It is as good as I thought it would be! I love the buttons display and is very practical to use and very quick.
Showing posts with label power notebook. Show all posts
Showing posts with label power notebook. Show all posts
Acer Aspire AS5733-6838 Laptop, Intel Core i3-380M, 2.53GHz, 4GB, 500GB, 15.6" HD CineCrystal LED-b
It is as good as I thought it would be! I love the buttons display and is very practical to use and very quick.
Dell Inspiron i17R-6121DBK 17.3-Inch Laptop (Diamond Black)
[Note: I've edited my review on 10/17/2011. The problem is that this laptop is no longer offered directly by Amazon. The price varies and shipping isn't always free. Therefore, it's up to you to make sure you're getting a good deal.]This listing is for the 2011 model Inspiron 17R, while most of the other listings are for last year's product. I purchased a Dell Inspiron 17R similar to this one for my sister during May 2011. It's quite impressive as compared to my Asus laptop from less than three years ago. I would definitely recommend one these to a friend.
CASE: The 17R is surprisingly thin considering that it isn't advertised as a thin laptop. The Diamond Black finish is very attractive. [Note: the listings that mention the Mars Black finish are for last year's model.] The hinge operates smoothly and appears to be durable.
LCD: The quality of a laptop's screen is particularly important to me. This one is better than most. It's somewhat glossy but, fortunately, not nearly as glossy as was common a couple of years ago. Text is a lot easier to read than it was on the ultra-glossy screens. There appears to be some anti-reflective treatment but it is not overdone. Viewing angles are quite good horizontally, and are adequate vertically. You won't need to clamp your head in a vise to use this laptop. Vertical resolution is 900 pixels, which is as good as it gets without spending twice as much. Movies and photographs look very good on this widescreen display.
SPEAKERS: Typical mediocre laptop speakers. They are perfectly intelligible, but you'll want to use headphones for movies or music.
WIRELESS: There is some good news and some bad news. The good news is that Bluetooth is included, so you won't need any wireless dongles to use a wireless mouse or keyboard. Also, this current model Inspiron 17R supports the new version of Intel Wireless Display technology [WiDi], allowing you to display your desktop wirelessly to your television at full 1920x1080 resolution. Of course, you have to buy a second-generation (1080p) WiDi adapter for your television before you can use WiDi. Suitable second-generation WiDi adapters are available from Belkin and Netgear. [Note: last year's Inspiron 17R with the Mars Black finish is permanently limited to the first-generation, 720P version of WiDi. There are some credible reports that even second-generation, 1080i WiDi technology is not quite ready for prime time due to problems with playing DRM protected content. You need to investigate this for yourself.]
The bad news in the wireless category is that there is no support whatsoever for the 5GHz wireless band! Look up the Wireless-N 1030 adapter on Intel's web site. Bummer if you live in a crowded neighborhood!
PORTS: This current 17R includes a combo eSATA + USB 2.0 port, plus two USB 3.0 ports and an HDMI 1.4 port. That's a good reason not to buy the last year's 17R without at least a one-third discount. The last year's 17r is limited to HDMI 1.3 (translation: will never play a 3-D blu-ray disk in 3-D over HDMI) and doesn't have any of the new, ultra-fast USB 3.0 ports.
BATTERY LIFE: Too soon to tell, but there appears to be at least 3.5 hours available for basic web surfing and watching movies over Netflix. Battery life could be better than that, but I don't know the limits yet. In any event, battery life will be significantly better than it was on last year's 17R due to the second-generation i5 CPU. More on the CPU later in this review.
RAM: Six gigabytes of RAM are included, a nice upgrade from the usual four GB. It's unlikely that you'll need to bother to upgrade the memory during the laptop's lifetime.
VALUE: There's always a deal at Dell, but the deal changes faster than you can follow. Dell is throwing in a free Blu-ray combo disk with this particular version of the Inspiron 17R. My sister's 17R did not include Blu-ray, but it did come with a full copy of Microsoft Office for free, while this 17R only includes the crummy starter edition. Deals at Dell are a lot like the weather here in New England: if you don't like it, wait a minute.
Conversely, I would suggest you jump on this model if the Blu-ray upgrade is what works for you. It's easy to buy and install a full copy of Microsoft Office at a later date, whereas upgrading the optical drive in a laptop is too expensive and too difficult for the average consumer.
CPU: In case you haven't heard, Intel made a major overhaul of its processor architecture for this Spring. The new CPUs are code named Sandy Bridge. For the i3, i5 and i7 lines, Sandy Bridge CPUs are identified by having four digit model numbers versus three digits for discontinued CPUs.
This Inspiron 17R uses an Intel i5-2410m processor, identifying it as a new Sandy Bridge CPU. There are lots of other 17 inch Inspirons available here on Amazon that use last year's models, such as the i5-580m. Personally, I would not recommend buying a laptop with a discontinued Intel CPU unless there is a discount of at least one-third. The Sandy Bridge CPUs are significantly more powerful (for an equal GHz rating) while consuming significantly less battery power than their predecessors.
In case you were wondering why I said that last year's 17R with the Mars Black finish was limited to the original 720p version of WiDi, now you have your answer: second-generation WiDi only works on computers with Sandy Bridge processors. Remember, any i3, i5 or i7 processor with a three digit model number is NOT a Sandy Bridge CPU.
The i5-2410m is sold only to manufacturers, so a little less information is available than for Intel's retail CPUs. Retail i5 processors have four physical cores without hyperthreading, but the i5-2410m has only two physical cores with hyperthreading, making it more like an i3. Calling this CPU an i5 is a bit deceiving. However, unlike the comparable i3 CPU, turboboost technology is included, allowing the i5-2410m to throttle up to 2.9 GHz when operating on only one physical core. VT-x virtualization support is included but VT-d is not. If none of this means anything to you, the bottom line is that the i5-2410m is as good as you need it to be.
CONCLUSION: I probably should have taken one star off for the lack of support for the 5GHz wireless band. That was a very odd choice by Dell, in my opinion. Otherwise, this is a very nice laptop that I would recommend to anyone who isn't preoccupied with first person shooter ["FPS"] games. Game players should read my own comment to this review, regarding AMD's next-generation processor ["Llano"] that will be reaching the marketplace soon.
