Apple MacBook Pro MD313LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop (OLD VERSION) Review

Customer Ratings:

I recently made the switch from PC to Mac, and I can say that I'm not sure why I waited so long. Considering that I have only had my computer a few weeks I can't say much about the durability and longevity of the hardware, but I can say that the operating system (mine shipped with Lion) and software is top notch.

I labored for a long time trying to decide whether the 13" MacBook Pro (MBP) or MacBook Air was the right choice for me. I liked the form factor, screen resolution and weight of the Air, but couldn't get comfortable with the comparatively small hard drive and the RAM fixed at 4GB. Considering these factors along with the significant price premium for an Air, I decided that the MBP was right for me.

I also thought long and hard about whether to go with the base model with the 2.4Ghz i5 processor and 500 GB HDD or the 2.8Ghz i7 processor with the 750GB HDD. after looking at reviews and benchmark tests I decided that for my uses, the less expensive model would be perfect and that the incremental added performance of the more expensive model is not worth the additional cost. When large solid state drives become more affordable I will probably switch my HDD out, but until then 500GB should provide plenty of storage.

I opted to get my computer locally, but purchased the Crucial 8GB Kit (4GBx2), 204-pin SODIMM, DDR3 PC3-10600 Memory Module (CT2KIT51264BC1339) from Amazon for a great price. Once I got my computer home I installed the RAM in 10 minutes, start to finish. If you are planning this upgrade just be sure that you have the right Phillips head screwdriver.

After using this computer for the past few weeks and carrying it on weekly business trips I am very pleased with my choice of computers. It handles the Microsoft office suite flawlessly, and the added ram allows me to open and view very large pdf files without any lag. I have done minor video and photo editing on this computer and it performed very well. The added weight compared to the

Air hasn't proven to be too noticeable, but I am a big guy at 6'4" and 210 pounds.

So far I am pleased with this computer and my Mac experience overall. The process of learning a new OS and overall user interface was daunting at first, but Apple has done a great job creating a system that is intuitive and easy to learn.

I would recommend this computer to anyone looking for a new laptop that they expect to have for awhile and would like to be able to customize to fit their needs.

UPDATE 5/29/12: I have been using my MBP for six months now and couldn't be happier with it. I may have been lucky enough to get a great unit, but during the time that I have owned my MBP I have NEVER needed to contact technical support. I use my Mac for my primary business computer every day and have traveled extensively with it.

Aside from its performance and reliability the feature that I like most about my Mac is the multi-touch trackpad. By using gestures on the trackpad I can be very efficient, and I'm not sure that I will ever be able to go back to a regular mouse or trackball.

One addition that I made was to get the Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter MB570Z/A to attach a second monitor when I'm at the office. This allows me to use both my MBP monitor and an external, which provides me with much more area when using Excel or other programs and also allows me to keep my mailbox visible when working on other things.

Considering how pleased I am with my Mac, I have a feeling that I will be buying a lot more Apple products in the future.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

The reviews here are for the MD313LL/A, yet the computer is actually MD314LL/A, which has a faster processor and bigger hard drive.

The MD314LL/A features a 2.8 GHz i7 processor, integrated Intel 3000 graphics and a 750 GB hard drive. I've never owned an Apple laptop before, so there was a little bit of a learning curve. Now that I'm getting the hang of it, I'm beginning to like OSX Lion better than Windows. Programs can be run on separate virtual desktops, and the computer never misses a beat when several programs are active. Switching between different desktops or open programs can be done by merely sliding three fingers forward on the large touchpad. Control-clicking on words or phrases in Safari brings up a context sensitive menu which allows the user to select to view a dictionary, Wikipedia, or do a Google search in a pop-up window in the browser. You can also ask the computer to speak the word or phrase, if you have any doubts about pronunciation. Safari also includes links to a library of plug-ins at extensions.apple.com, which includes a plug-in for Flash, so you can now watch free Hulu videos and other videos online. The network preferences window makes it far easier than Windows to set up a list of public DNS servers to bypass the sometimes slow, glitchy ISP servers.

This computer is completely silent. I wasn't even sure it had a cooling fan until I downloaded a utility to monitor the fan speed. This computer is super fast, and the base plate never gets more than lukewarm. The light weight, small footprint, lighted keyboard, crisp screen and speed really make this computer shine.

The attention to detail is really outstanding. The cooling vents on the back of the base are completely covered by a sliding plate when the lid is closed, keeping dust out of the innards. The power supply has flip out legs for winding the cord for storage and the prongs can be removed so it can be used as a brick type supply with the supplied AC cord. The computer also has a green LED battery status gauge built into the left side of the base, which is activated by a flush button. The lid snaps shut quietly even though there are no cheesy stick-on rubber bumpers, and it is held closed by magnets. The built in light sensor shuts off the keyboard backlighting and brightens the display in bright ambient light. The computer also has a 3 axis accelerometer to protect the hard drive from damage. The attention to detail is why Macs are more expensive than the various PC clones.

Best Deals for Apple MacBook Pro MD313LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop (OLD VERSION)

I waited a month before writing this review to make sure my initial impression would hold up & it did.

MacBook Pro's -

1. Track Pad (Fantastic!)

2. No Trial Software (everything installed is fully functional no more nag screens)

3. Battery Life (I get around 5 or 6 hours on a charge)

4. Incremental Backups with Time Machine (You can use almost any external HD instead Apple's expensive Time Capsule)

5. Support is Awesome (Nuff said)

6. It's Just Plain Sexy (No more Windows bricks for me...)

MacBook Con's -

1. No HDMI out

2. USB Ports too close together

3. Steve Jobs is Dead

If you're a long time Windows user; ask yourself if this story sounds familiar?

You've got a girlfriend/boyfriend who annoys you on a daily basis, but you stick with her/him year after year because you don't want to spend the time learning the ins & outs of a new one?

Then one day, a sleek, sexy chick/dude catches your eye & you start hanging out with her/him & pretty soon you're kicking that old broad/bum out on the street.

That's me & Microsoft.

I started; decades ago, as a DOS user with an 8088 machine & continued all the way up to Windows 7.

I've got a new girlfriend now & she blows the old one away.

The old one just blows.

Honest reviews on Apple MacBook Pro MD313LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop (OLD VERSION)

Packaging:

Very impressed with the packaging. I was very impressed how well this thing was packaged. A well thought-out design protects the content and minimizes customer dissatisfaction.

First impression:

I am sure everyone who are interested to buy this product, has gone to best buy and played with it a bit. well, the new MBP right out of the box is 90% more impressive and attractive than that of the store. It is a good looking piece of machine.

It came with a charger, extension cord for the charger, instruction book, screen wipe, and nothing more that I needed. I took the cord out, and started charging it. A full charging is highly recommended before use. after a few setup screens, I am up and running.

Upgrade time:(Make sure you shut down your machine first)

I ordered this machine with a 8GB memory upgrade (DDR3-1333) from Crucial. I did not want to pay a premium for the apple upgrade. Instead, I bought a dual channel kit separately for $39.00. I highly recommended Crucial brand as they use Samsung memory chips and for one more reason I am telling you next. I will not go through how to change the memory(a lot of youtube videos available). when I took out the existing memory out of the MBP, guess what chips they use on the memory sticks? yes, guessed it right, samsung.And I also have reasons to believe that the RAMs are OEM version of crucial memory judging by physical similarities. but, that is just my opinion, not a fact.

