Showing posts with label left handed notebook. Show all posts
Showing posts with label left handed notebook. Show all posts
Friday, December 19, 2014
Discount Sony VAIO E Series SVE1513JCXW 15.5-Inch Laptop (White)
I can't write personally about this computer as I purchased it for my fiance but, I will say that she hasn't ever said a bad thing about it. A lot of her coworkers have more expensive laptops and they told her that they want hers. The lit keys are really helpful when she's on at night. She wasn't crazy about the layout of the new windows but she's gotten used to it and you can change it back to the classis view.Honestly it is hard to be unbiased when reviewing because of windows 8. I find it slower and clunkier than windows 7. I can not tell if the slow processing time is from windows 8 or the laptop. take it for what its worth though, The internet and reaction times in pulling up both internet and desktop windows seem slower than my three year old dell that had less RAM and processing speed. It is sleek looking and I like the feel of the keyboard. The backlit keys option is nice. The touch pad is very frustrating, even after modifying the settings it still wasn't responsive enough not to be inhibiting. I bought an optical mouse straight a way. The comeback from sleep and start up times are good. The resolution, colors and laptop speakers were above par with what I was expecting. The battery life also is good, I had it on for about two hours before needing to plug in. I'll be back for an update as soon as I figure out how to get Windows 7 on here, be warned Its a long tricky route, I've heard everything from it cant be done to it can be done if you complete these 40 steps. So if you're thinking of buying this laptop with the idea, no problem, I'll just downgrade, be warned you are in for a giant headache.
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Best 2560P I5-2520M 12.5 320G 4G Deals
We've deployed win7 64bit enterprise on several of these, and they have been rock solid, and our employees like the combination of highspeed/light/long battery life laptops. Good quality, rugged too. Most employees are docked during the day, outputing 1080P HD to a large LED monitor, and this performs like a desktop.
6 Month Update:
So far so goodthese have been rock solid, and unlike a few other system types we've managed in the past, they still look and feel close to brand new after employees have carted them back and forth for 6 months. I've not had any complaints from our employees, and some employees not due for system replacements are asking "when do I get one?"...and if you're thinking about ultrabooks, keep in mind these Elitebooks are less than 4 poundsthe screens are not as nice as some ultrabooks, but I don't think travelers will complain about their size.Very solid build quality and attractive styling ... but after comparing the track pointer, screen, and keyboard to a similar Lenovo Thinkpad model T420s ... we went with the Lenovo. Comes down to personal preference since I thnk this is still a very, very nice compact laptop. Overall size was a bit smaller than I would have preferred. But for someone toting this around vs. household use ... this might be a very good choice. Excellent amazon return policy allowed us to get just the right laptop for our needs.
6 Month Update:
So far so goodthese have been rock solid, and unlike a few other system types we've managed in the past, they still look and feel close to brand new after employees have carted them back and forth for 6 months. I've not had any complaints from our employees, and some employees not due for system replacements are asking "when do I get one?"...and if you're thinking about ultrabooks, keep in mind these Elitebooks are less than 4 poundsthe screens are not as nice as some ultrabooks, but I don't think travelers will complain about their size.Very solid build quality and attractive styling ... but after comparing the track pointer, screen, and keyboard to a similar Lenovo Thinkpad model T420s ... we went with the Lenovo. Comes down to personal preference since I thnk this is still a very, very nice compact laptop. Overall size was a bit smaller than I would have preferred. But for someone toting this around vs. household use ... this might be a very good choice. Excellent amazon return policy allowed us to get just the right laptop for our needs.
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Buy Lenovo Z370 102526U 13.3-Inch Laptop (Black IMR)
This is one of the best computers I have ever owned, very fast, and very reliable! Sometimes I wish it had a larger screen, but the small form factor makes it easier for taking with me when I travel!
Well as help to the linux users out there I've tried two Linux OS with it both running as a installed program via Windows to run alongside Windows.
Jolicloud: I first installed this since Ubuntu had some download issues. Jolicloud was a joy to use, had a very iOS look and feel to it so instantly you're at home with the Ui, unfortunately as I use a USB keyboard and 22' LCD TV as the main display in my office it did (weirdly) had some compatibility issues with my Pleomax keyboard so I had to uninstall. Pity since it was such a nice OS to use especially if what you need out of a computer is pretty basic like office/browsing/multimedia. Also for the semi-techie person in me I found it a bit lightweight for my liking
Ubuntu: Ubuntu was seamless with the Z370 and is still for me the best Linux software out there but Jolicloud I can imagine would be eventually the more popular platform for the less techie people out there. I have been out of Linux for about 4 years already but Im glad to be back and is surprised by the new features especially with the Android-ish application market where installing/removing programs is simple and straightforward. Makes you think why Windows never made it that simple for us.
Lastly reason why I use linux is that I want to be worry free when it comes to virus, trojan horses, worms, etc.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
The Z370 is a good looking laptop, but thats the thing. I wasn't blown away with regards to the looks. Its mainly my office computer and also which is what I'll be using for my hobby as a DJ so Im really not pushing the limits of the computer exactly so I can't give feedback how it will perform at its limits.Well as help to the linux users out there I've tried two Linux OS with it both running as a installed program via Windows to run alongside Windows.
Jolicloud: I first installed this since Ubuntu had some download issues. Jolicloud was a joy to use, had a very iOS look and feel to it so instantly you're at home with the Ui, unfortunately as I use a USB keyboard and 22' LCD TV as the main display in my office it did (weirdly) had some compatibility issues with my Pleomax keyboard so I had to uninstall. Pity since it was such a nice OS to use especially if what you need out of a computer is pretty basic like office/browsing/multimedia. Also for the semi-techie person in me I found it a bit lightweight for my liking
Ubuntu: Ubuntu was seamless with the Z370 and is still for me the best Linux software out there but Jolicloud I can imagine would be eventually the more popular platform for the less techie people out there. I have been out of Linux for about 4 years already but Im glad to be back and is surprised by the new features especially with the Android-ish application market where installing/removing programs is simple and straightforward. Makes you think why Windows never made it that simple for us.
Lastly reason why I use linux is that I want to be worry free when it comes to virus, trojan horses, worms, etc.
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Reviews of Gateway NE57006u 15.6-Inch Laptop (Silky Silver)
So I decided I would do a review on here even though I didn't purchase this product from Amazon.
Overall, this is a strong machine with low price. 4 Gigs of RAM is a huge plus. CPU is not bad with 1.8 GHz Pentium 2117U (2 cores. Beside that, 500Gb storage is great for music and video in normally.
About the battery, the advertiser told 4 hours. I never used one program or just start the laptop to check it, the actual battery of my laptop is over 3 hours. I think, it depends on the way you use the laptop. About the windows 8, windows 8 was designed for touching, but this laptop is untouchable. If you want to experient on touching laptop, you can see this laptop
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EY50ISG/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00EY50ISG&linkCode=as2&tag=best-refer-20
This machine is not include windows 8 VCD, so you have to care full if you want to restore the system. In short, this laptop worth money.
