Discount Lenovo IdeaPad U310 4375 - 13.3" - Core i5 3317U

Customer Ratings:

I am definitely satisfied with the purchase, good price, excellent computer.

it just has one issue when connecting to wifi, it seams to have low "antenna" capacity, though it works fine when the wifi signal is good.

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I got the laptop factory refurbished. It didn't have even the smallest scratch.

The only problem is the know wifi issue. With some (not all) wifi routers, the wifi speed decreases dramatically (down to 6Mbps).

Apart from that, super fast, didn't encounter any work or multimedia task that it couldn't handle.

Dell Latitude D610 14.1-inch 1.73GHz Laptop Review

Customer Ratings:

I want others to know how happy I am with my new laptop. I needed to have wifi computer access for a trip I had to make. I decided a laptop would be the only way and purchased it from Amazon. I have purchased other items from them before and have always been pleased with my purchases. This item was sold through a company named Tampa Laptops in Tampa, Fla. The computer arrived in great condition, however when I shipped it to my travel location it was damaged during that shipment. I contacted Tampa Laptop and they repaired it within 2 days and shipped it back. Zack at Tampa Laptop was great. Due to their service and helpfulness, I would not only purchase from them again but strongly recommend them for any laptop purchase or service.

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This computer was a great buy for our family. We were specifically looking for a smaller computer that we could take on trips to download photos of our travels and transport photos from home to show family and friends. It also allows us to check our e-mails and Facebook on trips.

Best Deals for Dell Latitude D610 14.1-inch 1.73GHz Laptop

So far so good. I am very impressed with the performance and speed. I replaced an HP computer bought new 4 years ago, and believe me this is an upgrade from that. I did have to load anti virus, I prefer Trend Micro Internet Security. I use the computer for bill paying, e-mail, and my medical records. I plan on buying a extended service policy from Square Trade. You can't go wrong buying from Tampa-Laptops.

Honest reviews on Dell Latitude D610 14.1-inch 1.73GHz Laptop

I was a little skeptical about buying another used computer, but after getting this lap top and giving it a test. It showed it was a good machine. Also the delivery was prompt which couldn't have made me happier as a buyer. I would encourage anyone to buy from him.

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Always wanted a laptop but was way over my budget. Now I have the best of both worlds have a great laptop and even though it is not new it is new to me. Great product, great price if I had it to do over I would of bought it sooner.

Thinkpad X220 12.5" 128GB 4G Review

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $1,299.00
Sale Price: $1,049.99
Today's Bonus: 19% Off

This computer is phenomenal. Don't be lured into unnecessary upgrades like more than 4GB of RAM, the IPS screen, the USB 3.0 slot, or the i7 processor. With the i5-2430M processor, 4GB RAM, and the 128 GB ssd harddrive, this is PLENTY of machine for 95% of all users, except perhaps for folks who intend to use it for high-end gaming or a very heavy load of video editing. Trust me, I'm a very experienced computer user and I use high-powered applications like Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. This little thing has plenty of power.

Here's what I LOVE:

best keyboard available on a laptop, and better than most full-size desktop keyboards too; if you're a serious writer, this is the ideal choice for a very portable machine with a phenomenal typing experience. Some people don't like the fact that Lenovo swaps the location of the Fn and CTRL keys in the lower left corner, but you can swap them back in the BIOS and, if desired, affix keyboard stickers over the buttons to remind you that they're swapped.

superb trackpoint and above average trackpad... I disable the trackpad to save power (although it's very good on this machine) because the trackpoint is wonderfully precise and doesn't require you to remove your fingers from the home row of keys when using it. If you have a Lenovo keyboard, you really should try to get used to the trackpoint... it's outstanding and it's a feature I've always missed whenever I've owned other laptops.

good TN screen... you wouldn't know it from all the internet hype about the IPS panel, but the standard TN screen is great and I actually prefer it over the IPS "Premium HD" panel because it uses less power and still allows very good viewing angles for normal laptop use. I chose to avoid the IPS Premium HD panel because there have been so many reported problems with it, including image persistence, pixel bleed, and light leakage. The only shortcoming on the TN screen is in the accuracy of its color reproduction. I've had more accurate color, but you will only notice it if you put it side by side with another monitor displaying the same image and scrutinize them closely. Still, if I were to do a lot of serious photo editing, I'd probably connect to an external monitor.

the i5-2430M processor is very powerful... it runs all my software fine, even on its lowest power setting

the 128GB ssd harddrive is wonderful... no moving parts to worry about getting damaged in transit, no seek noise when accessing files, and much less heat than a spinning drive so the fan rarely even turns on to cool it

quiet fan... I've never had a laptop this quiet, period. I can't believe how silent this thing runs. Note that people who have bought the i7 processor version have had a different experience, including problems with the fan kicking on repeatedly and at its highest setting (which is still reasonably quiet, but much louder than I ever hear out of my i5-equipped machine)

super fast boot/sleep/shutdown... with no tweaking except to disable unneeded services, it powers on and boots into the windows environment in 22 to 26 seconds. Shutdown takes 9 seconds or less. Sleep takes 3 seconds after closing the lid, and about 5 to 8 seconds to resume from sleep. I am very impressed!

battery life... with the 6 cell battery, I EASILY get 4 hours of battery life WITHOUT bothering to try to conserve power (i.e., no dimming screen, turning off wireless, etc.). In fact, you can stream video for well over 3 hours on the 6 cell battery. If you dim the screen a bit, turn off wireless, and use the "Battery Stretch" function, it is possible to get 6 hours EASILY, and up to maybe 8 hours if you're not doing anything processor-intensive. I've seen other laptops make claims to this kind of battery life, but they are usually exaggerated by 50%. In this case, I'm quoting real numbers for actual use. In fact, this weekend, I didn't recharge for three days straight and did plenty of e-mail checking, web surfing, and brief video watching (YouTube) in that time. After three days (i.e., probably a total of 5 hours of active usage, plus all the standby time between uses) I still had 23% battery left over. I almost bought the 9 cell battery, but now I'm glad I didn't because it would've added weight and I simply don't need more battery than this.

excellent stability... everything I plug into this laptop is recognized immediately: thumb drives, VGA projectors, an optical mouse, a backup drive, etc. It all just works. Not one connection problem or delay in device recognition yet. I've had plenty of other computers (including some with the same Windows 7 operating system) that did not work this trouble-free with some of those same devices.

very low heat... I HATE how warm the keyboard gets on the MacAir 13" and especially the 11". On the x220, you don't have to worry about that kind of discomfort at all. It runs very cool (and silent, as I said above).

not a lot of bloatware: even a lot of Lenovo's applications are not pre-installed. I uninstalled some Windows features, the Windows Live programs, the "Business-In-A-Box" installer application, Google Chrome, and Lenovo's Active Protection System (which isn't needed for an ssd, since there's no hard drive needle). Then I installed Thunderbird, Firefox, MS Word/Excel/PowerPoint, and Lenovo's Rescue and Recovery backup software. I also activated the installed Norton Internet Security anti-virus software and then used Lenovo's System Update to update all the drivers and software. That's it. Done! This thing came much, much cleaner than any of the last five other laptops I've purchased, most of which came with an insane amount of pre-installed trial-ware.

DOWNSIDES? Not really any for me, but...

Small drive?: The 128 GB drive may fill up quickly due to all the space occupied by the OS, the Lenovo applications, and the programs you'll want to add in. After installing all the programs I use, mine still has 40GB free. That should be plenty of space for most users, unless you want to store a TON of music, videos, and pictures on your hard drive. In that case, I'd recommend an external drive, a larger ssd, or perhaps a more affordable high-capacity HDD. Having experienced the quietness, speed, and battery efficiency of the ssd, I'll NEVER go back to a laptop with a spinning hard drive.

