A VERY GOOD NOTEBOOK-LAPTOP, EXCELENT BATTERY LIFE, I DO RECOMEND TO BUY THIS ONE DELL PORTABLE, IS ONE OF THE BESTS
Showing posts with label hp notebook. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hp notebook. Show all posts
Dell Latitude D600 1.8ghz 1GB RAM, 40gb, WIFI, DVD/CDRW Combo drive, NEW BATTERY, Office XP, XP Pro
A VERY GOOD NOTEBOOK-LAPTOP, EXCELENT BATTERY LIFE, I DO RECOMEND TO BUY THIS ONE DELL PORTABLE, IS ONE OF THE BESTS
Dell Latitude D620 Notebook Computer Duo Core 1.66GHz 1GB 40GB CDRW/DVD WiFi
I've been enjoying my Dell D 620 for about 10 days now and I am very happy with it! Worked great right out of the box connected to the internet in 3 seconds! Purchased from BTG Electronics. I would recommend them for any computer purchase. They answer any question promptly and are very helpful in making your decision. If you are like me and cannot afford a new laptop, try a refurbished one from them. Great product and reliable seller!
Buy Dell Latitude D620 Notebook Computer Duo Core 1.66GHz 1GB 40GB CDRW/DVD WiFi Now
I bought two of these one for my daughter and one for myself, they both work great and were in great condition , look forward to purchasing from this co again. Good Customer service, product arrived quickly and was what was advertised.It must have been dropped because a peice of the outer casing is broken off on the corner. The DVD drive does not play DVD's, only CD's, but this may have something to do with the original video card that can't be updated. Taking it in to have it upgraded would probably cost as much as I paid for this. Have to touch the mouse pad with a delicate touch or the cursor barely moves. I bought this for my daughter because it has the software used by her school which benefits her to get homework and online assignments done. The graphics is the only dissapointment because she has to use my pc to get somethings done.Want Dell Latitude D620 Notebook Computer Duo Core 1.66GHz 1GB 40GB CDRW/DVD WiFi Discount?
The product was shipped in time. I Received the product in time and in a good condition however the System Software is informing me to replace the battery! Thanks.
ASUS Republic of Gamers New G75VW 3D 17.3-Inch Laptop Intel Newest 3rd Generation Quad Core i7-3610
This ASUS G75VW 3D will definitely satisfy its customers who are in need of super fast processor and large storage space laptop. They mainly cater to the needs of corporate uses and it may not be suitable for personal usage. It can be used for long working hours and you need not worry about the battery backup time. This ASUS G75VW 3D 17.3-Inch Laptop is a portable super computer with high speed and processing with a reasonable price tag. It has a wide 17.3" screen with LED technology and provides great HD video experience for its users.ASUS G75VW 3d 17.3-Inch Laptop (Black)
The ASUS G75VW 3D 17.3-Inch Laptop has a storage capacity of 1.5 TB hard drive and 12 GB as RAM memory. This gives a high speed in for processing and never gives trouble during multitasking. The other features in ASUS G75VW 3D Laptop includes the 2 MP webcam, Blu ray enabled DVD drive, Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity option, Mini display port and USB ports. This laptop Windows 7 home premium as its operating system and it runs on the Intel core i73610QM processor. This Intel processor is the key source which enables high speed of the laptop. Also this has the 10 key numeric key pad which makes working easier with this laptop. This laptop brings comfort for people spending more time with laptop.
As this laptop weighs more than the other notebook laptops, this is cannot be carried around easily. The weight and the wide screen of ASUS G75VW 3D Laptop makes it less portable. It comes with a 1 lithium battery which has a good power backup of minimum 3.5 working hours. This ASUS G75VW 3D also features other latest technology of ASUS such as icecool technology, palm proof technology and also the password security technology.
Sony VAIO T Series SVT14122CXS 14-Inch Ultrabook (Silver)
I can't say much for the OS -my computer use is pretty basic, so memory, RAM, and processing are fine. But I've always taken the keyboard for granted. That is until this keyboard. You can sometimes press the outer edge of a key (while still executing the keystroke), without the letter registering. The result -a lot of non-user-error misspellings. I'm disappointed in this purchase because of that and wouldn't recommend it.
I have not had no problem with it at all
Buy Sony VAIO T Series SVT14122CXS 14-Inch Ultrabook (Silver) Now
Dell Inspiron 17R 17.3" (900P) Laptop Intel Core i5-3210M 2.5GHz, 6GB, 1TB, R/W, Windows 8 ---Purple
I researched different laptops with 17.3" screens through Amazon as well as other online sellers. This is an additional computer in my home (downstairs versus upstairs office). Price was less than similar laptops as color selection was either Purple or Pink. I like purple. :)Product delivery was as scheduled (through Amazon Prime). Box was not damaged; product intact. When I fired up the laptop, the battery was fully charged. Setup through Windows 8 was an adjustment as I am upgrading from Windows XP.
I have now had the product for two weeks and am totally satisfied. The screen resolution is excellent. I must admit I am still getting used to Windows 8, but that's a user problem. It works well with the wireless router I recently installed.
IMPORTANT: This laptop does not have any software pre-loaded other than Windows 8. If you do not already have Microsoft Office or other productivity software, you will need to buy it. Amazon had a special promotion for Microsoft Office 2013, so I bought that.
I would definitely recommend the product. :)
The bad: Not as customizable as previous Dells; too many built-in advertising pitches.
The bottom line: Dell's updated Inspiron line has a slightly revamped design, but more importantly still offers workhorse performance for a minimal investment.This is a great laptop. It boots up quickly, the memory is great, the screen resolution is very good (the overall specs are great for the price) and it looks very sleek and stylish (I love the purple). This is the very first time I'm using windows 8 and trust me I am NOT computer savy, but I don't know why people keep complaining about windows 8, its soooooo easy to operate, imagine my five year old can navigate her way around the apps. I give it five stars because the laptop is great (I like large screen laptops) and windows 8 is GREAT(very user friendly).So, I received my pretty purple Dell Inspiron 17R last week. I have been using it for about 5 days now. So far, everything is good! I LOVE the computer, but I am NOT in love with Windows 8, but from what I have read and heard from others, I don't think that many people are. If you MUST get a computer with Windows 8, don't worry...there are lots of places online in which you can download software to make your Windows 8 desktop look more like Windows 7, so don't let that deter you from getting this computer. The only other thing that I don't LOVE about this computer is the screen resolution. I have bad eyes and the screen is not as sharp as I would love for it to be, but it also isn't that big of a deal. I am a college student and I spend LOTS of time using my computer. The first day I used this computer, I had a really bad headache...it could have been caused by looking at the computer screen or it could have been caused by many other factors. I'm just kind of bummed that the screen isn't as crisp as that of my old HP laptop. Other than that little minor thing, this computer is AWESOME!! I LOVE the "island" keys on the keyboard and the overall feel of this computer. It's a really "beefy" looking computer. It's also pretty! (Yes, I am a girl that likes pretty things! :o) ) When I opened the box, both my 4 year old and 6 year old gasped and said, "OOHH! WOW!!" Of course they might have had that same reaction about a box within a box. ;-) I am still figuring this computer out and I don't have a lot of "techie" knowledge, so I can't offer too much, but I can say that I do really like this computer and am happy with my purchase. :-)The computer was a good deal on a good product. However, registering the warranty on the refurbished unit was not fun! I could not get technical help from Dell until I provided the seller's name. I never did get that information. Computer Geeks of California was the sellerto me. But, they were unable/unwilling to give me the actual seller's name. I contacted them twice, and was given two seller names. Neither was correct. The woman I spoke to claimed to be the internet sales manager. She said that she was familiar with all refurbished sales. Her offhanded answers to my request were not helpful, and caused me considerable grief. In the end Dell checked to be sure the computer was not stolen, and registered the warranty without the information. Dell was very helpful. Computer Geeks was not. I selected Computer Geeks from a list of sellers because they were a big company. Their price was not the lowest. I thought a big company would give better customer service. It didn't turn out that way.
Acer 15.6" i5-2450M 2.50 GHz Notebook | AS5750-6867
I bought a new computer thinking it wouldn't have any issues, but apparently acer has issues with windows 7 and there isn't a fix yet. Why would acer continue to put out a product knowing it still has problems. There support services said it is in the process of fixing it but doesn't have a timeframe, but they will email me. Not too impressed yet.
