Showing posts with label notebook rental. Show all posts
Showing posts with label notebook rental. Show all posts
Friday, November 28, 2014
Buy Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 0301-DCU 15.6-Inch Laptop
My experienc on Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 0301-DCU 15.6-Inch Laptop not that good.1. its not as good as described on site. 2.heats up fast with not much software on it. battery slot is loose and moving when touch. 3. battery life is just 2 hrs , but description said 4hr. 4 screen sleeps thought something is working.
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
HP ENVY dv7-7323cl 17.3" Notebook PC - Refurbished Reviews
I hadn't updated my personal system in over 10 years. I researched all major laptop brands for a month before making this purchase. And although there are many good systems out there this was the best I found for features versus price.
The idea was to have this laptop in lieu of a new desktop so I wanted a 17" + screen. After researching Intel processors the Core i5 ivy bridge (3rd generation) looked like the best performer per dollar. The 8 gigs of RAM (expandable to 16) was a nice extra as many of this type come standard with only 4 gigs. The hard drive is a bit bigger too.
It was a nice touch to get a back lit keyboard included as most others I saw had it as a paid add on.
The Intel 4000 graphics are pretty good so unless you play first person shooters it handles games pleasingly.
I am impressed with the speed and performance of this laptop and would recommend it without hesitation.
the one i got was refurbished and i could not tell it was refurbished. so good for me on that front.
battery life was about what you would expect. around 4h of video playback is what i tested. i like a bright screen though. i imagine you can squeeze a little more using lower setting for brightness and more power saving settings.
the keyboard is very nice. i loved it was backlit. my first backlit keyboard and i do not know why i did not have this before. yes i do. the price of laptops with backlit keyboards was usually too high. which brings me back to the fact that this is a good laptop for the price.
i liked that there are 4 usb ports and 3 are usb 3.0. i use the usb 2.0 for my wireless mouse and so doesnt require the transfer speeds. the usb 3.0 is definitely faster than 2.0 on this laptop though trying some external drives which use usb 3.0, i felt it was a bit slow compared to what it was on other computers. but still, decent transfer rates.
all in all, i feel this was a good purchase.
The idea was to have this laptop in lieu of a new desktop so I wanted a 17" + screen. After researching Intel processors the Core i5 ivy bridge (3rd generation) looked like the best performer per dollar. The 8 gigs of RAM (expandable to 16) was a nice extra as many of this type come standard with only 4 gigs. The hard drive is a bit bigger too.
It was a nice touch to get a back lit keyboard included as most others I saw had it as a paid add on.
The Intel 4000 graphics are pretty good so unless you play first person shooters it handles games pleasingly.
I am impressed with the speed and performance of this laptop and would recommend it without hesitation.
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best laptop for the price the i5 possessor never skips a beat best laptop speakers i have ever herd and the finger print scanner works better then i thought great for work or school or just surfing the web and for that price cant beat it with windows 8 highly recommend!Best Deals for HP ENVY dv7-7323cl 17.3" Notebook PC - Refurbished
the screen is a bit too reflective and viewing angles are somewhat narrow, but much like everything with this laptop, for the price, very good deal. it runs fast enough for my purposes which are browsing and watching high quality videos mostly. a little video editing.the one i got was refurbished and i could not tell it was refurbished. so good for me on that front.
battery life was about what you would expect. around 4h of video playback is what i tested. i like a bright screen though. i imagine you can squeeze a little more using lower setting for brightness and more power saving settings.
the keyboard is very nice. i loved it was backlit. my first backlit keyboard and i do not know why i did not have this before. yes i do. the price of laptops with backlit keyboards was usually too high. which brings me back to the fact that this is a good laptop for the price.
i liked that there are 4 usb ports and 3 are usb 3.0. i use the usb 2.0 for my wireless mouse and so doesnt require the transfer speeds. the usb 3.0 is definitely faster than 2.0 on this laptop though trying some external drives which use usb 3.0, i felt it was a bit slow compared to what it was on other computers. but still, decent transfer rates.
all in all, i feel this was a good purchase.
Honest reviews on HP ENVY dv7-7323cl 17.3" Notebook PC - Refurbished
best laptop i have ever owned and that is coming from someone who has been repairing computers for 20 plus years
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Acer Aspire S3-391-6616 i3 4 GB 320 GB HDD Windows 7 Home Premium Review
List Price: $550.00
Sale Price: $494.88
Today's Bonus: 10% Off
excellent value on this small light weight laptop. it fits into my soft brief case easily. It is perfect as a travelling laptop. screen is vivid, keyboard fits and feels good to the touch. speed is adequate but ok for my use. i purchased a clear plastic cover that fits snugly and protects the surface from scratches. I would recommend as a decent quality laptop in the lower price range.
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Great little computer. Bought it for my mom and follow the tips of buying this version instead of the one with Windows 8. It has been working flawlessly. The color it's also better than what I thought it would be. Very, very happy with this choice. I totally recommend it.Friday, October 31, 2014
Review of Samsung Series 9 NP900X1B-A01 11.6-Inch Laptop
I've had this for about 5 days now. I traded in the Series 3 11.6 (Princeton) for this one.
Build:
I can attest to the machine's toughness. While I have yet to drop it...I haven't exactly been delicate with it either. I was able to pry off the bottom to have a look inside. No problem. The screen doesn't seem to flex as others have mentioned in their review (seems pretty solid) and I do keep leaving the sliding doors to the ports open when I threw the laptop in by pack going to work (it's just a regular pack...no padded laptop pocket and I didn't have a case or anything to put the laptop into. Doors seem to be working fine (not that I enjoy testing my luck...I just keep forgetting)
Hardware:
I love the keyboard and display (especially the keyboard backlighting) Wifi seems low-end for a high-end model (same chip as in the 13.3 inch Series 9 (bcm4357). I did a skype test of the in low light...it seemed ok but not great (basically I had to be right up to the camera to be seen). Speakers are pretty good (I did prefer the Samsung Series 3 which had their speakers above the keyboard instead of underneath the unit). Speakers seem to be loud enough and stereo sound (even when placing the laptop on a chair or bed). YMMV (I"m not expecting the speakers to compete with bigger laptops or external speakers). The battery life seems to be sub-par (2 1/2 to 3 hours using continuously not even streaming video or audio and, yes, Ubuntu has power management settings which I've configured)
Popping the bottom off to look at the hardware, there is no 204 pin memory modules so it looks like replacing/upgrading the memory is difficult/impossible (I'm not brave enough to try extracting the motherboard to see if the modules are on the other side below the keyboard). I do love the fact that the SSD is PCI-E (and can be replaced..as opposed to soldered on the motherboard like macbook air.) I'm going to replace the wifi card with a Centrino 6230 (as soon as it gets here)
Software:
I reformatted to Ubuntu Natty 64 bit and loaded VMware player for Windows 7. I haven't had any issues with the touchpad. All the complaints about multi-touch gestures not working or limited seem to be a Windows only issue. Specifically two-finger scrolling and two-finger tap (for right-click) work flawlessly. Since the touchpad works on my Win7 install via vmware tools this functionality is still present when I'm in Windows. (win7 Pro 32 bit)...althugh I haven't played around very much on the Windows side since I use the Unity mode and just launch Outlook and IE mostly. The Broadcom chip seemed to work for me (I'm using it until my Centrino 6230 gets here) I'm on kernel 2.6.38.11 if that helps out anyone.
I can't give it 5 stars because of the wifi and battery. All in all, I like the laptop very much. Other than the wifi card and the battery life...this was worth the $400 over the Samsung Series 3
...while Apple offers configuration options for the Macbook Air 11 inch...the price tag is $1649 (core i7, 256 gb ssd option) + $249 or so for the applecare 2 year warranty. While I like OS X...I want to use Ubuntu as my OS (and not through vmware)
If you're a windows user and want a thin and light laptop the Series 9 is the way to go.
1/5/12 update Ok, I've had my Series 9 for 4 months now. Still love it. Since the last review I've reformatted from Ubuntu to Win7 (Ultimate 64-bit). I installed the Intel Centrino 6230 card and it works flawlessly. I ended up taking the sliding port doors off.
Hardware Under Windows 7 I Installed all hardware drivers that were available from Windows update and the rest from the Samsung support site. I do think the battery has a little better performance under win7 . I use sleep mode (left it asleep at 50% battery life all night and most of the day). When I woke it up...the battery was at 49%. I used it for a bit and put it back asleep. When I got home I got back on it. Battery life now at 31% (using it for about 1/2 hour). Compared to Ubuntu I'd say I'm eeking out an extra 1/2 hour or so on windows.
Software Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit (SP1) all updates from windows installed (except the 35 language packs...don't need those). Use the drivers from Microsoft and only install the drivers you need from Samsung. Use the battery life extender (software section) from the Samsung site. And the firmware update 1.0.0.2 (firmware section) on samsung site.
In conclusion You will need to replace the wifi card (I recommend the Intel Centrino 6230). You will want to install a fresh copy of your flavor of windows (or linux) 64 bit edition and delete the existing partitions during the OS install. Under Windows 7, when you get updates just create a new restore point...you don't need a separate recovery partition. If you are going to create an image you will definately want to do this via network. If you're just worried about your data and settings...just use Windows Easy Transfer (enable and login as administrator). I've got 2 external monitors running...one is on a USB display (UGA USB video adapter) and the other is through the mini HDMI port. Run the USB video adapter on a USB hub works great.
11/17/12 1 year and 3 months...
Laptop still functioning like a pro. I would recommend using the Samsung AA-AH1NAMB/US Micro HDMI To VGA Adapter. I was using an VGA > HDMI > micro HDMI and connectivity was extremely sensitive.
The only disappointment, is that this came with the faulty wifi card that's usually associated with the Series 9. I purchased an Intel Centrino combination bluetooth and wifi card for this and replaced it right away. The wifi now works perfectly. I had a tricky time opening the laptop up due to some stubborn screws. Be very careful not to strip the tiny things or it may be permanently sealed forever.
