Showing posts with label customizable notebooks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label customizable notebooks. 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!
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Reviews of ASUS UL30A-A2 Thin and Light 13-3-Inch Silver Laptop - 12 Hours of
Like the previous reviewer, I also pre-ordered the UL30A-A2 and it was delivered on October 22nd proper. (Kudos to amazon.com for such quick delivery!) I also have only had it for a day, but thus far these are my impressions:
Middle of the Road:
1. Lack of an Optical drive either internal or external. While this may be an issue for some people, it is plenty easy to hook up an external optical drive to it. However buyers should keep a sharp eye out for which external drive they get. The cpu in this machine is an ultra low voltage processor, and some of the external optical drives out there that only run on the power of usb ports (1 or 2) will find that the UL30A-A2 does not crank sufficient power through the usb ports for many of the drives available. I fortunately had an external drive powered by only usb ports and one with an external power supply. The usb powered external drive I owned (a nu-esw860, which worked with an HP 8710w laptop) did not work, whereas the external power source usb drive (an dvd writer/cd burner from Iomega) worked fine.
2. The Touchpad and Mouse Buttons. While the touchpad is fine for me the mouse buttons actually consist of a single button that rocks back and forth. I find it a little awkward, but not unusable. In general I try to use an external mouse with laptops anyway.
3. DDR3 memory limitation. While the inclusion of DDR3 RAM is excellent in of itself purchasers should be aware that this model maxes out at 4gb of RAM that is, the amount it sells with. No upgrades in this area of the machine. And since the machine sells with a 64 bit OS, which is not subject to the 3.5 gb RAM cap of 32 bit OS's, it kinda makes one wonder what Asus was thinking, especially with the video card potentially borrowing so much memory. That being said, other UL models DO come with an 8gb max and ship with 4gb of RAM, although usually those models use DDR2.
4. Keyboard. While I very much like the chicklet design of laptop keyboards my unit has noticeable (but not terrible) flex across the keyboard proper. For those of you who are used to the standard of the old IBM laptops this is a bit of a disappointment. But even though I thought it should be mentioned it is very easy to live with nonetheless.
5. Tiny power adapter. A very small adapter comes with the unit, and although I too have seen reviews (admittedly of the UL30A-A1 model) where the adapter got downright hot thus far my use of it has not achieved that. At worse it has been noticeably warm. Maybe a determining factor for the size of the adapter was to shave a few extra ounces off of the overall weight of carrying the machine and its accessories around?
6. Intel x4500 graphics card. Not the greatest of cards, but sufficient to the the job on a basic daily level. Likely chosen in part for purposes of battery life.
Negative:
1. No bluetooth. This was a disappointment for me, but there are models in the UL series that do come with bluetooth capability. In the end I opted for battery life over the bluetooth a person could always get a usb bluetooth adapter if need be. Still it would have been very convenient to have this.
2. Usually Asus's laptops come with a bag and a mouse, as the previous reviewer has mentioned. No such extra accessories came with my machine.
3. Internal Wireless Card. My unit was bundled with an Aetheros wireless card and only one of the two antennae was attached/active. I would presume that this was to reduce power consumption. For me personally it is not a problem, but I have heard many fellow users complain about its weak signal and limited range. It works just not very strong or far-reaching. This has been a deterrent for some in considering to purchase this machine.
Positive:
1. Sturdy build, light weight. I am impressed by the general external build of so thin and light a laptop as this one it is not super sturdy, like, say, the old IBM T40 series, but it is quite adequate. Kudos to Asus on this front!
2. Screen. It is a lovely and vibrant screen indeed although potential buyers should be aware that it is the reflective screen.
3. Aesthetic Design. I personally think it is an attractive laptop as well. The same basic design comes in both silver and black. Looking only at pictures I thought the black looked slightly better of the two, but on receiving the UL30A-A2 (which is the silver model) I am quite satisfied with how it looks, and even impressed. Asus did a very good job on this one!
4. Cooling system. As advertised, Asus did an impressive job with this. The machine stays very, VERY cool when running. Even when doing high intensive cpu tasks the machine only heats up in a barely noticeable way.
5. HDMI Port. This is something I have seen many people ask about. Different models of the UL series either come with or omit the hdmi port. This hdmi port also is not of the sort that can also be used as a usb port.
6. Not a whole lot of bloatware. Mostly Asus programs a few could be useful, like the power saving app, which I have not yet used. Mine came with a trial of Trend Micro antivirus and MS Office 2007 student level both were easy enough to uninstall.
7. Windows 7. This is my first hands on look at the OS, and while it took a while to find my way around the thing, I have to say I am impressed, in particular by the power saving features and general speed improvement over Vista.
8. Battery Life. This was the deal breaker for me. The battery itself fits up very snugly to the overall design of the laptop, and the UL30A-A2 model was advertised (perhaps incorrectly) as having up to 16 hours of battery life. I put it through some initial tests and these are the rough figures I came up with:
Initial Battery Life Results:
When I make a power saving profile maximized for battery length (which means screen dimmed to lowest possible and wireless turned off) AND reduce the color from 32 bit to 16 bit this is what I got before shutting down the machine at 5% power these are rough numbers only, mind you:
Playing .avi files and installing a fair size program: about 8 hours of battery life.
Playing .avi files only: about 10 10 1/2 hours of battery life.
Only word processing: about 13 13 1/2 hours battery life.
So, at least based on the first run of draining the battery life, while it does not live up to the 16 hours listed on amazon.com, it DOES do better than the advertised "up to 12 hours" for the other machines but this is in extreme power saving mode.
Conclusion
Overall this is an ideal machine for me personally. I thought long and hard before choosing what my next laptop was going to be, and I am very satisfied with the result. I would recommend this machine to others who need long battery life with decent cpu strength and speed in their machine at the same time. For the record, the Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 cpu is very roughly the equivalent of an Intel Core 2 Duo T5500 and/or an AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-64.
I am hopeful that in the future Asus (or some third party) will make available larger power supplies and especially larger batteries! Then something like 16 hours of battery life could easily be reached with dedicated power saving settings (as opposed to ultra-extensive, as I did).
When I bought my first laptop in July of 2008 for college, I thought that the sony vaio I was getting was great because it recieved alot of editor's choice awards. Being young and naive, I thought that it was a good purchase. While it was nice and flashy with the red cover, it didn't suit my needs as a college student. It was large (15.4 in), bulky (6 lb), and didn't even have the blu-ray player, which is why it won the awards in the first place, being one of the only laptops at the time to play blu-ray. It was meant to be a multimedia laptop, which is not what I needed as a college student. So this Thanksgiving, I started hearing about this Asus UL30 that was getting rave reviews and alot of attention. I researched it more, and the more I read about it, the more I liked.
Before going into college, I was positive that I wanted a Macbook. Apple claims that they're the most used computer on college campuses, and just by walking around you can see they're not lying. But the pricetag just wasn't cooperating with my dreams to get a mac. Not only does this computer have a mac-like keyboard, but you won't have to drop a grand to get it! So I stuck with Microsoft, which was further cemented due to my purchase of a Microsoft Zune HD (which I also highly recommend). But I digress, back to the Asus UL30.
Put simply, the Asus UL30 is probably one of the best purchases I've ever made. It is so thin and light, the 'UL' part doesn't do justice. Compared to that behemoth of a vaio, the Asus UL30 weighs less then a Mac for crying out loud! Weight and portability were one of my top concerns because I would be lugging around this laptop with me to campus, going from class to class all day. This laptop weighs less then my calculus book! I can easily carry it in my backpack, and when I get to class, just whip it out and go.
The hardware is simply divine. The screen is so bright and vibrant, as we speak I have the brightness level set to a little less than halfway, because I might get blinded if I put it up all the way. Yes, the screen is quite glossy, but you could barely notice it when you're using the laptop, unless you're sitting in the sun, which would make any screen hard to see anyway.
The speakers are unlike other laptops. They're situated underneath the laptop, towards the front. It kind of muffles the sound if you have it in your lap, but when it's on a hard surface, the sound bounced off the table and is amplified. When I first got the ASUS UL30, I set it on the table right next to my brother (HP) and sister's (some other 15.4 ASUS) laptop. I blasted the same song from all 3 laptops, and my ASUS UL30 completely hit the other two out of the ballpark in terms of loudness and clarity. You seriously have to listen to how loud the speakers on this small laptop really is to believe it. As I'm typing this, I have my headphones on and the volume set to 17% and the pandora volume set to like 25. The loudness capability of the ASUS UL30 is excellent, you will not be disappointed.
The part that I might (and that's a big MIGHT) come to miss is an optical drive. There is no way to play DVDs or CDs on the ASUS UL30, but that's a blessing in disguise! Because there's no optical drive, the laptop is lighter, and uses less battery because all it's running is just the hard drive. I don't really miss the optical drive because these days, everything you need can be downloaded off the internet. Ever since I've gotten this computer, there hasn't been a single time when I've had to play a CD but couldn't. Let's face it, ubiquitous storage on the internet and flashdrives are the future. The last time I used the optical drive on my former laptop was months ago to play some video game I rented from the library. Not having an optical drive should be no big deal.
Another part that I absolutely adore about the ASUS UL30 is the trackpad. The dimples are very unique and the single mouse button makes the laptop seem more simplistic, and I love simplicity. I remember reading a review about the ASUS UL30 and someone said that once you get a little 'finger grease' on the trackpad, that it's becomes really smooth, which I found to be a little disgusting, but now I know what the reviewer meant. When you first get the laptop, the trackpad is really dry, imagine yourself swiping your finger on any dry plastic surface, and thats what it feels like. But once you get some of that 'finger grease', the trackpad works like a charm. And it's so cute and unique, what other laptop has little dimples?
One thing about the trackpad that I do NOT like is the multitouch thing, like how you scroll down by using two fingers, and can right click by using 3. The 2 finger scrolling isn't that accurate, and the 3 finger right click is kind of a shot in the dark if it works or not. Often time, when 2 finger scrolling, accidentally I get that arrow thing that scrolls the page when you move the arrow to the edge. I admit it's kind of annoying, but hey, it's great when it works! lol fml
When buying this laptop, I was debating whether to get the A2 or the X5. I ultimately chose the A2 because its silver, and I read that the black attracts finger prints like crazy, and I liked the better battery life. I was already slapping down $700, so why not just spend another $100 and make sure that I'll be completely satisfied with what I get?
Some people say that the laptop feels like it's made of cheap plastic. I can see why they would say that because if I press the front part down, it makes a little clicking noise. But that is barely noticeable and doesn't really affect the overall laptop. The ASUS UL30 doesn't get overly hot like my old Sony did, I could use it one my lap all day/night and I still wouldn't notice the heat. So now I kind of regret buying a logitech lapdesk for $40 a couple weeks before I got the ASUS UL30.
The battery is one of the strongest points of the laptop. I'm sure you've all heard how great the battery life is by now, and while I don't get the 12 hours as advertised, I probably get a good 8-9 hours from a single charge. And that's from browsing the web, playing music, watching videos, and the many other multi-tasking things that college students do. The battery life simply pays for itself over and over again. Whenever I go to the library, I don't have to walk round and around for a table that's close to an electric outlet. Now I just smile as I watch people walking all over the library looking for an outlet to plug in their drained computers that only last 2-3 hours on a charge, or at other students who have to turn their brightness down to the lowest level to conserve battery while in class. It's like they're reading from a fricken kindle for crying out loud! All the while, my screen is bright as the sun, and untethered from the bondage of electrical outlets.
Now I have to say something critical of the ASUS UL30 just to be fair in this review. If I had to choose something, the only thing that I wouldn't like about this laptop is that there's no bluetooth capability, so I cant wirelessly transfer pics I took on my phone to my computer. But that's not that big of a deal because there's a memory card slot so I can just pop that SD micro card into a SD mini reader and bam bam thank you ma'am, everything works fine.
Even though I gave the rating of a 4 out of 5 simply because I think 5 is some perfect, imaginary laptop that can only exist in our dreams. But this computer is fairly close to that!
The graphics are great, the sound and screen are great, the chiclet keyboard and dimple trackpad is real cute, the ASUS UL30 is one of the best 13.3" laptops on the market, and I'm extremely glad that I bought it!
First, before you consider buying one of these, you should realize what it's designed for. It's meant to be thin, light, and have extremely good battery life; it's NOT meant for extremely intensive tasks (video encoding, number crunching) or gaming. The machine is still very capable of everything I throw at it, and unlike netbooks you won't find yourself making compromises in every-day tasks to avoid slow downs.
Pros:
GREAT battery life. I've seen about 6-8 hours on average, with 9-10 hours during very light use (and that's all on the moderate "Entertainment" battery setting). 12 hours may be achievable using the "Battery Saver" setting, which dims the display quite dark, throttles the processor even more, and reverts to the non-Aero Windows theme.
Excellent size and weight. 13.3" really is the sweet spot for me; it's very portable, and really seems significantly smaller than my previous 14.1" laptop. This thing really seems as light as a feather compared to many other laptops. Too bad I just got out of college, I would have loved the "lug" things thing around.
Decent build quality. The brushed aluminum cover is a very nice touch, and really makes the UL30A look very classy (though it would have been nice to see aluminum used on other panels as well). The screen is firmly hinged and it takes some force to make it wobble. Unlike other reviews I've read, the battery is locked in very securely by two locks, one on each side. There are a few small areas on the laptop casing that can be depressed, causing an audible click, but it takes a decent amount of force and the chassis seems to be very sturdy overall.
Decent keyboard. The chiclet-style keyboard is a breeze to type on. Having the extra space between each key is very nice, especially when hunting for an unfamiliar key. There is some keyboard flex present, but it's much less pronounced that my previous laptop (ASUS N80Vn) and I generally don't find that it causes any problems with my typing speed (~90 WPM).
LED Backlit Screen. After using one on my previous laptop, and now this one, I don't think I could stand to go back to a standard CCFL screen. The lighting seems much more even, and the colors are far more vibrant. I find that the screen causes less strain on my eyes over long periods of time, and even when I dim it to save battery life, it's still MUCH brighter than other laptops. With that said, the laptop most likely uses a cheaper TN panel (are there any laptops available with MVA/PVA/IPS panels?), so it may not be ideal for professional photo work.
Great overall specs. Graphics card aside, you get a Core 2 Duo that sips power and is still capable of every day tasks, 4GB of memory, a 500GB hard drive, and Windows 7 Home Premium.
Some multi-touch support on the track pad. Two-finger scrolling really beats a dedicated scroll bar once you get used to it, especially since it frees up more track pad real estate. The three-finger right click gesture is also nice. Why can't we have more?!
Cons:
Intel Integrated Graphics. The X4500MHD (a.k.a. GMA 4500MHD) just plain sucks. It's more than plenty for basic desktop use, watching videos, and surfing the 'net. However, if you're looking to do any gaming, you should look elsewhere. For example, I read one review that stated they experienced stutters even playing World of Warcraft at a laughable 800x600 resolution. If you're not looking to do any gaming (or if the games you want to play are graphically simple, like Bejeweled, or over 5 years old, like Starcraft), the X4500MHD should do the trick. I REALLY wish the UL30Vt (user-switchable graphics between the X4500MHD and a Nvidia GT210M) was out when I purchased this one. If I had the opportunity to return mine and get the UL30Vt instead, I would in a heart beat.
No Bluetooth. ASUS, really... it's 2009. Bluetooth is popping up everywhere. Sure, I can buy a tiny, cheap USB Bluetooth adapter, but that ties up one of the three USB ports on the machine. Ugh... this is probably the only thing about the laptop that really irks me. Integrated please.
