Is this the most advanced laptop available, No, but it is a Great laptop for how little it costs! Great Value!
Buy hp 2000-427cl laptop--AMD Dual-Core E-450 Accelerated Processor / 15.6" LED-back Now
Showing posts with label notebook dividers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label notebook dividers. Show all posts
hp 2000-427cl laptop--AMD Dual-Core E-450 Accelerated Processor / 15.6" LED-back
Is this the most advanced laptop available, No, but it is a Great laptop for how little it costs! Great Value!
Toshiba Satellite A665D-S5172 15.6-Inch Laptop - Black
I've had this A665d-S5172 for about 2 months now. So far I am well pleased with the performance of this laptop. I purchased this when Amazon had it for $599. With all the bells and whistles a high end laptop would have for the fraction of the price. I love the blu-ray! you simply just can't go wrong!Now the Graphics card is ok. If your playing games like Star Craft2 or some other high end graphics game it becomes to much for the graphics card which in turns becomes laggy and your fps lowers to the single digits. It helps that you don't have anything running in the background to improve the performace of your games. Also updating your driver will make it perform a little better. luckily you can change the graphics settings to make it so it is not laggy.
Other then the Graphics card issue I am very happy. Sound is great with harmon/kardon speakers and HD quality screen. The raised tile keyboard and the Fusion(tm) X2 finish is very stylish.
A665d-S5172 has many features that you will love. This is the best laptop for the price and after researching for days I kept coming back to this.
I'm very satisfied with the system's performance and it functions perfectly for both school and for streaming video from Netflix.
Buy Toshiba Satellite A665D-S5172 15.6-Inch Laptop - Black Now
Toshiba Satellite A665D-S5172 15.6-Inch Laptop BlackI have had this machine about one month now. It ran right out of the box as I expected and was not bloated with too much software to delete. I do find the keys to be a bit too slick and not indented enough which slows my touch typing pace. Two USB ports on the left are fine but I find the third on the right a bit tricky to use as I use a mouse 99% of the time and hit the sensor in so doing. It is also vibration sensitive and I usually get a message that the head has been moved to a safe position whenever I nudge the desk. I guess this is for my benefit though: I need a better desk anyway. The speakers are quite good for a laptop and the screen is very clear and bright. Overall I have no regrets about this buy. Windows 7 is very much welcome too. I have been using computers since the RShack TRS 80 came out 100 years ago and am amazed at the progress and how the prices have come down.
Read Best Reviews of Toshiba Satellite A665D-S5172 15.6-Inch Laptop - Black Here
All in All: (Funny, listening to "all in all," by Lifehouse right as I started typing this line. Haha.) Anyhow. This laptop has been a great machine for me. I've had it over a year, and have had no major issues whatsoever, and the battery is still ok after a year of being plugged in 98% of the time, which seems to be uncommon among most laptops for the battery to last. The screen is very bright and has good contrast. It never ceases to amaze me when I watch something in HD. I run a lot of games on here as well, and the processor/graphics card run very well and don't seem to give me any problems. Runs all the COD games at full graphics, all the driving games I have, and just about anything else. The software on the laptop is phenomenal for its ease of use, especially when adding displays and audio devices etc. I haven't ever used the webcam, but there is good software with it, and my friend has the exact same machine, and he says the camera is good. I know the mic is excellent, as I use it regularly. The keyboard has a nice feel to it, and none of the keys stick, despite me regularly spilling crap on them. This has been a durable machine too, and lived with a few moves and me taking it everywhere, dropping it off my bike, closing it in my trunk, (interesting story that one...,)etc. Can't really think of anything else... Oh the HDMI output is nice, and works great. As I mentioned earlier, all the hardware/software integration is excellent and very user friendly, so it's great for presentations etc. This laptop kicks my HP's butt in almost every category. It's all around an excellent laptop for the money, and I would recommend it to anyone who doesn't need an 8hr battery life.Pros: Dual touch touch mouse is excellent. Great keyboard!!!! Great screen, great speakers for a laptop, however I use external half the time. The Audio Manager's simplicity swapping from headphones to line out, and in general audio seems very good. Fast. Only game that I've ever started getting low FPS at times, was BFBC2, and I'm talking like explosions going off all around destroying the environment, and it starts to slow. Otherwise, I run full graphics/sounds settings on everything. Comes with a lot of Toshiba software, which I normally would consider bloatware, however, a lot of it is actually very good, and quite useful, if appropriately managed. 4GB of RAM seems to be quite a bit, but since I rarely max out my processor, it's nice that toshiba made it very simple and very easy to upgrade to 6GB, there is two slots, but I'm unsure if both can be filled with 4 gig cards. However, since the ATI graphics card is allocated shared memory, 6GB of RAM would be a noticeable difference on applications that need it. I have found very very little that this computer doesn't handle though. Very stable laptop. I've had it for over a year, and the only time I've had an issue, was when a game didn't install properly, at the same time as a BIOS update, and toshiba recovery simply restored to the restore point I had created right before the reboot. Worked flawlessly.
Cons: Battery life isn't *great,* but the "eco utility," works pretty well, and integrates seamlessly, and still offers you control. I can get around 2, 2.5 hours on battery depending on if you're using WiFi and the drive etc. The audio manager's equalizer ranges seem a little conservative for headphones, but it never sounds bad, just keeps me from destroying more headphones I guess. (I'm somewhat of an audiophile.) Don't take this as a deal breaker by any means, the sound hardware and software on this laptop blows most out of the water, I'm just picky. The case *feels* kinda poorly made, particularly the trim around the screen, but it has been immensely durable regardless. Dropped it a few times actually... while probably a driver error, the volume soft keys above the keyboard have a tendency to freeze occasionally? but not really a problem, I tap the mute once and then go straight back to normal volume keys and it works fine again. Oh, and my machine doesn't have keyboard backlighting. :/ not sure if that's the same as the product above, because the Toshiba a660 series has so many submodels it seems impossible to find the right one, and this one seemed to match up perfectly to mine up to the A665D.... I know theres an "s????" that typically follows, so there may be some MINOR differences between mine and the one above, but other than the keyboard lighting, none that I have mentioned that would affect or Bias my review.