Buy Dell Inspiron i17R-6121DBK 17.3-Inch Laptop (Diamond Black) Now
First of all, 17" is too big to carry around, but I mostly use it at home. I like the keyboard but I hate the touchpad. The touchpad is so big and so sensitive. When I type with keyboard, the touchpad often move cursor to another place. Very annoying.Other thoughts, There is no way to open the bottom so it wont let you update memory or hard drive in the future. do not like this.
The battery, I saw some information saying the battery can last 2 hours. It can only last 1 hour. I did charge the battery for more than 12 hours before I turn on laptop.
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I love this laptop! its perfect for everything, even gaming. Windows 7 is better than any of its predecessors. the 17" screen is perfect for writing essays and doing other school work, and watching HD movies. the price is right and dell is a great computer company... unlike HP or Apple. It keeps its charge and is the perfect laptop for any purpose. id recommend this laptop to anyone. and the free xbox 360 was great too! (end of summer deal)Want Dell Inspiron i17R-6121DBK 17.3-Inch Laptop (Diamond Black) Discount?
This is my first laptop so not a lot to compare it to, but here goes, I love the clarity of the display, it is a little slow on the start up but is very fast once it is booted up. The thing I am most disappointed in is the battery life, I may get 2 hours if I'm lucky. Overall it is a good machine and I haven't had any problems at all.
Acer AS7750G-9411 17.3-Inch Laptop (Mesh Black)
I love the large screen on this laptop, and the quality of the picture is great. The unit was a little light on Ram with only 6 GB but it does have 4 slots for ram so it is very cost effective to upgrade it to 16 GB by buying two sets of 8 GB (about $55)this was much cheaper then getting 16 GB in two ram chips(about $230). Acer couldn't make it harder to find out what kind of ram the laptop takes (it's 1066 ddr3 204 pin so-dimm by the way). Light machine and fast, great buy for the money! I am using this laptop to record with daw software and have had no troubles.
Buy Acer AS7750G-9411 17.3-Inch Laptop (Mesh Black) Now
Have had this laptop for 6 days and have used it each of those 6 days. My experience has been a good one. This is my 1st laptop. I'm not disapointed with this laptop. The price was right at $877 and is still a bargain at the current price of $899. I've been on the internet, scanned pictures, transfered all my music from my desktop to it,removed unwanted packaged software from it like the antivirus programs and downloaded Microsoft Essentials. Up graded drivers for printerscanner, cameras and other devices. Burned the recommeded recovery backups without any trouble. I've watched 2 movies from netflex and been on Skype. So far this laptop has performed very good.Read Best Reviews of Acer AS7750G-9411 17.3-Inch Laptop (Mesh Black) Here
I bought this as a Christmas gift. It has become the secondary computer in the house that everybody uses. It sees a lot of use. The screen is bright. The mouse pad works great. I have a hard time with the flat keys, but the keyboard is big and laid out well, and the keys feel just fine otherwise. The wireless network connection is great too.My only complaint has been with the battery that has proved to have a rather short life. The battery used to give me several hours of use. (What ever Acer said it would.) After six month of daily use on and off the charger, the batter is only good for about 90 minutes. I also just this week had to replace the hard drive. I did not send it back to Acer though I assume it is still under warranty. The laptop just stopped working, and I ended up taking it into a repair shop. They determined it was the hard drive. I bought a new one and replaced it my self. It was easier to do than a desk top.
Thank goodness I made restore disks, as prompted by Acer's manual, before the laptop went into use. The restore disks worked flawlessly. I was back up and running in three days.
Everyone in the house enjoys this laptop. From games to school work to Netflix to surfing the Internet to viewing photographs this laptop has proven to be a good choice.
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Lenovo ThinkPad T520 423946U 15.6-Inch Laptop
Top of the line, state of the art product. High quality. Sturdy hinges. Nice keyboard feel and touch. I've used Lenovo Thinkpad T60 for years, with minimal problems. My niece needed a computer upgrade. Researched many products. Bottom line, purchased Thinkpad T520 for her. Increased RAM from 4 to 6 for now, I believe 8 is max. ie5 processor 64 bit Windows 7 Pro. Nice keyboard. Solid, quality product inside and out. Business class. 320 GB hard drive. Room to grow...Easy to set up. Built-in web-cam, nice speakers, sound. This not a super-technical review, just a satisfied user with years of experience with Lenovo Thinkpad products. Thought I'd stick with a good thing.Only problem I had with my older Thinkpad T60 was internal speaker blew. I just purchased a cheap Jlabs speaker I could plug into usb. Works, no problem. I have a usb-hub to attach more peripherals if I need. NO problems at all. I had the docking station for a while, really didn't need/use it, got rid of it.
For backups I use eGo BlackBelt Portable Hard Drive from iomega compatible with usb 3.0/2.0 500 GB for PC/Mac. Works great, fast, no problems. Small, sleek. Purchased from Best Buy.
I purchased my Lenovo Products from a local reseller where I can just walk in/walk out/upgrade the product. I understand purchasing from Lenovo directly is slow. I think prices are better on Amazon.com, also have option of purchasing an additional warranty. Else, have to get on Lenovo's website to purchase warranty. My reseller did not provide. They claimed to be more knowledgeable than Geek Squad.
This Thinkpad T520 appears to be the next best thing to a Mac for those of us who grew up with PC's. Perfect desktop replacement.
Purchased my previous Thinkpad T60 in January, 08 from reseller, used, off-lease from a larger business. Now July, 2011, still using it. Upgraded RAM, DVD, Jlabs speaker, Windows XP to Windows 7 32 bit Home Premium, that's it. Writing this review on it. Like it just as much now as then. I was tempted to give my niece my used T60 and keep the T520 for myself. Alas, gave her the new one...
Buy Lenovo ThinkPad T520 423946U 15.6-Inch Laptop Now
Laptop needed for road, and this one fits the bill. Very sturdy, easy to configure, with plenty of power and hard drive space. Perfect sweet spot of price/performance.Read Best Reviews of Lenovo ThinkPad T520 423946U 15.6-Inch Laptop Here
Since I received this machine on August 2011, it was sent to repair to a Lenovo authorized dealer 3 times already, on Nov 28th. 2011 they replaced the mother board; on Dec 29th. 2011 they replaced the hard disk; on June 6th 2012 they replaced the motherboard again. The Lenovo warranty expired on Aug. 22th 2012. On Aug. 28th, it had a problem with the hard disk again and I paid to replace it because Lenovo refuses to extend the warranty. Now it is broken again and the problem is with the mother board that needs to be replaced again.I spend more time fixing this unit than effectively using it. I am very unhappy with this purchase. I never had or heard some saying it was needed to replace a computer motherboard 3 times and hard disk twice in less than 12 months period.
