HP Pavilion dv6t Quad Edition Laptop - Windows 7 Professional 64-bit, 2nd generation Intel Quad Core i7-2720QM 2.2 GHz, 6GB DDR3 Ram, 1TB Hard Drive, 1GB Radeon HD 6490M GDDR5 Graphics, Blu-ray writer & SuperMulti DVD burner, 15.6" diagonal High Definition LED HP Widescreen, Webcam, Intel Wireless-N Card and Bluetooth Review

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(More customer reviews)It is hard to not sound negative about HP after my experience.
But Really? This is the best you can do HP?
$1200 laptop by the time it gets to your door ...OH after 4 weeks of waiting for it to be "Built" because you added "Upgrades"
By the time this junk gets to you, wouldn't it be great if it actually "Worked"?
But it did not and then began the endless loop of people that ask you to do static discharge tests and other time wasting garbage.
I spent 52 hours in one week with tech support!
Do you have time for that?
HP Should give me the laptop for free as pay for the hours I put in with them on this.
The Wireless in most of the HP mobile devices has issues and in these units it is fatal in my case it functioned for the first 15 minutes out of the box.
It may be that they are utilizing inferior wireless adaptors, I have read this on some of the blogs but I am not an expert, I just know mine would not work after many, many, hours of tech support calls and chats. The laptop simply didn't even "See" the adaptor. It was like it wasn't even in there?
At one point, I was actually asked by HP Tech support to take the machine apart and "Re seat" the adaptor (Read unscrew the cover take the card out by unscrewing it and then put it back together) I did it too! Did not help.
The restore to original factory setting...did that 4 times! No help.
These guys at HP do not have a clue but if you search on YouTube before you buy you will see there are pages and pages of folks that have similar "Issues" with HP products. They are not what they promise, you do not get what you pay for and while they look "Pretty" to some, the return is short lived before the gremlins appear.
Do not get caught in the HP "Trap" take your hard earn dollars elsewhere so you don't waste all the time I did.
Just trying to help others avoid the nightmarish experience I just went through and possibly save you valuable time and money.


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Click here for more information about HP Pavilion dv6t Quad Edition Laptop - Windows 7 Professional 64-bit, 2nd generation Intel Quad Core i7-2720QM 2.2 GHz, 6GB DDR3 Ram, 1TB Hard Drive, 1GB Radeon HD 6490M GDDR5 Graphics, Blu-ray writer & SuperMulti DVD burner, 15.6" diagonal High Definition LED HP Widescreen, Webcam, Intel Wireless-N

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A72F-X1 17.3" LED Notebook - Core i3 i3-370M 2.40 GHz - Gray Review

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(More customer reviews)This laptop is nice, its got awsome specs that sound really cool but when it comes down to it, save your money and go buy something cheaper, I had bought this product in the hopes that I would be able to play games on it only to discover later that the product was no better than if I had purchased a netbook. Without the ability to install a dedicated video card, you cant play any sort of decent video game, its good for media but as far as entertainment goes with games, its useless. Wish I would have saved my money for a better product, or just spend 250 on any netbook because this thing is only good for looking at videos, the blu-ray player is awful and skips and stuters all the time, so I use it for facebook and youtube, my ipod is capable of about all the same.

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- HP Pavilion dv4-2045dx Notebook PC (White) - AMD Turion II Dual-Core M500 2.2GHz / 14.1" WXGA / 4GB DDR2 / 320GB HD / DVD±RW/CD-RW / Built-in webcam / Windows 7 Home Premium Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this explicitly for using as a budget HTPC. I didn't need Blu-Ray or long battery life because I intended to park it on my components and plug it into my big screen via HDMI. I did need a computer with good graphics and a pc that was powerful enough to run flash and HD video without hiccuping. Picked this up yesterday and by the time I had the OS decrappified of all of the junk software they add to these budget computers I was up and running and connected to my entertainment center and watching youtube on the big screen in no time.
I'll leave some updates later but here are a few important things to keep in mind.
1. There is a little button above the touchpad that turns it on and off. Make sure it's on before you freak out.
2. You have to touch the wireless icon in order to turn on the wireless card. It glows red and changes color to blue when it's on and it's touch sensitive.
Both points aren't made clear in the manual.

Click Here to see more reviews about: - HP Pavilion dv4-2045dx Notebook PC (White) - AMD Turion II Dual-Core M500 2.2GHz / 14.1" WXGA / 4GB DDR2 / 320GB HD / DVD±RW/CD-RW / Built-in webcam / Windows 7 Home Premium

Click here for more information about - HP Pavilion dv4-2045dx Notebook PC (White) - AMD Turion II Dual-Core M500 2.2GHz / 14.1" WXGA / 4GB DDR2 / 320GB HD / DVD±RW/CD-RW / Built-in webcam / Windows 7 Home Premium

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Sony VAIO VGN-NW310F/B 15.5-Inch Laptop (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)The keyboard on this notebook is the highlight, it has great feedback, separated chicklet keys, and has standard key placement (unlike some funky keyboards I have tried recently). That is to say, delete in top right, escape top left and CTL bottom left, with arrow keys on the bottom right. Also, it doesn't have the rarely needed numeric keypad, which is found on a lot of keyboards these days but requires your hand placement left of expected to type, which is what you do most of the time anyhow, right? I like this keyboard better than those on the legendary Thinkpads of old.
The screen is nice and sharp, I don't dislike the shiny screen as much as I had originally expected. Colors are great.
Hard drive has enough space for me, and the recovery procedure works well. I made the recovery CDs as well, but I normally just clone the HD onto and old drive to have a backup that way.
The computer has nice selection of features, minus the HDMI that has been mentioned already.
I am very fond of the trackpad .. I grew up with IBMs and prefer the pointer stick, but this is the nicest trackpad I've ever used. Buttons are in the right places and are the right size.
Speakers are OK, better than many budget laptops. The recessed keyboard is a nice looking design and the textured case is also quite cool looking. This certainly doesn't look like a budget laptop.
There are a few negatives however. First, Sony loads a ridiculous amount of "junkware" on this computer. Trial versions of this and that, utilities of dubious importance, and a bunch of other junk I see no need for. I took me about 45 minutes to get rid most of the egregious stuff. The processor is 64 bit, and the Win7 version is 64 bit, which makes sense given the 4GB ram installed. The processor does not have the Intel virtualization technology, but frankly having used Sun's free and excellent Virtual Box software for some time, which doesn't need this virtualization technology, I see no need for Intel's hardware virtualization.
Also, the computer ain't a light weight although it isn't a complete pig either.
I also installed XP Professional for giggles, the drivers are all available on Sony's site. Man, it really flies with 32 bit XP.
All in all a very nice budget laptop.

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MSI A6200-040US 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought one of these to use for work and for writing. It's a good laptop for the price. (Mine has the i5). Battery life is long enough, the screen size and resolution is good, it runs the entire windows office suite without a hitch, also runs firefox and winamp just fine too. Speakers are a little weak, but probably has more to do with where they are mounted than quality. Overall, this laptop is worth the price.

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HP PAVILION DV7-4077CL LAPTOP COMPUTER CORE I3 640GB 17.3" 2.26GHZ, WINDOWS 7 Review

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(More customer reviews)This thing is a workhorse. Absolutely amazing. HP hit it right with this monster beautiful screen. OMG!!!! If you are in the market for a PC, obviously, we were too until we bought this Rockstar. Family is Happy Happy Happy, Dad is Happy with the power for all my work and Win 7 is what vista should have been. Upgrade you will thank yourself.
Good Seller too. Got the product quickly and was running in no time.
Take care, God Bless.