Toshiba L855-S5372 15.6" Laptop with 3rd Generation Intel Core i7-3630QM Processor, 6GB memory, 640
I have only been using this laptop for 5 days, but so far it seems pretty darn nice. It is fast everything opens and loads instantly. Startup/reboot takes literally a few seconds.Excellent processor, ample RAM to handle many tasks at once, and can be upgraded to 16gb.
Screen is glossy and so it does have some glare depending on your lighting and angle. Frame around the screen is glossy back.
They keyboard, I am struggling to get used to. If my nails weren't so long, it would probably be much easier. The keys have some space between them and they are raised think Scrabble pieces laying on a table, just not as thick. They are totally flat and square, no slanted edges. I find myself missing a lot of keys when typing and have to be more purposeful and exact and be more proper with hand posture. To be honest, my fingers hurt after typing on it all day today. I am hoping it is something I will get more used to as time goes on. If you're already familiar with this type of keyboard, I am sure it will not be an issue.
The touchpad is pretty far off to the left. When you have the 10key number pad, the touchpad usually is more to the left, but this one seems pretty far over. My HP was not that far to the left. I am right handed, so it is a bit of a stretch. I am getting used to that though.
I had to really mess with the mouse/pointer settings in order to get the touchpad to work well for me. Factory set, it was skipping and sticking for me and when I would tap to click, i'd have to tap a few times, instead of once. It is much better now that I changed most of the settings. The touchpad is slightly textured, but it doesn't cause any issues.
The screen is bright. I have adjusted it down some, a little more dim.
It is quiet. I hear the fan kick on for a few seconds every now and then, but it is so very quietly. Haven't felt the laptop or the charging block get hot at all yet and it has been plugged in and running for 5 days straight. I put it to sleep maybe 4 times a day for about 15mins to an hour. The laptop has never even gotten slightly warm.
Windows 8 is.. different...slightly annoying, but I am sure I will get used to it. I deleted/uninstalled almost all of the "Apps" from the startup screen. I'd like to totally disable that screen. It will be useful for some, but others will hate it and see it as a roadblock of sorts to get to the "regular" desktop screen. It takes some getting used to, that's for sure. There are a lot of places on the web to see tutorials etc. There is a short bit of one in the laptop user manual as well.
Size and weight s perfect for me. Not too big, not too small and not too heavy. It isn't what you would call "thin and light" but it isn't too bulky or heavy. I don't like the smaller screens of netbooks and tabs, but I also do not like the huge 17" screens ether. This 15.6" is perfect. I don't travel with my laptop much, so extreme portability is not an issue for me. It is less than an inch and a half thick.
As soon as I set the laptop up, it picked up my wireless printer and already had it installed somehow. No clue how, but it was nice to not have to go through that whole setup process. On the other 4 laptops that are connected with the printer, I had to manually look for available devices, add and install the printer, usually needing to use the disk. Not this time. I just clicked on add printer, thinking I would have to use the normal process of adding it and it was already there and ready to use.
The sound was pretty bad at first, but I updated the driver and it is much better now. Still has somewhat of the cheap alarm clock radio sound to it, but not nearly as bad. There are some settings I will try and mess with and see if it makes a difference. I am not too worried about the sound though...it's not like I will be using the laptop speakers as a music source.
Something I *really* like is Toshiba's "Sleep and Charge" feature. It allows you to charge your cellphone, or other items, even while the laptop is sleeping or turned off. This is such a convenient feature for me. I love it.
So far, I am loving the laptop itself and still getting used to Windows 8. Definitely recommended. It is fast and powerful enough to handle pretty much anything and is Energy Star rated. Toshiba even offers free electronics recycling. 5 stars and will update as needed.
The keyboard is excellent with a good feel.
The processor is a quad core i7 2.4GHZ,
Since I use Photoshop, illustrator and some other programs I have not heard the fan. I am yet to test it playing games.
The screen is the glossy type but it's clear and gives nice details.
The surfaces is also glossy and can be a fingerprint magnet.
The touch-pad is also good and has a matte feel.
The batter life is great so far but I've only had the laptop for 1 week.
All in all it's a good laptop and in my humble view an excellent bang for your buck.The laptop arrived in optimal conditions, the CPU is an intel core i7 very quick in my opinion, I've a ASUS G55V with 3610QM and I can not feel the difference in applications like office, the laptop is usually silent, and the temperature is generally lower of course I use a platform with a fan, the unique disadvantage is the GPU but respect to the price is ok, yesterday I could run Call of Duty Black Ops without problems with setting in middle quality, really I'm very happy with the laptop.Overall, the computers performance is great, the i7 processor is lightening quick even with several applications running simultaneously. However, the biggest gripe I have is that the construction feels cheap. I have been a loyal HP user for decades because the laptops have a very "solid" feel for construction. This Toshiba just feels cheap to me, and the keyboard needs to have the keys hit very firmly and centered for the key to work. I feel like I am constantly spell-checking because my key strokes are not firm enough. I know, I know..."so just type more firmly" is what you are thinking...but I AM! My HP must have me spoiled, with feather light key actuation. Takes a bit of getting used to, so I am adjusting. I am also adjusting to the whole Windows 8 operating system...still not a big fan of the "tile" displays. I guess I need to "unlearn" my comfort for using Windows 7 for so long.
In summary:
PROS: Super quick processor, great screen resolution,excellent for multi-tasking
CONS: Keyboard not very sensitive, overall "cheap" feel for construction
HP ProBook 4545s 15.6" Inch Notebook PC, AMD Dual-Core A6-4400M 2.7GHz, 8GB DDR3, 750GB HDD, DVDRW,
Purchased this 4545s ProBook at TigerDirect, $500, using Amazon for their gurarantee's 12/25/12.Bought because: value for the money, non-gloss screen, both Windows 7 pro and Windows 8 operating systems included.
Works well.
Spent some time uninstalling the not needed "extras" HP supplied. Going to have to talk with Microsoft about product key because there is no COA on this machine.
One irritating point: touchpad was a bit centered for tapping. You have to tap more toward the center of the pad than other laptops. I "fixed" this by uninstalling the HP touchpad software. It becomes "normal". If you want the two finger stuff, go over to Synaptics and get the latest download.
Will report back when/if there is anything more to report.
HP Pavilion dv7t Quad Edition Notebook PC, Intel i7-2670QM (2.2 GHz), 8GB DDR3 RAM, 750GB HDD, 17.3
Laptops have been around for quite a while and they keep improving. HP has really gotten it right with the DV7t Quad Series. These are powerful and beautiful machines that are well-thought out, with impeccable build construction, and lightning-fast performance. I bought the one featured here on Amazon with the exception that I added a 2GB Hard Disk Drive and went with 12GB of DRAM. Overkill perhaps, but there you are.The screen is superb on this Notebook. I have an external HP 2511x 25 inch monitor which I have considered to be pretty much the gold standard for monitors. The 17 inch screen on the DV7t is every bit as crisp and bright (perhaps even a touch brighter and crisper) and is very, very pleasant to work with. The keyboard is well laid-out and the keys are what touch-typists like myself look for. The touchpad is about as good as pads of this type get, and it has a hardware off-switch by tapping rapidly on a designated part of the pad. So if you are using an external mouse, like I do, you can deactivate the touchpad without having to deal with layers of Windows menus.
One nice feature that the touchpad has is the ability to "pinch" the screen so that it is magnified less or more. This is a very convenient feature for those of us who wear reading glasses. If a given website uses too-small type, on this computer the user can "pinch" the touchpad causing the size of the type (i.e. the magnification of the web page) to increase to any desired amount. I find myself using this feature often.
The Blu-Ray disk drive works perfectly and the picture is incredible. I played several movies on it with great results. I have not burned any Blu-Ray files yet.
Performance of this computer is what you would expect: lightning-fast. It can manipulate huge digital files with ease and perform other heavy-duty tasks better than any other computer that I personally have used. Unfortunately most digital photography programs are still 32 bit, but when they become 64 bit this computer will be ready for them, with performance that we can only guess at.
Physically, this is a beautiful machine. The black chassis has a spectacularly nice metallic look to it that is not the fingerprint magnet of earlier HP chassis. There are 4 USB ports (two on each side) and an HDMI port, which many users will want to use in connection with a second monitor. Personally I would have preferred that the USB ports be on the back rather than on the side.
