Asus 14" X401U-EBL4 Laptop PC with AMD E1 1200 Processor and Windows 7 Home Premium with Web Cam (D

I got mines from my local Walmart and it's working good!

It plays both 720p and 1080p Youtube videos FLAWLESSLY. Maybe it's my good connection.

My touchpad is working good so far and if indeed gets damage I have a tiny mouse for backup.

I don't need a cd drive as I have always used Usb hard drives.

The HDMI is wonderful , I play a movie and connect this baby to my tv and its awesome!!!

WARNING: IT COMES WITH A LOT OF BLOATWARE , BUT YOU CAN JUST UNINSTALL BUT LEAVE THE ONE THAT SAYS ASUS RECOVERY ALONE.

Stay well clear from this piece of crap and do not read favorable reviews on it because they either work for Asus or are playing some kind of sick joke. Bbc computers that you used to get in schools 20 odd years ago run quicker than this. The speakers can be found at the bottom of the laptop so you cannot hear some videos. Space bar is shocking as well. Trading it in this week and taking a £180 hit but care as long as I get something that can play Youtube videos 360p and above.

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Awesome little lappie, nice kb, nice trackpad (very sensitive, though I had to learn to be careful and use light touch) super light, crisp screen and great WiFi. Windows 7 is perfect on this machine. I call it the working man's Macbook Air, or my AsusAir.

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The touch pad was a problem right out of the box. It should not be necessary to buy a mouse the very first day. On a positive note, the screen is beautiful and it is very light in weight.

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Were to start !!! Very Very slow, stalls all the time. Can't even cope with videos on youtube. Touchpad is unresponsive sometimes. It drives me crazy. No DVD / CD drive either. Ram is onboard soldered to the motherboard and can't be upgraded at all. I would of thought 4gb of ram would be ok but somehow on this laptop it works slow and struggles. 2 things are good thou the screen is good (HD) and the keyboard is great. Shame about the rest... Makes me very upset that i bought this laptop after saving for months. I used to love ASUS but now they've ripped me off :(

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HP Pavilion G60-230US 16.0-Inch Laptop

I don't know about the other reviewer's experience, but I can say that I love everything about this computer. The screen is bright and the colors are vivid. I have listened to other laptop speakers, and these sound very good. The keyboard is wonderful to type on. I had to uninstall some bloatware, but that was expected. Will upgrade to a 12 cell battery as soon as I can afford to. I highly recommend this laptop to anyone who wants a well made machine. Read the specs listed above and you will find that this machine has everything you would want in a laptop or desktop replacement. Con: somewhat large and slightly heavy, but then again your going to carry it in a bag anyways!

The G70-250US laptop is a very capable laptop but with a 17" screen it is not a lightweight. After 3 days of use these are my initial comments. The "HP Imprint" silver finish on the keyboard is very smooth which has a glassy feel which I didn't' like initially, but it may grow on me. The 4 directional keys, which are grouped below the right shift key, are half height keys which seem a little too small. The volume control is a two key operation which uses the left function key and a volume key, and that is a slight annoyance as compared to my other HP laptop (NC6220) which takes only 1 key press. The speakers and the LCD display perform very well when viewing HD movie trailers and various DVD's. There is nearly 25GB of preloaded software, and I removed about 50% of which I don't care to use or have acquired previously. Microsoft Vista is a decent OS, however I found a case where it was not compatible with my Netgear WGT624V3 wireless router (search the web for details on making a registry change in Vista). I'll describe my laptop use to be 70% business, 30% casual audio/Photoshop editing and web shopping mostly at home. I'm pretty satisfied with this laptop knowing it's not a stellar performer but capable one for doing ordinary office work and recreational stuff which doesn't require the Intel "Genius" processor. It's a pretty good price performer from HP (and my 3rd HP laptop).

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I purchased this laptop after comparing price/performance for low cost laptops. I ruled out AMD CPUs as comparable Intel mobile processors are faster. I have been using this HP for 10 days and have found it to be an excellent computer after a number of changes as follows:

1. Uninstalled all the trial software and other programs I will not use.

2. Ran MSConfig, Startup, and removed every program from Startup except the four items for the Intel Graphics processor.

3. Went to Administrative Services and comparing it with the recommendations on changed a lot of services from Automatic (startup) to either Manual or Disable. This removed a lot more programs that ran at startup.

4. Added a number of new programs that I use.

5. Upgraded the memory from 3GB to 4GB.

Even before I performed step 5. above, this computer was now very fast It uses an Intel T4200 mobile dual processor which is only about 8% slower than the Intel T6400 processor featured in most of the higher priced mainstream laptops. If you wish to upgrade memory, there is one step that is not included in any instructions I have seen. After changing a memory module, you must disconnect the hard drive for 5 seconds or more or your computer will not start. I found this out after an hour on the phone with HP tech support. I highly recommend HP tech support as I found them to be knowledgeable even if they are in India. Upgrading the memory will not void your warranty. One thing to note the HP warranty is 90 days with HP paying for shipping both ways, labor and materials. After that for the balance of one year you pay shipping and labor and HP pays for parts.

Everything works well, from easy wireless connection to the modem, etc. I like everything about this laptop and recommend it if you can buy it a low price. HP has a rebate on this computer until June 27th, and also offers a full or partial rebate on certain HP printers when you buy this computer.

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after careful consideration & tons of research, I bought this laptop direct from the hp website mostly because of the hard drive space & the huge screen. I was a bit worried that i had gotten my hopes up too high but this product absolutely did not disappoint! This is the fourth laptop computer i've owned, the others being two ibms (one bought through my university, it imploded two months after the warranty ran out) & an iBook that i absolutely hated. this computer is by far my favourite. It runs fast, quiet & smooth & the screen has such a brilliant picture! For school i use a lot of (allegedly) very high end computers for Computer Aided Design & Illustration classes, & honestly the picture on this notebook is a thousand times clearer than those more expensive machines. Vista has taken some time to get used to, but eventually i will adjust, just like i did when XP came out. This computer is an absolute steal. It's definitely the best $700 i've ever spent.

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First of all.., I've been an Apple computer user (lover) for almost 10 years that swear never to go back to PC.., however, due to a change of career and compatibility reasons I had to buy a PC.., I was SUPER hesitant, so after a couple of weeks of research I decided to go for the HP G70.., I use it to run a full version of AutoCAD 2008 on Vista for 3D mapping and engineering design and I can just say I'm more than happy, It has been the best buy ever!.. Thumbs up to HP for this one!

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HP Folio 13-2000 13-Inch LED Ultrabook - Core i5 i5-2467M 4G RAM 128G SSD Windows 7 Professional

Once in a blue moon I come across a laptop that fascinates me. The HP Folio 13-2000 is surely one of the more impressive models available on the market. HP has packaged powerful components into a very elegant yet sophisticated system.

At the time of this writing, Intel had recently announced that they would be beginning their "Ultrabook" laptop initiative to place systems on the market that would compete with Apple's thinner Macbook Air series. As a disclaimer, my years of experience with computer systems have been spent in a Windows environment, so this review will focus strictly on the HP Folio rather act as a side-by-side comparison with Apple's Macbook Air products.

In the original box and packaging, the Folio is held in place by two pieces of foam on each side, with space between the Folio and the cardboard box, which I suppose is a good thing in the event it were to come into contact with some blunt force. Aside from the Folio itself, a power adapter and packet of papers are included in the box.

Upon physical inspection, the Folio is very solid to the touch. Unlike my previous Asus netbook, the laptop casing is not flimsy at all and very resistant to bending. As shown on the Specifications page for the Folio on HP's website, the Ultrabook measures 8.67 inches in width, 12.54 inches in length, and 0.7 inches in depth. Needless to say, the Folio is extremely thin. On top of that, its weight at 3.3 pounds is noteworthy. The left side has the RJ-45 (Ethernet), HDMI, USB 3.0, and SD memory card ports; while the right has a USB 2.0 port and headphone jack. Interestingly the Folio lacks a Kensington Security Slot; whatever the reason for its absence, I will assume that owners of this superb computer system will rarely leave it out of sight for any period from would-be thieves.

The top of the Folio has a very nice metallic silver finish with the HP logo embedded in the center, and the bottom contains the usual assortment of exhaust ports and stickers.

Starting up the Folio for the first time would be when things got very interesting. The startup process itself, from BIOS to the Windows loading screen, was very fast, which should not be too big of a surprise since HP as put a Samsung SSD inside. Even though I managed to finish the Windows setup without any issues, the HP registration program that followed was a complete disaster. As I tried to enter my information into the contact information fields in the registration program, the HP program suddenly froze, leaving me no choice but to abort it and register the traditional method (via HP website). Compared to my past experiences with HP computers, there is significantly less bloatware and other programs installed, but they still remain nonetheless. Certain things about HP's software was particularly annoying, notably HP including an entire program solely dedicated to opening PDF files (e.g. User manual) was totally unnecessary. For an Ultrabook that's supposedly designed for powering through the "workday," the extra software can really drag you down.

