Discount HP ENVY TouchSmart 15t-j000 Quad Edition Notebook PC (Silver);

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List Price: $1,799.99
Sale Price: $1,299.95
Today's Bonus: 28% Off

This is indeed an excellent laptop. A very sleek and light compared to its size, the silver colour makes it even better. And of all the windows 8 pro makes the laptop even better.

The delivery was prompt and very happy with the service.

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Buy Dell Inspiron Special Edition i15Rse-1667ALU 15-Inch FHD 1080P

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List Price: $825.00
Sale Price: $749.99
Today's Bonus: 9% Off

Received my Dell 15R special edition in a fast time. It came in its dell box and also a Amazon box for shipping. The computer is pretty fast, nice graphics, still getting a hand on Windows 8 but overall computer is more that what i expected. Graphics card is switchable from Intel to AMD Radeon. This computer can change from playing a game (ex: Vegas 2 ) to skype or its desktop as if it was changing normal windows. Multitasking on it is incredible.

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I can play games what I like, though is not whatever games. I enjoy this computer but it is a little hot when you play games, but I just know that on software, I cannot feel it. It is ok! I love it! And it is really clear on screen.

Best IBM ThinkPad R40 (27232FU) Laptop (1.30-GHz Pentium-M (Centrino) Deals

Customer Ratings:

Can you believe it, a laptop that looks just like a phone. Easy to hide, to avoid potential theft. Amazon should be checking their photos of products.

Update, over a year later and the still haven't fixed the picture of the product.

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Discount Dell Inspiron 1545 15.6-Inch Jet Black Laptop - Up to 4 Hours 34

Customer Ratings:

I've owned several laptops and would be considered an intermediate to advanced computer user. I've built my own desktops, tweaked a few laptops and owned various brands of laptops including HP, Fujitsu, Sony and Dell (Inspiron, Latitude and XPS series).

I purchased this exact laptop directly from Dell (got a better deal than current Amazon pricing) based upon Consumer Report's November 2009 article recommendations where the Dell Inspiron 1545 was rated a 'Best Buy' for every day computing. I purchased it for my husband who will use it primarily for watching an occasional movie from Netflix streaming wirelessly on our home network, emailing to share jokes and videos with his friends, and browsing the Internet.

After setting it up, which other than running into a snag with my home network was a breeze, and playing with it for about an hour, these are my impressions.

The PROS:

+ Comes with Windows 7 no need to upgrade, and the 64-bit combined with the more than adequate memory makes things move nicely. Slightly different than Vista's look, but should be easy to use.

+ Adequate hard drive (mine came with a 320) for storing photos, videos and music.

+ Great 1.3mp webcam which delivers pretty nice snapshots (not too grainy) as well as excellent video (very little drag of movement).

+ Good speakers! Better than those on my Dell XPS, for which I paid 30% more less than a year ago.

+ 3 usb ports

+ Bright 15.6" display; nice size. I sometimes find the 13" on the XPS too small and the Fujitsu had a 17" which is fine for a desktop replacement but really adds weight to the overall unit.

+ Virtually silent running. No fan noise to speak of and yet...

+ Stays cool to the touch! Not worried about overheating on this one.

The CONS:

Keyboard is OK, but not as responsive as some others I've used.

The touchpad seems a tad small and the buttons (left/right click) seem too low by comparison to the keyboard. It could be the size of my hands (small...) but I tend to think it's just the layout.

The high gloss finish inside and the glossy display (versus matte finish) look cool, but do show fingerprints and reflect light to the point of sometimes being a nuisance.

There is no 'media only' button like on the XPS where you don't have to turn on the computer to watch a movie, but this is something that higher end laptops would have and may simply be a perk to paying more.

Heavier than some others, but at under six pounds, it's still not too bad.

Matte finish on the outside shows greasy smudges where you've touched it. I have the same issue with my XPS, but frankly I've never found a finish that doesn't show something.

Not a multi-media or gaming powerhouse. It will play dvd's and games, but if you're buying a laptop and really into those things, spend a bit more and make sure you upgrade your video and audio to support your interests. The 4GB of memory really helps as much as anything and I didn't notice any issues with the media I tested.

SET-UP:

The only issue I had with setting up this laptop was with my home network not being accepted because Windows 7 didn't like the security settings I had in place. I could get the 1545 to recognize my network, but it wouldn't connect until I changed the settings. I had my wireless settings on WEP and Windows 7 wanted WPA. Once I changed the settings, the laptop connected. I then had to go to 8 different devices on my network and make sure they were happy. Only one item: Myine Electronics IR001 WiFi Internet Radio Adaptor wasn't happy, but eventually accepted the settings with some concentrated tweaking.

BATTERY LIFE:

Battery life seems to be about 3.5 hours. I think the 4+ hour estimate is high, but that undoubtedly is also based upon what things you are doing on the laptop and mobile power settings.

CONCLUSION:

If you purchase this Dell you are getting a solid workhorse for every day computing for a fair price. I think it's quality is certainly higher than an Acer with the same specs, and backed by a 1 year warranty from Dell. (Having had a Dell laptop that needed the keyboard replaced recently, I truly think the warranty service provided by Dell they came to my house the next day is exceptional and worth the small price hike over some other brands.)

The Dell Inspiron 1545 is perfect for a student, a grandma who likes to email or wants to keep up with the grandkids on Skype, or anyone who has no need for the latest and greatest gaming, multi-media computer. For a laptop with a webcam, 4GB memory, and Windows 7 (64-bit) that's ready to fly right out of the box... it's a good choice.

**WIRELESS NOTE: If you are having trouble connecting to a wireless network, be sure you check the included 'set-up guide', page 10, to find the wireless key on your keyboard. You can inadvertently press this key and turn off your wireless capabilities. Handy on airplanes... not so handy at home.

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We bought the Dell Inspiron 15 (1545) to replace an aging ACER laptop as an "everyday" laptop for my teen son to use for homework and casual gaming. For the price, the performance, features and display have far exceeded our expectations. While not a gaming or graphics power machine, it has more than enough processor speed, memory, and hard drive space for our needs.