Overall, this is a strong machine with low price. 4 Gigs of RAM is a huge plus. CPU is not bad with 1.8 GHz Pentium 2117U (2 cores. Beside that, 500Gb storage is great for music and video in normally.
About the battery, the advertiser told 4 hours. I never used one program or just start the laptop to check it, the actual battery of my laptop is over 3 hours. I think, it depends on the way you use the laptop. About the windows 8, windows 8 was designed for touching, but this laptop is untouchable. If you want to experient on touching laptop, you can see this laptop
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EY50ISG/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00EY50ISG&linkCode=as2&tag=best-refer-20
This machine is not include windows 8 VCD, so you have to care full if you want to restore the system. In short, this laptop worth money.
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Discount Lenovo G580 15.6" Laptop / Intel Pentium B980, 4GB RAM, 320GB HDD
Love it! It Came In just 3 days after I ordered it, I had windows 8 pre-loaded with very little unnecessary software. Laptop works great no issues. Great value, Lenovo's are sturdy machines, this laptop was purchased as a replacement for my t400w that just died after 6 years of faithful field service.
I am satisfied with the product.
recommend to all this Produco
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
I've had this model for over three months, and have really enjoyed it. The windows 8 system on this is pretty nice, although I don't see a need for apps on a fully functioning computer. I sometimes miss the windows start button since the interface has changed, but it's easy to navigate around that. The screen on this computer is visually stunning from nearly any angle. The keyboard is very well laid out, and has large flat buttons. The battery lasts several hours, unless you're doing heavy gaming/video activities, at which point the battery will last anywhere from 2.5 to 3 hours. The speakers are loud and clear. The cpu is very fast, allowing you to run a few or more programs at once. However, its' achilles heel is the integrated gpu, which for today's high demand games is fairly weak. However, it rarely ruins my game playing experience. I often watch videos and play games at the same time, and seldom have any lag. On my unit, the 4gb of memory is single channel, because only one 4gb stick was installed. Anyway, the G580 memory is very fast, and the hard drive is acceptable. As a heads up, I should say Lenovo has its' own battery management tool, which doesn't charge the battery until it falls beneath a certain percentage. So don't worry if you see your battery level under 100%, and not charging. It will eventually charge back up. Many people think this is a software or hardware malfunction. This computer always runs fairly cool, and has a strong, quiet fan. The touchpad is okay, but is missing a scroll bar. This model has an attractive, glossy metallic finish. I've benchmarked this computer, in case you're interested in its' performance stats. Here are some of the results; Cpu mark2364, memory mark1336, hard disk mark339, 2d graphics436, 3d graphics direct 9 simple15.7. The overall passmark benchmark rating for my unit is 752. You can search these benchmark terms if you don't understand them, but my review pretty much told you what you need to know. For the price, I don't think I could have bought a better machine.Best Deals for Lenovo G580 15.6" Laptop / Intel Pentium B980, 4GB RAM, 320GB HDD
I chose this rate because it seems excellent product.I am satisfied with the product.
recommend to all this Produco
Honest reviews on Lenovo G580 15.6" Laptop / Intel Pentium B980, 4GB RAM, 320GB HDD
Until finally received my laptop ...! this because my courier delays in moving toward Vzla and delivery in my country .. it is too beautiful =), I've tried every day and I found very handy and great for my work, but I need to adapt to Windows 8 and slowly adding some applications of other so far so good and happy with my new laptop. Excuse my English ... -Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Lenovo G580 15.6" Laptop / Intel Pentium B980, 4GB RAM, 320GB HDD
This was a Christmas gift for my daughter and she absolutely loves it!!! We are very pleased ... great price for a great product.Saturday, September 6, 2014
Cheap Toshiba Satellite L305-S5955 Celeron 900 2.2GHz 2GB 160GB DVD±RW DL
Item was better than expected!!!! We love it and I had to keep my brother from conning my six year old out of it! Seller included a professional laptop case with purchase price!!! Looking to replace my own laptop and will only buy from this seller!
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
I bought this one for my son for school purposes. I started out good but I did have to upgrade the memory and the operating system to windows 7 and now it works great. It was ok before and my son was just using it for school projects since he got a lil older he now uses it for everything thus the upgrades. I would recommend this product but note you will have to udgrade eventually.Best Deals for Toshiba Satellite L305-S5955 Celeron 900 2.2GHz 2GB 160GB DVD±RW DL
I've done all the steps to not get to here, and have not had satisfactory results, as the seller did not answer my claims, I see that shows no interestCheap HP ENVY TouchSmart 15 Quad Edition Windows 8 Professional Notebook
Customer Ratings: 
List Price: $2,049.95
Sale Price: $1,449.95
Today's Bonus: 29% Off

I'll let others get all technical, but this sucker is fast. I loaded Windows 8.1 and am still missing (or finding) beloved features from previous versions of windows, but that's an OS thing, not a reflection on the computer. Be sure to load the correct drivers! I love the touch screen, though am using it a bit like I did the mouse when it first came out (yep, I'm old) and am still not comfortable touching the screen (and don't like the fingerprints) but that will pass. I hate the bloatware, though there is less than on some computers. An example is when you try to play your purchased music, an HP subscriber service is the default player, vs. Windows Media Player. Battery life is good, the footprint is reasonable, but it feels a bit heavy, though reasonable for all the insides. I haven't put a dent in the 1TB drive and love the speed of the SSD. Color me satisfied.This computer is great in many ways. It is just the fact that to view pictures or video--you just have to sit on one place or the screen is dark or silver. Yuck. I will see if this isn't just a problem with his computer. Cause I really do like the computer--even though you can't move the top back very far. I don't like that but that is not a deal breaker--the viewing angle is.
List Price: $2,049.95
Sale Price: $1,449.95
Today's Bonus: 29% Off
I'll let others get all technical, but this sucker is fast. I loaded Windows 8.1 and am still missing (or finding) beloved features from previous versions of windows, but that's an OS thing, not a reflection on the computer. Be sure to load the correct drivers! I love the touch screen, though am using it a bit like I did the mouse when it first came out (yep, I'm old) and am still not comfortable touching the screen (and don't like the fingerprints) but that will pass. I hate the bloatware, though there is less than on some computers. An example is when you try to play your purchased music, an HP subscriber service is the default player, vs. Windows Media Player. Battery life is good, the footprint is reasonable, but it feels a bit heavy, though reasonable for all the insides. I haven't put a dent in the 1TB drive and love the speed of the SSD. Color me satisfied.This computer is great in many ways. It is just the fact that to view pictures or video--you just have to sit on one place or the screen is dark or silver. Yuck. I will see if this isn't just a problem with his computer. Cause I really do like the computer--even though you can't move the top back very far. I don't like that but that is not a deal breaker--the viewing angle is.
Thursday, September 4, 2014
Best ASUS K52 Series K52JR-X4 15.6-Inch Laptop (Dark Brown) Deals
Been an Asus fan for a long long time. Jumped on this deal for what I expected to be a "performance" laptop, man am I disappointed. First off, the hard drive is a slow as hell 5400RPM which has no place in a machine with this price tag, shame on me I never checked the spec. In addition to that, its not a 320Gig drive, the system is only reading 282Gig and Asus for some bizarre reason decided to partition the drive into a 74G C: Boot Drive a 208G D: Data drive. Makes no sense, its confusing and cumbersome.
