Showing posts with label windows laptops. Show all posts
Showing posts with label windows laptops. Show all posts

Saturday, December 27, 2014

Buy Acer Aspire V3-731-4473 17.3" Notebook PC

Acer Aspire V3-731-4473 17.3' Notebook PC
Customer Ratings: 4 stars
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I am amazed by this computer. Big 17.3" screen, resolution is great. Sound is awesome. It was recommended to me by my computer tech. He said it is an excellent computer, especially the price. He set it all up for me.

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There is only one problem with this laptop...Windows 8, it lasted less than 45 minutes before I returned to Windows 7 Ultimate.

Now the computer is a joy to use. I have 29 years as an IT tech and I think Windows 8 won't be ready for prime time for at least another year if at all.

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Windows 8 is the AWFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I would not have purchase this if I knew how bad windows 8 is. DO NOT buy anything with windows 8!

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Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Reviews of Acer Aspire 7551-7422 17.3" Quad Core 2.2GHz 4GB 500GB

Acer Aspire 7551-7422 17.3' Quad Core 2.2GHz 4GB 500GB
Customer Ratings: 4.5 stars
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This laptop is absolutely amazing! I've actually come to love Acer laptops because they are reliable and affordable. I purchased this Acer Aspire 7551-7422 to upgrade from my Acer Aspire AS7736Z-4088. I also wrote a review on that one as well. This particular model is slightly different but similar in specs to the Acer AS7741G-6426 that has the 2.66 GHz Intel Core i5-480M dual-core processor which makes it more expensive. It also has a 640 GB SATA hard drive (5400 RPM)and this Acer model has 500 GB SATA hard drive with a 2.2GHz Quad Core processor (AMD Phenom II X4 N970).

I purchased this particular model at Walmart for $478.00 which I thought was a great deal. I have this exact model. It's black with a mesh like top so you don't have to worry about all those nasty little finger prints! This computer is blazing fast. It even takes less than 30 seconds to boot up. My previous Acer laptop made a little bit more noise compared to this model. This particular model is fairly quiet. You can barely hear it running. I especially love the bright 17.3 screen. It's absolutely beautiful! There is also a full numeric keypad and the keyboard has plenty of space. The keys are a nice size and have a spring like feel to them when pressed. The touchpad also has the multi-gesture feature where you can pinch and zoom ect. I don't particular like this feature. I bought a new wireless mouse to use with the laptop. I have never really liked the touchpad on a laptop. I prefer to use multi-gestures on my iPad. I also wanted to say that I was a bit surprised by how light the laptop is. I expected it to be much heavier. Acer did a really nice job with the build. It's a beautiful laptop at an affordable price. You are getting a lot for the price. If you are on a budget and don't want to spend the extra $100-$200 on Intel processor, I would definitely go with this option.

The only cons that I've noticed so far was that I only got just over 3 hours in battery life. There is also no Bluetooth which is a little disappointing. I got over it fairly quickly though. I don't use Bluetooth that often on my laptop. I also felt that the speakers were a little weak. If sound quality is very important to you then I would invest in some good quality speakers if you're going to go with this laptop. The sound quality isn't terrible but it could definitely be a lot better. Overall I'm happy with my purchase and feel like I got a lot of bang for my buck! I have included the technical specifications below in order to present them to you a little better.

-AMD Phenom II X4 Quad-Core N970 processor 2.2GHz

-2MB L2 Cache 4GB DDR3 SDRAM system memory (expandable to 8GB) Gives you the power to handle most power hungry applications and tons of multimedia work

-500GB SATA hard drive Store 333,000 photos, 142,000 songs or 263 hours of HD video and more

-8x SuperMulti DVD Double-Layer Drive Watch movies, and read and write CDs and DVDs in multiple formats

-10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet

-802.11b/g/n Wireless LAN Connect to a broadband modem with wired Ethernet or wirelessly connect to a Wi-Fi signal or hotspot with the 802.11b/g/n connection built into your PC

-17.3" HD+ widescreen CineCrystal display

-ATI Radeon HD 4250 Graphics with 256MB of dedicated video memory and support for Microsoft DirectX 10.1

Additional Features:

-Built-in 1.3 megapixel HD webcam

-5-in-1 memory card reader

-3 x USB 2.0 ports

-1 x VGA port

1 x headphone/speaker/line-out jack

-1 x microphone-in jack

-1 x RJ-45 Ethernet port

-1 x line-in jack

-1 x HDMI port

-1 x DC-in jack

-6-cell lithium-ion battery, up to 3 hours battery life Software

-Genuine Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition

-Microsoft Office Starter 2010: Includes reduced functionality versions of Microsoft Word and Excel, with advertising. PowerPoint or Outlook are NOT included.

-McAfee Internet Security Suite Trial

Backup and Restore options built into Windows allows you to create safety copies of your most important personal files, so you're always prepared for the worst

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I use the laptop for everything, including my photography, post processing, and office work. It's quick and I haven't had any problems with it at all. The only reason I don't give it five stars is that the battery life is short. I can only work about 2 hours before I have to recharge it. I'm sure that has to do with the fact that it has a big screen and the display eats power. Still, I think they could have done better. I'm going to have to get an accessory battery charger for taking the laptop on photo shoots. I had hoped that wouldn't be necessary. Otherwise, this thing is screaming fast for my purposes. The keyboard is comfortable to use as well.

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PRO: AMD's FX Quad Core processor will definitely plow through your basic office tasks without hesitation. After a bit of adjustment, the keyboard works quite well under normal conditions, and the trackpad is better than most I've dealt with.

CON: Graphics is about average for student/home business use, unsuitable for gaming (no L3 cache, only 256 MB max memory, which is shared and set in the BIOS). 5400 RPM HDD is simply inappropriately slow for any use today. Out of the box you will spend hours doing security updates on Windows 7 (typical for anything out of Microsoft the last couple of decades), or you can spend about a half hour installing Ubuntu Linux and not have to deal with that mess, I did both do to the need of a few Linux programs I use regularly. There is no Bluetooth, something that I always thought to be standard on laptops the past few years (it created problems for me with several cameras that required it), but you can purchase the card separately and install it yourself if know how. Battery life is nowhere near half what was promised, from power-on to shutdown I got a maximum of 73 minutes (a lot was wasted in the boot-up process) under Windows 7 Pro, 98 minutes under Ubuntu Studio (Linux), far short of the 180 minutes promised, and this under very strict energy settings.

For business use, I can find no fault with this laptop, other than described above. Unfortunately, I purchased this laptop for entertainment, to keep my mind off the size of the needles being stuck into my spine. The slow hard drive, lack of L3 cache, and minimalist video memory combined to make playing any modern graphics-based games all but completely impossible. Without Bluetooth, I was also forced to work strictly offline with any video I captured, and the Acer could only communicate with my Blackberry via USB or WiFi. rather than the preferred (and to my mind much more secure) Bluetooth.

