| Laptops and Notebooks Reviews |
 | Toshiba Satellite L505-GS5037 TruBrite 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black)
A fantastic mid-range laptop. Great for college students. -- 2010-03-09
Not too long ago, I needed to buy a new laptop computer since my old Dell computer nearly died. (There was some sort of hard drive problem that would only allow me to start up in 'safe mode.') After scouring Amazon for several days, I decided upon this Toshiba Satellite computer. It seemed like the best value for the money I was willing to spend.
Pros:
Big screen -- This is great for watching movies in true 16:9 ratio. The screen is also really bright so you won't miss any details.
It has a number pad -- I really like being able to use 10-key typing to enter numbers in documents and web sites. Having a number pad is surprisingly necessary.
Fast start-up / Fast wake-up -- This computer has enough resources to start up quickly from an off state. The start-up feels like it could be a little bit faster, but, again, it is still significantly faster than my old Dell. I usually don't put my computers in hibernation mode when I walk away for any extended period of time, so I can't critique that feature of this computer.
Stylish -- This computer looks sleek and sophisticated. It is a real joy to look at.
Generous system resources -- This computer has 4GB of RAM and 500GB of hard disk capacity. It also has those new Intel processors that feature "hyper-threading" technology. Since Windows 7 is a system hog, a new laptop should at least have 6GB of RAM, but 4GB seems to be just fine for this machine. I can switch quickly between programs, start programs quickly, and end them quickly, too. A 500GB hard disk is just an astoundingly huge amount of storage space. There is more than enough space for photos and movies.
The mouse-pad -- I don't know how Toshiba did it, but the mouse-pad is the coolest feature of the laptop. The mouse-pad looks like it was spray-painted on top of the plastic shell. It also works really well AND it offers multi-touch functionality. If you need to increase the size of the font on a web page, all you do is spread two fingers on the mouse-pad. It is actually pretty damn cool.
Cons:
Atrocious speakers -- OK, the worst feature in this computer are the absolutely horrible speakers. The sound that comes from them is tinny and without depth. I find it interesting, to say the least, that Toshiba would have a mid-range computer with decent hardware specs but include insufficient speakers. Whoduthunk?
Not enough ports / Bad port locations -- Again, for the amount of hardware specs this computer has, Toshiba only included 2 USB ports. The laptop shell is spacious enough to include 4 USB ports without any problems. My old Dell laptop had 4 USB ports. Also, the USB ports and power DC-in locations are really inconvenient: They are located on the right side of the machine. Most people are right-handed BUT protruding cords interferes with desk space which, in turn, limits the space that most people might have because of the locations of the ports. The USB ports and DC-in power port should be re-located to the back of the machine.
Other details:
The computer is finished with a matte black plastic shell. Just so you know, matte (any color) shows off every single speck of dust and finger print! After I type this review I'm going to wipe down the whole machine with a clean cotton cloth. Also, the keys are matte black, too, so they really show off finger prints! Don't laptop manufacturers know that laptops are dirty machines?! This laptop also weighs 6lbs. For me, it isn't heavy, but for others it might be too heavy.
Final thoughts:
Overall, I really like this laptop. It has plenty of resources for a multitude of applications. I can play some graphically intense games without too many problems. It has plenty of processing speed, RAM, and hard disk space for just about anything you can throw at it. This is a great all-around mid-range laptop. The only reason I didn't give this laptop a 5-star rating is because there simply are not enough USB ports, and the locations of the ports should be on the back of the machine instead of the right side. The speakers are also sub-par for what could have been included.
fast machine -- 2010-03-08
Nice looking, fast machine and 649 is very good price, although OfficeMax was selling it at 579 couple of weeks ago.
It has 11n which is good since I can get wirelessely connected even from my back yard.
Win7 is more secure and there are less chances of getting affected by virus and spam softwares.