I should also mention that I'm typically someone who is very bothered when electronics are made of fingerprint prone materials. A good example would be the glass on touch screen phones. Many people say that this computer is a 'fingerprint magnet', but I actually found this to be false. While you WILL have some finger printing for every day use, it's only a 'magnet' if you're doing something like eating popcorn or a cheeseburger while using it. There is a glossy plastic frame around the screen that I would deem as a 'magnet', but you shouldn't be touching the screen with your fingers anyway.
Fantastic little computer once you replace the wifi card.
Build:
I can attest to the machine's toughness. While I have yet to drop it...I haven't exactly been delicate with it either. I was able to pry off the bottom to have a look inside. No problem. The screen doesn't seem to flex as others have mentioned in their review (seems pretty solid) and I do keep leaving the sliding doors to the ports open when I threw the laptop in by pack going to work (it's just a regular pack...no padded laptop pocket and I didn't have a case or anything to put the laptop into. Doors seem to be working fine (not that I enjoy testing my luck...I just keep forgetting)
Hardware:
I love the keyboard and display (especially the keyboard backlighting) Wifi seems low-end for a high-end model (same chip as in the 13.3 inch Series 9 (bcm4357). I did a skype test of the in low light...it seemed ok but not great (basically I had to be right up to the camera to be seen). Speakers are pretty good (I did prefer the Samsung Series 3 which had their speakers above the keyboard instead of underneath the unit). Speakers seem to be loud enough and stereo sound (even when placing the laptop on a chair or bed). YMMV (I"m not expecting the speakers to compete with bigger laptops or external speakers). The battery life seems to be sub-par (2 1/2 to 3 hours using continuously not even streaming video or audio and, yes, Ubuntu has power management settings which I've configured)
Popping the bottom off to look at the hardware, there is no 204 pin memory modules so it looks like replacing/upgrading the memory is difficult/impossible (I'm not brave enough to try extracting the motherboard to see if the modules are on the other side below the keyboard). I do love the fact that the SSD is PCI-E (and can be replaced..as opposed to soldered on the motherboard like macbook air.) I'm going to replace the wifi card with a Centrino 6230 (as soon as it gets here)
Software:
I reformatted to Ubuntu Natty 64 bit and loaded VMware player for Windows 7. I haven't had any issues with the touchpad. All the complaints about multi-touch gestures not working or limited seem to be a Windows only issue. Specifically two-finger scrolling and two-finger tap (for right-click) work flawlessly. Since the touchpad works on my Win7 install via vmware tools this functionality is still present when I'm in Windows. (win7 Pro 32 bit)...althugh I haven't played around very much on the Windows side since I use the Unity mode and just launch Outlook and IE mostly. The Broadcom chip seemed to work for me (I'm using it until my Centrino 6230 gets here) I'm on kernel 2.6.38.11 if that helps out anyone.
I can't give it 5 stars because of the wifi and battery. All in all, I like the laptop very much. Other than the wifi card and the battery life...this was worth the $400 over the Samsung Series 3
...while Apple offers configuration options for the Macbook Air 11 inch...the price tag is $1649 (core i7, 256 gb ssd option) + $249 or so for the applecare 2 year warranty. While I like OS X...I want to use Ubuntu as my OS (and not through vmware)
If you're a windows user and want a thin and light laptop the Series 9 is the way to go.
1/5/12 update Ok, I've had my Series 9 for 4 months now. Still love it. Since the last review I've reformatted from Ubuntu to Win7 (Ultimate 64-bit). I installed the Intel Centrino 6230 card and it works flawlessly. I ended up taking the sliding port doors off.
Hardware Under Windows 7 I Installed all hardware drivers that were available from Windows update and the rest from the Samsung support site. I do think the battery has a little better performance under win7 . I use sleep mode (left it asleep at 50% battery life all night and most of the day). When I woke it up...the battery was at 49%. I used it for a bit and put it back asleep. When I got home I got back on it. Battery life now at 31% (using it for about 1/2 hour). Compared to Ubuntu I'd say I'm eeking out an extra 1/2 hour or so on windows.
Software Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit (SP1) all updates from windows installed (except the 35 language packs...don't need those). Use the drivers from Microsoft and only install the drivers you need from Samsung. Use the battery life extender (software section) from the Samsung site. And the firmware update 1.0.0.2 (firmware section) on samsung site.
In conclusion You will need to replace the wifi card (I recommend the Intel Centrino 6230). You will want to install a fresh copy of your flavor of windows (or linux) 64 bit edition and delete the existing partitions during the OS install. Under Windows 7, when you get updates just create a new restore point...you don't need a separate recovery partition. If you are going to create an image you will definately want to do this via network. If you're just worried about your data and settings...just use Windows Easy Transfer (enable and login as administrator). I've got 2 external monitors running...one is on a USB display (UGA USB video adapter) and the other is through the mini HDMI port. Run the USB video adapter on a USB hub works great.
11/17/12 1 year and 3 months...
Laptop still functioning like a pro. I would recommend using the Samsung AA-AH1NAMB/US Micro HDMI To VGA Adapter. I was using an VGA > HDMI > micro HDMI and connectivity was extremely sensitive.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
Prior to this, I used Macbook Air (11 inch screen) and it was not up to challenge for the relatively simple computing tasks and it lacked so many ports. This Samsung on the other hand is very powerful, lightweight,functional with a slick design(given, not as slick as Macbook Air), I would strongly recommend anyone who is looking for a lightweight, powerful laptop.Best Deals for Samsung Series 9 NP900X1B-A01 11.6-Inch Laptop
The stats listed for this item are not false. This is one of the few 11.6 inch laptops that was manufactured with a 128 GB SSD drive, and 4GB of ram. I thought it was a typo, and was pleasantly surprised to see that it was exactly as was listed.The only disappointment, is that this came with the faulty wifi card that's usually associated with the Series 9. I purchased an Intel Centrino combination bluetooth and wifi card for this and replaced it right away. The wifi now works perfectly. I had a tricky time opening the laptop up due to some stubborn screws. Be very careful not to strip the tiny things or it may be permanently sealed forever.
I should also mention that I'm typically someone who is very bothered when electronics are made of fingerprint prone materials. A good example would be the glass on touch screen phones. Many people say that this computer is a 'fingerprint magnet', but I actually found this to be false. While you WILL have some finger printing for every day use, it's only a 'magnet' if you're doing something like eating popcorn or a cheeseburger while using it. There is a glossy plastic frame around the screen that I would deem as a 'magnet', but you shouldn't be touching the screen with your fingers anyway.
Fantastic little computer once you replace the wifi card.
Honest reviews on Samsung Series 9 NP900X1B-A01 11.6-Inch Laptop
I'm a heavy computer user. When I wanted to buy this laptop I saw the bad reviews about WiFi so when I ordered this laptop I ordered an external wifi adapter in case! When I received this laptop every thing was good. Its about 2 months and wifi was perfect so far.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Samsung Series 9 NP900X1B-A01 11.6-Inch Laptop
I think there are some serious quality issues with this version of the Samsung device. The packaging I received seemed to already have been opened at one point, so I think my device may have already been returned once, fixed, and resold. Anyway, after one week of use the SSD drive failed and everything on it was lost. Yeah, should have been backing up everyday I guess, but I usually back up every week and the machine didn't even last that long.Saturday, September 6, 2014
Acer Aspire TimelineX AS3820T-5246 13.3-Inch HD Laptop (Black Reviews
When receiving the package, I immeadiately charged it. Afterwards, downloaded all the programs that I needed to replace my four year old laptop. Talked to the internet company to get that started (my fault b/c I forgot a step to set up). After my set-up was done, I absolutely LOVE it!!!!
My soul purpose for the Timeline is writing. But I do need to carry the laptop to different locations and interview clients. And this "dream" laptop is a sure delight. The processing speed is quick for what I do. Downloads are fast. And the biggest plus....this laptop does not get HOT like my old one. So, I'm ditching the "lap"top cooler! I'm free to roam.
The Battery life is outstanding! I surfed the web for over two hours(unplugged from the ac adaptor) before I came to write this review, my indicator is showwing 90%...8 hours left! WOW!!! Granted, I did some tweaking to the display and power adjustments. But still, 8 hours left after two hours of surfing the net....I love this laptop!
Now the down side. If you're looking to webcam with this laptop, you'll be disappointed. You need to be outside for the proper lighting. Or you can have the lamp light your face if you're indoors. I have adjusted the webcam to a certain degree, but still the quality wasn't there. But like I mentioned before, the soul purpose is for writing.
PRO: Lightweight, Battery life!
CONS: Webcam quality.
If anything should arise in the near future, I'll add it to my review.
I highly suggest the Timeline X to everyone who is in my position.
Addendum:
Someone asked for the Windows Experience Index:
Processor: Calculations Per Second..... 6.3
Mem(RAM): Memory Ops Per Second..... 5.9
Graphics: Desktop Performance for Win..4.7
Gaming Graphics: Performance..... 4.9
Primary Hard Disk: Data transfer..... 5.9
That being said, I love this little Acer system overall. I've been in high tech for over 25 years and I've gone through a lot of computers. I've had this one aboug three weeks and it has exceeded my expectations in most areas.
Form Factor
Small, light, and compact; yet feels solid when you carry it. Doesn't overheat like many systems. Speakers for a laptop are pretty good, as is the webcam. I think most 'average users' will be okay with both. While the keyboard and wrist area are fairly good at not picking up fingerprints, the same can't be said for the top of the system the black matte surface tends to show them.
I like the multi-card reader (it's hidden nicely in the front left corner of the system) and the HDMI support is a real plus as well for me since I plug this into my standing monitor quite often.
If you're used to opening up your laptop with one hand (due the help gravity gives you in dealing with your older, heavier laptop) you may miss that the Acer really needs two hands to open the lid, else the bottom tends to come off the table while you're trying to open the 'clam shell' hinged top. A small thing I adjusted to quickly...
In general, doesn't seem to be a lot of flex in the system, no creaking or moaning when I carry it. it reminds me a little of a well-built car when you shut the door solid sounding, not a tin can. (I've had a lot of tin can laptops over the years...) I have noticed a slight looseness in the left hand side plastic that covers the LED display, but it's not enough to bother me.