On another note, Windows 7 Professional is absolutely necessary for those needing to join Domains in business environments. With a 64-bit operating system installed, the Folio has 4GB of DDR3 SRAM; HP states on the website for the Folio that the RAM has been downgraded from 1600 MHz to 1333 MHz. The 13.3-inch LED display is marvelous to look at, without any significant strain on my eyes; changing the display settings will be necessary, as is necessary for any new computer out of its box. I was initially skeptical about purchasing this particular model due to its 128 GB SSD, but with all of the latest updates and drivers installed, there is still a significant amount of space remaining approximately 100 GB. Returning to my point about HP's disappointing software, the Folio is configured at factory automatically for a recovery partition that is used by HP Recovery Manager. I should also point out that Recovery Manager is essentially useless for most users who have at least some experience with both Windows 7 and setting up backups. For inexperienced users, I would recommend leaving Recovery Manager installed in the event that you might need to return the system to its original factory configuration. I personally recommend installing CCleaner by Piriform after the initial setup of the computer so unnecessary files are removed automatically.

Regarding performance of the Folio, I would not recommend purchasing this system if you plan on doing any serious gaming on it. Again, I want to emphasize that this is a more business-oriented computer system, rather than one that targets mainstream consumers. While this particular Ultrabook only uses the quad-core 2nd generation Intel Corei5 processor, there will be more than enough power to get through whatever you need to in a day at the office. Unless you are running the system with display brightness set to maximum and CPU usage at 100% across the board, the Folio will fetch you several hours on battery power alone. HP estimates approximately 9 hours, but I have yet to test this out.

I will designate this last segment to what I think is the most interesting piece of hardware HP included in this ultrabook. For those who are somewhat familiar with computer security, a TPM 1.2 security chip is pre-installed on the motherboard at the factory. To minimize technical jargon and complexity, the TPM chip essentially a security chip that prevents tampering with the computer system. Its true potential is unlocked when it is paired with Windows BitLocker (available only in Windows 7 Ultimate and Enterprise). With BitLocker enabled, the TPM chip ensures that no hardware settings were altered between the last shutdown and next powerup. Note that BitLocker supports full-disk encryption, for those who need it.

While this is undoubtedly a superb system, a four-star rating is warranted since the shoddy HP software simply will not warrant a five-star review. However, for would-be buyers, HP's failure in producing functional software should not overshadow the many other great features offered by this ultrabook.

This is by far the best laptop that I have bought to-date. It is light, sleek, functional, super portable, and the battery last longer than any battery on any device I have ever had. It goes for at least 8 hours without needing to be plugged in. If you are looking for a ultrabook because of the poratablity but do not want to compromise on performance, style, or functionaly then look no further.

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This computer is exactly what I was looking for in a traveling computer. It's screen and keyboard are the right size and is pretty fast. I looked at other computers and at the Ipad, but this one fits my needs much better. Now when I travel, I leave my larger laptop at home and take this one instead. The battery life is also amazing, and this computer only weighs 3.3#! Hard drive is small so I bought a couple 32 GB SD cards to store files on.

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This is HP Folio 13 the best Ultrabook, compared to all other brands of Ultrabook. Why is this is so good and why it's getting so many glowing reviews, an average of 4.8 stars out of 5 stars? This is why:

1. Windows 7 Professional. It's not Windows 7 Home or Windows 8 (which is horrible to run software or do usual business tasks). I was actually thinking of getting a MacBook Air but need to install Windows 7 Pro and Parallels into a Macbook Air that would set me $360.00 back.

2. It is superfast, boots up and shuts down super quick just like your smart phone (iPhone, Andriod or Blackberry). I hate laptops that that forever to boot up or shut down. Finally an Ultrabook that boots up like a Smartphone or iPad.

3. It has SSD instead of HD. I hate hard drives because it is noisy and breaks down. SSD is the way to go. Macbook Airs are all SSD.

4. Superlight. I hate heavy and bulky laptops.

5. Superlong lasting battery. The battery goes for 7++ hours!

6. Responsive mousepad and keypad. No need for external mouse. Some ultrabooks like Samsung and Acer has this problem.

7. Great Price. For $699.00 for a brand new Ultrabook, that is a $400.00 lower than a comparable MacBook Air 13 inch ($1,099.00).

8. This is an excellent Business Class laptop and even my old software such as Microsoft Office XP, works like a charm, no issues.

9. Wifi connection is easy and no problems. Some Samsung and Acer Ultrabooks has this problems.

10. Webcam works and sound is decent for a laptop this size.

11. Printing and scanning from this Ultrabook is easy.

12. Connecting to the network is a breeze.

13. Connecting to DVD drive/burner is is breeze, no issues.

14. It doesn't get hot or warm.

15. It is very thin and elegant, comparable to a 13 inch Macbook Air. Very stylish!

16. It has an internet Ethernet port (which the macbook air doesn't have). This is useful if you need to connect to the internet with a hardwire instead of wifi.

I have looked into HP Windows 8 Ultrabooks but HP Windows 8 Ultrabooks ones are crappy and I would have to downgrade from Windows 8 to 7 to meet my business benchmarks. That's too much trouble!

If you are looking for a Ultrabook that has SSD instead of a noisy harddrive, get this Ultrabook, there's no better one out there. HP is no longer making this Ultrabook, this is a pity. So get this before you can no longer buy this. I am thinking of getting an extra one as a backup.

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HP Engineering provides a wonderful design with a nice layout, good screen resolution, excellent wireless and enough ports (USB2, USB3, HDMI, etc.,) to provide great flexibility to connect to almost any device.

The problem that we encountered was the additional HP installed software provided for customer support seems to have conflicts with the Windows 7 operating system. The result is a repeated blue screen and a system dump. The problem only worsened when we had to engage HP customer support (located in the Philippines). The agents were friendly but unlike Dell they did not really understand the configuration of the PC (e.g. Dell service tag) and as of this writing have not resolved the PC issues. After four sessions of trying to work with HP technical support and 12 hours of wasted time, I am beginning to lose interest in HP products. Their resolution finally was to send me a pre-paid box to return the PC to their repair service center with a promise that I would have it back in a week. Poor consolation for the amount of trouble that the HP product support has caused and a very weak comparison to the Dell support that we have received over the years.

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ASUS X83VB-X2 14.1" Notebook PC - REFURBISHED

my board is out for RMA which I would buy another even if it was unfixable (ASUS P6x58d extreme edition). In the mean time I have this little laptop doing all my work. Everything from CPU to memory is discrete (upgradable). It's currently hooked-up with an HDMI connection to a Samsung T240 monitor and also my desktop keyboard, mouse, headset, gamepad and a printer. I still have unused USB ports. My X832B-X2 even came with Windows 7 and was refurbished by the good people at Asus. Gods honest truth I even bought one for my son who plays games on his. Before spending big bucks on a new over priced laptop check this one out.

This is my second Asus X83V22, the kids took the first one bought. This laptop is great because it is super easy to upgrade which is NOT very typical of laptops. I bought a Q9100 cpu which is a quad core CPU and had it changed out in 10 minutes. The video card is also swappable! I also like the laptop because it is power packed full of ports and features with 3 usb ports, firewire, pcmcia card, flash card reader etc.. downside to this laptop is that it comes with Vista. I downgraded to XP..not an easy task on this laptop, but doable.( dont blame Asus for this, but M$ for pushing their quirky OS on manufacturers ) The laptop, on occassion, has some glitchiness with bluetooth and usb ports..I think this is a hardware design issue, as I have said, i have 2 of these laptops one with Windows XP the other with windows 7 and they both have issues. Rebooting always fixes the problem.

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ASUS G73SW-XA1 Republic of Gamers 17.3-Inch Gaming Laptop (Black)

Just received this laptop. It does NOT come with a backpack or a mouse (it was written that backpack and mouse are included in G73SW-XA1 on Amazon's product page, but this text was later removed). :-(

The material quality is great. Feels sturdy. Quite heavy, as expected.

Screen is glossy and has 1920*1080 resolution.

Windows experience index details are:

Processor 7.4

RAM 7.6

Graphics 7.0

Gaming graphics 7.0

Primary hard disk 5.9

Computer has 8GB of 1333Mhz RAM (4x 2GB), so it'll be expensive to upgrade RAM to 12GB(2*2 + 4*2) or 16GB(4*4) (since there are no extra free slots and you'll have to throw away existing RAM).

There is an empty 2.5" HDD compartment where I'm planning to install OCZ Technology 120 GB Vertex 2 Series SATA II 2.5-Inch Solid State Drive (SSD) OCZSSD2-2VTXE120G (I like the 750GB HDD + 120GB SSD configuration better than 500GB HDD + 500GB HDD).

Hard disk comes partitioned 174GB in C:\ and 502GB in D:\. Lots of stuff that I had to deinstall. The disk is Seagate ST9750420AS.

DVD writer drive is Matshita UJ8A0ASW (supports burning to Dual Layer 8.5GB DVD+R DL). WiFi is Atheros AR9285. Bluetooth is Broadcom BT-270.

For those of you who have heard about the Intel Sandy Bridge problem yes, it does have "New revision. Certified design" sticker.

Also has "NVidia 3DTVPLAY" sticker, so it should be possible to connect laptop to a 3D-capable TV or projector via HDMI.

Overall, I highly recommend this laptop.

my last gaming notebook, was an alienware area 51M, made when alienware was not owned by dell and before dell messed up a great gaming notebook maker.