User Experience:

After the upgrade, turned on the machine and few beeps and clunks later, it started flying. I repeat, it is flying and my machine is currently running over 600 threads without any sign of slowing down. virtual box? NO PROBLEMO! this little beauty is a little beast in performance. I have installed over 50 applications, running dozens simultaneously, 10 more browser windows open, and it just happy. I can't say enough about the multi-touch gestures. No other laptop I have ever used that had such ease of switching between applications, scrolling, searching, sliding and navigating. I have never used Mac OS before(not more than a few minutes of playing around at best buy), and I felt it was very intuitive to use and learned fairly quickly. I still don't know a lot about the OS, but it has not stopped me from doing what I need to do.

What could be better:

Not that I cared much, but the standard power cord is a little short. I bought a sleeve to keep it safe, and it does not allow room for the extension cord that comes with it(big and bulky).

It has good speakers that play nice sounding beats. But the 15" plays them better.

The outer shell is aluminium, but don't think you can't scratch it. I spent a sleepless night just cause it put a small scratch under it by accident. But, I am over it now.

Advice to the people who wants to take the plunge:

I felt like it was the best $1100 I spent on a laptop. I could not justify it before using it as I always thought that Mac is more style than performance and usefulness. I admit that I was wrong. This machine offers more features and performance per dollar than I thought. This is a well-built machine that would serve me longer than any other laptop ever has for me. I have half a dozen windows machines in my house including a 990X extreme desktop that I built 4 months ago. I love windows, but I have learned that I can like both (Macbook pro and PC).

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Apple MacBook Pro MD313LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop (OLD VERSION)

Steve Jobs had returned to Apple, which had been a struggling company, and it was time to align it once again with world of creative users. In 1997 an ad was run with actor Richard Dreyfuss reading the voiceover, which began with: "Here's to the Crazy Ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently." Think Different... that was the 1997 slogan and theme for Apple's comeback to the world of serious computing after the return of Steve Jobs, and perhaps it was a cynical reference to IBM's famous "Think" slogan. Whatever it was, this was the ad campaign that restored Apple's reputation under the leadership of the late Steve Jobs.

Take this MacBook Pro review as one from a dedicated Windows PC user who made the switch awhile ago, with time enough to put it through its paces, to do side-by-side comparisons. I've owned a Mac before, back in the day of the Macintosh SE, and though I found it to be extremely useful for desktop publishing in the days when Aldus PageMaker reigned supreme in that area, I saw things blend as Microsoft slowly got its act together, for the most part. When it came time to upgrade back then, I stuck with the Windows PCs... until recently, when I found the need to diversify a bit.

To make this easy for those who just want to get to the facts quickly, I'll list the positive and negative points that I've personally found with the MacBook Pro first, then elaborate with details a bit further on. Please also remember that these are coming from a satisfied Windows 7 PC user, and one with multiple computers.

MacBook Pro Positives:

* Well thought-out packaging, easy out of the box setup

* Excellent build quality, unparalleled detail in workmanship

* Superb aluminum unibody chassis construction, has a good solid feel

* Sharp 13.3-Inch backlit display, first-rate 1280-by-800 Resolution

* Screen display has excellent color resolution and contrast for photos

* First class backlit keyboard, easy to use in low-light situations

* Very fast boot up even with password protection enabled

* Proven Mac OS X operating system; based on UNIX (like a server)

* Built-in SD card slot; great for transferring photos to computer

* Responsive ergonomic multi-touch trackpad; no buttons, excellent cursor control

* Well-engineered 60W power adapter with decent cable management system

* Automated incremental backups with Time Machine, works with almost any external HDD

In Between:

* Claimed 7 hour battery life; 5-6 hours is more like it, depending on the apps that you're running

Negatives:

* No built-in HDMI or VGA output, adapters must be purchased separately

* Only 2 USB 2.0 ports, and they are too close together

The Details:

We each have our reasons for the computers that we own. Mine were primarily to have a compact yet sturdy platform for word processing, accessing the Internet, and digital photo processing. That stated, there's little to not like about this MacBook Pro. The Intel Dual-Core Processor is fast and efficient, and even better than the Pentium Dual-Core 2.20GHz processor on my Windows 7 notebook PC. It's one thing to see it in the store, but when one gets it home and takes it out of the well-designed box, it's apparent that this is a better grade computer than might have been anticipated. The first thing that is noticed once it's unwrapped is the workmanship. The unibody main enclosure, constructed from a single block of aluminum, is proof of this attention to detail and it helps add to its durability.

The 13-inch backlit LCD display is sharp, and has the excellent color resolution and contrast that I need, especially when working with photos. The glossy screen actually helps to see images with their full clarity. Using both Adobe software apps and Nikon Capture NX 2, having clear and sharp resolution is an absolute necessity, and this MacBook Pro offers that. The backlit keyboard is a pleasure to use, and quite functional in low-light mobile locations. I'm also very impressed with the quick boot up, even with the password startup screen enabled, a security necessity when at some mobile locations.

It's hard to fault OS X in any way. This operating system is UNIX-based, and therein lays its strength, along with its ability to run 64-bit applications. It works right out of the box without fiddling or tweaking. It's far better than Mac OS 9 and its predecessors, and the security while on the `Net is reassuring.

The tiny built-in SD card slot has proven itself to be good for transferring photos from the digital cameras to the computer. I've also used it to transfer other media files and documents between computers in a pinch. It took awhile to get used to the trackpad, with its so-called "multi-touch gestures," but once mastered it's easy to use. Must admit that I do revert to using a mouse when using the computer at home... call it years of conditioning.

This computer really shines with the inclusion of the Time Machine application, and I was happy to find that I could use a reasonable priced off-the-shelf hard drive to do automated incremental backups. I have a Toshiba 500 GB USB Portable Hard Drive, and all I did was reformat it to HFS+ Journaled file system to use the Time Machine backup software. It works like a champ.

The external 60W power adapter is well engineered and keeps my computer running cooler than PC notebooks with internal power supplies. I appreciate the magnetic DC connector as it pops off easily if some klutz trips on the cord, necessitating a costly repair as I found out when someone did that to one of my PC notebooks. The LED in the connector head helps: amber it's charging, green it's charged; very simple and effective.

Other Notes:

The battery life being less than advertised I can live with. I would have expected HDMI and/or VGA output to be built-ins with a computer of this quality. But I have yet to buy the adapters. But to have only two built-in USB 2.0 ports is irritating, and those are too close together. Problem solved with an external 4-port ISB adapter, so that issue is closed.

I have had issues with laptop carrying bags in the past, and now carry my MacBook Pro in a ThinkTank Artificial Intelligence 15 V. 2.0 Laptop Bag. I picked this one over many others from heavy experience with photo gear, and know that Think Tank makes exceptionally good pro gear. It protects my computer from the elements quite well, holds more gear than I can explain here (I have reviewed it), and can highly recommend it to anyone who wants to protect their MacBook with the kind of case that it really deserves.

Browser note: I've used the included Safari browser, but my de-facto standard remains Google Chrome. Safari is a decent browser, but because I find it necessary to synchronize my email on the Mac, the PCs and even one older Linux-based notebook (it's a geek/support thing), Chromes just works better, and I find it faster. Your experiences may differ, so try whichever works for you.

I'm running Office for Mac 2011 and have found its interface to be even better than Microsoft Office 2010 or 2007 on the PC. Didn't know if the implementation of Outlook for Mac 2011 would be better than Entourage, which was buggy, but Outlook turned out to be excellent, and it's become my mainstay over the PC version.

Heat is an issue that I had heard of by some, yet I have not experienced. The heat level is better than my old HP, Compaq or Dell, and far better than my VAIO (which was very bad). The only one that has been better heat-wise is my current ASUS notebook running Windows 7, but not by much. Had been tempted to get a keyboard skin for general protection in the field, but heard that these interfere with the ventilation, so that idea has been tabled for the present.