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Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q887 TruBrite 18.4-Inch Laptop (Black/Red) Review

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(More customer reviews)Well, I finally took the plunge and bought this laptop. I was looking to replace my desktop and I looked at various Qosmios and Asus laptops. Based on my research, Toshiba and Asus had the least amount of defects/issues compared to Sony, Dell, HP, and Apple so I wanted to get a laptop from them. Here is the link to the study that was done. [...]
There were four models I researched. Qosmio Q870 and Q877, and the Asus G73JH-RBBX05 and Asus G73JH. Here are key specs
Q870 Price $1190 (on sale at another company since this model is no longer being sold)
Processor - I7 720QM
Video Card - NVIDIA® GeForce® GTS 360M
Ram - 4mb
Display 18.4
Resolution: 16802x945
Bluetooth and Blue Ray
500 HD 7200rpm
4 USB ports including ESATA
Q887 Price $1399 (same specs as teh Q870 except for the processor)
Processor - I7 740QM
Video Card - NVIDIA® GeForce® GTS 360M
Ram - 4mb
Display 18.4
Resolution: 16802x945
Bluetooth and Blue Ray
500 HD 7200rpm
4 USB ports including ESATA
ASUS G73JH-RBBX05 $1299.99
Processor - I7 720QM
Video Card - ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5870
Ram - 6mb
Display 17.3
Resolution - 1600x900
No Bluetooth, no Blue Ray
500 HD 7200rpm
4 USB ports
Asus G73JH $1329.99
Processor - I7 720QM
ATI Mobility(tm) Radeon® HD 5730
Ram - 4gb
Display 17.3
Resolution - 1600x900
Bluetooth and Blue Ray
640 HD 7200rpm
3 USB ports and 1 3.0 USB ports
I ultimately decided on the Q887 because it had the larger display and faster processor. I wasn't too concern about the 3.0 USB port since the Q887 had the ESATA which is a bit slower, but with the size of the hard drive, I don't think I would be connecting any external hard drive soon. The Q887 also has IEEE (mini firewire) which the ASUS did not, and lastly, the Q887 was available on Amazon, which saved me sales tax. The ASUS was not being fulfilled by Amazon.
When I received the package, it was delivery signature required and of course, UPS didn't show up to my house until 7:20pm Friday night. The laptop only comes with the power outlet, and a resource guide (not a manual), and no recovery disks. And it is quite a large laptop as you are aware since you probably looked at similar Qosmios at various retail stores. After booting up, you go through a few set up screens, including how the laptop would connect to the internet. I chose wireless and it found my wifi immediately, and then I had to enter in the password. Once that was done, it loaded the main window. It takes about 45-60 seconds to boot up from the time you turn it on, enter in your password, and be able to start clicking on programs. There is a little blub buried on the 1 page laptop illustration that says you should create the recovery disk. I had to find out where that program was which didn't take too long to find. It takes 5 DVDs to create the recovery disk, and one other CD or DVD disk to create the repair disk, so 6 disks overall. That took couple of hours to complete. Now I was concerned from what I read on previous models like the Q870, that you needed to update the bios because of issues with coming out of sleep. As of now, I have no such issues with the Q887. Perhaps the newer models has the most current bios already installed. The other complain I heard from people is how hot the laptop gets. Well the place where the hand rests stays cool but the laptop does get a little warm between the speakers. I haven't yet played any intense games so maybe it will get hotter.
One other complaint I heard is the speakers aren't great. I would agree with that. I was hoping to not have to use my external Alec Lansing speakers. The laptop speakers, at full volume, is not really loud so if you have a lot of noise in the house, it will compete with the speakers. Also, there seems to be a lack of bass as well, but this isn't too much of a concern for me since I have the external speakers. I also read that there were tons of bloatware but I really didn't find much at all. It came pretty clean. I did uninstall the trial period for Norton Internet Suite as I use the free Avira Anti Vir, Malwarebytes, and Zonealarm. It did take me quite a while to install all my programs but it seems to install a whole lot faster than on my other computer, which probably is true with the faster processor and additional ram.
I am still getting use to the keyboard. It's fine and having the media controls to the left, I kind of laugh when people said they accidentally touch it when typing or playing games, as I was thinking, it's not that hard to avoid it. Well, the first couple of days, I did the same thing :-). I think it will just be a matter of time before I don't do that anymore. Also, as you may have heard, clicking on the media buttons creates a beep noise. It is kind of loud but you can turn it off by going into the Toshiba Utilities program via the Start Menu, and not having to go into the bios. It doesn't really bother me so I'm leaving it as is for now. I came from Vista so the Win 7 OS is sort of similar but in many ways, quite different so I'm thinking it will take me a week or two to learn the ins and outs of Win 7. I do thoroughly enjoy having the full 10 digit numeric pad. The backlight keyboard is sort of cool but since I'm planning on having a light nearby, I doubt it would be as beneficial to me as it may others who need to work or play in the dark. The performance (window experience) is as follows: Processor 7.1, Ram 7.3, Graphics 6.8, Gaming Graphics 6.8, and harddrive 5.9. When I connected the laptop to the wireless printer, it gave a marginal to good connection, which was weird since the printer was only a few feet from the computer. My XPS which was further away had an excellent connection. Maybe I need to update the wireless driver but right now I can print and that's all that matters.
So I love how fast it boots up compared to my old desktop and my Dell XPS M1330 computer. It is quiet large but I won't be moving it very much, and it does attract fingerprints so have a computer rag near by. Once I start installing games, I'll try to update my comments.
Update: I was able to adjust the speakers via the Control Panel (Smart Audio) and it does have good bass, and the volume is loud enough. The only thing is when I'm playing a song, the volume seems to go high and low, not too bad now since I adjusted settings through Smart Audio but it is noticable. I still have my external speakers so still not a biggie for me. I wish I bought this a week later as Amazon lowered the price to $1299 and I bought it at $1399 on Amazon. I haven't used the touchpad or buttons since I have an external USB mouse. One other thing is the headphone plug in, I personally do not like where it is on the right side of the laptop as my external speaker wire sticks out and gets in the way of my mouse so sometimes I use the laptop speakers and other times I use the external speakers when I'm just listening to music. And so far, no problems whatsoever.
Update 11/7 Simond from another site seem to have a fix for the sound going up and down when playing a song. Here it is and it seems to work.To work with the issue with the issue i will ask you to follow the below given step. This is the problem related to the sound enhancement that can be sorted out with the help of the Enhancement Tab.
Right Click on Sound icon from taksbar
Click on Playback device
Select Speaker
Click on Properties
Go to Enhancement Tab
Checked the "Disable all enhancements"
Thats it!!!!


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Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q887: Hard-core Gaming, Brilliant Graphics
Amplify your 3D gaming and video editing with incredibly fast frame rates with the Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q887 gaming laptop, which features a stunning, high-definition 18.4-inch display and the Intel Core i7 processor with four cores of intelligent processing power. Additionally, it offers ultra-fast DDR3 system memory and the NVIDIA GeForce GTS 360M graphics with 1 GB of GDDR5 video memory. Together, this pairing of high-performance technologies allow you to rip through the latest 3D games at lightning-fast frame-rates or create high-definition video and audio faster and more efficiently with smooth rendering and encoding.

The Qosmio X505 features Toshiba's striking Fusion Finish in Omega Black with stylish red chrome accents and a comfortable full keyboard with LED Backlighting and numeric 10-key pad. An intuitive touchpad with multi-touch control enables greater flexibility to browse and control what's happening on-screen with gesture-commands--including two-finger pinch, swipe, rotate and scroll.

It also includes a 1.3 megapixel webcam with Face Recognition capabilities for added security. And if you're using one laptop for several users--say for the whole family or for a small business--Toshiba Face Recognition lets you switch profiles with one simple look.

This Qosmio comes pre-installed with the Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium operating system (64-bit version).



Key Features
18.4-inch high-definition TruBrite display with 1680 x 945 resolution for amazing color depth and clarity and native 720p (HD+) support.


1.73 GHz Intel Core i7-740QM processor (with Turbo Boost Technology up to 2.93 GHz) delivers maximum processing power in response to peak demands. Intel's Turbo Boost technology maximizes speed for demanding applications, dynamically accelerating performance to match your workload--providing more performance when you need it the most. It also comes equipped with Intel HD Graphics--an advanced video engine that delivers smooth, high-quality HD video playback, and advanced 3D capabilities, providing an ideal graphics solution for everyday computing.