Peformance
The Intel HD graphics, i3 processor, and 4GB of memory help this puppy hum right along. The only complaint would be the slower 5400 speed drive. It's not necessarily noticeable, but it's too bad Acer doesn't include a faster 7200RPM drive. Also, for future reference, the system can hold 8GB of memory, but it comes preinstalled with 2 2GB DDR3 1066 SDRAM memory modules so keep that in mind if you are planning to upgrade memory at some point in the future you'll need to swap out both cards to get to 8GB.
High resolution video streaming, various online playbacks, and online performance in general is excellent. (See my note below about wireless throughput). In general, I'm very pleased with the graphics on this system.
Pre-installed Software
A couple of the Acer preloaded softwares seemed a little flakey. I uninstalled most of the preloaded software. In general, there is some clean-up if you don't want to take advantage of all their 'offers', but no more than most other systems.
Keyboard
Didn't mind the 'island' key layout, though it did take a couple minutes to get used to. Keyboard overall is responsive and has a very good 'full keyboard' feel. I thought the response of the multi-gesture touchpad was pretty good overall and think that if you haven't had one before, you'll like the functionality.
CineCrystal Backlight LED Display
Some people don't like this type of 'high-gloss' display. This system doesn't seem to have much glare/reflection issues; viewing angles are good, and the brightness is almost too bright I adjusted the default power settings to turn it down some.
Wireless
I did have one issue with the wireless (which turned out to have nothing directly to do with the Acer system, but I thought it was important to include here for anyone looking at Windows 7 and N-router compatibility). The Acer found my network easily, and Windows 7 configured everything correctly so it worked right away... but, I noticed the throughput seemed very slow. I ran a speed test online (dslreports) and realized my throughput was terrible even though I was configured to use my N-router and was only about 5 feet from the router when I did the test. I little research showed a lot of people complaining about slow and disconnecting wireless on Windows 7 systems (mostly during the Windows 7 beta, but still a lot since production release).
My problem turned out to be related to my router (it needed to have it's firmware updated to the latest version). Once I did that, the Acer connected wirelessly like a rocket. I'm averaging 11-12Mbps download on comcast; prior to update my wireless router firmware I was getting about 950Kbps download speed wirelessly. So if you have an N-router and are moving to a system with Windows 7, and you notice any performance issues, you may want to double check and make sure your router firmeware is the latest version possible.
Also, be aware that the preinstalled wireless drivers for the Atheros miniPCIe card are more current than the ones on Acer's website. So if you are troubleshooting wireless issues, be careful to check versions before assuming Acer's website has the most current.
Batter Life
While the 6-cell battery is good (Acer also makes a 9-cell you can buy as well), it's not giving me anywhere near 8 hours of battery life not that I expected it to. There are good options and a lot of granularity for adjusting performance/battery life profiles. I've been running mostly in the predefined 'balanced profile' and find I get about 4 to 4.5 hours of battery life which I think is more than reasonable. I suspect if I wanted to I could prolong the battery by running in the 'maximum battery life profile', but I haven't worried about it since my old laptop (Dell XPS) was lucky to get 2.5 hours. I did play with the maximum battery life profile a little and didn't notice any slow down in performance only that it dimmed the display quite a bit which is always a big culprit when it comes to consuming power.
Acer Support
I had a chance to deal with them when I noticed my slow wireless connectivity. In general, they seem to try and handle support via email, and although they are responsive, the responses seemed very automated and generic (try installing latest drivers, check obvious things). If you are used to troubleshooting issues on your own, I think they can complement the process. I never got the point where my issue was escalated hight enough to get any real help from them as I'd already solved it on my own. That being said, their site does a pretty good job of organizing their drivers by model and OS.
Last Thoughts
I had considered buying an Apple Macbook Pro or Airbook this time around, but for the price difference, this Acer can't be beat. I'd also looked at various higher/lower end notebooks, ultralight notebooks and ever a few netbooks. If you don't mind not having an optical drive (and to be honest I thought I would miss it, but don't) a 13.3 inch system like this Acer, with the new Intel i3 processor (they also have a model that comes with the i5) can't be beat for the price. It's solid and seems to be a good little workhorse.
Pros:
* Thin & Light
* Fast & Snappy performance (standard i3 processor!)
* Plays Youtube/Hulu 1080p content perfectly (no stutter)
* Bluetooth 3.0 (The spec listing is wrong again...)
* Great Battery Life
* Solid/Quality Construction
* Aluminum brushed exterior and overall design looks very nice
* User-friendly Touchpad
* Solid Keyboard
* Laptop never gets hot, warm at most even under stress
* Quiet
* Bright and Clear LCD.
Cons:
* At the time of purchase, specs showed it includes external DVD drive (which it does not).
* Gray areas of notebook is more silver-gray than charcoal-gray as shown.
* Glossy LCD Panel no problem indoors, but hard to see in outdoor sunny conditions.
* Weak 5400rpm hard drive is bottleneck of this system.
* Bloatware/Unwanted Apps less than some rivals but still a pain to remove.
Worthy of Noting:
* Touchpad(made by Synaptics) and palm area is much better made than the ASUS UL Series. Unlike the ASUS UL series I tried, this 3820T doesn't collect much hand oil/fingerprints, and fingers glides through easily even after prolonged use. Also, the Touchpad & Gestures both works very accurately and the touchpad buttons are very easy to press.
* Keyboard: Keys are quiet when typing, no flexing, and feels more solid compared to ASUS UL series.
* Chassis: Solid laptop casing and assembled very well. There are no loose parts and no squeaking pressure points.
* Wireless: For those who care, the wireless chip inside the 3820T is an Atheros AR5B93. The wireless connection is stable with decent range.
* HDMI out to 1080p LCD monitor worked without much effort. Just plug and play, and choose settings you want in Intel HD Control Panel. I don't have a Blu-Ray drive so have not been able to test Blu-Ray playback. However, YouTube 1080p x264 played perfectly, no stutter and uses about 30% CPU.
* Sound is adequate for quiet to moderate noise environments. If you want a digital audio connection this laptop also includes a digital-out SPDIF option.
* Drivers that came with the laptop is NEWER than Acer Support Website. If you want to do a clean installation of Windows 7, you'll need to hunt down updated drivers on your own.
* Heat/Noise: The notebook stays cool and is lap friendly. You can feel the warm air pushed out of the side fan when playing 1080p clip, but the body of the laptop stays at room temp. It stays quiet throughout intense and light-use.
Final Thoughts:
*Great price/value/performance/quality. I would buy again and recommend to others.
I've also inadvertently put this computer through a serious stress test, which it passed in impressive fashion: I was installing a program (from a legitimate vendor that shall remain nameless) that went out-of-control and opened about 40 web browser windows, and yet the computer didn't crash! It apparently had the CPU and memory capacity to handle all those processes until I finally was able to use the Task Manager to rein them in.
This laptop is not without some minor faults. The trackpad is not as sensitive to multi-gestures as I would like. As other reviewers have mentioned, its webcam quality isn't great. And of course there are several annoying pre-installed programs that I opted to remove. Personally I think its performance more than makes up for these shortfalls.
The lack of a built-in optical drive is a minor inconvenience, but nothing that an external drive and an optical drive emulator can't overcome. The only thing I really miss from Mac OSX is the native multiple-desktop support (though apparently there are free downloads available for that too)...Windows 7 has something comparable to every other feature I regularly use on a Mac.
Windows Experience Indices (whatever they're supposed to mean):
Processor: 6.3
Memory (RAM): 5.9
Graphics: 4.6
Gaming graphics: 5.1
Primary hard disk: 5.9
Pros: Screen is bright
machine is very quick
heat is a non issue
card reader is located intelligently enough in the front of the machine
It looks very pro. Feels light but substantial
Makes a happy little ubuntu box, compiz works
Cons:I don't care at all for the shared wifi/bluetooth button. It's just confusing.
I use encryption on everything, encrypted volumes, folders, etc. It would be nice if this i3 was one of the models with
hardware AES support, but it has enough CPU available that it's not like I really notice.
Notes:
You'll need to add the following to the xorg.conf in the Device section to get switching to HDMI to work
Option "AccelMethod" "uxa"
Option "EXAOptimizeMigration" "true"
Option "MigrationHeuristic" "greedy"
You'll also need to add the following line to /etc/default/grub to get the brightness hotkeys working
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash acpi_osi=Linux"
then run sudo update-grub. acpi_osi is not a typo, it's not acpi_os
Update, I just found that I actually had the atheros driver for the NIC already installed, you will need to download that. Never did get the bluetooth to work and battery life in normal operation (wifi, virtualbox VM running, playing MP3s and surfing) is right around 6.5 hours. Otherwise this thing has been a joy.
My soul purpose for the Timeline is writing. But I do need to carry the laptop to different locations and interview clients. And this "dream" laptop is a sure delight. The processing speed is quick for what I do. Downloads are fast. And the biggest plus....this laptop does not get HOT like my old one. So, I'm ditching the "lap"top cooler! I'm free to roam.
The Battery life is outstanding! I surfed the web for over two hours(unplugged from the ac adaptor) before I came to write this review, my indicator is showwing 90%...8 hours left! WOW!!! Granted, I did some tweaking to the display and power adjustments. But still, 8 hours left after two hours of surfing the net....I love this laptop!
Now the down side. If you're looking to webcam with this laptop, you'll be disappointed. You need to be outside for the proper lighting. Or you can have the lamp light your face if you're indoors. I have adjusted the webcam to a certain degree, but still the quality wasn't there. But like I mentioned before, the soul purpose is for writing.
PRO: Lightweight, Battery life!
CONS: Webcam quality.
If anything should arise in the near future, I'll add it to my review.
I highly suggest the Timeline X to everyone who is in my position.
