Cheap MSI X320-037US 13.4-Inch Laptop - Black

Pros:
Nice screen size
Decent battery life
Super-slim
Sleek design
Msi logo lights up :)
Bluetooth
Vista runs OK

Cons:
Atom Processor :(
Keyboard is meh

I've had this computer for a few days now and I'm very pleased with it. I have a powerhouse desktop so I don't need much in the way of a laptop, just something to get me through a few classes and take notes. The battery life is excellent as far as I'm concerned. I had it on low brightness in power saver with wifi on and it got be about four and a half hours. I immediately took off Vista and put on 7. Vista seemed to run fine for the few hours I had it on, but 7 runs on it far better. Don't try and enable aero if you have 7, it just was way too choppy. Streaming youtube was better than other netbooks I've used. No choppiness at all. The computer is of course limited by the ability of the atom processor. However for $379, this is the best netbook you can get in my opinion. I originally had an HP Mini 110, and while it was cute and small, you get tired of a 10 inch screen after awhile. The 13" of the X320 is just big enough to view webpages without unnecessary scrolling.

A lot of people complain about the keyboard. As far as I'm concerned it's no big deal. Yeah it's a little "mushy" but I've had no problems typing on it at all. Yeah it flexes a bit when you type on it but you can't FEEL the flex if you're not looking at it. I read a lot of reviews that made me think that I'd be getting a laptop with a terrible keyboard. Believe me, it's more than bearable. If I hadn't read so many reviews on the keyboard before I bought it, I don't think I would have thought twice about it.Get more detail about MSI X320-037US 13.4-Inch Laptop - Black.

Buy MSI X340-021US Slim 13.4-Inch Laptop - Black

Pros:
Nice screen size
Decent battery life
Super-slim
Sleek design
Msi logo lights up :)
Bluetooth
Vista runs OK

Cons:
Atom Processor :(
Keyboard is meh

I've had this computer for a few days now and I'm very pleased with it. I have a powerhouse desktop so I don't need much in the way of a laptop, just something to get me through a few classes and take notes. The battery life is excellent as far as I'm concerned. I had it on low brightness in power saver with wifi on and it got be about four and a half hours. I immediately took off Vista and put on 7. Vista seemed to run fine for the few hours I had it on, but 7 runs on it far better. Don't try and enable aero if you have 7, it just was way too choppy. Streaming youtube was better than other netbooks I've used. No choppiness at all. The computer is of course limited by the ability of the atom processor. However for $379, this is the best netbook you can get in my opinion. I originally had an HP Mini 110, and while it was cute and small, you get tired of a 10 inch screen after awhile. The 13" of the X320 is just big enough to view webpages without unnecessary scrolling.

A lot of people complain about the keyboard. As far as I'm concerned it's no big deal. Yeah it's a little "mushy" but I've had no problems typing on it at all. Yeah it flexes a bit when you type on it but you can't FEEL the flex if you're not looking at it. I read a lot of reviews that made me think that I'd be getting a laptop with a terrible keyboard. Believe me, it's more than bearable. If I hadn't read so many reviews on the keyboard before I bought it, I don't think I would have thought twice about it.Get more detail about MSI X340-021US Slim 13.4-Inch Laptop - Black.

Purchase HP Mini 5101 - Atom N280 / 1.66 GHz - RAM 2 GB - HDD 320 GB - GMA 950 - Gigabit Ethernet - WLAN : 802.11 a/b/g/n (draft 2.0), Bluetooth 2.1 EDR - Vista Business / XP Pro downgrade - 10.1" Widescreen TFT 1024 x 600 ( WSVGA ) - camera - Smart Buy

HP must have set out to conquer the market for professional-featured netbooks when it planned this model, because it certainly is King of the Hill as far as business-centric netbooks go. With a full-sized keyboard with HP "Smart Keys" which are sort of like the durable, semi-flexible keys of a Tough-Book, but classier, with pronounced letters and numerals ingrained into the key surfaces, it starts out straight away as a really different sort of little mini-computer. Your first impressions of its piano-black/gray matted surfaces are like, "Wow, it's both classy, beautifully finished, and durable all in one fell swoop...now THAT is different, something not seen in any other netbook."

With hardware like it's got, no wonder it performs so good, if you all are wondering what a 7200RPM 320GB HD, fast 667Mhz FSB (533Mhz RAM, PC 6400-800Mhz variety), GMA 950 graphics and the Intel Atom N280 1.67Ghz CPU is like: it's GREAT, that's what it's like! This is no ordinary netbook, I'll tell you that right now...too much good stuff has gone into it for it to be anything like "normal", so don't think that your $600 is going to waste, ie you get what you pay for this time, and that's a LOT of nice stuff!!

Part and parcel of the nice stuff is the electronics themselves, which no other netbook has in a configuration with a 7200RPM HD, (energy efficient, according to the Seagate specs on the HD in my Mini, to yield only .05% higher watts at peak write/read sustained cycles compared to a 5400RPM HD) and the 1024 x 600 Pixels widescreen display, but let's not forget about the materials it's made of either. The Mini is ALL METAL construction, with aluminum alloy for the LED display casing, and the body is magnesium for durability and ultra light weight, so there's paltry little plastic of *any kind*--strike another blow to the pretenders and their ABS plastic cases...the Mini has nothing like that, it's all high-strength, lightweight metals of one type of another that it's built of.

The OS is *not* Windows XP Home, but XP Professional, with its business features and emphasis on speed and multimedia, but I had a little something to do to my Mini which I go into a little further into the review...and it literally transformed the netbook into a much bigger acting system. Read on and see what you *can* do with respect to the operating system, but of course XP Professional SP3 is an OS to have much respect for in a netbook, and this is the only netbook that comes with it, along with companion DVD's for the OS and Drivers to boot. In addition, there's Vista Business Edition SP 2 on DVD with Drivers on separate DVD should you wish to install it, so the Mini comes fully armed with twin OS's, and discs, with licenses for everything.

It seems that HP tried to think of everything for the business user possible when spec'ing out the Mini 5101 FM976UT#ABA. This is truly a unique netbook from the OS to the way it's built with ultra-lightweight metals, and the electronic package leaves nothing to be desired: fast 7200RPM HD, BlueTooth 2.1 EDR, A, B, G, and N-spec WLAN from Broadcom on the PCI-Express mini-bus, it's all there, all notable, and no other netbook has it all in one package like this Mini does.

(Addendum: I wanted to add something specific about the graphic interface of the Mini 5101 FM976#ABA, because there's always the suspicion that a netbook can't handle movies or games, and the Mini *can* do that with finesse, and excellent execution. I have a rather unique situation in that I have a HUGE assortment of feature length movies made for my iPhone 3G on the Mac, and those movies are especially *delicious* on the Mini. I have a choice of using the PC version of iTunes or QuickTime Player v7.x to view the movies (full screen), and last night I watched a couple KUHL science-fiction movies with lots of *special effects, heavy action, and blazing FPS needs*, and the Mini displayed everything perfectly. The sound (through a pair of high-end Audio Technica ATH AD700 headphones) was also perfect, in Dolby 5.1 stereo no less, with no stuttering or anomalies of any kind during the shows...which were "Zoom" and "Ultra Violet", movies that many of you may be familiar with.

Another good test I gave the Mini was to that "Powered" USB 2.0 Port during movie playback. I had the movies on a USB 16GB A-Data Flash Drive (they ranged from 750MB to 950MB in size...just less than 1GB vs. a full length movie's normal size of 4-7GB), which I simply inserted into the powered USB port, opened up either iTunes or QuickTime Movie Player (I tried both ways of viewing, and both were XLNT!), navigated to the USB device via the File Menu in each player, opened up the movies and hit "PLAY" and BAM! The movies played 100% PURRRFECT! No stuttering, lost frames, no problems at all using the USB port with a Flash Drive. In addition, you can use the Mini's SD/SDHC/MMC Card Slot for a source for the movies if you want by putting movie on one of those devices and inserting it into the slot, which I haven't tried yet, but it should be just as seamless as using the USB port.

I didn't have a chance to play a game, but I will, and I anticipate that the Mini will play games just great, but the movie factor is especially critical for business users, as there's nothing like watching your own movie on your netbook/notebook on the plane or train, vs watching the "canned", or boring, badly shown in-house movies (which also cost $$$ most of the time). As for battery use during playback, I watched BOTH movies on the same charge, and there was 37% left for a 3rd movie if I'd have wanted to view another one, so how about that!

It is my opinion that viewers can do the same thing I did with PC-centric movies also, because the movies I make for my iPhone with MTR, DVD2OneX 2.4.x, and El Gato Turbo .264 or HandBrake v.0.9.1 are all done with 30FPS speed, in H.264 M4V format, which is demanding on the playback mechanism vs. 24FPS AVI for example. So the Mini's graphics and processing power from the Atom N280 CPU (which was pegged @ about 60% of its use factor by the Windows Gadget for CPU's during playback) is very adequate for viewing full-screen movies, the display is great with NO BLACK BARS showing in Full Screen Mode! I rate the Mini's movie viewing power @ "10" or 5-Stars, your pick... after seeing it for myself last night.--Added on 12-18-2009, WD)

The battery must be made of some special Li-Ion stuff also, because I am on the 1st discharge right now, and have been going since 4:45PM and it's just after 1AM and there's still 25% left in the tank! WOW! That is some battery life...HP advertised "9 hours+" battery life, and here I've been working away at various WP projects, using FireFox to do a bunch of shopping for Xmas, haven't put the HP 5101 down since the afternoon, and it's still going strong...incredible! That means I have achieved 9 hours already, and there's another hour+ to go, so HP was NOT kidding about battery life!