Want Toshiba Satellite A665D-S5172 15.6-Inch Laptop - Black Discount?
This laptop was the perfect upgrade for me. I had a Toshiba L305-S5921. I wanted a laptop that could play games. My old laptop couldn't play games that well unless I used game booster. This laptop can play the games I play the most (mainly Minecraft). I added 8 Gigs of RAM $50. I've had it for over a month, It's a pretty good laptop. I recommend this if you want to have something speedy. As for the bloatware, PC Decrapifier comes in handy for that. I usually use 7200 RPM hard drives but I can't really tell a difference with this hard drive.PROS:
Excellent Battery life
Good Sound Quality
Keyboard is easy to type on
Not a bad price for a laptop
$50 bucks gets you twice the RAM
Good for moderate gaming
Excellent for school/entertainment
Cons:
Can't really think of any.
HP Pavilion dv7 2.90GHz, 640GB, 17.3-Inch Laptop PC - Up to 7.5 Hours of Battery Life (Argento)
Purchased this last month, best laptop I ever owned! Its fast, screen is bright and touch pad is cool. Great buy on Amazon @849 then, now its abit cheaper!
Product Name dv7-4177nr
Product Number XH121UA#ABA
Microprocessor 2.90GHz VISION Technology from AMD Premium with AMD Phenom II Dual-Core Mobile Processor N640
Microprocessor Cache 2MB L2 Cache
Memory 6GB DDR3 System Memory (2 DIMM)
Memory Max 8GB
Video Graphics ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5470 s
Video Memory itchable graphics
Hard Drive 640GB (7200RPM)
Multimedia Drive LightScribe Blu-ray ROM with SuperMulti DVD±R/RW Double Layer Support
Display 17.3" diagonal High Definition+ HP BrightView LED Display (1600 x 900)
Fax/Modem
Network Card Integrated 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN
Wireless Connectivity
802.11b/g/n WLAN
Bluetooth
Sound
Beats Audio(tm) and HP Triple Bass Reflex Subwoofer
Keyboard 101-key compatible with island-style full-size keyboard with integrated numeric keypad
Pointing Device HP Clickpad with On/Off button
PC Card Slots
External Ports
5-in-1 integrated Digital Media Reader for Secure Digital cards, MultiMedia cards, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, or xD Picture cards
4 Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0, 4th port shared with eSATA
1 HDMI
1 eSATA + USB 2.0
1 VGA (15-pin)
1 RJ -45 (LAN)
1 Headphone-out
1 Microphone-in
Other Devices
HP TrueVision Webcam with integrated digital microphone
HP SimplePass with integrated fingerprint reader
Dimensions 16.35" (W) x 10.8" (D) x 1.25" (min H)/1.46" (max H)
Weight 8.19 lbs
Security
Kensington MicroSaver lock slot
Power-on password
Accepts 3rd party security lock devices
Power
90W AC Adapter
9-Cell 93WHr Lithium-Ion Battery
What's In The Box HP TrueVision Webcam with integrated digital microphone
HP SimplePass with integrated fingerprint reader
Back to top
Software
Operating System:
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Security and Support:
Symantec Norton Internet Security 2011 60-day Trial
HP SimplePass Identity Protection
HP Recovery Manager
Sun Java
HP Advisor
HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection (3D DriveGuard)
HP Support Assistant
Multimedia:
eBay; Beats Audio
HP MediaSmart: HP Music Store by Rhapsody; Snapfish; Facebook; Flickr; Hulu; Netflix; Roxio CinemaNow; MTV; Nickelodeon
HP Games Powered by Wild Tangent
Snapfish Picture Mover; Corel PaintShop Photo PRO X3; Corel VideoStudio Pro X3
HP Photo Creations
Adobe Reader; Adobe Flash
Windows Live Photo Gallery
HP Barnes and Noble e-reader ; New York Times E-Reader (15b)
Productivity and Finance:
Microsoft Office 2010 preloaded (purchase of a Product Key required to activate a full Office 2010 suite) (34)
Microsoft Silverlight
Internet Solutions:
HP Setup; ISP Partners (in HP Setup)
HP Wireless Assistant
Windows Live Messenger; Windows Live Mail
Bing Toolbar
Microsoft PortalLove the laptop. Had old desktop knew it was slow, but now REALLY know how slow it was.
Highly recommend.
Acer TimelineU M5-581T-6490 15.6-Inch Ultrabook (Silver)
Pros:good battery life
good build quality
excellent value for it's price
plays mid-range games on low with acceptable frame rates
Cons:
screen is thin feels too thin not that its totally a bad thing
other notes:
bought this laptop for my programming classes at my university, typing on it is pleasant and it's battery life is impressive compared to my last laptop. Held off on a graphics card because I wanted no temptations to game whist in class or studying, but it didn't matter because the HD 4000 is actually a decent integrated solution.
I would recommend this laptop to others because its a excellent value for it's price.
will return feedback in 2 months time.
The first little trouble I ran into is the touch pad keeps doing strange zooming in/zooming out, and the mouse is difficult to control. Turns out the default setting turns on multi-finger functions. After some research, I turned it off. control Panel -> Mouse -> Touchpad, turn off all multi-finger function. After this, the touch pad was at mostt manageable, still not as good as my old laptop.
A few times when I turned on the laptop to use, instead of turning on as expected, it said, "Loading Update 1 of 40." Even AFTER I had selected the option that supposedly allowed me to choose whether or not to install updates. I had to wait about an hour for the updates to finally load, and nothing seemed to have changed or improved.
