Dell - Inspiron - 17R-N7110 - Intel Core i5-2430M 2.40GHz - 8GB RAM - 640GB HDD - DVD+/-RW - Intel
Lenovo ThinkPad X230 Laptop Computer Convertible Tablet - Intel Core i5-3320M (3M Cache, up to 3.30
Buyer beware of buying the new model until all updates are through being made.
Lenovo ThinkPad 23532MU 14-Inch Laptop
1. the 64 bit Windows operating system (either Win 7 or Win 8) will not allow you to use older programs which worked fine with Windows XP. Lenovo offers something called "XP Mode" which is supposed to allow older programs to operate in a "virtual XP atmosphere". This is a bad joke. Neither Lenovo or Microsoft will support this and it does not work as easily as it is advertised to work. The Lenovo salesperson encouraged me to order this (actually, you can download for free if you don't order) with the idea that it was an easy to use system. NOT TRUE. I'm no computer dummie and I was unable to use ANY DOS or WIN XP program with it. Maybe it will work with a lot of effort, but who needs that? So, if you buy a Lenovo computer with WIN 7 or 8 (x64) OS, be prepared to buy new software for any program except MS Office.
2. I had all sorts of trouble with downloading critical updates for WIN 7. Microsoft said it was Lenovo's responsibility to help with this but Lenovo Tech Support refused. It was just by accident that I solved the problem by downloading one update at a time. Lenovo will not support the OS on the machines they sell.
3. I could not find any pre-installed program to use with the CD/DVD burner that was installed. Lenovo again refused to help with this even though they installed the software that would make this part of the computer work. Lenovo support for any software issue is non-existant, even for software they put on the machine. And it isn't like this would take them a lot of time or training to help with; it is just their bad and unreasonable policy. Beware-buy a Lenovo computer and you are on your own from the day it is delivered.
2020M 4GB DDR3 500GB 17.3IN
Sony VAIO E Series SVE1511RFXB 15.5-Inch Laptop (Sharkskin Black, Intel Core i3-2370M, 4GB Memory,
Apple MacBook Core 2 Duo T5600 1.83GHz 1GB 60GB CDRW/DVD 13.3" AirPort OS X w/Webcam
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I just love this computer. After getting to know my way around an Apple I would recommend an Apple to anyone. I know they can be pricey but they are well worth it. The one I bought has some years on it but works like a champ. I have no problems and it is fast. I personal like mine better than the newer one because it is all white. That is something I was wanting and had to get an older modle in order to do so. Again, love my first Apple and highly recommend one to anyone.im on this laptop right now i love it...shes my baby. i tricked her out with pink. she works great an came in fantastic condition thank u so much.Want Apple MacBook Core 2 Duo T5600 1.83GHz 1GB 60GB CDRW/DVD 13.3" AirPort OS X w/Webcam Discount?
HP Pavilion dv6-6120us 15.6-Inch Entertainment Notebook PC (Silver)
I'm not impressed with the keyboard and mouse. I find them much more difficult to use than my previous Dell Inspirion, which I liked much better than this laptop.
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I didn't buy it from Amazon but I wanted to share my experience anyway. I was happy with this computer for the first 6 months that I owned it. Until...I went to start it and it would not start up. Since it was within the year warranty, I called HP's 800 number. I could barely understand him because of his accent. He lived in INDIA! So, it took over an hour on the phone before he could "diagnose" the problem. When it was finally "diagnosed", I was informed that I needed a new hard drive and he would ship that out free of charge. However, he asked for my credit card information because I needed to send the defective hard drive back. When asked why, he stated that if I did not send the defective hard drive back to them, they (HP) would charge me $150! WHAT?! The other alternative was that I ship my entire computer to them and they would take care of it, which would take aprox. 6-8 weeks! I opted for the former and gave my credit card info. Then, he asked if I wanted a tech to come and install the part or if I wanted to do it. The tech, by the way, would cost me $49! SO, I did it and installed all the programs they shipped to me as well, which took me over 5 hours. Then, I went to reinstall the printer (HP printer) and it wouldn't install. I called the 800 number again and was told, after 45 minuter, that it's the software that's the issue, which is not covered with the warranty. If I wanted them to help me, it would cost me $169 for 1 year, $299 for 2 years, etc. I simply hung up, took it back to the store I bought it from and THEY got it to work for me, free of charge. Now, it works but I will NEVER buy another HP computer again because their customer service is SO AWFUL AND FRUSTERATING!!! BUYER BEWARE!!!Read Best Reviews of HP Pavilion dv6-6120us 15.6-Inch Entertainment Notebook PC (Silver) Here
HP sent me a defective screen on my new HP Pavilion. I requested them to replace the computer and they asked me to take a quick-ship at a higher price. In addition, I have to pay for it first at a higher price with lower specs!! I asked for the manager and they rejected me saying they are busy. I have bought 4 HP Pavilions over the last 10 years and this is how they repay you. If there is no problems, I am sure HP is fine. The real problem is if there is something wrong and you are stuck with their customer support. After 10 years, I am going with another brand. They cannot stand when things are not right. I have also spent 80 minutes on the phone with no avail. Buyers beware!!After 10 years of loyalty with HP, the customer support cannot even give me the manager. After 80 min, they cannot even provide an in-kind replacement.
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I purchase this pc 20 days ago,for my daughter for school. and the hard drive has fail already.after 3 hours on the phone with 3 different hp techs,all three concluded that the hard drive is defective,and that they would send me a new hard drive that i could install,or i could fedex the unit to them and they would install it. this is the first review that i have ever written,and i wrote because,had i read the previous reviews on this pc before i purchase it i never would have bought it. october 2012Acer Aspire TimelineX AS1830T-6478 11.6-Inch Laptop (Black)
Only been using it a few days but the battery life seems to be easily in excess of 5 hours with a mix of browsing, listening to streaming music and watching small amounts of video. It is very light and compact and seems well constructed with a nice patterned finish that looks very smart compared to glossy surfaces that show every mark.