No keyboard backlight: I've heard many folks wish for a backlit keyboard, but I'm a touch typist so I don't really understand the desire for the backlighting. If you need to see the keys for some reason, a quick keyboard shortcut (easy to find in the dark) activates the x220's very bright "think light," which illuminates the keyboard quite effectively. I don't use the thinklight either, but I prefer it to backlighting because I can leave it turned off. To me, backlighting is an additional drain on the battery for little benefit except, perhaps, style points. (And I say that as someone whose last laptop had a backlit keyboard... yes, I've experienced them, but I don't understand the desire for them.)

Aesthetics?: I think the Lenovo/IBM all-black business look is very classy and professional. But I realize there are folks who believe their electronics need to "express" their unique identity and personality. I belong to the digital generation myself, but I've grown up enough to realize how stupid it is to believe my electronics need to express "who I am." For one, it's pathetic if "who I am" can be reduced to a statement made by the color, texture, or stickers on my electronics. For another, it's naive to think that "personalizing" my electronics is anything other than falling prey to a marketing gimmick designed to part me from more of my cash. The simple, black, functional look of the x220 is something that I can carry into a professional meeting without looking like I'm young and naive about professionalism. But admittedly, it's not "sexy" enough to attract the ladies and win me any dates. That's fine, I'm already married. I've met a gazillion people who think a MacAir is more "awesome" because it has sexier curves and is stylishly thin. Frankly, I don't notice the extra half-inch of thickness or the additional third-pound of weight in my briefcase. I DO notice the MUCH better performance (faster processing, cooler-temperatures, and much better keyboard) over the MacAir and the other PC "ultrabooks" I looked at (especially Asus and Toshiba).

Simply put, this is the best laptop I have ever owned. It comes as close to a perfect, seamless computing experience as any computer I have ever used for business or pleasure. (That includes about eight desktops and nine laptops over the past 20 years). I cannot recommend this computer highly enough. However, beware the high-end configurations (IPS Premium HD panel, i7 processor, etc.), as those users appear to have a much higher number of problems with heat, noise, CPU throttling, screen distortions, and other such problems. It may be that those higher end options tax the system a little beyond what can be comfortably contained in this diminutive form factor. With my configuration as recommended above, it simply works--and works beautifully!

[UPDATE 5/22/2012: Five months later and I'm still thrilled with this laptop. I've only experienced two issues so far. At one point, the automatic Lenovo updates quit working so I missed a Microsoft update and a driver update. When I tried to manually update, it told me my updating software needed to be updated but then froze up. One call to Lenovo tech support and within 3 minutes I had spoken with a representative who directed me to re-download the update software from the website. I did that and ten minutes later problem fixed. The other problem is that on very rare occasions the computer has not gone into sleep mode when I close the lid and thus, gets very hot when I tuck it away in my briefcase. There have been no long term problems as a result, just some surprising heat build up. It seems to occur only when I go several days (or whole weeks) without powering down. It has happened three times total in five months, and in every case, I had not shut the computer down in several days. I really can't complain about either issue since it is to be expected that automatic updates and sleep features might stop working if you aren't rebooting on a semi-occasional basis as you should with any computer. This thing has really performed superbly and I just have to be a little more diligent about shutting it down to reboot every three or four days to keep the maintenance processes refreshed and running well.]

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There is a place for tablet computers, but if you have any amount of typing to do, the convenience of the wonderful keyboard and the access to real 'work' programs such as MS Office, make this lightweight, portable computer a real winner. I have been buying some version of this Lenovo portable since the earlyl 2000s.

Best Deals for Thinkpad X220 12.5" 128GB 4G

Overall this is a pretty decent notebook. It's pretty small and portable. The battery is bulbous, so it's a lot thicker than a Macbook Air, but the weight is about the same.

PROS:

Docking station for about $150 you can get a docking station, which you snap the computer onto and you can plug in all your peripherals, including dual monitors. This is something that I couldn't find any solution for a Macbook or Macbook Air, which are apparently designed to only use a single monitor. The docking station has been flawless for a year with no problems at all. This was a major need for me so I could completely replace the need for a desktop computer.

Flash harddrive I got the 128 GB flash harddrive (instead of the traditional spinning drive). It was more expensive and less memory, but it really does speed the thing up.

Small size it's 3 pounds the smallest PC I could find with a true i5 processor (not some crappy netbook).

CONS:

Webcam/Microphone The microphone is "noise cancelling" so when I play a ukulele and sing, it is nothing but choppy static. I spent hours on the phone with their tech support trying to figure out a way to get my own microphone plugged in and working. It turns out there is no input for a microphone, only an output for a headphone. They claim you can use that as a microphone input but they lie, it isn't possible. So if you want to Youtube or Vlog or anything that uses the webcam, this is not the computer for you. I paid extra to have the webcam and microphone and that is regrettable since it is completely useless to me.

Battery The battery life was great out of the box, about 8 or 9 hours. But after one year it is more like 2-3 hours with minimal use (sporadic web surfing). It seems the battery is designed to impress reviewers out of the box, but not meant to be used for more than a few months.

SUMMARY:

It's a bit disappointing that laptops have not come very far since my first one in 1989. Maybe it was 5 or 6 pounds and less power, but the look and feel was not that different. I really wanted something like a Macbook Air small, light, portable, but with the capability to run Microsoft Access and without the annoying quirks of a Mac. I'm a Windows user. Also I wanted it to be easily hooked to desktop peripherals. I wish this thing was about half the size and twice the power, but apparently there has not been a big push to improve on the basic laptop design. This was a lot of money for what it is, since I think I could have paid half as much for basically the same thing, just a little heavier. If you don't need a microphone/webcam, then this thing will not disappoint too much.

Honest reviews on Thinkpad X220 12.5" 128GB 4G

hey, it's a work computer. but while i have now an 8 year history of getting lenovo x-series (which combine near-ultrabook portability with a decently sized screen and good performance) going starting with an X60 through an X200 to this one, hey, the X220 is by far the best one.

not just because it has the latest processor, but simply because the usability has increased.

performance... the WEI reports 6.3 because of graphics, but 6.3 isn't shabby at all. in fact it is pretty awesome considering the price-performance and the fact that, only a year and a half ago, a $220 i5-661 would barely get you a WEI of 4.2. this thing flies if you have realistic expectations, and drives two 1920x1200 monitors running simultaneous HD streams without breaking a sweat. it remains *quiet*. quite the little powerhouse.

it's built well, i continue to love the keyboard, and the only thing i use is the mouse-knob (but that shows my keyboard centric style, hey i have a blackberry too :)).

battery life is amazing considering performance it reports 5.40 hours remaining at 80% battery as i type this, and i am not even running it in Power Saver mode, and yes, this is the small battery.

so i guess i have to come up with some negatives to make it look like i am not bankrolled by Lenovo (which i am not). my complaint is the display. how come my $499 ipad has basically twice the resolution of my high powered work laptop? what is it with laptop vendors sticking to oh so 5 years ago 1366x768 resolution. you know guys, us users have figured out there's stuff like retina displays out there, so there's no excuse.

other than that, no complaints: this thing has the traditional built quality of a thinkpad (my mom still used my old abused X60s that was over 5 years old and still works like a charm acting as my music server after she got my old X200, which looks pristine). in a nutshell: if you want a great compromise between performance and portability, if you value built quality and reliability, and you just want to work on a computer... you can't really ever feel like you made a msitake on this little workhorse.