So-so track pad. The dimpled effect takes a little getting used to, but it's not horrible. I still prefer a smooth, recessed surface like traditional track pads, though. The available multi-touch gestures (mentioned above) are really nice, but I'd like to see more. I'm hoping more can be added with driver updates, and it's mot a hardware limitation. The biggest downfall to me is the buttons; they work fine, but they're a bit too stiff for my liking, and they emit a loud click when pressed. I use a wireless mouse (Logitech VX Nano highly recommended) most of the time anyway, so it doesn't make much difference to me.
Atheros Wireless card instead of an Intel card; lack of a gigabit network adapter (it's only 10/100), only 3 USB ports.
Overall, it's a a wonderful laptop for anyone looking for portability and battery life over raw performance. However, there are still a few things missing that would really make it a smash hit.
With so many variations of the UL30A, it is hard to know which is the best.
A break down given by an ASUS rep somewhere on the web is below (unfortunately i can't find the link).
A2 vs. X5 vs. A3b
Battery:
UL30A-A2 = 8 cell 5600mAh
UL30A-X5 = 8 cell 4400mAh
UL30A-A3B = 8 cell 5600mAh
HDD:
UL30A-A2 = 500GB 5400rpm
UL30A-X5 = 500GB 5400rpm
UL30A-A3B = 250GB 5400rpm
RAM:
UL30A-A2 = 4GB DDR3
UL30A-X5 = 4GB DDR3
UL30A-A3B = 3GB DDR3
Operating System:
UL30A-A2 = Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
UL30A-X5 = Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
UL30A-A3B = Windows 7 Professional (64-bit) with XP Professional downgrade option
Warranty:
UL30A-A2 = 2 year global, 1 year ADW, 30 day no-bright-dot
UL30A-X5 = 1 year global, 1 year ADW, 30 day no-bright-dot
UL30A-A3B = 2 year global, 1 year ADW, 30 day no-bright-dot
Pros:
It is very thin and very light. It's about half the wight of my old Dell Inspiron, and the size is small enough to be really portable and large enough to watch movies.
I haven't fully tested the battery life yet, but so far it's been pretty impressive.
The screen quality is amazing, and it comes with some of the most beautiful desktop images I've seen. I am truly impressed.
It doesn't get hot. It has been on my lap for hours at a time while working hard to transfer over files from my other laptop, and it hasn't been even uncomfortably warm.
The keyboard and touchpad design are great. I like the mac-style keyboard that will help keep crud from accumulating under the keys, and is easy to type on. The touchpad is flush with the wrist-rest areas, which means it also will stay cleaner with years of use. Some computer reviewers did not like the touchpad, but for me it's plenty big, and it only feels "sticky" when you press down too hard. You have to use a light touch, but it doesn't take long to adjust to.
It's fast enough and big enough for everything I need. I'm in the midst of transferring all of my music and videos, from both my old laptop and my external hard drive, only my Asus so that I can have everything with me at once, and only use my external as a backup. The system operates fast enough for my needs, though from what I've read it won't suffice if you're a gamer.
It doesn't come with Norton Anti-Virus pre-installed. This means you don't have to go through hours of trying to uninstall it so that your computer can run the way it's supposed to. It simply comes with a basic internet security program.
Most of the computer is somewhat fingerprint-proof. The only exceptions are the big glossy screen (which you shouldn't be touching anyway), the black border around the screen (which you will sometimes need to touch), and the touchpad button (which is small, but you will probably be touching it a lot). However it is still better than most laptops, as the rest of the computer will not show fingerprints.
Windows 7 is great! Again, I haven't fully tested the ins and outs, but so far it's been an easy transition for someone who has been using XP since it came out eight years ago. I avoided getting a computer with Vista, but have used it on friends' computers on occasion, and Windows 7 seems like an improvement.
I read that the power adapter would get hot, but so far mine has stayed cool. And it has been plugged in for 18 hours straight.
If you press Fn and the space bar, you can easily shift through 4 different power options: Entertainment Mode, High Performance, Quiet Office, and Battery Saving. This is an awesome feature because if you're watching a movie, it will let you change settings to stop the screen from dimming or turning off without even exiting the movie.
Cons:
The Amazon order did not come with the mouse or computer case it promised!
I don't like the reflections you can see in the glossy screen. This isn't unique to this computer, I just don't like glossy screens in general.
It came with a sticker on it saying it had 12 hours of battery life, so I'm not sure if the 16 hour claim is true... and like I said I haven't tested it. Either way, though, I don't think I'll ever need it to last more than 12 hours without being plugged in.
The way that the hard drive is partitioned is confusing. It has an OS C drive and a data D drive. However it automatically puts all of the users documents and music folders in the OS drive rather than the data drive. This is easy to change, but I still haven't figured out how to change the start menu links to my documents so that it takes me to the D drive instead of the C drive.
The touchpad doesn't support rotate and zoom motions that are common on Macs and coming out in newer PCs. Certainly not a huge problem, but they would be nice, since the touchpad does support scrolling and right click motions.
I think that's all for now. I'll try to update this when I find more pros and cons worth mentioning, and have measured the true battery life of the machine.
Middle of the Road:
1. Lack of an Optical drive either internal or external. While this may be an issue for some people, it is plenty easy to hook up an external optical drive to it. However buyers should keep a sharp eye out for which external drive they get. The cpu in this machine is an ultra low voltage processor, and some of the external optical drives out there that only run on the power of usb ports (1 or 2) will find that the UL30A-A2 does not crank sufficient power through the usb ports for many of the drives available. I fortunately had an external drive powered by only usb ports and one with an external power supply. The usb powered external drive I owned (a nu-esw860, which worked with an HP 8710w laptop) did not work, whereas the external power source usb drive (an dvd writer/cd burner from Iomega) worked fine.
2. The Touchpad and Mouse Buttons. While the touchpad is fine for me the mouse buttons actually consist of a single button that rocks back and forth. I find it a little awkward, but not unusable. In general I try to use an external mouse with laptops anyway.
3. DDR3 memory limitation. While the inclusion of DDR3 RAM is excellent in of itself purchasers should be aware that this model maxes out at 4gb of RAM that is, the amount it sells with. No upgrades in this area of the machine. And since the machine sells with a 64 bit OS, which is not subject to the 3.5 gb RAM cap of 32 bit OS's, it kinda makes one wonder what Asus was thinking, especially with the video card potentially borrowing so much memory. That being said, other UL models DO come with an 8gb max and ship with 4gb of RAM, although usually those models use DDR2.
4. Keyboard. While I very much like the chicklet design of laptop keyboards my unit has noticeable (but not terrible) flex across the keyboard proper. For those of you who are used to the standard of the old IBM laptops this is a bit of a disappointment. But even though I thought it should be mentioned it is very easy to live with nonetheless.
5. Tiny power adapter. A very small adapter comes with the unit, and although I too have seen reviews (admittedly of the UL30A-A1 model) where the adapter got downright hot thus far my use of it has not achieved that. At worse it has been noticeably warm. Maybe a determining factor for the size of the adapter was to shave a few extra ounces off of the overall weight of carrying the machine and its accessories around?
6. Intel x4500 graphics card. Not the greatest of cards, but sufficient to the the job on a basic daily level. Likely chosen in part for purposes of battery life.
Negative:
1. No bluetooth. This was a disappointment for me, but there are models in the UL series that do come with bluetooth capability. In the end I opted for battery life over the bluetooth a person could always get a usb bluetooth adapter if need be. Still it would have been very convenient to have this.
2. Usually Asus's laptops come with a bag and a mouse, as the previous reviewer has mentioned. No such extra accessories came with my machine.
3. Internal Wireless Card. My unit was bundled with an Aetheros wireless card and only one of the two antennae was attached/active. I would presume that this was to reduce power consumption. For me personally it is not a problem, but I have heard many fellow users complain about its weak signal and limited range. It works just not very strong or far-reaching. This has been a deterrent for some in considering to purchase this machine.
Positive:
1. Sturdy build, light weight. I am impressed by the general external build of so thin and light a laptop as this one it is not super sturdy, like, say, the old IBM T40 series, but it is quite adequate. Kudos to Asus on this front!
2. Screen. It is a lovely and vibrant screen indeed although potential buyers should be aware that it is the reflective screen.
3. Aesthetic Design. I personally think it is an attractive laptop as well. The same basic design comes in both silver and black. Looking only at pictures I thought the black looked slightly better of the two, but on receiving the UL30A-A2 (which is the silver model) I am quite satisfied with how it looks, and even impressed. Asus did a very good job on this one!
4. Cooling system. As advertised, Asus did an impressive job with this. The machine stays very, VERY cool when running. Even when doing high intensive cpu tasks the machine only heats up in a barely noticeable way.
5. HDMI Port. This is something I have seen many people ask about. Different models of the UL series either come with or omit the hdmi port. This hdmi port also is not of the sort that can also be used as a usb port.
6. Not a whole lot of bloatware. Mostly Asus programs a few could be useful, like the power saving app, which I have not yet used. Mine came with a trial of Trend Micro antivirus and MS Office 2007 student level both were easy enough to uninstall.
7. Windows 7. This is my first hands on look at the OS, and while it took a while to find my way around the thing, I have to say I am impressed, in particular by the power saving features and general speed improvement over Vista.
8. Battery Life. This was the deal breaker for me. The battery itself fits up very snugly to the overall design of the laptop, and the UL30A-A2 model was advertised (perhaps incorrectly) as having up to 16 hours of battery life. I put it through some initial tests and these are the rough figures I came up with:
Initial Battery Life Results:
When I make a power saving profile maximized for battery length (which means screen dimmed to lowest possible and wireless turned off) AND reduce the color from 32 bit to 16 bit this is what I got before shutting down the machine at 5% power these are rough numbers only, mind you:
Playing .avi files and installing a fair size program: about 8 hours of battery life.
Playing .avi files only: about 10 10 1/2 hours of battery life.
Only word processing: about 13 13 1/2 hours battery life.
So, at least based on the first run of draining the battery life, while it does not live up to the 16 hours listed on amazon.com, it DOES do better than the advertised "up to 12 hours" for the other machines but this is in extreme power saving mode.
Conclusion
Overall this is an ideal machine for me personally. I thought long and hard before choosing what my next laptop was going to be, and I am very satisfied with the result. I would recommend this machine to others who need long battery life with decent cpu strength and speed in their machine at the same time. For the record, the Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 cpu is very roughly the equivalent of an Intel Core 2 Duo T5500 and/or an AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-64.
I am hopeful that in the future Asus (or some third party) will make available larger power supplies and especially larger batteries! Then something like 16 hours of battery life could easily be reached with dedicated power saving settings (as opposed to ultra-extensive, as I did).
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If you're like me, you research hours and hours before deciding what kind of laptop you want to get. It's a big purchase no doubt, and you want to make sure that you're getting a great laptop for your money, which is why you've taken the time to scroll all the way down the Amazon page to the customer review section. So while I'm procrastinating from studying for final exams next week, I'll write this review for the Asus UL-30A2. While I might be a little biased because I'm already an owner, I'll try my best to give you some of the pros and cons to be fair.When I bought my first laptop in July of 2008 for college, I thought that the sony vaio I was getting was great because it recieved alot of editor's choice awards. Being young and naive, I thought that it was a good purchase. While it was nice and flashy with the red cover, it didn't suit my needs as a college student. It was large (15.4 in), bulky (6 lb), and didn't even have the blu-ray player, which is why it won the awards in the first place, being one of the only laptops at the time to play blu-ray. It was meant to be a multimedia laptop, which is not what I needed as a college student. So this Thanksgiving, I started hearing about this Asus UL30 that was getting rave reviews and alot of attention. I researched it more, and the more I read about it, the more I liked.
Before going into college, I was positive that I wanted a Macbook. Apple claims that they're the most used computer on college campuses, and just by walking around you can see they're not lying. But the pricetag just wasn't cooperating with my dreams to get a mac. Not only does this computer have a mac-like keyboard, but you won't have to drop a grand to get it! So I stuck with Microsoft, which was further cemented due to my purchase of a Microsoft Zune HD (which I also highly recommend). But I digress, back to the Asus UL30.
Put simply, the Asus UL30 is probably one of the best purchases I've ever made. It is so thin and light, the 'UL' part doesn't do justice. Compared to that behemoth of a vaio, the Asus UL30 weighs less then a Mac for crying out loud! Weight and portability were one of my top concerns because I would be lugging around this laptop with me to campus, going from class to class all day. This laptop weighs less then my calculus book! I can easily carry it in my backpack, and when I get to class, just whip it out and go.
The hardware is simply divine. The screen is so bright and vibrant, as we speak I have the brightness level set to a little less than halfway, because I might get blinded if I put it up all the way. Yes, the screen is quite glossy, but you could barely notice it when you're using the laptop, unless you're sitting in the sun, which would make any screen hard to see anyway.
The speakers are unlike other laptops. They're situated underneath the laptop, towards the front. It kind of muffles the sound if you have it in your lap, but when it's on a hard surface, the sound bounced off the table and is amplified. When I first got the ASUS UL30, I set it on the table right next to my brother (HP) and sister's (some other 15.4 ASUS) laptop. I blasted the same song from all 3 laptops, and my ASUS UL30 completely hit the other two out of the ballpark in terms of loudness and clarity. You seriously have to listen to how loud the speakers on this small laptop really is to believe it. As I'm typing this, I have my headphones on and the volume set to 17% and the pandora volume set to like 25. The loudness capability of the ASUS UL30 is excellent, you will not be disappointed.
The part that I might (and that's a big MIGHT) come to miss is an optical drive. There is no way to play DVDs or CDs on the ASUS UL30, but that's a blessing in disguise! Because there's no optical drive, the laptop is lighter, and uses less battery because all it's running is just the hard drive. I don't really miss the optical drive because these days, everything you need can be downloaded off the internet. Ever since I've gotten this computer, there hasn't been a single time when I've had to play a CD but couldn't. Let's face it, ubiquitous storage on the internet and flashdrives are the future. The last time I used the optical drive on my former laptop was months ago to play some video game I rented from the library. Not having an optical drive should be no big deal.
Another part that I absolutely adore about the ASUS UL30 is the trackpad. The dimples are very unique and the single mouse button makes the laptop seem more simplistic, and I love simplicity. I remember reading a review about the ASUS UL30 and someone said that once you get a little 'finger grease' on the trackpad, that it's becomes really smooth, which I found to be a little disgusting, but now I know what the reviewer meant. When you first get the laptop, the trackpad is really dry, imagine yourself swiping your finger on any dry plastic surface, and thats what it feels like. But once you get some of that 'finger grease', the trackpad works like a charm. And it's so cute and unique, what other laptop has little dimples?
One thing about the trackpad that I do NOT like is the multitouch thing, like how you scroll down by using two fingers, and can right click by using 3. The 2 finger scrolling isn't that accurate, and the 3 finger right click is kind of a shot in the dark if it works or not. Often time, when 2 finger scrolling, accidentally I get that arrow thing that scrolls the page when you move the arrow to the edge. I admit it's kind of annoying, but hey, it's great when it works! lol fml
When buying this laptop, I was debating whether to get the A2 or the X5. I ultimately chose the A2 because its silver, and I read that the black attracts finger prints like crazy, and I liked the better battery life. I was already slapping down $700, so why not just spend another $100 and make sure that I'll be completely satisfied with what I get?
Some people say that the laptop feels like it's made of cheap plastic. I can see why they would say that because if I press the front part down, it makes a little clicking noise. But that is barely noticeable and doesn't really affect the overall laptop. The ASUS UL30 doesn't get overly hot like my old Sony did, I could use it one my lap all day/night and I still wouldn't notice the heat. So now I kind of regret buying a logitech lapdesk for $40 a couple weeks before I got the ASUS UL30.