I contacted Lenovo and asked them replace the machine; they claim they cannot because it was bought from a third party dealer and there is not they can do about.
I found other users complaining about the same problem and someone informed that model has a design problem. It has to do with a batch of faulty EEPROM chip used in the Edge series produced at the end of the 2011.
I would like to return this notebook and have the money back or exchange by another one that has the same features, but I have to accept the loss because Lenovo warranty cover only for 12 months period.
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I did a ton of research and finally decided to purchase the Lenovo T520. For the first month all was well, then suddenly the computer crashed and blue screened. Lenovo support sent recovery disks which did not work. Then sent a new hard drive that did not work. Two weeks without a computer and I sent it into the depot for repair. The depot had the machine for another week and returned it "repaired". I turned on the machine the first time and it crashed at start up exactly as it had when I sent it in.Called support and told them I wanted a refund and was told that wasn't an option because I had the machine for 21 days. They said to send it back to the depot for a "level 2" repair. I asked why the machine had ever been returned to me when all someone at the depot had to do was turn it on and watch it crash at start up. Was told they couldn't answer that question. When asked who could, they told me "no one could answer that question". Really!!
I guess I will send it in and trust the "level 2" technicians to have a clue. I'm not optimistic.
Bottom line I will never purchase another Lenovo machine and let my experience be a warning to you.
Lenovo X1 Carbon 34442DU 14-Inch Laptop
Pros:Fast, Solid build quality,Low fan noise, Low heat, Excellent keyboard,
The only con i could find was the trackpad isn't as slick as some of the newer ultrabooks and feels a bit wobbly when I click it. If you can get past that, it's an amazing laptop.
Dell Inspiron 1526 Laptop Midnight Blue (15.4" Wide Screen with true life, built-in Webcam, AMD Tur
Ok, as an actual user of an Inspiron 1526, I can honestly say that this has been a great buy. This other review that is in this page is not a fair review because it is stating an opinion in general of Dell instead of writing about the actual product.My Inspiron specks are a little different from the one advertised. Mine, which I had now for 4 days today (8/30/08) has an AMD Athlon X2 1.9 GHz processor with 2 GB of RAM (Insp. 1526 can be expandeble to 4 GB of RAM) with a 160 GB HD, a DVD RW, and Windows Vista Home Premium. This also includes 4 USB ports, Ethernet, Modem, Wireless network connection, IEEE and HDMI ports and 8-in-1 Media Card Reader for your digital camera. I did not include the Web Cam nor Microphone.
Right out of the box, this machine has performed very well. This is designed for the casual user in mind. The main reason for me to buy this laptop is for writing screenplays. I added Office 2007 and Movie Magic Screenwriter 6. Both work great in this machine.
The system has been stable so far. Video quality is great with the True Life Widescreen display with vivid colors. The speakers are not the greatest, they sound rather tiny, but you do have two headphone jacks (if you're watching a DVD with somebody) or you can add external speakers to this laptop.
The video card is a X1270 AMD Radeon. It can display 3D graphics, but this card is not a good option for any of the new games out there. If you want to play any of those games like Halo 2, Bioshock, etc., then this machine is not for you.
Now, this machine can play older games, published about 2004 like World of Warcraft, which I can play it at the normal screen resolution of 1200x800 in the ranges of 18 to 32 FPS, which is playable and it looks good. I also have Unreal Tournament 2004 which performs well enough to play it, and and Magic The Gathering Online V3 which is a newer game but it will not tax your video card.
Overall I'm very pleased with this. It is a solid machine that would be great for a writer, student, or casual user who can read e-mail, surf the web, write documents and play World of Warcraft and is on a budget.
When I opened the box I was pleasantly surprised to see my brand new jet black inspiron 1526 with all those wonderful specs, sans the video card (I don't play games on my laptop much anyway so not a problem.) It and Vista worked great, especially because every piece of hardware that I had (mouse, printer, digital camera, cell phone) all were compatible with Vista.
3 Months later I get an error code that will not allow me to log onto my computer. I figured the nice people at Dell would help. They gave me a hardy *BLANK* Off, go to the retailer that you purchased the laptop from for help. I go to Best Buy who wanted to back up my files for $90? ahmm how bout no. (Best buy didnt have a warranty option on the website when I purchased it) They sent it to get "repaired" under the dell warranty. Dell had it for a week, did a diagnostics check, sent it back to me with an A OK! Got home, STILL COULD NOT LOG ON!
I had to split the drive into 3 partitions, re-install Vista on a second partition, in order to access all my files. Then burn them on disks for safe keeping while I formatted the entire hard drive and reinstalled all the drivers myself and put back all my files.
2 Months later. Sitting listening ( the speakers aren't great at all. But plug some headphones in and turn it up you'll be partially deaf for a minute or so) to a CD in the laptop while browsing, BLIP system shuts down wont turn back on. Take it back to best buy. They send it out for another week. Diagnosis... Mother Board burned out (after 5 months). I'm hearing its a common problem with the 1526. Dell fixed that. I get my laptop back from Worst Buy WITHOUT my CD. My calls have not been returned by Hells repair people or Worst Buy.