Now don't let anybody tell you that you're married to XP Professional either, with this model, even though that's a great OS, the best Windows OS arguably for this type of computer, but guess what? I gutted it 1st thing, flat-lined the HD (clean formatted it), downloaded all new drivers and specialty software and burned them all into a CD ROM, from the HP Support Web Site. I then blasted a clean, mean copy of Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit into the 5101 (easy to do using an external DVD+/-RW drive), and BAM!! I am stylin' like the mutherfletchers on this baby right about now...maybe THAT explains some of the big battery life...it has been rumoured that Windows 7 in the right circumstance would yield big battery life, so there you go!

The features like Fast Boot for Mail and www are nice also (where you can quickly check for mail or do some web surfing without a full boot), not that I've used them yet...been too busy all evening typing and using Word, Excel, and the nice Corel suite that comes stock OEM from HP with this netbook to really notice, but there are two LED-lit buttons up in the left, top part of the facing surface near the power button, ready for action. The hinges are notably all metal, so it looks like they are gonna last a long, long time too. The keyboard is just a pleasure to use, it being 95% full sized, so for all intents and purposes it IS full sized, and it is very, very comfortable to be typing on for hours and hours, as I've been doing tonight. The special HP key treatment makes each stroke easy on the fingers, and wrist, so it all adds up here as the features, the ergonomics, and the construction+ electronic feature set begins to strike home the more you use the netbook.

The port arrangement is logical with two USB's on the left along with the VGA port, power port, and on the right side a notably POWERED USB 2.0 port resides, along with stereo microphone, stereo headphone ports, SD/SDHC/MMC Card Slot, and the RJ-45 Ethernet port is there too. I've been trading off between a Logitech V470 BT Mouse and the netbook's touch pad all night also, and the pad has a nice feel to its glossy, glass surface with double buttons at the rear, where they should be for a change! The BT works without any hint of weakness or glitchiness, it's great with the Logitech mouse I've been using, so score more points for the little things that make this netbook better than the rest, a cut above "normal" netbooks. The WiFi is pulling "N" strength from my N-Router, @ just less than 300kbp/s-- no problems there either as it hooked up with the HP Connection Manager after simply entering my WPA-PSK 22-digit code, so another great feature of the Mini shines: WiFi is strong and steady, no weakness there at all.

All-in-all, at some 2.9 pounds (6-cell battery=4-5 extra ounces of weight), this is one pistol-packing 'book! It's got speed, power, longevity, great HD and BT WiFi-system, fast FSB and RAM, the best graphics and motherboard layout that is possible to have in this sized computer, so it all adds up to a winning combination, a knock-out punch if there is one in this market segment, ie the high end of netbooks!

I cannot fault the price either...that is what it costs for something this nice, with an LED backlit display @ 1024 x 600 pixels, a mini-HD display, the great battery life, the near "organic" nature of the materials used in making this netbook with fully recyclable materials to the tune of 96% of the capacity of parts, no less! HP really did a job with the Mini 5101 with all the special features of this model, no doubt about it.

HP, you've got my vote this time...no doubt I could have bought an Acer, or a Samsung or ASUS for less, but it wouldn't be like THIS one, not even close to it...the sum of its parts equals the best netbook choice available, so hold on, batten down the hatches, write the check or cull the credit card honeys, the HP 5101 FM976UT netbook with the "#ABA" thrown on the end for good measure is The Kind, the best there is in this class, and there is no substitute...This is King of the Hill.

Wavey Davey - 12-15-2009Get more detail about HP Mini 5101 - Atom N280 / 1.66 GHz - RAM 2 GB - HDD 320 GB - GMA 950 - Gigabit Ethernet - WLAN : 802.11 a/b/g/n (draft 2.0), Bluetooth 2.1 EDR - Vista Business / XP Pro downgrade - 10.1" Widescreen TFT 1024 x 600 ( WSVGA ) - camera - Smart Buy.

Order Acer Aspire Timeline AS4810T-8480 14-Inch Aluminum Laptop - 8+ Hours Battery Life

This is my first Acer computer, aesthetically speaking; it is the nicest looking laptop I've seen so far and one of the thinnest -- measuring at a mere 1" thick. The 14" screen, weight and dimensions are just a fraction more compared to an ordinary Netbook, but you get much much more. For one; you're not getting an Atom processor but an Intel Centrino Core2 Solo CPU. Yet small, but it also comes with an integrated DVD Burner (almost unheard of for its size) as apposed to having an external unit dangling around. These are only a few good reasons why I bought the unit, but...the ultimate deal was the long battery life! Acer claims that it can pull more than 8 hours. Reading my reviews here on Amazon (also from various other sources) most reviewers seemed to have stood by their claims. So for this, I am willing to sacrifice the trade-off of not purchasing a Dual Core or Core Duo2 CPU system but instead opted for the ultra low voltage 'Solo' core for its battery life.

Although the 8480 was deemed versatile for most apps but it wasn't user-friendly "out of the box". Acer did not update their Timeline series with the latest BIOS and necessary drivers before rolling out to the masses which resulted the computer in a constant 100% CPU spike and ultimately rendering the unit to freeze and therefore a forced-shutdown/restart is the only solution. For this, it has caused a large number of confused day to day average-Joe and the typical novice consumer-frenzied letdowns, not to mention, the numerous negative feedbacks as to why their newly purchased computers did not add up to the mfg claim.
Most of you reading the reviews by now should know what you must do to get the unit running in tip top condition, for those of you who haven't, here's what you MUST do before using the notebook for the first time:

1.) Have 3 blank DVD discs ready for burning and making the recovery discs because Acer (and most Manufacturers these days) does not provide any.
2.) Go to Acer's support site and choose your model, but here's the trick; in between the top part of the page and the drivers' lower part of the page, there is very tiny drop-down box for you to choose your Operating System -- make sure you choose the right one. For example: choose "Windows Vista Home Premium 64Bit" if you are using this OS. Most people tend to miss out on this part because it is pretty hard to see on the page.
Update to the latest Bios (there are two released simultaneously; one is the regular and the 'OE' stands for "Olympic Edition"
3.) Update to the latest Video Driver
4.) Update to the latest WIFI driver
The rests of it are optional.

Upon my updates, the unit has performed flawlessly, there are no more 100% CPU usages but in the 10-30% range and applications seems to run much smoother like it supposed to. The one thing that still hinders is the 'Sleep Mode'; if you closed the lid and reopen it, the unit tends to freeze up a bit and takes time for it to completely come back to its original state. This happens mostly if you have a browser opened at the time of closing the lid. Acer needs a new BIO for this, or perhaps Windows7 will rectify this dilemma.


Pros:
*Light Weight
*Thin
*Battery Life (8+Hours)
*Screen resolution and bright enough
*DVD Burner (Integrated)
*4GB DDR3 RAM
*320G Hard Drive
*HDMI port
*Keyboard (quiet, very nice play and solid feel with no diving/caving while typing -- unlike my Toshiba Satellite)
*Mouse Pad (very responsive and non-erratic)
*Design/Beauty
*Very solid feel -- no flexing or creasing of any sort

Cons
*Single Core processor
*No 'Caps Lock' light
*No 'Number Lock' light
*Tiny Power Button -- tiny meaning it is designed to work only with the tip of your fingernail (needs to press twice to power ON or hold for 3 seconds -- only if you are using the AC cord with the Battery detached, otherwise just press once with Battery attached)
*No Express Card slot
*No eSata
*No Phone jack (couldn't use Windows Fax)Get more detail about Acer Aspire Timeline AS4810T-8480 14-Inch Aluminum Laptop - 8+ Hours Battery Life.

Where To Buy Lenovo IdeaPad Y530-5343U 15.4-Inch Laptop (2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T6400 Processor, 4 GB RAM, 320 GB Hard Drive, Vista Premium) Black

I bought this one over an HP to replace my old Dell notebook. It had Vista on it but came with a "FREE" upgrade to windows7. Great so I sent them the money they asked for back in October of 09 and set the new notebook aside waiting for the new operating system so I could install it delete the unwanted stuff put the programs I run on it and send it to an external back-up drive and be good-to-go with a new notebook I could be proud to own and use right? WRONG I'm still waiting for the windows 7 I paid to have shipped to me; I have tried to deal with Lenovo customer service department (good-luck-with-that) and am still waiting for my copy of windows 7 their reason is that they are swamped with orders and I'll just have to wait. In closing I'm sure it is a fine notebook and maybe I'll find out in 2010 if that is true when I get a chance to use it. Hindsight is always 20/20 but I think I would have been better off with the HP purchase. I hope this will save you the grief I have experienced with their service. Up-date: I heard that my girl-friend is giving me the HP I wanted for Xmas!!! Happy-days ahead WolfGet more detail about Lenovo IdeaPad Y530-5343U 15.4-Inch Laptop (2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T6400 Processor, 4 GB RAM, 320 GB Hard Drive, Vista Premium) Black.