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 | Apple MacBook MC207LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop
LOVE MY MACBOOK -- 2010-03-09
I absolutely LOVE my macbook. It is sleek, and amazing to look at, and even more amazing to use. The touch pad was a bit to get used to, especially since there is so much you can do with it. It seemed a little difficult to remember what each thing does; but once you do its amazing. The keyboard is soft and wonderful for when you have to write long papers, or even short reports. You don't have to worry about pressing down too hard either. My favorite little thing though has to be the charger being magnetic. I'm an extremely clumsy person, and my last laptop ended mainly due to my clumsiness. I tripped over the wire so many times and my computer was constantly crashing into the ground. Due to the macbooks magnetic charger, it simply pops off without damaging it OR your computer. I love it.
Oh my...this is what I've been missing. -- 2010-03-08
I've been a pc user for 20+ years and finally decided to make the switch. I'm at week 2 now and not only has my system never crashed, I have found nothing I am not totally pleased with. The trackpad is so amazing...touching my pc touchpad feels terrible now, somehow just flat and unresponsive. Mac is great!
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 | HP Pavilion DV6-2162NR 15.6-Inch Black Laptop - Up to 4.25 Hours of Battery Life
DV6-2170US Startup -- 2010-03-08
So far I am quite happy with my new DV6-2170US. It is not destined to run software that will tax it, but after my first week it has performed well with the applications I have. Technical support from HP was awful, but I expected that. (During the process of making Office 2003 operational I was informed that, among other things, Office 2003 was not oompatible, even with Windows 7 Professional, and that my wireless router was not compatible with Windows 7! Both issues were overcome with a few minutes of help from my ISP's technical people.)
I did enable Windows 7 Professional immediately, and I did download the XP emulator (all 400+MB!) I have not needed the emulator to-date, however. I can not speak for Windows 7 Premium, but Professional supports Office 2003 Professional, and all of my other XP applications. (Sony Sound Stage, Starry Night Pro, Photoshop, a British-based laboratory data acquisition system, an many others.) If you plan to use the XP emulator, note that not all processors are supported. (And it requires enabling the processor's XP emulation mode in the BIOS.)
You can read the performance results in other reviews. I am still busy uninstalling unwanted software provided by HP. Again, with the exception of HP's tech support, I am very happy.
Excellent All Around Performer -- 2010-03-08
Good:
Core i7 Intel chip
Doesnt have a lot of "Bloatware" to bother you
Snappy and speedy
Good amount of space on the harddrive
Relatively quiet even when the fans are spinning
Lightweight for the kind of power it punches
Has a num-pad
Screen is very bright thanks to the LED lighting
Bad:
Fingerprint Magnet on the keyboard, outer shell and even on the handrests
Depending what you do, it can get pretty hot
Also Depending what you use the laptop for, the battery life can get cut short, but thats with any laptop really.
This laptop is a pretty versitile laptop that can appease the gamer, power user, or even a web surfer. It is a really sleek looking laptop and it doesnt scream out like the alienware laptops or dell XPS. The only thing that brings attention to the laptop is the light it has on the outerside lid. It lights up the HP logo, which some people will like or some wont. The laptop keyboard is kind of squished because they added a numpad, but coming from a 17" laptop with no keypad, this was a welcomed addition. The LED lit screen is amazing. Everything comes out crisp and bright especially since the graphics are being run on a dedicated nvidia m230 card. This card helps out with more of the demanding resources when playing a PC game, and will drop the battery life.
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 | HP G60-630US 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black)
Very much worth the money!!! -- 2010-03-07
I love this computer.. I would recommend it to anyone. but the battery life sucks.. other than that its great...
AVOID this model--extremely bad microphone! -- 2010-03-06
I bought the HP G60-630us and returned it a few days later. It has one HUGE and fatal flaw: the built-in microphone is EXTREMELY bad. If you are absolutely sure you will never want to use this laptop for anything involving the microphone (like video chat) then you will probably be happy with this purchase. But if there is a sliver of a chance you'll want to use the microphone at some point, then AVOID, AVOID AVOID.