Alienware Area 51M 5620 Laptop Battery (Replacement)

I needed a newer notebook as that and my 4 yr old toshiba were long in the tooth. I was not looking for a gaming notebook, but as this is not much more money for a gaming notebook. Now this notebook is huge, view it as a desktop replacement. Asus has also improved and not having a ton of bloatware. It is pretty much remove from box, remove wrappers, place battery inside, and fire it up and get to work. I love the layout of it. awesome keyboard, straight forward approach.

It runs quiet, and doesnt require fiddling with the setup, such a relief these days.

If the P4 extreme alienware area 51m, was not a dead give away... I'm and old gamer. I was playing crush crumble and chomp and soldering 6502 microprocessors, when many of you were not even born lol.

I love how the hard drive is setup with the partitions that make sense. Just be sure and setup your games on the 500gb partition and installing them there.

All the normal issues with new computers I have not seen here. The manual is crap on real geeky useful information, but whose isnt these days. The designers think we are all idiots, which is mostly true, but give me useful info.. took me awhile to figure out which hdmi cable I need to hook this up to my 55in samsung.

So, If you are in the need for a decent gaming notebook, and are not worried about size, weight, or battery life.

You know who you are when you buy a 17in notebook which is a desktop replacement, and then post a 1 star review complaining about how heavy it is, blah blah.

THIS IS A DESKTOP REPLACEMENT GAMING NOTEBOOK!

it weighs in at 8 pounds, it wont fit on the drop drown tray on the airplane unless you wedge it and halfway thru your lost season 3 dvd the battery will die anyway.

I am quite pleased with it as I transfer my games to this. Just buy it and you will be happy.

Very solid notebook.

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***UPDATE: Amazon has sent a credit of 50.00 to compensate for the backpack and mouse.

I think that it goes without saying that this laptop gives you the most bang for the buck. I am not so much the PC gamer but I use applications which weigh heavily on the graphics card and processor. So far this laptop has been able to handle everything I can throw at it.

Pros:

i7 2.0ghz with (fixed) Sandy Bridge Technology

8GB RAM (expensive to upgrade to 16GB)

1.5GB Video Memory (beats best buys model by 512MB and 100.00)

750GB Hard Drive 7200RMP (again beats best buys model by 250GB)

LED Display, bright and does not wash out from multiple angles

Illuminated Keyboard

USB 3.0 (1x)

Cons:

Sound card...ugh. The Realtek sound card is of poor quality, the mic input is simply that. You cannot switch to line input, hopefully a fix for this will come in the future.

Bloatware, be prepared to spend some time uninstalling all of the useless tools and applications that come with this computer.

No backup disc, you must create your own (5 DVD's required)

Amazon said in description they would provide a gaming mouse and backpack, never arrived and was removed from product description... Shame on you Amazon.

The cons although annoying are not in any way deal breakers, this is a solid laptop with screaming performance from a great company. You will not find a better laptop for the price. 4 stars on this review, lost 1 star mainly for the sound card and bloatware. Amazon should make good on the backpack on mouse, those who rated the product 1 star because they did not get them should think about reviewing the laptop and not Amazon.

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the specs and value of this machine is very nice. after i accidentally spilled soda on my HP HDX18 laptop (twice...), i decided to get a real gaming notebook. the Asus G73JW was the best value on paper compared to any other machine I could find out there (Toshiba Qosimo, Alienware, Sager, etc).

the Good:

video card = very nice (Nvidia 460M see notebookcheckdotcom for the specs and ratings)

runs very cool = I was very impressed by the overall cooling system. found a review that measured all the temperatures on the keyboard as well as vents in the back. compared to my HP, this was very comfortable and never got hot or even very warm under my hands when typing. never realized how warm my HP was until i started using this.

the OK:

most everything else is good enough. memory, hard drive, screen (although, i miss the 18.4" HP screen which was very nice. the 17" looks dinky when you get used to the 18" especially at the 1920x1080 resolution).

the Bad:

sound is poor.

keyboard = chiclet style keys which i don't like (but, this is a personal preference).

--

the Kicker:

when i first got it, it would freeze up occasionally. not often enough for it to be consistent, but enough to be kind of irksome. did the updates, etc, and it seemed pretty stable. after 4 months of use, it died. wouldn't boot at all. tech support was kind of a hassle won't bore you details, but HP's tech support was excellent compared to ASUS'. after going through the RMA process, i received the laptop yesterday. the keyboard wasn't installed properly was loose and flapping, i found that a screw wasn't even screwed down on the mother board (this was so obvious, even i could see it...) and i think there is a screw missing. the ASUS repair shop that did this, well, imo, sucks and it looks very shoddily done. the real problem is that now, after the repairs, it constantly freezes up. it is unusable. i have contacted ASUS tech once again, but i'm very disappointed w/ the machine's reliability at the moment.

so, at this time, i can't recommend this machine. i think ASUS really needs to step up their notebook quality checks. (i have asus monitors which are excellent.)

i'll update this review later after the next set of tech support.

--

update May 25, 2011

received the 2nd RMA laptop. turnaround was quick.

they replaced the keyboard (w/ a different color one for some reason) and hard drive (which now makes a clicky noise once in a while). again, new setup.

after setting up windows, it did it's asus live update and windows update... still freezes! sometimes tries to boot, and then shuts itself down. sometimes fails to even show bios screen... basically, the same thing as before.

3rd contact to tech support in progress.

--

a lot of the positive reviews seem to be immediate impressions. i have to say, mine was very high as well when i first got it. it's really the long term problems that i think this laptop has and all the little issues that seems to pop up (to me and to many others) that i never really had w/ other laptops.

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So, I got this beast a few days ago and the first 12-15 hours I spent debugging the other 6 hours installing updates. This notebook is built very tough and stays cool, basically all of the comments before mine appear to be correct so far. The GPU is fantastic and the sandy bridge gives you 8 threads of beastliness (the CPU). Display is gorgeous and the material used very comfy and nice to the touch. This machine is very very quite even at full load and does not heat up.

Note:

At some point the keyboard lights will not turn on for you. If pressing Fn+F4 does nothing, you will need to download the ATK driver from ASUS and do Repair>Restart TWICE. After that they will function again.

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

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

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

Just a couple of things that bug me:

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

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

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

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

This kind of drives me crazy.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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This is a good computer. I'm using it as a desktop, so I use an external keyboard and a 24" viewsonic monitor. Also have a USB3 hub and external HD. The only thing (besides getting Win8 figured out) I didn't care for was the preinstalled software from ACER. No prob, really I just uninstalled it all .

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I got a defective one with dead pixels and had to return. Acer customer service was useless but Amazon took it back no questions asked and with a smile. Bravo Amazon customer service.

The screen was too dull even at max brightness. This is due to the matte screen which does eliminate glare so if glare is a really big deal for you, then this might the one. Otherwise I wouldn't recommend it. Just isn't a pleasant viewing experience.

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Samsung Series 3 NP350V5C-T01US 15.6-Inch Laptop (Titan Silver)

My wife wanted a laptop that could play World of Warcraft. We normally play on desktop computers with high performance video cards, so laptops have historically been a disappointment. This year, she requested (for Christmas) a laptop that was capable of playing WoW so that when she is upstairs with the kids she has something more fun to play than solitare and more entertaining than watching Barney or Sesame Street on television.

I shopped around, but honestly knew very little about laptops. I have always custom built my own gaming PCs, but laptops were never on my radar. And gaming laptops can get very expensive.

I saw this Samsung on Amazon and was impressed by the price. The KEY feature is the included Radeon HD 7730M video card. If you want to play video games, you must have a 3d graphics card. The built-in Intel HD graphics card is great for anything else, but for playing video games good luck.

I was skeptical about Windows 8. I still am, I suppose, but I've heard such horrible reviews that I almost didn't buy this laptop. I took a chance, and honestly within about an hour or two I find myself using it just fine. I've already connected to our printer, network drive, installed World of Warcraft, etc. It was pretty painless. I'm not sure I like it better than Windows 7, but it seems to work just fine.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This laptop has two graphics cards. It took me an hour of playing around with graphics settings to figure out how to "switch on/enable" the Radeon card. This made a massive difference in performance. The Intel HD card struggled to play World of Warcraft at "Good" settings, and the laptop became very hot to the touch. When I finally figured out how to enable the Radeon card, I was able to bump the graphics to "High" and I even turned on 4x anti-aliasing. I'm getting 25 frames per second, and the laptop doesn't feel nearly as "hot." It is very important to configure this setting or you will be disappointed and you won't know why. One annoying thing about computers is that it is sometimes difficult to tell how the hardware is being used. This is the primary reason that I wanted to post this review right away (I wish I could have read this before I bought it.)

They key detail that isn't obvious: Right-Click on the desktop, select "Configure Switchable Graphics." Everything else is relatively obvious.

Here is a tip: Turning on anti-aliasing in a video game is a good way to "test" if your graphics card is working. You should get similar frame rates either way. With the Intel HD graphics adapter, anti-aliasing destroys your performance.

