HP EliteBook 8530p Notebook Intel Centrino 2 vPro Core 2 Duo T9600 2.80 GHz - 15.40

I bought this laptop 2 years ago to use for my Graduate School and as my main home/entertainment/gaming computer. It came with the following specs:

* Intel P8600 2.4GHz Processor,

* 4 GB of Ram,

* 320 GB 7200 rpm Hard Drive,

* ATI Radeon HD 3650 Graphics,

* Widescreen 1280x800 anti-glare display,

* LightScribe DVD+/-RW

The body of the laptop is made of aluminum and hard plastic with a very rigid magnesium alloy inner frame. This thing is built like a tank and looks like it can stop a bullet. It is absolutely unbendable and practically unscratchable. At the same time it is not too heavy a little over 6 lb. It also looks very cool very like a Macbook Pro. There are no reflective or glossy parts anywhere, so it is easy to keep the laptop clean.

I installed Windows 7 Pro x64, MS Office Pro 2010, Firefox 4, Adobe CS5, Becker CPA Review Software, Avast Antivirus, and several other productivity programs. The system is very stable I have never had any problem.

I usually keep a dozen Firefox tabs and Office documents open, Windows Media Player playing music, and also work with Adobe or Becker. No sweat. The application performance is very good thanks to the fast processor and speedy 7k HDD. Adobe Suit of course is a resource hog but still works reasonably fast on this computer.

I also installed Crysis, Left 4 Dead, SC2, Bishock, and several other games. All the games (except Crysis) run smoothly on medium settings at the native screen resolution. Crysis is playable on low settings only. Older games like Warcraft 3 run on the highest settings. The laptop does not get too hot and the fan is quiet.

The battery easily lasts 4 hrs when browsing Internet and working with the Office and/or Becker with Wi-Fi on and the screen on medium brightness. So, I think that performance of ATI Radeon HD 3650 is a good compromise between the power and mobility.

The screen is perfect for office/school work and gaming. It is bright, non-reflective and has good contrast. The resolution of 1280x800 is also very suitable for these tasks. The higher resolution would make text appear too small and would not let newer games to be playable in the native resolution. However, as an avid photographer, I would like to have more resolution to work with my pictures.

There is a high resolution (2mp) Web camera and a very good built-in microphone. So, Skype is pleasure to use. The built-in speakers are good and clear, though I usually use external speakers or headphones.

The illuminated keyboard (there is a very cool built-in light) is very comfortable and quiet one of the best I have ever used. I like the touchpad too it is very responsive with the soft and quiet buttons. There is an amazingly accurate pointstick IBM/Lenovo Thinkpad style with its own dedicated buttons. There are several touch-sensitive media buttons above the keyboard: Info, WiFi Toggle, Presentation Mode, Sound Volume and Mute. Very sleek. The fingerprint reader adds security.

There are lots of connectivity options here:

* Docking port on the bottom extremely convenient, I use it every day to connect the laptop to a docking station.

* A/B/G/N Wireless LAN which works flawlessly with my campus network,

* 10/100/1000 NIC port use it to connect to a DSL modem at home

* Bluetooth 2.0 EDR often use it to connect the computer to my cell phone,

* 56k modem used once when I took the laptop to Ukraine,

* 4x USB 2.0 ports,

* Very fast ESATA port use it for back-ups with my external HDD,

* 1394 Firewire port never used it,

* 1x Headphone out + 1x Microphone in

* HDMI port connect it to my big HDTV

* VGA out used it several times to connect the laptop to a projector during presentations

* SD/MS/Pro-MMC Card Reader use it a lot to transfer pictures from my DSLR

* Express card slot + Smart Card slot never used them

All the ports are located very conveniently with the Power Socket and the VGA on the back, 2 USB and Network on the far left edge, and the rest in the middle of the sides. So, the cables that are most likely to be connected (and the thickest ones) are on the back and do not get in the way. But I use the docking port on the bottom (unique to business laptops) to connect all wires to the dock (and move them all back at the same time) and then connect/disconnect the laptop with a single push on a button. Priceless!

Long story short I am very satisfied.

I bought this laptop used for audio production because the hardware I utilize is expresscard. Also let it be known that I am not some average crackpot home studio enthusiast. I also work directly with one of the named DAW manufacturers. This laptop has it all and isn't even remotely new. This core2duo on win7 running protools 10 / cubase / nuendo gets near the same dsp performance as a quad core i7 macbook. I will run the same sessions side by side and I can keep up no problem with an os x quad core i7. I also plan to run this laptop with a magma chassis HD rig.

as for the seller, they were responsive inquiries and got the laptop here quickly. It was in great condition considering its age.

Swapped out the drive for two 256gb SSDs and a 750gb black drive. Running 128 channels of audio and this laptop used cost less than $240.00. Ridiculously happy.

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Works great & no problems! Easy to use & operate! Bought for my 60 year old mom and she loves it!

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These laptops have what looks like good hardware with a Core 2 Duo processor, ATI graphics, and 2GB of RAM. That said, I work in a library system that ordered 20 of them for use at the branches about 5-6 years ago and ALL OF THEM are now getting memory errors. It's rare enough for RAM to go bad, but for it to go bad on 20 computers that are all the same model, using the same RAM, can NOT be a coincidence. Clearly HP cheaped out on memory and must have just slapped an HP sticker on generic RAM before shoving it into these laptops.

The following info will be more beneficial to IT professionals like myself.

For those who are curious, I ran memtest on all the machines when staff at various branches were complaining about blue screens and freezing. 18 of the 20 machines failed to even make 2 passes in Memtest.

Aside from that, the BIOS are terrible. I think they were trying to cater to people who wanted BIOS that were mouse compatible, but they really screwed up on this. Boot devices are difficult to manage. Even if you enable every boot device imaginable, when you start the computer, and go to the boot menu, you will only have two options: Internal Hard drive and "upgrade bay" which is what they put for ANY other boot device including CDs, flash drives, etc. If you are booting from an external hard drive or flash drive, you will NOT have the option to select which device to boot from if you have more than one attached. That means, if you are booting from a flash drive, and also have an external hard drive attached, you have to hope that when you choose something other than the internal hard drive, that the computer randomly chooses the correct device.

These laptops have horrible compatibility issues with Ghost 11 and 15 and likely other versions as well. If you believe you will EVER have to use Norton Ghost to backup or reimage your laptop, do NOT buy this model.

I would also recommend people avoid HP/Compaq laptops in general, as they are known to have poor reliability. Do your research and purchase from a more reliable manufacturer.

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Very Attractive Fast PC, This Computer can make your life more easier. Solid wireless connectivity so you can do your work on the move without worrying signal drop, Very Fast Processors so you could do your work and tasks quickly means you have more extra time for something else you love to do.

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Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E420 1141-CTO 14" LED Laptop / Intel Core i5-2430M 2.4GHz / Windows 7 Home Pre

This review is specifically for an E420 1141-A24 purchased from 0FF1CE DEP0T. It's worth mentioning three things up front:

(1) My configuration is nearly identical to the base specs listed here, except that my processor is a slightly slower i5 2410M

(2) I purchased mine as an advertised sale of 530 plus taxes.

(3) I found that Lenovo made a similarly spec'd configuration available for 444 with discounts/coupons back in July/August, the details of which archived on the Fat Wallet forums.

