List Price: $851.60
Sale Price: $720.69
Today's Bonus: 15% Off
the real specs are
Intel Core i5 4200M(2.5GHz)
6GB Memory 750GB HDD
NVIDIA GeForce GT 720M
resolution 1366 x 768
Windows 8
DVD Super Multi
Showing posts with label notebook ratings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label notebook ratings. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
MSI CX61 2OC-206US 15.6-Inch Laptop Review
List Price: $851.60
Sale Price: $720.69
Today's Bonus: 15% Off
the real specs are
Intel Core i5 4200M(2.5GHz)
6GB Memory 750GB HDD
NVIDIA GeForce GT 720M
resolution 1366 x 768
Windows 8
DVD Super Multi
Saturday, December 13, 2014
Discount Acer Aspire V5 15.6 in. Core i3 500GB Notebook
List Price: $699.99
Sale Price: $679.00
Today's Bonus: 3% Off
Nice machine. I'm not a heavy user and don't it for games. For my needs, this machine is great. I had to get use to Windows 8 it took about 2-3 days. I messed up the machine by changing settings and then had to reload the software but it has worked great ever since. I love the touch of the keyboard on this laptop (had HP Pavilion and didn't like the keyboard). I would never know it was refurbished, no problems at all. I have no problem recommending it. You do have to purchase software such as Microsoft Office. I found a free download of a similar program called Libre. If you know how to use MS Office you will know how to use this free software. It saved me $140. You can give them a donation to support the program but it is not required for it to download and operate. This product was a good choice and I like it.
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Edge E520 15.6" 500GB 4GB Reviews
I bought this business laptop for my personal use two weeks ago. I'm so impressed with its performance. Typing is really fun on this laptop! It takes a bit of time to get used to the keyboard as my older keyboards are quite different than Lenovo's.
The red pointer in the middle of the keyboard is extremely helpful! I don't think I will ever use the regular mouse-pad.
This laptop comes with a Intel i5 processor, 500 GB of hard disk and 4 GB of Memory; perfect specifications for my daily use.
What I really liked about this laptop also is how quiet it is! You hear no noise at all. The fan seems totally mute! The laptop does not get hot at all even after many many hours of usage!
Lenovo is surely a great company who knows how to manufacture laptops that will last for long times. Their ThinkPad line of laptops in my opinion is the best.
If you are looking to buy a laptop with a decent price, I recommend this one.
The 4GB of RAM is plenty, but a 4GB upgrade was only about $20.00, so I went ahead and ordered to max out the system. Windows 7 Professional, Bluetooth, and the fingerprint reader are nice extras that you won't likely elsewhere for the sub-$600 price tag.
Amazon Marketplace's partner Abe's of Maine exceeded my expectations by promptly shipping my order, I received it one day ahead of Amazon's earliest delivery estimate.
Though Lenovo is not the best on the market I feel they are one of the top line manufactures. If you are looking for a very well built machine that is tough and can take abuse look no further.
After 10 months of use, mouse pad started behaving differently. So I created case with Lenovo as my Laptop was still covered under warranty. My case was pending with billing department for review (Though I never got the call for this). When I called them up after 8 days, they said that they found substance inside the laptop; hence it's not covered under warranty. And biggest joke that repair cost will be 900 dollars.
My first reaction was that I got it for 500 dollars and they want me to pay 900 dollars for repair. What on earth this makes sense !!
I had also sent the new keypad in the box and requested them to replace my old keypad with new one as some of the keys had come out. That also they were not ready to do. ALL or NOTHING.
Okay.. Then I requested, do not repait my laptop; Just swap the keypad. BUT NO. They Cannot. ALL or NOTHING.
Pissed off and asked them to send my laptop back unrepaired.
DO NOT Suggest LENOVO to anyone for it's sheer unwillingness to help Customers !!
Never experienced such bad support in my life yet .....
The red pointer in the middle of the keyboard is extremely helpful! I don't think I will ever use the regular mouse-pad.
This laptop comes with a Intel i5 processor, 500 GB of hard disk and 4 GB of Memory; perfect specifications for my daily use.
What I really liked about this laptop also is how quiet it is! You hear no noise at all. The fan seems totally mute! The laptop does not get hot at all even after many many hours of usage!
Lenovo is surely a great company who knows how to manufacture laptops that will last for long times. Their ThinkPad line of laptops in my opinion is the best.
If you are looking to buy a laptop with a decent price, I recommend this one.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
This is the one! I spent a lot of time researching a replacement for my 4 year old 17" Toshiba Satellite. I was impressed with a colleague's ThinkPad that I used a couple weeks ago and decided to look for a Lenovo rather than what would have been my third Toshiba. What made this particular E520 stand out was its Intel Core i5 processor and low price. There are many E520s with the Core i3 processor and also many E525s with AMD's Fusion processor for slightly lower prices, but they are both entry level entry level processors. I probably don't need the extra processing capability of the i5 but it is nice to know that it is there and I always try to buy things that are slightly better than middle of the road.The 4GB of RAM is plenty, but a 4GB upgrade was only about $20.00, so I went ahead and ordered to max out the system. Windows 7 Professional, Bluetooth, and the fingerprint reader are nice extras that you won't likely elsewhere for the sub-$600 price tag.
Amazon Marketplace's partner Abe's of Maine exceeded my expectations by promptly shipping my order, I received it one day ahead of Amazon's earliest delivery estimate.
Best Deals for Edge E520 15.6" 500GB 4GB
Being a self-taught techie I have used, abused and destroyed many top shelf quality products. I currently work in very unforgiving and hostile environments, with heat, dirt, dust, moisture and more mosquitos than I know what to do with. Over the years I have had the top of the line laptops such as Asus Pro, HP Elitebook, Panasonic Toughbook and the infamous Getac. All were great laptops, most were milspec but eventually they all had issues. Cheap parts would break prematurely, Hard Drives burn out, optical drives quit working. Last year I wound up down range with my Panisonic tough book and started having major issues. On my next trip through the states I ordered a Lenovo W520. This was a lot heavier than expected with the 120w charger and large long lasting battery pack, but a year later is near indestructible. It has been to the mountains in the cold, deserts in summer and on planes, trains and automobiles. The most taxing of which are the family road tirps where the kids in the back seat are using it for a movie player. When my wife needed a new laptop I didn't hesitate and shop around trying to get the best deal I could, I when straight for Lenovo again. This time I settled on the less rugged E520 series. Amazingly I stumbled upon the best price I could and bought hers for aroud $550 from Amazon. The seller had it shipped and delivered in 56hrs and my wife was back on line and skyping with me by the end of the week. This machine is not the best on the market but for the price it is a very good value. Thus far it has survived a toddler juice incident that her old HP or Ideabook would have taken like Fukushima meltdown. My personal W520 has drains in the keyboard for these, the E520 does not but has some technology that helps in these situations.Though Lenovo is not the best on the market I feel they are one of the top line manufactures. If you are looking for a very well built machine that is tough and can take abuse look no further.
Honest reviews on Edge E520 15.6" 500GB 4GB
Laptop is okay for it's price. But I want to write about the warranty lenovo provides.After 10 months of use, mouse pad started behaving differently. So I created case with Lenovo as my Laptop was still covered under warranty. My case was pending with billing department for review (Though I never got the call for this). When I called them up after 8 days, they said that they found substance inside the laptop; hence it's not covered under warranty. And biggest joke that repair cost will be 900 dollars.
My first reaction was that I got it for 500 dollars and they want me to pay 900 dollars for repair. What on earth this makes sense !!
I had also sent the new keypad in the box and requested them to replace my old keypad with new one as some of the keys had come out. That also they were not ready to do. ALL or NOTHING.
Okay.. Then I requested, do not repait my laptop; Just swap the keypad. BUT NO. They Cannot. ALL or NOTHING.
Pissed off and asked them to send my laptop back unrepaired.
DO NOT Suggest LENOVO to anyone for it's sheer unwillingness to help Customers !!
Never experienced such bad support in my life yet .....
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Edge E520 15.6" 500GB 4GB
Lenovo Thinkpad E520 that were manufactured in the last quarter of 2011 have a faulty EEPROM chip. This means eventually the laptop won't start up. Lenovo has recognized there is a problem, but will not replace the faulty chip if the laptop is out of warranty. My E520 was two months out of warranty when it quit working. Lenovo informed me I will have to pay them to replace the chip that was faulty in the first place. Beware!!
Monday, November 24, 2014
Asus N76VJ-DH71 17.3-Inch Laptop Reviews
List Price: $1,423.36
Sale Price: $1,038.11
Today's Bonus: 27% Off
This laptop was exactly what I was looking for as sort of a portable desktop. The 17 inch screen is a great size to watch media with. The speakers are amazing and it comes with a plug in sub-woofer. I think they limited the volume max so you don't blow out the speakers so it's not insanely loud but just great rich sound. The laptop description says it weighs 12 plus pounds which is ridiculous so I weighed it on my kitchen scale and it's only 7.8 pounds. The mouse pad has many functions and can be frustrating at first but once you get used to the swipe motion function it's pretty useful. 2 gigs of dedicated video ram can handle video editing and play most modern games on medium or higher settings. It has a small onboard video card to save power until the big guy is needed. The 8 gigs of ram can be upgraded to 16 gigs as the two card slots are not hardwired to the motherboard like some other laptops. All in all it's everything I'll need for the next few years.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
I'd really love to give this computer 5 stars. The screen is beautiful, the keyboard spacious, the speakers clear, the processor fast. Fairly light for the size. But it came with Windows 8, which has been a problem. Windows 8 from what I can tell is made primarily for touch screens, especially tablets. This ASUS isn't a touch screen, so you can't use Windows 8 the way it was designed. It all becomes clumsy to use. You're trying to mimic the swipes of a tablet with a touch pad...it just doesn't work smoothly.Perhaps there's a way to put Windows 8 in a mode where it behaves more like Windows 7...If I figure out how to do that, perhaps I'll give this non-touch screen computer 5 stars. It's really great. Except for Windows 8.
Best Deals for Asus N76VJ-DH71 17.3-Inch Laptop
Surpassed every task and desire I bought it with in mind. Every task I set before this machine is instant in completion. What a wonderful product.Honest reviews on Asus N76VJ-DH71 17.3-Inch Laptop
Took some getting used to but I do love this computer! The size, weight and overall feel is perfect. Pretty easy to learn how to use.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Asus N76VJ-DH71 17.3-Inch Laptop
My friend at work recommended ASUS since he loves his ASUS laptop. He is a gamer so it is great for the graphics. I wanted a great quality laptop that would provide fast speed and have all the great high tech features. It is wonderful and worth every penny.Sunday, October 26, 2014
Buy Qosmio X505-Q8100X 18.4-Inch Gaming Laptop (Omega Black)
I love the new computer. I has everything I need. I just wanted to let people know that this model is actually the 8100x and it has a resolution of 1680 x 945 not the advertised (at this time) 1920 x 1080. Amazon did offer me a 10% discount on the product because of this so I am happy with it.
I've played Fallout New Vegas, as well as Skyrim on this laptop, both at ultra-high detail settings, and they both just look gorgeous, with no issues! I also used "PowerDirector" to transfer home videos off of my Sony DV Camcorder, and then edit the videos and produce them and/or burn to DVD. I also use Google SketchUp on this, and no matter now many objects are on the screen, it never slows down or has any issues.
My only "complaints" about this laptop are the size of the power brick (it is huge) and the red highlights on the case. But those are just personal taste quibbles.
I have had the laptop over a month now, and used it extensively over the holidays. Zero problems, and I am very happy with my purchase.
If you have no need of firewire and/or ExpressCard slots, then I'm sure one of the replacements for this model would be excellent as well.
Pro's
-Nice and sturdy
-Huge screen
-Hard drive reseats itself when you tilt it (For protection against damage to the hard-drive)
-Grade A speakers
-Sleek look
-Not too many technical problems.
