you are ripping people off the price for this computer is less then 400.00 for it I know I just bought one
Showing posts with label imac notebook. Show all posts
Showing posts with label imac notebook. Show all posts
Disney Netpal by ASUS: 8.9 inch LCD Solid State Drive Technology Windows XP Home - Princess Pink
you are ripping people off the price for this computer is less then 400.00 for it I know I just bought one
MSI Computer Corp. Notebook GE70 0ND-213US;9S7-175611-213 17.3-Inch Laptop
The windows experience is as follows: cpu:7.9, Memory: 7.9 3D Graphics:6.9 Hard drive 5.9. I added a SSD windows experience is : 8.1 And 16 gig Ram: 8.1.This a incredible machine. Does not have a back-lit keyboard but the keyboard is very good. Reloaded and upgraded OS to Windows 8 pro since it comes with window 8. Very happy. Has slot for internal SSD also in addition to hard drive. Screen is good also.
* Fast, high-performance processor
* Multi-touch pad
* Good, loud speakers (4x)
* Full keyboard, easy to type
* Large screen, great for editing/watching videos
* HDMI, USB 3.0, Multi-card reader
Cons:
* Mine came with a dead pixel; eventually went away
* Large and heavy, but still somewhat portable
* Battery life is dismal -not even 2 hours
* No dedicated "home" and "end" keys
* Windows key positioned on the right (takes getting used to)
Description:
This is a superb sub $1,500 laptop. The video card (Nvidia GTX 660, 2GB) is better than the one in the 15" Macbook Pro w/Retina (Nvidia GT 650, 1GB) -shame on you Apple -and the processor is also amazing. The screen is also nice, but as other have pointed out, it's nothing special. Mine came with a dead pixel, which I was pretty upset about, but it eventually went away with the use of free software.
I am able to edit videos without any problem using Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5 and editing photos is also a breeze. Using Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and other programs for creating and publishing content also works very well. Frankly, this is a better buy over any Macbook.
The design isn't something I was too excited about when looking at the pictures but in person it's actually not that bad. I prefer the sleek look of the Macbook Pros, but the price tag and increased performance this laptop gives me is worth more than its looks.
Upgradeability is an important factor in this laptop. You can upgrade it from 8GB RAM to 16GB which I plan on doing, as well as adding a mSSD for caching purposes (for even faster performance) and, potentially, replacing the CD/DVD drive with a HDD bay. We'll see.
Bottom line:
Get this laptop if you want a large but powerful gaming/video editing laptop. Not for people who want ultra portability and long battery life.
Buy MSI Computer Corp. Notebook GE70 0ND-213US;9S7-175611-213 17.3-Inch Laptop Now
Has the mSATA slot, Full HD 1920X1080p screen and a WD Black 7200rpm HDD. When I was looking at buying a laptop I read a lot of reviews about this and other similar laptops. I couldn't find a definite answer whether this particular model had the mSATA or not. It does. The procedure to migrate is pretty simple. This comes with the MSI BurnRecovery software which makes recovery DVD's that restores your HDD image. I needed 5 DVD-R's to do this. After I made those I removed the stock HDD (Western Digital Black 7200rpm) and installed a Mushkin Enhanced Atlas Series MKNSSDAT120GB-DX mSATA 120GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) drive. Need to find a screw to secure the mSATA because the drive does not come with one and you cannot install without it. It's the same screw that would secure a mini card like a wireless card, modem or Bluetooth. Important!-Get into the bios by pressing Del when the MSI logo pops up and disable the secure boot option in the Bios. Booted from the recovery DVD's and restored the image to the mSATA drive. This puts 5 partitions onto that drive-EFI boot sector, Windows recovery, OS partition, Data partition and Recovery partition. Opened computer management after reboot and removed the data partition. I also removed the recovery partition which is about 17 GB because I have the backup DVD's. Extend the OS partition to the unallocated space. This gives you about 100GB for your OS. Get back into the Bios and enable the secure boot option again and boot into your OS. Shut down, reinstall the HDD and reboot. Go to Settings, Change PC Settings, General and select Advanced Startup. When it restarts get to the command prompt. Type in "DISKPART", enter, "list disk", enter. Find the disk that is 698GB (should be disk 0) then type in "select disk 0", enter, "clean", enter, "Y" because yes you are sure you want to wipe the drive. Reboot, get into computer management, activate disk and make the partitions you want. I moved all of the library file folders to the single "Data" partition I made on that drive. Music, Videos, Documents and Downloads. Installed 'most' programs on the OS drive and still have about 20GB left. Takes seconds to boot now with no stability issues at all.A lot of reviews say this laptop is a little flimsy or fragile and does not seem durable. If you live your life with a broken screen on your cell phone I would not recommend this laptop for you. It is, however, thin and light which is why I chose this particular one. Take care of your stuff and it will last! If not, buy the extended warranty. You cannot set up the mSATA as a Cache drive on this laptop due to the Bios not being able to create a RAID array so a 32GB or 64GB mSATA purchase will result in nothing but hate and discontent because you will only get 32 or 64GB of additional storage out of it. Or, a compacted Windows install with the need to buy aftermarket file management software to store system and program files on the Data drive. If you do this and have to wait for the transfer rate of the spin drive what is point of going to mSATA in the first place?
I've had this for about a month now and love it. When I bought this I also bought the mSATA drive and 16GB of ram (this is manufacturers limit) G.SKILL 16GB (2 x 8G) 204-Pin DDR3 SO-DIMM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Laptop Memory Model F3-1600C10D-16GSQ the entire process to do the upgrades took me about two weeks because there isn't much info on migrating the OS without an OEM Windows install disk or some software that doesn't work because of the EFI partitions. I refused to buy another OS when the laptop I just bought has one. There is very little bloatware on this laptop, MS Office setup, MSI BurnRecovery, Battery Calibration and SuperCharger. That's about it. No additional toolbars or ads as you would get with other manufacturers. If you duplicate my procedure the process should take you no more than an hour or two unless you have already put your own stuff on the laptop. In that case you just have to back up your files and then put them back on when you wipe the drive. If you don't want to wipe the drive you can just delete the OS partition but then you end up with dynamic instead of a basic partition because when you extend your Data partition you extend it to the left instead of the right. One last item-performance and graphics. I use this to play WoW and I have the graphics set to Ultra settings. The lowest frame rate I recall seeing is 27fps but definitely no performance issues even at the ultra setting.
Read Best Reviews of MSI Computer Corp. Notebook GE70 0ND-213US;9S7-175611-213 17.3-Inch Laptop Here
PROS:screen; great colors and viewing angles
sound; I installed zune because of my phone the THX driver is great
noise level; only one fan but surprisingly it stays cool and the fan on "turbo" is audible but the speakers can easily overpower the noise otherwise its lower noise than similar laptops.
gpu; NVidia GTX 660m it runs crisis 2 at ultra(tested without aa on)
cpu; i7 nuf said
CONS:
multitouch pad; is rocker style and stiff seems to be breaking in after a solid day though
keyboards not backlit (not really a con; just would be nice)
no dedicated volume control; surprisingly a larger issue than I originally thought.. its fn+left/right or through software
notes:
it came with a corrupted wifi driver and usb ports didn't work properly:
the drivers disk it came with was also corrupted so I had to use a lifeline from my old laptop to get it working.
once I got the bios and drivers updated and working it was fine and it runs fast. I tested crysis the game wanted "gamer" specs for some reasion but it ran at 60fps (as the overclock drivers should) on "Ultra" and it was barley warm after 1 hour of game time.(i had the fan Turbo on)
worth mentioning:
windows score sets the gpu score at 5.4, however this is just a bug in how windows defaults the GPU on the i7 instead of the dedicated Nvidia GTX 660m.
supports 16gb ram upgrade and an empty mSATA bay(not to be confused with a SATA bay)
Want MSI Computer Corp. Notebook GE70 0ND-213US;9S7-175611-213 17.3-Inch Laptop Discount?
This was a purchase for my son. I'm giving it 4 stars because my son likes it however the 1st one purchased lasted 2 days & had to be sent back. When I called MSI tech # it was by far the worst tech support I've ever received. Amazon was amazing & had a new computer shipped within 2 days. SquareTrade(protection plan)transferred over to the new computer. So far so good with the new computer. Hopefully I won't need to call tech.
HP 2000-428dx Laptop Computer / 15.6-inch HD Display Screen / 4GB Memory / AMD Dual-Core E-450 1.65
I work for a small non-profit that is a mix platform environment. We are slowly migrating from XP Professional to Win 7 Professional. We plan to stay Win 7 Professional as our primary platform until 2015 or a version of Windows 8 that is not created for dyslexic hipster kitties. This hardware is actually usable for business application. We run two Windows 2008 R2 servers and these HP 2000-428dx laptops work really well as mid-level pac computers hooked to our network. I had stayed clear of HP for the last few years but was willing to give them a shot again because of the AMD hardware specs, reasonable price point, and a design that is more or less right for business use.We run Word, Excel, Outlook, and a custom win 32 app on it. It handles wireless networks well which is a godsend for our users. I am our agencies IT department. I have purchased 3 of these computers so far. I am going to be ordering a couple more. Two came from one of the box stores and one from Amazon. Amazon was cheaper and had them instock when I order the last one. Hardware wise all three have worked well out of the box. I installed Win 7 Pro and never ran the stock Win 7 Home. It runs well four or five business apps at a time including the Kaspersky antivirus which is a memory hog. Though the 4 gigs of RAM seem to keep the program from not bogging down these machines. Users typically reboot at the beginning of the day and are good till the end of the day. Normal Windows 7 load time. I stress that these are fine for mid-level price conscious computers. You will not be playing Skyrim, have two dozen Chrome tabs open, running a Virtual Machine with your vintage OS2 running just to play Mahjong on it, while listening to Mumford and Sons on this hardware without seriously bogging it down. I wouldn't image trying to run say Adobe graphics software on this or non-business applications.