Bottom line: This laptop is great for the price. Windows 8 was a pleasant surprise. I don't hate it, and it seems to work just fine. It really isn't that different from Windows 7 once you get used to it. This laptop DOES have a Radeon graphics card. It seems to work just fine. It can play World of Warcraft with High settings and 4x anti-aliasing. Not bad. Plenty for what my wife wants/needs. Note: I couldn't update the driver from the web. The generic Catalyst drivers say the hardware is incompatible, "check with your hardware manufacturer." Hopefully this doesn't become a problem in the future. For now, the drivers seem to work just fine, but it is slightly troubling that I can't update them manually.

In case you are wondering how I posted this review before Christmas: I didn't want to wait until Christmas to give this to her. I didn't want to take any chances (I wanted plenty of time to find something that works -what if I needed to send it back?) Plus, with the long Thanksgiving weekend, now she can use it and have fun right away. My wife is pretty awesome, I'm glad she now has a laptop that works well.

Update June 17th, 2013:

-----------------------

My wife is still using this laptop daily. Windows 8 hasn't grown on her (she would still prefer Win 7), but she does still play WoW frequently and still likes the laptop. So far so good. The quality level seems high. It hasn't broken yet (knock on wood).

I've owned this laptop for about two weeks now and I can say that I'm pretty happy with the purchase. I hate investing in computers, seeing how new processors are released every 3 months, that's why I did a lot of research and compared dozens of models before committing to this one.

So let's start with the good stuff first:

Intel i7-3630QM, quad-core processor 2.4 GHz with Turbo Boost technology to 3.4 GHz, released in Q3 2012.

Two graphics cards: the built-in Intel HD Graphics 4000 and the dedicated AMD Radeon 7730M with 2 GB (performances similar to the NVIDIA GT 640M).

Being able to choose which applications use the dedicated graphics card to help save battery.

Being able to only charge the laptop 80% to extend the laptop's battery life.

The HD screen, with native 720p resolution.

Assassin's Creed 3, Hitman Absolution and Far Cry 3 run on high and ultra.

Now the bad stuff:

The HDD on SATA II with 5400 rpm is pretty outdated. This was probably my biggest disappointment about this laptop, but I'm planning on investing in at least a Hybrid SSD.

6 GB of RAM seems a little bit cheap on Samsung's part, but considering a new 4 GB dim is $20, whatever.

The numpad. I can't see how this is useful, unless you're an accountant.

I'm OK with the keyboard not being backlit, but what I find annoying is there's not even a small LED on the Num Lock and Caps Lock keys. I think that's a little detail that would have raised the overall quality and look of the laptop.

The one problem I did have and upon doing some research it turned out this is a problem with all Samsung models, not this one in particular: the mouse pointer freezes when using the touch pad from time to time for a few seconds. Mine did it while installing games for example and the HDD was going at max speed, but I don't think this is a general rule. If I also had a mouse connected at the time, the mouse would work while the touch pad was still frozen. Not a show stopper, but irritating for sure. So what I did was a system refresh (Settings -> Change PC Settings -> General -> Refresh your PC without affecting your files). What this does is basically restore the system to a fresh Windows 8 install. So all the applications/drivers you or Samsung installed will be removed, but the pictures, videos, music and downloads will not be affected. This is probably overkill and just removing the touch pad driver will fix this issue, but I simply wanted to get rid of all that stuff since it was slowing down the laptop. Now I get boot times around 5 seconds long, compared to 30 seconds 1 minute.

Overall a good buy.

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Pro's:

For the price I got this at, it was more than a steal. I bought this laptop for $700 and from what i've seen, its worth almost double that! The speed is unbeatable for gaming and despite the fact that I haven't replaced the 6GB standard ram, It still runs games like planetside 2, starcraft 2, Diablo 3, and league of legends on full graphics without any lagging or choppy moments. Not to mention I've never experienced this thing getting hot before. Windows 8 is a breeze once you get used to it! so anyone who is thinking secondly about this computer because of windows 8... JUST GIVE IT A TRY! I was skeptical at first, but after removing some bloatware apps and getting the start menu organized, I actually like it a lot more that any other windows operating system. It is compatible with nearly any program, and is very easily connected to wireless devices. Now for the Wi-Fi on this computer, Its probably the best I've seen on my or any of my friends' laptops. Its always connected to my router with full bars and never skips a beat when it comes to watching videos or playing games. If you are looking for an all around amazing computer with gaming/editing capability, an excellent wireless receiver, awesome built in speakers, a FULL keyboard, anti-glare screen, and a sleek and very appealing exterior than this is the one for you!

No Cons whatsoever!

Hope this helps!

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I purchased this computer to replace my 8 year old gateway crap heap, so by comparison this is next to a super computer. With this out of the way their are things that are important to say about this computer.

Structure of the computer:

The computer has a very plain look, this shouldn't scare people away considering the cases that you can buy to make it look allot better. The number pad is a nice feature, but the arrow keys are too close together, this is a problem that more than one person has had, not just me and my stubby fingers, however, it should be noted that most games use the WASD controls over the arrows so for gamers this isn't that big of a deal. Very nice to have 2 3.0 USB ports, and the additional 2 2.0 USb ports, I can plug allot of things in. The finger mouse pad is cheap material and probably wouldn't last longer than 2 years of use,that being said extra wireless mice can be purchased for really cheap, thats what I did and its worked very well. The camera is standard cheap laptop camera, Don't touch the camera screen! it scratches very easily. The line around the edge of the screen is rather cheap material, and has begun to move and wobble after a month of light use, just don't open and close too much and it should be fine though. CD/DVD drive is a bit wobbly and looks like its going to fall out, but it has held tight for a while, don't apply allot of direct pressure to it and it should be fine though. and finally, the SD card port is nice and works well.

Interior of the computer:

What this computer lacks in looks it makes up for in running capacity. This computer has 6 gigs of ram which is enough for most things that you could need, including gaming. The i7 processor is magnificent, its an amazing core for a laptop, lighting fast and doesn't crash,I have only had crash problems once and that was a game problem not the computer itself. The Radeon graphics card is great for most gaming, it cant handle incredibly taxing games on high but it can handle them on medium to low. It flies however through almost all other games. Here is a list of the games I play on max settings without problems.

Star Wars Kights of the Old Republic 1

Star Wars Kights of the Old Republic 2

Star Wars Starfighter

Star Wars Republic Commandos

Star Wars Empire at war

Star Wars Empire at war forces of corruption

Lego Star Wars 1

Lego Star Wars 2

American Conquest

Star Wars Battlefront 2

Eragon

Age of Mythology

Age of empires

Rome Total War (Have to download from amazon, doesnt work from anywhere else)

Lego Digital designer

All of these games work on peak graphics settings with no problems. It is fair to note that these are lower graphics intense games.I am assured however that most other games will work quite well on this computer.(If compatible with windows 8)

The Graphics card mixed with the low price is after all the reason I bought this computer. Now lets move on to the Operating system. Windows 8 is a disaster! I cant stand it. I have been going strait to the desktop short cut menu every time I use the computer because I cant get used to the app page. it reminds me too much of my iPhone. Windows 8 is fast ill admit, but i cant get used to it. I attempted to install windows 7 home premium but I had many errors and it wouldn't let me, so im stuck with windows 8. I appreciate the people who know how to use it and like it. I may have gave up too early, but I just dont like change. Even though I cant stand windows 8, that doesn't mean you shouldn't. Dont let that stop you from buying this computer. The majority of the low ratings on this computer are due to windows 8, which is absurd,I am the first person to say that windows 8 inst great, but it shouldn't stop someone from buying a computer, that can be fixed later. I guess what im saying is, windows 8 isn't great, but you can live with it.

The computer doesn't get very hot as long as you remember to turn on the Radeon graphics card.(Remeber not to delete the Radeon catalyst otherwise you lose all control over the graphics card.Yes that includes the clean install of windows 7) And it is quite quiet when your not gaming or downloading large files.

Conclusion:

What this laptop doesn't have in looks it makes up for in internal workings. it has amazing specs for such a low price.(I bought it for 689.99) I would highly recommend the laptop to anyone who wants a good laptop for a cheap price. And don't let windows 8 stop you from getting this computer. The only reason that you shouldn't like windows 8 is if your favourite games aren't compatible. But most games are coming out with compatibility modes though. Just remember this isn't meant to look amazing, its meant to run very well, and thats all I need.

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This isn't a thorough review.The specs are amazing and when sold for $749.99 it is definitely a steal, however, there are issues: The mouse pad will occasionally freeze(solved using an external mouse), hibernation or sleep mode will sometimes fail and cause the laptop to restart(boot ups are quick luckily), and most annoyingly the wifi card would shutdown/crap out every now and then, usually when I'm running desktop. By crapout I mean it will stop detecting any wifi signals regardless of distance, normally solved by restarting the laptop even though this is only a temporary solution. Until today restarting worked, since yesterday my laptop wasn't picking up any signals whatsoever, even when restarted it was still out, My only solution was to do a system refresh. It now works after the system refresh but this is a big concern. I'm going to contact support.

UPDATE 1/22/13: While this problem may only be occuring with me, I believe that the wifi lockout issue only occurs when at a great distance away from the router. So the wifi should operate normally in apartments or dorms, or when you're within a 4 bar distance. It occurs mostly around 3 bars.