This is my third laptop in about three years, but my first to come equipped with most of the features I wanted. For reference, my first laptop was a well used T-43 Thinkpad off Craigslist with a dead battery and no real features worth mentioning, other than great Thinkpad quality and a matte (non-glare) screen that I didn't know I valued until I lost it.

I replaced the T-43 with a new, bargain priced Lenovo G530 (Core 2 Duo) which had absolutely no features, lousy battery life, and a mirror-like glossy screen that stunk in many lighting conditions (an all too common feature with just about every laptop I looked at). My experience with the discount G530 computer allowed me to create my "must have" list of features:

HC SD CARD READER for easy uploading of images from my digital camera

BLUETOOTH for tethering to my cell phone via the Tether app

HDMI OUT for connection to my TV for watching shows off of HULU, CBS, NBC and ABC websites

MATTE SCREEN because I simply couldn't stand the reflections I had to deal with on the glossy screen

GOOD BATTERY LIFE because my G530 could handle about an hour of video playback on low brightness before dying

LESS THAN 14" in width (actual width, not the screen measurement) to maintain portability

Some things I wanted but compromised on:

SSD drive, which I can actually install for less $$ than the added cost of most laptops that ship with one

Backlit keyboard, because I do a little computing in the dark

BluRay drive, which simply would have been nice (I rarely use my DVD drive as it is)

Numeric Keypad, which I came to realize simply wasn't an option until I moved up to a 15" screen size

Hi Rez screen

This laptop didn't wow me like the (beautiful) pricey 1370-do11ar SONY SA series, which has an inch smaller (13.3") high res (1600x900) screen, but came with the SSD, keyboard backlight and BluRay. Toshiba has a matte-screen Protege in the 850 range, and HP has a high-res EliteBook 8650 that costs nearly twice the Sony's price for similar spec. In the end, it came down to the great build quality and trouble-free track record of Lenovo, plus with the low cost I was able to justify purchasing a 2nd unit to give to my Pops, who's been suffering with my old Thinkpad T-series for the past year or so.

Build quality isn't quite on par with the seemingly cast-iron T43 built by IBM, but is certainly a step above the entry level G530 it's replacing. The hinges seem solid, the screen is fairly rigid, the feel of the keyboard and touchpad is spot on, and as a whole, the unit feels sturdy yet reasonably light.

Boot time is acceptable at 35s to logon screen, and 55s to desktop / ready to go. Windows Experience Index clocks at 5.7, with the hard drive write speeds being the dog, followed by the slow integrated Intel graphics and RAM speeds (5.9).

The screen is bright enough in the brightly lit windowed room I primarily work in, and the matte finish basically eliminates any problems with reflections. Viewing angles are very good side-to-side, but there is a sweet spot in the tilt that inverts quickly if not adjusted just so. Yet I find it acceptable for close-in viewing. Sound quality is decent, though not audiophile quality -i.e. loud enough, but a bit tinny and lacking in bass. It's no worse than your average clock radio, and clearly listening to video streaming services isn't a problem.

I'm simply thrilled with the built-in Bluetooth, SD reader, and HDMI-out. Previously, I was using various USB attachments for each of these regularly-used features, which simply complicated my usage and increased the amount of gear I had to carry around and keep track of.

The keyboard on this laptop is excellent. The keys have actual, visible up and down movement (hard to believe after all the chiclet style keyboards I demoed). Spacing is only a tiny bit cramped; it's really quite good for my large fingers.

Unlike my previous Thinkpads, Lenovo moved most of the functions to the function keys, then went one step further: they made the function key require a two-key press to activate (for example, instead of hitting F5 to refresh or F11 for full screen, I now have to press Fn-F5 or Fn-F11), but the auxiliary commands are now single-key press (volume, mute, screen brightness, Play/FFWD/RWD, web cam on/off). It's a little something to get used to, and a keyboard backlight would have been appreciated in darker settings to help me out. (This function can be disabled in BIOS.) Alas...

The computer has moved all ports to the sides of the body -so no more headphone plug sticking out from under my space bar. One USB, the DVD tray and the power connector are on the right; all others are on the left. The rear is reserved for an RJ45 network connection as well as an optional 9-cell battery, which would stick out the rear of the computer about an inch (without increasing its thickness). And no more confusing the headphone port for the mic port: this computer uses a single integrated "smart" port, though I suppose it requires a new single plug (or USB) headset for my Skype calls.

Lenovo even threw in a TrackPoint (eraser-head button between the G & H keys for navigation), and a finger print reader that works fairly reliably and quickly from the log-on screen.

The computer comes a little bit bloated with Lenovo's software, most of which is good, some of which is unnecessary. Fortunately, my biggest headache, Norton Anti-Virus, was easily removable via ADD/REMOVE PROGRAMS. The others you'll have to pick through depending on what Lenovo features you'll find valuable. Lenovo even saw fit to ship this unit with Google Chrome installed, which manages to make an appearance before Microsoft's Internet Explorer has a chance to pop up. However, in my case, it was Chrome v12 (current version is 15), and it wouldn't automatically upgrade itself. I had to uninstall Chrome and download a clean version of the current software.

It's also worth noting that this PC doesn't come with a recovery DVD. Lenovo traditionally makes these available by mail for a modest price (auctions sites and Craigs1ist are less expensive options), but it does include the standard recovery partition on the HDD that allows the creation of a recovery DVD, should you want to swap out a hard drive right away.

For a computer I use daily for web surfing, video watching, some light Inkscape drawing, Photoshop Elements editing, and lightweight gaming, the E420 fits the bill in terms of price, value/quality, and speed/functionality. It's by no means cutting edge, it certainly isn't the best looking nor the smallest/lightest of the bunch, but it's designed to be carried around and used in any number of tasks with a minimum of headache. Five to six hour battery life is to be expected (unless under heavy video playback), and 9 hours are achievable with an upgrade to the extended 9-cell battery.

I've had quite a few laptops before but Lenovo does outstanding job. It is got everything I need,performance is great mine has I5 2430m 500gb hdd it is a speede little machine . I did rate performance and it gave me next results:processor 7.0,ram 5.9,grafics 4,7,gaming grafics 6.2,hard dr 5.9 it is outstanding performance for the little think pad aspesially whe you paid for it 600$. Battery life is around 6 hrs +_ depends what you do with it. It's got HDMI which is great. Cooling is great I hat to do some video adding for 5 hrs straight and machine was as coole as ever. I do like the design nothing extra very solid. I am very pleased with this machine!

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The motherboard failed after 13 months -one month after warranty. First, the keyboard and trackpad began behaving erratically. Replacing the keyboard didn't solve the issue. Then, the laptop refused to power on just a few short weeks later. I found the following thread on the Lenovo forum around this time.Many other units died even before the expiration of the warranty and so didn't the replacement parts! People were without their computer for weeks.

The Thinkpad Edge doesn't come with Thinkpad quality.

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I bought this item for my school and it works well! I love the blazing fastness when it first turns on/off or when I put it to sleep mode. The HD webcam is pretty good in good light and in low light. It would help if there were backlit keys. The trackpad is pretty good. I'm trying to get used to it still. I actually love the keyboard! The feeling is great! The lit up "i" on the thinkpad logo is pretty cool. I think it's useful. This isn't a great laptop for media stuff obviously but it works well enough for me! The laptop is pretty light with the battery. I prefer to just leave my adapter plugged in to my laptop and take my battery out to save some battery life. Everything else works fine! I'm actually thinking about extended the amount of ram from 4gb to 8gb (the max amount of ram you can have).