500 GB Serial ATA hard drive (7200 RPM)


4 GB of DDR3 RAM (upgradeable to 8 GB) gives you the bandwidth you need to get the most of today's popular software, multitask all day long and run applications without a glitch.


NVIDIA GeForce GTS 360M with 1 GB GDDR5 discrete graphics memory offers what gamers want most--hyper-realistic action with intense 3D visuals, plus vibrant, lifelike scenes and dynamic character effects--thanks to NVIDIA's PhysX technology. It goes beyond everyday gaming with built-in CUDA technology to speed demanding system tasks, like video playback and HD movie editing. You'll also enjoy up to a 50 percent improvement over previous generation mobile graphics processors, and a more rewarding Windows 7 experience with accelerated video and image processing (2298 MB total available graphics memory).


Watch Blu-ray Disc movies in crystal clear resolution with the read-only Blu-ray drive; also supports reading/writing of CD-R/RW, DVD±R, DVD±RW, DVD±R DL, and DVD-RAM The drive also offers Labelflash printing, which enables you to personalize your discs and keep them looking attractive and organized with direct-to-disc laser printing.


Wireless Connectivity
With its integrated Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking capabilities, this laptop provides up to five times the performance and twice the wireless range using 802.11n-compatible routers as you would with 802.11g networks. It's also backward compatible with 802.11b/g networks (commonly found at Wi-Fi hotspots and in older home routers.
With integrated Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity, you can communicate and synchronize wirelessly with Bluetooth-enabled peripherals such as printers and cell phones.



Harman Kardon stereo speakers bring an added dimension to music, movies and gaming with rich, immersive virtual surround sound.
Dolby Home Theater suite of technologies delivers virtual surround sound from stereo speakers or any pair of headphones.


Included Toshiba Software:
Toshiba Media Controller offers simplified media sharing. Using an intuitive drag-and-drop interface, it lets you share videos, music and pictures from the media library on your laptop with compatible devices in your home entertainment network, or with other compatible laptops and devices, like an Xbox 360 game console. And you can do it all without moving equipment, burning discs or fumbling with cables.
Toshiba Bulletin Board is an easy-to-use organizational and productivity app that lets you build your own personalized space on your desktop. With Toshiba Bulletin Board, you can quickly and easily manage your to-do lists and calendars, plus create your own custom work area by pinning your favorite photos, documents, links and more.
Toshiba ReelTime helps you cut down the time it takes to search for files. The easy-to-use app takes traditional text-based file structures one step further to help you find what you're looking for more quickly. Accessible from your taskbar, it shows you a visual timeline of your recently accessed files--using graphical thumbnails--so you can easily identify and get to your files faster.



Included Toshiba Utilities:
Toshiba eco Utility makes it easy to go green as you go mobile. Hit the Eco Button and you'll launch the Toshiba Eco Utility, which puts all sorts of easy-to-read information on your screen, and gives you the ability to adjust the power settings on your laptop. It also activates a light showing you're in the Eco Mode. The Toshiba Eco Utility lets you pick the optimal power plan for your situation. Choose High-Performance when you need every watt you can get, Power Saver for the least energy consumption, or Balanced as a perfect blend of the two.
USB Sleep and Charge offers a great way to keep your portable electronics powered up without requiring your laptop to be on. With this laptop's Sleep and Charge USB port, you'll be able to charge your smart phone, MP3 player, and other portable electronics--all without having to keep your laptop awake.
Hard Drive Impact Sensor takes the worry out of taking your most important files and multimedia on the go. Able to detect sudden movement along three different dimensions, the impact sensor (a complex system of hardware and software) helps safeguard your data by "parking" the hard drive heads in the event of a drop or sudden movement. And it works faster than you can blink to help protect your laptop and all-important data.



Up to 3.75 hours of battery life (12-cell battery; 87 Wh)


Dimensions & Weight: 17.4 x 11.6 x .63 inches (WxDxH); 9.7 pounds



Pre-installed with the Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium operating system (64-bit version), you'll be able to easily create a home network and share all of your favorite photos, videos, and music. Windows 7 is the easiest, fastest, and most engaging version of Windows yet. Better ways to find and manage files, like Jump Lists and improved taskbar previews, help you speed through everyday tasks. Windows 7 is designed for faster and more reliable performance, so your PC just works the way you want it to.

And with Windows Anytime Upgrade, you'll be able to add new features to your PC in as little as 10 minutes. Windows will walk you through the simple upgrade process, it requires no software or downloads, and you'll keep your existing programs, files, and settings



What's in the box
This package contains the Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q887 notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions.

It also comes with the following software:
Norton Internet Security 2010 (30-day trial); Microsoft Works 9; Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 Edition (60-day trial); Google Toolbar; Microsoft Windows Media Player 12; Microsoft Silverlight; Toshiba PC Health Monitor; Toshiba Online Backup (30-day trial)
This laptop is backed by a 1-year limited hardware warranty.

Environmental Specifications
Energy Star 5.0 certified
Gold EPEAT designation for meeting standards to help reduce its environmental impact.
RoHS compliant effectively reducing the environmental impact by restricting the use of lead, mercury and certain other hazardous substances

Learn more about Toshiba's environmental commitment.

Learn More


25th Anniversary of Toshiba Laptops
This year, Toshiba celebrates its 25th anniversary of innovations and quality in the notebook PC business. Beginning with the launch of the Toshiba T1100, the world's first clamshell-type, fully functional laptop PC, Toshiba has led the with such innovations as the first laptop with a color monitor in 1991 and a laptop with integrated CD-ROM drive in 1995 (followed by the addition of a DVD drive in 1998). And in 2009, Toshiba unveiled the world's first ultraportable laptop with 512GB solid state drive.

Today, Toshiba continues to be a leader in eco-friendly manufacturing, with virtually all of its consumer laptops earning EPEAT Gold status for meeting standards that help reduce overall environmental impact.

Click here for more information about Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q887 TruBrite 18.4-Inch Laptop (Black/Red)

