Cheap Toshiba Qosmio X875-Q7390 17.3-Inch 3D Laptop (Black Widow Styling

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $1,949.99
Sale Price: $1,679.99
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I just have to briefly review this laptop to put some of the bad reviews at bay. I just got this baby yesterday and it has blown me away. The screen is brilliant, the speed is unreal, and the 3D is awesome. Even the speakers are top notch. I'll gush more about it later, first I want to let future buyers know the few minor quirks:

Yes, the secondary hard drive makes a small clicking noise. However, what you will want to do ANYWAY when buying such a rig, is replace the PRIMARY hard drive slot with a solid state drive (I used a 240GB Intel 520). THEN, put the original primary drive (the hybrid one) in the secondary slot. Now, enjoy face-melting mind-bending speeds without any clicking noise. Now your boot time is maybe 10 seconds with a fresh windows 8 install.

Yes, battery life is very short. It is not unexpected with such a powerhouse of a computer. If you need to go more than probably 2 hours without an outlet, this beast is not for you. This is not an ultra-portable machine. It falls more in the desktop-replacement category.

Yes, you can watch your 3D movies (even MKVs) with this laptop. You will probably want to follow a brief tutorial (google iradar mkv 3d nvidia) on using an application called Stereoscopic Player. Choose "Sensio" in Layout settings and "NVIDIA 3d Vision" in playback methods. Make the video full screen with your glasses on and enjoy. Nvidia also offers an application to play 3d video.

I will update this review with any other notable findings that have not been mentioned by other reviewers.

UPDATE 1: I have been casually using the laptop for a couple weeks now. I want to note a couple cool things. The "Qosmio" on the back of the screen glows red in the dark which I JUST noticed. The screen is REALLY bright. On maximum brightness, it is brighter than my 58" plasma TV which is on vivid setting. The laptop has not gotten hot like I thought it might, even after hours of watching 3D video. However, I have not tested the temperature with intensive gaming which could produce different results.

I think it is important for future buyers to really consider the size of the laptop, as well as the massive charger when considering this machine. It is considerably heavier than the average laptop, weighing in at 7.5 lbs. You will almost certainly need to carry the charger as well, so add another 2 lbs. More to come later.

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I got the Qosmio laptop. Few weeks back, and I'm quite impressed with it. Its pretty damn fast when its starts up and takes you straight into the main menu where you can select what you an to do. I always been a fan of Nvidia graphics, and playing the high-end games like Crisis 3 on it doesn't pose any issue on the unit. It'll get hot while running games like that mainly because of all four processors are running. But if you want to keep it cool, I suggest buying a cool in pad designed for gaming laptops. These things deffinately do a god job sucking that hot air out from beneath it. I would choose this gamin g platform over Alienwhare anytime.

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I was a little hesitant about buying this laptop at first. $1,600 is a lot of money. Also no matter where I looked on the web I couldn't find many reviews about the laptop. So now that I've had it for 3 months let me tell you some things about it. (there is no rhyme or reason to the layout)

1. Nothing has broken or gone wrong, other people were complaining that thiers broke in a day and blah blah. But mine is just fine.

2. Yes, the battery life is only 2 hours when playing a game without have the charger plugged in, but everyone who buys a gaming laptop accepts that fact.

3. It plays just about anygame on high graphics that I want it too. But if your thinking of buying this laptop be warned that it does not run filters such as FXAA and anti-aliasing that greatly. I mean, you can turn all the filters on a game such as skyrim on and turn the graphics to ultra. However you will be getting roughly 25-30 fps. But I've found that across all games if I leave the filters off but dial the graphics up they run 45 fps or over depending on the game and still look beautiful.

4. the list of games I play and the roughly estimated average fps I get: Minecraft-150-200 fps, Skyrim-45-60fps, borderlands 2-35-45 fps, chivalry medieval warfare-45-60 fps, planetside 2-35-45 fps, Black Ops 2: 45-55fps, GTA IV-35-45 fps, DayZ Mod-40-55fps, etc. I play many more games than that, those are just some of the more graphically demanding games. All games were set to high graphics with low or no filters

5. Windows 8 is just as good (better in my opinion) than wnidows 7. its much (much much) faster on start up. Like from opening the lid of the laptop to getting into the desktop takes about 2 seconds. including typing in a PIN. Also whoever says this isn't a gaming laptop because of windows 8 is lying. Software doesn't matter. It's all about the hardware.

6. I bought this laptop because my old dell inspiron something something fizzled out on me and I wanted to get a gaming laptop for college. I love it. Just don't be expecting to lug it to class every day if you get one because it is monstrous. Although I personally like bringing it to class to put everyone else's MacBook Pro to shame (Mac's suck)

7. I would suggest buying a cooling pad to put underneath it because it does get HOT. I went with the cooler master X3 because it had a bigger fan than the X2 even though the X2 had better reviews. The X3 is perfect and gets the job done well. My normal CPU tempt in games is about 67-70 Celsius and same with my GPU.

8. Be warned that even though it says 3GB gtx 670m in the description, IT WILL NOT PERFORM LIKE THE DESKTOP GTX 670. The gtx 670 plays skyrim at 100+ fps with filters and all on full. the gtx 670m (laptop version) WILL NOT DO THAT. With that being said, it is still an excellent graphics card.

9. The 2 TB of HDD space is lovely, I've alrdy used about 500gb of space on mine... I have a lot of games.

10. If you purchase one be sure to update the GPU driver and you will get better performance.

All in all it is a perfect gaming laptop. It's well priced compared to other laptops *ahem AlienWare*, built out of sturdy aluminum, or aluminium if your British, runs everything I want it to beautifully, It really is the Bee's Knee's. Just keep in mind that for this kind of money you can build an epic desktop that could play cryisis 3 on full 1080p graphics and what not. think of this as a $1200 desktop that you payed an extra $400 to have put into laptop form. Really, that's where most of the money is going, to make everything function very well at 1/3 it's intended size. With that being said this laptop is the ultimate LAN party machine because it has incredibly good graphics and you can pick up from your desk, pop it in your back pack, go on down to your friend Larry's house and set it back up with ease... Then chop his head off in Chivalry medieval warfare :D

5 out of 5... It is a seriously good gaming laptop for the money

Honest reviews on Toshiba Qosmio X875-Q7390 17.3-Inch 3D Laptop (Black Widow Styling

This was my 5th Toshiba Laptop between me and my family but will definitely be my last. Bought it customized from Toshiba Direct. It worked for about a month, and failed. They directed me to take it personally to their authorized service center for fastest service. It sat for a month waiting for a part that didn't fix it and now they are waiting for a new hard drive that they estimate will take 6 WEEKS to deliver. When I called support they told me that it would be faster if I go pick it up and mail it back to them (with no commitment on what "faster" means). They offer no explanation of why it would take 6 weeks for a new hard-drive. Also the warranty continues to expire while the unit sits in their hands. (It is warranted from purchase date only)

I asked for my money back. After 2 weeks they come back with an offer of store credit to Toshiba Direct because they don't give refunds. They only want to credit the purchase price so I would need to eat about $200 in sales tax and shipping on the original and another $200 when I use my credit. They explained to me that this was a great favor as they were not depreciated the value of the computer for the one month that I was apparently honored to have it work for me.

So the only choice I get from Toshiba are take a credit and get another Toshiba craptop eating the shipping and tax charges 2 twice or wait until they fix the one I have with no guarantee of how long it will take while my warranty ticks away.

Here are some other fun facts they won't give me anything in writing about my options won't send me an email. You also can't send them emails. Strikes me a little odd a computer company won't take an email. Nothing in writing appears to be their policy.

UPDATE Response to Toshiba's comment:

Regarding Toshiba's response to this review writing a review is what got their attention. They have someone who has the job to read these reviews. The resolution was they figured out how to get a hard disk and the computer was repaired after they read this review.

To be clear I still will not buy another Toshiba nor would I recommend buying one.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Toshiba Qosmio X875-Q7390 17.3-Inch 3D Laptop (Black Widow Styling

I bought this computer because I wanted a 17" with 3D capability and blu-ray viewing. To me it seemed like Toshiba has some of the strongest processor specs for a good price. I like to keep a laptop for 4 5 years so I did not want some underpowered processor which becomes obselete quickly. I looked at Dell and HP and settled on this unit.

The first unit I bought directly from Toshiba. This one was defective because the 3D did not function properly. Toshiba online direct support diagnosed a defective graphics card so I returned the unit. Now I am leery of Toshiba quality because I had bought the predecessor of this computer in 8/12 (the q7290), and this also was completely defective. Despite 2 duds I wanted to buy a Toshiba for the processor (i7 3630, price, blu-ray, and 3D. I could not find another major manufacturer offering all of this. I also liked the Toshiba website because to me it seems much clearer in terms of the specs of the computer and other details.

From my standpoint I am happy with this computer. It starts very quickly from the sleep mode (

Best Asus UL50AT-X1 Core 2 Duo Processor, 500GB HDD, 15.6" Notebook Deals

Customer Ratings:

This review is solely based on the keyboard and mouse buttons. I didn't have the computer long enough to tell you about the rest of it. I didn't like the rickety feel of the keyboard (not very stable) and I didn't like that the mouse buttons were connected/difficult to push. I recommend trying a computer in the store before buying it, because you can't experience the "feel" of one unless you get your own hands on it.

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This is not a recommendable product. The global support is very deficient, my laptop has problems with the Wi-Fi and I still waiting for the technical support answer since two weeks ago. If you can do it, choose other brand or model.

Discount Toshiba Satellite P755-3DV20 15.6 Inch LED 3D notebook- Intel Core

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I received this laptop on September. One month later the screen start with serious problems (data flex according with the technical support). Also, the wifi antenna is very weak, several problems to have good reception being a few meters of the router. Internet navigation very slow even with good wifi signal. I hope Toshiba can replace for a new one laptop.