This is a very simple laptop to set up and use. The box only contains the PC (with battery already installed), the power supply, and a packet of software CDs (which I did not use) with minimal documentation. The instructions recommended charging the laptop for 12 hours before using the battery, which was fine as I just left it plugged in while configuring the machine. The initial setup took about 20 minutes, and was very straight forward as it found and connected right away to my WEP protected home WiFi network. The Windows 7 configuration was straight forward and no errors were encountered. Dell also recommends updating the BIOS right away and the instructions are included in the documentation. It was a very easy process and only took another 20 minutes or so to complete.

PROS:

+ Windows 7 is preinstalled 64 bit OS, works well

+ Very Nice 15.6" Screen Very clear and bright

+ Good Webcam and Software Provides better than expected image and video quality

+ Fast DVD+RW Drive

+ Large Hard Drive

+ Large Amount of RAM

+ Good Touchpad very responsive and doesn't have the "random jump" issue seen on other laptops

CONS:

Only 3 USB Ports, no HDMI, Firewire, etc

Finish is a Fingerprint Magnet

Limited Pre-installed Software

Overall this is a good value laptop that will meet most general daily office, homework, and web surfing needs.

Recommended!

Best Deals for Dell Inspiron 1545 15.6-Inch Jet Black Laptop - Up to 4 Hours 34

I also have had issues with Dell and the Inspiron 1545. Firstly, there is a known issue with the cursor randomly jumping to a different spot while typing. At first I thought it was an issue with MS Word, but then it began happening anywhere I was typing outside of Word such as Gmail or even writting a review for Amazon. Researching the issue online, I found I was not alone with this problem. Trying to get support from Dell was a joke. They give you the run around until you give up. Then, about 3 months after I bought it, the touchpad stopped working. I only paid $649.00 for the machine, so I expected mid-level performance, but needless to say I was disappointed with my first Dell laptop. I own 2 Dell desktops that I have had no issues with. However, I will not be buying another Dell laptop.

Honest reviews on Dell Inspiron 1545 15.6-Inch Jet Black Laptop - Up to 4 Hours 34

First off, let me state that this is an excellent laptop for any user. It has any basic requirements that a casual user would want such as: wireless internet, easy-to-use mouse pad, fast start up speeds, DVD/CD player and recorder, and a beautifully sized screen. For the more advanced user it is also more than suitable comprising of 4 GB of RAM, 300 GB of hard drive space, and a 64-bit CPU. Not only all does it contain these features, but it is extremely simple to set up. Dell makes an excellent laptop. All the parts run smoothly and placed into a very durable shell that comprises the Dell Inspiron laptop. Not only does it look great, but with the the new Windows 7 operating system this computer runs faster than ever before. I have owned this laptop for over a year and half and have still yet to come up any issues involving my laptop. The only downside i have to this laptop is the battery life. After about a year of usage the battery life seems to start dropping more rapidly than most other laptops do. Other than the battery life, this laptop contains all the specifications most anybody would be more than pleased with and for the price this laptop is the best buy in the market place.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Dell Inspiron 1545 15.6-Inch Jet Black Laptop - Up to 4 Hours 34

I was looking for a laptop for my wife and I to use to replace our last laptop which was a Dell Inspiron 8100 (yes I know it would seem that this would be a later model but the odometer must have clicked over on their model numbering system). That laptop was 9 years old. Still original screen and keyboard. I did replace the hard drive with a larger one and had to replace the batteries once along with the screen hinge. Other than that my first Inspiron lasted well past its predicted life. The cost of that laptop $2500.

The year is now 2010 and I was able to pick this laptop up from Dell for $549 with a bonus of 4GB ram. It has a dual core intel chip. It is easily as powerful as my current desktop. I reinstalled the Windows 7 operating system right out of the box wiping out all of the Dell factory added software. Usually those programs are just clutter. In 30 minutes I was firing Windows 7 up on the new Inspiron.

We have had it for about a week and we are very pleased with the purchase. I'll just quickly go over a few of the positives, some of the items that could have been made better and some features that I didn't think about when ordering the laptop that I would have liked to add but didn't.

This laptop is the base model of base models in the laptop world. Make sure whatever laptop you get it has a great cpu and plenty of memory. The hard drive you can change later, the rest you can not. For this price point the CPU and memory is fantastic. No issues running multiple applications. It will work great for Photo editing software, internet browsing and watching online movies or playing music.

The network card included is a 54mb/s speed (G) however there was a choice to get the faster N network card which I opted not to get. Two days after I got the laptop my router broke and I bought a new N network router. Now my laptop is stuck at the slower speed. *BUT SLOWER IS PLENTY FAST FOR ANYTHING YOU WANT TO DO HERE* If you don't need the cutting edge speed then stick with the G option. A note about N there is no standard yet for this speed. This means that devices could be incompatible with newer Routers if the standar is finalized differently than it exists now.

I chose the 9-cell battery over the standard 6 cell. I am big on getting alot of time out of a charge in a laptop. It is nice to not have to plug it in for 6 hours. Which is about what I am getting at the moment. This will decrease over time so the higher starting point will make the mid life range of the battery probably be in 4 hour range. Note though that the 9 cell battery uses a modified battery cover and extends from the back of the laptop with 3 extra batteries.

The screen is bright and clear. It is not full high def but close to half high def. (The resolution is not the official 720p half high def but in fact just slightly higher.) Being a base laptop with an economy price the need for anything more expensive will really outdo the other components and I find it is unnecessary for my purposes.

The look is simple which is my preference. The insides of the laptop around the keboard and screen are Jet Black (and attract fingerprints) the outside of mine is flat black with a silver Dell logo. This also attracts greasy fingerprints. You will have to just not let this bother you and clean it with a soft cotton cloth every once in a while. Its a a budget laptop with great looks and clean lines.

So the good inexpensive, good option for a longer life batter, clear bright screen.

The annoying (I wouldn't call it bad because it is a budget laptop). Probably to make these next few items better the cost of the laptop would increase.

The pointer a pad in this model. We loose the fingertip pointer on the keyboard which I used almost exclusively in my old laptop. They cleaned up the touch pad and made it look integral to the remainder of the case of the laptop. There are no edges for crumbs to get caught in. There are two buttons below it for right and left clicking. This is adequate for the laptop of this price range. However the annoying part comes in that it is touch. Typing and a brief graze with a thumb will relocate your pointer. Annoying but you get used to it. The last annoying thing about it is that it is very difficult to select a larger portion of text. This can probably be fixed by adjusting the pointer setting in Windows. I just haven't gotten to that yet.