Shop For Lenovo IdeaPad U330 13.3-Inch Laptop (2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P7350 Processor, 3 GB RAM, 250 GB Hard Drive, DVD Drive, Vista Premium) Black

I'm used to work a lot with "portable" laptops and the Lenovo IdeaPad U330 is
definitely a good choice for somebody that needs a laptop for office work with
an option to 3D applications because of its switchable graphic card.
The weight of 4.3lbs w/battery and the size of 13.3" allows you to carry this
laptop to work or anywhere else as well, compared to 15" laptops definitely a better choice.

Operating:
The Lenovo comes, like all new laptops with a lot of useless software you need to uninstall.
Once the system is cleaned the the hard drive LED stops flashing all the time and the
2 Ghz duoCore and the 3GB RAM operates the vista operating system very well.
The graphics power is good enough for some 3D games like CSS, but its definitely nothing for
hardcore gamer or similar.

Design:
The design of this laptop is with its lacquer optics very nice, but the case
is for my taste a little bit unsteady. Some touch sensitive buttons allows you
to operate shortcuts for audio player, witch I don't use.

Features:
Like all newer laptops it comes with Wireless 5100 a/g/n, Camera and Bluetooth.
Beside that it has a hdmi connector, witch is an important feature for somebody
that wants to work @ home with a 1080p full HD lcd.
The Ati Radeon HD 3450 (Dedicated 256MB GDDR3) helps you to operate graphics in
a full HD resolution if you need it! I knew some older laptops with switchable
graphics, witch you had to switch in the Bios during booting. Lenovo IdeaPad U330
allows you to do this when vista is operating and this allows you to save power and
extend your battery life if you need it.
It comes with just 2 USB connectors. This is definitely not enough.


Pro:
- Switchable Graphics
- Good hardware power
for a 13.3" laptop
- Nice looking design
- 4.3lbs w/battery

Contra:
- Just 2 USB Ports
- No OS and driver CD/DVD's
- huge charger


All in one, I would say for less than 800$ absolutely a very good mid range laptop!!!
Get more detail about Lenovo IdeaPad U330 13.3-Inch Laptop (2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P7350 Processor, 3 GB RAM, 250 GB Hard Drive, DVD Drive, Vista Premium) Black.

Sony VAIO VGN-P530H/Q Lifestyle PC - Black

I purchased this computer in March 2009. First of all, it's over priced, you should get at least 120gb hard drive! Half the space is already gone before it's delivered to your door. The screen is pretty small, it's really hard to read at times, you can increase the screen size on Windows Explorer but that makes it hard to navigate through the pages. Secondly, I can never use it for an extended amount of time because it freezes. I have to shut it down and reboot ! I haven't loaded anything on it because there isn't room so I'm not taking up any space. It also crashes and reboots on its own, I'll get some kind of crazy blue screen. Also, regardless of where I am, when I'm using the internet, it decides to disconnect or give me a limited connectivity messages. Lastly and worst of all, the screen cracked! Not sure if the dog or one of the kids stepped on it but I opened the screen and it looks cracked with broken pixels. Called Sony, because I figured it would still be under warranty and was told it's not covered! Had the same thing happen with my Dell computer and they fixed it with no problem, no questions asked! Then, these people at Sony had the nerve to tell me that a new screen would cost around $600!!! That's over half of what I paid for this piece of garbage! Oh well, you live and learn. Don't buy anything because it's "CUTE". That's really the only reason I did. I guess I'll buy one of those $400 netbooks!Get more detail about Sony VAIO VGN-P530H/Q Lifestyle PC - Black.

Sony VAIO Lifestyle VGN-P688E/Q 8-Inch Laptop - Black Review

This disaster would be a great opportunity for some LINUX techie--
buy up all the castoff units at 10% of retail; convert to a decent fullfeature LINUX OS;
sell for 50% of retail !!!
Anyone listening? Sony?Get more detail about Sony VAIO Lifestyle VGN-P688E/Q 8-Inch Laptop - Black.

ASUS M60J-A1 16-Inch Silver Grey Versatile Entertainment Laptop (Windows 7 Home Premium) This instant

I was looking to replace my Asus W3V that I purchased back in 2005. It has been an excellent laptop with minor issues regarding the Asus update utility. I was hoping for the same build quality and material quality as the W3V with this purchase. They did not miss much...

One thing to note...I've been researching this laptop for a few months and have not received confirmation on how many hard drive bays are in it. There are two for the record with the one located in the middle of the laptop being empty. I like the keyboard a lot. I tried out the Asus G51 at XestXuy and found that this one is of much higher quality. The keyboard of the M60J is not backlit like the G51 though. This is one feature that I wished it had. I've been messing with it for about 3 hours on my lap and it gets warm but not as hot as my W3V.

I do not care for the plastic used on the bottom of the laptop. It has a texture to it and seems cheaper/of lesser quality than the material used on my W3V which is finished smooth. It may not be lesser quality but that's my first impression...It still seems sturdy. The two push buttons under the touch pad are certainly worse than those on the W3V. They are not a deal-breaker for me but they are a bit squooshy and hard to push...Maybe they will improve with use?

I would also prefer the outer screen cover be made of brushed metal like the W3V instead of the fake brushed metal plastic...I have the same preference with the material used on the keyboard deck. I would also prefer the lid extend flush at the front instead of being offset short of the edge.Get more detail about ASUS M60J-A1 16-Inch Silver Grey Versatile Entertainment Laptop (Windows 7 Home Premium).

Dell Inspiron 15 (1545) Jet Black Laptop Notebook PC: Intel Pentium Dual Core T4200 (2.0GHz /800Mhz FSB/1MB cache), 3 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 250 GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM), 15.6 WXGA Laptop Screen Display with TrueLife, 8X DVD +/- RW w/dbl layer, Genuine Windows Vista Home Basic Immediately

Have had it for a month...
From a functional point of view, I like this a lot. This replaced my 2003 IBM Thinkpad A30.

PROS:
Obviously a lot faster, lots more memory and built-in wireless are just super.
Not trusting of Office 2007 (which also requires a 're-learning experience), loaded my old copy of Office 2003 Pro, which works great. Getting used to Vista (had Windows XP Pro).

CONS:
Wrote my first media (CD as well as DVD). BIG problem. Vibrates the drive, indeed the whole laptop, and makes a HORRIBLE sound. Sending it back to Dell for warranty repair.
The high-gloss surface shows every single fingerprint. The matt outside surface too picks up every single finger/hand print.
Unrelated to Dell, Windows Messenger is rather annoying. Anyone tell me how do I get it off my Start-Up programs?

Have had Dells before (Latitude) which were workhorses, as was the Thinkpad. Time will tell about the Inspiron Get more detail about Dell Inspiron 15 (1545) Jet Black Laptop Notebook PC: Intel Pentium Dual Core T4200 (2.0GHz /800Mhz FSB/1MB cache), 3 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 250 GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM), 15.6 WXGA Laptop Screen Display with TrueLife, 8X DVD +/- RW w/dbl layer, Genuine Windows Vista Home Basic.

Toshiba Satellite Laptop L505-S5988 Intel Core2 Duo 2.1GHz /16" TFT-LCD widescreen with TruBrite technology/ 4GB ddr3/ 320GB/ Double-layer DVD±RW/ Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Best Quality

I got my new L505-S5988 a little over a week ago. I am very impresseed on how it handles many tasks in Windows 7 with no lag at all. This machine is quiet, and very cool even after hours of use. The full keboard is a nice touch and the screen is very bright and clear. The only negatives I have on this laptop is the speakers while an impressive size for a laptop they sound quite tinny. Besides that it is a fingerprint magnet. Overall with an external pair of speakers and a microfiber cloth and this is a dream machine!!!Get more detail about Toshiba Satellite Laptop L505-S5988 Intel Core2 Duo 2.1GHz /16" TFT-LCD widescreen with TruBrite technology/ 4GB ddr3/ 320GB/ Double-layer DVD±RW/ Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit.

Dell Inspiron mini 9-Inch (Intel® Atom Processor 1.6 Ghz , 1 GB DDR2 at 533MHz, 8GB Solid State Drive, Genuine Windows® XP Home Edition) Black Get it now!

I pre-ordered this for the Nov. 5, 2008 release date, and anxiously awaited its arrival. I wanted it for its compactness and portability, and I am certainly not disappointed on either of those considerations. This netbook is awesome for taking on an airplane or to the coffee shop. The battery lasts about 4 hours, which is more than enough for my typical usage. The keyboard is at 85% size, which I am able to adjust to without too much trouble. I like that the mouse buttons are in the normal locations. The biggest complaint about the keyboard is the apostrophe key being out of place. Even after almost a year of constant usage, I still have to hunt for that key, and I am a better-than-average typist. Every now and then it runs slowly because of memory size. Those are my two complaints, BOTH of which I believe are resolved in the new Dell Mini 10. A 92% keyboard with all the keys in the right place, and a 120 or 160 gig harddrive. I wish I had waited, but at the same time I am very happy with this and use it almost exclusively. I use it for word processing, email and internet, powerpoint presentations, photo editing, etc. I am overall very happy with it, but think I would be happier still with the mini 10. Get more detail about Dell Inspiron mini 9-Inch (Intel® Atom Processor 1.6 Ghz , 1 GB DDR2 at 533MHz, 8GB Solid State Drive, Genuine Windows® XP Home Edition) Black.