I would give this laptop a low 3. A 2.9 if possible. When its good its good, but when its bad it REAL bad.I apologise first of all because I didn't buy this from Amazon. I bought it from a dealer in Beijing's Computer Area for roughly the RMB equivalent of GBP600. After my last laptop, a BenQ JoyBook which should really have been called MiseryBook, this truly is a joy to use. It's fast: on a fast internet connection you can work almost as fast as you can think and that feels amazing. Compared to the Benq, the screen is really bright. Really bright. It looks totally cool in navy blue and silver. The keyboard (which was the reason I had vowed never to have a Dell again)is a real pleasure to use: I love it. I'm running Avira, Spybot, Spywareblaster, Malwarebytes, CCleaner, Stopzilla, Eusing Registry Cleaner, Ad-aware, Glary Utilities and Superdefrag and it runs really clean. Before I was always having to waste time getting rid of viruses. All in all, IMHO this is a just a wonderful machine to use. My only gripe is that all the documentation and software was in Chinese and Dell China/Hong Kong refused point blank to provide a duplicate in English despite my many efforts, although they could have done so had they wanted to. I did manage to download an English manual from their US website, but no thanks to them. Shameless. So I will never buy from them again since their's is a culture of contempt. What self-sabotaging incompetents they are. "One customer properly looked after is worth more than $10000 of advertising" Jim RohnMy 11 year old son purchased this laptop 11 1/2 months ago with his own money. Three weeks ago the hard drive failed suddenly. The hinge on the left side of the machine was also failing, so I contacted Dell. The hard drive is a self install and I was sent a postage paid box to send the laptop to Texas for the hinge repair. Dell contacts me the following week to inform me they WILL NOT cover the hinge because the unit has been "abused". This laptop has NEVER been dropped, thrown, etc. They want to charge me $120 for the hinge repair which will not happen.. When you complain online or via telephone you will NEVER speak with a english speaking tech unless you buy an extended warranty in which case that will entitle you to speak with someone in the good old USA. If you like throwing your money away and being frustrated, please purchase this laptop!I have the Inspiron 1526 and have had it since 2008. Overall it hasn't been a bad operating computer and I haven't needed Dell Support Service as I am able to solve most of my computer problems and am mechanical enough to repair and replace parts my computers need (having been the first female office equipment repair technician in the Denver area in the 1970's). While the operation of the computer has been good, the overall construction is chintzy, flimsy, and of poor quality. The computer's overall appearance is attractive, but having offered that positive observation, I would caution that the case will fall apart easily with minimal use. I bought this computer as a secondary computer, my primary being a HP Pavilion. With opening the computer no more than 4 times, the plastic hinges began to separate exposing the wires contained within. Then the top back cover began to separate from the bezel. These problems worsened with every use. One day the computer fell off of the sofa onto a thick and thickly padded carpet while closed. Keys popped off of the keyboard. Normally keys can be pressed back on, but one of the keys broke a clip necessitating the replacement of the keyboard. With the stress being placed on the bezel from the separation of the top back cover and hinges, the bezel has cracked in half at the bottom nearest the left hinges. Estimates to replace these parts were almost $500. Ordering the parts directly from Dell is out of the question as they are more expensive than ordering them from online computer repair companies. I have ordered the parts from an independent Dell repair company for slightly more than $100 and will repair the computer myself. My HP Pavilion was dropped on a hard floor by TSA at the Denver Airport and other than a couple of scratches to the case, the Pavilion's case and keyboard emerged unscathed, and the computer is fully operational. Had that happened to the Dell, I would have been carrying the Dell through the airport in a million pieces, I'm sure. Additionally, the touchpad to the Dell show a great deal of wear from minimal use, while my 7 year-old Pavilion's touchpad shows no wear and tear from hours of use daily. In doing searches for the parts to repair my Dell, I found numerous computer repair companies that do complete cosmetic refurbishing of Dell computers (including replacement of the top and bottom cases, keyboards, palm rests, touchpads, etc.) for $250 to $300 which indicates to me that Dell's computer cases and the other plastic parts aren't built to last. I can't comment on Dell's technical support having never needed to use it, but overall I'm not impressed with the quality of the Dell laptops in comparison to HP, Toshiba, etc. If the laptop will be getting a great deal of use or is being carried around a great deal, I wouldn't recommend a Dell unless one buys a Dell that has been manufactured for business use (which also comes with a high price tag). I just replaced a broken screen in an E Machine, and in comparison, the case to the E-Machine is far sturdier than the case to the Dell Inspiron and the E-Machine laptop wasn't nearly as expensive. My rating of this computer is probably better than it should be and wouldn't have been as low as it is were it not for the poor quality of the computer case and its lack of durability and suitablilty for everyday use. I can't rate a computer very high if with light use, one has to duct tape the case together.
Toshiba Satellite S855-S5379 15.6-Inch Laptop (Ice Blue Brushed Aluminum)
I bought this computer on one of the Black Friday Deals. It arrived in 4 days! Very easy to set-up and get running out of the box. I like the size and the hardware included with the computer. I don't really see the need for a lighted keyboard...I don't look at the keyboard when I am typing anyway. The keyboard is nicely configured and a good size. The mouse is as good as any on a laptop. I am going to get a cordless mouse soon.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.
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.
Toshiba libretto W105-L251 7-Inch Dual Touchscreen Laptop (Silver/Black)
I got mine last week..paid under $1000 from Amazon.I love this. I am 47 so I need to use my magnifying glasses to view the screen but I expected that. The touch is very responsive. I have no trouble clicking links in internet explorer or scrolling by swiping the screen. The keyboard is pretty responsive although you have to be in a different position directly over the keys..unlike a 3d keyboard where you type more at an angle.
I did buy a stylus but havent needed to use it. I bought one of those tiny usb mouses and that has really helped to speed navigation. I have perfected a combo of the mouse the keyboard and touch that makes this device a productivity whiz.
The screen is amazing. the processor very speedy. Programs download and install quickly. Web surfing is fast.
As far as the dual screen, it is nice to open windows and split them. I have used the accelerometer when I have enarged windows using the pinch technique too large to view a whole window.. turning the device lets me see the bottom or viewing the page over the two windows does also. One tip maximizing with the keyboard open..the page goes under the keyboard so close it to see it! I didnt realize this right away.
Yes the fan is louder than expected but it is not on all the time and sounds almost like light static mroe than a fan.
If you are used to using an ipod touch you will love using windows in the same manner. If you are looking for a mini laptop this isnt really how it functions.
Bravo toshiba..this is the future of mobile computing!
Update Oct 6,2010.
Now that I have had a chance to play with this thing I absolutely love it! My favorite thing is reading kindle books..in full screen.. i open it like a tablet and it divides the page into an upper and lower screen. I find my reading is much more focused because I am not scanning an entire page..the hinge makes a great partition for brain concentration. It surfs the web amazingly fast.. I have grown to love Toshiba's bulletin board which I thought was hokey at first. Now that I am used to the finger mechanics i rarely use the usb mouse.
I took this to the car dealer today during my service and the car was done too fast lol! Much better than my ipo touch.. i just wish windows gadgets were more like apple apps. I updated my rating to 5 star!
Who am I?
Level 1 support gave me a number. It was a toll number and when I called it was "local computer store" in CA. (Did not to post the number to protect the poor store owner)
Called again and got Level 2, he too was not helpful.Said he would get Level 3 to call me. He "spoke to the higher ups in Toshiba" and has no answer or help at this time.