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I have received this laptop as a Christmas gift. it is an amazing laptop. It has a very attractive design. The sound is very loud. The keyboard is very convenient. It has a blu ray player. It is the best laptop that I have ever had so far.

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good graphics, could have been better for light , when 3D is on oe while watching the movies.

please include 3D enables software or tools. overall i satisfied on this product

Honest reviews on Toshiba Satellite P755-3DV20 15.6 Inch LED 3D notebook- Intel Core

I only just received this laptop 2 days ago but I have set up the 3d capability (very easy to do) and used it to watch Avengers in 3D as well as play Guild Wars 2 in 3D and let me tell you, this is an exceptional mobile multimedia device for the money ($780 from Beach Camera). Only time will tell about its longevity but in my extensive experience with desktop, laptop and handheld computing devices I know that one of the most important contributors to a laptop's reliable life-span is how well it vents heat in order to stay cool. Aside from the more obvious forms of abuse, heat damage will significantly reduce the life of a laptop's components and I am very pleased to say that this machine remained shockingly cool when placed on a smooth flat surface even after playing Guild Wars 2 in 3D for about 20 mins. Playing video games in 3D will likely be the most demanding task the average computer user or even gamer can put on a computer so this is quite a feat.

Other points of interest:

-It's main vent on the left side does put out quite a bit of heat as does the power adapter.

-Its frame, though made of plastic, still feels solid and not too cheap and keeps it at a very comfortable weight.

-Track pad can be turned off and on easily.

-The hard drive has a shock sensor that will temporarily pause reading/writing when it detects potentially damaging levels of vibration. This an uncommon feature on budget laptops but a very nice one to have as it will likely increase the life of the hard drive significantly.

-2.0 Harmon-Kardon speakers sound amazing for a laptop. This is coming from a self proclaimed audiophile. I was perfectly content with the sound quality while watching Avengers.

-The Nvidia 3D vision glasses that are included are top quality and very comfortable. I've already ordered a second pair from a seller on Amazon: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005963JTY/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00

-Though the screen is not 1080p, which seems counter intuitive to the 3D feature, I've found it perfectly sufficient. I don't believe the high resolution will make much if any difference with a screen this size. Lower resolution also vastly improves performance in video games so its a trade off that I've found more beneficial in this case.

-The viewing angle for the screen IS very limited. Should you wish to purchase addition glasses as I have, I don't believe that you can reasonably sit more than 2 people snuggly in front of the screen at a comfortable distance. So if you're looking for a 3D experience for the whole family to enjoy at the same time, this is not it.

-GW2 will definitely play well at mid to high graphics settings in 2D. The frame rate drops down considerably in 3D but is still manageable even in LA and WvW. I will likely stick to 2D with higher quality graphics in most cases but I recommend at least testing the stereoscopic 3D in various games just for the thrill of it.

All in all, if you're looking for a relatively inexpensive outlet to 3D media that will also cover the rest of your mobile computing needs, this is it. I scoured Amazon and the rest of the web for endless hours to compare a vast range of laptops and features and, at least at this point, I've found no other laptop with a blu-ray player, 3D capability, and sufficient specs to play the freshest online games for under $1400. Even without the 3D, I'd consider this a great laptop for the price.

Buy ASUS G46VW-DS51-CA Republic of Gamer (ROG) (14.1-inch, I5-3230M

Customer Ratings:

I will touch on some pros and cons, although i'm not sure why i'm the first person to write a review on this particular model. Odd. If you're worried about the size, don't, this thing has the exact same amount of power and performance as it's big brothers. And you can actually get it cheaper elsewhere. The corners that Asus has cut are as follows.

-Many people are turned away by the "mat" type screen, and lower resolution because of it's size. But honestly this makes for maxed out performance on today's games because of it's limited resolution. Even though it's 720 don't let it fool you, it makes consoles look very bad, still out does them by a long shot.

-Another corner that has been cut (for price) is there is no optical drive, so you'd better be a "digital" gamer, or purchase yourself an external burner (like I did), to load older game discs. There is actually plenty of room on the right side of the unit for one to fit, but then again there is a lot under this hood, so it may have been to crammed.

-This laptop only has the standard 5400rpm HDD that 90% of laptops today come with. The bigger models seems to all have the 7200rpm drive. You'd think we would have surpassed these speeds now, or just have all laptops come with a Solid State drive. Which some do have both. This cuts cost as well. It doesn't slow down gaming all, but you may find windows 8, and surfing the web to not be as quick, even with the 2.5 I5 3rd gen processor. Slightly sluggish, but not a deal breaker.

-Terrible terrible Intel Centrino Wireless, which has been the cheapest adapter on the market for years. Ahteros and Broadcom definitely being the best. Why they continue to use this even in some of the more expensive models is beyond me. I've worked on countless laptops with this adapter in it, and they all have VERY weak signals, or drop a lot. So i already had a netgear adapter for my gaming desktop. So i decided to use it, which works great. No fluctuating speeds now.

So that's mostly the cons, now onto the pros.

-Metallic brushed finish now replaces the one rubberized material on the hand rests. Which use to peal off in small chunks. Although the top is still made of this material it's a lot tougher than before.

-No flex to be found on the keyboard. Although having a 14 inch takes some getting use to, for typing. And the backlit keyboard with 3 different brightness options is great.

-All 3.0 UBS ports, though i would have preferred 4, since I now have the adapter plugged into it. And use a small gaming mouse on the other. No big deal. Good fast transferring of files.

-GTX 660m 2 GB DDR5 is actually overkill for this little beast. But thats a BIG plus, runs everything on high smooth as silk.

Checkout NOTEBOOK CHECK . COM for more specs on it. It also has the Intel HD 4000 GPU, and when you left click it gives you the option of which one to use on each game.

-Awesome speakers, just right for movies, music, and extremely good for games. Actually has an HD surround sound to it. Very good panning.

-The overall fell is very sturdy, no it's not an ultrabook, but it is small and "semi" light. Much better for totting around than the big 17 inch beasts. Great to take anywhere, and game.

-Battery life is great, and depending on your tasks anywhere from 5 to 8 hours. Even though i'm not thrilled about the battery being built it.

So that's about it, with a 750gb hdd, the card, speakers, 8 gigs of ram, and all the other bells and whistles, this is the best portable gaming laptop on the market. I think Alienware is pretty decent, but a big overpriced, and it seems everyone goes for those. And Dell makes them now, so i'll pass.

On one last note I had a few quirks or odd experiences. At one point after bringing this out of sleep mode, it automatically just shut off. But never did it again. No idea why. Also sometimes the Nvidia card will deactivate itself randomly, but never during a game. Could be a windows 8 or driver issue. Nothing major (yet). So while it has it's flaws, to me the good definitely outweighs the bad. And Asus rated number 2 this year right under Mac Book for reliability. So hopefully that holds true. Get one while you can for a good price. It's really worth it considering some of the "other junk" in this price range. Later.

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I purchased this product last year at best buy. The next week it wouldn't turn on. I returned it to best buy and they informed me that the entire product was I quote "fried". They then kindly provided me with another laptop. I took it to my home and decided I would test its gaming performance. This is not a product that was ever meant to be unplugged the atrocious fps that I received while running games low settings was shocking. I then proceeded to plug it in and watch my fps increase by at least 65. The computer broke again a month later I brought it into best buy where they informed me that my ac adapter was not properly functioning and they had none in stock. I then contacted Asus who had me send in my laptop for quite a large fee. I received a new ac adapter and my problem was solved or so I thought 2 weeks later and now my laptop wont turn on I have no conception of what the problem could be this time but let me tell you this. This is by far the most flawed product i have ever purchased Asus customer support is awful and I now have to purchase a new laptop. I lost more money on this product than it was worth. It may look impressive but don't let that fool you its a cheap flawed over priced piece of hardware I wish I had never encountered.

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I'm not writing a full, review. I wrote a pages long review on best buys website. I just wanted to let people without a local best buy know that it's been on sale there for weeks for 799 and was originally only 999 when it was released months ago. This may or may not be the exact same model number, but it is the same system with the same specs.

Toshiba Satellite C55T-A5247 15.6-Inch Touchscreen Laptop (Satin Review

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $599.99
Sale Price: $524.08
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I love this Toshiba Satellite computer. This is the second Toshiba Satellite I have owned in the past five years. I've had this computer now for over two weeks now and I getting settled in to windows 8 just fine with no issues. If you have use a Amazon Kindle or an iPad you will be able to adjust to Windows 8 with little issues using the computers touchscreen. I highly suggest a touch screen with Windows 8 as it was designed for it and it makes it very easy to use and navigate. I play downloadable games apps with no issues that use the touch screen for the controls. The one issue I have is I'm not used to the smaller keyboard with the number pad as I constantly hit the wrong keys when I type but I will get used to it. Other then that, For a cheap low end computer with a Intel Core i3 2.3 GHz, touch screen and Windows 8 I'm very pleased and I'm very glad I did not go with a cheaper non touchscreen computer as I had, I would have been very disappointed.

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I got the laptop as I'm doing my degree online and it's very good so far...After reading the negative reviews about windows 8 i was a bit skeptical but I must say the touch screen has made it very manageable. The only hang up I had was the lack of a start button, which anyone would find weird since start buttons have alwayssssss been present. However, i just downloaded a start button and all is well.

Overall Great Purchase.

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Very nice product, cheapest touch screen with a Gen 3 i series processor I could find. Screen is very responsive. Windows 8 is more user friendly than I could expect. I couldn't go back to a normal screen after this.

Honest reviews on Toshiba Satellite C55T-A5247 15.6-Inch Touchscreen Laptop (Satin

was hard to get use to however perfect once my tech brain was turned on now kids play THANK YOU

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Everything about this lap top is great, especially the price, my husband got it on sale for my niece and she simpky loves it!