Since we didn't get a high def screen there is no high def output. I wanted to connect this to my tv to view some Hulu.com shows but there was nothing to accomplish this. There is a single VGA out to connect to a External Monitor or a Project but no dongle as in the Inspiron 8100 that just gave us an S VIDEO out. A sign of the times I guess.

Ok so I guess not too many annoying things. More better than worse with the best feature being the price making this laptop reachable by most budgets. Spend the extra $150 bucks and get this laptop over a Mini (netbook).

I would buy this from dell directly. Shipping may take longer however you can often find deals like I did for money off the price along with an upgrade to 4GB memory. It ships with Windows 7 64bit and this OS is plenty worth it, a large improvement over Vista. Brings me back to the Windows XP times.

I give this 4 starts not 5 because of the lack of the fingertip pointer, no external video connection to connect to the TV's of today. I would get 4 and a half probably. I hope this one will last me another at least 5 years.

One other note before I go Dell laptops are fragile. If you take care of them, don't carry them by the screen, close them with not in use and just be overall gentle with their use and placing them down. Keep it in a padded bag and it should serve you well. To get the best life out of the battery, use the battery! Plug it in to charge it to 100% and then unplug it. Use it until it has as close as you feel comfortable to 0% I usually use it to around 15% and then plug it back in overnight.

Hope you enjoy. (see my other reviews and support future reviews by visiting )

Sean

Sean's Review

sean@seansreview.com

Cheap Sony VAIO Fit Series SVF15214CXB 15.5-Inch Core i5 Laptop

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $729.99
Sale Price: $729.00
Today's Bonus: $0.99 Off

I'll preface this review with the fact that I own a Vaio desktop and a Vaio laptop and have been very pleased with both. Being a fan of the Sony Vaio series I sought out a new one and purchased this one. It was a mistake.

Immediately upon arrival the wifi would continuiously disconnect and reconnect. It was a pervasive issue on numerous networks so a little online research revealed that hundreds of people were having this same problem with this same machine. Sony support indicated they were aware and had been working (for months, apparently) to resolve the issue without success.

If that wasn't bad enough, the laptop suddenly developed the nasty habit of rapidly losing power and turning off. I don't mean "turning off" in the sense of performing a normal shutdown. I mean "turning off" in the sense of a rapid power outage and everything going black and losing any data one was working on.

This was unbearable, and combined the the wifi failures, prompted me to immediately return the machine. I would not recommend anyone else purchase this product.

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program On first glance, this is a beautiful machine. It is sleek and thin. The keyboard is very nice with a blue backlight and the screen picture is gorgeous. If only it performed as well as it looked. I have had the same issues with this laptop as others have with my net connection going out and then not being able to be found. It has happened enough to make it using this laptop a laborious task. Also, this was my first experience with Windows 8 and I am not impressed. It is not intuitive and I much prefer older versions of Windows. Windows 8 would be better on a touch-screen laptop, which this one isn't. The mouse pad controls are neat but don't make up for the lack of a touch-screen.

Overall, I love the looks of this laptop but haven't liked using it much, particularly due to the net connection problems. I was hoping it would replace my old desktop but I am finding myself preferring to use my old clunker because it has Windows Vista and no internet connectivity issues.

Best Deals for Sony VAIO Fit Series SVF15214CXB 15.5-Inch Core i5 Laptop

Whoohoo! It didn't take me long to zero-in on version of choice and order my new Sony VAIO laptop and protection plan of choice…A great gift for self or others. Gratefully, the seller accelerated delivery time, appeasing my anxious waiting. My VAIO is a space saver with pleasing cosmetic slim line appearance, lighted keyboard. It's EZ to reprogram if needed, and has a high definition sound card along with numerous other user friendly features. Would I recommend others purchase a Sony laptop version of choice? Yes indeed! Why pay more than necessary for quality you deserve? I take care of my VAIO and it serves me well. Thanks for providing another wonderful product available for purchase online and special delivery which eliminated the run-around shopping in physical stores often presents. Offhand, I cannot think of anything I dislike about my new laptop. No regrets!

Honest reviews on Sony VAIO Fit Series SVF15214CXB 15.5-Inch Core i5 Laptop

This, aesthetically, is a beautiful machine, but, after setting it up, began freezing regularly. A patch was recommended (I've never had a laptop where in day two it required a patch) and still the problem persist. I should have got the HP Envy after all, but was sold on this because it was newer. Also, when I purchased this it was advertised as having a touch screen. There are two models I now know. The Fit and the Fit E, which is the one I wanted.

If this machine didn't have that freeze problem, I'm certain I would be quite happy.

Frank

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Sony VAIO Fit Series SVF15214CXB 15.5-Inch Core i5 Laptop

I've had this laptop less than two months. It has had terrible Wi-Fi connection since the beginning, which I read is quite common. Today, the laptop started turning off on it's own for no reason. When I try to turn it on again, it won't work for the first few tries. When it does work, it turns off after a minute or two of being on.

Discount LATITUDE E6500 15.4" C2D-2.53GHZ 4G/250G RW BT WC

Customer Ratings:

Bottom-Line: Hands down, the Dell Latitude E6500 is a performance winner.

Now that Windows 7 is finally on the street, it is time for another technology refresh; this time the entire department traded up to the Dell "Latitude E6500 Notebook" computer. Dell constructed the business-class notebook of a magnesium alloy, rugged paint finish and tough metal hinges, which makes the "Latitude E6500" more durable than older Dell portable offerings.

My slate black (it can also be had in red and blue) "Latitude E6500" doesn't feel any heavier than the notebook it replaces, a Dell Latitude 8 series, which makes carrying the portable desktop replacement everyday easy on the shoulders and back. But the "Latitude E6500" is far more capable than the Latitude D820 checking in with 4GB of Ram, an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor and 15.4" Premium WXGA LED display.