Compaq Presario CQ60-420US 15.6-Inch Laptop Buy Now

I purchased two Compaq laptops for Christmas 2008. Four months into using my laptop, the screen spontaneously cracked. I hardly took it anywhere and when I did I used a heavy duty carry case. HP/Compaq took it into consideration for repair, at my expense. $429 to replace the screen, I opted out. The second pc has a glitch where the screen has to be repositioned every 30 minutes or so when it goes all white.
After fighting HP on the first pc I have no will to do so on the second. They don't live up to the "Built to Last" sticker on the keyboard. HP does not live up to their warranty. My 16 family members have agreed to never by HP/Compaq products ever again.
Get more detail about Compaq Presario CQ60-420US 15.6-Inch Laptop.

Toshiba Satellite T115-S1105 11.6-Inch LED TruBrite Black/Grey Laptop - 9 Hours 22 Minutes of Battery Life (Windows 7 Home Premium) Order Now

I love this little laptop. I had actually bought an Asus Eee PC netbook (1.6 Ghz single core processor) and it just didn't have the speed to do what I needed, so I bougth this Toshiba. I wanted something lightweight that I could take to school without weighing me down. I also needed a long battery life because many of my classes are 3 hours long. Unfortunately I also needed something with decent processing power, which the Asus netbook did not provide.

My last laptop was a Toshiba Satellite (3yrs old, running on 2.7 Ghz dual core processor and 3GB Ram) and I can't tell a speed difference between this one and my old one. While it won't be as fast as some of the bigger workhorse computers, it handles multitasking with ease and rarely any noticeable lag. This little PC is lightweight, I realisticly get about 7.5-8 hrs of battery life in the eco mode (I don't know how they get the 9.5hr rating), and it's got enough speed to handle the multitasking my graduate classes require.

I also plan to upgrade the ram, because I'm running 64bit windows and I'm a little geeky so I like the best specs possible (however it is fast enough for me as it is), and also buy an external optical drive/burner. The sound was low, but Toshiba's website has an updated driver that improves that significantly, but I still wouldn't buy this for the sound quality. The touchpad is sensitive when set at factory specifications, but you can turn off all the frills if they annoy you. Get more detail about Toshiba Satellite T115-S1105 11.6-Inch LED TruBrite Black/Grey Laptop - 9 Hours 22 Minutes of Battery Life (Windows 7 Home Premium).

Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q850 18.4-Inch Gaming Black/Red Laptop - 3 Hours 40 Minutes of Battery Life (Windows 7 Home Premium) Decide Now

Very nice laptop.Dose everything they said it would and more. I am very happy with toshiba products.I bought a toshiba for my wife an 0' problems.AMAZON cannot be beat.five stars ***** for them.fast fast PC.Fast fast AMAZON.Get more detail about Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q850 18.4-Inch Gaming Black/Red Laptop - 3 Hours 40 Minutes of Battery Life (Windows 7 Home Premium).

Acer AS1410-8373 11.6-Inch Notebook Computer - Sapphire Blue Right now

This a great laptop, the size is perfect, it has core solo and runs very well on windows 7, you can see youtube HD videos with no problem. Maybe I'm going to upgrade the memory size to 4gb ram. I just love it!!!Get more detail about Acer AS1410-8373 11.6-Inch Notebook Computer - Sapphire Blue.

Lowest Price Dell Latitude D800 15.4" Notebook (1.7GHz Pentium M 1GB RAM 40GB HDD DVD/CD-RW Combo XP Pro)

Laptop was just what I expected. Very nice company to deal with. I'm very satisfied.Get more detail about Dell Latitude D800 15.4" Notebook (1.7GHz Pentium M 1GB RAM 40GB HDD DVD/CD-RW Combo XP Pro).

Low Price Apple MacBook MB466LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop

I switched to Mac last January, and now, one year later, I'm still very satisfied. My Macbook 13.3 has run perfectly, frozen a total of maybe 2 times in an entire year, and perfectly interfaced with bizarre / antique printers, routers, and external hard drives here in China. It runs cool and silent. It's sleek and light and makes for easy packing. What really blew my mind was, after 9 months of use, having to ask a friend to google "Ctrl-Alt-Delete" for mac because I needed to force quit a non-responsive program for the FIRST TIME! What a stark contrast with my (also very decent) Thinkpad at work.

The experience of buying a laptop from Amazon was great as well. It turned up days early, packaged together with my software purchases, and at a steep discount over the Apple Store.Get more detail about Apple MacBook MB466LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop.

Save Sony VAIO VGN-AW350J/B 18.4-Inch Laptop - Black

This is my 3rd new aw series laptop. I travel with one, have one in my office, and one at home. They are all for different uses and if my traveler gets smashed I can have one of the others NDA'd to me. My life is easier with the big screen and great keyboard. I have tried others and the only one that comes close is the toshiba. But if anyone asks, I do have a preference to sony products. They have great support and are pro active in helping their customers. Definitely a recommended laptop.Get more detail about Sony VAIO VGN-AW350J/B 18.4-Inch Laptop - Black.

Discount Certified Pre-Owned iBook G4/1.33 GHz, 1024 MB of RAM, 40 GB internal drive, internal Combo Drive, internal 56k modem

I've had a 12" iBook G4 since 2005 and it's still my favorite notebook for browsing the internet, writing letters, and even reading pdf's. It's very lightweight and I consider the screen the perfect size. It's held up very well. One of the keys has a hairline crack and one of the rubber feet on the bottom fell off but I clean it every month or so and it still looks almost new.

My only criticism is that it gets a little warm so I keep it on top of a clipboard when holding it in my lap. No viruses, no crashes, no worries.

When netbooks started becoming popular a couple of years ago, I had to laugh because I already have a lightweight, handy netbook. In fact, I'm using it right now to write this review. Given a choice between a new Asus or Dell netbook or a used iBook G4 for the same price, I would take the G4 without thinking about it for a second.Get more detail about Certified Pre-Owned iBook G4/1.33 GHz, 1024 MB of RAM, 40 GB internal drive, internal Combo Drive, internal 56k modem.

Cheapest Lenovo Ideapad U-450p 14-Inch Black Laptop - Up to 6 Hours of Battery Life (Windows 7 Home Premium)

Got this machine and is all in all impressive for the price:

The good
- light machine
- pleasing textured finish
- windows 7 is fast and stable
- screen looks fantastic and playing movies with Windows Media Center is fulfilling
- sound quality is great
- fits perfectly into a 13.3" neoprene sleeve

The bad
- not sure whether the SIM card slot exists as advertised in the product manual
- battery life is slightly less than 5 hours and not 6 hours as advertised (I suppose this is reasonable)
- no bluetooth
- Windows 7 shipped with the device was not 64-bit as advertised
- Lenovo bloatware (I believe I have seen ads flashing on the desktop)
- Battery charge time is long

All in all it is a remarkable machine for its price. Happy with the purchase.Get more detail about Lenovo Ideapad U-450p 14-Inch Black Laptop - Up to 6 Hours of Battery Life (Windows 7 Home Premium).

Cheap Sony VAIO Lifestyle VGN-P688E/G 8-Inch Laptop - Green

This disaster would be a great opportunity for some LINUX techie--
buy up all the castoff units at 10% of retail; convert to a decent fullfeature LINUX OS;
sell for 50% of retail !!!
Anyone listening? Sony?Get more detail about Sony VAIO Lifestyle VGN-P688E/G 8-Inch Laptop - Green.

Buying Toshiba Satellite A505-S6999 - Core 2 Duo P7450 / 2.13 GHz - RAM 6 GB - HDD 64 GB SSD + 500 GB - BD-RE - GF GT 230M TurboCache - IEEE 802.11n - WLAN : 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 EDR - Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit - 16" Widescreen TFT 1366 x 768 ( WXGA ) TruBrite - camera - fusion finish with sonic pattern in black onyx

I bought this powerful machine about 6 weeks ago and it works absolutely flawless. I use it for work and it is running at least 16 hours per day. Battery life of the 12-cell battery is superb. Compatibility with peripherals is the best I have seen with any PC (thanks to Windows7 ??). I am running 2 additional screens with it without problems, using the Toshiba DynaDock docking station and the external VGA port on the laptop. I also use a 1TB WD USB HD with SmartWare for automatic back-ups. Also flawless. I will return to this review site, if I ever run into issues with this machine. So far, I'd say, you can buy it without hesitation.Get more detail about Toshiba Satellite A505-S6999 - Core 2 Duo P7450 / 2.13 GHz - RAM 6 GB - HDD 64 GB SSD + 500 GB - BD-RE - GF GT 230M TurboCache - IEEE 802.11n - WLAN : 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 EDR - Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit - 16" Widescreen TFT 1366 x 768 ( WXGA ) TruBrite - camera - fusion finish with sonic pattern in black onyx.