Addendum:
Someone asked for the Windows Experience Index:
Processor: Calculations Per Second..... 6.3
Mem(RAM): Memory Ops Per Second..... 5.9
Graphics: Desktop Performance for Win..4.7
Gaming Graphics: Performance..... 4.9
Primary Hard Disk: Data transfer..... 5.9
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I bought this for $699, shipping included directly from Amazon about three weeks ago. As you can see from some of the discussion thread, the specifications on this system listed by Amazon were changed several times along the way I think Amazon could do a better job in making sure they get the particulars of a specific model right when they are listing a new system. (I noticed this wasn't just for Acer, seemed to be the case for many new systems).That being said, I love this little Acer system overall. I've been in high tech for over 25 years and I've gone through a lot of computers. I've had this one aboug three weeks and it has exceeded my expectations in most areas.
Form Factor
Small, light, and compact; yet feels solid when you carry it. Doesn't overheat like many systems. Speakers for a laptop are pretty good, as is the webcam. I think most 'average users' will be okay with both. While the keyboard and wrist area are fairly good at not picking up fingerprints, the same can't be said for the top of the system the black matte surface tends to show them.
I like the multi-card reader (it's hidden nicely in the front left corner of the system) and the HDMI support is a real plus as well for me since I plug this into my standing monitor quite often.
If you're used to opening up your laptop with one hand (due the help gravity gives you in dealing with your older, heavier laptop) you may miss that the Acer really needs two hands to open the lid, else the bottom tends to come off the table while you're trying to open the 'clam shell' hinged top. A small thing I adjusted to quickly...
In general, doesn't seem to be a lot of flex in the system, no creaking or moaning when I carry it. it reminds me a little of a well-built car when you shut the door solid sounding, not a tin can. (I've had a lot of tin can laptops over the years...) I have noticed a slight looseness in the left hand side plastic that covers the LED display, but it's not enough to bother me.
Peformance
The Intel HD graphics, i3 processor, and 4GB of memory help this puppy hum right along. The only complaint would be the slower 5400 speed drive. It's not necessarily noticeable, but it's too bad Acer doesn't include a faster 7200RPM drive. Also, for future reference, the system can hold 8GB of memory, but it comes preinstalled with 2 2GB DDR3 1066 SDRAM memory modules so keep that in mind if you are planning to upgrade memory at some point in the future you'll need to swap out both cards to get to 8GB.
High resolution video streaming, various online playbacks, and online performance in general is excellent. (See my note below about wireless throughput). In general, I'm very pleased with the graphics on this system.
Pre-installed Software
A couple of the Acer preloaded softwares seemed a little flakey. I uninstalled most of the preloaded software. In general, there is some clean-up if you don't want to take advantage of all their 'offers', but no more than most other systems.
Keyboard
Didn't mind the 'island' key layout, though it did take a couple minutes to get used to. Keyboard overall is responsive and has a very good 'full keyboard' feel. I thought the response of the multi-gesture touchpad was pretty good overall and think that if you haven't had one before, you'll like the functionality.
CineCrystal Backlight LED Display
Some people don't like this type of 'high-gloss' display. This system doesn't seem to have much glare/reflection issues; viewing angles are good, and the brightness is almost too bright I adjusted the default power settings to turn it down some.
Wireless
I did have one issue with the wireless (which turned out to have nothing directly to do with the Acer system, but I thought it was important to include here for anyone looking at Windows 7 and N-router compatibility). The Acer found my network easily, and Windows 7 configured everything correctly so it worked right away... but, I noticed the throughput seemed very slow. I ran a speed test online (dslreports) and realized my throughput was terrible even though I was configured to use my N-router and was only about 5 feet from the router when I did the test. I little research showed a lot of people complaining about slow and disconnecting wireless on Windows 7 systems (mostly during the Windows 7 beta, but still a lot since production release).
My problem turned out to be related to my router (it needed to have it's firmware updated to the latest version). Once I did that, the Acer connected wirelessly like a rocket. I'm averaging 11-12Mbps download on comcast; prior to update my wireless router firmware I was getting about 950Kbps download speed wirelessly. So if you have an N-router and are moving to a system with Windows 7, and you notice any performance issues, you may want to double check and make sure your router firmeware is the latest version possible.
Also, be aware that the preinstalled wireless drivers for the Atheros miniPCIe card are more current than the ones on Acer's website. So if you are troubleshooting wireless issues, be careful to check versions before assuming Acer's website has the most current.
Batter Life
While the 6-cell battery is good (Acer also makes a 9-cell you can buy as well), it's not giving me anywhere near 8 hours of battery life not that I expected it to. There are good options and a lot of granularity for adjusting performance/battery life profiles. I've been running mostly in the predefined 'balanced profile' and find I get about 4 to 4.5 hours of battery life which I think is more than reasonable. I suspect if I wanted to I could prolong the battery by running in the 'maximum battery life profile', but I haven't worried about it since my old laptop (Dell XPS) was lucky to get 2.5 hours. I did play with the maximum battery life profile a little and didn't notice any slow down in performance only that it dimmed the display quite a bit which is always a big culprit when it comes to consuming power.
Acer Support
I had a chance to deal with them when I noticed my slow wireless connectivity. In general, they seem to try and handle support via email, and although they are responsive, the responses seemed very automated and generic (try installing latest drivers, check obvious things). If you are used to troubleshooting issues on your own, I think they can complement the process. I never got the point where my issue was escalated hight enough to get any real help from them as I'd already solved it on my own. That being said, their site does a pretty good job of organizing their drivers by model and OS.
Last Thoughts
I had considered buying an Apple Macbook Pro or Airbook this time around, but for the price difference, this Acer can't be beat. I'd also looked at various higher/lower end notebooks, ultralight notebooks and ever a few netbooks. If you don't mind not having an optical drive (and to be honest I thought I would miss it, but don't) a 13.3 inch system like this Acer, with the new Intel i3 processor (they also have a model that comes with the i5) can't be beat for the price. It's solid and seems to be a good little workhorse.
Best Deals for Acer Aspire TimelineX AS3820T-5246 13.3-Inch HD Laptop (Black
Computing Needs: Internet browsing, Email, Word/Excel, organizing photos, listening to music, Youtube, and HD/Blu-Ray Playback.Pros:
* Thin & Light
* Fast & Snappy performance (standard i3 processor!)
* Plays Youtube/Hulu 1080p content perfectly (no stutter)
* Bluetooth 3.0 (The spec listing is wrong again...)
* Great Battery Life
* Solid/Quality Construction
* Aluminum brushed exterior and overall design looks very nice
* User-friendly Touchpad
* Solid Keyboard
* Laptop never gets hot, warm at most even under stress
* Quiet
* Bright and Clear LCD.
Cons:
* At the time of purchase, specs showed it includes external DVD drive (which it does not).
* Gray areas of notebook is more silver-gray than charcoal-gray as shown.
* Glossy LCD Panel no problem indoors, but hard to see in outdoor sunny conditions.
* Weak 5400rpm hard drive is bottleneck of this system.
* Bloatware/Unwanted Apps less than some rivals but still a pain to remove.
Worthy of Noting:
* Touchpad(made by Synaptics) and palm area is much better made than the ASUS UL Series. Unlike the ASUS UL series I tried, this 3820T doesn't collect much hand oil/fingerprints, and fingers glides through easily even after prolonged use. Also, the Touchpad & Gestures both works very accurately and the touchpad buttons are very easy to press.
* Keyboard: Keys are quiet when typing, no flexing, and feels more solid compared to ASUS UL series.
* Chassis: Solid laptop casing and assembled very well. There are no loose parts and no squeaking pressure points.
* Wireless: For those who care, the wireless chip inside the 3820T is an Atheros AR5B93. The wireless connection is stable with decent range.
* HDMI out to 1080p LCD monitor worked without much effort. Just plug and play, and choose settings you want in Intel HD Control Panel. I don't have a Blu-Ray drive so have not been able to test Blu-Ray playback. However, YouTube 1080p x264 played perfectly, no stutter and uses about 30% CPU.
* Sound is adequate for quiet to moderate noise environments. If you want a digital audio connection this laptop also includes a digital-out SPDIF option.
* Drivers that came with the laptop is NEWER than Acer Support Website. If you want to do a clean installation of Windows 7, you'll need to hunt down updated drivers on your own.
* Heat/Noise: The notebook stays cool and is lap friendly. You can feel the warm air pushed out of the side fan when playing 1080p clip, but the body of the laptop stays at room temp. It stays quiet throughout intense and light-use.
Final Thoughts:
*Great price/value/performance/quality. I would buy again and recommend to others.
Honest reviews on Acer Aspire TimelineX AS3820T-5246 13.3-Inch HD Laptop (Black
This computer has demonstrated seriously impressive speed, performance, portability, and battery life in the 2 weeks I've had it. It's lighter and runs cooler than my 2-year old black 13-in MacBook Pro, and it took about 3.5 hours of moderate use (web-browsing + software installations) to reduce battery charge to 50%. It remains super-fast even when I'm on the web, playing music, and installing programs at the same time.I've also inadvertently put this computer through a serious stress test, which it passed in impressive fashion: I was installing a program (from a legitimate vendor that shall remain nameless) that went out-of-control and opened about 40 web browser windows, and yet the computer didn't crash! It apparently had the CPU and memory capacity to handle all those processes until I finally was able to use the Task Manager to rein them in.
This laptop is not without some minor faults. The trackpad is not as sensitive to multi-gestures as I would like. As other reviewers have mentioned, its webcam quality isn't great. And of course there are several annoying pre-installed programs that I opted to remove. Personally I think its performance more than makes up for these shortfalls.
The lack of a built-in optical drive is a minor inconvenience, but nothing that an external drive and an optical drive emulator can't overcome. The only thing I really miss from Mac OSX is the native multiple-desktop support (though apparently there are free downloads available for that too)...Windows 7 has something comparable to every other feature I regularly use on a Mac.
