MSI G Series GE40 2OC-009US 14-Inch Laptop (Black/Red)

If you want to have only 1 computer (vs. 1 gaming & 1 portable), and you like to move around with it (even just around the house), then this is definitely the one to get. It strikes the perfect balance between price/specs/portability. I used to have the Samsung 9 gamer from last year (which was surprisingly under-appreciated considering its price, specs and gorgeous screen), but it was a 9 lbs monster that almost never left my desk, partly because of the typically lousy battery life. Funnily enough, 1 year later, this MSI has almost the same performance at half the weight and triple the battery life. So now I take this one out to the library or coffee shop at least a few times a week. And even just around the house, I don't hesitate to bring it to the sofa so I can chat and surf while watching TV. I like my HTC One, but multitasking on Android still sucks. The long-lasting battery really is a big deal. I leave it plugged in overnight and while I'm at work (full charge in < 3 hrs), and then I can use it from the time I get home until I go to sleep, or all afternoon on the weekends. I shake my head when I see people lugging around their power bricks.

I've had the laptop for a few weeks now, and overall I'm very happy with it. I decided to buy it without waiting for reviews because of the good things I heard about Haswell, and I haven't been disappointed. I was a little concerned about fan noise, which can be a problem with many gaming rigs, but it's not a problem with the GE40. I haven't tried gaming on it yet, but I've heard the fan go max a few times, and the noise level is very acceptable. Most of the time, if there's any amount of background noise, the fan isn't noticeable.

The matte screen was a pleasant surprise, I can't stand glossy. The viewing angles aren't great, but this is MY toy, so I don't care, and the colour is good. There is, however, 1 bright pixel, and MSI will only replace it if there are at least 5 bad ones (I didn't buy from Amazon). That's pretty poor by industry standards, especially since MSI has a crazy chart for identifying what is, in fact, considered a bad pixel. Regardless, I only (barely) notice the bright pixel if the area around it is completely black, so it's almost a non-issue.

What IS a minor annoyance is the hinge. No problems when it's open, but there's a bit of bounce when it's closed and I'm walking around with it. I hold it by the battery against my hip with the lid facing out, as I think most people do when walking around with a laptop. Other than that, no complaints.

So, if you want a machine with specs that will last a few years and won't break the bank or your back, you can't go wrong with this one.

Never had an MSI Laptop before so this purchase was mainly made on the overall specs of the machine.

With a dual hard drive setup its very fast(SSD 128GB on 6GB SAS + 750GB 7200 RPM drive 3GB SAS) you have enough space to load your os on to the ssd and gaming data ect on the 750GB drive. Running games are very smooth. With a brand new GTX 760M 2GB vid ram it can run most any new games with little to no issue. Comes with one 8GB ram stick so adding additional ram is a snap. Removable battery and slot for optical drive(have to remove ssd drive).

Trackpad and keyboard feel really responsive.(No back-lite on keyboard though..) Screen is very bright and matte display so no annoying reflections.

Running games from battery actually works Ok, I've had some gaming laptops that stutter so much because the GPU/system is not getting enough power but from the looks of this system its able to run on battery without issue(though you will notice a slight fps drop due to the system not using turbo boost as often.)

Not a big fan of the windows 8 install but I living with it until i can dual boot win 7 or Ubuntu. I did backup the win 8 recovery system to a usb disk in case of a re install.

Course this system doesn't have a optical drive so if you need it you can always hook up an external drive to one of the usb ports(2 USB3.0 and 1 USB 2.0). You can order the same laptop without an ssd drive and then it will include an optical drive but i prefer the fast-boot time and launching of apps that run off the ssd drive..

Overall I think this is a great new laptop with new generation intel i7 haswell processor.

Buy MSI G Series GE40 2OC-009US 14-Inch Laptop (Black/Red) Now

Finding balance between a good gaming system and portable notebook is a difficult endeavor. There are plenty of 15.6" or 17" screen systems out there that are able to pack the highest performing components inside, but leave your shoulder/back aching. On the other side of the spectrum, there are a number of sleek, ultra book class notebooks that are easy to carry, but leave you wanting more performance. I needed a high performance notebook that allows me to multi-task and game a bit while away from home. The MSI GE40 is a nice compromise between the two categories with a few caveats.

Design:

Weighing in at 4.4ish pounds, the GE40 is quite light for what it packs inside. The palm rest and lid are a brushed aluminum. The lid has eye-catching red LEDs in the form of "dragon eyes". The rest of the body is comprised of your standard glossy plastic that attracts finger prints, but isn't handled all that often in everyday use. There is more flex in the palm rest and keyboard than a full aluminum chassis, but it doesn't scream poor quality.

Screen:

My main issue with the GE40 is the quality of the screen. While it does feature a high 1600x900 resolution for a 14" screen, it is an average TN panel with OK viewing angles. This evaluation is quite subjective although I personally think the vertical viewing angles are poor. You will need to view the screen dead on or the image will be washed out. This left me a little frustrated trying to watch netflix on my bed.

Performance:

With a high wattage Intel Haswell Quad-core 4th generation processor, it chews through everything quite quickly. The lower wattage CPUs in ultrabooks are primarily designed for battery longevity with decent performance. The difference between Apple's latest generation Macbook air with it's 15W Dual-Core CPU and the GE40 is very noticeable in the programs that I use (namely Acrobat Pro, Photoshop, transcode applications). The dynamic overclocking of the CPU also allows lightly threaded applications to take advantage of higher clock speeds whilst putting the unused cores to sleep.

The graphics duties are shared between the integrated intel HD4600 and a dedicated NVIDIA GTX 760M. The switching is handled with NVIDIA's optimus tech. The integrated graphics are powerful enough to handle the Windows GUI acceleration, Flash, and movie playback to conserve power and reduce heat generation. The GTX 760M kicks in when you launch a full screen 3D application, allowing you to take advantage of a large performance increase. The GTX 760M did a great job of providing acceptable frame rates at the native resolution in the games I play. For specific numbers, look up the GTX 760M on Notebookcheck.com

This version of the GE40 has a 128GB solid state drive and a 750GB hard disk drive (occupying the bay where the DVD-ROM is on the cheaper version). Out of the box this notebook is much faster, but you should ask yourself if that is enough room for your OS and programs. Personally, I think a 256GB SSD is the minimum size, but you can always put your steam folder and larger games on the mechanical drive if you're willing to deal with longer load times.

While the GE40 has 8GB of DDR3-Low Voltage memory installed, it is a single DIMM. This is both a plus and minus. With a single DIMM, you drop your effective bandwidth to 10GB/ps for the CPU and integrated GPU. You'll be hard pressed to see a noticeable drop in performance, but this is supposed to be a high end system. On the other hand, if you were planning to go to a total of 16GB of RAM, you won't have to buy x2 8GB DIMMs. Just grab 1 8GB DIMM and you'll get your dual channel memory performance.

Preinstalled Software:

Windows 8: You either love it or hate it. I personally like Microsoft's new OS due to the faster performance and support for new hardware technologies. I'm not a fan of the Start Screen, but that's easily remedied with a third party start menu replacement. The product key for Windows is integrated into the UEFI BIOS of the system so you won't need to enter a key during Windows setup. Just activate once you've reinstalled the OS.

As I mentioned before, Norton and other trialware is preinstalled. You'll be greeted with a number of desktop cluttering icons and background services taking up system resources. It isn't nearly as bad as some, but again, this is a gaming system that shouldn't have junk preinstalled to begin with.

I personally reinstalled Windows 8 after installing an extra 8GB DIMM. Be prepared to download the wireless LAN drivers beforehand as Windows 8 doesn't come with them out of the box. There are also a plethora of other drivers that need to be installed to restore full functionality (Bluetooth, WLAN switch, ETC).

Noise/Heat:

In normal operation, the notebook is a bit warm to the touch and the fan constantly runs at a slight hum. The fan is audible, but not overtly or annoyingly so. When gaming, the notebook does get hot. Not unbearably so, but it isn't super comfortable. The fan kicks it into high gear and is very noisy. I was able to hear it every between explosions in game with my headphones on. Both the heat and noise levels are to be expected, especially with the amount of performance packed into such a small chassis.

Overall evaluation:

The MSI GE40 is a great notebook that fills my needs well. The balance of portability and performance allows me to finish my work quickly to get a little bit of play in. If you can cram your programs and games onto a 128GB SSD, you'll find more value in the upgraded version of the GE40. Otherwise both notebooks can stand to have an additional 8GB of memory and a clean install of Windows to maximize its performance and your enjoyment.