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So this is a pretty straightforward review. The system is great on paper, and it runs wonderfully, but I work at a computer repair shop and have seen THREE of these come in over the past year, all of which have been between one and two months outside of their one-year warranty period, and they simply won't power on.

Replacing the internal power board, in all three of these cases, has not resolved the issue.

Simply stated, the motherboard -the core piece of this system with all of the important (read: expensive) components on it fails as soon as the system is outside of its warranty. I've seen this on several models of the 1141 series.

STAY AWAY FROM THIS SYSTEM!!!

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HP Compaq nc6400 Business Notebook

I've been an Amazon customer for nearly a decade and haven't had any issues with Amazon or any sellers. With all of the items and thousands of dollars spent on this website, this is the very first "review" I am writing. I was very hesitant about purchasing this refurbished laptop. You don't really know what you are actually buying with transactions like these.

I purchased my laptop from GothamCityMall. We received the package via USPS a day earlier than expected, was not expecting that! So I really didn't know what to expect when I opened the box. And boy was I surprised! After removing the various layers of bubble wrap and tape, I unwrapped a pretty cool-looking piece of machinery. It is definitely an old model, but it still looks just as sexy as the new guys out there on the market today. Also, the laptop may have been refurbished, but it looks far from used! Cosmetically, it was almost perfect except for one tiny scratch on the cover. The keyboard, screen, battery/cords were also in new condition. If I didn't know any better, I would think this machine was brand new. I really got lucky with this one!

Before purchasing this refurbished laptop, we had the pleasuring of using a relative's brand new Inspiron Notebook for almost 2yrs. Although my nc6400 isn't quite as sleek in the looks department, it does pretty much everything that the Inspiron did. I'm pleasantly surprised!

It handles multiple windows of web browsing, creates documents w/ease, plays Netflix videos (sound is great), and whatever else you can throw at it, all at the same time...without any problems with performance. The physical size and weight of this laptop is perfect! I hated lugging around the huge and incredibly heavy 15" Inspiron. This thing is a baby in comparison! The layout of the keyboard and the feel of the keys is wonderful. I also like the matte screen compared to the high-gloss screen of the Inspiron. Fingerprints from my 2 1/2 year old are much less noticeable. My most favorite feature on the keyboard itself is the handy row of buttons at the top, volume included. The Inspiron didn't have volume buttons, making it quite an inconvenience to make adjustments.

I'm not sure if I will be using this laptop to play games, but I'm sure it can handle it without a problem. We'll have to see though. I haven't watched DVD's or listened to music on it yet either, but I do love that I can burn DVD's or CD's as well. The 3 USB ports are handy; I'm only using about 2 at a time for my flash drive and wireless mouse. The smart/memory card slots are also handy for a family like ours that takes a lot of pictures.

Because this machine was built for the office (I use it for Home), it has many features that I don't have the need for. They are great tools to have when and if I decide to use this machine in an office setting. The one "office" feature I do use is the Fingerprint Scanner. It's pretty cool and easy to set up.

If you are debating between buying a new/newer laptop or even a used version of this laptop, stop fighting with yourself. It is risky buying used/refurbished electronics online, but it's a risk I'm so happy I decided to take. I spent less than $200 (shipping included) on a quality piece of machinery that does everything that I need it to do, and is comparable performance-wise, to the newer and MUCH MORE expensive laptops that are selling now.

No long review here just wanted to say that I am very happy with the product! It is used so a few bumps and bruises are expected, but it's in great condition and works wonderful.

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i bought this refurb pc and i really like it.it has great sound and is pretty fast

the graphics are great for the average person.

the seller was really good about the warranty and responded to my questions promptly.

i would buy another one of these

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This computer is a wonderful laptop computer with a nice screen size. I like the speed of the laptop which contains a centrino processor. It also came equipped with plenty of disk space and memory. I think they are a great buy for the price, I bought mine used.

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A great price for a great laptop. I have a new laptop with Windows 8 and I like this one much better. I will sell the new one now. Great comunacation with the seller too. BIG plus.

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Asus ZENBOOK Prime UX32A-DH31-CA Ultrabook (13.3-inch, I3-3217U, 4GB-DDR3, 500GB HDD+24GB SSD, Wind

In had a user who's not supposed to lift heavy things, and was shlepping around a Dell Latitude that was ~7lbs or so, not counting the laughably large power supply, and it was not working out well. There is a Microsoft Store in the area, so I figured I could go there and see a variety of Ultrabooks from various makers and compare build quality. I got there and found that the Microsoft stores now only carry systems with Windows 8 (barf) and are all touchscreens (because of the Windows 8 requirement no doubt). I am amazed that there is nothing at all in the Microsoft Store that was even a little bit "business friendly." Being the only non-employee in the place, I was free to ask the idle employees about this development, and they agreed that it was dumb. They previously HAD been carrying Windows 7/non-touchscreen systems, but had to pull them. One fellow told me that the Asus Zenbook had the best build quality of those they carried. At that point I left and came to Amazon and bought one sight-unseen. Additionally, it was pre-loaded with Windows 8, so I had to make sure there were Windows 7 drivers available (there are), because no way am I asking anyone to live with that mess.

There are three things I was looking for specifically, and none were related to performance. The first is a decent hinge. Macbooks have this one nailedyou can lift the lid of a Macbook and the bottom doesn't lift up off the desk/your lap. That is, the hinge doesn't require more force to open than the weight of the bottom part. PC makers regularly fail on this point, but this Asus was pretty good. Not Macbook good, but better than most. The next is screen/lid integrity. When the laptop is open grab the top corners of the lid and push on and pull the other a little, in such a way that the screen is twisted (GENTLYdon't snap your screen and yell at me) I look for as little wobble as possible, and usually this is a deal-breaker too, but the Asus was better than most. The last item is a good touchpad. The Macbooks have some kind of glass surface that wears like nails, but most PC makers use something that feels like a shower curtain liner in short order. I don't know how the Asus will fare on this point, but the initial tactile experience was decent.

The Zenbook has two disksone 24GB SSD and one ~500GB SATA. They have a utility that is meant to use the 24GB SSD as a cache, and I struggled to decide how to handle the reloading. Did I want to recreate this shared arrangement or what? 24GB isn't quite enough to load Win 7, Office, and other sundry things a user needs, and given that the intended recipient is a remote worker, I decided to just load everything on the 500GB and ignore the small SSD. What? You now think I'm nuts? Okay, but here's my angleif I'd setup the sharing arrangement and something went sideways, what are the odds that I could support it well? In my mind, it's negligible. Beyond that, there is the matter of default disk formatting. The Windows 8 models (not sure about the others) have the disks formatted in GUID mode, not the conventional MBR formatting. Does it matter? Not a ton, but if you want to do whole disk encryption (as I do), Truecrypt won't fly. It needs MBR disks, as do most other encryption utilities. If you use Windows 7 Ultimate, you can use BitLocker, and that's what I did. Yes, that's a performance hit, but in this case the user who'll have it is not power hungry. In the configuration I'm describing, the performance is ordinary.