The audio on this unit is pretty good, but the volume could be better. Playing a Blu-Ray disk, I found myself wanting and preferring powered external speakers.
The fingerprint reader is easy to use and works well. This enables the user to scan a finger, and subsequently log into Windows with just a swipe of the finger rather than typing in a password. Very nice. The Hard Disk Drive indicator LED is (weirdly) on the side rather than the front, so it is not visible to the user and thus pretty useless. Not a huge issue in the greater scheme of things. In mitigation of this, the external headphone and speaker jacks are on the other side of the computer, rather than the front, which is a big improvement over earlier models on which these jacks were on the front, presenting the user with cumbersome cables. Plus, this unit gives you two speaker jacks instead of one, which is nice to have.
This is not a small computer. Most users will not be toting it around for casual use like a tablet or netbook. This one, with its 17 inch screen, is really a portable desktop computer and that is how it fits into my scheme of things. It is really designed to be the user's main computer (it has no compromises as regards performance) with the added capability of being portable and capable of use without an AC cable for a time. For me (I am an attorney) that means I can work with it at home or in the office, and when necessary take it to the courthouse. For this type use this computer is hard to beat. iPads and netbooks have their own niches, and this computer is no iPad. But there are still certain applications for which a full-powered computer is required, and the so-called demise of the personal computer will not be occurring any time soon.
This is the best computer that I have thus far owned and used. Recommended without reservation. RJB.
Update HP has decided to do the right thing and fix the computer for freeI ordered this laptop to do CAD work on. So far no problem opening and working with the very large Catia files I use for design. I had to mess around a little with the switchable graphics to get it to run Catia with the stand alone video card. It was trying to run it off of the built in video card. The obviously wan't cutting it. The battery life is pretty short, about 3-1/2 hours but that is expected considering the hardware this laptop has. I only have a few complaints. No back-lit keyboard, minor but slightly irritating for such an expensive laptop. HP bloatware that slows the boot time down quite a bit. The flat keyboard bezel was not snapped down all the way on the top part of the keyboard right at the center. I thought I was going to have to send the laptop back because of it but was able to snap it into place with a little prying and pushing. I guess I would say that the laptop is fast but typical of the way things are built now a days, not very refined and kind of cheap feeling. You shouldn't have to snap the keyboard in place on a brand new laptop you just spent $1,250 on. I guess if you really want build quality you could buy the similarly spec'd mac book pro and spend $3,000 for the same computer with a different OS.La mejor inversion, super rapida , calidad de sonido, imagen, y salidas de video increible.....El autocad funciona sin tiempos de espera, igual que corel, photoshop, pinnacle studio, etc.
Tengo pc para muchos años...
Sony VAIO Pro SVP13213CXS 13.3-Inch Core i5 Touchscreen Ultrabook (Carbon Silver)
I will be flying with this (and for the first time, without an additional tablet) soon and will update it after that experience.In this review:
(1) In the box
(2) PROs (+)
(3) CONs/Quirks (-)
(4) Windows Experience Index Ratings, Battery Life, and Performance Observations
(5) Extended sheet battery thoughts
(6) Thoughts on travel/portability/business use
(7) General Thoughts and Thoughts on tablet replacement
(1) In the box: power cord and adapter with neat USB port in transformer, brief setup pamphlet, VGA Adapter.
I thought I would include this section because there was some confusion as to whether the USB-powered Ethernet wireless router that attaches to the power adapter was included. Sadly, it is not. It is also not listed as available for sale (as of this date) in the US. If you need the part number (since it's hard to find), it's VGP-WAR100 and is available on Sony Asia's website (http://www.sony-asia.com/product/vgp-war100)
(2) PROs
Great battery life (later)
Super thin AND great battery life!
full-size spacing on keys
Tight integration between hardware and Windows 8 (even some 8.1 features done Sony-style on Windows 8.0)
Screen lifts for the most part with one hand (better than I could have expected)
brightness is decent
Carbon fiber build seems flimsy (because it bends) but actually feels and appears to be durable (if that makes sense)
Really light.
Did I mention that it's really thin and light?
(3) CONs/Quirks (not all are really terrible and I've overcome some as described)
Yes, there is a known WiFi issue. Supposedly, Sony is working on a fix though not all their stores and call centers are familiar with it. However, that being said, I did not experience any major issues. Just in case, I have a WiFi adapter I can use if needed.
For me: lack of Thunderbolt port is a disappointment but I understand that Sony had to sacrifice some things for such a thin laptop. I would have preferred Thunderbolt over HDMI but that is just me and the market supports the decision to stick with HDMI right now.
Lack of Gb Ethernet. Really wished it had this but a lot of ultrabooks are forgoing this option these days. To overcome this, I purchased a nifty Asus USB router (see below under travel)
The large amount of flex in the build makes using the touchscreen difficult to use or at least not as "seamless" as it could be. The screen vibrates back and forth a lot with each press making for a slightly uncomfortable but bearable experience. It certainly does not replace a tablet feel (nor is it meant to so no stars deducted). It's just that it feels like the touchscreen could have been left out altogether but I must admit I still use it extensively over the touchpad (but maybe not over a travel mouse).
The sheet battery is not flush to the device (more on that below under the "extended battery" section).
The keyboard is a little awkward for me, but to be fair, I'm accustomed to a 12.1" netbook keyboard. The keys for me are spaced too far apart but I can still type pretty fast and it doesn't seem like it will take a lot of getting used to.
The lights for the backlit keyboard are visible from underneath the keys when you are looking at the device. It's kind of annoying and I wish it were just the letters that were lit instead of an outline of the keys.
Silly dedicated "assist" button launches Sony's troubleshooting and repair/recovery apps. I'd rather be able to customize a dedicated hardware button (and maybe I can?)
(4) Windows Experience Index, battery life, and other performance measures
Overall: 6.3 (internal HD4000 graphics being the limiting factor)
CPU: 7.1 (NOTE: This is for a Core i7 model, the rest of this review is relevant to this model)
RAM: 7.6
Graphics: 6.3
Gaming Graphics: 6.3
HDD: 8.6
It isn't meant to be a super high-end gaming machine. The idea here is thin and light...but seriously, it does a pretty darn good job at everything else while it's at it. Data transfer rates are extremely good. If I get a chance, I'll post some samples.
Battery Life is really really good. I use Battery Bar and it varies it's estimate based on use but going from a full charge on just the main battery without the extended sheet battery, it varies between 7-8.5 hours, way over Sony's 6.5 hours estimate. To be fair, I have only been installing software and not anything otherwise intensive. With the extended battery which is almost double capacity, I would easily believe Sony's 13-14 hour claim and then some. Time will tell and I will update if this changes.
Performance is pretty snappy and I haven't noticed any major hiccups but to be fair, I haven't done a whole lot other than web browsing and software installation. I'll update as time goes on if it changes.
(5) Extended Sheet battery thoughts:
Honestly, I have mixed feelings. Since there are really no pictures for this model, I thought I would post this so you have a good idea of what it is like. I will post a picture soon as well. For starters, it does NOT sit flush with the laptop. In other words, it adds a significant amount of depth (almost double) but at least it is a smaller footprint and not the whole side of the laptop. It serves as a stand while it is attached. One thing I do wish: the cover for the connector for the extended battery can be difficult to remove form the laptop (it has a spot to reattach to the extended batteyr to hold it in place but even that is a pain to do in a hurry. If I have to switch batteries in a hurry or switch to the extended, it can be irritating. A sliding cover would have been more practical (but I'm not sure if it's feasible space-wise)
(6) Travel and portability thoughts:
For me, extended batteries are almost a necessity and I'm so used to just ordering them that I ordered it with the device. As I am using this, I am actually thinking I wouldn't need it if I were just replacing my netbook/laptop. Since the sheet battery adds such significant battery life, I might use it to replace what I normally defer to my Asus TF300T tablet for (notes, travel, work on airplanes/trains, etc.).
I will update this review soon--I have ordered two different MacBook Air cases and will see how they fare.
I also ordered the Asus WL-300NUL pocket WiFi router (ASUS Multi-Mode Pocket Router (WL-330NUL). This can be used in much the same way as the Sony part I mentioned above with the added benefit that it can also be used as a USB ethernet adapter and standard WiFi adapter as well.
For travel, I also ordered a USB combo mini outlet surge protector Satechi Compact USB Surge Protector for Charging MP3 Players, iPhone, Blackberry, Android, and Windows Mobile Phones and an inline surge protector TRC 90510-10 Lap Top Surge Protector 3-Wire which should arrive soon.