The hardware design is functional and is aestethically pleasing. The mousepad can be turned off when you plug in a wireless mouse which makes typing much easier! My one real gripe is the power cord seems to follow HP's model of producing cheap cords. I wish they would migrate towards designing a similar power cord more like the Macbook power cord with the magnetic lock in place of the current design that feels flimsy. I imagine the cord will break before the year is out though the jury is still out on this aspect. Overall, this model is worth the money and if HP keeps producing solid computers like this then they will have a chance at not just survival but becoming popular again. I also wish they would produce some of their computers in the USA. I would pay a extra 100 for the made in USA sticker.
I have had two of these online for 30+ days with no real complaints. 1 has been on for 15+ days with no real complaints. I will update if I have any real problems and hope to get at least two years out of these computers. I will update this review if I notice any major hardware issues.
Then there's the the touchpad, by far the most frustrating part. It's temperamental and unresponsive, consistently missing taps and clicks and scrolls and swipes. It's awful, just awful. I thought it would be something I could get used to, but we've had the computer for a month now and I still haven't figured out the touchpad. If you have the means, get a good wireless mouse to go with it.
The computer comes preloaded with a whole bunch of useless software(most notably: Blio, Roxy, and two or three forgettable music-playing programs, one of which wanted subscription fees). It took me several days of tinkering to pare down superfluous software, and the computer still runs depressingly slow.
There's stuff to like, though. It is, as I said, a relatively cheap machine. (I found it at Best Buy for $299, only about forty dollars more than I paid for my netbook.) The display is quite wide and reasonably crisp. It's also lighter than I thought it would be, making it surprisingly portable for such a chunky computer.
All in all, I would recommend this to students on a budget, but not anyone else. If you're looking for a simple machine to surf the web, do homework, and word-process on, this is a good deal. Otherwise, I would recommend spending a little more and getting something nicer.I truly love my HP Laptop. This is my first one. I like it because it's portable, wireless,
easy to use, feels like an extension of myself. I use it at home only. My window to the
World.
Save 17% Off
HP g7-1310us (17.3-Inch Screen) Laptop
OK, so to add some perspective to this I will say that I upgraded from a 4 year old underpowered Dell laptop with barely a gig of RAM so any upgrade would be a good one for me. That being said, I am still very impressed with my initial experience with this product. I got it for what I consider to be a very reasonable price under $550 and less than it would have cost direct from HP, even with their promotions and dicounts. The 640gb hard drive is huge for a relatively 'normal' user like me; I have a digital photo album, about 500-600 songs and a few videos saved so storage is not likely to be an issue for me. It comes with 6gb of RAM so the performance is pretty speedy (for me, it's lightning fast compared to my old Dell but that is probably not the case for many others). Set up was a breeze and it worked smoothly right out of the box. My only issue is that I had some older software that is no longer compatible with Windows 7 but that's not an HP issue and it's a minor point regardless.So, I've only had it for about 5 days but so far it's great. As I said the screen looks great love the 17" size which will come in handy when I stream movies from Amazon. The responsiveness and boot up times are very good so far. The other surprising thing, pleasantly, is how light it is for it's size. I'm not saying I would carry it around with me everywhere but if/when I do need to move it around I can tell that it won't be very much of a burden.
So all in all very satisfied with this upgrade and would certainly recommend this for any normal uses like general web browsing. Not sure what serious gamers would think I imagine this isn't targeted at them anyway but I do play an online golf game with pretty good graphics and it performs very well. Hope my initial impressions are helpful to someone else.
PROS:
Incredibly fast start. The "welcome screen" pops up with very minimal delay...even after a reboot.
Excellent display clarity I'd rate it equivalent to most HDTV's.
Very fast downloading/use of internet
Style wise, it looks impressive & has the technology to match
Minimal "crapware"
Boasts 6GB RAM for a very reasonable price
CONS:
Makes Mom's 1 year old, 15" HP laptop look like a sluggish netbook (not that I'm jealous...lol).
All in all, for $529, this is an amazing deal!
Buy HP g7-1310us (17.3-Inch Screen) Laptop Now
I purchased a HP g7-1310us (17.3-Inch Screen) Laptop and it was delivered within 2 days. I mainly use it for work and it has all the features I was looking for. The monitor is huge, which I love. The keyboard is big. Resolution for camera is awesome. It's very fast and I can't wait to use it everyday. It's pewter color and slim. Fabulous !Read Best Reviews of HP g7-1310us (17.3-Inch Screen) Laptop Here
Just got this laptop last week, and I am VERY happy. I use it mainly for internet browsing, Email, Skype, and movies. A breeze to set up, didn't even have to read directions. It practically set itself up :-) Love the screen resolution. I do not do gaming, if that is your intent, you may want to increase graphics capability. This is a great laptop, at an excllent pricepoint. Very quick response, and reboot time. One tiny annoyance is the "hard click" on the buttons below the touchpad, but I can live with it. The touchpad itself is great and has high sensitivity. Overall, I love it, and would highly recommend.Want HP g7-1310us (17.3-Inch Screen) Laptop Discount?
There's some little known facts about this product that nobody else has mentioned before and maybe you should know:PROS:
+ You CAN scroll up/down on the touchpad as it comes configured to scroll with two fingers at the same time but you can configure it the way you want it to scroll by just accessing the control panel > hardware and sound > synaptics touchpad.
+ The Speakers are good and loud for a laptop.
+ There's actually led indicators for HDD, power, disc tray, num lock,caps lock, battery charge, webcam indicator, ON/OFF wireless indicator, ON/OFF touchpad indicator.
+ Very quiet fan: you can only really hear the fan when turning ON the laptop afterwards it goes really quiet.
+ The battery charge can last (with the power saver option) 4+ hours which is good for a laptop with a big and vibrant screen.
Neutral:
+The Windows Experience Index awards this laptop with a score of: 5.7 which is determined by the lowest subscore (Graphics: aero performance on a desktop but Gaming graphics has a score of 6.3!), this is good considering that this laptop doesn't have a dedicated graphics card.
CONS:
There's a lot of bloatware indeed but it can be easily removed.
The Design of the up/down arrows is not optimal but usable.
The max resolution for the webcam is 640x480.
So there you have it, the pros out-weight the cons and for a laptop on this price range it's a very good buy.
Apple iBook Laptop 12.1" M9164LL/A (800-MHz PowerPC G4, 256 MB RAM, 30 GB Hard Drive, DVD/CD-RW Dri
Let us raise the glass: long live the G3 processor, for it is dead. Apple's iBook was the last holdout to G4 processor. It is G3 no more.Despite some rumors, iBook's G4 processor is a true G4 processor with Altivec fully on-board. While it runs slower (800 MHz vs. 1 GHz) and features smaller L2 cache (256 KB vs. 512 KB) than 12" PowerBook, it comes remarkable close in most performance parameters. They share the same 133 MHz front-side bus and PC2100 (266 MHz) DDR SDRAM.
Even their feature sets come remarkably close. Both sport sharp 12.1" 1024-by-768 LCD, 256 MB memory and 32 MB graphics memory, FireWire 400 and USB 2.0 ports, and 100/10 fast Ethernet. Both lack the PC Card (PCMCIA) slot but can accommodate AirPort Extreme wireless network.
Other than faster G4 processor, just about the only reasons to consider 12" PowerBook are:
Larger memory capacity on the PowerBook (1.25 GB vs. 640 MB)
Larger hard disk (40 GB vs. 30 GB)
PowerBook can drive an external display (dual display) up to 2048-by-1536 via DVI port; iBook can only mirror up to 1024-by-768 via VGA port
SuperDrive (DVD burner) is optional on PowerBook; it is not available on iBook
Bluetooth is standard on PowerBook; it is optional (built-to-order) on iBook
Marginally faster GeForce FX 5200 graphics card on PowerBook (vs. Radeon 9200 on iBook)
PowerBook is slightly lighter (4.6 lbs vs. 4.9 lbs) and slightly smaller (10.9-by-8.6-by-1.18 inches vs. 11.2-by-9.1-by-1.35 inches)
You like the PowerBook's anodized aluminum allow chassis better
There are sufficient reasons to get the iBook instead:
Costs almost 50% less
It is not dramatically slower
Longer battery life (up to 6 hours vs. 5 hours)
Polycarbonate plastic chassis is more scratch proof and offer better wireless network (AirPort Extreme) reception
How is the iBook in itself? For a little over a grand, you get a beautifully designed notebook (similar to iPod) packed with features: combo CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive, optional 802.11g AirPort Extreme wireless network, beautiful LCD, sensible keyboard layout, snappy performance under included Mac OS X Panther 10.3 -all in very portable form factor. This little book represents a serious bang for the buck.
