HP Pavilion DV2-1110US 12.1-Inch Entertainment Laptop Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Just one week after I buy this notebook from Amazon, the price falls by $27 and Amazon refuses to match the price drop. Quite disappointing in that regard. I ordered this on a Wed, Amazon shipped on Sunday and it arrived on Tuesday with free shipping. So that was good.
On to the notebook. First the pros:
Build quality is good and it feels expensive compared to most sub $500 note/netbooks.
Large keys on the keyboard while not as spacious as a regular keyboard works better than than those from Acer that use the chicklet size keys. One of the reasons why I chose this over the Acer Timeline series.
Screen is bright and sharp.
Small compact and lightweight since it doesn't have a built-in DVD drive (uses an external drive). Design looks clean and modern with none of that clunky look from the low end Lenovos or Toshibas.
Uses Vista 64 bit edition
Has HDMI port to plug into HDTVs
Dedicated graphics processor and memory.
Now the cons:
Battery life is average 2-3 hours
Uses single core AMD Athlon Neo processor which is underpowered for Vista. There're occasional lags when running basic things like browsers, Word, etc. The CPU is maxed out at 100% most times.
The initial applications and drivers installed seem to make the notebook run really slow. I tried to watch videos on Hulu.com and they were jerky and slow. After installing updated video drivers and IE8 and Firefox, it worked better. Strange for a notebook professing to be an "Entertainment" notebook to be that bad at video until the drivers were updated. Despite the dedicated graphics processor and memory, video performance is just average and can a bit slow at times.
Bloatware. There are several but not too bad.
HP MediaSmart: this is pretty useless since the notebook already has Windows Media Center. The software itself is nothing great and eats up additional memory and CPU cycles.
Bottom line: This notebook is just barely able to run Vista 64 since the CPU is underpowered. It's a compromise between a full blown notebook and netbook since it has a decent size hard drive and screen. To make it perform better, you'll have to remove all the bloatware and unnecessary applications, and download the latest software updates and drivers. I'll be upgrading to Win 7 when it arrives so hopefully, that'll improve the performance further. Also probably look into upgrading the 2gb ram to 4gb.


Click Here to see more reviews about: HP Pavilion DV2-1110US 12.1-Inch Entertainment Laptop

EXQUISITELY THIN: Refining the dv series to achieve optimal mobility, the new dv2 wears a magnesium-aluminum alloy case, an LED display and a 92% of full-size keyboard. It offers optional WWAN, runs on breakthrough energy-efficient AMD processors and removes the internal optical drive. The elegant modern lines and metalized finishes that define the dv series remain but with a profile less than 1" thin and starting weight of just 3.81lbs. Lustrous magnesium-aluminum alloy casing on the outside is complemented by color-matched HP Imprint finish on the inside in Moonlight white. External optical drives are available in Espresso black. HP¿s mobile products have won coveted International Red Dot, iF and CES Innovation design awards and been recognized by other leading design institutions.SURPRISINGLY ENTERTAINING: Carry on your favorite entertainment with the standard, large-capacity hard drive.Burn CDs and watch DVD films with the external optical drive. Providing more choices than ever, HP MediaSmart enables access to DVDs, videos, photos, music, and Internet TV at the touch of a button.Get access to watch the best video clips from Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, and MTV. Built-in demos show you how to add music to your slide shows or videos with drag-and-drop functionality ¿ and much more. An HDMI port enables you to watch films on an HD TV. Muvee Reveal makes creating films complete with effects and transitions a snap! SRS Premium Sound pours through Altec Lansing speakers delivering great audio.What's in the box: dv2-2110us laptop, 65W AC Adapter, 6-Cell Lithium-Ion battery, Symantec Norton Internet Security 2009 with 60 days complimentary live update, Microsoft Works, HP MediaSmart. Muvee Reveal,Cyberlink DVD Suite, Adobe Acrobat Reader and HP Games Powered by Wild Tangent.