UPDATE 1/23/13: Nevermind. Even within close proximity of the router(5 bars) after a given time, albeit more extensive then when further away, the wifi anttena lockedout/crapped out

UPDATE: 1/26/13: For 3 days now there has been no issue, assuming that maybe the updates to windows have done something. Still some issues with the Hibernate mode, but otherwise this laptop is great. So far, so good.

UPDATE: 1/31/13: Had to lower the score back at 3 stars because the issue has happened again and I'm not doing ANOTHER SYSTEM REFRESH AND RE_DOWNLOAD EVERYTHING AGAIN!!! Hopefully over time this issue will resolve itself.

So during troubleshooting my laptop has resolved the issue on it's own and I have now discovered the issue. The wifi adapter would randomly disable itself, and to solve this you have to right click the internet connection/wifi icon > open network and sharing center > click change adapter settings in the left panel > right click the router and click enable.

UPDATE: 2/15/2013: Some wifi issues still persist, and I don't know of anyway to solve this other than restarting your system. The computer will also fail to start up properly sometimes, and momentarily freeze during use regardless of an i7 processor.

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Sony VAIO E15 Series SVE15124CXP 15.5-Inch Laptop (Pink)

Sony VAIO E15 Series SVE15124CXP 15.5-Inch Laptop (Pink)Really love this laptop-windows 8 was easy to learn, startup was fast, easy to personalize, does well for online games which i am a fan of, super storage space, pink color is very nice, not too loud. Can set keyboard to only light when touched, which helps with the battery life, love it!!

I have had dozens of pc's over the years dating back to the 80's with 286 IBM 6mhz. The brands included Gateway, Emachine, Pbell, Asus, Dell, Toshiba etc. and a beloved Sony Vaio.

In my opinion, I have always thought Sony screens were superior to other brands (with the exception of Apple of course) the screen quality has always been very important to me, and again Sony excels. The screen is simply, stunning.

I was concerned with ordering online, a pink laptop. I was worried the color would be too loud. The color is perfect! It is not loud at all; it is a very soft cotton candy pink.

The laptop feels solid. It is also not a super heavy or bulky laptop, but also not as thin as an ultabook. It has a thin lid that keeps it somewhat light.

I love the soft glow from the keyboard. I often like to sit at night with only a few candles burning and the TV and fireplace on, playing on my laptop and this feature fits perfectly into my life style.

I also love the speedy start up feature. Never saw anything like it. You can shut the laptop totally down, lift the lid and in a few seconds you are ready to go.

Windows 8 has some strange features; example a swipe with your mouse from the top of the screen to the bottom closes your program. I also spent more than a few minutes looking for the X to close programs and looking for the non existing start button. But overall I like Windows 8.

The laptop itself is very speedy. I watched a few HD movies on netflex and they ran perfectly with no lag. I also like to play online Facebook games etc., again the speed was lighting fast.

I can't comment on the battery, because I almost never unplug my laptop so this feature is not important to me.

The price is a very good value. I didn't want to spend over $500.00 since I normally replace my laptop every few years. I saw this pc listed for $60.00 bucks more and went the extra mile. I am so glad I did.

I also love Amazon. I have been a member with Amazon since they started back in the 90's. I have never had any issues at all with Amazon. I also knew if I was not satisfied or happy, Amazon would, as they always do take care of me. So I was very confident placing my order.

What I don't like about this laptop, nothing. I totally love it!

Sony VAIO E15 Series SVE15124CXP 15.5-Inch Laptop (Pink)

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I got this for a great price and I was able to take advantage of the 1 day shipping if using a Discover card. It arrived on time and I had it set up on no time. Wasn't sure if I would like Windows 8, but it works well for me and it didn't take long to get the hang of the new start menu tiles. The pink color is sure to deter my husband and son from getting on my computer...at least I hope so.

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I bought this laptop for myself for school and college next year.

The resolution is so amazing, and the speakers are crystal clear

It's so pretty, and its fast! I love the backlight keyboard for working in the dark.

The rapid wake is so awesome, close the laptop lid and it goes to sleep, open it back up and it loads up everything in a matter of seconds!

The 15.5 inch is perfect, it's not too big and its not too small (hence includes the numeric keypad).

I'm also into gaming a bit, (not like super intense hardcore gaming where the fps has to be at least 30) but this laptop gets done with what I want it to.

An added bonus is the Imagination Studio, I love editing videos together and my desktop has gotten so old (2004) and lost so much space, that it hasn't been able to get the job done, with Sony Vegas I can do all that.

Now the cons:

The webcam.... is god awful, they advertise HD but its max output is 1MP, so you're better off hooking up a different webcam

The touchpad is also really sensitive and hard to get used to, especially with Windows 8 and that new format

My laptop came with part of the plastic backing loose and very fragile looking so I'm hoping a quick fix with super glue will help that EDIT: Nope it snapped back into place!

So yeah, there aren't really many that issues with it all! I'm not really into Windows 8, but I figured I'd have to learn it eventually, and yeah, it's definitely going to take me a while. I already have a webcam to my desktop so I'm going to see how well that looks. Also I'm buying a mouse because in general, laptop touch pads and I just dont really agree, and just so you know USB mice work just fine if you don't want to splurge on a high priced wireless one. Also if you look on the internet and even Amazon says the battery life is 2.75 hours, don't worry, there are plenty of ways to adjust it, you're more likely to have 3-4 hours of straight web surfing, as for me I'm the type to keep my laptop plugged in for a majority of the time. Fingers crossed it lasts through the next 4 years of college!

EDIT MARCH 6, 2013:

So that little plastic piece I was talking about, yeah it broke. I glued it and taped it, oh well.

Some small cosmetic scratches have also appeared, so I'm looking for a skin cover too

Also about a month ago, my Windows did an update and had to restart when it got back to the login screen everything froze up, but not exactly, just that I couldn't get my keyboard to work (it wasn't connecting) but the system still was because the clock would change. I eventually had to use the assist function on it (which was working with the keyboard) and do a refresh, which uninstalled all my programs. So safe to say now I'm backing up all installation files.

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I got 2 day shipping it arrived on time and was worth the wait. the sound works awesome ! the mouse pad is amazing for fast zoom. color is great looks beautiful key pad is amazing I love it!! you will be happy with ur purchase!

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HP Pavilion Chromebook 14-c010us 14-Inch Laptop (Black)

first, to give some background I am basing my rating on the computer itself not Chrome OS. I think that I would give the operating system three stars. It is still lacking some significant things. For example, there is no screensaver, and there is no way to sync your ipod/phone. But, it is great for doing all the web-based things you want to do without the clutter and weight of other operating systems.

As for the computer itself...

In relation to a Unibody mac, there is no comparison. The HP Chromebook feels cheaper. The keyboard isn't as comfortable, nor is it backlit. The trackpad can be a little jittery, and the buttons just don't have the same solid feel. But, and here is a huge but, at $330, there just isn't any way it could compare to a $1500 computer. Looking at it for what it is, it feels pretty OK. The screen is bright and clear, and the 14" size is just a whole lot better than 11". For what it is, everything seems to be made pretty well. It feels solid for plastic (no squishy feeling where you rest your hands while typing). And, even though it is heavy for a Chromebook, it is still really light. Most importantly it is fast. Really fast. It boots almost instantly. I think it takes longer for me to type my password than it does for the operating system to go from off to ready to go.

As I try more things, I will update this review. As a first impression, I would call myself impressed.

*edit 1:

So, my first computer was a lemon. As it turned out, it would not charge when the power was off. I have not heard of anyone else having this problem, so I don't think it is a general issue...and I can see why QC would not have caught it. The only reason I am adding anything here is because I had a terrible experience with HP's technical support. The main problem is that they are just not set up to handle Chrome OS. Eventually I got to a point where I realized they were trying to use windows troubleshooting steps on my chrome machine (figured that out when they kept asking me to go to "control panel" or use "run")...so I took it back to the store where I bought it and exchanged the defective computer for a new one, which works great.

But, moving on from that, I have to say that the trauma of this whole situation was not really that traumatic at all. If it had been a windows machine or even a mac, I would be cursing the day's worth of work that was left for me to get back up and running. Instead, I powerwashed my computer (chrome's way of saying erased all the user data) before returning it, and when I got the new one, I put in my email info and it was back right where I left off. No reinstalling this and that or recovering via time-machine. It only took me about twenty seconds longer than a standard startup. Needless to say, that made me very happy.

On another note, I have done the optional ram upgrade that caused me to choose this machine over the samsung, and here is a warning. Even if you are a computer DIYer, don't try this one. I consider myself pretty handy, having built a few desktop computers and even a laptop, but I was not able to do the ram upgrade. You need the proper tools to get the HP case apart and the ram is located all the way at the bottom so you literally have to take the whole computer apart to get to the extra ram slot. Leave it to the pros. or let the 2 gigs suffice, it probably wasn't really necessary to do the upgrade anyway. I really wish they would offer a 4 gig pre-installed option...

*edit 2

So this edit is more about chrome OS than it is about the computer itself, which has been working flawlessly. I have run into a few more issues that have yet to be resolved for chrome OS. Apparently Java is not supported. This hasn't been the biggest issue, but it is frustrating to not be able to use some websites...and if you think 'I am not a super user, I wouldn't have that problem'...that isn't really the case. Some pretty basic websites like the webcam feed for our puppy's daycare uses Java...I wouldn't call this a deal breaker, but it is something to be aware of...