Future:

I may upgrade to 8 GB of RAM, which has been recommended by a number of people if and when system performance issues arise. The RAM upgrades are quite reasonable, but I'm pleasantly surprised at how well it runs with the standard 4 GB at this point.

In Conclusion...

I could say more, but the best advice that I can offer is that if you get one, take it out of the box, plug it in and charge it. After that, turn it on and see how easy it can be... the MacBook Pro just works, as you'll see. Think Different is a reality, and this one proves it.

Reviews of HP DV6-3257CL Argento Pavilion 15.6" Notebook (Intel Core i3-370M

Customer Ratings:

Just brought this laptop for 499.99 at Sam's club. Can't believe i3 processor, 640 gb hard drive,4gb memory, blu ray for that kind of money!!!Thank you HP!

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

I really want to love this computer...it's superfast, has a lot of features, and was affordable. But unfortunately it overheats to the point where it is too hot to even sit on my lap. I can walk away from it for an hour or so and it will STILL be hot. The wireless adapter is also faulty and every now and then has to be reset.

Buy Apple MacBook Pro A1286 15.4" Laptop (Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4Ghz

Customer Ratings:

A short while ago I purchased an Apple MacBook Pro A1286 from rbuska. I received the item expeditiously, however due to the description lacking some information, the this particular computer did not suit my needs as I do a great deal of research and needed something more powerful and with many more technical tools built in to the computer, hence I had to return it.

I am writing not about the item, as it arrived in pristine condition as well in perfect working order. I am however writing with regards to "rubshka" and the service he provided. I have never written a review before, let alone a "five star" for service. I am compelled to do so now.

This gentleman was highly concern regarding that my purchase met my needs and was quite supportive when told it had not due to my research. He took it upon himself to go the extra mile to assure that my needs were taken care of even through I had to return the computer. He searched out for me other venues as to assure that I may find what I needed. (even though it was not through his company). He e-mailed me several times regarding his findings and I eventually purchased one as a result of his recommendation from another vendor. This does not happen in the real world very often. His unique and concerned "customer care"manner, professionalism, understanding and compassion went well beyond the usual from my perspective. I would be most happy to do business with this gentleman again. I can assure you, he would be treating all his customers in the same manner. I am quite impressed in the quality of care. "five stars" plus for him!

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

THe product came ok with more dents then the person explained over the email. The guy told me that in pictures that it had a dent and it was not the case. It had more dents. But besides that the Laptop works great.

Best Deals for Apple MacBook Pro A1286 15.4" Laptop (Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4Ghz

Battery is not during too much but the Product is in perfect condition, shipped in time and like described. I'm very satisfied with this purchase in specific.

Best Acer Notebook AOD270-1182;NU.SGCAA.001 10.1-Inch Laptop Deals

Customer Ratings:

Let me first say that this is not my first Acer netbook, nor is it my first Acer computer. I presently own an older Acer Aspire One that took a pretty decent fall a ways back and has a broken screen, which I now just use to control my home automation and security system and cameras (everything else still works, just have to use an eternal monitor.) I also have an Acer desktop computer that I absolutely love and has given me zero trouble which I use for gaming and general computing.

The beginning of May 2012, I purchased TWO Acer Aspire One D270s, one D270-1182 (Burgundy Red) and one D270-1410 (Espresso Black)

PRO:

Both are very light, comfortable sized, and easy to use. I found the price point to be attractive and overall felt it to be a good value. Battery life is good, the mult-gesture touchpad is nice, easy to use the built in webcam and microphone for Skype etc. I bought this pair mainly to skype with my mother while I travel, and for me to surf the web and listen to music as an alternative to my work computer while traveling. My mother has trouble with computers and all other electronics, so I was impressed that she was able to use it comfortably and learn it quickly. The large hard drive also makes it possible for this to be a primary computer for her as well.

CON:

Understandable for a netbook, it is relatively slow, stock from the box. The 1 Gig of RAM that it ships with is way too small to run windows 7 and browse the web quickly or play any large games. While it is passable, those who are used to working with a desktop or full sized notebook will definitely notice the difference. While a RAM upgrade is cheap in terms of parts, it is relatively complicated on this model netbook. To upgrade ram, you must remove the keyboard, many screws and it's a little tricky to get the case completely apart. (There are videos on YouTube that will show you how to do this step by step.) I am a moderate to advanced user, and I performed the upgrade myself in about 30 minutes total, it was a little more complicated than I initially thought it would be but not horrible. (My older Acer netbook has an access port to access the ram, and it was a 30 second, 2 screw upgrade.) This netbook will only recognize 2GB of ram with Windows 7, however I did install a 4GB module. I duel boot in Linux, and Linux does recognize all 4GB. The RAM upgrade made a huge difference, and now I'd say its pretty decently fast for a netbook. My mother was running hers stock on the 1GB of ram and didn't have any complaints.

Double Con, or maybe just my bad luck:

Right out of the box, I had intermittent issues with the screen flickering on BOTH netbooks. It occurs most noticeably and frequently while watching video. This includes while using Skype as well. My mom's D270-1182 also crashed several times while I was setting it up brand new from the box. Then, after she used the computer only a few times, and during a Skype call, her netbook inexplicably shut off and the hard drive died. It was a complete hardware failure of the hard drive, computer would not boot or power up the HD. My diagnosis is a total hard drive failure for an unknown reason. I contacted Acer and they were very good about setting up a warranty repair and sending me a return label for what they are estimating to be a 7-10 business day repair. I just sent it out today, so we'll see how it goes when it comes back.

When setting up the return for her netbook, I asked about the screen flicker issue on both of them, and I was told they do not know of it as a "known bug". I did do some research, and note that several other people are reporting this issue as well. They also gave me a return label for my D270-1410 to return it to investigate the screen flicker issue. So, after less than 60 days, both of them are going back to Acer for warranty repair.

While I'm not thrilled with the double whammy of issues that I had, I'm not going to write them off completely, maybe I just have bad luck... Acer seemed to be very helpful with setting up the warranty service, and I won't know how they do for sure until they come back from Acer. I will update this review once I get them back!

My overall rating:

It's OK, but I wouldn't recommend this model to my friends.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

This is a great little netbook and I have had zero problems with it. It's literally the last brand new netbook I could find that has Windows 7 (or any type of windows for that matter). Now it's all gone to annoying chrome, which isn't what you necessarily want if you are a college student in need of more document programs than google docs. This thing is awesome and I haven't had any connectivity problems, unlike my old Asus netbook. Videos are fast and download easily. My perfect little computer, I only wish I had had the option of getting it in blue, but whatever!

Discount Lenovo G500s 15.6-Inch Touchscreen Laptop (Black)

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $699.99
Sale Price: $617.90
Today's Bonus: 12% Off

I have always been a BIG HP fan. I would have never guessed in a thousand years that I would buy a Lenovo. what won me over is that they give these to my kids to use in high school. they keep them the whole term and then turn them in at the end of the year. Since I didn't buy them for them (well, I did thru my tax dollars), I just set back and observed how they treated them. they weren't too hard on them, but rough enough to impress me with how much a Lenovo can take.

my son likes online games, which can heat up a computer in a heart-beat, especially if it has intense graphics. i would just take quick notice every once in a while where they put their Lenovo thinkpads. i have found them under blankets (still on), or on top of pillows where absolutely no air could circulate to the processor, and, though they were as hot as fire, the little boxes just kept humming along with no problems. they were also dropped, bumped, and sit on, with still no problems.