Pros:
Very high bang for the buck: good performance and high in features
Looks beautiful
Includes almost everything an average computer user needs
Very portable and durable
Fantastic wireless reception
Cons:
Cannot drive external display higher than 1024-by-768 resolution
To get built-in Bluetooth, you must order from Apple (built-to-order option) -unlike the AirPort Extreme, you cannot add it later on
Standard 256 MB memory is based on two 128 MB RAM modules. To add more memory later on, you will need to toss out one of the memory modules (the other memory module is soldered onto the motherboard)
Performance: From G3 900Mhz to G4 800Mhz is certainly an upgrade. As the G4 features a faster 133Mhz Bus (formerly 100Mhz Bus) and also supports DDR Memory (compared to the old PC100). Applications seem to fire up and run better and everything is just snappier. Also if you have altivec enabled applications, G4 is certainly the way to go.
Technical Improvements: USB 1.1 ==> USB 2.0, Airport 802.11b ==> Airport Extreme 802.11g, updated graphics card, tray loading combo drive ==> slot loading combo drive.
Other Improvements: Panther is a more polished and refined OS compared to Jaguar. OS X has finally matured. The keyboard on the G4 iBook has been improved...buttons press smoother and keyboard has less flex (not to mention the greyish tone makes it look better). Also the LCD display seems a little bit more crisper.
All in all I'd highly recommend this 12" G4 iBook. For this price, it is a tremendous value. You cannot find a comparable 12.1" laptop in the PC world (w/o spending nearly 2 Grand, and most don't come with an optical drive built-in).
I don't see much of a reason to go with 14.1" as it has the same resolution as the 12" (unless that you have bad vision). If you want a laptop with a big display, go with the 15.2" Powerbook (probably the best all-around laptop in the world). If you want a small but still very fast laptop that you can carry everywhere, GET THIS IBOOK! It certainly has the looks and now is a speedster with G4. Can't go WRONG.
(Added 1/11) For the past 3 months I have yet to experience a crash or problem with this iBook. Past generations of iBooks were prone to logic board failures, it seems like Apple finally got it fixed. I can put this laptop asleep for a week and wake it up, and be ready for use within 10 seconds. This is a sweet laptop, and it's coming from a lifelong Windows user (who still uses Windows too).I am giving this 4 stars instead of 5, because 800MHz is acceptable to most users, but 1GHz would have been nice. The 800MHz G4 is still much faster than last year's 900MHz G3 model, and Panther is slightly faster. I have a 733MHz G4 tower, so this is a slight speed increase for me.
I am so glad I got the 12" screen over the 14". Everyone I asked recommended the 12" over the 14". It's easier to carry, lighter, easy to sit on your lap with, and you don't feel the need to buy a huge case to carry it around in. Both the 12" and 14" have 1024x768 displays, the 12" is just denser, about 96 dpi, about the same resolution as my 23" Apple LCD. Text is sharp and clear and very readable. Both models have the same sized keyboards. No burned out pixels on either LCD!
Wireless networking to my G4 tower was easy to setup, and very fast.
The built in DVD player is also fun, although headphones or external speakers make the experience much more enjoyable most laptops suffer from small speakers.
Recommended Options: Get the 512M RAM upgrade card (about $125) which maxes the iBook out at 640Megs, and the Airport Extreme card ($99). Wireless internet is happening all over, in many hotels and restaurants. If you travel, consider adding some good Ear Buds if you use it to watch movies on or listen to music.
This is my 5th Apple laptop, dating back to 1992, and by far the best one to date.I have always been intrigued by the Apple's iBook since its introduction. Not necessarily the design, mind you. The "clam shell / toilet bowl" design wasn't as attractive to me as the idea that Apple was offering an affordable lap top computer. It became more attractive to me as Apple redesigned the look and a necessity when Apple FINALLY put a G4 processor in the iBook.
I purchased the iBook G4 12" 800 MHz in early December 2003. I have quickly recognized it as an excellent compliment to my home desktop computer, a Dual 500Mhz tower, on an AirPort wireless network (a separate review is in the works). Out of the box it is easy to appreciate the design. Packaged with Apple's OSX 10.3 Jaguar, iLife software, AppleWorks Suite, Quicken 2004, Encyclopedia and a few games (Diemos, Chess and Tony Hawk 4) you can get started right away.
I'm going to change things up from the format that I have used in my previous reviews and start with the "Ugly" as I would like to be a little more pessimistic as I wrap things up!
The Ugly: The Combo Drive is loud. This is more noticeable as you watch a DVD. Also, without headphones, you definitely get nothing more than a small speaker sound from the built-in speakers.
The Bad: I understand the logic behind Apple's offering of a one-button mouse/trackpad. Sure, marketing and Steve Jobs will tell you it's all about simplicity it's about 3rd party vendor relationships people. Let someone else offer the wanted 2-button mouse/trackpad with scrolling capabilities. I am getting better at using the control key but would much rather have a right click button. Also, a spectacular design like this deserves to maintain it's integrity this puppy smudges and scratches easily. I find myself babying it often.
The Good (dare I say great): No longer resembling a toy designed by Fisher-Price, I can pull the iBook out of my lap top bag and not worry about what the person next to me is going to think. In fact, it's quite the opposite people usually perform a double take. Often, in fact, mistaking it for the new PowerBook that has been getting a lot of press lately. It is sharp! Kudos for the implementation of the slot loading combo drive though loud it is nice to have a laptop with less moving parts. I've worked on $3000 laptops that felt cheap whenever you needed to access the CD ROM. I am also pleased with the 32MB ATI Display. Some have said that they wish they had a greater choice of screen resolutions (1024x768 is the max) but I feel it is an excellent value for the money. I also like the feel of the keyboard that has been criticized on past iBook models. I have also been pleased with the battery life. Apple claims that you can achieve up to 6 hours they are close. DVD playing will put you at about 3 hours respectable. Typical use Internet surfing, word processing, and the like has resulted in between 4 and 6 hours of battery power. I also like the battery power indicator on the battery itself.
So in the first 30 days I am admitting to being a big fan of the iBook and would recommend highly to those in the market for a sub $1500 laptop.The iBook G4 is an incredible machine, in all aspects. Configured with 640 MB RAM, 60 GB hard drive, and an AirPort Extreme wireless card, this computer gets the job done in all situations. First and foremost, the iBook is a compact, lightweight notebook with ample battery life. In practice, I've found the battery to last about 3.5-4 hours. Turning down the processor power will allow for greater battery life. The case is of excellent quality, feeling more stable than most Windows notebooks I've used.
What converted me to Mac, though, is the operating system, OS X 10.3 Panther. I'd used a Mac prior to 1995, but then switched to Windows and have been a Windows user ever since. Windows 98/ME was good, and Windows XP is an excellent operating system. I was pretty good with ME and XP, but I thought I'd give OS X a try nonetheless. I was, and still am, blown away. OS X is such an incredibly intuitive operating system that you really must own a Mac to understand. Of course, the first thing you notice is how cool the interface looks. The second thing you notice is how efficient the bundled programs are: Safari, Mail, iChat, iCal, Address Book, Sherlock these Apple-written programs are incredible. After using the Mac a bit more, though, you'll notice how much more you can do with it than you can with a Windows machine. If you're a power user, there are a bunch of utilities you can use to tweak your machine, utilities that Microsoft would rather you didn't use on Windows. The most important thing I noticed when using the Mac was this: you are actually productive while using it. I can't explain it any better than that; you must use the Mac operating system to understand.
Many users may be concerned about speed, by which I mean that the iBook has an 800 MHz processor while a similarly priced Windows notebook might have processor between 1.6-2.4 GHz processor. The fact is, "megahertz" or "gigahertz" is really an arbitrary measurement. What Intel doesn't tell you is the number of instructions per clock cycle. It is because of this fact that an 800 MHz iBook G4 can be, and is, faster than a 2.4 GHz Intel. Hard to believe? I'll direct those of you who are Intel-savvy to look at the difference between the Intel Celeron and the Intel Pentium-M. Until the Pentium-M, the Pentium 4 and Celeron's clock speeds well surpassed 2 GHz, nearing 3 GHz in fact. The Pentium-M, however, sports speeds of around 1.2-1.8 GHZ, and they are much faster than the Pentium 4 and Celeron of higher clock speeds.
All that being said, I feel I must explain why I gave the iBook only four stars. I had two problems when setting up the computer. First, I had difficulty connecting to my network with the AirPort wireless card. After a bit of configuration, though, I got it working. Second, I was never able to connect to my networked printer. The printer is connected to a Windows PC, and it's shared. I'm not sure if the problem is with Apple, Microsoft, Canon (who made the printer), or my own ineptitude. Regardless, I am now connected to a printer via USB, and have no more problems with the iBook.
In sum, I am a longtime Windows user who has made the transition to Mac OS X. You truly must try the iBook yourself to understand. Head out to a retail store and get your hands on an Apple; you'll see why so many have switched.
Compaq 15.6" Cq56-109wm Laptop Pc with Intel Celeron 900 Processor, 2gb Memory, 250gb Hard Drive, D
Up to now my laptop has worked fine. The seller sent it on time and I don't have any complain.
Add'l Positives: There is no Windows Vista!!!