I was happy with this model the first few days I had it. I liked the look, the feel, and the fast response. It really suited my basic needs. Then I tried to Skype (live video chat) with family members. They could barely hear me and could not understand what I was saying due to the excessive backround noise, inceassant audio drop-out, and fluctuating levels in my microphone. It was horrible. I had to write what I wanted to say on Skype; this microphone is literally unusable.
I spent a long time trying to readjust the microphone settings but nothing helped. I tried an external mic and it was just as bad.
I took the laptop in to the place where I purchased it to see if their tech staff could help. A day later the tech called me with bad news. There was nothing he could to to fix this mic. He also said he tested two other G60-630us units in the store and found the same exact problem. He tested two additional HP models in the "G" line, and found the microphone problem in those models, too.
His conclusion: Likely ALL the HP "G" models have this horrible built-in microphone problem and there's not a way to fix it.
He did test some other HP models besides those in the "G" series. He reports microphones in the HP "D" series (like the DV6-2150us, which, unlike the G60-630us, uses a digital microphone) worked just fine. I tested the microphone on the "D" unit display model and was pleased with the result. I will likely buy that "D" line model as my replacement for this "G" model.
In conclusion: AVOID, AVOID, AVOID the HP G60-630us and it's ultra-horrible built-in microphone. To be safe, avoid buying any HP with a "G" in the model number unless you test the microphone first.
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 | Apple MacBook Pro MB990LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop
Really, really underwhelmed -- 2010-03-09
I bought a MacBook Pro directly from the Apple store. At first I was impressed by the speed, mostly booting up and shutting down, considering I was used to a PC with Windows Vista. Over time, things started locking up just like on a PC. 7 months old and the battery is about to die. A friend of mine has a $2600 MacBook Pro that already needed the DVD drive replaced. I sold this thing and got a $300 PC laptop that runs just as well and just as quickly with Windows 7. Lesson learned: sometimes, more expensive is not better.
I wouldn't choose anything else -- 2010-03-08
This is my 3rd Mac laptop. Every one I've been able to use for many years with daily long term use. I read all the negative reviews and found most of them to be totally unfair as it seems like the buyers simply didn't pay attention to what they were buying, made assumptions, then complained it didn't live up to their expectations. It's ok not to think highly of them, but don't blame them because you didn't look closer at what you purchased. I'm not sure I'd rely strictly on the Amazon description and would look at them on [...] as well just so you know what it is before you buy, but it was definitely cheaper to buy here.
These are very sturdy laptops, look sleek and travel well. I love the backlit keys as I like to use it a lot late at night without the lights on. The aluminum unibody frame is is very chic. and it's a bit smaller in depth than the previous models. The new trackpad is excellent and built in function key features are fantastic. I wouldn't buy anything else.
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 | Apple MacBook Pro MB991LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop
Really, really underwhelmed -- 2010-03-09
I bought a MacBook Pro directly from the Apple store. At first I was impressed by the speed, mostly booting up and shutting down, considering I was used to a PC with Windows Vista. Over time, things started locking up just like on a PC. 7 months old and the battery is about to die. A friend of mine has a $2600 MacBook Pro that already needed the DVD drive replaced. I sold this thing and got a $300 PC laptop that runs just as well and just as quickly with Windows 7. Lesson learned: sometimes, more expensive is not better.
I wouldn't choose anything else -- 2010-03-08
This is my 3rd Mac laptop. Every one I've been able to use for many years with daily long term use. I read all the negative reviews and found most of them to be totally unfair as it seems like the buyers simply didn't pay attention to what they were buying, made assumptions, then complained it didn't live up to their expectations. It's ok not to think highly of them, but don't blame them because you didn't look closer at what you purchased. I'm not sure I'd rely strictly on the Amazon description and would look at them on [...] as well just so you know what it is before you buy, but it was definitely cheaper to buy here.