So, when i decided to get a new lappy, i decided to try a Lenovo. besides, with amazon's return policy, if i didn't like it, i could just send it back. so with windows 8 on it and a touch-screen, i made the jump. i received the lappy about a week after i ordered it. like a kid on Christmas morn, i immediately tore open the box and went at it. the battery was charged right out of the box. this, of course, made me very happy. i fired her up, did all the registration crap and was met by the start screen on reboot. i was not familiar with windows 8 at all, but i didn't find it to be too bad. it still isn't bad. once u learn all the screen swipes and how to pull down the menus and such, you'll look like tom cruise in minority report when he's slinging this pic over here or that video over there. it just takes some getting used to. btw, u don't have to touch the screen all the time. the mouse pad, which is over-sized, works the same way as the screen.

i have always been an amd guy, so the intel i5 was a change up as well. it's not bad at all. i do A LOT with video editing and this little guy hangs right in there. it is very fast at rendering a vid and the processor doesn't get nearly as hot as my old HP dv7 amd.

i did up the ram in it. it can hold 16 gig. it was a big improvement over the 6 it came with. the bottom access panel wasn't hard to remove at all and all the components are right there. i really liked the fact that the system fan is accessible thru this panel, so cleaning it will be a breeze.

my only problem with this lappy is the battery. a mere 4 cell. it holds up pretty well just piddling around the net and such, but when i fire up the Sony Vegas program to work on and render some vids, it doesn't take long for it to deplete fairly quickly.

other than the battery (for the most part) i am happy, with this lappy!

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

I purchased this laptop to replace an aging 5 year old Compaq laptop which I had updated to Windows 8 32 bit (which I like very much and I am always amazed at all the clucks who dis it before they give themselves a chance to learn it, which takes no time at all, and I love all the APPs and how fast they load/install from the Windows Store). So I am familiar with the operating system, but only have used a laptop for less than six months. Windows 8.1 is coming soon, too. I purchased this G500S Win 8 64 bit for more power, primarily, and to have some of the conveniences not available on the old Compaq. More battery life, blue tooth, touch screen, number pad on the right of the keyboard, USB3 ports, HDMI port, battery life, better sound, and it doesn't burn your legs. It runs quieter and cooler. All were features I wanted. I don't like a mouse pad, using a USB wireless mouse and the touch screen, and I keep my 2500 song music library on a USB 3 external 1TB drive so when I back up I don't eat up a lot of time and back up drive space. I do like the Lenovo one touch back up and recovery feature. I disable the mouse pad, since it has that option and a check box (disable when USB mouse is used) that should keep it from returning like it did with every reboot on the Compaq. My hands were always moving the mouse as I typed, even erasing paragraphs and entering text where I did not wish it. With a touch screen it is just not practical anymore.

The biggest CON is that my external blue ray drive can not work because of the graphics card. After installing the Blue Ray PowerDVD program package which allows the external drive to function, I got the error message that indicated the graphics card deficiency, a big surprise! Maybe it has something to do with the touch screen, but it was very surprising. Fortunately I can create my blue ray disks, I just can't play them. The computer has power to speed up the creation process, however. The second CON is that the keyboard is not back lighted. I was sure it was and it means I have turned on and off my light many times to find the keys. I guess I could use the virtual keyboard, but then you have to reach across the keyboard with your arms elevated after enabling the feature. Which brings me to the fact that a touch screen on a laptop is not the easiest to use except for short duration because your arms will get tired. But I knew that and I am still experimenting with a comfortable way to go about using it. Lastly, there is no external audio input for recording, or a MIC input either. Just an earphone jack.

I must admit to waiting before making this purchase because of the obvious deficiencies I knew about, and everyone sold out. Amazon got them back again in their own stock in very limited supply for $599 again with the I5 Processor, which I prefer over the AMD Quad Core. I jumped on the purchase, knowing if I was dissatisfied I could return it. But I probably won't. To get the Blue Ray functionality would cost much more, and for what I really need it will do just fine.

ADDITIONAL THOUGHT ABOUT PARTS SUPPORT: Parts for the G500s are scarce at this time as I have recently researched. First let me say that the power supply is rather unique with a plug that I have never encountered before. It has a rectangle shape with a small center male pin in the charger plug that mates with the computer receptacle. You don't see this type plug on chargers anywhere. Amazon lists no replacement charger or battery. The Lenovo website has the charger (vaguely listed with no description as item #36200249, ADP 65W 3P SLIM PLUG ADP-65FD BB DELTA, for $35.94 plus $7 shipping), but no battery is listed, or I could not find it, and this is somewhat bothersome since both these computer items often are needed in the future. I don't know why they felt it necessary to change the plug/receptacle, but the very small pin is worrisome since it may be prone to break with the constant use a laptop demands for charging. We will see. I saw no listing for memory or any other replacement parts.

UPDATE: It appears that the Thinkpad battery charger sold by Lenovo, and the Prontocharger.com store sells one that appears to be correct for the Lenovo/IBM G505s for $28.95 plus $7, and I have ordered one to be sure. Lenovo does sell the battery for $59.95 on their website (http://laptoprescue.com/lenovo-laptop-battery-model-specific/?gclid=CNzIlY-53rkCFUVp7AodQRkACA).

Best Deals for Lenovo G500s 15.6-Inch Touchscreen Laptop (Black)

Having used this laptop for the past 1 month, I must say I am glad I got it. It has the whoa factor and its also does all i need quickly and efficiently. The only problem though is it has been unable to update the windows 8 operating system since I got it. It always stops at 15%. Don't know if this is a microsoft issue or Lenovo. Otherwise, its well put together.

Honest reviews on Lenovo G500s 15.6-Inch Touchscreen Laptop (Black)

Need I say more? It's a Lenovo!! Excellent performance, Touchscreen is great, 6GB, design is sleek and price was a steal. Definitely recommend it to anyone who wants style and performance .

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Lenovo G500s 15.6-Inch Touchscreen Laptop (Black)

Adding personal programs and setting up personal parameters took a significant time. Still must make additional time to complete in put.

Reviews of Asus TAICHI 21 Black Notebook Computer

Customer Ratings:

As always Asus does it again. This is so amazing. I would recommend this company to buy it from and as the product is always the best and the warranty can not be matched or beat. It doubles, its a laptop, no wait, its a tablet, no wait, its both. It is a must for business oriented or trainers or for just using it daily use. It covers everyone. Did I mention. I love Asus. It is very fast. Easily connect via Wi-Fi or with the included Ethernet connector. Running windows 8. Two partitions which are extremely hard to even fill up one. Included also is the mini hdmi to hdmi. The included touch pen doubles as a two button mouse. Two year warranty is excellent. The first year anything accidental is covered(liquid, shock, fire or drops). The second year is the normal parts and labor being covered. There is so many things that are truly amazing with this product that I would run out of room if I continue I will run out of space. All I can say is buy it. You will not regret it.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

Cheap Apple MacBook Pro MC024LL/A 17-Inch Laptop (OLD VERSION)

Customer Ratings:

I finally made the decision to get rid of my two laptops (an HP envy, and a 13" macbook pro) in favor of this 17" macbook pro with a dual boot setup using Boot Camp. Initial impressions: The best choice I've ever made. Here's the whole thing broken down:

THE SIZE

This thing is pretty beastly, but it's not unwieldy. You definitely feel its size the second you pick one up, or move it around, but you'll quickly get over that once you open it up and turn it on. The keyboard is super expansive, the screen is unbelievable (more on that later) and you can still stay mobile with this thing if you really need to. It's not something you can easily move around with 1 hand from room to room, but if you're like me, and do most of your work at a desk, then this is a great choice to make. (Note: I also own an iPad, which is a fantastic pair with this thing, since it does about 90% of what I do on-the-go as far as mobile computing goes.)