The battery is one of the strongest points of the laptop. I'm sure you've all heard how great the battery life is by now, and while I don't get the 12 hours as advertised, I probably get a good 8-9 hours from a single charge. And that's from browsing the web, playing music, watching videos, and the many other multi-tasking things that college students do. The battery life simply pays for itself over and over again. Whenever I go to the library, I don't have to walk round and around for a table that's close to an electric outlet. Now I just smile as I watch people walking all over the library looking for an outlet to plug in their drained computers that only last 2-3 hours on a charge, or at other students who have to turn their brightness down to the lowest level to conserve battery while in class. It's like they're reading from a fricken kindle for crying out loud! All the while, my screen is bright as the sun, and untethered from the bondage of electrical outlets.
Now I have to say something critical of the ASUS UL30 just to be fair in this review. If I had to choose something, the only thing that I wouldn't like about this laptop is that there's no bluetooth capability, so I cant wirelessly transfer pics I took on my phone to my computer. But that's not that big of a deal because there's a memory card slot so I can just pop that SD micro card into a SD mini reader and bam bam thank you ma'am, everything works fine.
Even though I gave the rating of a 4 out of 5 simply because I think 5 is some perfect, imaginary laptop that can only exist in our dreams. But this computer is fairly close to that!
The graphics are great, the sound and screen are great, the chiclet keyboard and dimple trackpad is real cute, the ASUS UL30 is one of the best 13.3" laptops on the market, and I'm extremely glad that I bought it!
Best Deals for ASUS UL30A-A2 Thin and Light 13-3-Inch Silver Laptop - 12 Hours of
After 1 month of ownership (as of tomorrow), I'm extremely impressed. However, I'm giving it four stars simply due to a few things that ASUS could easily change to make it even better.First, before you consider buying one of these, you should realize what it's designed for. It's meant to be thin, light, and have extremely good battery life; it's NOT meant for extremely intensive tasks (video encoding, number crunching) or gaming. The machine is still very capable of everything I throw at it, and unlike netbooks you won't find yourself making compromises in every-day tasks to avoid slow downs.
Pros:
GREAT battery life. I've seen about 6-8 hours on average, with 9-10 hours during very light use (and that's all on the moderate "Entertainment" battery setting). 12 hours may be achievable using the "Battery Saver" setting, which dims the display quite dark, throttles the processor even more, and reverts to the non-Aero Windows theme.
Excellent size and weight. 13.3" really is the sweet spot for me; it's very portable, and really seems significantly smaller than my previous 14.1" laptop. This thing really seems as light as a feather compared to many other laptops. Too bad I just got out of college, I would have loved the "lug" things thing around.
Decent build quality. The brushed aluminum cover is a very nice touch, and really makes the UL30A look very classy (though it would have been nice to see aluminum used on other panels as well). The screen is firmly hinged and it takes some force to make it wobble. Unlike other reviews I've read, the battery is locked in very securely by two locks, one on each side. There are a few small areas on the laptop casing that can be depressed, causing an audible click, but it takes a decent amount of force and the chassis seems to be very sturdy overall.
Decent keyboard. The chiclet-style keyboard is a breeze to type on. Having the extra space between each key is very nice, especially when hunting for an unfamiliar key. There is some keyboard flex present, but it's much less pronounced that my previous laptop (ASUS N80Vn) and I generally don't find that it causes any problems with my typing speed (~90 WPM).
LED Backlit Screen. After using one on my previous laptop, and now this one, I don't think I could stand to go back to a standard CCFL screen. The lighting seems much more even, and the colors are far more vibrant. I find that the screen causes less strain on my eyes over long periods of time, and even when I dim it to save battery life, it's still MUCH brighter than other laptops. With that said, the laptop most likely uses a cheaper TN panel (are there any laptops available with MVA/PVA/IPS panels?), so it may not be ideal for professional photo work.
Great overall specs. Graphics card aside, you get a Core 2 Duo that sips power and is still capable of every day tasks, 4GB of memory, a 500GB hard drive, and Windows 7 Home Premium.
Some multi-touch support on the track pad. Two-finger scrolling really beats a dedicated scroll bar once you get used to it, especially since it frees up more track pad real estate. The three-finger right click gesture is also nice. Why can't we have more?!
Cons:
Intel Integrated Graphics. The X4500MHD (a.k.a. GMA 4500MHD) just plain sucks. It's more than plenty for basic desktop use, watching videos, and surfing the 'net. However, if you're looking to do any gaming, you should look elsewhere. For example, I read one review that stated they experienced stutters even playing World of Warcraft at a laughable 800x600 resolution. If you're not looking to do any gaming (or if the games you want to play are graphically simple, like Bejeweled, or over 5 years old, like Starcraft), the X4500MHD should do the trick. I REALLY wish the UL30Vt (user-switchable graphics between the X4500MHD and a Nvidia GT210M) was out when I purchased this one. If I had the opportunity to return mine and get the UL30Vt instead, I would in a heart beat.
No Bluetooth. ASUS, really... it's 2009. Bluetooth is popping up everywhere. Sure, I can buy a tiny, cheap USB Bluetooth adapter, but that ties up one of the three USB ports on the machine. Ugh... this is probably the only thing about the laptop that really irks me. Integrated please.
So-so track pad. The dimpled effect takes a little getting used to, but it's not horrible. I still prefer a smooth, recessed surface like traditional track pads, though. The available multi-touch gestures (mentioned above) are really nice, but I'd like to see more. I'm hoping more can be added with driver updates, and it's mot a hardware limitation. The biggest downfall to me is the buttons; they work fine, but they're a bit too stiff for my liking, and they emit a loud click when pressed. I use a wireless mouse (Logitech VX Nano highly recommended) most of the time anyway, so it doesn't make much difference to me.
Atheros Wireless card instead of an Intel card; lack of a gigabit network adapter (it's only 10/100), only 3 USB ports.
Overall, it's a a wonderful laptop for anyone looking for portability and battery life over raw performance. However, there are still a few things missing that would really make it a smash hit.
Honest reviews on ASUS UL30A-A2 Thin and Light 13-3-Inch Silver Laptop - 12 Hours of
This is an amazing laptop with a super bright screen, and amazing battery life. My only complaints are that the screen is a little too glossy (but what laptop isn't these days) and that no powerful dedicated GPU is available that can provide this much battery life. This computer can do basically everything though, and is a great buy.With so many variations of the UL30A, it is hard to know which is the best.
A break down given by an ASUS rep somewhere on the web is below (unfortunately i can't find the link).
A2 vs. X5 vs. A3b
Battery:
UL30A-A2 = 8 cell 5600mAh
UL30A-X5 = 8 cell 4400mAh
UL30A-A3B = 8 cell 5600mAh
HDD:
UL30A-A2 = 500GB 5400rpm
UL30A-X5 = 500GB 5400rpm
UL30A-A3B = 250GB 5400rpm
RAM:
UL30A-A2 = 4GB DDR3
UL30A-X5 = 4GB DDR3
UL30A-A3B = 3GB DDR3
Operating System:
UL30A-A2 = Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
UL30A-X5 = Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
UL30A-A3B = Windows 7 Professional (64-bit) with XP Professional downgrade option
Warranty:
UL30A-A2 = 2 year global, 1 year ADW, 30 day no-bright-dot
UL30A-X5 = 1 year global, 1 year ADW, 30 day no-bright-dot
UL30A-A3B = 2 year global, 1 year ADW, 30 day no-bright-dot
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for ASUS UL30A-A2 Thin and Light 13-3-Inch Silver Laptop - 12 Hours of
I ordered my ASUS UL30A-A2 last week with one day shipping so I could get it ASAP with Windows 7. It arrived on Oct. 22, the Windows 7 release date, and I am very happy with it. I did a lot of research on thin and lights with large amounts of battery power, and from all the reviews I could find, the ASUS UL30A was the clear winner, with the Acer Aspire Timeline 3810T just behind it. I've had my computer for less than 24 hours, but keeping that in mind, here's my current assessment:Pros:
It is very thin and very light. It's about half the wight of my old Dell Inspiron, and the size is small enough to be really portable and large enough to watch movies.
I haven't fully tested the battery life yet, but so far it's been pretty impressive.
The screen quality is amazing, and it comes with some of the most beautiful desktop images I've seen. I am truly impressed.
It doesn't get hot. It has been on my lap for hours at a time while working hard to transfer over files from my other laptop, and it hasn't been even uncomfortably warm.
The keyboard and touchpad design are great. I like the mac-style keyboard that will help keep crud from accumulating under the keys, and is easy to type on. The touchpad is flush with the wrist-rest areas, which means it also will stay cleaner with years of use. Some computer reviewers did not like the touchpad, but for me it's plenty big, and it only feels "sticky" when you press down too hard. You have to use a light touch, but it doesn't take long to adjust to.
It's fast enough and big enough for everything I need. I'm in the midst of transferring all of my music and videos, from both my old laptop and my external hard drive, only my Asus so that I can have everything with me at once, and only use my external as a backup. The system operates fast enough for my needs, though from what I've read it won't suffice if you're a gamer.
It doesn't come with Norton Anti-Virus pre-installed. This means you don't have to go through hours of trying to uninstall it so that your computer can run the way it's supposed to. It simply comes with a basic internet security program.
Most of the computer is somewhat fingerprint-proof. The only exceptions are the big glossy screen (which you shouldn't be touching anyway), the black border around the screen (which you will sometimes need to touch), and the touchpad button (which is small, but you will probably be touching it a lot). However it is still better than most laptops, as the rest of the computer will not show fingerprints.
Windows 7 is great! Again, I haven't fully tested the ins and outs, but so far it's been an easy transition for someone who has been using XP since it came out eight years ago. I avoided getting a computer with Vista, but have used it on friends' computers on occasion, and Windows 7 seems like an improvement.
I read that the power adapter would get hot, but so far mine has stayed cool. And it has been plugged in for 18 hours straight.
If you press Fn and the space bar, you can easily shift through 4 different power options: Entertainment Mode, High Performance, Quiet Office, and Battery Saving. This is an awesome feature because if you're watching a movie, it will let you change settings to stop the screen from dimming or turning off without even exiting the movie.
Cons:
The Amazon order did not come with the mouse or computer case it promised!
I don't like the reflections you can see in the glossy screen. This isn't unique to this computer, I just don't like glossy screens in general.
It came with a sticker on it saying it had 12 hours of battery life, so I'm not sure if the 16 hour claim is true... and like I said I haven't tested it. Either way, though, I don't think I'll ever need it to last more than 12 hours without being plugged in.
The way that the hard drive is partitioned is confusing. It has an OS C drive and a data D drive. However it automatically puts all of the users documents and music folders in the OS drive rather than the data drive. This is easy to change, but I still haven't figured out how to change the start menu links to my documents so that it takes me to the D drive instead of the C drive.
The touchpad doesn't support rotate and zoom motions that are common on Macs and coming out in newer PCs. Certainly not a huge problem, but they would be nice, since the touchpad does support scrolling and right click motions.
I think that's all for now. I'll try to update this when I find more pros and cons worth mentioning, and have measured the true battery life of the machine.
Saturday, September 27, 2014
Reviews of Lenovo Ideapad V570 1066XF1 Notebook i5-2430M Dual 3.0GHz 6GB 750GB
I purchased this directly from Lenovo as a refurbished item through their outlet website about 3 months ago. I was able to get it for a decent price and it didn't have any signs of previous use. I'm posting this here because I figure it would have a much broader audience than other places.
Build Quality:
I'm very impressed with the build quality. The keyboard is the standard apple/sony chiclet style. It's solid and the keys have a good amount of travel. It would be nice if it was back-lit, but I'm not surprised it's missing at this price point. The screen hinge is solid yet moves easily. The screen doesn't wobble when you're using and stays where you set it to. Overall the chassis is solid also. It doesn't flex or feel cheap when you need to pick it up or carry it around. The palm rest and keyboard surround have a nice finish that keeps smudges from being an annoyance. I haven't noticed any hotspots, though I don't do alot of intense gaming or video. The fan is generally quiet even when going at full blast. The exhaust is on the left side and can be kinda warm. If it's cold it can keep your hand toasty:) For the current round of i5 laptops the weight is average or less. Overall, I would say this is an extremely well built laptop. Lenovo knows how to put together a solid reliable machine.
input/output Quality (screen, speakers, touchpad, etc.):
The screen is a slight gripe, but not a deal breaker. The resolution is standard at 1366x768. The screen is bright and doesn't seem to have any major color reproduction issues as long as you're looking at it straight on. The viewing angles are kinda horrible. If you want to watch a movie with someone you have to have it far away for 2 people to fit in the sweet spot.
One thing that is actually horrible are the speakers. You have to keep the sound low if you don't want to hear any distortion. I've tried using them, but have given up. Really though it's not that big of a deal. When I'm at home, I just plug in a set of speakers. When I'm out and about I plug in headphones.
The touchpad is pretty good build wise, but the multi-touch software is hit or miss. When trying to use the 2 finger scroll when in a web browser it would half the time think i was doing a pinch to zoom.
The reason I got this particular model is that it had USB 3. I have an external harddrive that I used to transfer files over to this computer and with USB 3, it took half the time. Also an added bonus was that the HDMI port doubles as an extra USB port(giving you 4 in total). I haven't used the HDMI port yet, but when I do I'll add an update about that. Also included is an eSATA port(I'm sure this would be a peppy way to transfer files, but USB 3 works well enough).
A surprise was the built-in WiMax modem (which let you're computer be a wireless hotspot!). I didn't know about that when I ordered it, and I'm not sure if I'm going to sign up for it. It seems odd that it came with WiMax, but no bluetooth though. I think I would've preferred to have that instead.
So overall it's pretty good, but a little bit of a mixed bag when it comes to the screen.
Software & OS:
Not too long after I got this I switched over to Ubuntu. I just generally like Ubunutu because it runs light, restarts pretty quick and keeps everything simple, with out being overbearing like OS X. I still boot into Windows 7 though to get my civilization V fix though. There was a ton of stuff pre-loaded on here, but not all of it is bloatware. A lot of the official Lenovo software is security related including stuff to run the fingerprint scanner, one that asks for your password when you plug a USB drive. Battery saver which keeps you from charging the battery all the way to improve the lifespan of it. And finally a hard Drive saver which will lock the drive if you (Gawd forbid) end up dropping the computer. There is stuff to uninstall, but didn't take too much time to get rid of.
Ubuntu was a pain to setup because of the standard wifi issues that seem to always be there, but once that's taken care of it's been perfect.
Overall:
This is the Honda Accord of laptops. This laptop is an amazing deal and well worth the money. Is this a high end gaming machine? No, it's a mid-level, everyday machine. It will play Netflix with ease and run mid level games with out breaking a sweat. It's classy in a subdued way, solid, reliable and feels like I'll be holding on to this for a long time.
Build Quality:
I'm very impressed with the build quality. The keyboard is the standard apple/sony chiclet style. It's solid and the keys have a good amount of travel. It would be nice if it was back-lit, but I'm not surprised it's missing at this price point. The screen hinge is solid yet moves easily. The screen doesn't wobble when you're using and stays where you set it to. Overall the chassis is solid also. It doesn't flex or feel cheap when you need to pick it up or carry it around. The palm rest and keyboard surround have a nice finish that keeps smudges from being an annoyance. I haven't noticed any hotspots, though I don't do alot of intense gaming or video. The fan is generally quiet even when going at full blast. The exhaust is on the left side and can be kinda warm. If it's cold it can keep your hand toasty:) For the current round of i5 laptops the weight is average or less. Overall, I would say this is an extremely well built laptop. Lenovo knows how to put together a solid reliable machine.
input/output Quality (screen, speakers, touchpad, etc.):
The screen is a slight gripe, but not a deal breaker. The resolution is standard at 1366x768. The screen is bright and doesn't seem to have any major color reproduction issues as long as you're looking at it straight on. The viewing angles are kinda horrible. If you want to watch a movie with someone you have to have it far away for 2 people to fit in the sweet spot.