The only game I was able to get running was Microsoft Flight Simulator X (FSX), a simulator I've been playing with for decades in various incarnations. While FSX works just fine on my old Dell Studio 1737 (Pentium T3400), the Acer FX simply can't handle FSX due to the absence of any L3 cache at all, and the minimalist 256 MB vRAM didn't help matters. Best frame rate under FSX recommended settings was 5 fps, just under 20 fps if I set all the display settings to absolute minimums (not very realistic at that point, more like an old arcade game).

The upside I liked was the ability to upgrade the installed Win 7 Home Premium to the Professional version, something I needed in order to run certain XP based 32 bit programs I still need (no replacements for them yet), a feature that never worked right under Vista. I also installed the Ubuntu Studio version of Linux, which deals with my cameras (when connected via USB) far better than Windows (any version).

And, as usual for Microsoft, right out of the box I spent a long time doing "updates" on their latest software, mostly security issues that hackers were exploiting long before Windows 7 hit the marketplace here in the US.

All in all, however, this Acer cost me half in 2012 what I paid for my old Dell Studio 1737 in early 2009, so I think I got an okay deal on this one. Still, one must wonder what the good folks who built this thing were thinking when the hobbled the graphics so badly by omitting L3 and half the needed memory, especially in today's very graphics intensive computing environment.

This computer is only suitable for basic student/home office functions that do not involve heavy graphics or unusually complex mathematical functions (even some Zynga games on Facebook fail to work well, go figure). Those with such needs, or who are interested in a gaming laptop (which is what I was told I was getting) should consider another laptop and/or manufacturer. Otherwise, not bad for what I paid.

EDIT to add more information...

The laptop gets very hot (220+ F) when room temperature is above 74 and doing anything that is graphics intensive, likely owing to the under-powered graphics built in. The GPU is definitely the source of the heat buildup, and I strongly recommend downloading a utility program to shut the computer down if the heat exceeds 225 F (if you want the laptop to last very long). As most already know, GPU's cannot be replaced on laptops.

Honest reviews on Acer Aspire 7551-7422 17.3" Quad Core 2.2GHz 4GB 500GB

GREAT computer, I have no complaints, except for one: the speaker volume tends to be low. I had to buy an external speaker for watching some content on the computer. However,it is the best I have owned. Easy to use, and inexpensive!

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This was the cheapest by far amongst the various options for a Phenom Quad core 2.2 GHz and 17" or bigger screen.

To give an idea: Frys was selling a refurbished laptop with Phenom with dual core for 150 dollars more and WalMart had the same one for around 80 dollars more.

The look and feel was great it looked and felt new. The downside was that the laptop came with a lot key drivers missing starting with the wireless and LAN drivers. though there was a page with the information that buyers might have to download LAN and wireless drivers it could have been more comprehensive. The ACER site has both Broadcom and Atheros as options for the same model and it was not clear as to which one needed to be downloaded.

What they did not mention in their FAQ was that both the screen/display drivers, card reader drivers and audio drivers were not the recommended drivers but default ones from Windows. The Acer program for the web cam still does not work though the web cam works in skype and msn. There is also no firewire port.

To be fair, Tech Turn the seller did have a help number to call but they work Monday to Friday and since I received it on Friday evening it was not much use to me.

Once I got all the drivers set up a solid three hours of trial and error and downloading and installing straightforward stuff though no need to be an expert it works well and I am satisfied enough with the price / value of money equation to happily give 4 stars. (it is a solid 17.3" LED screen with a great quad core chip). TechTurn also had amazing delivery I had super saver delivery in 4 days.

Overall looks like a great Amazon purchase fingers crossed it is two weeks old as I write this review.

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Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Toshiba - Satellite L455-s5975 --Intel Celeron 900/ 2gb Ddr2/ 15.6" Review

Toshiba - Satellite L455-s5975 --Intel Celeron 900/ 2gb Ddr2/ 15.6' Trubrite/ 250gb 5400rpm/ Silver
Customer Ratings: 4 stars
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I purchased this to be used like a netbook, except bigger and with all the benefits of a laptop. For $320 (Best Buy) you can't go wrong. For a light mobile laptop that is as quick as you need it to be and offers all the features a netbook doesn't, this is a perfect alternative. This will make a perfect laptop for a teen, college student or the person on the run. This isn't a Toshiba high end laptop, but for surfing the Internet, using Office and connecting it to my cable line and recording TV, this thing handles it all with no problems and does it fairly quickly. The graphics and sound quality is pretty good, and the 15" screen is perfect for watching TV. I am impressed and I am glad I came upon this opportunity instead of going with a netbook for just a bit more. This is a nice laptop and a steal for what I paid, even for the price offered on Amazon, but I recommend checking around (Best Buy on-line). You can't go wrong, Toshiba makes great products and from what I have seen in the week of using this, this is one of them.

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I bought this computer three weeks ago from Best Buy for 349. I can't believe the value for the price. I love windows 7 -it is much quicker than vista and they have added some very nice features. All the MS Office programs load quick as well as any other program I have used. It comes preloaded with Norton Internet Security. I really hate it when they load programs to get you hooked for 30 days free and then remind you every hour that it is time to buy, however, Norton is a very good fit for this computer and it doesn't seem to eat up any processing speed running in the background. I'm going to wait another week then part with some hard earned money for the annual subscription. The only negative with this computer is that the cooling fan cycles on and off which can be annoying if you are working in a quiet area. It does it job, though and keeps the computer cool. Bottom line: Unless you are a power hungry gamer, you can't go wrong with this computer.

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Great Deal!! I bought this computer mainly for internet use and light computing, watch some movies from netflix. It is totally great for price. I highly recommend this computer if you are looking just for internet use. Highly satisfied. Whole family uses it.

Honest reviews on Toshiba - Satellite L455-s5975 --Intel Celeron 900/ 2gb Ddr2/ 15.6"

Well purchased a Toshiba Satellite for my son for Christmas and have disappointed since day one. Plugged it up and we get scrambled LCD screen with black blobs all over the place. I call Toshiba for advice and the first thing they say is this is covered under warranty. Seems they will not repair any screen related issues with there laptops. They said it was caused by abuse. I find this hard to believe since it was this way right out of the box and used for less than 3 days. No were in the warranty book does it say this is not covered. I ask for them to point this out to me and no one would answer my question. The kicker is they want $425 to repair a $400 computer. I will be returning this laptop and will avoid Toshiba like the black plague. I would suggest anyone considering a Toshiba call the warranty department first and ask them what does there warranty cover. Don't make the mistake I made.