THE SCREEN

So I mentioned already that you'll most likely fall in love with this thing like I did when you open it up and turn it on. It has the highest PPI (pixels per inch) of all the apple laptops they sell and it shows. I actually am considering not even hooking this up to my external monitor anymore, because of how brilliantly sharp it is. Colors really pop and text is easy to read. Also, since it's 17", you get a better-than-HD 1920x1200 resolution. My work is in development, so this is really a major selling point for me. I need to be able to manage all my windows in Xcode and Interface builder without tons of overlap and clicking between browsers, my chat windows and my code.

THE KEYBOARD

If you've used a macbook pro keyboard in the past year or so, you'll feel right at home with this thing. I will say this as a negative, however: It's not super comfortable on your arms right past your wrist, because the sharp edges of the laptop dig into your skin after a while.

THE PERFORMANCE

I copied over my entire OS/settings to this new macbook pro and ran some field tests to see how fast this thing is in comparison to my old macbook pro--and it screams. An iPhone/iPad project that takes 5-10 seconds to build on my old machine (core 2 duo) takes a fraction of that time here. The i5 is most definitely a step up from previous core 2 duos. I finally have a laptop I can stick Windows 7 on that is as good as a dedicated Windows machine can do. (Being able to have this 1 comp to run both environments is great!)

BATTERY LIFE

I will have to come back and update on battery life, but I can tell you that it's worlds better than my HP. That was similarly spec'ed and barely worked 2 hours on the go. This one so far is looking like 6 hours with wifi and full brightness. They have it rated at 8-9 hours, but I'm sure that's with brightness turned down and not full use the whole time. Truthfully, anything better than 2 hours with this kind of power is great for me.

TOUCHPAD

Again, if you've used a recent MacBook Pro, this is essentially identical. The biggest change here is that you can now use "inertial" scrolling, so that you can just flick your fingers to scroll long pages, and it will keep scrolling until it slows to a stop. This is very similar to the iPhone scrolling of long pages, or if you've used a Magic Mouse, it does the same thing.

Also, of note, is that of all the new copy cat glass track pads, I haven't used one that works as well as these. Even inside Windows, it performs real well and you feel productive with it. I've used other PC's with the no-button glass touchpad, and it makes me want to throw them across the room after a few minutes..

OTHER THOUGHTS/CONCERNS

While I'll keep this at 5 stars, this isn't necessarily a perfect computer. I have a few gripes with it, but they aren't really deal breakers and all the other pros make up for them so well that I'm okay with it. For starters, this has three USB ports (the 15 and 13 model only have 2) but unfortunately they are literally all lined up next to each other. If you have any kind of a fat usb device, you're out of luck for placing anything next to it.

Also, you'll most likely need to buy the mini-display port to HDMI converter because while Apple loves mini-display port, the rest of the world is just now using HDMI as its standard. You can find one here on amazon for real cheap ( Mac Converts):

Lighter than all but the lightest PCs, netbooks, etc.

The specs in the machine are pretty strong, yet it maintains a solid battery life of up to 9 hours (real world, you'll get around 7 or so with casual use, maybe 5 with some development work, a little less for VMs and so on).

The screen is sharp and vibrant, but not too difficult to read. Snow Leopard includes all sorts of zooming options so you're not constantly straining to read the text on the screen.

Once you've used a MacBook trackpad you won't want to go back to a standard one. It is a bit of a pain to have to map a right click function instead of keeping the two buttons for converts, but you'll get used to it once you find a option for you. The inertial scrolling is a keeper though.

At first, the battery life is going to take some getting used to, especially if you're used to laptops that have up to 3 hours of battery life in ideal situations.

Realizing that the MacBook Pro never needs to be shut down will also be a bit of a culture shock.

Some bullet points to consider (smaller MacBooks to the 17"):

You should expect comparable, but not identical, battery life out of the 17" from what you're used to. The only exception is the 2010 13", which has a staggering 10 hour max battery life. For that crowd, you'll want to adjust to a smaller battery life, definitely.

You can change the resolution down to something else, but know that Snow Leopard will get fuzzy. Screen resolution optimization is not a Snow Leopard strong point.

The difference between the high resolution 15" and the 17" is a matter of opinion. For me, I couldn't justify paying the price for the HR 15" when it was a few bucks less than the 17" which had a better resolution to it AND a stronger processor.

You can see from the pictures how much bigger the 17" is than the 13". For purposes of carrying, the 17" feels about as heavy as a decent sized book. It's probably not the most practical in a school classroom; for that I would lean towards the 13" as it's the most space friendly. But if you're a developer, writer, gamer, or anyone else who needs to do a lot with a little, the 17" will blow your mind.

Strictly my opinion...get AppleCare if you buy this laptop. Reason being: At its current price, it's really hard to justify, but replacing it out of warranty will be even more of a pain if something goes wrong.

Add a Solid State Drive or a 7200 RPM drive at least. You'll appreciate the added performance.

So...is it recommended? If you're one of the roles above AND can accept that there is a premium on this laptop, absolutely. It's overpriced. I'm not going to lie to you. The components in the laptop don't add up to the price Apple's asking. But it's still a solid machine and well worth a look if you want the top of the MacBook Pro line.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

This is my 2nd Macbook Pro. I average a 4 year replacement cycle since features I need determine my upgrades rather than what ever latest changes may bring. I had a Powerbook g4 1gig, then the MBP C2d, and now the MBP Core i5. I should have opted for the i7, but didn't want to push it when work was picking up the tab this time. This machine can do it all. I run bootcamp, and parallels for instructing in the use of PC and the occasional PC game that needs all the processing power/Ram it can muster.

I teach and extensively use digital photography and videography. The machine is the brain of a floor full of f800's LaCie externals connected via daisy chain. When I need flat out performance using external I use the express card 34 slot for eSATA (Now Bootable via express card port) lightening fast transfers and editing. The better performance comes with the upgraded internal 7200RPM 500GB, and the 8Gigs of RAM. The full HD display is very nice with the super bright LED backlight. You can push performance with an SMC fan control download to allow you to run full fan speed before it gets to the point that it needs cooling to preserve performance.

The new trackpad gesture controls make for faster post work. The cool black keys harken back to my Powerbook days. The super fast graphics are amazing. The battery life is unbelievable when you are not tethered to drives and don't need to be wired down, it is really nice to go all day without needing to be plugged to power.

There isn't much more that I can say that hasn't already been covered by Conrad, Samer, and others. Keep it protected as there is no idiot insurance with Apple Care Protection Plan. I have been very pleased with the Pelican 1495 Air Tight/ Water Proof case at only $130.00.

The drawbacks from the previous model as mentioned in other comments are the sharper edges of the unibody that while it looks cool, it is painful if you don't put a cloth over it. I have lines in my arms from resting on the edges. The current lack of fully updated 64bit and quad core coded apps to take advantage of the new configuration will come in time. I love my Mac! Still not putting a sticker on my car though:-)

Best Deals for Apple MacBook Pro MC024LL/A 17-Inch Laptop (OLD VERSION)

Update after 2 months of use.

I am very happy. The extra screen estate is fantastic and there is no way I could go back to a 15" for my type of use (see below). I generally get about 5 hours of battery life in constant use.

Whenever we visit family now we take the laptop and do slide show or video presentations of family photos and video. The screen is just the best for this. I do not find weight to be an issue. But I am more careful and always put the laptop in a sleeve and carry it very carefully. It is so sleek I could imagine it slipping out of my fingers! But I no longer find it bulky or heavy.

For my business use I have not needed an external screen at all. I may eventually buy a cheaper Dell screen for my office.

