Showing posts with label cheap laptop deals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cheap laptop deals. Show all posts
Sunday, December 28, 2014
Review of 13.3" MacBook Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz, 4GB RAM, 500GB Hard Drive
i was unhappy when i got this item from the seller i got it from they it 4gbs of ram and 500gb hard drive and a 10 hour battery but when i it only had 2gbs of ram 250gb hard drive and up to 3hours on the battery so make sure check the seller and all the specs but it did work
Friday, December 19, 2014
Review of Gateway NV52L23u Notebook Computer, AMD Quad-Core Processor
Wallmart 478.00 laptop and its screaming fast and plenty powerful for any daily use, and perfect for the typical gamer, may be a little week for the hard core gamers, but I can run DMC and DarkSiders all on High rez (not ultra) with no noticeable lag
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
Excellent price. Seems to be a good daily worker laptop. Its being run about 8 hours per day, and no problems at all.Best Deals for Gateway NV52L23u Notebook Computer, AMD Quad-Core Processor
Awesome computer I can play bf3,crysis 3,far cry 3,sky rim, grid, dayz, Tomb raider.... basically anything I have thrown at it.Honest reviews on Gateway NV52L23u Notebook Computer, AMD Quad-Core Processor
love this computer. very quick whether im using wifi or Ethernet and altogether a flawless, seamless design. would definitely recommend to a friend....Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Gateway NV52L23u Notebook Computer, AMD Quad-Core Processor
It is amazing it can run any game best money I've ever spent I recommended it to anyone looking for a cheap computer that works great windows 8 is good and it can do alot of thing
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Review of Toshiba Satellite C655D-S5087 15.6-Inch Laptop (Trax Texture in
I must say that I have had this product for over a year!!! It works great! I am using it to type this.
I have had a few virus problems but that was MY FAULT for not having it properly secured.
The cord works great, and The battery life on this is pretty good too.
All the connections work and it is great for everyday usage.
I have had a few virus problems but that was MY FAULT for not having it properly secured.
The cord works great, and The battery life on this is pretty good too.
All the connections work and it is great for everyday usage.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
The connection on the side where you plug the AC charger is BAD!! Have to wiggle the plug to get it to charge and be careful that you don't bump it or you have to wiggle the cord again. This should not be happening, the laptop is only about 6 months old. This laptop comes with no web-cam. I would not reccomend this laptop to anyone.Best Deals for Toshiba Satellite C655D-S5087 15.6-Inch Laptop (Trax Texture in
Very cheap lost hard drive got a new one(hard drive) and it will not boot. stay far away from this oneMonday, November 3, 2014
Review of ASUS Zenbook UX31E-DH53 13.3-Inch Thin and Light Ultrabook (Silver
First of all, there's have been a lot of dispute regarding this laptop. Many have said that this laptop is a pure copy of the Macbook Air. I personally think not. Just because Apple was the first company to make something so small and so thin like the MBA, it doesn't mean that any other company who does something similar is a copy. The build quality on the chassis seems much stronger and of much more quality when compared to MBA. And, I must claim that this is the best looking notebook on the block. Much better looking than any computer with the Apple logo on it.
Touchpad Update the driver (downloading it from the Asus website). Before doing anything, do updates on the computer first. Some may say that this is absurd and that it should work out of the box. But, I think it's correct to say that you need to update the driver! Same goes for keeping your virus definitions updated for your anti-virus program! After the update, almost flawless trackpad. It's just as good as any Windows trackpad. Obviously not as good as a Macbook with it comes to smoothness (but Mac trackpad doesn't work well in Windows either since it doesn't have the drivers).
Sound Very very good sound for the form factor. For something so thin, I don't think you can find anything that matches the quality of these speakers!
Screen I personally did not have any viewing angle problems. The screen is very bright and high resolution, but I did have a dead pixel on the top left edge of the screen. This can be verify by the video I made for it! Also, there's a small quirk... The screen hinge is a little loose and when typing on your lap at a wider angle, you might experience the screen to fall backward. I also made a video of this.
Now, the worst of all! Keyboard! What were they doing with the keyboard? There's very little travel on the keyboard and absolutely zero support on the side of the keys. Longer keys like "Enter", "Shift", and "Spacebar" would experience problems where the key is pressed but it doesn't registered. This happens on other keys as well, but less occasionally. I made 2 videos of this problem and posted it on Youtube as well. You can see a few examples where FN + F11 (volume), I should be able to adjust the volume. But, when the FN key is pressed on the side and not in the dead center, it won't register. Therefore instead of changing volume, I get full screen! This goes the same for the enter Key where pressing it on the side or edge it doesn't move the words to the next line. Yes, you can argue that I just need to adjust my typing, but how hard is it to make a keyboard that works? Other manufacturers who use chiclet keyboard don't have this problem (Sony, Apple, HP). Also, how are you to guarantee that while typing 50-75 words a minute, your hitting dead center of every key including enter or shift.
Realistically, if keyboard is 100% registering every key, dead pixel wasn't there, and tigher hinge... I would recommend this as the Number 1 laptop in it's form factor (including price). I will be returning the laptop because of the problems above as I think it's pretty annoying correcting my typing as the keys don't register!...
~~ If you want to check out my video of the problems I listed above. Go to youtube website and int he search bar, look for "twkidM3". You should be able to pull up my username and it will have 5 videos of the problems. Enjoy!
EDIT~~~~~*****
11/23/11
Need to write an update. I ended up sending this thing back because the keyboard and a dead pixel problem. I did not have WIFI issues or other issues such as the computer shocking you when plugging in the power. But those two reason I listed which I did not like ended up to be a real pain in the butt. Key registering problem was huge and I would miss enter key or shift key left and right. Even FN+F9 sometimes did not register volume buttons.
Now many of you may ask, "Why don't you contact ASUS before returning it to Amazon? Get them to RMA the system because of DEAD Pixel Guarantee!" Truth be told, I did all that. I submitted a query to ASUS 2 days after I bought the system and made the videos. I posted all the videos on all the ASUS fanpages that you can find on facebook. I've also contacted Asus Corporate in Taiwan. They called me at midnight and told me that they will resolve the issue and have someone from Fremont, CA contact me regarding my issues. 3 days later, no response and no contact. So technically I was expecting someone to talk to me around the 9th of Nov. No response so I send it back to Amazon. Customer service? yes or no? you decide! Dropping from 3 stars to 2 stars... Still a beautiful unit with a lot of flaws and lack of customer service!
I decided to give Asus another chance on November 17, 2011 and bought another version of the Zenbook line called UX31-DH72. See my review there, it get's more interesting! =)
I will definitely buy my next ultrabook from Amazon but it will not be an asus product.
Update my review:
I love everything about this notebook except for the fact that mine died after 40 days of use. One second I'm installing Adobe Reader then next I can't even boot into windows. I tried using the recovery partition to no avail. It turned out to be a defective system board so I had to RMA it. When I recieved the RMA unit back it was broken, physicially broken. The screen bezel is cracked and it seems to be getting worse. I contacted ASUS right after I opened the box and now I'm waiting for this "investigation" to finish. ASUS is HORRIBLE at giving me any kind of information as to what is actually happening. I do not know how long this investigation is going to take or if they will actually take care of me and give me a zenbook that is both free of defects and isn't broken. I was told that someone was supposed to contact me from ASUS yesterday and that never happened...
I changed to review from 5 stars to 1 considering I got a defective unit AND have had a horrible experience with this RMA process.