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ASUS N61JV-X2 16-Inch Versatile Entertainment Laptop (Dark Brown) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)PROS:
On the initial setup, the laptop played a pretty cool Asus video that showed many "on" buttons forming various images. It made the purchase seem even more personal. Nice touch Asus. Here's a link: paste "ASUS Laptop Startup Video (2009 ASUS)(HD)" on Youtube. Watch in HD fullscreen to get the same feel. Yes simple things amaze me x_o.
My first impression of this laptop is its big size. I'm used to running a netbook, in terms of mobile pc. Examining the layout closely, the screen isn't the perpetrator here- the speaker adds roughly 2 inches to the width. Although this is easily forgiven once I heard the sound quality, which is similar to an HDTV's. This may make the laptop slightly bigger than regular 16in notebooks, but for an "entertainment"-advertised laptop, it was necessary.
I'm happy it has an eSATA port because this allowed me to couple my internal hard drives with a hard drive docking station (Thermaltake BlacX). Really helpful for storage and backups. The USB3.0 is a great addition as well. Makes it a bit more future-proof. As for the touchpad, my netbook had the same exact touchpad and I always turned it off because I was not a fan of it. Nothing beats a mouse!
Battery life depends on 4 settings through a power-managing software called Power4Gear. At "High Performance" setting, no power saving option is on and the battery life drains within 2 hours. The more balanced "Entertainment" setting, lasts 3 hours. With the power option set to "Quiet Office", the battery life lasts 4 hours. Lastly, the"Battery Saving" mode increases the battery life even longer. What it does is it disables your wallpaper, gadgets, autohides the taskbar, lowers brightness to 20% and sets every setting to maximum power savings. Of course the realtime battery life will be ultimately affected by what task you are doing.
In terms of performance, this thing packs a wallop! It will not beat a same-priced desktop, but what's important is portability. It's a great purchase for the performance. Although keep reading to learn about the current GPU driver as a caveat emptor. Another warning: I believe this was first advertised as having bluetooth. I can confirm that it does not. While this is not a deal breaker, I feel it should have been included being an entertainment laptop. Some of the pre-installed softwares are helpful, like the Power4Gear battery managing software and the Splendid Utility which enhances the screen's color/contrast/brightness settings with preset modes. The Cyberlink TrueTheater HD software is amazing. I popped in my "LotR: Fellowship of the Ring" DVD and with the smoothest playback settings (60FPS) and sharpest modes, it seemed like a whole new movie. I do not own a bluray player so I'm not used to this type of quality, but yes, it is better than any YouTube 1080p HD trailers or any HD channels I've seen.
Graphic Card Tests (Gaming):
All games were tested on the Geforce GT325m (Optimus driver version 189.07), running at 1366x768 native resolution, full screen, and with FRAPS frame counter benchmark. I wanted to keep it at native resolution to show the highest resolution capability of this GPU. Lowering resolution and some graphical settings will unquestionably increase the frame rates, but playing graphically-lush games is always a delight.
Batman Arkham Asylum: (Fight sequence VS 5 inmates at start of game)
Settings: VSync Off, Hardware PhysX Off, Detail level: Very High, 2xAnti-aliasing
Min FPS: 25, Avg FPS: 33 Max FPS : 50
Verdict: Smooth gameplay, lag-free.
--
Call of Duty 4 - Modern Warfare 2 : (Single Player: Heavy gun fight on "Act II: Hornet's Nest" level)
Settings: VSync On, All Graphic Settings On, All Textures set to Extra, 4xAnti-aliasing
Min FPS 30, Avg FPS 35, Max FPS 60 (Remember VSync caps this at screen's refresh rate, which is 60 in this case)
Verdict: Very playable considering it's at max in-game settings. Will experience some tiny lag spikes, which I also experienced on my desktop PC which has better specs than this laptop, so it must be the game.
--
Mass Effect 2: (Gun fights on mission to recruit Prof. Mordin)
Settings: VSync On, All graphic settings on except for Film Grain, 4xAnti-aliasing, 8xAnisotropic Filtering
Min FPS 24, Avg FPS 38, Max FPS 49
Verdict : Smooth gameplay. Some random lags but does not ruin the experience.
--
Crysis: (From game start all the way to "First Light" gun fights)
Test 1: VSync Off, Everything to Medium, No AA
Min FPS 19, Avg FPS 26, Max FPS 34
Verdict : Smooth gameplay, lag free even if the FPS results seem low. Graphic texture pop-ins on some of the vegetation, especially when using "maximum speed" boost.