Another review points out the trackpad is very small. I agree with this and it does take some getting used to, especially since it is difficult to see the edges of it thanks to the seemless design. It is hard to see how it could be any bigger without making the keyboard smaller, and the keyboard is great because it has full sized keys. So I think the trackpad is the only thing that might not be good for some people. One alternative would be to use a small wireless optical mouse.
All-in-all a great little laptop.My boyfriend recommended this laptop to me because it was the perfect little size which allowed me to take it around the apartment and around the city to do work. It was a great to replace my old dying laptop. I do agree with the cons with the mouse track though because it is small, but I use an external mouse so it's not really a problem.
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Replaced the 1 year old netbook with the ever slow Atom processor running XP. The Acer is not much bigger, and is actually thinner. Runs quick too! Excellent second or third computer.Read Best Reviews of Acer Aspire TimelineX AS1830T-6478 11.6-Inch Laptop (Black) Here
La computadora es buena para cualquier uso excepto juegos y/o graficos potentes, lo cual es un poco decepcionante, deberia venir con una tarjeta de video superior a la que tiene.Want Acer Aspire TimelineX AS1830T-6478 11.6-Inch Laptop (Black) Discount?
I bought two of these (one for myself and one for my wife) rather than buy netbooks. One I upgraded to 8GB of memory with no problems. The keyboard is close enough to full size that neither my wife or I, both touch-typists, had problems. Battery life is easily four hours, and can get close to six if we are conscientious abut power management. Some reviews of the product here and on the web point out the trackpad as being too small and I was concerned when I purchased these, but the price was good. My wife and I were pleasantly surprised to find that the trackpad is useful and appropriate, and neither of us felt it was too small. However, we use these as grab-n-go devices that we take to meetings or when traveling so that we are seldom on these more than three or four hours at a time. If you are looking for this to be your only computer and want the benefits of a full-size laptop, go ahead and get a full size laptop. (I have connected it to a 1920x1080 monitor and used it comfortably for extended periods.) If you need something portable and powerful lets you create and collaborate beyond social media, this is a good choice.Acer AS5733Z-4445 15.6-Inch Laptop (Mesh Black)
CONS: As with all laptops it comes pre-installed with a bunch of stuff you do not want and do not need.I got the Acer two weeks ago. It is a good computer but two of the USB ports did not work. I would recommend this computer, but beware you might have to return the computer due to this problem.
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I haven't had a regular laptop in a long time, the last one was a convertable tablet from HP, add to that a first generation fruity tablet that just isn't a PC.Lid wobble, nope. None of that. And I do mean none.
Lid Latch, nope. Nice design needs no latch. Much easier to open.
Display, super. My desktop has a 22" screen and this 15.6" doesn't leave me missing a thing, though it's a bit short, I have to scroll to play Zynga Poker. The border is a gloss finish. Not preferred.
Power Adapter, has an angle to it so there is less chance to knock the receptor off the board. Adds to durability.
Wrist rest, nice, big, has a texture that will pick up grime.
Keyboard, a couple things to get used to, the 4 on numeric keypad is close to the enter key. Home, End and Del, I guess they're in good positions. I don't know what an Alt Gr key is.
Weight? not really great. I kind of have to snug a finger around a bottom foot just to be sure not to drop it when handling it one handed.
Battery, 5 hours, yeah right. Try 2.2 hours. Maybe I can turn down the brightness.
Speakers, it's a laptop. They're bad.
All in all, this is a super laptop. Powerfull? Uh, I will try to do video editing on it but I am sure it won't do well. But everything else is great. I recommend this laptop.
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This laptop was purchased for vacationing. It arrived in good condition, on time and was easy to start and personalize. It's not a high powered machine but more than adequate for most purposes.Want Acer AS5733Z-4445 15.6-Inch Laptop (Mesh Black) Discount?
The laptop is sleek on the outside and durable inside. Graphics are above average, and sound is impressive. The availability of three USB ports as well as a microphone and headphone jack is a plus. Processor is very fast and handles multitasking (i.e. document reading, pandora radio, powerpoint) very well. However, I was confused as to why Acer says the AS5733Z series has a 320 GB hard drive when it only had 280 GB when I booted it up. I don't believe this is Amazon's fault but more likely Acer's. The company must get their specs right or re-adjust the MSRP price of the product. I feel a little cheated even though it's just 40 GB, but I'm an unemployed full-time student, and I want to get the most out of my money. Anyone who works for Acer, or knows someone who does, reads this, please look into this problem.Toshiba Satellite S855-S5379 15.6-Inch Laptop (Ice Blue Brushed Aluminum)
I do want to say something about Windows 8 though...it is really annoying! You can only have 2 things open at a time, and it tends to redirect you to a Windows 8 download site when loading software and apps. Skype is really horrible on it. I had to unload the Windows 8 version and re-load the explorer version. People on the other end were getting messages that I did not have an updated version of Skype.
The mail app for Windows 8 doesn't seem to come with an address book...I guess it expects you to memorize all your email contacts.
The way you have to close the Windows 8 apps is odd. I can understand it on a touch screen, but it is very cumbersome on a laptop. It is also hard to find all of the stuff that I got used to using on Windows 7. Too many steps to access files and programs.
Other than Windows 8 which came with this computer...I do like the computer itself. I am hoping the "8" will grow on me.I already had a beefy computer at work and another at home, and I mainly bought this for some portability. This delivers all that and more, and could easily have served as my main computer in all but my most intensive tasks. I do high end gaming at home and computationally intensive research at work, for which this laptop wont quite cut it, but for the average usage it is great!