My biggest beef with this machine is the 18 (EIGHTEEN) shortcuts I found on my desktop when I booted up. All flavors of crapware that I don't want and don't need that include a 90 day subscription to Trend Micro Anti-Virus which MaximumPC magazine rated as the WORST AV package on the market in their May 2010 edition. Now I know that doesn't mean much, but its disquieting when the defacto Hardware Champion of the entire computer industry (IMO) loads up a new machine with a truckload of unrecognizable garbageware like Splendid Utility and AP Bank, among others I've never heard of and don't have any use for. Oh well, while cleaning all this junk out of my HD I also noticed the boot time is right at 4 minutes, that's with the included utility Asus Fast Boot engaged. Sheesh!!!
On the upside, the display is bright and crisp and the graphics are amazing. And, the real good news here....there are two open DIMM slots so you can easily upgrade to 8Gig of system memory and hopefully improve the performance of this machine. Not a fan of the chicklet keyboard either, and you will find it almost impossible to navigate in the dark.
Very disappointed in Asus, and ya know it would have been nice to get a media player that's compatible with the Blu-Ray drive but alas....and good luck finding one that's even compatible with Windows 7 that doesn't cost $100, well there is VLC for your DVD's but that's about it. The battery gave me 70 minutes on a full charge before the initial boot. I don't expect my mood to soften anytime soon as I am still cleaning this thing up, BUT it does look good, and for a 15.6" it very lightweight, so I got that going for me.
3 Week Update: OK OK, now that I have massaged this thing and gotten rid of all the pre-installed junk provided by Asus I am VERY impressed. This machine is a multimedia/multitasking monster, and the Power 4 Gear power settings will give you about 2 1/2 hours on the battery, and it runs very cool, no heat discharge at all. The display is the most impressive thing about this laptop, I was forced to buy glasses to read my old HP but don't need them with this LED backlit panel. And the graphics are nothing short of incredible. Still not a fan of the chicklet keyboard, its just not as intuitive as it should be. And I think I can still benefit from a memory upgrade but right now that's only around $100 for another 4Gig and I'm hoping that improves the mouse function...not as responsive as one might hope, maybe its a resource thing, we'll see.
Anyway, I'm still upset about all the preloaded junk that came from the factory, Asus knows better but if you're going to take over the world there are things you just have to do as an OEM I suppose. They still make the best hardware out there IMO. So after the courtship phase with this thing I'd have to say I'm very pleased and semi-happy with my new laptop. BTW, PowerDVD10 is the most reliable media player I've found for Windows 7. VLC falls down on some formats and and I've never really liked Windows Media Player. Too bad Asus doesn't provide an OEM version with this unit, haven't tried a Blu Ray disc yet but they cant look any better than a regular DVD on this display.
FYI. if you're into these things, these are the Windows Experience numbers on a scale of 1 to 7.9:
CPU 6.7
RAM 5.9
Graphics 5.1 (Desktop and Windows Aero)
Gaming Graphics 6.2
Hard Disk 5.7
After cleaning everything up and re-running the scores, the CPU performance went from 6.5 to 6.7. Everything else stayed the same. Pretty strong! Also boot times have been cut in half, I can live with that. However, my biggest complaint now that I've upgraded to 8Gig of RAM is that the touchpad (Elan Smart-Pad) still doesnt work. And thats after turning off ALL of its services except the basic functions. HELLO ASUS, FIX THIS PROBLEM!!!! If you buy an Asus laptop you have to expect to have touchpad problems out of the gate, complaints are posted all over the web dating back 3-4 years, and you cannot install the latest drivers....they just wont install. My fix was a Microsoft 3500 mouse which I should have bought with the machine. Problem solved. A 5 star product if not for this pathetic Elan Tech "Smart-Pad"
processor (the I7 laptops seeming to all for for at
least $300 more) and one with a blu ray drive. Also,
I do NOT like the shiny surfaced laptops where you
leave fingerprints and smears all over -this one is
shiny on the outside but they use a matte finish where
you rest your hands so fingerprints really aren't an
issue.
The laptop feels well built and looks very nice without
being flashy. I love the keyboard, with the keys spaced
apart from each other a bit. No place for crumbs to drop
in :P The screen is very clear and bright. It boots up
quickly and runs all my programs on it quickly.
I can't speak for battery life as I usually always run with
the power cord plugged in. As for gaming, I use it mostly
for work and running Office 2007 on it and for browsing, so
I can't say how well it will do with gaming, although I would
think it would be pretty good.
My only complaints would be the speakers don't go up very loud
and don't sound the best -but what laptop speakers ever do?
And I would like to go up a little higher on the screen resolution-
1366x768 being the maximum resolution in Windows 7.
But overall I am quit pleased with my purchase, especially for
the excellent price.
When I originally decided to buy a laptop, I thought I wanted a netbook something lighter, thinner and more portable. But the ASUS has so much more power and nice specs for several hundred dollars less than than any of the netbooks. And frankly, I bought this ASUS because two non-commissioned salespersons at Office Max simply raved and raved about the company and the quality of their US-Made parts and assembly. They both drooled at this model on the shelf and referred to it as the "dream machine" they'd choose. I know I broke the heart of one of them when I bought it. This was the last one they had in stock. I, too, love the brushed metal textured body and touchpad. I'm a messy typist. I also bought a silicone keyboard cover and screen cover. Unfortunately, this model is way too nice (and big) for me to trust putting in my bike messenger bag and taking to school.... But that's okay.
Freeware and trial software installed all over the desktop is a minor problem. I'm sure all the partnerships help with lowering the cost ASUS charges-so okay. It took me a whopping ten minutes to uninstall the programs including the annoying antivirus program that provided a pop-up screen every ten minutes asking me to install it.
It took me less than 20 minutes to have the new laptop up and running with all the configurations for Windows Update, product registration, and other first time customizations. Easy, clear directions from ASUS, including how to make your own restore disks, which took an extra hour to burn, but easily ran in the background while I used the PC. Backup discs will need to be on DVDs-CDs are not sufficient. That should have been obvious to me, but when I called tech support to confirm this, I got a fast, polite response from a real person. I highly recommend their tech support department.
My last laptop was going on 7 years old. Night and Day difference and the price I paid for the new ASUS was nearly half of what I paid for my older laptop USED.
After removing the junk software, icons and installed MS Office 2010, Adware, Firefox and other software, so far I like it.
This laptop is fast, it boots up quickly. It is only warm at the fan opening area after using it all day. The fan is quiet.
The DVD/Blu-ray software is on a DVD disc and it is old! I need to install it myself. It can't play Avatar. I need to download PowerDVD 10 to play latest blu-ray disc.
The LED display is better than my HP laptop! It is nice and bright, just like my 23" ASUS LED monitor.
The battery holds about 2 hours 15 minutes of charge. Not too good and not too bad.
The keyboard is nice with just enough space among keys. I can hit the key with confidence. The number keys are smaller.