-Sick graphics and smooth gaming.
Cons
-This baby is a bit on the heavy side. But You can't comprimise the security for weight.
-The outer coating of the laptop is high gloss so you will have to clean it a good amount. (Mess just shows more on it)
Overall, I have had this laptop for about a year and a half now. Never had a problem with it.
I would strongly recommend this to anyone who likes GAMING and graphic using software
Big Screen
Sturdy
The red color makes this laptop look awesome
Speakers give me chills every time I hear them, they are that good
Con's:
It is a huge laptop, so if you are planning to take it places you will need a custom backpack or carrying case (I wholeheartedly suggest this backpack Toshiba PA1453U-1BG8 18.4 inches Gaming Backpack)
Side touch controls can get in the way sometimes
Smaller keyboard takes time to get used to
Very heavy
Attracts fingerprints like mad
I love this laptop and am very, very happy I purchased it.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
After my old Compaq laptop died, I decided I wanted something not only to get online and surf with, but also to play games. I also needed a laptop that had either a built-in firewire 1394 port, or an ExpressCard slot so I could add one. This laptop has both! It took me a while to find this one, because it is a slightly older model now, and all the replacements have neither a firewire OR an ExpressCard slot.I've played Fallout New Vegas, as well as Skyrim on this laptop, both at ultra-high detail settings, and they both just look gorgeous, with no issues! I also used "PowerDirector" to transfer home videos off of my Sony DV Camcorder, and then edit the videos and produce them and/or burn to DVD. I also use Google SketchUp on this, and no matter now many objects are on the screen, it never slows down or has any issues.
My only "complaints" about this laptop are the size of the power brick (it is huge) and the red highlights on the case. But those are just personal taste quibbles.
I have had the laptop over a month now, and used it extensively over the holidays. Zero problems, and I am very happy with my purchase.
If you have no need of firewire and/or ExpressCard slots, then I'm sure one of the replacements for this model would be excellent as well.
Best Deals for Qosmio X505-Q8100X 18.4-Inch Gaming Laptop (Omega Black)
I own this laptop from another company first off. So I cannot speak for shipping quality. But this is beyond the best laptop I have had.Pro's
-Nice and sturdy
-Huge screen
-Hard drive reseats itself when you tilt it (For protection against damage to the hard-drive)
-Grade A speakers
-Sleek look
-Not too many technical problems.
-Sick graphics and smooth gaming.
Cons
-This baby is a bit on the heavy side. But You can't comprimise the security for weight.
-The outer coating of the laptop is high gloss so you will have to clean it a good amount. (Mess just shows more on it)
Overall, I have had this laptop for about a year and a half now. Never had a problem with it.
I would strongly recommend this to anyone who likes GAMING and graphic using software
Honest reviews on Qosmio X505-Q8100X 18.4-Inch Gaming Laptop (Omega Black)
Pro's:Big Screen
Sturdy
The red color makes this laptop look awesome
Speakers give me chills every time I hear them, they are that good
Con's:
It is a huge laptop, so if you are planning to take it places you will need a custom backpack or carrying case (I wholeheartedly suggest this backpack Toshiba PA1453U-1BG8 18.4 inches Gaming Backpack)
Side touch controls can get in the way sometimes
Smaller keyboard takes time to get used to
Very heavy
Attracts fingerprints like mad
I love this laptop and am very, very happy I purchased it.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Qosmio X505-Q8100X 18.4-Inch Gaming Laptop (Omega Black)
This is an awesome laptop. It is really fast and does not get hot as HP powerhouse laptops do. You can play almost all the games on it with no problems. The screen is just gorgeous !! love it !!Monday, October 20, 2014
Discount Sony VAIO Pro SVP13215PXB 13.3-Inch Core i7 Touchscreen Ultrabook
SECOND UPDATE
===================
(1) Speakers
(2) Build
(3) Temperature/fan noise
(4) Tips
(5) General Thoughts
(1) Speakers: I know some of the professional reviews said they aren't the greatest but they are not terrible for the size. No, you're not going to get blown away and you're not going to get deep bass. The built-in speakers are located around the hinge, facing up and slightly toward the screen. The sound doesn't get distorted at max volume and fills a standard room pretty adequately at max volume. I'm sure the small size also provided some challenges for the engineering team, so I'm not disappointed.
(2) Build: The more I play with it, I'm not convinced that it's mainly carbon fiber. I sense that there is a decent amount of "plastic-y" material in there but I'm not complaining. The only issue it gives me is the accuracy of the trackpad when not on a hard surface (see the second update to this review below).
(3) Temperature/fan noise: OK, I'll concede a little here with some of the other reviewers. I'm not so concerned with the noise as much as I am with the durability of components that heat up this much. Yes, when the fan gets going, the exiting air temperature is very hot, and the underside of the laptop is as well. SpeedFan reported temps as high as 78 degrees Celsius (172 degrees F)!! That's hotter than any other desktop or mobile computer I've owned without additional heat-mitigating mechanisms. I just hope the components are able to handle that temp--at least it's an SSD instead of a traditional platter. It's also a little bit away from the hot components. The extended battery gives a little relief since it pushes the laptop up a little like a stand.
(4) Tips: There are quite a number of Sony updates to install including a firmware/BIOS update. When you click on the assist button the updates are listed under "software" instead of "updates". I got an error message installing Intel Anti-Theft indicating that the device was not compatible with it. It is. I was able to fix it by going into the BIOS settings and clicking on enable TPM and AT (even though it already was). After a few reboots, it recognized it OK. One thing that drove me crazy until I figured it out... the only way to get to the UEFI and BIOS settings was from a "shutdown" state, then pushing the "assist" button.
Another tip, this doesn't use the camera for light sensor as some have speculated. It uses the dedicated sensor next to the "assist" button. I personally do not like this since if a directional light is shining down on the device but not lighting the surrounding, it is thrown off. I have LED lighting in the main room of my house and it is constantly auto-adjusting the brightness. I believe there is a way to turn this off but I haven't played with it. It also has issues with adjusting brightness when your arm blocks the light for a few seconds. Why would your arm do that you say? Oh, I don't know, maybe because it's a TOUCHSCREEN laptop!! Come on Sony, so perfect in every other way! Again, not so bad that I would return it. I still think it's one of the best Haswell Ultrabooks on the market.
Purchase tips in the first updated review below.
(5) General thoughts: I haven't bothered to fix my Android tablet yet (the Asus TF300T is a pain to replace the digitizer unlike any other device I've owned). This has all but replaced my netbook and tablet that were used previously for separate tasks. All in a footprint smaller than either one individually. I am looking forward to the Windows 8.1 improvements. I have not installed the preview. I want to wait for the more stable release. On another note, the Intel Anti-Theft is $6.99 for one year on Amazon here.Intel 1 Year Anti Theft Service for Ultrabooks and Laptops Totally worth it for me. I take this everywhere.
FIRST UPDATE AFTER flying with this (and for the first time, without an additional tablet)
===================
(1) TRAVEL THOUGHTS
(2) CASES
(3) OTHER QUIRKS ("Flex", touchpad, wifi, fan)
(4) TABLET REPLACEMENT?
(5) PURCHASE TIPS
(6) TAKE APART/DISASSEMBLY
(1) TRAVEL THOUGHTS At first I thought a 13.3" device would be too big to use on the airplane comfortably especially if someone in front of me reclined. I must say this was not the case--furthermore, this is where the touchscreen really shines. Since it is very light, I can hold it closer to me and use it like a tablet without having the keyboard get in my way. The on-screen keyboard also helps for this. I had to ask my colleague to hold the laptop for a second and when I handed it to him he was shocked at how light it weighed!
(2) CASES: The EasyAcc 13.3 inch Laptop Sleeve Bag Case Cover Neoprene Shock Resistant Pouch Protective Handbag for Apple Macbook Air 13, Macbook Pro 13, Acer Aspire S3, Asus Zenbook UX31, Lenovo IdeaPad U300s, Samsung SERIES 9 NP900X3B, Toshiba Satellite Z830, SONY S... did NOT fit this ultrabook so be careful which MacBook Air Cases you choose. I ended up using this Case Logic QNS-113 13.3-Inch EVA Molded Laptop / Macbook Air / Pro Retina Display Sleeve (Black) because it also lets me use the ultrabook in the case itself and I can also stash my second really thin screen (GeChic OnLap--read my review there) GeChic On-Lap 1302 13.3 USB Powered Thin Slim LCD Monitor with ThunderBolt/Mini Display Port Adapter for Apple Macbook Pro Air 13 in the same case! I can also use the Case Logic 14" Case Logic LAPS-114 14-Inch Laptop Sleeve (Black) but it doesn't let me use the laptop in its case. TSA had no issues with either case and I didn't have to remove the ultrabook.
(3) OTHER QUIRKS: So, I think I have figured out the problem with some people reporting touchpad sensitivity and issues. The chassis is carbon fiber and has some "flex" to it. Therefore, if the ultrabook is not fully on a hard surface, and more specifically, half on a hard surface and the palmrest hanging off, the touchpad must be getting compressed inside somewhere as it bends between the palmrest and the touchpad. That is the only time I had issues. If it were fully on a hard or soft surface it operated normally. Imagine taking the laptop and pushing down on the palmrest while it is half over the side of a desk. That is what seems to be happening with me at least. Easy enough for me to adjust so it's a non-issue for me.
The fan noise that people are complaining about I must admit can get annoying sometimes, but I have not tried too much in the way of intensive operations yet. The initial DropBox sync (about 7GB for me) kicked up the fan a lot and it was noticeable. In airports and other areas, it wasn't too much of a distraction, but time will tell if I will be the "weirdo" with the noisy machine in day to day meetings, etc. Ah well, I guess I will have to avoid playing video games during my business meetings!
I did not experience any major Wifi issues other than with networks that do not broadcast SSID's. There are a large number of Sony firmware updates available so I would suggest installing them if you are experiencing issues with bluetooth, wifi, and NFC (which I haven't tried yet). My problem is that the Sony Vaio Update app keeps getting an error so I will contact Sony shortly.
(4) TABLET REPLACEMENT? My Asus TF300T's digitizer broke prior to my flight and it's a pain to replace so I haven't done that yet. Needless to say, I've used the Sony Vaio Pro 13 in many situations that I would have used the tablet for and honestly, I feel less restricted than under Android limitations (read: multitasking, productivity office apps, etc.). I have all but replaced it and since it actually weighs less than my TF300T with keyboard dock, I'm happy to be using this. Yes, it's a little bit large for some situations, so I might hold out and get a decent 8" Bay Trail tablet when they are released later in the year.
(5) PURCHASE TIPS: So, after playing with this for a while, and knowing that some options are pretty expensive, here is what I can offer: most of the components are fixed and not upgradeable. If you can afford it, go with the highest processor and memory that you can. The memory is soldered to the main board. The SSD, however, is Samsung's new XP941 PCIe "M.2" form factor SDD. While they are not available for sale (that I could find) other than to OEMs right now, it is likely they will appear in the market soon. Going from the base 128GB, it costs $220 for 256GB and $720 or so for the 512GB. While the speeds are among the fastest you will see today for SSD, I might be willing to hold off on that, especially since it appears to be user-replaceable (no confirmation on that but see below). Your best shot is to keep searching for them online and see when they pop up cheaper in the future.
(6) TAKE-APART AND DISASSEMBLY: While I have not tried it yet, there is now a good tear-down video and pictures so you can see for yourself.
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
===================
In this review:
(1) In the box
(2) PROs (+)
(3) CONs/Quirks (-)
(4) Windows Experience Index Ratings, Battery Life, and Performance Observations
(5) Extended sheet battery thoughts
(6) Thoughts on travel/portability/business use
(7) General Thoughts and Thoughts on tablet replacement
(1) In the box: power cord and adapter with neat USB port in transformer, brief setup pamphlet, VGA Adapter.