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Dell AX-3600GSL Adamo XPS 13.4-Inch Laptop (Windows 7 Home Premium) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I purchased the Dell Adamo XPS about 2 months ago after debating between the raw performance of an Alienware laptop versus the thin-and-light Adamo XPS. I am glad to have chosen the Adamo XPS.
Unpacking the Adamo XPS, you'll see it comes with a 20 WHr battery, a mini-display port to DVI adapter, USB ethernet adapter, cleaning cloth, and power adapter with extension cord. The laptop itself is a mere 9.99mm thick and weighs 1.6 lbs with battery installed. The laptop comes with an Intel ULV processor, 128 GB solid state drive by Samsung (PM800 model if anyone wants to look at its specs), 4 GB of DDR3 RAM, Intel GM45 graphics, GPS and Skyhook wifi triangulation, light sensor, webcam, 802.11abgn, and bluetooth. The 13.4" widescreen is LED backlit and has a maximum brightness of 300 cd/m2 (translation, pretty freaking bright!). It also has a SIM card slot on the lower left corner of the chassis, but I cannot find any information as to whether it has WWAN built in or not.
Physically, the laptop has a very finished and svelte look and feel to it. After swiping your fingers over the capacitive sensor at the lid of the screen, the locks disengage using a current sensitive metal that warps when a charge is applied to it. When open, there is no flex at the joint, which was a concern of mine as it seemed like a weak pivot point, even when pushing down with the palm of my hand at the keyboard, there is no noticeable flex. As part of the design, the processor and memory was placed above the keyboard area, which cleverly allows for air ventilation below the laptop and when used on your lap, prevents your legs and wrist from getting warm. The keyboard is chiclet styled, made with metal rather than painted plastic. Two speakers are hidden underneath the R and I keys on the keyboard, while a third downward facing speaker is on the bottom of the laptop.
Now that introductions are out of the way, I'll give you some of my observations on the laptop.
- The solid state drive allows the laptop to boot fast, 15 seconds fast! After pressing the power button, it only takes the laptop 15 seconds to get to the windows login screen.
- It is very comfortable to use on the lap. This was a concern of mine as the unconventional style looked like it would dig into my lap. I was pleasantly surprised that this was not the case, and in fact was more comfortable overall, especially when compared with my Macbook Pro (which is akin to using a clothing iron on your lap). The Adamo XPS weighs only about 2 lbs overall, which really is no heavier than a paperback book, and since Dell placed the highest heat generating parts (memory and CPU) above the keyboard where it is furthest from your lap and wrists, my lap stays nice and cool. I am continuously amazed at how it feels like I am typing on thin air while I am using the laptop on my lap.
- The engraving Dell chose to use to label the keys on the keyboard is annoying. It feels terrible when my nails slide over the key labels on the metal keyboard. It is like sliding your nails from a smooth glass surface to a surface made of sandpaper.
- For touch-typists like me, the lack of ridges on the J and F keys is another added annoyance.
- The buttons on the trackpad are springy and soft, nice!
- The computer comes with Fast Access Facial Recognition, which allows for you to use your face to login to the computer. From my experience, it works very well, and adds to that futuristic feel when all you need to do is sit down in front of your "thinnest laptop in the world" and watch it login for you.
- Center of gravity. With the unusual form factor, stability was a concern. The angle between the screen and keyboard cannot be opened greater than 60 degrees, which is a bummer when you are sitting close to the laptop. However, as all the heavy components are in the keyboard area, stability or the danger of tipping over was a non-issue.
-The display is VERY bright; it almost hurts my eyes to use it indoors above 50% brightness. The laptop has a built in light sensor next to the power button that adjusts the brightness of the screen automatically. Colors are nice but viewing angles on the screen is average, colors start to look "off" at 70 degrees away from looking straight at the screen. I guess I was just spoiled from using tablet pcs, which have very wide viewing angles.
- The battery is a pain to figure out how to remove. Dell designed the laptop so that you can "hot-swap" the batteries, that is, you can simply put the laptop to sleep and swap the batteries out without needing to boot the computer up again (it has a small internal battery that allows you 30 seconds to change the batteries). After much fiddling and being afraid of snapping the battery, I finally figured out how to properly remove the battery. Close the laptop and place it upside down, so that the battery is at the top facing away from you, the Dell logo on the underside should be upside-down. Using both hands, place the nails of your fingers in the crevice of the battery and apply a gentle force inwards towards the center of the laptop. While doing so, use your left hand's thumb to engaging the battery release lock, the battery should pop out with no resistance at all when done right. What were they thinking?
- Battery life with the standard battery is mediocre. Dell bundled a battery saving software that automatically turns off Windows Aero and engages CPU throttling to help save battery, but even then I only squeak by with 2.5 hours of usage with wifi.
- Even with using Intel's ULV processor sipping 10 Watts max, the computer feels extremely peppy, it has no problem multitasking with Hulu videos, working on Word and Excel, while surfing the internet at the same time. That said, it is not a gaming laptop, so don't expect it to play graphics-intensive games.
Overall, with minimum compromises, mainly in battery life, I feel Dell has created an engineering marvel. It is a product that truly showcases how far personal computing technology has brought us. I feel as if I made the right purchasing decision.Update 9-17-10:
Extended warranties on this laptop are a doozy! I called Dell to find out how much it would cost to extend my warranty from 1 year to 3 years. The cost quoted to me was $1500. ALMOST THE PRICE OF THE LAPTOP! The representative stated that the cost of the individual parts exceed $900 per part because of how specialized the laptop is. But still!


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Dell Adamo: Seductively SlimSetting new standards for craftsmanship, design and engineering excellence, the Dell Adamo XPS is a stunning laptop whose design provides a unique experience. With the swipe of a finger, the keyboard appears from under the display as the system is open. The next stage in Dell's Adamo line--the name derived from the Latin word meaning "to fall in love"--the XPS combines new design aesthetics with powerful mobile computing technologies to keep you connected to your busy work and personal lives.
The pencil-thin Adamo XPS weighs just over 3 pounds and it's the thinnest notebook in the world at just 9.99mm (0.39 inches). You'll enjoy an incredible viewing experience with the hi-def 13.4-inch widescreen display, and with the 100-degree viewing angle you can also easily share movies and photos with family and friends. It's powered by the Ultra Low Voltage (ULV) Intel Core 2 Duo SU9400 processor, which provides advanced energy efficiency and multi-core computing. For storage, the Adamo offers a cool, quiet and robust 128 GB solid state drive.

When opened, the body of the Adamo XPS is raised so the keyboard is angled to enhance cooling. It also includes a capacitive touch latching device (one finger swipe opens the latch) and built-in location awareness to provide real time local maps to show you where you are. Find points of interest around you and location specific information like local weather or attractions
With the swipe of a finger, the Adamo XPS keyboard appears from under the display as the system is open (see larger image).

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HP Pavilion HDX16-1140US 16.0-Inch Laptop Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)As compared to other laptops at roughly the same price point, this computer is a much, much better deal. I couldn't believe it when I saw it.
I bought this the 1st day it went on sale at Amazon - was literally about to pull the trigger on another laptop, but this popped up new on a final scan, so I bought it instead.
Main features that make it a great buy for the price are:
- A better, faster processor that is also Intel's latest offering (Quad Core Q9000)
- Lots of memory (4G)
- A bigger hard drive (500G)
- A larger screen (18.4")
- A Blu-Ray drive (for HD movies)
I wanted a very high performance laptop for under $2,000 - and was especially keen to find something with killer processor speed, a graphics card to drive 2 external HD monitors, and a big laptop screen.
I use the machine for general business purposes, but also most importantly for web development work running Drupal and an Apache development server on the machine, along with big programs like Dreamweaver and Photoshop - all running pretty much at once. I do not use for gaming, but believe it would be great for that, too. I also don't use so much for video / movies, even though it is heavily designed with that in mind.
I extensively researched machines from Dell, Alienware, Sony, Asus, and other leading vendors (I didn't want a Mac, so didn't compare against that). I'm not a hard core techie, but I wanted the best I could buy, so I also looked at the Intel site and their processor specs, visited the geek blogs to get the latest gossip on processor performance, etc.
So far I couldn't be happier with the machine! It is great. Very, very fast. Laptop screen is large and super high quality. The keyboard is really lovely - very smooth, like silk.
A few notes on things I've learned about the machine so far:
- It is a big laptop. That's probably obvious from the 18.4" screen, but it is also pretty heavy and the power cord/transformer is bigger and heavier than normal (takes a lot of power to fuel the processor and screen). So while the computer is certainly portable, it sure doesn't fit in your back pocket. If you are a highly mobile worker, this might be a factor.
- Baseline graphics card will support dual external monitors and/or an HD TV connection. I am currently running 1 external 1680x1050 plus laptop screen, but will be adding 2nd external soon (the cabling for doing this is a bit confusing, but I think I now have it figured out).
- The entire HDX line of laptops is new (introduced Fall '08 from what I understand) and there is not yet a complete line-up of accessories available. For instance, I was thinking to get a docking station to configure my monitors, but only docking station that currently works with the machine is the HP QuickDock or xB4 and these do not have digital video/monitor ports (VGA only) which renders them pretty useless if you have high performance monitors. As well, they do not yet sell 'official' HP memory upgrades for this machine yet (tech support indicates they probably will later this year, so worth checking if that's important to you). In the meantime, you can use off-the-shelf memory from Amazon or wherever. Memory is DDR2 800Mhz 200 pin (which isn't stated anywhere obvious that I saw), but can be switched over to DDR3 if you upgrage to the enhanced graphics card.
- After many painful hours on hold and being routed from one tech support rep to another, I learned that there is a dedicated tech support group for the HDX laptops. For some reason, they provide only the main number in the collateral that comes with the machine - and no one at that number seems to know about this special group. But eventually somebody figured to route me there and I recommend you go there directly. 866-408-5408.
Overall, I love this machine and highly recommend it to others.