Lenovo IdeaPad Y510p 15.6-Inch Laptop (Metal - Dusk Black) Reviews

Customer Ratings:

I have to admit, I was a bit concerned when I first purchased this product and was waiting on shipment because I realized there was an SLI version for only $200 more. However, when I received this laptop, IT CAME WITH A GT750M SLI ALREADY INSTALLED (not to mention the bluray player as well!). This laptop config is WELL worth the price with the 4th gen i7 processor, 16 gb of ram, 1TB of HD and 24gb of SSD, and TWO nvidia GT750M SLI! I instantly downloaded all my games and booted up Guild Wars 2 first. It ran like a CHARM; all settings maxed and doing World Vs World with huge battles.

I am upgrading from an Alienware m11x R1 and I don't think I have EVER had a gaming experience as amazing as this one. I recommend this to ANYONE looking for a gaming laptop at an affordable price that can play ANY game on the market right now with all settings max.

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As other reviews have mentioned, there were some discrepancies with Amazon's description of this product in regards to the supposed model number. Amazon's info is a bit all over the place on the product listing, but we have confirmed that this is, as far as I know, the BEST Y510P spec/bundle out there. This model is not even available on Lenovo's site (I checked regularly for a system spec'd like this), and those on Lenovo site were also not as good of a deal price-wise. At time of purchase, Amazon's price was $1,179.99 (MSRP is $1,299.99).

This PC includes the following:

-Intel i7-4700MQ (2.4GHz, up to 3.40 GHz. 6MB Cache)

-16GB RAM

-1TB HDD

-24GB Cache SSD

-Nvidia GT750M built-in

-Nvidia GT750M Ultra-Bay module (to make the system SLI GT750M)

-BluRay BD-RE/DVDRW Ultra-Bay module (swap-able with SLI module) [YES, IT BURNS BLU-RAYS IT SEEMS, this is an expensive drive!]

-1920x1080 Anti-Glare LED Back-lit Screen (another good rarity as the others I found are a glossy screen, such as those on Lenovo's site)

-Plus the usual slew of standard features found on most laptops these days (USB 3.0, USB 2.0 [with always on capability], phones/mic ports, Kensington lock slot, 720P webcam w/ dual mics, card-reader, HDMI, VGA, LAN, Bluetooth).

Fit 'n' Finish:

Knowing Lenovo's high quality already, as I've worked on many laptops throughout the years, I knew this was going to be a solid system. The whole system has a very nice fit and feel, rather classy in a way too. It's overall very tight with solid build quality featuring brushed metal on the top surfaces such as the lid and the area surrounding the keyboard/touch-pad, accents in red. Considering how powerful of a system it is, I was surprised by how thin and light it felt, especially compared to what I was coming from (ASUS G60JX). The system is very aesthetically pleasing. Also, being a fan of the red/black color scheme, this was very attractive to me. The keyboard has an adjustable back-light, which illuminates the keys in a red color (most notable in darker settings). Keyboard is very pleasing to type on. I use a mechanical keyboard on my desktop system and this one has a nice tactile response reminiscent of a mechanical. Another big point for me, and a must-have, is the inclusion of the number-pad. I cannot use a laptop without a number-pad as I frequently use it for work. Most 15" models do not include them, requiring buyers to step up to a 17" or larger to get one. This Lenovo has a number-pad which means it was ahead of many of the competing models right from the get-go in my eyes. Onto the touch-pad, it is rather large and surprised me with how many functions it has. The software allows many different gestures (incorporating multiple fingers if you so please), settings, and etc. Sensitivity of the touch-pad is also quite nice, but I had to turn it down a bit for me and increase the resistance to wrist movement. Out of the box, the touch-pad settings were a little too touchy, but spending the time to adjust them to your liking is definitely worth your time.

File/Desktop Performance:

The system has run flawlessly since I received it. It's very fast and gets increasingly faster as you use it (as this is how the 24GB SSD cache functions). The more you use the PC, the more it figures out which files are being processed frequently and adds them to the cache. Lenovo uses ExpressCache (pre-installed and configured), so you do not have to do anything additional to start to see the benefits. The 16GB of ram is also nice to have (and the same amount I have in my desktop system). I tend to load up a PC with applications like Photoshop, multiple browsers with a ridiculous amount of open tabs, and more at all times, which tends to eat up RAM like it's a delicious cookie. Having the 16GB RAM is definitely awesome in this regard as, much like my home system, I have not been able to come close to full utilization; however, even on an 8GB system, I start to slow them down. System has been very responsive and a pleasing experience to use. Programs launch instantly, which is always nice. When it comes to PCs, I need them high performance and running fast or I get cranky.

Display:

The display is quite nice as it's a Full-HD (1080P) LED back-lit LCD with anti-glare (matte) screen. As I mentioned above, all the other systems (or at least those on the Lenovo website) come with a glossy screen (which was the only thing I was not too excited about). When I received this and noticed the anti-glare, I was pleasantly surprised. Using this system mostly for work being under fluorescent lights, I was very happy that this had anti-glare. The screen also boasts very good brightness and a large range of adjustable brightness. The color accuracy and over-all picture is quite good for right out of the box (I will calibrate with Nvidia controls later, but no rush). Having a resolution like 1080P in a 15" model is nice as you really cannot notice individual pixels like on a much larger screen. On my home system, I use a 27" screen and the difference is quite noticeable.

Sound:

The stock JBL speakers were surprising when I first used them. I loaded up some music and I thought something was wrong initially. These little laptop speakers actually have some bass response! My ASUS (while featuring Altec Lansing) had a rather shrill, bright sound with very little low-end response (and nothing below around 500Hz). These speakers on the Lenovo are a big improvement. Not only do they have low-end response, but they get rather loud also, which is a pleasant surprise. I listened to quite a few tracks of music and while they are not audiophile quality like my home or car setups, these are the best laptop speakers I've used yet. Plenty good enough for listening to some tunes while at work, watching videos/movies, or playing games.

Gaming:

Why did I purchase a SLI-GT750M laptop for work?! Well, let's just say sometimes it gets boring at work (or if I'm away from home for any substantial length of time)! Anyway, the other night I loaded up Rise of the Triad (2013 re-boot by Interceptor Entertainment / Apogee) and set the game on "Ludicrous" (it's highest settings). I loaded up the first level on the highest difficultly and had myself a fun-filled frag-fest. The game ran beautifully with all the eye candy turned on. While that game is not the most cutting edge game out there graphically, it still looks good with the eye candy turned up and is a fast paced type game where having anything but a high frame-rate is unacceptable. Also, I had been playing this at home on my i7-3770K @ 4.8GHz and over-clocked AMD 7970 (clearly a more powerful system), but the enjoyment level was just as good on both. I loaded up a few other games for a quick spin and again was very surprised, usually being able to do at least "high" settings, but obviously some games on their tip-top settings would leave a less than desireable frame-rate. Over-all, however, this laptop provided a much better gaming experience than I would have expected. I'm quite happy that I decided to get the system with the SLI GT750M as that definitely helps (and most games support SLI these days). I should also mention that the sound quality coming from the JBL speakers while playing games was quite good as well. There was plenty enough sound with no distortion to become fully immersed in game-play, which is exactly what you want from your speakers.

Conclusion:

This was purchased mostly as my work laptop. As a desktop system builder, tweaker, overclocker, etc, I have very little patience with a slow system. This system is quite an awesome upgrade from my ASUS G60JX as it blows it away in every way possible and is a much better fit to my desktop system. Lenovo builds a quality system (as I know from doing repairs on various systems throughout the years) and this one does not disappoint. I really cannot complain about anything so far as it's exceeded my expectations thus far. Time will tell how it holds up, but I'm confident it will be good. Lenovo is the number one laptop I recommend to people who ask me for laptop advice and so far, that recommendation has always proved solid as the systems really are built well. It's a dream to work on and I actually look forward to turning it on (or waking it from sleep as I usually do), both of which are very quick. The fact that I can also do some high-quality gaming, movie-watching, and listen to tunes and not have my ears cringe are all positives as well. I highly recommend this system. I am not going to spend much time commenting on the Windows 8 as I know some people are sketchy about it. I personally have been using Windows 8 on my desktop system since last year (and currently using the 8.1 Preview, which has some great changes and additions, coming official in the Fall). I thoroughly like W8 after configuring it to my preferences.

If I had to make any gripes, it would be battery-life. It can get about 3 hours, but I wasn't really expecting much more than that on a standard capacity battery. Also, Lenovo does install quite a few apps from the factory, however they really don't slow the system down, so it's not a huge deal. I just disable and uninstall the ones I do not want / will not use. Both of these are fairly minor gripes considering the positives of this system.

I will update later if I come across anything else worth mentioning, also feel free to ask any questions you may have in the comments section.

UPDATE: I installed the Blu-Ray Ultra-bay module... It's actually a Blu-Ray BD-RE drive, so it can burn to Blu-Ray disc. Pretty damn awesome if you ask me as these drives aren't cheap by any means! I thought it was only a Blu-Ray player / DVDRW combo, not the case. The part is a MATSHITA BD-MLT UJ262 (look it up if you want) featuring Panasonic Blu-Ray lens (judging by the Panasonic logo on the top). I've also added some pictures to the User Photos on the Amazon listing, so, check it out!

UPDATE 2: Battery life improves if you disable SLI in Nvidia control panel OR remove the GT750M Ultra-bay module in favor of the BD/DVD drive. Last night during testing of the BD/DVD drive, I was getting over 3 hours.

UPDATE 3: The USB ports on this system have a great feel to them. They are very tight and have a nice definitive click when inserting a device. Another thing which is nice, and was part of my reason for Lenovo, is that the headphone and microphone jacks are metal barrel. It's far too often that the plastic barrel jacks break if you jolt them while something is plugged into them. The steel barrel jacks definitely hold up better I've noticed. Also, the fact that the barrel is tightly fitted into the chassis means that there is no wiggle room for the jack to move around again strengthening the jack by adding rigidity and no possible way for it to shift and break, unlike how most companies employ the plastic type.