These are very sturdy laptops, look sleek and travel well. I love the backlit keys as I like to use it a lot late at night without the lights on. The aluminum unibody frame is is very chic. and it's a bit smaller in depth than the previous models. The new trackpad is excellent and built in function key features are fantastic. I wouldn't buy anything else.
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 | ASUS N61JQ-X1 16-Inch Versatile Entertainment Laptop (Dark Brown)
Amazing value! -- 2010-03-06
Keyboard:
Chiclet keyboard feels nice, the large keys and a number pad are great! When I ordered this laptop I was worried I would get the UK keyboard layout with the large return key and the backslash key in a inconvenient location. When I received the laptop I was pleased to find that it was the standard US keyboard layout with large enter, backspace, shift, and control keys which is a nice change from other laptop keyboards that have smaller keys.
Color:
The page says the color is dark brown but appears black under almost all conditions, a plus in my book. I had to shine the back with an LED flashlight for it to appear brown. I haven't taken outside in direct sunlight but it may appear more brown outside.
Build quality:
I would rate this a medium. It shouldn't break under normal use but it doesn't look as sturdy as some others. Very bright white LEDs on both sides of the laptop blink when in standy mode or when powered on make the laptop distracting in a darker room. I like the quiet fan volume. Even the DVD drive is fairly quiet. Screen hinges look nice and shouldn't break easily.
Performance:
Windows 7 boots fast! Windows Experience Index of 5.9. Runs most all modern games on high quality. Great performance for the price.
Ports:
Aside from the standard ports, this laptop has an HDMI port with audio out, one USB 3.0 connector, an eSATA connector!
Bundled software:
Comes with standard game demos, Office 2007 trial, and various ASUS utilities. Nothing special but not nearly enough to be considered bloat-ware. Comes with Windows 7 and driver re-install disc as well as recovery disc maker software.
Audio:
Great sound quality for laptop speakers. No noticeable distortion even at high volume!
Battery life:
Mediocre, I average about 2 hours in power saving mode. But what do you expect from a gaming laptop with an i7 processor? Get a netbook if you want battery life :)
Warranty:
Great warranty, came with one free year of accidental damage protection.
In-Depth Review -- 2010-03-06
Just got this. Looked at it for a few days on [...] to get detailed specs and customer reviews before purchasing. I only bought it on amazon because the next day shipping was cheaper (about $[...]) and the computer itself was $[...] less on amazon.
Haven't pushed the pedal to the metal as far as ram, HDD, and CPU go. There is an overclocking speed (called Turbo Boost) that is automatic. With windows 7 (instaleld) the Turbo Boost app lets you see the CPU ramping up. It shows that the CPU rutinely goes up to 2.6 Ghz when opening an application (not very intensive work) so I am not sure how accurate the gadget is, but we'll see. When compared to what else is out there, this coputer has much more for your money and is actually cheaper than many laptops with less power/graphics capability/coolness. Look at the prices at Best Buy for an Core i3 laptop. They are nearly $1000 and don't have as much ram, video memory, or upgrade potential. This is a Core i7, much more powerful and is less than alot of the laptops out there. Plus, Asus has a 1 year accidental warranty. Tops!
Pros:
-Amazon said it would be Brown, mine was black when I got it. Brown is ugly anyway!
- You can create a recovery DVD to fix everything in the event you scrw something up. Also, has a bootup recovery option built in, so even if you don;t have the disks, it can be recovered.
- 1 year replacement/repair "i dropped it in a pool" warranty.
-Shipping. For the price of the computer, get the 30.00 next day. I order by 3:00PM on thursday and had the computer booted up at 3:15PM friday.
-Nice looking computer. Great sound. Great price. (You can get a lesser model without the i7 CPU from Best Buy for 999.00)
-USB 3.0 is nice touch. Cool touchpad with "gesture" recognition.