One thing that is actually horrible are the speakers. You have to keep the sound low if you don't want to hear any distortion. I've tried using them, but have given up. Really though it's not that big of a deal. When I'm at home, I just plug in a set of speakers. When I'm out and about I plug in headphones.
The touchpad is pretty good build wise, but the multi-touch software is hit or miss. When trying to use the 2 finger scroll when in a web browser it would half the time think i was doing a pinch to zoom.
The reason I got this particular model is that it had USB 3. I have an external harddrive that I used to transfer files over to this computer and with USB 3, it took half the time. Also an added bonus was that the HDMI port doubles as an extra USB port(giving you 4 in total). I haven't used the HDMI port yet, but when I do I'll add an update about that. Also included is an eSATA port(I'm sure this would be a peppy way to transfer files, but USB 3 works well enough).
A surprise was the built-in WiMax modem (which let you're computer be a wireless hotspot!). I didn't know about that when I ordered it, and I'm not sure if I'm going to sign up for it. It seems odd that it came with WiMax, but no bluetooth though. I think I would've preferred to have that instead.
So overall it's pretty good, but a little bit of a mixed bag when it comes to the screen.
Software & OS:
Not too long after I got this I switched over to Ubuntu. I just generally like Ubunutu because it runs light, restarts pretty quick and keeps everything simple, with out being overbearing like OS X. I still boot into Windows 7 though to get my civilization V fix though. There was a ton of stuff pre-loaded on here, but not all of it is bloatware. A lot of the official Lenovo software is security related including stuff to run the fingerprint scanner, one that asks for your password when you plug a USB drive. Battery saver which keeps you from charging the battery all the way to improve the lifespan of it. And finally a hard Drive saver which will lock the drive if you (Gawd forbid) end up dropping the computer. There is stuff to uninstall, but didn't take too much time to get rid of.
Ubuntu was a pain to setup because of the standard wifi issues that seem to always be there, but once that's taken care of it's been perfect.
Overall:
This is the Honda Accord of laptops. This laptop is an amazing deal and well worth the money. Is this a high end gaming machine? No, it's a mid-level, everyday machine. It will play Netflix with ease and run mid level games with out breaking a sweat. It's classy in a subdued way, solid, reliable and feels like I'll be holding on to this for a long time.
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I bought this notebook/laptop under $500 USD as a quick tool for a short IT project. Being accustomed to high-end enterprise-class notebooks (fast, lightweight, solid build), this seemed risky, but at that price and spec, add a warranty/service plan just in case, how could one resist? (DisposableTuesday, September 23, 2014
MSI Computer Corp. Notebook GE70 0ND-213US;9S7-175611-213 17.3-Inch Reviews
The windows experience is as follows: cpu:7.9, Memory: 7.9 3D Graphics:6.9 Hard drive 5.9. I added a SSD windows experience is : 8.1 And 16 gig Ram: 8.1.This a incredible machine. Does not have a back-lit keyboard but the keyboard is very good. Reloaded and upgraded OS to Windows 8 pro since it comes with window 8. Very happy. Has slot for internal SSD also in addition to hard drive. Screen is good also.
* Fast, high-performance processor
* Multi-touch pad
* Good, loud speakers (4x)
* Full keyboard, easy to type
* Large screen, great for editing/watching videos
* HDMI, USB 3.0, Multi-card reader
Cons:
* Mine came with a dead pixel; eventually went away
* Large and heavy, but still somewhat portable
* Battery life is dismal -not even 2 hours
* No dedicated "home" and "end" keys
* Windows key positioned on the right (takes getting used to)
Description:
This is a superb sub $1,500 laptop. The video card (Nvidia GTX 660, 2GB) is better than the one in the 15" Macbook Pro w/Retina (Nvidia GT 650, 1GB) -shame on you Apple -and the processor is also amazing. The screen is also nice, but as other have pointed out, it's nothing special. Mine came with a dead pixel, which I was pretty upset about, but it eventually went away with the use of free software.
I am able to edit videos without any problem using Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5 and editing photos is also a breeze. Using Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and other programs for creating and publishing content also works very well. Frankly, this is a better buy over any Macbook.
The design isn't something I was too excited about when looking at the pictures but in person it's actually not that bad. I prefer the sleek look of the Macbook Pros, but the price tag and increased performance this laptop gives me is worth more than its looks.
Upgradeability is an important factor in this laptop. You can upgrade it from 8GB RAM to 16GB which I plan on doing, as well as adding a mSSD for caching purposes (for even faster performance) and, potentially, replacing the CD/DVD drive with a HDD bay. We'll see.
Bottom line:
Get this laptop if you want a large but powerful gaming/video editing laptop. Not for people who want ultra portability and long battery life.
A lot of reviews say this laptop is a little flimsy or fragile and does not seem durable. If you live your life with a broken screen on your cell phone I would not recommend this laptop for you. It is, however, thin and light which is why I chose this particular one. Take care of your stuff and it will last! If not, buy the extended warranty. You cannot set up the mSATA as a Cache drive on this laptop due to the Bios not being able to create a RAID array so a 32GB or 64GB mSATA purchase will result in nothing but hate and discontent because you will only get 32 or 64GB of additional storage out of it. Or, a compacted Windows install with the need to buy aftermarket file management software to store system and program files on the Data drive. If you do this and have to wait for the transfer rate of the spin drive what is point of going to mSATA in the first place?
I've had this for about a month now and love it. When I bought this I also bought the mSATA drive and 16GB of ram (this is manufacturers limit) G.SKILL 16GB (2 x 8G) 204-Pin DDR3 SO-DIMM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Laptop Memory Model F3-1600C10D-16GSQ the entire process to do the upgrades took me about two weeks because there isn't much info on migrating the OS without an OEM Windows install disk or some software that doesn't work because of the EFI partitions. I refused to buy another OS when the laptop I just bought has one. There is very little bloatware on this laptop, MS Office setup, MSI BurnRecovery, Battery Calibration and SuperCharger. That's about it. No additional toolbars or ads as you would get with other manufacturers. If you duplicate my procedure the process should take you no more than an hour or two unless you have already put your own stuff on the laptop. In that case you just have to back up your files and then put them back on when you wipe the drive. If you don't want to wipe the drive you can just delete the OS partition but then you end up with dynamic instead of a basic partition because when you extend your Data partition you extend it to the left instead of the right. One last item-performance and graphics. I use this to play WoW and I have the graphics set to Ultra settings. The lowest frame rate I recall seeing is 27fps but definitely no performance issues even at the ultra setting.
screen; great colors and viewing angles
sound; I installed zune because of my phone the THX driver is great
noise level; only one fan but surprisingly it stays cool and the fan on "turbo" is audible but the speakers can easily overpower the noise otherwise its lower noise than similar laptops.
gpu; NVidia GTX 660m it runs crisis 2 at ultra(tested without aa on)
cpu; i7 nuf said
CONS:
multitouch pad; is rocker style and stiff seems to be breaking in after a solid day though
keyboards not backlit (not really a con; just would be nice)
no dedicated volume control; surprisingly a larger issue than I originally thought.. its fn+left/right or through software
notes:
it came with a corrupted wifi driver and usb ports didn't work properly:
the drivers disk it came with was also corrupted so I had to use a lifeline from my old laptop to get it working.
once I got the bios and drivers updated and working it was fine and it runs fast. I tested crysis the game wanted "gamer" specs for some reasion but it ran at 60fps (as the overclock drivers should) on "Ultra" and it was barley warm after 1 hour of game time.(i had the fan Turbo on)
worth mentioning:
windows score sets the gpu score at 5.4, however this is just a bug in how windows defaults the GPU on the i7 instead of the dedicated Nvidia GTX 660m.
supports 16gb ram upgrade and an empty mSATA bay(not to be confused with a SATA bay)
So imagine my surprise and disappointment when I took it out of the box and it took 10-15 minutes to boot up, ran programs slowly, and continuously maxed out hard drive access. Not only that, windows update didn't work, system tools didn't work and it was 10-15 minutes to reboot or shut down.
After a few fits of rage about windows 8, the poor decisions of MSI engineers and a little soul-searching, I relented and actually began trying to solve the problem. A few hours of research later and I found the needle in the haystack thread that had my solution.
For those struggling with the GE70 or other similar MSI laptops, the holy grail can be found here: http://forum-en.msi.com/index.php?topic=167061.msg1231972#msg1231972
The thread also contains a number of other things you can try to correct performance problems or other issues with the Windows 8 preinstallation image. A key command to try in the command prompt is "sfc /scannow" without the quotes.
Three days and sleepless nights later, the laptop is now running "as it should," for a machine with its resume. Booting in just a few seconds, running games like the Witcher 2 at just about max settings, handling multi-tasking taboos like installing and running a game simultaneously, with ease.
I'm cautiously optimistic that this is going to be an awesome laptop that will last me several years, as I originally intended.
Had the laptop come out of the box as it is running now, this review would have been five stars all the way. I chose four stars even though it should have been three, because it is still awesome despite of all the heartburn and the fact that some users may not be able to figure out the problems with the machine.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
Pros:* Fast, high-performance processor
* Multi-touch pad
* Good, loud speakers (4x)
* Full keyboard, easy to type
* Large screen, great for editing/watching videos
* HDMI, USB 3.0, Multi-card reader
Cons:
* Mine came with a dead pixel; eventually went away
* Large and heavy, but still somewhat portable
* Battery life is dismal -not even 2 hours
* No dedicated "home" and "end" keys
* Windows key positioned on the right (takes getting used to)
Description:
This is a superb sub $1,500 laptop. The video card (Nvidia GTX 660, 2GB) is better than the one in the 15" Macbook Pro w/Retina (Nvidia GT 650, 1GB) -shame on you Apple -and the processor is also amazing. The screen is also nice, but as other have pointed out, it's nothing special. Mine came with a dead pixel, which I was pretty upset about, but it eventually went away with the use of free software.
I am able to edit videos without any problem using Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5 and editing photos is also a breeze. Using Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and other programs for creating and publishing content also works very well. Frankly, this is a better buy over any Macbook.
The design isn't something I was too excited about when looking at the pictures but in person it's actually not that bad. I prefer the sleek look of the Macbook Pros, but the price tag and increased performance this laptop gives me is worth more than its looks.
Upgradeability is an important factor in this laptop. You can upgrade it from 8GB RAM to 16GB which I plan on doing, as well as adding a mSSD for caching purposes (for even faster performance) and, potentially, replacing the CD/DVD drive with a HDD bay. We'll see.
Bottom line:
Get this laptop if you want a large but powerful gaming/video editing laptop. Not for people who want ultra portability and long battery life.
Best Deals for MSI Computer Corp. Notebook GE70 0ND-213US;9S7-175611-213 17.3-Inch
Has the mSATA slot, Full HD 1920X1080p screen and a WD Black 7200rpm HDD. When I was looking at buying a laptop I read a lot of reviews about this and other similar laptops. I couldn't find a definite answer whether this particular model had the mSATA or not. It does. The procedure to migrate is pretty simple. This comes with the MSI BurnRecovery software which makes recovery DVD's that restores your HDD image. I needed 5 DVD-R's to do this. After I made those I removed the stock HDD (Western Digital Black 7200rpm) and installed a Mushkin Enhanced Atlas Series MKNSSDAT120GB-DX mSATA 120GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) drive. Need to find a screw to secure the mSATA because the drive does not come with one and you cannot install without it. It's the same screw that would secure a mini card like a wireless card, modem or Bluetooth. Important!-Get into the bios by pressing Del when the MSI logo pops up and disable the secure boot option in the Bios. Booted from the recovery DVD's and restored the image to the mSATA drive. This puts 5 partitions onto that drive-EFI boot sector, Windows recovery, OS partition, Data partition and Recovery partition. Opened computer management after reboot and removed the data partition. I also removed the recovery partition which is about 17 GB because I have the backup DVD's. Extend the OS partition to the unallocated space. This gives you about 100GB for your OS. Get back into the Bios and enable the secure boot option again and boot into your OS. Shut down, reinstall the HDD and reboot. Go to Settings, Change PC Settings, General and select Advanced Startup. When it restarts get to the command prompt. Type in "DISKPART", enter, "list disk", enter. Find the disk that is 698GB (should be disk 0) then type in "select disk 0", enter, "clean", enter, "Y" because yes you are sure you want to wipe the drive. Reboot, get into computer management, activate disk and make the partitions you want. I moved all of the library file folders to the single "Data" partition I made on that drive. Music, Videos, Documents and Downloads. Installed 'most' programs on the OS drive and still have about 20GB left. Takes seconds to boot now with no stability issues at all.A lot of reviews say this laptop is a little flimsy or fragile and does not seem durable. If you live your life with a broken screen on your cell phone I would not recommend this laptop for you. It is, however, thin and light which is why I chose this particular one. Take care of your stuff and it will last! If not, buy the extended warranty. You cannot set up the mSATA as a Cache drive on this laptop due to the Bios not being able to create a RAID array so a 32GB or 64GB mSATA purchase will result in nothing but hate and discontent because you will only get 32 or 64GB of additional storage out of it. Or, a compacted Windows install with the need to buy aftermarket file management software to store system and program files on the Data drive. If you do this and have to wait for the transfer rate of the spin drive what is point of going to mSATA in the first place?
I've had this for about a month now and love it. When I bought this I also bought the mSATA drive and 16GB of ram (this is manufacturers limit) G.SKILL 16GB (2 x 8G) 204-Pin DDR3 SO-DIMM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Laptop Memory Model F3-1600C10D-16GSQ the entire process to do the upgrades took me about two weeks because there isn't much info on migrating the OS without an OEM Windows install disk or some software that doesn't work because of the EFI partitions. I refused to buy another OS when the laptop I just bought has one. There is very little bloatware on this laptop, MS Office setup, MSI BurnRecovery, Battery Calibration and SuperCharger. That's about it. No additional toolbars or ads as you would get with other manufacturers. If you duplicate my procedure the process should take you no more than an hour or two unless you have already put your own stuff on the laptop. In that case you just have to back up your files and then put them back on when you wipe the drive. If you don't want to wipe the drive you can just delete the OS partition but then you end up with dynamic instead of a basic partition because when you extend your Data partition you extend it to the left instead of the right. One last item-performance and graphics. I use this to play WoW and I have the graphics set to Ultra settings. The lowest frame rate I recall seeing is 27fps but definitely no performance issues even at the ultra setting.
Honest reviews on MSI Computer Corp. Notebook GE70 0ND-213US;9S7-175611-213 17.3-Inch
PROS:screen; great colors and viewing angles
sound; I installed zune because of my phone the THX driver is great
noise level; only one fan but surprisingly it stays cool and the fan on "turbo" is audible but the speakers can easily overpower the noise otherwise its lower noise than similar laptops.
gpu; NVidia GTX 660m it runs crisis 2 at ultra(tested without aa on)
cpu; i7 nuf said
CONS:
multitouch pad; is rocker style and stiff seems to be breaking in after a solid day though
keyboards not backlit (not really a con; just would be nice)
no dedicated volume control; surprisingly a larger issue than I originally thought.. its fn+left/right or through software
notes:
it came with a corrupted wifi driver and usb ports didn't work properly:
the drivers disk it came with was also corrupted so I had to use a lifeline from my old laptop to get it working.
once I got the bios and drivers updated and working it was fine and it runs fast. I tested crysis the game wanted "gamer" specs for some reasion but it ran at 60fps (as the overclock drivers should) on "Ultra" and it was barley warm after 1 hour of game time.(i had the fan Turbo on)
worth mentioning:
windows score sets the gpu score at 5.4, however this is just a bug in how windows defaults the GPU on the i7 instead of the dedicated Nvidia GTX 660m.
supports 16gb ram upgrade and an empty mSATA bay(not to be confused with a SATA bay)
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for MSI Computer Corp. Notebook GE70 0ND-213US;9S7-175611-213 17.3-Inch
This computer has all the specs of a real gaming laptop quad-core i7, nVidia 660m, 8 gb ram, etc.So imagine my surprise and disappointment when I took it out of the box and it took 10-15 minutes to boot up, ran programs slowly, and continuously maxed out hard drive access. Not only that, windows update didn't work, system tools didn't work and it was 10-15 minutes to reboot or shut down.