PS: for the linux crowd i dual boot Win7 64 bit and Ubuntu 12.04 on this x220, and it works like a charm.

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For more comprehensive and words speaking to the greats of this PC, I definitely recommend the other reviewer's on here. At least the one which preceded me on dates. But its bulky so I thought I'd try for something more cursory.

Simply put, this is the best laptop I've ever used. For the last four months or so I've been hunting, reading and researching on all the new 'Ultrabooks'. I never had given one iota of thought to this computer; simply put I'd only ever used it with HDDs, which coupled with its complete business look it wasn't appealing to me. The others I had the privilege of trialling were:

Sony X Series (1.5lbs Carbon Fibre PC 2010; Atom, 2GB RAM & SSD)

Macbook Air 11" (Aluminum 2011; Intel 2GB & SSD)

Asus Zenbook 13.3" (Aluminum 2012; Intel i5, 4GB & SSD)

Lenovo IdeaPad u300s 13.3" (Aluminum 2012; Intel i7, 4GB & SSD)

I also read a lot on the Toshiba Portege 13.3 as well as the Dell 13z. The latter really attracted me because of the Gorilla Glass; the former I liked because the materials its made of make the whole thing feel extremely light.

However, both the Toshiba and the Sony feel way too flimsy (the screen is near-bendable). The Zenbook's keyboard is incredibly stiff and reminded me of tapping my fingers on the Shop Class table. And the Macbook's is just like the IdeaPad's, as in its decent enough. On all of them, the displays were solid. I think in design, I probably liked the edges of the IdeaPad the most.

But the ThinkPad? Seriously it ships with Microsoft Professional 7 which I have to say is far and away faster and slimmer. ThinkPad also didn't come with lots of pre-installed overcomplicated 'bloatware' (Sony, Toshiba, Dell). And because of its softer materials, it actually feels LIGHTER than the MacBook which is considered the pinnacle; you 'feel' the 'heft' of the Zenbook, as well as the Dell.

The 12.5 screen is a good compromise between the two series for the other firms. And to be honest, the design is something which is growing on me; its sort of nice to be seen as plausibly professional even when just personally working in a cafe. Most of all for me, however, was how whisper quiet the fans were. Lenovo's was audible and I was aware it was there, but not a nuisance like the MacBook Air can get when you use video with it. The Sony was incredibly load for literally everything you did after 30minutes of on use.

In sum, I'd really say you should give this a go before discarding it out of hand. The keyboard's layout actually is more convenient now that I've used it, particularly the oversize Delete key and the additional 'Forwards/Back' Keys around the arrow pad (much more responsive than say, 'Alt-Left Arrow'). In addition, the pointer in the middle is actually quicker to navigate than having to reposition your two hands every time you want to navigate the PC.

PS: Oh yea they have a .8lbs add-on to the battery that gives you up to 20hrs of battery life. No, that's not a typo. And the software it comes with is actually useful; Windows Backup isn't very user-friendly; Lenovo's is.

Review of Acer Aspire Celeron M 1.86GHz 512MB 80GB CDRW/DVD 14-Inch Vista

Customer Ratings:

We purchased this laptop in 2006 or 2007 when we had dial up and now we still have it and use it as our family's primary computer. Don't get me wrong, we are ready for an upgrade but this computer really lasted us well. We have teenagers and no one is gentle with it. Although I know people complain about Vista, we haven't had any issues with it. You can burn CD's, edit pictures, watch movies, connect it to the TV, all basic things with no issues. Definitely a worthy investment. We did upgrade the memory when we bought it though since it didn't come with much...super easy to install though.

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I've owned my Acer Aspire 3680 for three years and I love it!! I've never had any problems whatsoever with any part of it. I'm not a gamer, but I am into Graphic Design. I don't know how well it performs with games, but it has absolutely no problem running any of my Adobe Creative Suite programs which several of my friends complain about taking a while to load on their laptops. I don't use it too much anymore just because I got an Acer Aspire Netbook because it is easier to carry with me to school and traveling. I recommend this computer and all Acer computers to anyone and everyone!!

W510 - Intel - Core I7 - 820QM - 1.73 Ghz - DDR3 Sdram - 4 Gb Review

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $2,873.00
Sale Price: $2,409.48
Today's Bonus: 16% Off

I got this with 120GB SSD for business use, but very disappointed compared to previous T61P after a week use:

Pro:

1. Quiet with SSD;

2. USB3 (not useful for me), eSATA i/f.

Con:

1. resolution maximum is ONLY 1600x900, while T61p can reach 2048x1536, almost 25% downgrade;

2. the "Insert/Delete" keys are separated, "Insert" on left, while "Delete" on right with 2-key space. I always had a hard time try to find the insert key, very dumb layout design.

3. no finger scanner (optional);

4. As a high-end laptop, no HDMI

Not recommended for a software business use.

1/7/2011 Update after 2 weeks use:

1. The left "Shift" key is fall off, and got the whole keyboard replaced

2. 2 USB ports on the left side stop working, on a process to replace it.

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HP G42-230US 14-Inch Laptop Reviews

Customer Ratings:

!!UPDATED!!

I have had my g42-230us for three months and found it to be a decent moderately powerful computer. The 7200RPM hard drive and 1Mb per core cache give it the extra "umph" it needs to compete with the Intel offers.

This computer, like most consumer targeted systems, came loaded with bloatware (software that isn't required and slows down performance).

I am a computer tech so the first thing I recommend for this and all consumer targeted computers is to make the restore DVD's as soon as you turn on the computer and before you connect to a network or the internet. Second thing I recommend to do is to get a genuine copy of Windows 7, then use it to reformat (and delete all extra hard drive partitions) and reinstall operating system. Doing this is almost literally the difference between night and day. You will realize more hard drive space, faster boot and shutdown, no software "nags" (other than Windows 7 "nags") or bloatware pop ups to activate and upgrade trial software and no performance robbing unnecessary running services and registry entries.

I tell my customers to consider this a required cost to any big brand consumer level computer purchased (comsumer level computers are typicaly computers sold that are not installed with Windows 7 Professional). You can get windows here on Amazon:Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Microsoft Windows 7 Professional . Keep in mind bloatware keeps the cost of the computer down (the computer's maker is often paid to install this trial software in hopes it will lead to the sale of the full product.

After installing Genuine Windows 7 64bit I have a decent professional grade laptop for a few hundred less than what HP sells them for otherwise.

Clarification from what other reviews have stated: All three USB ports are v2.0 and are powered to 500mA. I have tested them and confirmed this to be true even under battery power.

Note:

No modem is included and no PC Card socket is present.

The speakers and Altec Lansing, upward facing above the Function keys near the display hinge.

Wired LAN is not Gigabit Ethernet (this is a real downgrade from my almost four year old Acer Aspire).

Annoyances:

The power button is slightly recessed and very small. I have very small fingers but still have to press the button multiple times to get it depressed enough to activate (but now I just use my finger nail and it works fine).

The hard drive activity light looks to be a 1mm LED mounted behind a hole in the left side of the unit next to the media card reader. This is excellent for the person sitting to my left when they want to know if my hard drive is active but totally useless to me.

Also the power / charging light looks to be a 1mm LED mounted behind a hole on the right side near the DC input. This too is excellent for the person on my right that wants to know if my laptop is charging or on but totally useless to me.

There is however a power light in the power button above the Function keys and speakers near the hindge but it to looks to be a 1mm LED pointed straight up and can't be seen when the lid is closed so you cannot see if your computer is on/sleeping/or off unless you open the lid or look at the led on the right side of the unit.