Test 2: VSync Off, All graphic settings to medium, except for Texture and Shader at High. 2xAnti-Aliasing .
Min FPS 13, Avg FPS 16, Max FPS 20
Verdict : Clunky gameplay. With these settings, the texture looked sharper and much easier on the eyes, and while there are no dramatic lag spikes that will get you killed easily (it's a steady 15-16 frames on gun fights), the slow gameplay is quite noticeable.
Test 3: VSync Off, Everything to High except Shader to Medium, No AA
Min FPS 14, Avg FPS 22, Max FPS 29
Verdict : Smooth gameplay, but sometimes has that laggy feel to it. No jittering lag. Pretty impressive for the High setting- I guess Shader is what really stresses the framerates.
--
World of Warcraft: VSync off, Effects at Medium-High, Window Mode + Maximized option to properly scale the resolution
Test 1: Riding mount around Dalaran's North Bank steps with ~30 toons around me.
Min FPS 22, Avg FPS 33, Max FPS 39
Verdict: No lag
Test 2: Outside Dalaran, flying epic flight
Min 50, Avg 85, Max 150
Verdict: No lag
In instances, the gameplay is very smooth. Depending on the instance, some will be over 100FPS whereas the newer ones + raids, will be in the low 50s.
--
6008 pts in 3DMark06
--
10594 pts in 3DMark05
--
CONS:
Note: This part of the review will only be valid until Nvidia releases the proper Forceware drivers for the laptop's GPU. The GT 325m series is relatively new; NVidia has one official release for it on their website: Optimus Driver 189.07. This driver is not bad. As shown by the benchmarks, 3D gaming works well. But here's where things tend to get annoying: the Nvidia GPU, with its current drivers, rely on the Intel integrated graphics to handle screen scaling. Meaning if you connect this to a larger monitor, in my case an Acer 21.5" 1080P native res widescreen LCD, scaling works well when the GPU running is the Intel IGP, but when you switch to games, you are forced to use the 1080p resolution through the in-game settings, which will be taxing on the framerates. I know the native resolution of the laptop does not match the monitor's, but with the "normal" geforce drivers, scaling to fit the screen works well and allows the laptop's native res to stretch the image onto the monitor. My ASUS 1201n netbook does this easily through it's Nvidia Control Panel, with the same native res as this laptop. I hope NVidia releases this capability with the next driver update.
I still do not trust the current Nvidia driver for this GPU just yet. Once it is properly optimized and up to date, the fps will increase. I'll update this entry if the graphic drivers are updated through NVidia or some modding website.
NVidia Optimus: This technology sounds great but I'm having a little problem with it. See, when my laptop is plugged in, the Optimus technology works just fine: the intel switches to the nvidia GPU when loading a 3D game. But when I load a 3D game while this laptop is unplugged (regardless whether battery is full or low charge), the GPU does NOT switch. It stays on the Intel GPU and I get low framerates. This problem occurs even if I use "High Performance" mode on the power settings, even if my preferred GPU is NVidia, even if I assign the game profile to load with Nvidia GPU, even if I right click and "run with graphics processor: High performance Nvidia processor". I do notice that if I suddenly plug the laptop to the outlet, the frames will go up fast again (as if the Nvidia GPU was suddenly turned on). There needs to be a better software-based of forcing the GPU on since the NV Control Panel is faulty at this point. Isn't the whole point of Optimus to provide performance when necessary and lengthen battery life, when available? Here is NVidia's claim: "Watch a HD movie, surf the web or play top 3D games knowing that you'll get the long battery life you need and the performance you expect from NVIDIA." This technology should work even on battery, as stated there. I would like to know if this is just my laptop doing this- comment if you can help.
Update 1: there is a fix that works. Make sure your HDMI is in digital mode and not analog. This allows your monitor to do the scaling. Although, if you only have analog mode for HDMI, you can try using a DVI to HDMI cable. Or just wait for Nvidia to update the driver and you won't have to go through all this.
Update 2: March 15, 2010. Well it seems that Nvidia actually listened. I opened a technical ticket on their website and though I can't take credit for them actually solving this, I can tell you that they have put up a solution. New Optimus drivers are out on their website: version 189.42. The highlights of this release is eerily accurate to the issues I was having with my N61JV. It fixes the incompatibilities with the Intel IGP driver and corrects the Optimus Profile system. The sad news is I have already returned my N61JV almost 2 weeks before the...Read more›