Windows Experience Indices (whatever they're supposed to mean):
Processor: 6.3
Memory (RAM): 5.9
Graphics: 4.6
Gaming graphics: 5.1
Primary hard disk: 5.9
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Acer Aspire TimelineX AS3820T-5246 13.3-Inch HD Laptop (Black
I just received my Timeline today and immediately swapped out the drive with a 128G AData SSD with Ubuntu 10.04 32bit (32 bit because I pulled it from my previous machine that was 32 bit, I may go to 64 bit at some point). Boot to login using encrypted LVM is about 6 seconds. Everything was detected and just a few tweaks were needed to the xorg.conf to get HDMI switching to work. HDMI audio works, wifi works great, I really haven't found anything yet that doesn't work. Battery life of 8 hours seems fairly optimistic, but I've been running it awful hard as a burn in and I'm getting about 4 hours (screen at 100%, CPU at 1.85Ghz, boxee playing pandora non stop over wifi) I suspect that 6 to 7 hours will be closer to norm. Suspend and resume works like a charm. Open the lid and resume is within 2 seconds (remember, SSD not an HDD). The keyboard is excellent and heat is a non issue. It does get warm, but I would say less than 100F. I'm trying to get the bluetooth to wake up now, but haven't had much luck. I've also spent all of 5 minutes on it. I have no idea how this machine runs in windows, but I would not hesitate to suggest it to anyone that is looking for a nice linux machine.Pros: Screen is bright
machine is very quick
heat is a non issue
card reader is located intelligently enough in the front of the machine
It looks very pro. Feels light but substantial
Makes a happy little ubuntu box, compiz works
Cons:I don't care at all for the shared wifi/bluetooth button. It's just confusing.
I use encryption on everything, encrypted volumes, folders, etc. It would be nice if this i3 was one of the models with
hardware AES support, but it has enough CPU available that it's not like I really notice.
Notes:
You'll need to add the following to the xorg.conf in the Device section to get switching to HDMI to work
Option "AccelMethod" "uxa"
Option "EXAOptimizeMigration" "true"
Option "MigrationHeuristic" "greedy"
You'll also need to add the following line to /etc/default/grub to get the brightness hotkeys working
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash acpi_osi=Linux"
then run sudo update-grub. acpi_osi is not a typo, it's not acpi_os
Update, I just found that I actually had the atheros driver for the NIC already installed, you will need to download that. Never did get the bluetooth to work and battery life in normal operation (wifi, virtualbox VM running, playing MP3s and surfing) is right around 6.5 hours. Otherwise this thing has been a joy.
Sunday, July 13, 2014
Discount Dell Inspiron i14R5-5743sLV 14-Inch Laptop
I purchased this laptop ten days ago. So far so good! I have used 15R before, I like it! But this time I need something smaller, this 14R did not dispoint me. And Dell is always good for your money!
It is working fine. No problem show up.
It is light. I like it.
Thanks Dell
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I haven't found any flaw in this product. I have been using it for a while now. I will recommend this product.Best Deals for Dell Inspiron i14R5-5743sLV 14-Inch Laptop
I've had this laptop about 3 months now and so far it has been trouble free. It's a nice size; not too heavy, but large enough to have a comfortable keyboard. Love the touchpad and the streaming video and sound are really good if the source is a good one. I would much rather have Windows 7 than Windows 8, but it isn't available any longer on a new computer. I hope this one is as long-lived as the last Dell we purchasedHonest reviews on Dell Inspiron i14R5-5743sLV 14-Inch Laptop
Yes, my daughter love this product. Viewing in the car, airplane in travel, and sometimes when we are out of home..!!!Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Dell Inspiron i14R5-5743sLV 14-Inch Laptop
So far so good.It is working fine. No problem show up.
It is light. I like it.
Thanks Dell
Thursday, July 10, 2014
Review of Lenovo Ideapad Z570 1024AMU 15.6-Inch Laptop (Gun Metal Grey)
Had this laptop for a few days now and I love it! Its super fast, lightweight and beautiful design. I really like the keyboard. The individual letters are spread out. Only complaint to the keyboard is the enter and backspace button is little small and the left arrow is right next to the 0 which is annoying at times. I couldn't believe the price for 6GB memory 500GB RAM and i5 processor. Comparing price vs. features, Lenovo beats the competition. I've had a HP for 3 years, which broke on me, and switching over to Lenovo was the best decision I've made.
I'll start with the specs I purchased this laptop with:
i5 processor, 8 gig ram, 750 gb hard drive, no dedicated graphics card, windows 7 home
It's a pretty standard build, and for around 600 bucks, I was able to snag it from Costgo.
This is my computer that took place of my mid2009 macbook pro with 4 gb ram and intel core 2 duo + 250 gb hard drive...
I have to say that Lenovo made a solid build with this computer. It trucks through almost everything I've thrown at it! Keep in mind, this is not a gaming laptop, nor is it a heavy duty desktop replacement. Nor is it an ultraportable. It's just a 15.6 inch screen laptop with a bit of heft (but every port you could want/need) and with decent specs, it's just a really solid all-around laptop. You can find out more information on the usage and all that stuff from other reviews.
I simply wrote this to say that the product is pretty solid. One thing I will say though...about 5 months in, my motherboard fried but Lenovo offered to fix it completely for free. So really big kudos to them! Especially since my warranty was due to expire 2-3 days before they fixed it. So I'm really happy that the process went smoothly. I will say that the phone call took an hour, but it helped that I had a really nice guy from Costco keep me company while I was waiting...but that's to be expected since my Macbook Pro took 3 days to fix entirely with a similar problem (and you have to go through hordes of customers at the Genius Bar @ NYC where I'm from). So in that regard, I didn't really mind the 1 hour phone call and the mailing in of my computer.
I think I'll cling to this computer for about another year before I get a better one, but for the price...nothing beats it.
What is infuriating is the type of "customer support" I received. Raja S. (who refused to give me his last name) needs extensive training in customer support and technical troubleshooting.
He mocked me when I could not locate the tiny button he said I needed to hold along with the power button, "You have to hold them for one minute."
After a minute transpired, (I actually thought we were disconnected because of the dead air on his end), I informed him that nothing happened. The laptop is still not booting up.
He said, "You have to hold the buttons for 3-5 minutes."
WHAT?!?!?
Fortunately I had two other family members with me so we took turns holding the buttons while we watched for the 5 minutes to be up.
After that Raja S. said we have to send the laptop back to the Depot and we have to pay for one way shipping. What?? No RMA# he said no.
He also said we would have to pay if they find out the laptop is damaged. Ummm.. We already paid $599. for this paperweight.
When gathering my information, Raja was not very helpful in soliciting my contact information. Again, dead air. I could not tell if he was ready for my information or not or even if he hung up on me.
I finally asked, "Hello Raja are you there?"
He got snippy and said, "I am waiting for your address not just the street where you live."
I finally flipped out at him about this whole experience. I work in customer service and would probably be given a strong reprimand if I treated my customers as I was treated.
He proceeded to put me on hold from 16 minutes.
I will never purchase another Lenovo product again based on both the reliability of the product and the lack of customer support. This is the first time I ever had a computer or laptop die after such a short period of time and this is also the first time I called a "help desk" and spoke with someone so apathetic.
This is the first LCD problem I ever have had with laptops. Very frustrating!
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I purchased this laptop from Costco about 5 months ago. I purchased no extra warranty or any of that stuff. My general laptop-mantra is that it should only last you 2 years or so before changing to a better laptop... have to keep up with the rapidly improving industry if finances allow.I'll start with the specs I purchased this laptop with:
i5 processor, 8 gig ram, 750 gb hard drive, no dedicated graphics card, windows 7 home
It's a pretty standard build, and for around 600 bucks, I was able to snag it from Costgo.
This is my computer that took place of my mid2009 macbook pro with 4 gb ram and intel core 2 duo + 250 gb hard drive...
I have to say that Lenovo made a solid build with this computer. It trucks through almost everything I've thrown at it! Keep in mind, this is not a gaming laptop, nor is it a heavy duty desktop replacement. Nor is it an ultraportable. It's just a 15.6 inch screen laptop with a bit of heft (but every port you could want/need) and with decent specs, it's just a really solid all-around laptop. You can find out more information on the usage and all that stuff from other reviews.
I simply wrote this to say that the product is pretty solid. One thing I will say though...about 5 months in, my motherboard fried but Lenovo offered to fix it completely for free. So really big kudos to them! Especially since my warranty was due to expire 2-3 days before they fixed it. So I'm really happy that the process went smoothly. I will say that the phone call took an hour, but it helped that I had a really nice guy from Costco keep me company while I was waiting...but that's to be expected since my Macbook Pro took 3 days to fix entirely with a similar problem (and you have to go through hordes of customers at the Genius Bar @ NYC where I'm from). So in that regard, I didn't really mind the 1 hour phone call and the mailing in of my computer.
I think I'll cling to this computer for about another year before I get a better one, but for the price...nothing beats it.
Best Deals for Lenovo Ideapad Z570 1024AMU 15.6-Inch Laptop (Gun Metal Grey)
Should not be writing a review when full of anger and frustration. This laptop was a Christmas present but by Valentine's Day it was dead. It will not boot up. Appears that power supply is fine because the power bar is lighted (amber color)What is infuriating is the type of "customer support" I received. Raja S. (who refused to give me his last name) needs extensive training in customer support and technical troubleshooting.
He mocked me when I could not locate the tiny button he said I needed to hold along with the power button, "You have to hold them for one minute."
After a minute transpired, (I actually thought we were disconnected because of the dead air on his end), I informed him that nothing happened. The laptop is still not booting up.
He said, "You have to hold the buttons for 3-5 minutes."
WHAT?!?!?
Fortunately I had two other family members with me so we took turns holding the buttons while we watched for the 5 minutes to be up.
After that Raja S. said we have to send the laptop back to the Depot and we have to pay for one way shipping. What?? No RMA# he said no.
He also said we would have to pay if they find out the laptop is damaged. Ummm.. We already paid $599. for this paperweight.
When gathering my information, Raja was not very helpful in soliciting my contact information. Again, dead air. I could not tell if he was ready for my information or not or even if he hung up on me.
I finally asked, "Hello Raja are you there?"
He got snippy and said, "I am waiting for your address not just the street where you live."
I finally flipped out at him about this whole experience. I work in customer service and would probably be given a strong reprimand if I treated my customers as I was treated.
He proceeded to put me on hold from 16 minutes.
I will never purchase another Lenovo product again based on both the reliability of the product and the lack of customer support. This is the first time I ever had a computer or laptop die after such a short period of time and this is also the first time I called a "help desk" and spoke with someone so apathetic.