Almost a deal killer is the fact that the touchpad area is not recessed or raised, nor does it have a different pattern or texture than the palm rests. Without looking, using the touchpad buttons as an guide, a person cannot feel where the touchpad area starts and ends on the left and right side. I used 3M blue painters tape 3M 2090 Scotch-Blue Painter's Tape for Multi-Surfaces 1-Inch x 60-Yard, 4-Rollto create outlines of the touchpad area to use the unit in the dark and without watching my fingers.

Battery:

The stock battery is a MU06 and the battery life is very good but I got the MU09 extended life batter anyway. The extended life battery does stick out some at the bottom causing a funny lop-sided look. Also an optional higher watt charger can be found but I don't know it would be any better than the one included. HP 90W Smart Ac Adapter US

I like Acer / Gateway laptops because I had always found them easy to work on but I have already taken this one apart pretty well and it isn't as bad as the HP computers of previous years.

I have a report for Speccy on my unit:

CPU

AMD K10

45nm Technology

RAM

4.0GB Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 531MHz (7-7-7-20)

Motherboard

Hewlett-Packard 1444 (Socket S1G4)

Graphics

Generic PnP Monitor @ 1366x768

AMD M880G with ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4250

Hard Drives

313GB Seagate ST932042 3AS SATA Disk Device (IDE)

Optical Drives

hp CDDVDW TS-L633N SATA CdRom Device

Audio

Realtek High Definition Audio

CPU

AMD K10

Cores 2

Threads 2

Name AMD K10

Package Socket S1 (638)

Technology 45nm

Specification AMD Turion(tm) II P520 Dual-Core Processor

Family F

Extended Family 10

Model 6

Extended Model 6

Stepping 3

Revision DA-C3

Instructions MMX (+), 3DNow! (+), SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSE4A, x86-64

Bus Speed 199.5 MHz

Rated Bus Speed 1795.6 MHz

Stock Core Speed 2300 MHz

Stock Bus Speed 200 MHz

Caches

L1 Data Cache Size 2 x 64 KBytes

L1 Instructions Cache Size 2 x 64 KBytes

L2 Unified Cache Size 2 x 1024 KBytes

Core 0

Core Speed 2294.2 MHz

Multiplier x 11.5

Bus Speed 199.5 MHz

Rated Bus Speed 1795.6 MHz

Thread 1

APIC ID 0

Core 1

Core Speed 2294.2 MHz

Multiplier x 11.5

Bus Speed 199.5 MHz

Rated Bus Speed 1795.6 MHz

Thread 1

APIC ID 1

RAM

Memory slots

Total memory slots 2

Used memory slots 2

Free memory slots 0

Memory

Type DDR3

Size 4096 MBytes

Channels # Dual

DRAM Frequency 532.0 MHz

CAS# Latency (CL) 7 clocks

RAS# to CAS# Delay (tRCD) 7 clocks

RAS# Precharge (tRP) 7 clocks

Cycle Time (tRAS) 20 clocks

Bank Cycle Time (tR?) 27 clocks

Command Rate (CR) 1T

SPD

Number Of SPD Modules 2

Motherboard

Manufacturer Hewlett-Packard

Model 1444

Chipset Vendor AMD

Chipset Model 785GX

Chipset Revision 00

Southbridge Vendor AMD

Southbridge Model SB800

Southbridge Revision 40

BIOS

Brand Hewlett-Packard

Version F.0A

Date 06/08/2010

Graphics

Monitor

Name Generic PnP Monitor on AMD M880G with ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4250

Current Resolution 1366x768 pixels

Work Resolution 1366x738 pixels

State enabled, primary

Monitor Width 1366

Monitor Height 768

Monitor BPP 32 bits per pixel

Monitor Frequency 60 Hz

AMD M880G with ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4250

Memory 256 MB

Memory type 2

Hard Drives

ST932042 3AS SATA Disk Device

Manufacturer Seagate

Form Factor 2.5"

Interface IDE

Capacity 313GB

Real size 320,072,933,376 bytes

Optical Drives

hp CDDVDW TS-L633N SATA CdRom Device

Audio

Sound Cards

ATI High Definition Audio Device

Realtek High Definition Audio

Playback Device

Speakers (Realtek High Definition Audio)

Recording Devices

Stereo Mix (Realtek High Definition Audio)

Microphone (Realtek High Definition Audio) (default)

Peripherals

Standard PS/2 Keyboard

Device Kind Keyboard

Device Name Standard PS/2 Keyboard

Location plugged into keyboard port

Synaptics PS/2 Port TouchPad

Device Kind Mouse

Device Name Synaptics PS/2 Port TouchPad

Location plugged into PS/2 mouse por

USB Video Device

Device Kind Camera/scanner

Device Name USB Video Device

Vendor Unknown

Comment HP Webcam-101

Location USB Composite Device

I have been informed that there is a clean install restore option but this is not an option on my unit. The factory restore "clean" option still installs many services and registry items including HP "nags" and programs that connect to HP's web site to keep you informed up updates and messages (offers). The clean install I recomend will give a user the most out of the computer.

!!!!!!CAVEAT!!!!!!!: Some users do not mind or miss the lost performance and hard drive space and can very well live with the hp "clean" install or even the factory install.

I only mention the clean install in my review because I and most of my cutomers are "power" users and prefere a true Windows clean install from a genuine Windows disc. Plus a person can buy almost the same computer without the bloatware software installed for twice the price. I am just pointing out an alternative to spending twice the money and getting the almost the same computer as a pro model.

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I purchased this computer from another site when they had a promotion on it. I looked at the specs and the price, and saw that it was a steal, and I abandoned my prejudice against HP for their past products and bought it. I am very happy that I did. I won't say the exact price that I got the computer for, but I will say that this computer is in the $600 and under category.

This computer is a good mixture of good technology. The processor in this computer is a very good processor for a number of reasons. The L2 cache is 2mb as opposed to 1mb in most Turion IIs; the energy consumption is 25w, which is very low for a laptop processor of this magnitude. The M880 chipset and ATI Radeon 4250 provide a decent graphics setup; obviously, this computer isn't for modern gaming due to the lack of a dedicated video card... However, this video setup is much better than you will get with any Intel onboard graphics and will work just fine for most anything short of intensive 3D gaming/ 3D rendering... The 14" screen on this computer is a good one, with great viewing angles. The speakers are good for laptop speakers, but really, there aren't any spectacular internal laptop speakers and so if you want great sound quality and volume, invest in a decent pair of laptop speakers. The HDMI port is wonderful... can't forget to mention that! HDMI is a nice feature to have on a laptop of this type!

Aesthetically, this computer is certainly pleasing. The silver-ish patterned case of the computer is really unique and I really enjoy it. 14" is the perfect size for me, as it cradles perfectly in my lap and is much, much more portable than 15.6" or so laptops than I have owned in the past.

The keyboard is not bad at all... No Num Pad, but the buttons and function button planning are very well done. For a 14" laptop, I'm not sure if you can ask for a smarter/ better keyboard than this...

As for the cons, there is one that may just be something I am misunderstanding, but it really seems like the USB port that is on the right side (for the mouse) is not USB 2.0... For some reason, it doesn't get nearly the transfer rate as the other USB ports. I recommend getting a high speed hub with this computer so that you can easily add the additional USB ports that you will surely need. The other con is also fair in magnitude... HP has a lot of programs that it installs to keep your computer running well with HP updates on the drivers on your computer and such. Some of these programs are helpful and some are bloatware. It is much harder to sort out which is which with HP laptops than other brands, since they get so much more involved in the upkeep of your computer. I have it set up just fine on my computer now, and practically any laptop that you get nowadays is going to have some kind of bloatware on it, so the problem is easily handled with a bit of time, just like with most laptops. Extra care is needed to make sure that you do not remove programs that HP has created to help your computer, such as keep the hardware drivers up to date, etc...