Click Here to see more reviews about: ASUS N61JV-X2 16-Inch Versatile Entertainment Laptop (Dark Brown)

Expect an Encore The 16-inch N61Jv-X2 is masterfully crafted to deliver premium entertainment while on the go. Featuring the new Intel Core i5 processor and NVIDIA's GeForce® GT 325M graphics processing unit (GPU), featuring NVIDIA Optimus Technology, the N61Jv-X2 redefines mobile computing with the power of a desktop inside its elegant and portable design. Now with NVIDIA Optimus technology, the N61Jv seamlessly switches between the powerful GeForce GPU, and battery-saving integrated graphics engine depending on demands of the graphics processor- much like a hybrid car automatically switches depending on driving style. This multimedia powerhouse excels in entertainment with awe-inspiring HD playback on its brilliant 16-inch HD LED-backlit widescreen driven by NVIDIA GeForce Graphics for a flawless HD entertainment experience. Delight your senses with rich sound from the Altec Lansing speakers, enhanced by the unique SonicMaster design –an exclusive ASUS design that improves sound projection and quality. Plus, introduce yourself to the latest standard of USB with Superspeed USB 3.0, enabling faster transfer rates for USB 3.0-enabled peripherals – up to 10 times faster compared to USB 2.0. Enjoy your favorite HD movies, listen to hit songs, and experience the impressive visuals of the N61Jv-X2- the possibilities are virtually endless. The N61Jv-X2 boasts 4GB DDR3 system RAM, a chiclet keyboard, a multi-touch trackpad, a high-speed wireless 802.11n connectivity, a 500GB 7200 RPM hard drive, an HDMI connectivity, a 2.0MP webcam, and plenty of other convenient features.


Key Features

The new Intel Core i5-430M processor with Turbo Boost Technology for smart multitasking performance that adapts to your needs (Learn more)
Vivid 16-inch HD LED-backlit widescreen for an immersive cinematic experience (Learn more)
Powerful NVIDIA GeForce Graphics powered by GeForce GT 325M with 1GB VRAM for the latest multimedia and gaming enjoyment (Learn more)
NVIDIA Optimus Technology for automatic and seamless switching between powerful NVIDIA GeForce graphics and battery-saving integrated graphics engine (Learn more)
Altec Lansing speakers enhanced with SRS Premium Sound produce crisp, clear audio reproduction (Learn more)
ASUS SonicMaster design for more detailed and richer sound quality
500GB 7200RPM hard drive for fast, convenient storage and access to all your documents, music, videos, and photos
4GB of DDR3 RAM brings increased performance with Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit pre-installed
Multi-touch trackpad lets you intuitively navigate through web pages, documents, and pictures (Learn more)
Chiclet keyboard with numeric keypad for increased typing precision (Learn more)
HDMI output for easy HD video and audio connectivity to your HDTV or LCD monitors with HDMI input
USB 3.0 Superspeed connectivity for up to 10x faster transfer speed than USB 2.0 (Learn more)
High-speed wireless N networking (802.11 b/g/n @ 2.4GHz) (Learn more)
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit for a faster and more reliable operating system (Learn more)
ASUS Infusion Technology for scratch-resistant protection
2.0 megapixel webcam for video chatting with friends and family
1 year global warranty and 1 year Accidental Damage Warranty* (Learn more)