Negatives: The overall brightness, contrast and resolution of the screen is disappointing (That's why I'm using an external monitor).Okay so I ordered this product Dec 2010 as a gift to myself because i worked so hard to get it, being a teenager and all..I was disappointed when i realized there wasn't even a webcam with it & the advertisement stated tht there was a cam, i was refund the $20 to get a webcam, really tht was no help to me, who wants a big bulky webcam on top of a laptop? when you were expecting it to be already installed. Now in June 2011 (after 5-6 months) Its now saying tht the cooling fan is not working, OMG what else is gonna happen? ughh anyway I SUGGEST YOU DON'T BUY IT.is a good product and I is working very well, this provider met my expectations by giving me a good quality product, I am very pleased with this purchase
thanksTo start out with, I own a 2010 iMac and I absolutley love it, but since everything at my Community College is run by Windows 7, I decided to give in and bought myself this laptop instead of installing Parallels in my Mac. Its not a bad looking laptop, Surprisingly for the price, this Compaq laptop looks better than the other ones in market today! Except Macs, obviously. This machine is sleek, somewhat thin and pretty much looks like the Black Macbook, which is why I bought this particular laptop! You can always update the ram and hard drive, which matter most in a computer! I don't know if they are all the same but the brightness is this laptop is not as bright as other laptops, which is a downer for me. Overall, great laptop! I suggest you "youtube it" for a better look if your skeptical about the looks.
Dell Inspiron 15N 15.6" Laptop (2.3GHz i3-2350M CPU, 4GB Memory, 500GB Hard Drive, Webcam, Windows
I bought this laptop advertised as brand new. It was about the same price as what the Dell website offered, but I went with Amazon and this seller because they could ship faster and cheaper with my Prime account.I had a warranty issue so I called Dell customer service. I had my service tag number, receipt, everything, but Dell told me the computer is registered to another owner. I went round and around with Dell but they told me point blank that if I can't provide the name and address of the original owner they will not honor the warranty. I asked Amazon about it and Amazon said I've got to take it up with the seller.
To make a long story short, a friend helped me out and the computer works now. If you want to buy a laptop at premium price and get no warranty and a smack down from the manufacturer, the shipper, and the seller, then buy from these guys.
HP Promo 4320S,CORE I3-380M CPU,13.3 HD Ag Led Sva, Uma, Webcam, 2GB DDR3 Ram, 3
It's been a few months since I got this computer. It works perfect. I have three HP/Compaq desktop and laptop, they are all reliable, never give me any problem regarding to hardware, I can't even say that about the much more expensive Sony. I actually bought a Sony and return it before I bought this one, I think this is better quality built than Sony, the top is actually metal instead of plastic like Sony. I have plastic cracking problem with two Sony laptop and it is not very good. I will definitely buy HP in the future.
Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch Laptop (OLD VERSION)
This is an able computer, but the so called value additions that make this model $300 more expensive than the standard Macbook Pro 13 are hardly worth it. If you're thinking about buying this version of the 13 inch Macbook Pro, please consider taking a look at the standard Apple MacBook Pro MC374LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop.The only difference between this $1499 MBP 13 and the $1199 MBP 13 are processor speed and hard drive space this MBP 13 has a 2.66ghz processor and 320 gb hard drive while the standard MBP 13 has a 2.4 ghz processor and 250 gb hard drive.
So you're paying $300 more (20% of the cost of the $1499 MBP 13 or 25% of the cost of the standard $1199 MBP 13) and getting only 70 gb more hard drive space and a processor faster by 266 mhz (Approximately 10%). Whether that's worth a $300 price difference over the standard MPB 13 is questionable.
Everything else is IDENTICAL in both MPB 13's Superdrive, backlit keyboard, multi-touch trackpad, screen (1280 x 800 resolution Glossy LED backlit screen), iSight camera, Nvidia Geforce 320m integrated graphics, speakers, amount of ram (4gb good for multitasking),number of ports(1 Firewire 800 port,2 USB 2.0 ports), SD Card slot, wireless capabilities (802.11n specification; 802.11a/b/g compatible, Bluetooth 2.1 and Gigabit Ethernet -10/100/1000). THE SAME EVERYTHING.
The software included is also the same OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard and the iLife 09 suite of content creation tools. A 1 year warranty on parts and 90 day telephone technical support is also standard on both models
Let's consider a situation where you choose to buy the standard MBP 13 instead of this model. You'd save $300.
You could then put it towards purchasing a 500 gb hard drive (for approximately $80 on Amazon) and install it yourself. That's a bigger hard drive than the one included in this $1499 model. The installation instructions are included in the MBP 13 manual and it doesn't void the warranty. You'll need a Philips #00 screwdriver. Installation videos are also available online.
You'd also have $220 left with which,(if you decide to) you could buy Applecare or Squaretrade and protect your machine for 2 more years after the first year limited warranty runs out.
If you're interested in using your money optimally, do consider the standard Apple MacBook Pro MC374LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop It's 99% identical in terms of hardware and capability in comparison to this $1499 MBP 13 and is in all aspects, a much better value for money buy.
Hope this helps!
I mentioned it in the video portion of the review, but the first step to purchasing a Mac is to determine if you are ready to make the leap from the world of the PCs. Personally, for my day-to-day use (and creating video reviews for Amazon.com) I love using Macs. They are very intuitive and importantlythey always seem to work. Rarely do programs randomly close down or does the computer just completely freeze.
Now that is out of the way why should you consider the 2.66GhZ MacBook Pro? Is it really worth the extra cost versus the Apple MacBook Pro MC374LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop and the Apple MacBook Pro MC374LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop? For me the answer was a (pretty) easy, yes. I love the increased speed in Video editing provided by the 4G of RAM (compared to the 2G on the standard Macbook) and the 2.66GHz Processor.
A run down of the things I like about this model
The display is awesome the LED screen is very crisp and uses less power.
Firewire port -
SD card reader it comes in more handy than you might expect
10 hours of battery life
The 4G of Ram helps with video processor and other memory intensive activities
Super Fast... programs open almost instantly.
I was able to load all of my old programs using Time Machine
Aluminum frame I had some issues with the plastic on our previous Macbook
Very lightweight
The wireless N card seems to work much faster than the N card on our older Mac ...in truth, it seems like it help to expand the range of the router Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station (Simultaneous Dual-Band) (MC340LL/A)
I really do like the backlit keyboard I know it seems like a minor thing, but we really do like it.
I do recommend purchasing the Apple Care. It is expensive but Apple customer service can not be matched.
Final VerdictWhile the Macbook Pros are more expensive than comparable laptops to me it does't make much of a difference the Macbook Pros are worth it. They work perfectly out of the box and offer great performance. I really couldn't be happier
5 Stars No Second Thoughts on this Purchase
Buy Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch Laptop (OLD VERSION) Now
I programme a lot and use my laptop for both intensive work and sometimes for games too. It handles both supremely well and has a very crisp screen that's easy on the eyes. I got the 256 SSD harddisk and it's bloody quick! I changed over from my IBM thinkpad basically for the ascetics of the new macs (and the fact that I found out there are two programmable mouse buttons on it!)Battery life is around 4-5 hours with normal use I'd say. With careful and low level stuff, I think maybe 6-7 hours is possible doing reasonable things... If you do almost nothing but use a text editor with everything else off one may well get 10hrs out but I've never tried it.
I got the 13 inch because I prefer something portable and sleek, which the mbp certainly is! The only thing I have against it is that the resolution for the 13" is very low for a high end laptop these days and you can't fit as much information on one screen as I would like. Typically at work I have to plug in an external monitor (non-apple, which displays to the full capabilities of the screen without fault or hassle).
Otherwise the computer sometimes runs a little hot (though nowhere near as hot as my old ibm).
It is in summary a very good laptop the best I've ever owned. It also helps that it's thin and gorgeous.
Read Best Reviews of Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch Laptop (OLD VERSION) Here
This is my first Mac ever, and I absolutely love it. The only downside is the high price, but this laptop is certainly worth the price you pay. The trackpad is amazing, and the aluminum unibody is so nice. The keyboard feels so good to type on, and the backlit keys look awesome. I won't get into the software too much, but Mac OSX is so user-friendly and the programs that come on it are fantastic.Want Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch Laptop (OLD VERSION) Discount?
I'm in a small Production Company so we work with Mac's. My old Macbook Pro a 15" video card finally died was an issue with my model but lasted 3yrs of heavy use. Our Company owns several Macbook Pros and just recently bought the small 13" 2.4ghz to data manage footage from our RED cameras. After My MBP broke I started using the 13" for other tasks since it was just sitting there and was very surprised by how much I really liked the small form factor I was allowed to take it home for a weekend and liked it so much that I just ordered the 2.66ghz version to replace my downed machine.
ASUS UX31A-DH71 13.3-Inch Zenbook (Silver Aluminum)
I travel on a regular basis and wanted a laptop to carry around. But still want form and function beyond a tablet.This fits the bill perfectly. I was able to load the few programs I use and documents and still have a great deal of space left, which was my concern on the ultra-books.
Speed? you lift the screen and the unit is on and running. Programs run fast and smooth.
The other review talking about the track pad was correct, however they updated the software for the unit and its totally fixed. In fact right when it updates the first time its powers on this is fixed.
The only difficult section is getting used to the quick gestures that Windows 8 uses to move between programs, scan up and down a page etc. But once you figure them out its pretty quick and intuitive.
Overall this was a great purchase. I have had it for 3 weeks and love it.