I thought I would include this section because there was some confusion as to whether the USB-powered Ethernet wireless router that attaches to the power adapter was included. Sadly, it is not. It is also not listed as available for sale (as of this date) in the US. If you need the part number (since it's hard to find), it's VGP-WAR100 and is available on Sony Asia's website
(2) PROs
Great battery life (later)
Super thin AND great battery life!
full-size spacing on keys
Tight integration between hardware and Windows 8 (even some 8.1 features done Sony-style on Windows 8.0)
Screen lifts for the most part with one hand (better than I could have expected)
brightness is decent
Carbon fiber build seems flimsy (because it bends) but actually feels and appears to be durable (if that makes sense)
Really light.
Did I mention that it's really thin and light?
(3) CONs/Quirks (not all are really terrible and I've overcome some as described)
Yes, there is a known WiFi issue. Supposedly, Sony is working on a fix though not all their stores and call centers are familiar with it. However, that being said, I did not experience any major issues. Just in case, I have a WiFi adapter I can use if needed.
For me: lack of Thunderbolt port is a disappointment but I understand that Sony had to sacrifice some things for such a thin laptop. I would have preferred Thunderbolt over HDMI but that is just me and the market supports the decision to stick with HDMI right now.
Lack of Gb Ethernet. Really wished it had this but a lot of ultrabooks are forgoing this option these days. To overcome this, I purchased a nifty Asus USB router (see below under travel)
The large amount of flex in the build makes using the touchscreen difficult to use or at least not as "seamless" as it could be. The screen vibrates back and forth a lot with each press making for a slightly uncomfortable but bearable experience. It certainly does not replace a tablet feel (nor is it meant to so no stars deducted). It's just that it feels like the touchscreen could have been left out altogether but I must admit I still use it extensively over the touchpad (but maybe not over a travel mouse).
The sheet battery is not flush to the device (more on that below under the "extended battery" section).
The keyboard is a little awkward for me, but to be fair, I'm accustomed to a 12.1" netbook keyboard. The keys for me are spaced too far apart but I can still type pretty fast and it doesn't seem like it will take a lot of getting used to.
The lights for the backlit keyboard are visible from underneath the keys when you are looking at the device. It's kind of annoying and I wish it were just the letters that were lit instead of an outline of the keys.
Silly dedicated "assist" button launches Sony's troubleshooting and repair/recovery apps. I'd rather be able to customize a dedicated hardware button (and maybe I can?)
(4) Windows Experience Index, battery life, and other performance measures
Overall: 6.3 (internal HD4000 graphics being the limiting factor)
CPU: 7.1
RAM: 7.6
Graphics: 6.3
Gaming Graphics: 6.3
HDD: 8.6
It isn't meant to be a super high-end gaming machine. The idea here is thin and light...but seriously, it does a pretty darn good job at everything else while it's at it. Data transfer rates are extremely good. If I get a chance, I'll post some samples.
Battery Life is really really good. I use Battery Bar and it varies it's estimate based on use but going from a full charge on just the main battery without the extended sheet battery, it varies between 7-8.5 hours, way over Sony's 6.5 hours estimate. To be fair, I have only been installing software and not anything otherwise intensive. With the extended battery which is almost double capacity, I would easily believe Sony's 13-14 hour claim and then some. Time will tell and I will update if this changes.
Performance is pretty snappy and I haven't noticed any major hiccups but to be fair, I haven't done a whole lot other than web browsing and software installation. I'll update as time goes on if it changes.
(5) Extended Sheet battery thoughts:
Honestly, I have mixed feelings. Since there are really no pictures for this model, I thought I would post this so you have a good idea of what it is like. I will post a picture soon as well. For starters, it does NOT sit flush with the laptop. In other words, it adds a significant amount of depth (almost double) but at least it is a smaller footprint and not the whole side of the laptop. It serves as a stand while it is attached. One thing I do wish: the cover for the connector for the extended battery can be difficult to remove form the laptop (it has a spot to reattach to the extended batteyr to hold it in place but even that is a pain to do in a hurry. If I have to switch batteries in a hurry or switch to the extended, it can be irritating. A sliding cover would have been more practical (but I'm not sure if it's feasible space-wise)
(6) Travel and portability thoughts:
For me, extended batteries are almost a necessity and I'm so used to just ordering them that I ordered it with the device. As I am using this, I am actually thinking I wouldn't need it if I were just replacing my netbook/laptop. Since the sheet battery adds such significant battery life, I might use it to replace what I normally defer to my Asus TF300T tablet for (notes, travel, work on airplanes/trains, etc.).
I will update this review soon--I have ordered two different MacBook Air cases and will see how they fare.
I also ordered the Asus WL-300NUL pocket WiFi router (ASUS Multi-Mode Pocket Router (WL-330NUL). This can be used in much the same way as the Sony part I mentioned above with the added benefit that it can also be used as a USB ethernet adapter and standard WiFi adapter as well.
For travel, I also ordered a USB combo mini outlet surge protector Satechi Compact USB Surge Protector for Charging MP3 Players, iPhone, Blackberry, Android, and Windows Mobile Phones and an inline surge protector TRC 90510-10 Lap Top Surge Protector 3-Wire which should arrive soon.
(7) General Thoughts and Thoughts on Tablet replacement:
I was really hoping for a Haswell ultrabook convertible that would double as my desktop via a nice Thunderbolt dock for two monitors, GbE, USB 3.0 drives, etc. I was hoping for said ultrabook to also double as a tablet and take advantage of Window 8 handwriting recognition with a digitizer (this does not have a digitizer). In the end, while this may have been a purchase out of frustration in waiting or the "perfect" device to come along, I think I am happy with it. The near-instant on feature is nice so that certainly helps in pushing the case to replace my tablet. I can still think of a need for a decent tablet with digitizer (perhaps a future "mini" Windows 8 tablet with Bay Trail?). I thought about the Sony Duo 13 as well but the limited one angle kind of was a dealbreaker for me. In retrospect, it might be more of what I was looking for. The trackpad is becoming more and more of an after-thought for me as I use the touchscreen more so the fact that it is much smaller on the Duo may not be bad. At least it isn't behind the keyboard like on the recently announced Samsung device. The Asus Transformer Book Trio is probably the closest to what I wanted but it may not be released until much later this year. For now, I would say I'm very happy with the purchase and will continue to evaluate my needs as I go on in terms of living without a tablet.
I do hope that Thunderbolt becomes more common and is standard in the near future. Partly due to cost and partly due to ignorance, I think people are missing out on something great that might be too early for it's own good. It's almost like the "Apple Newton" was way ahead of its time and didn't succeed because of ignorance and cost until Palm released their version of the PDA when the market was "ready" for it. I'm hoping this is the time for TB.
**no wifi issues what-so-ever
**great battery life due to Haswell
**very light and durable
**lightning fast and the keyboard feedback is fantastic
**1920 X 1080 ultra-thin touchscreen is gorgeous
**SD card slot on the side allows a card to be inserted flush with the case which greatly extends this ultrabook's storage capacity
**touchpad is very good and the speakers are amazing
Cons: somewhat expensive (but the Sony quality is worth it)
Other Thoughts: Best ultrabook on the market
Sony Vaio Pro Ultrabook = 79
Macbook Air = 74
Toshiba Kirabook = 73
Asus Zenbook = 67
Macbook Pro = 66
Consumer Reports really tests stuff thoroughly. I assume they are not taking into account the OS, but still, Apple should get their act together. The Asus Zenbook is rated higher than the MacBook Pro, made me spew my sip of Kopi Luwak at the thought!
My Rating = 4.5 Stars:
*** Wifi Update Below***
Avid Mac User Perspective: Tip Of The Hat To Sony And Microsoft
In 1980 my grandmother gave me $3,000 all in one dollar bills so I would know how much money it was to purchase an Apple II+. That's roughly $8,500 in today's money for less computer power than my current microwave. I have exclusively only owned and used Apple computers since. My only brush with Windows is once or twice using an uncle's computer during the holidays to look up something on the web and wondering why the OS was asking so many questions. Unlike many Mac users, I have nothing against Windows, no old blue screen of death wounds. It's a bit like Portugal, never been there and thus have no opinion. Under the normal forces if nature I would never consider a Windows machine. I would head straight to Apple's website and compare models within the happy, familiar, and comfortable Mac universe. It is only by the good graces of the Vine program that I have the Sony Vaio Pro Ultrabook to review. Bottom line: I love this Sony product, here's why.
BUILD QUALITY:
Excellent. Carbon fiber body is strong, sleek, and very lightweight perhaps the lightest 13.3" laptop on the market (sorry Apple). Very sophisticated looking. Battery life is good, not terrific, but good enough for me. The black is chic, though if I had a choice, might choose silver. I like how opening the display slightly raises the rear of the ultrabook, creating more heat dissipation and a comfortable typing angle also the presence of rubber feet prevent the unit from sliding.
DISPLAY:
Also excellent, the best laptop display I've seen very clear and crisp. Touchscreen works very well and is surprising useful. Sony has obviously leveraged their considerable TV experience into creating a tremendous laptop display. Once again, and it pains me to say it, but I prefer this Vaio touchscreen display to the MacBook Pro's. After this experience, I hope Apple will eventually refresh their laptop line with touchscreen technology.
KEYBOARD:
Very good. High quality and comfortable to use, a nice balance between firm and softness. Palm rests are also great. Can feel the quality throughout.
TOUCHPAD:
Once I figured out how to right and left click (click in either lower left or right area of touchpad) the touchpad has worked very well. I have not experienced the problems expressed by other reviewers. I do use the Ultrabook on a hard surface like a desk or table, per the instructions. The system utilizes upper left and right "hot corners" which at times confuse the touchpad's pointer causing it to flicker on those areas. I believe this to be a Windows issue, not Sony. Only complaint is that I cannot find touchpad adjustment ability anywhere in the system. Under Control Panel -> Mouse there is no trackpad listed. The option to turn off "tap to click", and make other adjustments, would be nice. On a Mac such things are easily done in System Preferences. If anyone can tell me how to adjust the trackpad on the Ultrabook, I would appreciate the knowledge.
FAN & HEAT:
I used the Ultrabook for many hours, once again, following the directions to use only on a hard surface. The fan comes on periodically, not that often really. When on, a bit noisy, nothing bothersome. One could interpret "noise" as being "an effective fan" that quickly dissipates heat and thus is protecting your investment. I'd rather have an effective noisier fan than a silent fan that doesn't do the job. The Ultrabook is mostly cool to the touch, impressive for a mighty machine.
WIFI:
I have a 3 year old Cisco Valet router, nothing fancy. Wifi has performed well for me, an effective signal within approximately 25' of the router. My iMac is located about 40' from the router and receives 5 bars, while the Sony Vaio Pro 13 Ultrabook was unable to connect from the same distance. I have ordered a couple of external wifi dongles to improve the Ultrabook's reception by having the antenna outside of the body will report back with the results. In reading other reviews I was very concerned about wifi performance, an issue that has effected the new MacBook Air as well. My conclusion is that the Ultrabook has good, but not great wifi range. Hopefully a firmware or software update will fix the issue.
SETUP:
Following the brief directions in the enclosed literature, setup was very easy. Downloading the initial Sony and Windows updates took about an hour. Installation of the 12 Sony updates is a bit of a bother because you must affirm your country for each one over and over. Midway through the screen went black and freaked me out! The troubleshooting guide confirmed the setup wizard had crashed. A reboot got everything back on track and the remaining 6 updates were installed. For some reason the Sony App updates are not downloading properly, they say "pending" but never go the next step. Machine has been very stable since.
SPEAKERS:
Not that great, ok. But I really don't expect genuine hi-fi from built-in laptop speakers. For any sort of good sound, you'll want a quality pair of external speakers.