Pros:
Keys on the keyboard have a nice feel. They are placed slightly different from what I'm used to so I'll miss keys when I type sometimes, but that will change as I adapt. Having a full number pad is very nice.
Trackpad is very nice. Very smooth and responsive under Linux. It feels slightly schizophrenic under windows but it's not bad and I've not fine tuned it yet.
Great specs for most purposes as long as you're not looking for a heavy duty gaming rig. Plays Guild Wars 2 and Torchlight II just fine on medium/low settings
Having an i7 processor is an unexpected luxury.
Cons:
Resolution is sub-par, but that is the same with virtually all laptops at this price range and screen size
Wireless receiver seems to occasionally lose connection, even when showing full bars. Usually a quick dip into airplane mode and back will get things running again.
Windows 8 is somewhat of an awkward windows system. It's not just that things are in new locations, but the menus are very contextual, and items are not always grouped in ways that are intuitive. If I hadn't already been intending to install Linux as my primary OS, I definitely would have only shopped among windows 7 machines.
Overall it's a great machine for the price. There are some quirks such as with the reliability of the wireless, but overall I'm quite happy with the machine.
Extra info for Linux users:
Most people wont need this information, but I hate how reviews never give info on Linux issues, so this section is the only reason I'm bothering to write a review! For reference, I installed Fedora Core 17 on here with KDE.
-The most common difficulty installing linux is getting the networking up and running, and this machine was especially problematic. Having the wireless card need some assistance is common, but for this machine even the ethernet didn't work! The solution for this is to make sure your installation process gave you basic compile tools and kernel headers, and then install the compat-wireless (now called compat-drivers I think) alx driver. Ethernet is perfectly happy after that, though it must be recompiled with every kernel update.
-Getting the wireless running was an unusual ordeal as well. Realtek is usually quite good about providing native linux driers, but this laptop has the RTL8723AE chipset. It is apparently so new that not even the windows version of the driver is available on the manufacturers, and you can only get the windows version OEM from Toshiba. I assume you can find it on Toshiba's website and then use NDIS wrapper, but Toshiba's search function was so broken I was never sure I found the right driver. Luckily RealTek released their internal (so no guarantees) linux driver in a drop box for people to download. (You'll have to google for it, Amazon wont let me insert links) Yes, it is an unverified download so take it at your own risk, but you can find several threads on various forums where people are using it with no adverse effects. Note, that at least for me, when compiling it there were errors, and I had to comment out an offending line of code. So far there have been no repercussions, but results may vary!
-Once I got past the initial growing pains, this machine runs like a dream under linux. The track pad works flawlessly with every gesture I could want. The OS is snappy and responsive, much more so than the native windows 8 installation. I'm very happy with the machine. The wireless receiver gets a little less range than while in widows OS, probably due to the unofficial driver, but it's not a serious issue.
Buy Toshiba Satellite S855-S5379 15.6-Inch Laptop (Ice Blue Brushed Aluminum) Now
I also bought this from the Black Friday Deals. The performance of this laptop is really good and lighter than my old 15.6" Toshiba. I was having difficulty using Windows 8 at first, but now I'm starting to get used to it. Windows 8 is not that bad at all. My only problem with this laptop is the webcam. It's not working properly. It works on Skype, but it doesn't take picture/video when I use it with the camera application. Also it won't broadcast when I try to use it on the internet browser. Besides the webcam problem which I'm trying to get fixed, this is a really good laptop.Read Best Reviews of Toshiba Satellite S855-S5379 15.6-Inch Laptop (Ice Blue Brushed Aluminum) Here
I contacted amazon and they sent out a replacement laptop within a couple business days. I opened it and got it fired up. After having used the laptop for a couple of days I am quite pleased with it. Very powerful laptop for the price. While waiting for the replacement I researched quite a few other 15" laptops and had a hard time finding any with the i7 processor close to the price of this TOSHIBA. I am happy with my purchase. I only use the computer for general tasks and have not tried any gaming or high demand multiple applications running together.This laptop came extremely well packaged with decent documentation. Start up went quickly and easily. Keyboard feels good after a little bit of typing. The touch pad works well. Have only had it for a couple of days.
The display is nice. I am not an expert on displays so all I can do is describe it in generalities. Nice color representations not any noticeable blurring of moving images. One big bright white pixel ruins it for me. I know one pixel is really not that big but it sure stands out.
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Got this computer in the afternoon and worked 6 hours straight trying to establish a stable connection to the internet. Called Toshiba customer service who wanted $100 payed in advance for a one-time consult for this hours old new computer. Called another company who did provide some consultation, but after more hours trying to establish the link, I am returning it for a different computer. I have an earlier Model Toshiba Satellite that works great. Watch the Windows 8 software, as that is the only differnce in this new computer.Dell Inspiron i1545-4583JBK 1545 15.6-Inch Laptop (Jet Black)
I bought the Inspiron i1545 that is sold on Amazon.com and it has more than met my expectations. I figured that a $619 laptop would be the low end of the spectrum when looking for performance, but this has all the componants of the "high end", as far as RAM and Hard disc. Win 7 makes it easy and has very fast start up and shut down times. It runs very effeciently when I have multiple windows open and I'm gettting close to 8 hours between charges (so far). I did a ton of research for computers before making this purchase, and even went to places like Best Buy so I could get a better feel for what the computer looks and feels like. This Inspiron has all the qualities I was looking for: Sleek, light weight, incredibly clear screen, and responsive keys. Add that together with the 4GB of RAM, 500GB of Hard disc, and I love the "Dell Dock" that allows me to put all my icons in one place, which keeps my desktop clean and professional looking.
My opinion is that you cannot go wrong with this system. You certainly get more for your money!I have purchased three from this company in the past year -we have twins in college and each needed one -then one for personal/home use.
Within a month after each warranty expired, the hard drive died. Nothing could be done but order a replacement which first requires a $49 diagnostic fee....before they can even tell you what the part is that is needed and how much that will cost.