Learn More
Latest in Mobile Graphics Technology
Premium Sound Meets Premium Visuals
Get Ready for the Next Generation of Intel Processors
Enhanced Connectivity
Head-turning Style and Intelligent Control
ASUS Makes Your Windows 7 Experience Better
F9 Key for Quick Recovery
ASUS 360 - Comprehensive Care Package Included
Accidents Happen
What's in the Box The entire ASUS N61Jv-X2 package contains a warranty information card, notebook, 6-cell battery pack, and AC Adapter.
ASUS N61Jv-X2 (Brown)
AC Adapter
6-cell Battery Pack
Warranty Information Card
Specifications
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
Display: 16-inch HD LED-backlit Widescreen (1366 x 768)
CPU: Intel Core i5-430M processor 2.26 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 2.53 GHz
Graphics: NVIDIA Optimus-Enabled: NVIDIA GeForce GT 325M with 1GB DDR3 VRAM + Intel GMA HD
Wireless Data Network: 802.11 b/g/n (@ 2.4GHz)
LAN: 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet
Memory: 4GB DDR3 (up to 8GB)
Storage: 500GB 7,200RPM hard drive
Optical Disc Drive: Super Multi DVD drive
Camera: 2.0 Megapixel
Speakers: Altec Lansing speakers with SRS premium sound
Microphone: Digital Array Microphone
Card Reader: : 1x 8-in- card reader (MMC/SD/Mini-SD/XD/Memory Stick/MS Pro/MS Duo/MS-Pro-Duo)
Input/Output: 1x HDMI output, 1x Headphone-out jack (SPDF support), 1x Microphone-in jack, 1x Express Card 34, 1x RJ45 LAN Jack for LAN insert, 1x USB 3.0 port, 2x USB 2.0 ports, 1x E-SATA
Battery Pack: 6-Cell
Dimensions: 14.98 x 10.33 x 1.08 (W x D x H)
Weight: 6.38 lbs
Color: Brown † Rated number 1 Windows-based PC maker in PCMag.com\'s Service & Reliability Report 2009. Rate number 1 PC brand according to SquareTrade, the leading direct-to-consumer warranty company (for more information visit http://www.squaretrade.com/pages/laptop-reliability-1109/ ). * For notebooks purchased on or after Sept. 10, 2007. The ASUS 360 Notebook Service Program and Accidental Damage Warranty covers "ASUS" brand notebooks only, and does NOT extend to: "Built on ASUS," "ASMobile," "Powered by ASUS," the Eee PC, or some other models. These retailers are currently among the companies that do NOT participate in the ASUS 360 Notebook Service Program and Accidental Damage Warranty: Best Buy, MicroCenter, and The Source by CircuitCity in Canada. Limit of one claim per notebook for Accidental Damage Warranty. ASUS reserves the right to discontinue this program and to modify the terms and conditions thereof at any time. ASUS Accidental Damage Warranty Program starts from the date of your ASUS notebook purchase, when all the requirements are met. One incident covered per notebook. All specifications and terms are subject to change without notice. Please check with your supplier for exact offers on selected models. Products may not be available in all markets. Product may not be exactly as shown in photos. Celeron, Celeron Inside, Centrino, Centrino Inside, Core Inside, Intel, Intel Logo, Intel Atom, Intel Atom Inside, Intel Core, Intel Inside, Intel Inside Logo, Intel Viiv, Intel vPro, Itanium, Itanium Inside, Pentium, Pentium Inside, Viiv Inside, vPro Inside, Xeon, and Xeon Inside are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries.

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Intel Wireless Series Gamepad Accessory Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This item is a great idea, however it does not install on windows
xp professional, even though the intel faq says it does. The intel customer support says that there are major problmes with the mouse, keyboard and gamepad (they only list the minor problems on there compatibility faq)), they dont bother to tell you that they do not work at all on many peoples xp professional
However if you have 98,me,xp home, or 2000 professional(wow 2000 pro and not xp pro) then buy this product, it is an awesome gamepad and can function as a mouse that doesnt even need a surface to use.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Intel Wireless Series Gamepad Accessory

The new Intel Wireless Series gamepad accessory unleashes gaming action with its wireless operation, customizable controls, and profile sharing. It has a sleek, comfortable design that fits perfectly in your hands for hours of wire-free winning. The Gamepad works with the 900 MHz Intel Wireless Series Base Station (sold separately) and boasts a nine-foot range that doesn't require a direct line of sight to the base station or the PC.
Intel's wireless gamepad features eight buttons, two triggers, one shift button, and an ultraresponsive D-pad. You can customize it by assigning up to 28 different moves or profiles to any the control buttons. The wireless gamepad can be used as a mouse for any program on your computer or even for surfing the Web. It has a liquid-crystal display showing player number, as well as low battery power. This gives you a quick and simple way to keep you from losing control in the heat of battle and also indicates whether you're in mouse mode.
The gamepad comes with Intel's Game Profile Editor and Profile Activator for creating and managing profiles for the gamepad. You can scroll through or print the list of default and customized profiles stored on the computer to find the one that works best for you. The same profile can be even assigned to multiple Intel Wireless Series gamepads connected to the same computer. The gamepad software also includes profiles for 50 popular games, and more can be downloaded from the Intel Profile Exchange Web site.
The gamepad is compatible with PCs only and requires the Intel Wireless Series Base Station (sold separately), Windows 98, 98SE, Me, a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive, and a USB port. Intel provides a one-year parts-and-labor warranty.