After a few fits of rage about windows 8, the poor decisions of MSI engineers and a little soul-searching, I relented and actually began trying to solve the problem. A few hours of research later and I found the needle in the haystack thread that had my solution.
For those struggling with the GE70 or other similar MSI laptops, the holy grail can be found here: http://forum-en.msi.com/index.php?topic=167061.msg1231972#msg1231972
The thread also contains a number of other things you can try to correct performance problems or other issues with the Windows 8 preinstallation image. A key command to try in the command prompt is "sfc /scannow" without the quotes.
Three days and sleepless nights later, the laptop is now running "as it should," for a machine with its resume. Booting in just a few seconds, running games like the Witcher 2 at just about max settings, handling multi-tasking taboos like installing and running a game simultaneously, with ease.
I'm cautiously optimistic that this is going to be an awesome laptop that will last me several years, as I originally intended.
Had the laptop come out of the box as it is running now, this review would have been five stars all the way. I chose four stars even though it should have been three, because it is still awesome despite of all the heartburn and the fact that some users may not be able to figure out the problems with the machine.
Saturday, August 16, 2014
Aspire Aspire Intel Core i3 15.6-inch Laptop | AS5733-6424 Reviews
Refurb at 300? Well worth the money. Fast, lightweight, great screen. Has enough to do 95% of what you need. Kills any iPad for the money. Relatively lightweight and the screen and graphics for 300, I have not found better,the best product, beautiful laptop, comfortable and very modern, I loved the product, I recommend 100% I love it so much.
Saturday, August 9, 2014
Cheap Lenovo ThinkPad X130e 062223U 11.6-Inch LED Notebook - Dual-Core
I write this review as someone who has experience with a 1st generation ACER and a 3rd generation ASUS...
The Acer lasted 2 years of heavy usage... the 5400rpm hard drive eventually started dragging, and I wiped Windows XP for Google Chrome... It is still functional, I no longer use it.
The Asus replaced the Acer, lasted 2 years... but it really was even cheaper made than the ACER... and the 5400 RPM hard drive eventually started dragging, and I wiped Windows 7 for Google Chrome.. It is still functional, but I no longer use.
The Lenovo replace the asus, and so far... it has been absolutely fantastic.
1) The extra 1.5 inches makes a much more pleasant viewing experience.
2) It's rock solid -much stronger build... appears to be more durable.
3) Screen is built for NO GLARE... So much better for using when you are driving along the high way.
4) Built in Bluetooth -works perfectly with PDA.net, Verizon 4g, and PDA.net.
5) The size is perfect for my usage... I want a computer that can do EVERYTHING short of high fps gaming... and I don't want any of the limitations of a notebook... this was perfect for me.
The only complaint I can even muster, is that the laptop needs to be heavily cleaned from the manufacturer, because of all the bloatware... Once you clean it, it works beautifully! The only two non-core drivers I would even recommend keeping is the lenovo thinkvantage backup software and the lenovo thinkvantage airbag software. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON VIRUS SCANS, please download Microsoft Security Essentials, it's the best and it's FREE.
You can drop 300-400 on a Asus/Acer and have a computer than will last 2-years with heavy use... or spend a little more and get a well built rock.. that will last you 5+ years.
-Great battery life (6+ hours regularly)
-Great matte screen
-Rubberized outside and matte body means it keeps looking new
-Lots of ports (including HDMI, VGA, USBx3)
-Love the touchpoint
-Skype works well with built-in camera, mic, and speakers.
Cons:
-Because it is extra-durable, it is also larger and heavier than most 11.6" laptops. It is closer in size and weight to a 13" or 14" machine.
-Combo headphone port. The mic and speakers are in a single combo port. You either have to use a special headset or use an adapter.
to start, I own the x130e which has the lesser 1.3ghz processor and only comes with 2 gig or ram. otherwise, the two laptops are identical. reason I am also posting this review here.
1. battery longer than 3 or 4 hours. This one is 6 1/2 without a horribly dimmed monitor. btw, the only way to get the 8.5 stated is to have the monitor so dim it's almost black. stupid for them to even begin to count that! but 6 is good for writing anywhere there is no plug. I'm NOT limited to certain coffee shops etc.
2. Has windows 7 pro64 which I found amazing. Most have windows starter a real stripped down version of windows. Wanted 7 because 8 seems to be a nightmare. More work to learn a system to do the same thing in the end. (without a touch screen, windows 8 might as well not exist.)
3. runs on the amd equivalent of the intel i3. Many run on ATOM (stay clear!), the new ones run on chrome which means you can't run your own programs (like celtx, photoshop, indesign etc.) You can only run google apps and they all get stored on the cloud instead of in your personal computer. NOT ok for writers or anyone who wants the document on their OWN computer. no better than a tablet without a real hard drive. This one had only 1.3ghz rather than the newer version which has 1.66 but for about $300 less, i'm good with the slower processor. I'm not intending to run the world from here! :)
3. 320 gig and NOT a 5400 hard drive. For those who don't know, the faster hard drive is quite amazing! it's rare to find such a fast hard drive in such a small device. Lenovo seems to mostly use faster hard drives which is a very pleasant surprise and speaks a lot to me of the company. (doesn't just stick in the least expensive parts even if you have no idea what a fast hard drive is.)
4. upgradable to 8 gigs of RAM/memory! most gateway 10in netbooks have 1 gig and difficulty upgradable to 2 max. This one has two ram slots and can be good enough to run all adobe products you want to run in a small screen.
5. speaking of which, an 11.6 inch screen rather than the traditional 10.1. great.
6. AMD dual core is the semi equivalent of the i3 intel. same system I have on my "real" laptop and it works fast enough for me (a graphic designer). good enough sometimes is financially good enough right?
8. this is a "built tough" netbook which I frankly didn't know when I bought it. (got it from woot.com for $300 + $5 shipping on special.) it's almost 4 pounds because the plastic on the computer casing is much higher quality than any other I looked at. it's not flimsy. there is a rubber rim all around the monitor which encases all the edges when it is closed. Less chance to bump and dent and have a "mild" drop and have it no longer work it seems. The keyboard is spill proof or resistant. forget which. it's made specially for grades 1-12 which doesn't turn me off at all since the plus is "tough built". works for me, an adult wanting my netbook tougher and the extra 3/4 pound is ok with me.
***there are two problems I have already seen in 3 days. One is that the mouse track pad is really bad out of the box. you put the mouse somewhere and it slides away. a real PIA and enough to make me want to return it. You can't put the mouse between letters and next thing you know, you are typing elsewhere. NOT ok.
I googled the issue and found that on December 18th, they came out with an update to the drivers for the ultranav system on thinkpads. I installed it and bam, problem fixed. yeah.
the other thing that matters to me and may not to the casual user, is the placement of the fn key. I am used to the control key being at the end of the lower row of the keyboard. I use "control A" "control C" and "control v" tons. Its not working for me since I find myself always pushing the fn key instead. that will take adjustment is all. I wish they had put the function key closer to the space bar like it is on many laptops like my viao. bad design decision in my mind but I will adjust. also, i find myself hitting the cap locks instead of the shift. time will fix that as well.
otherwise, and with the ultranav update, this seems like it will be perfect for me. the ultranav update is on the lenovo website. don't have the link handy.
hope this helps.
The Acer lasted 2 years of heavy usage... the 5400rpm hard drive eventually started dragging, and I wiped Windows XP for Google Chrome... It is still functional, I no longer use it.
The Asus replaced the Acer, lasted 2 years... but it really was even cheaper made than the ACER... and the 5400 RPM hard drive eventually started dragging, and I wiped Windows 7 for Google Chrome.. It is still functional, but I no longer use.
The Lenovo replace the asus, and so far... it has been absolutely fantastic.
1) The extra 1.5 inches makes a much more pleasant viewing experience.
2) It's rock solid -much stronger build... appears to be more durable.
3) Screen is built for NO GLARE... So much better for using when you are driving along the high way.
4) Built in Bluetooth -works perfectly with PDA.net, Verizon 4g, and PDA.net.
5) The size is perfect for my usage... I want a computer that can do EVERYTHING short of high fps gaming... and I don't want any of the limitations of a notebook... this was perfect for me.
The only complaint I can even muster, is that the laptop needs to be heavily cleaned from the manufacturer, because of all the bloatware... Once you clean it, it works beautifully! The only two non-core drivers I would even recommend keeping is the lenovo thinkvantage backup software and the lenovo thinkvantage airbag software. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON VIRUS SCANS, please download Microsoft Security Essentials, it's the best and it's FREE.
You can drop 300-400 on a Asus/Acer and have a computer than will last 2-years with heavy use... or spend a little more and get a well built rock.. that will last you 5+ years.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
Pros:-Great battery life (6+ hours regularly)
-Great matte screen
-Rubberized outside and matte body means it keeps looking new
-Lots of ports (including HDMI, VGA, USBx3)
-Love the touchpoint
-Skype works well with built-in camera, mic, and speakers.
Cons:
-Because it is extra-durable, it is also larger and heavier than most 11.6" laptops. It is closer in size and weight to a 13" or 14" machine.
-Combo headphone port. The mic and speakers are in a single combo port. You either have to use a special headset or use an adapter.
Best Deals for Lenovo ThinkPad X130e 062223U 11.6-Inch LED Notebook - Dual-Core
I needed to replace my laptop and this Lenovo has been perfect for my needs. I have had it for several months now and I have had no problems. It even survived a drop to a tile floor. It is very well-made and responsive. I have a few minor quibbles that have been mentioned before such as the speakers being located on the bottom making it very hard to hear and I prefer a mousepad that clicks on the bottom and not the top of the pad. However, I rarely need speakers and I used a wireless mouse most of the time. For the money, I highly recommend this unit.Honest reviews on Lenovo ThinkPad X130e 062223U 11.6-Inch LED Notebook - Dual-Core
Ive used it as my primary home computer for about a year. Beyond the junk-ware installed by default(which didn't bother me as a GNU/Linux user), it was a nice machine. Costly but well built. However, the other day I went to upgrade the wifi card. Evidentially, all Thinkpads lock down their bios to only a few wifi card so you cannot replace it even though it uses a standard connection/size. That alone caused me to write this review and take off two stars. And to make matters worse, you cannot even get a copy of the "approved" ( aka white-listed ) wifi cards for a given Thinkpad model! Shame on Lenovo!Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Lenovo ThinkPad X130e 062223U 11.6-Inch LED Notebook - Dual-Core
I am a writer and needed certain things. they say the netbook is going away but for writing, we can't use a tablet without a real keyboard. this is the answer for many of us.to start, I own the x130e which has the lesser 1.3ghz processor and only comes with 2 gig or ram. otherwise, the two laptops are identical. reason I am also posting this review here.
1. battery longer than 3 or 4 hours. This one is 6 1/2 without a horribly dimmed monitor. btw, the only way to get the 8.5 stated is to have the monitor so dim it's almost black. stupid for them to even begin to count that! but 6 is good for writing anywhere there is no plug. I'm NOT limited to certain coffee shops etc.
2. Has windows 7 pro64 which I found amazing. Most have windows starter a real stripped down version of windows. Wanted 7 because 8 seems to be a nightmare. More work to learn a system to do the same thing in the end. (without a touch screen, windows 8 might as well not exist.)
3. runs on the amd equivalent of the intel i3. Many run on ATOM (stay clear!), the new ones run on chrome which means you can't run your own programs (like celtx, photoshop, indesign etc.) You can only run google apps and they all get stored on the cloud instead of in your personal computer. NOT ok for writers or anyone who wants the document on their OWN computer. no better than a tablet without a real hard drive. This one had only 1.3ghz rather than the newer version which has 1.66 but for about $300 less, i'm good with the slower processor. I'm not intending to run the world from here! :)
3. 320 gig and NOT a 5400 hard drive. For those who don't know, the faster hard drive is quite amazing! it's rare to find such a fast hard drive in such a small device. Lenovo seems to mostly use faster hard drives which is a very pleasant surprise and speaks a lot to me of the company. (doesn't just stick in the least expensive parts even if you have no idea what a fast hard drive is.)
4. upgradable to 8 gigs of RAM/memory! most gateway 10in netbooks have 1 gig and difficulty upgradable to 2 max. This one has two ram slots and can be good enough to run all adobe products you want to run in a small screen.
5. speaking of which, an 11.6 inch screen rather than the traditional 10.1. great.
6. AMD dual core is the semi equivalent of the i3 intel. same system I have on my "real" laptop and it works fast enough for me (a graphic designer). good enough sometimes is financially good enough right?
8. this is a "built tough" netbook which I frankly didn't know when I bought it. (got it from woot.com for $300 + $5 shipping on special.) it's almost 4 pounds because the plastic on the computer casing is much higher quality than any other I looked at. it's not flimsy. there is a rubber rim all around the monitor which encases all the edges when it is closed. Less chance to bump and dent and have a "mild" drop and have it no longer work it seems. The keyboard is spill proof or resistant. forget which. it's made specially for grades 1-12 which doesn't turn me off at all since the plus is "tough built". works for me, an adult wanting my netbook tougher and the extra 3/4 pound is ok with me.
***there are two problems I have already seen in 3 days. One is that the mouse track pad is really bad out of the box. you put the mouse somewhere and it slides away. a real PIA and enough to make me want to return it. You can't put the mouse between letters and next thing you know, you are typing elsewhere. NOT ok.
I googled the issue and found that on December 18th, they came out with an update to the drivers for the ultranav system on thinkpads. I installed it and bam, problem fixed. yeah.
the other thing that matters to me and may not to the casual user, is the placement of the fn key. I am used to the control key being at the end of the lower row of the keyboard. I use "control A" "control C" and "control v" tons. Its not working for me since I find myself always pushing the fn key instead. that will take adjustment is all. I wish they had put the function key closer to the space bar like it is on many laptops like my viao. bad design decision in my mind but I will adjust. also, i find myself hitting the cap locks instead of the shift. time will fix that as well.
otherwise, and with the ultranav update, this seems like it will be perfect for me. the ultranav update is on the lenovo website. don't have the link handy.
hope this helps.
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
Reviews of Panasonic CE TB T2 PM-1.1GHZ 256MB RAM, 40GB HDD, 12.1" TFT
first i will mention the reason for three stars is this unit came with no power adapter,i reread the specs and then realized it did not mention such.I took it for granted I guess assuming this would be with it as a nessesary part of any unit.The notebook did honor all of the specs they mentioned.I needed a smaller lighter microsoft unit to replace my much heavier Dell,The touchscreen is not allways doing what I thought it would and only accasionlly seems to work.Other than that it is a good working unit and I am satisfied for that,I ordered a power unit from Amazon with one day shipping and that saved the day.so in a nutshell its worth the bucks but would of been a five starrer with the power supply.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
for this price there is not a better laptop deal on the planet. first time ever to use XP professional via touchscreen; again, this is an outstanding value and a ultralight toughbook that can withstand a drop of 30 cm without internal or external damage.Friday, July 4, 2014
HP Pavilion DV7-3065DX 17.3-Inch Laptop with Blu-Ray - Black Review
It was right before Christmas when I bought this laptop and what caught my eye was the price considering everything you get for the price.