My hard requirements for a laptop are fairly basic:
writing
software development in Linux
the option to play games such as StarCraft 2 and Diablo 3.
possible to carry around every day: ideally not larger than 14"; if 15", then it should be lightweight
no fan noise during office use
battery life > 4 hours
My wish-list included:
very good display
non-glossy display
SSD drive
very good build quality
hybrid graphics card (*)
I learnt quickly that there is no perfect device and that you have to compromise somewhere. Luckily, the only compromise I had to make for the UX31A is the hybrid graphics card (*). It turns out that laptops with a hybrid graphics card are often at least 15" and quite heavy (such as the Macbook Pro Retina 15", which is the only Macbook Pro Retina that has hybrid graphics and is too expensive), and they generally have a relatively bad build quality, loud fans, and a very short battery life (even when the dedicated graphics card is powered off). I considered the UX32VD, but I didn't want to sacrifice both the SSD-card and the excellent build quality of the UX31A just to get a low-end hybrid graphics card.
I am so glad I did compromise on this point! I can play StarCraft 2 and Diablo 3 perfectly fine on customized Mid settings after playing around with some of the settings. Some options that only require RAM and do not depend on the GPU can even be set to High. It is important to manually switch to the "High Performance" power plan in Windows and not use the default "Power4Gear High Performance" since the latter appears to exhibit noticeably worse performance. The graphics still looks very good, and besides, I've heard that StarCraft 2 Pros actually play it on Low. In fact, I feel like these games actually run much smoother now than on my old Sony Vaio, which did have a dedicated graphics card. Maybe this is because you can't use ATI's original graphics driver, but you have to use Sony's outdated version. Furthermore, hybrid graphics has always been a hassle, especially in Linux, and it is annoying to switch graphics cards. It's awesome not to have to deal with this. The Intel HD 4000 appears to be a really decent card.
The display
The Chromebook Pixel, the Macbook Pro Retina, and the UX31A are, at the time of this writing and to the best of my knowledge, the only laptops with high-resolution displays. The gaming requirement meant that I couldn't get the Chromebook Pixel because it's not clear that you can install Windows on it (you can install Linux). The Macbook Pro Retina display is glossy, and apparently, even more prone to reflections than old glossy Macbook displays. The UX31A has an excellent non-glossy display and is a pleasure to work with!
The UX31A and Linux
I installed Ubuntu 12.10 on this device. I ran into some minor issues during the installation, but now that everything is set up, everything seems to work perfectly.
To install Ubuntu 12.10, you either need an external DVD drive or an external storage device. I used a DVD drive. Unfortunately, the computer did not automatically boot from the DVD, and I first had to change the corresponding setting in the BIOS (now called EMI). You also need to deactivate a strange "secure boot" feature in the EMI, as this does not work with Ubuntu.
The Wireless adapter didn't work right away on my device. However, if the USB to ethernet adapter is plugged in before the computer boots, you can get internet this way at the time of installation.
After the installation, going through this guide helped me to set everything up: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/AsusZenbookPrime
It is likely that the installation will be much smoother on Ubuntu 13.04.
Final remarks
The UX31A is sturdy, lightweight, and thin. It is so light that I have to open my backpack to check whether I really put it in there. I really like the keyboard and the display. The trackpad is a bit unusual, but of high quality too. The computer boots in seconds and is fan-free during office use. If you have needs similar to the ones I listed above, consider buying this laptop.
Buy ASUS UX31A-DH71 13.3-Inch Zenbook (Silver Aluminum) Now
I travel a lot for my job and I thought I would give an Ultrabook a try with touchscreen capabilities, even though I like my trusty Sony Z series lightweight 13" laptop I've had for 2 years.Bought this on the road at Best Buy and my initial impression was great until the next 5 hotels and other buildings I used it at. Whenever there was even a 2 to 3 bar signal the wifi slowed way down. I even brought out my aging Sony and my Samsung 10" tablet to be certain it was an issue with the computer and not all the crappy wireless signals you can get at certain hotels. It was this computer. Every time I compared it, it was painfully slower than the other 2. Downloads, and playback of video news stories were constantly stopping and starting, while my Sony and tablet just played and downloaded the same files without a hitch.
So I called tech support, downloaded the latest driver, tweaked the power settings to all max, did it all to no avail. Returned the unit and bought another one a few weeks later thinking maybe it was just "that" Asus, and wanted to give it another chance. Same exact problem occurs at every hotel, and now, even at home with blazing fast wifi (50mbps). As soon as I take it even 20' away from the router it fails miserably in general wifi performance. I am a pretty accomplished techie guy and researched the hell out of this noting wifi adapter strength settings in the power settings that I read in other forums. Nothing works to eliminate this problem. Unfortunately I will be returning this one as well.
Too bad really, because in most other ways this is a great ultrabook, which is why I've been trying so hard to make it work. Just have to wait for something better around he corner.
Read Best Reviews of ASUS UX31A-DH71 13.3-Inch Zenbook (Silver Aluminum) Here
This Laptop is amazing, super fast, I am disagreement with the review where say Your palm will hit the track pad as you type and the cursor will jump, I am quick typist, and I do not have that problemWant ASUS UX31A-DH71 13.3-Inch Zenbook (Silver Aluminum) Discount?
Would you believe this laptop is not only amazingly thin, light, and fast, but it also supports two external monitors in addition to the laptop screen!? I run one monitor at 1920x1080 over the micro HDMI port and another at 1920x1080 over the micro VGA port.Save 22% Off
Dell XPS14-8182SLV 14-Inch Ultrabook: 3rd Intel Core i5, 4GB RAM, 500GB HDD + 32GB SSD, Windows 8 ,
perfectly as descript except for the battery life which was advertised to last for 11 hour but lasted for 6-8 hours went doing little tasks like reading; while browsing on 3g gives me only but 4 hours on the average which is kind of disappointing bcos I use internet a lot on the go.will like an extra usb 4 wireless usb mouse.
it is compact and feels solid and well packed; for those who cares for weight, it is not as light as u might expect compare to Samsung series 9 and Acer s 3 & 7 ultrabooks.
overall, I'm very satisfied with this product.
Toshiba Satellite 17.3" Laptop, Intel i5, 2.5GHz, 6GB, 750GB, Double-layer DVD±RW/CD-RW, SRS Premi
i absolutely love this notebook, bought at best buy and do not regret it one bit! has an awesome 17.3" screen with hd 1600x900 screen, 3rd gen i5 processor that is the quickest i have ever seen in a notebook. there is absolutely no hesitation at all.the sound system on this laptop is not missing anything, you will be surprised. i have never had a laptop with a sound system like this, i downloaded and watched battleship on this the other day and the sound was amazing. it has built in harman/kardon audio speaker sound system that actually gets really loud and stays oh so clear. before, i have always had to buy external speakers with a laptop, but not this one.
and totally new to me, this comes with 6gb ram upgradeable to 16gb ram, ive never had a laptop upgradeable to that much ram before. it has 4 usb ports and all are usb 3.0. hdmi input, dvd player/burner, card reader, and i love the high speed start...you can close the lid and when you reopen it starts up instantly, with no hesitation, also has hdd ssd head protection, if you bump your laptop on something or drop it, it goes into protection mode and secures the hdd ssd from damage, i picked it up the other day and bumped it on the arm of my chair and it came up on the screen saying my hdd/ssd was currently being protected, as soon as shaking settles down it goes back to normal state, really cool. also comes equipped with diagnostic tool and health monitor, plus facial recognition and sleep utility. includes eco utility and toshiba assist.
this computer is lacking in nothing except one thing......no bluetooth, but thats a small price to pay for everything else you get. the etched aluminum body is awesome, you dont have to worry about finger prints or anything like that. you will not regret this laptop it is really the greatest i have ever purchased and i have owned quite a few laptops. not to mention, its one of the top "satellite" laptops made by toshiba.
i think the price is very reasonable for the quality/hardware and software included. oh and it also comes with microsoft office starter for free. also included is google chrome and microsoft silverlight.... oh i forgot, also comes with intel widi...this is a great deal. overall, it really purrs like a kitten, lol.
Toshiba has this great software that reminds you of software updates, driver updates, etc. Everyday, it reminded me that I needed to update my BIOS firmware (required/recommended update). Against my better judgement, I did this and sure enough it killed the PC.
I called Toshiba and their rep told me "oh, we don't recommend people update the BIOS firmware". Except their software update has it as a REQUIRED update and bugged me every day for a week. Turns out that if your BIOS firmware is hosed, then you are totally out of luck and have to return it to the depot for repair. Oh and you have to pay to get it sent (approx $26).
So I send the PC into the repair depot for repair. I get a email with a web-link to check on the status of the repair. The estimated time for any repair is 10 working days. On the 10th day, I get a status update which says "will need new part. will add additional 10 days". Need a new part??? How about just loading the old BIOS?? I can't even imagine how expensive this would be if it wasn't under warranty.
After the additional 10 days, I go to check the status and suddenly there is no record of my repair. I wait a few days and check again. Same thing.
I call to find out if I can find the status. I get the automated answering service and faithfully follow directions to "check on depot repair status". I choose this option and it says "check website link" and hangs up on you.
I call again and finally get a hold of someone (don't try check depot repair status, it just hangs up on you). They tell me that the repair depot is waiting on a part. I ask them why the web-link status doesn't seem to reflect that. They don't know. I ask them when was the information updated, they tell me more than 2 weeks ago. I explain that I am getting mixed messages since his update is the same one I saw sometime back but the website link for the repair does not have any record of my repair. I explain that I am worried that my laptop has been lost, sent back already, or something. I am told to check back in a week and they will have an update.
I check back today (its been a week) on the website link and now the repair link has completely expired and wont even pull up.
At this point I am not even sure I have a laptop anymore. But I really liked it for the 1 week.