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Expanding on the elegance of the HDX series, the HP HDX 16-1140us delivers in a design that balances performance and mobility. Its elegant Fluid Imprint finish encases leading-edge mobile architectures, including the latest Intel Centrino 2 dual-core processor and NVIDIA GeForce graphics processor. And it's preloaded with the Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit operating system, enabling you to fully access system memory to support 3D games and complex applications. You'll also enjoy high-definition video content on the 16-inch widescreen HD BrightView Infinity display--which offers true a 16:9 aspect ratio--that's matched to Altec Lansing speakers with an integrated subwoofer and Dolby Home Theater immersive surround sound.
The HDX laptop features a number of ways to protect your data. HP's ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection locks your 500 GB hard drive into place when it senses abrupt motion to help prevent data loss. The integrated fingerprint reader offers greater security and ease-of-use by associating passwords to your system and online accounts with unique fingerprints. And the built-in eSATA/USB combo port enables fast backup to an external hard drive.
It's powered by the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processor--with Centrino 2 technology--which boosts speed, reduces power requirements, and saves on battery life. The 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 includes a quick 1066 MHz front-side bus and 3 MB of L2 cache, providing an optimized, multithreaded architecture for improved multimedia and multitasking performance.
Create custom laser-etched disc labels right in the dual-layer DVD drive with LightScribe and preinstalled Cyberlink DVD Premium. Just burn data on the disc, flip it over and burn the cover image using any scanned image and/or text. Other features include a 500 GB hard drive, 4 GB of RAM (8 GB maximum), Draft-N Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n) and Gigabit Ethernet networking, Bluetooth connectivity, integrated numeric keypad, HDMI audio/video output, multi-format memory card reader, and remote control.
This HP notebook is Energy Star 4.0 certified, and has received a Silver EPEAT designation for meeting standards to help reduce its environmental impact. Additionally, HP exclusive uses of EPA SmartWay carriers for reduced transportation-related emissions. HP's innovative take-back options include trade-in, recycling and donation.
High Style The HP HDX is defined by fluid, modern lines and metalized finishes with surprising innovations inside and out. A high-gloss HP Imprint finish in titanium and chrome now encases all surfaces visible during normal use for greater durability, and a sleeve is included for extra protection. The HDX series Fluid Imprint features a flowing linear pattern that enhances the reflective qualities of the metallic finish. The streamlined look is enhanced with a color-matched keyboard and touchpad. And touch media controls light up and become visible only when the system is powered on further enhancing the clean appearance.
The Basics
Processor: Experience improved energy efficiency, expanded wireless connectivity, and amazing battery life with the 45nm Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 processor featuring Intel Centrino 2 technology. This processor has a 2.4 GHz processor speed, super-sized 1066 MHz front-side bus (FSB), and a extra-large 3 MB L2 cache. (An L2, or secondary, cache temporarily stores data; and a larger L2 cache can help speed up your system's performance. The FSB carries data between the CPU and RAM, and a faster front-side bus will deliver better overall performance.)
Formerly codenamed Montevina, Intel Centrino 2 processor technology improves upon every facet of a laptop's main features, including performance and battery life via new processors and chipsets, faster draft 802.11n wireless, and new business-class manageability capabilities. The new hafnium-infused circuitry--which reduces electrical current leakage in transistors--conserves even more energy, giving you more time away from the wall outlet.
The Intel Core 2 Duo processor has two computational execution cores in a single processor, providing greater system response when running multi-threaded applications simultaneously with no significant increase in power consumption. It's optimized for multitasking and it can run multiple demanding applications--such as graphics-intensive games or serious number-crunching business productivity applications--while downloading music or running virus-scanning security programs in the background.

Hard Drive: The extra-large 500 GB Serial ATA (SATA) hard drive (5400 RPM) offers a wealth of storage space, perfect for storing a vast multimedia collection or for editing digital video. This SATA hard drive also quickens the pace with a higher speed transfer of data--akin to Firewire and USB 2.0.
You'll enjoy enhanced hard drive protection with HP's Protectsmart, which includes a 3D accelerometer that safeguards your data by parking your hard drive if your notebook detects any range of motion, such as being knocked off your desk, falling or taking abuse.

Memory: The 4 GB of installed RAM helps boost the amount of available video RAM that's shared with this notebook's video card. This notebook has an amazing 8 GB maximum RAM capacity (4 x 2 GB). To receive the faster data transfer benefits of the dual-channel DDR2 RAM, any RAM additions require memory modules of same capacity and clockspeed.

DVD/CD Drive: This multiformat DVD/CD drive is compatible with writing both DVD+ and DVD- disc formats as well as dual-layer (DL) DVD+/-R discs, which can store up to 8.5 GB of data. It features 4x DVD-R DL Write Once, 2.4x DVD+R DL Write Once, 8x DVD+R, 4x DVD+RW, 8x DVD-R, 4x DVD-RW, 16x DVD-ROM, 40x CD-R, 24x CD-RW, and 40x CD-ROM speeds.
This LightScribe DVD±RW drive lets you laser-etch silkscreen quality text and images on to CDs and DVDs . Your software, PC and discs work together for a no-hassle way to burn just the labels you want. After you burn content, just flip the disc over, reinsert and burn your label--anything from a simple title to a full-disc work of art.

Keyboard & Mouse: This notebook has a 101-key keyboard (with integrated numeric keypad) and a touchpad with on/off button and dedicated vertical/horizontal Scroll Up/Down pad. It also includes two quick-launch buttons (HP QuickPlay Music and DVD).
Screen, Video & Audio You'll enjoy razor-sharp graphics and widescreen movies with the 16-inch WXGA high-definition screen, which has a widescreen resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels--a perfect 16:9 aspect ratio for watching DVD movies the way they were meant to be seen. Video is powered by the Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT graphics/video card, which provides 512 MB of dedicated video RAM and offers up to 2302 MB of total available graphics memory as allocated by Windows Vista. Enabled by PureVideo HD, movies come to life with outstanding picture clarity, ultra-smooth video and vivid color. The lifelike images have up to six times the detail of standard DVD movies. Delivering state-of-the-art graphics performance, The GeForce 9600M GT graphics card is sure to give you the power and performance you crave to play the hottest DirectX 9 and DirectX 10 titles. Its 16x full-screen antialiasing technology delivers superior quality along with astounding performance and since it's optimized for Windows Vista.
The Altec Lansing speakers provide exceptional sound, and it also includes SRS Premium Sound. You'll be able to privately share enjoyment of multimedia with a friend via the dual headphone jacks.
Networking, Connectivity & Expansion Be ready for the next platform in wireless connectivity with the integrated quad-mode Wi-Fi chip. Based on the draft 802.11n Wi-Fi specification, it offers up to five times the performance and twice the wireless range as existing 802.11g wireless. It's also backward compatible with 802.11b/g networks (commonly found in home routers and Wi-Fi hotspots) as well as 802.11a networks (which has a higher throughput, but more limited range--great for closed office environments). With the integrated Bluetooth connectivity, you can communicate and synchronize with Bluetooth-enabled peripherals such as PDAs and cell phones.
It also includes a next-generation ExpressCard 34 card slot (replacing the PCMCIA slot), which lets you take advantage of thinner, faster, and lighter expansion cards for even more advanced wireless, networking, storage, and security features. It comes with the following external connectors:
4 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players (with 1 eSATA + USB 2.0 combo port)
1 FireWire (also known as IEEE 1394 or i.Link) port for connecting digital video camcorders and other peripherals
1 HDMI output (for connecting to a compatible HDTV or home theater receiver for uncompressed digital audio and video via a single cable)
Analog video output: 1 VGA
1 ExpressCard/54 slot (also supports ExpressCard/34)
2 headphone jacks
1 microphone jack
1 Expansion Port 3 connector (for use with the HP xb3000 Expansion Base or the HP Notebook QuickDock)
1 IR receiver
5-in-1 memory card reader (Secure Digital, MultiMedia, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, xD Picture Card)
10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet networking
56K modem (V.90)