The Laptop

The "Latitude E6500" comes very close to being a full fledged, full feathered desktop replacement; the unit houses your choice of Intel Core 2 Duo Processors; mine shipped with the base P8600 running at 2.40GHz with 3MB L2 cache, on a 1066MHz FSB. And while the D600 only sported (2) USB 2.0 ports, the ruggedized "Latitude E6500" has 4 including a combo USB/Power port and combo USB/eSATA.

In addition the notebook can be had with a integrated fingerprint reader, as well as only (1) PC Card/ExpressCard 54 slot, (1) 4-pin mini-Firewire port, Smartcard slot, 5-n-1 card reader, E-Family modular media bay: (8X DVD-ROM, 24X CDRW/DVD, 8X DVD+/-RW, second Hard Drive or Travel Lite Module), and Port Replication port to round out the expandability of this performance packed laptop.

Starting at some 5.2-pounds the "Latitude E6500" feels comfortable while typing on the broad, full featured back-lit keyboard, that is complemented by a pointing stick and a touch pad; both of which have their own sets of mouse buttons. The feel of the keyboards' keys reminds me of the IBM keyboards of old that felt good on the fingers and felt almost metallic and strong.

And both can be set up to disable themselves automatically when an external pointing device is added to an available USB port. You can optionally configure the "Latitude E6500" to use biometric security (fingerprint reader), which can be integrated into the right hand side of the laptop below the keyboard.

The "Latitude E6500" features a bright, crisp, 15.4-inch UltraSharp WUXGA wide screen with an ultra-fine, 1900 x 1200 native resolution that renders great graphics, but makes the text and icons difficult to read; I have my screen set to 1280x768, which proves to be a very workable setting for me.

In the area of wireless networking, the "Latitude E6500" excels. Unlike other laptops I have used that integrate wireless into the case--usually in the screen housing--the "Latitude E6500" incorporates a switch on the right edge of the laptop that turns the wireless adapter off and on: slide the switch forward, and the built-in 802.11 b/g wireless card automatically searches for available networks, displaying those available on the screen and indicating whether the network is 11Mbps or a faster (G) network. The WiFi switch can also be configured to switch on Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or both of them.

In addition to the ports I mentioned above the "Latitude E6500" also features a standard VGA, infrared, 56Kbps modem, Gigabit Ethernet, headphone, and microphone jacks. Because the "Latitude E6500" is built for the business user, the unit lacks multimedia features such as S-Video, S/PDIF audio, and a HDMI port, and more USB ports that might typically be found on consumer/multi-media-oriented laptops. The D280 does house a DVD/CD-RW drive, which together with the included CyberLink PowerDVD software can used to view movie while on the road.

The "Latitude E6500" can be fitted with a maximum of 8GB of Dual Channel DDR2 RAM, and 250GB HHD. However, there a number of hard drive choices including solid state drives with a capacity of up to 128GB.

First Impressions:

I like my new Dell "Latitude E6500." The unit is light weight, sturdy and performs quite well thanks in larger part to the ultra-fast Intel Core Duo processor and 4GB of DDR2 Dual-Channel RAM under the hood. This makes the E6500 markedly and noticeably faster than a single-core system. This means that the notebook runs Windows 7 Enterprise Edition run really, really well.

I like the look and feel of the notebook. It is lightweight, but still durable easy to carry to and from work every day. And did I mention the stellar back-lit keyboard? It lights up when a single key is clicked and turns off automatically after about 5 seconds of inactivity.

The best feature of the "Latitude E6500" is the UWXGA display. The 15.4 inch screen is bright, crisp and clear. It is not the best LCD display I have ever used, but it is more than adequate for business use, and for playing the occasional DVD.

Conclusions

Hands down, the Dell "Latitude E6500" is a performance winner, especially when mated with Windows 7 Enterprise Edition. I like the increased processing power, the increased batter power, and increased memory. And the laptop is handsome to look at! Though I doubt I will ever have cause to use the 4-pin Firewire port, or the eSATA port, for that matter, it is nice to know its there just in case, and (4) USB ports has certainly com in handy.

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This computer is incredible! It is lightning fast, super sleek, and can take a day on the job with 19 hours of battery life. Highly recommended and worth the price !

Best Deals for LATITUDE E6500 15.4" C2D-2.53GHZ 4G/250G RW BT WC

bought this for my daughter loaded win 7 no prob runs quite well no problems so far fair batt life

Honest reviews on LATITUDE E6500 15.4" C2D-2.53GHZ 4G/250G RW BT WC

This pc gets really hot.

The keboard get really hot and it is very uncomfortable to continue to work.

Dell has fixed once but the problem persists.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for LATITUDE E6500 15.4" C2D-2.53GHZ 4G/250G RW BT WC

Upon purchasing this item the hard drive went out and I had to pay to get it fixed

This item did to worked as described, however, after I paid to fix it; it is now working great.

Reviews of HP Pavilion dv4-2049us Notebook - AMD Athlon II Dual-Core M300

Customer Ratings:

I bought my HP pavilion dv4 model 2049 about 2 years ago. If I knew then what I know now about this product, I would have gone with something else. The laptop isn't necessarily awful, it just has a few problems then when you add all together create enough issues to annoy me enough that I am writing this review. I am a student who only uses my computer for basic needs homework, internet, research, etc. I never download anything or go to any shady websites.

First of all, I just purchased a new power cord the other day. It happens to be the 4th power adapter I have had to buy for this laptop. I have tried HP brand and generic replacement adapters, but nevertheless, in a few days there will be a fifth power cord Ive used with this laptop. They always fry up in a few months. I don't leave my computer plugged in more than the average joe, and I plug it into a surge protector.

Another thing Ive noticed over the past--probably 6 months now--is man does this thing overheat! It gets so hot that if you actually put it on your lap it would burn your skin. Sometimes it shuts itself down to avoid overheating. It didn't do it the first year and a half, and I realize that it could probably be fixed by installing some new fans. But really? After only 2 years?

Those are the two major issues I have wit this laptop. There are other little things that I do not like about it though. Like sometimes clicking noises randomly come from the hardware for no reason at all. Sometimes I am not even using it when it makes the noises. That is something its been doing since Ive had it.

Overall, its not terrible. But like I said, I wouldn't buy this laptop again, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone else either.