Buy HP Pavilion DV7-1450US 17-Inch Entertainment Laptop

I have had this computer since July, and I am happy with it. The display is beautiful, good battery life, huge hard drive, etc. It comes with Vista Home Premium 64-bit, and I bought it just in time for the free Windows 7 Upgrade. There were some minor performance issues and glitches, but I suspected that this may be Vista-related. After recently installing the Windows 7 Upgrade, I found out that I was right...performance is greatly improved, and no more weird lockups or errors.

One concern I had is that the computer runs a bit hot in the area around the exhaust fan. To an extent, this is normal with any computer, but I was wondering if this was hotter than usual. It's possible that AMD processors generally run hotter than Intel, which is not necessarily a problem. I did call HP Technical Support about this, and they had me do a BIOS upgrade. I believe this improved the temperature slightly, but it still runs hot in that one corner of the computer. By the way, I downloaded a temperature monitor program to see the actual numbers and location of the heat, and the hard drive runs very cool. Heat is the worst enemy of a hard drive, so if it was running at high temperatures, I would be very concerned...but that is not the case.

I had no problem with the color of the keyboard and seeing the white letters. I think many people are making too big of a deal out of this. Granted, I do type by touch (the normal way) rather than by hunt-and-peck. When I need to look to reach special keys, I have no problem seeing the labels on the keys.

Overall, this is a very good computer. However, I highly recommend upgrading it to Windows 7 immediately. I noticed that after installing Windows 7, the "Windows Performance Index" of this computer went from a 3.3 to a 4.2. That is proof that Windows 7 is better for this computer.

Get more detail about HP Pavilion DV7-1450US 17-Inch Entertainment Laptop.

Purchase Sony VAIO VGN-NW280F/S 15.5-Inch Silver Laptop (Windows 7 Home Premium)

There are a lot of things great about this one. It arrived with no dead pixels. It looks great. Buying the silver on was the way to go. You can see the keyboard better, and watching movies on this thing with the silver boarder is great. The keyboard, is nice and quiet and smooth typing. The only thing slightly negative thing is the location of the touch pad. It is far enough from the space bar, but it is really close to the outer edge of the laptop. I am sure I will get use to it, but it seems that when I go to use the pad, with my middle finger, and my thumb positioned on the edge of the laptop, I seem to be starting at the top of the touch pad, hence starting at the top of the screen with my cursor - very minor. The initial setup was easy, and once I saw Windows 7 for the first time, I was quite impressed with it. Reason why I got this machine was the Blu-Ray player and the HDMI, 1080p output. Been downloading the software I work with and everything is working out great. I also use Virtual Clone Drive and AnyDVD HD, both from Slysoft to burn my Blu-Ray movies and view them onto my 47-inch LCD TV. This is definitely a must buy, and at this price, it's great.Get more detail about Sony VAIO VGN-NW280F/S 15.5-Inch Silver Laptop (Windows 7 Home Premium).

Order Sony VAIO VGN-FW550F/B 16.4-Inch Black Laptop (Windows 7 Home Premium)

I bought this laptop from sony directly back at the end of September. I have the C2D P8700 Processor, the 1080P screen (get it, it is SO worth the money!), and the 1 GB graphics card, and the bluray reader. I got a free upgrade to Windows 7 Home Premium through Sony. This thing is an entertainment powerhouse. It can play most games I have thrown at it (San Andreas, Oblivion, others) at medium to high settings. The 1080P screen is absolutely gorgeous, with excellent black levels (much better than most competing LED screens can offer, with the possible exception of the RBG LED of the Dell studio XPS 16. The brightness is more than adequate, in a slightly darkened room, the screen must be turned down or it hurts my eyes. Thats a great screen in my opinion.

Despite many of the negative reviews on the keyboard posted here, I feel that this computer has one of the best laptop keyboards I have ever used. It does not feel "cheap" or flimsy at all to me, and the keys have a nice click to them with no "give" if pressed quite hard. That said I do have a slightly older model than the one listed, and I hope that Sony has not changed the keyboard out for a flimsier model.

I popped in the Planet Earth Bluray and was blown away by the detail. It looks better on this computer than it ever did on my Sony HDTV.

Complaints: There are very few
1. There is a slight creak that has developed underneath where my right wrist rests on the bottom edge of the computer. This may just be a loose screw, but I haven't had time to open up the bottom of the computer to check it yet.
2. There is a slight amount of wiggle in the top bezel of the LCD. It is not enough to worry me, but it is noticeable when you grip this part of the screen to open the computer. Other than these two minor niggles, I have no complaints about build quality. The outside of this computer (at least the Chocolate Brown model that I purchased) is made of Magnesium not plastic, with a plastic bottom and keyboard.
3. The speakers flat out suck. This is the only truly disappointing aspect of this computer. This thing is so amazing at all things related to multimedia, I cannot believe that Sony would fit such terrible speakers. I have ordered a set of Logitech V20's to put in my bag for when I travel with this computer. Output via headphone is just fine, but don't plan on enjoying bluray-quality sound through the built-in speakers.

Other than these minor complaints, this thing absolutely rocks my world. I am an engineering student, and I rely heavily on this computer day-to-day at school, and it has not let my down. With the extended battery, I see nearly 4 hours of battery life with WiFi on.

Ive done the research, and I don't believe it is possible to get a better quality computer for less money than this. Sony should have called it the FTW.Get more detail about Sony VAIO VGN-FW550F/B 16.4-Inch Black Laptop (Windows 7 Home Premium).

Where To Buy ASUS U20A-B2 12.1-Inch Black Laptop (Windows 7 Home Premium)

I am writing this review because I was agonizing over buying this and I couldn't find any reviews on it, which usually is not a good thing. It's been about two weeks of heavy use and I plan on updating this as time goes on. First, I searched for about two months and considered every conceivable configuration of laptop trying to find what I wanted. I concluded I wanted a light 12.1 inch laptop with an optical drive that had decent speed and battery life. I was fairly certain that configuration didn't exist and was about to buy the ul30 without the optical drive, when I stumbled on this bad boy.

Pros:

SIZE!! I really think this is the perfect size form factor for anyone who has to carry a computer on a daily basis; not so thin I am afraid I will snap it in half but not so think and heavy I break my arm carrying it to work (my old laptop was 6 lbs and this one is 4, soooo much better). It's about the size of two or three magazines stacked on top of each other. It slips right in my briefcase and I hardly notice it. The screen size is actually more than big enough, I absolutely love the size of this thing.

ASUS backing their product - ASUS offers a free 2 full years of warranty on this product plus a free year of accidental damage coverage. To buy this for an apple costs $200 at least. I know they're good for it because they offered to fix my computer when I had an issue (see support)

Light up keyboard - this wasn't even on my radar but now that I have it it's probably my favorite feature. It just looks good. I can type with ease at night while I'm watching TV or any dim light situation. You might think you wouldn't use it but I was surprised by how convenient it is. Also, when it's bright it automatically shuts itself off to save battery. I read a lot about this "keyboard flex" issue. I now see what people were talking about. There is a liner/spacer cutout which lays between the keys, when you type the thin sheet moves a little, I mean a tiny bit. I really don't know what these people are freaking out about, the keyboard is a joy to type on, good size and I like the chicklet keys, no complaints at all. Don't let this "flex" non issue worry you.

Mouse pad - I've found this to work really well, way better then my old one, it also lights up when you move your finger around but you can easily turn that feature off if it annoys you. It incorporates the multi touch functions I've seen on some friends Apple laptops (i.e. two fingers down scrolls the page down, three finger tap is right click) this has proved to be very useful and convenient.

Power Cable - Something I never thought about was the plug it comes with is about half as heavy as my old one, the block in the middle is really small and light and I never realized before how annoyingly heavy and bulky my old one was.

Battery - it gets about 5 solid hours on the high performance setting. I haven't tested it on battery saver because it works so well in high performance and I'm rarely away from power for more than 5 hours. ASUS offers a really nice utility called Power4Gear, which allows you to manage your battery by controlling your processor and screen output. I haven't used it that much yet though. The 9 cell battery is not currently available; ASUS doesn't know when it will be.

Utilities - the computer comes with 15 utilities of various usefulness, some are really nice some are kind of useless but the ones that are useful are very nice to have. Also these, Norton and office trial are the only bloatware on the computer which is nice.

Ports - this has all the ports I need and none of the ones I do not, 3 usb, hdmi, multi card, vga, gigabit - its perfect.

Camera works well, as does the mic, picture comes through clean. There is a little green light that comes on when the camera is in use which is nice.

Cons:
Price - ~$950 is a lot to spend on a computer these days. I got lucky and bought the discontinued U20A-B1 for a huge discount , the B1 is the same hardware just with Vista 32 bit, I then upgraded it to Win 7 Pro 64 bit. You might check and see if you can find the B1 for cheap as they are trying to get them out the door right now. Just beware of the upgrade to 64 bit as it caused me several headaches (see support below). Everything is solved now and I'm finally content with my operating system.