My case may be unique so here is my short summary (Based on 6 hours of use) .
PROS:
1. Looks Cool, great concept, dual screen
2. Small form factor
3. USB Port
4. External battery can be replaced
5. Inbuilt camera
6. Flash compatible.
CONS:
1. No tech support for now
2. Not sure if the defective machine is a software or hardware issue and if it limited to just this one computer.
3. No replacements in stock any where, if you have defective machine.
4. Expensive, for $1300 can get a lot of computer if you can live without the "Dual screen" and form factor
5. Touch screen has no stylus, if you have thick fingers you are out of luck, can't make it work, will keep hitting the wrong icon or text.
6. Noisy fan, (placed in the top screen), runs almost the minute you turn it on.
7. Speakers have a very weak output.
COMPARISON TO OTHER MACHINES
None to do so. Small form factor, dual touch screen. It would be a stretch to compare to iPad, but the iPad is cheaper, easy to use and in stock every where, but it has no dual screen, limited os, no USB, No flash
SUMMARY: I think I am going to return it to Amazon, defective product. Would suggest that buyers hold off this laptop. Save your money and buy something else.
UPDATE:
Trying to restore the device to make it work. No help from Tech Support.
UPDATE 2:
Toshiba has a utility that restores the device to the "out of box state"
Went ahead and did it as a last resort and finally after about a 15 minute process the the OS was reinstalled and that finally made the dual screen work.
Have now used it and seems to be working fine and have decided to hold on to it, and changed the rating to 2 stars.
Still no support from Toshiba. (They took down my numbers and never called me, apparently this is how Level 3 responds to you).
So for now NO SUPPORT.
In case somebody need's it like I did, here are steps: (are also in the manual). Prior to doing this please back up any info.
A)Turn off the computer.
B) Ensure that the power cord is plugged in
C) While holding down the Keyboard button (left side if the bottom screen, when using as a standard laptop configuration), turn on the computer.
D) Will turn on as a safe mode type screen.
E) Choose restore and then restore out of box and will ask that confirmation twice.
F) Need to choose "out of box restore"
The whole process will take about 15 min, is faster due to the SSD drive. It worked for me.
Buy Toshiba libretto W105-L251 7-Inch Dual Touchscreen Laptop (Silver/Black) Now
The Toshiba Libretto W100 (the W100 is the Japanese version with a WiMax radio and the W105 is the practically the same hardware sans WiMax sold in the US) is most exotic computer form factor to be released in years, Toshiba after all branded it a "concept" device. Whatever it is called or compared to (Nintendo DS, Courier, iPad) the W100 is a mix of the tried and true spiced with uniqueness while delivering a compelling product. For most people it is probably too expensive but there isn't any other device on the market this size that has this level of functionality, in essence it is a pound and a half miniature laptop with virtual input devices.Build & Design
The most striking characteristic of the W100 is unquestionably its two 7" 1024x600 touchscreens housed in a diminutive clamshell package measuring 7.95" x 4.84" x 1.2", weighing 1.55 lbs. with the 4 cell battery and about 1.8 lbs. with the 8 cell power source. It's much smaller and lighter than the average 10" netbook and it'll easily fit in a woman's purse and even fits in some of my pants pockets. After reading other comments about the new Libretto I don't think enough emphasis is put on just how small and portable it truly is, arguably the coolest things about this device.
One design aspect to note is that the CPU and motherboard comprise the top of the unit, the reverse of practically all other clamshell computers. As a result the top does get warm, not scalding but not comfortable to hold for long periods of time especially if the unit is running hard. This issue is part of the reason why I don't think the Libretto's portrait mode is particularly useful, and the fact that the portrait orientation of 600x1024 simply doesn't work well for many things as the horizontal width is simply too narrow. I've read a lot of discussion about fan noise and while the fan is audible much of the time almost any amount of ambient sound will practically drown it out and when it's on my beside table it doesn't keep me awake at night while on. It's definitely a matter of individuality but the fan noise hasn't in any way impacted where or the way I use the W100.
Screen(s)
The W100's screens are centerpiece of the device since there's literally nothing else and they do the job well. They are based on Toshiba's TrueBright technology and have good brightness, color accuracy, viewing angles and text is laser sharp. In standard clamshell laptop mode the bottom screen can appear a little dark compared to the top screen but fortunately screen brightness can be set independently for each screen so it's possible to make the bottom screen brighter than the top and thus evening out the brightness. The screens are glossy so the W100 isn't good for outdoor use but it works as well as any laptop in shade.
Keyboard & Mouse
The virtual keyboard and mouse are most impressive and are controlled manually via the button on the left of the bottom screen; press it once to toggle the keyboard and quickly twice to toggle the mouse. Both work on either screen even simultaneously and they provide haptic feedback on both screens as well. The keyboard has six different layouts that allows it to be configured for optimum size and features based on the task at hand. I find typing on this keyboard MUCH better than any other touch screen keyboard I've tried and even with pretty big hands (I wear extra-large men's gloves) I can get 40+ WPM out of it. I typed this review on it and while it's not something I'd do normally writing large amounts of text on this device is practical if not entirely efficient but it's awesome for on the go and walking around typing.
The virtual track pad while virtual is very much like any physical track pad found in netbooks and laptops, many are just smooth surfaces these days anyway. Ironically the W100's track pad isn't multi-touch enabled and it is not quite as effective as the keyboard but it helps immensely by adding increased precision and comes in particularly handy in situations where apps are a little difficult to work with in Windows 7 given the small screens, the old argument that Windows doesn't work well on small screen devices is largely mitigated by the track pad.
Ports and Integrated Hardware
There aren't a lot expansion ports or integrated hardware in the W100 understandably but the necessities are here, one USB 2.0 port, a micro-SD slot, one 3.5mm headphone jack, two internal microphones and a decent one megapixel web cam good for video calls and conferencing. Perhaps the biggest thing not here is a video output but it should be possible to hook up an external monitor or projector via the USB port.
Performance
For a device of this size and the less than mighty 1.2 Ghz U5400 Pentium Ultra-Low Voltage processor and on-chip Intel HD graphics the W100 is rather speedy. The performance overall equals a modern entry level laptop and is much better than the typical Atom-based netbook. The 62GB SSD helps to boost disk I/O tasks significantly in many cases and as a result the Libretto boots, shuts down and goes in and comes out of sleep quickly. My informal tests show the W100 cold booting and becoming responsive in about 40 seconds and that's with a few startup apps loading. I've been running Office 2010 for the last three weeks, primarily Word, Excel and OneNote with zero performance issues.