They cannot replace items lost on the drive --so be sure to have your own external hard drive or system for back up. They are no help.
This happened three times!! Three different laptops!! All with simple use at home and university. Each just AFTER the warranty expired -and they are in India -and make no adjustments to "policy" -and have the most effective system of blocking customers from access to attaining help.
Never, ever again. Burned THREE times -with THREE different laptops. Never, never again.
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My wife and I have been loyal Dell customers over 10 years and four machines. All our previous machines have performed well and we have never had much reason to call customer service for anything. The few times we did (years and years ago) were reasonably pleasant experiences, though. My impression of Dell has always been that they are a solid company that produces solid products.Not now.
This laptop, which is my wife's, has been nothing but a nightmare from day one. Pathetic battery life, hardware and software issues, trackpad problems, cursor jumping around, intermittent wireless problems, a shoddily-made machine with flimsy screen hinges that easily break.
Dell's customer service has been the absolute worst experience I have ever had with any company in my entire life. I started out trying to return the unit, but quickly found out that they count the number of days that you have had the computer as starting on the day you order the unit, not the day you receive it, so I was two days past the last day I could return the unit. After being transferred back and forth between two different departments who each thought the other department was supposed to help me, I finally found someone who understood the issue and said he would work on getting special approval to return the unit and then call me back. He also sent me an email. He never called back, never responded to emails, never answered the phone, never returned calls. Anyone else I talked to acted like they knew nothing and told me I could not return the unit. Then I tried to appeal to their business sense, by trying to exchange the unit for a higher model (figuring that if they saw I wanted to pay them more money, they would forgive the 2-day thing).
It took me two more weeks of calling every day to find a guy in their corporate customer service group who (even though he shouldn't have even helped me) agreed that what I wanted to do made good business sense and would help the company hold onto a loyal customer. It took him two more weeks to get what he told me was internal approval for the return (their system only allowed them to process it as a return, not a repair or replacement). He even CC'd me on the email where the manager approved the return and gave him instructions on how to process it. I was told I would receive a return code and instructions on how to return the unit for credit. A week went by--nothing. I called and emailed the guy over and over. No response. I finally got someone else who's email address was on the approval email to respond, who explained that the person who approved the return was in one of two different departments who had to approve the return. He said what everyone else always told me--that he would personally take responsibility for resolving my case. He gave me a phone number that was supposedly his direct number and an email. Never heard from him again. The phone number went to a generic mailbox.
After months of getting the runaround and taking every my lunch hour every day to sit on the phone while eating a sandwich, I simply gave up and decided it just wasn't worth it for a $560 laptop. We are already shopping for a replacement after 7 months of owning this thing. Guess who we won't be buying it from.
Read Best Reviews of Dell Inspiron i1545-4583JBK 1545 15.6-Inch Laptop (Jet Black) Here
After seeing some of the other reviews I thought I would add my two cents worth, as it may help out some of you who are looking to purchase an Inspiron 1545.I've owned this laptop now for a little over a week and I am very happy with the experience so far. I am very knowledgeable about computers, and currently run several machines running Windows 7, Windows Home Server, Mac OSX, and Ubuntu. I have also worked in IT support in the past, so diagnosing and upgrading PCs is something I'm very comfortable with.
Quick Pros and Cons List:
PROS:
+ Windows 7 (it really is a nice and stable OS)
+ Intel dual-core T4400 processor (works well for most users, easy on battery life)
+ 4GB of RAM (helpful for running programs simultaneously, such as Office, Photoshop, Media Center, etc)
+ 320GB hard drive (plenty of storage for most users)
+ Integrated 1.3MP Creative Labs Live! webcam
+ 7-in-1 media card reader (almost a necessity today)
+ Easily upgradeable (discussed below)
CONS:
T4400 is a dual-core processor, not as powerful as a Core 2 Duo, or the current Core i3 (1545R)
Memory is slower 800MHz speed, not current 1066MHz (1545R)
Wireless (wifi) card is A/B/G, but not N-spec
While the webcam is 1.3MP, it isn't of the highest quality but it's okay
VGA-out included, not HDMI-out like on the newer 1545R
Bluetooth not included (though upgradeable)
High gloss surfaces do attract fingerprints (not a big negative)
OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:
I've owned many Dells, and this is the third computer I've purchased from Dell this year... not because something was wrong, but they've had good deals on desktops and laptops this year. This is the first entry level laptop that I have purchased from Dell, and overall I am happy with the design, layout, and quality of the build. The high gloss plastic areas on the palmrest and LCD bezel are obvious fingerprint magnets, but not as bad as an iPhone or iPod. They keyboard is laid out well, with good distance between the keys and a nice feel when typing. The keyboard includes dedicated buttons on the right hand side for Home, Page Up/Down, End, and the four arrow keys.
The hard drive, a Seagate Momentus 5400.6 has decent storage space at 320GB, though it is slower at 5400RPM with an 8MB cache. After formatting, you have about 300GB of usable storage. The memory for this machine is 4GB, though the motherboard can support up to 8GB. The memory speed is 800MHz, which is fine, but is slower than the current 1066MHz memory available. It would have been nice if Dell included an HDMI video port, but instead chose VGA. The HDMI comes standard on the new 1545R with the Core i3 processor. The LCD is crisp and bright, with decent viewing angles. The native resolution of 1366x768 is good, though a little compact, but makes viewing 720p video very nice. The AC adapter is the slim variety... the only issue is that the power plug into the computer fits a little loosely though probably on purpose to prevent damage to the laptop if the cable is snagged by a passerby.