Reggie

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I currently own this laptop and had it since November 2009. I purchased this laptop because my previous Dell computer broke. At time time I was attending a community college and needed a nice inexpensive computer. This laptop is a lil older than other laptops, but overall it's a solid machine. You get what you pay for with this laptop. This machine is great for web browsing, certain games, listening to music, play DVDs, typing papers, and storing files. This would be a great buy for a normal student or adult that just want a computer for the basic functions. I'm not sure how this computer compares to the other inexpensive computers, such as Compaq and Accer, sold at Walmart, but this computer isn't a bad buy. The down sides to this computer is that it can become heavy to carry around (although lighter than my Dell Laptop). It can run slowly if too many programs are running and it doesn't have a webcam (it didn't matter to me). The sound isn't as good as other computers such as MacBook. Today I wouldn't advise paying more than $250 for it from someone on Amazon or Craigslist--and that's if the laptop comes with everything (itunes, windows 8 upgrade, Windows office, etc). I recently purchased a MacBook Pro, but I still utilize my Toshiba to read ebook and study videos as I take notes on my MacBook.

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Monday, August 11, 2014

Buy Razer Blade 17 Inch Gaming Laptop

Razer Blade 17 Inch Gaming Laptop
Customer Ratings: 3.5 stars
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I had my eye on the Razer Blade Laptop since it was announced two years ago and bought mine in February. After owning the notebook for six months now would like to share my impressions. Having owned a plethora of gaming laptops over the years (DELL XPS 17, ASUS Gamers Republic G73 series, Alienware M15X, M17X, even the huge M18X) I can say without any reservation this is the lightest, sleekest, most portable gaming laptop I've ever owned, and the only one like it on the market as of right now.

Aesthetically, the Razer Blade has all the sleek, unibody looks of the Apple Macbook line, thought it is a matte black aluminum laptop rather than silver. Razer has really designed this unit with gamers in mind. For example, the 17.3" 1080P display is matte with excellent contrast and color reproduction. The keyboard has an anti-ghosting feature (I'm not sure what the other reviewer was complaining about as neither my screen nor keys have ever suffered from ghosting in any scenario). Even the side fans blow hot exhaust back away from the gamer which is a plus. With the aluminum construction the Blade is a solid, well designed piece of hardware.

The most unique feature of the Blade is of course the Switchblade UI, which includes a color video touchpad located to the right of the keyboard, and 10 customizable LED icons. While the location of the trackpad is awkward at first and takes a day or so to become accustomed to, it is a delight to use. Razer regularly updates the Switchblade software, adding new icons and customization features. I, however, have enjoyed more than anything, creating my own icons for apps and games and shortcuts. I press the game icon and my game list profile launches with a list of 20 games, each with their own launch icon. I can slide back and forth on the display using a three finger side scroll, and select Max Payne 3 (yes, the Blade runs it just fine), and then my Max Payne 3 custom profile launches. Bring this thing to a lan party and watch the folks "Ooh and ahh" as you switch back and forth using custom icons. It really does make this laptop one of a kind.

Performance-wise, the Blade is an upper-middle class gaming laptop. This means its somewhat comparable to the Alienware M14X (2011 edition). It features some of the best of last years tech, including a dual core Sandy Bridge i7 CPU, which is quite fast and capable, and runs cooler than the quadcore (also preserving battery life), as well as an NVIDIA 555M GT Graphics Card. With the most current driver, the Blade scores 12530 running 3DMark06. Of course, with the advent of Ivy Bridge and Nvidia's Kepler 6XXX series GPUs, the question is, "Is the Blade still all that powerful?" Well, it was never the most powerful laptop to begin with. My M18X with crossfire outperformed the Blade in every test. Moreover, Ivy Bridge has better performance benchmarks, not to mention better integrated GFX and better battery life. The Geforce 650M has shown itself to be an impressive card as well (Macbook Retina anyone?). These are two upgrades people are hoping for in the next iteration of the Blade (maybe Q4 this year or early next year, no one really knows). As someone who typically keeps their laptop for less than a year, I had mulled selling my Blade a while back but have decided to keep it, at least until I see what Razer's next big offering looks like. Here's my rational for doing so, as well as my advice to those considering pulling the trigger and buying this unique laptop (on sale with 10% off for students right now BTW):

1. This is still a very powerful gaming laptop. Aside from Metro 2033, I have yet to find a game that I can't play on this machine with respectable framerates, high resolution (nearly all my games I play at 1080p, and one or two I drop the resolution down to 1600P or 720p), and high textures. I play Skyrim at 1080P with the high res textures pack, and ultra settings, with only the filter lowered, and average 40+ FPS. Battlefield 3 I lower to 720P but play it maxed out, Dirt 3 maxed out at 1080P, Max Payne 3 at 1080P with low shadows, Spec Ops the Line maxed out, MW3 plays flawlessly maxed out. So all that to say this may have 2011 tech in it, but there aren't any modern PC games that this unit can't play well, leaving me with a satisfied smile.

2. This is still the most portable gaming laptop. The only laptop I would compare this one to as of right now would be the Macbook Pro 17, which was discontinued this year actually. The Blade is thinner than the 17 at less than an inch, is just as light, just as portable. You won't simply won't find another 17" notebook with gaming specs as high as this, that is as portable as the Blade. I would also point out the Blade also comes with a power adapter that is also an inch thick, and weighs about as much as a TV remote. I can actually put the adapter in my pocket and carry the Blade under my arm. Coming from an M18x with a 3lb adapter, its a refreshing thing. I would say if you want a comparable 17" notebook and like OSX, the Macbook Pro 17 2011 is really your only other option. But again, as of right now, you still won't find a 17" laptop with these specs and with this level of portability.

3. This is still the most unique gaming laptop. While you can't change the color of the keyboard (ala Alienware and a few other models), the Razer Blade is still the only notebook on the market that allows you to change your actual keys and touchpad for that matter. You won't find freedom to customize your PC experience anywhere else as of right now. Kudos to Razer for having the chutzpah to bring an innovative product like this to the market before anybody else.

So, is the Razer Blade for you? If you want the most powerful Ivy Bridge, Kepler-infused Gaming Laptop on the market as of right now, then no. Its not the most powerful, not by a long shot. That was never Razer's goal. But if you are in the market for the most portable, most unique, and in my opinion, most attractive 17" gaming laptop currently available, then look no further than the Razer Blade.

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I recently purchased this from Tiger Direct for roughly 1499 US dollars, and I have to say, when looking at the specs in contrast to other machines this size, it was a steal that I couldn't pass up. Amazon is now offering this model as well for 1499, and their shipping and return policy is much better than Tiger Direct's, so I'd go with them.

Design: Absolutely beautiful, albeit absolutely inspired by another fruit related company. However, I think that this laptop is even more aesthetically pleasing than Macbook Pro's uni-body design. From the black aluminum exterior, green illuminated keyboard, to the totally cool, albeit slightly gimmicky Switchblade UI trackpad, this thing screams bad ass! It's rigid, and feels perfect for toting around. Other 17" laptops of this class are just monsters, and that makes carrying them around a hassle for sure.