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it is a very good one , only the thing what I want to change it is about mouse, it is made shine like a metal , but is ok , is not a issue . take it if you want a good and cheap computer.

Cheap Apple MacBook MB881LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop (OLD VERSION)

Customer Ratings:

My review... take it for what it is... mine. (I provide my story so that you can see why I purchased this computer. If you don't care, don't read the review).

To me, Mac always seemed like it would take a leap of faith. Having had very little interaction with Macs and even less knowledge about them, I was set to be a Windows boy for life. However, recently I found out that I will be going on a ship that is gone all of the time (I'm in the Navy). Needing to have my kids see me reading books to them and me needing to see my kids, I planned on leaving my current laptop with my wife and getting a new one for me (she doesn't care about electronics). This way we could create DVDs and send them to each other for our kids and myself. I went into a store looking to spend not too much and was attracted by the HP entertainment laptops. However... when looking at a $ laptop I knew I would have to add an anti-virus ($-$) and a movie making program ($-$). The guy at the store told me that for what I was looking at in price I should check out the Macs.

Low and behold... there were the Macs. Each sitting there, looking different, and pricey. I was then told about iLife and how I would be able to use iMovie to make my movies, iChat to chat with my family on webcam, iPhoto to import and fix up pictures, and other stuff. WoW! My previous experience with the Windows based programs of this nature was that you'd be better off buying these types of software than using what was included by the computer. However, the sales guy, who was not on commission, swore by them. Also, Macs don't need anti-virus software to boot! I was sold when he told me the difference in the customer satisfaction index when comparing Macs and all of the other computer makers.

I took the plunge.

As you can see from my stars... I'm glad I did. I will NEVER go back to a windows based PC. EVER. While this computer has a few cons, which I will list later, it is much better than what you can get for the same price as far as a PC. Here is what I liked:

The Exterior:

This computer is small. Its compact, it feels really sturdy, and its stylish. There is an apple on the back that lights up from the light of the LCD screen, pretty neat. Also, the keys have just the right punch for those of us that know how to type. The F keys also double for the bright level of the screen, the feature expose (which is outstanding!), and movie stop, go, vol, etc. There is an eject button next to the F12, which works well with this type of drive.

The Interior: iLife is a great program. All of the stuff that comes with it will ensure that unless you need something very very professional you won't have to buy any software. Home videos are awesome with this thing. I can't really compare Leopard to the previous operating systems... since this is my first mac... but I can tell you that it kicks vista's butt. An example; I wanted to hook up my printer, which has only been used on Windows PCs before, and I plugged it in. That's it. I plugged it in and it worked. No drivers, no software, nothing. As soon as I plugged it in and click to make it my default printer it was printing. HOLY COW! THIS IS WHAT I'VE BEEN MISSING! Since I've started using my Mac I have had ZERO "trying to find a solution to the problem" pop ups, ZERO "this program has stopped working", ZERO freezes, ZERO compatibility issues with current hardware (external drive of music and wireless network), and ZERO defects found.

Now the cons:

1) 120 GB hard drive... Yes its easy to hook up the "time machine" or to keep all of your photos or movies on an external hard drive, but for a company that has a 120 GB MP3 player that's just over $... come on!

2) The mouse pad doesn't let you double click for actions to occur. You have to push the button. As a lifetime Windows user this took some getting used to. However... you can scroll up and down easily by using two fingers. I've enjoyed this so much that I'm going to call it a draw :)

3) No multimedia slot for media card, etc. Apple! What are you doing?!?! Its a simple thing to install and it make it much easier for me so that I don't have to always remember where that stupid USB cord that hooks my camera to my computer is. I'd much rather take the card out and insert it.

That's all of my cons.

Once again... I LOVE THIS MAC. On the 2 GB of RAM that it has it works just as well as a windows PC with 4 or more GB. That's because the OS is designed better and the processes don't bog it down. The processor is fast enough to where this seems faster than my wifes 2.4 gHZ laptop (of course that is in conjunction with other aspects of the computer). The colors are great, and the system is great. You WILL have the "Mac Learning Curve" as I was told... it takes about 4-5 hours to get used to and 10-15 to really get to know, but its worth it. Plus, Apple puts videos on each function so that when you open it, it explains how to use it.

I took the leap of faith, and now I'm a believer. So long windows!!! Never again! Spend the extra - bucks... you'll save it anyway by not having to get the anti-virus and having all the stuff you need on it. Oh, and go to after you get your Mac. Its a non-profit site that I've started using to help me learn the system and it's great.

FIVE STARS!

***UPDATE***

Still using this MacBook and still loving it. I've gotten really good with what it has to offer and am still amazed at how easy it is to use compared to Windows based PCs. The iLife 09 software (incl) has proven itself very useful and works well with other software. An example, Photoshop works well with iPhoto. I haven't run into any wall and still recommend it with 5 stars.

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This is my first mobile Mac and I like it. I had spent more than a few hours pondering the decision of which MacBook to get and I feel that I picked the right one for my needs.

This White 2.0 MacBook is a terrific combination of price and features: you can expect similar performance to the uni-body Aluminum 2.0 MacBooks, but $100s cheaper. Plus, this MacBook comes with FireWire and uses cheaper DDR2 ram. Only significant trade off that I can see is losing the uber-cool uni-body design. Less significant is not getting the uni-Body's LED backlight, multi-touch, and some monitor support.

Comparing this MacBook to previous generation MacBooks (non-unibody); the change to the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M will provide a large boost in graphics performance over the Intel units. Supposedly, this is new hardware that OS X 10.6 will be able to take further advantage of.

Overall performance has surprised me. I had planned to drop in 4GB of ram and a 7200 rpm hard drive, but I am so pleased with the operation that I just don't see the need. I use it for web browsing, iPhoto, Mail, Word, Excel, etc. So far I have not experienced any stutters or pauses. If I were to run Vista apps or edit HD video, I am sure that this might change the need for more ram.

Regarding comfort, I have not noted any heat build-up, nor is there excessive fan noise. Keep in mind that I haven't taxed it much. The overall build quality seems fine.

Through the years I usually bought from Apple's refurb store, but I am am very pleased with this purchase and feel that I received an excellent value.