All in all, this computer is great... Just what I was looking for! This laptop is perfect for just about anyone that doesn't do intense 3D graphic stuff. I would even go so far as to say that anything better than this is overkill if you are not going to be doing that type of stuff. This is a great desktop replacement computer that is very versatile in its uses and very good on the battery given the power of the computer. I was hesitant to buy HP before this computer, but I am certainly not anymore.

Five stars from me!

Edit-

Windows Experience Index: (out of 7.9)

Processor 5.8

Memory 5.9

Graphics (Aero) 4.2

Graphics (Gaming) 5.3

Hard Disk speed 5.9

This shows that this is a well rounded computer, just a step below cutting edge in every category (and still pretty cutting edge in most categories). 4.2 for Windows Aero experience is a typical score for GPUs of this type.

This ranking also doesn't rank on things like battery conservation, which this computer is great at. I hope this info helps someone interested in this computer!

Best Deals for HP G42-230US 14-Inch Laptop

I have had this for over a month. Best computer I've every owned.

*The keyboard feel is extremely comfortable, light, and responsive--highly important for a computer injury victim like myself.

*The 14" 1366 x 768 is clear and easy to read, even for largish spreadsheets.

*The 5 lb weight means I can carry it everywhere in my backpack. It's the right compromise between a heavier laptop with a bigger screen and a netbook. I have both with Windows XP, but I had to keep transferring data between them. Now I just use the G42 for home and coffee shops.

*I find I like Windows 7 better than XP. I upgraded to Professional and installed the XP virtual machine to solve any compatibility problems, but haven't had to use it much.

*Feels nice and sturdy.

*Decent price

*HDMI output.

Honest reviews on HP G42-230US 14-Inch Laptop

When I was looking for a laptop with the performance, style, and light weight, I naturally settled on this HP G-42-230US. It has a 14 screen that is perfect for your everyday typing, if you want to watch a DVD at a coffee shop, or if you're like me, the occasionally youtube video. So far, I have no complaints about this laptop.

Like the previous reviewer, I was surprisingly happy at the weight of this laptop. At 4.85 lbs, I feel like I can carry it with me everywhere. I even looked at some 13.3 inch Toshiba and Lenovo laptops, but theirs' measured at around 4.75 or 4.8 lbs with a bigger price tag.

Pros of this amazing laptop:

-lightweight

-long battery life

-very good quality camera

-a senor mousepad that allows you to turn it off or on with just one finger

-user friendly installation

-rank #1 in Newsweek's green ranking (it uses less energy than your average 14-in laptop)

-sturdy feel (good material)

-brought it when amazon had a fantastic price of only $550 with free shipping

If you're looking for a stylist laptop with the performance specs to back it up...this is the laptop for you!

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for HP G42-230US 14-Inch Laptop

I have had this computer for about 4 months, and it is not what I thought it would be...its worse. I bought it because it was a steal and i was on a budget. The battery life is about 1 1/2 hourse, which is not very good when you use it during a 2 hour class! I hate the mouse pad because it gets dirty very easily because of the crevices (the whole computer is acutually that way) The bottom gets SUPER, SUPER hot. I have acutually had red marks on my legs when I have let it sit to long on my lap, because it was so hot. I am currently saving my money to buy a macbook. If you can afford the extra couple hundred dollars, I would definately go for a little better laptop. I will not be having this on much longer because I dislike it that much.

Dell XPS m1530 laptop. TUXEDO BLACK. 15.4" Widescreen Thin, slim Reviews

Customer Ratings:

I got this computed in December 2008 to replace and HP Pavilion that had major problems and was stuck in HP customer service repair limbo with me sending it back and forth to the service center. The HP lasted 14 months and had better features but when it overheated apparently due to a defective Nvidia graphics card that is in present in thousands of units of many laptop manufacturers. One day in October 2008, the thing literally stopped functioning and required major repair work just to boot up properly. Not wanting to waste anymore time with HP, I opted for a Dell XPS 1530. The problems with this laptop are many and the HP had better features such as better response with the touchpad and also DVD ROM drive that played any disc even poorly recorded DVD-Rs. I've had many problems with my Dell's DVD Rom drive and it even scratched a few of the regular DVD's I've tried playing.

Last month, the Hard Drive had a major failure and required to be remounted. Dell Customer Service sent me a new hard drive within a week, but it was only 100 gig replacement. The original hard drive was much bigger than this and now I have a computer that is already running low on disk space. I'm not sure how long this machine will last and given the history of Dells that I've used in the past 5 years, every computer (whether desktop or laptop) always has a major problem every 12 months or so. It is like servicing a 4-year old car, but it isn't even a year old. And this how they make all their profits selling warranties and charging for extra repair work for the cheap aftermarket components that they install in these expensive laptops.

Other negatives about this laptop include sticking keys that sometimes won't work correctly until you press on them firmly. The dashboard on the laptop is not very responsive, mainly the volume control as you tap on it multiple times and it still won't respond sometimes. The DVD playback while working initially, didn't function and started to suddenly scratch my DVD's and so I stopped using it. The keyboard is also feel somewhat cramped and the touchpad is smaller than my previous HP and less responsive. This model of laptop also has been commonly known to overheat and I have measured the temperature using a 3rd party program and found it hitting some strangely high temperatures. This apparently is an issue with the Nvidia card and it apparently shares the same model (GeForce 8400 GS) as my old HP.

The few positives about this laptop include the fact is doesn't weigh a lot when carrying it. And it performs faster than standard Dells such as the Latitude line which take a lot of time doing basic functions such as multitasking with spreadsheets and Email. I would recommend this laptop to anyone who is doing very basic tasks for school, word processing or work related activities that don't require massive amounts of memory to complete. Be sure you have an external hard drive to back up you're data and purchase an extended 2-3 year warranty. It will literally stop working within a year.

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Buy Acer Aspire V3-571-9890 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black)

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $729.99
Sale Price: $719.99
Today's Bonus: 1% Off

We live out in the sticks, and when we finally got reliable 3G broadband and a wireless network set up, I was ready to no longer share the 2 year old computer with the rest of the family and get a laptop of my own. I use this laptop mainly for my home office: word processing, spreadsheets, internet, photo editing, and a few specific programs. I've found this unit to be a very reasonable tool for these functions.

This laptop is lightning fast, has plenty of memory, decent graphics/sound, and seems well constructed. I've read a couple of reviews that mention slow start ups, but I have not found this to be the case. I agree that Windows 8 has a pretty big learning curve for the first few days ("intuitive", my left foot!), but after some initial frustration I was able to navigate through the program screens rather easily. I find I still favor the "classic" laptop homescreen, but since Win 8 is app driven, that may be part of why you can have so many screens/tiles open and working with no speed lag. I also really like that the function shortcuts are printed on the keys in blue so I'm not constantly looking them up until I memorize them. I am not a fan of touchpads, so I like being able to quickly disable it with just a keystroke and turn on my wireless mouse instead. Bluetooth connected to all my other devices (wireless speaker, wireless headphones, my Droid X) without missing a beat. Again, noticed no loss of speed or data with multiple connections active.

Just a couple of things that bug me:

1. The CD drive is pretty flimsy. The first time I inserted a DVD to try out the graphics, the DVD did not stay in the tray.

When I pushed the tray into the laptop, the DVD floated up and lodged in the housing above the drive. Fortunately, I was

able to fish the DVD out using a piece of padding and some tweezers without damaging the laptop or the disk.