PERFORMANCE AND WINDOWS 8:
The Ultrabook is a pleasure to use, very snappy and completely silent thanks to the solid state drive (except when fan comes on). More than adequate for everything but hardcore gaming or other graphic intensive activities. For it's intended usage, this machine has far more horsepower than most will ever need. I must admit, I rather like Windows 8. Microsoft has clearly gone all in with the iOS like interface. The "Tiles" system is excellent, highly functional, customizable and flows seamlessly into the touchscreen capabilities. Tiles is a combination of the Mac dock and launch pad, and in many ways, Tiles is superior to either. The "desktop" mode interfaces with the Tile system poorly, yet I'm happy to remain in Tileland most of the time. Apps launch in a very iOS manner as well and Microsoft has provided dock like navigation in a clever way. I do feel the iOS Windows 8 type features are better suited for a laptop than a desktop where part of the joy is to sit a ways back from the display. I would welcome a similar touchscreen/ Tiles type interface in the next MacBook Pro. Not so interested in seeing it on an iMac.
The included Mail app could be better, I'm awaiting the arrival of the year subscription to Office to test that out.
Is Windows 8 better than Lion? There are elements of Windows 8 that I prefer, yet I'm a diehard Mac fellow and on the over all do prefer Mac OS. However, I do offer a tip of the hat and a respectful wink to Windows 8.
CONCLUSION:
Assuming my experience for the last few days is indicative of what you should expect from the Sony Vaio Pro 13 Touchscreen Ultrabook and assuming a lightweight Windows based Ultrabook meets your computing power needs (ie no heavy gaming) then I confidently recommend this product. We'll see how it performs over time, if it conks out in 6 months I'll be very sad. All in all, pleasantly surprised by the entire experience and consider myself a proud Vaio owner. I do apologize, this review was typed on my iMac (g).
4.5 Stars Highly Recommended
*** Edit 9/1/13 ***
The Vaio Pro 13 continues to perform well. I do wish Windows 8 had either gone all Tiles, or, remained with the traditional desktop. Mixing the two very different systems together is a little confusing. As for the issue of limited wifi range, here are two solutions that have worked for me:
1) TRAVEL SOLUTION I purchased the TP-LINK TL-WN822N Wireless N300 High Gain USB Adapter from Amazon. It has increased the Vaio's wifi range quite a bit. Now the Vaio picks up the same signal as my iMac and functions well, where before only the iMac could received the wifi signal. The adapter is a little clumsy, but I concluded it would be more effective than a smaller one. Here's the link http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-WN822N-Wireless-External-Antennas/dp/B00416Q5KI/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
2) HOME SOLUTION I refuse to give the cable company yet more money for an additional router in the back of the house. Instead I purchased a TP-LINK TL-PA4010KIT AV500 Nano Powerline Adapter Starter Kit. It cleverly sends the broadband signal to another part of your home via existing electrical wiring. I connected it to a spare wifi router (TP-Link N600) and have successfully extended the home network wifi range and avoided cable company fees. Here's the link http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-PA4010KIT-Powerline-Adapter-Starter/dp/B00AWRUICG/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
SLEEVE/ CASE: I chose the Case Logic 13.3" Molded Laptop Sleeve. The sleeve is a little bit too large for the Vaio Pro 13, though adding padding to the inside (a piece of foam or velvet) has solved that issue. The sleeve fits quite well into my Osprey Packs Comet Daypack. A great pack that needs a well padded sleeve, like the Case Logic, in order to provide adequate protection.
Sleeve link http://www.amazon.com/Case-Logic-13-3-Laptop-Sleeve/dp/B00E66JILG/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
Osprey Comet link http://www.amazon.com/Osprey-COMET-P-Packs-Comet-Daypack/dp/B007X0UAQY/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
I hope this has been helpful
Lets put is this way:
The screen is fabulous I can actually work on two word documents side by side on a 13.3 inc screen and see what I am doing. Viewing angles are very good in my view and even though the max angle the screen bends back is not great it does not matter as the screen resolution and viewing angle compensates for this. The touch works very well though I have still to get used Windows 8...
Keyboardthis really blew me awaythis keyboard is more comfortable than the desktop keyboard I have at work (which is a nice Logitech waive). Plenty of travel on the keys and I literally make no mistakes. The track pad does not interfere either by throwing the cursor accidentally to the other side of the screen .
One thing to note is that the back edge screen when opened liens on the surface you are working on thereby elevating the back of the keyboardthis helps typing become more comfortable. However if you work with this thing on your lap a lot (especially wearing shorts) this may bother you as the back of the screen has quite a sharp angle so it does dig a bit into your legs. with long trousers on this is not an issue.
Trackpadis very nice. I haven't yet started to play with the configurations (which may be adjustable) but the double tap does not always seem to catch on. As I use a blue tooth mouse anyway this does not really bother me. Multi gesture touch works very well and it is a smooth feel which is nice (not like some other touch pads I have used)
Speedcomputer is really really fastits like working with an Ipadwakes up in a second and a full restart takes about 20 secs.
I have notices that the fan seems to kick in when the graphics card is working when video streaming from the net and generally when you are in a hot room (I live in a hot country). I would not mention this but the fan is a little noisy though certainly not unbearable.
Battery time is fineat least 6.5 hours and I like the screen pretty bright. So I guess if I was meaner on the backlight it would mean longer.
I have seen the comments on the wifiseems to be ok on my machine so I hope this is not something that will start....
computer looks a million dollars so if you are looking for a looker you've got onenice and slim and really weightless (1 kg... what else can one ask for). It does collect plenty of finger prints on the keyboard palm restI have the black model so maybe go for the silver if you are touchy about this (my previous vaio was silver but then the keys got really dirtyou cant win...)
===================
(1) Speakers
(2) Build
(3) Temperature/fan noise
(4) Tips
(5) General Thoughts
(1) Speakers: I know some of the professional reviews said they aren't the greatest but they are not terrible for the size. No, you're not going to get blown away and you're not going to get deep bass. The built-in speakers are located around the hinge, facing up and slightly toward the screen. The sound doesn't get distorted at max volume and fills a standard room pretty adequately at max volume. I'm sure the small size also provided some challenges for the engineering team, so I'm not disappointed.
(2) Build: The more I play with it, I'm not convinced that it's mainly carbon fiber. I sense that there is a decent amount of "plastic-y" material in there but I'm not complaining. The only issue it gives me is the accuracy of the trackpad when not on a hard surface (see the second update to this review below).
(3) Temperature/fan noise: OK, I'll concede a little here with some of the other reviewers. I'm not so concerned with the noise as much as I am with the durability of components that heat up this much. Yes, when the fan gets going, the exiting air temperature is very hot, and the underside of the laptop is as well. SpeedFan reported temps as high as 78 degrees Celsius (172 degrees F)!! That's hotter than any other desktop or mobile computer I've owned without additional heat-mitigating mechanisms. I just hope the components are able to handle that temp--at least it's an SSD instead of a traditional platter. It's also a little bit away from the hot components. The extended battery gives a little relief since it pushes the laptop up a little like a stand.
(4) Tips: There are quite a number of Sony updates to install including a firmware/BIOS update. When you click on the assist button the updates are listed under "software" instead of "updates". I got an error message installing Intel Anti-Theft indicating that the device was not compatible with it. It is. I was able to fix it by going into the BIOS settings and clicking on enable TPM and AT (even though it already was). After a few reboots, it recognized it OK. One thing that drove me crazy until I figured it out... the only way to get to the UEFI and BIOS settings was from a "shutdown" state, then pushing the "assist" button.
Another tip, this doesn't use the camera for light sensor as some have speculated. It uses the dedicated sensor next to the "assist" button. I personally do not like this since if a directional light is shining down on the device but not lighting the surrounding, it is thrown off. I have LED lighting in the main room of my house and it is constantly auto-adjusting the brightness. I believe there is a way to turn this off but I haven't played with it. It also has issues with adjusting brightness when your arm blocks the light for a few seconds. Why would your arm do that you say? Oh, I don't know, maybe because it's a TOUCHSCREEN laptop!! Come on Sony, so perfect in every other way! Again, not so bad that I would return it. I still think it's one of the best Haswell Ultrabooks on the market.
Purchase tips in the first updated review below.
(5) General thoughts: I haven't bothered to fix my Android tablet yet (the Asus TF300T is a pain to replace the digitizer unlike any other device I've owned). This has all but replaced my netbook and tablet that were used previously for separate tasks. All in a footprint smaller than either one individually. I am looking forward to the Windows 8.1 improvements. I have not installed the preview. I want to wait for the more stable release. On another note, the Intel Anti-Theft is $6.99 for one year on Amazon here.Intel 1 Year Anti Theft Service for Ultrabooks and Laptops Totally worth it for me. I take this everywhere.
FIRST UPDATE AFTER flying with this (and for the first time, without an additional tablet)
===================
(1) TRAVEL THOUGHTS
(2) CASES
(3) OTHER QUIRKS ("Flex", touchpad, wifi, fan)
(4) TABLET REPLACEMENT?
(5) PURCHASE TIPS
(6) TAKE APART/DISASSEMBLY
(1) TRAVEL THOUGHTS At first I thought a 13.3" device would be too big to use on the airplane comfortably especially if someone in front of me reclined. I must say this was not the case--furthermore, this is where the touchscreen really shines. Since it is very light, I can hold it closer to me and use it like a tablet without having the keyboard get in my way. The on-screen keyboard also helps for this. I had to ask my colleague to hold the laptop for a second and when I handed it to him he was shocked at how light it weighed!
(2) CASES: The EasyAcc 13.3 inch Laptop Sleeve Bag Case Cover Neoprene Shock Resistant Pouch Protective Handbag for Apple Macbook Air 13, Macbook Pro 13, Acer Aspire S3, Asus Zenbook UX31, Lenovo IdeaPad U300s, Samsung SERIES 9 NP900X3B, Toshiba Satellite Z830, SONY S... did NOT fit this ultrabook so be careful which MacBook Air Cases you choose. I ended up using this Case Logic QNS-113 13.3-Inch EVA Molded Laptop / Macbook Air / Pro Retina Display Sleeve (Black) because it also lets me use the ultrabook in the case itself and I can also stash my second really thin screen (GeChic OnLap--read my review there) GeChic On-Lap 1302 13.3 USB Powered Thin Slim LCD Monitor with ThunderBolt/Mini Display Port Adapter for Apple Macbook Pro Air 13 in the same case! I can also use the Case Logic 14" Case Logic LAPS-114 14-Inch Laptop Sleeve (Black) but it doesn't let me use the laptop in its case. TSA had no issues with either case and I didn't have to remove the ultrabook.
(3) OTHER QUIRKS: So, I think I have figured out the problem with some people reporting touchpad sensitivity and issues. The chassis is carbon fiber and has some "flex" to it. Therefore, if the ultrabook is not fully on a hard surface, and more specifically, half on a hard surface and the palmrest hanging off, the touchpad must be getting compressed inside somewhere as it bends between the palmrest and the touchpad. That is the only time I had issues. If it were fully on a hard or soft surface it operated normally. Imagine taking the laptop and pushing down on the palmrest while it is half over the side of a desk. That is what seems to be happening with me at least. Easy enough for me to adjust so it's a non-issue for me.
The fan noise that people are complaining about I must admit can get annoying sometimes, but I have not tried too much in the way of intensive operations yet. The initial DropBox sync (about 7GB for me) kicked up the fan a lot and it was noticeable. In airports and other areas, it wasn't too much of a distraction, but time will tell if I will be the "weirdo" with the noisy machine in day to day meetings, etc. Ah well, I guess I will have to avoid playing video games during my business meetings!
I did not experience any major Wifi issues other than with networks that do not broadcast SSID's. There are a large number of Sony firmware updates available so I would suggest installing them if you are experiencing issues with bluetooth, wifi, and NFC (which I haven't tried yet). My problem is that the Sony Vaio Update app keeps getting an error so I will contact Sony shortly.