UPDATE 4: Windows 8 Pro Performance Assessment results:

Processor: 7.8

Memory (RAM): 7.8

Graphics: 7.7

Gaming graphics: 7.7

Primary Hard Disk: 6.9

Pretty solid results. Windows 7 had a max rating of 7.9, Win 8's max is now 9.9. The HDD performance is better than I had anticipated considering I rarely see regular HDD's score higher than 5.9 unless they're under RAID-0.

Best Deals for Lenovo IdeaPad Y510p 15.6-Inch Laptop (Metal - Dusk Black)

Differences between the $999 Y510p and this one, that make this one a much better deal:

1. this one comes with the maximum 16 Gigabytes of RAM installed (2x8GB), the $999 one only has 8 GB (2x4GB)

2. this one has the 24 GB solid state drive installed, the other one does not come with a SSD

4. this one has a writable internal Blu Ray drive included for the Ultrabay, the other one does not. To install the Blu Ray you slide out the SLI graphics card.

Now, these are 3 pretty major upgrade items included for an extra 180 bucks especially considering you cannot even buy Ultrabay peripherals from Lenovo at this time. In other words, this one is fully loaded with every upgrade as soon as you open the box.

Honest reviews on Lenovo IdeaPad Y510p 15.6-Inch Laptop (Metal - Dusk Black)

I have had the y510p for about 5 days. Other than being a finger print magnet I found it to be a extremely fast laptop. The screen is NOT glossy but has a fine textured antiglare finish. I have a dell 2713h and it is every bit as good! Nicest screen I have seen on a laptop other than a retina display. The keyboard is very comfortable and has a good feel to it. Like the backlighting and easy to adjust brightness. The only drawback is the 5200 rpm hdd which I am swapping out with an ssd. I will move the hd to the drive bay as I rarely need the second graphics card. Not a big issue.

There seems to be a change where the 4600 intel graphics chip is being used most of the time rather than the gpu's. works great at 1440 or 1080 using hdmi. I can only assume Lenovo is trying to address the low run times reported by some users. The fans are quiet unless you are heavy gaming. Not sure how much the cash sad helps but is seems quick to boot and load programs. Faster than I expected. This is really the first laptop that really has some power. I have a VAIO i5 and It feels like a net book in comparison.I bought it to run autocad and pcb pads and it handles those programs amazingly well. I do not want another "tower",

I am not a gamer per se and was really looking for a high performance machine and I found it at an extremely good price. I have been running windows 8 for some time and still learning to drive it. I think I have passed the threshold of frustration and now beginning to enjoy it.

There seemed to be a lot of complaints with the trackpad, however, the one I have works great! No complaints. the speakers are "ok" but was expecting more.

In summary.

Plus: keyboard, performance and the screen is amazing! USB ports are fast.

Cons: bit heavy, hard to keep case clean of finger prints, and documentation. Glossy bezel around screen could be better. The USB ports etc. are up front and cabling gets in the way (minor complain). No type "n" on wireless, It is not easy to rest on your lap in the summer.....

All in all the performance is certainly capable of competing with any upper mid range DIY desktop without needing a set of wheels to move it. I am impressed and hopefully I can say the same thing in a year from now. And one more thing about the display. It is usable outdoors. It is much brighter than other laptops on is much easier to view than my ipad or iPhone. Lenovo made a really good decision to use a top quality panel!

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Lenovo IdeaPad Y510p 15.6-Inch Laptop (Metal - Dusk Black)

Hi I don't normally do reviews but I felt it was needed for this laptop. Let me first start off by telling you I have experience with computers a lot and I currently own a gaming desktop as well. Also, i wanted to clear up any confusion of whats included, because if youre like me at all you research for days to find the right pc with the best options. Lets get started.

Features

This laptop comes with many features. I bought the one specced with 16gb ram, dua NVidia 750m's (sli, well get more into later), 4th gen i7-4700 haswell processor, and 15.6" 1080p antiglare screen. the cpu is clocked at 2.4ghz with smart boost technology that will automatically overclock to 3.4 ghz if the cpu is in need (mostly for gaming. This model does actually come with a 6-in-1 sd card reader/writer, 2 3.0 usb slots, 1 2.0 slot, hdmi output and stand rj45 Ethernet connection port. Feautring a 720p camera for supposed hd video calling. Last but not least, this model definitely includes a blu ray player, I have inserted and successfully installed it.

Gaming

I mostly bought this laptop for the intent of gaming when im not at my pc and also for running AutoCAD and various other design programs im taking through college. This laptop performs beautifully and at a cheap price of $1279.99 at the time of purchase. When I got the laptop I, it does in fact come with an NVidia 750m installed into the ultrabay. With this sli onfiguration, I can run Battlefield 3 on ultra at 30 fps and on high at 75 fps, Skyrim on ultra at 60 fps, starcraft 2 WoL and HotS on ultra at 140 fps. I also got the chance to beta test Elder Scrolls Online ;p that runs maxed out at 60 fps. SO, what im saying is these graphics cards are certainly here to stay for quite a few future games.

Ultrabay

This model features the ultrabay where you can swap out the current NVidia card for a blu ray, a better card, a fan, or even a ssd. However, at the moment I do not know where you can buy these peripherals so ill update it if ever find out, more on that later.

Optical Drive

Now ive definitely had some extensive tests and issues with the optical drive that comes bundled into this computer. I will tell you now, it is 100% possible to play blu rays as I have watched 3 since I figured it out. When my package arrived, the box containing the optical drive just said removable dvd burer, upon opening you will learn it is the Matshita bd-uj262 blu ray reader/writer drive! Now, a few people have complained about having to upgrade Cyberlink Power DvD (used to play your dvds in the drive, like a windows media player) and others saying just download a program that plays blu ray. I can assert with confidence you 100% HAVE to upgrade, an extra $71, which if you don't really care about blu ray playback isn't a problem, but I really enjoy movies and blu ray. The reason I know its this way is I did download several other programs to get it to work and it never worked so I just bought the upgrade. However, after the upgrade they still didn't work, so I called Lenovo and tried to figure this out. Apparently our "Dual nvidias" are built into "one removable unit" rendering the blu ray use less sinc it needs a graphics card to play. Knowing a lot about computer I called B******* on that. One of the cards is built into the computer permanently, and in order for your omputer to recognize its there, you must update the intel onboard graphics, then nvidias, then it will work. SO, after much hassle I finally got it to work and I cannot ven begin to express how satisfied I am with the beauty of the picture. If you cant get your blu ray working, just comment or email me (wilkinsontaylor33@yahoo.com). Id love to help.

JBL Speakers

Not much to say hear, they have a pseudo-5.1 surround but the bass isn't too deep but what do you expect from laptop speakers :p I think theyre fine as I use external speakers and headphones anyway!

Trackpad

A lot has been said about the trackpad being bad, and I agree to an extent, but heres why. There is no separate buttons so the whole thing is usable for mouse cursor movement, which can get annoying but its no biggie for me as I use an external mouse anyway.

Power

The battery last around 3 hours playing basic games like minecraft, however if youre using to play music while you clean up or do homework you can get around 4.5 hours!

Storage

Comes with 1tb HDD and a 24gb cache ssd. Now, I have had the laptop 2 days and alreay noticing a difference with the ssd. The more you use a certain program or file (such as startup, and games) the faster the computer will load these. cool feature I think!

Misc

Havent tried the usb 3.0 yet but it does have a solid grasp on usbs plugged in(plugged my mouse in for a bit). The keyboard is reminiscent of my Cherry MX RED mechanical keyboard, tacktile feedback with slightly more resistance. Heat ventilation vents out the sides of the graphics cards and also out the bottom. As of now my internl temp n any component hasn't gone above 72 degrees celcius. Not bad for 6 hours of skyrim :p I have read the a cooling pad drastically reduces that number as well.

All in all, Im very very happy with this laptop, considering everything you get the $1279.99+$71.00 for that software you have to get is an amazing price. I wanted to do this in depth review for those out there skeptical of the laptop and whats in it and how t runs. I guarantee you wont be disappointed in it! If you have any questions, again comment or email me (wilkinsontaylor33@yahoo.com) Id love to help!

Lenovo IdeaPad Y560 Series 064654U 15.6-Inch Laptop (Grey) Review

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $999.99
Sale Price: $968.88
Today's Bonus: 3% Off

Bought the laptop for the wife for everyday use and for my occasional lanparty grab'n go machine. Its a little on the big side (which i expected) for her, would rather have gotten her a 14", but it performs very fast for her every day uses. I have yet to run cs5 on it for tests but will update my review later with that info.

Pros--

Looks: Awesome! Stylish, yet the pattern is subtle with the two tone grey on black.

Performance: Worked great on the games I've tested so far, SC2, LFD2, MW2, most running on above avg to high settings. Surprisingly thin and light for its size. Speakers are quite loud and clear compared to other laptops.

Extras: I liked the lenovo software that came with it to change screen settings, adjust power savings (most adjustments I'd ever seen in a laptop), all done with polish. First time I haven't uninstalled such kind of software off a new purchase.

Touchpad is a little different textured at first, but you get used to it and its quite precise, multi-touch supported is great.

Cost: At $900 I thought it was worth the price.

Cons-Wish the graphics card had the built-in option to switch to for power savings. Much to be desired when not gaming, get about 3 hours.

Screen is so glossy it hurts. There is a reason I have not purchased my desktop lcd's in "Consumer Glossy". Blech the glare. I'm going to have to find a anti-glare screen cover for it.

Keep your screen cover cloth to slip between the screen and keyboard when you stow it or you'll get keyboard imprints within a week.

Overall--

If you're looking for a sub $1000 gaming laptop this is great. Performance for the cost I think it was a great deal, I shopped around alot between Upper Asus models and the envy 14 series etc. The i7 speed is always fantastic. Windows Experience Index (if you're interested in this benchmark)

CPU: 7.1

RAM: 5.9

Graphics: 6.7

Gaming graphics: 6.7

HDD: 5.9

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

Well i have this laptop for one month now.

