight of its 1.4 Ghz netbookish AMD processor.
As Andrew below noted, the laptop is extremely easy to work on, as the hard drive/ram/optical drive are all available with the removal of just two screws and a giant panel on the bottom.
I highly recommend this laptop, and if you follow slickdeals or the Lenovo Outlet, refurbs and scratch & dent versions of this laptop can go for under $200! This for a laptop with a DVD burner, HDMI out, USB 3.0 ports, and excellent media capabilities.
Now onward with my comments about this Lenovo N585 laptop, notebook... what ever the latest term you wish to use.
1) Build quality: This computer is all plastic and as plastic goes its not very durable, there is no latch for the screen when the laptop is closed, therefore there is a vast amount of wiggle (side to side) occurring between the surfaces of the screen and keyboard. You most likely will need a hard case to transport this laptop to keep the movement to a minimum, in order to reduce hinge wear or breakage. It is an advantage that this laptop has the larger 15+ screen, which is clear and bright enough for normal laptop use. Of course as in all laptops, this machine does not work well in direct sunlight
2) Keyboard: The layout of this keyboard is not intuitive, it has shortened, misplaced keys, arranged to allow the laptop to include an accountant style numerical key pad. I find myself constantly looking for the shift key and repeatedly hitting the caps lock or return keys instead of the shift key. Further, the location of other keys on the lower scale of the qwerty keyboard are slightly shifted, therefore someone who types using qwerty will miss those keys often.
3) Track Pad: This is one of the most single aggravating devices in have ever used on any laptop. The pad jumps from place to place erratically. Even with the palm setting turned on this pad moves all over the place while typing in any situation. Corrections with this track pad are nearly impossible to achieve. I finally wound up plugging in my trackball and turned off the track pad, because I simply could never get the device to behave. I had more success getting the track pad to settle down using Ubuntu than MS Windows 7 or 8. The other aggravating issue related to this track pad is its placement. Its placed in the center just to the left of center which is extremely aggravating as you often find yourself hunting for it. This is true of all current Laptops except Macs. Its the dumbest Idea anyone ever came up with and the PC manufacturers just won't listen to customers who absolutely can not stand this arrangement. The other problem with the trackpad is its size, its enormous, causing one to contact the pad with their palm while typing (cannot be avoided).
4) CD/DVD: This device has worked very well no matter what operating system I have used. You will have to load the country driver in order to use this device under Ubuntu, however it works well after the driver is loaded. The only drawback to the CD/DVD is the location of the button to open the door, its tiny and surface mounted so you find yourself having to use your fingernail in order to open the drive door, I have found this to be an identical issue with many other laptops as well.
5) Wireless: The Broadcom wireless card in this machine is without doubt the single worst feature of the machine. It failed under Windows 7 & 8 (just stopped working), I tore my network apart thinking I had a problem with my devices when all along it was this laptops wireless card. I finally got the Broadcom to work under Ubuntu, through Comcast ISP however when I changed to AT&T the broadcom could never acquire an IP address. Finally I removed the Broadcom wireless card and I am using a USB TPlink (ralink) wireless dongle (TL-WN321G) which solved all of my wireless problems.
6) AMD E1: Remember that this is a 1.3ghz processor therefore don't expect it to be a powerhouse. It works fine for must computing needs, however it struggles with high definition, streamed video such as Youtube. However it works fine playing movies from DVDs. When I switched from Windows to Ubuntu 12.04, I acquired much better response from the AMD GPU (you will need to load the Linux driver for AMD).
7) Ethernet: The ethernet card has worked flawlessly in this computer in every operating system I installed which includes Windows 8 (default which came with the machine) Windows 7, Linux Mint and Ubuntu (I settled with Ubuntu).
8) USB ports: I have not had any issues with the USB ports not working on this machine under all of the operating system I have place on the maching (Microsoft and Linux)
9) Video output ports (VGA and HDMI): These both worked under Microsoft and I know the VGA works under Ubuntu but I have not attempted the HDMI under Linux (Ubuntu). I don't often connect my laptop to an HD TV or monitor, so you will need to test this function for yourself if you plan on using Linux. Remember that when you connect this laptop to HDMI, its will limit the resolution to the maximum allowable by your video driver.
10) Memory or RAM: This machine came with 2gig of 1600 ram which was enough for Linux but not enough for Windows. Expect to add More ram to this machine immediately. Currently I am running 6 gig of ram which seems to be adequate. I have not experienced a Ram related failure with this machine. Like all laptops, there are only two slots for ram, which must be considered when upgrading the ram.
11) Cooling: Like most PC laptops, this machine is cooled using a fan which draws air from the bottom of the machine. The air intake duct is located on the left side of the bottom of the machine, near the screen. Therefore if you use the machine on your lap, there is a better than average chance you are going to block the air intake duct with your left leg. Why PC manufacturers have not figured this out is a mystry to me. If they would draw cooling air from the back of the machine, this issue would be resolved. At any rate you will need some type of lap table or board to set this laptop on while having it in your lap or it will overheat, because you will block the intake port off with your knee.