UPGRADEABILITY:
The nicest aspect of this laptop is that if you find that you need more speed, hard drive space, memory, faster wifi, or even bluetooth all of these components can be easily upgraded. Reading the service directions at Dell, you can see that taking apart the Inspiron 1545 is easy and straight forward. By removing the keyboard, you can easily add the bluetooth module and cable, which together go for about $25 on eBay. By removing the bottom cover, you can replace the memory, wifi card, and processor with little difficulty. An Intel 5100 N spec wifi card goes for about $12 on eBay. You can also add memory if need be up to 8GB is supported. The processor can also be replaced, though make sure that the processor you choose is supported by the laptop's bios. The 1545 supports Intel Socket P (478-pin Micro FCPGA) processors; with the bios specifically supporting the Celeron 900, Dual-Core T4200, T4300, T4400, and the Core 2 Duo T6400, T6500, T6600, P7350, P7450, P8600, and P8700. The faster processors, like the P8700 include more onboard cache, faster processor speed, faster bus speeds, and virtualization. Replacement processors like those mentioned can be found on eBay for around $20-150. The hard drive can also be easily upgraded I installed a new Western Digital 64GB SSD, which took about 60 seconds to install. The hard drive slot is on the right hand side, and comes out with the removal of two screws. I installed the new wifi in about 60 seconds, adding bluetooth took about two minutes. It doesn't take a lot of know-how to upgrade these components just a screwdriver and a quick read of the manual.
CONCLUSION:
It's a good laptop for the price, which can be upgraded into a better computer easily and cheaply... all you have to do is read the manual, which is straightforward. I usually keep computers for about a year or two, and by next year I'll probably be ready to sell this at a decent price and use the proceeds to get another Inspiron but it will have been worth it for sure. In my opinion, for the price, quality, and support, you can't go wrong with a Dell.
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I have purchased two of these now.The one I bought at Best Buy lasted 5 days before having hardware failure. I returned it.
I bought the second one at Staples. It lasted 3 hours before giving an error saying, "No hard drive detected."
Don't buy this laptop!
Acer 15.6" E-450 1.65 GHz Laptop | AS5250-BZ467
Oh yeah, the computer is a lot slower then I am used to, but thought it would be good at this price. Unlucky me.
Well, took the laptop to Staples service center and the hard drive is bad...1/26/2012To start with, this computer looks slick. I have gotten lots of compliments on the sharp-looking keyboard
Also, this computer is fast enough to run all of the applications that an office user would want. The 4GB of ram is more than I need for web browsing, photoshop, or coding. Moreover, the side number pad has been helpful for data entry in excel.
As a cautionary word, this computer doesn't have good capacity for gaming on the level of DoTA or high-action 3D games because of its lack-luster integrated graphics card. At the same time, the monitor is quite vivid. Still, I can enjoy playing any 2D games on this computer.
Lastly, the speakers on this are really weak and drop off early in the bass, as expected from a pair of cheap tweeters. If you like music, do yourself a favor and get a nice pair of headphones or a set of speakers. That is all.
At this price-point (I paid $300 at Staples) it is a great deal.
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This is my first laptop & I'm a novice to technology. I'm into photograpy & crafting. Having found tutorials on youtube,I'm there alot. It takes awhile to get through them but once downloaded the graphics & resolution are great. Still learning the ins & outs but am very satisfied with speed of engine & smooth running abilities of this new toy.Read Best Reviews of Acer 15.6" E-450 1.65 GHz Laptop | AS5250-BZ467 Here
Lenovo 15.6" Core i5 500GB HDD Notebook
HP Pavilion g7-2010nr 17.3-Inch Laptop (Black)
The computer performs fantastic, is very fast and stays much cooler (even in a hot apartment) than my old laptop did.
I use my computer not just for watching videos, email and surfing but also for my work doing web development and also running virtual servers for testing scripts, etc. Also another thing I did was make sure the OS and computer (including BIOS) was updated fully so I have the latest of everything.
The pros:
Very fast, plenty of hard drive space, built-in SD card reader (I use 64GB SD cards for backups), AWESOME SOUND (from headphones). The built-in speakers also aren't too bad. I have a pair of powered Altec Lansing speakers packed away and always loved the sound so I was glad to see that Altec Lansing audio was built into this laptop. Including Dolby which makes the sound (especially with headphones) truely awesome! You may want to also tweak it to your liking in control panel and Windows Media player, if needed.
The display is amazingly brilliant and sharp. Very rich colors. I love the size of this display. I was used to a 14" display on the old laptop and hated dragging out a 19" monitor I used to have. This lets me play some casual games and watch videos in just the right size. The laptop isn't so big that it won't fit on larger laptop lap desks, which makes it great for watching movies outside the home office.
There's a full size keyboard with nice large keys and a keypad. No more having to hit Fn-Numlock to get a number pad (which was integrated into the keyboard on my Lenovo laptop).
It took a bit to get used to Windows 7 but I'm looking forward to the Windows 8 upgrade which I registered to get for $14.95. You do that directly from Microsoft.
I was on Skype with a friend a couple times and was amazed I could talk and hear them and without no glitches while talking.
The built-in video isn't too bad for a low-end video camera. It could be nice for doing video chat or YouTube videos. Just be sure you have plenty of good lighting around you.
Love the White LED scheme. Goes well aesthetically with the look of the computer, which is a nice glossy black and silver accents.
The Cons:
The keyboard is back a ways from the front and it takes some getting used to.
I am still trying to get used to the placement of the keys. LIke the delete/home/end and the way the Control and Alt keys are between an Fn and Windows key on the left. Sometimes I end up hitting Fn instead of Control!
The Function keys you have to use the Fn key to get F2, F3, etc. F5 doesn't have a pre-mapped function. I had to get used to that but found that it was nice to be able to raise/lower volume and move between songs using the function keys.
The touchpad is really rough but since I don't use the touchpad much, it sometimes gets in the way. Thankfully you can double tap a little bubble in the upper left to turn it off. Though I think it should show an LED when on and not when off.