Operating System The 64-bit version of Windows Vista Home Premium (with SP1) is the operating system for users with advanced computer needs, and it includes all of the Windows Media Center capabilities for turning your PC into an all-in-one home entertainment center for watching DVD movies and accessing your digital audio library. You can also use Windows Media Center to record and watch your favorite TV shows (even HDTV) and to access new kinds of online entertainment content. Computers that include Windows Vista Home Premium and an auxiliary Windows SideShow display will also allow you to access key data even when your computer is off. It is also easier than ever to share files between other PCs in your household and to manage your laptop computer settings to more securely connect via Wi-Fi.
Every edition of Windows Vista provides the essential tools and technologies to help protect you whether you are browsing the Internet, connecting to a wireless network, or just reading e-mail. All editions of Windows Vista include new tools that can warn you of impending hardware failures long before you have lost any important personal data. And, all Windows Vista editions include parental control features that allow you to manage and monitor your family's use of games, the Internet, instant messaging, and other activities.
Preloaded Software
HP MediaSmart Software Suite: Your one-stop multimedia and entertainment center to create photo slideshows, share personal videos, listen to your favorite music playlists and watch DVD movies.
muvee autoProducer Basic: Automatically create professional looking home videos and burn to DVD.
Cyberlink DVD Suite Premium: Automatically fix and edit videos and create CDs and DVDs. Edit, burn and archive data to discs.
Microsoft Works 9: Includes a word processor, spreadsheet, database and calendar.
Microsoft Office Home and Student Edition 2007 (60-day trial version).
Adobe Reader 8: Read and print PDF files.
Norton Internet Security 2009 protects your PC and your identity when you email, bank and shop online; 60 days of protection updates included.

Dimensions & Weight This notebook PC measures 14.9 x 10 x 1.7 inches and weighs 7.06 pounds.
Power It's powered by a 6-cell rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which has a battery life of up to 2.0 hours (depending on usage).
What's in the Box This package contains the HP Pavilion HDX16-1140US notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, protective sleeve, HP Mobile ScrollSmart remote control, earbud headphones, and operating instructions. It is backed by a limited warranty for parts and labor for one year from date of purchase as well as technical telephone assistance for one year. Software is also covered for 30 days from date of purchase.
Reduce your impact on the environment with this Energy Star-certified system and HP's innovative take-back options, including trade-in, recycling and donation.

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ASUS G73JH-X5 Republic of Gamers 17.3-Inch Gaming Laptop - Black Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The professional reviews of this series are correct. The cooling system is quiet and very effective. The screen is nice, but does pick up reflections in bright light. The machine is fairly heavy and you will need to buy a bag or sleeve meant for 18" screens because the thickness of the laptop prevents it from fitting in most 17.3 bags. The battery dies fast and furious, though you can squeeze out over an hour of use if you are just web browsing and turn down the screen backlighting. I wanted an ATI powered rig, not NVIDIA, and this fit the bill. I've had a couple of the grey bars of death screens that apparently are common with this series. That has been the most disconcerting issue. Hopefully some future 5870 drivers will clear that up. I wiped the drive and installed Windows 7 Ultimate. The laptop includes a utilities installation disk.
Update 1/13 - The computer continues to function pretty well. I haven't used it for gaming recently, but I have not had any more of the "grey bars" crashes. All drivers and bios are updated.
A different issue has developed: the built-in touch pad seems to loose sensitivity and/or malfunction periodically. This is very annoying as I use the laptop in multiple locations and rely on the touch pad - I do not carry around an extra mouse with me. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it, and updating the driver did not solve the issue. It goes through periods of not working, automatically resizing the window when I do not want to and other irksome issues.
Update 2/10 - Over the last several days I have been using this laptop for gaming. Nothing major - mostly "Two Worlds" on maxed settings. "Two Worlds" is a perfectly dull, buggy game I would not recommend to anyone, but it does have graphics that will push the mobile 5870 card a bit on maxed settings. When I first received the laptop (before updates) it was a game that gave me a couple of my GSODs. Anyway - no GSODs now. Updating everything seems to have worked. I haven't had a GSOD (knock on wood) since December. Now I will have to try a game that is actually worth playing! (I have a tower I have dedicated to major games - and it's hooked to a 60" Sony TV, so it is hard to use my newest stuff on the laptop for long periods when I can use the larger system instead.)
Update 4/26 - I've tried several other high demand / graphics intensive games on the laptop. It runs them very well. However, a new issue has appeared that seems to be common with this type of ASUS power supply. I discovered the jack that plugs into the laptop was bent sideways. I am very careful with my electronics - the laptop has never been banged or dropped and as far as I know the cord has never been jerked while plugged in. I can only assume the weight of the cord somehow bent the plug, or that it had a crack inside that widened at some point. Now the cord is shorting out. I did some research and it does appear that the power bricks are a wink link in for this series - both for failing or (to a lesser extent) physical issues like my bent jack. So. . .now I've been trying to get my power supply replaced by ASUS. . .and as many others have reported, dealing with them directly is no fun. I've received inconsistent replies and RMAs that initially requested I send in the entire computer. The issue is relatively new, but as of yet unresolved. At the moment I'm still giving this laptop four stars, though I would rate ASUS customer service around one and a half or two at the present time.
Update 5/11 - The power supply issue is resolved. ASUS eventually shipped me a new one, though it took a bit of wrangling with multiple customer service people before the item was sent. Once sent, it was shipped quickly. Strangly, the replacement feels lighter weight than the original - somewhat filmsier perhaps, though it is difficult to say for certain without the original here to compare (I had to send them the original - shipping at my expense). Now I'm paranoid about the plug breaking again as the other one bent with little or no provocation. Overall the customer service experience was about two stars out of five. If you have a problem, do not email them. Call them and keep calling if the RMA they send you isn't related to your issue. They also tried to get me to give them a credit card number to keep on file. I absolutely refused to divulge that information.
Overall still recommended. I would buy this again over the Toshiba gaming laptops if I had it to do over.

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HP Pavilion dv6-3040us 15.6-Inch Laptop Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)My take on this experience is: 1) Don't buy computers from Amazon. 2) If you think customer service should fix a problem on a brand new computer to your satisfaction, don't buy HP.
The story: My son was heading off to college, so we wanted to get him a good computer that would withstand all that college could dish out. We thought the HP Pavilion was the one. We ordered it from Amazon which was our first mistake. Once you open the box, Amazon will only refund 85% of the purchase price. Therefore, if something is wrong, you can't send it back to Amazon without losing money - even on a defective computer. There was a problem with the monitor immediately upon taking it out of the box. Since we couldn't send it back to Amazon, we called HP customer service. I asked for a new computer since the one that was defective was received less than 10 minutes prior. Customer service told us they were sending us a box to return the defective computer -- they sent it to the wrong address delaying the return (my son started college without a computer for the first two weeks). Then they told me they would fix the defective computer rather than replacing it. Full price for a fixed defective computer? I argued the point to no avail (don't get me started on how bad customer service is at listening to what you are saying; they have canned responses to what they think you mean and it is extremely frustrating). I finally sent an e-mail to HP and got a case manager in the US. They still refused to replace it; only fix it. Good thing I have a two year warranty!
After 1 week of use, the computer seems fine. Let's see how I feel after a few months.

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HP Pavilion dv6-3040us Notebook - Phenom II N830 2.10 GHz - 15.6" - Brushed Aluminum WQ676UA#ABA Laptops & Notebooks

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MSI A6200-021US Notebook PC - Intel Core i5-430M 2.26 GHz / 15.6" LCD / 4GB DDR3 Memory / 320GB HD / 802.11b/g/draft n WLAN / DVD Super Multi Drive / HDMI Port / Built-in Webcam / Windows 7 Home Premium Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Would recommend this laptop. However, when I purchased it I did not realize it came with 32bit Home Premium Windows 7 and not 64 bit. So I went and purchased 64 bit and reinstalled the OS. Works even better with 64bit Windows 7 Home Premium. I ran it with 32 bit for a day and for the last few days have had 64 bit windows on it. Screen is great. Can't complain except MSI should clearly state that it comes with 32bit on their packaging. Better yet they should install it with 64bit.