2. There is no caps lock/number lock indicator light. Sounds like a small thing...until you want to do a lot of word processing.

This kind of drives me crazy.

3. Not a big fan of the shiny piano case finish on the exterior and around the screen. Fingerprint city! I am always wiping

the thing off so I don't look like a slob.

4. There are no programs loaded onto the laptop "as is" that are not internet driven. I kind of enjoyed having a few games and

goodies on the old Windows formats that were available to play offline. Bye, bye solitaire.

Admittedly, the above list are small things that I like to grouse about, but they would not be enough alone to keep me from making this purchase again. I still think this is a good machine for the money.

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Good for the price (680$ ish) although there are minor flaws with this design.

Quick note: I've maxed out the ram, installed an ssd and installed windows 7.

Even without the ram/ssd upgrade this computer is still quite fast.

Good stuff

+ Construction is fine, nothing's loose (flex below the keyboard though)

+ Screen is quite bright, should be view-able outdoors if sun isn't to bright

+ Optical drive (not flimsy at all)

+ Not too bulky

+ 3rd gen i7

+ Keyboard is comfortable and responsive

+ Exterior design is very sensible

+ Internal fan is usually very quiet

+ Good packaging, arrives in one piece.

Not so good stuff

Acer doesn't sell higher capacity batteries so you will have to order from some shady foreign retailer if you need one.

Bad speakers, you can compensate somewhat with third party software. I personally recommend breakaway audio enhancer instead of the dolby home theater.

Both the lid and plastic surrounding the touchpad are fingerprint magnets.

Keyboard and the edge below it will leave marks on the screen (happens on all laptops).

Touchpad placement could be better. It will impede left-handed typing unless temporarily disabled, or until you adjust.

Touchpad gestures are clumsy, 'unlocked' versions of the elantech touchpad driver don't actually exist. (More on this below)

No caps lock, scroll lock, or num lock indicator lights. (Arguably not a bad thing)

Keyboard has minor ghosting issues.

Other thoughts:

If you're going to install a fresh OS as I did, finding suitable touchpad drivers is next to impossible. Each driver version that you can hunt down on the internet removes some features and activates others for no obvious reason. Basically, no publicly available drivers enable all the hardware supported features at the same time. The only way to permanently activate all of the touchpad's features (2/3/4 finger gestures, regions, scroll settings, etc..) is to edit the driver's installation config file. Shame on elantech and acer for not having any sort of documentation or support for this. If the stock setup is fine or if the touchpad gestures are irrelevant then ignore this.

Also, the hm77 chipset supports up to 16gb of ram @ up to 1866mhz (or even higher, though not officially). You are *not* limited to 8gb as stated in the specifications.

Average cpu temp is 47-55c on a light workload, around 85c under stress.

Screen is glossy, not matte.

No technical manual included, but you can find one online if you search around.

Note that you have to hold f2 at boot to access the bios. If you have an SSD you may have to go in there and enable 'legacy bios' to get it to boot.

Also note that bios options are severely limited, the only thing you can adjust is boot order and system time. That is all.

Best Deals for Acer Aspire V3-571-9890 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black)

I bought this laptop so that I could get work done around the house instead of being chained to my desktop. I'm a software developer, so I often run virtual machines of the platforms I'm developing for. Everything runs fast and smooth. I've even played some game on this laptop, and they run great. The keyboard is extremely easy to type on. The laptop stays a very comfortable temperature, even after hours of use and while gaming. I am extremely satisfied with my purchase.

Honest reviews on Acer Aspire V3-571-9890 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black)

My husband is a digital media design student and we needed a new laptop for him that can handle all of the programs he needs for school. This one is working great for him. He's got the Microsoft Office Suite as well as the Adobe CS6 Suite on it and everything runs great. His only complaint is Windows 8 loads slowly.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Acer Aspire V3-571-9890 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black)

Acer is an often forgotten brand of laptop, however I have owned and used HPs, Dells, Toshibas, and Asus and Acer tops them all. This computer has the best touchpad, a decent keyboard, good screen, and excellent sound quality. It is fast and will process nearly all programs with speed. Great buy.

Cheap Lenovo Thinkpad T61 15.4" Notebook (Off-Lease)

Customer Ratings:

I have been wanting an older laptop to purchase that would still be in good running shape and fairly fast. I looked through a lot of them here on Amazon and found this one. It came today and it's working great. Who ever owned it before me took great care of it. I can tell it will serve my needs for many years to come.

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Cheap Lenovo ThinkPad W530 FHD 1920 x 1080 243857U 15.6" 2.70GHz

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $1,699.00
Sale Price: $1,489.00
Today's Bonus: 12% Off

This is my second Lenovo that I've owned and my 4th counting work laptops. I've used just about every brand of laptop, and I keep coming back to Lenovo, Toshiba, and Compaq (the compaq branded hps). I've had good luck with all of them. The rest I pass on. I use Linux and FreeBSD mostly. Not much of a Windows user here. I'm also a kvm user. The W530 is a good machine. The only issues I have are the keyboard isn't quite as good as the T61p's nor is the touch pad. My hands have a tendency to brush the touch pad while typing.

If you're looking for a solid machine, the W530 will serve well. It needs only a memory upgrade from the standard 4GB. With 4 memory slots, (2 under keyboard and 2 under bottom cover), it has the space for considerable memory upgrades. I installed 2 8GB sticks bringing the machine to 20GB which fit nicely under the very easy to remove keyboard. As you might have guessed, I run Linux on this beast.

For Linux fans, I run CentOS 6.4 64bit. It installs easily and smoothly. Wifi works, camera works, sound is smooth. All the systems I've tested work as expected. About the only thing I haven't tested is bluetooth and external video. The quadro K2000M video card works well on the open source driver for nvidia.

For FreeBSD fans, yes I have booted the machine on FreeBSD 9.1 64bit. It installs easily as well and runs smoothly too. I didn't test it quite as much. Geom disk encryption did use the onboard TPM module reporting hardware encryption enabled and ZFS was quite happy.

This machine is a solid performer under Linux and should be equally so under FreeBSD. A note of caution: Lenovo's tools are Windows based and many retailers won't deal with laptop issues if the hdd doesn't have Windows on it. I highly recommend either storing the Windows partitions somewhere easily restored to the hdd or install a different hdd and put the Windows one in an antistatic bag. It's a rather curious thing consider Lenovo does state they support Linux on their laptops.

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I am a super user when it comes to computers and laptops. I have APPLE (MacBook Air) DELL, and legacy IBM thinkpads (including the W700DS). This computer is really a nice blend of size and power. It lets me do all the hard core stuff I need to do while coming in an nice form factor. I feel like it is the perfect blend between a macbook air and W700DS.

Best Deals for Lenovo ThinkPad W530 FHD 1920 x 1080 243857U 15.6" 2.70GHz

As the owner of a w500 previously, jumping up 4 years later, these W530's are as solid as it's predecessor. Solid performance in all aspects. i7 chip and the option of adding the cache gives you the best performance without having to go to a solid state drive. Although moving to a solid state SATA III makes it simply amazing with a 7.0 performance index, with no exaggeration. Make sure you buy a seat belt to go with the drive upgrade. Outstanding laptop, not cheap, but it's like when you buy a car, all cars are not created equal and I'd place this up there in the Cadillac class.

Honest reviews on Lenovo ThinkPad W530 FHD 1920 x 1080 243857U 15.6" 2.70GHz

Having used ThinkPad (mostly T series and some X series) for more than a decade, I was a little disappointed with my last Thinkpad T500, which was my first one after Lenovo took over. It recently develop overheating problem and I couldn't solve it other than having a fan pointing at it. I know it's time to upgrade to a new laptop, but in the past, I've never upgraded a ThinkPad because it broke; I upgraded because they became outdated for running new software.