12) The access plate on the bottom of this machine allows for one plate to be removed in order to gain access to everything. Its the best arrangement for a PC laptop I have seen, however you will need a screwdriver to remove the access panel. Changing drives or ram is simple and straight foreword.
13) Battery: The battery on this laptop provides about 3+ hours of service, depending on what computing task you are undertaking. When the battery is charging, its gets hot to the touch so holding the laptop in your lap will become more difficult depending on the insulation layer between your laptop battery and your skin. This laptop like most of the PC style laptops, continues with the plug in battery charger although Lenovo did angel the plug which makes it less vulnerable to damage. I have no idea why most of the PC manufacturers have not moved to magnetic charging plugs like the ones found on Macs.
14) Software: The basic load for this laptop includes a vast array of bloatware as do most Microsoft machines. I could never get this machine to operate correctly under Windows 8, Further I could never understand Windows 8, it was as if it was a hodgepodge of stuff put together which was not exactly like Android but not exactly Windows 7 either. I found myself having to think tabled while operating under Metro and Thinking PC while operating the desktop its a Frankenstein attempt at an OS for sure and many people will find it very confusing. I loaded Window 7 on this machine and had the same issues with the hardware as I did under Windows 8. I was ready to return the machine until I loaded Linux on it. Once Linux was loaded, the machine settled down and worked like a computer should. I finally settled with Ubuntu 12.04 which has been working very well since I removed the broadcom wireless card and installed the TP link USB wireless driver. If you purchase one of these laptops, ditch Windows and move immediately to Linux, or you will become so frustrated with Windows, you will physically throw this laptop off the roof of your house. Ubuntu 12/04 works well with this machine (that is what I am using now) however Linux Mint worked very well when I loaded it, its really your preference as to which Linux distribution you prefer. Ubuntu seems to have its eye on the future with a software solution that covers PCs,Pads, and Cell phones as collaborative devices.
15) Customer Service: Forget it, Lenovo provides an on line forum where users bash you about with their self assigned importance and vast egos. There is really no customer service to speak of coming from Lenovo for the ideapad user, most of the help is forum based, with very little engineering expertise based upon the technical knowledge of the machines design. This is not simply a Lenovo issue, I have found it to be the up and coming standard with many PC manufactures who are attempting to copy Apple. The difference in Apple is they provide the user two pathways, one is the forum and the other technical experts. The PC manufacturers seem to have forgotten the second half of this equation.
Overall summary, this is a mediocre laptop which does not include an option for bluetooth, It will run most programming, however it struggles with high definition, streaming graphics (such as youtube). This laptop will not successfully run under Windows 8 and has major issues running under Windows 7. This laptop will run fine under Linux Ubuntu and Mint, however the bradcom wireless device will need to be removed and replaced by a ralink alternative in order to be successful for all ISP's. Failure of the boradcom wifi is not a solution which is limited to Linux, its a solution which effects Windows as well. I imagine most of these laptops are simply Chinese manufactured machines, with various manufacturing badges printed on the exterior, as this one appears to be very much like the Acer version. The other aggravating issue is centered around eliminating the use of the track pad and moving to either a mouse or track ball. Just be sure to select the option to turn off the trackpad when a mouse is plugged in in order to stop palm movement from the trackpad. If you are looking for a cheep laptop, I would not think this one not to be any worse or better than selections from other vendors as they are most likely all the same Chinese machine. If you are thinking this is equal to an older thinkpad (such as the T61) its not, as this machine is not even a shadowy reflection of the older, well built, thinkpads.
First, at least on mine, Windows 8 experienced no problems or compatibility issues. WiFi connectivity is also smooth. There is no reason to downgrade to Windows 7 and mess with the UEFI(even with the goofy Metro interface) because of Classic Shell and/or Start8, which allow you to bypass the Metro UI and have the glorious start button back. Windows 8 is also just as easy on the processor as Windows 7, so even with the standard 2GB of RAM, few things slow down.
Second, the build quality is actually quite good, even though the front edge is a tad sharp and the construction is all plastic. It feels solid in hand like it might survive a few small drops unscathed. The weight is well-balanced and it feels lighter than its 5.5 pounds. The keyboard is the best "chiclet" keyboard I've experienced. Though I prefer the older keyboards (non-island), the concave shape of the keys makes this much easier to adjust to than Apple or HP or Samsung, which stick to flat-topped keys that allow your fingers to slide across. There are a couple of keys that are slightly smaller than their counterparts on other laptops, but my typing speed was better with the Lenovo than it was with my flagship quad-core HP!