Update 7/10/2013:

I was curious if I could get the thermals down a bit, so I opened up my notebook again to see what kind of job MSI did with the thermal paste. As I suspected, they put way too much on which was hindering the heat transfer from the CPU and dedicated GPU to the heatpipe assembly. I'm sure it's their policy that it's better to have too much than too little.

Dis-assembly was not that difficult; 8 philips screws and the fan and heatpipe was easily removed. I cleaned up the factory paste and wiped the CPU/GPU and heatpipe with some isotropic alcohol. I then applied a thin layer of artic silver 5 and put it all back together. Subjectively, the notebook runs cooler. The fan spins slower at idle and comes back down from 100% quicker after playing a game. The palm rest and WASD keys were also a bit cooler. I didn't record before and after temperatures, but there are a couple youtube videos detailing this modification and the tangible results.

If you are comfortable performing this procedure, I wholeheartedly recommend doing it. You're left palm and wrist will thank you.

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Apple MacBook Pro MB076LL/A 17-inch Laptop (2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, Glossy Display, 2 GB RAM, 160

I had been wanting to switch to Mac for a little while now and was just waiting for the best timing for me. When Apple updated the MacBook Pros with a better processor, better graphics, more system ram and led-backlighting, shortly after the birth of our daughter (the selling point to my wife was that I would be better able to edit videos and whatnot of the kiddo), the timing was just right. I've been a longtime DOS/Windows user and now I feel like some kind of refugee fleeing PC for a Mac OS X world and I couldn't be happier although it's not without its adjustments.

I originally wrote this review for the 15", 2.4 gHz, middle of the line MacBook Pro. However, Amazon has set this review to appear for all three models in the line, which can make it confusing. I've tried to edit it some to make it clear what the differences are between the models. Also, now that Amazon has actually added extensive product information for the MBP, I'll try to take out some of my initial information on specs that is now redundant.

There remain three models in the line and the price points for each of those models has remained the same from the previous generation.

15" models now have an LED backlit screen, 17" models do NOT (as of yet). Some folks think you have a better rendition of black in the screen I'm not sure if it is better or not, but it is gorgeous. In the store, it appeared to me that the new screen (as viewed on the 15") was brighter than the older screen type (which is still on the 17"). The LED screen initially appeared washed out in the lighting of the Apple store, but I then realized that at full brightness, it can have that effect turning down the brightness (who ever heard of that) took away the washed out look.

Apple says that using LED's (instead of flourescent tubes) uses less power, generates less heat, provides more range of brightness and more even lighting. This would appear to be true in practice as well as theory. Battery life is good and the lighting of the screen (as noted above) is quite bright and appears to be very even. As for heat, I really haven't checked the screen temps, but the computer itself does not run as hot as I thought it would (based on reviews of prior generations). It is warm, but not at all uncomfortable to have on my lap (with the caveat that I have not done a lot of processor intensive work as of yet). Oddly enough, Apple states above that the display is mercury-free, but the box label says that the screen contains mercury it may well just be a label update glitch.

These models are MATTE screen. If you want GLOSSY you'll need to order from Apple or pick one up at their store (I did). I have heard that the glossy is actually more readable outdoors than the matte, but I have yet to confirm this for myself. That said, I've had no viewability issues in widely varied lighting conditions of my office (which is pretty bright, with overhead lighting and lots of exterior light) and my house (which is largely the opposite).

The system runs well (or so it seems) with 2 GB, but I am upgrading to 4 GB (the sticks are on their way but not from Apple way overpriced).

the 17" and higher-end 15" get 256 MB of video ram, 128 MB in the lower-end 15" model most folks are probably fine with 128 MB as it is the change in the graphics processor here that is truly the big news in performance. On the other hand, the extra video ram may give you the feeling of being a little bit more future-proofed and may be more helpful for hardcore gamers and people who are driving large external displays. I opted for the 256 MB.

hard drive is a very nice 160GB, 5400 RPM Fujitsu drive in the 17" and higher-end 15". The lower-end MacBook Pro hard drive is a 120GB, 5400RPM Drive this, oddly, is smaller than the 160 GB drive that is in the top line MacBook that is several hundred dollars less. I'll probably add an external Firewire 800 drive for the video work I want to do.

processor speed gets a minor upgrade to 2.4 gHz (from 2.33, or to 2.2 from 2.16 for the lower-end 15" model but this is the new Santa Rosa processor with a faster bus speed of 800 mHz (although the memory speed remains at a max of 667 mHz).

For $500 less, the lower-end 15" model has 128 MB of video ram (instead of 256), a 2.2 gHz Santa Rosa processor (.2 slower) and a 120 GB hard drive. However, it still retains the other upgrades, including the 4 GB maximum system memory and the LED backlit screen and seems to be an excellent bargain as most of the differences appear reasonably nominal. That said, I chose to go with the higher end 15" version I probably don't need it, but I plan to do a fair amount of video editing and perhaps some high resolution projection warranting the slightly faster processor and more video ram) and I'm also somewhat neurotic and unlikely to second guess having made the higher end choice. At least I can admit it.

A friend of mine asked why I didn't get the MacBook for a thousand dollars less. For me, the screen-size was not so much an issue, but I feel that twice the maximum ram, the separate graphics processing unit, the Firewire 800, the ExpressCard slot (if I wanted to add a CDMA or GSM-based wireless connection card) and the LED screen was well worth the difference.

Perhaps it goes without saying, but the computer itself seems well-built and well-engineered but it's all relative and it's not hard to be a better, more integrated product than most windows-based pc's. The MBP replaces an older Toshiba laptop for me and there's really no point in even trying to make a comparison, it's a joke. The Mac O/S is a bit of a learning curve for me but more like I am trying to unlearn "bad habits" from Windows things now make sense in an operational and functional manner. Overall, it's an attention to detail that I really appreciate on both the hardware and the software side little things like a backlit, auto-dimming keyboard or the magnetic power connector. I have to admit though, that after initially being impressed by the light-sensing, auto-dimming screen I am annoyed by the fact that the sensor is apparently in the keyboard and, in a bright room, certain hand movements cause the screen brightness to change back and forth. I'll probably turn off the feature because of this.

My previous (non-Windows) laptop was a trusty 12" G4 ("titanium"). I loved it, as it was (and still is) of an almost perfect size, and capable to do almost everything I needed to do on the road. But it *was* getting old, and when Apple came out with the slightly speedbumped MacBook Pro (a name I still don't like), I ordered it. I'm reviewing the 15", 2.4 GHz, 2 GB, 200 GB hard drive version.

The first thing that strikes you is how thin it is. My good old G4 was already slim, and the envy of almost every other passenger next to me. However, due to the increased screen size, the new MacBook Pro seems even slimmer (it actually *is* slightly slimmer than the G4 in case you wonder). What is really impressive is that the 12" G4 weights nearly the same as the much larger (and newer) 15" that's progress! And the 12" G4 is a lot lighter than my Wintel laptop.

The next thing you notice is when you turn it on: the screen's brightness. I've purchased the matte screen, as I'm not really fond of glossy screens (reflections). Still, the (now LED backlit) screen is astonishingly bright, and bright enough to use outdoors on almost any occasion (except in direct sunlight on a sunny summer day). Contrast is good (even exceptional compared to my G4). The screen's resolution (1440x900) is great, and more than enough for most presentation, spreadsheet and word processing work. Since it's 16:9 aspect ratio, it is also great for most image processing (lots of space for your palettes). It is less well suited for coding, as it is not wide enough for two 'real' code windows side by side. Then again, the MacBook Pro comes with a graphics card that can drive an external (additional) 21" monitor without breaking a sweat, and that *is* enough for most coding needs. I should note that Apple chose to make the video connector DVI (luckily a standard connector this time, unlike in my G4, where it is a proprietary connector), and omits a standard 'VGA' style connector. This means that, if you plan on giving a presentation, you should always bring along the DVI to VGA adapter (that Apple thankfully includes in the box).

What I really enjoy about the MacBook Pro is it's selection interfaces. I have rather large amounts of data that I have to move in and out of it (from our production machines that do most of the heavy lifting), and having a FireWire 800 port is a godsend. Using Firewire networking, I can move gigabytes in minutes (limited, it seems, more by the laptop's hard drive than bandwidth). In addition to that, it sports a USB 2.0 (for connecting all those Wintel things, plus iPods), a FireWire 400 port (can be used with older Macs, and many HandyCams), and 802.11 ("Airport") connectivity (b/g/n). Since the 'n' part of the 802.11 is not yet officially ratified, there aren't many hotspots that support it (unless you are lucky enough to be close to a new Apple Basestation).