Follow-up Feb 26, 2009: "Still 5 Stars"

After several weeks of use on a daily basis, I continue to be impressed by this product and just how much OS X has advanced (and I am also a very heavy XP/Vista laptop user in my professional life). Everything just comes together so well and this MacBook's performance continues to surprise me. I just slammed it pretty hard by applying facial recognition to our 12,000+ piece iPhoto library and it just works great. Apple sure made up some ground in the last couple years.

Best Deals for Apple MacBook MB881LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop (OLD VERSION)

My first Apple was an Apple II Plus way back in 1980. Those five hundred dollar each 5.25 drives still haunt me. Then came 1985 and I switched to Microsoft and sold my box of Apple stuff. Since then I have been a Windows user both personally and professionally, finishing up a third career as a systems person managing hundreds of installations, servers etc etc. Upon retirement (who else has three laptops and five desktops running Linux, XP, Vista, and now OS X) I began to dabble once again in the Apple world. I think it was Vista that pushed me over the edge; Vista and all the evildoers who try to infect our PC machines with viruses and malware. Dante should have a new circle of Hell for them.

First I tried a MacMini to try out the operating system. It wasn't easy to upgrade but I did it--bigger HD and more memory. I love that little machine and it was cheap.

Then my old Toshiba laptop began to exhibit signs of death. Time for a decision. I could continue to use my test box Dell laptop D600 (solid machine) with three swapping HD's--Linux, XP, and FreeBSD (yeah, I know), or make the switch to Apple for good.

Being retired and semi-poor, I researched and went with this new MacBook White 2.0. First you just have to upgrade the HD and memory, but that is easy and cheap. The Momentus 320/7200 and some Crucial memory are the way to go, and your total cost is only about 130 bucks. Using SuperDuper to clone the drive is dead easy.

The MacWhite is kinda ugly, no doubt about it. Even my wife who is a very practical, no nonsense computer user and never cares what a computer looks like as long as it works, said it was an ugly little thing, yes? And yes, for the same bucks you can get a seemingly faster PC laptop with bigger screen. But hey, for a bigger screen, I use my MacMini on a nice old 19inch LCD. Laptops are for laps, for traveling, for packing around, and for daily use. If you can only afford one and want both, then by all means spend a couple of grand and get the big one with 17inch screen.

Overall I like the following: OS is a dream to use; ergonomics the best, software better than most and no time wasted on all that junk that you have to do to keep XP/Vista safe and running smoothly. Could that be the Unix ancestry? I think so. Weight and size are just fine for my needs. It is portable and connects quickly to foreign and domestic networks. I like the firewire that they kept, and the superdrive they added. I like the keyboard and ease of cleaning the case.

Things I would change if Apple hired old computer guys from the trenches: keypad on this model probably not as cool as that on the more expensive model; a black model would cost so much to offer for the same price; the display okay but again probably not as cool as the 1250 dollar model of the same machine with the aluminum case and backlit screen. Which has a smaller carbon footprint--polycarbonate or aluminum? Who knows. It seems tough and probably won't dent.

If you want good guts, though, and aren't a fashion conscious poser, then this is the box for you. Take the 3 or 4 hundred dollar savings and buy some extra goodies--bluetooth mouse, case, and some software plus upgrades and you will be much happier.

If you want a gamer, go upscale or get a high-end PC. I have Fusion on my MacMini and the Vista package only gets used about once a month. I may try the boot camp routine on this laptop if Windows 7 is worth anything, then again, by then I may be totally brainwashed and have only Linux and OS X.? Ubuntu sure has come a long way.

The price schedule could be improved for Apple products but then again, sometimes even a used Lexus is a better deal than a new Chevy.

I give it 4.5 stars. Good luck and enjoy your Macbook.

P.S. Oh yes, there are lots of good videos, training materials etc to get you from PC to Mac. And one last thing: their delete key is too bizarre: it is really a backspace key, but you can fool it into becoming a PC delete key by holding down the fn key while you use it, then it goes forward like we old PC geeks are used to seeing.

Honest reviews on Apple MacBook MB881LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop (OLD VERSION)

I have been a long time Windows user and have switched to Apple Leopard. I finally got so fed up with the Vista operating system that I ordered a Mac Book from Amazon. I received the package on time, the ordering process was painless just a few clicks. I got a newest version of this laptop. Not really knowing what to expect from this little laptop, I was pleasantly surprised that the learning curve is a lot easier than I thought it would be. I am very impressed with the way this laptop works, it is fast, it looks fantastics, and oh, my God, it turns on quicker. I have had Vista for a long time and sometimes I had to sit and wait for the operating system to start up (as long as 12 minutes timed). This one is ready to go in about 30 seconds, got to love it.

I am very impressed with the service I got from Amazon I'll be a long time customer!!

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It hardly needs to be said that Apple computers are superior and, consequently, one expects a great deal from them. The MacBook is certainly a significant upgrade from its predecessors. As compared to the iBook, it is physically a great improvement, thinner, lighter even, despite the wide screen, nifty magnetic power attachment, better catch, more solid keyboard, and there are numerous software features itemized in the product description and other reviews. However, I should like to point out several flaws in the MacBook, which, though not serious, are important enough for me to rate the product with only four stars, even though I love it and think it's great. These are:

1. The bottom edge of the MacBook is quite sharp unlike that of the iBook, which was smoothly rounded. When you rest your palms on it it to use the trackpad, it is not at all comfortable.

2. The high gloss screen may be nice, but if you are using the computer seated in a chair with a reading light behind you, there is an annoying glare.

3. I have had trouble with uncontrolled scrolling, the thing fairly frequently takes off wildly on its own. I never had this problem with the iBook; perhaps it's only a flaw in my particular MacBook.

4. I have a problem with AppleWorks freezing frequently, although it unfreezes if you press "save". Nevertheless, I never had this occur with the iBook.

5. Lastly, one might expect the MacBook to load faster than the iBook. Sorry, it just doesn't; if anything it loads a trifle slower. This is perhaps a reason for buying the more expensive model.

These complaints are not major and there are so many advantageous features to the MacBook, including price, that I nevertheless strongly recommend it. --By the way I encourage the user to try the really great speech feature; let your Mac read a book to you from Text Edit or from the Adobe Acrobat Reader. (You can download free practically every classic you can think of from ) I am totally in love with the Vicki MacInTalk synthetic voice!