Then I installed Microsoft office, Acrobat, Visio etc. Suddenly, the laptop took a very long time to boot up the windows, and the mouse was constantly drawing in circles. Word, Visio, also slowed down for no reason. I tried many tips from online, like "disable all programs at startup", "uninstall McAfee", but none helped.
Finally, I spent $35 to have an IT Pro to run diagnostic. Bingo, a Hard Disc defect. Office software happens installed in that sector. The Video card RAM also has defect.
Acer said I can send the unit back, they will fix it, likely replace the hard drive but I will lose ALL installed software license.
The touch pad still bother me a little. I had enough with this unit, and decided to return.
Buy Acer TimelineU M5-581T-6490 15.6-Inch Ultrabook (Silver) Now
I'm completely satisfied with this laptop. The keyboard is especially comfotable. The only negative comment I have is that all the USB ports are on the back. They would have been better on the side.Read Best Reviews of Acer TimelineU M5-581T-6490 15.6-Inch Ultrabook (Silver) Here
Fast computer overall and fast internet response if compared with my wife's Macbook Pro. The battery life is incredible. The integrated software management features provided by Acer should improve. For example, the sleeping mode works randomly. Sometimes it works sometimes it does not. I constantly have to turn on the computer again (fast booting though). I hope Acer look into this problem and communicate with its customers. Maybe from drivers updates, I don't know. This product would be almost 5 if Acer were more careful to design integrated management features that actually work.Want Acer TimelineU M5-581T-6490 15.6-Inch Ultrabook (Silver) Discount?
Bought two Acer Timeline M5 laptops a month ago.Computer number one died with a short circuit on the motherboard after 3 weeks use. Computer smoked briefly and terrible odor.
After an hour and 30 minutes on hold with Acer warranty, given a return number. Computer back in use within 10 days. Acer refuses to tell us a) what burned and b) what chemicals we were exposed to.
Second failure within 24 hours of receiving it back-display died, case too hot to touch (can't remove battery, it's built in!)
Back at Acer for another 10 days lost service.
Computer two has an hdmi port defect, external monitor keeps losing signal. Also, case bottom has so much bow in it rubber feet don't all touch desk and it slides around while you are typing.
We aren't buying anymore Acers. Do you really want one?
11-29 update. computer video failed within 24 hours of return and has been returned for the third time! It took over two weeks, 6 phone calls and over 3 hours on the phone to get a return label this time! This computer has worked for two weeks out of two months! The only thing worse than their product is their customer service
Hewlett Packard XZ028UARABA Hp Dv7-4269wm Ci5-480m 2.6ghz 4gb 750gb 17.3 Win7
I absolutely LOVE this laptop! I love the large screen and its crystal clear display. I love the keys and their spacing since I have big hands. The numeric key pad is a plus too. Intel Core i5 processor, check! ATI Mobility Radeon HD 6370 Graphics, check! Blu Ray player, check! Countless features to add simplicity and mobility to all my computing needs, check! This thing is fast! Set-up took all of 10 minutes and I was blazing through the Net in no time at all. This laptop has everything I want it to have with the small exception of built-in bluetooth. But that's minor since I can easily purchase a USB Bluetooth adapter for $20. I really thought there would be a noticeable difference in the speed and/or performance when compared to my desktop which has 8GB RAM. But, I have been pleasantly surprised and I may not even need to upgrade from the included 4GB. I also like that it has built in features to conserve battery life when not connected to the power cord. It automatically adjusts certain settings to optimize performance and then automatically readjusts when connected to the power cord. Overall this is a great laptop and I would definitely recommend it. This thing is so nice that I think I'll barely use my desktop now.
Buy Hewlett Packard XZ028UARABA Hp Dv7-4269wm Ci5-480m 2.6ghz 4gb 750gb 17.3 Win7 Now
Gateway EC1803u 11.6-Inch Laptop (Black)
There are things that surprised me upon receiving this notebook:1. This can play HD videos in Youtube and Hulu without a hiccup (if you have good bandwidth of course).
2. Upgrading HDD, RAM and even network card is a breeze as the access panels are well laid out in the bottom, and all said components are within reach upon opening. No need to open the top and take the keyboard out like with some other notebooks.
3. LCD quality is surprisingly good and easy on the eyes.
4. Overall build quality is above average for the price point.
This notebook looks and feels much better than the images provided here would make you think. By now everybody should know that this is extremely similar Acer's 1410, down to the quirks such as missing bluetooth despite presence of bluetooth button, etc. which is not surprising now that Acer owns Gateway.
However, there are subtle differences and I bought this over the Acer 1410 because of the following:
1. The keyboard layout is US version, whereas that of the 1410 is European. (At least if you check the 1410's images they are)
2. The touchpad is recessed, so less fumbling into that area. Most users complain about the 1410's touchpad being flush.
3. This is subjective, but I kind of liked the faux graphite look on the palmrest compared to the 1410's.
But you really couldn't go wrong with either product. These are just what tipped me to get this one over the other.
The manufacturer's warranty will cover it, but the least they can do is to is to inspect the goods before shipping them.
Buy Gateway EC1803u 11.6-Inch Laptop (Black) Now
I picked up this laptop on a passing visit through the US, earlier this month. I purchased it based on some quick, but diligent research and felt satisfied with the cost vs value reviews previously posted on this site.However, after successfully receiving this product and having some satisfactory use of it for a few days without any major problems, apart from the usual Windows Vista difficulties, I discovered that the laptop would not WAKE UP anymore from its sleep or hibernate mode. Permanent "COMA"!
Unfortuntaley, as I am no longer in the US, I am now left with the frustration and incredible inconvenience of not be able to use it or even exchange this product covered under warranty, without having to incurr extraordinary shipping expenses (that cost as much as the laptop) by returning it back to the retailer or manufacturer in the US, due to the lack of international support they provide.