(7) General Thoughts and Thoughts on Tablet replacement:
I was really hoping for a Haswell ultrabook convertible that would double as my desktop via a nice Thunderbolt dock for two monitors, GbE, USB 3.0 drives, etc. I was hoping for said ultrabook to also double as a tablet and take advantage of Window 8 handwriting recognition with a digitizer (this does not have a digitizer). In the end, while this may have been a purchase out of frustration in waiting or the "perfect" device to come along, I think I am happy with it. The near-instant on feature is nice so that certainly helps in pushing the case to replace my tablet. I can still think of a need for a decent tablet with digitizer (perhaps a future "mini" Windows 8 tablet with Bay Trail?). I thought about the Sony Duo 13 as well but the limited one angle kind of was a dealbreaker for me. In retrospect, it might be more of what I was looking for. The trackpad is becoming more and more of an after-thought for me as I use the touchscreen more so the fact that it is much smaller on the Duo may not be bad. At least it isn't behind the keyboard like on the recently announced Samsung device. The Asus Transformer Book Trio is probably the closest to what I wanted but it may not be released until much later this year. For now, I would say I'm very happy with the purchase and will continue to evaluate my needs as I go on in terms of living without a tablet.
I do hope that Thunderbolt becomes more common and is standard in the near future. Partly due to cost and partly due to ignorance, I think people are missing out on something great that might be too early for it's own good. It's almost like the "Apple Newton" was way ahead of its time and didn't succeed because of ignorance and cost until Palm released their version of the PDA when the market was "ready" for it. I'm hoping this is the time for TB.
Seven hours battery .
The body is a bit flexy-but I think that was the intention, to keep it flexible so it can stand the rigors of being handled around, and at 1 kilogram-it WILL be handled around.
Track pad misses some tapsbut it is by far one of the best non-apple trackpads.
I went to the Apple store to see if I let my heart rule over the mind (the supposed 12 hour battery life of the new Air), and I simply came back, clenching my Vaio closer to me. Drab heavy silver slabs. No innovationimagine my frustration when the chunky screen didn't respond to my gentle prods.
Believe me-this is the new Z.
Sony, welcome back.
Buy Sony VAIO Pro SVP13213CXS 13.3-Inch Core i5 Touchscreen Ultrabook (Carbon Silver) Now
**UPDATE**The temps on this laptop can get very hot if you don't watch them. I got to 73C today just watching Netflix. I even wiped the drive and reinstalled from the recovery partition and it still does it.
And to comment on other people saying the screen is glossy, I actually don't find it glossy at all. Its actually a weird middle between glossy and matte. I don't know what Sony did. Its nice though.
**OLD REVIEW**
Just as a intro, I didn't buy this laptop on Amazon, so it wont say verified purchase, but I did buy this laptop and still have it with me, so you can be assured that this is a real review. I absolutely love this laptop. Everything is amazingly fast and snappy, the trackpad is smooth and gestures handle very well, almost as well as a Mac.
The keyboard is also pretty great. It feels like I'm typing on a desktop keyboard because of how much travel the keys actually have. I think this is the most I've ever seen in an ultrabook. Now for the best thing about this laptop.
The weight. Its incredible. When I took the laptop home with me, I was actually worried that the box didn't have the laptop in it! (It did). This thing feels as light as my tablet.
Now for the screen, its a full 1080p screen, the clarity is good, and so are the viewing angles. Surprisingly, they're not as good as an IPS screen, but more than acceptable. The touch is also responsive. The one thing that I did have to do is when I got it, the screen was really sticky and I couldn't slide my finger on it. I cleaned it with some rubbing alcohol and now its as smooth as anything else.
But, there is one major (to me) issue. The fan noise is horrific. Even when I'm just browsing the internet, the fans are on at ~4000-5000 RPM according to Core Temp. And the weird thing, is that they SHOULD be on at the temps I'm getting. On idle, its around 50C. I've used many other ultrabooks and I know that's not normal. In fact, I unplugged the fan of a Lenovo Yoga (It was also loud) and it never exceeded 55C even when watching movies. This can't be fixed with an update because the laptop actually DOES run hot, so the fans are needed. I checked for any CPU hogging apps, but the CPU is never over 10% utilization in Task Manager. I know I don't have a defective unit, because I already took it back and replaced it once. Oh, and the SONY Vaio Control Center fan options don't do anything to control the fan.
I think other than that, this laptop is amazing. If you never use your laptop in a Library, Classroom, or another quiet place, It would be 5 stars for you. But Its just way too loud for me.
I feel that to deserve 5 stars, it need to be perfect, and this laptop comes close, but isn't. If anyone/Sony somehow releases an update to quiet those fans, I'll change my review. It would be 5 stars, but the fan and the flex on the body knock off one star for me.
To sum up:
PROS:
Amazing Screen
Roomy and comfortable keyboard
Smooth trackpad
VERY light
Looks great
No bloatware at all (since I bought it from the Microsoft Store)
CONS:
Fan noise is terrible
Some amount of flex in the body makes it feel weakThis touchscreen notebook is the lightest I've ever used among Windows computers. Keyboard backlight works fine, screen is bright and glares not that much. Touchpad is great, I read some reviews about it being too hard to operate or something and I think those reviewers were lying. Touchscreen works great too. I think this notebook is too cheap given its quality. Also some reviewers noticed too much flex in its body but I didn't notice any. Probably those reviewers prefer heavyweight Apple notebooks, but I don't like heavy machines, given that amount of flex is roughly equal between this machine and MacBook Air. In any case, I found all the drawbacks stated in reviews to be fake, those reviewers just needed to pick on something. There's only advantages and no drawbacks in this beautiful machine, given it's low price (it's low considering what you'd get for it). Also looks much better than any MacBook.
Want Sony VAIO Pro SVP13213CXS 13.3-Inch Core i5 Touchscreen Ultrabook (Carbon Silver) Discount?
I have only owned the Sony VAIO Pro for 24 hours but I have been glued to it! I love it! Have to get used to Windows 8 and that is probably my biggest adjustment but this laptop fits me like a well-sized glove! I am not a tablet person have the Ipad and it has never worked for me but I didn't like my clunky Dell laptop anymore so this lightweight "as a feather" , easy to use laptop so far has met my expectations and some. I read complaints about the fan noise but so far haven't picked any of that up. I am not a sophisticated user, just a regular user so it definitely meets my needs. I would highly recommend it to anyone. Oh and the touchscreen is to die for!!! I love it. (Btw I am still a Blackberry user and need a keyboard -this laptop (like my BB Q10) gives me the best of both worlds!) Love it!
HP Pavilion dm4-1160us 14-Inch Laptop PC - Up to 6.25 Hours of Battery Life (Argento)
This laptop really lives up to its description: ultra portability without sacrificing performance. I'm posting this review after a week of ownership.PROS: Awesome aluminum design, bright display, bluetooth, good webcam, 7200rpm HD, fast processor, runs cool, great WiFi range, good battery life, lightweight (4.41 lbs), fingerprint reader, sturdy, WiDi, HP QuickWeb
CONS: Touchpad gestures, keyboard stiffness, mediocre audio, dvd eject button
* MY PERSONAL NEEDS:
My focus while searching for a new laptop was for portable productivity including office and business applications, software development kits (I'm a programmer), and presentations. I was looking for something with decent processing power to handle multiple applications. What I was not looking for was a gaming machine. The graphics card was therefore somewhat irrelevant. This dm4-1160us by HP stood out because it offered a great processor, Bluetooth, a good webcam, and decent battery life in a light and perfectly manageable package.
* FIRST IMPRESSIONS UPON OPENING:
From the start I knew this was the laptop for me. The aluminum finish, including the design that complements it, is truly a work of art in terms of both aesthetics and practicality. Most modern laptops have a glossy finish that attract fingerprints seemingly even when you're not touching it. This is the complete opposite offering a sleek and professional look without constantly having to wipe it down. During the first few hours of personalization I noticed no hint of heat nor slow down of any kind. It has been quick from the start. Boot up times are average, but perfectly reasonable and even quicker if you take advantage of HP's QuickWeb feature that lets you use some common applications without booting into Windows. The screen is plenty bright and has a very nice and crisp picture. It is better than my Samsung r480 and older Toshiba Satellite, and on par with my older Core 2 Due HP model. If anything the screen on this one is just a bit less reflective than the one on my older HP, which is a good thing.