********Old Review Below************
I have been waiting for the PC market to catch up with Apple with a notebook comparable to the "Macbook Air". I believe that the Air has set the standard for what these new ultrabooks coming out are trying to achieve. However, I do believe that while the Zenbook is "like" a macbook and was definitely inspired by the Air, it is also different and unique with its own sense of style. I will try to briefly go over what I like and dislike about the Zenbook.
One thing I will recommend above everything else is going to a local store that has this beautiful ultrabook on display and getting a hands-on feel for what you will be buying. This way you can see for yourself if the keyboard/trackpad will be a problem for you and if you like the look of this beautiful machine. If you decide that this is the ultrabook for you then I would recommend shopping around for a price or buying it from amazon.com. I do NOT recommend buying it from a Bestbuy, Office Max or Costco store for the fact that you will NOT get the FREE 1 year accidental damage warranty that ASUS offers for purchase of this machine. (Please check comments for more information regarding the warranty or check the ADP warranty site for ASUS and read the fine print...)
Likes:
Build Quality and Design The build quality for the Chassis/Frame is second to none and matches that of the Macbook Air. Total WIN in this area.
Lightweight and Portable I will be using this for work meetings and college course and I will definitely appreciate that I will no longer have to carry around my old, large, bulky and heavy laptop as I did before.
Thinness Not only is it beautifully thin, it is also practically thin meaning that it won't take up very much space in my travel bag and it adds to the portability.
Screen Resolution I was a little worried when looking for a netbook/ultrabook to replace my old laptop that I would struggle when working in excel documents due to screen real estate. However the zenbook has a 1600x900 display which offers more than I could of hoped for in a 13" notebook without making the text too small.
Battery Life I never expected to get anything over 5 hours of battery life from any kind of notebook/netbook that would meet my needs. It is simply amazing and I feel "free" from having to constantly carry around my power cord.
Mouse Trackpad my Zenbook came pre-loaded with the latest drivers. I understand that there used to be an issue with the track pad, however I have noticed no issue what-so-ever. Infact I am really enjoying the feel and functionality of the track pad. I use the two-finger scrolling all the time and I am starting to use the three-finger functionality of it now. I will mention that I did need to bump up the speed of both the mouse pointer and the two-finger scrolling to make it "feel right" to me. So I would recommend that you play around with those settings until it feels right for you.
Thermal Design I was a bit afraid that being made out of metal, the bottom of the zenbook might become a little "hot". It surprised me that the thermals for this ultrabook are quite good! I guess the credit should go to the low voltage CPU from intel. Simply amazing and quiet!
Noise Level Most of the time the fan is off and when it does turn on it is barely noticeable. The loudest thing for me is my typing! No need to be concerned that it would be disruptive in a meeting, classroom or library.
Keyboard I really love that the keys for the keyboard also have that metal finish to them. I really pulls the design together for me.
Accessories All the accessories that ASUS decided to include with the Zenbook are just icing on my cake. I love the envelope that the Zenbook can slide into, very nice quality and does not feel "cheap"
Instant On Most ultrabooks will probably have this feature. No more waiting for my machine to "start-up"
ASUS Warranty A "free" one year accidental damage warranty. Nothing one could complain about that, expect that you must be careful where you purchase your Zenbook from to ensure that you will get this warranty. (Don't buy it from a BestBuy or OfficeMax or Costco)
Dislikes:
Webcam Poor quality webcam in my opinion. I honestly never use a webcam anyway on any of my computers so it isn't a big deal for me. However why put such a horrible webcam on such a beautiful and well though-out machine?
Viewing Angles (Up and Down)All laptop screens have issues with viewing angles in my opinion. All of a sweet spot range, some have a wider range than others. I will tell you that the range for the "sweet spot" on this machine is a little narrower than I would like.
Glossy Screen I really wish that ASUS would have Zenbooks with BOTH a glossy and a matte screen so the consumer could pick which screen would fit his/her needs best. Glossy means that any outdoor use for my Zenbook will be limited to overcast days only. I would have preferred a matte screen. In fact I almost didn't buy the Zenbook because the screen was glossy.
Power Connection I wish that the power connection into the Zenbook was a little more "firm", I worry that overtime it might have problems charging due to a wobbly power connection.
Wants:
Different Color Case I hope that ASUS might sell the same cases that they include with the Zenbook in different colors. I am not the biggest fan of the brown color that is sold with the Zenbook.
Better Webcam
Matte Screen
Touchpad Update the driver (downloading it from the Asus website). Before doing anything, do updates on the computer first. Some may say that this is absurd and that it should work out of the box. But, I think it's correct to say that you need to update the driver! Same goes for keeping your virus definitions updated for your anti-virus program! After the update, almost flawless trackpad. It's just as good as any Windows trackpad. Obviously not as good as a Macbook with it comes to smoothness (but Mac trackpad doesn't work well in Windows either since it doesn't have the drivers).
Sound Very very good sound for the form factor. For something so thin, I don't think you can find anything that matches the quality of these speakers!
Screen I personally did not have any viewing angle problems. The screen is very bright and high resolution, but I did have a dead pixel on the top left edge of the screen. This can be verify by the video I made for it! Also, there's a small quirk... The screen hinge is a little loose and when typing on your lap at a wider angle, you might experience the screen to fall backward. I also made a video of this.
Now, the worst of all! Keyboard! What were they doing with the keyboard? There's very little travel on the keyboard and absolutely zero support on the side of the keys. Longer keys like "Enter", "Shift", and "Spacebar" would experience problems where the key is pressed but it doesn't registered. This happens on other keys as well, but less occasionally. I made 2 videos of this problem and posted it on Youtube as well. You can see a few examples where FN + F11 (volume), I should be able to adjust the volume. But, when the FN key is pressed on the side and not in the dead center, it won't register. Therefore instead of changing volume, I get full screen! This goes the same for the enter Key where pressing it on the side or edge it doesn't move the words to the next line. Yes, you can argue that I just need to adjust my typing, but how hard is it to make a keyboard that works? Other manufacturers who use chiclet keyboard don't have this problem (Sony, Apple, HP). Also, how are you to guarantee that while typing 50-75 words a minute, your hitting dead center of every key including enter or shift.
Realistically, if keyboard is 100% registering every key, dead pixel wasn't there, and tigher hinge... I would recommend this as the Number 1 laptop in it's form factor (including price). I will be returning the laptop because of the problems above as I think it's pretty annoying correcting my typing as the keys don't register!...
~~ If you want to check out my video of the problems I listed above. Go to youtube website and int he search bar, look for "twkidM3". You should be able to pull up my username and it will have 5 videos of the problems. Enjoy!
EDIT~~~~~*****
11/23/11
Need to write an update. I ended up sending this thing back because the keyboard and a dead pixel problem. I did not have WIFI issues or other issues such as the computer shocking you when plugging in the power. But those two reason I listed which I did not like ended up to be a real pain in the butt. Key registering problem was huge and I would miss enter key or shift key left and right. Even FN+F9 sometimes did not register volume buttons.
Now many of you may ask, "Why don't you contact ASUS before returning it to Amazon? Get them to RMA the system because of DEAD Pixel Guarantee!" Truth be told, I did all that. I submitted a query to ASUS 2 days after I bought the system and made the videos. I posted all the videos on all the ASUS fanpages that you can find on facebook. I've also contacted Asus Corporate in Taiwan. They called me at midnight and told me that they will resolve the issue and have someone from Fremont, CA contact me regarding my issues. 3 days later, no response and no contact. So technically I was expecting someone to talk to me around the 9th of Nov. No response so I send it back to Amazon. Customer service? yes or no? you decide! Dropping from 3 stars to 2 stars... Still a beautiful unit with a lot of flaws and lack of customer service!