Most importantly, this is a great media laptop. The screen is very bright and contrasty (with no color gradients), the Dolby sound is above average if you are using the advanced options (click speaker and then click the "bass boost" option in the menu), and the battery life is pretty astounding for a budget laptop. I got 5 hours of real use at 70% screen brightness performing light tasks, which means you can confidently watch a couple DVDs on a long flight. 480p video plays great, and 720p youtube stretches the APU but most 720p videos are fine. Netflix HD shouldn't be a problem (since it usually isn't real HD). The laptop also games fairly well, punching well above the weight of its 1.4 Ghz netbookish AMD processor.
As Andrew below noted, the laptop is extremely easy to work on, as the hard drive/ram/optical drive are all available with the removal of just two screws and a giant panel on the bottom.
I highly recommend this laptop, and if you follow slickdeals or the Lenovo Outlet, refurbs and scratch & dent versions of this laptop can go for under $200! This for a laptop with a DVD burner, HDMI out, USB 3.0 ports, and excellent media capabilities.
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Bought this from Best Buy in November of 2012. Within 2 weeks it was crashing with a blue screen. Eventually it started happening so frequently that I called support and they told me it was a hardware problem and I would have to pay to ship it to them. Which is BS because if this is a mess up on their part they should be paying for it and everything that comes with fixing it, including shipping. Next the battery is a joke lol it started out at 100% giveing about 6 hours, then slowly overtime it turned into 100% gives you 1 hour 12 minutes. This is only after 4 months of ownership. WTF. Do Not Waste Your Money.Best Deals for Lenovo - IdeaPad N585 Laptop / AMD Dual-Core E1-1200 processor
it met my requirements and work the way i expected it to perform,light in wgt and clear audio and visual.Honest reviews on Lenovo - IdeaPad N585 Laptop / AMD Dual-Core E1-1200 processor
I purchased this laptop as an inexpensive alternative to have windows available, simply because some of the access I need for business requires windows explorer (my other machines are Mac's). I know, you see Mac and immediately think I hate Microsoft but that's not the point of view for this article nor is it true. I like what works consistently with the least amount of my life spent wasting time attempting to get things to work. I have been working with computers since the days of the commodore Vic 20, so I have experience with operating systems, of many types.Now onward with my comments about this Lenovo N585 laptop, notebook... what ever the latest term you wish to use.
1) Build quality: This computer is all plastic and as plastic goes its not very durable, there is no latch for the screen when the laptop is closed, therefore there is a vast amount of wiggle (side to side) occurring between the surfaces of the screen and keyboard. You most likely will need a hard case to transport this laptop to keep the movement to a minimum, in order to reduce hinge wear or breakage. It is an advantage that this laptop has the larger 15+ screen, which is clear and bright enough for normal laptop use. Of course as in all laptops, this machine does not work well in direct sunlight
2) Keyboard: The layout of this keyboard is not intuitive, it has shortened, misplaced keys, arranged to allow the laptop to include an accountant style numerical key pad. I find myself constantly looking for the shift key and repeatedly hitting the caps lock or return keys instead of the shift key. Further, the location of other keys on the lower scale of the qwerty keyboard are slightly shifted, therefore someone who types using qwerty will miss those keys often.
3) Track Pad: This is one of the most single aggravating devices in have ever used on any laptop. The pad jumps from place to place erratically. Even with the palm setting turned on this pad moves all over the place while typing in any situation. Corrections with this track pad are nearly impossible to achieve. I finally wound up plugging in my trackball and turned off the track pad, because I simply could never get the device to behave. I had more success getting the track pad to settle down using Ubuntu than MS Windows 7 or 8. The other aggravating issue related to this track pad is its placement. Its placed in the center just to the left of center which is extremely aggravating as you often find yourself hunting for it. This is true of all current Laptops except Macs. Its the dumbest Idea anyone ever came up with and the PC manufacturers just won't listen to customers who absolutely can not stand this arrangement. The other problem with the trackpad is its size, its enormous, causing one to contact the pad with their palm while typing (cannot be avoided).
4) CD/DVD: This device has worked very well no matter what operating system I have used. You will have to load the country driver in order to use this device under Ubuntu, however it works well after the driver is loaded. The only drawback to the CD/DVD is the location of the button to open the door, its tiny and surface mounted so you find yourself having to use your fingernail in order to open the drive door, I have found this to be an identical issue with many other laptops as well.
5) Wireless: The Broadcom wireless card in this machine is without doubt the single worst feature of the machine. It failed under Windows 7 & 8 (just stopped working), I tore my network apart thinking I had a problem with my devices when all along it was this laptops wireless card. I finally got the Broadcom to work under Ubuntu, through Comcast ISP however when I changed to AT&T the broadcom could never acquire an IP address. Finally I removed the Broadcom wireless card and I am using a USB TPlink (ralink) wireless dongle (TL-WN321G) which solved all of my wireless problems.
6) AMD E1: Remember that this is a 1.3ghz processor therefore don't expect it to be a powerhouse. It works fine for must computing needs, however it struggles with high definition, streamed video such as Youtube. However it works fine playing movies from DVDs. When I switched from Windows to Ubuntu 12.04, I acquired much better response from the AMD GPU (you will need to load the Linux driver for AMD).