(4) TABLET REPLACEMENT? My Asus TF300T's digitizer broke prior to my flight and it's a pain to replace so I haven't done that yet. Needless to say, I've used the Sony Vaio Pro 13 in many situations that I would have used the tablet for and honestly, I feel less restricted than under Android limitations (read: multitasking, productivity office apps, etc.). I have all but replaced it and since it actually weighs less than my TF300T with keyboard dock, I'm happy to be using this. Yes, it's a little bit large for some situations, so I might hold out and get a decent 8" Bay Trail tablet when they are released later in the year.
(5) PURCHASE TIPS: So, after playing with this for a while, and knowing that some options are pretty expensive, here is what I can offer: most of the components are fixed and not upgradeable. If you can afford it, go with the highest processor and memory that you can. The memory is soldered to the main board. The SSD, however, is Samsung's new XP941 PCIe "M.2" form factor SDD. While they are not available for sale (that I could find) other than to OEMs right now, it is likely they will appear in the market soon. Going from the base 128GB, it costs $220 for 256GB and $720 or so for the 512GB. While the speeds are among the fastest you will see today for SSD, I might be willing to hold off on that, especially since it appears to be user-replaceable (no confirmation on that but see below). Your best shot is to keep searching for them online and see when they pop up cheaper in the future.
(6) TAKE-APART AND DISASSEMBLY: While I have not tried it yet, there is now a good tear-down video and pictures so you can see for yourself.
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
===================
In this review:
(1) In the box
(2) PROs (+)
(3) CONs/Quirks (-)
(4) Windows Experience Index Ratings, Battery Life, and Performance Observations
(5) Extended sheet battery thoughts
(6) Thoughts on travel/portability/business use
(7) General Thoughts and Thoughts on tablet replacement
(1) In the box: power cord and adapter with neat USB port in transformer, brief setup pamphlet, VGA Adapter.
I thought I would include this section because there was some confusion as to whether the USB-powered Ethernet wireless router that attaches to the power adapter was included. Sadly, it is not. It is also not listed as available for sale (as of this date) in the US. If you need the part number (since it's hard to find), it's VGP-WAR100 and is available on Sony Asia's website
(2) PROs
Great battery life (later)
Super thin AND great battery life!
full-size spacing on keys
Tight integration between hardware and Windows 8 (even some 8.1 features done Sony-style on Windows 8.0)
Screen lifts for the most part with one hand (better than I could have expected)
brightness is decent
Carbon fiber build seems flimsy (because it bends) but actually feels and appears to be durable (if that makes sense)
Really light.
Did I mention that it's really thin and light?
(3) CONs/Quirks (not all are really terrible and I've overcome some as described)
Yes, there is a known WiFi issue. Supposedly, Sony is working on a fix though not all their stores and call centers are familiar with it. However, that being said, I did not experience any major issues. Just in case, I have a WiFi adapter I can use if needed.
For me: lack of Thunderbolt port is a disappointment but I understand that Sony had to sacrifice some things for such a thin laptop. I would have preferred Thunderbolt over HDMI but that is just me and the market supports the decision to stick with HDMI right now.
Lack of Gb Ethernet. Really wished it had this but a lot of ultrabooks are forgoing this option these days. To overcome this, I purchased a nifty Asus USB router (see below under travel)
The large amount of flex in the build makes using the touchscreen difficult to use or at least not as "seamless" as it could be. The screen vibrates back and forth a lot with each press making for a slightly uncomfortable but bearable experience. It certainly does not replace a tablet feel (nor is it meant to so no stars deducted). It's just that it feels like the touchscreen could have been left out altogether but I must admit I still use it extensively over the touchpad (but maybe not over a travel mouse).
The sheet battery is not flush to the device (more on that below under the "extended battery" section).
The keyboard is a little awkward for me, but to be fair, I'm accustomed to a 12.1" netbook keyboard. The keys for me are spaced too far apart but I can still type pretty fast and it doesn't seem like it will take a lot of getting used to.
The lights for the backlit keyboard are visible from underneath the keys when you are looking at the device. It's kind of annoying and I wish it were just the letters that were lit instead of an outline of the keys.
Silly dedicated "assist" button launches Sony's troubleshooting and repair/recovery apps. I'd rather be able to customize a dedicated hardware button (and maybe I can?)
(4) Windows Experience Index, battery life, and other performance measures
Overall: 6.3 (internal HD4000 graphics being the limiting factor)
CPU: 7.1
RAM: 7.6
Graphics: 6.3
Gaming Graphics: 6.3
HDD: 8.6
It isn't meant to be a super high-end gaming machine. The idea here is thin and light...but seriously, it does a pretty darn good job at everything else while it's at it. Data transfer rates are extremely good. If I get a chance, I'll post some samples.
Battery Life is really really good. I use Battery Bar and it varies it's estimate based on use but going from a full charge on just the main battery without the extended sheet battery, it varies between 7-8.5 hours, way over Sony's 6.5 hours estimate. To be fair, I have only been installing software and not anything otherwise intensive. With the extended battery which is almost double capacity, I would easily believe Sony's 13-14 hour claim and then some. Time will tell and I will update if this changes.
Performance is pretty snappy and I haven't noticed any major hiccups but to be fair, I haven't done a whole lot other than web browsing and software installation. I'll update as time goes on if it changes.
(5) Extended Sheet battery thoughts:
Honestly, I have mixed feelings. Since there are really no pictures for this model, I thought I would post this so you have a good idea of what it is like. I will post a picture soon as well. For starters, it does NOT sit flush with the laptop. In other words, it adds a significant amount of depth (almost double) but at least it is a smaller footprint and not the whole side of the laptop. It serves as a stand while it is attached. One thing I do wish: the cover for the connector for the extended battery can be difficult to remove form the laptop (it has a spot to reattach to the extended batteyr to hold it in place but even that is a pain to do in a hurry. If I have to switch batteries in a hurry or switch to the extended, it can be irritating. A sliding cover would have been more practical (but I'm not sure if it's feasible space-wise)
(6) Travel and portability thoughts:
For me, extended batteries are almost a necessity and I'm so used to just ordering them that I ordered it with the device. As I am using this, I am actually thinking I wouldn't need it if I were just replacing my netbook/laptop. Since the sheet battery adds such significant battery life, I might use it to replace what I normally defer to my Asus TF300T tablet for (notes, travel, work on airplanes/trains, etc.).
I will update this review soon--I have ordered two different MacBook Air cases and will see how they fare.
I also ordered the Asus WL-300NUL pocket WiFi router (ASUS Multi-Mode Pocket Router (WL-330NUL). This can be used in much the same way as the Sony part I mentioned above with the added benefit that it can also be used as a USB ethernet adapter and standard WiFi adapter as well.
For travel, I also ordered a USB combo mini outlet surge protector Satechi Compact USB Surge Protector for Charging MP3 Players, iPhone, Blackberry, Android, and Windows Mobile Phones and an inline surge protector TRC 90510-10 Lap Top Surge Protector 3-Wire which should arrive soon.
(7) General Thoughts and Thoughts on Tablet replacement:
I was really hoping for a Haswell ultrabook convertible that would double as my desktop via a nice Thunderbolt dock for two monitors, GbE, USB 3.0 drives, etc. I was hoping for said ultrabook to also double as a tablet and take advantage of Window 8 handwriting recognition with a digitizer (this does not have a digitizer). In the end, while this may have been a purchase out of frustration in waiting or the "perfect" device to come along, I think I am happy with it. The near-instant on feature is nice so that certainly helps in pushing the case to replace my tablet. I can still think of a need for a decent tablet with digitizer (perhaps a future "mini" Windows 8 tablet with Bay Trail?). I thought about the Sony Duo 13 as well but the limited one angle kind of was a dealbreaker for me. In retrospect, it might be more of what I was looking for. The trackpad is becoming more and more of an after-thought for me as I use the touchscreen more so the fact that it is much smaller on the Duo may not be bad. At least it isn't behind the keyboard like on the recently announced Samsung device. The Asus Transformer Book Trio is probably the closest to what I wanted but it may not be released until much later this year. For now, I would say I'm very happy with the purchase and will continue to evaluate my needs as I go on in terms of living without a tablet.
I do hope that Thunderbolt becomes more common and is standard in the near future. Partly due to cost and partly due to ignorance, I think people are missing out on something great that might be too early for it's own good. It's almost like the "Apple Newton" was way ahead of its time and didn't succeed because of ignorance and cost until Palm released their version of the PDA when the market was "ready" for it. I'm hoping this is the time for TB.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
I returned this laptop to the Sony store (even after receiving a second/replacement for the first). The major issue remains the wifi connectivity -despite an 18 July "update" from Sony, there is STILL a problem with the wifi. I have an above average knowledge of computers and I walked through all the basic and advanced troubleshooting steps (and, yes, my router/network works fine, I have other computers connected via 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, g and n; and, yes, I tried multiple wireless networks around my neighborhood). The problem is, simply, the wifi hardware or firmware in this computer. There are other problems (extremely loud fan, troublesome trackpad) but those can be solved via software/firmware updates (although Sony makes this painful try clicking your country preference for EACH (of many) updates over a 2 hour period, meaning you can't walk away from the computer as it updates itself -seriously, Sony, too hard to grab the country preference ONCE from the user?). Bottom line: this computer was released to the consumer before it was ready, and users are paying the price (in wasted time and energy). Sony, like HP, has been added to my "Don't Buy" list for the foreseeable future.Best Deals for Sony VAIO Pro SVP13215PXB 13.3-Inch Core i7 Touchscreen Ultrabook
Pros:**no wifi issues what-so-ever
**great battery life due to Haswell
**very light and durable
**lightning fast and the keyboard feedback is fantastic
**1920 X 1080 ultra-thin touchscreen is gorgeous
**SD card slot on the side allows a card to be inserted flush with the case which greatly extends this ultrabook's storage capacity
**touchpad is very good and the speakers are amazing
Cons: somewhat expensive (but the Sony quality is worth it)
Other Thoughts: Best ultrabook on the market
Honest reviews on Sony VAIO Pro SVP13215PXB 13.3-Inch Core i7 Touchscreen Ultrabook
Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program November 2013 Consumer Reports gives top rating to Vaio Pro 13" Ultrabook Overall scores for 13" laptops are:Sony Vaio Pro Ultrabook = 79
Macbook Air = 74
Toshiba Kirabook = 73
Asus Zenbook = 67
Macbook Pro = 66
Consumer Reports really tests stuff thoroughly. I assume they are not taking into account the OS, but still, Apple should get their act together. The Asus Zenbook is rated higher than the MacBook Pro, made me spew my sip of Kopi Luwak at the thought!
My Rating = 4.5 Stars:
*** Wifi Update Below***
Avid Mac User Perspective: Tip Of The Hat To Sony And Microsoft
In 1980 my grandmother gave me $3,000 all in one dollar bills so I would know how much money it was to purchase an Apple II+. That's roughly $8,500 in today's money for less computer power than my current microwave. I have exclusively only owned and used Apple computers since. My only brush with Windows is once or twice using an uncle's computer during the holidays to look up something on the web and wondering why the OS was asking so many questions. Unlike many Mac users, I have nothing against Windows, no old blue screen of death wounds. It's a bit like Portugal, never been there and thus have no opinion. Under the normal forces if nature I would never consider a Windows machine. I would head straight to Apple's website and compare models within the happy, familiar, and comfortable Mac universe. It is only by the good graces of the Vine program that I have the Sony Vaio Pro Ultrabook to review. Bottom line: I love this Sony product, here's why.
BUILD QUALITY:
Excellent. Carbon fiber body is strong, sleek, and very lightweight perhaps the lightest 13.3" laptop on the market (sorry Apple). Very sophisticated looking. Battery life is good, not terrific, but good enough for me. The black is chic, though if I had a choice, might choose silver. I like how opening the display slightly raises the rear of the ultrabook, creating more heat dissipation and a comfortable typing angle also the presence of rubber feet prevent the unit from sliding.