I decided to give Asus another chance on November 17, 2011 and bought another version of the Zenbook line called UX31-DH72. See my review there, it get's more interesting! =)
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
After reading the mixed reviews, I decided to purchase this laptop anyway. I loved the size and features and decided to risk it. Very glad I did. The slimness and weight make it super portable, and I have been impressed with the battery life. The keyboard isn't perfect, but after typing on it for two weeks I don't have a problem with it, just took some getting used to. Reviews that dislike the trackpad confuse me, as it's the best one I've ever used. I know I have the Elan trackpad with the newest drivers, but I find it perfect. It's responsive, spacious, clicks are accurate and it is smooth. The screen too is bright and I love the extended resolution. This is my first metal computer, so I'm worried about my metal watchband scratching it while I type, but other than that I am very impressed and would highly recommend it.Best Deals for ASUS Zenbook UX31E-DH53 13.3-Inch Thin and Light Ultrabook (Silver
First, let me say I am not a computer nerd trying to find everything wrong with a laptop. Now, about the Zenbook, it is built very well, love the design and solidity of this ultrabook. The lid opens easily, there is a small tab on the top to open the screen from the bottom, so don't believe anyone when they say they can't open it. So I turned it on, I did the updates which were very easy to do, they were almost automatic. The trackpad and the wireless work with out any problems, I really like that the left and right click buttons on the pad actually click. Typing on the keyboard is different, but I have had no problems. The battery seems to last forever. Now for the best part, this thing starts up so fast, even after I loaded the Norton Antivirus on it. It wakes from sleep very fast, it connects to my wireless home network almost instantly. So, it does what a laptop is supposed to do, plus it's light, fast, and looks really good. I am probably going to buy one for my boyfriend for Christmas. Hope this review helps. Oh yea, the screen on this is really crisp.Honest reviews on ASUS Zenbook UX31E-DH53 13.3-Inch Thin and Light Ultrabook (Silver
After owning this zenbook for less than three months, the a/c adapter stopped working. Although covered by warranty, trying to get it replaced promptly for my daughter in college was ridiculously difficult. I called and opened a claim and was told I would get an email with instructions to follow. A full day passed. No email. I called them and asked them what happened and then they sent the email. I followed their instructions immediately which were to send back a fax. Two days later, they still said the fax hadn't been processed. At first, they said that process took 24 to 48 hours but then started to say it would take up to 72 hours. I could not get a supervisor to do anything to expedite the process. By the time they finally processed the fax, I had made other arrangements through Amazon to get a replacement shipped to my daughter so I told them not to charge me for expedited delivery. If they had sent it overnight or even two-day air at no additional cost to make up for the delays and inconvenience we had experienced, as I asked them to, I would not be posting this.I will definitely buy my next ultrabook from Amazon but it will not be an asus product.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for ASUS Zenbook UX31E-DH53 13.3-Inch Thin and Light Ultrabook (Silver
EDIT:Update my review:
I love everything about this notebook except for the fact that mine died after 40 days of use. One second I'm installing Adobe Reader then next I can't even boot into windows. I tried using the recovery partition to no avail. It turned out to be a defective system board so I had to RMA it. When I recieved the RMA unit back it was broken, physicially broken. The screen bezel is cracked and it seems to be getting worse. I contacted ASUS right after I opened the box and now I'm waiting for this "investigation" to finish. ASUS is HORRIBLE at giving me any kind of information as to what is actually happening. I do not know how long this investigation is going to take or if they will actually take care of me and give me a zenbook that is both free of defects and isn't broken. I was told that someone was supposed to contact me from ASUS yesterday and that never happened...
I changed to review from 5 stars to 1 considering I got a defective unit AND have had a horrible experience with this RMA process.
********Old Review Below************
I have been waiting for the PC market to catch up with Apple with a notebook comparable to the "Macbook Air". I believe that the Air has set the standard for what these new ultrabooks coming out are trying to achieve. However, I do believe that while the Zenbook is "like" a macbook and was definitely inspired by the Air, it is also different and unique with its own sense of style. I will try to briefly go over what I like and dislike about the Zenbook.
One thing I will recommend above everything else is going to a local store that has this beautiful ultrabook on display and getting a hands-on feel for what you will be buying. This way you can see for yourself if the keyboard/trackpad will be a problem for you and if you like the look of this beautiful machine. If you decide that this is the ultrabook for you then I would recommend shopping around for a price or buying it from amazon.com. I do NOT recommend buying it from a Bestbuy, Office Max or Costco store for the fact that you will NOT get the FREE 1 year accidental damage warranty that ASUS offers for purchase of this machine. (Please check comments for more information regarding the warranty or check the ADP warranty site for ASUS and read the fine print...)
Likes:
Build Quality and Design The build quality for the Chassis/Frame is second to none and matches that of the Macbook Air. Total WIN in this area.
Lightweight and Portable I will be using this for work meetings and college course and I will definitely appreciate that I will no longer have to carry around my old, large, bulky and heavy laptop as I did before.
Thinness Not only is it beautifully thin, it is also practically thin meaning that it won't take up very much space in my travel bag and it adds to the portability.
Screen Resolution I was a little worried when looking for a netbook/ultrabook to replace my old laptop that I would struggle when working in excel documents due to screen real estate. However the zenbook has a 1600x900 display which offers more than I could of hoped for in a 13" notebook without making the text too small.
Battery Life I never expected to get anything over 5 hours of battery life from any kind of notebook/netbook that would meet my needs. It is simply amazing and I feel "free" from having to constantly carry around my power cord.
Mouse Trackpad my Zenbook came pre-loaded with the latest drivers. I understand that there used to be an issue with the track pad, however I have noticed no issue what-so-ever. Infact I am really enjoying the feel and functionality of the track pad. I use the two-finger scrolling all the time and I am starting to use the three-finger functionality of it now. I will mention that I did need to bump up the speed of both the mouse pointer and the two-finger scrolling to make it "feel right" to me. So I would recommend that you play around with those settings until it feels right for you.
Thermal Design I was a bit afraid that being made out of metal, the bottom of the zenbook might become a little "hot". It surprised me that the thermals for this ultrabook are quite good! I guess the credit should go to the low voltage CPU from intel. Simply amazing and quiet!
Noise Level Most of the time the fan is off and when it does turn on it is barely noticeable. The loudest thing for me is my typing! No need to be concerned that it would be disruptive in a meeting, classroom or library.
Keyboard I really love that the keys for the keyboard also have that metal finish to them. I really pulls the design together for me.
Accessories All the accessories that ASUS decided to include with the Zenbook are just icing on my cake. I love the envelope that the Zenbook can slide into, very nice quality and does not feel "cheap"
Instant On Most ultrabooks will probably have this feature. No more waiting for my machine to "start-up"
ASUS Warranty A "free" one year accidental damage warranty. Nothing one could complain about that, expect that you must be careful where you purchase your Zenbook from to ensure that you will get this warranty. (Don't buy it from a BestBuy or OfficeMax or Costco)
Dislikes:
Webcam Poor quality webcam in my opinion. I honestly never use a webcam anyway on any of my computers so it isn't a big deal for me. However why put such a horrible webcam on such a beautiful and well though-out machine?
Viewing Angles (Up and Down)All laptop screens have issues with viewing angles in my opinion. All of a sweet spot range, some have a wider range than others. I will tell you that the range for the "sweet spot" on this machine is a little narrower than I would like.