* PERFORMANCE:
This is my first experience in personally dealing with Intel's new i3/5/7 series processors, and I have to say it exceeded my expectations. In the past couple years the only machines I built were made for gaming, and AMD processors are perfect for affordable gaming machines. While I still believe that AMD is better than Intel cost/value speaking for gaming, I always stick with Intel when building a machine for true intensive multitasking. Even with running multiple applications including some processor heavy development kits, Adobe CS, and other software simultaneously, the laptop runs without a glitch and without producing any noticeable heat nor noise. The Core i5 is definitely a step up from the Core 2 Duo series, and a significant one from the previous dual core T-series that can still be commonly found on the market today.
4GB of memory has become the standard in the laptop market, and there isn't much to say about that other than it works. However what isn't common is a 7200 RPM hard drive in a laptop (especially one with a good battery life). If you don't do much in terms of file transfers you probably won't really benefit nor notice, but it is definitely a plus for me where I'm constantly transferring files for projects back and forth.
The integrated graphics certainly isn't a selling point, but it gets the job done unless you're planning to use it for modern full screen gaming. It will play most games, but you'll have to scale back the settings. If I want to play a graphics intensive game I'm going to do it on a desktop with a larger monitor anyway, so this wasn't a selling point one way or the other. Something I found odd was that the Windows Rating System gave the graphics a higher rating for gaming than it did for Aero (desktop and productivity), but in my experience so far it has managed everything just fine including Adobe, movies, and a couple simple games that I tried out to test the display. I will say that most of the laptops I've owned/used have had integrated graphics, and even so this laptop still feels quite a bit quicker in all aspects. If it were compared to another version of itself with a dedicated card then you would notice a difference, but it is not underpowered by any means.
* TOUCHPAD:
Many people are commenting about how the touchpad is finicky and hard to use, especially when keeping a finger on the mouse button. I don't personally have the same issues and am able to use the touchpad easily. In fact I purposefully attempted to duplicate the problem myself and was unable to see why there's so much trouble over it. And I rather like the textured feel of it and prevents fingerprinting and makes it easy to keep track of. However I really don't like the gestures. Macs do a way better job of handling the two finger slide scrolling and pinch to zoom features. I didn't even think of this option when buying, but since they are there they are tempting and they don't work quite right. The mouse buttons themselves are a bit harder than average to press down but I prefer the tap method anyway.
To comment on some of the other reviews, I don't think it is fair to expect a touchpad to be great while playing games. I've never seen someone successfully play a first person shooter with a touch pad nor would I use it for longer periods of time in CAD or other design software. For simple adjustments in Adobe I find it to work fine, not really better or worse than other laptops.
* KEYBOARD:
Here is where I am having some trouble. The keyboard layout for me is perfect and I like the gap in between the keys. But just as the touchpad buttons are a bit harder than average to press down, I found that the keyboard keys are a bit stronger than average and take a slightly more aggressive press. If you're a heavy typer you probably won't notice. When I get going pretty good my typing speeds are in the 80-90+ WPM range. I am more of a light typer though and have gotten very used to only pressing down as far/hard as necessary and nothing more. Since I am so accustomed to using laptops with keys that are easy to press, this will take me some more time to get used to. I almost wonder if it is just the one I have and it isn't supposed to be that way.
* SOUND:
The sound is not bad. There were more than a few reviewers throughout my search that complained about the sound quality in this laptop. I have used many different laptops and I don't think the sound from this laptop is any worse than the average laptop. Laptops don't produce good sound. That is just how it is, especially when they only weight 4.41 pounds. It does state that there are Altec Lansing speakers on the laptop, but that doesn't mean anything. The only laptops I have used that had decent sound are the bigger ones that have more room for bigger speakers. The speakers on this 14" are still good enough to enjoy a show or have some background music going while you work. For those of you who are still looking around, I would note that HP's higher models with "Beats Audio" aren't anything spectacular either.
* BATTERY LIFE:
Depending on where you look, the battery life on this laptop is rated between 6 and 6.5 hours. With wifi and bluetooth off and just using normal productivity software I think that is a fair assessment, which I think is how they rate it anyways. I haven't had enough time to truly test the battery life in real scenarios, but it seems like I can get a solid 4-6 hours of use while running my presentation software and at least Bluetooth (I use my phone as a remote controller).
* CONCLUSION:
If you are looking for a productivity laptop that is ultra portable and a great value, get this one. There aren't many features missing unless you're after a built in Wi-Max card or want a Blu-Ray player, and it is definitely feature rich for the price range. The finish both inside and out is brilliant and it is pleasing both through its looks and performance.
I would not recommend this laptop if you want a gaming laptop. There are plenty of options from HP and other brands that have dedicated graphics cards with moderate to good battery life. It does not have a dedicated graphics card, wimax, blu-ray, nor numpad, in case you're looking for those features.
I love this machine, and think it is a steal for not much more than $700. Maybe it's not for everybody, but don't let rumors of touchpad issues dissuade you.
Buy HP Pavilion dm4-1160us 14-Inch Laptop PC - Up to 6.25 Hours of Battery Life (Argento) Now
(paid $700) Bought this guy about a week ago. It has excellent styling and feels very solid. The keyboard is awesome, but the touchpad can be a bit finnicky. Although it's nothing a few days of getting used to wouldn't fix. I use my laptop for school and Photoshop CS5. It has an awesome battery life which has already given me four and a half hours of youtube/browsing use. The battery life keeps getting better, so I wouldn't be surprised if it gets close to the promised six. It stays very cool, and mostly quiet. Even when the processor kicks into high gear it is barely discernible. It feels very snappy and handles photoshop quite nicely for a laptop. For most of your editing, including assembling HDR and using photomerge it does just fine. To give you an idea, I merged 22 raw files the other day with a fairly complex background, it did it in about a minute. The sore spot is the lack of dedicated graphics. Many game's are still playable, but you'll have to scale back the settings. Civ V runs super smooth on low and is completely playable on medium. SC2 runs great on low. However the snappy performance in other tasks and the great battery life more then make up for the poor graphical performance.This sleek, thin, powerful laptop is everything I wanted but never had the time to buy before. I'm a software engineer that works on computers practically every day. Prior to now, I've just assembled my own desktops for home use and used my work laptop for mobile personal computing. IN my hopes to finally transfer all of my personal computing to my own personal machines, I decided to get myself the least bulky, but most powerful laptop I could for as far under $1000 as I could get it.This laptop is awesome. It's thin, light, and does everything I want it to do. For those who wish to compare their typical personal computing activities to mine, mine consist of:
1) General internet browsing (paying bills, checking email, shopping, Facebook, etc.)
2) Streaming video/music over the internet (Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, iTunes, etc.)
3) Watching DVD movies
4) Playing not-too-complex computer games (nothing needing major graphics power just yet)
5) Creating/editing MS Word or Excel document (journals, budgets, etc.)
6) Downloading digital pictures from cameras & uploading them to the internet (with mild editing in between)
7) Backing up my files to an external USB hard drive (I don't like holding all of my eggs in one basket)
This computer does all of this with ease and is actually attractive to look at. The system also has built-in microphone and camera, which I'd love to use but haven't gotten around to it yet.
HP's site has these exact same systems for their "quick ship" options (systems that are already assembled as supposed to the ones they have to 'build' and then ship to you), but Amazon had this one for less PLUS I was able to take advantage of my Amazon Prime free 2-day shipping! All in all, getting this machine was a great choice and I'm loving every minute of it.
NOTE: The fingerprint swiper can be a bit sensitive, so you may have to 'swipe' your finger numerous times for it to get it. I recommend programming more than just one fingerprint into the system so that you have multiple ones to choose from.
Want HP Pavilion dm4-1160us 14-Inch Laptop PC - Up to 6.25 Hours of Battery Life (Argento) Discount?