Entertainment
The W100's strengths are geared towards productivity but it's not just all work, it serves well as a media player imbued with all the power of Windows so just about anything you could want in the world of media will be possible. I found 1080P playback to be spotty but everything 720P and below played well, including regular DVDs using an external DVD drive. And while the W100 doesn't afford the ability to play the latest high-end blockbuster PC games there are thousands of casual and Flash games that will work great including the touchscreen classic Plants vs. Zombies (PvZ). You may have to disable one of the screens however as in the case of PvZ, I'd recommend turning off the top as the bottom stays cooler and that's now easily accomplished in Windows 7 using the Win+P keys. The internal speaker is VERY weak however, even in a quiet room there's just not much volume coming from it so for most media playback headphones will be needed.
For the avid reader, Windows supports all of the major eBook sources including Kindle and the Barnes & Noble Nook which both have basic touch support in Windows 7 and will sync up and share content with other reading devices such as standalone Kindles and Nooks. None of the readers I've tried work well in portrait mode as they are not dual screen aware but they do work well in landscape mode using both screens. Any type of document that breaks naturally like a web page should work fine spanning both screens.
The W100 really shines as a mobile web browser especially if you have the Japanese W100 with a WiMax radio. Any browser, any plug in (Flash, Silverlight, etc.) and at PC speeds compared to mobile device speeds. A nice development in the browser world is the inclusion of Windows 7 features in Firefox 4 including multi-touch.
Productivity
The W100 runs Windows so its uses as a productivity tool are limited only by imagination and I won't go into much detail but it's all here, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Photoshop, etc., any application that will run well on an entry level laptop with Intel integrated graphics. If you find working on a netbook (a very fast netbook) a productive experience then the W100 should work as well as long as the virtual input devices agree with you and of course there's always Bluetooth keyboard and mice.
Wireless
The W100 includes both a WiFi 802.11n and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR radio but the W100 proper, the Japanese version includes a WiMax radio. If you're lucky to live in a 4G area like me and have a W100 you'll at least want to try it out, it's amazing how much faster Sprint's 4G compared to Verizon's 3G which I have had on my Tablet PCs for four years. 4G coupled with the Libretto's portability make it a fantastic device for mobile web browsing and other on the go network action. If you have a good signal you may find WiMax preferable to WiFi because it can often be faster.
Conclusion
If the Libretto W100 were in the $500 to $700 range I don't believe Toshiba would be able to make enough of them, it's unique design and its full Windows 7 OS put a lot functionality in a little package. At its current price it's hard to recommend and it certainly won't win any value product awards but its FAR more than an overpriced toy, it's a full function computer that can go anywhere and do most anything. If the battery life isn't an issue for you there's simply nothing currently that will match the W100's mobile productivity.
I love this device and I can't put it down.
Cons
Mediocre battery life
Doesn't work well in portrait mode
Fan noise will bother some
VERY weak internal speaker
Pros
Great overall performance
Good virtual keyboard and track pad
Exceptionally mobile
Integrated 4G provides fantastic network speeds for great on the go web browsing and streaming video
Read Best Reviews of Toshiba libretto W105-L251 7-Inch Dual Touchscreen Laptop (Silver/Black) Here
This is an amazing item, i'm glad i didnt get anything defective. Mt libretto runs amazingly, the features are magnificent, and i love the sleek style of it!I noticed they go for way more on here though....
I typically buy everything on amazon because i can find it cheaper, but this product turned out to be the opposite.
Toshiba's website sells this products for only 1,099.99 where as on here its going for 1,699.99.
Want Toshiba libretto W105-L251 7-Inch Dual Touchscreen Laptop (Silver/Black) Discount?
Look I'm not going to sit here and say the Libretto isn't flawless because it is. But what device isn't? They all have issues it is up to you to decide if you can deal with it or not. Clearly the Libretto is pricey and not everyone will be able to justify purchasing it and that's fine you have no arguments from me that is totally understandable.The biggest complaint I have seen people talking about is the noise the fan makes. It is loud you can't dismiss that but me personally it doesn't bother me. The funny thing is my computer fan makes more noise and irritates me more compared to what the fan on the Libretto does. Unless you have super sensitive ears I don't think you will notice it much though unless you are in a super quiet room in my opinion maybe other Libretto's are different and thus it is hard to judge for sure just how loud the fan noise is.
The battery life is clearly a concern as well but I'm not sure what else they could have done to make it better. I think with technology as it is today and the punch they put in this little portable computer they did a fine job doing so. I'm sure as other models are developed they will learn and be able to do more but this is the result of a first run model.
The internal speaker is weak no doubt about that but it's made to be a portable device so just use some headphones and you should have no problems.
I also can see how people may have issues with Windows 7 and being a touchscreen yes it can be a struggle at first navigating the "start" menu and what not but I think the more you use it the better you will get it doesn't happen overnight just play around with it and learn to adjust to it.
Toshiba C855-S5350 15.6-Inch Widescreen Laptop (6GB/640GB with Intel Pentium Processor B980, with H
The programs run fine, and the computer is fairly fast. But I returned the laptop because it was poorly put together. Within one week of purchase, the touchpad stopped working. Even the technical support team at Staples couldn't repair the problem. (Pushing the function keys did nothing). So I exchanged the laptop for the same model, thinking I had a defective computer. Four days later, the keypad on the new laptop was warped and the keys loose. In addition, the mouse would occasionally freeze. I researched reviews for this laptop on other websites, and several other customers had the same complaint about the mouse and the poor quality of the assemblage. Again, the programming works great accept for the pointer device. It's the assemblage that's poor. I recommend investing in a different brand.