Glossy Screen I really wish that ASUS would have Zenbooks with BOTH a glossy and a matte screen so the consumer could pick which screen would fit his/her needs best. Glossy means that any outdoor use for my Zenbook will be limited to overcast days only. I would have preferred a matte screen. In fact I almost didn't buy the Zenbook because the screen was glossy.
Power Connection I wish that the power connection into the Zenbook was a little more "firm", I worry that overtime it might have problems charging due to a wobbly power connection.
Wants:
Different Color Case I hope that ASUS might sell the same cases that they include with the Zenbook in different colors. I am not the biggest fan of the brown color that is sold with the Zenbook.
Better Webcam
Matte Screen
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Toshiba Satellite L505-S5993 TruBrite 15.6-Inch Grey/Black Laptop Review
This is my first laptop. I was shopping on black Friday, have heard great things about Toshiba laptops, and they had this one for 499.00 so I said what the heck and got it! I also ordered a wireless router. A few days later the box came and I could not be happier. The best thing about is the the display. It is very sharp, bright, and clear. The keyboard is nice as well. I can't stand the touchpad, but I think that's a common problem with all laptops. I immediately went out and bought a wireless mouse to use with it. The sound is not great either, but again, I think that's common with laptops. It seems pretty sturdy, and runs cool. It does not get hot, and the fan doesn't even run when the ambient temp is around 65 degrees. Setting up the wireless network was a breeze, and when I started up the laptop, it found the signal immediately, and never loses it. The computer is very fast and I have not had one problem. Very satisfied..and wow what a great price I got--this is a well equipped laptop.
One plus with this machine is that it came with very little "bloatware"Norton trial, Microsoft Office 2007 trial, and some games. So, if you buy this machine at a "Box Store" don't let them con you into optimization for an extra $50-$100, you can do recovery disks and bloatware removal on your own.
The only downside is I really wish it had an HDMI output for streaming movies to my flat screen from places like Amazon, but the VGA or USB output will have to suffice.
No HDMI is only reason I didn't give it 5 stars, other machines in this range offer it and hope Toshiba will soon.
So I decided to purchase this during the Black Friday Deal and the price was seducing! I got it a few days ago and wow!
This laptop is worth every dollar! The only thing you might consider before purchasing is that the battery doesn't stay too long when unplugged. If you need it for home use then this is it and at an amazing price!
The only draw back is the touch pad, as others have mentioned. When I bought it, I'd read some reviews that pointed to the frustrations this thing caused, but I figured people were just being picky. They weren't it stinks. First it's a bit hard to see, but that's not such a big deal. The real issue is the application. I've gone in and adjusted the settings every which way possible, I can't get it to function as I want. I ultimately turned off the tapping function (way too sensitive at every setting) and I'm still not happy. I find myself using the pad and it randomly adjusts the zoom level of the screen. I've no doubt that this issue can be resolved with some setting, but I can't find it.
To summarize, the touchpad is bad enough to take away 1 star, but the pros far outweigh this con, especially if you use an external mouse. Do your research, you probably won't find a machine with this much to offer at a similar price point.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
I had looked for a while for a laptop after my desktop died and the Toshiba L505 series was one of my finalists. It has not disappointed me and at the price ($499) for the specs (4g ram/500g HD)it has been the a great machine.One plus with this machine is that it came with very little "bloatware"Norton trial, Microsoft Office 2007 trial, and some games. So, if you buy this machine at a "Box Store" don't let them con you into optimization for an extra $50-$100, you can do recovery disks and bloatware removal on your own.
The only downside is I really wish it had an HDMI output for streaming movies to my flat screen from places like Amazon, but the VGA or USB output will have to suffice.
No HDMI is only reason I didn't give it 5 stars, other machines in this range offer it and hope Toshiba will soon.
Best Deals for Toshiba Satellite L505-S5993 TruBrite 15.6-Inch Grey/Black Laptop
This is my second laptop and my first was Toshiba too. The first one stayed with me for Four years and did start to die.So I decided to purchase this during the Black Friday Deal and the price was seducing! I got it a few days ago and wow!
This laptop is worth every dollar! The only thing you might consider before purchasing is that the battery doesn't stay too long when unplugged. If you need it for home use then this is it and at an amazing price!
Honest reviews on Toshiba Satellite L505-S5993 TruBrite 15.6-Inch Grey/Black Laptop
This is my 3rd laptop, 2nd Toshiba. I got one of these on Black Friday for my son, and just ordered another for myself. I love Win 7! There is very little preloaded crap to remove and it is super fast. Having the numeric keypad on the side and an amazing screen add to its sheer awesomeness. The touchpad is ultra cool. I must agree with other reviewers that the sound is lacking, but I did not purchase the laptop to be my primary music player so I still gave it 5 stars. I was shocked when I first closed the laptop, being used to ones that latch. This one doesn't latch and the tension hinge (which keeps it closed in lieu of a latch) wants to slam shut in the last few inches, whereas those that latch have to be pushed all the way closed. It survived that rough close and my 1st Toshiba, four months old and running great for my college student, survived a 3 foot drop onto carpet. If a Toshiba can survive me, it has my loyalty.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Toshiba Satellite L505-S5993 TruBrite 15.6-Inch Grey/Black Laptop
I bought this machine 2 weeks ago to replace an old personal eMachines laptop, I use an IBM Thinkpad for work. This computer stacks up nicely compared to all the other laptops I've used. First, the screen is very bright and vivid. I love the number pad, it's great not having to hunt and peck for the numbers across the top of the keys. Without a doubt, the memory and RAM are great at this price point. Unfortunately, I didn't get the great deal some others did, but even at $579, it's still a good value. I've already loaded up my iTunes and other applications and it runs smoothly and quickly. It was a breeze to set up.The only draw back is the touch pad, as others have mentioned. When I bought it, I'd read some reviews that pointed to the frustrations this thing caused, but I figured people were just being picky. They weren't it stinks. First it's a bit hard to see, but that's not such a big deal. The real issue is the application. I've gone in and adjusted the settings every which way possible, I can't get it to function as I want. I ultimately turned off the tapping function (way too sensitive at every setting) and I'm still not happy. I find myself using the pad and it randomly adjusts the zoom level of the screen. I've no doubt that this issue can be resolved with some setting, but I can't find it.
To summarize, the touchpad is bad enough to take away 1 star, but the pros far outweigh this con, especially if you use an external mouse. Do your research, you probably won't find a machine with this much to offer at a similar price point.
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Review of Gateway NE71B10u 17.3-Inch Laptop (Ebony Black)
The good points: Windows 8 is NOT as bad as you were made to think. Don't let that be your deciding factor; you can even make it look like Windows 7. I like the ability to (semi-easily) customize the trackpad, though the fact that the default is backwards confounds me. I LOVE the mute button, though I wish Home, End, Page Up, and Page Down were their own buttons (this is a 17" laptop, for goodness' sake -I had it on my 15"!).
The bad point: (which bothers me a lot for some reason) There are NO visual indicators for NumLock or CapsLock. It gets cumbersome when you don't notice you've hit 'CapsLock' instead of 'A' five sentences ago.
The good aspects outweigh the bad overall, and this DEFINITELY beats my old laptop that can't charge, so I suggest this one.
The bad point: (which bothers me a lot for some reason) There are NO visual indicators for NumLock or CapsLock. It gets cumbersome when you don't notice you've hit 'CapsLock' instead of 'A' five sentences ago.
The good aspects outweigh the bad overall, and this DEFINITELY beats my old laptop that can't charge, so I suggest this one.