As for the dimensions/weight, it's a close approximation of a 13" Macbook Air. The screen is slightly different geometry, but you'll need to set it next to a Macbook Air to notice. In other respects, it's Air-like. The closed profile is about the same, the materials are similar, but the Zenbook feels a little bit heavier. Don't get me wrongmy lift-limited user is delighted with the change. It's around three pounds, and the power cord is a small block much like the Macbook Air one. It doesn't come with a USB to Ethernet adapter, which I thought was a rotten of Asus to exclude. Hell, even Apple gives you a Thuderbolt to Ethernet adapter when you buy a Macbook Air. As long as I keep comparing this to the Macbook Air, I'll mention that the battery life on the Zenbook is maybe a bit less, but certainly in league. In my usage, it would get close to 5 hours on a charge.

Verdict? If you really want Windows (over say Linux, Mac OS X, etc.) and don't want Apple hardware, this is a good choice. I suppose the cost is another significant factor. As of this writing, the Zenbook is $768 and a Macbook Air is $1200not twice as much, but close. My preference would have been to get the Macbook Air, and load Windows natively. I find the Air to be a better made item (and I'm betting the trackpad on the Zenbook won't stand the test of time well), but the user in this case didn't want any more changes than necessary, and I'm not upset by saving money. I didn't have time to try making a "hackbook" with this, and have no idea if OS X will run well on this model.

I was short with the ASUS 128 GB solid state hard drive. This has 24 GB solid state plus 500 GB regular hard drive and I have enough memory for my dropbox files. Size, weight, operation are no problem.

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ASUS K53E-DS51 15.6-Inch Laptop (Brown)

This thing is a powerhouse. Easily cranking out between 2.5 and 3.0 GHz of processing speed. Plays games smoothly and with great buffering rates in high performance. And also great for simple things like watching videos

I love this laptop, absolutely love it to death. Great for low-end gaming and performance if you're into that stuff. I got this on sale for around $450, so I thought, what they heck let's give it a try.

Pros:

-Plenty of RAM

-Fast

-Somewhat light

-USB 3.0

-Nice Screen size

-Great keyboard

Cons:

-Only 2 USB 2.0 ports and 1 USB 3.0 (But no worries you can buy a hub)

-Short battery life for travel use. It only has around 4 hours of simple use and around 2 for performance

-Poor cooling performance

-Power brick gets really hot

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beautiful design. i especially like the color and cool aluminum finish. keyboard layout is nice and soft keys. only down side is the cursor does not respond as quickly on screen and can be a bit annoying, but honestly overall its a great upgrade from my last laptop

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New 15.6 " screen is wider but does not have the depth required for some remote work. Streaming video is constantly buffering and the volume control is set at 4 in the bios and I have been unable to get it changed.

My first ASUS and I must say I am not impressed.

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Ummm it was a good product wasnt too blown away but it met my expectations nice thatbit came woth hdmi and usb 3.9

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Samsung Series 9 NP900X4D-A02US 15 LED Notebook Intel Core i7-3517U 1.9 GHz 8GB DDR3 256GB SSD Inte

This laptop is super fast; it boots up in about 5 seconds. It's super thin and light. It has some die-hard Apple supporters taking a second look at this laptop. The memory is smaller because it's solidstate, but for my needs (microsoft office and CD files) 256GB is more than enough. Works great, great quality, looks awesome, I'm glad I bought it!!!

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Gateway NE56R41u 15.6" Intel B960 Pentium Processor 2.2GHz 4GB DDR3 SDRam 500GB Hard Drive Windows

I purchased this laptop from Wal-Mart -but had exactly the same issues as rjhouse describes in his review. After a half hour or so of useless troubleshooting with Gateway support, I resolved to return it to the store and get a roughly-equivalent laptop from HP for $20 more.

But before doing so, I used Device Manager to "Update Driver" on the "Broadcom 802.11n Network Adapter." which swapped out the Broadcom driver for one supplied by Microsoft. I have not had a problem since -it has been working 100% great, not a single drop, and network performance has been fine.

I kept the laptop and haven't looked back. This laptop is pretty decent for the money. Performs well, good amount of storage, reasonably low price. Knowing what I know now about how to get the networking to work properly, I'd buy one again if I were in the market again.

I won't give it 5 stars though -it's not all roses -there are a few things I find annoying or unsatisfactory:

Audio isn't loud enough

The touchpad button is one long bar that acts as 2 buttons, depending on which end of it you press -but this renders the center of the button unusable and the button is progressively harder to press the closer to the center you get. So you pretty much have to press the very ends of the bar.

The touchpad is offset to the left. I guess this makes sense as it's more like a full-size keyboard since they fit a full numeric pad onto this one -but since it isn't centered with the screen, it takes some getting used to.

No caps-lock/numlock/scroll-lock lights (somewhat resolved using keyboard-leds.com app). But I think many laptops are like this nowadays.

First of all, what happened to the cow boxes....?

This is my first gateway computer and a replacement for a Toshiba satellite that i purchased with no research whatsoever bedsides being inexpensive and having a number keypad.

First impressionsNot a bad computer at all! 3 USB slots and a HDMI so thats an upgrade for me. Windows 8 is kind of funky and I don't like it one bit but that has nothing to do with the computer itself. the screen is clear and large enough and the camera works good enough for video chat

bad stuffspeakers suck,

great buy for the price!

edit*** a few weeks later

speakers are stil low quality but you get used to it. I wish there was a caps lock and number lock indicator light but I guess I can use my eyes as i type.

I am happy with the battery life and I think this computer s a keeper.

No as far as Microsoft goes..........grrrrrr making Office super expensive and a horrible interface.

But the computer is good once chrome takes over :)

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I know this is a cheap laptop, but it would have been nice to use it for more than three months (light business and very little web use) before it crapped out. Just a few weeks after I bought it, I had to restore it. Then it worked decent for a month or so before I started getting hard drive failure warnings, and now it's kaput. Luckily, they're replacing the hard drive and all I have to pay is shipping, but I shouldn't be sending off this item so soon.

I don't recommend buying this.

UPDATE: I spent twenty-five bucks for shipping with insurance to have the hard drive replaced. The laptop arrived in the mail today, and after spending hours moving my files back to the laptop & reinstalling programs, I'm getting a blue screen telling me the PC ran into a problem and has to restart. I've contacted Gateway support and requested a refund.

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Bought this in a store, not from Amazon, but feel obligated to warn others about this laptop. First of all I was really bothered that this didn't come with Microsoft Office or the like, as did the last laptop I bought. I guess that is the way now, making you pay for the additional software...lame. Upon attempting to use the disk drive for the first time it was not properly installed....spent a good chunk of time with tech support, which we were able to fix it, but not off to a good start. Now after only a couple months, the mouse is freezing up all the time; I've had at least one occasion where it wouldn't start without removing the battery and returning it before it would power up. Couple times it's frozen completely and I need to manually shut down. Also, as most people find, Windows 8 is a disaster to navigate, so confusing, impossible to find basic stuff, open two folders at the same time, etc... not a good operating system.