Fingerprints - Wow, seriously wow...it is as though this is made of some magical material which sucks the oils out of your skin and glues them to itself. This is my least favorite thing about it, if this was made with the aluminum case I really would say it is perfect. Just know you are going to have an oil caked finger print laden computer.

Screen - I had a really nice screen on my old computer and am still adjusting to this one. On its own it is a gorgeous display but the contrast in certain cases is not good. For example when excel is open you can't see the light lines separating the cells. I've found if you tilt the screen way down you can improve the contrast quite a bit. Again this is a minor issue but still a negative.

Hard drive - I don't know why but I have a pet peeve about hard drive noise, this one is constantly doing that muted click-reading noise that my computer in the 90's did, it drives me crazy, so much so I ponied up and bought a solid state drive to eliminate the issue. I doubt it would bother most people but it was really annoying to me.

Speakers are pretty weak but I wasn't really ever planning on using this as a stereo. They are functional for the occasional time I want to show someone a video.

Also:

Support - I've found the support people to be all around courteous and responsive individuals. Because I upgraded from 32 bit vista to 64 bit win 7 I had to call them about 6 times for driver issues. Each time they pitched a fit that I didn't use the ASUS windows 7 upgrade and said I had to reformat back to vista to fix the problem. I did this and ended up wasting 8 hours of my time, it did not fix the issue and I found the solutions using google. They did offer to RMA my computer and fix it though and really were trying to help they just had no idea how to solve the problem I was having.

Processor - this is not a beastly processor, it suits my needs perfectly but I'm not sure it would be good for any serious gaming. I might try to play a few games on it later though and will update.

Summary:
Despite the cons I listed I am thrilled with my purchase. This is the perfect combination of the best features of netbooks (small size and portability) and laptops (computing power, optical drive, hdmi). For my specific needs this thing is perfect. I give it a very high recommendation.


Update 1:

been a couple more weeks and I am even more pleased with this machine. I recognized the utility of the optical drive when I absolutely had to have one three times for work randomly. I knew this was going to happen and decided my paranoia would have meant I would be carrying a stupid external optical drive back and forth. I'm really glad I have an internal one, one less thing to worry about.

I played around with one of the ASUS utilities called splendid utility and was able to drastically improve/darken the contrast, this screen is really nice now. No complaints.
I sold my old computer and when I opened it up to reformat it and realized how unnecessarily huge it was compared to this thing, I had a hell of a time trying to type on it and the screen looked dull and dark. It just goes to show how fast I adapted to this thing.

Hold Crap the SSD is faaaantastic, and extremely easy to install. Take out two screw and pop out a panel, take out three screws and pop out the hard drive, then 4 more screws to get the hard drive out of its frame, stick in SSD and screw back in, done and done computer is now twice as good as it was. It really seems like the processors aren't working as hard as well but I didn't test it before. I got the entry level/low end Kingston v-series 128 gb model which will be discontinued in February and is about half as good as high end models but also half the price and three times better than the one that came in this thing. The computer boots super fast, it actually made me laugh the first time it did because it was so strange. All applications open in 1-5 seconds (the most dramatic improvement is in Microsoft outlook which has always taken forever to open), it is lighter, uses less power(could be impacting my battery life statements), way more durable and dead quiet no noise other than the fan which I have to hold up to my ear to hear...it is absolutely worth the cost in my opinion. Just amortize the time savings over the period you will be using the computer and put a price to your time saved. Plus the v-series came with a little kit that turned the old hard drive into a removable drive and really nice imaging software that transferred an exact copy of the old hard drive to the new one so I didn't have to relive my driver nightmare. But I digress...

I found the multi-touch driver and installed that. I didn't; realize there were about 20 gestures you could do on it, and you can edit what motions cause what. I change right click to two fingers taping. There are a lot of cool things you can do with this. One other thing I forgot to mention is that a lot of the new ASUS computers have weird spaced dots for the touch pad that a lot of people have complained about. This one has a really nice smooth touchpad that is really nice to use. My other one was made of metal and was not nearly as good.

Battery life is still good but I haven't tried the basic or battery saver settings. I had it unplugged streaming a tv show on full screen and that caused a significant drain on the battery, still said it had 2.5 hours after about 1.5 hours of this though. Also, it takes a very long time to charge this battery, probably because it is three times larger than my old one but it takes several hours (2-4) especially if I am using it while trying to charge.

I also have the following gadgets displayed (Black and dark Notes,margu-Notebookinfo2(must have awesome! It looks cool and is extremely useful, ultimate explorer, weather) it took me awhile to find good ones and these work really well on this computer

Finally I found a good link to tell you what the asus utilities do and which ones should go:

[...]

that's all for now.

Get more detail about ASUS U20A-B2 12.1-Inch Black Laptop (Windows 7 Home Premium).

Shop For S12 12.1" 160GB HDD White

I've not worked extensively with this machine, so can't comment on performance other than to say it seems fine for basics, and runs cool. The screen is very nice and very bright, and the keyboard has a lovely feel. Track pad response is very good and reliable. The track pad buttons are small and very stiff - endurable, but a much better situation if you're comfortable with `tapping' on the track pad.

The case seems solid and well-constructed, with a stout hinge. Only worry is a little bit of battery wiggle. 6-cell protrudes, but in a very nice way that positions the laptop well on a desk and makes it easy to carry. For a netbook it might be considered a bit heavy, but still very small and portable, and generally a pleasure to see and hold.
Get more detail about S12 12.1" 160GB HDD White.

HP Compaq Presario CQ60-615DX Notebook - Intel C. 900 2.2GHz / 15.6" HD Display / 2GB DDR2 / 250GB HD / SuperMulti 8X DVD±R/RW / 802.11b/g/n WLAN / Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit

Being a computer technician for the last 15 years, I am very picky when it comes to buying computers, especially laptops and even more special, laptops with Celeron CPUs. This is my very first Celeron laptop and I have to tell you that I am surprised and amazed at the performance of this particular Celeron. Todays Celeron CPUs are NOT the Celeron CPUs of 10 years ago. These new Celeron 900 are based on Core 2 Duo CPUs. They are exactly the same except for 2 things: They have 25% less Cache than their Core 2 Duo counterpart and they are single core, but that doesn't mean it's slow by any means. This laptop came with 2GB of RAM (I upgraded it to the full 4GB), a 15.6" HD LCD Screen, a 250GB Hard Drive running at 7200 RPM - yes you are reading right - 7200 RPM! - Most laptops out there have a 5400 RPM HD, including the more expensive models, so this is a real bonus. It comes with B, G, and N Wireless, Intel 4500 Graphics, 2 USB Ports and a DVD Writer.

The performance of this laptop is quite good. Very fast booting up. Windows open smoothly. Tasks are handled quite well, even with 2GB of RAM. The 4GB of RAM makes things even better. The Celeron 900 2.2 GHz CPU inside packs quite a punch. Take a look at this benchmark:

[...]

It is by no means a weak processor. Overall this is a great laptop for $329.00 (BestBuy). Much better than a Netbook for sure (since that is what I was going to buy in the first place). Netbooks have no CD or DVD units, only 1GB of RAM, Slow Atom CPUs and 8 to 10 inch screens and cost over $350.00 (a good one). This laptop simply beats the netbooks in price, power and features. You will not be able to do serious video editing or play online games like Unreal Tournament 3, Crysis or things like that because of the limited video card, but hey let's get real, who uses a laptop to play games anyways? That's what desktops are for. If you are going to be mobile (traveling), going to school or simply work at the office then this is the perfect machine for you. If you are into web surfing, email and Microsoft Office and on a budget then look no further. For the price, you are getting a quality built machine with everything you need to do. All that and a little more. The components inside (motherboard and chipset) are all made by Intel.

I highly recommend it.Get more detail about HP Compaq Presario CQ60-615DX Notebook - Intel C. 900 2.2GHz / 15.6" HD Display / 2GB DDR2 / 250GB HD / SuperMulti 8X DVD±R/RW / 802.11b/g/n WLAN / Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit.

Dell Latitude D420 12.1" Wide Screen Notebook Computer. Intel Core Duo U2500 (1.2GHz), 1.5GB RAM, 60GB Harddrive, Intel 3945 ABG WiFi, Windows XP Professional Review

I have had this D420 for 2 years and it has never failed me no matter what. It is my only computer. I take it every day to college. And to get to my school, I commute in crowded NY subway for 1 hour one-way! I also take it when I travel. So far it has been in London (UK), Moscow (Russia), and twice in Kiev (Ukraine).

This computer is very thin and weights only 3 lb. It has the magnesium-alloy frame and high-quality plastic outer shell. It is really rugged and rigid - no flex whatsoever. It has withstood the beating very well - there are practically no marks or scratches after 2 years.

My laptop came with Core Solo U1300 1.06GHz processor, 1.5GB of RAM, and Windows XP Pro. The system is very stable - never had any problems with it. I installed AVG antivirus, Windows Defender, and Win Patrol HIPS. With all this running, I am able to use MS Word 2007, MS Excel 2007, Firefox (several tabs open), and Media Player at the same time with relative ease. I usually surf Internet, watch YouTube or Hulu, do light photo editing with XNView, rip CDs. With an external DVD drive, I watch movies. And, of course, I work with Word, PowerPoint, and Excel every day. I even do some occasional gaming (older games like StarCraft or Heroes of Might and Magic 3)! But do not expect this laptop to be lightning-fast. And do not try to play Crysis! This computer takes its time at the start-up (nothing too big though) and when opening multiple apps.