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My very first laptop. It's great. Pros... Love the Windows 8 version. Very fast, bright LCD screen. Downside... not a touch screen.Best Deals for Gateway NE71B10u 17.3-Inch Laptop (Ebony Black)
The computer is great. I have mostly had Gateway computers because I like them. I had a Toshiba once that I loved as well but Gateway is more my style. The only thing I do not like thus far about this laptop is Windows 8. I can definitely see some great aspects to it but it is like learning a whole new operating system. I was replacing my old laptop which died on me hoping to get a similar model, which I did, with the exception of upgrading from Windows 7 to 8. The new software is so different that I am stull learning it weeks later and have not figured it all out. I am getting tired of constantly having to learn a new version of Windows ever few years!Honest reviews on Gateway NE71B10u 17.3-Inch Laptop (Ebony Black)
Great laptop and couldn't beat the price. Looks fantastic and runs like a champ. You can't go wrong with this and it's price.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Gateway NE71B10u 17.3-Inch Laptop (Ebony Black)
As far as I'm concerned, GATEWAY is the only way to go! I purchased my first GATEWAY desktop in 1999 +/and it lasted nearly 10 years. I gave my laptop to my daughter and updated mine. It's great technology at an excellent price.Monday, July 21, 2014
Cheap Toshiba Satellite L655-S5072 Notebook Computer Grey
I have had this laptop for about a year now and what I like about this laptop is that it has the 10key keypad.
What I don't like:
The sound is horrible. I know laptop speakers are not loud but this is unacceptable. I am right handed and the usb ports are in the way if I am using a mouse or when I plug in a flashdrive. I know each laptop is different but the hardrive has crashed 3 times and I have had to send it to Toshiba for repair. It crashed again when I got it back. I'm scared to store anything on it in the event it happens again. I have not been able to make myself "at home" with this laptop.
I will do better research on the next one.
What I don't like:
The sound is horrible. I know laptop speakers are not loud but this is unacceptable. I am right handed and the usb ports are in the way if I am using a mouse or when I plug in a flashdrive. I know each laptop is different but the hardrive has crashed 3 times and I have had to send it to Toshiba for repair. It crashed again when I got it back. I'm scared to store anything on it in the event it happens again. I have not been able to make myself "at home" with this laptop.
I will do better research on the next one.
Monday, June 9, 2014
Discount Toshiba Satellite C55-A5243NR 15.6-Inch Laptop (Satin Black in Trax
List Price: $434.99
Sale Price: $429.99
Today's Bonus: 1% Off
I am a low end computer geek, meaning that I know my way around basic functional issues. I build medium end desktops for a hobby. I have had this model for a couple months, and out of the 5 others I have, this is my fave, not too big or small, stable and keeps up with any chore. The display is great. I think the real telling factor of any computer is longevity, so we will see about that a few years down the road. I have an early t satellite (7 yrs old) that is running xp flawlessly to this day.
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This laptop is great for everyday use. If web surfing, using word, and playing indie games is what you want to do with your laptop then this one is for you.Best Deals for Toshiba Satellite C55-A5243NR 15.6-Inch Laptop (Satin Black in Trax
After having another Toshiba laptop for about six years that has been running great, it was time for a new one. Although my other Toshiba worked, it just started getting old and decrepit. I had no reasons not to get another Toshiba since it had served me well. As a student I needed something lightweight and portable to carry around for school/class and this fit the bill. Set up was easy, and I was up and running within 30 minutes. I was able to sneak a deal only paying $363 during their back to school sale. After adjusting a few settings (battery, brightness, display, etc..) I tailored it right to my needs and it has worked flawlessly. The Windows 8 took a bit getting used to, but I almost prefer it. I just wish it was easier to get to some things. But then again, it's easier to get to email, photos, and weather than previous windows. The only downfall is the word processing. It is not that great, but I don't want to spend the extra $$ right now for the Office Suite. The WordPad is pretty annoying, but it gets the job done. Other than the word processing, it is a great computer that I am excited to work with for years to come!Honest reviews on Toshiba Satellite C55-A5243NR 15.6-Inch Laptop (Satin Black in Trax
this is a capable notebook for a good price, comfortable and meets my needs, all you need is great, yesFind helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Toshiba Satellite C55-A5243NR 15.6-Inch Laptop (Satin Black in Trax
I bought a Toshiba Satellite C55-A laptop about a month ago because it was the only one that had Windows 7 installed (I choose to avoid Win8) so I didn't have much of a choice to replace my aging laptop (wanted one with the current wifi spec). It is a good value for the features. It didn't have bloatware and I only needed to remove one program.It is a competent computer but it has a few ergonomic issues for me. The keyboard has flat keys with the letters centered in the key, they are not formed like most keyboards keys (shaped for your fingers) and most keyboards have the letters in the upper left corner of the key. The keyboard works fine but I prefer shaped keys. Most of the connections are located at the right front corner right where I use a mouse (I prefer using a mouse). The Numlock key needs to be set every time you power up. When I open the top the bottom comes with it so you need to hold the base down to open the top.
This a secondary computer for my home so I only have a few programs I need to run with it, it is mostly used to access the internet in a another room in my house from my main computer, and it gets taken on some trips; it serves my use very well. It has the same vertical resolution as my old full screen laptop but it is physically shorter. (All laptops have this style wide screen these days). I won't be watching movies with it so I don't really need a wide screen but the width does help when multiple windows are open but it makes forces the use of a mouse further to the side than I would like. I would prefer a taller screen then a wider one bit no one makes that.
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Cheap HP G60-630US 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black)
This laptop worked perfectly right out of the box! I had absolutely no problems setting this machine up or in getting it to connect to my network. It does everything that it was advertised as being able to do. Even the built in webcam works great. If there is even a single negative , it's that it comes with a lot of superfluous HP software. Other than that, I am incredibly pleased with this laptop.
Why is HP still selling this product when they know it's dysfunctional?
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Overall, I'm very happy with this laptop. Works great, is fast, clear picture, and love the Windows 7 vs. my old Vista. Only gripe is the battery lasts under 2 hours with normal use not the 3.75 hours listed. We keep ours plugged in mostly, and use on the go as necessary. Would buy similar one again, just upgrade the battery.Best Deals for HP G60-630US 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black)
The internal microphone is broken, and not just in the one I bought. According to HP, it's broken in the entire G60 series of laptops. I've had mine for one week; I discovered the microphone was broken on the second day, and I've been talking with HP's case managers about my options. Looks like I'm going to return it, because there's no fix in the works at HP. And who needs a laptop that you can't use for videoconferencing, Skype, Gmail Videochat, and so on? It's a shame, too, because the laptop is otherwise great.Why is HP still selling this product when they know it's dysfunctional?
Honest reviews on HP G60-630US 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black)
I too was very frustrated when I purchased this laptop and discovered an issue with the mic. However, HP has put out a downloadable software driver and I installed it and it works fine now!!! My wife uses skype and messanger. As for the rest of the laptop....we are very happy with it. The webcam has fantastic clarity even in not so good lighting. So, ignore the previous gripes with the internal mic. You may purchase the laptop with the defective driver but you can download the new one in two minutes.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for HP G60-630US 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black)
I have only had this laptop for a week and so far it has been working very nicely. I have always been an HP fan so I love it even more. I love the look and feel. The graphics is wonderful and the brightview screen enhances the colors. All the features makes it very exciting to use and I love the fact that it has a built in webcam and wireless network ready. I have also notice that it is not a noisy machine in which is a plus.....thanks its wonderful!Sunday, May 4, 2014
Buy Sony VAIO VGN-FW465J/B 16.4-Inch Laptop - Black
I got this laptop as a birthday present for myself. Before getting this, I browsed different computers and considered Dell XPS 16, Mac Pro 15 inch and Lenovo Y650 as well. After all the comparisons that I made according to the design & features of all the laptops, Vaio FW won over a lot of mile.