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Click here for more information about MSI A6200-021US Notebook PC - Intel Core i5-430M 2.26 GHz / 15.6" LCD / 4GB DDR3 Memory / 320GB HD / 802.11b/g/draft n WLAN / DVD Super Multi Drive / HDMI Port / Built-in Webcam / Windows 7 Home Premium

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Dell Studio XPS 15 Laptop, i7-2630QM, 8GB DDR3 Memory, 15.6 INCH FHD LCD Screen, NVIDIA GeForce GT 525M 1GB graphics, TV Tuner, 750GB 7200 RPM HD, Tray Load Blu-ray Disc, Windows 7 Home Premium, Backlit Keyboard, 2 Year Limited Warranty Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)In December 2010, I ordered a studio XPS computer with all the goodies from Dell. This machine has been a total nightmare for someone who works online. In January 2011 (within 30 days of the purchase) the motherboard, display, and optical drive failed. Dell did send a technician to the house to replace these items. The fixes did not work and Dell sent me a new computer. The new computer was no better than the last; it started crashing on a regular basis. I called Dell for support; they insisted it was a software issue, not covered by the warranty (which expires in 2015).
They transferred me to the software department; I had to pay $107 for them to look at it online. Then the technician insisted that my computer had many viruses. I asked how that could be since McAfee protection came with my system and I was using it regularly. The technician insisted that McAfee was no good - you must buy Norton or this will keep happening. Okay - I did that. Then the technician did something that caused my computer to no longer boot. It took a couple of hours for him to reformat my hard drive. I lost all my information. Thankfully, most of the information was on my old computer since I had had only the new one for a couple weeks.
The past couple of months I have had difficulties using my CD/DVD optical drive. Dell sent a technician out to the house and replaced it. It was tested and worked fine. About 10 min. after the technician left, I tried to install a new program. My whole computer crashed. I called the technician and he called Dell who said that I had to call Dell for further repairs. I did. I spent about four hours with somebody in the hardware support division fishing around inside my computer. He kept trying to update my drivers for the optical drive, which the technician installed a few hours earlier. Eventually, the online technician deleted something and my computer crashed and refused to reboot.
I called Dell back and they sent me back to hardware support making me do a number of tests with the different F 1-12 buttons. Eventually we got it restarted and he sent me over to software because he could not figure out what was wrong. Once again, I had to pay for software support. After about three hours of testing, software support could not fix the problem either. Software decided that it was a hardware problem and the motherboard and optical drive need replaced again. There was no refund from the software support I purchased, even though it did not help. Here is a word to the wise - DO NOT BUY A DELL COMPUTER!


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Click here for more information about Dell Studio XPS 15 Laptop, i7-2630QM, 8GB DDR3 Memory, 15.6 INCH FHD LCD Screen, NVIDIA GeForce GT 525M 1GB graphics, TV Tuner, 750GB 7200 RPM HD, Tray Load Blu-ray Disc, Windows 7 Home Premium, Backlit Keyboard, 2 Year Limited Warranty

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Sony VAIO VGN-FW373J/B 16.4-Inch Laptop - Black Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I was going to wait a bit longer before writing this review of the new Sony FW-373J/H 16.4" 1080P Hi Definition Notebook computer, but it's so impressive, with outstanding performance, utility, standard features, software, and has hardware packaging that is 2nd to none in this price range of c.$1250+/- notebooks, that I couldn't wait to put it in perspective, compared to other "media center" notebooks.
I bought this Sony for my wife, but it's such a gem, has incredible performance characteristics and utility features like the Blu-Ray ROM (Sony Optiarc BC5500S v1.75 firmware-Oct, 2008) optical drive, a very efficient, speedy 2.4Ghz C2Duo Intel SCR(P)-8600 CPU w/3MB L2 Cache, running a 1066Mhz FSB (front side system bus, the pathway between the 4GB of PC-6400 800Mhz SDRAM and the hard drive, ie faster is better(!)--and this is as fast as it gets-- FSB's in notebooks), that I've been using it too. A LOT!
Don't forget the 7200-RPM SATA II 2.5" HD, which is easily reached via a 2-screw trap door on the bottom of the case (as is the SDRAM, but that's only 1 screw!), which has plenty of room for most people's work, media collection, photos, applications for business and pleasure, et al. I can't imagine "upgrading/updating" this particular HD setup, as 320GB is as big as a 7200RPM HD gets right now...maybe IF Hitachi, Western Digital, or Samsung comes up with a 500GB 7200RPM notebook HD there will be a reason to upgrade, but not now!
Tonight we watched "Transporter 3" using the Sony notebook as the player, the Jason Statham action-sequel in Blu-Ray ROM format, on our Samsung 52" HDTV, the TOC (Touch of Class) Series 8000x model w/50,000 Contrast Ratio, 120Mhz Video Codec Switching, 4ms response time, etc, arguably the best LCD available today, and it was just astonishing & fantastic! We hooked everything up via a simple 10-feet-long-HDMI-Cable using the Sony FW-373J/H as the "player" with the standard Blu-Ray on-board player built into the Windows Vista 64-bit Home Premium OS by Sony engineers, called "InterVideo® WinDVD® BD for VAIO" (quite a mouthful, yah? They could have just called it "Sony BluRay Player" but no, go figure!).
All you do is hook up your HDTV to one end of the HDMI cable after "sourcing it", attach the other end to the Sony notebook, insert the Blu-Ray movie into the optical drive, (with preferences enabled this happens...) and BAM! The video starts playing on the TV instantly, with full on-screen controls available for menus, setup, etc for the movie. Crazy-Bitchin-Good!
That was the deal-sealer, seeing that Blu-Ray movie via the Sony notebook tonight!! It WAS CLEAR, CLEAN, PERFECT, EVERYTHING YOU WANTED in clarity, depth of field, all that Blu-Ray HDTV goodness rolled up into a great action-movie experience like "Transporter 3"... and to see the new notebook's player and optical drive doing the duty, putting the film up onscreen with such a quick one-two-three "Play!" sequence, well, it was just great! The sound was fantastic, everything synched-up correctly with our Marantz-6800-powered audio system, enabled by a JBL Studio Sound Speaker System in all its 16-inch bass-reflex glory, and I am telling you it played purrrfectly through the Sony notebook's optical drive. No Hill For a Climber!
Now that experience is out of the way, and fully described, because it IS a fantastic feature to be able to play Blu-Ray media through the notebook, but let's talk about the CPU, the memory, the OS, the unbelievably full-featured, and strong ATI Mobile RADEON® HD PCI-Express Video Card w/512MB of discrete, dedicated DDR2 VRAM, with get this, 2280MB of "burst VRAM" available via shared memory from the SDRAM/HD system! Holy Smokes! That's quite a package!!
Some desktops don't have a better video card system than the Sony does, and this thing just SMOKES in performing its rituals, whether it's working magic with the 16.4" 1920 x 1080P NATIVE HD widescreen back-lit LCD display on photos in Corel's PC photo program, displaying 2 side-by-side web pages with Flash-Player enabled, or just simply going about the business of mundane things like working behind-the-scenes to enable crisp, clean, precise rendering of any normal project you can think of: Word Processing, film editing in Sony Vegas 5 Pro, or just plain 'being beautiful'...it's a stunning display of video power all-around!! I can't say enough about how the ATI Mobile HD Video Card w/512MB of DDR2 VRAM/SDRAM performs, because it's the best notebook display I've seen in a long, long time...bar none, including all Mac Pro displays, right up to the 17" Apple widescreen in their top-of-the-line $2700 notebook.
Our LCD screen, apparently a Samsung device as best as I could tell (they are the No.1 producer of LCD technology devices worldwide), has NO DEAD PIXELS, not a one to be found! It's clear, clean, crisp, responsive and fast in any and all circumstances, has no big "footprint" like the 18.4" widescreen notebook LCD's do, and yet there you go, there's native 1080P display power all day, all night! It's truly a fantastic, feature-laden display, one I can't say enough about.
The C2Duo 2.4Ghz CPU is F A S T, don't think it isn't! You know it's good when you see the Windows Performance scores of 5.4 to 5.9 on everything but "Gaming graphics" where the notebook scores "5.0", oh well, it's built by humans, yes? It does have a small weakness there, but that's about it! The 4GB of 800Mhz PC-6400 SDRAM does a nice job with almost any assignment, ie it's enough for virtually all Windows Vista tasks, throw in 4 to 5 open programs, some background FM music via FireFM in FireFox 3.0.7 (ditch Windows Explorer as your browser first chance you get!), and there's still 1GB of SDRAM availble for "burst" assignments.
You can order up twin 4GB DIMMs to make 8GB of SDRAM in the machine, but at this time it's prohibitively expensive @ c.$400 a DIMM, so equipping the notebook with 8GB of SDRAM is stupid right now...wait until summer, or later, when Samsung's chip supply dries up (they cornered the market on the 4GB DIMMs apparently), and you can buy a pair of 4GB DIMMs for $400 or less for both, and then it'll be a good thing to do...but not right now.
As for the network adapter, which is an Intel PCI-Express WLAN card, with A, B, G, and "Spec N"-qualified high-speed abilities, it's so seamless in its operation that I almost forgot to mention it! It just works fantastic. You should have seen my eyes when I installed iTunes 8.1 for PC the other day, and hit the "shared" Library key in iTunes, and voila! Up popped my 2TB Apple TV/iTunes Library from my G5 "SuperSystem," across my studio over in the "serious computer territory", yes, right there on the PC's desktop there was an unlimited supply of iTunes goodness, some 200GB of music, and more than 1.4TB of AppleTV movies ready for sharing on the PC! My Lordie, that was a fantastic surprise!! So I didn't have to install a bunch of music for my wife's edification...she could simply "share" my rather substantial Apple iTunes music system from across the room, a coup'de'etat if I've ever made one happen...PC and Macs living in harmony, together, functioning perfectly fine using the same music. Now that's KUHL!
What else is nice, and stands out? Well, the touch-pad works 110% to my liking, if you're not using a Mini-BlueTooth Mouse like my LogiTech V470, which only costs $38 here at Amazon.com, so there you go! Another strong point, the notebook's "A2DP" BlueTooth (stereo BlueTooth for headphones, earphones, and v2.1.x BlueTooth for external devices like a mouse) is another wonderful standard feature, so you can utilize the USB ports (3 of them, located on the right, front side of the case) for what they were meant to be used for: peripherals like a printer, scanner, etc. There's also a FireWire port, for those of you who still own FireWire movie cameras, or have external HD's with FireWire 800/400 connections, (with Oxford 924 or 912 bridge boards...these are good things), they are all GOOD TO GO with this notebook, with the conveniently placed port on the left side of the case.
You know, I should say something about how this notebook LOOKS! It's just great! It has spacey curves over to the heavy-duty magnesium-alloy body's end, which is at a set of HD hinges that will never, ever creak, groan, lack support for the display, and it looks T H I N, and subtle, and even though it weighs some 6.7 lbs w/standard battery, it doesn't look heavy and overblown, like so many of the "big generation" of PC notebooks do these days. The brushed magnesium finsh is really groovy! Clean looking! The media controls over the back-right edge of the chassis, up by the screen are appropriately placed, and work well for home-base media movies onscreen, or playing music with the optical drive, whatever!
I am glad I held out for the grey case vs. the black case, aren't all of you in this group? It just looks G R E A T with the alloy body, the two compliment each other, sort of "flow into each other" and work with the Sony Style form to make up a stunning notebook masterpiece. As a practical exercise, the Sony wins, to me anyway it does...it's just so "handsome and practically sexy-looking"... In so many notebooks there's nothing but plastic and buttons, and this machine rocks the house with heavy-duty doses of class, style, and grace of design. The key placement is a bit unusual unless you're a previous Sony owner, with the keys placed/vertically surfaced OUT of the top of the case, but with a scant 2mm of travel per key, they feel right-on, and correct for the application.
I bought an Antec® notebook cooler, the twin-fan design alloy and plastic device, for the notebook with the order, so I can't comment on its ability to cool itself without a notebook cooler, all...Read more›