Its a damn shame, as I thought that with the Gateway/Acer union, I would be guaranteed international support. A far distant truth.
A complete waste of time, energy and money!
Read Best Reviews of Gateway EC1803u 11.6-Inch Laptop (Black) Here
This laptop is light and excellent.But two things I don't like :
1. Speaker is not loud enough ,a little disappointed.
2. Somehow I don't like the mouse pad it's designed. Perhaps I am not getting used to it....
Other than that .....it's a great laptop and great buy.
Want Gateway EC1803u 11.6-Inch Laptop (Black) Discount?
I received my Gateway 1803u laptop a few weeks ago. It had 32-bit Windows Vista Home Premium operating system installed. Since I already purchased a 64-bit Windows 7 Professional upgrade disc, I installed it on the Gateway after making back-up discs for the 32-bit Vista drivers. The 64-bit upgrade went smoothly. An external DVD drive is needed to install the Windows 7 Professional upgrade disc. Also, to get the hardware virtualization switched on for the Windows XP mode, a different BIOS has be used. The Acer website has a compatible BIOS for their Aspire 1410 laptop (I learned that from another customer review on this website). The Acer BIOS already has virtualization switched on. The touchpad works best with the original driver and the webcam works the original driver as well. A really good little package for the money. I'll have to get at least one 2GB memory chip, for a total of at least 3GB of RAM. That will allow more memory for the XP mode to run faster. The 64-bit Windows 7 Professional boots-up fast and runs great. The Intel Core 2 Solo processor SU3500 is reasonably fast, and screen display is sharp. The HDMI works great with big screen TV's.
HP 14" EliteBook, Intel Core i5-2450M 2.5GHz, 4GB DDR3, 500GB HDD, DVDRW, Windows 7 Pro Notebook
I purchased this from TigerDirect.com and the product description page stated that it weighs 4.56 lb. It weighs at least 5.5 lb and probably closer to 6 lb. For that weight you can get a 15" ultrabook that will cost less, comes with a new 3rd generation Core i5, a HDMI port, and has a nicer screen. Contacted TigerDirect to return it but you have to get an return authorization from HP first. FYI, I tried to post this review on the TigerDirect.com website but the review never showed up...
kI purchased this computer for my law firm. Thus, the usage is for basic office work and nothing more. Three (3) months after purchasing the computer the screen decided to go black. The computer would work with external monitors or with the docking port. After receiving the computer back, however, the computer then refused to recognize any batteries.
I have never had a problem with my Dell laptops and it was a grave mistake purchasing an HP laptop.I am now returning my second EliteBook 8460, both purchased new from Tiger Direct and both having developed driver problems within the first week of usage. The first computer seemed to be missing the MSVCR80.dll driver from the outset. The problem came to light as an error message when I installed a relatively new Epson printer that works smoothly with other HP computers that also have Windows 7. I spent 2 hours on my own trying to download and install the driver from an on-line driver library and then 2 hours working with HP Customer Support, who finally gave up and provided the authorization needed to return the computer to Tiger Direct. I assumed the first computer simply had a manufacturing defect and didn't think twice about ordering again. Tiger Direct was cooperative with the return; and promptly shipped another EliteBook. The second computer seemed to be operating without problems both before and after I installed my Epson printer; however, the same missing MSVCR80.dll driver message showed up on the heels of several Windows updates HP Support Assistant listed as "important". Again I spent a couple of hours unsuccessfully trying to download the missing driver from an on-line library. As a last resort I decided to take the computer to a local PC repair shop and let the guys there take a look. But, before I had the chance to take it in several more Windows updates installed after which my computer screen went almost blank. There was no start menu, no desk top, and no ability to get on line. I called HP support once more and worked with a representative for an hour and a half, who then finally gave up and issued an authorization to return the second computer. The next day I used my slow but reliable netbook in a web search that produced instructions sufficient to partially troubleshoot the problem myself. I was able to access enough of the computer's functionality to restore the system to a point right before the last group of Windows updates were installed. Although the computer appears normal, I still have error messages that HP Assistant and several other maintenance functions aren't working properly. My fingerprint reader no longer works; and I am no longer able to print from the computer because the .dll driver never did successfully download. Needless to say, I am frustrated and disappointed. I specifically wanted a computer with Windows 7 instead of 8. I would have been quite happy with the size and processing speed of this computer and not bothered that it's a bit on the heavy side. I also like it's steel construction, it's spill-resistant keyboard, and the responsiveness of the touch pad and the keys themselves. The only feature I would have added, besides the missing driver of course, is a back-lit keyboard. If I knew a third attempt would result in a new EliteBook with the driver problem resolved, I wouldn't hesitate to try again. Under the circumstances, I can only give it two stars.i have purchased several (20+) HP 8460p and 8470p elitebooks from both CDW and Amazon. All work very well out of the box.
i have in the recent months started to replace the included hard drive with an SSD from Samsung. this upgrade was cheap, $150 or so and caused an extreme bump in performance.
if you like the hp security software that comes with the laptop, merely restore the system with the included recovery disks. i on the other hand rebuild from an already built image that includes the most recent drivers and default software that my office runs.
the solid casing and robust batteries are a definite plus with this laptop. it has an "elite" feel and quality about it. you can get the same feel from apple and samsung but their laptops will cost you upwards of $1200.
my one complaint with this laptop is the cheapness of the integrated camera led. the pop out button is cheap and often sticks in the open position the more they are used. i have gotten around this issue by closing it with small pieces of duct tape or electrical tape. my newer 8470p elitebooks dont seem to have this issue.
i am writing this review to counter the terrible reviews made here by absolute novices. if you have to sit on tech support with hp for two hours to fix a driver issue with an epson printer, or windows, you shouldnt be blaming the laptop....you should be blaming the driver compatibility or the windows install. none of these reported issues actually had to do with the hardware except for maybe one where the fellows screen died and that will happen to any laptop no matter the price.