Price: The price is very reasonable having jam-packed features. If you customized all the features that Vaio FW has to the other aformentioned units, i bet it will cost a lot lot more. See below prices comparison according to specs that Vaio FW465 offers with certain differences:
a.) Sony FW From the main Sony site it is Less than 1,200 (including the mail-in-rebate) plus free 100 music downloads while from amazon.com it will be 1,029 (including rebate)
b.) Mac Pro 15 Around 2k! The difference in specs with the Vaio FW are the following: backlit keyboard and battery life are the pros for Apple as I can see it. Apple have Mac OS but Sony offers free Windows 7 upgrade, sooo I still stick to that. The graphic card of Mac is Nvidia 9400m while Vaio have the astonishing HD4650. Vaio have bigger and brighter screen not to mention the Dolby sounds and Blu-ray capability Mac Pro? .... NOT!
Disclaimer:Mac fan boys might read this and may say that I am just poor or anything (like they always do to people who didn't choose Mac) ---you're wrong. I can afford Mac but the features they offer doesn't meet my standards. So chill and understand that people have different options in choosing computers.. peace!
c.) Dell XPS 16 From its site Around 1,650 having the same specs as the Vaio FW. I am also alright with this, but I have been reading so much negative reviews about the heat and the death blue screen for Dell lately. Soooo, that actually makes me a little bit cautious about recent Dell products.
d.) Lenovo Y650 Around USD1,300 without the blu-ray capability, only 5400 rpm HD, having NVIDIA GeForce G 105M 256MB Graphic card and Screen LED 1366x76. This is still ok, knowing that Lenovo's are really durable.
Main Features: I like how they customized it to have 2.53ghz of processor speed with 320gb of memory having 7200rpm. That feature itself is already a plus compared to any other laptops out there. The blu-ray capability makes your HD experience of watching movies really great combined with High Definition Audio with Dolby Digital Live and the brightness of the screen. Nobody else (as of now) does great Blu-ray experience the same way Sony does it, for me. The graphic card was also upgraded to Ati Radeon HD4650 with 1gb dedicate dvideo RAM making your gaming experience really great. I also like the classy look of Vaio FW with the hinge and just seeing the Vaio logo makes people WOW already. Also, almost all my gadgets (PSP, my cellphone, camera and music player) are sony, so I find this convenient having the magic gate card slot. The motion eye camera, the pebble black key panels and the multimedia dedicated buttons are awesome as well. One more thing, if you guys are concerned about the heat being produced by this laptop don't worry because it has a great cooling system and dock design. The heat is common to all laptops but this one is a lot cooler than others (compared to my old gateway, dell, macbook and my dad's toshiba).
I just wish it has a backlit keyboard to make it a complete package already (though the screen is too bright that you can see the keyboard panel as well, during night). Also, the bloatwares should be lessen -I don't find this an issue but I know it's a hassle for some. You can delete them anyway but you have to allot some of your time in doing so. One more thing, you have to do a lot of things to maximize the performance of the laptop during the setup.
I don't need to make this really long. Overall, the unit is very nice and it has totally awesome features with it. This is a great buy and you can never go wrong with Vaio FW. I bet you can make use of this laptop for many years without being out-dated. I am a meticulous person when choosing my gadgets --and this unit meets my expectation!
I ordered the Vaio FW neoprene together with this unit and it fits quite well.
I've been using an exceptionally-well equipped Dell Latitude D620 for the past 3 years. This computer was just an all around workhorse. Very reliable, consistent performer and pretty decent speed for it's generation.
But you know, that love fest could not last forever. The screen is now politely giving me hints that it's about to kick the bucket. So, anyways, that's where I'm coming from. Need a new laptop, up to the task.
And this is when the Sony VAIO FW came into my life. Love it ! I'm a sucker for the hinge-mounted power button and charger plug. Absolute convenience. The flashing light is pretty cool too.
But at this price tag, that is obviously not near enough to cut the cheese. I need a powerhouse multimedia Dell-D620-killer to make the switch. Also I needed something well rounded enough to justify spending an additional $100-200 more than a comparably well equipped dell/HP and at the same time be good enough to talk me out of buying a mac. Enter the Vaio FW-465J.
I bought the Vaio FW-351J first from the Sonystyle website, but was not impressed at all. But between the 351j/h and the 465j, there is a big leap in configuration specs. I already knew I liked the 351j/h looks and styling, but was really just disappointed with it's performance. Having windows Vista didn;t help much either. I'm running Windows 7 on my Dell, and have never had to deal with Windows Vista before. What a terrible OS. I can't wait until I get the official Windows 7 release version. Needless to say, the first thing I did when I got my new VAIO, was install Windows 7 right away. Total bliss ...
Alright, so now down to what you need to know ...
Sony VAIO VGN-FW465J/H
Pros:
-Blazing processor. Yes, the Pentium P processor (versus T processor) and the upped 3MB L2 cache do make for significant differences. Quieter, faster and less heating up = smiley face.
-7200 RPM hard drive. When I upgraded my dell hard drive to 7,200 RPM (Toshiba), from 5,400 RPM (Seagate), there was a noticeable increase in cooling needs and heating up without noticing much difference in the speed and performance. It may have been that the old processor was not up to par, but I felt like it was a bad upgrade. I have not found this to be the case with the Sony-installed hard drive (whoever makes it). It does the job of a 7,200 RPM but acts like a 5,400 RPM (less heating, less power consumption = longer battery life).
-The 16.4 widescreen is p-e-r-f-e-c-t. Sony found it's niche. It's not good, it's not better, it's just perfect. The 16:9 ratio (reflected in the 1600x900 resolution) is just what widescreen movies beg to be played on. Add bluray playback capabilities, and you've got a home run. Seamless Sony bluray playback makes for an even better experience. I'm loving the dedicated A/V controls too.
-1GB dedicated video RAM coupled with ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650. Says it all.
-HDMI outlet for hooking up movies to HD tv's for a full 1080p experience (I don't know who uses firewire -not mebut it's there also if you need it).
-4 GB ram is nothing to brag about anymore. It's actually become quite mainstream, but they're all at your disposal with the 64-bit processor.
-Bluetooth connectivity big plus !
-Although resolution could be improved, webcam and mic do a pretty decent job for great skyping.
Cons:
-I miss the white keys on the FW351J. The black keys are alright, but the white ones were more easy on the eyes for me. They look more Sony than the black ones.
-Most (if not all) shortcut keys do not work with the Windows 7, but I am confident that will be resolved with the updated Sony 7 drivers included in the upgrade kit. No biggie.
-Spaced out pebbled keys on keyboard take some time to get use to, but are oddly comfortable.
-I would like bigger mouse clickers. I think these are a tad too narrow for my taste. It's probably just a matter of getting used to them.
-Not exactly a nimble, light and portable laptop. That's the price you pay for a 16.4 screen. If you're always on the go, or have to move your PC around a lot for work or school, this may not be for you. If you move around only occasionally, and would like a portable multimedia powerhouse of a desktop replacement, then look no further.
-Even with the "better" LCD on this configuration, it is still not a true 1080p resolution you would get on a flat screen TV. I can't tell much of difference between 720p and 1080p on a 16.4 screen, but if I am burning to see a movie in 1080p, I'll just output it to my TV via HDMI cable. If you're on a train, and you just ABSOLUTELY NEED to watch Narnia bluray in 1080p HD resolution, then you may be disappointed (brat!).