Performance: Okay, this is where I would've been mad if I spent the full MSRP at launch (2899 US Dollars). With a dual core Intel i7, 8gb Ram, 256 Gb SSD, the specs looks pretty damn good, until you get to the GPU, which is a fairly mediocre GT555m. Now i'm not saying this thing can't game, because it can, but you shouldn't go into it wanting top performance out of every game. Yeah, I bought this wanting to game, but I also bought this to write papers on and what not. So in that sense, and for a moderate gaming machine, this is an absolute ideal laptop. As long as you're not expecting the absolute best performance, you'll be super satisfied with the laptop's performance (and if "extreme" performance is your forte', build a desktop.)

Software: Windows PC's are notorious for their hard drive being inundated with crap software, but the Razer Blade completely shunts that ideal and instead has just the bare essentials on it; a clean install of Windows 7, their Synapse 2.0 software for customization and update management, to Windows Live Essentials, this thing has the perfect amount of usable software I've ever seen on a new laptop.

Overall: This has been my absolute favorite laptop I've ever owned. I've owned the prestigious Macbook Pro 15" Retina, all the way to Dell's business Vostro 13" laptop, and this baby beats them all. Windows 7, IMO, is just so much more intuitive than OSX, and the Switchblade UI trackpad is truly cool, and adds such a unique taste to laptops that seem to just rinse and repeat. If you can snag this for the aforementioned price, this is an absolute steal, not only for a general purpose laptop, but for gaming and other heavy media stuff as well. I highly recommend it!

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I recently purchased this blade because it Carries portability, large workspace, and power. The blade is portable and powerful, however there are three issues that buyers should know. First, with it's thin design and its long length finding a backpack that it fits comfortably in is difficult, initial startup on the blade 1st gen is glitchy for a couple of hours until the drivers and essentials are updated(battery would not charge for about 5hrs after booting, keyboard and sidescreen freeze up multiple times durring the first day, does still freeze when awaking from hibernate), does not include any for of Microsoft office. Those are the only problems I have ran into with my blade and with the 1080p matte screen and high contrast colors , amusingly slim design, and antimacbook look I would recomend this over an alienware m14x not because of power but because of efficiency, battery life is approx 2hrs gaming and 4hrs normal use. I use my blade for engineering hw, c++ work, recording and editing music, photo editing, and gaming I hope this helped in your desicion, thanks for your time

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From my son:

::unintelligible whooping:: Boots up lightning fast (

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Friday, July 11, 2014

Cheap HP 2000-2b19wm 15.6-Inch Laptop PC (Winter Blue) / 4GB DDR3 RAM

HP 2000-2b19wm 15.6-Inch Laptop PC / 4GB DDR3 RAM Memory / Large 320GB Hard Drive / HD TruVision Webcam / HDMI / WiFi / Reads and burns CDs and DVDs / HD BrightView LED-backlit Display / Windows 8 / Power Efficient AMD E-300 Dual Core Processor
Customer Ratings: 4 stars
List Price: $449.99
Sale Price: $342.96
Today's Bonus: 24% Off
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I've just gone from XP :-) to VISTA :-( & now to WIN 8 :-/ totally by-passing WIN 7. I'm still getting used to the finger-sensitive mouse pad, but don't let that discourage you from trying WIN 8; the integrated mouse pad is really a stellar design. Its really no different than using your fingers to navigate an iPhone screen. Like with anything new, you hafta' read-up, do your homework & finally put your own hands on it & play around with it a little bit. Yeah, I was slow to take-off with it at first, but within 2 weeks, I can now navigate all my screens (Apps, Desktop, Internet, etc.) with ease. Props to HP for the laptop features (3 USB, 1 LAN, Web-cam WITH built-in MIC, SD slot, 1 HDMI port, 4G RAM, etc.). For the price you pay, you more than get your money's worth. The 'Winter-Blue' color scheme with inside/outside 'hp' logo is eye-catching as well as refreshing from the normal, run-of-the-mill basic 'black-on-black' color scheme so often found on laptops. Bravo HP 2000 series!

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This laptop caught our attention with its reasonable price. Usually a low priced machine is missing some key components. This laptop met the specifications we needed. We wanted a work machine and it does that well, along with being a nice looking machine. It is not the smallest or lightest out there but it is fully equipped to work. After two months of daily use it has proven to be our workhorse. It has all we need for office work and can be carried when needed. We were not planning to go with the HP brand, but the price, looks, and specifications convinced us.

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I like this laptop. The windows eight would not be my first choice if I were to buy another it would not be with the windows eight. There weren't any manuals with it either which I find odd. I would have liked instruction books. The library has a nice book for those that have not used the windows eight before. There really is more to the windows that what I will use. Also It does not have a words program installed and requires one purchased separately which was an unexpected expense. Still it seems like a great buy to me.

Honest reviews on HP 2000-2b19wm 15.6-Inch Laptop PC (Winter Blue) / 4GB DDR3 RAM

I ordered this lap top for my son who is a freshman in college. He was truly excited to receive it. I looked up so many other laptops with these features in the department stores and they ranged anywhere from $700$1,200.00. This was well within my budget and I am happy that we can use the webcam to see him considering he is so far away. Love it!!!! I would recommend it.

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My little niece had broken her first one but had liked it so much that she wanted an identical one to replace it. I have heard no complaints at all and she uses it all the time for skyping, emailing, games etc.

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Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Reviews of Gateway NV57H54u 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black)

Gateway NV57H54u 15.6-Inch Laptop
Customer Ratings: 3 stars
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I became scared when I read the 3 negative reviews that appeared the day after I purchased this computer, but I decided not to cancel the order. I am glad I did not, because it has turned out to be a very nice computer. I have had very good experiences with Gateway computers in the past; this is why I opted for a Gateway computer again.

One of the negative reviews mentioned a "cursor jumping" problem with this computer. Even though I am not aware of this problem in this particular model (at least so far), I know that this issue can be solved by disabling the "tapping" option on the mouse touchpad (I found out about this because I bought a netbook that had this same problem); this implies having to use the buttons below the touchpad to click and double-click, but this is something you can get used to very quickly. This computer did have an issue with the touchpad being too sensitive, but that was fixed by going to the Windows Control Panel and reducing the touchpad's tapping sensitivity.

All in all, I am very happy with the purchase, and I would more than likely purchase another Gateway if I had to buy another computer in the near future.

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My first laptop was a Gateway that I bought in 2006, so after serving me well for almost 6 years, it was time to get a new laptop. After comparing many brands, I decided to go with what's familiar to meGateway. Granted, the company was purchased by Acer a few years ago (no wonder I couldn't find many "Gateway" branded laptops), so I was worried that there might be a loss in quality. Once I received it, I can say that it is on par with the other laptops in this price point.