The only con I found before buying it is that the higher resolution make menus and text small. The fixes I found have worked (see below) and for the few programs that I have not found a fix for, I just zoom the screen. Not ideal, but this is only a small portion of my working time. The ability to have two or three programs open at once to do your work is such a huge plus. The 17" really suits me as I move from office to office and from office to home. If I was a student using it in classrooms it might be too big. In airports the computer is the same size as the trays they use which makes it hard to get the computer out of the tray you need two hands so the computer always goes through first. A small thing.

I have not found it hard to use while sitting on my lap on the couch. If anything the bigger size makes it more stable. I hate to say it, but I now like to do some of my work while sitting on the couch.

And I have to say it again the screen is gorgeous. Everyone is blown away by it!

Here is the original review below.....

When considering to replace my 15" Powerbook G4 that I used with an aging cinema display I thought to have the same setup again. A 15" Macbook Pro and a 24" display. But my big complaint about my 15" was always that there was never enough real estate to do my work. Yes I could surf the web and it could sit on my lap. But for any meaningful work (and I normally need to coordinate between two or three programs) I just could not fit my work on the screen. For that reason I started to consider the 17".

FYI I run a midsize business from my home office and often travel to satellite offices. At home I prefer to work in the lounge in the evening to be close to the family. On the road I try to spend less time on the computer and more time with my clients. And I often make presentations.

I spent a lot of time demoing the 15" and 17" at the Apple Store and talking to friends in the computer industry whom I respected. They all gave me the same advice. Get a 15" and a cinema display. But I really found that with my 15", it spent the vast majority of its productive time hooked to a monitor and I wanted to get away from an external monitor.

The biggest issue I found with the 17" is that the screen resolution is so high that all text becomes very small. This is a major issue with a lot of programs such as mail unless you want to send all your messages as 18 high font. Mail and Calender are two important programs from me. I found a hack for mail that allowed me to increase the appearance of mail by 25% ( go to terminal and type in defaults write com.apple.mail AppleDisplayScaleFactor 1.25 and for calender I switched to BusyCal. With most other programs such as final cut pro and Aperture most of my time is spent focusing on the images on screen and the controls are second nature. Work and Excel allow you to zoom. Quicken is a problem and for this I just zoom the screen which looses some resolution, but I am not on the program forever. I may buy a cheap external monitor later.

So we have all read the negatives about the 17", that it is heavy and hard to move around. Well, that is true. If I was a student moving from class to class then the 15" or 13" would be appropriate. And if I was a road warrior constantly on the move, making presentations and using a projector then a 15" would be appropriate. If I did 80% of my work in one spot and another 20% on the move then I would consider the 13" and external monitor. But if you are semi mobile and looking for a laptop that allows you to fully and easily do your work anywhere, then the 17" is in a class of its own. I love being in my office during the day and if I do not finish my work I take my laptop home and finish in the evening. My wife is not upset because I am still near the family and I am happy as I can still do meaningful work.

Another issue raised is airplane use. Unfortunately in this day and age the seats are so close together that it is hard to open any computer. Unless I fly business class my 15" stays closed. If you fly a lot and in economy and need to work then the 13" does make sense.

The 17" is big, heavy, and bulky compared to the 15" but You do get used to it. And when not in use I keep it in the protective sleeve. I never did this with the 15". The 15" was my going into battle computer. The 17" feels like I am taking fine art to work and I want to take care of it.

The three best things about the 17"

1) The display is gorgeous. Aperture and Final Cut Pro are a joy to use with the 17". Forget hotel TV's if you want to watch a movie. And again in a hotel room I can do my business without compromise.

2} All my friends who advised getting the 15" are now really jealous. I think the real reason that more people do not opt for the 17" is that they are afraid to go to the extreme.

3) I was able to dispense with an external monitor and I actually feel more mobile as I never have to plug into a monitor.

If you are reading this then you are probably trying to make up your mind as to which laptop to buy. I think the choice is simple. The 17" is actually cheaper as you can dispense with an external monitor. The 15" without an external monitor is a compromise. If you are highly mobile or highly stationary then definitely the 15" is better (or even 13"). If you are semi-mobile then the 17" is just amazing and you will love yourself for having it every time you turn it on.

Buy Toshiba Satellite C855D-S5357 Laptop C855D-S5357

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $499.99
Sale Price: $363.98
Today's Bonus: 27% Off

This is a very basic, low-level laptop. It's not necessarily bad, it's just not that great either. Loads slow, video buffers a lot and system stutters when browsing through panels in the W8 modern UI. Perhaps with a little more RAM it might run faster, but I don't want to have to upgrade a laptop right out of the box. If money is an issue, this will work, but you can probably find something perhaps $50 more that may be a bit better out of the box.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

Purchased this on cyber Monday, received the laptop in 2 days...so far so good, I have to get use to Windows 8, but I love the format. The keyboard is slick, the laptop is light, easy to open and shut....Will give a later review after messing around with for a month or two.

Best Deals for Toshiba Satellite C855D-S5357 Laptop C855D-S5357

My old Dell's screen went out, so I began a search on which laptop would be as reliable but have more space. I purchased this laptop (toshiba satellite c855-ds5357) around November of 2012 I am SHOCKED at how slowly it processes. I don't have it bogged down. I can have only one window open, but videos lag and look choppy. It takes me an hour to process a Fed Ex print order that used to take me only 5-10 minutes because page changes are S-l-O-W. Customer support was a joke they told me 2 months ago that I didn't have a warranty. It was supposed to come with a 1 year couldn't understand their CS Rep but I knew he was trying to sell me more stuff that I didn't need. What I needed was a reliable computer that did what it was supposed to.

It's pretty but it's garbage.

Run away folks. Bad news in Toshiba land.

Honest reviews on Toshiba Satellite C855D-S5357 Laptop C855D-S5357

Well, I got this laptop on Christmas and it was great...for about 3 months. I had a lot of applications on it and a lot of things downloaded from the internet. So a couple months ago I decided to reset it. It deleted all of my things, and now I believe I have about 10-15 things downloaded on the laptop and it works fantastic!

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Toshiba Satellite C855D-S5357 Laptop C855D-S5357

In less than FIVE MONTHS, this laptop suffered a complete hardware failure and I lost EVERYTHING!!!!!! Very upset! I lost photos, resumes, cover letters, personal information. I am very disappointed.

Best HP Pavilion Sleekbook 15-b123nr 15" Laptop with AMD A6-4455M Deals

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $599.99
Sale Price: $379.99
Today's Bonus: 37% Off

Love it. It is very fast and getting used to using the windows 8. It is a notebook style though it says laptop because it has no cd,dvd, or bluray drive (which for the price is fine you can always look online and get an external for a good price). VERY LIGHT! Love how light and easy to carry. It is thin and the screen size it perfect not too big but not too small. I would highly recommend it. I have had for 2 months so far so awesome will update later.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

It's light. It stays cool! I love this guy. This 15 inch has an newest AMD processor. Plenty of Ram and a large hard-drive to store things. Windows 8 takes some getting used to but the start-up and shutdown times will stun you on this new operating system.

Pros:

light and thin

more than enough power for everyday usage

nothing extra special but good looking (fingerprints are not a issue here)

remains fresh without the need of a stand or fans

usb 3.0 (if you haven't try one before, you don't know what you are missing, it's so much faster than usb 2)

cons:

pain to get used to win 8 (well, it's getting much better now)

Best Deals for HP Pavilion Sleekbook 15-b123nr 15" Laptop with AMD A6-4455M

I bought this as my budget machine. It wasn't meant to compare with my custom desktop that I dumped a ton of money in just to be a way to surf the web and work with clients at their office. It meets my needs. WiFi doesn't always work when it wakes from sleep you have to put it in airplane mode then take it out. It hiccups and hangs up now and then, but it's an AMD so it does the best it can. Overall, a good bargain laptop that I won't cry about if it's lost or broken.