-No fingerprint recognition
-Keyboard not backlit
-Speakers are just OK. Nothing sensational. Would expect a bit more for this price range, and a "multimedia minded" laptop. Laptop mounted BOSE speakers ... that's what I'm talking about !
-1.3MP webcam, opposed to 2.0MP.
Overall:
Would I buy this Vaio all over again ? 8/10
Would I recommend it ? 9/10
Am I satisfied with my purchase ? 8/10 (I feel I'm paying $100 more just because it's a Sony, which I'm fine with, but not 10/10).
*** 3 year update: Works great! Have not had a single incident where this thing has let me down. The battery has been pretty lousy lately, but come on ... 3 years isn't a bad run at all.
Great purchase, solid quality build and a fantastic product so far.
.
Price: The price is very reasonable having jam-packed features. If you customized all the features that Vaio FW has to the other aformentioned units, i bet it will cost a lot lot more. See below prices comparison according to specs that Vaio FW465 offers with certain differences:
a.) Sony FW From the main Sony site it is Less than 1,200 (including the mail-in-rebate) plus free 100 music downloads while from amazon.com it will be 1,029 (including rebate)
b.) Mac Pro 15 Around 2k! The difference in specs with the Vaio FW are the following: backlit keyboard and battery life are the pros for Apple as I can see it. Apple have Mac OS but Sony offers free Windows 7 upgrade, sooo I still stick to that. The graphic card of Mac is Nvidia 9400m while Vaio have the astonishing HD4650. Vaio have bigger and brighter screen not to mention the Dolby sounds and Blu-ray capability Mac Pro? .... NOT!
Disclaimer:Mac fan boys might read this and may say that I am just poor or anything (like they always do to people who didn't choose Mac) ---you're wrong. I can afford Mac but the features they offer doesn't meet my standards. So chill and understand that people have different options in choosing computers.. peace!
c.) Dell XPS 16 From its site Around 1,650 having the same specs as the Vaio FW. I am also alright with this, but I have been reading so much negative reviews about the heat and the death blue screen for Dell lately. Soooo, that actually makes me a little bit cautious about recent Dell products.
d.) Lenovo Y650 Around USD1,300 without the blu-ray capability, only 5400 rpm HD, having NVIDIA GeForce G 105M 256MB Graphic card and Screen LED 1366x76. This is still ok, knowing that Lenovo's are really durable.
Main Features: I like how they customized it to have 2.53ghz of processor speed with 320gb of memory having 7200rpm. That feature itself is already a plus compared to any other laptops out there. The blu-ray capability makes your HD experience of watching movies really great combined with High Definition Audio with Dolby Digital Live and the brightness of the screen. Nobody else (as of now) does great Blu-ray experience the same way Sony does it, for me. The graphic card was also upgraded to Ati Radeon HD4650 with 1gb dedicate dvideo RAM making your gaming experience really great. I also like the classy look of Vaio FW with the hinge and just seeing the Vaio logo makes people WOW already. Also, almost all my gadgets (PSP, my cellphone, camera and music player) are sony, so I find this convenient having the magic gate card slot. The motion eye camera, the pebble black key panels and the multimedia dedicated buttons are awesome as well. One more thing, if you guys are concerned about the heat being produced by this laptop don't worry because it has a great cooling system and dock design. The heat is common to all laptops but this one is a lot cooler than others (compared to my old gateway, dell, macbook and my dad's toshiba).
I just wish it has a backlit keyboard to make it a complete package already (though the screen is too bright that you can see the keyboard panel as well, during night). Also, the bloatwares should be lessen -I don't find this an issue but I know it's a hassle for some. You can delete them anyway but you have to allot some of your time in doing so. One more thing, you have to do a lot of things to maximize the performance of the laptop during the setup.
I don't need to make this really long. Overall, the unit is very nice and it has totally awesome features with it. This is a great buy and you can never go wrong with Vaio FW. I bet you can make use of this laptop for many years without being out-dated. I am a meticulous person when choosing my gadgets --and this unit meets my expectation!
I ordered the Vaio FW neoprene together with this unit and it fits quite well.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
Some perspective here;I've been using an exceptionally-well equipped Dell Latitude D620 for the past 3 years. This computer was just an all around workhorse. Very reliable, consistent performer and pretty decent speed for it's generation.
But you know, that love fest could not last forever. The screen is now politely giving me hints that it's about to kick the bucket. So, anyways, that's where I'm coming from. Need a new laptop, up to the task.
And this is when the Sony VAIO FW came into my life. Love it ! I'm a sucker for the hinge-mounted power button and charger plug. Absolute convenience. The flashing light is pretty cool too.
But at this price tag, that is obviously not near enough to cut the cheese. I need a powerhouse multimedia Dell-D620-killer to make the switch. Also I needed something well rounded enough to justify spending an additional $100-200 more than a comparably well equipped dell/HP and at the same time be good enough to talk me out of buying a mac. Enter the Vaio FW-465J.
I bought the Vaio FW-351J first from the Sonystyle website, but was not impressed at all. But between the 351j/h and the 465j, there is a big leap in configuration specs. I already knew I liked the 351j/h looks and styling, but was really just disappointed with it's performance. Having windows Vista didn;t help much either. I'm running Windows 7 on my Dell, and have never had to deal with Windows Vista before. What a terrible OS. I can't wait until I get the official Windows 7 release version. Needless to say, the first thing I did when I got my new VAIO, was install Windows 7 right away. Total bliss ...
Alright, so now down to what you need to know ...
Sony VAIO VGN-FW465J/H
Pros:
-Blazing processor. Yes, the Pentium P processor (versus T processor) and the upped 3MB L2 cache do make for significant differences. Quieter, faster and less heating up = smiley face.
-7200 RPM hard drive. When I upgraded my dell hard drive to 7,200 RPM (Toshiba), from 5,400 RPM (Seagate), there was a noticeable increase in cooling needs and heating up without noticing much difference in the speed and performance. It may have been that the old processor was not up to par, but I felt like it was a bad upgrade. I have not found this to be the case with the Sony-installed hard drive (whoever makes it). It does the job of a 7,200 RPM but acts like a 5,400 RPM (less heating, less power consumption = longer battery life).
-The 16.4 widescreen is p-e-r-f-e-c-t. Sony found it's niche. It's not good, it's not better, it's just perfect. The 16:9 ratio (reflected in the 1600x900 resolution) is just what widescreen movies beg to be played on. Add bluray playback capabilities, and you've got a home run. Seamless Sony bluray playback makes for an even better experience. I'm loving the dedicated A/V controls too.
-1GB dedicated video RAM coupled with ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650. Says it all.
-HDMI outlet for hooking up movies to HD tv's for a full 1080p experience (I don't know who uses firewire -not mebut it's there also if you need it).
-4 GB ram is nothing to brag about anymore. It's actually become quite mainstream, but they're all at your disposal with the 64-bit processor.
-Bluetooth connectivity big plus !
-Although resolution could be improved, webcam and mic do a pretty decent job for great skyping.
Cons:
-I miss the white keys on the FW351J. The black keys are alright, but the white ones were more easy on the eyes for me. They look more Sony than the black ones.
-Most (if not all) shortcut keys do not work with the Windows 7, but I am confident that will be resolved with the updated Sony 7 drivers included in the upgrade kit. No biggie.
-Spaced out pebbled keys on keyboard take some time to get use to, but are oddly comfortable.
-I would like bigger mouse clickers. I think these are a tad too narrow for my taste. It's probably just a matter of getting used to them.