Sadly, it does not have a slot for memory cards (CF, SD, whatever), but since readers are really cheap today, that's not an issue. On the upside, it also comes with self-sensing Gigabit Ethernet, wich is something that is really important when you want to quickly connect the laptop to a wired high-speed network.

The MacBook Pro also comes with a front-loading trayless DVD (DL) writer. It's not really fast, but it integrates nicely into the laptop, and is decidedly much, much cooler than those flimsy contraptions that I see sliding out of so many other laptops (my Dell included). I know that there are faster writers, but then again, if I want to write large amounts of data, I usually transfer them to a big box that can write at four times the speed.

Temperature-wise the MacBook Pro shares the same problem as most recent laptops: it gets uncomfortably warm for something that is supposedly be used on your lap. I didn't get burned, but did not enjoy the sensation either. So, whenever possible, use a surface you can put it on instead of using it directly on your lap. Speaking of using it the keyboard is very similar to the one built into my G4. It's OK, but nothing much to write home about (sorry, couldn't resist that pun). The keys are, however, backlit, which is a definite improvement (and looks really, really great). I still have mimxed feelings with regard to the trackpad. It supports the 'two-finger clicks' to simulate a two-button mouse and to implement scrolling, but I havn't much used it, opting for a small two-button mouse instead (purchased separately, and not from Apple).

There are some other things that come with the MacBook, most notably the built-in iSight (which can't be physically disabled short of voiding your warranty), and a tiny remote. I don't plan to use either. Looking for some freebies on the disk, I discovered that Apple, too, had succumbed to pre-installing demo versions of (thankfully few) applications: MS Office, Aperture and iWork (Keynote and Pages). Freebies are Comic Life, iLife (iMovie, iTunes, iDVD, iWeb, Garageband), and Omni Outliner.

It took me roughly 2 hours to completely configure the new laptop the way I wanted it (most of the time taken up by installing Parallels (with Windows XP taking 45 minutes), Final Cut Studio, XCode, Office, Aperture, Freeway, and iWork). I did not take advantage of the 'transfer from other Mac' feature (which I know to work well), because I wanted a freshly set up Mac. Still, compared to the time it took me to install and configure my last (Wintel) laptop, that is next to nothing. Network and Internet setup was a snap, and didn't require much more beyond adding it to our Firewall's 'good guy' list. I then took it on a road trip over the week-end.

I'm happy to say that it passed the trip-test easily. The 'mag-safe' power adapter is definitely more than just a gadget, but also definitely less than revolutionary. It came off twice during the week-end, but both times a normal power adapter would not have snapped. The second time it came off I only noticed because the screen dimmed immediately (to conserve power, as per energy settings).

I never worked with it off the normal power for longer than two hours, so I don't know how realistic Apple's figures are. The battery pack does come with one of those cool green LED charge meters, and after two hours they indicated about 50% charge left (as did the on-screen meter). Working with the MacBook Pro was always good, with all applications being very responsive (except, of course MS Office, as my version is not Universal. It was responsive enough for serious work, though). The wireless antenna seems slightly more sensitive than that from my old G4, but still can't hold a candle against reception in most PC laptops with low-cost (and sometimes drop-dead ugly) WiFi adapters. This may be caused by the metallic casing. BlueTooth reception, on the other hand, is good, and proved no problem with any of the bluetooth devices I tried (well -I only have two: my phone, and my car).

All in all I'm very happy with my new laptop, prefer it immensely over my Windows-based laptop (which, now that I have an Intel-based Mac, I can safely store in the attic and return it for the regular company-sponsored upgrades), and only feel slightly guilty of purchasing over my old (but still working) G4. The screen size and brightness, the connectivity, and the incredible slickness of the form factor make this a great laptop. It's really a hot laptop. The only downside is that it is also literally a hot laptop, but not more than my Windows-based laptop from Dell. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone looking for a slick, high-end laptop.

Buy Apple MacBook Pro MB076LL/A 17-inch Laptop (2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, Glossy Display, 2 GB RAM, 160 Now

Let me stress at the beginning that I am not a Mac fanatic. I work with PCs and find them much less annoying now than I did 10 and 20 years ago. I've owned an iMac for four years and find it nice but imperfect. Macs and PCs are converging when it comes to reliability and ease of use, but Apple products are much more elegantly designed than most other computer products, and the Mac OS is still cleaner and more stable than Microsoft's product. I doubt the price premium makes Macs worth it for everyone, and in some ways Apple computers are like luxury cars that aren't designed either for stellar performance or to make things easy for the home mechanic, but rather to make driving as easy and comfortable as possible for people who don't much care to change their own spark plugs. They aren't for everyone, but they're definitely for those of us who want things easy and want our toys to have some style.

I like my new MacBook very, very much. It's thin, light, clean, and oh, so simple to use. The screen is brilliant, the keyboard feels nice (and I love the back-lit keys). Without subscribing to a service or dealing with any settings, I turned it on and had immediate wireless access to the Internet. I plugged my camera into it and immediately downloaded pictures no mess, no software to install. The included software that loads and edits pictures, music, and video is all nicely integrated and very easy to use, and also more than adequate for the casual user. I'm a little more than a casual user of photo software and will install Photoshop, but for most of my pictures I'll probably stick with iphoto. I popped in the disc for my four-year-old version of Office for the Mac and in a few minutes had smoothly functioning word-processing and spreadsheet software running the files I brought in from my office PC. Easy, easy, easy.

(This does lead me to note a negative that isn't minor: Apple computers used to come with a decent word processing and spreadsheet package, AppleWorks. That's no longer included. If you want to do word processing, you must buy some other software to do it. The absence of AppleWorks is unfortunate.)

I bought this computer for my wife (yes, I called it mine she may have to pry it from my hands) and opted for the MacBook Pro over the regular MacBook. She plans to use it on her sabbatical this year, toting it around to various libraries and archives and writing a book. I tried out my brother's MacBook and liked it very much, but I think the MacBook's chicklet keyboard would be annoying and uncomfortable if I had to type long or quickly on it. If this computer weren't destined to be used for long keyboard sessions away from home, I'd have been happy with the MacBook. If it were destined to be used mostly at home, I'd have saved a few hundred dollars and just bought a plug-in keyboard. But for our purposes the better keyboard and brighter screen really matter, so I spent the extra money on the Pro. If you don't plan to do a lot of typing, or if you plan to use it mostly at home, I don't think the extra expenditure would really be worth it.

As another reviewer pointed out, this thing gets hot. Very hot. I've always found laptop computers to be a bit warm for laptops, but this one would be painful on unprotected flesh. The magnetic connection for the power cable is very nice. The battery life isn't bad, nor is it great surfing the net and word processing, I've managed a bit over four hours. I haven't watched an entire DVD on it, but that seems to drain the battery more quickly. The kids have already videoconferenced with their grandparents, and the built-in camera is very nice for that.

Overall, this computer reminds me of my iPod sleek, sexy, uncomplicated but sophisticated, fun to be with. How much extra expense that's worth to you will decide whether this is the computer for you.

Read Best Reviews of Apple MacBook Pro MB076LL/A 17-inch Laptop (2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, Glossy Display, 2 GB RAM, 160 Here

I bought this laptop on the 2nd day after it release. I am happy user until now although it cost more than other PC laptop. But there are many advantages that makes Macbook Pro be the top machine today.

Pro:

Fast Speed I am a photoshop user. This machine runs very fast. Almost as good as the mac pro. I run WindowXP and OS X at the same time, very smooth. Some people complaint heat of the old MBP, I haven't experience heat problem at all. I believe Apple fix the problem in this new MBP.

Beautiful screen I have the Matte screen, very bright, nice color. Very good view angle.

Operating System

OS X very stable and user friendly. Can't wait for the Leopard release.

Battery life

last upto 5-6 hours depends on how you used it. For movies, expect 3 -4 hours.

Parallels support

I didn't miss the Window at all. SupportXP/Vista. Window Xp runs even faster and stable on MBP than the PC.

Slim design, weight

Only 5.3lbs, lighter than another 15.4 laptop.

Web cam, bluetooth, Isync, build in Mic. Apple just make very thing user friendly, they know what user looking for.

At the end, I Iike the touch of the keyboard.

Con: Pricey. But worth every penny

Want Apple MacBook Pro MB076LL/A 17-inch Laptop (2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, Glossy Display, 2 GB RAM, 160 Discount?