UPDATE:
Received the PC back from Toshiba Repair Depot yesterday. PC hard drive had been completely wiped clean (seems unnecessary) and today it does not work again and I have to return it back to Toshiba.
I turn on the PC and it asks me to setup windows all over again. Halfway through it hangs and sits there for 2 hrs doing nothing. I turn off the power and reboot and then it says that there is a problem and it won't reboot.
I call customer service and they run me through the procedure to reboot from partition. Part of the procedure requires you to take out the battery. I turn the pc over and notice that the hard drive cover is open. Also the motion has caused the hard drive to pop out of its slot. I replace the hard drive and reboot. The laptop now doesn't even recognize that a hard disk is available. So now my call gets elevated to a Toshiba case manager.
I get the Toshiba Case manager and they tell me that I will have to return it back to the depot. As in the same repair depot that wiped my hard drive and sent me back a non-working pc. I explain the whole story outlined above and tell them that since the hard drive is completely wiped clean and I don't want to wait months getting my PC back, that I just want a new PC (same type, etc). I am informed that they absolutely will not do a replacement. I ask to speak to someone else and am told there isn't any one else. They do not elevate above case manager (which is only one level above the tech support btw). I ask if they can at least prioritize getting my PC back to me since it came back from the Repair Depot broken. I am informed they don't do this either.
I am NEVER buying another Toshiba again.VERY PLEASED WITH TOSHIBA 17" LAPTOP. THIS COMPUTER REPLACED MY DESKTOP AND IT HAS BEEN A GOOD CHOICE IN ALL RESPECTS.
ALSO TOSHIBA KEEPS THE MACHINE UP TO DATE WITH CURRENT FIRMWARE.THANK YOU AMAZON!This is the third Toshiba laptop in our house and all three have been working like a charm. The oldest laptop is two years old and working great. The second is just over a year, no issues. I'm looking forward to many great days/months/years with this laptop. I will have to say I'm impressed with the performance and style of this laptop. This is MY first Toshiba and I love it!! Other laptops owned ASUS and IBM. This Toshiba is up there!!!My wife loves her new laptop. It does things that our old computer wouldn't do and does it a lot faster
Dell Latitude E5410 Notebook - Core i5 i5-520M 2.40 GHz - 14.1" - Silver 4 GB DDR3 SDRAM - 320 GB H
I received this laptop for work and was expecting it to be fast given the processor speed and the 4GB of RAM. So far, I have been disappointed in the speed of this machine. I find that it freezes when I just have one Excel spreadsheet open. This happened to me on multiple occassions since I received the laptop, but not all the time. It seems that it freezes randomly.I would normally suspect something new with the machine that is causing the problem, since I upgraded from a lesser machine recently. For example, maybe it's Windows 7 Professsional or Office 2007. This is not the case since I had the exact same operating system and applications on my previous laptop.
On a positive note, I really like the integrated mouse features, as you can customize them however you like. Some of the great features are: ability to zoom using gestures similar to Apple's iPhone, fast scrolling, button customization, and more.
Save 29% Off
HP Pavilion DV4-2161NR 14.1-Inch Laptop (Digital Plaid)
I had have this computer for a month now, so here goes nothing:Pros:
Excellent design
4GB Ram, enough for most tasks
500GB hard drive, for me that's enough for now
Small size and little weight (even lighter when DVD is removed, which is an excellent feature in itself)
Windows 7 (better than Vista, we'll see about XP)
EXCELLENT PRICE
Cons:
Battery life is about 2 hours, bound to decrease within 6 months, not on par with most other laptops this size.
Touchpad really has a mind of its own on ocassion.
Glossy design is beautiful, but it's also a fingerprint magnet
Opening it is a cumbersome task, not really bad, but a little.
Windows 7 "64bit" Some old programs I use refuse to work in such environment.
All in all a solid laptop, with excellent features (and minor inconveniences), but please, HP, this is my third HP laptop and the batteries have never been your forte. (yet I keep buying HP) DO SOMETHING!
UPDATE: The battery won't last for more than an hour and a half, so I took two stars off my review for this major inconvenience. Sorry to say this, but I no longer recommend this purchase.
I also love how its 14" monitor, so I can take it anywhere and fit it into any bag. It has a very sleek and glossy exterior. A little bit of work to keep clean, but that's no reason not to buy a computer. The speakers are great for a laptop. I was actually surprised how clear sounds and music was. As with most HP laptops, you get the lightscribe burner, which is great, but it also comes with a disc replacement thing so if you don't care to use a disc drive, you can remove it and save some weight. But really it doesn't weigh that much.
The only downfall I have with this computer is the slightly low battery life. I think a little bit of that might be my fault cause I just plugged in and played rather than letting the battery charge fully first before I started playing with it.
Great laptop for the price.
Buy HP Pavilion DV4-2161NR 14.1-Inch Laptop (Digital Plaid) Now
This is a good system to own if you can deal with a few minor annoyances.Windows 7 works well. Most things are in different places than XP but it's easy to find them.
This system has a basic graphics card. The Windows Experience numbers warn that the Aero interface will be sluggish sometimes, and I definitely feel that's true.
The hard drive impressively large, although not all the 500GB is usable. It is split up into three partitions. One is the system restore partition (since Windows install discs are not included), and one is the quickstart partition (a fast starting non-Windows environment that lets you surf the web and browse your media collection), so the hard drive really has only around 320 mb free when you get it. That's lots for your pictures, videos, music, etc. It's also quite speedy.
4GB RAM standard, which should be more than enough, except that about 1.5 GB are used for the integrated graphics so you only have around 2.5 GB for programs. In the future, when RAM prices come down, I'll be upgrading to 8GB of RAM.
The only ads on the machine are trials of Norton Internet Security 2010 1-User, and Microsoft Office Standard 2007 FULL VERSION, prominent links to HP's accessories store (buy from Amazon instead), an ad for an online backup service, and an icon for one of Amazon's competitors (a Bay Area auction site). Not bad.
I have no problems with overheating here. The touch panel for adjusting volume is very very useful.
Read Best Reviews of HP Pavilion DV4-2161NR 14.1-Inch Laptop (Digital Plaid) Here
I did mountains of research before committing to a replacement for my dead Sony (second dead Vaio = end of brand loyalty), and I chose this HP for its performance, value, and seeming sturdiness. The new i3 processor is fantastic and there is plenty of RAM to handle multitasking. I haven't even had to pace myself with my computing whims -I'm downloading, word processing, virus-scanning, and listening to music without worrying about overloading the system. What I like most about this laptop is the big bright display, which for me was important in the switch from 15.4 to 14.1 -nothing else in this price range compares. Finally, the machine is built well compared to others in this price range (I'm looking in your direction Asus and Acer).Some reviewers have mentioned overheating, and I was apprehensive about this -and after buying I was constantly monitoring the temp to see if a return was in my immediate future. But really it's not so bad, better than my last Sony, and I do believe that having the i3 processor (still blazing fast, mind you) minimizes this problem in this configuration. But if heat is your number one concern, sacrifice more computing power and go for one of the new super-mobile types with the dainty processors. They will stay cooler of course.
Overall, I am extremely pleased with this purchase and would recommend this HP laptop to my friends, family, and to all of you!
Want HP Pavilion DV4-2161NR 14.1-Inch Laptop (Digital Plaid) Discount?
I switched from a Mac to this PC, and I'm very glad I did. Windows 7 is pretty great. There's a decent amount of junk software preloaded, but also some useful software (media organizers/ players, etc), and useless but fun games.Other than that, what's not to like, especially now that it's $50 less than the $700 I paid for it? It's 14", so it's transportable. Has a DVD drive, a ton of memory, is really fast. Multiple programs run easily. Battery lasts about three hours, but can last longer with wireless/ speakers turned off.
In contrast to some negative reviews, I have had zero problems with the computer overheating. The only reasons I can think to not purchase it are if you wanted either Bluetooth or Bluray capabilities directly installed, as it doesn't have either.
EDIT
Everything I said previously was true, but I have altered my rating to take into account the poor lifetime of the laptop. The battery power fell to zero seconds within 12 months, and the cord powering the monitor became defective within 18 months, allowing only certain specific viewing angles, and causing general frustration.
Alienware M14x R2 i5-3210M 2.50GHz 2GB 650M 14" HD+ LED W8 Gaming Laptop
This was a birthday gift from my son. The computer shop had it loaded and ready to go for gaming. He loves it! It's super fast and has great features.
Also the speed is very fast
Buy Alienware M14x R2 i5-3210M 2.50GHz 2GB 650M 14" HD+ LED W8 Gaming Laptop Now
VIZIO CN15-A5 15.6-Inch Laptop
While this computer is $999, go for it! Fantastic price for this piece of tech!That said, I purchased this laptop before the discount, and even then I think it is a fantastic price for what you are getting.
The two most iffy parts about the computer:
1. The touchpad. Whew boy. Initial thoughts, "I love it!" 20 minutes later, "I completely LOATH it!" About 4-5 hours of use later, "Meh, it is ok." Firstly, the gestures with this thing are fantastic, very smooth, work flawlessly most of the time. No complaints there. Moving the mouse around is speedy and very sensitive, which is great as well. I haven't really had any of those glitchy jumps and such that were described in the earlier models. The issue is when you start clicking. I found that clicking wherever your finger lays on the touchpad is the most accurate way to go (though still not flawless). Moving your finger to the bottom of the touchpad often makes the mouse jump a little bit when you click, often making you miss what you are clicking if it is small (though this still happens a little when using the whole pad). However, the top 1/4 off the touchpad isn't really clickable because the buttons ARE actually at the bottom.