-Not exactly a nimble, light and portable laptop. That's the price you pay for a 16.4 screen. If you're always on the go, or have to move your PC around a lot for work or school, this may not be for you. If you move around only occasionally, and would like a portable multimedia powerhouse of a desktop replacement, then look no further.
-Even with the "better" LCD on this configuration, it is still not a true 1080p resolution you would get on a flat screen TV. I can't tell much of difference between 720p and 1080p on a 16.4 screen, but if I am burning to see a movie in 1080p, I'll just output it to my TV via HDMI cable. If you're on a train, and you just ABSOLUTELY NEED to watch Narnia bluray in 1080p HD resolution, then you may be disappointed (brat!).
-No fingerprint recognition
-Keyboard not backlit
-Speakers are just OK. Nothing sensational. Would expect a bit more for this price range, and a "multimedia minded" laptop. Laptop mounted BOSE speakers ... that's what I'm talking about !
-1.3MP webcam, opposed to 2.0MP.
Overall:
Would I buy this Vaio all over again ? 8/10
Would I recommend it ? 9/10
Am I satisfied with my purchase ? 8/10 (I feel I'm paying $100 more just because it's a Sony, which I'm fine with, but not 10/10).
*** 3 year update: Works great! Have not had a single incident where this thing has let me down. The battery has been pretty lousy lately, but come on ... 3 years isn't a bad run at all.
Great purchase, solid quality build and a fantastic product so far.
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Best Deals for Sony VAIO VGN-FW465J/B 16.4-Inch Laptop - Black
I just got this laptop on Saturday. Upgraded to Windows 7 RC the same day. This computer is phenomenal. Great, and I mean great for watching blue ray movies. I dont know how time will influence my opinion of this computer but my first impressions are it is a power house of fun. Performance is great in all areas tested so far, have yet to do any gaming though. Oh by the way yes the AW series is designed for "Photographers" but this is a perfectly capable computer, the 18" screen on the AW series is a bit to big to lug around in any photographers gear bag, this computer is superior performance wise then athe VGN-AW310J (which is priced higher) it just has a 2 inch smaller screen, which to some may find important. I am happy with better performance than a bigger screen since I have a 22" samsung anyway.Honest reviews on Sony VAIO VGN-FW465J/B 16.4-Inch Laptop - Black
Gorgeous wide screen notebook that is ideal for graphics editing. It lacks useful features found in less expensive notebooks of comparable size (e.g. 16" HP notebooks), such as fingerprint security and hard drive auto-lock, but the faster hard drive (7200 rpm vs 5400 rpm), faster CPU and front-side bus, and additional RAM, make this Sony much more ideal for Photoshop and Lightroom use. The keyboard and touchpad are excellent. On the minus side, it is a little pricey, it gets warmer than I would like, and its battery loses power much more quickly than I would like. All things considered, however, it is a high quality notebook and is great-looking in chocolate brown.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Sony VAIO VGN-FW465J/B 16.4-Inch Laptop - Black
I have owned several Sonys before and they have always been good computers. I don't think this one is any different. Problem is computers have operating systems and tons of other programs that the computer manufacturer doesn't make. Well whether you pay $500 or $1500 for your computer you can still get OS and software issues. This computer came with a CORRUPTED OS FROM THE FACTORY. Normally you would think customer service would help you figure it out and fix it no problem. Well that's where Sony has proven to be light years behind everyone else. I have never had a worse experience with a customer service department EVER, computers or other products. I have already talked to 4 people who all keep handing me off to the next person who then claims to read the transcript yet then asks me the exact same questions and attempts the same repair procedures as the previous agent. Personally I hate the way the computer manufactures don't send out physical OS/Driver back up discs. Sony installs a "secret" backup partition on your hard drive instead that eats up 10gb of precious space. In my case we tried to create the discs but just like the OS that feature was also corrupt and could not be performed. You would think they would immediately say okay lets just send you some discs. No, after it failed the tech said he was sending me to a tier 2 support. The "tier 2" agent claimed to read the transcript but then asked all the same questions and same recovery procedures. I was literally pleading with him "wait stop we already did this I need discs" and yet they completely ignored me and kept reading their scripted responses as if I didn't exist. Finally the 4TH AGENT, after of course asking all the same questions, told me that tech support cannot order recovery discs and that I needed to contact a department called "Customer's Information Service Center" whom I will need to BUY a recovery disc from, not to mention that number isn't even a 1-800 number. So basically I have to pay to call a department to pay to get a disc to a computer I just bought that came messed up out of the box? Well needless to say I seriously hope you never have a problem with you Sony because if you do you're basically screwed. I would recommend saving the extra money you would pay for a Sony and buy a Dell. I have one at work and they have great customer service, not to mention they give you with your computer actual backup discs. Maybe this is a good computer, I wouldn't know, but based on their customer service, which is supposed to be the justification for Sony's premium price, I would STAY FAR AWAY FROM VAIOS and probably any Sony products since they probably all use the same support system. I hope this helps save some of you a lot of time and hassle. Good luck.Wednesday, April 16, 2014
HP ENVY 15t-3200 Notebook Reviews
It's been about a month now since i got it and it's working pretty well. no complaints thus far. It's really a good deal people.
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I have been in IT field for 15 years. So far, this Envy 15 notebook is my favorite machine. I've used it for almost everything (IT works, digital video/photo editing, games, watching movies). Now with Windows 8 Pro on it, performance is rock solid. For the price I paid, I have nothing less than good to say about this notebook. HP did a great job on this computer.Best Deals for HP ENVY 15t-3200 Notebook
I was excited when I bought this product as a gift for my wife. It all went flat the very first day, the notebook hard drive crashed and I got good support from the seller LGI but I had to return it as it had to be replaced. I'm currently working with LGI on a replacement option as this model has been discontinued. Will check back in on the resultsSunday, April 13, 2014
Discount Samsung Series 3 NP300E5C-A07US 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black)
This item works great. The keyboard is really nice especially on windows 8. The screen was nice and wide cos its on HD
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My son's laptop that was purchase as a Christmas gift went blank. Nothing could be done to retrieve any of his stored information by the tech team at his college. We sent it immediately to samsung. I was told it would be fixed and given back to us in 2 weeks. Well the computer is fried. I will get a new one in 7-14 business days. The semester maybe over by then.The customer relations department is worthless. I was blackmailed by them to pay to have the new one shipped to me sooner. I was told I should be happy I was getting a new one. I'm still paying on the one that fried.Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Review of HP Pavilion DV6-1149WM Entertainment Notebook PC - A6 3400M Quad
I have boosted this laptop up to 2 tb HD and 16gb of ram. It is a best of a computer since my living situation doesn't permit me to have my 6 core desktop. Installing mint linux works for the most part out of the box, there is a bit of tweaking that needs to be done but for the most part it works. Windows 7 works like a champ, and for some reason windows 8 is a joke on this machine, I have not been able to successfully install windows 8 at all and so for the most part I wasted $40 on the license for it.
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Reviews of HP XT963UT ProBook 4525s 15.6" Notebook (1.7 GHz AMD Phenom II
Upgraded one of our office computers to this, works well, although feels a little slow at times.
Works on Windows 7 and all the stuff we need to run in the small medical clinic.
Was easy to setup although it took a while to delete all the crap that comes pre-installed.
Works on Windows 7 and all the stuff we need to run in the small medical clinic.
Was easy to setup although it took a while to delete all the crap that comes pre-installed.
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I ordered this for a user in our office. As far as I know, it works great, runs fast! I do know, though, that it arrived quickly, and as expected. The only thing I regret is not ordering a larger screen since this laptop replaced a desktop, but we just hooked it up to an existing monitor and all is well!
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