7) Ethernet: The ethernet card has worked flawlessly in this computer in every operating system I installed which includes Windows 8 (default which came with the machine) Windows 7, Linux Mint and Ubuntu (I settled with Ubuntu).
8) USB ports: I have not had any issues with the USB ports not working on this machine under all of the operating system I have place on the maching (Microsoft and Linux)
9) Video output ports (VGA and HDMI): These both worked under Microsoft and I know the VGA works under Ubuntu but I have not attempted the HDMI under Linux (Ubuntu). I don't often connect my laptop to an HD TV or monitor, so you will need to test this function for yourself if you plan on using Linux. Remember that when you connect this laptop to HDMI, its will limit the resolution to the maximum allowable by your video driver.
10) Memory or RAM: This machine came with 2gig of 1600 ram which was enough for Linux but not enough for Windows. Expect to add More ram to this machine immediately. Currently I am running 6 gig of ram which seems to be adequate. I have not experienced a Ram related failure with this machine. Like all laptops, there are only two slots for ram, which must be considered when upgrading the ram.
11) Cooling: Like most PC laptops, this machine is cooled using a fan which draws air from the bottom of the machine. The air intake duct is located on the left side of the bottom of the machine, near the screen. Therefore if you use the machine on your lap, there is a better than average chance you are going to block the air intake duct with your left leg. Why PC manufacturers have not figured this out is a mystry to me. If they would draw cooling air from the back of the machine, this issue would be resolved. At any rate you will need some type of lap table or board to set this laptop on while having it in your lap or it will overheat, because you will block the intake port off with your knee.
12) The access plate on the bottom of this machine allows for one plate to be removed in order to gain access to everything. Its the best arrangement for a PC laptop I have seen, however you will need a screwdriver to remove the access panel. Changing drives or ram is simple and straight foreword.
13) Battery: The battery on this laptop provides about 3+ hours of service, depending on what computing task you are undertaking. When the battery is charging, its gets hot to the touch so holding the laptop in your lap will become more difficult depending on the insulation layer between your laptop battery and your skin. This laptop like most of the PC style laptops, continues with the plug in battery charger although Lenovo did angel the plug which makes it less vulnerable to damage. I have no idea why most of the PC manufacturers have not moved to magnetic charging plugs like the ones found on Macs.
14) Software: The basic load for this laptop includes a vast array of bloatware as do most Microsoft machines. I could never get this machine to operate correctly under Windows 8, Further I could never understand Windows 8, it was as if it was a hodgepodge of stuff put together which was not exactly like Android but not exactly Windows 7 either. I found myself having to think tabled while operating under Metro and Thinking PC while operating the desktop its a Frankenstein attempt at an OS for sure and many people will find it very confusing. I loaded Window 7 on this machine and had the same issues with the hardware as I did under Windows 8. I was ready to return the machine until I loaded Linux on it. Once Linux was loaded, the machine settled down and worked like a computer should. I finally settled with Ubuntu 12.04 which has been working very well since I removed the broadcom wireless card and installed the TP link USB wireless driver. If you purchase one of these laptops, ditch Windows and move immediately to Linux, or you will become so frustrated with Windows, you will physically throw this laptop off the roof of your house. Ubuntu 12/04 works well with this machine (that is what I am using now) however Linux Mint worked very well when I loaded it, its really your preference as to which Linux distribution you prefer. Ubuntu seems to have its eye on the future with a software solution that covers PCs,Pads, and Cell phones as collaborative devices.
15) Customer Service: Forget it, Lenovo provides an on line forum where users bash you about with their self assigned importance and vast egos. There is really no customer service to speak of coming from Lenovo for the ideapad user, most of the help is forum based, with very little engineering expertise based upon the technical knowledge of the machines design. This is not simply a Lenovo issue, I have found it to be the up and coming standard with many PC manufactures who are attempting to copy Apple. The difference in Apple is they provide the user two pathways, one is the forum and the other technical experts. The PC manufacturers seem to have forgotten the second half of this equation.
Overall summary, this is a mediocre laptop which does not include an option for bluetooth, It will run most programming, however it struggles with high definition, streaming graphics (such as youtube). This laptop will not successfully run under Windows 8 and has major issues running under Windows 7. This laptop will run fine under Linux Ubuntu and Mint, however the bradcom wireless device will need to be removed and replaced by a ralink alternative in order to be successful for all ISP's. Failure of the boradcom wifi is not a solution which is limited to Linux, its a solution which effects Windows as well. I imagine most of these laptops are simply Chinese manufactured machines, with various manufacturing badges printed on the exterior, as this one appears to be very much like the Acer version. The other aggravating issue is centered around eliminating the use of the track pad and moving to either a mouse or track ball. Just be sure to select the option to turn off the trackpad when a mouse is plugged in in order to stop palm movement from the trackpad. If you are looking for a cheep laptop, I would not think this one not to be any worse or better than selections from other vendors as they are most likely all the same Chinese machine. If you are thinking this is equal to an older thinkpad (such as the T61) its not, as this machine is not even a shadowy reflection of the older, well built, thinkpads.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Lenovo - IdeaPad N585 Laptop / AMD Dual-Core E1-1200 processor
Within two weeks of ownership, the display starts showing random dark lines on the display. I believe it is hardware issue. This one is going back to where it came from.Reviews of HP EliteBook WJ681AW Notebook - Core i5 i5-520M 2.4GHz - 14-Inch
I've had the HP Elitebook 8440P laptop for just over a month now, and I absolutely love it. I used to use a 13" macbook, but got sick of not being able to customize the software to do exactly what I wanted (since I grew up as a PC user). I expect the HP Elitebook 8440p to last me at least 3-4 years. I've installed Windows 7 ultimate 64-bit on it so that I could run Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 for editing videos, and the laptop renders video fast and hasn't crashed yet.