Save 24% Off
Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 15 031946U 15.6 LED Notebook Core i3 i3-380M 2.53GHz 2GB DDR3 320GB HDD DVD-Wr
I got this laptop from an IT school. Considering it was part of the tuition and it is supposed to be used FREQUENTLY in class especially for VMs (virtual machines) ie, Server 2003 and Server 2008. I am very disappointed with their (the school) choice of laptop. I eventually upgraded the 4 gb of RAM to 8GB max (cost $50). I had also went ahead and upgraded the stock 5400rpm, 320 GB SATA HD with a crucial 512GB SSD (cost $300). I transfered the whole OS/Drive onto the new SSD via a USB/SATA cable, worked like a charm. Now, instead of waiting literally 5 minutes for Windows 7 to load. The OS is up and running in 30 seconds. For me the cost of $350 was ok, even though I had already kinda' paid for it in my tuition. I use it as a 'test' laptop. I will most likely try to find ways to upgrade/change the FAN and CPU (maybe to an i7).So, I would value this laptop at $400 max. There are others out there that can be upgraded piece by piece and still be under the asking price of $600.
hope this helps.
Toshiba Satellite L755D-S5279 15.6-Inch LED Laptop (Grey)
I actually want to give this laptop 4 1/2 stars, with the 1/2 star removed for combo of low rpm drive (standard on a lot of low to mid-range laptops) and casing that seems a little flimsy (I am used to sturdy Thinkpad case). Otherwise, this is a great laptop performance in both processor and graphics. I replaced the drive (I highly recommend you do this with at least a 7200 rpm hdd) with a Seagate Momentus XT hybrid hard drive so I can't speak much for the existing OS, but I did install all their add on drivers and I do like their wireless identifier at the login screen letting you know you are connected. The windows experience rated everything except my replaced hard drive with a 5.9, not bad at all for a sub-500 laptop!As for testing, I simultaneously backed up a dvd I owned while at the same time converted a movie iso image to an mkv. While the processor maxed out encoding at 27 fps(common enough in encoding) with dvd copy at 4 MB/s the memory stayed at a reasonable level (under half of system memory). I also viewed several blu ray rips I had made from movies I own on my desktop and there was no stuttering or problem handling even the most visually stunning movie. I don't really play pc games so I can't review this, but I'm sure this can handle most 720p 1333x1768 game displays with no problem.
I should also mention I did not pay Amazon's standard price (the factor that tipped me to buying this particular laptop) but even at that price point it beats out the other i3 laptops on the market (and perhaps even some current i5s due to fusion graphics)
I bought this for my wife so hopefully she likes it as much as I do!
Pros:
1. Discrete ATI video card
2. Bright screen
3. Nice looking
4. Perfectly adequate speed for any normal tasks
5. HDMI out
Neutral:
1. 720P resolution is too low for a 15" screen. Unfortunately, this is nearly the standard on lowand mid-end 15" laptops now, so Toshiba is no worse than most other manufacturers.
Cons:
1. There is no latch or magnet to hold the lid closed -you just close it and hope it stays shut. When you carry it, the lid tends to bang against the base of the laptop because there is typically a 1-2 mm gap between the lid and base due to the lack of any latching mechanism. It does not feel solid and secure at all when carrying it.
2. The screen has worst viewing angle and glare problem I have ever experienced on a laptop, hands down. Granted, my last laptop was a MacBook Pro with a gorgeous IPS screen and cost 3x as much, but I was not prepared for how poor this TFT screen would be when used in even moderately bright indoor conditions, or in just about any lighting conditions when displaying dark images.
3. No backlit keyboard. This is annoying when trying to use it in low-light conditions, but you can't call this a major flaw at this price point.
Buy Toshiba Satellite L755D-S5279 15.6-Inch LED Laptop (Grey) Now
I purchased this laptop from Amazon and have had it for 2 weeks. This is a relatively new model with a new cpu and a June 2011 release date. My previous laptop was a HP DV6165 an AMD dual core running Windows XP. This laptop blows that one away in every aspect. It comes with a healthy 4 Gb of ram, which is not the max, but it runs Windows 7 very nicely. The WEI is a 5.8 and held back due to the 5400 rpm HD. I am sure with a SSD this laptop would scream. The cpu scores a 6.9 WEI. If you want to validate this, check out the CPU performance charts as a comparison. The AMD cpu in this scores right up there with Intel's I5's and B940's and literally blows away my one sons old Q6600 overclocked (passed down from dad) quad.My desktop is a Intel I-7 with a Crucial SSD hard drive. I have been running Raid arrays in my last three computers. So you can see, I do know a bit about performance. This laptop has got it. I have not tested it for games yet as my gaming rig has dual GTX460's so I probably won't be gaming on the laptop. I don't think you will be disappointed with this laptop. The software on it is not too overdone either. The case is a light gray with a block pattern in it. It is not as pretty as some but for the price it is well worth it.Edit 9/4/11: Just finished watching a movie while ironing some clothes. Played beautifully. To the guy with the gaming problem, there is a video update on the Toshiba website. This may fix your issue. I have not seen it with mine. Minimal games but no issues thus far! I really love mine and am very happy with it. I did increase the ram to 8 Gb with a recent sale from a certain store, new egg for $35. Seems a bit snappier now but it was no slouch before it either.