I've had this laptop for a month now and I am very satisfied with it. The case is made with the typical shiny, smooth, plastic you'd find on many laptops these days. I have to warn people to be careful sliding their fingers or hands around the edge of the screen because it might be sharp enough to give you a nice little cut if you run your hand across it fast enough (think papercut). The case seems rather thin to me in comparison to my old laptop, but I'm pretty careful so I'm not too worried about damaging it. Also, the case is prone to fingerprints. Be prepared to wipe it down a lot if you don't like that sort of thing.

I was worried when others said they had problems with the keyboard because I'm a blogger, but I adjusted to the layout and chiclet keys quickly. I'm typing with the same speed and accuracy as I did on my old laptop. The only gripe I have is that the spacebar doesn't always work when tapped. I will admit that is kind of annoying, but it doesn't happen often enough for me to dislike this laptop. Also, I had the adjust the touchpad settings right out of the box, so you may have to adjust it too before you begin to use it. Haven't had any problems with the cursor jumping aroundand hopefully I never will!

The screen is fine but shiny, so you will experience glare under bright lights. I read a review elsewhere about the poor speakers on this system, but it's not as bad as they make it seem. I watch TV on my laptop and the sound is just fine in a quiet room. If you have other things going on in the background, for instance, if you're in a public establishment, then the sound will be inadequate. Most laptops don't come with booming speakers anyway.

The bootup time on this is pretty fast. I use my laptop daily for editing images (simple edits, nothing major), uploading media to my site, surfing the net with dozens of browser tabs open at the same time, watching videos, playing music, and creating documents with MS Word. I can do all of those tasks simultaneously with no problems. The core i3 processor and 4 gigs of RAM are perfect for my needs. Hopefully it will behave when I install Adobe Illustrator. And the battery really does last for 5 hours when fully charged! This is a huge plus for me. It doesn't take that long to get fully charged either, so that's another plus. As others have mentioned, the laptop runs extremely cool. I've only felt it get warm maybe 2 or 3 times, and it was just lukewarm, not hot like my old laptop.

This system does not come with a recovery disc. I bought some DVD-Rs and made recovery discs with the wizard, which was a simple process (and only took 4 discs). You can also make a backup of your Gateway drivers on a separate disc using the same wizard. The power adapter port is featured on the left side of the laptop, which is an improvement from my old Gateway that had the port located in the backa location I always found annoying. I don't care too much for the new way the laptop screens open and close...it's like a snapping action and I always cringe when I close my laptop and the screen snaps down rather hard. I try to open and close it as gently as possible to prevent possibly damaging the bezel or the hinges.

As another reviewer mentioned, there is no built-in Bluetooth. It's odd because even my old Gateway had Bluetooth, but when researching laptops, I noticed many new systems are built without it. I don't know if Bluetooth is going to be phased out eventually, but I don't think the lack of Bluetooth should stop someone from purchasing this laptop. Just buy a USB Bluetooth adapter. I haven't tried the Wi-Di yet, but I'm planning to as I find a wifi adapter for my TV. I also haven't used the webcam yet. I will eventually install Tango and give it a try. There is a cute little useless dedicated key on the keyboard for social networking. I've never used it, so I don't have anything to say about it except that it is there if you need it. Haha.

I am happy with my choice thus far. I will update if I run into any failures.

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I had an Acer mini laptop which I sold before buying this computer. I had been searching for months for a brand that people don't complaint too much about. I decided to buy a Gateway Laptop because my dad has one and it have been working pretty well for a year now. I liked it so I bought this one for myself. Very good Laptop, The only problem is that it has poor speakers. Everything sounds too low for my taste! I first graded it 5 stars but now just 3! I'm gonna keep reviewing!

July/4/2012:

I totally now recommend this computer! It is almost a month a not a single bad thing has happened. The problem with the sound is over because I found out a way to resolve it. The keyboard is not as bad as people said in past reviews, you just have to get used to it as with everything in life! 5 stars back for it!

Something I love of this computer is the touchpad that makes you feel like you are dealing with a Mac touchpad.

Here are the tips for the sound in case you decide to buy it:

I right-clicked the sound icon on the task bar and choose the sound option. Then in the playback option selected speakers (Realtek High Def audio) and clicked on properties and chose the Enhacements option. There I clicked on the disable sound effects option and Whalaaa! Super high volume!

Honest reviews on Gateway NV57H54u 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black)

Maybe its because I bought mine new or something, but I've had this computer for 5 months and I've had no problems. Good graphics, spacious hard drive, and works fast. Not a ton of bloatware though I'd recommend getting rid of Norton Security after the 30 day trial is done. All in all this is a great laptop.

P.S: I'll update the review after another 3 months or so.

EDIT: 9/24/13 This laptop is still running great! The battery doesn't retain as much charge as it used to but all in all everything is great.

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K ... had this laptop for 3 months so far. Changed the HHD to SSD so the warranty is now officially bleeped. The screen is great & at the time I purchased mine it was the cheapest i5 I could possibly find course now it's $50 cheaper here on Amazon. Oh Well. Not sure how long it's gonna last since Acer bought Gateway awhile back. Gateway use to make rock solid PC's my wife & I still have 8 year old P4's. I cranked up the power supply in mine to a 500 watter & natural upgrades 500gig HD, 3rd party Video card, max ram, replaced the CPU cooler on both PC's years back but consider both beasts run 24x7x365 never had a issue. It'll be interesting to see just how long this little beastie lasts.

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Monday, March 24, 2014

ASUS VivoBook S400CA-DH51T 14-Inch Touch Ultrabook Reviews

ASUS VivoBook S400CA-DH51T 14-Inch Touch Ultrabook
Customer Ratings: 4 stars
List Price: $699.00
Sale Price: $596.95
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I have been using this laptop for the last few days and my initial impressions are highly positive. I bought it as a gift for my wife but I had to take some time with it before giving it up. She was using an older 17" Dell and was tired of carrying around an 8 pound laptop so I started my search. With Windows 8 coming out I knew I wanted a touch screen and the only model in my price range was this Asus. I have had plenty of experience with Asus motherboards and video cards and they have always been great products so I decided to take the plunge. So far it has been a wise decision.

When I opened the box I was impressed with how thin and light the laptop is. Compared to my Dell XPS 15 this thing is tiny but packs a screen just 1.3" smaller. While it is light weight it still feels very solid in your hands. The laptop weighs about 4.0lbs by my scale. Surprisingly the power brick is tiny as well, measuring about 3"x3"x1" and weighing 1.2lbs. My wife wanted something smaller to carry around and this fits the bill perfectly.

Opening the lid reveals a 14" touch screen with 1366x768 resolution and the keyboard/touchpad combination. The screen is bright and clear and the viewing angles are very good. Love it or hate it Windows 8 is included and having a touchscreen makes it even better. The screen responds well to your touch and the only time I see fingerprints on it is when the screen is off. The top of the laptop however shows more fingerprints than the screen. I was initially concerned with the lower resolution but on this size of screen it works well and my wife actually prefers it over the HD resolution of my Dell as it makes text easier to read.