Initially i got the problems of LARGE MOUSE --Fixed by updated BIOS on lenovo.com

Second problem was Blue Screen of Death which i got only Once and then updated my graphics card drivers from ATI, you need to tweak that driver to make it work on this laptop. Google the forums and you will find it. And since then i have ABSOLUTELY NO PROBLEM with this laptop.

Very Fast processor with Very High End Graphics in this price is the BEST deal you can get.

Best Deals for Lenovo IdeaPad Y560 Series 064654U 15.6-Inch Laptop (Grey)

It is a good and reliable product. The delivery was very safe and fast. The product works fine and the speed and mutimedia features are really good in this machine. Worth to buy

Honest reviews on Lenovo IdeaPad Y560 Series 064654U 15.6-Inch Laptop (Grey)

i bought this laptop for the thanks giving sale, and i want to say it's really good! for about 3 month, i was searching for best laptop for my laptop interms of price, functins, and A/S. then i found this laptop. i heard Lenovo is very trusted company and good. i think it's stupid to buy other laptops when you see this one. the best laptop i ever seen yet in this price!!

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Lenovo IdeaPad Y560 Series 064654U 15.6-Inch Laptop (Grey)

I ordered 'Lenovo IdeaPad Y560 Series 064654U 15.6 Inch Laptop with 4 GB Memory (RAM)' as a gift to a family member. Amazon.com was the seller for the laptop. A week after I received the laptop I realized that the laptop only has 2 GB RAM instead of 4 GB. By this time I had gifted the laptop. I contacted Lenovo first to find out if they can fix the issue. Looking inside the laptop I realized that it only had one 2 GB Memory stick installed. Lenovo customer care representative said that it is not possible that they shipped 2 GB RAM. Additionally, I was told that it is not a technical issue that they can fix since nothing is wrong with the laptop. They did not agree to sending the missing memory stick and told me to instead contact Amazon. Amazon customer care says that they can only refund or replace the laptop. Hard luck for me! I could not ask the gift back and get it replaced.

In my view the problem should have been resolved by Lenovo/Amazon together rather than giving me the standard solution of replace or refund. I am quite disappointed by being short-changed by Lenovo/Amazon.

Best HP Pavilion 14-f020us 14-Inch Touchscreen Sleekbook Deals

Customer Ratings:

I recently purchased this laptop from an outside source(sorry Amazon)and I LOVE it! The keyboard is easy to type on, the touch screen a cool feature and the size is perfect. This is my first new laptop in years. The Windows 8 takes some time to get used to but once you unpin all the stuff you don't need it's quite easy to figure out.

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Sony VAIO S Series SVS1312ACXP 13.3-Inch Laptop (Pink) Review

Customer Ratings:

TECH GEEK AND VALUE-HOLIC'S REVIEW

I must admit that I spend half of my salary on latest gadgets though I do make sure that I don't overpay for anything (meaning I never waste money on overpriced products from a fruit named company and the likes).

When I saw this laptop at 550 dollars at amazon, I knew i just had to buy it because the valueholic living inside me would never forgive me

I am quite happy that I did pull the trigger (till now...I will keep on updating this article). This is an extremely high end looking and feeling laptop made of magnesium alloy and for this money you won't find a core i5 laptop, let alone one which is as light as this one (3.8 pounds), has a slot loading optical drive, made of magnesium alloy and carries an expensive brand name (sony) instead of acer or asus.

However keeping aside what a great value this laptop is, here is what I think of this laptop during my two week's acquaintance with the product.

PRO'S

Excellent (I mean EXCELLENT) Keyboard and Touch Pad.

Very Fashionable (everyone thinks i bought if for at least a 1000 dollars)

Scratch Resistant Magnesium alloy Casing.

Quite Fast with Core I5.

Windows 8 is what Windows Vista should have been, an OS for the 21st century (see below as well)

CON'S

Windows 8 (can be daunting at first for technically challenged people)

The Screen has quite bad Viewing Angles (and i mean QUITE bad). Come on Sony i know this is a cheap laptop but my 5 year old hp netbook has better viewing angle than this one.

Sony product have proven unreliable for me in last 2 years. Let's see how this one holds out.

______________________________________________________________

UPDATE 1:

1. I updated the touchpad software (synaptics) and upon restart the touchpad reverted to default windows drivers. I had to manually go to website and download and install the synaptic touchpad driver.

______________________________________________________________

UPDATE 2:

1. The pc hanged and upon restart a message appeared "No Operating System installed". I went to bios and saw that internal hard drive is not detected. Thinking that the connection may have become loose i gave laptop a slight shake and Eureka the laptop started working.

______________________________________________________________

UPDATE 3:

I absolutely adore the keyboard of this machine. Very Very comfortable to type on.

______________________________________________________________

UPDATE 4:

The screen viewing angles have really started to annoy me. Come on Sony i know this is a cheap laptop but my 5 year old hp netbook has better viewing angle than this one.

______________________________________________________________

Update 5:

I have gotten use to the screen bad viewing angles. The colours on the screen are quite good actually. The laptop did show "No operating system found" a couple of times after the incident, but for last two weeks it is working like a charm.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Update 6: (After Three Months)

Three months on, I have changed the review to 5 stars from four. That rarely happens with me as i grow tired of tech products but this laptop absolutely deserves it. The reason for change are:

1. Amazing battery life,

2. Very light and user friendly weight and dimensions

3. Very good speakers

4. Very reliable, after initial hiccups not a single problem

5. Absolutely excellent keyboard

6. And above all, three months of rough use and not a single scratch on magnesium body

An absolute must buy for its price specially if you want an optical drive.

________________________________________________________________

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

I'm in love with Windows 8 and this laptop! I would not be feeling the same if it weren't for my son's help. Everything went smoothly during setup, except I was having a frustrating time getting connected to the internet. Internet showed I was connected, all looked perfect, just could not get a good connection. I was feeling like I had the slowest laptop ever made, my Sony Vaio netbook was faster! I was not very happy. Disappointed, I even had another model laptop picked out after reading the reviews here.

Thankfully my son, who's been singing the praises of Windows 8 since his beta version, informed me that I probably needed my drivers updated. He told me to use my other laptop to access Sony's website to get to the software/drivers needed for this model. I simply downloaded the update for the Wireless LAN, moved the file to a usb flash drive so I could install it on this laptop. After the update was installed, I restarted just to be sure everything was set, and like magic I had speedy internet service.

My husband and daughter have different models of the S Series, only with Windows 7. I knew what to expect concerning the larger mouse pad, as it takes some getting used to, and can get in the way a little while typing. I like the lighted keyboard, and how thin this laptop is. I also chose this model because I'm not ready to give up my CD/DVD drive yet. This laptop has everything I wanted, except I plan to add more memory. I think it is at a reasonable price too.

Anyway, everything is working great. Now I have only to learn my way around Windows 8.

Wanted to add: Don't make the mistake I did an order 2x8 GB memory kit. My fault that I didn't notice that the 4 GB was fixed. I should have ordered just the one 8 GB of notebook memory to get the maximum 12 GB.

Best Deals for Sony VAIO S Series SVS1312ACXP 13.3-Inch Laptop (Pink)

I disagree with other buyers who have said it is a bad product. Not true! I'm testing it and I can say that all the specifications are correct. It's a fast laptop, very convenient to work, as far as appearance is great, nothing to envy to other similar, but has a superior finish to many! It is elegant, has very good resolution, pleasant to the touch, probably with more RAM will be perfect. I will buy more, remember that you can add up to 12GB. I love this laptop! I recommend it!

Honest reviews on Sony VAIO S Series SVS1312ACXP 13.3-Inch Laptop (Pink)

Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program This is a very small, 13 inch screen computer and very thin when you look at the side. I plugged it in and started the setup. I did a basic personalization since I am not that computer savvy. I basically selected whatever was quick and got me out of that mess fast.

I tried to connect to my wireless internet but had to hunt a little to find where I enter the password to access the internet. But I didn't have any connection issues. I did have to download about 12 automatic updates and 2 manual updates. This did take a while because the computer kept going into a sleep mode and I have to keep waking it up to keep downloading.

I admit that I will have to get a separate mouse to use because I was having a heck of a time trying to work the mouse pad. During downloading updates, you constantly have to select your country. This meant that I had to click and drag to the United States all the time. That was a pain but I slowly get the idea for what needed to be done.

This does have Windows 8 on it. There are a bunch of pins to the computer so you can just jump to one place or another. I have never worked with that before so I admit that I was very confused. I got the basics of it but I have to say that I would rather stick with Windows 7, at least I can understand that.

Finally, I just surf the internet or such. I don't do gaming or watching videos so I don't know how this performed in those areas. But I will say that it seemed to take a little bit to load some of the pages that I was browsing. Not horrible slow but more of a nuisance. Also, because the computer is smaller, there is no keypad off the side of the keyboard. I can't seem to find the keys that I need so it will take a while for me to get used to that.

Beyond that, this is a nice little computer. You are spending $700 (as of 3/18/13). I think that if you have all ready been using Windows 8 you will get along with it easier than I have. There are some minor irritations but once I use it more I think this will be a good little computer. I wouldn't want to get rid of my Toshiba but as a back up computer, I would have one of these.

Shawn Kovacich

Author and Creator of numerous books and DVD's.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Sony VAIO S Series SVS1312ACXP 13.3-Inch Laptop (Pink)

Very fast laptop with a good price! It's great to work, good appearance and light!

PRO'S

Fantastic Keyboard and Touch Pad.

Great price

Great processor

Windows 8

CON'S

Screen resolution.

Samsung Series 9 NP900X3A-B01 13.3-Inch Laptop Reviews

Customer Ratings:

Alright, I wanted to be the first one to review this specific version of the Samsung S9 so here I am. First off, I'd like to say i'm a college student that was in need of a solid Laptop, as i'm majoring in Graphic Design next year. I researched this product endlessly before I bought it, and after working with it for some time I wanted to write a more full review than from what I've seen.