The computer is very power-efficient. The battery lasts for several hours and easily gets me through my day in college. The wireless card works just fine. I use it to connect to my campus network. At my home, I use wired DSL modem via the network card - no problems here either. When I went to Russia and Ukraine, I used the built-in dial-up modem - worked like charm. There is a slot for a Cellular HSDPA modem - never used it. I like the SD Card slot - use it a lot. The speaker is really tiny, but I use external speakers or headphones for music. The keyboard is really comfortable. I have had something like a dozen laptops, and I think that d420 has one of the best keyboards I have seen so far. The touchpad is good too, though I usually use a wireless mouse.

To extend connectivity and avoid plugging and unplugging numerous cords every day, I bought a Dell Media Base with built-in DVDRW drive. Now my DSL modem, speakers, printer, and power cord are constantly connected to the Base and the d420 sits on top of it. This also allowed me to move all the cords to the back, so they do not get in the way.

Long story short: I am really happy with it - highly recommended. You can also find very good reviews of this laptop on notebookreview and notebookcheck.Get more detail about Dell Latitude D420 12.1" Wide Screen Notebook Computer. Intel Core Duo U2500 (1.2GHz), 1.5GB RAM, 60GB Harddrive, Intel 3945 ABG WiFi, Windows XP Professional.

Toshiba Satellite M505D-S4970RD 14.0-Inch Red/Onyx Laptop - 2 Hours 20 Minutes of Battery Life (Windows 7 Home Premium) Top Quality

This laptop just arrive in my hands, and already identify 2 misleading things from amazon.
They say the computer has HDMI, well, the one that arrived didn't, has the port closed!!!
Also, it says that has the Backlit Keyboard, and is not true.

I will contact Amazon right away if they would ship something that actually has the complete specifications given.

If I don't update this, well you will know that if you want HDMI and backlit keyboard, not to buy it.Get more detail about Toshiba Satellite M505D-S4970RD 14.0-Inch Red/Onyx Laptop - 2 Hours 20 Minutes of Battery Life (Windows 7 Home Premium).

Toshiba Satellite M505D-S4970WH 14.0-Inch White/Onyx Laptop - 2 Hours 20 Minutes of Battery Life (Windows 7 Home Premium) This instant

This laptop just arrive in my hands, and already identify 2 misleading things from amazon.
They say the computer has HDMI, well, the one that arrived didn't, has the port closed!!!
Also, it says that has the Backlit Keyboard, and is not true.

I will contact Amazon right away if they would ship something that actually has the complete specifications given.

If I don't update this, well you will know that if you want HDMI and backlit keyboard, not to buy it.Get more detail about Toshiba Satellite M505D-S4970WH 14.0-Inch White/Onyx Laptop - 2 Hours 20 Minutes of Battery Life (Windows 7 Home Premium).

HP Mini 1033CL Notebook (Intel Atom Processor 1.60GHz, 10.2" LED Brightview Infinity Display, 1GB DDR2 RAM, 60GB PATA Hard Drive, Windows XP Home) Immediately

Finding anything on this specific Hewlett Packard HP Mini 110-1033CL was a challenge. My wife just bought one for my Grandson from COSTCO and it appears to have more features than were available in the past. For one, it has a 160GB SATA hard drive, and for another the standard battery is a 6 cell which lasts way longer than the smaller 3 cell. I haven't had much time to work with this machine but the display is fairly bright and the keyboard easy to use. My only concern was how long Microsoft plans to continue supporting Windows XP. I may turn it back in in a couple of months if HP comes out with a mini that has Windows 7 loaded, along with 4 GB of ram to make it work correctly. I suspect it will cost more as well.Get more detail about HP Mini 1033CL Notebook (Intel Atom Processor 1.60GHz, 10.2" LED Brightview Infinity Display, 1GB DDR2 RAM, 60GB PATA Hard Drive, Windows XP Home).

Acer Aspire AS1410-2285 11.6-Inch Black Laptop (Windows 7 Home Premium) Best Quality

I bought this for my wife on blackfriday and She really likes it a lot. I have also been using it a little bit along with my macbook. This netbook is light and zippy, video chat with my overseas family was easy.Get more detail about Acer Aspire AS1410-2285 11.6-Inch Black Laptop (Windows 7 Home Premium).

Lenovo Thinkpad X200 12.1-Inch Black Laptop - Up to 6.5 Hours of Battery Life (Windows XP Pro) Get it now!

I purchased a new thinkpad with accessories all of which were back ordered. I had problems with setting up the home network in the Windows 7 system. I called their service and they denied the warranty I had just paid for. Their order status web site is always down. The 866 order status phone based system is a bunch of barely English speaking people who also do not have server access. My accessories are on a never ending delay (up to three months now). I bought Adobe Creative Suite Windows ED not knowing that ED did not mean edition but meant "educational". I did not get a serial number and could not activate the software. To return it cost me $50! Never again will I order a Lenovo.Get more detail about Lenovo Thinkpad X200 12.1-Inch Black Laptop - Up to 6.5 Hours of Battery Life (Windows XP Pro).

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 Buy Now

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. Get more detail 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.

ASUS UX30-A1 Thin and Light 13.3-Inch Black Laptop (Windows 7 Home Premium) Order Now

Anybody who has this item (ASUS UX30-A1), please write a review. It will be extremely appreciated!Get more detail about ASUS UX30-A1 Thin and Light 13.3-Inch Black Laptop (Windows 7 Home Premium).

HP Pavilion G60-230US 16.0-Inch Laptop Right now

I've bought this refurbished laptop and until now i haven't had a single problem with it, everything works. The only thing i changed was the os, i downgraded it to XP. It was a necessity. Get more detail about HP Pavilion G60-230US 16.0-Inch Laptop.

Lowest Price ASUS N61VG-A2 16-Inch Brown Versatile Entertainment Laptop (Windows 7 Home Premium)

Has everything I wanted and need. Screen is easy to see and read in bright sunlight--a huge deal for me as my husband and I travel via RV a lot. Getting used to the whole Windows 7 thing, but at least didn't have to hassle with getting it installed. Love the numeric keyboard, too--use it a lot and enjoy it.

Could highly recommend.Get more detail about ASUS N61VG-A2 16-Inch Brown Versatile Entertainment Laptop (Windows 7 Home Premium).

Low Price HP Pavilion DV6-1240US 16-Inch Notebook

My wife and I purchased a slightly different version of this laptop for her mother and I have been very impressed with the features and build quality (there are several DV6 models but they are all built on the same chassis). It is well constructed with a metallic toned black exterior (HP also offers versions in white). Take a good look at the shell art since it is something that may not appeal to everyone. My mother-in-law definitely appreciated having something a little more individual than the usual dull grey exterior. Despite the glossy exterior we haven't noticed much in the way of finger prints or any scratches despite the helping hands of our kids who love to "help" grandma with her computer. (There are some older DV6 models without art work such as the HP Pavilion DV6-1050US 16.0-Inch Laptop).)

The specs for this model are set well above what the average home owner needs today which (in my mind) future proofs it nicely. If you are on a tight budget you can get what you need for less (look at the HP Pavilion G60 line). If you have a little bit more to spend and you want some headroom to handle your computing needs for the next few years this is a great choice.

CPU - The 2.10 GHz Intel Core2 Duo Processor T6500 is a decent notebook processor. It can handle two software "threads" which means you can have the virus scanner running while you surf the web with no noticeable slowdown. There is a quad core version of the DV6 out now that uses the new Intel "i7" processor, but I think for most home users the increased power requirements isn't worth the two extra cores. If you expect to do a lot of video and audio editing then stepping up to the i7 would make sense. If you are mostly looking to use Office type-applications and browse the web I'd suggest sticking with the Core2 Duo.

RAM - 4GB of DDR3 RAM running at 1066MHz is combined with a 64bit OS to which should provide more than enough memory for pretty much any application you can think of outside of extremely high end gaming.

HDD - The 320GB drive is far more space than most users need (few people will use more than 100GB) but if you know you need more there are DV6 models with 500GB drives.

Graphics - This model is using the standard Intel 4500 graphics chipset. It's not something you'll want to try and run the latest 3D gamer on but light or non gamers will be happy with it.

Display - HP has a reputation for high-end displays and this one delivers. Tuned slightly for indoor use the 16" HP Brightview display is good enough for outdoor use though not as much as a more matte display. Indoors it is brilliant with surprisingly strong blacks (too many notebook displays are all brightness with no depth). I like that the screen provides a decent amount of vertical space without overdoing it. The difference between this and a 14" is surprising. I should point out that newer DV6 models only come with a 15.6" screen. Not a big difference but something to consider if you are trying to decide between this model and an older one.

Sound - Surprisingly good sound for a notebook. The speakers are well positioned and deliver a good range. I've heard better but it was on a $3K notebook.