I've replaced the standard 6 cell battery with a 9 cell battery, giving me 5-6 hours of battery life while browsing online and watching youtube videos. I noticed the battery life lasts even longer (up to 9 hours) if you turn off the wifi, and do something offline like word processing. When you put it to sleep, it doesn't drain the battery at all, yet it turns on right away again when you hit the power button.
The machine is designed excellent with a business/professional and sleek look with the stainless steel lid. It's also scratch resistant and finger-print resistant due to this material. It's quiet and stays very cool. This may also have something to due to 160gb Intel solid state drive that mine has.
The HP protection suite that comes with it has many great security options if that is an important issue to you. It can manage all your passwords for you.
The only bad thing I could say about it is about the speaker/mic volume. The volume won't get very loud even on the max settings. When you record your voice on microphone, it doesn't play back very loud. Still it's good enough to handle a skype call.
I highly recommend this model. This is an enterprise version that is made to last. Don't buy those models made for entertainment or students as those are made of bad quality materials.
Mine is running on Windows 7 Ultimate and works fast.
I've had this computer for 4 months, put no software or files of my own on it and still can not get it to work reliably for simple tasks. Thank God it's not my main computer!!
HP has been of no help. In one instance, HP help put me on hold for 20 minutes while researching the problem (new slang for "I need a cigarette break") then disconnected me and even though the researcher had taken my phone number "just in case we get disconnected", I never heard from him again. This computer has been just one expensive mistake. DON'T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE.
I've replaced the standard 6 cell battery with a 9 cell battery, giving me 5-6 hours of battery life while browsing online and watching youtube videos. I noticed the battery life lasts even longer (up to 9 hours) if you turn off the wifi, and do something offline like word processing. When you put it to sleep, it doesn't drain the battery at all, yet it turns on right away again when you hit the power button.
The machine is designed excellent with a business/professional and sleek look with the stainless steel lid. It's also scratch resistant and finger-print resistant due to this material. It's quiet and stays very cool. This may also have something to due to 160gb Intel solid state drive that mine has.
The HP protection suite that comes with it has many great security options if that is an important issue to you. It can manage all your passwords for you.
The only bad thing I could say about it is about the speaker/mic volume. The volume won't get very loud even on the max settings. When you record your voice on microphone, it doesn't play back very loud. Still it's good enough to handle a skype call.
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This is a high quality made laptop. It's highly robust and the one I got includes all I need: Smart card reader, SIM reader, GPS, DisplayPort, Memory reader, keyboard light, etc.I highly recommend this model. This is an enterprise version that is made to last. Don't buy those models made for entertainment or students as those are made of bad quality materials.
Mine is running on Windows 7 Ultimate and works fast.
Best Deals for HP EliteBook WJ681AW Notebook - Core i5 i5-520M 2.4GHz - 14-Inch
I've owned a dozen or more computers over the last 28 years and with out question, this is the most hateful computer I've ever owned. It's so loaded up with HP help-ware, that the computer does not work. Simple tasks like reviving from sleep mode takes up to 5 minutes, most of the time I have to turn it off and restart. I'll be trying to read something and it will go to screen saver while I'm reading even though I've totally turned off the screen saver setting. The HP help-ware constantly resets settings, I've changed, back to THEIR default.I've had this computer for 4 months, put no software or files of my own on it and still can not get it to work reliably for simple tasks. Thank God it's not my main computer!!
HP has been of no help. In one instance, HP help put me on hold for 20 minutes while researching the problem (new slang for "I need a cigarette break") then disconnected me and even though the researcher had taken my phone number "just in case we get disconnected", I never heard from him again. This computer has been just one expensive mistake. DON'T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE.