So, this time, the first things I looked for was from other brands than Lenovo, but I still ended up with ThinkPad after reading extensive reviews and trying out other brands. Since I am a power user, I decided to pick a W series this time, and I chose it also because the W series is now only the size and weight of previous T series.

So far it's functioning like a workhorse. Quiet and handing multitasking and video editing without problem. I was shopping for less than full HD because full HD makes the fonts too small to read on a 15.6" screen. Considering the price and value, I ended up with a full HD, which should not be something to complain about. If you are young and have good eyes, I would recommend it. As for me, I have to put on my reading glasses.

So, this W530 is everything a workstation notebook is supposed to be, except two things to complain about. The first complaint is about the accessory keys being moved around to strange places. (The main keys, however, continue the ThinkPad's high reputation; very comfortable to type.) The delete key is too far away now. I don't know why with every model, ThinkPad would move these important utility keys around. The Print Screen keys is now in between the left and right arrow keys. I don't know why they put it in such a convenient place; do people use Print Screen all the time? The screen brightness adjustment keys are in a place where you cannot easily get used to. A 15.6" inch laptop has a lot of real state for keys. Asus' 15.6" laptop even has a full numeric keypad on it. Just can't understand why ThinkPad would skimp on keys.

My major complain is the huge charger brick. The size and weight of it is not I expected in today's technology. Looking at the brick, I feel I am brought back ten years. Maybe it's necessary to power a "workstation." I am traveling next week (from Coast to Coast), and I am looking forward to take my new W530 with me, but I am not looking forward to carry the power brick. Yap, I deducted one star mainly for the power brick, and partly for the arrangement of the accessory keys.

I hope this system will last until it become outdated, and not die on me. So far it's running fast and very quietly!

Best Apple iBook G4 PowerPC G4 1.07GHz 256MB 30GB CDRW/DVD 12.1" AirPort Deals

Customer Ratings:

This computer was for my daughter to go away for school I am very disappointed;the hard drive is fried it will not save or download.

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Its an ace computer! I will be needing to upgrade the RAM in the near future, but other than that its ace!

Thinkpad X220 12.5" 320GB 4G Review

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $1,099.00
Sale Price: $979.99
Today's Bonus: 11% Off

I've owned a Lenovo T43, T60p, X61T, X200T and now the X220. Lenovo makes excellent machines.

Pros: Thinkpad Build Quality, Keyboard, HD IPS display, Battery life, Docking station, All day battery slice

Cons: Price for a tricked out model

I purchased the i7 model and then added an after market Intel OEM 300 GB SSD. This thing flys. Windows Experience Index is a 6 due to graphics but processor, memory and hard disk (SSD) all score in the mid-7's. I had heard great things about the IPS display and without a doubt, this is the best computer screen I have ever had. The resolution could be higher but with my vision it is certainly acceptable. The viewing angles are fantastic and the screen is bright.

As the previous reviewer mentioned, the X220 has a 7 mm drive rather than the standard 9.5 mm. Intel's 320 series SSD's with models ending in 301 are 7 mm high and come in sizes up to 600 GB. I used Acronis to clone the hard disk to the SSD, swapped the drives and was up and running in about 2 hours, 1.95 hours of that for the cloning process.

I was torn between buying this, a MacBook Air or the Lenovo X1. The other two may look better but in terms of pure performance, tremendous battery life and the IPS Display the X220 wins out IMO. Build quality is fantastic. It may look like the X200 or X201 that came before it but it is a proven succesful design with plenty of power under the hood. I have absolutely no regrets with this purchase, the X220 is a great machine.

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I purchased my X220 from an individual locally.

I think it is necessary to post this as a warning.

I really like this laptop. The performace is amazing.

BIG ISSUE:

The hard drive slot height is 7mm. The standard is 9.5mm.

Do not expect to buy a standard 2.5" laptop drive (spindle or SSD) and expect it to fit. I usually research before purchasing anything. My bad, didn't even think it would have this height issue.

I think Toshiba makes an HG3 series SSD (7mm height) that might just work. Does anyone know of where this can be purchased?

Please be aware of this.

Best Deals for Thinkpad X220 12.5" 320GB 4G

I like this notebook. It is really well built and a great business notebook with docking and performance. The power to weight ratio is really there and it is a breeze to travel with especially since it has great battery life. However I really do not like the touch pad. No matter how much I try I am not friends with it and it really baffles me that Lenovo put it on there. To me it takes so much value out of the laptop as I make erroneous clicks, scroll by mistake etc.

Honest reviews on Thinkpad X220 12.5" 320GB 4G

I had a Samsung Netbook with the Atom processor that was driving me nuts how slow it was. A good computer for $350, but too slow for my needs doing mostly internet browsing, the processor was always maxed out. This Thinkpad is so fast, much faster then my other 3 computers including a Dell, another older Thinkpad 400 and a HP desktop.

For example, to load CNN.com on my old Samsung, it took about 7 seconds, this takes about 1 second. I have Comcast wireless with 50Mbps speed and I get 45Mbps download on this. The dual core processor is very fast for all tasks. The Thinkpad came loaded with Windows 7 Professional, since Im a new to Windows 7 (use Xp on other 3 computers) it has been a learning curve, but I am starting to like it. I found many ways to make it look and feel more like my XP so I am getting more comfortable.

Back to the Thinkpad, there are some that criticize the trackpad. I found I had to customize it to stretch out the edge that it uses for detecting movement, that helped a lot as otherwise, I was finding errant selections to happen. It took me an hour or so to play around with the choices, but now it works great and is as good as any laptops pad. The keyboard is amazing also. I really like the light that you can turn on that illuminates the keyboard for working at night in low lights.

As for battery, it probably does get about 7-9 hours, but I have the backlit contrast turned all the way up which reduces mine to about 6 hours, anything better then 4 I consider good anyways. As for the screen, it is amazing, so much better then my old netbook. The sound could be better, but I like the volume and on-off buttons on the keyboard that are dedicated to the sound. My old Netbook was a bit lighter, but this is still a notebook weight, but with a full laptop speed (minus a DVD drive), and more, believe me this is a screaming fast machine, amazaing is all I can say.

I had some issues with my Symantec Internet Security not fully working, found out that I had to run Internet Explorer 9 in 32 bit mode, not 64, not an issue at all and a call to Symantec took me 2 minutes to change that. The PG UP and PG DN are at the top right, I like them on the lower right of the keyboard so I remapped two keys that are at the lower bottom to move forward and back on web pages, to now be the Pg UP and PG DN keys, it was a freeware program and I love now. The delete key is also in the upper right, but it is a double sized key so I like it now that I am used to it. When I am working and want to put it in sleep mode, I just press the on-off button and it goes right into sleep mode, pressing it again later, it comes back on within 5 seconds, then about 10 seconds more to reconnect to my wireless, very nice.

If you want a Netbook sized and weight computer that is more powerful then most laptops and desktops, this is the computer. I did a ton of research and even though this is much more expensive, consider you are getting a full computer with a dual core processor. I ended up getting the 4Gb model and bought another 4Gb (8 total) from Crucial that took me less then 3 minutes to install. If you can afford the higher price, buy this, you won't be sorry as I am extatic about this little lightening fast computer.