My Experience: I'm 20 and have been using a PC my whole life, I was glad to see an Ultraportable Windows computer on the market. I am extremely skilled with W7, and have no biases against the Mac OS X having used it as well. My main reasoning behind my decision by choosing the SS9 over the MBA (Macbook Air) is my skill with W7. If you are a dedicated Mac user I wouldn't bother reading my review at all, buy the MBA V2 (second generation). Whereas the SS9 seriously out-specs the MBA V1.

The Design: To kick my review off I'm going to get into the design first. Destruction, this Laptop destroys all other PC's design in a single look, but this isn't anything new. The duralumin is clearly strong, lightweight, and clean. I've read complaints about it being a fingerprint magnet, however, I haven't had any issue with fingerprints. Personally, I don't have a lot of oil off my hands and am generally a clean person, I'm not sure if this is the issue constituting that argument. And even if you do have this issue the laptop is black, not much shows up, and if it does it's an easy clean due to the material. One of the things that makes this laptop for me, ontop of the matte screen, is the ability to hide the ports on the side. Not only does it increase portability and look cool, it protects your ports from damage and dust.

The Keyboard: If you've used a Macbook the keys are extremely similar in feel and are of high quality, however, completely different in usage. The SS9's F key options were utilized well in development, by pressing Fn and F1 it brings up a management screen specifically designed for this Laptop. In the application, you can alter the Wi-Fi, turn on "Silent Mode" + Bluetooth, adapt brightness, change the levels of backlight on the Keyboard and even set the backlight to turn off after a predefined amount of time being ideal (to save battery). Also, there are options to turn on "Battery Life Extender" which boosts the battery's life and minimal performance cost. And Lastly, there is the option to turn on "Fast Start", which shuts down the computer momentarily when you close the lid to save battery and starts up in 3 seconds, "Chargeable USB" which can charge your iPod or any other USB connected device while the SS9 is off, and "Movie Color Enhancer" which increases all movie displays. All of these options are simple and easy to adjust(Fn + F1). As for the rest of the F key options, now that I'm done explaining F1, are even better. F2 + F3 increase in decrease screen brightness, F4 easily changes external display, F5 disables touchpad, F6 easily turn on and off the "Battery Life Extender" that was also accessible in the F1 menu, F7 + F8 increase and decrease Keyboard backlight, F9 mutes the audio, F10 + F11 increase and decrease audio, and F12 is the Wi-fi. Needless to say it's extremely usable.

The Performance: The i5 processor coupled with the SSD makes this Laptop the fastest one I've used. The system does come with pre-loaded applications, therefore, it's necessary to uninstall them. If you're not sure what to delete simply google it, if your SS9 detects something important was deleted, such as a driver, upon startup it will prompt you to re-install it easily. If you don't want to deal with this you can purchase this laptop from the Microsoft store and purchase their plan to wipe the system of useless programs, I've heard it was nice especially considering the limited storage space.

The Wi-Fi + Tracpad: I've brought this up on concerns for the bad Wi-Fi and Tracpad issues, which were something I watched for as I purchased the SS9. Currently, I'm typing this as far away from the router as possible, across the house on the second story, and have honestly had no issue. Occasionally the Wi-Fi bar at the bottom will read it's low, however, if i click on it and it displays the connection it shows much higher bars, and I notice no difference in the speed even from being right next to the router. I'm not sure if this issue is exclusive to only some models however, I could easily use the stressed Wi-Fi I'm using now for schoolwork, intensive projects, or media streaming. I say "stressed" Wi-Fi only due to the distance from the router not the performance. Overall, I'd keep an eye on this issue when you first purchase your Laptop but from my experience with mine this is a folk tale in my mind. As for the tracpad I am more of a mouse person, the Samsung 2.4GHz Mouse looks and performs great with my SS9. However, despite my lack of the issue if for some reason god hates you and this happens to you, just re-install the drivers, it's not an issue concerning the actual tracpad itself. The way I see it this is a quick fix even if you experience the issue, nothing to defer you away from the product.

If you're a skilled Windows user and you're looking for an Ultraportable laptop, don't be swayed into the slim Macbook Air you can grab at bestbuy, because eventhough you can't touch it the SS9 destroys the MBA is looks. This is something you've got to see. They SS9 and the MBA (VERSION 2) have the exact same processor, 128SSD, Intel HD 3000 Graphics, but the SS9 sports a 400nit display (brighter) and has duralumin exterior that's not only awesome looking, it makes your Laptop LAST. For me, I was satisfied with my order. If you have any questions or concerns please post a reply to this.

I'll add onto this review as I use the laptop more. Hope this review helps.

UPDATE AUGUST 9TH 2011

Now that i've used the laptop even more I do have some things to add to my review:

I've sent back my Samsung S9 NP900X3A-B01 but for one reason; hard drive space. I just bought the Samsung Series 9 NP900X3A-B02 13.3" which has 256GB of SSD space. Honestly, I could have worked with the 80+GB SSD especially considering my organizational skills. However, I felt that more space would give me room to stretch, as I am using this computer for college.

If you're not willing to pay for the extra SSD, see my "Other Thoughts" section below.

SIDE NOTE: (The SSD upgrade from 128GB to 256GB did cost me more money $1,303 compared to $1,635. However, if you're in the market for a Macbook Air and you want the increase in SSD space as well you'll be paying about the same for the extra hard drive space) -ofcourse i'm talking about Gen 2 MBA.

I've uploaded wireless information that I used on my old SS9 to all of you here reading this, in hopes that if you do occur the WiFi issue this can be a quick fix for you. Here are my WiFi settings:

Intel(R) Centrino(R) Advanced-N 6230

2.4 Band 20 MHz Only

5.2 Band Auto

N Mode Enabled

ad Hoc QoS Mode WMM Disabled

Fat Channel Intolerant Disabled

Mixed Mode Protection CTS-to-self Enabled

Preferred Band No Preference

Roaming Aggressiveness 4. Medium-High

Transmit Power 5. Highest

Wireless Mode 6. 802.11a/b/g

Driver Date 1/4/2011

Driver Version 14.0.2.2

Now if you're not sure how to get to these settings got to: Control Panel> click "Category" in the upper right corner, and select "Small Icons">Device Manager> WiFi Adapters> Under it should list your WiFi card (Intel(R) Centrino(R) Advanced-N 6230)>"Advanced" tab>And you're there.

SIDE NOTE: Make sure to first Check to see if your Driver Version is 14.0.2.2 if not you can easily update it by simply clicking "Driver" right next to the "Advanced" tab, and updating it there.

I also recommend routinely checking for WiFi driver updates.

My long Story: A few weeks ago my WiFi was incredibly slow, my SS9 was struggling to even get up webpages. So I go downstairs and hard wire my SS9 directly into my router to see if i saw increased speed...(cuz i'm a bit scared my SS9's WiFi was ready to leave me) and it was just as slow. My brother came down and asked why his desktop was struggling and when we resolved it, our Internet Service Provider (ISP) was failing hard. My point in telling this story was that if you do occur some WiFi issues with the SS9 it's not always the laptop itself, which is why I think I see so many harsh reviews on it.

To this day I have had no issue with my WiFi. (that was the 1 time).

Other Thoughts: Everything is running smoothly, just as it should, I do love this laptop and honestly there's nothing else to say about it. However, I would like to show a few tips i've learned:

The Mouse: A few tips I would like to add is directed to mouse users like me. I recommend buying a Bluetooth mouse for your SS9. It will enable you to really harness the portability of this laptop (because you do not need to remove a USB port to operate it). I just open my SS9 in the sun or wherever I want to work and turn on my mouse.

If you're not willing to pay for the extra SSD there are other valid options to this problem if you have them. Buying an external portable HD can instantly solve your HD issue. I recommend a 500GB to 1TB.

Another option is to simply grab a 16GB 32GB 64GB Flash Drive. I bought a 16GB, which provides me with enough space to move anything I want. Usually, I will keep files I'll need soon on my Flash Drive and archive larger ones in my external HD. It's up to you.

I'd put more in here but I'm bored. I'll update when I feel like it. hope my review helps and thanks for reading.

UPDATE AUGUST 10TH 2011

I noticed some prices on several Samsung Series 9 Models and realized how mis-priced some of them are so I wanted to talk about the deals available for the given prices concerning each individual model:

NP900X3A-B01 128GB SSD $1,300

NP900X3A-A02 128GB SSD $1,610

NP900X3A-B02 256GB SSD $1,645

NP900X3A-A03 128GB SSD $1,440

Essentially, the best deal by far is the B02 with 256GB SSD which matches the A02's price range. However, I think the A Series offers 3Year Warranties, which if you're clumsy might be good for you, but for the rest I would recommend the better model.

NP900X3A-A05 256GB SSD i7 Intel $1,980

If you can afford it the A05 is an incredible machine, it's out of my price range and if you're going to get a laptop with specs like this one I wouldn't recommend it. This is not a solid gaming computer only due to the integrated Intel HD 3000 graphics card. I say this because there is no reason to run an i7 processor unless you're gaming, anything less that gaming does not constitute the price increase.

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I was shopping for new laptop and decided that I want one with SSD much faster, lighter, quieter and consumes less power. The choices were: ss9 and MacBook Air. After reading all negative reviews about the horrible WiFi issue with the ss9, and also some display flickering, I chose the Mac beautiful HW, but took me a couple days to realize that I'm not a Mac OS person.

So I ordered the SS9, despite all negative reviews. It holds its ground really well against the MBAir, and even aesthetically looks better, except for the surfaces fingerprints stains all over. However, the WiFi issue was still there: ~1/10 of other laptop's bandwidth test in downloading speed, and terrible reception. I was sure in my gut that they simply used poor quality antenna, because the Intel WiFi adapter is top notch...