The screen is incredibly glassy. While this makes for an awesomely rich colored and brilliant display, it's also impossible to see if your laptop is facing a window or lamps or just about anything. It pretty much works like a mirror sometimes! I moved my desk around so that it's facing the wall to solve the problem.
The location of the AC power jack is on the right side towards the back. I liked my Lenovo T61's power jack location better as it was on the back of the computer out of the way.
The hard drive light is a tiny light on the side near the power jack and USB port. This is kinda inconvenient when you want to see hard drive action to see if the computer stopped or if something is using the hard drive a lot. So far I haven't really needed to check it though.
The WiFi light is on the F12 function key, which if you press F12, you would turn on/off your WiFi. I don't like this as it could be forgotten when using a program that uses F12. Also the WiFi light is either red for off or white for on. It doesn't blink to show if there's any activity going on (my old laptop's light was on the monitor bezel and would blink according to activity). Good thing the router is nearby so I can check activity if I needed to.
When you first log into the computer for the very first time, the desktop wallpaper is just plain UGLY! Sorry, but that really struck me as odd.
Other stuff:
I had to get used to the headphones and mic jacks being on the left side instead of the front. But in thinking about it, it's better this way if you are using a lap desk as then the headphones would fit.
I'm not crazy about the extra programs that came with it but I did keep some of them HP ones.
I at first thought it had Bluetooth built in but later found out that it did not. This was MY fault as I didn't read the advertisement fully. But it worked great with my little Bluetooth adapter and a few other devices also installed quite easily.
Overall:
Overall, I still quite happy with the laptop and intend to use it for everyday use be it personal, entertainment, work, etc. I do hope it'll last me a good long time.Excellent all purpose laptop. Extremely quick for all everyday tasks including surfing, email, basic games, etc.
The touchpad can get a bit troublesome with the multigesture support but you can go into control panel and shut off certain aspects of it.
Great built in features including webcam, hdmi port and card reader make this laptop very versatile.
Stays very cool and quiet compared to much older dell machine that it replaced.
The one place it may lack is gaming as it uses integrated intel hd 3000 graphics. But if you're into hardcore gaming,
chances are you're spending double on a machine with discrete graphics and not looking at this.
For the price, this is an excellent buy.
EDIT 8/31/12: Have been experiencing a problem where I would plug in the A/C power and the battery indicator would tell me "plugged in, not charging". Called HP for support for the battery issue, and even though the service was excellent with remote access, the issue has not been resolved. I will try returning it to Amazon and exchanging for same model. I do really like the laptop otherwise.
Buy HP Pavilion g7-2010nr 17.3-Inch Laptop (Black) Now
When I would open & close the lid, the monitor would stay black for 3 10 seconds and flicker 3 5 times before the image would stay. This started the first day and progressively got worse. I had turned off all monitor and hard drive power settings (no sleep mode, hibernation, etc)., and checked to ensure all drivers (video, bios, etc) were up-to-date. With all software up-to-date, I then knew it was a hardware issues. I called HP and tech support who agreed it was a hardware issue and offered to repair it for free as it was 4 days old. I told them "no" and am returning it. Also, the DVD drive would start for no reason and the function keys didn't always work. The sound key and monitor brightness keys sometimes took multiple hits to work.Edited on September 5....HP tech support has been nothing but fantastic. They bumped my call up to next level support and then emailed me and called me. I informed them of what fixes I tried, how they didn't work and it is a hardware issue, and I am just going to return it. They provided me with a coupon for an HP Store purchase for my troubles and hoped I would buy a HP again. They went out of their to try to make me happy (I wasn't upset, I understand that hardware issues will happen).
Read Best Reviews of HP Pavilion g7-2010nr 17.3-Inch Laptop (Black) Here
It took a few days, but I think I now have Windows 8 figured out. The Laptop itself is great. I like the speed and the 17 inch, very clear, display. The keyboard is easy to use, but I bought a wireless mouse. I don't like working with the touch pad. The only disappointment I have, is the CD/DVD drive is not Lightscribe compatible. It wasn't in the description. I just forgot to check for it. I'll get an external Lightscribe CD/DVD drive to use as I need it.I just had to state, I could not find a compatible external Lightscribe CD/DVD burner. Lightscribe doesn't work with Windows 8, and it has been dropped by HP. HP started deleting Lightscribe burners from their computers in early 2011. I believe the technology has been dropped by third party DVD burner manufactures also. Despite my disappointment, it's still and excellent computer.
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This laptop has performed exactly as advertised. The only hitch was that I transferred my files and programs from my old computer wirelessly and then had trouble installing programs like Roxio Move Maker. I had to reset the computer to factory settings and then the installation went smoothly. Would caution anyone about transferring files wirelessly, especially from a computer that was not functioning well.Lenovo IdeaPad S405 14" Slim Notebook (AMD A6-4455M 2.10GHz CPU, 4GB DDR3 1333 RAM, 500GB HDD, AMD
Aesthetically, upon receiving the unit, I immediately compared it to my Macbook Pro of 2009: sleek, slim and thin but at (what seemed) half the weight. The screen detail and color fidelity are very good for a budget model. The sound quality is satisfactory (as in most notebooks), and whatever narrowness in frequency range exists, it is partially compensated for by a "Dolby Advanced Audio" 10-band equalizer. The single USB 3.0 port speeds data to and from my HP Pocket drive (with USB 3.0) at blazing speeds (unit has two USB 2.0 ports also); wireless sensitivity is above average; trackpad fluidity is close to a Macbook's (smooth!); 4GB of installed memory can be expanded to 8GB; and the HDMI port and 500GB hard drive are essential assets. (Note: A 500GB hard drive model will have 400GB available due to Lenovo using disk space as a "recovery partition".)