EDIT: I find that the bottom of the touchpad goes down into the case a LOT when you click on it. I am thinking the mouse moves when clicking near the base because the touchpad is actually flexing a decent amount, making your finger roll a little or something. Not a huge deal, kinda annoying but not too hard to get used to.
2. The keyboard is a little shallow, but very solid. The keys are bigger than average, and quite close together. This might take some getting used to, though I honestly love the layout of this keyboard. I miss my page up and page down buttons (EDIT: Though not labeled, holding FN and using arrow keys act as page up/down and home/end), but I can indeed make due without, though it really wouldn't have been hard for them to add as the have plenty of room. There is one annoying glitch with the keyboard where it sometimes registers a key twice. I have played with it a lot and it isn't my typing, the keyboard does indeed register key strokes twice here and there. It happened twice with typing the previous two sentences. Another small gripe is the shrunk up and down arrow keys. I would have been happier if they just shrunk them all, as shrinking just the up and down makes it a little awkward to use in video games because of the different size. However, like everything else, it isn't that hard to get used to. And if it REALLY bugs you, redefine your controls in-game to something else.
The rest of the computer I find superb. The frame is extremely solid, very little flex in the monitor (which is absolutely beautiful), not to mention the whole machine has a fantastic simplistic design. It is a little hard to open, though you will soon discover the required technique and can open it with one hand. Also, the edges of the computer are decently sharp and can leave marks on your wrists after even short periods of use.
For such a thin laptop, you get some decent guts for a fantastic price:
Intel i7 ivy quad, 8 threads, with 2.3ghz clock and 3.3ghz boost. (Intel 4000 integrated graphics, but who cares? ;] )
Nvidia 640m LE of which I found was a Kepler with DDR3 and 1GB vram(to those who care, as there is a Fermi and DDR5 version as well) Underclocked base to 500mhz, boo, but there are ways to remedy that. This thing ran Unigine in 720p with 2x antialiasing, full tesselation, 2x anisotropy, and full shaders without dipping into the single digits, though it got awfully close. It liked the framerates of 11-17 in the heavier areas (This isn't a good analysis by any means, but take what you can from it).
-8GB DDR3 1600. You're not going to be upgrading, but you shouldn't really need to.
Also to note, I have yet to see this thing get really hot, even running Unigine (though I didn't run it for more than a few minutes). If this thing starts to burn I will come back and say so. Secondly, I find the battery life is about 4-4 1/2 hours of basic web browsing and full brightness (though this thing is monitor plenty bright, even when half way dimmed).
EDIT: Computer seems to be cooled quite well. I have done some gaming (GTA IV, UT3 and the like) for a few hours. It does get a bit hot under the speakers, however I am overclocking the video card a little and it still stays around 68-70C, highest it has ever reached was 72C. Not bad at all for such a thin laptop.
So yeah, quick sloppy review by moi (I don't generally write them). I would recommend it because of the build quality, nice specs, and cheap price. The only determent is the keyboard glitch and getting used to the oddly sensitive mouse clicking.
I first bought a Dell XPS 15 (highest-end model, with 1 TB + 128GB SSD drive), for $800 more than this laptop. I didn't like it, and here's why:
Dell XPS: Bad trackpad. Vizio: Good trackpad.
The Dell has a delay on every action. A lot of false detections of gesture. Can't possible configure it to accept a double-tap as a right click (only a double-full-click). I can't stand the Mac-inspired "press the whole trackpad as if it were a mouse button". Conversely: the Vizio has an excellent trackpad, on par with the MacBook Pro, and handles double-tap and every other gesture I care to use without any trouble. Also, the Dell's trackpad seems to have higher friction than the Vizio. Both use basically the same finish for the trackpad as the body; the Dell's matte rubber body would seem to require a "stickier" finish on the trackpad.
Dell XPS: Excessive fan noise. Vizio: little to no fan noise.
I bought the XPS (and Vizio) because I want to at least occasionally play games. I'm not super hard-core, I don't need an AlienWare, but I at least wanted something on par with my 6-year-old MacBook Pro; these days, it seems like 99% of all laptops have no discrete graphics. The Dell XPS 15 has the same chip as this machine. The performance in Skyrim (full HD resolution, high graphics), while not stellar, is playable in both. However, the Dell needs to spin the fan at max RPM constantly, generating a racket well in excess of a full-size room-cooling tower fan right next to it. Meanwhile, the Vizio, running the same game at the same performance, only sometimes needs the fan, and the volume is much lower. The actual heat of the laptop (to the touch) is far less, as well. I credit the metal casing, as opposed to rubber (seriously? rubber? in a heat-sensitive device?), and likely superior cooling for the GPU.
Dell XPS: Heavy. Vizio: light.
I didn't expect this, and I'm not sure the official specs can back me up, but I'll be damned if the Vizio isn't at least 1/3 lighter than the XPS. It's the lightest 15" I've ever handled...lighter than a MacBook Pro. Not sure what the deal is. Maybe better heft? Something about build quality? It's light. Really light for a 15" that can play 3d games like a boss.
Dell XPS: Backlight chiclet keyboard (good!). Vizio: Non-backlit traditional keyboard (less good).
The Dell wins here. I liked that keyboard. The backlighting I can understand--the Vizio is 40% cheaper at nearly the same internal specs. The flat style vs chiclet? I think that's a matter of personal preference. I don't like the Vizio's arrow keys--there are two different sizes to force the bundle into a solid rectangle--but it's hardly a deal-breaker.
Dell XPS: Normal Dell charger (ugh). Vizio: nifty new charger (yay!)
Coming from a MacBook world, I was dismayed to see the sad state of PC laptop chargers. I feel like I just stepped back in time by a decade. That being said, Dell chargers are hard to come by without buying direct, in some cases paying 3 digits. What? Seriously, wtf? Even Apple charges 50-60 bucks for a charger...and they're APPLE. And apparently Dell computers detect if the charger is "genuine" and won't charge if it isn't. Okay Dell, get off your high horse. You're Dell, not Apple. I will give them this though: if you already have Dell laptops, your existing chargers will likely work.
The Vizio charger isn't a MagSafe (damn patents), but it's perhaps the next best thing. Less bulky than the Dell charger pin, with a colored LED to let you know if it's charging or not, it was a welcome change. Unfortunately, I cannot find a replacement charger anywhere on the internet (at this time, Vizio is "out of stock" with expectations of having more stock soon). Ding vs Vizio. Still, if they get more stock soon, all is forgiven. They're smaller than Dell or Apple, I can understand.
Dell XPS: Windows 8. Vizio: Windows 8. Result: draw.
Windows 8 is terrible. Awful. Abhorrent. Stupid. Folks, I've been using Microsoft operating systems since 1985. I'm not some Johnny-come-lately. I've never been a huge fan of Mac OS, could never seriously embrace Linux full-time, and have never used anything but a DOS/Windows machine as a primary dev/gaming/general use box. I say this in my full capacity as a consumer, a developer, a gamer, and an IT professional: Windows 8 is a usability disaster so bad that I honestly hope Microsoft permanently goes out of business (or at least leave the OS business) forever. As a tablet OS, it's at least a distant 3rd place. As a desktop OS, it is a crime against humanity.
That being said, both machines ship with it. If you use the new UI, the Vizio is your best bet (see previous issues with trackpad gestures). If you use the Desktop (and Pokki!) like a boss, it doesn't really matter. It's just software. But it's worth mentioning; unless you're 100% cognizant of who is to blame for the awfulness of Windows 8 (hint: neither Dell nor Vizio), you might despise either of these laptops (at least until you learn how to replace the Start menu and stay in Desktop mode).
Dell XPS: Attractive. Vizio: Very attractive. MBP: Extremely attractive.
I admit it. My primary laptop for the last 6 years was a MacBook Pro. I like an attractive machine. More importantly, I also like a machine with serious build quality--none of this creaky plastic that slowly loses its paint job and accumulates nast. After more than 6 years of heavy use, without any babying or protective casing, my all-aluminum MBP looks about 90% as good as the day I bought it. I can't say the same of any plastic PC laptop of half that age.
As any serious laptop buyer knows: most PC laptops are ugly and poorly built. That's changing (slowly (way, way, too slowly)), but there are leagues to go just yet. With either the Dell XPS or the Vizio, you pay a premium for appearance and build quality. Of course, in the Vizio's case, that premium is much, much less.
The Dell XPS is made primarily of metal (one would think aluminum, but the relative weight has me wondering if it's actually steel...or maybe polonium). The top looks very MBP-like, save for the Dell logo instead of an Apple logo. But the working surface (the one with the keyboard and trackpad) is covered almost entirely in black rubber. Why? I don't know. Just to be different? I'm paying for aluminum. Apparently aluminum costs hundreds of dollars per pound in laptop form (as opposed to ones of dollars per pound in any other use ever). So I shelled out the cash...why coat it in rubber? Rubber is high-friction; that's why tennis shoes have rubber soles. Got a pet? Or hair? Or humans living in your house? Count on hair, lint, and dust clinging to that rubber like Spider-man to a skyscraper wall.
Meanwhile, the Vizio's exterior is nearly 100% metal; the bottom is rubberized, but that's fine. I don't really care if cat hair sticks to the bottom. The top of the main body, and of course the top of the laptop when closed, are 100% metal, with the usual silver finish. Like that color? You'll like this. It also happens to be much less high-friction (see above), and I suspect far better at conducting heat (see above again).