The laptop has a Chiclet style keyboard that is not backlit. I have read about people having issues with the space bar on other Asus models but it appears to have been resolved because every key has been very responsive. The touchpad works well and supports multi-touch gestures such as pinch to zoom and two finger scrolling. After some use I like the touchpad and buttons. The touchpad and buttons are all one piece with the buttons slightly elevated to provide a click when you press them. You do not have to press very hard on the buttons and they do not feel stiff or mushy. In the center of the buttons is a line to show you left and right. I prefer the touchpad on the Asus over my XPS.

On the left side of the laptop are two USB 2.0 ports, a memory card reader and the microphone/headset jack. On the right side there is 1 USB 3.0 port, a full size HDMI port, a VGA port, an Ethernet jack and the AC jack. There is no optical drive but with high speed memory sticks and the internet I don't see this as a problem. If you really need it there are plenty of small, cheap external drives available.

We have had the laptop for a few days day now and the battery life is very good. Over the first few days we used it quite a bit and only charged it once a day. Tonight I unplugged the laptop from the charger (it was at 93%) and watched Netflix for the next 3 and a half hours and the battery meter says it still has 1 hour or 21% of the battery left. The brightness was set to about 30% for my test. I would guess 4 to 5 hours of battery life will be average.

Sound on this laptop is good but not to the level of my XPS 15. There are two speakers on the bottom of the laptop to the left and right sides, angled to bounce the sound off whatever surface the laptop is sitting on. I cranked up some music and the sound is clear at any volume with no distortion but lacked a little fullness in the low and mid-end. I listen to a lot of music while at work and I certainly would not complain if I had to use this laptop to do it.

The included wireless N adapter has good performance with speeds up to 7 MB/s when transferring files to and from my HTPC in the living room over 40 feet away. It connected to my wireless network right away and reconnects almost instantly when resuming from sleep. The wireless radio only operates on the 2.4mhz band and while Asus' webpage says that Bluetooth is included, I don't believe it is. I can't find anything in Device Manager for Bluetooth Devices.

Performance has been very snappy thanks to the dual core I5 processor and 24gb SSD caching drive. Applications launch quickly and boot times are minimal. Even my wife has noticed how much speedier the computer is than her old one. I have not done any gaming on it yet but will amend my review when I get a chance. I will note that there is some bloatware installed on the machine such as McAfee that you should get rid of as soon as you can. Windows 8 includes Defender by default so why Asus loads McAfee is beyond me. Asus Updater was also showing an error in the desktop when I booted but that cleared up after Windows 8 installed some updates.

Overall this is a fun little computer and using the touchscreen with Windows 8 has proved to be a great experience. This review has been my opinion so far but after finally giving the computer to my wife it doesn't look like I will get it back any time soon. Now that she can play Bingo Blitz with the touchscreen it looks like I will have to get one of my own! She summed it up to me in two enthusiastic words, "It's Fun!" And here I thought this was a work PC...

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I'll keep this short, and just put what I consider relevant. My first computer had a cassette drive, and my first laptop wasn't much more advanced, so I've had a lot of experience with this type of technology.

My opinion of this product is that it's the finest built laptop I've ever handled, with one exception the wi-fi. To be fair, it might be a Windows 8 thing, a driver thing, or a hardware thing, but the wi-fi goes out randomly every hour or two. Disabling the wireless and re-enabling brings it back.

Other than this, and again I don't know it's the laptops fault this is perfect. If you like the feel of a Macbook, but not the price, this will make your day. Aluminum chassis, excellent touchscreen (which brings Windows 8 to life, without it, Windows 8 is garbage), the weight, and the thickness (under an inch) are matched only by the quality feel and operation of the product as a whole.

In short this thing rocks, buy it.

UPDATE: I contacted Asus, and although I can't explain why, their fix worked. Uninstall the wireless adapter from device manager, restart, reinstall, and bam I no longer randomly disconnect. 5/5 now

Update #2: Asus website, and support, insist this product is not sold without bluetooth. The amazon page does not list yes or no for bluetooth. Long and short somehow the system I received from Amazon has no bluetooth. Asus support insists that's defective hardware, as they only sell it with the Qualcomm Atheros Bluetooth. They (Asus) gave me an RMA number to ship it back, and they will send me one with Bluetooth correctly functioning. Big hassle and for this I took off a star.

Update #3: So I got my Vivobook back, after only 6 days, which was impressive, with a note which read "This product does not come with Bluetooth"...

That after 2 techs told me (pre-rma) that it did, the specifications page on their website still says it has Integrated Bluetooth 4.0. Removing a star.

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This is one of the cheapest 14" touch screen laptops available (

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Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Reviews of HP Pavilion TX2500Z 12.1-Inch High-Definition Laptop

HP Pavilion TX2500Z 12.1-Inch High-Definition Laptop
Customer Ratings: 2 stars
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Just look on the web to see all the problems with this machine, issues with wireless failing, over heating and video card dying. Indeed it gets so hot you can burn yourself and do not set it down on paper or it may start a fire. Avoid this machine and possibly HP.

It pains me to write this as I have been a big HP fan but recently their laptops are disappointing.

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The company that sold me this item lied about what the system had on it. When I called them they told me they would send me the part that I need for free and I STILL HAVE NOT RECIEVED IT. This have been two weeks ago.

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Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Review of Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E530 6272-4GU 15.6-Inch Laptop

Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E530 6272-4GU 15.6-Inch Laptop
Customer Ratings: 4 stars
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I ordered this laptop (Edge E530 62724GU) from Amazon, specifically with Windows 7. I think Windows 8 is usable, but better suited to machines with touchscreen hardware. When I got the package, I thought that the computer was not new. I was wrong it was new; it had been opened to remove the original Windows 8 Pro and install Windows 7 Professional.

I bought this computer for my wife. After spending some time removing unneeded software and adding needed software, I had become familiar with it. The sound and camera are adequate for her needs, and the laptop itself seems sturdy. The software installed was more useful than some of the crapware on other new laptops.

My wife likes the feel of the machine, and the weight is acceptable; for lighter weight, you will pay more.

The display has 1 dead pixel, but she has not noticed it. If it had 3, I would have sent it back. It's annoying, but not a serious problem.

If this laptop lasts as well, and as long, as it feels like it will, it will have been money well spent.

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This is a solid 4GB Core I5 machine with a fast hard drive (7200rpm) and it comes with Windows 7 installed and with a Windows 8 upgrade. With sufficient memory, the fast drive makes more difference in the computer's performance than a fast processor. The multitouch touchpad takes some getting used to. Because the computer has both a trackpoint and a touchpad, the 3 mouse buttons are above the touchpad. The primary user of this machine has been using XP at home and Windows 7 at work and does not like change. Windows 8 would be a very traumatic change. With Windows 7, this machine was the perfect upgrade, minimizing the change from the previous machine. I did delete some of the bloatware that ships with the machine. I also had to go to the Lenovo downloads for this machine to download and install the trackpad software so that I could shut off some of the functions that were causing confusion.