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This is a very nice laptop. Still learning windows 8 so not able to give 5 stars.. Laptop does get hot fast but this has not been a problem with the workings of the computer. nice job

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Landel MailBug Email Appliance (LT-302W)

I have used the mailbug for the past 11 months, have bought 9 for family members and find the mailbug an unbeliveable tool for me at home. It sits in my kitchen and my wife and daughter use it daily.

My father is literally on the mailbug 5 times a day sending email, checking his stock and being a news buff, checking on the latest political happenings.

I strongly recommend this product for ANYONE that wants easy access to email and news, stocks, entertainment and weather.

GREAT product !

My wife was always uncomfortable with my computer, but now she emails a lot with this nifty device. It sits on our kitchen counter. The use of the keyboard is not cramped like some of the other email appliances. The combination of Caller ID and email is godsend for my wife. The only minus is that we are unable to find a cover for the mailbug appliance. FIVE STARS!!!!

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I bought this device for my mother, who not only is not a computer person, but is also a techno-phobe (she still prefers old-fashioned 'round dial' phones!). However, I thought this would be a good way for her to keep in touch with people.

It's been a tremendous success! She loves it, and emails people all the time. I tried it and it's got great usability, the keyboard is very comfortable (standard-sized), easy-to-read screen. This is really for non-computer people who are comfortable being limited to text emails. It has very limited internet functionality (current weather, sports results, etc, all text-based). Anyone who likes to browse the internet or read/send email attachments should not rely on this device. However, as a text-message communication device, it's perfect. My mother has now owned it for 7 months and it has been running solidly the whole time.

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We purchased this for my 80+ year old mother-in-law who has no computer experience thinking it would be simple to use and practicle for sending messages to 4 5 family members around the USA. It was fine for about two weeks then the email account was inundated with SPAM. Mother-in-law could not cope with this and the service provider has NO SPAM filter nor any solution for the problem. We cancelled the email account and removed the appliance from mother-in-law's residence.

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My wife's been using this little device for close to a year. It is what it says e-mail only. And that means no HTML, no attachments, no graphics, just text. It's very easy to set-up and use. My only complaint (because I had low expectations) is that you cannot set the automatic mail checking interval it is set at about every 3 hours. One nice extra, though we've got voice mail on our home line and the MailBug detects the odd dial-tone and indicates messages waiting. NOTE: The reason I'm even here writing this is because I'm trying to find the seller Landel or the service provider MailBug.com to re-subscribe. I CANNOT FIND WEB SITES FOR EITHER COMPANY. So, unless that's a temporary problem and you do find them, beware. MEP

Save 4% Off

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Lenovo ThinkPad X120e 11.6" Black Notebook

This little laptop is great. Since I rarely use a disc drive except to load programs and drivers, this is perfect for me, It has an ll.6" screen, weighs about 3 pounds, and Windows 7 profesional 64 bit, so I now have loaded 4 Gb of RAM. It is a very fast laptop, doesn't heat up like my old one, and the battery gives over four hours of use on a single charge.

Thanks,

Richard

This notebook is cute, tiny, and extremely portable. I look forward to using this as my daily development machine, once the new wifi card arrives... (see below)

The graphics performance is what you would expect: slightly better than a modern integrated card. This is not a gaming laptop by any means, but it packs enough power to run less demanding OpenGL games and demos. It is capable of playing 1080p video in Windows (haven't tried in Linux yet).

This laptop may have either a Broadcom or Realtek wireless card. If you plan to use Linux with this laptop and end up with the Realtek card, be ready to replace the card. There is a whitelist, but there are ways around it.

All in all, I would recommend this if you love Thinkpads and low-profile laptops.

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I bought two of these machines-one for work and one for my husband. About 1 year after purchase (right after warranty ended), the keyboard stopped working on my work machine. A quick search found that this is a known problem. This has been a pain for us at work. My husband's keyboard is still working which is why I'm giving it 2 stars.

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This is a very nice little netbook, but it is a little limited with only 2GB of RAM. 2 more fits the bill nicely and is cheap from Crucial!

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Acer Aspire AS5560G-Sb468 15.6" Notebook (1.4 GHz AMD A6-3400M Processor, 4 GB RAM, 500 GB Hard Dri

I got this laptop about a month ago, I use it every single day I even play a very popular MMORPG made by Blizzard on this laptop at maximum video graphics and the game runs smoothly no lag and my frame rates are still great. It's fast and I can use several programs simutaneously without any hiccups. It does get rather hot so I would recommend a nice cooling tray to place underneath it to protect your legs if you use it like I do curled up on the couch or in bed :)

Watching Netflix on it has great picture and sound..I am very happy with my purchase, for the cost it is a wonderful laptop.

To "zezty", you are a total fool. First off this laptop run miles around your mac book. You need to install Silverlight and update the codec. This is basic knowledge if you want to play anything but .avi or .mov. The same reason you need to download an "app" for your phone.

Next off "laptop that has less video and processing power than my mobile phone" Sorry, but you really lost your credibly and seems you are just a Mac lover? Nobody in their right mind would compare a cell phone ghz to a computer. If a cell phone is that strong, they would be running Window or Mac OS fully with no issue and do everything a PC can. Even play the newest games like Call of Duty.

"running a DVD in anything but 480i" are you kidding us? If people want to watch HD movie, they would buy Blu Ray media. Sure you can download and convert 720p onto a disk DVD, but nobody goes and "buy" it. Reason is DVD are NOT HD. Your logical is the same as "Do not buy this VHS, It is unable to play 1080p"

"expensive email laptop, then this is the machine for you, if you want something to game with or for entertainment then look elsewhere.", Once again, are you on something? Are you saying this laptop is only as strong as a netbook and cell phones run miles around it?

To all buyers out there, just think of this guy as some Mac lover who does not even know how to use a PC.

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I purchased this laptop to replace a faulty Macbook Pro, what I found was a laptop that has less video and processing power than my mobile phone. The specifications spout a lot of hype, and that is all it is, basically all it is good for is email at best. I am not sure what exactly an AMD A6 Quadcore is, but it seems to be slower than my 4yr old HP with the AMD Dual Core 64 in it and runs hotter, even the graphics with one gig of VRAM are mediocre at best. The laptop comes with a shortcut to Netflix, but cannot support the video, and don't even think about running a DVD in anything but 480i, this machine does not support any form of HD. If you are looking for an expensive email laptop, then this is the machine for you, if you want something to game with or for entertainment then look elsewhere.

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Toshiba Satellite C655D-S5133 Laptop Computer With 15.6" LED-Backlit Screen Numeric Keypad,2GB, 250

can't go wrong with this laptop. Long battery life, nice display and responsive track pad. Low heat out put also. long charging cable is a plus.

I have never had trouble with a computer until I used this one. The first week I had to call Toshiba to fix it.

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HP G62-140US 15.6-Inch Laptop (Bronze)

I bought this laptop after doing quite a bit of research, looking for a replacement for the family computer at a reasonable price point. Considering the value of the computer against the price, I think this is a good deal, though this machine is not ideal for all uses. This computer is good for general use, such as surfing the net, playing the occasional game or working on spreadsheets. It's neither a heavy gaming rig nor a heavy-duty business machine, but it is sufficient for almost any everyday task that can be thrown at it. This is the ideal for which I was looking. In that capacity it does itself proud.