Overall, I'm pretty satisfied with this laptop. My other laptop is fancier and better-built, but then again, that 17" Sony Vaio cost me over $1000 couple years ago. Anyway, you can't go wrong with this if you're looking for a budget laptop.Have found that the Toshiba computers are very reliable and easy to use. I have owned over five Toshibas and will continue to purchase them. This model has a great look. The touch pad is not overly sensitive as to move the mouse while you are typing and with the textured construction it seems easier to use. Windows 8 took some time to figure out. Am very impressed with the quietness of the computer fan and the length of the battery life. Calculated the battery life between 4 1/2 5 hrs. Overall a great computer for my use. And the price beat most laptop with the similar quality.6gb RAM with a decent intel dual core processor, (it's no i5), but it certainly gets the job done for the average computer user. Tons of hard drive storage and easily capable of running multiple programs, applications, while downloading and listening to music. The touchpad has no scrollbar, which is a little less convenient, but I use a mouse half the time anyway. For the price there are really no comparable products.
Personally i am not a big fan of the new Windows 8 home-screen, i much prefer the old desktop style setup. The actual operating system is quality, but it seems like it would be more user friendly with a touch screen computer, which this particular laptop is not.I bought this laptop because I like Toshiba products. I own a broken Toshiba c655 which I bought about 18 months ago and therefore needed to upgrade. I ended up returning this laptop for two reasons. First was the sound quality. Thinking the sound would be on par with the c655 but this is just not the case. This c855 sounded something like playing music through the speaker of a '70s electronic game powered by a 9v ray-o-vac battery. Thinking it might just be the laptop, I went to the store with a thumb drive and played music on the floor model, same thing. If you want sound, I mean laptop sound, do not plan to get it from this laptop.
The other reason I returned this laptop is because I was concerned that the screen hinge on the right side would end up wearing out just like the c655's did. I don't believe that the hinge on the c655 was the death of it (more likely a soda accident followed by a good wipedown, that went untold), but nonetheless, the c855 right hinge was tight just like the c655 so I figured that was eventually going to break, thus proving a bad lower cost investment.
Processor performance wise it seemed to do fairly well.
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HP Pavilion dv6-6b26us 15.6" Laptop (i3-2330M Processor, 6GB DDR 3, 640GB HD, Windows 7, Beats Audi
The computer runs great. It is the kind of pc that I was looking for, is fast and easy to use. Is good also to listen music and watch movies. I`m highly satisfied of the purchase.
I am highly satisfied with it, it runs well, is solidly built and has excellent internals for the price. But, do yourself a favor and shop around a little.I am satisfied with this HP Pavilion dv6-6b26us 15.6" Laptop (i3-2330M Processor, 6GB DDR 3, 640GB HD, Windows 7, Beats Audio, Bluetooth, HDMI, WebCam). Its a good relationship. Only would tell that the up and down arrow keys are too close and small. But the characteristics and price are very good!.Such an amazing laptop. At first I didnt really realize why was it so different from others but now I do. Runs super smooth and start up is less than a minute. This is a must have! and its a quad!!I love the laptop. But I messed the system up by downloading two kinds of virus protection.I called the customer care. they were so so so helpful. They walked me through and were kind and very sympathetic. HP Customer Service rocks as do their products. I couldn't have done better.
Toshiba Satellite U845W-S410 14.4-Inch Ultrabook (Midnight Silver)
This laptop runs Ubuntu 12.10 well (touchpad is a bit over-sensitive). At home I keep it plugged into a 24 inch monitor. On the road it's battery life is great (6 hour+). The really weird screen size is absolutely perfect for airplane travel. It fits on the tray and because it isn't too tall you can actually open it up to get a comfortable viewing angle. After working on a massive screen at home, it was always a bummer to go to a little 14 inch (or smaller) screen. But the high resolution wide screen means I can continue to have tons of tabs and lots of split windows for editing code.Its CPU matches new macbook airs. It has 6GB of ram. It's really light and thin. It is almost as portable as a netbook, as powerful as a desktop and the screen makes it trump everything else when it comes to travel. I bought mine for $650 after lots of comparison shopping. Highly recommend.
**
*** Update after less than 30 days and only light use, this laptop has died. Will not power up. I note
*** this has happened to one other reviewer here, so there may (unfortunately) be a problem here.
**
*
If you catch this on sale it's a steal, it's a good value even at the "regular" discounted price. See my review of the same model with 256 GB SSD and i7 CPU here: Toshiba Satellite U845W-S414 14.4-Inch Ultrabook (Midnight Silver)
The two machines are identical except for the CPU and SSD. The i5 in this model is quite capable as well and you get more storage in the 500 GB HDD. For the price you get an excellent, solid and very well built ultrabook with great performance and a lot of nice features, like three USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI out port, the unique 21:9 wide screen display and very nice styling. The is a very attractive ultrabook and for productivity uses, it performs very, very well. The side-by-side windows are a treat for daily tasks and combined with the excellent speakers makes watching videos or listening to music a great experience. The speakers sound very good and are a big plus. Nearly all the comments in my other review apply to this model as well.
Text is clear and easy to read even at the 100% default setting, you can boost to 125% if you like, but even with my old, tired eyes I did not feel the need to do so. Also, one of the nicest looking Ultrabooks (in my opinion) around. Easy to carry and handle, too. Very sleek. The rubberized surfaces are wonderful every one should copy Toshiba on this aspect.
A top performer (excellent benchmarks) and an excellent value at the current discounted pricing.
**(Update: Discounted no more, alas!)**
Buy Toshiba Satellite U845W-S410 14.4-Inch Ultrabook (Midnight Silver) Now
Pros: good speed, fast start up, great (but not amazing) speakers and a really nice physical design.Cons: short screen size makes it hard to view certain documents and websites; the screen has really terrible viewing angles and you can only see it if it is perfectly parallel to your face.
This was a decent laptop and I enjoyed using it for three weeks. Then it stopped working (would no longer power on). Dealing with Toshiba customer service has been frustrating as many of the representatives hang up randomly and their English is very difficult to understand. It will cost $25 to ship the laptop to their repair facility and I was warned that there is a chance my files will be wiped. Quite the annoyance for a laptop I bought just three weeks ago and only used lightly.
Read Best Reviews of Toshiba Satellite U845W-S410 14.4-Inch Ultrabook (Midnight Silver) Here
This team has excellent speed for activities conducted and memory capacity. I like his speed to run the applications I use regularly: databases, programming tools, etc.. I would recommend this computer to people who have interests similar to mine use.Want Toshiba Satellite U845W-S410 14.4-Inch Ultrabook (Midnight Silver) Discount?
Great looking and light ultrabook from Toshiba. Really long battery life of about 6 hours. Very handy and portable ultrabook.Great sound and great screen.
Only thing you need to keep this ultrabook very close to you to see.