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Toshiba Satellite M645-S4080 14.0-Inch LED Laptop ( Fusion X2 Finish in Charcoal) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)pros
+ backlit keyboard
+ amazing speakers (like, best I've heard on a laptop, amazing (though my new xps 14 is at least equal to these)
+ circular scrolling is extremely effective
+ high resolution hdmi out
+ nice slot loading dvd drive
+ FN keys accessible from the screen with the mouse
+ boots very quickly if you enable it
cons
-extraordinarily loud fan
* fan turns on at a high power level even when laptop is idle
-keyboard keys occasionally (often) fail
-extremely limited viewing angles
Update: I've since purchased a dell xps 14, and It has the gt420m that this was originally advertised as having. Having tested both the 420 far outperforms the 330 in real-world testing.

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Toshiba Satellite M645: Easy Portability with 14-Inch HD Screen
Combining great portability, generous battery life and modern style in a slim, eco-smart package, the Toshiba Satellite M645-S4080 is sized to travel while providing powerful computing resources for all of your needs--work, learning and play. The 14-inch LED-backlit display offers HD TruBrite technology for optimal image clarity, widescreen aspect ratio for watching letterboxed movies and extra desktop working space, and native 720p high-definition resolution for watching downloaded HD video.
Made for mobility, this Toshiba M645 features a 14-inch high-definition screen and weighs 5.4 pounds (see larger image).

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HP ProBook 4720s WZ253UT 17.3" 4GB 500GB BluRay Laptop Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)If you just have to have the latest and greatest, look elsewhere. If you want a terrific value for your money, this is it. This laptop has all the features you could want, at a really excellent price. This model has been available for a year now, so it's "last year's technology", but I don't see where the "latest and greatest" is that much better. Why pay nearly half again as much money for only incremental improvement? I did a great deal of research before I picked this one as being the very best combination of features and price. The only thing wrong with it is the truly awful substitute for a mouse that it has. Maybe it's just that this is my first time using such a thing, but I think it's barely adequate. It's like trying to thread a needle while wearing boxing gloves. I ordered an MX 1100 wireless mouse that I'll be using instead. Other than that though, I am VERY happy with my purchase. Big screen, big hard disk, big battery, Windows 7 Professional, not the "Home" version. Even an eSATA port. I love this thing. :)

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Sony 15.5" VAIO VPCEB15FM/T Laptop 4GB Notebook 500GB Computer PC Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I was a desktop owner for over 6 years. This is my first laptop, but I did a lot of research before deciding on this one and I am overall very happy with the purchase.
I really love the new processor, is is very quiet and the laptop is much cooler, although I still use a cooling fan and recommend one. The keyboard is flat and quiet, but is prone to trapped dust and particles and super hard to clean, so don't eat or take this around food. I recommend the specially made for this laptop silicone keyboard covers, Sony offers them in a variety of nice colors including matching mouse covers for Sony mouses only. Another great feature is the blu-ray player, and lit LCD screen, I wish they would have included a light up keyboard and fingerprint pass-code device. The laptop itself is lightweight, sleek and shiny, but the attractive finish is also very prone to fingerprints and beware! don't wipe with any alcohol as it will damage the finish.
Windows 7 is a great improvement, I love the convenient and much faster start search tool and the customization options are wide (important for a artist and visual person like myself), but there is still a whole lot of room for improvement as far as security issues are concerned.
Positive+
Intel i3 Core processor
500GB/4GB space
Bright, light up LCD screen
Energy Star approved
Blu Ray player
Sleek and lightweight
Keyboard and mouse customization options
Windows 7
Negative-
Although it's much cooler than all my friends laptops, it still requires a fan
Very much prone to fingerprints on exterior and screen, use only cloth to wipe
No outer volume buttons/controls
3, not 4 usb spaces
Keyboard prone to trap small particle
No light up keyboard
No fingerprint password logon

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