Read Best Reviews of Toshiba Satellite L755D-S5279 15.6-Inch LED Laptop (Grey) Here
I love my computer, it's awesome. It connects to the internet extremely well, it is easy to work, and it is super fast! I think that the only problem I have with it is that it's constantly downloading updates, but it is still fairly new, so that makes sense. It's very light and compact, and you can take it practically anywhere. The base doesn't get very warm either, so it won't burn you if you have it sitting on your lap. It's very functional, and everything that I've put on it works great. So if you're looking for a really nice laptop that's relatively cheap, this is the one!!Want Toshiba Satellite L755D-S5279 15.6-Inch LED Laptop (Grey) Discount?
I recieved my laptop on 21 Aug from Amazon. Its a beauty, simply turned it on, set up the wi-fi and I was away laughing. The performance is fantastic as was the purchase price. I live in NZ and I have had no problems at all using my laptop here. The same item cost 4 times the price of the Amazon deal (shipping and import costs included). So this purchase represented great value.I mostloy surf the net and do a bit of consulting on the side. This laptop is exactly right for the job. Ideal in fact. Highly recommended.
Dell I15RV-1428BLK Laptop Computer / 15.6-inch Display Screen / Intel® Pentium® 2117U Dual-core 1
First I might say that I bought this identical computer model but my stock number was 1430BLK instead of 1428, but I can see no difference in the features. Ther are 4 USB plugs in mine. Disappointing is the absence of a parallel and serial connections, but there is an HDMI output for HD TV. I am not sure if the battery is the same as mine.Good basic computer for the price. But I must admit I got it from a big box store and paid about $300 for it last week, so that might have affected the 5-star grade I gave it.
It boots up in no time. There are some pauses when it runs, but few. It is way fast enough for me web surfing, much faster than my old Pentium-4 2.8 GHz with 2 Gigs of memory.
Don't let the "slow" [dual-core] clock speed fool you. With the super fast memory, large data caches on the CPU, and the 64-bit operating system and hardware, it is pretty smooth. The state-of-the-art architecture more than compensates for the clock speed. This CPU was issued just last winter, and uses only 17 Watts, yet the power supply/charger is 65 Watts, with enough headroom for the DVD, LED monitor, and other peripherals.
The Windows 8 seems scary too, at first, but I transferred my favorites, documents, etc. with the help of a USB plug-in drive, and "mastered" the OS in two days, making shortcut buttons on the desktop for things I knew I would use again. There are downloads for two huge user manuals from the Dell website, which I haven't looked at yet. I got help from a $15 book on windows 8, called "Windows 8 in easy steps" which got me out of a few jams.
Win 8 changes are mostly cosmetic. Some things about the Win 8 interface are definitely confusing, and some features changed, but "under the hood" the technical functions are very similar to XP, but looks nothing like XP. Once you shrink or delete the "apps" boxes, and fix your own virus checker, etc. (Dell pushes Mac Afee) it ain't so bad.
Microsoft has tried to combine the typical mobile-gadget human interface with the classic desktop OS look. It is like two operating system interfaces in one. You can choose which way to go. and you pretty much have to do your own desktop building. The only thing MS puts there is the trash icon and the explorer icon (with the familiar "e".)
I myself do everything from the desktop interface. I never used cell phones or mobile devices so that interface is weird to me. There are some functions that, in order to use, you have to go to the "apps" interface.
Sony VAIO PCG-V505BX Laptop (2.0-GHz Pentium 4-M, 512 MB RAM, 40 GB Hard Drive, DVD/CD-RW Drive)
I have had my V505 for about 6 months now. I have persistent problems with the touch pad as so many have noted here. But I also have problems with the space bar not registering a touch on the right end of the bar so words run on without spaces if you use your right thumb to type the space bar. Another frequently occuring and annoying problem is the cursor randomly jumps to odd places in a document so I find myself typing in the middle of a sentence two lines above or some where else than where it should be.
Some days I hate this computer. I wish I had bought a IBM T40.
I sent the notebook for touch-mouse replacement and took less than week to get it back. (I live in Great LA and the service center is in San Diego)
I have no complaint on Sony service center, but 2 months after the repair, there are some symptoms that I will probably have the same problem soon.I love the styling and the nice features of the V505's but Sony should issue a recall to fix the touchpad's. I'm an IT professional and I've dealt with 100's of laptops. The V505 series has the worst touchpad I've ever seen. I personally own a V505AX and I can attest to the horrors of the touchpad's from the series. Very poor, less then useless... I wish I could find the time to send it back.
Steve M
San Francisco, CAI have this computer and I love it in just about every way.
I use an external mouse instead of the touchpad, as I've found the touchpad to be sensitive. But I'm not having any problems now that I'm using the external mouse.
It's cute, light, sleek, and dependable. It's a joy to use. I've had mine for over a year now. Got it when it first came out and I'm happy!Don't buy this notebook computer. When typing the cursor jumps, WITHOUT WARNING, to some other spot in the document. I type roughly 90 words a minute. When I do decide to look up at what I am typing, I see that it is ruined. The touchpad on my Vaio does not work AT ALL! I wish I had read these other reviews before I purchased it or shortly thereafter. I would have quickly returned it for a refund. I was forced to purchase a wireless mouse to use since the touchpad doesn't function. This thing is garbage!
Toshiba Satellite L775D-S7330 17.3-Inch LED Laptop - Brushed Aluminum Blue
I have owned this laptop for about 4 days now. I did a lot of research to make sure I found a laptop that I could do multiple things. From office work to light Gamming (Guild Wars) including some poker.Anyway, I owned (still own) a Dell laptop that I have had for about 4 years, I had already maxed the memory and I didn't want to go through the expense of upgrading hard drive.
My fiancé bought a similar Toshiba laptop just like this one but it's a intel icore 3.
I checked hers out and I was hooked. Now I wanted to get something with a little more processer power but without breaking the bank. I choose the AMD Quad core A6. And I'm so glad I did.
This laptop is AWESOME Screen size speed smooth blue finish and everything Dolby sound, blue tooth the works.