First of all the screen is a whopping 17.3 inch widescreen with an awsome color display. On top of the display is an integrated webcam with microphone which I have used from time to time without any problems. Just below the unit are the controls for power, sound, media controls and WIFI. The only button really is the power all of the other buttons are touch sensitive. Just below this you will find the speakers which are decent however the quality could be better but I am satisified for what I do with this laptop. Below the speakers is the full keyboard with numeric keypad just to the right and below this is the touch mouse pad. On the back of the monitor you will find a lighted HP logo and just below that you will find the removable battery.
On the left side of the laptop you will find the following ports...
External Video Connector
HDMI Connector
RJ 45Ethernet port (10/100)
eSATA Connector
2 USB Ports
A notebook expansion Port (which holds the remote for controlling the CD and windows media)
A integrated SD-MS/ProMMC/XD Reader
On the right side of the laptop you will find the following ports...
Power Connection
Locking mechanism
RJ11 Modem port
2 USB ports
Blu-Ray DVD Drive & Burner
On the front of the display you will find indication lights for the power, battery and hard drive and connections for connecting external headphone and a microphone.
After I purchase my unit I upgraded some of the components and actually replaced the 500GB hard drive with two 250 solid state drive which reduced the weight and temperature just a bit but the drives allows Windows to boot now in less that 15 seconds! I also upgraded the memory to 8GB and Windows 7 from the Home version to the Ultimate version.
This laptop works great for what I do which is studying (why I chose the large display), Internet & email, music, visual studio programming and from time to time I will watch a movie. I have not had any problems with the unit since I bought it, to me it does just what I need.
This is a very big laptop and you may have some challenges with weight, heat and finding an adequate bag to carry everything in and because I do significate traveling I wanted something close to what I have at home and this is very close and allows me to work, study or play very comfortly.
Remember laptops tend to be items where personal values dictate your needs so this may not be the unit for you. Also because these are mechanical devices you can experience problems while others do not so I always recommend dealing with a company that will stand behind their product.
Would I recommend you purchase this laptop? No, this is a decision that you must make.
In January I bought two (in two diferent stores) and less than a couple of months both machines had the main board and video chipset completely fried by it's own overheat! Some technicians I consulted told me that there isn't proper ventilation coolers on the video chipsets, so if you plan to use the blu-ray driver very often it will fry the maiboard.
Just connect the facts: there isn't offers of New DV7-3065 in stores. Amazon only offers refurbished ones. It's hard to find information about it even on HP website. I bought two machines, in two different stores (the second a week later than first) and the two laptops have had the same problem!
I'm even more unlucky because I live outside US and HP doesn't extend warranty overseas. I had to spend about US$340 for each one to have it fixed (almost the half price I've paid) and I'm not sure if the problem will happen again. I'm definetly going to resell it on ebay or similar.
Don't buy this junk, unless you are needed to an egg frier! It should be very good on it!
but when you consider hdmi out, supermulti light scribe Blu-ray optical drive with an port for a second hard drive these option's alone in late 2009 puts this machine in rare company I've decided to make it mine even though my hpdv2610us has a 14" screen and way better speakers it's still only entry level.
First of all the screen is a whopping 17.3 inch widescreen with an awsome color display. On top of the display is an integrated webcam with microphone which I have used from time to time without any problems. Just below the unit are the controls for power, sound, media controls and WIFI. The only button really is the power all of the other buttons are touch sensitive. Just below this you will find the speakers which are decent however the quality could be better but I am satisified for what I do with this laptop. Below the speakers is the full keyboard with numeric keypad just to the right and below this is the touch mouse pad. On the back of the monitor you will find a lighted HP logo and just below that you will find the removable battery.
On the left side of the laptop you will find the following ports...
External Video Connector
HDMI Connector
RJ 45Ethernet port (10/100)
eSATA Connector
2 USB Ports
A notebook expansion Port (which holds the remote for controlling the CD and windows media)
A integrated SD-MS/ProMMC/XD Reader
On the right side of the laptop you will find the following ports...
Power Connection
Locking mechanism
RJ11 Modem port
2 USB ports
Blu-Ray DVD Drive & Burner
On the front of the display you will find indication lights for the power, battery and hard drive and connections for connecting external headphone and a microphone.
After I purchase my unit I upgraded some of the components and actually replaced the 500GB hard drive with two 250 solid state drive which reduced the weight and temperature just a bit but the drives allows Windows to boot now in less that 15 seconds! I also upgraded the memory to 8GB and Windows 7 from the Home version to the Ultimate version.
This laptop works great for what I do which is studying (why I chose the large display), Internet & email, music, visual studio programming and from time to time I will watch a movie. I have not had any problems with the unit since I bought it, to me it does just what I need.
This is a very big laptop and you may have some challenges with weight, heat and finding an adequate bag to carry everything in and because I do significate traveling I wanted something close to what I have at home and this is very close and allows me to work, study or play very comfortly.
Remember laptops tend to be items where personal values dictate your needs so this may not be the unit for you. Also because these are mechanical devices you can experience problems while others do not so I always recommend dealing with a company that will stand behind their product.
Would I recommend you purchase this laptop? No, this is a decision that you must make.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
Be very careful with this laptop!In January I bought two (in two diferent stores) and less than a couple of months both machines had the main board and video chipset completely fried by it's own overheat! Some technicians I consulted told me that there isn't proper ventilation coolers on the video chipsets, so if you plan to use the blu-ray driver very often it will fry the maiboard.
Just connect the facts: there isn't offers of New DV7-3065 in stores. Amazon only offers refurbished ones. It's hard to find information about it even on HP website. I bought two machines, in two different stores (the second a week later than first) and the two laptops have had the same problem!
I'm even more unlucky because I live outside US and HP doesn't extend warranty overseas. I had to spend about US$340 for each one to have it fixed (almost the half price I've paid) and I'm not sure if the problem will happen again. I'm definetly going to resell it on ebay or similar.
Don't buy this junk, unless you are needed to an egg frier! It should be very good on it!
Best Deals for HP Pavilion DV7-3065DX 17.3-Inch Laptop with Blu-Ray - Black
I bought this computer about two months ago for basic video and HD uses. Although I no longer have the use for the Bluray DVD player, I love this computer. The only problems I have had were based on using too many applications of windows explorer at the same time. I haven't taken any of the HP extra software off of this machine and suggest not doing so. There is a remote control that works great and fits into the side of the computer in the express card slot for using the DVD player. The computer would run faster without this software, but I have no need for a screamer. I play a few games to include flight simulator but I just turn down the graphics a little and it runs fine. I purchased this computer refurbished for $569 and have been more than satisfied. The HDMI out has been super useful in that I connect netflix to my other TV for movies. All in all this is a great computer for moderately complex programs. Photoshop CS3 runs fine as well as all of the graphics software that was included. It includes great software: Corel Photo Shop Pro Photo X2, Corel Video Studio 12, a Cyberlink suite that includes Powerdirector V7, and Power2Go, Labelprint. I had no clue these programs were included and they are definitely an added bonus. This is a solid video/graphics machine that delivers with software and hardware. You will not find a better machine for the money that also includes a Bluray player at a great price.Honest reviews on HP Pavilion DV7-3065DX 17.3-Inch Laptop with Blu-Ray - Black
bought this DV7-3065DX second hand & repaired it these models overheat easily & crash readily along with poor speakers don't leave much to be desired.but when you consider hdmi out, supermulti light scribe Blu-ray optical drive with an port for a second hard drive these option's alone in late 2009 puts this machine in rare company I've decided to make it mine even though my hpdv2610us has a 14" screen and way better speakers it's still only entry level.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for HP Pavilion DV7-3065DX 17.3-Inch Laptop with Blu-Ray - Black
It gave me an issue after 3 wks of owning it. I had to call HP Support and pay them to fix it. Seller would not help nor help pay for the extra I had to pay to get fixed. But love the computer. I should have went with the refurbished one because by time I paid HP Support I paid close to the same amount. But HP walked me through steps to fix it so I won't have that problem again. Haven't had any issues since then.Thursday, July 3, 2014
Buy Clevo P150EM (Sager NP9150) - 15.6" Gaming Laptop
AWESOME! runs quiet & cool, great display, fast graphics. Great bang for the buck for an all-around gaming/work pc.
1). Cool extremely quiet during normal operation, runs cool while quiet. Runs multiple applications and a zillion browsing tabs at same time with no hesitation.
2). While in intense rendering operations (photographic manipulation and intense gaming), second fan comes on which has a slight noise. But it is still very quiet, just a low hum you barely notice at most. The heat output from the fans is thus increased but there are TWO fan air outputs on the REAR of the laptop I love this because it means NO hot mousing hand on either left or right the hot air is exhausted away from the user. This is nearly unique within the laptop spectrum, and great for ambidexterous or left-handed mousers, particular graphical and gaming mousers who have hotter running machines to contend with.
3). The specs for this machine are great includes eSATA, DVI-I, HDMI, USB 3.0 ports. You can have either an extra drive or a B/DVD-CD burner/reader on the left side. The battery has a pretty good life when unplugged, especially when not running intensive games. The display/machine size is either 15.6 (P150EM/NP9150) or 17" display (P17EM/NP9170, about 2-3 lbs heavier).
4). Clevo is the OEM for this machine, the P150EM. Clevo builds good stuff. The Sager NP9150 was built upon the Clevo P150EM platform.... I.e., Clevo P150EM was rebranded and customized/souped up with certain components (like the high quality monitor options, drive & RAM & optical options) by Sager, sold as the NP9150 & supported afterwards as such by Sager. Sager is really good stuff. The NP9150 Sager is then resold and customized more (with Sager-made and quality 3rd-party optional components and software apps) by any of a number of US custom resellers, some of whom are excellent (see user forum reviews) and have higher-priority tech support from OEMs like Sager as well as their own in-house tech support. Either way you go for purchase, this is a solid machine. I did not get this machine directly from this vendor (the platform OEM Clevo), or from Sager, but from a custom US reseller of the Sager NP9150, so I would have maximum customization options and better/best tech support quality in case that was ever necessary, or just to get good answers to tech questions. (I researched resellers & chose xoticpc out of about 10-12 US resellers of this platform, based upon pricing, desired customizations, and overall tech support; I have been pleased.)
5). I am writing this to apprise readers of the excellency of the P150EM/NP9150 in general. My NP9150 has Win 7 64-bit running on an intel i7-3720QM processor (now this would come with a slightly faster processor, this machine is a year old), 22nm, 2.70GHz, DDR3-1600MHz, and I had it configured with 16G RAM. (The RAM capacity is expandable to 32G, but it does everything I need fast on only 16G; I suppose a programmer or graphics artist or the most recent A/S game out there might benefit now or in the near future from 32G). Sager gives different monitor options, my machine has the higher quality 95% color gamut NTSC matte finish. It's wonderful accurate color, resolution, and no glare.
6). NOTE!!: the graphics processor on this amazon vendor's NP9150 configuration is the intel Radeon card very fast very good card, but some tech issues have been reported with certain gaming sitations, look it up on the user forums. My machine choice was the NVidia GTX 675, because I wanted less chance of tech problems during all applications and gaming, and I've been very satisfied with the GTX. The 675GTX graphics card system actually has two modes for efficiency intel graphics for regular stuff like Office and web surfing, and the GTX for intensive beautiful graphics when needed. That's another reason it runs efficiently yet handles anything you throw at it, "seamlessly" i.e., without fuss and with quickness & beauty.
7). With my hardware configuration, I can have multiple applications open and running, AND a rendering-intense game like Witcher 2 or a recent Oblivion game, running at the same time. Game graphics rendering and game processing runs fast. And the graphical quality is excellent in resolution as well as color rendering as well as for black&white text applications it does it all. Great eye candy! Movies and video graphics and operations are also excellent.
8). The keyboard is comfortable and quick, and since its relatively compact it is efficient ergonomically yet fits smaller or larger hands. It's about 14" wide because it has a numeric keypad on the side (handy for business or gaming needs). You could customize this by swapping the keyboard out (have your tech or customizer do this) with a MSI Steelseries for a smoother feel as some shops can do, but it's not necessary. If I remember correctly, the stock keyboard is illuminated & you can control the colors, flashing not, illumination on or off, etc.
9). The Sager NP9150 is the Clevo P150EM with some added customizations, support etc.
Sager/Clevo machines have been known for their higher reliability and also components quality and construction quality than most other laptops on the market. They are well worth the extra buck. It may not have the sleek flashy shiny thin appearance of more popular, marketed and trendy laptops like asus or dell, but the engineering quality is generally superior for lifetime sturdiness and operational reliability. It's only a little thicker. The weight is under 10 lbs WITH the power brick and carrying case for the 15.6" NP9150... You do need the big power brick because it is engineered to support power needed by graphics operations during intensive image rendering (like, games or photography work). You can damage your machine if you use a lower-rated power brick; stick to the OEM power brick.
10). If you get one of these laptops from a customizable reseller (there's about 14 in the US), you will pay a lot more, but you will have better overall warranty, and better support warranty service because their customers get priority at the manufacturer over consumers who have to go directly to the manufacturer for support if that becomes necessary. Also, the US customizer houses like xoticpc offer more custom option choices for the laptop components than off-the-shelf from the manufacturer... with the entire still backed by the manufacturer warranty.
11). But either way, if you choose this machine from a well-reviewed vendor (that's VERY important do your research) with just the standard OEM warranty, you'll probably be happy with it. Sagers overall have the superior performance and reliability, and that is why gamers often choose Sager/Clevo over other makes/brands of gaming laptops like asus, msi, etc... which are flash in the pan compared to Sager/Clevo build quality. Sager/Clevo don't chintz on components & construction so reliability is higher while providing excellent performance, and also design intelligently for servicing at the same time. Discerning laptop consumers return to Sager/Clevo. For that reason, used Sager/Clevo machines often cost more than other used laptops they are a good bet compared to others. This machine (NP9150 for 15.6", or NP9170 for 17" display) has been a top gaming and all-in-one laptop choice for those who can afford it. This machine is no longer brand new but it still handles anything I throw at it. It is also known for its excellent of handling action/shooter games there are some youtube demo user posts and user reviews online.
12). Another strong unique feature of this machine is that its design is very modular. So it's easier for you or your service tech to modify and upgrade for memory, disk drive, etc. because everything is easy to get to, yet sturdily put together.
1). Cool extremely quiet during normal operation, runs cool while quiet. Runs multiple applications and a zillion browsing tabs at same time with no hesitation.
2). While in intense rendering operations (photographic manipulation and intense gaming), second fan comes on which has a slight noise. But it is still very quiet, just a low hum you barely notice at most. The heat output from the fans is thus increased but there are TWO fan air outputs on the REAR of the laptop I love this because it means NO hot mousing hand on either left or right the hot air is exhausted away from the user. This is nearly unique within the laptop spectrum, and great for ambidexterous or left-handed mousers, particular graphical and gaming mousers who have hotter running machines to contend with.
3). The specs for this machine are great includes eSATA, DVI-I, HDMI, USB 3.0 ports. You can have either an extra drive or a B/DVD-CD burner/reader on the left side. The battery has a pretty good life when unplugged, especially when not running intensive games. The display/machine size is either 15.6 (P150EM/NP9150) or 17" display (P17EM/NP9170, about 2-3 lbs heavier).