To resolve the WiFi issue: go to Samsung website and download under "Drivers" tab WLAN_Intel_64bit_14.1.1.3 COMPLETELY RESOLVES THE WIFI ISSUE

To resolve the annoying auto dimming of the display: press Fn+F1 and uncheck "Adaptive brightness"

One more issue to be aware of: to replace the battery you'll have to ship the laptop to one of their service locations (I know of one in Buena Park, CA and another one in TX). The replacement takes 5-10 biz days + the shipping. Doing it on your own voids Samsung's 3yr warranty. This really sucks due to 1)the long time w/o your favorite tool, and 2) you'll have to remove all sensitive info from the computer, including your cookies, browsing history and saved passwords, and then put it all back. I wish they had a batch file to perform all that for you.

Best Deals for Samsung Series 9 NP900X3A-B01 13.3-Inch Laptop

My job supposes a lot of mobility. Have few offices to visit regularly, sometimes have to work virtually anywhere (outside of the Town, in my car, in a plane etc.) At the same time I need my work device to be able to run graphical and sound software (which might be quite demanding in terms of performance). I have to say Series 9 totally handles my every need. Here's the list of pros that in my opinion make this laptop the best of ultrathin mobile laptops at the moment:

* Incredibly fast boot: it boots whithin 3 seconds if in sleep mode, and less than 15 seconds if shut down allowing to start working immediately.

* Lightweight, slim and slick. Can carry it wherever I go. I'm not really the guy loving to show off with my stuff but no matter whether I want it or not, it does attract other's attention.

* Really bright screen: my previous laptop (ASUS M50VM) had a real dim display and it was glossy making it a real pain in the ass when I tried to work outside, uptown, breathing fresh air. The display at S9 is bloody awesome, you can work with sun shining right into it and still be able to see everything.

* Powerful and blazing fast: can run graphical software (like Photoshop or Flash), sound software (like Audition or FL Studio) 2d and 3d games, and because of SSD and USB 3.0 file management (copying/pasting internal/external) is really fast.

* Quiet. In some reviews before buying I read that it makes a lot of noise. It's not true: even if I put my ear right to it I hardly can hear the sound of coolers.

* Backlit keyboard. Too late, Apple.

* It's not MacBook Air: explains itself.

Now despite all pros there still are few cons (which is normal), and if these are cruical for you, you should consider another laptop.

* Really bad touchpad. I never noticed how the touchpad was working on my ASUS M50VM until now. It's said that you may not notice good thing until it's gone. The touchpad is Achilles' heel of Sammy's Series 9. You might accidently touch it while typing. In fact as I was typing this I had to return the cursor in the right position for about 5 times because of this. Of course this isn't a problem when you use mouse, you can disable touchpad with an Fn+F5 key combination. But when you hold the laptop on your knees usually you don't have how to use mouse. It was a bad decision to get rid of touchpad buttons. You have to look at touchpad every time otherwise you can just hit the wrong mouse button. Working with MS Visio or other stuff that requires a lot of mouse becomes hard as a hell. I really hope they will find a way to fix this with driver updates.

* Not quite good sound speakers, but it's not a big deal. When I want to listen to quality music I either wear my Beyerdynamic DT-770 headphones or use my KRK RP6 studio speakers. I don't expect the tiny laptop sound like a cinema theater. It's loud enough and that's enough for me.

If these two things are not a huge problem for you (as they aren't for me) this is a great choice in terms of mobility and performance. Besides you get it in a really cool packaging.

Honest reviews on Samsung Series 9 NP900X3A-B01 13.3-Inch Laptop

This machine is loaded with terrific features. It boots incredibly fast, the display is amazing, and the keyboard response is wonderful. The touchpad did take some getting used to, but wasn't a big deal.

However, I cannot recommend this device for one reason: the blasted power cord doesn't attach firmly to the laptop. When I pick up the laptop, it falls out. When I move the laptop, it falls out. When I close the lid, it falls out. Sometimes it just falls out for no apparent reason. Worse, sometimes it doesn't fall all the way out, but it just kind of hangs there, not charging the battery. This is especially annoying, since there are no indicators that the machine is charging when the lid is closed. Thus, I have closed the lid, the power cord has jiggled and disconnected, and the next morning my laptop isn't fully charged.

This is incredibly bad design in a machine that is otherwise superb.



About 3 weeks ago, I started having the wireless problem other users have noted. I went to the online help provided by Samsung to report both the wireless problem and the problem with the cord. I spent a frustrating hour there, with instructions like, "plug the cord FIRMLY into the machine." Annoyed, and not expecting much, I called the 1-800 number for service the next day during business hours. I am pleased to report that this worked out extraordinarily well. The person on the phone line was helpful, courteous, and prompt. Within 15 minutes I had a return authorization for both problems. Ten days later, I have my machine back. Both problems are fixed. The cord no longer falls out, and the wireless is impeccable. I'm now again delighted with my laptop.

My only reservation is with the build quality; I've owned 8-9 laptops previously, and this is the first time I've had to send a new machine in for service. This is a great machine, now that it's working...but for over $1000, shouldn't it have worked in the first place?

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-The Trackpad: It sucks. No driver updates have changed that. It's not that it has a problem distinguishing between gestures, but it seems to lack any sort of sensitivity. No, I do not mean mouse movement speed, I mean the accuracy of it detecting fingers present on the pad. I have a 5 year old laptop that you could glide your fingers across and the mouse would move accordingly. This one only seems to pick up fingers gliding near the center of the track pad, leave the center and it actually requires some pressure for it to pick up your fingers. Considering that the track pad is central to a laptop, this is incredibly disappointing.

The only gesture I really have a problem with is scrolling up and down. There is major lag between the time you scroll with your fingers and the time it takes the page to scroll. You will either scroll too far or not far enough because of this insane delay.

-The Screen: I understand that Samsung decided on a matte screen for anti glare, but on a laptop that is designed around aesthetics, it's hideous. There is a distinct lack of clarity which becomes increasingly noticeable on lower brightness settings. I thought ClearType was disabled when I bought it, but it turns out that is just how to the screen works. Want to simulate it on a glossy screen? Go turn ClearType off and look at the jagged artifacting around the text on the desktop icons and various windows. That is what a matte screen looks like all of the time.

Now for the positives:

-Battery Life The laptop has three power modes you can choose with the fn keys. Power saver, balanced, and max performance. On power saver, I get an average of 5-6 hours of battery life with wifi enabled.

-The Keyboard It has very quiet and sensitive keys. I find it very enjoyable to type on.

-The Duralumin Body Other than the fact it looks awesome and is very light, everything about the body styling is perfect. The screen closes and opens smoothly, the edges are nicely tapered, and it feels much more solid than the mac book air without being much heavier.

-Runs Cool it won't warm your lap. After watching a 2 hour movie with the fan partially obstructed by my blanket, the bottom of the laptop is barely warm.

-Very quiet because of how seldom the fan comes on, and because of the solid state drive, the laptop is virtually silent under all conditions.

-The Wi-FiI haven't had any issues with Wi-Fi connectivity. Supposedly it has been resolved with the latest drivers.

Bottom Line: Get a portable bluetooth mouse, if you can stand one, and the laptop is easily the best ultrabook out there.

It gets 3 stars, because to me, the trackpad is the center piece of the laptop, I hate carrying around extra stuff, and needing a mouse for a laptop is absolutely ridiculous. The trackpad apologist reviews are saying you know, "oh you get used to it". No, the lack of any consistency with mouse movement is not something you simply get used to.

Reviews of Asus U46E-BAL5 Refurbished Notebook PC

Customer Ratings:

Good computer very fast but the refurbish was not complete. The system would not shut down with the shutdown icon. It would restart over and over. I had to hard boot it with the off button every time. Not a windows 7 issue but a hardware issue. Had to return to Tiger direct. I really wanted to keep it but the hard boot issue was unacceptable defect.

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Everything came as expected. Delivered on time. No problem with payment. Unit is working without any glitch. As refurbished item, didn't come with a box nor printed manual-but it is cool since u just press power and windows 7 setup seamlessly went... and I'm off to download and install the other software I need. :)

Best Deals for Asus U46E-BAL5 Refurbished Notebook PC

I bought this Asus computer with the belief that I was getting a steal due to the low cost of $529 while the computer had 8GB of RAM and 750GB of storage while most computers for that price have only 4 GB RAM and 500GB storage. The 3 good parts about this computer are that 1) the price is cheap, 2)it is fast and 3) it has more storage than I would ever care to use. The bad parts are fourfold: 1) the size of the font is constantly changing meaning that sometimes the print is too small to read and yet other times the print is so large, that I need to constantly scroll to read an entire line; 2)the page constantly moves up and down even when I'm scrolling in the opposite direction-the page jumps and one never knows when or in which direction; 3)the audio is atrocious. There are several videos where I can't hear a thing. Other times, I simply turn off any back round noise and put my ear to the audio. The other problem with the audio is that there is only one speaker and the speaker is beneath the key board and thus is always covered. If you plan to listen to videos, this is not the computer for you; 4)Similar to many lenovo computers, the keyboard doesn't have rounded edges so that when one is using the scroll button or mouse pad, ones palms will be rubbing against the non-rounded edges and cause some sever lingering pain. Overall, the great speed and storage vs the major annoyances make me give this computer a rating of FAIR. Even for the great price, I was quite disappointed.

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I've had this computer for 13 months. It was working perfectly fine until I woke up one morning and the screen was black. Brought it into Best Buy Geek Squad to get it fixed. Two weeks later I found out that the computer wasn't able to be fixed. I bought this computer brand new for $1100 with all the added features of virus protection, software, and warranty. What a waste of money. I've heard that other people with ASUS have had issues with hard drives and black screens (just google it), but I saw the awesome specs of the computer and didn't pay attention to the negative reviews. Absolute waste of money. I will never purchase an ASUS computer again.

Also, as a side note, the speakers on the computer are terrible. They are only on the right side of the computer, UNDERNEATH the laptop. I had to either tilt the laptop so I could hear anything, or resort back to headphones. Worth the $$? I think not.