Having previously bought a Hewlett-Packard laptop I had hoped that this machine would have the standard media set, meaning recovery disks and documentation, but this is not the case. HP has elected to require the owner to make their own recovery media, which is a cost-saving measure for HP and a tedious annoyance for end-users. To be fair, it seems that most manufacturers have taken this route, so this should come as no surprise. Making recovery media requires 3 single-layer DVDs, and the creation tool says that either DVD+R or DVD-R platters are acceptable. I did not try dual-layer media.

On first boot, the user is greeted with a welcome/setup application that guides the user through the process of setting up wireless networking, naming the user account and of course registration. I personally think this application is very cartoony in appearance, using the image of hands to walk you through turning pages and transition screens. While it's clear HP is targeting home users with this approach, it seems out of place for more professional use. It's a personal preference, though, and it accomplishes the end goal.

Once booted up into Windows 7 the first time, the barrage of "Register Me" and "Activate this Software" popup windows began and it not only was distracting and annoying but it interfered with my personal setup. In the middle of creating the recovery media, a window popped over top of the recovery application asking if I wanted to make recovery DVDs. I would have preferred that it detect the process in progress, or at most give me a system tray notification instead. Though annoying, this can be dealt with either by activation/registration or performing an uninstall of the offending application(s).

My first order of business was to strip the extra stuff I don't want from the OS. I removed MS Office 2007 trial and I removed all things Norton/Symantec. This was mercifully very easy and quick. Now, that said, for the user that actually wants these applications (and I suspect there's quite a few people who do) having these pre-installed will be very convenient. For me, I have no intention of using any of these as I have software for which I have licenses already, so I removed them.

Some people have difficulties with the touch pad, though I have not. I personally dislike most laptop touchpads and this one is no exception though it works as it should and is flush with the rest of the plastic shell. That said, the touchpad "mouse buttons" are actually one unified rocker button that is stiff and unresponsive.

The keyboard is another matter entirely. Though I have had no issues with the keyboard, I am concerned that the wireless adapter is enabled and disabled through the F12 key, not separated from the rest of the keys on the keyboard. This is asking for trouble for people that do not use a separate keyboard. HP can expect complaints about the wireless getting cut on and off via bad keystrokes.

Another puzzling design decision is that there appears to be no latch for the laptop lid. It simply opens or closes, no more or less. In my case this is not a major issue as the system will sit on a desk and not move; for those on the go this could be a potential issue, especially if the computer is dropped. Keep this in mind.

None of the ports on this unit are on the back; all of them are located on the sides, including the power and the VGA interfaces. At first this bothered me. I can see some wisdom in it now, though, because of the hinge and the ability to move the system flush with the back of the desk which is against the wall. Again, this is beneficial for me. If you are left-handed, though, this could be very problematic as two of the USB ports, the HDMI port and the VGA interface are all on the left and if all of those are plugged in the cords will interfere with external mice. In my case I am connecting an external monitor, mouse and keyboard so the system does not need to be directly in front of the user.

In terms of performance, this is a peppy system. There's 4 GB of RAM, expandable to 8, which gives Windows and applications plenty of breathing room. The processor is 2.13 GHz with 2 cores, sufficient for most software (though not for high-end games). The hard drive is a 7200-RPM drive, a very noticeable upgrade from the 5400-RPM drive in my older HP. The graphics adapter is really the only weakness when it comes to speed, but even so it is still a decent graphics adapter and will work just fine for the majority of users.

I do like the styling with the interesting texture and color of the plastic shell. It is most certainly not necessary but it's a break from the ordinary that makes this laptop a little more interesting. HP did a great job with making the touchpad seamless, too, which will keep crud from gathering in the edges.

Overall, I am satisfied with this system. It meets the needs for which I purchased it, it's stylish and it performs well. It is by no means perfect, but at the price point it's more system than I could otherwise ask for. If you need a good workhorse laptop that is affordable, this is a good candidate. Be aware that there are a few negatives too, such a port placement, when purchasing, though an argument can be made for the negatives being no more than personal preference.

For the most part, this laptop does everything you'd expect it to. Windows 7 has some quirks, but I'm liking it for the most part (coming from Vista is a much easier transition than I'd imagine coming from XP would be). The HDMI connection is a snap to use (Turn on TV, plug in cable, the computer switches all the video settings correctly. Unplug the cable and the computer switches everything back to the built in display automatically). Bloatware was fairly minimal and easy to uninstall. Not coming with backup discs is annoying, but Windows lets you make a set yourself, so at least there's something. The battery lasts me 2-3 hours depending how much video I watch. The 4GB of RAM and 320 GB hard drive make this a good value. It's a laptop and it works.

The only annoying software related dislike is the defualt of locking the Fn commands as I use the F1, F2, etc keys a lot. This requires messing with BIOS to turn off, but would be useful for an average user who doesn't understand what F-keys do.

I'm really annoyed with the input devices, though. The keyboard is mostly standard, but there's a couple of small things that annoy. The quick launch buttons on the left are useless and get in the way (I always hit "calculator" instead of Ctrl). Esc is shifted over the quick launch buttons, so I keep hitting F1 instead of Esc and F2 instead of F1, etc. There's nothing to differenciate the arrow keys from the other keys, so it's hard to use them without looking. Typing on the keyboard is nice, though.

The trackpad is really annoying. It's difficult to use without looking. If you have two fingers on the pad, it doesn't respond at all (if there's multitouch, I haven't figured out how to turn it on). It's fairly easy to accidentally touch while typing. When I close the lid and open it, it doesn't respond the first time I touch it (which leads to me closing windows and tabs accidentally trying to get the pad to respond). I've eventually learned to work with the trackpad, but that involved changing how I type and use the computer by holding my wrists up, which I really shouldn't have to do.

For the price I paid ($120 less than Amazon currently offers), I can live with the problems. Otherwise, they'd annoying enough for me to look at another manufacturer.

EDIT: Less than a year after buying the laptop, the battery is dead. It barely holds a charge (about 20-30 minutes) and dies unexpectedly (while reading over 20% left on the meter). I never kept the computer plugged in with a full battery charge (charge the battery, unplug, use down to 15-20%, charge again) and used it about 8 hours per day (off at night and while I'm at work). The death of the battery was very sudden: it seemed fine for the first 8-9 months of use, started turning off unexpectedly for a couple of weeks, and then completely failed to hold a charge.

Buy HP G62-140US 15.6-Inch Laptop (Bronze) Now

I am a college student and, like most college students, I'm pretty broke. Not only am I just a broke college student I am photographer and photoshop lover! I am going into photogrpahy and the computer that I had was over seven years old and bearly running. I needed and I mean needed a good laptop that had all the memory capablity that I needed to run PhotoShop and whatever other photo editing programs I needed.

You could say that my needs for the right computer and my wallet size didn't really see eye to eye. Most of the computers I looked at(that I could afford) were always laking someing. It could be the screen size or the ram or some other little quirk that wouldn't fit my needs. So I was stressing!!

When I ordered this laptop I was so nervus because if it didn't work the way I needed it to then I would have been in a very sad state of mind! Not to mention this is one of my first orders off of Amazon!! (I was a nervus wreck waiting for my order to come in and trying to upload and install photoshop while holding my breathe and crossing my fingers that it would install perfectly haha).