I was looking for a 14 inch laptop to replace my 5yr old HP DV1000 laptop. I wanted something that is light and with an i5 processor. I came across the dm4-1160us and found that it has all that I was looking for. The listed price on amazon.com was $829.99 at the time. My previous laptop was still working fine and I was not in a hurry to get the new one. So I thought I would wait till thanksgiving to see if I could get a better a better deal on it. A couple of weeks later the laptop was listed on sale @ staples for $700.00 with rebates. I went and got the laptop the same day.I read a lot of reviews on this laptop and the greatest concern for me was that some people were complaining that it looked pink. So when I went to the store the first thing I checked out was the color and I was disappointed in that it looked pink. But the sales associate told me that it is due to the lighting in the store and the true color of the laptop is a tint of bronze. So I bought the laptop thinking that i would try it out and return it if I didnot like it. I am so glad that I bought the laptop. When I opened the box at home, the laptop did not look anywhere near pink in color. All my friends liked the color and design of the laptop.
I had the laptop for almost a month now and I am very pleased with it. It was the best deal I could have gotten for such a good performing laptop. I would recommend this laptop who wants a good performing light weight laptop.
The only cons that I have with this laptop is with the fingerprint reader and the multitouch functions of the trackpad. You could setup the fingerprint reader to log you into any website. I do not wish to use this setting and have not set it up. So each time I go to a webpage that needs login a pop-up appears asking me if I want to enroll in the automatic log-in. I just find that annoying, I'm pretty sure I can disable it, but haven't got around to it yet. Also, the multi-functioning on the trackpad is not as good as on a macbook. But these are not major concerns to me.........and I think this is the best laptop for the price in the market now.
ASUS Zenbook UX32VD-DB71 13.3-Inch Ultrabook
Truth be had, I've been pretty disappointed with ultrabook offerings so far low resolution screens, terrible keyboards and below average power. With the UX31A and UX32VD series, Asus promised to change all of that, and, in my opinion, succeeded remarkably well.1. Design/Aesthetics. This is a very pretty machine. It's lightweight, looks good and doesn't seem to smudge. Not much more that I can say here it's pretty and sleek. I wish that it had a MacSafe power adapter instead of the right angled plug, but I guess we have patents to blame for that.
2. Keyboard. The keyboard on this machine is fantastic. I would put it in the same league as the MacBook Air's keyboard, which is to say that it is very very good. In comparison, I thought that the keyboard on the original Zenbook was terrible. It's not quite as nice as the keyboard on my Lenovo T430, but it is still really high quality, and probably the best ultrabook keyboard currently available (and backlit, too). Love it. Some people have mentioned keyboard flex there is a tiny bit if you push down hard near the middle of the keyboard, but it's not something that I would have noticed if I wasn't looking for it.
3. Screen. The screen is excellent beautiful colors, 1080p resolution. There was a bit of backlight bleeding, but it's only in a few places, and it's only noticeable if the screen is entirely black, so really not a big issue. When the screen is not purely black, you couldn't even find it if you were looking for it. By default, the display is running at 40Hz not sure who was responsible for that decision which made things look choppy. Setting it to 60Hz fixed that problem though.
4. Software. Includes standard PC bloatware, which is kind of annoying but it is easy enough to remove. Of particular note is the Asus Update Manager, which is supposed to pull updates from Asus' website, but in reality just crashes repeatedly (I booted my Zenbook the first time to Asus's update manager giving me a wonderful stack trace as it died). Other included software is of similar low quality I'd recommend wiping the machine when you get it if you can. Also includes software for a touchscreen/pen I'm not sure what that's about, since this machine has neither.
5. Touchpad. I hate touchpads. This one seems responsive and sleek, but I just switched to using a mouse and disabled it. YMMV. Edit: Played with the touchpad for a bit, and I have to admit, I kind of like it. It's not as usable (in my most humble opinion) as the nub on a Thinkpad, but it gets the job done. Some settings I found to make it nicer: Turn off tap to click, so that your mouse doesn't click randomly while you're typing. And turn off Inertial Scroll in the Elan -> Multi-Finger -> Scrolling setting. It's makes scrolling choppy for some reason. Unfortunately, multi-touch isn't as integrated into the operating system as it is with OS X, so I feel like we'll have to wait until Windows 8 to see the true power of this touchpad. In its current form, the touchpad works as advertised it's responsive, smooth and very configurable.
6. Graphics. This machine has a dedicated graphics card, and while it's not the most beefy, it's certainly an improvement over the standard Intel 4000. Linux users note: This uses nVidia Optimus to switch between the integrated and dedicated graphics cards, which apparently doesn't have very good Linux support yet so if you plan on running Linux on this, do some research first.
7. HDD. 500GB HDD. In 2012. Unacceptable. However...
8. Upgrades. This is why I bought this machine. You can put an extra 8GB of RAM in (in exchange for 2GB of the built in 4GB) for a total of 10GB of RAM. You can also swap out the HDD for an SSD, which is awesome get one with a 7mm height though, or it won't fit.
Overall: If you are willing to upgrade the HDD and RAM, get this machine you won't regret it. It's light, it has a beautiful screen, an excellent keyboard, it's very fast, and with the upgrades, it is the nicest laptop that I have ever owned. If you are not willing to upgrade, I would say that you should get a MacBook Air or the Zenbook UX31A (or the Sony Series Z if you are willing to spend more) instead the SSD makes a huge performance improvement. I give it 4/5, because you have to spend a bit of time to clean up the garbage on it and install a better hard drive and more RAM, but once you do that, it is unmatched. Also, Microsoft is apparently going to offer a $15 upgrade to Windows 8 Professional, which is a great deal.
EDIT:
After a week with this machine, some more thoughts:
Really liking the trackpad. Turning off tap to click is key it is downright bizarre that the default has those settings on, I think that every reviewer complaint about the erratic touchpad is due to this setting being on. After turning it off, it's smooth, accurate and actually really nice to use. I upgraded to the Windows 8 Release Preview, and for a while I was wondering what the heck was going on when things were randomly being clicked and dragged around, before I realized that I had to disable tap to click again.
As for the keyboard after working with it for a while now, I don't like it as much as the MacBook Air's. It's still a very good keyboard, but the keys are a bit flimsy feeling for my liking, and very occasionally a keypress gets missed. Not bad by any means, but it could have been better. If you are really looking for a great typing experience on an ultrabook, you may want to wait to check out the Lenovo X1 Carbon, which should be available in August. Again though, the keyboard is very usable I'd put it as better than the Samsung Series 9, but worse than the MacBook Air and both of those machines have very nice keyboards. On the upside, keyboard flex on the UX32VD is definitely a non-issue.
Also, Asus's included software is bizarrely bad. Don't even try to use it. It doesn't work, or it crashes, or it uses a ton of CPU, or it just looks plain ugly.
Finally, if you are planning on upgrading the RAM, see the comments on this review I installed an 8GB 1600MHz stick, but it is only running at 1333MHz for some reason. This apparently has to do with the CAS latency of the onboard stick vs. the new one. I don't know how to get around this, that said, I wouldn't have noticed the difference if I didn't check the settings.
Still, very happy with it. I haven't put the battery through its paces, but unscientifically, it seems to last about 4 hours under high workload (writing code).
Anyway, knowing what I know now about this machine, I would be less hesitant to buy it than I initially was. It is very much an awesome computer.
EDIT (3/5/2013):
Months later, after using this extensively, taking a star off. This laptop has since become my primary machine, and I use it for hours every day. Since I wrote the review, I've upgraded to Windows 8 which I actually find really nice. (As an aside and this is NOT reflected in my rating I found Linux (Ubuntu distro) support somewhat depressing. Some keyboard Fn shortcuts didn't work in particular, brightness display the battery life was under 2 hours, and sleep didn't work at all. YMMV, though I run a VM now for my Linuxing).
Mostly I use this machine for writing code and basic internet stuff.
The machine is still speedy, and the screen is still beautiful Asus deserves a ton of praise for that. Battery life is about what I thought it was 4 hours on average under my normal usage, which isn't anything to write home about these days, but it's certainly more than adequate. I can even play modern games usually I have to lower the graphics, but on medium settings and at 1600x900, most games run at a smooth 60fps, which is impressive.
Things that I don't like though are the little things. The keyboard isn't as great as I thought it was I find that I miss keys, even when I clearly pressed them down. Again, it's not terrible, but Lenovo and Apple both do much better, and for a $1500 laptop I expect a lot. My hypothesis is that the keys click (both physically and audibly) slightly before the button press is registered, and as a soft touch typist, it causes me to release the key milliseconds too soon.
The touchpad is pretty bad too. The hardware itself is fine it's accurate and spacious, but palm rejection is just too bad to be useable. So I use a wireless mouse instead.