Honest reviews on Lenovo Ideapad Z570 1024AMU 15.6-Inch Laptop (Gun Metal Grey)
I bought it last year 8/31/2012, almost 1 month after 1 year warranty, there is a brighter mountain-shaped area like a scar at the bottom of the LCD, with size of 1 sq in.This is the first LCD problem I ever have had with laptops. Very frustrating!
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Lenovo Ideapad Z570 1024AMU 15.6-Inch Laptop (Gun Metal Grey)
Worst customer service I have ever received in my life. I bought an Idea pad laptop and it kept crashing on me. After hours on the phone they offered to fix it if I paid for the shipping. I sent the thing in twice and they replaced the hard drive twice. Pretty dumb if you ask me. Each time they claimed they tested it and claimed that it worked but the computer was still crashing. After two months of waiting for a working computer I sent it to a local computer repair shop and they fixed it with a higher voltage power supply. Lenovo refused to pay because they said it was a software issue and software is excluded in the warranty. Lenovo is a company that does not care about their customers or the quality of the product. Someone really should do something because this is just not right.Sunday, May 4, 2014
Reviews of HP EliteBook 8740w XT910UT 17-Inch Laptop
I bought this for the 1920x1200.
But it arrived with a serious graphics problem.
HP are great and they finally fixed it.
NOW i find it FREEZES UP every day, without warning after about 5-7 hours.
HP support is great, but when you spend 2 hours a day trying to stabilize something your livelihood depends on it all gets a little old. It also seems unable to run a VM.
It's a $2,700 dog, look elsewhere.
But it arrived with a serious graphics problem.
HP are great and they finally fixed it.
NOW i find it FREEZES UP every day, without warning after about 5-7 hours.
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I agree with the other reviewer. I have had nothing but issues with this $3,000 machine. It has had a new motherboard, then I was asked to reformat my computer, then a new hard drive. I'm still having issues. To HP's credit, they are in the process of sending another machine to replace this one, an 8760W. Hopefully, the next one works. I'm weary.Best Deals for HP EliteBook 8740w XT910UT 17-Inch Laptop
Sorry, I hate to bash a product and sound like some vindictive newbie, but this EliteBook is the worst computer I've had EVER. They have replaced the motherboard 3 times, the sound card once, the video card once. These have all been separate visits. It has been down more than up. It is not a production machine.HP support is great, but when you spend 2 hours a day trying to stabilize something your livelihood depends on it all gets a little old. It also seems unable to run a VM.
It's a $2,700 dog, look elsewhere.
Honest reviews on HP EliteBook 8740w XT910UT 17-Inch Laptop
I'm not sure why every review is negative. I have had several of these and never had ANY major problems. It runs fast, it is stable and there is nothing even close to the build quality of this machine. This is the best laptop I have ever had, and I have several others of the elitebook line. Take it from a professional laptop repair guythis IS the best out there.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for HP EliteBook 8740w XT910UT 17-Inch Laptop
I don't know about this provider, but I know about this laptop. It's without question the best laptop I've ever used. The AMD 7820m graphics drivers are tricky, as they are tailored to professional ISV applications, which most people will never use. Getting AMD's latest ATI driver will register the laptop with a gamer's card, a newer non ISV approved 3D driver, and better luck with everything that isn't ISV out there. The reason this laptop is so special is because of it's graphics card that outputs a billion colors without glitches to the appropriate external monitors. Also, it renders 3D quickly. This laptop does many 3d applications with ease. Rhino 4 works better on the gamer's card driver, but Rhino 5 64 bit runs the workstation ISV driver well. The max ram for the i5 560m is 8GB 1066ram... while the i7s had a 32GB max ram for the this HP 17" style. Additionally, now in 2013, the current software does well with this hardware, while when this system was selling, Adobe Flash notoriously caused a blue screen on 10-bit color and other workstation driver issues. Even disabling the AMD External Events only minimized the Blue Screen Kernel crashes from Adobe Flash. Now, everything is fixed with updates, and it runs without issues if you know what you are doing. I'm betting people's issues were on the consumer assumption, 'it should work'... no, this laptop was designed in mind with IT support available at the office. Today in Spring of 2013 it's a consumer friendly laptop after all first party and 3rd party software updates... and a powerhouse laptop of ridiculous proportions... but when this came out, it was a lot of horsepower with a tech savvy friend needed.Monday, March 17, 2014
Reviews of Toshiba Satellite C55-A5245 15.6-Inch Laptop (Satin Black in Trax
I am not fan of Windows 8 yet. This Toshiba Satellite C55-A5245 15.6 inch laptop is a deal at the price. Came with 4GB Ram. Opened the cover to look at the ram storage slots. There are 2 slots and only one is used with a single 4 GB Memory card. This laptop can expand up to 16 GB Ram.. Came loaded with Norton--I deleted it immediately and loaded Windows Essential Security which is fine and it is free. The satin black in trax horizon finish on this laptop is beautiful and somewhat like the Dell Matte finish that I have seen. So far, I am very pleased with this laptop.
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It's thin, light weight and runs nearly four hours on a full charge. Like an earlier reviewer the first thing I did was delete the Norton programs.I installed the free AVG anti-virus program I've been using for years on my other computers. It could definitely use more RAM, (I'll be installing some soon), but other than that I have no complaints. A great little laptop, and one of the few that are still available with Windows 7.Best Deals for Toshiba Satellite C55-A5245 15.6-Inch Laptop (Satin Black in Trax
Was looking for a laptop with a Windows 7 operating system. This was for an elderly person used to XP who wouldn't want to learn Windows 8. They've been very pleased with it. Toshiba makes good products.Honest reviews on Toshiba Satellite C55-A5245 15.6-Inch Laptop (Satin Black in Trax
A lot of computer in a small package. There is ample room on the keyboard for your hands and wrists, and the keys are larger than most Laptops this size. I got it for $410.00, and that is a extremely good price for what I got.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Toshiba Satellite C55-A5245 15.6-Inch Laptop (Satin Black in Trax
I picked up this model for an incredibly low price. The price has gone up since then, so I'm glad I acted when I did. "Moving into" this laptop was just plain easy, and I'm not a computer whiz. Initially, it wouldn't play DVD's. I called Amazon, and they offered to refund my money, no questions asked. Fortunately, shutting the laptop down and restarting solved the DVD problem, but you've gotta love Amazon's customer service! Connecting to the internet was easy. The laptop found the driver for my printer by itself. I use the laptop to surf the web, stream videos, create documents and play DVD's. I love the keyboard, the matte finish, and the sleek profile of this laptop. It's exactly what I wanted. I couldn't be happier. Toshiba and Amazon get five stars from one happy buyer.Saturday, March 1, 2014
Buy Gateway M305crv Pentium 4 or Celeron Black Laptop
I have owned a Gateway M305CRV for nearly 4 years. The processor is a 2.4GHz mobile celeron and I installed 1GB of Ram (system max). I also upgraded the hard drive to 100GB, which the system handles with no issues.
Despite the fact that the processor is the older single core vs. the newer dual core intel and AMD models, the performance is still comparable. I use the sytem for surfing the web, e-mail, photo editing, some video editing, and standard word and spreadsheet processing. I have also used it periodically for database development in Access.
While you cannot use the more demanding programs (such as Access or photoshop elements) simultaneously without bogging the system down somewhat, the performance is still on par with newer processors for working in a single application. I have owned several different models of the Gateway laptops and Dell laptops, and I find in general that the Gateway models seem more efficient that the Dells. The downside of the Gateway's is the customer service. If you don't need tech support and can do your own upgrades for most items you would want to change (such as RAM, hard drive, optical drive, etc.) don't be afraid of a Gateway.
When I first bought this laptop I worked for a University in North Carolina that was a authorized Gateway service center (which is why I bought a Gateway). Of course since I got the laptop, Gateway has gone from being shaky to downright awful. Selling a large part of their core systems to MPC and outsourcing virtually everything.
I've upgraded the memory last year to 1GB and since then it's been able to handle any of the day to day stuff that most people would do (word processing, e-mail) without experiencing any slowdowns; I'm running WinXP SP3 with the usual anti-mal, anti virus software
I can work on my digital photos with freeware programs like GIMP, and even play some older 3D games (although, if you push it, it will get hot and lead to a system crash, making a reboot necessary), it handles 2D games without issues
All in all, it's more than paid for itself, i would upgrade it more with a bigger HD if i could find one at a good price
Despite the fact that the processor is the older single core vs. the newer dual core intel and AMD models, the performance is still comparable. I use the sytem for surfing the web, e-mail, photo editing, some video editing, and standard word and spreadsheet processing. I have also used it periodically for database development in Access.
While you cannot use the more demanding programs (such as Access or photoshop elements) simultaneously without bogging the system down somewhat, the performance is still on par with newer processors for working in a single application. I have owned several different models of the Gateway laptops and Dell laptops, and I find in general that the Gateway models seem more efficient that the Dells. The downside of the Gateway's is the customer service. If you don't need tech support and can do your own upgrades for most items you would want to change (such as RAM, hard drive, optical drive, etc.) don't be afraid of a Gateway.
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I've owned a Gateway M305CRV for over 3 years with absolutely no issues. And I bought this thing used as a refurbished unit from Gateway via a third-party reseller online. It only came with a 90 day warranty from Gateway, but I was able to contact Gateway and get the warranty extended to a full 3 year deal (I had to pay for the extension of course). But it turned out I didn't need the warranty at all, it expired in March without me using it.When I first bought this laptop I worked for a University in North Carolina that was a authorized Gateway service center (which is why I bought a Gateway). Of course since I got the laptop, Gateway has gone from being shaky to downright awful. Selling a large part of their core systems to MPC and outsourcing virtually everything.