DISPLAY:
Also excellent, the best laptop display I've seen very clear and crisp. Touchscreen works very well and is surprising useful. Sony has obviously leveraged their considerable TV experience into creating a tremendous laptop display. Once again, and it pains me to say it, but I prefer this Vaio touchscreen display to the MacBook Pro's. After this experience, I hope Apple will eventually refresh their laptop line with touchscreen technology.
KEYBOARD:
Very good. High quality and comfortable to use, a nice balance between firm and softness. Palm rests are also great. Can feel the quality throughout.
TOUCHPAD:
Once I figured out how to right and left click (click in either lower left or right area of touchpad) the touchpad has worked very well. I have not experienced the problems expressed by other reviewers. I do use the Ultrabook on a hard surface like a desk or table, per the instructions. The system utilizes upper left and right "hot corners" which at times confuse the touchpad's pointer causing it to flicker on those areas. I believe this to be a Windows issue, not Sony. Only complaint is that I cannot find touchpad adjustment ability anywhere in the system. Under Control Panel -> Mouse there is no trackpad listed. The option to turn off "tap to click", and make other adjustments, would be nice. On a Mac such things are easily done in System Preferences. If anyone can tell me how to adjust the trackpad on the Ultrabook, I would appreciate the knowledge.
FAN & HEAT:
I used the Ultrabook for many hours, once again, following the directions to use only on a hard surface. The fan comes on periodically, not that often really. When on, a bit noisy, nothing bothersome. One could interpret "noise" as being "an effective fan" that quickly dissipates heat and thus is protecting your investment. I'd rather have an effective noisier fan than a silent fan that doesn't do the job. The Ultrabook is mostly cool to the touch, impressive for a mighty machine.
WIFI:
I have a 3 year old Cisco Valet router, nothing fancy. Wifi has performed well for me, an effective signal within approximately 25' of the router. My iMac is located about 40' from the router and receives 5 bars, while the Sony Vaio Pro 13 Ultrabook was unable to connect from the same distance. I have ordered a couple of external wifi dongles to improve the Ultrabook's reception by having the antenna outside of the body will report back with the results. In reading other reviews I was very concerned about wifi performance, an issue that has effected the new MacBook Air as well. My conclusion is that the Ultrabook has good, but not great wifi range. Hopefully a firmware or software update will fix the issue.
SETUP:
Following the brief directions in the enclosed literature, setup was very easy. Downloading the initial Sony and Windows updates took about an hour. Installation of the 12 Sony updates is a bit of a bother because you must affirm your country for each one over and over. Midway through the screen went black and freaked me out! The troubleshooting guide confirmed the setup wizard had crashed. A reboot got everything back on track and the remaining 6 updates were installed. For some reason the Sony App updates are not downloading properly, they say "pending" but never go the next step. Machine has been very stable since.
SPEAKERS:
Not that great, ok. But I really don't expect genuine hi-fi from built-in laptop speakers. For any sort of good sound, you'll want a quality pair of external speakers.
PERFORMANCE AND WINDOWS 8:
The Ultrabook is a pleasure to use, very snappy and completely silent thanks to the solid state drive (except when fan comes on). More than adequate for everything but hardcore gaming or other graphic intensive activities. For it's intended usage, this machine has far more horsepower than most will ever need. I must admit, I rather like Windows 8. Microsoft has clearly gone all in with the iOS like interface. The "Tiles" system is excellent, highly functional, customizable and flows seamlessly into the touchscreen capabilities. Tiles is a combination of the Mac dock and launch pad, and in many ways, Tiles is superior to either. The "desktop" mode interfaces with the Tile system poorly, yet I'm happy to remain in Tileland most of the time. Apps launch in a very iOS manner as well and Microsoft has provided dock like navigation in a clever way. I do feel the iOS Windows 8 type features are better suited for a laptop than a desktop where part of the joy is to sit a ways back from the display. I would welcome a similar touchscreen/ Tiles type interface in the next MacBook Pro. Not so interested in seeing it on an iMac.
The included Mail app could be better, I'm awaiting the arrival of the year subscription to Office to test that out.
Is Windows 8 better than Lion? There are elements of Windows 8 that I prefer, yet I'm a diehard Mac fellow and on the over all do prefer Mac OS. However, I do offer a tip of the hat and a respectful wink to Windows 8.
CONCLUSION:
Assuming my experience for the last few days is indicative of what you should expect from the Sony Vaio Pro 13 Touchscreen Ultrabook and assuming a lightweight Windows based Ultrabook meets your computing power needs (ie no heavy gaming) then I confidently recommend this product. We'll see how it performs over time, if it conks out in 6 months I'll be very sad. All in all, pleasantly surprised by the entire experience and consider myself a proud Vaio owner. I do apologize, this review was typed on my iMac (g).
4.5 Stars Highly Recommended
*** Edit 9/1/13 ***
The Vaio Pro 13 continues to perform well. I do wish Windows 8 had either gone all Tiles, or, remained with the traditional desktop. Mixing the two very different systems together is a little confusing. As for the issue of limited wifi range, here are two solutions that have worked for me:
1) TRAVEL SOLUTION I purchased the TP-LINK TL-WN822N Wireless N300 High Gain USB Adapter from Amazon. It has increased the Vaio's wifi range quite a bit. Now the Vaio picks up the same signal as my iMac and functions well, where before only the iMac could received the wifi signal. The adapter is a little clumsy, but I concluded it would be more effective than a smaller one. Here's the link http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-WN822N-Wireless-External-Antennas/dp/B00416Q5KI/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
2) HOME SOLUTION I refuse to give the cable company yet more money for an additional router in the back of the house. Instead I purchased a TP-LINK TL-PA4010KIT AV500 Nano Powerline Adapter Starter Kit. It cleverly sends the broadband signal to another part of your home via existing electrical wiring. I connected it to a spare wifi router (TP-Link N600) and have successfully extended the home network wifi range and avoided cable company fees. Here's the link http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-PA4010KIT-Powerline-Adapter-Starter/dp/B00AWRUICG/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
SLEEVE/ CASE: I chose the Case Logic 13.3" Molded Laptop Sleeve. The sleeve is a little bit too large for the Vaio Pro 13, though adding padding to the inside (a piece of foam or velvet) has solved that issue. The sleeve fits quite well into my Osprey Packs Comet Daypack. A great pack that needs a well padded sleeve, like the Case Logic, in order to provide adequate protection.
Sleeve link http://www.amazon.com/Case-Logic-13-3-Laptop-Sleeve/dp/B00E66JILG/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
Osprey Comet link http://www.amazon.com/Osprey-COMET-P-Packs-Comet-Daypack/dp/B007X0UAQY/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
I hope this has been helpful
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Sony VAIO Pro SVP13215PXB 13.3-Inch Core i7 Touchscreen Ultrabook
I purchased this machine last week after running a Sony Vaio Z540 for over 3 yearstime to change.Lets put is this way:
The screen is fabulous I can actually work on two word documents side by side on a 13.3 inc screen and see what I am doing. Viewing angles are very good in my view and even though the max angle the screen bends back is not great it does not matter as the screen resolution and viewing angle compensates for this. The touch works very well though I have still to get used Windows 8...
Keyboardthis really blew me awaythis keyboard is more comfortable than the desktop keyboard I have at work (which is a nice Logitech waive). Plenty of travel on the keys and I literally make no mistakes. The track pad does not interfere either by throwing the cursor accidentally to the other side of the screen .
One thing to note is that the back edge screen when opened liens on the surface you are working on thereby elevating the back of the keyboardthis helps typing become more comfortable. However if you work with this thing on your lap a lot (especially wearing shorts) this may bother you as the back of the screen has quite a sharp angle so it does dig a bit into your legs. with long trousers on this is not an issue.
Trackpadis very nice. I haven't yet started to play with the configurations (which may be adjustable) but the double tap does not always seem to catch on. As I use a blue tooth mouse anyway this does not really bother me. Multi gesture touch works very well and it is a smooth feel which is nice (not like some other touch pads I have used)
Speedcomputer is really really fastits like working with an Ipadwakes up in a second and a full restart takes about 20 secs.
I have notices that the fan seems to kick in when the graphics card is working when video streaming from the net and generally when you are in a hot room (I live in a hot country). I would not mention this but the fan is a little noisy though certainly not unbearable.
Battery time is fineat least 6.5 hours and I like the screen pretty bright. So I guess if I was meaner on the backlight it would mean longer.
I have seen the comments on the wifiseems to be ok on my machine so I hope this is not something that will start....
computer looks a million dollars so if you are looking for a looker you've got onenice and slim and really weightless (1 kg... what else can one ask for). It does collect plenty of finger prints on the keyboard palm restI have the black model so maybe go for the silver if you are touchy about this (my previous vaio was silver but then the keys got really dirtyou cant win...)
Monday, October 6, 2014
Buy HP Spectre XT TouchSmart Ultrabook 15t-4000 (Silver); Intel Core
List Price: $2,649.99
Sale Price: $1,999.95
Today's Bonus: 25% Off
Looks great. Solid build/construction. Performance is awesome, SSDs make the difference. Boot to the log in screen in sub ten second range. Fan almost never runs. The screen is bright and clear, can get glare and reflection from the glass. Touch screen is great, responsive and accurate. I was able to connect the laptop to a HD TV with an HDMI cable and both the video and sound were pushed across the HDMI cable.
Only con I have is that the disk image installed on the 256GB + 256GB RAID 0 setup, that I suspect to be the stock disc image, is sized for a 256GB disk resulting in about 256GB of unallocated space on the array. Thus the recovery partition is in the middle of the logical drive, sandwiched between the main partition and unallocated space. There is no problem if you want to create another partition but if you want that unallocated space to be part of the main partition you have to either remove the recovery partition or use some partition manager to swap the unallocated and recovery partitions. This is probably something that Eluktronics should have handled prior to shipping the laptop because many wont have the skills necessary to juggle the partitions to make one single system partition. Maybe it was just an oversight. Not a big deal for me but others are not likely to feel the same.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
BEST COMPUTER IVE EVER OWNED!!! This is a great way to begin learning Windows 8, and being a touchscreen, can access the program and navigate as it was created. since its a solid state drive, no more heating problems! quick response and elimination of the normal windows/ PC glitchy problems, i say spend the extra amount and get one!!!Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Cheap ASUS ROG Republic of Gamers G75VX-DS72 Gaming Laptop, 2.4GHz Intel
Enjoying everything about my new laptop, from the back-lit keyboard that can be turned off, to how long the charge lasts. It's quick, screen is easy to view. Keyboard has a positive feel but not stiff. Yes, it's heavy but I wanted it for a replacement desktop so won't be hauling it around. Plenty of ports, pleased they are on the sides so no struggle to use them. Fans are quiet and they are at the back. I've not had any problems with heat, any sort of odd behavior.
Windows 8, well, that's taken longer to deal with and honestly wish I'd purchased the same laptop with Windows 7. Who wants to pay an extra $70.00 for Windows Media Player is one of the easier things to gripe about. But that is on me, not Asus!
Overall, I am very pleased with this purchase.
Windows 8, well, that's taken longer to deal with and honestly wish I'd purchased the same laptop with Windows 7. Who wants to pay an extra $70.00 for Windows Media Player is one of the easier things to gripe about. But that is on me, not Asus!
Overall, I am very pleased with this purchase.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
I love this laptop, it's amazing! I am studying computer animation, and rendering takes no time at all. My games run smoothly (if only I had better internet connection. The battery life is great for such a big laptop. I think the only thing I haven't liked is the weight. It's a little on the heavy side, but it hasn't been a hassle since I bought a laptop backpack.Thursday, September 18, 2014
Discount HP PAVILION DV7-4077CL Laptop Computer
List Price: $899.99
Sale Price: $749.95
Today's Bonus: 17% Off
This thing is a workhorse. Absolutely amazing. HP hit it right with this monster beautiful screen. OMG!!!! If you are in the market for a PC, obviously, we were too until we bought this Rockstar. Family is Happy Happy Happy, Dad is Happy with the power for all my work and Win 7 is what vista should have been. Upgrade you will thank yourself.