After years of being a PC user I finally made the switch to Mac; at the time the 15" MB Pro seemed like the best choice of computer. Although both the OS and the laptop itself are excellent products, I can't help but glance from time to time at my Dell Inspiron for answers whenever I get stuck in a rut. With that in mind, I'll draw some comparisons between my 14" Inspiron and the MB Pro.

Here's my two cents:

HARDWARE:

* Peripherals:

I think that for $2,000+ I should get at least 3 USB ports instead of just 2. The Inspiron comes with 4 at $1,500 and not even the 17" model comes close with only 3 USB ports available. Both the MB Pro come with Express Card slots but the Inspiron comes with a 5-card memory reader. Granted, the MB Pro comes with an extra FWire slot but I still haven't found a good use for it. A memory reader would be sweet, though!

* Keyboard/Trackpad:

I'll say it up front: I do not like the keyboard's response! The keys feel kind of mushy and the kick-back action is slow which keeps me from typing fast. The backlit function is super sweet, though! It really comes in handy when I use it in a non-lit room... it also attracts the attention of passersby which is always cool hehe. BUT, this very function messes up the key's assigned functions (Spaces, Dashboard, Exposé, etc...) which makes it a toss-up between choosing either the Exposé functions or the Volume/Brightness functions. In this aspect, I prefer the Dell's response but backlit LED feature is not available.

The trackpad is nice and big enough for mouse activity but sometimes gets in the way of my typing and can mess up with my typing especially when I have to reach out to the G, H, V, B and M keys.

*LCD:

The LCD is nice and bright and self-adjusts its brightness when in a low-light environment. Its tricky getting used to it because sometimes it will self-adjust to very low levels and you'll then have to manually tweak it until you're satisfied. I haven't had any monitor problems like other users have stated and I hope I don't run into that problem!

*Speakers:

I can't really say much about the speakers except that I like their location which is at either side of the keyboard and thus gets out of your way when you lay your wrists on the laptop. The sound quality and volume are OK and really don't use them since I either plug my headphones or my external speakers. I can say that they're more powerful than the Inspiron's.

*Battery Life:

The battery life on the MB Pro is great, running at an average of 4 hours which will vary depending on how much stuff you do with the laptop. Inspiron's battery life runs at an average of 3 hours.

*Heat:

Oh, yes... the dreaded subject! This annoying bug takes the "lap" out of "laptop" unless you enjoy your thighs being subject to extreme heat... I kid you not! I can only stand holding the MB Pro on my lap for about 30 minutes and then it just gets unbearable; I either have to set it on a table or turn it off and wait for it to cool down. It seems that the sleek design comes at a very high cost and that's the heat since only one cooling vent is found where the LCD meets the chassis. The Inspiron handles this issue with better results.

*Weight/Size/Design:

The MB Pro will fit just fine on my backpack which was designed to carry my 15" Inspiron and the weight is nothing to either complain or brag about.

The design WILL make heads turn since its aluminum casing (also a con. See: Heat) makes it look cool, sleek and just brings the whole design together since it's not splashed with several colors like other laptops do.

SOFTWARE:

I have to admit that I almost returned the damn thing since Leopard was not pre-installed as "stated" on the Apple website; Apple had adroitly phrased their Leopard marketing pitch as "Ships with Leopard". Oh but Leopard was included all-right, in a drop-in DVD.

Upgrading was a breeze (around 40 minutes) and I didn't have to go back to the laptop every minute for annoying "Would you like to..." pop-ups. I can say that Leopard didn't recognize my wireless connection until after the computer was all setup.

I can honestly say that Leopard is a great piece of software and its features (too many to discuss here) really blow Vista and/or XP out of the water; there's simply no point of comparison! And no, the OS is not perfect either. It will lock up but not as often as Windows... in fact, it has only locked up 3 times since I got the laptop on Nov 24 and I use it every day.

I have really learned to enjoy the difference between platforms and although they're both flawed systems, OS X is the winner in this category. Who says you can't be productive and look cool at the same time!

Bottom line, I don't have any reason to go back to Windows...er, well actually I do have XP installed thanks to VM Ware Fusion, which rocks by the way! Ok then, let me rephrase: I don't see myself buying a PC unless some major development happens in the hardware scene. Sony, HP, Dell, Toshiba... I'm talking to you!

As for the software side, if a major release of Windows happens to be ground-breaking I'll just buy the damn thing and install it on my Mac, ha!

I do have some suggestions though: I honestly believe a memory card reader is needed and don't give me the "oh but you can buy an express card for that purpose" excuse! The heat issue is a big one too: it's like having a Ferrari and not being able to get the juice out of it because the steering wheel gets hot after 30 minutes! The keyboard needs some work, it can be more responsive; the backlit feature rocks though!

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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.

I was a bit skeptic at first since I owned a Mac before this, but this computer is great (not to mention 1/3 the price of a Mac which is why I got it). Although not as fancy as a Mac, it is great for people who just want a basic computer. Works great.

Buy Acer 15.6" i5-2450M 2.50 GHz Notebook | AS5750-6867 Now

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Compaq Presario CQ62-410US 15.6-Inch Notebook

This is indeed one of the better computers i have owned laptop wise.

the design is sleek and pleasant, coupled with it being lightweight it is quite the looker.

The hard-were is upscale, the keyboard is responsive and sharp, no 'mooshy keys', the clicker buttons seem to die rather fast however, but a wireless mouse easily remedies this. The touch pad is centered, leaving no room for 'wrist scrolling' that seems to be a BIG problem (for me anyway, when i'm trying to type) with other models. Battery life seems low at first, but if you play with the settings enough, it will last a few hours longer then even the label on the battery itself says. the HDMI and basic computer monitor outputs are nice to have, and if set up properly, can lead to three scrolled screens which the processor can handle with no speed reduction. All other basic ports are also standard, CD drive, USB ports, headphone / microphone, even SD card slot (which i was surprised by at how quickly the system reads the cards). The fact that a webcam is optional, but the microphone is always included, is a bit of a let-down. a webcam seems like a standard with any laptop nowadays.

The screen is smooth, large, and pleasant, everything from basic programs to HD movies look superb.

The system itself is nice, widows 7 cranks things out in a flash, IF your not doing too much. The thing about this laptop is, that its a good work computer. it works well for school, or business, as well as running basic programs and browsing. but it should not be used as a gaming laptop by any stretch of the imagination, even mad amounts of upgrades would quickly put both your wallet and the laptop under deep water. It does a good job of playing old games however, something for early XP, but the memory it needs might suck up a lot of your space.

The filler and demo products are easily removed, unlike old systems where you had to install the full program, THEN uninstall it. Even programs like internet explorer, (on my old laptop) you could not uninstall at all because it was a 'necessary program'. But every program I have is non-stock, smaller file sized, and the laptop runs just the same, even faster in some cases.

It is highly customizable, as it should be, but even things that were 'un-changeable', like the logon screen, can be changed very easily.

All in all, a wonderful machine for a wonderful price (even though I got mine for $350 from a local store, and yes, its exactly the same, it was a sale), provided you get it for the right reason, and don't overload it.

A great school computer that is reliable, strong, and fast.

A definite buy.

This is the best computer I have ever used. I have used Mac's, I have used Dell's and just about any computer you can think of. This is by far the fastest, best computer I have used. I have pulled up 8 tabes in 2 windows online and downloaded dvd's and it still runs at full speed. The only thing I would do if I bought this computer is uninstall all of the HP software. It slows the computer down and it's not needed. I thought I was going to buy the computer and it would be slower because it only has one opperating system, but I was wrong. I would tell anyone to buy this computer. Cheap and very durable as well.

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Excellent value for the money. The LED screen and picture is excellent. Keyboard is very responsive. Mouse and scroll functions are a little touchy but can be easily rectified by buying a mouse. I got one that attaches to USB slot for about $5.

Sound is good and it operates very fast. I can't find anything wrong with it yet. So far, I love it.

Read Best Reviews of Compaq Presario CQ62-410US 15.6-Inch Notebook Here

This is a great workstation computer. Although, I have watched movies on it and it performed really well. HP is a reliable company, I have two other laptops and a desktop all Compaq brand and don't have any complaints. Had one Vista compatibility issue months after purchase that HP Support was able to solve, searched for the error description and a simply firmware update took care of it. With computer parts like optical drives and even motherboards being common to many manufacturers breakdown issues are not dependent on brand names. Paying hundreds more doesn't guarantee reliability.

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Went to Anythingideal. Com and got a promo for shipping. 4 year old twins at home and thought

they would make a great bday gift. This pc is faster and easier to use than the $900 HP and Dell pc's I already have at

home. I now take it on business with me instead of the others it's that nice !