4). Clevo is the OEM for this machine, the P150EM. Clevo builds good stuff. The Sager NP9150 was built upon the Clevo P150EM platform.... I.e., Clevo P150EM was rebranded and customized/souped up with certain components (like the high quality monitor options, drive & RAM & optical options) by Sager, sold as the NP9150 & supported afterwards as such by Sager. Sager is really good stuff. The NP9150 Sager is then resold and customized more (with Sager-made and quality 3rd-party optional components and software apps) by any of a number of US custom resellers, some of whom are excellent (see user forum reviews) and have higher-priority tech support from OEMs like Sager as well as their own in-house tech support. Either way you go for purchase, this is a solid machine. I did not get this machine directly from this vendor (the platform OEM Clevo), or from Sager, but from a custom US reseller of the Sager NP9150, so I would have maximum customization options and better/best tech support quality in case that was ever necessary, or just to get good answers to tech questions. (I researched resellers & chose xoticpc out of about 10-12 US resellers of this platform, based upon pricing, desired customizations, and overall tech support; I have been pleased.)
5). I am writing this to apprise readers of the excellency of the P150EM/NP9150 in general. My NP9150 has Win 7 64-bit running on an intel i7-3720QM processor (now this would come with a slightly faster processor, this machine is a year old), 22nm, 2.70GHz, DDR3-1600MHz, and I had it configured with 16G RAM. (The RAM capacity is expandable to 32G, but it does everything I need fast on only 16G; I suppose a programmer or graphics artist or the most recent A/S game out there might benefit now or in the near future from 32G). Sager gives different monitor options, my machine has the higher quality 95% color gamut NTSC matte finish. It's wonderful accurate color, resolution, and no glare.
6). NOTE!!: the graphics processor on this amazon vendor's NP9150 configuration is the intel Radeon card very fast very good card, but some tech issues have been reported with certain gaming sitations, look it up on the user forums. My machine choice was the NVidia GTX 675, because I wanted less chance of tech problems during all applications and gaming, and I've been very satisfied with the GTX. The 675GTX graphics card system actually has two modes for efficiency intel graphics for regular stuff like Office and web surfing, and the GTX for intensive beautiful graphics when needed. That's another reason it runs efficiently yet handles anything you throw at it, "seamlessly" i.e., without fuss and with quickness & beauty.
7). With my hardware configuration, I can have multiple applications open and running, AND a rendering-intense game like Witcher 2 or a recent Oblivion game, running at the same time. Game graphics rendering and game processing runs fast. And the graphical quality is excellent in resolution as well as color rendering as well as for black&white text applications it does it all. Great eye candy! Movies and video graphics and operations are also excellent.
8). The keyboard is comfortable and quick, and since its relatively compact it is efficient ergonomically yet fits smaller or larger hands. It's about 14" wide because it has a numeric keypad on the side (handy for business or gaming needs). You could customize this by swapping the keyboard out (have your tech or customizer do this) with a MSI Steelseries for a smoother feel as some shops can do, but it's not necessary. If I remember correctly, the stock keyboard is illuminated & you can control the colors, flashing not, illumination on or off, etc.
9). The Sager NP9150 is the Clevo P150EM with some added customizations, support etc.
Sager/Clevo machines have been known for their higher reliability and also components quality and construction quality than most other laptops on the market. They are well worth the extra buck. It may not have the sleek flashy shiny thin appearance of more popular, marketed and trendy laptops like asus or dell, but the engineering quality is generally superior for lifetime sturdiness and operational reliability. It's only a little thicker. The weight is under 10 lbs WITH the power brick and carrying case for the 15.6" NP9150... You do need the big power brick because it is engineered to support power needed by graphics operations during intensive image rendering (like, games or photography work). You can damage your machine if you use a lower-rated power brick; stick to the OEM power brick.
10). If you get one of these laptops from a customizable reseller (there's about 14 in the US), you will pay a lot more, but you will have better overall warranty, and better support warranty service because their customers get priority at the manufacturer over consumers who have to go directly to the manufacturer for support if that becomes necessary. Also, the US customizer houses like xoticpc offer more custom option choices for the laptop components than off-the-shelf from the manufacturer... with the entire still backed by the manufacturer warranty.
11). But either way, if you choose this machine from a well-reviewed vendor (that's VERY important do your research) with just the standard OEM warranty, you'll probably be happy with it. Sagers overall have the superior performance and reliability, and that is why gamers often choose Sager/Clevo over other makes/brands of gaming laptops like asus, msi, etc... which are flash in the pan compared to Sager/Clevo build quality. Sager/Clevo don't chintz on components & construction so reliability is higher while providing excellent performance, and also design intelligently for servicing at the same time. Discerning laptop consumers return to Sager/Clevo. For that reason, used Sager/Clevo machines often cost more than other used laptops they are a good bet compared to others. This machine (NP9150 for 15.6", or NP9170 for 17" display) has been a top gaming and all-in-one laptop choice for those who can afford it. This machine is no longer brand new but it still handles anything I throw at it. It is also known for its excellent of handling action/shooter games there are some youtube demo user posts and user reviews online.
12). Another strong unique feature of this machine is that its design is very modular. So it's easier for you or your service tech to modify and upgrade for memory, disk drive, etc. because everything is easy to get to, yet sturdily put together.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
This laptop is an absolute beast! For a 15.6" laptop it can run any game on Ultra settings and run like a champ. The only thing that I could complain about is that you may want to have a laptop cooler or use it on a hard surface while gaming. Anyone that games on a laptop already knows this though. Besides that, the mSATA leaves a whole 2.5" bay open for additional storage and this thing has great wifi reception. 5 Stars all the way!Thursday, May 8, 2014
Best Acer Aspire NX.M83AA.006;V5-121-0818 11.6-Inch Laptop Deals
List Price: $413.75
Sale Price: $328.99
Today's Bonus: 20% Off
I was very impressed with the arrival of my netbook. I needed an inexpensive netbook because my recent tablet fried itself. The netbook arrived in excellent condition. Out of the box it was up and working. I needed to spend about 8 hours going through updates to the Windows operating system. But i expected having to reboot after upgrades, since this has happened before with other computers who had an initial image of the WIN 7 operating system when it was manufactured, but needed to catch up. Keyboard is acceptable. Glide mouse works great. Sreen is ample when I am in Starbucks, but I plug into a larger Acer flat screen when I work from home.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
Easy to use.... and carry. Windows 7 is still my favorite so we were glad to find a new laptop with 7 on it.Best Deals for Acer Aspire NX.M83AA.006;V5-121-0818 11.6-Inch Laptop
It is the best thing, I think, I could have found for the size and specs I wanted. I'm not crazy about the 1 GHz however it does have more Ram then most little computers, I believe. I am very please with it; I was nervous about getting a computer small then my Viao, but I really do like it. I would have to say what I don't like about it is the top is a finger print magnet and the charger hook up is kinda tricky to plug in. It is a bit slow, but that's only because I'm going from a 2.4 GHz to a 1. All in all, it's little, a Windows 7 (yay!) and gets what I need for my classes done. I would recommend this computer.Honest reviews on Acer Aspire NX.M83AA.006;V5-121-0818 11.6-Inch Laptop
This product is perfect for my sight impaired daughter. The size and keyboard work well with her talking programs. This is her second Acer and she loves them. They don't last all that long, but, what do you expect for what you pay? Will definitely order another like it.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Acer Aspire NX.M83AA.006;V5-121-0818 11.6-Inch Laptop
this little laptop is great, no problems, the processor works great, you can't beat it for the money, money or not you can't beat it.Tuesday, April 29, 2014
HP Chromebook 14 (Sparkling Black) Review
List Price: $299.99
Sale Price: $289.90
Today's Bonus: 3% Off
Awesome laptop once you know how Google products work in order to get the most out of this computer. I also like how quickly it boots up. It is also a perfect device for users who like cloud services. After researching this computer online, I found that Google Docs can be saved as a Word doc, can be used "offline", and I found all the necessary steps to reboot in case there is a problem with the OS, how to 'clean' the computer if necessary, and steps on how to add your own screensaver. There is a 'Get Started' app which takes the user through many important features for beginners. The keyboard feel as comfortable and easy on the fingers as my Windows PC. I love that updates are in the background so I would not have to be kicked out like in Windows based OS. I also like that security is built-in so that I don't have to purchase anti-virus/spyware/malware or set up nightly or weekly updates. The laptop is very light and I have no problems with brightness and the colors are vivid when watching movies. I have used my USB stick which houses all my Word docs and have had no problems accessing those files. I would definitely recommend this for those tired of Windows based OS!
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
Beautiful machine that is fast as lightning, I can't believe how rugged this feels compared to the smaller chromebooks. This machine is built to last with quality construction and a sturdy keyboard, it's not a cheap product at all. The functions perform flawlessly and can run numerous apps at once with zero lag, ZERO!!! The drawback is no optical drive, but I purchased through HP a USB multi drive and now the system is totally dialed in. I Love It! I can do any office app through Google office and I couldnt be happier.Thanks HP for continuing to make kick ass products. I am a loyal HP fan for life. 2nd HP computer purchase this year and they just keep getting better! Good Job and great engineering!! Keep it up.
Best Deals for HP Chromebook 14 (Sparkling Black)
I bought from Best Buy and i'm absolutely in love with this lightweight OS. It does everything I need to do, as long as i'm on the 4G or connected to Wifi. It's a great laptop for browsing the web, doc. editing with Google Drive, and all in a very sleek, light design. Highly recommend this laptop running the GOOGLE CHROME OPERATING SYSTEM.Honest reviews on HP Chromebook 14 (Sparkling Black)
I got this to replace a Samsung chromebook that was dropped.I love the larger and brighter screen. It is much easier to read than the Samsung. It is a good weight too. Not to heavy.
It comes on very fast and I can browse the internet with speed!
It works with a chrome printer just fine and printer setup was a breeze!
I am very happy with this computer!
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for HP Chromebook 14 (Sparkling Black)
I will probably never buy another Windows machine. It is lightweight, boots fast, and battery is good. Love the screen size, it is just right. Net books are not for me. I wish it had a lighted keyboard and it doesn't play well with printers. I was going to order a cloud printer, but instead I used my old lap top with a busted screen and set it up as a print server to run with the lid closed using Google cloud print. Problem solved. Never have to worry about a virus and my stuff is synced into chrome. The free online storage plan is awesome. Google nails it again. Works great with chrome cast.Enjoy!
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Review of Hp Pavillion Dv6z Customized Laptop- QUAD CORE A8-3520m APU
I bought this laptop about a year ago to replace my Xbox 360 and my old laptop. It is amazing! It can play all the games my friend's Alienware can but for half the price! I just finished Bioshock Infinite and the game ran smooth as butter! I'm thoroughly impressed. And it looks good too.
Friday, January 24, 2014
Review of Apple MacBook Air MC234LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop (OLD VERSION)
I don't think I'll go back to regular "full-size" laptops again. I didn't think that the weight difference between my 15.4" 2008 MacBook-Pro and the "AIR" would be so substantial, but it is. My back is thanking me. Even with the power supply and my average bring-to-work payload, I often forget that I'm wearing a bag.
As far as general computing goes, it has been -by far -the most pleasing computing experience I've had in over 17yrs working with computers... no doubt because of the SSD.
--Average applications load in one or two "bounces", tops.
--Web pages load faster
--No stuttering when displaying the contents of a a folder, scrolling through image galleries, etc.
--Startup/Shutdown times.
Other PROS:
--Screen is perfect. I was worried that the glossy screen may be a little bothersome, though I've yet to come across a situation where it was a problem and I've taken it everywhere with me.
--Its build seems "solid". Maybe it's a trait of the new unibodies, but, when the lid is closed; it feels like a solid piece of metal that would be very difficult to damage. Maybe im naive, but I no longer feel the need to wrap my laptop in 4 layers of protection to keep it from damage in my bag.
CONS:
--Today's laptops support up to 8GB, typically in 2x 4GB configurations. It would be nice to see support for a 4GB module in the future.
--Typical complaints: no firewire or eSATA, only 1x USB.
--Runs a little hot, and I'm not fond of the location of the exhaust vents.
OTHER:
Don't call it a netbook or a laptop. It's the best of both worlds. It deserves its own category.
I'm only going to speak about the SSD (higher end) version. If you are going to get this MacBook Air, I completely feel that you are wasting your money buying the lower end version. The lower end drive is terribly slow and feels underpowered whereas the SSD drive version beats a faster MacBook Pro with a HDD. To further illustrate, the Macbook Air SSD opens up Adobe Photoshop in 3 seconds. Word in 2 seconds or less.
So here are the pros:
--super, light...it's addictive, wonderful. You'll carry it everywhere, annoyingly so.
--good battery life. I think the battery life in real world conditions even beats out the 7 hour battery of the Macbook Pro. Seems to use less battery and more intelligently
--AC converter is also light to carry around (but i still think it should be lighter)
--sturdy, and able to comfortably hold with one hand
The cons:
--don't use this for multimedia, other than simple video, YouTube, etc. If you try playing HD video on this machine loses frames
--the speakers! sorry, the speaker. don't use this machine for presentations that involve sound. hard to hear in a busy environment (such as trade shows). really i think this is the worst con!
--the USB port is hard to reach, difficult for those USB Verizon/Sprint/AT&T mobile broadband sticks. You have to use with a cable. But i think this is just a little cosmetic issue
The non-issue issues:
--lack of DVD drive. Other than installing software or viewing DVDs that someone wants to you watch then and there, how many times do you really need to do this? If the answer is frequently, then this machine is definitely not for you (go with a Macbook Pro). If occasionally or infrequently then the networked DVD drive (using Bonjour) works really well. If you feel a need to get a portable drive, then don't get this machine. It wasn't meant for this, really.
So, who is this for?
--writers! Screenwriters, students, business writers, writers, period. This is the funnest machine to use if you are a writer, period. you will love the ability to take this everywhere, put in a small, light bag, just open it up and start writing, either in Word, Pages, Final Draft, etc. (I HIGHLY recommend using a service like Dropbox - -so that whatever you write is automatically synced over the air to your home desktop, automatically! -no need to worry about losing your work ever!).
--traveling business people who need to show off pictures, electronic brochures, etc. Even to walk around shop floors and plop that Macbook Air out of a bag, hold in hand as you are walking
--road warriors, photographers on the road, journalists, etc.
You may not know this, but in 1997 Apple had what, at the time, could be considered as a MBA. It was the PowerBook 2400c. What a machine it was. Small (10.4" screen) and light (4.4 lbs.). It came sans floppy drive: floppies were built into many laptops around the time the 2400c hit the streets, although they were on there way out. It also had reduced ports, but still included 2 PC Card slots. Strangely, it has a sort of unibody case, a landmark in design at the time. Underneath, you will find no interruptions in the case: it's all one, and the case wraps up and around smoothly. Released only in Japan, with just a handful of the units making it to the US, it is a rare machine indeed.
I think the reason Apple confined it to the Asian market was because the keyboard is 87% the size of a full-sized keyboard: it's a netbook size keyboard. People are larger in other parts of the world, so they may have thought that users wouldn't take to it in those areas. Overall, the 2400c could be considered as a netbook: Apple's first and only netbook to-date.
But what about the MBA you say. Isn't that a netbook? The MBA is a ultra-portable laptop, rather than a netbook. It's a full featured laptop. Apple never meant it to be a netbook. It makes hardly any of the compromises that netbooks make. You get a full-sized, backlit keyboard. A 2.13 Ghz Core 2 Duo, with an Nvidia 9400M, 256 MB graphics card, the same one found in Apple's MacBook and entry MacBook Pros. Some compromises are lack of a firewire port; 1 USB port; no ethernet port; no DVD-drive...
But with things like Remote Disc, etc. I don't need any of these things that are missing on the MBA, especially since this is a companion computer to my Mac Mini and MacBook Pro.
This model is much improved over the first generation MBA: better graphics chip, faster processor, and cheaper. Combining these specifications with such a thin, light design is impressive. What about its performance? It performs very well, I am happy to report, after 5 months of use. iWork, HD playback, web surfing... It's the SSD that really helps things along. Shutdown times, application launches, everything is speedy because of the SSD. It's actually faster for many tasks than pretty much any MacBook/Pro that is running a standard platter hard drive.