And the software oh the software. The wifi driver crashes every day or two, so I have to restart my laptop frequently. And when I put it to sleep by closing the lid, sometimes it doesn't go to sleep, so when I pull it out of my backpack it's too hot to hold and the battery is almost dead.
So overall, this is not a bad machine it has some very excellent points, in particular the display but my problem with it is that it's not the premium experience that I would get if I'd bought an Apple computer for the same price. The keyboard is mediocre, it doesn't always go to sleep, the built in software crashes, and the touchpad is unusable. And while I can deal with all of these things, I feel like I shouldn't have to, considering that I paid top dollar for this (and then some to upgrade it).
The end result is this: I'm going to buy a new laptop, probably this summer when Intel releases their new line of chips (Haswell). If Lenovo brings out a laptop with a nice screen (for example, an X1 Carbon with a 1080p display, or the Yoga 11S with at least 1600x900), it'll be a Lenovo, since their keyboards are unmatched. Otherwise, I'm going to switch to the evil empire and get a Mac.
I HIGHLY suggest you read this review before buying. I am going to go over main points that I think everyone should be aware of before buying.
Disclaimer: For me this is a 5 star machine after the upgrades. I rate it 3 stars based on how it came from Asus. If you don't want to upgrade the hardware or don't feel comfortable opening the laptop, I would suggest getting either a UX31A or something like a Samsung Series 9.
1. Only buy this computer if you are willing to upgrade the HDD to an SSD. SSD prices are falling rapidly and you can even get a 240GB SATA III drive for $210 now if you shop around (this is end of June, 2012). Make sure you get an SSD that is branded as a "notebook upgrade kit", because they have a smaller form factor than standard SSDs, with a height of 7mm. As long as you get a 7mm drive, it will fit in this notebook. Keep in mind you will need a T5 torx bit and small phillips screwdrivers to replace the drive.
2. Upgrading the RAM is also a really good idea. 2GB are integrated into the mainboard, and there is only one DIMM. The 4GB the laptop comes with is not very future-proof, so I would recommend picking up an 8GB stick of DDR3-1600 (like this Corsair piece, model number CMSX8GX3M1A1600C10). You can pick it up now for only $57. This will bring the total RAM to 10GB, which is more than pretty much every other ultrabook out there.
3. You will need to install Windows without a DVD once you install your new SSD. If you use a USB drive you may get an error in the setup which says something like "Windows was unable to load CD/DVD drivers, please insert disc media and try again". What is actually happening is that because all three of the USB ports on this laptop are USB 3.0, the Windows 7 install disc files don't have native support. You simply need to go to the Asus product page downloads section, and download the USB 3.0 drivers for the 64-bit version of Windows. Extract the driver folder to the USB stick with the Windows install files and try again. The problem should be fixed.
4. The screen has backlight bleed when showing pure blacks. When there are any images on the screen at all it is not noticable, and turning down the brightness helps a lot as well. Other than the bleed, the screen is beautiful especially in terms of its negative vertical viewing angle (from below). It doesn't have any discoloration and is very nice looking.
5. If you elect not to swap out the drive for an SSD, it comes in a weird kind of partition set up. The model I got had a 186GB boot partition, a 254GB "Data" Partition with no files on it, and 32GB of SSD cache which is not accessible from My Computer, but shows up as a different drive in disk manager. The drive is also very slow despite the SSD cache. But it won't appear to be so to someone who has never used an SSD before.
6. Bloatware. While there is not that much, you are forced to agree to install the Bing toolbar before setting up windows, and there is some creative media suite, craploads of asus tools, something that looks like asus tried to make their own app store, macaffee antivirus pre-installed (trial) and more. More reason to upgrade to an SSD and clean install windows.
7. The power button. Asus elected to make their power button an actual key, putting it where Delete normally would go, in the top right. Now when I heard this, I was a little skeptical and thought that I might try to hit delete when using word or something, and accidentally shut off my computer with one missed key-press. I was happy to find the solution that Asus came up with when I booted into windows. First of all, the power button is much stiffer and requires more pressure to press than all of the other keys on the keyboard. Second of all, just pressing the key within windows does nothing. If you want to turn off or sleep mode the computer, you hold it for about 1 second, and an on-screen display (from Asus) appears with clickable options to either shut down, sleep, do nothing, etc. You won't run into any sudden shut downs with this new placement of the power button, but you might take a bit to re-learn where the delete key is (directly to the left of the on button).
8. Keyboard and trackpad. The keyboard is very nice for a laptop, and functions/feels almost identical to the Macbook Pro/Air keyboards as many have said. It is backlit with user-adjustable brightness levels (3 levels, and off) via the function key. The trackpad is nice, but nothing to brag about. It is a good size, smooth, and easy to use. It's everything you'd want with nothing extra. If you get in the habit of tapping to click instead of actually clicking the trackpad down I think you will be much happier with it.
All in all this laptop can be what you make of it. Having the dedicated GPU makes it a very nice ultrabook for light gaming and more powerful media applications. Also it provides a full-sized HDMI out, and good connectivity (3 x USB, card reader, micro-vga, headphone/mic combo jack, etc). The HDD will appear abysmal to anyone who is coming from SSDs. It will appear normal to those of you who have yet to experience the awesomeness of SSDs :D ... If you want to upgrade to an SSD, fresh windows, and larger RAM, this is the best PORTABLE PC laptop available right now bar none in my opinion. But if you want to keep the pre-installed Asus windows installation, HDD, and 4GB ram, then it is a very nice PC, but for the price point I only give it 3 stars.
If you have any questions at all please feel free to comment and I'll try to get back to you!
Buy ASUS Zenbook UX32VD-DB71 13.3-Inch Ultrabook Now
If you haven't already, do your home work regarding the differences between the UX32VD and the UX31A. The main difference is that the UX32VD has a better video card and is upgradeable (can add RAM) but does not come with an SSD drive (which can be added too). I opted to go with the UX32VD and upgrade the memory and drive. The costs of the upgrades are roughly $200 for the SSD (256GB) and $55 for 8GB of RAM. Also, don't forget to get an external CD/DVD ROM drive (another $31).If you plan to do the upgrade, start by watching the youtube videos on how to do the hardware swaps. Basically, you take off the back plate (requires a T5 Torx driver), swap the RAM, then loosen the battery and swap the hard drive. Be careful not to pull the battery too hard or it will pull off (or break) a wire that is attached to one end. Overall, the hardware upgrading takes about 15 minutes. Nothing too difficult if you're careful.
The software reinstallation takes a bit longer. You have two choices. You can backup (i.e., clone) your existing system using software such as Acronis True Image and then delete the bloatware, or you can just start with a fresh drive and re-install everything.
Initially, I chose the second option because I wanted a "clean" computer. I started by installing Windows. The first problem was that the computer wouldn't see the external CD/DVD ROM. I had to go into the bios (hit the F2 key during boot up) and disable the SSD from the boot sequence. That caused the computer to attempt to boot from the CD/DVD ROM. Don't forget to change it back after installing Windows. Once Windows was installed, I went to ASUS.com and downloaded the drivers. Nothing works well without them, including ethernet, wireless network, video control, etc. There are about 10 or 15 important drivers and applications that must be installed just make your way through the list one at a time. Obviously, you'll need a second computer with internet access to get the first drivers installed. One hint... the ethernet driver on the ASUS website wasn't the correct one for the UX32VD computer. Look in your control panel for the model number and search the web for the right driver. After doing all this, the computer worked fine. It did, however, lack a few drivers, and as a result I saw several yellow exclamation points in the Control Panel Device Manager. That bugged me, and I ultimately decided to go back and backup the original ASUS hard drive and simply delete the bloatware. Comparing the two methods, cloning was certainly less painful. If you have the backup software, I suggest that method.
Now that it's all done, I'm very pleased with my computer. It runs great, and the start up time is simply incredible.
Hope this helps!
Please be kind enough to indicate if reviews are helpful.
Written by Arthur Bradley, author of the Handbook to Practical Disaster Preparedness for the Family.
Read Best Reviews of ASUS Zenbook UX32VD-DB71 13.3-Inch Ultrabook Here
As the other reviews have mentioned, this model has a gorgeous display. After calibrating the screen it looked even better. There's nothing like a good IPS display! It has a slight matte finish, but is still very sharp and bright.With the original configuration, Windows was using 2.8GBs of RAM. I recommend you either uninstall some of the Asus add-ons or do as I did and take advantage of the ability to upgrade the RAM. I purchased a Patriot 8GB RAM module from Amazon that bumps the unit up to 10GB's.