Got free shipping and had it in 3 days. Best deal I've made in years ! You won't be sorry

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Lenovo S405 14.0-Inch Laptop

I bought this laptop for $400 I think some special pricing on Amazon. And for that price tag it is a superb buy. The laptop is very thin, lightweight, and has good specs. I use my laptop for using Word/Excel, watching movies (output to HDTV via HDMI), listening to music etc. No gaming as such

For all of these tasks its a superb laptop. No glitches outputting video to HDMi, speakers are average and if you crank up the volume, they really produce bad sound. But as I use headphones or output to a TV/Speaker System, it doesn't matter for me.

Keyboard is great light keys and you don't need to press too hard, and are very responsive. The track pad leaves a bit to be desired not as responsive as I would have liked but its not as if it frustrates you. I'm comparing it to my previous Sony Vaio and that trackpad of the latter was much better.

Battery life is good, screen is also good enough and very bright. The top marks goto the light weight and sleek build of this laptop everyone who saw it said wow!

All in all, a very very good buy for $400. I agree that anything beyond $425 may feel too much for this laptop.

There is very little information about the Lenovo S405 ultrabook on the Internet. If I had found a review, or even consistent information re: the components, I probably wouldn't have purchased this machine even though it's quite nice in some respects. I'm returning this device to Amazon, but perhaps someone else will learn from my trial-and-error.

Appearance: The S405 is a gorgeous looking machine. The exterior is a metallic gray that looks like it could be made of aluminum, but is probably plastic. The interior is a striking jet black. There is nothing glossy or plastic-y about the chassis. It looks and feels expensive, but durable as well. At 3.9 lbs it's heavier than most ultrabooks, but still lighter than most laptops. Its thickest point is 0.8". I would have no qualms about traveling with this slim and sleek machine. A shame the S405's performance doesn't match its aesthetics.

Performance: The PDF spec sheet on Amazon lists the graphics as the Radeon 7600M. In fact, it's an integrated 7600G. According to Notebookcheck, the M has a core speed of 450MHz and the G is 320MHz. That's not a huge difference, especially since both are integrated into the CPU, but it's not nothing either. Notebookcheck also says the A8-4555M processor is not a "true quad core" and they place it between the Intel Pentium and i3 chips. The clock speed is 1600GHz, although theoretically AMD turbo boosts it up to 2400. (I don't know when that's supposed to happen.) I went into the power settings and changed it from Balanced to Best Performance, demanding top CPU speed. This improved performance, but not drastically. I had hoped this ultrabook would run Guild Wars 2 on low-medium settings at a playable framerate. After reducing the resolution to 1280x768 and adjusting all the graphics settings to Low the FPS averaged 26. And this was with very little happening on screen. If I had been in a heavily populated area of the gameworld, I predict the FPS would plummet to the teens or single digits. I'm sure the S405's fake quad core processor and integrated low end graphics are fine for web browsing, word processing and video playback, but for its price I hoped this ultrabook could handle a relatively undemanding recent game, especially when its settings were at bare minimum. It can't, which is too bad. Most ultrabooks are far from gaming rigs, but some have the processors to get by with adjusted expectations. The S405 does not.

Keyboard: Lenovo bought IBM back in 2005 and their acquisition of the gold standard Thinkpad brand really shows in this terrific keyboard. Responsive keys that don't feel like hard plastic tiles beneath my fingers. I don't really know how to describe this keyboard except to say it's satisfying to use, although some of the keys (Backspace, right Shift, Enter) are undersized. That didn't bother me too much, nor did the lack of backlight. I appreciated how the keyboard didn't flex into the chassis when I typed in the center, like some laptop keyboards have been known to do. The track pad is generous and functions as well or better than most track pads. (I always use a mouse.)

Display: 14" and a resolution of 1366x768, which is typical for ultrabooks. I wish manufacturers would make (at least) 1440x900 the new standard. My archaic Dell Inspiron had a 1680x1050 display, and that was seven years ago. I don't think anyone will be terribly impressed by the S405's display, nor terribly disappointed by it. One caveat: even at its brightest setting, it still seems a tad too dim. But unless you go comparing it side-by-side with other ultrabooks, I doubt the display is going to influence you in any way. It's decidedly average.

Additional Information: All the ports are located on the sides of the machine. 2.0 USB x2, 3.0 USB x1, micro SD, headphones, HDMI out, ethernet. There's a 0.3mp/720p webcam. One way the S405 reduces its weight is by omitting an optical drive. The removable battery theoretically lasts five hours, but who can say for certain. Memory is only 4GB and hard drive is 500gb 5400rpm. A lot of ultrabooks are packing solid state drives in addition to regular drives, but the S405 lacks this.

I really really wanted to like the S405. It looks so cool with its solid black interior, and svelte build. But the processor and integrated graphics don't meet my needs. If I can't play Guild Wars 2 on it, what would I be using this machine for? Internet and word processing. I may as well get a cheaper ultrabook, or even a chromebook. The S405 doesn't merit its $540 price tag, so back to Amazon it goes.

UPDATE Nov/30/2012: I want to update this review with additional information re: this Lenovo model, but until then here is another correction to the PDF file on Amazon's page: This S405 ultrabook does not support Bluetooth.

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Trying to negate some of the information from other reviews (here and other sites; I bought from a competitor).

If you are the average user (productivity apps, internet, watching Youtube/Netflix videos, social tools), this machine in its base configuration should provide you more than enough room and performance.

In addition, it is built really well and looks great. I have seen some reviewers complain about the lid seeming flimsy. I don't think this is true. Given how ultra-book-like the machine is, you can't obviously have an inch-thick Thinkpad lid on it. It is the right size and seems solid enough to me. Not a concern, but an advantage just don't throw the machine around (this goes for any other machine as well with the size and weight advantage of this one).

Battery life under average use has been 3-3:30 hours. Could it have been better? Yes, but it would have cost more probably. Similarly, it could have had other things like bluetooth, gigabit ethernet, two RAM slots etc. again, at a higher price point.

Bottom line in my opinion: If you go in knowing what you want to use this machine for and are not looking for high-power needs such as gaming or video editing, this should be a 5-star laptop.

Read Best Reviews of Lenovo S405 14.0-Inch Laptop Here

I'll keep it short and sweet. This laptop has a great keyboard and touchpad, with basic functions for everything else. The screen has horrible viewing angles, but par for the course for cheap laptops I guess. But where this laptop really fails where it should excel is with the graphics. No, this is not a gaming laptop, but AMD's claim to fame is their integrated graphics, and they are quite nice, when the laptop is configured properly.

What's wrong? Well the graphics in this meager 19W chip *SHOULD* be able to push 30+ fps in most current games without a problem. The issue is that the only offered a SINGLE RAM SLOT for this machine. Dual Channel RAM is required for optimal performance and would improve the graphics by a significant 40-50% if they offered a dual RAM chip configuration. To make matters worse, the warranty is VOID if you open the laptop to even find out that there's a single RAM slot, and to upgrade the RAM and/or hard drive with an SSD.

Additionally, the hard drive is a 7mm form factor, so 500GB is as large as they come in that form factor. The only plus is that they have a working mSATA port running at SATA III speeds, but again, you'd have to void your warranty to even add one.

Sorry Lenovo. This could have been a great bargain laptop that could handle gaming in a pinch. But as it stands, it can barely manage Minecraft. This laptop should be selling for about $400 considering its size and performance. It does handle basic tasks just fine, but beyond that, forget it. You can find better laptops for $550 to $600 that way out perform this flop of a machine. Unfortunately I can't return the laptop because I opened it up to add another stick of RAM only to find out I can't.

Skip this one, really.

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I bought this laptop for my husband. He totally loves it. It's super lightweight. It has everything he needs. The speed is perfect. Speechless!!!! I would totally recommend this laptop. Arrived in time and as described.

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HP Pavilion dv4-1548dx Notebook - Intel Pentium T4300 2.1GHz / 14.1" WXGA / 4GB DDR3 / 250GB HD / H

This laptop is so pretty and I love it so much. Can't believe I can get it at this lower price. The dual core, 4GB makes all functions run very fast. 14.1" monitor just fits me very well. Love this baby!!