I received my HP Chromebook today. I have been disgusted with Windows 7 operating system now for sometime. When my desktop was new it took about a minute to boot up, after constant Windows updates it now takes 8 to 10 minutes to boot up (plus the web locks up if it decides to update while I am in the middle of something even after turning off updates). I read reviews of Google Chrome OS and decided to try a Chromebook computer. I looked at Samsung and Acer laptops and with old eyes I wanted a larger screen so I chose the HP with a 14 inch screen. Set up could not have been simpler. I went thru the installation and set up in about a minute. I was using Google Chrome on my desktop so all the bookmarks and all else was transferred to the HP Chromebook without a hitch. It boots up in seconds and I am online in a matter of seconds. It also has Google Docs and Google Sheets (word processing and spreadsheet basic) that is very user much like Windows Office. If the performance continues,(I expect it will) I could not be more pleased. Windows needs to figure out a better OS or Google OS will take over completely as far as computer systems go. I am 100% pleased with this system as I did not want a tablet. If in the near future some one comes out with a desktop Chromebook I will buy one. For web surfing and emails, basic word processing and spreadsheet this can not be beat. I would recommend a Chromebook to anyone who wants the above mentioned usage in a computer system.

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I received this HP product Friday and have only used it for a few hours. This is my first laptop so I can't compare it to other similar products. First impression: solid construction, nice screen, good keyboard, good sounding speakers (at least to my ears). The speakers are upward-facing as opposed to speakers on the bottom on many similar products. Surfing without a mouse is a new experience for me, but the more I use this product, the easier it gets. A negative for many is two hours less battery reserve than the Samsung, but I wanted the larger screen and decided I could live with this shortcoming.

Gamers who need JAVA and others who need JAVA for certain programs should not buy this product. I don't miss it as I removed it from my desktop recently due to security concerns. The main negative for me is that I don't like using web mail; I much prefer Thunderbird.

This product excels at surfing the Web and watching videos including HD videos and if you have been using the Chrome browser on another computer, all of your settings are carried over for a smooth transition.

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HP CHROMEBOOK DIES UPON INITIAL UPDATE! Ordered "new" HP Pavilion Chromebook as gift for wife. Even paid extra charge for "Overnight Delivery"!

Received Unit (packaging showed no damage), unit itself looked OK and seemed to be in good working order upon unpacking. Installed battery and unit auto started upon opening lid. Wife proceeded to sign in to Google Account as directed, then setup Chrome Browser and watched a couple of YouTubes (total time approximately one hour). Primarily to just checkout the unit, which seemed to be a nice laptop, up to that point! Powered unit off as directed (to run initial update) and restarted. Upon which it ran the first initial update and then proceeded to die!!!

Turned unit off (holding down button for over twenty seconds, to clear any settings). Then removed and replaced battery also disconnected/reconnected power cord each several times and tried to restart. All attempts failed, unit is DEAD/NO POWER!!!

Intended as a gift, but won't bring much happiness or productivity this weekend! Hope Amazon, doesn't attempt to send refurbished replacement, as that will be unacceptable!!!

PS. Did a search in Google Groups-Chromebook and seems this has happened repeatedly to other new HP Chromebook purchasers! CHROMEBOOK, great concept, now if it just worked it'd be an Awesome little laptop!!! (Will update review later, based on final outcome)

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The Chromebook is not a laptop computer, and comparing them will be unfair to Chromebook. It will not download programs or software. Therefore, it is NOT for hardcore gamers, even for the moderate ones. This is not for heavy office use or for wild creative activities like Photoshop and the like. It cannot even let you print because you wouldn't be able to download the driver software to run your printer. The Chromebook does one thing very well open up the internet at high speed for your enjoyment without having to download software, updates, and the like.

If you want something like a tablet, but with a keyboard, full size, instant on, and blazing speed on the Net, then Chromebook is your machine. If your objective is to surf the net, send and receive e-mails, and watch streaming movies, then this is your toy to enjoy! (HP's video quality is significantly better than what is offered by Samsung or Acer.) If you do your homework ahead of purchase, you likely will not regret your investment. Enjoy!

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Acer Aspire TimelineX AS1830T-3927 11.6-Inch Laptop (Black)

Here is my review on the much anticipated new notebook from Acer, the Timeline 1830T-3927. This machine is a 11.6" ultraportable notebook equipped with the new Intel processor, the core i3-330um CPU, which is maufactured especially for smaller notebooks, 3 GB RAM and a 320 GB Hard Drive running on Windows 7 Home Premium, 64 bit

This notebook just arrived from Amazon the other day and I have only been using it for a couple of days but since there are very few reviews thus far on the 1830T, I thought I'd write one.

The overall build quality of this notebook seems to be very good, it is made of very tough light weight plastic and has a black matte finish on the outside which is very sharp. The HD screen is designed for 720p viewing and seems to have a very sharp and bright display, this resolution is of course ther best you can expect on a smaller 11.6 ultraportable. I have seen many displays on 11.6 models and I believe the 1830T has the best screen that I have seen. The keyboard on the 1830T does not seem to be full size as the typing experience is comfortable but somewhat cramped. The keys have a very nice feel and good feedback but I was disaapointed to discover that the keyboard has allot of flex and seems a bit flimsy, something I did not expect on a $599 notebook.( This is why I am giving the 1830T 4 stars instead of five.)In addition, the trackpad, although comfortable seems very small. The mouse buttons are excellent.

The ports on this machine are very good with a nice selection, certainly all you will need on an ultraportable, of course there is not optical drive as Gateway is the only manufacturer I know of that is equipping an 11.6 notebook with a DVD drive.

In addition to the excellent screen, the real strength of this notebook is the new and powerful Core i3-330um CPU. ( Note that there is an even more powerful model equipped with the Core i5 but it retails on Amazon for $699,a bit much to pay for an 11.6 ultraportable in my opinion.). The Core i3 on this machine seems very fast and responsive and seems to handle just about anything you throw at it. This CPU is noticably faster than the other Intel ultra low voltage processors currently on the market and certainly much faster than earlier Acer models like the 1410. With the new Core i3 CPU, you will lose a bit in battery time but the speed more than compensates for this. I expect the 1830T-3927 to last about 5 hours on a charge.

Overall , this is one of the best, if not the best 11.6 ultraportables out there but you will have to pay a premium for it, mostly because of the new Intel processor. As I said, if not for the average keyboard, this notebook would be easily 5 stars.

Pros:

Thin, light, screen is bright and has good color, screen's high resolution makes up for its small size, processor is powerful enough for general use, doesn't get too hot, great battery life (6+ hours), great port selection, good keyboard

Cons:

Touch-pad isn't well demarcated from the wrist rest making it too easy to drift into no man's land, the screen's vertical viewing angles could be better

Overall I really like this laptop. It boots quickly and has generally snappy performance. It isn't the fastest at some processor intensive tasks like compressing audio and video, but that's to be expected for a low voltage processor. For general use like web browsing and watching videos it is perfectly adequate. I'll gladly accept some reduced performance given that this laptop doesn't get nearly as hot as other laptops I have used and it has fantastic battery life. I can get over 6 hours with the wifi on and the screen set to half brightness.

The screen looks nice, has a good resolution, and isn't too reflective. The vertical viewing angles, however, aren't the best but they are hardly prohibitive to use. Probably the most annoying thing about this laptop is the touch-pad. It's not terrible; I just wish it was easier to tell by feel when you have left the touch sensitive area. Not a deal breaker, but annoying nonetheless. Fortunately the keyboard is great. It isn't missing any important keys and is comfortable to use. I also really like the large port selection for such a small laptop. I've had larger laptops that had only two USB ports.

The thing I like most about this laptop is its portability. After owning a couple of big and bulky laptops over the years, it's fantastic to carry around this little machine. If you are looking for a solid ultra-portable laptop, you won't be disappointed with this one.

Buy Acer Aspire TimelineX AS1830T-3927 11.6-Inch Laptop (Black) Now

To me this ACER ASPIRE laptop is the perfect computer for travel. It offers a great compromise between the need to carry it around on one hand and the speed/CPU power on the other. The laptop is only slightly larger and heavier than the 10" netbooks with the Intel Atom processor. In return it offers the new core-i processor which puts it on a different planet in terms of computing power. I have been using it for a couple of days now, and I am generally very pleased with it performance.

What I like:

Small dimensions and weight make it easy to carry.

Very powerful given the size.

Sturdy built, seems solid and durable.

Responsive keyboard with very large keys.

What I do NOT like:

The mouse touchpad. It has a rather rough and sticky surface which makes it rather challenging to use. This compounds the problem that the touchpad is quite small. I would have preferred to have the keyboard downsized to generate more space for the mouse.

The HOME and END keys can only be reached through the FN key. Not a big deal, but I happen to use them quite frequently, and there would obviously been enough space for two extra keys (and a larger tochpad).

I cannot help closing with a bit of a rant: I absolutely HATE WIDESCREENS. I would certainly not have bought this computer if there had been a suitable alternative with a 4:3 ratio screen, even for a considerably higher price. Unless the computer is used exclusively for watching movies, a widescreen of this size has only disadvantages. When browsing the web or editing documents, it makes me feel like standing in a room with a ceiling 4 inches below my height (this last point is not included in my ranking as all competing models would have the same problem).