The keyboard is OK. I'm not a big fan of the chiclet style keyboard.
The touchpad is large and does get in the way when you're typing. It's very easy for your palm to touch it while typing, sending you cursor off to a random location. However, you can turn it off by using the Fn key.
I'm using it with a bluetooth mouse, with the touchpad disabled. I like using bluetooth for the wireless mouse becuase there's no USB dongle sticking out.
The battery life is very average. Maybe 3 hours or so of constant usage is all I seem to get. Though, I am not using the battery saver profile. So, I'm pretty sure it's possible to stretch it out a bit more.
Coming out of sleep mode it is very fast. I have it set to sleep when I close the lid. This laptop comes out of sleep mode in the time it take to raise the lid! What's that, maybe 2 seconds? Fantastic. That's where the hybrid drive really pays off. With all my software loaded, including an anti-virus progam, it takes about 35 seconds to boot up.
The build quality is very good. The design and look is beautiful. I haven't noticed any particulary loud fan noise. If I push the laptop hard, the fans will come on with a whooshing sound. But, nothing terrible. During normal use (Word, Excel, browsing the web) it is silent.
I do wish the power button wasn't just a regular looking keyboard button in the upper right. To easy to press it, as it sits right next to the DEL button.
Want ASUS Zenbook UX32VD-DB71 13.3-Inch Ultrabook Discount?
I have had this laptop for a little over a week, and I must say that I am impressed. After having bought and returned the original UX31 because of its keyboard issues, it seems like Asus really listened to its customers and made all of the right improvements.The most obvious improvements over the UX31 are the keyboard and the screen. The keyboard is now island-style and backlit. I think feedback is great; it reminds me a lot of my old MacBook Pro. The screen, at least to me, appears to be in a league of its own. With a 1080p IPS panel, it is bright and incredibly sharp. Real estate space is fantastic and viewing angles are superb. And it's even got a matte finish, so glare is minimized. Kudos to Asus for these great design changes.
Additionally, Asus upgraded the CPU in this model from Sandy Bridge to Ivy Bridge and added a dedicated Nvidia 620M GPU. I have to admit that I'm not a gamer, so I don't expect to take advantage of the graphics chip. In fact, I probably would have preferred that Asus provided a (cheaper) version of this laptop without the GPU (but without the soldered components -see below). Also, the Sandy Bridge processor was totally capable for browsing the web, watching HD video online, and performing office tasks. Still, assuming battery life doesn't take too much of a hit (and it doesn't really seem like it has), I guess that more power is better than less.
Two things that really didn't change since the last version are the sound and the battery, and I consider this a good thing. Sound quality from the speakers is excellent -loud and clear, probably among the best I have heard on a laptop. Battery life also seems to be totally acceptable. It's not the best I've ever seen, but I still get like 6-7 hours under normal use, which is adequate for my needs. Also, the power brick appears to be the same. It's square and looks a lot like the Apple brick, except it's black. One good thing though is that it only has two prongs, so you don't need to carry around a 3-prong-to-2-prong adapter.
As I suggested above, I bought this model as opposed to the UX31A specifically because this model has some user-replaceable components, like RAM and hard disk. Apparently the trade-off was that this model doesn't have the same unibody design as the UX31A, but to be honest, I can't tell too much of a difference. It still weighs like 3.2 pounds, and build quality doesn't seem to be an issue. Also, while some people might gripe that Asus didn't include more memory and a larger SSD from the get-go, truth be told, it would probably have made the computer a lot more expensive. For less than $150, I was able to upgrade the memory to 10GB and install a fast 128GB SSD. I also appreciate the fact that, since these components are user-replaceable, it will be a relatively cheap fix if something goes wrong later on. The same can't be said for models with all soldered RAM and hard disks, like the UX31A or the MacBook Air.
Some users complained about the fan and the trackpad. I, however, haven't had any problems with either of these. As I said, I'm not a heavy gamer, but for me the unit is practically silent most of the time. Also, I don't really have any complaints about the trackpad. It is large and smooth, which I appreciate. Also, multi-finger gestures -specifically two-finger tap, two-finger scroll, and three-finger swipe -all work great! That is a nice improvement for PCs, which typically have inferior track pads.
Connectivity options seem to be okay. There are 3 USB 3.0 ports, a mini VGA port, an SD Card slot, and an HDMI port. My only complaint is that the SD Card sticks out about half way, so you can't just leave it in the computer all the time. I think this is a pretty stupid design flaw. Why not just make the card totally recessed, like in almost every other laptop out there?
That said, my quibble is minor. This is a really nice computer and I am happy to have bought it. Finally, I don't think I have any regrets about migrating from my laptop to an ultrabook.
Toshiba Satellite C655D-S5515 Laptop Computer / 15.6-inch HD Display Screen / AMD Dual-Core E-300 1
I got this laptop as a present for my first year of college and overall I'm pleased with the functionality it provides. Yes it is not a Macbook pro or an Alienware, but it is good enough for me to use Word, do research on the internet, and watch Youtube videos. If you need an entry level laptop for school or college at a great price, this will be my first pick.
update 1/18/2013
I have had to use it as a primary lap top After Uploading all my software I noticed it running a bit slow with some graphics.
I believe the graphics card is a little sub par but after upgrading memory to 8gb for around $60 and optimizing performance and virtual memory its fast enough.I bought this computer Nov 5, 2012, and now, 3 months later, it is dead. It has crashed multilple times, and now it won't turn on at all. I do believe that the life of a computer should be longer than THREE MONTHS!!! If I could rate it lower than one star, I would.
This is the second Toshiba computer that has been a piece of crap and I will NEVER buy Toshiba again. This specific product was: Toshiba Satellite C655D-S5515 Laptop Computer / 15.6-inch HD Display Screen / AMD Dual-Core E-300 1.3 GHz Processor / 2GB DDR3 RAM Memory / 320GB Hard Drive / Double-layer DVD±RW / 6-cell Battery / Webcam / Windows 7 Home Premium / BlackI have had problems with this computer since I bought it..software, hardware,crashing...you name it. Toshiba customer service is NOT helpful and to find some tech help where the person speaks English that you can actually understand is impossible. This review is no reflection on the seller...totally a dud Toshiba product..I would not recommend this product from my personal experience..I think I got a lemon! My daughter has the same computer and has had no problems at all!My boyfriend was having SO many problems with his Mac that it was time for a new computer. I'm rather skilled with Windows and picked this one out for him. Loaded with Windows 7 its pretty fast but the casing seems a little weak, not so much in the plastic but the screws just keep falling out. After buying thicker screws the problem stopped. It's great with the number pad on the side, which you can lock if you aren't used to it. I love Toshiba and overall this is a great computer. Highly recommended.
Save 10% Off
Acer Aspire NX.M34AA.005;ASV3-731-4634 17.3-Inch Laptop
I purchased this computer , because I had a windows 8 computer that was confusing to use.This laptop has a nice keyboard that is quiet, and the keys are smooth. The screen is bright
with a sharp picture. The thing I like most, is the card reader works with xd memory cards. I have
a Fuji Film camera that uses this card. Windows 8 does not work for me. I was happy to find this laptop.
I am going to hold on to it as long as I can.
Buy Acer Aspire NX.M34AA.005;ASV3-731-4634 17.3-Inch Laptop Now
You can buy the same computer with Windows 8 for considerably less. There is a reason why. Microsoft 8 is killing the PC market. I bought an HP laptop with Windows 8 several months ago and it is a horror. I hate the computer. I have researched and Windows 8.1 does not appear to be much better and it is not even available yet. And so I just ordered 2 of these laptops to get Windows 7 while they are still available. It is difficult to find them in stores. My software is not compatible with Windows 8, many files do not work, my scanner did not work, my printer is agonizingly slow. It is a HORROR. Microsoft should recall all of the Windows 8 computers it sold.Read Best Reviews of Acer Aspire NX.M34AA.005;ASV3-731-4634 17.3-Inch Laptop Here
Was looking for a lap top that had Windows 7. This fit the bill. Good price for the equipment it is built with.Want Acer Aspire NX.M34AA.005;ASV3-731-4634 17.3-Inch Laptop Discount?
only used it a couple times since it arrived and it seems to be what I expected . good wireless connection and fast internet hookup haven't had time to checkout every feature but like it so farSave 17% Off