I didn't get to buy it here at Amazon though which I would have if I didn't find it on sale at Brandsmart USA.
The laptop is worth it. I don't normally right reviews but I just had to give my input on this laptop. For what it's worth to you ...I would highly recommend it.
Nice job TOSHIBA!!
Buy Toshiba Satellite L775D-S7330 17.3-Inch LED Laptop - Brushed Aluminum Blue Now
I never write reviews but wow. I am amazed at the performance of this laptop! I just got it today. I am a gamer and was looking for something that was a good price and a good performer. This computer is way over my expectations. My first test was skyrim.. When I started it up it recommended High settings (8xAA and 8xAF)! I did not believe it but gave it a shot. It loaded the game in about 7-10 seconds and was perfectly smooth. I closed the game and had to write this review. This A6 processor is amazing AMD really did a great job. Intel cannot touch this for the price. Well as a matter of fact they can't even touch the versatility of this processor at all. If you are on a budget and do not want to spend over $1000 for a gaming laptop get this laptop. You will not be disappointed at all.Read Best Reviews of Toshiba Satellite L775D-S7330 17.3-Inch LED Laptop - Brushed Aluminum Blue Here
Very easy set-up. Product is as exactly as expected. Past experiences with Toshiba lap-tops lead us to this product and it is on track to keep our loyalty to the brand.Want Toshiba Satellite L775D-S7330 17.3-Inch LED Laptop - Brushed Aluminum Blue Discount?
So far everything is running fantastic...Does NOT have the "fast clock" issue.Nice display...Quality sound...Great features...
The blue brushed aluminum is nice, but darker than the web photos show.
Elitebook 8560P 15.6" I7-2620M
I am a long time Dell customer, who has had just about one of every version of the Dell Latitude in since the C series. Because of pricing differences, I decided to give HP a try with the HP 8560P and am very impressed with it. The design is well thought out, the build quality is first class, and the performance is unbeatable.I can't think of a single thing that I don't like about this machine, except for possibly its weight and the fact that HP hasn't refreshed their docking stations to match the performance of the laptop. Even the best docking station they have available for this laptop has no modem pass-through, only 2 digital video ports at a time, and USB 2.0 instead of 3.0.
The keyboard on this laptop has a unique design that works and feels great. Its design prevents spills or dirt from getting into the machine.
The new touch-pad is gigantic and works great.
The screen and audio is wonderful.
The hing is solid and firm. Much better than on the Dell's.
The performance of this machine is incredible. I rendered a video in Premiere, while running a various scan, copying a DVD, and playing HD contact from Netflix all at the same time. Incredible.
For the price, this is the best machine on the market. I highly recommend it, or a custom build version of it direct from HP.
Sony VAIO VPC-EA43FX/WI 14-Inch Laptop (White)
This is a great little laptop. It's very lightweight, doesn't get hot (it's been on for about 6 hours straight now), and the display is gorgeous. The widescreen display is great for watching movies and definitely gives the laptop a more "modern" feel. The speakers are OK..they can get pretty loud, but the sound quality isn't the best (rare for Sony!) -but it is a laptop, after all. The chiclet keyboard is different than what I have had in the past, but it is very easy to get used to and makes for quick and error-free typing. The laptop comes with Microsoft Office starter which includes limited functionality Microsoft Word and Excel..no, it doesn't have all the features of the full version, but it's nothing the average user will miss.Windows 7 is infinitely better than Vista; you can disable a lot of those annoying things Vista didn't allow you to do (such as asking for your password each time upon start-up). When I just got my laptop, I had 261 gigs free of 287; regarding memory: I only have chrome open, and my computer is using up about 40% of its memory.
One qualm against Amazon rather than Sony: the laptop isn't just "white" as the description states -only the keyboard/mouse area is actually white...the cover, the frame around the screen, and the speaker area are actually a very light silvery color (still very pretty). The bottom is, of course, black. I think Sony does have an all-white version (coconut white) but I've only seen it sold directly from their website.
Lenovo Y580 15.6-Inch Laptop
Firstly, the screen is nice. I wish it was anti-glare. I paid with gift certificates, and this is the closest one Amazon had to what I wanted and the only thing missing is an anti-glare screen. That said, the screen is still pretty nice. I love the solid state part of this hybrid drive. Boot-up takes 15 seconds or so from dead off to the desktop. Also, when surfing the web, the thing stays nice and cool. The JBL speakers are pretty good considering how tiny they are. Build quality... It's no Mac, but it ain't shabby. I like it enough to buy a case for it, which is more than I can say from my last two Dells. A comparable Mac would cost more than $1K more, and the Mac enclosure, nice as it is, ain't worth $1K, nor is Mac OS X, nor the both of them combined. I'm not used to Windows 8 yet, and I feel like MS has more or less jammed their mobile/tablet OS onto a laptop, but that's not Lenovo's fault.If the specs meet your needs, I think you'll be happy with your purchase. From my perspective, no regrets. My expectations have been exceeded. ANTONLINE doesn't offer a fast shipping option, so I had to wait a week but it did arrive when they said it would. Again, not Lenovo's fault. The machine is Bitchin!
The laptop is very solidly built and the back-lit keyboard is very good looking and easy to type on. Some of the keys are in slightly different places than my Acer, but I attribute that also to the fact that there's a number pad on this laptop, which I didn't have before.
Sound quality is pretty impressive, much better than any laptop that I've had recently and I was taken aback the first time I heard some positional audio from the speakers. This laptop runs impressively cool even with a heavy load. I never saw the GPU spike above 60C and once I shut the game down, dropped down into the 30's quickly.
Windows 8. Not my favorite OS, the touchpad gestures can be extremely annoying. If you are typing and you brush up on the right edge of the trackpad, W8 assumes that you're looking for the charm menu. If you're using the trackpad and you like to use the edges of the trackpad, W8 may train that behavior right out of you. That has been my only frustration with this laptop, and I can't blame that on Lenovo.