Best Deals for Gateway M305crv Pentium 4 or Celeron Black Laptop
Unlike the previous two reviewers I did own this exact model computer. It was a problem from day one. Gateway's customer service was not helpful and outright hostile at times. It crashed everytime it was used and its graphics speed was well below average. It bogged down everytime any game was played. Painfully slow. I determined that I will never own another Gateway computer ever. I have found that Dell's customer service was much easier to deal with. I rated this item at one star because I could not get it to rate lower than that.Honest reviews on Gateway M305crv Pentium 4 or Celeron Black Laptop
I originally got this laptop from Gateway around 7 years ago, it's been the goto computer on the go for me;I've upgraded the memory last year to 1GB and since then it's been able to handle any of the day to day stuff that most people would do (word processing, e-mail) without experiencing any slowdowns; I'm running WinXP SP3 with the usual anti-mal, anti virus software
I can work on my digital photos with freeware programs like GIMP, and even play some older 3D games (although, if you push it, it will get hot and lead to a system crash, making a reboot necessary), it handles 2D games without issues
All in all, it's more than paid for itself, i would upgrade it more with a bigger HD if i could find one at a good price
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Gateway M305crv Pentium 4 or Celeron Black Laptop
I had the Gateway M305CRV for about eight years and it still runs fine to this day. Sure the fan is a little loud, but this computer will never die. Mine has even been run over by a car, don't ask, and all i had to do was get the screen replaced and it worked perfectly again. I get mine cleaned out every 2 years or so, which makes it run like new. I dont think I know anyone who has a laptop that is eight years old, been through what mine has and still runs. This laptop rules!Saturday, January 11, 2014
Buy Sony VAIO VPC-SA21GX/BI Laptop (Black)
I should start by saying that I am a frequent and finicky laptop user. I often scope out good deals online, buy the computer and try it for a month or two, and then resell it on eBay---ideally for what I originally paid. That said, over the past twelve months, I have used the following laptops extensively: the 13" Macbook Pro (Core 2 Duo), the Lenovo X201, the Sony Vaio Z (first generation Core i5), the HP Elitebook 2540p, the Toshiba R835, the 11.6" Core i5 Macbook Air, and now this.
After having used the R835 for a few months and enjoyed its performance and portability, I nonetheless realized that I missed two things: (1) a backlit keyboard and (2) a higher resolution display. So, when I came across a deal on this model, I decided to jump on it. Between promotions and student discounts, I was able to snag a VPCSA, with the sheet battery, for just under a grand. Now that I have used it for a few weeks, I have to say that I am really pleased.
Overall, I would say that the build quality is pretty good. I really like the magnesium chassis; it is really light-weight (I think like 3.5 pounds) and seems durable. The brushed finish also means that it's not a fingerprint magnet. While I do think that the barrel hinge on the screen is kind of strange (it's somewhat "springy"---you may have to check one out in the flesh to see what I mean), I concede that I haven't really had any problems with it. The typing experience is fantastic too, just like the Vaio Z, and the backlit keyboard is perfect for working in low lit conditions. There are also ample ports---including USB 3.0---to hook up accessories and external monitors, and memory cards fit flush in the computer's body. (A lack of ports and protruding SD cards were two of my biggest gripes with the MacBook Air.)
Though I generally use a wireless mouse, I also find the large trackpad adequate. It's certainly not as nice as a Mac's (none are), but it is generously sized. Moreover, the native drivers support two-finger swiping, and with a third-party add-on for two-finger right clicks, I hardly miss Apple's click pad.
With a Core i5 (2410M) processor, performance is also good. I have no problems running several media and office applications at once. The unit comes with 4GB of RAM soldered onto the motherboard, so you can upgrade to 8GB with just one 4GB chip. I found this nice. Also, unlike the Macbook Air and Vaio Z, users can easily replace the hard drive. (I really worried about this on those two models, as I have had hard drive failures in the past, and I think if you have a proprietary, non-user-accessible hard drive, it may be a really expensive repair.) Anyway, I was able to drop in a 128 GB SSD in about 5 minutes, and have been all the more impressed by the performance.
I am also pretty happy with the screen. The 1600 x 900 resolution is really handy, particularly if you want to have two windows (say a text editor and a web browser) open side-by-side. As a result, I find myself resorting to an external monitor less frequently. I have read complaints that the screen isn't as nice as that of the Vaio Z. Frankly, I don't recall, and I guess viewing angles aren't spectacular, but I'm generally the only person using the computer, so I can move the LCD as necessary. One thing I really do appreciate, however, is the matte finish. I am typing this review with the sun setting over my shoulder, and I have absolutely no problem reading the screen. Bravo, Sony.
Other merits for this unit include its optical drive, and dedicated graphics card (both lacking on the newest Vaio Z and the Macbook Air). To be honest, I haven't used the Radeon graphics too much; Intel's integrated chip does just fine streaming HD video. Still, gamers especially might appreciate the added horsepower. Similarly, I haven't used the DVD drive a lot, except to perform a clean install of Windows 7. Nonetheless, users can apparently replace the DVD drive with a Blu-Ray drive or a second hard drive. I may install a Blu-Ray drive later on if physical media still exists in the next few years . . . .
As far as gripes with the machine, I have found them few and far between. As I mentioned earlier, the screen hinge seems a little flimsy at first, but I have had few problems with it in normal use. My other complaint is that the power brick is a little chunky. After having had the Macbook, X201, and R835, I really liked the light-weight, two-pronged power adapters. This unit has Sony's standard, three-pronged adapter. While not hefty, I think it could be smaller, which is apparently the case: Sony actually sells a separate "slim line" adapter for $100. Why they can't just make the normal adapter more svelte is beyond me. Finally, battery life, while okay, isn't as long as that of other units I've used. Under standard typing and browsing use, I get about five hours from a full charge. I haven't tried the sheet battery yet because I really am not ever away from an outlet that long. Still, I think it would be nice to know that, were I to take a long flight or car trip, I could count on 8+ hours of use, like with the Macbook or the Lenovo.
Needless to say, my quibbles aside, I am very satisfied with this product. I think it has good performance and several premium amenities, all for a reasonable price. So, unless some miracle computer comes down the pipeline in the next few months, I may hang on to my Vaio SA for longer than usual.
Cons:
Speakers NEED tweaking within the sound settings. Once you get them setup, they are much better. Although, they could be better.
Webcam......not the best...
Thought the fan was a little annoying/loud at first (while installing all my programs, updates exc.) But it seems to be just fine now. You can always lower the max CPU frequency settings in the Power Options to keep your temps down while loading the CPU. This will always keep the fan nice and quite.
Other:
I have an i7-970 6-core desktop for all my photo editing. I mainly use CS5 and Lightroom 3. This is a great little laptop for doing editing with these programs while on the road. Beats carrying my big ole 17 inch laptop around! :)
Ya, I could have bought a 15-17 inch laptop with the same or better performance for the same price or even less, but I am really digging the 13 inch form factor!
Overall, I am very happy with the purchase.
Some of the reviews on here are a bit misleading. The computer really is not that loud. At least it's not louder than any full-sized laptop that I've owned. Moreover, you can always switch to stamina mode which pretty much eliminates any irritating fan noise. One reviewer complained about the size of the power brick. I have no idea what he/she was talking about. The cord is thin and the brick is about the size of my palm. The bloatware wasn't too bad either. My only complaint is that the comp doesn't come with an SSD. There are true ultraportables close to this price range that come with a SSD, but just about none of them come with discrete graphics. If you don't care about the discrete graphics, you may do better going with another option.
My only 2 complaints would be the hinge that connects the screen to the rest of the laptop feels a bit flimsy. With this new series, it seems Sony is really trying to be thin & light, so maybe that's why. Sony also does a disservice to their customers by including a 5400rpm HDD!!! Are they for real!?!? In order to get a SSD, you'll have to pay another hundred or so and the price of this laptop is already way too high as is!!!
Those facts aside, I like the laptop enough to keep it for now. It's thin, light and has a built-in HD camera, VAIO, WEB and ASSIST buttons, one (1) 3.0 USB port, 4GB Fixed Onboard + 1 Open Slot (DDR3-SDRAM-1333), backlit keyboard, and a DVD drive along w/ a fingerprint reader (whew!) so I'm pretty satisfied. Most likely I'll turn around and buy a SSD on ebay.
For more info see: [ ... ]
After having used the R835 for a few months and enjoyed its performance and portability, I nonetheless realized that I missed two things: (1) a backlit keyboard and (2) a higher resolution display. So, when I came across a deal on this model, I decided to jump on it. Between promotions and student discounts, I was able to snag a VPCSA, with the sheet battery, for just under a grand. Now that I have used it for a few weeks, I have to say that I am really pleased.
Overall, I would say that the build quality is pretty good. I really like the magnesium chassis; it is really light-weight (I think like 3.5 pounds) and seems durable. The brushed finish also means that it's not a fingerprint magnet. While I do think that the barrel hinge on the screen is kind of strange (it's somewhat "springy"---you may have to check one out in the flesh to see what I mean), I concede that I haven't really had any problems with it. The typing experience is fantastic too, just like the Vaio Z, and the backlit keyboard is perfect for working in low lit conditions. There are also ample ports---including USB 3.0---to hook up accessories and external monitors, and memory cards fit flush in the computer's body. (A lack of ports and protruding SD cards were two of my biggest gripes with the MacBook Air.)
Though I generally use a wireless mouse, I also find the large trackpad adequate. It's certainly not as nice as a Mac's (none are), but it is generously sized. Moreover, the native drivers support two-finger swiping, and with a third-party add-on for two-finger right clicks, I hardly miss Apple's click pad.
With a Core i5 (2410M) processor, performance is also good. I have no problems running several media and office applications at once. The unit comes with 4GB of RAM soldered onto the motherboard, so you can upgrade to 8GB with just one 4GB chip. I found this nice. Also, unlike the Macbook Air and Vaio Z, users can easily replace the hard drive. (I really worried about this on those two models, as I have had hard drive failures in the past, and I think if you have a proprietary, non-user-accessible hard drive, it may be a really expensive repair.) Anyway, I was able to drop in a 128 GB SSD in about 5 minutes, and have been all the more impressed by the performance.
I am also pretty happy with the screen. The 1600 x 900 resolution is really handy, particularly if you want to have two windows (say a text editor and a web browser) open side-by-side. As a result, I find myself resorting to an external monitor less frequently. I have read complaints that the screen isn't as nice as that of the Vaio Z. Frankly, I don't recall, and I guess viewing angles aren't spectacular, but I'm generally the only person using the computer, so I can move the LCD as necessary. One thing I really do appreciate, however, is the matte finish. I am typing this review with the sun setting over my shoulder, and I have absolutely no problem reading the screen. Bravo, Sony.