Wireless is strong. It connects when I am in basement, router is on 2 floors above.
It also comes with Cyperlink DVD suite that allows me to burn CD, create video, print label and more.
A software to create funny video using its build in webcam. Webcam is not high definition like my HP laptop.
I connected HDMI to TV. It needs a reboot to output the sound to the TV. Took me couple hours to figure this out (Felix told me to reboot...). But it is very nice and very easy without any adjusting on the TV or on the laptop. I attached 2 pictures. Only connect laptop with one HDMI cable to TV, it carries both video and sound.
The facial recognition software is not too effective. The lighting needs to be the same every time. The finger print reader on my HP is better.
One more thing. I don't like the hard disk partition. It has 2 partitions, C: and D:. C: has the windows software and is only 78GB. The rest of the space is in D:
It means I need to use D: to hold all my personal files.
I created the "My documents", "My pictures", "Downloads", "My video", "My music" into D: drive. Then change the library property to point to these directories. In the Windows Explorer, right click of the "My documents" to open property, then remove the existing one and change the folder location. Same for other folders under "Library".
I wish it just has one big C: partition, it makes life easier !!
Since I got a good deal and paid only $549 for a re certified unit so I give it 5 starts. If I need to pay $800+ for a new one, I would return it to get another Gateway or HP. There are many good choice for $800.
My biggest beef with this machine is the 18 (EIGHTEEN) shortcuts I found on my desktop when I booted up. All flavors of crapware that I don't want and don't need that include a 90 day subscription to Trend Micro Anti-Virus which MaximumPC magazine rated as the WORST AV package on the market in their May 2010 edition. Now I know that doesn't mean much, but its disquieting when the defacto Hardware Champion of the entire computer industry (IMO) loads up a new machine with a truckload of unrecognizable garbageware like Splendid Utility and AP Bank, among others I've never heard of and don't have any use for. Oh well, while cleaning all this junk out of my HD I also noticed the boot time is right at 4 minutes, that's with the included utility Asus Fast Boot engaged. Sheesh!!!
On the upside, the display is bright and crisp and the graphics are amazing. And, the real good news here....there are two open DIMM slots so you can easily upgrade to 8Gig of system memory and hopefully improve the performance of this machine. Not a fan of the chicklet keyboard either, and you will find it almost impossible to navigate in the dark.
Very disappointed in Asus, and ya know it would have been nice to get a media player that's compatible with the Blu-Ray drive but alas....and good luck finding one that's even compatible with Windows 7 that doesn't cost $100, well there is VLC for your DVD's but that's about it. The battery gave me 70 minutes on a full charge before the initial boot. I don't expect my mood to soften anytime soon as I am still cleaning this thing up, BUT it does look good, and for a 15.6" it very lightweight, so I got that going for me.
3 Week Update: OK OK, now that I have massaged this thing and gotten rid of all the pre-installed junk provided by Asus I am VERY impressed. This machine is a multimedia/multitasking monster, and the Power 4 Gear power settings will give you about 2 1/2 hours on the battery, and it runs very cool, no heat discharge at all. The display is the most impressive thing about this laptop, I was forced to buy glasses to read my old HP but don't need them with this LED backlit panel. And the graphics are nothing short of incredible. Still not a fan of the chicklet keyboard, its just not as intuitive as it should be. And I think I can still benefit from a memory upgrade but right now that's only around $100 for another 4Gig and I'm hoping that improves the mouse function...not as responsive as one might hope, maybe its a resource thing, we'll see.
Anyway, I'm still upset about all the preloaded junk that came from the factory, Asus knows better but if you're going to take over the world there are things you just have to do as an OEM I suppose. They still make the best hardware out there IMO. So after the courtship phase with this thing I'd have to say I'm very pleased and semi-happy with my new laptop. BTW, PowerDVD10 is the most reliable media player I've found for Windows 7. VLC falls down on some formats and and I've never really liked Windows Media Player. Too bad Asus doesn't provide an OEM version with this unit, haven't tried a Blu Ray disc yet but they cant look any better than a regular DVD on this display.
FYI. if you're into these things, these are the Windows Experience numbers on a scale of 1 to 7.9:
CPU 6.7
RAM 5.9
Graphics 5.1 (Desktop and Windows Aero)
Gaming Graphics 6.2
Hard Disk 5.7
After cleaning everything up and re-running the scores, the CPU performance went from 6.5 to 6.7. Everything else stayed the same. Pretty strong! Also boot times have been cut in half, I can live with that. However, my biggest complaint now that I've upgraded to 8Gig of RAM is that the touchpad (Elan Smart-Pad) still doesnt work. And thats after turning off ALL of its services except the basic functions. HELLO ASUS, FIX THIS PROBLEM!!!! If you buy an Asus laptop you have to expect to have touchpad problems out of the gate, complaints are posted all over the web dating back 3-4 years, and you cannot install the latest drivers....they just wont install. My fix was a Microsoft 3500 mouse which I should have bought with the machine. Problem solved. A 5 star product if not for this pathetic Elan Tech "Smart-Pad"
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
I was looking for a laptop with both a Intel Core I5processor (the I7 laptops seeming to all for for at
least $300 more) and one with a blu ray drive. Also,
I do NOT like the shiny surfaced laptops where you
leave fingerprints and smears all over -this one is
shiny on the outside but they use a matte finish where
you rest your hands so fingerprints really aren't an
issue.
The laptop feels well built and looks very nice without
being flashy. I love the keyboard, with the keys spaced
apart from each other a bit. No place for crumbs to drop
in :P The screen is very clear and bright. It boots up
quickly and runs all my programs on it quickly.
I can't speak for battery life as I usually always run with
the power cord plugged in. As for gaming, I use it mostly
for work and running Office 2007 on it and for browsing, so
I can't say how well it will do with gaming, although I would
think it would be pretty good.
My only complaints would be the speakers don't go up very loud
and don't sound the best -but what laptop speakers ever do?
And I would like to go up a little higher on the screen resolution-
1366x768 being the maximum resolution in Windows 7.
But overall I am quit pleased with my purchase, especially for
the excellent price.
Best Deals for ASUS K52 Series K52JR-X4 15.6-Inch Laptop (Dark Brown)
Good notebook for its price. Use it mainly for programming use and it answers my needs. Graphics display is great.Honest reviews on ASUS K52 Series K52JR-X4 15.6-Inch Laptop (Dark Brown)
I haven't really put it to the test in terms of processor and multimedia, etc. But for everyday use such as video-playing (internet television and DVD movies), also photos, it's great. Boots up fast, and yes it can run for 24 hours, including video for the majority of that time, without getting noticeably hot and there's NEVER a fan kicking in at least that I can hear. Amazing. I prefer the OS partitioned off from the main storage drive. It's simply more efficient and faster to scandisk and defrag-and I like that I didn't have to figure out how to set up partitions on my own.When I originally decided to buy a laptop, I thought I wanted a netbook something lighter, thinner and more portable. But the ASUS has so much more power and nice specs for several hundred dollars less than than any of the netbooks. And frankly, I bought this ASUS because two non-commissioned salespersons at Office Max simply raved and raved about the company and the quality of their US-Made parts and assembly. They both drooled at this model on the shelf and referred to it as the "dream machine" they'd choose. I know I broke the heart of one of them when I bought it. This was the last one they had in stock. I, too, love the brushed metal textured body and touchpad. I'm a messy typist. I also bought a silicone keyboard cover and screen cover. Unfortunately, this model is way too nice (and big) for me to trust putting in my bike messenger bag and taking to school.... But that's okay.