Buy Lenovo Y580 15.6-Inch Laptop Now
I just got my laptop on 12/04 from Amazon. Don't bother ordering through Lenovo, because the shipping is glacially slow.The laptop boots up super fast! It takes about 10-15 seconds to boot. Once you are booted, you are greeted by the Windows 8 start screen, which has some really nice features. The laptop comes with a bit of bloatware, which isn't overwhelming, and is easily removed. The speakers are fantastic! Loud and not tinny at all. The only game I've tested with this laptop is Guild Wars 2, and I was able to run with medium-high settings at 1080p with 50fps. About what I was expecting, and I am very pleased with that. The screen is gorgeous! Everything is crisp, as you would expect from a 1080p screen, and the glossy screen makes colors pop. The only things I dislike so far are the trackpad and the bit of heat. The trackpad is okay, but you'll want an external mouse. The heat is really what you would expect from a laptop with these specs and the ventilation is actually very well laid out.
I would recommend this laptop to someone in a heartbeat. I'll update this review if my opinion changes.
Read Best Reviews of Lenovo Y580 15.6-Inch Laptop Here
I needed this laptop in order to edit videos on the go while my main pc was repaired. I ordered this laptop because of it's affordability, speed, and graphics card. It was the first time I would dive into windows 8. After the learning curve and installing adobe master collection CS4, I was ready to go.After all my software was installed and updated, I experienced a strange glitch. The laptop would freeze for 2 minutes, then unfreeze for 30 seconds, then freeze for two minutes, then unfreeze for another 30 seconds....etc.
I could not figure out why it was doing that and I couldn't make it stop. I made sure to clean for any viruses, and the problem did not persist in safe mode. After calling customer support, they had me deactivate all services that were not windows related just to get it to act smoothly. I guess it might be a Windows 8 bug, not so much a laptop bug.
After that hurdle, I was able to work with almost no issues. Aside from manually re-activating adobe services just to get the application to launch successfully.
The other problem I faced is while on battery, all games that I would play would get smooth...then choppy...then smooth...then choppy. Frames per second went up and down like crazy. This would not happen when plugged in however. I also DID make sure to start the software by right clicking on it and choosing "Play with Nvidia Graphics Processor", so I knew that wasn't the issue. Not a big deal for me though, but it could be annoying if you like to game on the go.
I've had it for about a month, and I'm completely used to Windows 8. Time will allow any annoying problems to be fixed, I'm sure, and then this computer will be more reliable.
I would definitely recommend the purchase.
Want Lenovo Y580 15.6-Inch Laptop Discount?
This is the notebook that I dreamed for long! High performance GeForce 660M graphic card, 8G RAM, 1TB HDD, 15 inch FHD screen. And of course with a reasonable price.Win 8 system took me some weeks to get familiar with, but it's ok.
The only minor problem is the high temperature on then keyboard when the system is in high load. Hope they can fix it in the new model.
Acer AO756-4411;NU.SGYAA.012 11.6-Inch Laptop
This is a replacement for my acer aspire netbook because I needed dual core for a project,I love the little acer netbook. It's lightweight, fast and would be better without Windows 8. Windows 8 is horrible, not user friendly and difficult to understand.
HP G62-220US 15.6-Inch Laptop
I had done quite a bit of research before deciding to purchase this laptop. It was ranked the Highest in Consumer reports, and all the reviews looked good...After 2 weeks, the hard disk crashed and had to be replaced.. Needless to say, I was quite upset, since everything I had just installed on the computer, and all the data were lost...
HP Support was better than I expected, because their service usually leaves a lot to be desired.... The only problem was that they shipped a blank hard drive with no recovery disks.. After 2 shipments I had what I needed, so I installed the drive and got the system back up and running...
Not what I would expect from a "so called" top of the line product.
why HP didn't build a fan to keep the hardware cooled?
Buy HP G62-220US 15.6-Inch Laptop Now
i love this laptop, a powerful processor, 4GB of RAM expabdable, a good hard drive... but this thing gets insanely hot in a very short period if time... i have 6 months with it, and now i think i need to replace the therm gel on mi processor, it boots up and in a period of 10 minutes it gets up to 94 degrees Celsius. that right ther is unacceptable... also when it goes to hibernate and then it boots up it freezes, or lost conection and has to be rebooted for it to react...this laptop has great performance, if youre not into gaming... on the times that this laptop stays under the 75 degrees, once i start a simple game like unreal tournament 1999 GOTY, it heats up in terms of seconds, also with andry birds for pc, thats just crazy, considering that i bought it a cooler master chill par with 2 6" fans located at the hotest points of tthe machine...
it gets so hot that typing gets anoying so im gona end my review here... think about other options, if i had the money i would trade this for a newer model or even a toshiba... ( my dream is a macbook pro BTW those stays under the 37 degrees... just to compare.. )
Read Best Reviews of HP G62-220US 15.6-Inch Laptop Here
A fine product. It served my business very well and my partner has privatised it after discovering it great qualities.Want HP G62-220US 15.6-Inch Laptop Discount?
Just replaced my desktop after it crashed yet again. Set up was very easy and took less than four hours to copy over all my files and install everything. Keyboard is awkward and taks some getting used too. Really wanted illumiunated keys and was disappointed to learn this did not have it but I forgot to look.Caps lock button too big. Shift key too small. Wish it had a seperate number pad. The coulmn of buttons on the left is a pain in the but, I keep hitting the DVD button by mistake.
The touch pad works well and is hidden but the buttons are too far apart and hard to click.
My first windows 7 experience but so far I like it alot. Screen picture qualtiy is great.
Recommended but would have looked at the key board a bit more closely.