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Best Acer AS5552-3691 Refurbished 15.6" Notebook Deals
I purchased this Acer Aspire laptop in refurbished condition in late August of 2011 for under $250.00. Since then I have increased the factory 4gb RAM to a total of 8gb; purchased a Logitech Anywhere mouse (my desk is glass top); an extended warranty to 2 years and a Logitech Sound Bar. What I now own is a super 'puter of reliable, unfaltering speed, great sound and wonderful mousing technique all for well under $400. I am about to buy a 2nd for my significant other and will probably dress hers similarly. I still rely on my PC for rendering digital images ( I am a semi-retired Prof.Photog) as I need an absolute color monitor. But this Acer Aspire aspires to be a little sister. While the bloody thing is spot on with image reproduction, it will remain as an internet surfer,news relater, media projector and shopping tool. I love it and cannot praise it high enough. Who knew Acer was producing such quality electronics. Wish they made cameras if this is indicative of their grasp of the tech world.Nikon and Cannon take note! Do not hesitate to buy this if you are looking to save money and still have a decent portable computer.
Ron
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i recently purchased this system...owned it for about a 2 months now and so far so good..cant complain as yet...i will have to run a few intense programs on the system to test the performance,,then i will place a follow up review..but i would recommend for someone on a low budget or studentBest Deals for Acer AS5552-3691 Refurbished 15.6" Notebook
I got an Acer Aspire 5515 in 2009 and would not trade it for any other computer or brand. The quality of this computer has been out standing, I have changed the memory to 4gb, nothing else has ever need to be fixed or repaired on this computer in 3 years.I highly recommend an Acer if your concidering a new computer. I know I won't buy another brand. Top quality product.Honest reviews on Acer AS5552-3691 Refurbished 15.6" Notebook
This is the best laptop I have purchase to date. I like its feel and slim design. It performs as adversitized. I really enjoy this notebook.Ron
Friday, December 13, 2013
Best Toshiba Satellite 17.3" Laptop, Intel i5, 2.5GHz, 6GB, 750GB Deals
i absolutely love this notebook, bought at best buy and do not regret it one bit! has an awesome 17.3" screen with hd 1600x900 screen, 3rd gen i5 processor that is the quickest i have ever seen in a notebook. there is absolutely no hesitation at all.
the sound system on this laptop is not missing anything, you will be surprised. i have never had a laptop with a sound system like this, i downloaded and watched battleship on this the other day and the sound was amazing. it has built in harman/kardon audio speaker sound system that actually gets really loud and stays oh so clear. before, i have always had to buy external speakers with a laptop, but not this one.
and totally new to me, this comes with 6gb ram upgradeable to 16gb ram, ive never had a laptop upgradeable to that much ram before. it has 4 usb ports and all are usb 3.0. hdmi input, dvd player/burner, card reader, and i love the high speed start...you can close the lid and when you reopen it starts up instantly, with no hesitation, also has hdd ssd head protection, if you bump your laptop on something or drop it, it goes into protection mode and secures the hdd ssd from damage, i picked it up the other day and bumped it on the arm of my chair and it came up on the screen saying my hdd/ssd was currently being protected, as soon as shaking settles down it goes back to normal state, really cool. also comes equipped with diagnostic tool and health monitor, plus facial recognition and sleep utility. includes eco utility and toshiba assist.
this computer is lacking in nothing except one thing......no bluetooth, but thats a small price to pay for everything else you get. the etched aluminum body is awesome, you dont have to worry about finger prints or anything like that. you will not regret this laptop it is really the greatest i have ever purchased and i have owned quite a few laptops. not to mention, its one of the top "satellite" laptops made by toshiba.
i think the price is very reasonable for the quality/hardware and software included. oh and it also comes with microsoft office starter for free. also included is google chrome and microsoft silverlight.... oh i forgot, also comes with intel widi...this is a great deal. overall, it really purrs like a kitten, lol.
Toshiba has this great software that reminds you of software updates, driver updates, etc. Everyday, it reminded me that I needed to update my BIOS firmware (required/recommended update). Against my better judgement, I did this and sure enough it killed the PC.
I called Toshiba and their rep told me "oh, we don't recommend people update the BIOS firmware". Except their software update has it as a REQUIRED update and bugged me every day for a week. Turns out that if your BIOS firmware is hosed, then you are totally out of luck and have to return it to the depot for repair. Oh and you have to pay to get it sent (approx $26).
So I send the PC into the repair depot for repair. I get a email with a web-link to check on the status of the repair. The estimated time for any repair is 10 working days. On the 10th day, I get a status update which says "will need new part. will add additional 10 days". Need a new part??? How about just loading the old BIOS?? I can't even imagine how expensive this would be if it wasn't under warranty.
After the additional 10 days, I go to check the status and suddenly there is no record of my repair. I wait a few days and check again. Same thing.
I call to find out if I can find the status. I get the automated answering service and faithfully follow directions to "check on depot repair status". I choose this option and it says "check website link" and hangs up on you.
I call again and finally get a hold of someone (don't try check depot repair status, it just hangs up on you). They tell me that the repair depot is waiting on a part. I ask them why the web-link status doesn't seem to reflect that. They don't know. I ask them when was the information updated, they tell me more than 2 weeks ago. I explain that I am getting mixed messages since his update is the same one I saw sometime back but the website link for the repair does not have any record of my repair. I explain that I am worried that my laptop has been lost, sent back already, or something. I am told to check back in a week and they will have an update.