Freeware and trial software installed all over the desktop is a minor problem. I'm sure all the partnerships help with lowering the cost ASUS charges-so okay. It took me a whopping ten minutes to uninstall the programs including the annoying antivirus program that provided a pop-up screen every ten minutes asking me to install it.
It took me less than 20 minutes to have the new laptop up and running with all the configurations for Windows Update, product registration, and other first time customizations. Easy, clear directions from ASUS, including how to make your own restore disks, which took an extra hour to burn, but easily ran in the background while I used the PC. Backup discs will need to be on DVDs-CDs are not sufficient. That should have been obvious to me, but when I called tech support to confirm this, I got a fast, polite response from a real person. I highly recommend their tech support department.
My last laptop was going on 7 years old. Night and Day difference and the price I paid for the new ASUS was nearly half of what I paid for my older laptop USED.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for ASUS K52 Series K52JR-X4 15.6-Inch Laptop (Dark Brown)
The ASUS K52J laptop arrived yesterday, 2 days before the expected delivery date.After removing the junk software, icons and installed MS Office 2010, Adware, Firefox and other software, so far I like it.
This laptop is fast, it boots up quickly. It is only warm at the fan opening area after using it all day. The fan is quiet.
The DVD/Blu-ray software is on a DVD disc and it is old! I need to install it myself. It can't play Avatar. I need to download PowerDVD 10 to play latest blu-ray disc.
The LED display is better than my HP laptop! It is nice and bright, just like my 23" ASUS LED monitor.
The battery holds about 2 hours 15 minutes of charge. Not too good and not too bad.
The keyboard is nice with just enough space among keys. I can hit the key with confidence. The number keys are smaller.
Wireless is strong. It connects when I am in basement, router is on 2 floors above.
It also comes with Cyperlink DVD suite that allows me to burn CD, create video, print label and more.
A software to create funny video using its build in webcam. Webcam is not high definition like my HP laptop.
I connected HDMI to TV. It needs a reboot to output the sound to the TV. Took me couple hours to figure this out (Felix told me to reboot...). But it is very nice and very easy without any adjusting on the TV or on the laptop. I attached 2 pictures. Only connect laptop with one HDMI cable to TV, it carries both video and sound.
The facial recognition software is not too effective. The lighting needs to be the same every time. The finger print reader on my HP is better.
One more thing. I don't like the hard disk partition. It has 2 partitions, C: and D:. C: has the windows software and is only 78GB. The rest of the space is in D:
It means I need to use D: to hold all my personal files.
I created the "My documents", "My pictures", "Downloads", "My video", "My music" into D: drive. Then change the library property to point to these directories. In the Windows Explorer, right click of the "My documents" to open property, then remove the existing one and change the folder location. Same for other folders under "Library".
I wish it just has one big C: partition, it makes life easier !!
Since I got a good deal and paid only $549 for a re certified unit so I give it 5 starts. If I need to pay $800+ for a new one, I would return it to get another Gateway or HP. There are many good choice for $800.
Monday, July 14, 2014
Best Sony VAIO Duo 11.6" Touch Screen Ultrabook Tablet Computer, Intel Deals
Customer Ratings: 
List Price: $1,999.99
Sale Price: $1,599.99
Today's Bonus: 20% Off

I have to say this device is pretty amazing... It runs photoshop, the full office suite, and my developer environments (mainly visual studio 2012) with no issues at all.
Its so fast you really don't know its a tablet, the screen and build is just great.. sure, if you are going to use it for a desktop replacement you might want to spring for a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse they are totally usable but a little cramped for heavy use.
p.s. the battery, given the power of this device is really not bad at all its just lasted 4 hours on my lap, developing in one window, while watching a video in another.. all while I sit in bed !
Love it !!
It's so light and fell in love immediately. You pull up on the back of the screen and it pops up into laptop mode. It's really cool. Folks keep coming by just to see it pop open then slide closed. (oooh do it again!)
It's hard to believe that you get a full on Win8 PC in such a tiny package.
Pros:
Light weight + very cool styling
Solid feel: the sliding hinge may raise some eyebrows when you first look at it but I have to say after using it for some time it's rock solid.
The touch screen is stunning at 1080p(IPS). The Win8 tiles are also a breeze to scroll through.
It's really powerful. Much better than my work PC.
Cons:
So why 1 star off? Quite simply, the keyboard is too small to use for every day productivity. If I hooked it up to an external monitor/keyboard everytime I needed to do work it'd be absolutely fine. (can't always do that when traveling)
Conclusion: The title says it all
The product is amazing: material quality, resolution, weight, and size. You don't compare this product to tablets like iPad, it is way advanced. It is a powerful machine that you can use to develop and do thing within this line. At the same time, you can use it as a normal regular tablet to surf the net.
It comes with a stylus (a pen). A sensitive stylus that would detect the pressure.
You need to get use to the keyboard.
other than that the product is amazing!
Quality: 10/10
Price:8/10
Speed:10/10
Will buy again for sure. I will recommend this for home, mobile or even gamers like me. This bad boy is even faster than my desktop.
I love the illuminated keyboard, Windows 8 fast boot time and the touch screen very responsive. Try using the stylus with Sketchbook Pro and you will know what I'm talking about.
List Price: $1,999.99
Sale Price: $1,599.99
Today's Bonus: 20% Off
I have to say this device is pretty amazing... It runs photoshop, the full office suite, and my developer environments (mainly visual studio 2012) with no issues at all.
Its so fast you really don't know its a tablet, the screen and build is just great.. sure, if you are going to use it for a desktop replacement you might want to spring for a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse they are totally usable but a little cramped for heavy use.
p.s. the battery, given the power of this device is really not bad at all its just lasted 4 hours on my lap, developing in one window, while watching a video in another.. all while I sit in bed !
Love it !!
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
My first impression when I picked up this tiny Ultrabook was WOW!!!!!!It's so light and fell in love immediately. You pull up on the back of the screen and it pops up into laptop mode. It's really cool. Folks keep coming by just to see it pop open then slide closed. (oooh do it again!)
It's hard to believe that you get a full on Win8 PC in such a tiny package.
Pros:
Light weight + very cool styling
Solid feel: the sliding hinge may raise some eyebrows when you first look at it but I have to say after using it for some time it's rock solid.
The touch screen is stunning at 1080p(IPS). The Win8 tiles are also a breeze to scroll through.
It's really powerful. Much better than my work PC.