Performance/specification wise for the price this is a pretty good deal. But if you're a stickler for design you'll be very disappointed, mostly around the keyboard/touch pad. First off the keyboard is offset to the left about an inch while the touch pad is centered. This leaves your right hand constantly contacting the touch pad during use and moving/clicking the mouse all over the screen. This is very very annoying. Second, the keys are large and well placed for the main letters, but most of the extra keys: insert, del, arrows, etc just don't feel right or natural. I've used much smaller keyboards than this that have been much more intuitively placed. Then the touch buttons for volume and wireless enable/disable are too easy to accidentally touch. I can't tell you how many times I've accidentally disabled my wireless, and there is no option to disable these buttons.

Buy HP Pavilion dv4-1548dx Notebook - Intel Pentium T4300 2.1GHz / 14.1" WXGA / 4GB DDR3 / 250GB HD / H Now

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HP ProBook 6570b 15.6" Business Notebook PC - C6Z48UT

I am so glad I finally decided to buy an HP laptop. It's great laptop that I can use for work and also for my personal use. It's so simple to use. I love this computer!

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Apple MacBook Air MD223LL/A 11.6-Inch Laptop (OLD VERSION)

I purchased the Apple MacBook Air MD224LL/A 11.6-Inch Laptop (NEWEST VERSION) to replace my 2011 Macbook Pro 13". I am a lecturer / graduate student, and this is now my main computer.

BUILD QUALITY

It is surprisingly sturdy. Although I plan to purchase a clear case for it (probably from iPearl), I think you could probably get away with using nothing at all. This ruggedness is an amazing feat, considering its light weight. Owners of previous Macbook Airs will enjoy more of the same.

DISPLAY

The Macbook Air has a beautiful display that is quite bright, crisp, and clear. The automatic dimmer function adjusts the brightness level according to the ambient light, and I have found that this works really well. Personally, I think the colors on the Macbook Pro 13" display "popped" a little bit more, and I liked the bezel-less solid piece of glass on it better. However, there is no denying that the resolution on this machine is far superior. I have seen the resolutions on some of the other ultrabooks (Windows), and I think this looks better (the ppi is actually about the same). [EDIT:] The soon-to-be-released Zenbook and others are supposed to have better displays this year, though, so this may change in the future.

KEYBOARD

It is full-sized and typing on it feels good. The backlit keys are great. The keys don't travel enough for my taste, and it feels a little less solid than the Macbook Pro, but this is a minor complaint. I write for a living, and I am looking forward to writing on this!

TRACKPAD

The glass trackpad probably does not get much mention in most reviews, but it is one of the best features of a Macbook, and it sets Apple computers apart from competitors. I retired my mouse a long time ago because of it. If you take the time to master the gestures (see your preferences), and you give full-screen views on applications a try, you can enjoy an incredible experience on this machine. The slightest touch whisks you from screen to screen.

BATTERY

Far too short. Really, 5 hours is not very much, and it looks like I am only getting about that much with regular use on half brightness [EDITED: after testing a couple of times -just short of five hours]. I wish they could have bumped this up an hour or two more, and I will miss the long life on my Macbook Pro. I guess battery life is one of the trade-offs for this form factor.

SPEED

It is lightning fast. To be honest, I cannot tell a difference yet between it and last year's model. They tell me it is faster, though, so I guess I will have to believe them. Perhaps a few months of usage will give me more perspective. At any rate, it is noticeably faster than the Macbook Pro.

ACCESSORIES / STUFF / PORTS

The cord is a good length, and the power brick is quite small. It is somewhere between the size of my iPad power brick and the Macbook Pro power brick. From what I can tell, it looks considerably smaller than the 13" Macbook Air one. I am thinking that I might not mind carrying it around in my man bag with the Macbook Air. The ports on the machine are very conveniently placed, with one USB port on each side. This is so much better than the Macbook Pro, which had all of the ports on the left, where they would inevitably cause problems. Fat thumb-drives sometimes took up so much space I couldn't get another USB cable into the slot next to it. There is no Ethernet port. No Firewire port either. Be forewarned. It doesn't matter to me, but it might to you.

COMPARISONS

64GB

I purchased the 128GB model. With judicious use of cloud services like Google Drive and Dropbox, and perhaps the purchase of a 32GB thumb drive to carry around files in case you are not connected, I think 64GB is also doable. One of the great things about this year's 64GB model is that you get the same 4GB of RAM. I consider that model to be the best value, and I would have gotten it if I didn't have a large number of files in one application that, because of the application's design, I cannot put on the cloud.

13" Macbook Air

The base model 13" Macbook air is a better buy if you want the extra battery life and screen size. I value portability over those things (I can carry this in a small man bag, but if I got the 13" I would have to move up to a mail bag or backback).

13" Macbook Pro

The Macbook Pro 13" was an OK computer last year, and before the Macbook Air's Sandy Bridge refresh, was definitely the best entry-level product. However, they did not update the resolution this year, it is rather pokey compared to the Macbook Air, and it is much heavier. Unless you just simply refuse to use the cloud and have an obscene amount of files to carry around every day, I see no point in getting it.

Ultrabooks

As for Windows ultrabooks, I might actually consider them if there was a significant price difference, but most that I have seen are just about the same price as the Macbook Air. They also have inferior build quality (in my opinion) and no support (all of the good stuff you have heard about Apple's phenomenal support is true). I am excited about Windows 8 (sorry Apple fanboys!) and I like where ultrabooks are headed. [EDIT:] It looks like the soon-to-be-released Zenbook will likely be better in terms of specs and price, so if you are wavering between Apple and Windows, you may want to wait a bit longer.

Upgrade from 2011 model

I don't think I would do it if I had the 128GB / 4GB RAM version. The form factor is pretty much the same, and so is the speed. There are some minor improvements like USB 3.0, but otherwise, it probably isn't worth it. If you have the 64GB /2GB RAM version from last year, you could probably benefit from the extra RAM.

SUMMARY

Because of the high resolution display, and the ability to view applications in full-screen mode, I think this computer is portability perfected. It could definitely serve as your main machine, and I think many people will find that it is a better experience than the Pro models from just a year before. If you are a student, this is probably one of the best computers available on the market, and I highly recommend it.

UPDATE June 28, 2013: I continue to love my 2012 11" Air. It's my main computer, super speedy, almost unbelievably thin and light, no problems of any kind.

You probably know that Apple has updated the Airs with much better battery life; the 2013 model of the 11" Air is rated at 9 hours, compared to 5 for the 2010-2012 models. This is huge. If you can afford it, get the 2013 model.

But if you do most of your work plugged in, or have a tight budget, you can now get the 2012 model at a discount. It is still a great computer, and, other than the battery life improvement, the 2013 model is little changed from the 2012 model.

-----------

UPDATE Oct 26, 2012: For about four months, my 11" Air has been my main computer. I am just as happy with it now as the day I got it. Battery life has consistently been close to the 5 hours Apple claims, sometimes more. Performance is consistently blazingly fast, and traveling with the Air is a dream (2.4 pounds and super thin instead of 4-6 pounds for a regular laptop). No scratches on the aluminum body or display. No problems of any kind. If my Air was lost or stolen, I would buy the same one again without thinking about it. Here's my original review:

-----------

The 11" 2012 Air is a winner in my opinion. It offers absolutely excellent performance and it is amazingly portable despite having a comfortable full-sized keyboard and an excellent display. The design is beautiful and build quality is exceptional.

I ordered my 2012 11" Macbook Air the day it was introduced, received it a few days later, and have used it intensively since. I also own a 13" late 2010 model MB Air, which was my main computer until getting this one.

The 2012 Air's SSD is literally more than twice as fast as the SSDs in the 2010 and 2011 model Airs. The new ivy bridge processors are more than twice as fast as the core 2 duo's in the 2010 Airs and about 20% faster than the sandy bridge processors in the 2011 Air. Compared to my 2010 Air, the 2012 Air flies and makes the 2010 Air seem very sluggish.

The new ivy bridge processors are faster yet less power-hungry than the processors in the 2010 and 2011 Airs, which makes for a small but appreciated improvement in battery life according to independent published benchmarks. I've had my Air for 4 months now, and I'm getting pretty close to the 5-hour battery life that Apple promises, sometimes more. I usually have the screen brightness at 50% and the keyboard backlight down to the lowest setting (but not off).

This is my first computer with USB 3.0 ports. I have been blown away by transfer speeds to my USB 3.0 flash drive and a 2TB external hard drive. (My other USB peripherals are USB 2.0, so I don't notice any difference with them.)

I used bootcamp to install Windows 7 and some Windows-only software I need for work. Booting into Windows and running Windows natively is a noticeably better experience on this new Air than on the Lenovo Windows laptop that I used to have at my job.