I check back today (its been a week) on the website link and now the repair link has completely expired and wont even pull up.
At this point I am not even sure I have a laptop anymore. But I really liked it for the 1 week.
UPDATE:
Received the PC back from Toshiba Repair Depot yesterday. PC hard drive had been completely wiped clean (seems unnecessary) and today it does not work again and I have to return it back to Toshiba.
I turn on the PC and it asks me to setup windows all over again. Halfway through it hangs and sits there for 2 hrs doing nothing. I turn off the power and reboot and then it says that there is a problem and it won't reboot.
I call customer service and they run me through the procedure to reboot from partition. Part of the procedure requires you to take out the battery. I turn the pc over and notice that the hard drive cover is open. Also the motion has caused the hard drive to pop out of its slot. I replace the hard drive and reboot. The laptop now doesn't even recognize that a hard disk is available. So now my call gets elevated to a Toshiba case manager.
I get the Toshiba Case manager and they tell me that I will have to return it back to the depot. As in the same repair depot that wiped my hard drive and sent me back a non-working pc. I explain the whole story outlined above and tell them that since the hard drive is completely wiped clean and I don't want to wait months getting my PC back, that I just want a new PC (same type, etc). I am informed that they absolutely will not do a replacement. I ask to speak to someone else and am told there isn't any one else. They do not elevate above case manager (which is only one level above the tech support btw). I ask if they can at least prioritize getting my PC back to me since it came back from the Repair Depot broken. I am informed they don't do this either.
I am NEVER buying another Toshiba again.
ALSO TOSHIBA KEEPS THE MACHINE UP TO DATE WITH CURRENT FIRMWARE.THANK YOU AMAZON!
First the obvious things:
(*) Big screen: I grew tired of my previous laptop's small 14" and this size seems large for this price range
(*) Loaded with Windows 7 instead of Windows Millennium 3.0 aka Windows Vista 2.0 aka Windows 8.
(*) Comes equipped with a tool that lifts the HDD drive head if the computer is bumped (I don't know if this is a common feature or if this just wants the user aware)
Less obvious things / Problems:
(*) I had to return the first unit due to a blue pixel stuck in the middle of the screen.
(*) Get a mouse because the touchpad is lousy. The left and right mouse buttons are actually part of the touch sensitive area so the touch pad often recognizes clicks as motion of the mouse.
(*) The keyboard, always an issue on a laptop, is something I still have challenges using=. The nice thing is that it has the numeric keypad on the right but the bad thing is that the arrow keys are half-height buttons that are hard to hit.
The main problem with technology is how fragile it is and how prone to failure things have become. While this computer seems fine today, will it be fine tomorrow or next month? I have no idea.
the sound system on this laptop is not missing anything, you will be surprised. i have never had a laptop with a sound system like this, i downloaded and watched battleship on this the other day and the sound was amazing. it has built in harman/kardon audio speaker sound system that actually gets really loud and stays oh so clear. before, i have always had to buy external speakers with a laptop, but not this one.
and totally new to me, this comes with 6gb ram upgradeable to 16gb ram, ive never had a laptop upgradeable to that much ram before. it has 4 usb ports and all are usb 3.0. hdmi input, dvd player/burner, card reader, and i love the high speed start...you can close the lid and when you reopen it starts up instantly, with no hesitation, also has hdd ssd head protection, if you bump your laptop on something or drop it, it goes into protection mode and secures the hdd ssd from damage, i picked it up the other day and bumped it on the arm of my chair and it came up on the screen saying my hdd/ssd was currently being protected, as soon as shaking settles down it goes back to normal state, really cool. also comes equipped with diagnostic tool and health monitor, plus facial recognition and sleep utility. includes eco utility and toshiba assist.
this computer is lacking in nothing except one thing......no bluetooth, but thats a small price to pay for everything else you get. the etched aluminum body is awesome, you dont have to worry about finger prints or anything like that. you will not regret this laptop it is really the greatest i have ever purchased and i have owned quite a few laptops. not to mention, its one of the top "satellite" laptops made by toshiba.
i think the price is very reasonable for the quality/hardware and software included. oh and it also comes with microsoft office starter for free. also included is google chrome and microsoft silverlight.... oh i forgot, also comes with intel widi...this is a great deal. overall, it really purrs like a kitten, lol.
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Loved this laptop. It was great for the 1 week I got to use it. HATE Toshiba Customer Service.Toshiba has this great software that reminds you of software updates, driver updates, etc. Everyday, it reminded me that I needed to update my BIOS firmware (required/recommended update). Against my better judgement, I did this and sure enough it killed the PC.
I called Toshiba and their rep told me "oh, we don't recommend people update the BIOS firmware". Except their software update has it as a REQUIRED update and bugged me every day for a week. Turns out that if your BIOS firmware is hosed, then you are totally out of luck and have to return it to the depot for repair. Oh and you have to pay to get it sent (approx $26).