But things like converting audio and video... the MacBook Pros will outperform the MBA because of their faster processors and ability to use more RAM. This leads to the following question: Can the MBA be used as a sole machine? My answer to this is yes, depending on your needs. It is capable of being a sole machine. But if you are someone working with video, audio, and the like, you would be wise to go with a MacBook Pro (i.e. 15"). But still, this machine is capable enough that you can throw pro apps at it and it will work for you.
Here is the caveat with the MBA though. Don't have too many applications open at once, because it only has 2 GB of RAM. There are a few service providers out there who will unsolder the RAM from the MBA's motherboard, and solder back on 4 GB of RAM. If I were using this a a sole machine I would probably go for that service. But you can still get by using it as a sole machine with 2 GB of RAM.
Here is one piece of advice: get click-to-flash. It shuts down flash in Safari, or whatever browser you are using, and makes internet surfing more manageable on the MBA. It's not that flash makes browsing on the MBA impossible, it's just that it frees up resources and speeds things up. With flash heavy sites like YouTube, playing flash videos, for instance, can cause this model to heat up some, and then, by default, the video will become a bit choppy. This will only really happen if you are obstructing the air vents on the MBA. So if you are not using click-to-flash, make sure your MBA's vents are clear and free of any obstructions when web surfing.
But, mind you, flash in Safari causes even the MacBook Pros to heat up...
Let's now get back to what really sets this unit apart from anything on the market: it's super light and super thin. I did an in depth comparison to the Dell Adamo, and determined that the MBA is actually much thinner overall than the Adamo, even though the MBA is thicker than the Adamo at its thickest point. It's just that more of the MBA is significantly thinner than the Adamo, so overall it's much thinner, and it shows. Not only this, but the MBA is much more powerful: better processor and better graphics.
It is a joy to use and carry such a small, thin and light device, especially in comparison to lugging around the MacBook Pro 15.4". And for those of you who are switching from the venerable PowerBook G4 12.1", you won't be sorry. This machine makes it look antiquated, and its speed leaves it in the dust.
Other things I like about the MBA specifically: the screen is great. The best screen Apple has ever done. Somehow it is less reflective than my 15.4" MacBook Pro. The trackpad is nice and large, too. The retractable ports are really cool, and battery life is decent as well.
For those contemplating a netbook, I was too. I finally decided that netbooks just made far too many compromises and opted for the MBA. I guess my logic went exactly along the same lines as Apple, since Steve said during the MBA Keynote that netbooks make too many compromises and aren't worth the trouble. But if you want something diminutive for very light computer use, netbooks might be your ticket item. For me though, I couldn't live with the paltry processing power, small keyboards and trackpads, and tiny screens.
Lastly, one thing to keep in mind is that this machine, because it is so thin and light, is a tad fragile. It's still rugged, but you have to be more careful with it than, say, a MacBook. I wish the screen would open up more, but other than this, and the heat issue as described above, it's pretty much a perfect product.
Apple, well done.
The MacBook Air is an unexpectedly nice aesthetic improvement in using a computer. Lightness, thinness and silence (with the SSD) make a surprising difference. Another thing I like compared to the MacBook Pro is that the edges of the case are tapered, not sharp 90 degree corners that scrape your arms. Particularly if you are considering the 13" MBP, the MBA is definitely worth a serious look.
As far as general computing goes, it has been -by far -the most pleasing computing experience I've had in over 17yrs working with computers... no doubt because of the SSD.
--Average applications load in one or two "bounces", tops.
--Web pages load faster
--No stuttering when displaying the contents of a a folder, scrolling through image galleries, etc.
--Startup/Shutdown times.
Other PROS:
--Screen is perfect. I was worried that the glossy screen may be a little bothersome, though I've yet to come across a situation where it was a problem and I've taken it everywhere with me.
--Its build seems "solid". Maybe it's a trait of the new unibodies, but, when the lid is closed; it feels like a solid piece of metal that would be very difficult to damage. Maybe im naive, but I no longer feel the need to wrap my laptop in 4 layers of protection to keep it from damage in my bag.
CONS:
--Today's laptops support up to 8GB, typically in 2x 4GB configurations. It would be nice to see support for a 4GB module in the future.
--Typical complaints: no firewire or eSATA, only 1x USB.
--Runs a little hot, and I'm not fond of the location of the exhaust vents.
OTHER:
Don't call it a netbook or a laptop. It's the best of both worlds. It deserves its own category.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
First of all, make sure that the battery is working properly. I just returned one with a bad battery -it kept telling me that there was no battery present and also the system kept stalling. But i did play around with one that worked properly.I'm only going to speak about the SSD (higher end) version. If you are going to get this MacBook Air, I completely feel that you are wasting your money buying the lower end version. The lower end drive is terribly slow and feels underpowered whereas the SSD drive version beats a faster MacBook Pro with a HDD. To further illustrate, the Macbook Air SSD opens up Adobe Photoshop in 3 seconds. Word in 2 seconds or less.
So here are the pros:
--super, light...it's addictive, wonderful. You'll carry it everywhere, annoyingly so.
--good battery life. I think the battery life in real world conditions even beats out the 7 hour battery of the Macbook Pro. Seems to use less battery and more intelligently
--AC converter is also light to carry around (but i still think it should be lighter)
--sturdy, and able to comfortably hold with one hand
The cons:
--don't use this for multimedia, other than simple video, YouTube, etc. If you try playing HD video on this machine loses frames
--the speakers! sorry, the speaker. don't use this machine for presentations that involve sound. hard to hear in a busy environment (such as trade shows). really i think this is the worst con!
--the USB port is hard to reach, difficult for those USB Verizon/Sprint/AT&T mobile broadband sticks. You have to use with a cable. But i think this is just a little cosmetic issue
The non-issue issues:
--lack of DVD drive. Other than installing software or viewing DVDs that someone wants to you watch then and there, how many times do you really need to do this? If the answer is frequently, then this machine is definitely not for you (go with a Macbook Pro). If occasionally or infrequently then the networked DVD drive (using Bonjour) works really well. If you feel a need to get a portable drive, then don't get this machine. It wasn't meant for this, really.
So, who is this for?
--writers! Screenwriters, students, business writers, writers, period. This is the funnest machine to use if you are a writer, period. you will love the ability to take this everywhere, put in a small, light bag, just open it up and start writing, either in Word, Pages, Final Draft, etc. (I HIGHLY recommend using a service like Dropbox - -so that whatever you write is automatically synced over the air to your home desktop, automatically! -no need to worry about losing your work ever!).
--traveling business people who need to show off pictures, electronic brochures, etc. Even to walk around shop floors and plop that Macbook Air out of a bag, hold in hand as you are walking
--road warriors, photographers on the road, journalists, etc.
Best Deals for Apple MacBook Air MC234LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop (OLD VERSION)
I'll say it straight away: I love the MacBook Air (MBA). I am a PowerBook collector, and have been using Apple's portables for many years, so I have some solid background in relation to their portable computers.You may not know this, but in 1997 Apple had what, at the time, could be considered as a MBA. It was the PowerBook 2400c. What a machine it was. Small (10.4" screen) and light (4.4 lbs.). It came sans floppy drive: floppies were built into many laptops around the time the 2400c hit the streets, although they were on there way out. It also had reduced ports, but still included 2 PC Card slots. Strangely, it has a sort of unibody case, a landmark in design at the time. Underneath, you will find no interruptions in the case: it's all one, and the case wraps up and around smoothly. Released only in Japan, with just a handful of the units making it to the US, it is a rare machine indeed.
I think the reason Apple confined it to the Asian market was because the keyboard is 87% the size of a full-sized keyboard: it's a netbook size keyboard. People are larger in other parts of the world, so they may have thought that users wouldn't take to it in those areas. Overall, the 2400c could be considered as a netbook: Apple's first and only netbook to-date.
But what about the MBA you say. Isn't that a netbook? The MBA is a ultra-portable laptop, rather than a netbook. It's a full featured laptop. Apple never meant it to be a netbook. It makes hardly any of the compromises that netbooks make. You get a full-sized, backlit keyboard. A 2.13 Ghz Core 2 Duo, with an Nvidia 9400M, 256 MB graphics card, the same one found in Apple's MacBook and entry MacBook Pros. Some compromises are lack of a firewire port; 1 USB port; no ethernet port; no DVD-drive...
But with things like Remote Disc, etc. I don't need any of these things that are missing on the MBA, especially since this is a companion computer to my Mac Mini and MacBook Pro.
This model is much improved over the first generation MBA: better graphics chip, faster processor, and cheaper. Combining these specifications with such a thin, light design is impressive. What about its performance? It performs very well, I am happy to report, after 5 months of use. iWork, HD playback, web surfing... It's the SSD that really helps things along. Shutdown times, application launches, everything is speedy because of the SSD. It's actually faster for many tasks than pretty much any MacBook/Pro that is running a standard platter hard drive.
But things like converting audio and video... the MacBook Pros will outperform the MBA because of their faster processors and ability to use more RAM. This leads to the following question: Can the MBA be used as a sole machine? My answer to this is yes, depending on your needs. It is capable of being a sole machine. But if you are someone working with video, audio, and the like, you would be wise to go with a MacBook Pro (i.e. 15"). But still, this machine is capable enough that you can throw pro apps at it and it will work for you.
Here is the caveat with the MBA though. Don't have too many applications open at once, because it only has 2 GB of RAM. There are a few service providers out there who will unsolder the RAM from the MBA's motherboard, and solder back on 4 GB of RAM. If I were using this a a sole machine I would probably go for that service. But you can still get by using it as a sole machine with 2 GB of RAM.
Here is one piece of advice: get click-to-flash. It shuts down flash in Safari, or whatever browser you are using, and makes internet surfing more manageable on the MBA. It's not that flash makes browsing on the MBA impossible, it's just that it frees up resources and speeds things up. With flash heavy sites like YouTube, playing flash videos, for instance, can cause this model to heat up some, and then, by default, the video will become a bit choppy. This will only really happen if you are obstructing the air vents on the MBA. So if you are not using click-to-flash, make sure your MBA's vents are clear and free of any obstructions when web surfing.
But, mind you, flash in Safari causes even the MacBook Pros to heat up...
Let's now get back to what really sets this unit apart from anything on the market: it's super light and super thin. I did an in depth comparison to the Dell Adamo, and determined that the MBA is actually much thinner overall than the Adamo, even though the MBA is thicker than the Adamo at its thickest point. It's just that more of the MBA is significantly thinner than the Adamo, so overall it's much thinner, and it shows. Not only this, but the MBA is much more powerful: better processor and better graphics.
It is a joy to use and carry such a small, thin and light device, especially in comparison to lugging around the MacBook Pro 15.4". And for those of you who are switching from the venerable PowerBook G4 12.1", you won't be sorry. This machine makes it look antiquated, and its speed leaves it in the dust.
Other things I like about the MBA specifically: the screen is great. The best screen Apple has ever done. Somehow it is less reflective than my 15.4" MacBook Pro. The trackpad is nice and large, too. The retractable ports are really cool, and battery life is decent as well.
For those contemplating a netbook, I was too. I finally decided that netbooks just made far too many compromises and opted for the MBA. I guess my logic went exactly along the same lines as Apple, since Steve said during the MBA Keynote that netbooks make too many compromises and aren't worth the trouble. But if you want something diminutive for very light computer use, netbooks might be your ticket item. For me though, I couldn't live with the paltry processing power, small keyboards and trackpads, and tiny screens.
Lastly, one thing to keep in mind is that this machine, because it is so thin and light, is a tad fragile. It's still rugged, but you have to be more careful with it than, say, a MacBook. I wish the screen would open up more, but other than this, and the heat issue as described above, it's pretty much a perfect product.
Apple, well done.
Honest reviews on Apple MacBook Air MC234LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop (OLD VERSION)
After owning and enjoying the first generation Macbook Air (1.6 MHz, 80GB drive), this unit is an unbelievable upgrade. For the same price as the original, this unit is incredibly faster. Programs start up about 3 times faster and the SSD drive is silent and extremely quick. Startups and shutdowns are noticeably quicker too. My initial experience has indicated that the battery life should be better as well. I was also impressed with the browser speed pickup as pages seem to render all at once without the typical lag the original unit had.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Apple MacBook Air MC234LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop (OLD VERSION)
One thing you might not notice unless you read the product description carefully is that the USB Ethernet Adaptor is now included with the computer. So it is a mystery that this adaptor is listed as a commonly purchased accessory for this model. I almost bought one myself.The MacBook Air is an unexpectedly nice aesthetic improvement in using a computer. Lightness, thinness and silence (with the SSD) make a surprising difference. Another thing I like compared to the MacBook Pro is that the edges of the case are tapered, not sharp 90 degree corners that scrape your arms. Particularly if you are considering the 13" MBP, the MBA is definitely worth a serious look.
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Reviews of Asus U46E-BAL5 Refurbished Notebook PC
Good computer very fast but the refurbish was not complete. The system would not shut down with the shutdown icon. It would restart over and over. I had to hard boot it with the off button every time. Not a windows 7 issue but a hardware issue. Had to return to Tiger direct. I really wanted to keep it but the hard boot issue was unacceptable defect.
Also, as a side note, the speakers on the computer are terrible. They are only on the right side of the computer, UNDERNEATH the laptop. I had to either tilt the laptop so I could hear anything, or resort back to headphones. Worth the $$? I think not.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
Everything came as expected. Delivered on time. No problem with payment. Unit is working without any glitch. As refurbished item, didn't come with a box nor printed manual-but it is cool since u just press power and windows 7 setup seamlessly went... and I'm off to download and install the other software I need. :)Best Deals for Asus U46E-BAL5 Refurbished Notebook PC
I bought this Asus computer with the belief that I was getting a steal due to the low cost of $529 while the computer had 8GB of RAM and 750GB of storage while most computers for that price have only 4 GB RAM and 500GB storage. The 3 good parts about this computer are that 1) the price is cheap, 2)it is fast and 3) it has more storage than I would ever care to use. The bad parts are fourfold: 1) the size of the font is constantly changing meaning that sometimes the print is too small to read and yet other times the print is so large, that I need to constantly scroll to read an entire line; 2)the page constantly moves up and down even when I'm scrolling in the opposite direction-the page jumps and one never knows when or in which direction; 3)the audio is atrocious. There are several videos where I can't hear a thing. Other times, I simply turn off any back round noise and put my ear to the audio. The other problem with the audio is that there is only one speaker and the speaker is beneath the key board and thus is always covered. If you plan to listen to videos, this is not the computer for you; 4)Similar to many lenovo computers, the keyboard doesn't have rounded edges so that when one is using the scroll button or mouse pad, ones palms will be rubbing against the non-rounded edges and cause some sever lingering pain. Overall, the great speed and storage vs the major annoyances make me give this computer a rating of FAIR. Even for the great price, I was quite disappointed.Honest reviews on Asus U46E-BAL5 Refurbished Notebook PC
I've had this computer for 13 months. It was working perfectly fine until I woke up one morning and the screen was black. Brought it into Best Buy Geek Squad to get it fixed. Two weeks later I found out that the computer wasn't able to be fixed. I bought this computer brand new for $1100 with all the added features of virus protection, software, and warranty. What a waste of money. I've heard that other people with ASUS have had issues with hard drives and black screens (just google it), but I saw the awesome specs of the computer and didn't pay attention to the negative reviews. Absolute waste of money. I will never purchase an ASUS computer again.Also, as a side note, the speakers on the computer are terrible. They are only on the right side of the computer, UNDERNEATH the laptop. I had to either tilt the laptop so I could hear anything, or resort back to headphones. Worth the $$? I think not.
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