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ASUS N61JQ-X1 16-Inch Versatile Entertainment Laptop (Dark Brown) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)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.

Click Here to see more reviews about: ASUS N61JQ-X1 16-Inch Versatile Entertainment Laptop (Dark Brown)

Expect an Encore The 16-inch N61Jq-X1 is masterfully crafted to deliver premium entertainment while on the go.Featuring the powerful Intel Core i7 Quad Core processor and ATI Discrete Graphics Engine powered by Mobility Radeon HD 5730 graphics, the N61Jq-X1 redefines mobile computing with the power of a desktop inside its elegant and portable design.Now you can also enjoy the latest in graphics processing technology on-the-go with DirectX 11-enabled ATI Discrete Graphics Engine and watch your games come alive. This multimedia powerhouse excels in entertainment with awe-inspiring HD playback on its brilliant 16-inch HD LED-backlit widescreen for a vivid entertainment experience in HD.Delight your senses with rich sound from the Altec Lansing speakers, enhanced by the unique SonicMaster design –an exclusive ASUS design that improves sound projection and quality.Plus, introduce yourself to the latest standard of USB with Superspeed USB 3.0, enabling faster transfer rates for USB 3.0-enabled peripherals – up to 10 times faster compared to USB 2.0.Enjoy your favorite HD movies, listen to hit songs, and experience the impressive visuals of the N61Jq-X1- the possibilities are virtually endless. The N61Jq-X1 boasts 4GB DDR3 system RAM, a chiclet keyboard, a multi-touch trackpad, a high-speed wireless 802.11n connectivity, a 320GB 7200 RPM hard drive, a HDMI connectivity, a Bluetooth v2.1+EDR connectivity, a 2.0MP webcam, and plenty of other convenient features.


Key Features

Powerful Intel Core i7-720QM processor with Turbo Boost and Hyper Threading Technologies for smart multitasking performance that adapts to your needs (Learn more)
Color Shine 16-inch Edge-to-Edge HD LED-backlit widescreen for a vibrant and immersive cinematic experience (Learn more)
ATI Discrete Graphics Engine (DGE) powered by Mobility Radeon HD 5730 graphics with 1GB VRAM and DirectX 11 support for the latest gaming and multimedia enjoyment (Learn more)
Altec Lansing speakers enhanced with SRS Premium Sound produce crisp, clear audio reproduction (Learn more)
ASUS SonicMaster design for more detailed and richer sound quality
320GB 7200RPM hard drive for fast, convenient storage and access to all your documents, music, videos, and photos
4GB of DDR3 RAM brings increased performance with Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit pre-installed
Multi-touch trackpad lets you intuitively navigate through web pages, documents, and pictures (Learn more)
Chiclet keyboard with numeric keypad for increased typing precision (Learn more)
HDMI output for easy HD video and audio connectivity to your HDTV or LCD monitors with HDMI input
USB 3.0 Superspeed connectivity for up to 10x faster transfer speed than USB 2.0 (Learn more)
High-speed wireless N networking (802.11 b/g/n @ 2.4GHz) with Bluetooth v2.1 + EDR (Learn more)
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit for a faster and more reliable operating system (Learn more)
ASUS Infusion Technology for scratch-resistant protection
2.0 megapixel webcam for video chatting with friends and family
1 year global warranty and 1 year Accidental Damage Warranty* (Learn more)