Good Seller too. Got the product quickly and was running in no time.
Take care, God Bless.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
HP hit a home run with this beauty.HD graphics fantastic picture.Intel Core i3 is very fast,After a lot of reading I decided on a refurbished.I was nervous UNTIL it was delivered.Not a scratch,like brand new at half price.Turned on like new computer out of box.I could not be happier.2 weeks after purchase the refurb. price went up $72.Glad I went with my gut!!So..... I figured what the heck and spent $30 to double my RAM to 8gb.This baby SMOKES.It has it all.....640gb ATA Hd with recovery partition, BD player,Great Webcam,disc etching,switchable graphics for battery savings,Very well made oversized hinges and plenty of ports including HDMI.Windows 7 is a pleasure to use. GET 1 before their gone. JOE H.BTW, IT'S BLACK WITH A BLACK CHERRY INSIDE,NOT LIKE PICTURE,JUST BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!
UPDATE:4 Months later and i'm happier than ever.GREAT Laptop!!Get yours before they're all gone!!
2nd UPDATE: 10 months later still LOVING this machine..I won't let ANYBODY touch it LOL!!!
Another observation: I purchased this Laptop Nov.10, 2011 & the price has gone UP!!That speaks volumes of how good a machine this really is!!!LOVE IT!!!
3rd Update: I've had this laptop for over a year & the price hasen't dropped a PENNY.That should tell you how GREAT a PC this is!!!What a product!!
Best Deals for HP PAVILION DV7-4077CL Laptop Computer
This is a great laptop that not only is a great dollar value but is delightful to use. I currently use mine for business, and personal use for viewing BluRay movies, and various video streaming applications. This unit (HP dv7-4077cl Entertainment) has impressive operational performance which is based on the "entertainment" grade components it's packaged withBluRay player, Intel Core i3 cpu, high performance Graphic & Audio cards, and much more. For a laptop with a large, bright 17.3" screen, powerful components, & user friendly features, this unit's battery duration is very good (appx. 4 hours).This model is manufactured with a high quality feel and look. It's sturdy, balanced, and uses large solid hinges to keep it together. It also has a contemporary appearance that is based on a "modern deco" type print on a flat mahogany cover & panel tones, which unlike many other models, hides/prevents thumb prints and other smudges. Overall this model has good performance, good looks, and a great value.
Honest reviews on HP PAVILION DV7-4077CL Laptop Computer
i bougth this laptop and is really beautiful, is totally black ( not like the picture), is light weight, great desing, thing, fast, i am very happyFind helpful customer reviews and review ratings for HP PAVILION DV7-4077CL Laptop Computer
ok computer with an awful video cam. Otherwise a standard laptop. A bit too heavy to travel with. Older technology too. but its cheap.Friday, September 5, 2014
Landel MailBug Email Appliance (LT-302W) Reviews
I have used the mailbug for the past 11 months, have bought 9 for family members and find the mailbug an unbeliveable tool for me at home. It sits in my kitchen and my wife and daughter use it daily.
My father is literally on the mailbug 5 times a day sending email, checking his stock and being a news buff, checking on the latest political happenings.
I strongly recommend this product for ANYONE that wants easy access to email and news, stocks, entertainment and weather.
GREAT product !
It's been a tremendous success! She loves it, and emails people all the time. I tried it and it's got great usability, the keyboard is very comfortable (standard-sized), easy-to-read screen. This is really for non-computer people who are comfortable being limited to text emails. It has very limited internet functionality (current weather, sports results, etc, all text-based). Anyone who likes to browse the internet or read/send email attachments should not rely on this device. However, as a text-message communication device, it's perfect. My mother has now owned it for 7 months and it has been running solidly the whole time.
My father is literally on the mailbug 5 times a day sending email, checking his stock and being a news buff, checking on the latest political happenings.
I strongly recommend this product for ANYONE that wants easy access to email and news, stocks, entertainment and weather.
GREAT product !
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
My wife was always uncomfortable with my computer, but now she emails a lot with this nifty device. It sits on our kitchen counter. The use of the keyboard is not cramped like some of the other email appliances. The combination of Caller ID and email is godsend for my wife. The only minus is that we are unable to find a cover for the mailbug appliance. FIVE STARS!!!!Best Deals for Landel MailBug Email Appliance (LT-302W)
I bought this device for my mother, who not only is not a computer person, but is also a techno-phobe (she still prefers old-fashioned 'round dial' phones!). However, I thought this would be a good way for her to keep in touch with people.It's been a tremendous success! She loves it, and emails people all the time. I tried it and it's got great usability, the keyboard is very comfortable (standard-sized), easy-to-read screen. This is really for non-computer people who are comfortable being limited to text emails. It has very limited internet functionality (current weather, sports results, etc, all text-based). Anyone who likes to browse the internet or read/send email attachments should not rely on this device. However, as a text-message communication device, it's perfect. My mother has now owned it for 7 months and it has been running solidly the whole time.
Honest reviews on Landel MailBug Email Appliance (LT-302W)
We purchased this for my 80+ year old mother-in-law who has no computer experience thinking it would be simple to use and practicle for sending messages to 4 5 family members around the USA. It was fine for about two weeks then the email account was inundated with SPAM. Mother-in-law could not cope with this and the service provider has NO SPAM filter nor any solution for the problem. We cancelled the email account and removed the appliance from mother-in-law's residence.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Landel MailBug Email Appliance (LT-302W)
My wife's been using this little device for close to a year. It is what it says e-mail only. And that means no HTML, no attachments, no graphics, just text. It's very easy to set-up and use. My only complaint (because I had low expectations) is that you cannot set the automatic mail checking interval it is set at about every 3 hours. One nice extra, though we've got voice mail on our home line and the MailBug detects the odd dial-tone and indicates messages waiting. NOTE: The reason I'm even here writing this is because I'm trying to find the seller Landel or the service provider MailBug.com to re-subscribe. I CANNOT FIND WEB SITES FOR EITHER COMPANY. So, unless that's a temporary problem and you do find them, beware. MEPThursday, August 21, 2014
Buy Lenovo - Yoga Ultrabook Convertible 11.6" Touch-Screen Laptop - 4GB
I originally purchased this computer from my local Best Buy store and have been very impressed with its performance. The screen folds effortlessly 360 degrees into a tablet and the software transitions very smoothly while disabling the keyboard to prevent the keys from being pressed inadvertently. Windows 8 shines with a touchscreen interface and i5 Intel Processor in this computer keeps this machine running FAST. Boots in seconds from a 128gb SSD and is very lightweight to carry. Build quality is solid unlike some of the other touchscreen windows 8 PCs that BB/Amazon offers (I had to return several others before settling on this one). Only recommendation is to purchase a case for it as the exterior paint tends to scratch easily.
Overall this is the best quality touchscreen Win8 notebook on the market for the money.
Overall this is the best quality touchscreen Win8 notebook on the market for the money.
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Discount HP G62-234DX Laptop Notebook / Intel Core i3-350M Processor / 15.6"
I purchased this notebook so I could have something to sit around in the living room, coffee shop and/or occasional work trip. I am generally a MAC person, but this computer has worked pretty well for me, since I sometimes want to use a PC and my work uses PC's.
If you don't want an iPad, do want a "real" keyboard, but also think that netbooks are too small (especially the keyboard) and limited (smaller hard drive), then this is a good size. It's thin enough to slip in a back pack or carry on, and still enjoy a vivid screen, yet not so big as a 17 inch screen, that it should be considered a desktop.
Since I am a writer (at home and work), I like the "regular" sized keyboard, although the touch "mouse" pad is too close to the space bar that sometimes my thumb hits it and moves the cursor.
The computer boots up pretty quick, and if it sleeps or the battery looses power, it seems to restore it self pretty quickly, which I like very much.
Since I am a MAC person, there are several things I don't like about running MS products, including: OUTLOOK DID NOT COME WITH THE VERSION OF MS "OFFICE" THAT I BOUGHT (but then I just downloaded Mozilla Thunderbird and am just fine not paying more to MS thank you very much). It is especially annoying that Outlook does not come with the computer, since such a solid email/calendar program come standard with a MAC. Also, there are way more software notifications and "reminders" that constantly pop up that are annoying.
I do like the way Windows now organizes "Libraries" of "Documents," "Pictures," etc., very much like a MAC (no doubt, that's where MS got the idea).
My notebook had an HDMI output, which is great when you want to hook it up to a TV at home or at a hotel on a business trip, if your hotel has a HD tv with HDMI. This latter feature is great, since that means you can watch Netflix in your hotel room on the road.
The wifi works great. It was pretty easy to get it up and running for web surfing at home and in coffee shops.
There's more I like, but the size and functionality have been great: Not to big, not to small, great screen, plenty of HD space for general purposes, plenty of speed for skype etc., just very pleased.
BUT... and a BIG BUT...
There are new keys added to the left side of the keyboard... application keys... say you use CTRL a lot... your little finger automatically reaches for the furthests most bottom left key.. you hit it without out looking (like most good typists)...
BOOM, the Calculator pops up!!! Who the heck put THAT button there?
Same w/ CAPS LOCK... and TAB... and Shift etc. The only standard location key they left alone is the ESC key. Personally, I use CTRL and CAPS and TAB a whole heck of a lot more than the ESC key.
Nice response to the keyboard, nice monitor, fast processor, lovely Win7
BUT DANG, who was the non-genius who put those new keys on the far left hand side??
My suggestion: Find a different HP (or other) laptop, where the keyboard is standard.
If you don't want an iPad, do want a "real" keyboard, but also think that netbooks are too small (especially the keyboard) and limited (smaller hard drive), then this is a good size. It's thin enough to slip in a back pack or carry on, and still enjoy a vivid screen, yet not so big as a 17 inch screen, that it should be considered a desktop.
Since I am a writer (at home and work), I like the "regular" sized keyboard, although the touch "mouse" pad is too close to the space bar that sometimes my thumb hits it and moves the cursor.
The computer boots up pretty quick, and if it sleeps or the battery looses power, it seems to restore it self pretty quickly, which I like very much.
Since I am a MAC person, there are several things I don't like about running MS products, including: OUTLOOK DID NOT COME WITH THE VERSION OF MS "OFFICE" THAT I BOUGHT (but then I just downloaded Mozilla Thunderbird and am just fine not paying more to MS thank you very much). It is especially annoying that Outlook does not come with the computer, since such a solid email/calendar program come standard with a MAC. Also, there are way more software notifications and "reminders" that constantly pop up that are annoying.
I do like the way Windows now organizes "Libraries" of "Documents," "Pictures," etc., very much like a MAC (no doubt, that's where MS got the idea).
My notebook had an HDMI output, which is great when you want to hook it up to a TV at home or at a hotel on a business trip, if your hotel has a HD tv with HDMI. This latter feature is great, since that means you can watch Netflix in your hotel room on the road.
The wifi works great. It was pretty easy to get it up and running for web surfing at home and in coffee shops.
There's more I like, but the size and functionality have been great: Not to big, not to small, great screen, plenty of HD space for general purposes, plenty of speed for skype etc., just very pleased.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
HP generally puts out some very nice products. This G62 is very fast, and I love Win7 over Vista.BUT... and a BIG BUT...
There are new keys added to the left side of the keyboard... application keys... say you use CTRL a lot... your little finger automatically reaches for the furthests most bottom left key.. you hit it without out looking (like most good typists)...
BOOM, the Calculator pops up!!! Who the heck put THAT button there?
Same w/ CAPS LOCK... and TAB... and Shift etc. The only standard location key they left alone is the ESC key. Personally, I use CTRL and CAPS and TAB a whole heck of a lot more than the ESC key.
Nice response to the keyboard, nice monitor, fast processor, lovely Win7
BUT DANG, who was the non-genius who put those new keys on the far left hand side??