When my laptop arravied it was perfect! I uploaded Adobe Creatve Suite 3 and the Topaz Labs bundle to it and it works like a charm! Oh, and I can work in PhotoShop AND listen to Pandora or ITunes at the SAME time!!! It's amazing! Even with all of the programs I have installed it is so so so fast!

If you are a college student and a photographer or photoshopper and are stressing about finding the right computer then this one is the one for you! You don't have to be a college student or a photographer to love it, but trust me you will love it!!!

Read Best Reviews of HP G62-140US 15.6-Inch Laptop (Bronze) Here

DO not purchase this laptop. I bought one and in two months the screen stopped working. Additionally, I heard that this has happened to a few other people that have purchased HP Laptops. Worst part about it is that HP would not help me b/c they said it is out of the "21" day warranty. What kind of company only covers their product for the first 21 days. At least offer a 90 coverage. This has been a very disappointing experience for me. I highly urge anyone considering purchasing this product to rethink their decision.

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I have owned HPs in the past and thought this would be a safe bet. However, after bringing it home from a screaming deal at best buy, I realized that I'd been had.

The keyboard is terrible, the buttons don't press right, and it feels like they are not in the right places, and my fingers keep getting hung up on their edges since the press is so deep.

The track pad is worse, I've had to reinstall the trackpad driver to make it work again, and ever since, the palm detector is always limiting the track pad movement even if my palm is nowhere near the trackpad. It only moves a couple of pixels per swipe, it truly is the worst trackpad I have ever dealt with.

It overheats too easily, watching a video in bed causes the fan to go into overdrive and something on windows causes the problem to get worse as time goes on. Occasionally, I have to set it up next to a fan.

Unfortunately, I didn't use it much during the money back period, and I'm not sure what I can say if I send it back other than "I hate it. It makes me hate my life" and that doesn't seem very RMA-able.

I've bought cheapie computers in the past, and they've been great. This one is new and more expensive than I've typically bought, and I'd rather throw it away than have anyone else suffer this garbage.

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

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

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

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

I took the plunge.

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

The Exterior:

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

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

Now the cons:

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

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

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

That's all of my cons.

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

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

FIVE STARS!

***UPDATE***

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Lenovo G580 15.6-Inch Laptop

This is the third sub-$400 Lenovo laptop I've owned in the past 3 years (since 2009). I've purchased and resold one annually. The first was a 15-inch model (forgot which one exactly) with no number keypad and the second was a G560.

All three had Core2Duo's running under the hood, 4 gigabytes of RAM, and 320Gb hard drives. All were made entirely of plastic and came in essentially the same simple packaging.

In terms of build, I am under the impression that all Lenovos are very solidly built and the plastic feels adequate.

The sub-$400, and now sub-$300, Lenovo laptop product line has progressively become lighter, quieter, and cooler.

I think about my first Lenovo (the one that I can't remember the model number for); it was not terribly light, the fan was loud enough that it was audible from several feet away, and after 45 minutes to an hour, was hot enough to cause discomfort in certain parts underneath.

The Lenovo G560, although a definite improvement in terms of weight and fan noise, still ran hot.

This new Lenovo G580 is not only the lightest Lenovo I've owned thus far, it's also completely silent. After using it for several hours, the fan runs completely silently. Perhaps the biggest improvement in the 580 is the absolute lack of heat! This puppy runs completely cool, even after several hours of continuous use!!

I purchased mine from Fry's on Nov. 7th for $288 ($328 with tax) and I couldn't be happier.

Any potential buyers should note that this model's Core2Duo processor is more than sufficient for web browsing, Word and Excel processing, and even playing high-quality Blu-Ray discs!

I mostly use this laptop for CAD drawing (I produce architectural blueprints using AutoCAD 2007). I've even install the Adobe Master Suite CS6 and although it's nothing like my desktop Core i7 (2600K), this laptop surpassed all my performance expectations.

I was looking for a value laptop but not a cheapo laptop that would struggle to run things like HD YouTube. I settled on the G580 and so far it's met my expectations. I am not going to review Windows 8 (I happen to like it), this is a hardware review only.

Pros:

Nice bright colorful screen

Quality build, feels sturdy, not cheap even though its a value laptop

Runs very quiet and cool

Not Ultrabook thin but its pretty light and thin enough for a casual user

Good keyboard, works well and easy to type on. Like having 10 digit keypad

Touch pad works fine, messed with a little. Still prefer usb mouse but it works fine

Most needed ports-hdmi, sd card, usb 3.0

Color is nice (but see cons)

Speakers sound pretty full (but see cons)

Not the top of the line processor but it's zippy for casual use (Office, Internet, Flash games, etc.)

Plays 1080P HD and Flash content easily

Battery life is pretty good, it probably goes 3.5 hours with light moderate use and decent settings

Webcam works fine, quality seems good

Cons:

Color and design is nice but it's a fingerprint magnet, don't even bother trying to wipe it clean daily (or every 5 minutes it seems)

Speakers sound pretty decent and full for a laptop, but I am not a big fan of speakers placed in the front underneath. Prefer them up top near the screen. Sounds more natural to me, this is only minor and a personal preference of mine they still sound pretty good for laptop speakers.

Placement of usb 2.0 port, too close to power plug, again, minor annoyance. Use that port for something like your nano usb mouse.

It's nice that Lenovo makes it easy to setup for recovery but I would still prefer having physical media of some kind. But better embrace it as that's the way the worlds moving. There are no Windows discs or any discs for that matter included.

A lot of bloatware, but what PC brand doesn't come loaded with tons of unnecessary crap? Again minor, just go on your uninstall rage fest.

I'm very happy with my purchase and recommend this laptop if you are like me and need a good value laptop without having to compromise too much performance. Cons are mostly minor (except for fingerprints, it annoys me) but overall I think you will be very happy with the quality of Lenovo and the value performance you get with this G580.

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I just received my computer and I am completely in love with it. Windows 8 is amazing and this computer its amazing too. I love the camera to take pictures and videos. Its not heavy and the color its nice too. I was doubting about this laptop, but I think so far its great! Totally recommended you get a lot for the price you pay

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I'm on my new Lenovo right now as I type this. It's a great laptop and has a ton of value for what you pay. The only thing I had a hard time getting used to was the keyboard. I've never had a laptop with a numerical pad on the right, so I've had to learn to shift everything to the left when typing. No biggie though, after a few days of typing it wasn't an issue. I'm so glad I took a chance on this laptop!

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Laptop was nicely priced. It does everything I want it to, but HDMI port stopped working after a few weeks of use. May return it, or pay to have it repaired, as everything else is exactly what I want.

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Acer Ultrabook NX.V7QAA.009;TMB113-M-6825 11.6-Inch Laptop

I felt compelled to endorse the Acer Travelmate. I wanted a 13.3" Windows 7 laptop with 3rd gen Intel Processor and the Acer was the cheapest option I found by far. I couldn't find any reviews but I really like mine so far.:

Pros:

Lightweighta hair over 4 lbs which makes it almost an ultrabook

Full-featuredits a business laptop but still has a webcam and USB 3 port

Fastlighting fast so far. Acer doesn't bog their pcs down with a bunch of crap and its faster to boot up than any computer I have used. That includes comparable Dell, Lenovo, and Toshiba models.

Inexpensivefound mine for just over $600. Couldn't find a comparable model from the other guys for less than $750.