Other merits for this unit include its optical drive, and dedicated graphics card (both lacking on the newest Vaio Z and the Macbook Air). To be honest, I haven't used the Radeon graphics too much; Intel's integrated chip does just fine streaming HD video. Still, gamers especially might appreciate the added horsepower. Similarly, I haven't used the DVD drive a lot, except to perform a clean install of Windows 7. Nonetheless, users can apparently replace the DVD drive with a Blu-Ray drive or a second hard drive. I may install a Blu-Ray drive later on if physical media still exists in the next few years . . . .
As far as gripes with the machine, I have found them few and far between. As I mentioned earlier, the screen hinge seems a little flimsy at first, but I have had few problems with it in normal use. My other complaint is that the power brick is a little chunky. After having had the Macbook, X201, and R835, I really liked the light-weight, two-pronged power adapters. This unit has Sony's standard, three-pronged adapter. While not hefty, I think it could be smaller, which is apparently the case: Sony actually sells a separate "slim line" adapter for $100. Why they can't just make the normal adapter more svelte is beyond me. Finally, battery life, while okay, isn't as long as that of other units I've used. Under standard typing and browsing use, I get about five hours from a full charge. I haven't tried the sheet battery yet because I really am not ever away from an outlet that long. Still, I think it would be nice to know that, were I to take a long flight or car trip, I could count on 8+ hours of use, like with the Macbook or the Lenovo.
Needless to say, my quibbles aside, I am very satisfied with this product. I think it has good performance and several premium amenities, all for a reasonable price. So, unless some miracle computer comes down the pipeline in the next few months, I may hang on to my Vaio SA for longer than usual.
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Pros: Small, light, Great resolution screen, nice back-lit keyboard, has a nice build quality feel, great performance, awesome battery life (even more amazing with the additional sheet battery!). I also really like the manual switch to go from integrated to dedicated graphics.Cons:
Speakers NEED tweaking within the sound settings. Once you get them setup, they are much better. Although, they could be better.
Webcam......not the best...
Thought the fan was a little annoying/loud at first (while installing all my programs, updates exc.) But it seems to be just fine now. You can always lower the max CPU frequency settings in the Power Options to keep your temps down while loading the CPU. This will always keep the fan nice and quite.
Other:
I have an i7-970 6-core desktop for all my photo editing. I mainly use CS5 and Lightroom 3. This is a great little laptop for doing editing with these programs while on the road. Beats carrying my big ole 17 inch laptop around! :)
Ya, I could have bought a 15-17 inch laptop with the same or better performance for the same price or even less, but I am really digging the 13 inch form factor!
Overall, I am very happy with the purchase.
Best Deals for Sony VAIO VPC-SA21GX/BI Laptop (Black)
I'm a grad student and a gamer. I normally use desktop replacement size laptops, but after lugging those heavy things around for a few years I was due for a change. After searching for awhile, this seemed to be one of the best deals available. It appeared to be a highly portable machine that I could take notes and write papers on, and that could play most games using mid-level graphics. The machine lived up to the hype, and I'm completely satisfied with it. I have the black version, and I get compliments on the looks all the time. It's really light for a machine with an optical drive, discrete graphics card, and upgradable ram. The battery life is pretty good too. I haven't done a precise measure of the battery life, but it suffices to say that i can go the entire school day in stamina mode without a charge. I added an SSD and upgraded the ram to 8gb. I can play WoW, SCII, Dragon Age II, and Mass Effect 2 all on high settings on a laptop that weighs roughly 3.5 pounds.Some of the reviews on here are a bit misleading. The computer really is not that loud. At least it's not louder than any full-sized laptop that I've owned. Moreover, you can always switch to stamina mode which pretty much eliminates any irritating fan noise. One reviewer complained about the size of the power brick. I have no idea what he/she was talking about. The cord is thin and the brick is about the size of my palm. The bloatware wasn't too bad either. My only complaint is that the comp doesn't come with an SSD. There are true ultraportables close to this price range that come with a SSD, but just about none of them come with discrete graphics. If you don't care about the discrete graphics, you may do better going with another option.
Honest reviews on Sony VAIO VPC-SA21GX/BI Laptop (Black)
I don't know what the other reviewer was talking about, but I have this laptop (though I didn't buy it through Amazon.com). The Home, Pg Up, Pg Dn, and End keys are right below the shift key on the right hand side of the laptop, but you do have to use the FN key. The Backspace, Enter and Shift keys are a bit bigger, but it doesn't keep the laptop from functioning or anything like that.My only 2 complaints would be the hinge that connects the screen to the rest of the laptop feels a bit flimsy. With this new series, it seems Sony is really trying to be thin & light, so maybe that's why. Sony also does a disservice to their customers by including a 5400rpm HDD!!! Are they for real!?!? In order to get a SSD, you'll have to pay another hundred or so and the price of this laptop is already way too high as is!!!
Those facts aside, I like the laptop enough to keep it for now. It's thin, light and has a built-in HD camera, VAIO, WEB and ASSIST buttons, one (1) 3.0 USB port, 4GB Fixed Onboard + 1 Open Slot (DDR3-SDRAM-1333), backlit keyboard, and a DVD drive along w/ a fingerprint reader (whew!) so I'm pretty satisfied. Most likely I'll turn around and buy a SSD on ebay.
For more info see: [ ... ]
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Sony VAIO VPC-SA21GX/BI Laptop (Black)
It's actually a great laptop. Yet the fan could really become as noisy as a jet engine sometimes, even when the computer is not set on speed.Saturday, January 4, 2014
Buy Dell Latitude E6420 14" Notebook - Core i5 i5-2520M 2.50 GHz
Pretty great laptop. Had no issue whatsoever with the screen like another reviewer said, worked great since day 1 for half a year now. Also installed linux ubuntu 11.10 on it, works like a charm the multitouch on the touchpad in ubuntu also runs great (there's a debian package for that). It's strong, powerful, and despite its tank-like build it's not as heavy as you'd expect. A friend has an older model of the series and 5 years later and a cup of coffee on the keyboard and it still works great.
Outside of the IO bottleneck the laptop does fine. The bezel is a bit wide, making the effective screen space smaller, but the screen resolution is decent. As long as my eyes can make out the smaller fonts it is workable. The built in webcam and microphone work well. I tried training the speech recognition software in Windows 7 using the built in mics and it did OK. Perhaps I can use that later to dictate my dissertation...
All in all, I am fairly pleased with the laptop. I spent some time optimizing the database to see if that will help relieving the disk access limitations. We'll see how that works.
Pros:
3 Year Warranty
Built like a tank
I like the rubbery feel of the armrest.
Nice High Resolution screen.
Fast
Long battery life especially with the 9 cell battery
DELL stands behind their products (might take some time on hold but they have been excellent repsonding to my needs in the past)
Cons:
Touchpad needs to be adjusted in the software for best use it has many options and I recommend unchecking inertial scrolling.
Slightly heavier 1/2 pound? than similar 14 inch laptops I overlook this due to it's obviously better build quality.
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I'm working on a degree in Computer Science and needed a laptop with good processing capability. After doing some research on the processors out there (I wanted at least an Intel I5), this laptop looked like a good choice for my price-point criteria. It does have good number crunching capabilities, but when I set up a mysql database on it and ran a database intensive program it maxed out the disk drive access (this is easy to monitor in Ubuntu). When I checked the programs running the database queries, I found they were using only small percentage of available CPU power. In other words, this laptop seems to have some IO limitations that keep it from making full use of the CPU (in some applications).Outside of the IO bottleneck the laptop does fine. The bezel is a bit wide, making the effective screen space smaller, but the screen resolution is decent. As long as my eyes can make out the smaller fonts it is workable. The built in webcam and microphone work well. I tried training the speech recognition software in Windows 7 using the built in mics and it did OK. Perhaps I can use that later to dictate my dissertation...
All in all, I am fairly pleased with the laptop. I spent some time optimizing the database to see if that will help relieving the disk access limitations. We'll see how that works.
Best Deals for Dell Latitude E6420 14" Notebook - Core i5 i5-2520M 2.50 GHz
Thia is a solid business machine for the money.Pros:
3 Year Warranty
Built like a tank
I like the rubbery feel of the armrest.
Nice High Resolution screen.
Fast
Long battery life especially with the 9 cell battery
DELL stands behind their products (might take some time on hold but they have been excellent repsonding to my needs in the past)
Cons:
Touchpad needs to be adjusted in the software for best use it has many options and I recommend unchecking inertial scrolling.
Slightly heavier 1/2 pound? than similar 14 inch laptops I overlook this due to it's obviously better build quality.
Honest reviews on Dell Latitude E6420 14" Notebook - Core i5 i5-2520M 2.50 GHz
Good deal since it's refurbished, however the brightness selection is bugged in that in will turn off your screen entirely if you turn it too low.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Dell Latitude E6420 14" Notebook - Core i5 i5-2520M 2.50 GHz
I've used this laptop for work, 8+ hrs a day, for the last 18 months, and the thing is a rock. Very stable, fast boot, overall very very happy my employer chose this model. I have had a number of laptops over the last 10 years, inlcuding Lenovo, Toshiba, Dell, Samsung. This is by far the best, even 2 years after it's release. Running Windows 7 Pro 32-bit.Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Buy HP Pavilion dv7t Quad Edition Notebook PC, Intel Core i7-2630QM 2.0
Awesome business!!! Would love to do business with someone like this in the future. I highly recommend this person.!!! d
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Ive had this thing for a good year and a half now. Runs every game ive threw in it amazingly including Crysis 3, Metro 2033, Bioshock Infinite, and the infinite list of games that I have. I had the fan blow out once, but its because I way overheated it with no external fan. I bought a cheap maybe $20 external for the bottom and no problems since, and the fan fix was no biggie. You will really enjoy this thing but im sure you can find it for a better price. I got mine for around $600.
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