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ASUS G53SW-XA1 Republic of Gamers 15.6-Inch Gaming Laptop
I've had this computer for about 3 days, and my feelings on it went from wanting to defenestrate it, to pure love. For starters, I ordered a separate 256GB corsair solid state drive so I can have fast boot and load times for the OS and apps. Now, installing an additional hard drive in most laptops requires mostly just removing the bottom plate, but not for this laptop. With this laptop, I had to remove the keyboard by prying it out and then carefully unlatching the connectors from the computer. Then, I had to remove the the piece with the touch pad and unscrew a set of screws that are holding the bottom plate in. Then, I'm finally able to remove the hard drive cover underneath the laptop after the last bit. Why did Asus have to make such a trivial thing so complicated?Anyways, after I finally got to the hard drive bay I found out that the second empty bay has no bracket to hold a hard drive in. I looked online and nobody was selling them. Yes, that's right: this computer IS ADVERTISED as having the capability of storing an additional hard drive, but the company is not including or even selling any bracket to allow me to do it! I couldn't find them anywhere! So luckily, my drive was a solid state, with no moving parts. What I ended up doing is taping some business cards underneath the solid state drive and letting it rest evenly on those, and then folding one of them between the space that the drive and the bay would occupy so that it doesn't wiggle around. No issues so far, I'm pretty furious that I'm being put in this situation, and I'm definitely giving Asus a call and demanding that they ship or sell an extra bracket to me. There is absolutely no reason at all why I have to do this.
Lastly, once I got everything in place I decided to use the recovery cd's that I created in the beginning to reformate/unpartitian the primary drive and install windows 7 on the solid state drive... but guess what? The recovery cd's do not have the capability of reformatting. What I had to do was hunt down an .iso of windows and burn that to a disk, then use it as my windows install... because the recovery cd is not a 'true' windows. I don't understand why Asus doesn't include a generic windows dvd since, you know, I PAID for the licence and it costs them next to nothing. They did include a driver CD, which is generous.
So that's all the bad stuff out of the way. Once I got everything up and running and with the right setup, things got much better. For starters, the performance on this thing is top-notch. With a solid state drive as the main OS, this laptop boots up in 20 seconds. It handles everything I throw at it with ease. I have the laptop outputting to a second 24 inch monitor as an expanded desktop and it runs starcraft at full resolution and mostly high settings at around 40-60 fps. Best of all, it doesn't 'downclock' to cool down like most of the laptops out there do. The reason for this is an extremely efficient cooling system in the back that blows air out one vent and sucks in air at the other. This keeps things relatively stable, and quiet. I'm not waking up my GF while I game on starcraft after she goes to sleep, and in comparison the Envy 17 I had and returned before this (which cost a beefy 2300) sounded like a jet engine.
This is a top-notch gaming rig, and I'm very happy with it so far. Would I recommend to anyone else? Well, it depends. If you're going to be happy with the measly 500GB of storage, then yes. However, if you want to do what I did or install a larger capacity hard drive, then I recommend you tread lightly or have a certified technician do it for you.
Buy ASUS G53SW-XA1 Republic of Gamers 15.6-Inch Gaming Laptop Now
Excellent laptop, people who want to play games, but don't like to spend 1000$ +It was problems with magnetic proximity switch it (is remain magnetized, so when you push start button nothing happened). Basicly it think's that Lid is still closed and preventing laptop from starting (this is Asus safety measures).
For people who are not advanced in PC hardware it can be a real chalenge. Cause they can think that laptop is not working and try to return it. Don't do it please... The laptop is ok, there are no any hardware problem.
This is my solution (I am assembling PC's since 1996):
you just simply need to demagnetize the Sensore/switch:
Keep the system off, lid should be open and the battery in. It doesn't matter if the power cord is plugged in or not but its better if it is plugged in;
Ok now take a paper and put it on the palm-rest to the lower right side from the touch pad. To give you an idea, this is a 2 inch x 2 inch spot under the small sticker that says "New Revision Certified Design" and lies between the touch pad and the large sticker that shows system specs and features. Furthermore this is the very spot where the magnet in the LCD lid (located to the right side of the camera) comes in contact/proximity when the lid is closed;
Now take a light magnet with medium intensity, shouldn't be too strong or big and rub it in circles on that 2 x 2 inch square spot where you have placed the paper(The paper is only optional but it is recommended as it would save the palm-rest from scratches if any). Do this for a minute or two.
Press the power button and voilà! You are done.
Happy New Year and Kind Regards
Read Best Reviews of ASUS G53SW-XA1 Republic of Gamers 15.6-Inch Gaming Laptop Here
For me the laptop came and is working flawless. No power button issues or any problems for that matter. I can play Skyrim on high settings, and I'm blown away by the screen. 1080p on a 15inch looks very very nice. I don't normally write reviews but I had to on this item since it seems to be getting bashed pretty badly. I noticed the negative reviews before my purchase but took my chances based on the fact that all Asus motherboards I've bought were always top notch products. Needless to say at $900 you really can't get a better or a more powerful laptop. You have the assurance of buying from Amazon so if you got a faulty one, you can always return or exchange. Asus also comes with a one year accidental warranty which I thought was a nice touch since my last laptop from hp was ruined when my wife's friend spilled wine all over the keyboard..For anyone who's on the fence about this laptop, I would say go for it. Chances are there are many who's bought this laptop and has a had no problems like me. The laptop is cool to the touch and the construction is very sturdy. The back cooling system looks great and works even better. I'm at lvl35 with my bow/thief in skyrim, and it's always so amazing to me that such a small little machine can run it so smoothly.
Want ASUS G53SW-XA1 Republic of Gamers 15.6-Inch Gaming Laptop Discount?
I received the Asus G53SW-XA1 as a gift for christmas/birthday. This gaming laptop is a beast and runs all of my games perfectly, I would highly recommend buying it if you're an avid gamer!There is a slight drawback though there are two minor flaws that can be easily fixed/avoided.
1) Power Button won't work: Rub a medium strength magnet on the bottom right area of the touchpad.
2) Power Pin is fragile: Buy an "L" connector for the power supply pin.
An interesting fact: the video card of this older series (G53SW/G73SW) is actually faster/stronger than the newer series (G53SX/G74SX).
G53SX/G74SX Video Card: GTX 560M, 128bit bus
G53SW/G73SW Video Card: GTX 460M, 192bit bus