HP G56-122US Reviews

Customer Ratings:

For the TLDR types skip to the last paragraph.

Just days before black friday my old laptop elected to die. Given the timing and my available fundage at the time, a good deal outweighed a top-end machine.

At $379.99 with a $50 mail-in this was the bargain I was looking for.

I can't comment on reliability given the brief time-frame, but in terms of the rest:

Aesthetic-The case is a nice unit that looks/feels a bit more solid than my Toshiba Satellite, and the matte blue (black in Amazon's version) rather than glossier finish makes it less prone to things like smudges/fingerprints.

Keyboard-Lacking a 10-key allows the rest of the keyboard to feel less cramped, with good sized keys that have good feel to them without feeling like they will jam or take too much pressure to hit.

The one complaint I do have is the column of hotkeys along the left edge of the keyboard. The concept is good, but I'll take keeping ctrl in corner as it's always been over bringing up the calculator at the push of a button for example.

Display-Thus far the display has a good picture and is nice quality, while 15.6'' is for most purposes the perfect happy medium between size and portability.

Temperature-Thus far even with the computer being on for long stretches temperature has never appeared to be an issue, never feeling more than a little warm to the touch with fairly quiet fan-noise. My one concern is that the vents on this machine are a bit smaller than most, but so far it hasn't seemed to have any impact.

RAM-3 gigs of DDR3 is the norm for a machine in this bracket, with upgrade ability should you so desire. Memory usage tends to run around 50% with normal usage (i.e. antivirus active but not scanning, a couple small background items, and web browser with a few open tabs).

Processor-AMD Athlon II dual-core 2.2 ghz. Given that many sub $500 laptops are still using Celeron or Sempron processors this is again a great value. No it won't keep up with that >$1,000 machine with a Phenom/i7 chip, but is quite nice at this price bracket.

Graphics-Finding a dedicated graphics card instead of integrated is virtually impossible on the budget end of laptops, that said the Radeon 4250 chipset has been able to handle fairly new graphics-intensive games (such as Dawn of War 2) with no issue (albeit on lower settings).

Touchpad-Compared to offputting texture of my last laptop this one has a good size and feel while having an on/off integrated into the touchpad is a nice feature to avoid palm-dragging text while typing.

Software-Given that this machine caps out at 8 gigs of RAM it really isn't built to take advantage of what 64 bit has to offer, I would have preferred 32 bit for my needs. The HP advisor dock is a nice tidbit I haven't really put to use, but could be handy for some users, and while the heavy-handed push towards Norton is a bit offputting all new computers have their list of trial programs they try to push on you.

Peripherals-A little bit lacking here the only thing notable would be 3 USB slots instead of 2, coupled with the standard heaphone/mic jacks, ethernet, and vga out. The lack of HDMI is expected in this price range but items like comboing one USB with esata, the lack of a SD card reader, and all controls for things like volume, wifi on/off, and brightness integrated into the keyboard are notably lacking. The lack of a wifi card slot is not an immediate concern, but if the internal wifi malfunctions you'll be using up a less efficient USB receiver.

Other-Remember battery life usually describes the ideal situation (dvd drive not spinning, screen brightness low, etc.)-realistic battery life is probably closer to 3 hours in an average situation. Also the speakers boast 'hd' sound but in reality are tinny and underwhelming.

Bottom Line:

For a sub $500 laptop this is a solid machine with good under-the-hood specs and a nice feel. It lacks some of the peripheral niceties like a memory card-reader but is otherwise a great value machine that packs a little more punch than the 2 gig of RAM sempron/celeron single-core foes common in the 'bargain' bracket.

While the specs for the price are nice, felt I had to add in my less than satisfactory personal experience with the product a little over a month later, for that see added comment:

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

I bought this laptop during Black Friday for $300 I figured it was a good deal for a nice laptop. Overall it's a nice laptop but there is a few minor setbacks. First, the clicker is hard to click and it takes quite a while getting used to. Second, when you look at the pictures it may seem like there is a web cam. Don't be mistaken, there isn't. And lastly the battery life isn't 4 hours. It's more like 3 if even that which can get a little bothersome. The keys are also very flat and take a while to get use to as well. On the left side there is a column on the side for convenience to open up certain thing. For me, it's been more of a nuisance than a benefit because I accidentally push the keys and you have to wait for the program to load before you close it. It's a nice laptop for simple things but just that. If you want something more look for something else.(:

Best Deals for HP G56-122US

Conservative I am. I want reliable function. My 3 Dell D510s are now about 8 years old and starting to faulter. My nephew said HP is the way to go. Researching reliability was conflicting but thought I would give HP a shot.

This is a lower level notebook which is fine. I am not a gamer, I dont skipe. And it bothers me when a good computer like this is called a starter. I am on my 12 computer..I am no beginner or rookie. Windows 7 messed me up, I have no outlook express anymore nor is it available. The only other problem other then the software is the clicker. below the touch pad. it is single.

I am use to two pads to click left or click right. This has a mono tab that takes excessive pressure to click.

One last gripe is there are no window disks for back up, once I had an HP hard drive go bad and had to buy windows.

I read the first thing to do is make back up CD's. My 1st 4 attempts have failed at this necessary task.

Over all glad I bought it. Screen, appearance, keyboard, battery life, as expected.

Honest reviews on HP G56-122US

Great product exceded my expectations .I recommend to all how want a loptop for a novice great starter laptop ...Two thumbs up

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for HP G56-122US

Trackpad works on and off. Ended up getting a USB mouse. Battery lasts 2 hours max out of the box, and loses battery capacity quickly. iTunes and a web page open at the same time? Only if you want it to sound like a skipping CD. It's a buggy computer, but it's cheap. The black finish scratches VERY easily. Replaced the HP with a MacBook Pro, it's 4 times the price but it certainly feels like it will last a lot longer.

Reviews of Dell Latitude E6530 469-3155 15 LED Notebook Intel Core i7-3520M

Customer Ratings:

Hello All. I rarely write reviews, which I feel bad about as I have benefited from many of the reviews here on Amazon.

After my recent experience with Dell, I feel compelled to warn buyers about a very serious design flaw, which I am told is common to all the current latitudes.

There is no bios display on the external monitor when my E6530 is plugged into the laptops VGA port or the docking station's dvi ports. You do not see anything on the external monitor until Windows starts up and loads the nvidia driver. What this means is that, should you set up a bios password for the startup or HDD, the screen to enter it during startup will not show up on the external monitor. The only way to see it is to disable optimus, and use the docking station's vga port or display port. Also, it will not show up if using HDMI either.

Again it will not show up on the external monitor if you are using the laptop vga port or the dvi ports of the docking station. If you have the laptop in the Dell docking station in a Dell monitor stand using the DVI ports you will never see the password screen. So you have to wait and guess when it is ready and then blindly enter the password. If it does not work, or if there is a windows start up problem you will have to pull the laptop off of the docking station and boot it independently to determine the issue. I have never seen a laptop ever have this flaw.

I pursued this through technical support which replaced my mother board twice and then landed me in the Customer Resolution Department. The tech support was very good. In the end I was told this was "working as intended". Since I was past my 30 days to return, there is nothing they could do for me. When I asked if I could get a discount on a monitor that has a display port, I was told they would call my account team. So I am relegated to using the old vga technology.

Consider how this limitation will affect you and your business. Security is critical these days. I will be looking into Lenovo or HP systems. I suggest you do the same before buying a latitude from Dell.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

I bought this laptop for my parents for a Mother's/Father's Day gift for their business. They absolutely love it! Perfect for a business. It came earlier than I expected and as a bonus the seller installed Microsoft Office and bought a 3 year Warranty on the laptop! Thank you so much!The laptop itself is a little heavy yet is sturdy and durable because of it, which is necessary in my family. It runs very smooth and my parents have gotten many compliments in the short time they have had it!