Read Best Reviews of Acer Aspire TimelineX AS1830T-3927 11.6-Inch Laptop (Black) Here

Well, i had a Toshiba Mini NB205 that was an excellent netbook, very portable, resistent and had a beautiful appearance, I really liked this computer the internet and word worked razoably nice in this PC, but sometimes the internet conexion was a little too slow for me, and another sites, like and that are very heavy sites, were extremly slow to download and that irritated me a lot. So, I decided to change for a new netbook, and when I discover this ACER ASPIRE 1830T with the new intel core i3 inside I got crazy. And now I am really happy with this little PC!!!

Pros: the 11.6 inch lcd screen is a lot better than the 10.1 inch ones, it makes lot more easier to see the internet or work with the Office. Using for long periods the 10.1 inch screen is very tiring for the eyes, and the 11.6 is the perfect size for a ultraportable notebook.

The computer is very fast, you can see any page in the internet with no problem. And the Windons 7 64 bits works like a breeze, it's sensational.

The built quality is very good, it really is a superior computer very beautiful and resistent.

The keyboard is very good, the letters have a really nice size and you can type on this for hours and hours. I really loved the full size left SHIFT button, what is extremelly annoing in others netbooks. The keyboard don't have problem of flex, maybe just a little bit but that's will not be notice or be a problem when typing. The Toshiba Mini NB205, that is one of the best netbook in the market has a lot more flex than this one that almost don't have flex at all.

The duration of battery is fantastic and even more for a i3 processor. I thought that just the processors n450 could have the capacity of lasting so much. Fortunatly I was wrong, and I discover that this machine can last longer than 6 hours of solid internet conexion.

The computer is very very thin, and light, and the best thing is that the battery don't come out of the machine, it just stay where it should be, with any part out from behind or down the netbook like the N205 da toshiba.

Cons: it could come with a minimum of 128 MB of dedicated Video Ram, But that's not a big deal because I will not play games in this little computer.

Another problem is that this don't come with 4 GB of RAM, it could be included because this computer is expensive, but the 3 GB works more than perferctly for me.

Well, finally I highly recommend this computer for ANYBODY, who wants portability, fast internet conexion, and long battery life.

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Pros: This is a nice notebook (not a netbook). Well built, but light. Fast enough for everyday use and light gaming. The 11.6" screen is bright and crisp. It will run 1080P flash without any problems. Keyboard is great, and has nice feel. Great battery life. Windows 7 Home Premium a definite plus over lesser models that come with Windows 7 Starter installed. Swapping out the wi-fi card, memory and hard drive is easy via the bottom panel.

Cons: Acer puts these really crappy Broadcom 802.11n Single band 2.4GHz Wi-Fi cards in their portables. I had a spare antenna lying around, so I upgraded the Wi-Fi card to an Intel 6300 PCI Express Half Mini Card. If you don't want to mess with adding a additional antenna, an Intel 6100 or 5100 (which only need two antennas rather than three) should work fine. Swapping out the Wi-Fi card is easy (if you can swap out memory, you can swap out the Wi-Fi card), and very much worth the additional $30 cost.

The Alps Touchpad is also a bit difficult to get used to. It was much better after I played with the settings.

Other: Mine came with 3GB of mismatched memory. 1-1GB 1066MHz Samsung memory module, and 1-2GB 1333MHz Elpida memory module. The combination works fine, but seems odd. Notebook does not come with Bluetooth.

Overall, I'm very happy with my purchase. I would have given it 5 stars if it wasn't for the crappy Broadcom Wi-Fi card. I'll probably upgrade the memory and drop an SSD in it in the near future to make it really fly.

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HP Pavilion G6-2235us 15.6" Laptop (2.7 GHz AMD A6-4400M Accelerated Processor, 4GB RAM, 750GB Hard

I would highly recommend this product. Honestly, I wasn't expecting much with the amount of money I spent on it，and boy, was I surprised. It's nicely built and runs fast. Well done, HP!This is my first Windows 8 PC, it took some time getting used to, but I'm digging the OS so far. Also, I just wanna mention what a bargain it was, it was a whole 30 bucks cheaper than the similar 2210us model which has lower specs. I'm extremely happy with this purchase, worth every penny!

Just ordered, and received this laptop from Amazon. Ordered it on a Sunday morning, and it was sitting at my front door on Tuesday by 11:00 a,m,. Really enjoy my Prime membership. Great job Amazon.

As for the computer itself, I've only had it a few days but it is exactly what I wanted. Not a high performance machine by any stretch but it's no slouch either, A lot of computer for the money. It came with 4GB of RAM and I ordered an additional 4GB memory card which should be in soon and then this machine will be maxed out. Screen view is excellent. Start up is quick after removing some of the crap ware that came with it. After reading all the hate reviews on Windows 8 I was a little leery. Although it is different, I'm beginning to like it. Windows 7 desktop can be brought up easily if desired. Not a gamer or laptop movie viewer so I can't really comment on these aspects. I haven't even tried the optical drive yet; not sure I'll really ever need it. Went 3 1/2 years with the laptop this one replaced and never needed one. I like the looks of it in sparkling black (finger prints will be an issue but easily wiped away). Having the side numeric touch pad is a definite plus on a laptop at this price. This is my sixth HP computer and I 've never had a single issue with the first five which is why I stayed with HP. The only concern I have with this machine, and I might be picky, is that the scrollable mouse pad is very sensitive and can cause you to move you cursor very easily and unexpectedly if touched by accident. I added a wireless mouse to remedy this. For the money I paid I'm a happy camper and see no reason why I can't get many years of enjoyment from the machine

Buy HP Pavilion G6-2235us 15.6" Laptop (2.7 GHz AMD A6-4400M Accelerated Processor, 4GB RAM, 750GB Hard Now

When my laptop bit the dust, I scoured the internet for a replacement looking for the best value. I'm retired, and am very frugal with my money. I read reviews, compared specifications, and came down to about 4 laptops. When I realized one of them was the same brand and model that my daughter was using, that made my decision. My daughter's HP Pavilion is several years old, but working great and she shares hers with her 3 children. It's taken a beating, and still performs. My only worry was the new Windows 8 operating system. Other reviews indicated the operating system was difficult to learn and hard to understand. It looked to me like I had no choice. All new laptops were Windows 8.

The laptop was delivered exactly when Amazon said it would be (they are VERY dependable about delivery!). I opened the box, hooked up the laptop and began copying the data from my old computer. I've had the new laptop for only 4 days now, but so far have not found anything to complain about. I love the touch of the keyboard, and really like the numeric keypad. I'm not a fan of the keyboard mouse, preferring to use the traditional mouse instead, but I've been using the keyboard mouse pad occasionally, and find it less sensitive than others I've used. (My main complaint previously was that even when I didn't want the mouse to move, it would move because my sleeve touched it or something else random brushed against it.) This mouse pad is not smooth, it is a little bumpy, which I think makes it easier to use.

And Windows 8? Yes, it's new, a little confusing but even at my old age, I've managed to adapt to it. I know it hasn't even been a week yet, but I am completely satisfied with this purchase, and pleased with the value for my money.

Read Best Reviews of HP Pavilion G6-2235us 15.6" Laptop (2.7 GHz AMD A6-4400M Accelerated Processor, 4GB RAM, 750GB Hard Here

Overall, this is a great laptop, especially at this bargain price. I'll go over point by point the features and their pros and cons so people know what they're getting and if it's right for them.

Appearance and size: The laptop is pretty compact and very lightweight. Really easy to carry around. It's glossy black, which is prone to smudging, but is easily cleaned with a microfiber cloth. The keyboards is a good size. The finger pad for the mouse, however, I find a little too wide, as I find that my hand naturally rests in the area when I'm trying to move the mouse which got a little irritating, but I overcame the problem by watching my hand placement as I work on the PC.

Screen resolution: It's crystal clear for basic things like webpages and pictures. Videos are a little less clear. Not bad, just not as clean as it could be. It is capable of 1080HD.

OS: Since this is a review for the laptop and not the OS, I won't talk to much about Windows 8. I'll just say it is quite easy to get the hang of, and the regular desktop is still easily accessible. The start menu can also be brought back by purchasing and downloading Start8 from Stardock for $5. Another thing I'll say is because Windows 8 was really meant for tablets, default settings make it so you can swipe to access different apps you have open. This is annoying on a laptop, as too fast a move on your mouse pad swipes you to another app. This can be turned off in your settings.

Movies and TV: As I said, videos aren't the cleanest picture they could be, but aren't bad either. A Netflix app is preinstalled on the PC, which I personally love and use all the time. DVDs play about the same as other media. The DVD drive can sometimes be a bit loud.

Gaming: I should note that while this is not intended to be a gaming PC, this should not scare off occasional gamers. The PC is more than capable of handling the preinstalled games, as well as other more involved games. So far, I've played The Sims 3, Portal, Zoo Tycoon, and BioShock with no problems, save for the occasional slow load.

Microsoft Office: The PC comes with Microsoft Office 2010 preinstalled (however you have to purchase the key code). If you, like me, already have Microsoft Office 2007 or an earlier version, these apps will be useless to you. You can still access Microsoft Office in either the desktop mode or the Windows 8 user interface. Just open the ones you installed rather than the preinstalled.