I did not order a discontinued Lenovo Win 7 unit but leaped into Win 8 in December 2012 "culture shock!!!" But . . . this is the future for the PC world and even we "old timers" must grow with the times. Win 8 is a "work-in-progress" for sure, and in order to adjust at a more relaxed pace to this OS, as well as get up-to-speed and "productive", I suggest downloading "Classic Start Menu" or "Start 8". These utilities will bring back the "Start" button and menu familiar to users of Win 7, Vista, XP, etc., but remove none of the features of Win 8.
All in all, this Lenovo unit is well worth the money. Again, this is a budget notebook and is not a ThinkPad or Macbook Air, but to me it is top of the line of any budget notebook I've owned.
Smooth, sleek, fast, compact, light . . . and very cool!I've had this computer for 2 weeks now. In that time I have come to realize just how sweet this little thing is. Obviously it is not a powerhouse for video editing or gaming, but for the normal online activities it is very good. I do keep the power setting on high, which seems to improve the speed of my web surfing. Windows 8 seemed daunting for the first couple hours, but it is so easy to customize and it boots up at such fantastic speeds. If you just need a competent little laptop that is inexpensive and has a great keyboard, but it now.This is a good little computer. It's very slim and light. However, the graphics aren't great: everything has a bluish tint. Also, the mouse pad is just ridiculous. Most anywhere you click it, a menu pops up. You have to be very intentional about clicking it very near the bottom if you want to click and highlight text, for example. I would totally recommend this computer for any day-to-day activities, but I would also recommend getting a mouse. I haven't been using a mouse (I'll get one over the weekend), and frankly it's driving me quite nuts. But everything else is great--fast processor, lots of RAM, lots of memory...Windows 8 is fun, no complaints!
Asus G72GX RBBX05 Notebook PC
First off I want to address the overheating issues that others mentioned. I originally thought that my G72 was overheating too. It would randomly slow down during games sometimes and it didn't seem to me to be linked to how hard it was working. I would usually just restart the laptop and it would be fine. Then I noticed that it seemed to only do it when I played games after waking it up from sleep mode. I stopped using the sleep and haven't had the problem once in literally months. I'm not sure exactly what's causing it but it definitely seems to be linked to the sleep. It is probably a driver problem or something. This laptop in fact has great heat management. I have played Shogun 2 Total War on max tubo gear(the little overclocking program that comes with it) and on max setting(almost) for literaly hours at a time without any overheating problems.
The Pros: This laptop has great power for the money. Even today the GTX 260M GPU is no slouch. You can run games like Oblivion, Medieval 2 Total war, Bioshock, Batman Arkham Asylum and other such games on full setting with no problem at all. The newest game I have played on it is Shogun 2 Total War. I run it with the best settings except for some of the fancier shadow effects, I don't use blur effects and only use 4x anti aliasing. It does very well. The larger battles slow down a bit but over all it's very playable. The laptop is also pretty cool looking with the lights and stuff. It has decent battery life for the type of laptop(about 2hrs). I mean let's face it, for gaming laptops the batery is just to get you from one outlet to the next.
The Cons: This laptop isn't perfect though. I only gave it 5 stars to ballance out the other two reviews that I thought were misunderstanding the heating problem. My biggest complaint with this laptop is the screen. It's not terrible. The refresh rate is good. You don't get streaks and blurs when the action is going. The problem is the colors. I've just seen better color ballancing on other screens. The other problem is it's a little picky about the angle you look at it. The construction of the laptop is also a little on the plasticky side if you know what I mean. I guess you have to skimp somewhere to get the price down.
Over all I was very pleased with this laptop. Had it for almost 2 years now and it's still running great. The screen flickers sometimes but I think that's just due to a dirty connection. When I bought it it was $1000 but even now $670 is a good price for this machine.I've had this laptop for over a year and it's my favorite thing ever.
This laptop runs almost everything. There is some lagging on say Civilizations V and GTA IV, but you can overclock this easily. On that, definitely get a cooling fan for this laptop, as it really helps to increase the life and play of this laptop. Asus makes very quality products for a relatively low price. A definite must.
I rate this a 5/5, but there is one thing that will have to be attended to either right away or months down the line. Once it happens, it requires hardware work every couple of months. The cord for the laptop (I forget the name of it on the top of my head) was made too short and Asus had it designed to be held with simple hard scotch tape. When it disconnects, all you get is a white screen when the brightness is on max and black when it's not. There is a video to fix it, so it's not a complete loss.
Besides that, a very customizable laptop (two hard drive bays!) and runs so many games smoothly. Of course most likely outdated now (technology moves quick) but it's still good enough to play even new games at the best settings (Ultra settings Skyrim is possible even without overclocking).
Also, rip off the shields on both sides for the USB ports and Headphone/Mic jacks. They're annoying.
Buy Asus G72GX RBBX05 Notebook PC Now
This laptop is amazing! It powers through all the games in my Steam Library. The Nvidia GTX 260m is very fast and over clocks nicely providing for excellent frame rates. The 500GB hard drive is very roomy with plenty of space for all my 100GB+ Steam folder. This laptop is a true mobile gaming beast! Buy it now, you won't be disappointed! The battery life is a bit short but that's normal for computer of such processing magnitude.I bought it year and half ago and it's still running as new. For gaming laptop under 1000$ I consider it very good. Very powerful for that time it could run majority of games on high settings. A little bit heat doesn't bother me if you put it on the table. I also connect it to 24inch monitor if I need a big screen to work. Plenty of memory let me work with internet without any delay.I got this for my high school graduation never had a laptop for gaming my desktop was my main computer but obviously not very mobile so asked for this. I have had it for less than a year the first 6-7 months it worked amazing but after using it a while it started to slow down. the thermals characteristics are horrible it will run any of my games but after a couple hours it gets so hot i cant even run them on low. then a month back i ran into a much bigger problem the ac adapter stopped working and it would just bring up the ac/battery logo every second back and forth and at first it would charge the batter if computer was off but not on then it would charge batter at all but if i took it out the ac only would run the computer just fine and then that stopped working and i ordered a replacement ac adapter for 60 bucks since this particular model seems to have an impossible to find size and power output even the universal rocketfish and others didnt work. so ordered the replacement from amazon and it worked great for about 2-3 weeks and now im back to where i was no laptop at all i recommend getting a different laptop.Sony VAIO E Series SVE11135CXB 11.6-Inch Laptop (Black)
Buy Sony VAIO E Series SVE11135CXB 11.6-Inch Laptop (Black) Now
I have been using this Laptop for about a week. For the price, it's a very good,very fast little laptop.