For people who don't have an Apple TV and want to play their Air through a home theater system, it's very helpful that the 2012 Air now has HDMI audio pass-through. This means that a single HDMI cable can transmit video and audio from your Air to your home theater system or television set. (Though, you still need the HDMI adapter because the Air still doesn't have its own HDMI port. But the adapter is pretty inexpensive.) The 2010 Air (and maybe the 2011 Air?) could only pass video through the HDMI cable, so you'd need separate audio cables for sound. I have run my new Air through my home theater and watched a few SD and HD programs I downloaded with iTunes, and it worked really great setup was very easy and sound and picture were very good. I really appreciate this because I recently ditched cable and now depend on iTunes, Hulu+, and similar internet services for my TV needs.

If you have a 2010 Air and can afford it, upgrading to a 2012 Air is a no-brainer. The performance is vastly better, plus there are many small but meaningful improvements (backlit keyboard, HDMI audio pass-through, USB 3.0, better Facetime webcam).

If you have a 2011 Air, the case for upgrading is weaker. Compared to the 2011 Airs, the 2012 Airs have fewer improvements and the performance gain is much less dramatic (the main exception being the much faster SSD).

If you're trying to decide between an Air and a 13" Macbook Pro: The Air is way thinner and lighter than the Pro, so it's much nicer to travel with. The Air's display has higher resolution than the Pro's. The Air's SSD blows away the Pro's sluggish 5400 rpm hard drive. On the other hand, the Pro's display has richer colors and wider viewing angles. The Pro has a built-in optical drive; this is important to some people, but many of us rarely use them anymore and cheap external drives work very well with the Air. The Pro's processor is more powerful (though most people will find the 2012 Air's processor to have more than adequate power and speed). A couple months ago, my employer replaced the Lenovo Thinkpad in my office with a new 13" Macbook Pro. My 11" Air is much faster than the Pro. I usually bring my Air to work every day and often don't even turn on the Pro. If you're trying to decide between an Air and a Pro, visit your local retailer and compare them in person. It's really a tradeoff between the Pro's built-in optical drive and rich (but low-res) display and the Air's incredibly thin and light form factor and blazing SSD.

If you're trying to decide between an 11" and 13" Air, the main tradeoff in my opinion is battery life vs. portability. Battery life is rated at 5 hours in the 11" Air, 7 hours in the 13" Air. This is a big difference for people who regularly do a lot of computing away from a power outlet. The difference won't be as important for people who mostly do their computing near a power outlet (I'm in that category). On the three trips I've taken since getting my 11" Air, I've found the 5-hour battery life to be enough for me to get a ton of work done on the flight plus have juice left to watch a pre-downloaded movie or TV episode. And I can't overstate how wonderful it is to travel with such an incredibly thin and light yet powerful computer. Plus, TSA doesn't require you to remove the 11" Air from your laptop bag at airport security (though you ARE required to remove a 13" Air, go figure). But some people really need those extra couple hours of battery life; if you're one of them, get a 13" Air, it's still amazingly thin and light (just not quite as much as the 11" Air).

Another difference between the 11" and 13" Airs is the display, of course. The 13" is not just bigger, it also has higher resolution. For me, this wasn't a factor in my decision because when I'm not traveling, most of the time I plug my Air into an external 22" or 24" monitor, so the built-in display is less important to me than it might be to you. When it's not plugged in to an external monitor, I am perfectly happy with the 11" display (even though I was used to a 13" display on my previous Air). But you might be happier with the 13" display's higher resolution--to be sure, see both models side by side at your local retailer.

Differences between the speed and performance of the 11" and 13" Airs are small enough that most people won't notice them. Even the cheapest 11" Air feels as fast as the 13" Air for most tasks. And both models can be upgraded with more ram, a faster processor, and bigger SSDs at time of purchase.

In fact, if you want any of these upgrades, you should get them at the time of purchase, since most of them cannot be upgraded post-purchase. Here are some recommendations:

There are three things that can be upgraded: SSD, RAM, and processor. SSD in my opinion is most urgent. The processor and RAM in the cheapest model will be adequate for most users, but the 64GB SSD will not. Paying $100 extra to increase the SSD from 64GB to 128GB should be a no-brainer for all but the most liquidity-constrained purchasers. If you can afford it, get the 256GB SSD. If you can afford the 256GB SSD and still have money left, then upgrade to 8GB of RAM.

In the comments, someone noted that the RAM is not user-upgradable post-purchase but the SSD is. This is true. However, upgrading the SSD post-purchase is very expensive, the Air is not designed to be user-serviceable, and opening up your Air may void your warranty. So, for most people, it will be better to buy the Air with the biggest SSD you can afford at the time of purchase.

One thing I don't recommend is AppleCare. Some of you will disagree and I respect your opinions, but here's mine in case it might help you decide:

It's certainly true that AppleCare will save a few people a lot of money. But the average person won't get their 250 dollars worth from AppleCare--otherwise Apple wouldn't make money off it. When I bought my 2010 Air, I let the Apple salesperson talk me into AppleCare, and I haven't used it once. The only good thing about it in my case is that AppleCare transfers to the next owner, and there's over 1 year left on it, so I can use it as a selling point when I put my 2010 Air up for sale.

But I didn't buy AppleCare with my 2012 Air. If there's a defective part, it'll most likely fail during the standard warranty period. If something fails after the standard 1-year warranty, the repair cost would have to be over $250 to make the AppleCare worthwhile. For me, the decision comes down to this: do I want to part with $250 for sure right now, or am I willing to accept a very small risk of losing even more after a year from now?

Of course, some people are particularly risk averse and will appreciate having the peace of mind. And there are some people who really will get their money's worth, and for them, AppleCare is a life-saver. But for most of us, it will end up being a money-loser.

Whether you get AppleCare or not, I strongly recommend the 2012 Macbook Air, and for many of you, the amazing portability of the 11" model will be the better choice.

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I am reviewing this item alongside my Retina Macbook Pro, so I will be doing some comparisons.

I bought this laptop to replace a family members aging Asus laptop. She was not a power user, and was convinced she wanted to buy an Apple. I helped her choose the Air, because she really just needs a general use laptop, not a powerful computer.

Qualifications: Senior At Clemson University in Computer Engineering, and would consider myself a power user, but I will be writing this review for the purposes of non-power users, as I do not believe this laptop to be the best option for people that need processing power, but for consumers that want a quality laptop for everyday tasks.

Build Quality: 9/10. The unbelievably thin of 2008 doesn't seem quite so thin anymore. How times change. That said, this laptop is extremely well built, and feels well built, yet very light and compact. I do feel as if you need to be careful with it, just because it is so thin, but that may me just being paranoid.

Power: 6/10. The Ivy Bridge processors give the Macbook Air a nice boost in graphical performance. However, this is not a processing workhorse. If you need a strong processor, go with the Macbook Pro 13". But for every day performance, its perfectly adequate. If you haven't used flash storage before (SSD's), this laptop will likely feel quicker on most everyday tasks than a Quadcore computer just because everything that isn't processor intensive is so zippy.

Battery Life: 8/10. At full brightness, you can get about 3 hours out of it, but can get 5 at low brightness levels. While I complained about this in my Retina Macbook pro, this is excellent for such a small lightweight machine. You can bump up the battery life by jumping to the 13" size, but for the 11" form factor, this is a reasonable amount in my eyes.

Screen: 8/10. The air is still using the TN display and has not yet switched to the IPS system. The advantage of IPS displays is that they have much wider viewing angles. If you tilt the screen all the way back, you will get a washed out screen. That said, as far as TN displays go, this is an excellent one, and is superior to the 13" Macbook Pro's screen. This screen is not a retina screen, and you can definitely tell a difference between the Air and the Ipad3/Retina macbook. However, the screen still is crisp and beautiful for a non-retina screen. I'd say it was somewhere between the ipad2 and iPad3 in screen quality.

Sound: 4/10. Very Tinny at max volume... but its a half inch thick 11" laptop... you don't buy this for sound quality. The Retina Macbook Pro has a much better sound system, but this laptop is less than half the price, and in a much smaller form factor. I gave it a 4/10 for sound, but really sound quality won't factor much into the overall review. The sound quality is fine at lower levels.

Expansion: 3/10. I gave the retina macbook pro a 1/10. However, today OWC released flash storage for the air. You will never be able to upgrade the RAM/Memory, but you will be able to upgrade the storage.

Sexiness Factor: 9/10. Not quite as amazingly sexy as it was in 2008, but still holds its own. Not many laptops are thinner than this one, and I'd argue none besides perhaps Samsung keeps its quality at this thinness.