Discount 406333U Lenovo ThinkPad W500 Mobile Workstation 406333U

Customer Ratings:

Well it is an entry level workstation, but has a professional graphic card not the gaming one. Basically the different are the drivers. I think 15" widescreen is the good balance between portability and getting some work done on a good size screen. The version I ordered from Lenovo is almost max out with the newer technology. I use N draft at home with 5 GHz frequency. When I go to a coffee shop I have no problem connecting to G and B routers. There is also a wimax which is the next big thing that I don't use or have service. There is a little keyboard light which is cool, but I don't use either; gaming laptop have glowing keyboard.

Features:

I can't live without the rubber head mouse; I went one generation last time with a Sony Vaio SZ and had to go back. Mainly Lenovo ThinkPad and Dell Latitude laptops still carry this feature. I got to say I like the design of this laptop better than any of the new curvy edge shiny one you can find at electronic stores. Maybe the new Latitudes look very cool and modern too. Displayport (can use hdmi converter) is a great plus while the PC input is still there. I go the turbo memory and I didn't think its made a differences to the boot up speed or software performance. There aren't really any bloat-ware, but some Lenovo system softwares are hogging too much resources. Loading was a fast as my old Sony Vaio SZ, which is much slower than regular computer, which I wanted the turbo memory would fix, but didn't. I use my finger print scanner to save passwords and that is a feature I have grown to like more and more everyday. I connected my bluetooth keyboard to this once.

Built quality is good,

The speakers went out after a week, but I sent it in and Lenovo fixed it. Also on the way back the hard drive got damage and they sent me a new hard drive and disc so I install the OS. Overall it is solidly built; layout is very good, only flimsy part is the area over the PC express card. No dead pixels or weird screen things.

Performance:

I have Photoshop CS2, sometime do Sketchup and Google earth. There is only a very small difference between my laptop and PC with this software; only on bigger files. I hardly ever lose any connections with my D-link N draft router and this laptop. N draft is better than G, I did lose connection when I had an old g router. I stream Netflix and Hulu and it is almost as good as the hardwire connection of my PC. Beside the boot-up is a little slow, I can say this is powerful enough to replace my PC on most tasks. I thought battery these days will last longer, but they really don't, even if the wifi off. I did a movie test on full charge. Sadly this laptop battery didn't last as long as my 2002 Dell Inspirion 8200 for the movie "Star War" but not by much. I did turn the wifi off. The Vaio performed about the same as this Thinkpad.

Service

I got to say Lenovo is a lot better than Dell. I never had to use Sony. They got my laptop fixed after I sent it in and tracking and call them was very easy. They want to please me, where Dell thought I was stupid (back in 2002). They had diagnostic they told me to do and immediately knew what the problem was hardware or software. They sent me 3 different installation discs. I guess I didn't make myself clear; I got Vista Professional 64bit. They assume things are 32 bit and Vista home if you don't tell them, which I guess I didn't.

I will buy from Lenovo again, and told my brother the same. Quality and service is top notch. Only the speakers went out for some reason.

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Don't waist your time. I go to a technology heavy university filled with nerds. Out of over a thousand students with the same school issued laptop not one student has anything good to say about lenevo thinkpads. My class got the w500 and it sucks. The fan has had to be replaced twice now, and the computer still over heats. If you like running creative programs then don't even bother. They randomly turn off, freeze and blue screen like crazy. My school has named them "crap pads" for a reason. I would give it a zero but sadly one star is as low as they go.

Lenovo ThinkPad T410s 14.1" Core i5 250GB Notebook Review

Customer Ratings:

I bought a refurbished one for 420$ and shouldn't expect more than this . even though I dropped it many times it didn't even get a scratch. Sometimes it gives fan error but gets fixed automatically

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Reviews of HP Pavilion g7-1317cl Notebook PC 4GB, 640GB HD, 17.3"

Customer Ratings:

This is a nice computer for the money. Works great,very fast shipping, seller easy to do business with,battery life seems a lot longer then my old computer, Thanks

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Buy Lenovo Z580 15.6-Inch Laptop

Customer Ratings:

I did research before choosing a laptop, and this one seemed to have the features I was looking for: 15" or larger screen, good processor and plenty of RAM, and a brand that consistently gets good customer reviews.

Positives first: The LED screen is very vibrant. It is not one of the top-of-the-line screens that is equally vibrant from any angle, but this is an excellent screen for the price range. The laptop itself is sharp-looking and light-weight.

Negatives: The touchpad is infuriating. I appreciate that it is set up like a Mac so you can use two fingers to scroll or zoom in or out, but it is very spotty in its sensitivity. I found that I have to click two or three times before it recognizes what I'm doing as a click. This in spite of the fact that the pad actually moves and makes an audible clicking noise when you click. I have read some other online reviews that mention the touchpad specifically, and it seems that this is just the way this model works. A driver can be downloaded to improve the touchpad function, but even after that I still had problems.

The shift and arrows keys also have an untraditional placement on the keyboard. The shift key is significantly smaller than normal, and the up arrow is to the right, leading me to occasionally hit the up arrow instead of the shift key.

I am typing this review on a different Lonovo laptop, a ThinkPad Edge, and the touchpad on it is great. The primary physical difference is that the ThinkPad has two distinct bars for left and right clicking, where on the Z580 it is one large pad.

I am returning the Z580 for a different laptop, because even after updating the driver for the touchpad, I find it less frustrating to use an older computer with a lower grade processor than to put up with a zig-zagging cursor that rarely detects when I'm clicking.

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I have only recently received this laptop. I am intermediate when it comes to being tech savvy. I have been building my own for a few years now and bought this for the capabilities that I saw it would have. I ran several stress test and it did wonderful. I would highly suggest this laptop for those who don't just want a middle of the run computers. It will do what I want and not really stress.

Best Deals for Lenovo Z580 15.6-Inch Laptop

I have been shopping around for a new laptop for a while, and based upon reviews across the web I decided to buy this product. I must say I am most impressed with the performance capability and sleek design of the Lenovo series of laptops.