A few notes about things where neither one wins:
Both of these machines have the same problem for me: when running 3d applications on an external monitor (via the HDMI port), the screen frequently (3-10 times per minute) flicks off and back on, with 1+ seconds of blackness, rendering it unusuable. This *only* happens in "second monitor only" mode, as opposed to extended desktop mode, or built-in-display-only mode. Because it happens in both machines, I suspect the Nvidia GPU--common to both--is at fault. So far, driver updates haven't fixed it, but I suspect it will be fixable (on either machine) eventually with only software updates.
Both machines seem to be having WiFi problems, with the connection randomly dropping (interval ranging between 5 minutes and a few hours), requiring manual re-connect. I doubt it's either laptop's fault (I haven't begun to rule out my home network, although it's worth mentioning I have two different routers from two different manufacturers, one of which is a WRT54GL, not exactly known for unreliability, and none of the 14 other WiFi devices on my network are having these problems), but the Dell does have a lot of complaints about WiFi, and it has me wondering if both of these machines are using the same, faulty chip, antenna, or some other such component. In any case, YMMV, but this is certainly the kind of thing either manufacturer should be on the hook for, should it affect you.
Well, there you have it. Didn't mean to ramble so much, but hey: more data > less data, I guess. I'll update if I find a solution to the WiFi or GPU problems.
TL;DR: if you're comparing a Dell XPS 15 to this, buy this. The performance is a virtual match for the high-end Dell XPS 15, but a vast price difference (at the time of purchase: roughly $2000 for the Dell, $1200 for the Vizio), and every single feature of the Vizio is at least as good, if not better, with the exception of a backlit keyboard and subjective appraisals of appearance.
Buy VIZIO CN15-A5 15.6-Inch Laptop Now
I've always been a desktop guy. My main machine I built by myself just to make sure everything was the way I wanted it. I never saw a laptop that could rival the power of a desktop that wasn't one of the 6 inch thick bricks they sell as "gaming laptops". I was excited by the ultrabook concept because it could eventually lead to a Windows revolution of thin laptops with solid specs, but the ULV chips inside are lacking in processing power and Intel Integrated Graphics 4000 was a bit of a let down. I was looking at the Asus UX51VZ for a really long time but the $2500 price tag immediately dropped my interest. So I sulked around for a bit until a video from The Verge about Vizio's new computers came out. It piqued my interest enough that I eventually purchased the CN15-A5.First impressions: The machine is gorgeous. The build quality is amazing. The device is heavy, but having this incredibly durable aluminum chassis is worth it. Also, not important but the box was very elegant and extremely durable.
Powering it on: Boot was fast, but I credit that to the general nature of Windows 8. It's comparable to booting Windows 7 on an SSD. I went to ninite(.)com and downloaded all of my favorite applications as well as classicstart, which lets me skip the whole "interface formerly known as metro" thing and brings highly customizable start button back in. I recommend anybody using Windows 8 get it.
First hour. WiFi dropping like crazy. After one drop the wifi antenna disconnected and I had to use an ethernet cable. I investigated and sent Vizio an email. Here's what I got:
Thank you for contacting VIZIO PC support, I can definitely assist you with your inquiry.
First you'll need to download the Win8 Wireless driver from the VIZIO Website. Then follow these steps:
1. In desktop press WINKEY + X and press Device manager on the context menu on the bottom left.
2. When Device Manager opens open the Network Adapters list and Right Click "Qualcomm Atheros" and Uninstall.
3. A window should appear to confirm Device Uninstall, Check "Delete the driver software for this device", Press OK.
4. Reboot the PC
5. Run the WLAN installer and check remove to uninstall the software windows could not delete.
6. Reboot the PC
7. Run the WLAN installer and to install, it will ask to launch the installer, keep it checked and run the installer.
8. In the installer it will come with "Previous Installation detected", Check Uninstall and press OK to remove, Press OK to remove profiles. Press Finish
9. Reboot the PC
10. Run the WLAN installer and check remove to uninstall the software once more.
11. Reboot the PC
12. Run the WLAN installer and complete the installer now. (It should install straight forward now). Finish. Wi-Fi should work without rebooting now.
13. Double check to see if "Metered Network" Is turned off in PC Settings > Devices.
14. Test the wireless now.
This did the trick.
Keyboard+Mouse: I only use mechanical keyboards, which should be a sign that I'm picky. It's been three days and I'm still getting used to it, but it's definitely better then most. It should have a backlight though. The mouse is the first I've used of it's kind. The multi-touch gestures are very convenient and work pretty well. Vizio did a great job on it when compared to the generic ones I'm used to. One thing to note is when you click using the center of the trackpad the pointer skips a little. It's a pain but I'm getting used to compensating for it.
Battery: Not impressed. Getting around 4 hours with Windows Signature settings, but I am downloading something 99% of the time. I'm sure I could get 5+ when doing general browsing and music, but still, the fact that this is still an issue in our world baffles me.
Screen: Amazing. I'm not a fan of matte displays but this one does it right. No annoying color shimmer from poor application of matte coating. 1080p was a necessity on a laptop and this one nailed it. Maybe Vizio used some of their TV technology on this one.
Gaming. As of this review, there has been no in-depth gaming analysis. I've played a few games now. I overclocked the GPU a little and I reccomend you all do the same. I used a program called MSI Afterburner to do it.
BF3: Definitely the one of the most demanding games out there. 1080p is unplayable with anything above low settings. I played with many resolutions and settings and got the 40-50 fps I needed with nice settings at 1600x900p with a mix of low to high settings. Everybody is different in this aspect
L4D2: Not the most demanding game, but a 3d game nonetheless. I play it at 1600x900 at max because I like the satisfying gore effects. 1080p would be easy if you turned it off.
Civilization 5: 1080p with medium effects its very playable. As my civilization got bigger I had to drop some things a little, but this game is perfect for this computer because you can play it without a mouse.
Borderlands 2: 900p at medium/high settings. Very fun game btw
Looking forward to trying more!
Final thoughts. Although the WiFi should have worked out of the box and the keyboard could be backlit, it's a fantastic computer. One last thing worth mentioning is the general sluggishness of the 5400RPM drive. The SSD caching really helps when it's being utilized, but 32gb only goes so far, but keep in mind this is coming from somebody who only uses solid state storage in his primary computer, so it may be perfect for you. I'd still like to repeat that it is the best Windows computer I have ever used.
Read Best Reviews of VIZIO CN15-A5 15.6-Inch Laptop Here
I bought this laptop as my official "college laptop," and I am ecstatic to say that it was one of the best investments I made.The first thing that pops out of this laptop is the sleek design, beautiful 15 inch HD display, and the textures used on the laptop. More importantly though, the cheap price for such a great product. I believe that this is a hidden gem. I don't know how Vizio is managing to keep the prices so low, but I would take advantage of the opportunity before demand for this brand goes up. I was trying to find a Windows version of an Apple computer, and I think this laptop is it. I feel like I'm using the next generation of Windows computers, and I'm confident that this line will exceed Apple products.
Pros:
Excellent display
Great specs
Design is modern and stylish
Thin
Price
Cons:
Average battery life (5+ hours, with low brightness)
No back-lit keyboard
No touch-screen
Could've had an SSD, but that might have made it really expensive
Want VIZIO CN15-A5 15.6-Inch Laptop Discount?
First off, here is my Spyder4Pro calibration file for this laptop's monitor. You can download it and load it in yourself through color management settings in windows.visualplastikDOTcom/stuff/vizio-spyder4-calibration.zip
Screen was overly warm and yellow before calibrating. May take your eyes a minute to adjust to new profile.
I would say its a nice laptop screen, on par with the pre-2012 macbooks. Not the new 2012 IPS macbook retina and some nicer external glossy IPS screens. Plenty of resolution for Photoshop.
A mini displayport would be best for running my 2560x1600 27" monitor. That would be the only way to run it at 60hz at that res. Currently I'm using the HDMI port and that is limited to 40hz at that resolution (custom intel graphic setting). Not really that noticeable a drop, unless you are gaming. Photoshop runs real smooth at that size so the GPU is up to par. I'm also running another 24" monitor through EVGA UV+ USB adapter and that works fine thanks to the fast USB 3.0 ports.
I would prefer the keys were backlit and had a bit more travel.
The hybrid drive speed is good, not as solid as a full solid state drive. But you can always upgrade yourself later (likely will void warranty). And I believe you can manually upgrade to 16gb of RAM.
Build quality is very nice. People definitely take a second look when walking by.
One bug I've had is repeated drop-off with the internal wi-fi. Drops every 10 minutes some days, even with latest driver. Reverted to a cheap USB wifi plug from Amazon and problem went away, though that does swallow one of the two usb plugs.
Internal bluetooth works perfect with a bluetooth mouse.
MARCH 2013 UPDATE
I've replaced the main drive with an SSD and upgraded to 16gb of ram without issues.
Disclaimer: Not for faint of heart or those that wish to keep their warranty. I wasn't aware of what a hybrid drive was until now. There is a main regular spinner hard drive and an MSATA which is a caseless SSD drive that looks like a big stick of ram. Those two drives are set as RAID 0 to generate the increased performance. This means you can likely upgrade the MSATA drive separately, which is cheaper than a normal SSD and have two separate drives. I'm currently using the stock 30gb MSATA as a second drive in non-raid and haven't upgraded it.
Save 15% Off