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I did my research and decided this was the machine for me -really attracted to the 8 hour battery life, light weight, keyboard and mid button cursor. Out of the box it did not work -sent back to Lenovo -it took me exactly 3 months to the day and escalated it to one level below VP of Customer service for customer service to actually get a new one -totally outrageous!!! Here's a really joke -the Executive that I dealt with said that he would send me an internal optical drive for my problems -they sent it -guess what -it doesn't fit an internal drive!!!

If you buy the machine get it locally where you can return it and if you notice ANY problems send it back!

HP Pavilion Sleekbook 15-b085nr 15-B085NR Reviews

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $529.99
Sale Price: $394.99
Today's Bonus: 25% Off

A great little computer but no obvious description regarding the absence of a cd/dvd drive. Truth in advertising is not just a cliché but a necessity when purchasing sight unseen.

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It is an affordable laptop with a 15.6-inch display and Intel 3rd generation core i3 processor.

Pros: quality audio; Fairly good graphics performance; Sturdy keyboard; Runs cool

Cons: relatively short battery life

Best Deals for HP Pavilion Sleekbook 15-b085nr 15-B085NR

Hp was loosing out on quality in the last few years but it seems they come up with some good products to put them right back into the game, exhibit HP Pavilion Sleekbook 15-b085nr (this laptop).

The laptop has a very sturdy feel to it and makes up for the slower processor with its stylish looks. It lacks a backlit keyboard and a high resolution screen and the lack of a touch screen does make windows 8 somewhat difficult to use. But you get what you pay for and for just over $400, that's somewhat a steal of a deal.

Overall, I'd recommend this product to anyone whose looking for a fast enough processor to get some MS Office work done, surf the internet and multitask a little thanks to the 4GB RAM.

Reviews of Alienware ALW18-6490sLV 18.4-Inch Laptop

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $2,549.99
Sale Price: $2,269.02
Today's Bonus: 11% Off

I am writing this review for all who are interested in this product, I spent 6 weeks researching before making a final decision. I was able to locate a couple of profession reviews for this model, but it was always the high-end with 780M-SLI and Solid state drives. I knew that I could rely on these for a base, but you always want to read honest reviews from individuals who own and present a realistic perspective. Sometimes, spending 4,400.00 is unrealistic on a laptop!

Base facts, here are some of the systems that I have owned -three different version of the Toshiba Qosmio laptop, the last one being an X505-Q896. Samsung Series 7 Gamer NP700G7C-S01US being my last gaming laptop, and I can't tell you how many different laptops over the years.

For this purchase, I looked at every conceivable configuration from Dell Alienware for ALW 17 and 18 models. I also considered the following models for purchase, MSI G Series GT70 2OD-039US, Qosmio X70-AST2GX1 and several other vendors including the top tier for building a custom laptop i.e. Sager/Xoticpc. Those were my considerations and I keep reading about manufacturing concerns and I keep thinking that I did not want to deal with these issues. To be fair, I know that all builders are going to have issue and I am confident that I could fix the issue myself if needed, but I just did not want to have to deal with the hassle if I spent over 2K for a laptop.

Last notes and then we will discuss this laptop, I went with ALW-6490sLV vs. ALW-6491sLV for two simple reasons. First, 6490 which represents Windows 7 is always at least 30-50 bucks less expensive than 6491 (Windows 8) version. Although I like Windows 8, it is not as intuitive on a non-touch screen. I also selected this model, because the 770M-SLI when it is supported will outperform the single 780M. The number are not dramatic, but if you watch performance closely, you will understand the logic. 770M in SLI will perform about 17% better than 780M (Single) and if it is 770M vs. 780M then I am at a disadvantage of -20% to the 780M.

I ran the stock laptop for a couple of days and it has been a joy. I did upgrade the following on my system. (This is the fun part!) I went from 8 gigs of memory to 32 gigs. (For all with that concern, this system will handle up to 32 gigs. I was not able to verify prior to adding the memory and one of my concerns when making this purchase.) I also added a Samsung Solid State drive into the system. The only modification that I will make going forward will be to remove the DVD drive and install a BLU Ray drive.

I recommend the following add-ons, additional HDD, be it Solid State or mechanical and BLU Ray since they are easy to reach and located at the bottom of the unit. They can be quickly upgraded without much hassle. The memory, unless you specifically need it, I would only recommend going up to 24 gigs on this model. 32 gigs is fantastic and I use when using Photo Shop and VMware while simulating the functionality of 6-8 Windows servers in a domain. The process to replace the memory is two slots in the back and two slots in the front. Accessing the back is a piece of cake, while access the front requires time, attention to detail and disassembling multiple parts of the laptop. Including the cable connections to keyboards and drives ¡V this is a big negative for users who are not handy. The process added about 90 minutes to replace the top two SODIMMs. For all interested, I purchased the memory from Crucial and I have had no issues. I would only recommend going to 16 gig or 24 gigs, since that will allow you to upgrade with our headache of touching the top two memory modules. The combination would be 8 gigs on top and either 8 or 16 on the bottom. (16\24 should be plenty of memory for most individuals!) BTW, I did do a Windows Anytime Upgrade to take advantage of the extra memory added to my system. I was aware that I would have to do this for Windows 7 and since I already own the key, it was a simple process. I will only run Windows 7 Ultimate for multiple reasons and is my personal choice. But if you are going to get Windows 7, it will be needed to utilize memory over 16 gigs. Specifics: Windows Home Premium will only support 16 gigs of Memory and to utilize more, you need to upgrade. This will not be a concern if you decide to get 6491 with Windows 8, the base Operation system will be able to see 32 gigs or less memory without an issue.

My first thoughts on the laptop, it is huge and heavy and appears to be well made. I feel like I could use this to stop a bullet. The item weighs 11.9 pounds and is not something that you would want to carry every day to class or work. It is heavy, but is a desktop replacement that produces results.

The keyboard area is massive and I have plenty of space, it is extremely conformable and allows me to rest my wrists while typing. Probably my favorite of all of my laptops. I will not focus on the customization of the lights and back light keyboard, but understand that is highly customizable. (Just not the reason that I purchased the system. I will even state that I am blown away that this system has the option ¡V just not a consideration when I made the purchase. º)

The screen is massive, it is 18.4 and one of the reasons that I went with the ALW 18. 18.4 inch (467.36 mm) WLED FHD (1080p) TrueLife TN 400 Nit Display (1920 X 1080). It is beautiful and I have had no issues. This is basically the same screen that I have on my Samsung Series 7 and I love the display. It is worth it if you work in Photo Shop and other similar applications.

The sounds, is by far, the best that I have heard on any system. The sounds are crisp, clear and loud. I can¡¦t complain and I usually have to turn it down so that I don¡¦t disturb my wife. The experience delivered between sound and display is amazing. I have watched one movie, Into Darkness and played Civilization 5. The experience was fantastic. Although I just wanted to test the Video Capabilities, since the game was fluid, it prompted me get right into the game and I had to pull myself out. Again, experience was engaging and performance was spot on, I loved it!

I am going to wrap up for now since I have spent more time at work this week and not really had the time to fully test my new system. I will set a reminder and update this review in 3-4 weeks. I just wanted to share my experience and provide some feedback for any users out there for any considering this system. I love it and would highly recommend it based on my week using the system. The build is high quality.

Last consideration, I ordered this system on August 12 and it arrived on September 6th. The reason is that these orders take so long to process is once accepted the orders are submitted to Dell to build the laptop. If you have an interest, then you should expect the delivery date to 3 to 6 weeks after placing your order. All I will say, if you order this same model directly from Dell, the cost will much higher. I found the starting cost from Dell for the Dual 770M-SLi to start at 3,000.00 and you are getting for a lot more on Amazon. I am a big Amazon fan and they always delivery on the cost to value.

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