Overall I have encountered no issues with regard to general performance and usability of the device, Windows 8 takes some getting used to though. Most of the software apps that came with Lenovo's install were not considered useful though so I uninstalled them.

Honest reviews on Lenovo Z580 15.6-Inch Laptop

The best surprise came after receiving it and discovering it is fully equipped for BlueTooth using the very capable Broadcom software. Rest assured, this Z580 has all the basics.

This Z580 offers some high end components in this low budget introductory unit that allows all the abilities that people love about traversing the web, and there is no lag or interruption while streaming video or music. Doubling the RAM memory is possible but not really beneficial since a step upward to a Y Series Lenovo will net better results for the gamers. I'm gaining a real appreciation for the sturdiness built into Lenovo products and for the wide availability of Lenovo product data sheets. This Z-PC is ready for just about everything from the get-go, and it has an attractive platinum plum tint on its outer shell that shows an amazing resemblance to brushed aluminum.

One cautionary note is that after purchasing your new Lenovo, create all the factory backups before making any adjustments to the hard drive. If just getting familiar with Lenovo products, one discovers quickly there is a new level of intricacy sitting in front of them, and a step taken too far may have no return path. Possibly more sophisticated than most people care to delve into, Lenovo is loaded with innovation, and a wide assortment of possibilities are readily available.

UPDATE: July 29, 2013

There is no compromise for quality, and this computer has it all. Now after using it for several months, my appreciation for it continues to build, and I can't find anything about it worthy of any criticism. Its layout and its reliability are state of art, and I even purchased a second one. The price is going back up to normal again, but even at the full price this laptop will not disappoint. I have used many laptops, and this one is a no-nonsense example of what the perfect laptop should be. Again, a big thanks to Lenovo for this greatest of Z Machines!

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I need to dual boot my laptop and I've never had issues doing so before. Then Windows 8 comes along with UEFI and screws things up royally. Installing ubuntu on this machine took me back to the 90s when installing linux used to feel like touch and go. This laptop in particular has a BIOS that doesn't allow it to boot anything but Windows and RHEL in UEFI mode. I tried legacy booting, but the install got so royally screwed up that I had to factory reset everything. I lost a couple of days worth of work done to install the software I needed. I'm considering using my old laptop which has issues but still lets me work.

Aside from the UEFI, the trackpad is very annoying and the keyboard key placement is off. I haven't used a unified trackpad before, but this must definitely be one of the worse off executions out there. Like another reviewer noted, the sensitivity is wrong. The pointer stops dead in it's tracks when I'm trying to get across the screen. Right/Left clicking while moving the cursor is very clumsy and difficult. I have an old T61 that's a joy to use because of it's excellent keyboard , trackpad and physical buttons. I wish Lenovo didn't try to change what's not broken.

Review of ASUS G50Vt-B1 15.4-Inch Laptop

Customer Ratings:

I was so excited when I got this laptop. It was so powerful and ahead of the other machines, who wouldn't be excited! Initially, it performed great, ran well with Photoshop, Illustrator, Corel, especially gaming. I was disappointed in the weight, weighing in at 9 pounds for just the laptop and power supply. It was impossible to travel with (I had hoped for mobile power, but I got power that needed wheels). Traveling a lot for work and needing to do design on the road just became cumbersome. Once you add in your spare hard drive, mouse, headset etc. the airline won't even let you carry it on.

It lasted about 1 month before it started crashing on simple programs like MS Word. Really? I was able to back all my data and files up to a Western Digital hard drive (those rock!). Just in time before the whole machine crashed. Even my keyboard wasn't working. I sent it back to Asus, and after testing it, there were a ton of hardware failures the wireless LAN card, the motherboard, one of the hard drives and the keyboard. Getting parts replaced wasn't too hard the first time.

About 4 months later, same issues. Still under a year old, I had all my important documents for work on the machine and hadn't backed them up for 4 months of design work (my bad). My hard drives failed and I wasn't going to just have them replace it again and lose all that data, I had to get my data recovered before I could send it in. They offered no technical support for that and when calling in to speak to a supervisor, it literally took me about 3 weeks and about 12 hours of being on hold (I'm like a bulldog when someone makes me that mad, so I refused to let go and give up). After finally getting through, she didn't say anything different that the peanuts I spoke to before and the only solution was to send it in and make sure I either back up my data or am prepared to lose it because they only replace parts. So I ended up having to go to an IT place where it took them 3 days (very expensive!) to get my hard drives to intermittantly work to recover my data.

Once recovered, we sent it in, they AGAIN replaced the motherboard, hard drives, keyboard, WLAN card. Turns out this machine runs hot and just fries the components. So after nearly losing my work data twice in under a year, and the amount of time it takes to get Asus to help (I give them a 0 in customer service), I would steer clear of Asus laptops. I will never buy one again. Unfortunately, they have the most flash parts out there I avoid the brand now, but it's hard and I cringe every time I have to support that company. We're building new desktops now to get more power and be able to cool the machines more efficiently, I opted to spend $200 more on a motherboard that wasn't made by Asus. But I guess if you can just throw it away when you're done and don't mind upgrading often or have important files you store, then maybe it's ok for you. In my opinion, it's a very expensive laptop to throw away, which I have done. Think "Office Space".

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This is actually my first laptop ever. I am so glad I invested the money in this. I have not had any issues with this. As you know ASUS is a gaming brand, I am not a heavy gamer, but i know that any new game i buy i do not have to worry about system requirements. This puppy has a super fast processor and enough memory to last you for a good while. I recommend for those who plan on gaming, graphic work or anything that requires something quick to do the job.

Review of HP Pavilion dv7t Select Edition Notebook PC - Intel Core i5-450M

Customer Ratings:

This is my first HP computer. Over the years I've typically purchased from a competitor. This machine from a specification perspective seemed to offer the best balance of performance and features for the price. I've been using this for a month and a half now and have not been disappointed. Plenty of power for multi-tasking. Easy to use. The software included is useful and further rounds out a great package. It runs cool given it's size and is easy to manage. I also use this to capture some missed TV episodes hooked up to my HDTV. Great keyboard, media controls on the panel, great sound for a laptop, plenty of ports. The memory card reader makes it easy to download photos from the camera.

The team that designed this thing were on the mark that day!

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