Best ASUS VivoBook X200CA-DB01T 11.6-Inch Touchscreen Laptop (Black) Deals

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $329.00
Sale Price: $299.00
Today's Bonus: 9% Off

Got one because of the price and the touch screen. Works very well, touch screen works as advertised. Screen display and keyboard are good. The issue I have is that the memory is basically fixed at 2GB. Early on I'd read that this was going to allow up to 8GB, which I assumed was user upgradeable. This is not the case. ASUS told me that the max is 4GB and that it can only be done at a service center. "On board" memory is evidently soldered to the motherboard.

In all honesty, so far, 2GB has been sufficient for the simple tasks this laptop is being used for (web browsing and occasional Office documents).

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program It took approximately 4 minutes to set up, not due to the proprietary setup but due to having to set up Windows 8.

Windows 8 comes on this laptop. Like all the windows 8 computers, it comes without having a start button in desktop mode. You can easily get one by googling, and downloading the free classic shells program.

McAfee antivirus comes installed. I prefer to choose the Avast free personal antivirus program, and it recognized the tablet immediately, and downloaded quickly.

Intel Celeron 1007U (1.5GHz) processor is okay. For a Celeron processor it has good power.

*Not for games. We had it freeze up on more than one occasion when trying to play simple games on PBS kids.

LED with Touch screen is reasonably responsive not as good as my I-pad, but it is better than other laptop touch screens that I have tested in stores. YOU CANNOT INCREASE THE SIZE OF VIEW BY TOUGH SCREENE.

The keyboard is a traditional laptop Chiclet Style Keyboard setup with center scroll pad. You can use both the touch and key board interchangeably. It was sometimes quicker to use the touch screen to navigate where I needed to go. * It does vent on the left and it gets hot, Do not block the vents.

Voice command works great. I love to be able to talk instead of typing. I was able to talk up to two and a half feet away, and it picked up my words well.

It has a real good battery life. It easily held the charge to play a two hour movie. Movie played clean and clear. Visual screen is very good and sound works great.

Decent WiFi connectivity.

*One important note to purchasers: the power cable Jack must be pushed in until it clicks in to ensure charging.

This laptop has an ultrabook shape and size, but is actually a little heavier than normal laptop that fit in that category.

Ports included are USB 2.0 USB 3.0 Vga and HDMI.

Like other small forms of notebooks of this era, it does not have an optical drive. Although this can be overcome by attaching one by USB Drive.

No Bluetooth

I PREFER MY ASUS TABLETS SMALL BEST PRICE AND GREAT FUNCTION ASUS MeMOPad HD 7-Inch 16 GB Tablet, Blue (ME173X-A1-BL)

LARGER ONE

ASUS MeMO Pad FHD 10 ME302C-A1-BL 10.1-Inch 16GB Tablet (Blue)

Best Deals for ASUS VivoBook X200CA-DB01T 11.6-Inch Touchscreen Laptop (Black)

Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program With the limited RAM, I wasn't sure about performance. But for web surfing, media viewing, MS office, and Windows 8 apps it is a surprisingly solid performer. The touchscreen is great. As good and responsive as any tablet. And the touchscreen is useful for surfing not just apps.

What i didn't like was Asus partitions your hard drive to a C and D drive. It puts 170GB into the D data drive. So you have to be sure to start storing all your data there or the C drive gets filled fast. But your default media libraries are on the C drive. I called Asus tech service. There is no way to de-partition except with 3rd party software.

The computer does get hot and of course battery life is not ultrabook. I am getting roughly 3.5 hrs or so, at best 4. But overall I do like it. For buisness travel or a very portable school computer that is also good for enjoying surfing and media this is a solid choice. I also feel it is a good value especially with the quality touchscreen.

Honest reviews on ASUS VivoBook X200CA-DB01T 11.6-Inch Touchscreen Laptop (Black)

Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I completely love the ASUS VivoBook laptop! For quite a while now, I've wanted something small, yet versatile, for both personal and work business. Not to mention something I can easily access my favorite websites or play games on, and this laptop fit the bill perfectly! It comes packaged quite nicely with a small handle, and once you open the package there is only the laptop and the battery to charge it inside. No mess, no fuss. I did plug the battery to the left side port, and tried to charge it, but realized when the green light flashed that it came already pre-charged, which was great since I could dive right in and get to know my new laptop. And before I begin with all the internal specs, let me say this is a very light mini laptop, which is great because I'm a tiny person who already lugs around a million things, and added weight is not all that fun. It has a nice textured top, which is great, because I did have a previous large laptop that had a smooth finish, and I swear I had to wipe it down every day for tons of fingerprints. So this is a definite plus. The outside front does have a battery indicator that flashes red when it needs to be charged, green when it's ready for use. The sides house an audio jack for plugging in your earbuds/earphones, a HDMI port, two USB ports, and a card reader. Everything that I needed in one small package! The power cord, does have a little Velcro strap, which I, personally, like as it keeps the wire tangle free. The bottom of the laptop does have small rubber grips so it doesn't slide around on a smooth surface like a table top.

Initially, when I started the Vivobook up, it does take quite a few minutes so be patient! I want to say it took about 30 seconds for the screen to pop up where it ask you to personalize your screen (pick a screen color and pc name), add your email account, and enter your wireless information. Wireless was a massive breeze, and it in less than three seconds it found my signal and I was ready to go! You can choose express settings by the way, or you can customize your own. While it updates your information and finalizes your settings the screen does display updates of what you can do with the laptop.

It does have Windows 8 preinstalled on it as well as a month trial of McAfee security, so I do suggest going into the desktop app and click on the McAfee icon to do a scan and update the security before proceeding with setting up the rest of your information. Windows 8 has a lot of apps already preinstalled on the home screen with things such as Skype, Netflix, Microsoft Messaging, Email, News, Pictures, etc. All of these can be easily uninstalled by simply touching the app and pulling it down slightly. A screen will appear at the bottom, and you can click uninstall the app. This is actually my first interaction with Windows 8, and it fits this laptop perfectly for what the majority of people will want to do on it. You can swipe from any edge to open the system tabs, and change your settings. Also one I signed in using my email account it did sync everything in my calendar, which was very nice!! There is a tutorial for Windows 8 on the home screen for all those who have yet to really mess with it. There is also a camera in the laptop, which is great when you want to talk to people, or take pictures. All you do is press the screen to take a picture, and you can easily view it on the apps!

As for the inside of the laptop, the keys are very noise free, easy to press, and it feels like I'm typing on a normal keyboard. The touchpad works like a charm, but since this is a touch screen laptop, I don't really see many people using it. The touchscreen is very sensitive, and one little press will open windows, play games, etc! I've typed using the touchscreen, and I've actually put the laptop on my lap at an angle, and it was such a breeze to type on the screen versus using the keyboard. Overall this is a perfect laptop for people on the go, those in school, those working, or for those people who just want the ease of having all their favorite things at their fingertips. My first time using the laptop, I will say my battery died at about two hours of use, but the screen was on constantly as it had 19 updates to install. That actually took the longest portion of time. Another feature I liked is that the screen will shut itself off, just like normal, but with a simple press of a button it comes back on in an instant, so the startup time is pretty good when it's in sleep mode. Great laptop, perfect for what I needed, and I do recommend it as one of the best mini laptops out there!

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program The hot trend in terms of Windows Laptops is Windows 8 and touch screens. The Asus VivoBook X200CA is one such foray into the market, but it is one that is lacking. It is not as much a laptop than it is a touch screen enabled Windows 8 netbook that class of small, lightweight and unfortunately underpowered machines that emphasize portability and battery life over power. While a fun experiment and a great way to get your feet wet with Windows 8 and a touch screen, the machine comes up lacking for any real regular use.

As I am writing this, I am running the machine with the default McAfee security program and Open Office, and I'm currently using 75% of my memory. Part of that is that the system is downloading updates and the included McAfee is scanning it as it downloads but as someone who multi-tasks work, this is going to be a problem. The light memory (only 2 GB) and the beyond weak processor (a Pentium Celeron 1.5 Ghz) prevents this machine from living up to potential. Unfortunately, laptops need a bit more oomph, because unless you leave it on or you use it every day, when you boot the laptop, you need to compete with updates and downloads before you can get started on your work. Which is too bad because otherwise there is a lot of potential here. Sleek and lightweight, the machine weighs in a very light 2.6 lbs. with a bright 11.6 inch touch screen. It is built for portability there is no optical drive but the machine boasts two USB 2.0 ports on one side and a USB 3.0 port on the other side. Video has both a VGA and an HDMI output on the left hand side to give options to hook up to a larger display. Networking is either the built in 801.11 bgn wireless, but also has a sleek expanding Ethernet port for wired networking if needed. The hard drive is a decent 320 GB, which is probably going to be much more space than you need for this type of machine, unless you use this as a portable movie media device and download a lot of files (since you do not have an included optical drive to watch from)

The keyboard is fairly nice to type on featuring a well laid out collection of keys for the size of the keyboard, with the keys the raised Chiclet style that give nicely under the fingers for tactile typing, as well as an on-screen keyboard for touch screen use. At the bottom of the screen is a rather large trackpad that is set up for multi-touch gestures, allowing the user to navigate through programs and the Windows 8 screens with multi-finger gestures. The gestures take some getting used to but overall they can be used for a speedy response without having to move from the keyboard to the screen and back.

The warranty and battery life are not bad at one year, and a reported 5 hours of life. Unfortunately, the battery seems to be inside the body which means that it is not easily replaceable, nor is it possible to get a longer lived battery.

Unfortunately in the end I have a very hard time getting past the lack of memory and power. I understand that is part of the reason the price is more in line with what we were paying for netbooks, but I have a hard time recommending this machine beyond as either an entry level laptop for year or so, or as a supplemental, very portable machine for on the go. Otherwise, if you are able, up your budget $200 and look for full powered notebooks with AMD or Intel's i3 or i5 line of processors and a decent amount of memory. In the end, you truly get what you pay for.