Because it's only 11.5 inches-the picture is extremely crisp. Comes with 750GB and 4GB's of memory. Very quick. Boots up fast. I take this laptop everywhere.
Also-this is a very good looking, sleek laptop. All white-with black screen. Back-lit keyboard too. I'm very happy with my purchase.
Also-Amazon delivered to me in 2 days.
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This is a great computer for someone like me who doesn't need a professional laptop, if what you do is surf the net and watch movies this will be great for you..the only thing that takes a while to get used to is the mouse:( hahaha but its very handy for windows 8 I gotta say...so yeah! recommended 100%Want Sony VAIO E Series SVE11135CXB 11.6-Inch Laptop (Black) Discount?
I purchased it from Amazon for my son. The notebook looks very solid and has okay specs and good performance with pre-installed Win8! It came with 750Gb HDD that will be upgraded to the SSD when time comes.HP Pavilion TX1320US Entertainment 12.1" Notebook PC
This is my second tablet PC. I'd say my experience so far is mixed. After 12 days of use I'm going to need to exchange it for another one as there is an electrical short in the swivel mount for the screen. The laptop makes a very loud audible, "clack clack clack clack" noise when the screen is positioned at various angles. The noise comes through the speakers and can be induced or stopped instantaneously by screen angle (tilt the screen 45 degrees towards you as if you were closing the lid and stop and the noise is heard).
I am almost greatful that the screen is acting up because I was disappointed by the response of the space bar in the keyboard. I type 70 wpm and never have an issue hitting 'space'. However on this keyboard I routinely find that the space bar did not recognize my input forcing me to backspace (as I type this about every 10th space has this issue).
My 3rd complaint is the tablet stylus. I was an early adopter of the tablet, purchasing the very first Toshiba model when they first came out around 2001'ish. What I noticed immediately about this tablet's stylus is the lack of a spring to the tip. My first tablet was very responsive to different screen pressures, and it was easy to know how much pressure you were applying to the screen because of the ability to push with varying pressure. The default stylus that ships with the HP tx1320us is just a piece of plastic with a permanent type of tip. It feels harsh and unresponsive in comparison to my first tablet's stylus.
Once my exchange is finished (and should I decide to keep this laptop) I will be looking for an aftermarket tablet stylus which is unfortunate because the docking cradle for this laptops stylus is really well done.
The laptop feels quick and responsive within the VISTA OS and the screen resolution is decent. The fingerprint swiping mechanism really needs an overhaul however because it hurts to drag your finger across it. It has very sharp edges.
Overall I'd give this a 3 out of 5 assuming you don't get a lemon like I did.
(note I did an 'even exchange' on this laptop and got an identical one. The new one has a responsive keyboard and no shorts or problems with the swivel display mount. I did find out though that I will never get the reponsiveness I thought I would get from this tablet due to the fact that the screen is not interactive with the stylus in the way that many tablets are. A much better name for this laptop would be TOUCH SCREEN laptop NOT Tablet Laptop...Microsoft and HP and screwing up the 'TABLET' branding by allowing this type of device to bear that name).I have this machine and loved it for the first year. First, the WIFI stopped working. I thought it was somehting I did; but I never worried about it since I usually plug it directly into ethernet anyway. Then I noticed it was getting very hot; again, I thought this must be normal. Then I noticed all the other people who have the same issue.
HP told me it would cost $400 to fix this computer since it wasn't under warranty; I liked the computer so I sent it back. then the fun started... it wasn't fixed by the time promised and each time I called, I spoke with someone about 10,000 miles away from the repair shop, who knew nothing about what was going on. After over a month, the last time they called me to tell me there would be a delay in getting it repaired I told them to just send it back to me. HP is horrible; they refuse to accept responsibility for selling a product they know to be defective and they don't care about their customers. I will never buy another HP product and am considering a class action lawsuit.
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I got this lap top just over a year ago, the wifi went out and soon after the mother board went out. I did some research and it looks like this problems is common through out ALL of the HP tablets and laptops. I personally will never by another HP product again.Read Best Reviews of HP Pavilion TX1320US Entertainment 12.1" Notebook PC Here
most of the reviews you read are right on target. battery life stinks, they have gone to the 6 cell battery for 2 hours and it kinda sticks out from the back. the inking is kinda weird. you have to press alot harder than i thought to get it to be any kind of usable. the screen has glare. there is no question about it.it is hard to believe that after all that i still find it a very nice laptop. the size is very good and compact. the battery sticks out but doesn't really bother you as much as it should. the touch screen is not great but i think it does have it's uses. the glare can sometimes be a problem but it is a good screen. i probably would have liked a laptop with a better screen but then i would not have all that inkking to play with. what i am most impressed with is it's power. it really handles everything very smooth. the tiny remote that hides into the express card slot is a great added feature.
would i buy it again: yes
could i have done better: probably but not at this price
as i stated in the title i think what sums it all up is that you get what you pay for. to have better battery life and screen i am sure you would have to plunk down another grand. so till them i'll beat this around town!
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I loved this computer when I first got it had technical issue down the line, that the computer froze on me just went black. Took it in for repairs and the guy said it would be cheaper if I just bought a new one.