Cons:
So why 1 star off? Quite simply, the keyboard is too small to use for every day productivity. If I hooked it up to an external monitor/keyboard everytime I needed to do work it'd be absolutely fine. (can't always do that when traveling)
Conclusion: The title says it all
Best Deals for Sony VAIO Duo 11.6" Touch Screen Ultrabook Tablet Computer, Intel
First of all, I'd like to highlight the quality of service of the supplier. The product was shipped even before the predicted time and was delivered three weeks before the predicted arrival time. In addition to that, it was well wrapped-up. So, great supplier.The product is amazing: material quality, resolution, weight, and size. You don't compare this product to tablets like iPad, it is way advanced. It is a powerful machine that you can use to develop and do thing within this line. At the same time, you can use it as a normal regular tablet to surf the net.
It comes with a stylus (a pen). A sensitive stylus that would detect the pressure.
You need to get use to the keyboard.
other than that the product is amazing!
Honest reviews on Sony VAIO Duo 11.6" Touch Screen Ultrabook Tablet Computer, Intel
Very fast and efficient. Only limitation is the windows mail. Otherwise smokin' fast. This is my 3rd SSD hard drive laptop and it is as fast if not faster than the mac book air and pro.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Sony VAIO Duo 11.6" Touch Screen Ultrabook Tablet Computer, Intel
Design: 10/10Quality: 10/10
Price:8/10
Speed:10/10
Will buy again for sure. I will recommend this for home, mobile or even gamers like me. This bad boy is even faster than my desktop.
I love the illuminated keyboard, Windows 8 fast boot time and the touch screen very responsive. Try using the stylus with Sketchbook Pro and you will know what I'm talking about.
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
Cheap Sony VAIO VPCEG26FX/B 14-Inch Laptop, Intel i5 2.4 Ghz, 4GB Ram
I purchased this item (not through Amazon) after doing some research online visiting various sites. I was not able to find any reviews at the time of my purchase, but as I wanted a faster processing speed than my old laptop, plus Blu-Ray capability, and a host of other things, I am more than pleased with my purchase. I do like the raised keys (like a Mac), the size of the screen is suitable for my needs, the finish is great on it. I am not a fan of the finger pads, so purchased a wireless mouse, which is fine with me. I have only just started using it, but now that I have loaded my Navigator speech to text program on it, look forward to getting a lot of paperwork at home done much more quickly than previously. The start up and close down time is much faster as well. Good all around. I look forward to reading what other users find with this product.
...And it only gets two stars. I've taken very good care of the battery hell, I only use the battery when I'm on the move, or while doing smaller tasks. I rarely do anything multimedia-heavy with the battery in, because I know that those things will strain the battery. And I've also made sure to keep the battery cool as much as possible. So even after taking measures like that to ensure a long battery life, after only a few months the battery started draining faster than a water bottle with a hole in it. Oh, and last month it started getting dead pixels, and they're spreading. So I've only been able to get a little over a year out of this, and now I have to search for a new laptop. :(
But, hey, SONY, what were you thinking when you designed the dvd tray? There is no way you can handle the laptop without accidentaly activating and therefore opening the dvd tray. Every. Single. Time.
If you touch the tray, at almost any point of it, it opens up. Really really annoying....
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
I do a lot of multimedia work, and I'm very pleased with how well this laptop works for that purpose. Even while editing large video files and editing photos simultaneously in two processor-heavy programs, this baby doesn't slow down or give me any crap. This speedy laptop can handle anything it seems. It's very well integrated with viewing and working on multimedia files, and the overall speed and performance is to die for. Top tier laptop in my opinion....And it only gets two stars. I've taken very good care of the battery hell, I only use the battery when I'm on the move, or while doing smaller tasks. I rarely do anything multimedia-heavy with the battery in, because I know that those things will strain the battery. And I've also made sure to keep the battery cool as much as possible. So even after taking measures like that to ensure a long battery life, after only a few months the battery started draining faster than a water bottle with a hole in it. Oh, and last month it started getting dead pixels, and they're spreading. So I've only been able to get a little over a year out of this, and now I have to search for a new laptop. :(
Best Deals for Sony VAIO VPCEG26FX/B 14-Inch Laptop, Intel i5 2.4 Ghz, 4GB Ram
This is a very short review. I Love everything about the laptop. It works great, looks great, and has excellent battery life.But, hey, SONY, what were you thinking when you designed the dvd tray? There is no way you can handle the laptop without accidentaly activating and therefore opening the dvd tray. Every. Single. Time.
If you touch the tray, at almost any point of it, it opens up. Really really annoying....
Honest reviews on Sony VAIO VPCEG26FX/B 14-Inch Laptop, Intel i5 2.4 Ghz, 4GB Ram
This laptop is exactly as advertised. The BluRay player, the hard drive size, and the wireless display option were important in choosing this computer.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Sony VAIO VPCEG26FX/B 14-Inch Laptop, Intel i5 2.4 Ghz, 4GB Ram
I bought this for my friend. This laptop is compact, good looking and works efficiently, and I think it's price is justified too.Friday, June 20, 2014
Cheap Acer Aspire V5-571-6662 15.6-Inch Laptop (Midnight Black)
Customer Ratings: 
List Price: $549.99
Sale Price: $479.99
Today's Bonus: 13% Off

Great lap top. Thin, lightweight and easy to carry. I can tell you this though, windows 8 sucks. I'm going to try and swith back to windows 7 if possible.I like it just fine , I have had problems with the battery , They replaced it and I still can't get the battery to last more than 90 minutes.
List Price: $549.99
Sale Price: $479.99
Today's Bonus: 13% Off
Great lap top. Thin, lightweight and easy to carry. I can tell you this though, windows 8 sucks. I'm going to try and swith back to windows 7 if possible.I like it just fine , I have had problems with the battery , They replaced it and I still can't get the battery to last more than 90 minutes.
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Reviews of HP Refurbished ENVY Sleekbook 6-1010us 15.6" Notebook
I travel a lot so a thin laptop sounded like a great idea. I used to keep it in my backpack but the lappy is so thin and the screen so poorly protected that it has scratches on it now from the keyboard. It's fast though. Never put any weight on it and forget about discs and this could be a good pc for you.
Monday, June 2, 2014
Review of Sony VAIO SE1 Series VPCSE17FX/B 15.5-Inch Laptop (Jet Black)
My primary requirement for a laptop was for it to have a beautiful screen and long battery life. If this is what you are looking for, there are no alternatives besides a Macbook. This is why I give it 5 stars. I purchased the computer from a physical Microsoft Store and received 25% off (Nov 2011).
Pros:
Beautiful screen, 1080p, great viewing angle both vertical and horizontal. Nothing compares to this screen!
Battery life (with extra battery attachment) is probably between 4 and 8 hours depending on use.
Silent Performance mode. Supresses processing power but keeps the fan at minimum rpm.
Blu-ray playback is just stunning!
USB 3.0
HDMI out
VAIO control panel is neat. VAIO care is interesting too.
Cons:
Trackpad is difficult to find and mouse button is not easy to press. This is annoying, but I placed a little sticker on the easiest part to click and issue resolved.
No dedicated volume button (need to press fn+f3/f4)
The resolution is so high and the screen a normal 15.6 inches that I need my glasses with some applications without a zoom feature.
Sound is not great, but works well enough.
I prefer a centered keyboard without a numeric pad.