-I like the screen. The resolution is said to be a little low/poor for the machine, but I do not yet find it to be a problem. You can zoom in and out using the touchpad and gestureing, so if the icons look to big/small, you can change it up without messing with screen resolution. Basically, you can keep it in 1377x768 mode. HD screen looks good to me. Bright too.
-HDMI output! You can hook this thing up to your big ass HD flat screen.
- With Windows 7, some "gadgets" aka iphone style "apps" that can be installed to the desktop require 32bit. This computer has the 64bit Windows 7 so you have to do some playin around to get those gadgets to work. Pandora is one of those. However, you can have a applet for Pandor Radio on the desktop without needing an open internet explorer window. Cool!
- POwer saving one-touch button. NOt sure how effcient it is yet.
- So far, Windows 7 is not that bad. Yet. :)
CONS:
- A lot of "bloatware" on this baby. You have to sort throught it all and see what you like/don;t like and uninstall whatever you can live without.
- At initial boot up, 80 processes running! Ouch. 33% of RAM in use. That's over a Gig. Trim down the fat and you should be good.
-The first time I launched the "See how cool this Asus computer is" demo, I needed to lower the volume. Whn I did so, the computer locked up, blaring a annoying sound. I had to hold th epower button for 4 sec to turn off manually. Not cool. After that though, all seems cool.
- The keyboard is a little cheap, has some play to it. Go to Best BUy and type on one of their floor models to see if it is bad for you or not. Not a deal breaker for me, but kinda lame. The "full size keyboard is not true, it is laptop sized with a number padd on the right. The arrow keys (if you play games or use spreadsheets) are small and you can easily miss them and hit the 0 or control key.
- With Windows 7, some "gadgets" aka iphone style "apps" that can be installed to the desktop require 32bit. This computer has the 64bit Windows 7 so you have to do some playin around to get those gadgets to work. Pandora is one of those. However, you can have a applet for Pandor Radio on the desktop without needing an open internet explorer window. Cool!
- A lot of Asus "this and that" programs to deal with. I uninstalled half of them.
BOTTOM LINE:
Buy it. Remove what you don't like. Great deal. If you were going to spend 800, drop an extra 2 bills and get this one. If you were going to spend 1200, save you money and get yourself a case for this one once you buy it.
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 | Dell Inspiron 11 11.6-Inch Obsidian Black Laptop (Windows 7 Premium)
Excellent price/performance -- 2010-03-09
I received this laptop (can't really call it a netbook with a dual-core and 4GB of RAM) last week after about a week of deliberation over the other options out there. In this 11.6" range, there's a pretty limited number of models to compare. If you're willing to pay another hundred dollars and up, you could get a faster processor. Likewise, you can find a cheaper laptop with a celeron or atom processor. At this price point, however, this laptop really does stand out.
The trackpad does take some getting used to, but most of the complaints about it (like the zooming gestures) can be disabled in a few seconds. The battery does stick out pretty ridiculously, but I would gladly trade that for the 6+ hours of battery life. The video card is very basic, but once again this is a sub-$500 laptop in a very slim form factor. Overall, the pros outweigh the cons, and I'm quite happy with my purchase.
WOW! This laptop is tha BOMB! -- 2010-03-06
I wasn't sure if I wanted to buy a store bought netbook or a bulky laptop. I thought with a netbook it's small, compact, lightweight, popular, cute, up to date, blah, blah, blah. I even tried one out at a store, but the darned keys were so small, I was havin trouble testing it out. I went online and checked on Amazon like I always do and to my surprise, this lil beauty was available. NEW! I clicked BUY NOW!! No second thoughts or regrets. I love it. It's fast, and just as lightweight as a netbook. Not as bulky as a laptop and it even fits in my carry all bags. The wireless card picks up signals right away and the ZOOM IN & ZOOM OUT feature with the pinch of my thumb and index finger is just like having an iphone, my next purchase if they keep that up..lol Buy This Laptop!! Peace!