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So I bought this laptop to replace my g/f's old Dell XPS 1340 that started overheating. And I have to admit. I am disappointed by this unit. Let's start with the build quality. Now the machine itself had no scuff marks and the plastic matte finish was alright, something to keep it simple, but I have to admit, the way that thing attracts grease is scary. I only used it yesterday and the trackpad and wrist-rest look so greasy. Everytime I used it, I had to keep wiping the surface. (I was trying to remove the bloatware for my girl, we'll get to the software in a bit). But my major concern with the build quality was the laptop dvd drive. Now MAYBE it was just a q/c problem with the one I got, but I simply HATE the fact that the drive is sticking out and doesn't close flush with the surface of the laptop.

Now for the software issues. Let's start with some positives. I came with Windows 7 Pro which I love wholesomely, but sadly, the machine didn't come with any serial key for it. So god forbid there is a software issue and I have to reformat? I am DEFINITELY NOT using that Windows 8 cd they gave me. Going to use that as a coaster! So that also kind of pissed me off. I have to see if there is some sort of third party software I can find online to extra the serial key from the machine so I can store it for future use.

Moving onto the bloatware. It comes with a bit of 3rd party software along with some lenovo bloatware. They were fairly easy to get rid off, just had to put up with the machine rebooting for every single bloatware I wanted to get rid off.

But the final thing that pissed me off, and dropped this review to 3 stars (I wish I could have given it a 4) was a very interesting problem. I have been using computers for some time and I know my way around the machine. But what I found VERY strange last night when I was running through the updates was a weird "failing to configure" error. So because it's a factory bought machine the updates were behind and I understood that. Usually I run the update programme, it finds 71 new updates so I just set it to run the updates automatically. Easy? NO! EVERY SINGLE TIME I RAN THE UDPATES, I kept getting a failure to configure error, So I ended up having to SELECT each pair of updates from oldest to newest, one by one and let the computer install the updates one by one. Needless to say that took 2 HOURS to finish. But it finished none the less.

I finally cleaned up the machine and got it running the way how I wanted it so I am contented for now. It's really for my g/f but she is not tech-savy so I am hoping there are no future problems. Lenovo has usually been renownd for built quality and software quality, that's why this particular machine confounded me. Did I just happen to get the one bad egg?

As for other things, the screen shows fairly clear for what an Intel HD4000 supposed to do. In the future, I shall upgrade the RAM for her so it runs more comfortably. They audio is fine, the Dolby Software does help to boost audio quality, however I did notice it glitch when I was trying to set up SKPYE. Don't know when Microsoft is going to sort out that problem.

I know the review was long, but I wanted to be meticulous for future customers who wish to purchase this item. There were not much others with clear reviews. So to my fellow amazonians online. I hope this helps!

Honest reviews on Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E530 6272-4GU 15.6-Inch Laptop

On paper this looks good, and the price is right. However, there are a number of very annoying things about this laptop that have made me swear to never buy Lenovo again.

First, the trackpad is horrible. It jumps and fails to register sometimes. This is not limited to my particular laptop, as I have tried several at a store to make sure I did not get a lemon.

Build quality is not great. My left "mouse" button above the trackpad is mushy with no feel, whereas the right button is normal.

The screen sucks. I use mine to edit photos sometimes when I'm travelling. The screen has very poor dynamic range/gamut, and everything looks like mush.

Bloatware. There is lots of it.

No activity lights. Would be very helpful to know when my HDD is working, frozen, or stuck in a loop. It would also be helpful to know if my num lock and caps lock keys are on without having to try and type something first if I miss the on-screen indication (say, if I accidentally press it)

The FN and CTRL keys are swapped in terms of position. I am still not used to it after 6 months of use. The CTRL key should be the left-most key, so I always press the FN key instead. Very annoying when gaming.

Finally, the headphone jack. There is no microphone jack. Lenovo expect everyone to have headsets that have a USB connection, it seems, otherwise you have to use the built-in mic which is not the best.

I have never had a laptop this bad. My old Dell came close because it kept crashing for no reason and sometimes wouldn't start up. This one has not yet crashed, but other than that the Dell was perfect, and this one is far from perfect.

The only good things I can say about it are that the keyboard feel is great and it looks rather sleek and professional. Battery life is decent. Metal hinges for the screen.

Update:

One more negative point I forgot to include; the trackpoint button (the red thing in the middle of the keyboard you use to move the mouse around) often gets stuck and drifts (at the very least once every time I use it), you have to move it around quite vigorously to unstick it and get it to centre properly again without drifting.

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I purchased this a few months back with the help of my son who is a computer science whiz ( what kid isn't nowadays, except mine wins awards all over the country because he's so smart!) Anyway, I know nothing about computers, all I can share with you is that it came very well packaged, 2 days after I put my order in. when my son set it up and did whatever it is you do to make them run, he had no problems. It seemed fairly easy and I was using it just a few hours after he started. The keyboard is very comfortable for me. I am not a big person, I wear small gloves so have small hands , they fit nicely when I am typing. The screen is a perfect size with nice color to the screen. I like the extra numbers bar on the right. It's light weight and thin so not inconvenient to carry. I've had no glitches or problems with this computer since purchase. Have been really happy.

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Monday, January 13, 2014

Discount S12 12.1" 160GB HDD White

S12 12.1' 160GB HDD White
Customer Ratings: 4 stars
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I've not worked extensively with this machine, so can't comment on performance other than to say it seems fine for basics, and runs cool. The screen is very nice and very bright, and the keyboard has a lovely feel. Track pad response is very good and reliable. The track pad buttons are small and very stiff endurable, but a much better situation if you're comfortable with `tapping' on the track pad.

The case seems solid and well-constructed, with a stout hinge. Only worry is a little bit of battery wiggle. 6-cell protrudes, but in a very nice way that positions the laptop well on a desk and makes it easy to carry. For a netbook it might be considered a bit heavy, but still very small and portable, and generally a pleasure to see and hold.