The laptop does not come out of standby mode when I open the lid/screen. I need to press the power button. My HP DV-6000 starts up when I open the lid. There may be a setting for this.
I have not found a mic input port for plug in mic. My HP has one.
No HDTV Tuner
Price
Conclusion:
It's not for everyone, but I love it. With this computer, I can take it all over the house and easily attach it to a HDTV anywhere without worrying about power, instantly making the HDTV, Blu-ray and internet capable (with no restrictions like Google TV). No HDTV in the room? You have one on your lap!
Update:
I recently purchased a PS3 Display and hooked up my Sony laptop. The PS3 Display is bright and beautiful. As compared to the laptop screen, the laptop screen has a very very slight (was never noticeable without comparison) orange/brown tinge when looking at white. The PS3 Display has a very very slight blue tinge.
Pros----------------------------------------
SCREEN
This is the best screen you can find in laptop industry. It has the almost 180 degrees of view angle, which you can only find on LCD TVs and Mac screens. Even Mac screen will change the white color to yellow when viewed from steep angles, this one will darken a little bit but the color unchanged.
Also ,this screen remains the same on the inferior versions of this model(VPCSE13,VPCSE16...)
Slim body
Long battery.
With out extra battery sheet, this machine only last 3.5 hours. But I highly recommend you buy a battery sheet, for extending time to 6.5 hours (middle brightness), as well as keeping the bottom cool. (The bottom is cool enough when not playing games, a batter sheet will make it even cooler)
Double graphic card.
I wanted this features for years. And now I finally got it. Also ATI 6630 is a class 2 graphics card, according to . When I play COD7 , it's easy to render at high fps at high settings.
CONS--------------------------------
1 SONY's driver is hard to install. You must download them from Sony's website and install in sequence if you intend to reinstall your OS. If the sequence is not right, it's easy to end up with some hardware not working.
2 6630 Graphic card (or it's driver) does not support portrait mode(rotate monitor 90 degrees). Well maybe most people does not need this feature, but I do, when I view or design websites. I have a viewsonic monitor that can rotate, but the graphic card does not support.....
OVERALL, I highly recommend this machine or any of it's inferior version to my friends. The top-of-industry screen alone is a strong enough reason .
The huge cosmetic surprise was that this laptop is essentially ALL PLASTIC. Some reviewer said it is aluminum which is totally wrong. Every major external part is made of plastic (like many laptops).
The biggest functional flaw is by far the FAN PLACEMENT. It is located on the BACK of the laptop. Normally this isn't a bad thing, except on this laptop, when you open the lid/screen, IT BLOCKS THE FAN. IT'S SO FUNNY. I can't imagine who would design something so stupid? If you open the lid/screen, it essentially blocks the fan causing the fan to run harder and harder making a lot of noise. Essentially Sony sacrificed function for style (cooling and fan placement is not something you want compromised).
CONS:
-FAN PLACEMENT (See above)
-Fan runs on high and very loud even for minimal loads
-ALL PLASTIC BODY (the plastic seems sort of cheap and light, likely to reduce the weight)
-Battery is life not good (less than would be expected for a 15.6")
-Only three USBs, all placed on one side
-It just has a weird look to it. It's nothing like the more or less standard look you find on HPs or MacBook Pros. It looked amazing in the pictures, but I didn't like how it looked in person. I think the square, sharp edges and corner (instead of round ones) have a lot to do with it.
-The "Stamina" or "Speed" manual switch on the top left of the keyboard is almost unique to this laptop. It is used to switch between integrated or discrete graphs. Normally this is a plus, except this laptop CANNOT HANDLE THE HEAT from "Speed" or discrete graphs so you always leave it on "Stamina"
PROS:
-Very light, among the lightest 15.6" laptops you will find (the cheap plastic probably helps with that)
-Very comfortable keyboard (similar to Lenovo keyboards)
-Full HD 1920x1080 resolution (major plus)
-IPS LED Backlit technology for the monitor (again, major plus)
CONCLUSION: This laptop is a very light weight 15.6" laptop with an incredible display. Just expect an ALL PLASTIC body and expect loud fan noise even under minimal loads. Surprisingly, heat was not an issue, but very loud fan noise was.
Pros:
Beautiful screen, 1080p, great viewing angle both vertical and horizontal. Nothing compares to this screen!
Battery life (with extra battery attachment) is probably between 4 and 8 hours depending on use.
Silent Performance mode. Supresses processing power but keeps the fan at minimum rpm.
Blu-ray playback is just stunning!
USB 3.0
HDMI out
VAIO control panel is neat. VAIO care is interesting too.
Cons:
Trackpad is difficult to find and mouse button is not easy to press. This is annoying, but I placed a little sticker on the easiest part to click and issue resolved.
No dedicated volume button (need to press fn+f3/f4)
The resolution is so high and the screen a normal 15.6 inches that I need my glasses with some applications without a zoom feature.
Sound is not great, but works well enough.
I prefer a centered keyboard without a numeric pad.
The laptop does not come out of standby mode when I open the lid/screen. I need to press the power button. My HP DV-6000 starts up when I open the lid. There may be a setting for this.
I have not found a mic input port for plug in mic. My HP has one.
No HDTV Tuner
Price
Conclusion:
It's not for everyone, but I love it. With this computer, I can take it all over the house and easily attach it to a HDTV anywhere without worrying about power, instantly making the HDTV, Blu-ray and internet capable (with no restrictions like Google TV). No HDTV in the room? You have one on your lap!
Update:
I recently purchased a PS3 Display and hooked up my Sony laptop. The PS3 Display is bright and beautiful. As compared to the laptop screen, the laptop screen has a very very slight (was never noticeable without comparison) orange/brown tinge when looking at white. The PS3 Display has a very very slight blue tinge.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
I have owned this vpcse 17fx for over 3 months. I have to admit that this is the best laptop I'v ever had.Pros----------------------------------------
SCREEN
This is the best screen you can find in laptop industry. It has the almost 180 degrees of view angle, which you can only find on LCD TVs and Mac screens. Even Mac screen will change the white color to yellow when viewed from steep angles, this one will darken a little bit but the color unchanged.
Also ,this screen remains the same on the inferior versions of this model(VPCSE13,VPCSE16...)
Slim body
Long battery.
With out extra battery sheet, this machine only last 3.5 hours. But I highly recommend you buy a battery sheet, for extending time to 6.5 hours (middle brightness), as well as keeping the bottom cool. (The bottom is cool enough when not playing games, a batter sheet will make it even cooler)
Double graphic card.
I wanted this features for years. And now I finally got it. Also ATI 6630 is a class 2 graphics card, according to . When I play COD7 , it's easy to render at high fps at high settings.
CONS--------------------------------
1 SONY's driver is hard to install. You must download them from Sony's website and install in sequence if you intend to reinstall your OS. If the sequence is not right, it's easy to end up with some hardware not working.
2 6630 Graphic card (or it's driver) does not support portrait mode(rotate monitor 90 degrees). Well maybe most people does not need this feature, but I do, when I view or design websites. I have a viewsonic monitor that can rotate, but the graphic card does not support.....