So I send the PC into the repair depot for repair. I get a email with a web-link to check on the status of the repair. The estimated time for any repair is 10 working days. On the 10th day, I get a status update which says "will need new part. will add additional 10 days". Need a new part??? How about just loading the old BIOS?? I can't even imagine how expensive this would be if it wasn't under warranty.
After the additional 10 days, I go to check the status and suddenly there is no record of my repair. I wait a few days and check again. Same thing.
I call to find out if I can find the status. I get the automated answering service and faithfully follow directions to "check on depot repair status". I choose this option and it says "check website link" and hangs up on you.
I call again and finally get a hold of someone (don't try check depot repair status, it just hangs up on you). They tell me that the repair depot is waiting on a part. I ask them why the web-link status doesn't seem to reflect that. They don't know. I ask them when was the information updated, they tell me more than 2 weeks ago. I explain that I am getting mixed messages since his update is the same one I saw sometime back but the website link for the repair does not have any record of my repair. I explain that I am worried that my laptop has been lost, sent back already, or something. I am told to check back in a week and they will have an update.
I check back today (its been a week) on the website link and now the repair link has completely expired and wont even pull up.
At this point I am not even sure I have a laptop anymore. But I really liked it for the 1 week.
UPDATE:
Received the PC back from Toshiba Repair Depot yesterday. PC hard drive had been completely wiped clean (seems unnecessary) and today it does not work again and I have to return it back to Toshiba.
I turn on the PC and it asks me to setup windows all over again. Halfway through it hangs and sits there for 2 hrs doing nothing. I turn off the power and reboot and then it says that there is a problem and it won't reboot.
I call customer service and they run me through the procedure to reboot from partition. Part of the procedure requires you to take out the battery. I turn the pc over and notice that the hard drive cover is open. Also the motion has caused the hard drive to pop out of its slot. I replace the hard drive and reboot. The laptop now doesn't even recognize that a hard disk is available. So now my call gets elevated to a Toshiba case manager.
I get the Toshiba Case manager and they tell me that I will have to return it back to the depot. As in the same repair depot that wiped my hard drive and sent me back a non-working pc. I explain the whole story outlined above and tell them that since the hard drive is completely wiped clean and I don't want to wait months getting my PC back, that I just want a new PC (same type, etc). I am informed that they absolutely will not do a replacement. I ask to speak to someone else and am told there isn't any one else. They do not elevate above case manager (which is only one level above the tech support btw). I ask if they can at least prioritize getting my PC back to me since it came back from the Repair Depot broken. I am informed they don't do this either.
I am NEVER buying another Toshiba again.
Best Deals for Toshiba Satellite 17.3" Laptop, Intel i5, 2.5GHz, 6GB, 750GB
VERY PLEASED WITH TOSHIBA 17" LAPTOP. THIS COMPUTER REPLACED MY DESKTOP AND IT HAS BEEN A GOOD CHOICE IN ALL RESPECTS.ALSO TOSHIBA KEEPS THE MACHINE UP TO DATE WITH CURRENT FIRMWARE.THANK YOU AMAZON!
Honest reviews on Toshiba Satellite 17.3" Laptop, Intel i5, 2.5GHz, 6GB, 750GB
The computer itself works great but the mouse pad is horrible it does not work well at all. If you use a mouse it should not be a problem. The aluminum case is sturdy but it makes it somewhat difficult to pick up Wi-Fi unless the computer is plugged in charging? It could be something completely unrelated to the casing but it is annoying either way. Works very well as a gaming pc but for on the go or anything of that nature I would keep shopping.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Toshiba Satellite 17.3" Laptop, Intel i5, 2.5GHz, 6GB, 750GB
Reviewing a laptop is a risky thing. Post too soon and you'll endorse something that might fall apart in 6 months, but if you wait too long then the product will likely be off the market without anyone looking into buying it. I just got the computer a week ago and wanted to post what I've encountered.First the obvious things:
(*) Big screen: I grew tired of my previous laptop's small 14" and this size seems large for this price range
(*) Loaded with Windows 7 instead of Windows Millennium 3.0 aka Windows Vista 2.0 aka Windows 8.
(*) Comes equipped with a tool that lifts the HDD drive head if the computer is bumped (I don't know if this is a common feature or if this just wants the user aware)
Less obvious things / Problems:
(*) I had to return the first unit due to a blue pixel stuck in the middle of the screen.
(*) Get a mouse because the touchpad is lousy. The left and right mouse buttons are actually part of the touch sensitive area so the touch pad often recognizes clicks as motion of the mouse.
(*) The keyboard, always an issue on a laptop, is something I still have challenges using=. The nice thing is that it has the numeric keypad on the right but the bad thing is that the arrow keys are half-height buttons that are hard to hit.
The main problem with technology is how fragile it is and how prone to failure things have become. While this computer seems fine today, will it be fine tomorrow or next month? I have no idea.
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