Overall: 8/10. This is one of those situations where the final device is better than the sum of its parts. Yes the speakers don't handle high volumes, but did you expect them to? There is only so much you can do when you are working inside a case this thin. The power isn't stupendous, but its more than enough for the target users(people that don't want to run Final Cut Pro, but light to moderate photoshop and internet users). The screen isn't retina, but is beautiful none-the-less. This laptop is perfect for general computing users, and will likely last you for several years before you start thinking about another upgrade.

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I upgraded from an MC375LL/A mid-2010 13" MacBook Pro to a MC224LL/A mid-2012 11.6" MacBook Air, and the difference is like night and day. My new MBA takes 5 7 seconds from pressing the power button to login screen versus about two minutes with my old MBP. The main hardware differences are: Core i5 vs. Core 2 Duo, 1600MHz vs 1067MHz RAM memory, and (very important) SSD vs. mechanical HDD secondary storage. My new MBA doesn't even feel warm when playing Civilization V whereas my old MBP became very hot within minutes, and the graphics performance is at least twice as fast. As for the ergonomics, the keyboard really is full size, and the display is not noticeably smaller than the 13" MBP, yet the 11.6" display has more pixels. Most importantly to me, my MBA weighs less than half of my old MBP. I really am very happy with this 11.6" MacBook Air.

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It's hard (VERY hard) for me to acknowledge that perhaps my decision to drop $2200 on this maxed out 11" Macbook Air would have been money better spent on a 13" Air or Macbook Pro. The truth is that it is an exceptionally well built machine. I love the quality of the screen, the feel of typing on it, the trackpad, the backlit keyboard, how light and thin it is...but part of my wishes that I'd gone for the 13" model. The 13" is only a half-pound heavier, but I think the slightly larger screen would go a long way. This little guy had an exceptionally clear and fantastic screen--the only thing it lacks is the vertical height. The silly thing is that I read reviews prior to purchasing that said the same thing and recommended what I'm going to recommend to you: buy the 13" model. It's pretty much every bit as portable as the 11", only a teensy bit heavier, and you'll thank me for the extra vertical screen viewing area. The 11" just doesn't quite have enough vertical height. It's got plenty from side to side, but vertically it just seems, uh, "short."

That qualm aside, I've installed Windows 8 on it via Bootcamp and it runs fantastically. I actually prefer running Windows 8 on it. Heresy, I know. But yeah, it's FAST, portable, and an all-around exquisite machine. I will admit that I do drool over the new Macbook Air 13" with Retina Display which will be released next week: talk about the ultimate in speed and portable computing!

Anyway, these are simply the best machines out there. I looked at every other option from Dell, Asus, HP, and so on. No one else offered anything as portable, powerful, or well-made, with the same fantastic specs. It's really a shame because, frankly, if there were Windows-based laptops out there equally well-made, I would've preferred to purchase one of them. But, well, if Apple makes the best machine to run Windows on, then a Mac machine it is.

Oh, battery life has been totally sufficient for me. It's not super long but it's long enough for working away from outlets (in classrooms, in meetings, etc.). Anyway, for what it's worth, I really recommend these machines. Apple really knows how to produce exceptional hardware. The operating system is the only aspect of the machine that I don't like as much--but that's why I installed Windows on it!

[UPDATE 12/1/12]

I sold the MBA 11.6". After a while of using it I found the 11.6" size to simply be too small for constant use programming and writing for school, and using Access and Excel for work. I was literally using it up to 8 hours a day intensively, and it was just...too small to be practical. That, and I found myself using Windows 8 most of the time because I just don't like how the Mac OS X multitasks. For me OS X wasn't even as efficient for multitasking as Windows 8 (which is a tad bit less multitasking efficient than Windows 7). But running Windows 8 on a Mac isn't ideal because Apple doesn't care to produce highly optimized drivers to support their users that do run Windows 8. They make it *possible* but not a great experience. Most of the Windows 8 gestures wouldn't work with the Bootcamp 4.0 drivers, and a third-party driver (Trackpad++) was necessary to achieve a tolerable trackpad experience using Windows 8 on the MBA. However, even Trackpad++ wasn't perfect. It had to be constantly updated (every week) which was annoying, and I felt like the trackpad experience was--while better than the Bootcamp drivers--still very much a subpar Windows trackpad experience. The trackpad seemed to be not as responsive as it was in OS X, and less responsive even than the average trackpad on a Windows laptop. There was literally a full second delay between typing and the trackpad accepting input. I'd constantly find myself swiping multiple times because the trackpad hadn't activated yet after I'd been typing. Uber frustrating. In short: Windows 8 on Mac is possible, but less than ideal.

That reality coupled with the small size just not being workable for a full day of work on the MBA, I sold it. Lost a significant chunk of change in the process.

I HIGHLY recommend 1) that you only purchase a Mac if you KNOW you like OS X, 2) that you only purchase an 11.6" MBA as a (much) better netbook/ultraportable experience, and 3) that if you plan to work more than an hour or two a day on your laptop (doing anything) opt for something with a bigger screen: at a minimum 13.3" (either the MacBook Air 13.3" or a Windows laptop with an equivalent screen size).

Bottom-line: It was too small for all-day work, but the screen, keyboard, and trackpad (in OS X) were excellent. If you like OS X, and need something ultra-ultra portable (like netbook size) get the 11.6". If you like OS X and plan to work extensively on the laptop and need something portable, get the 13.3" MacBook Air.

Keep in mind that you're only getting dual-core processors in either MacBook Air... which can prove frustrating if you're really crunching some data through Excel or Access. Two cores, even with hyperthreading, just isn't as capable of dealing with large datasets and operations as a quad-core processor with hyperthreading. I underestimated the performance penalty and found myself frequently waiting for the MBA to finish Excel and Access tasks.

Oh, last note: if you're using Windows 8 on this machine and plugging in an external monitor, expect the fan to run constantly, even loudly. It's more than barely noticeable. In my office environment it was loud enough to find embarrassing--in part because it sounds like the MacBook is struggling so hard. It didn't exhibit this same loud ramping up of the fan when an external monitor was plugged in and OS X was running.

I hope the above information proves useful to you in your buying decision.

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Dell Latitude c600 750 MHZ/256 Ram/20GB HDD/WIFI/XP

I love my reconditioned Dell Latitude and such a bargain. I highly recommend this seller. Other than some problems with shipping I have been very satisfied with my purchase. It is just like new, and it came with a new battery and a power cord so I don't have to waste the battery when I'm home. This is my first laptop and I love being able to take it with me. If you are looking for an excellent bargain, you can trust this seller for a good deal and will not be sorry for using them.

It works just fine. Not the latest or the greatest, but gets the job done at a very fair price.

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This laptop was a Christmas gift to someone in another state, so I have not seen it or used it myself. I was told it works exceedingly well and looks like new (which is good since it was purchased as used, not refurbished). It arrived sooner than expected and packaging was good. No damage in transit. I'd recommend this seller for computer equipment purchases.

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Toshiba Satellite A215-S4817 AMD Turion TL-58 DC 1.9GHz 2GB 160GB DVD±R/RW 15.4" Vista (Onyx Blue)

It is a great product. It is user friendly and portable. My huband gave it to me for Christmas. I can now play my games and do research in the comfort of my family room.

Ok, So I got this laptop for my father. open it up and when I try to boot it up it says enter password. How are you going to send me a laptop that already has a PASSWORD on it? Absolute circus. Minor inconvienece, I am still attempting to reslove this issue.

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Bought this laptop for my dad (75, post stroke). The size of the screen is perfect for viewing and the keys are large enough for him to handle. Got him a mouse to use instead of of pad (easier to navigate).

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happy about the whole experience, item shipped promptly and received in time. Computer is being set now so will update review in due time but so far this is one happy customer. I am reviewing my initial happy out of the box impression, since my tech guy told me that the operating system was Windows Vista and not Windows 7 has indicated on the website. It does not change much for me but to him that seem to make a difference form him, so I am dropping the review to a four stars due to that.

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Samsung Series 3 NP300E5C-A07US 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black)

This item works great. The keyboard is really nice especially on windows 8. The screen was nice and wide cos its on HD

My son's laptop that was purchase as a Christmas gift went blank. Nothing could be done to retrieve any of his stored information by the tech team at his college. We sent it immediately to samsung. I was told it would be fixed and given back to us in 2 weeks. Well the computer is fried. I will get a new one in 7-14 business days. The semester maybe over by then.The customer relations department is worthless. I was blackmailed by them to pay to have the new one shipped to me sooner. I was told I should be happy I was getting a new one. I'm still paying on the one that fried.

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