My suggestion: Find a different HP (or other) laptop, where the keyboard is standard.
Best Deals for HP G62-234DX Laptop Notebook / Intel Core i3-350M Processor / 15.6"
I bought it in 2010 and it does not work well from the very beginning. Never buy this one. It totally sucks. Harddisk gone in more than a year and I do not recommend it for anyone.Honest reviews on HP G62-234DX Laptop Notebook / Intel Core i3-350M Processor / 15.6"
Good computer until the Motherboard died at 16 months. Costs 200.00 plus labor so the computer is shot. I will likely buy a different brand.Monday, June 30, 2014
Best Sony VAIO VPC-EA44FX/WI 14-Inch Laptop (White) Deals
I always thought vaio's were out of my budget, but at amazon it was much cheaper than anywhere else, and even cheaper than an equivalent dell with my stundent discount. I chose this computer because it is pretty light, has a decent keyboard, a lot of memory, and big hard drive, great for the simulations I run. The only things I didn't like is that the screen reflects too much (but I guess all the new computers are like that now), the mouse click is kinda lound, the cd drive seems a bit fragile and squeaks, and it did not come with the windows cd in case I need to reinstall it. I got this computer only a couple of months a go, so I can't tell how durable it is. The battery seems to last 4hr at the most, which I believe is standard. I mostly use it plugged in. You might be able to buy a battery that lasts longer and put in it.
All i need from this model, i get ! And much more :) I'm recommend to all!
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
I got a great deal on this computer through Amazon and it is by far the best computer I have owned. Given that I've had a Dell and HP, this VAIO was a huge step up from both. The processor is insanely fast. I just got done watching live TV while downloading songs at the same time and this laptop had no problems. Highly recommended!Best Deals for Sony VAIO VPC-EA44FX/WI 14-Inch Laptop (White)
I got this laptop a while ago because it seemed to be a good fit for all the specs, plus it was pretty sharp IMO. It was great for a little while, everything was fast and worked perfectly. After a while it started getting a bit slower and now it makes this awful sound. kind of a grinding, clicking sound. I am not sure if this is the fan or the hard drive, or if it can be even be fixed. So based on my experience with this computer I would recommend you to keep looking and find something better. I know for a fact that there are better computers for cheaper prices. Don't waste your money.Honest reviews on Sony VAIO VPC-EA44FX/WI 14-Inch Laptop (White)
This is a good, very good laptop! 7/10 !All i need from this model, i get ! And much more :) I'm recommend to all!
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Sony VAIO VPC-EA44FX/WI 14-Inch Laptop (White)
I came from Brazil anxious to buy a computer here and I would like a Sony Vaio. I really liked it. Until now, I did not have any problems. I do not understand a lot about computers but I know that it is a great computer.Wednesday, June 25, 2014
MSI Computer Corp. Notebook Computer GT70 0NE-276US;9S7-176212-276 Reviews
Purchased this laptop through excaliberPC due to it not being available on Amazon and have been Really impressed. The Raid 0 is what sold me on the product. I love the look and feel of the laptop it's sturdy and durable and weighs a ton. The thing I found most impressive was that this was the first laptop I have ever had that wasn't preloaded with a bunch of junk. I upgraded windows with a fresh install and actually immediately went back to MSI's site to redownload all of the utilities that came with the laptop as I actually missed having them and found that anything that was provided was actually a useful piece of software specifically for this laptop that enhanced the experience. I will note that as one user mentioned previously because you are using a mobile version of Nvidia's kepler architecture it comes pre-set to optimize power consumption and not use the Nvidia card unless needed. This will cause your system to appear like it doesn't recognize the card. Simply go into Nvidia's dashboard and adjust it's settings to use the GTX 680m card only and you will see a major increase in performance.
Before I purchased this laptop I was considering going with a Lenova, but I wanted all the shiny extras like the glowing keyboard that is very personalizable.
First thing I noticed was that the keyboard backlit system stopped working with one of the LED's on the WASD section of the keyboard, including the headphone jack light (which I thought was cool) both stoppped working within the first few days.
The GTX680 is future proof. I won't have to replace this laptop for at least 10 years or until the next gen of gaming arrives.
I went with the 17.3in screen, 1900x1080 resolution. Everything looks amazing, I haven't bought Witcher 2 (and don't plan to) but that has been the only game at this time that people have said they have problems running on max settings.
I have the 750Gig hard drive with a 256SSD, 16g(4x4g) ram.
I have all of my games on max including Skyrim, Borderlands 2, COD Black Ops 2, BF3 (and more downloading) andthey all run amazing.
If I were to do anything different, I would have went with the GTX 675 or the GTX 660, with the higher front side buss 3Megs at least.
This is only because $2,300 is a lot more than $1,700 and IMO not worth the slightly upgraded videocard and 128 extra gigs of SSD.
I am usually a very good deal hunter but this was a gift to myself after buying a crappy non gaming laptop and having buyer's remorse.
I am very happy with this purchase. I hope this helps anyone looking to buy something similiar.
The Laptop is beautiful imo, the screen is matte (yes no more reflections like asus), the speakers are best in the market second to none, even Asus that has good speakers on the G73/G74 cant compete with dynaudio setup the msi has. The keyboard is a pleasure to work with, its a chiclet island type of keys, but very responsive and you can customize the colors in 3 zones, only thing tha sucks big time is the microphone but not like i see a laptop with a decent one, i always use external in my gaming or video conferencing, and the second drawback is that its not as quiet as my Asus G73, not saying noisy, but you defently know the fan is on, where at times with my Asus i was amazed into how quiet it was.
One thing that i would have love to see was MSI using Samsung 830 msata, i haven't seen hit retail, but i seen them OEM, this imo would been a perfect combo for such a great laptop, still the included ssds are amazing fast and i dont have issues yet, but personally i don't like sanforce controllers... but i guess time will tell.
This is truly a laptop that will handle almost any game at max settings, and probably anything, even encoding. Its expensive, but i dont regret what i spend on it, if you have the means, treat yourself with this super powerful laptop.
But i finally hedged my bets and went with this one. And damn i was right. This thing is a beast. It will laugh at any game you throw at it, including BF3. It gives a 60 FPS on BF3 Ultra settings but when you set it to low(which really doesnt make a difference) it gives you a constant 100+.
The SSD Raid 0 Configuration makes this thing boot up in a WHOOPING 9 seconds !!
This is mobile gaming at its best and at a relatively cheap cost ! Don't waste your money in those Alienware's just go ahead and buy this one, you shall not be disappointed.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
I bought this laptop after a lot of searching. I was finally in a postition to pull the trigger on something rediculously over-priced.Before I purchased this laptop I was considering going with a Lenova, but I wanted all the shiny extras like the glowing keyboard that is very personalizable.
First thing I noticed was that the keyboard backlit system stopped working with one of the LED's on the WASD section of the keyboard, including the headphone jack light (which I thought was cool) both stoppped working within the first few days.
The GTX680 is future proof. I won't have to replace this laptop for at least 10 years or until the next gen of gaming arrives.
I went with the 17.3in screen, 1900x1080 resolution. Everything looks amazing, I haven't bought Witcher 2 (and don't plan to) but that has been the only game at this time that people have said they have problems running on max settings.
I have the 750Gig hard drive with a 256SSD, 16g(4x4g) ram.
I have all of my games on max including Skyrim, Borderlands 2, COD Black Ops 2, BF3 (and more downloading) andthey all run amazing.
If I were to do anything different, I would have went with the GTX 675 or the GTX 660, with the higher front side buss 3Megs at least.
This is only because $2,300 is a lot more than $1,700 and IMO not worth the slightly upgraded videocard and 128 extra gigs of SSD.
I am usually a very good deal hunter but this was a gift to myself after buying a crappy non gaming laptop and having buyer's remorse.
I am very happy with this purchase. I hope this helps anyone looking to buy something similiar.
Best Deals for MSI Computer Corp. Notebook Computer GT70 0NE-276US;9S7-176212-276
This is now my fourth gaming laptop, never i have ever said completly i don't miss my desktop on my trips, lets face it desktop hardware is just faster as it has much more space to fit bigger coolers, bigger psu, etc. But now im completely amazed with the MSI GT70one, the GTX680m is a really great card, specially for laptops, its very close to the performance of a desktp GTX570, something that imo is truly epic, it run Diablo 3 and Starcraft 2 max settings with no hiccups whatsoever even on dense npc areas, niether of those two games are very demanding, but once you have big armys or huger mobs to kill, it will slow down any laptop gpu, with MSi... its like having my desktop on the go.The Laptop is beautiful imo, the screen is matte (yes no more reflections like asus), the speakers are best in the market second to none, even Asus that has good speakers on the G73/G74 cant compete with dynaudio setup the msi has. The keyboard is a pleasure to work with, its a chiclet island type of keys, but very responsive and you can customize the colors in 3 zones, only thing tha sucks big time is the microphone but not like i see a laptop with a decent one, i always use external in my gaming or video conferencing, and the second drawback is that its not as quiet as my Asus G73, not saying noisy, but you defently know the fan is on, where at times with my Asus i was amazed into how quiet it was.
One thing that i would have love to see was MSI using Samsung 830 msata, i haven't seen hit retail, but i seen them OEM, this imo would been a perfect combo for such a great laptop, still the included ssds are amazing fast and i dont have issues yet, but personally i don't like sanforce controllers... but i guess time will tell.
This is truly a laptop that will handle almost any game at max settings, and probably anything, even encoding. Its expensive, but i dont regret what i spend on it, if you have the means, treat yourself with this super powerful laptop.
Honest reviews on MSI Computer Corp. Notebook Computer GT70 0NE-276US;9S7-176212-276
I am going to do a more in depth Review, but Ill sum it up .. This thing smokes.. and for those of you riding the fence between this and the M17 R4 2012 model...GET THIS ONE! In some of the GPU Benchmarking, the ALienware beat out this system by just hairs, but that was with stock configurations out of the box.. Once one learns how to utilize this machines Overclock ability It smokes the Alienware. Now Im not going to lie, the GT700NE is not the prettiest Gaming Rig on the block, but what you get is uncanny gaming performance, It laughs at every game I've thrown at it on Ultra settings, getting at least 80-90 frames a second and on some 140+.. The only game I haven't tried is the Witcher2, which I hear is too ridiculous even for Desktop Rigs. Yeah the Alienware is SEXY,, I mean real sexy. But Im very glad I went with the MSI.. You will easily pay 1,000 more for the same specs on the ALienware, not to mention the M17's GTX 680M Only sports 2GB of Video Ram, while the MSI has 4GB...At the same time though the Alienware has the 120HZ screen, ready for 3D gaming(a gimick IMO), but barley has the Ram to back it.. The GT70 DOES NOT have a 120HZ screen but will laugh at a 3D compattible game if you hook up to a 120HZ Monitor. My only complaint would be MSI's Customer support, I called them for something simple and was on the phone with machines for over an hour, and had to end up leaving a message just to get called back 3 days later. Alienware(Dell) has unrivaled customer support, and will even come to your house if you buy a warranty through them, WHICH YOU SHOULD BE DOING IF BUYING EITHER ONE OF THESE MACHINES. WIll add more laterFind helpful customer reviews and review ratings for MSI Computer Corp. Notebook Computer GT70 0NE-276US;9S7-176212-276
I spent about half a month pondering whether i should buy an Alienware of similar specs of go for this one because I did not have a very impressive picture of MSI in my mind.But i finally hedged my bets and went with this one. And damn i was right. This thing is a beast. It will laugh at any game you throw at it, including BF3. It gives a 60 FPS on BF3 Ultra settings but when you set it to low(which really doesnt make a difference) it gives you a constant 100+.
The SSD Raid 0 Configuration makes this thing boot up in a WHOOPING 9 seconds !!
This is mobile gaming at its best and at a relatively cheap cost ! Don't waste your money in those Alienware's just go ahead and buy this one, you shall not be disappointed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)