Security: It comes with Norton. Delete Norton. Download your preferred security software.

Overall usability: The first few days I had the laptop, it ran a little slow, but I think that was due to all the file transfers and program downloads I bogged it down with. Also, the PC is equipped with 4GB of RAM, but is upgrade capable up to 8GB. I highly recommend upgrading the RAM to 8GB to max out the PC. After installing the RAM and adjusting the PC setting accordingly, it ran fast and smoothly. The RAM is easy to install yourself. Thanks to the built in air conditioner and CoolSense app, the PC doesn't get hot and stays cool even while plugged in. The PC also has a whopping 750GB of storage space, incredible for the PC's price and size (however it actually translates to 672GB with the OS). The 672GB should last a long time.

Bottom Line: This PC is excellent for the price, and should suit the average user's needs. It's cheap, efficient, and pretty sweet.

Want HP Pavilion G6-2235us 15.6" Laptop (2.7 GHz AMD A6-4400M Accelerated Processor, 4GB RAM, 750GB Hard Discount?

This is a likable little computer, but I'd hate to try any really big projects on it. The main problem is that its touchpad is located far left of center, so that a right-handed user tends to contact it on its right edge. But in Windows 8, that edge is (by rights) a very live zone and brings up various screens and overlays which, when you're trying to get something done, you don't want. I say it's live "by rights" because when you want the right edge to bring a screen up, it may or may not respond (possibly depending on the position of the cursor). Beyond this, the user's left hand may also droop onto the screen; if both hands touch, sudden changes of image size are likely ... over and over!

Patience overcomes adversity. Practice makes perfect. Etc., etc. I now know the location of the Escape key much better than ever before. But except for this quirk, the computer has a good feel and is a pleasure to use for light tasks. Weight's ok, appearance is nice, the price is low for what you get. Operation is crisp. Battery life is not bad. It can certainly be recommended, depending on intended use.

By the way, on Windows 8's awkward Start Screen there's no glide or momentum (like on a smart phone or tablet) when you try to scoot from one side to the other using two fingers on the touchpad. I like the navigation keys instead. I can't say whether this is a software issue or a trait of this computer.

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Lenovo ThinkPad T430s 14" Notebook PC - 2353-9MU

Lenovo (IBM) Think Pads have always been the best made laptop. Innovations and reliability are first class. I would never consider any other laptop to purchase. The keyboard is excellent. This should be your "only choice."

Save 13% Off

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Sony VAIO VPC-EB11FX/BI 15.5-Inch Laptop (Black)

I've had my Sony Vaio VPC EB11FX in white/silver for a few months now, and I can say its probably the best laptop I've ever purchased.

I have a strong Apple background, having owned a powerbook, macbook, and macbook pro with core 2 duo. The switch back to PC was due to my needs for Windows environment as well as a numeric keypad. The Vaio invited me back to the PC side with a warm welcome.

For $650 my Vaio VPC EB11FX came configured exactly how its listed on this amazon page. I couldn't find any other laptop that met my criteria with the price i was okay with:

Chiclet Keyboard

Numeric Pad

excellent 15" screen

good specs for capable and smooth multimedia playback and light gaming

--

Aesthetics:

The look and feel of this laptop may not inspire you, but it is well thought out with 4 USB ports (1 of them is a USB/eSata port on the left) as well as a quality touch in the way the screen sits out and below the level of the computer. The screen is 15.5" and while its not 1440x900 resolution like on my previous macbook pro, I don't feel deprived of the extra pixel detail. The screen is bright, colors look great when viewing pics and vids, and blacks LOOK black and not a shade of grey. This alone amazed me. It could be the glossy screen that causes colors to appear stronger, as this is the first glossy screen i've owned. The backlight is CCFL, not LED, which I say would only benefit me in that it does not use mercury. Oh yeah, the built-in webcam works well with the easy to use webcam companion software thats included.

When closed, the laptop looks much thinner than it really is due to the two tone combination of white and black for the mainboard. At around 5-6 lbs the weight is what you'd expect with other laptops with 15" screens.

Performance:

This laptop just blazes by with Windows 7, which has its merits and very little to complain about comparing to OSX. With the base Core i3 and integrated gfx, Aero looks awesome and is buttery smooth. I constantly run Chrome Web Browser with many tabs, itunes, IM chat, GIMP, and video playback all at the same time, and I've yet to see the machine hiccup. I dip into the 4gb of memory with 1gb left free usually. I have not deliberately tried to test the limits of my machine, but mind you, its likely able to handle whatever casual/multimedia tasks you can throw at it for daily personal use, school, or at the office.

The machine comes with great conveniences such as the ASSIST and WEB button which help you run maintenance/solve issues and quickboot to web without windows running, respectively.

Cons:

Aside from the confidence I have in the looks and performance of this laptop, I must include that I have very few qualms overall.

-Battery life is a meager 2 hours doing light web browsing. Watch a movie with full brightness and I'm not sure you'll get an hour and half. I could care less as I always have it plugged in.

-The trackpad could use better software (I wish it could scroll with multitouch ala Apple and Asus laptops). The included functionality for the trackpad is powered by Alps, and it isn't up to par IMO. The multitouch gestures available are Flick, Pinch Zoom, and Pivot Rotation. Yawn. Just give me scroll with two fingers and I'm happy. Maybe I will come across software/driver that can let me do this. For now, scrolling up and down with the right end of the trackpad will suffice. Aside from this, I do run into a few rare instances where I am moving the cursor around and suddenly the cursor hangs or jumps erratically. This could be due to particles on the touchpad that is interfering with my touch, but just FYI anyway.

-Speaker quality could be better and overall louder, but I use earphones or play music through my B&W Zepellin via airtunes most of the time.

-Viewing angles of the screen is horrid. I expect this with any screen coming in a $600 laptop. Show me a $600 machine with IPS panel, then I can blame Sony for the viewing angles. Until then, this is the best of any comparable price range. The bottom line is the screen will be fine for you but may suck for anyone else joining in from an angle.

As you can see, the nature of the issues I've reported have a minimal impact on my computing experience, mostly because they aren't that big of a deal aside from battery life. If you are looking for battery life, look elsewhere.

The Sony Vaio VPC EB11FX is the laptop you want with a bright screen you don't need to squint your eyes on. It is competently fast with daily tasks and multimedia playback. Your hands will thank you as it is a delight to type on and doesn't scald your lap like other laptops (APPLE, anyone?). And considering I have not run into any software glitches, BSD and the like, I'd say Sony has a smart, quality 6 lbs package for anyone on a budget looking for their next laptop that will last them for years to come without a hitch.

I wanted to say I am very impressed with the layout and comfort of the keypad, nice looking computer with some nice options for software with the assist button which launches Vaio care a easy do it yourself PC maintenance tool, for those who maybe are not real comfortable keeping their computer cleaned up and running at it's best performance.

There are 4-USB pluggins three on the right and one on the left, A web connection only button which is a nice option so there's no need logging onto your desktop if your in a hurry or just have need for the web.

Easy to use touch pad with a real nice feel and good control, but I use a mouse because that's what i am more comfortable with. Good power saving setting options in control panel. The speed and setup were everything I expected, I have had this computer for about 3-weeks now and the only drawback that I have is the speakers they are suppose to be stereo but they sound a little tinny definitely not for playing music on I will need to pickup some good USB speakers down the road.

I am sure this Sony has many more options and software which I have yet to use when I find time.

Hope this helped.

John

Buy Sony VAIO VPC-EB11FX/BI 15.5-Inch Laptop (Black) Now

I owned a previous model of Vaio and was so pleased with it's performance that when it came time to upgrade, Sony was the obvious choice. So far the performance is as good as the older model and even better. In comparison though, the clarity of the webcam needs to be improved. My older model was much better. I like the finish on the keypad panels but unlike my older model which emitted a lot of heat at it's base this model has reverse this effect and the heat is on the keypad panel which makes it a bit uncomfortable at times. Other than that everything else runs fantastic. I absolutely love the idea of having both USB and HDMI and SD and Micro Card slots.

Read Best Reviews of Sony VAIO VPC-EB11FX/BI 15.5-Inch Laptop (Black) Here

This is a great laptop. As a matter of fact I purchased two new ones exactly like this last month on Amazon for $714 each... and was prepared to purchase another but now the price is $849 (down from $949 last week). What is up with that? The ones I purchased were gifts for my husband and daughter. They LOVE them. I will probably buy another one when the price comes back down. If you're looking for a good-looking, top-performing laptop, you've found it. But don't pay $849 for it.

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Overall, this is a great computer. It handles basic word processing, and web surfing very well. It has great specs to play some high-tech games too.

Pros:

Easy to Use.

Keyboard is sturdy and great.

Startup and Shutdown times are very quick.

NEVER FREEZES.

Cons:

Comparing it to my macbook, the touchpad is not a convenient multi-touch.

Does not have some of the good programs a macbook has (frontrow, photobooth etc.).

With that said, it is a great computer, and I personally have few problems with it. Definitely invest in a VAIO. It is not as cheap as other PC's, but it is cheaper than a Mac, and in my opinion, just as good.

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