OVERALL, I highly recommend this machine or any of it's inferior version to my friends. The top-of-industry screen alone is a strong enough reason .
Best Deals for Sony VAIO SE1 Series VPCSE17FX/B 15.5-Inch Laptop (Jet Black)
I was really excited about this laptop until it I saw it and used it.The huge cosmetic surprise was that this laptop is essentially ALL PLASTIC. Some reviewer said it is aluminum which is totally wrong. Every major external part is made of plastic (like many laptops).
The biggest functional flaw is by far the FAN PLACEMENT. It is located on the BACK of the laptop. Normally this isn't a bad thing, except on this laptop, when you open the lid/screen, IT BLOCKS THE FAN. IT'S SO FUNNY. I can't imagine who would design something so stupid? If you open the lid/screen, it essentially blocks the fan causing the fan to run harder and harder making a lot of noise. Essentially Sony sacrificed function for style (cooling and fan placement is not something you want compromised).
CONS:
-FAN PLACEMENT (See above)
-Fan runs on high and very loud even for minimal loads
-ALL PLASTIC BODY (the plastic seems sort of cheap and light, likely to reduce the weight)
-Battery is life not good (less than would be expected for a 15.6")
-Only three USBs, all placed on one side
-It just has a weird look to it. It's nothing like the more or less standard look you find on HPs or MacBook Pros. It looked amazing in the pictures, but I didn't like how it looked in person. I think the square, sharp edges and corner (instead of round ones) have a lot to do with it.
-The "Stamina" or "Speed" manual switch on the top left of the keyboard is almost unique to this laptop. It is used to switch between integrated or discrete graphs. Normally this is a plus, except this laptop CANNOT HANDLE THE HEAT from "Speed" or discrete graphs so you always leave it on "Stamina"
PROS:
-Very light, among the lightest 15.6" laptops you will find (the cheap plastic probably helps with that)
-Very comfortable keyboard (similar to Lenovo keyboards)
-Full HD 1920x1080 resolution (major plus)
-IPS LED Backlit technology for the monitor (again, major plus)
CONCLUSION: This laptop is a very light weight 15.6" laptop with an incredible display. Just expect an ALL PLASTIC body and expect loud fan noise even under minimal loads. Surprisingly, heat was not an issue, but very loud fan noise was.
Friday, May 30, 2014
Cheap Acer Aspire 5742Z-4200 Intel Pentium P6100 2.0GHz 2GB 250GB DVDRW
Seeing as there is not many reviews on this, and I happen to own one, I figured I would give my opinion on this laptop.
I got this laptop as a Christmas present in 2010 to use for general use and college in 2011. This laptop, so far, has held up very well.
The only minor difference between my exact model is that it came with a 300GB HDD and 3GB of ram(which I have upgraded to 6GB).
The laptop is excellent and quick in every day tasks, unfortunately it is now beginning to show some age. I have the free version of Microsoft Office and it can take upwards of 30-40 seconds on first time load (Restarts will go much quicker).
For everyday computing, this will be a good laptop. The screen is very crisp given the resolution. Web surfing and web games are quick and offer no problems.
For reliability, I can see this has been the most reliable, trouble-free computer I've owned. Granted, I take good care of it. It has had only one minor failure when booting one day, then the problem disappeared.
For gaming, you may want to look elsewhere. This laptop CAN game on older games, I can't say the same for newer though.
I regularly play Minecraft, Left 4 Dead 2, Team Fortress 2, and other similar games.
Minecraft will play decently on this laptop, provided you install Optifine and set the graphics mostly to low. I get about 15-30 frames-per-second depending on what's happening.
Left 4 Dead 2: EVERYTHING on low I average about 15-20 fps. Which is decently playable.
Team Fortress 2: Everything on low I get anywhere from 10-30 fps depending on game type. (Man Vs Machine is a FPS killer)
In conclusion, this game will be a good buy for those who do general web surfing or low power apps and maybe the occasional game. However, this is a 2-3 year old budget laptop that is reaching the end of it's life. A year or two ago I would have given this 4 stars, however. It's still a very good computer for those who do light computing, but anything higher than the games I mention will probably not be worthwhile. This computer was not built for that, and is deteriorating rather quickly in today's market.
Don't get me wrong, the laptop is good. Just not good enough given the current price. (350$ for a used, 400+ refurbished) If you're looking for a better laptop to game on, or do anything graphically intense; I recommend going AMD. Their integrated cards are much better than Intel's.I bought this Acer in need of a large screen for living in Ecuador. I immediately loaded Ubuntu 10.3 on the system. It runs like a dream and never crashes as my HP did before. With a 15.6 inch screen, you will have more than enough desktop space. The memory screams with Linux as a motor. I like the large keyboard for typing, with big fingers, it surely helps. The HD sound card and video card work like a dream. I recommend the Acer 5745 over any HP product out there, it is Linux ready.
I got this laptop as a Christmas present in 2010 to use for general use and college in 2011. This laptop, so far, has held up very well.
The only minor difference between my exact model is that it came with a 300GB HDD and 3GB of ram(which I have upgraded to 6GB).
The laptop is excellent and quick in every day tasks, unfortunately it is now beginning to show some age. I have the free version of Microsoft Office and it can take upwards of 30-40 seconds on first time load (Restarts will go much quicker).
For everyday computing, this will be a good laptop. The screen is very crisp given the resolution. Web surfing and web games are quick and offer no problems.
For reliability, I can see this has been the most reliable, trouble-free computer I've owned. Granted, I take good care of it. It has had only one minor failure when booting one day, then the problem disappeared.
For gaming, you may want to look elsewhere. This laptop CAN game on older games, I can't say the same for newer though.
I regularly play Minecraft, Left 4 Dead 2, Team Fortress 2, and other similar games.
Minecraft will play decently on this laptop, provided you install Optifine and set the graphics mostly to low. I get about 15-30 frames-per-second depending on what's happening.
Left 4 Dead 2: EVERYTHING on low I average about 15-20 fps. Which is decently playable.
Team Fortress 2: Everything on low I get anywhere from 10-30 fps depending on game type. (Man Vs Machine is a FPS killer)
In conclusion, this game will be a good buy for those who do general web surfing or low power apps and maybe the occasional game. However, this is a 2-3 year old budget laptop that is reaching the end of it's life. A year or two ago I would have given this 4 stars, however. It's still a very good computer for those who do light computing, but anything higher than the games I mention will probably not be worthwhile. This computer was not built for that, and is deteriorating rather quickly in today's market.
Don't get me wrong, the laptop is good. Just not good enough given the current price. (350$ for a used, 400+ refurbished) If you're looking for a better laptop to game on, or do anything graphically intense; I recommend going AMD. Their integrated cards are much better than Intel's.I bought this Acer in need of a large screen for living in Ecuador. I immediately loaded Ubuntu 10.3 on the system. It runs like a dream and never crashes as my HP did before. With a 15.6 inch screen, you will have more than enough desktop space. The memory screams with Linux as a motor. I like the large keyboard for typing, with big fingers, it surely helps. The HD sound card and video card work like a dream. I recommend the Acer 5745 over any HP product out there, it is Linux ready.
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