Battery - HP bundles their standard 6 cell Lithium-Ion battery. The HP Pavilion DV6-1350US has a 12 cell battery (which you can also order separately from HP). If you are on the road a lot the 12 cell is nice. Home users who plan to plug in a lot may not care.

Operating System - The newer models come with Windows 7 but this is an older model that comes loaded with Windows Vista Premium. This is what our computer came with and we have no complaints. I know there were bugs in Vista when it first came out but we found it to be much more stable than Windows XP.

I don't have any serious "cons" for this computer. The "Touch Media Controls" for things like the volume (as opposed to buttons you push) are a little odd at first but we got used to them quickly and hey, they look cool when they light up. I also don't find the included remote to be that useful but anyone planning to hook this up to their TV might like it. I suspect most people will just put in a drawer and forget about it.

To wrap it all up: you can always buy more features for more money but if you are looking for a laptop with some higher-end features and upscale build quality this is an excellent choice. HP spent money in the right places and has created a high-end laptop at a mid-tier price. If you are looking for a Windows 7 version I think the HP Pavilion DV6-1350US which is one of the better values out there today. If you are a student you may want to check out HPs "Academy" program which offers student discounts (it can be hard to find on HP's web site so you may be better off searching for "HP Academy").
Get more detail about HP Pavilion DV6-1240US 16-Inch Notebook.

Save HP G60-440US 16-Inch Laptop

I've had my HP G60-440US laptop for four months now. During those four months, the laptop's been out of order (non-functioning) three different times for an aggregate period of about five weeks. During the first month, the hard drive crashed, and I couldn't turn the computer on. Then the little chippie-thing that allows the computer to connect to my wireless modem broke down. Most recently, the dvd player died while, at the same time, the new wireless card went kaputt. Consequently, I've had to send my laptop away to the service department twice, and have had to reinstall some chip or other part so that the computer could pick up a wireless signal. The computer has been a complete lemon. My friends warned me about purchasing an HP product, and I didn't listen.

One of the worst parts about my HP experience has been the attitude of the customer service people. The technical guys in India were nice enough, but they kept me on the line for more than an hour before they agreed that I wasn't lying about my hard drive having crashed. My experience with the managers in the U.S. was much worse. My conversation with customer service - notwithstanding all the scripted "I'm sorry to hear that, sirs" left me feeling absolutely powerless and with the feeling that, now that HP had my $500, they cared not a bit about my needs or satisfaction.

So, be warned - this is not a good product. I wish I had listened to my friends and spent a little more cash for a better product instead of this toy laptop. Get more detail about HP G60-440US 16-Inch Laptop.

Cheap Lenovo Ideapad U-550 15.6-Inch Black Laptop - Up to 6 Hours of Battery Life (Windows 7 Home Premium)

I was just about to purchase this Ideapad U550 from [...] but, I read the first review on this product and changed my mind due to the color comments. The ones on Lenovo website are DARK BROWN, I read these ones were BLACK but NOT... they're DARK BROWN also so don't get confused. The color is not bad, let's say it's different from the one I thought I was purchasing.

I recieved my deapad U550 (model # 374959U) on Dec 10th and so far it's up to spec, shipping was pretty fast (Free Super Saving) and got on the third day to South Texas.

If you don't mind getting a DARK BROWN laptop, this is a great value for $699.99 (4GB + 320GB), if you want to save $110 usd, get the 3GB + 250GB HD.

Note: Amazon's description says it's 1000GB but it's a 320GB HD.

Happy Holidays !!!Get more detail about Lenovo Ideapad U-550 15.6-Inch Black Laptop - Up to 6 Hours of Battery Life (Windows 7 Home Premium).

Buying Dell Pentium M 1.4GHz 30GB 512MB Combo 14.1" XP WiFi

i didn't expect much - i mean less than 300 hundred dollars HOWEVER it came with NO POWER CORD! that struck me as a little too low on the consumer shaft level! it also appears to be totally void of any programs what-so-ever - NOT AS ADVERTISED at all - it's pretty beat up as well but i'm hoping to salvage at least something as soon as my computer friend gets done looking at it! think twice before you do what i've done here!Get more detail about Dell Pentium M 1.4GHz 30GB 512MB Combo 14.1" XP WiFi.

Buy HP 15.6" Pavilion G60-519WM Entertainment Laptop PC

This computer handles the needs of everyday computing at a very reasonable price! Windows 7 operating system functions very well! I'm very satisfied with my purchase.Get more detail about HP 15.6" Pavilion G60-519WM Entertainment Laptop PC.

Purchase Acer Aspire Timeline AS1810TZ-4174 11.6-Inch Blue Laptop - Over 8 Hours of Battery Life (Windows 7 Home Premium)

Upgraded from an older Acer 15.4" notebook. Compact and way more powerful than a similar sized 'netbook'. Absolutely worth the extra couple a hundred dollars. I'm also a longtime Media Center enthusiast, so its nice to have a second portable computer to stream movies and TV shows. Windows 7 is great as well. I recommend purchasing a portable DVD drive to create the restore disks first thing. Also, dont forget to condition the battery about 3 times by fulling charging it without the computer on, and then turn on and run on battery power until completely out of juice. I upgraded to 4 GB memory and also disabled all unneccassry start-up items. I got it at the $549 price and the performance is just excellent for the money. The only con I'd have to point out is that my picky eye notices the imperfect screen, which doesnt allow for wide viewing angles without some shadows. Also, the color temperature appears just a bit cool (blueish tint) but I've been able to overlook that. Otherwise, LOVE this little machine. Get more detail about Acer Aspire Timeline AS1810TZ-4174 11.6-Inch Blue Laptop - Over 8 Hours of Battery Life (Windows 7 Home Premium).

Order HP G70-460US 17-Inch Laptop

I am satisfied with product. I obtained the recommendations from Consumer Reports and noted this particular HP product was one of the "best buy" recommendations just below the pricier products also recommended. You will find less space for the cord for 110 voltage hookup in your travel pack since the 17 inch takes up all the space inside the usual sized/shaped carrier. The larger-sized screen also provides a much more comfortable-sized keyboard to use with the device. The cordless mouse purchased with device made the package as comfortable as a home model. Get more detail about HP G70-460US 17-Inch Laptop.

Where To Buy Toshiba Satellite A505-S6981 TruBrite 16.0-Inch Black/Silver Laptop - 3 Hours 20 Minutes of Battery Life (Windows 7 Home Premium)

I used to buy HP or Compaq, but after long reviews,lot of problems with nvidia and poor customer service I decided to change to toshiba. This is the best product, a little heavy but very strong equipment.
I definetly recomend toshiba laptopsGet more detail about Toshiba Satellite A505-S6981 TruBrite 16.0-Inch Black/Silver Laptop - 3 Hours 20 Minutes of Battery Life (Windows 7 Home Premium).

Shop For Sony VAIO VGN-NW270F/P 15.5-Inch Pink Laptop (Windows 7 Home Premium)

I purchased this laptop a month ago and i can tell you that it excellent buy for the price. Windows 7 IS GREAT. Direct Web option by SONY is such a great bonus. no worries of switching the laptop on/off. Within 10 secs you are connected to web and switch off at the same fast pace. The LCD clarity is stunning. Not to forget , BLU-RAY Player in-built plays movies awesomely. Yeah the only downside is Direct WEB option does not provide brightness adjustment and Battery life is 2.5 hrs only. But overall, i am happy with power-packed features compared to the price.Get more detail about Sony VAIO VGN-NW270F/P 15.5-Inch Pink Laptop (Windows 7 Home Premium).

Toshiba Mobile Satellite M505-S4947 14.0-Inch Laptop - Black/Silver

I was very dissapointed that the battery life was not as advertised. It was advertised in all the stores to have a battery life of 8 hours. When I called Toshiba, They said they were not responsible for that advertisement. After fully charging the battery I get a little over 5 hours of battery life instead of 8 hours. When I told the toshiba representative I wanted to return the product and get my money back he said he would have somebody call me to arrange this. He took down my number but nobody ever called.Get more detail about Toshiba Mobile Satellite M505-S4947 14.0-Inch Laptop - Black/Silver.

Dell Latitude D610 Centrino Laptop 1.6ghz 512mb 40gb Wifi Xp Pro 14" Lcd Laptop Review

I bought one of these laptops two months ago. It has been working just fine. Today Microsoft told me that the license is not valid. It has a valid certificate of authenticity on the back but does not have a second "refurbished" CoA. When I look at the internal System Properties/General tab it says "XP Corporate" which means it was covered under a volume/site license which can not be transferred or sold. I will probably have to buy a fresh copy of XP ($150) and re-install.

Before I made the order I checked to see that the advertisement specified "Genuine Windows XP". I also checked the CoA when it arrived. When the Microsoft updater offered to run "Genuine Advantage" to check the authenticity I confidently thought "sure, go right ahead." Now every time I restart I get a big message that says I am a victim of software piracy. I expect the operating system will eventually simply stop running. Get more detail about Dell Latitude D610 Centrino Laptop 1.6ghz 512mb 40gb Wifi Xp Pro 14" Lcd Laptop.