Cons:

Not stylish in anywaysturdy black plastic, no keyboard backlighting

Screen resolutionis not as sharp as some of the newer guys. A step down from HD.

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Lenovo Thinkpad T420 4178-6VU 14" Notebook (2.5 GHz Intel Core i5-2520M Processor, 4 GB RAM, 500 GB

This Laptop was delivered on January 7, 2012. Here are my first impressions.

Configuration is average for the most of modern laptops but with some advantages:

Latest processor Sandy Bridge Core i5 2520M dual core 2.5 Ghz;

4Gb RAM (used only one slot, I'm going to install additional memory which shall provide me with max of 8 Gb of total memory 2x4Gb).

500 Gb/7200 rpm hard drive is fast enough and equipped with anti-shock feature.

This machine has 14" matte HD screen with resolution of 1600x900 which does not give any reflections at all! It tilts 180 degrees which is very handy.

It has Intel HD Graphics 3000 and nVidia Quadro NVS 4200M with 1 Gb dedicated memory, which is not the fastest but is still sufficient for day-to-day activity: work with MS Office applications, Web surfing, watching video and playing not too demanding games.

Three USB-2 drives + one e-SATA/USB are an advantage, more than enough, but it would be better to have USB-3 and HDMI port which in this case replaced with Display port which is not so widely used yet.

Spill proof keyboard is a beauty of this machine! I used to have laptops of different brands: Toshiba, Dell, Asus, Sony, the last one is Samsung (I still have it) but this one is the best in terms of the keyboard! Typing this keyboard is nothing but the pleasure. The only thing which requires to be got used to is the location of certain keys such as DELETE, two keys right above the arrow keys, which I found unnecessary they switch pages when surfing the internet current to previous and vice versa. I'd prefer to have HOME/END keys instead of them. Also FN and CTRL keys: ctrl key should be at the lowest left and fn key is between ctrl and windows keys, but you can swap them in BIOS.

Interesting feature is the track point did not have chance to use much but with a little practice I'm sure it can be more convenient than touchpad. Touch pad is normal, nothing to say bad or good. It is smaller than the same in Samsung QX 411 but you do not touch it accidentally when typing which was a pain with Samsung.

Another cute thing is a little flash light on top of the camera, which allows for typing in complete darkness. You can turn it on by pressing "function + page up" keys simultaneously; it justifies the strange placement of these keys, because it's extremely easy to find them in the dark.

Sound quality alright. Not best but not too bad. I found a bit inconvenient combined headphone/mic jack, had to buy special headphones with combined phones/mic connector.

Built in web camera is crisp and works flawlessly in fast networks.

Laptop has a fingerprint reader which switches on the machine. Nice feature.

I've bought configuration with 9 cell battery 55++. Had a chance to test it with everything on: Wi-Fi, connected wireless mouse, Bluetooth, LAN cable, in other words normal operating mode (no gaming, no films): Web browser running with at least four tabs open with running flash, MS Word, Excel, MS Outlook, Windows live mail + 15 minutes of YouTube video. And it lasted 7.5 hours, without watching video it would last the whole 8 hours! I think it is an excellent result.

As for the weight it's about 2 kg just a 100 gr heavier than Samsung QX 411 which has same 14" display and 6 cell battery with 3-4 hours life.

As for the build quality A+ a very solid reliable laptop the best I've used.

Design: Very practical yet beautiful, I like it's rugged style, it has everything I need but "no frills", no glossy finish, display hinges made of metal the lid does not shake. No gaps, no squeaks. I'd say that it's as good as mac book pro with one exception MBPs for show-offs and Thinkpads for pros.

Generally speaking I absolutely satisfied with my Lenovo ThinkPad T420.

The Lenovo brand is as solid as the IBM brand. I have two old IBM thinkpads that still work great. Since I had trouble with new ASUS and Dell laptops, I decided to spend the extra money on a Lenovo. This is a solid business laptop with the power of a high priced gaming machine. Compact case, extreme long 8 hour battery life (unless you are gaming), fast performance with nvidia graphics -exactly what I was looking for. It only lacks USB3 and HDMI. Plus there was no bloatware on this laptop.

January 2013 update: It has been 7 months and I haven't had any issues or blue-screens with this laptop. My only complaint is with the nvidia optimus technology: I usually have to manually tell the nvidia to run with games. If you don't game, then you won't be bothered by this. I love my T420.

Buy Lenovo Thinkpad T420 4178-6VU 14" Notebook (2.5 GHz Intel Core i5-2520M Processor, 4 GB RAM, 500 GB Now

Rock solid durability, classic look and feel, very fast performance, security features, quiet keyboard

I've been a fan of Lenovo products for many years now. Lenovo has long been considered the GOLD standard for the Enterprise. And their latest ThinkPad T420 only continues this tradition.

Lenovo positions this laptop as being "rock solid durability". And from what I've seen that may even be somewhat of an understatement. They are built like a tank. Tough and rugged, and provide all day performance.

While the design of the ThinkPad has not really changed that much over the years, what is under the hood sure has kept up with the times and provides extremely fast performance. Mine is configured with a Core i5 2.5Ghz processor, 8 GB RAM and a 320 GB 7200rpm drive with the NVIDIA NVS 4200 upgraded video card. And the Windows Experience Rating in Windows 7 for this configuration is 5.9 which is a very high rating for a business class laptop.

The ThinkPad T420 has all the latest security features, including a fingerprint reader and a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 1.2 chip. The TPM chip allows you to enable Bitlocker to protect the hard drive should your laptop be stolen and is a requirement of a lot of IT shops these days.

Battery life is even better than I expected. With the 9-cell battery I get over 7+ hours of usable battery life. And the 6-cell provides over 4 hours. I would recommend purchasing the bay battery which slides into the DVD slot.

I will agree with others that the button to open the DVD seems to be placed in the wrong spot since I tend to accidentally hit it all the time. It's more of an inconvenience than anything else.

And finally, the customer support at Lenovo has been poor in my experience. This is nothing new, and should not reflect on the review of any of their products, other than being noted.

Overall, this is one of the best laptops that I've ever purchased. This is not my first Lenovo and definitely will not be my last. If you're even considering a Lenovo, go ahead and do yourself a favor and buy it. You won't regret it.

Read Best Reviews of Lenovo Thinkpad T420 4178-6VU 14" Notebook (2.5 GHz Intel Core i5-2520M Processor, 4 GB RAM, 500 GB Here

Bought my T420 a little over a year ago, and dragged it around SE Asia for 6 months with nary a problem... pretty rugged. I bought it for personal use, not just business. I thought about getting something a bit lighter weight but went for bullet-proof instead. This was my first Thinkpad so I have nothing to compare it to. I did upgrade mine with a solid-state flash drive for the OS and a secondary 500mb conventional hard drive for data and applications. Did have a few software wrinkles to iron out here and there but nothing critical. Screen was OK for me, not the greatest but it worked just fine. My wife and I watched movies on it while we were travelling & it wasn't too bad, except for the darker under-lighted scenes. Battery life was excellent. I'm still using and enjoying the laptop.

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Everygood laptop, Thinkpad quality. Very quiet, very stable.

It comes with a 9-cell battery, which is not clarified in the description.

Cons: Thinkpad puts too many useless software inside, which slows down the boot time. If you want, you can erase that and get new system by yourself.

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