Best Toshiba Satellite 17.3" Laptop, Intel i5, 2.5GHz, 6GB, 750GB Deals

Customer Ratings:

i absolutely love this notebook, bought at best buy and do not regret it one bit! has an awesome 17.3" screen with hd 1600x900 screen, 3rd gen i5 processor that is the quickest i have ever seen in a notebook. there is absolutely no hesitation at all.

the sound system on this laptop is not missing anything, you will be surprised. i have never had a laptop with a sound system like this, i downloaded and watched battleship on this the other day and the sound was amazing. it has built in harman/kardon audio speaker sound system that actually gets really loud and stays oh so clear. before, i have always had to buy external speakers with a laptop, but not this one.

and totally new to me, this comes with 6gb ram upgradeable to 16gb ram, ive never had a laptop upgradeable to that much ram before. it has 4 usb ports and all are usb 3.0. hdmi input, dvd player/burner, card reader, and i love the high speed start...you can close the lid and when you reopen it starts up instantly, with no hesitation, also has hdd ssd head protection, if you bump your laptop on something or drop it, it goes into protection mode and secures the hdd ssd from damage, i picked it up the other day and bumped it on the arm of my chair and it came up on the screen saying my hdd/ssd was currently being protected, as soon as shaking settles down it goes back to normal state, really cool. also comes equipped with diagnostic tool and health monitor, plus facial recognition and sleep utility. includes eco utility and toshiba assist.

this computer is lacking in nothing except one thing......no bluetooth, but thats a small price to pay for everything else you get. the etched aluminum body is awesome, you dont have to worry about finger prints or anything like that. you will not regret this laptop it is really the greatest i have ever purchased and i have owned quite a few laptops. not to mention, its one of the top "satellite" laptops made by toshiba.

i think the price is very reasonable for the quality/hardware and software included. oh and it also comes with microsoft office starter for free. also included is google chrome and microsoft silverlight.... oh i forgot, also comes with intel widi...this is a great deal. overall, it really purrs like a kitten, lol.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

Loved this laptop. It was great for the 1 week I got to use it. HATE Toshiba Customer Service.

Toshiba has this great software that reminds you of software updates, driver updates, etc. Everyday, it reminded me that I needed to update my BIOS firmware (required/recommended update). Against my better judgement, I did this and sure enough it killed the PC.

I called Toshiba and their rep told me "oh, we don't recommend people update the BIOS firmware". Except their software update has it as a REQUIRED update and bugged me every day for a week. Turns out that if your BIOS firmware is hosed, then you are totally out of luck and have to return it to the depot for repair. Oh and you have to pay to get it sent (approx $26).

So I send the PC into the repair depot for repair. I get a email with a web-link to check on the status of the repair. The estimated time for any repair is 10 working days. On the 10th day, I get a status update which says "will need new part. will add additional 10 days". Need a new part??? How about just loading the old BIOS?? I can't even imagine how expensive this would be if it wasn't under warranty.

After the additional 10 days, I go to check the status and suddenly there is no record of my repair. I wait a few days and check again. Same thing.

I call to find out if I can find the status. I get the automated answering service and faithfully follow directions to "check on depot repair status". I choose this option and it says "check website link" and hangs up on you.

I call again and finally get a hold of someone (don't try check depot repair status, it just hangs up on you). They tell me that the repair depot is waiting on a part. I ask them why the web-link status doesn't seem to reflect that. They don't know. I ask them when was the information updated, they tell me more than 2 weeks ago. I explain that I am getting mixed messages since his update is the same one I saw sometime back but the website link for the repair does not have any record of my repair. I explain that I am worried that my laptop has been lost, sent back already, or something. I am told to check back in a week and they will have an update.

I check back today (its been a week) on the website link and now the repair link has completely expired and wont even pull up.

At this point I am not even sure I have a laptop anymore. But I really liked it for the 1 week.

UPDATE:

Received the PC back from Toshiba Repair Depot yesterday. PC hard drive had been completely wiped clean (seems unnecessary) and today it does not work again and I have to return it back to Toshiba.

I turn on the PC and it asks me to setup windows all over again. Halfway through it hangs and sits there for 2 hrs doing nothing. I turn off the power and reboot and then it says that there is a problem and it won't reboot.

I call customer service and they run me through the procedure to reboot from partition. Part of the procedure requires you to take out the battery. I turn the pc over and notice that the hard drive cover is open. Also the motion has caused the hard drive to pop out of its slot. I replace the hard drive and reboot. The laptop now doesn't even recognize that a hard disk is available. So now my call gets elevated to a Toshiba case manager.

I get the Toshiba Case manager and they tell me that I will have to return it back to the depot. As in the same repair depot that wiped my hard drive and sent me back a non-working pc. I explain the whole story outlined above and tell them that since the hard drive is completely wiped clean and I don't want to wait months getting my PC back, that I just want a new PC (same type, etc). I am informed that they absolutely will not do a replacement. I ask to speak to someone else and am told there isn't any one else. They do not elevate above case manager (which is only one level above the tech support btw). I ask if they can at least prioritize getting my PC back to me since it came back from the Repair Depot broken. I am informed they don't do this either.

I am NEVER buying another Toshiba again.

Best Deals for Toshiba Satellite 17.3" Laptop, Intel i5, 2.5GHz, 6GB, 750GB

VERY PLEASED WITH TOSHIBA 17" LAPTOP. THIS COMPUTER REPLACED MY DESKTOP AND IT HAS BEEN A GOOD CHOICE IN ALL RESPECTS.

ALSO TOSHIBA KEEPS THE MACHINE UP TO DATE WITH CURRENT FIRMWARE.THANK YOU AMAZON!

Honest reviews on Toshiba Satellite 17.3" Laptop, Intel i5, 2.5GHz, 6GB, 750GB

The computer itself works great but the mouse pad is horrible it does not work well at all. If you use a mouse it should not be a problem. The aluminum case is sturdy but it makes it somewhat difficult to pick up Wi-Fi unless the computer is plugged in charging? It could be something completely unrelated to the casing but it is annoying either way. Works very well as a gaming pc but for on the go or anything of that nature I would keep shopping.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Toshiba Satellite 17.3" Laptop, Intel i5, 2.5GHz, 6GB, 750GB

Reviewing a laptop is a risky thing. Post too soon and you'll endorse something that might fall apart in 6 months, but if you wait too long then the product will likely be off the market without anyone looking into buying it. I just got the computer a week ago and wanted to post what I've encountered.

First the obvious things:

(*) Big screen: I grew tired of my previous laptop's small 14" and this size seems large for this price range

(*) Loaded with Windows 7 instead of Windows Millennium 3.0 aka Windows Vista 2.0 aka Windows 8.

(*) Comes equipped with a tool that lifts the HDD drive head if the computer is bumped (I don't know if this is a common feature or if this just wants the user aware)

Less obvious things / Problems:

(*) I had to return the first unit due to a blue pixel stuck in the middle of the screen.

(*) Get a mouse because the touchpad is lousy. The left and right mouse buttons are actually part of the touch sensitive area so the touch pad often recognizes clicks as motion of the mouse.

(*) The keyboard, always an issue on a laptop, is something I still have challenges using=. The nice thing is that it has the numeric keypad on the right but the bad thing is that the arrow keys are half-height buttons that are hard to hit.

The main problem with technology is how fragile it is and how prone to failure things have become. While this computer seems fine today, will it be fine tomorrow or next month? I have no idea.