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I have purchased 2 of these now, they don't have an HDMI or are super fast, but they are a good price for what you get. I got both of them on holiday sales less then $400. What I really like is the screen and the keyboard, both are usable unlike the 10 inch netbooks. The led back lit display is very bright outdoors and viewable on a sunny day. The keyboard is almost full size and best netbook keyboard I have used, even as good as my Thinkpads keyboard. It comes with windows XP, which is ok, there was no option for windows 7 for the white model. I added an extra 1 gig of memory, but there was no speed increase, it does come with 2 pci-e ports, one for a cell card, maybe other options, and includes a sim slot onboard if you do install a cell card, and the other one is filled with a WIFI card. The only way to make this thing faster is to buy an SSD drive and install windows on it possibly using the pci-e slot underneath or the expresscard slot on the side you should get about 50% speed increase. Anyway even without any addons, this little thing is great. It gets about 4-5 hours of battery life. One thing to improve is the webcam, its somewhat low resolution, most all are on netbooks. On-board bluetooth was not an option when ordering, but there may be a possibility to install an internal one taking the laptop apart and buying the right piece. The NVIDIA ION version is the ideal S12 Netbook to get, its $200 more and turns all my negatives to positives.

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Although an excellent design and a good buy at the price, this and another Lenovo laptop I have purchased have proved unreliable with significant problems right out of the box, and great difficulty in resolving.

The Lenovo Ideapad S12 failed to establish and maintain an wireless connection (802.11g). This was established working with a very helpful Lenovo technical support representative who provided a case number and a telephone number for customer support at sales.

The Lenovo sales customer support person denied there was correct case number, would only transfer me to technical support. The transfer resulted in a very bad connection, and a return call was promised. The return call was never received. A second call resulted in a re-order charged to my credit card, and a prepaid return authorization. I was told not to expect a refund on the original purchase for at least two weeks. This also resulted in a two delay in receiving a replacement S12, unusable for my planned travel.

Now these things happen except a Lenovo G530 Laptop purchased in June '09 for a medical student studying in Israel had nearly identical situation. The motherboard circuitry for charging the batteries was faulty, the case number was denied, repair in Israel was denied even though an international warranty was purchased. The G530 was finally repaired in October but the medical student had to purchase another computer to continue her studies.

About me--I am a retired computer consultant and engineer with over 40 years of computer hardware and software experience.

My recommendation: Since manufacturing quality assurance and post sale customer service is shaky in general, I would recommend buying Lenovo only if you are prepared to invest significant time and effort in resolving a likely failure.

In this instance, the Lenovo S12 Ideapad 802.11g wireless failure would have been difficult for a non-computer professional to diagnose. In this case I have the experience and tools to identify the problem. With the G530 the problem was more evident, and with competent and helpful Lenovo technical support, quickly identified the problem. Getting these problems resolved were much more troublesome affairs.

--update--

Lenovo replaced the S12 and it's performance has been acceptable. Unfortunately the G530 has had additional problems, i.e. with the touch-pad.

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Wednesday, November 27, 2013

MSI G Series GX70 3BE-007US 17.3-Inch Laptop (Black) Reviews

MSI G Series GX70 3BE-007US 17.3-Inch Laptop
Customer Ratings: 4 stars
List Price: $1,299.99
Sale Price: $1,149.99
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had for about a month and no problems-just some bugs in windows 8. It will game at least an hour and a half on battery (had 26% battery still) with modern titles -DX 10 & 11. Plays Crysis 3 at moderate settings. Wish it had SDD, but at least the HDD is a 7200rpm model. Great keyboard, cam & mic. Plays bluray nice and smooth..and great batt life.

the downs are it weighs 8lbs and windows 8 dims screen during movies no matter the setting. The case shows smudges some but I just wipe it down once a week or so.

If your considering this unit, dont even hesitate-PULL THE TRIGGER

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This is an amazing laptop for the price,

Pros:

Pure AMD so no Intel/Nvidia tax

GPU is amazing on this thing

eyefinity on a laptop (because why not?)

The sound system is amazing on this baby

The screen is also amazing

The fan on this thing can be a little loud with turbo fan on but max the volume while gaming, you won't notice.

Battery life is also nice (around 5 hours. hell, I got around 4 hours while running 7 virtual computers and installing the OS on 4 of them at the same time)

I get compliments on the keyboard all the time :)

The power button is white when you are using just the APU and orange when the sleeping beast (8970m) is on

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Cons:

The 8970 seems to be too powerful for just the battery, it will need to be plugged in or it will reboot on you.

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I have talked to MSI customer support and they said removing the warranty sticker doesn't really void the warranty, also do a google search a lot of people have had the same response (http://lmgtfy.com/?q=msi+warranty+sticker) MSI support was also very helpful in getting the second HDD bracket. I didn't want to send my credit info in clear text over the internet so I gave them my number and we settled it over the phone.

That being said I put a 128GB SSD (Crucial M4) in there and reinstalled windows 8. All I have to say is do it. Install it right meow. It is blazing fast.

I want to upgrade this thing to 32GB so bad (because why not and RAMdisk).

Now the fun stuff.....gaming!

When the orange light goes on it means business. Sometimes it doesn't auto detect (and read a review that really disliked AMD because of this. lol wut? start game, oh didn't detect? close game, right click desktop, "configure switchable graphics," set game to high performance, and done)

Most games will be able to max out with this laptop, however console ports that rely on a powerful CPU are not going to run as nice because the A10 isn't the strongest CPU in the world. But still runs with playable frames. That is what this laptop is about, play games with all the eyecandy you want and be able to play it, who cares if Intel can get 10-20 FPS better? Yes the CPU will limit you 90% of the time but not enough to ruin your experience. BF3 runs in the 40FPS range in single player but on a 64(not 48 and below) player map it struggles and goes to around 20. However with a few tweaks (set priority to very high for example) you can get it to 25+ and it won't stutter now and then.

All my games (and I have a ton http://steamdb.info/calculator/?player=76561197996741554&country=us) run perfectly fine with this laptop.

I have high hopes for AMD as it is now in the PS4 and Xbox one, meaning games will be more optimized for AMD's architecture.

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It can play all current games on high settings, even newer generation games, so i was told; however, It cannot without dropping by 30 frames per second.

I felt duped into believing the GX70 hype; the hype that claims the GX70 can run Crysis 3 at maximum settings. That is, until, I discovered that a had a downloaded a faulty System Control Manager (SCM) from the CD GX70 came with--SCM is used to crossfire the APU and the GPU.

Cross-firing @ ~360 MHz with the APU runs faster than the single 8970m GPU @ 900 MHz.

In addition to the corrupt SCM install, I found my performance problem was exacerbated by old 8970m and AMD Catalyst software. It was total BS. I had to update my 8970m through advanced options in control manager; I had to update my Catalyst by googling-AMD site is hardly never updated.

Honest reviews on MSI G Series GX70 3BE-007US 17.3-Inch Laptop (Black)

This laptop is the pinicle of computing in its class. It came with a free copy of Crysis 3, and with good reason, a lag-free playthrough on Ultra settings stood as a perfect assurance of this computer's quality and power. I would highly suggest it to anybody who is pondering on purchasing it.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for MSI G Series GX70 3BE-007US 17.3-Inch Laptop (Black)

It has been a really great purchase. Windows 8 is taking a little getting used to but it has been really great at running my games and it has some really cool features.

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