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 | HP Pavilion DV4-2161NR 14.1-Inch Laptop (Black)
No Problems Yet! -- 2010-03-03
I recently purchased this Notebook and I have to say I have no major complaints as yet. Everything works as it should and the size is perfect for me. I'm about to travel out of the country with it next week and to me that will be the real test. I had an old HP laptop before that was so heavy carrying it around was more of a burden than my luggage!
I would say that it is a little heavier than I expected but again it's nothing compared to my last one so I'm fine with the weight. The only thing I am not sure about is the Microsoft Office Programs that come with it. Everytime I open Word 2007 it keeps asking me for some code that is supposed to be located on the side of the box that the program came in... I check the box that the Notebook came in... there ain't no such box or code in there... So far I can just close the prompt box and use the program but it is annoying.
Other than that, it works great and I'm loving it!
I'f you're like me and jsut need something portable and practical, this Notebook is a good fit.
Great Laptop -- 2010-02-25
i bought this laptop this week, very good laptop for $679.99. works great, but its kind a hot when i put it on my lap. need to look and see if there is anything i can do to cool if off.. but all and all great laptop
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 | ASUS UL30A-X5 Thin and Light 13.3-Inch Black Laptop - 12 Hours of Battery Life (Windows 7 Home Premium)
Great Budget Laptop for People on the Go -- 2010-03-09
This laptop has been amazing so far, great design, portable, excellent display, awesome battery life, it was exactly what i was looking for.
When you first get this thing and power it up you will notice that it really doesn't come with a lot of bloatware. Most of it is Asus Utilities that help make using it easier. I uninstalled most of the stuff i didn't need and the rest really didn't take up too much memory to run. One thing that bugged me though was the free trial of Microsoft Office without a serial key. It would have been nice to have that. I never really used the ExpressGate so I can't comment on that. I would recommend deleting the huge empty partition and just merging it into the main Windows one.
There are only a couple cons to this laptop. First is the spacebar, sometimes if you hit it near the edge it wont read it. Second is the mouse button. For some strange reason it is getting scratched up in the same spot and is ruining the finish on it. I have no idea what could be causing it, but its a minor detail.
Pros:
Great battery, averaged around 6-8 hours with fairly heavy use.
Great display and graphics, I have the screen to almost minimum brightness and its still crisp
Cool design, both visually and thermally, very lightweight
Trackpad, the different actions you can make with just the pad are cool, it definitely saves a lot of time.
Keyboard, it seems to be the perfect size for most hands.
Cons:
Sometimes it can act a little squirrelly, i think thats more the OS fault.
Trackpad, It can be really touchy, I would STRONGLY recommend manually updating the drivers for this, Windows Update seems to miss it.
Random Flex on the keyboard surface, more of a nuisance than a problem though.
Missing or broken drivers, you would think all the drivers would be up to date but oh well, again just annoying.
Overall I would recommend this laptop, do make sure to manually update all the nessecary drivers off of the Asus website, it will fix the webcam issue and the trackpad issue.
Replaced my desktop with Windows 7 and mobility -- 2010-03-04
I'm very pleased with Asus and this particular product. Great combination of performance, battery life, weight and price. Everything I had working with my desktop (3 different printers from hP and Canon) were easily made to work with this notebook running Windows 7 except the Twain-32 driver (scanner). There are many options for most scanners on the market today for upgrades with either s/w or h/w so this is not an issue. Back to the UL30A....I love the performance button above/left of the keyboard which instantly selects between high performance and low power modes (or something in between). The 13 inch screen is beautiful. Amazon shipped this product very quickly (I ordered two - one for my daughter in college and one for myself). I called ASUS to get an updated address where to send the Accidental Damage Warranty registration; customer service answered the phone rather quickly and gave me the new USPS address and a web site where I could register the ADW electronically.
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