Learn More
Latest in Mobile Graphics Technology
Premium Sound Meets Premium Visuals
Built with one of the World\'s Most Intelligent Notebook Processors
Enhanced Connectivity
Head-turning Style and Intelligent Control
ASUS Makes Your Windows 7 Experience Better
ASUS 360 - 1 Year Global Warranty
Accidents Happen
What's in the Box The entire ASUS N61Jq-X1 package contains a warranty information card, notebook, 6-cell battery pack, and AC Adapter.
ASUS N61Jq-X1 (Brown)
AC Adapter
6-cell Battery Pack
Warranty Information Card
Specifications
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
Display: 16-inch HD LED-backlit Widescreen (1366 x 768)
CPU: Intel Core i7-720QM processor (1.60GHz Turbo-Boost to 2.8GHz Quad-Core)
Graphics: ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5730 1GB DDR3 VRAM
Wireless Data Network: 802.11 b/g/n (@ 2.4GHz) , Bluetooth v2.1+EDR
LAN: 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet
Memory: 4GB DDR3 (up to 8GB)
Storage: 320GB 7,200RPM hard drive
Optical Disc Drive: Super Multi DVD drive
Camera: 2.0 Megapixel
Speakers: Altec Lansing speakers with SRS premium sound
Microphone: Digital Array Microphone
Card Reader: : 1x 8-in-1 card reader (MMC/SD/Mini-SD/XD/Memory Stick/MS Pro/MS Duo/MS-Pro-Duo)
Input/Output: 1x Headphone-out jack (SPDF support), 1x Microphone-in jack, 1x Express Card 34, 1x RJ45 LAN Jack for LAN insert, 1x USB 3.0 port, 2x USB 2.0 ports, 1x E-SATA
Battery Pack: 6-Cell
Dimensions: 14.98 x 10.33 x 1.08 (W x D x H)
Weight: 6.38 lbs
Color: Brown † Rated number 1 Windows-based PC maker in PCMag.com\'s Service & Reliability Report 2009. Rate number 1 PC brand according to SquareTrade, the leading direct-to-consumer warranty company (for more information visit http://www.squaretrade.com/pages/laptop-reliability-1109/ ). *For notebooks purchased on or after Sept. 10, 2007. The ASUS 360 Notebook Service Program and Accidental Damage Warranty covers "ASUS" brand notebooks only, and does NOT extend to: "Built on ASUS," "ASMobile," "Powered by ASUS," the Eee PC, or some other models. These retailers are currently among the companies that do NOT participate in the ASUS 360 Notebook Service Program and Accidental Damage Warranty: Best Buy, MicroCenter, and The Source by CircuitCity in Canada. Limit of one claim per notebook for Accidental Damage Warranty. ASUS reserves the right to discontinue this program and to modify the terms and conditions thereof at any time. ASUS Accidental Damage Warranty Program starts from the date of your ASUS notebook purchase, when all the requirements are met. One incident covered per notebook. All specifications and terms are subject to change without notice. Please check with your supplier for exact offers on selected models. Products may not be available in all markets. Product may not be exactly as shown in photos. Celeron, Celeron Inside, Centrino, Centrino Inside, Core Inside, Intel, Intel Logo, Intel Atom, Intel Atom Inside, Intel Core, Intel Inside, Intel Inside Logo, Intel Viiv, Intel vPro, Itanium, Itanium Inside, Pentium, Pentium Inside, Viiv Inside, vPro Inside, Xeon, and Xeon Inside are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries.

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ASUS N61JQ-B1 16-Inch Versatile Entertainment Laptop (Dark Brown) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I purchased the asus n61jq-b2(blue ray version) and was very unhappy when I couldn't open any programs out of the box without the system freezing up on me! I tried everything from removing blote-ware, to moving the few files (pictures and music) that I put on the C drive along with the OS, to the D drive which was empty. that did not fix the issue, I finally reformated the C drive and re-installed the Windows 7 OS. now this computer is running like a dream. I have a desktop with intel q6700and 4g of 800 mhz ram to compare it with and it is faster. dont know what caused the problem, but the reinstall saved me from returning the unit. this laptop also came with 1333mhz ram not the posted 1066mhz. just a little bonus. It also runs very cool compared to my old hp laptop. I am very happy with my purchase and impressed with the new intel i7-740QM. 5 stars for the money. and one last thing. Don't let the brown color scare you, it can pass as black.

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Enjoy true entertainment and great sound with the ASUS N61JQ. Equipped with Intel's new Core i7-740QM processor and an ATI HD5730 graphics processor with 1GB DDR3 VRAM, the n61JQ brings users true-to-life images for games, movies and videos. Together with Altec Lansing speakers supported by SRS Premium Sound, the n61JQ provides crisp, clear audio reproduction and a truly enjoyable audio experience while on-the-go. A multi-touch touchpad allows users to scroll, rotate, as well as zooming-in and out while surfing the web or browsing multimedia intuitively. The sunken-hinge design of the n61JQ provides a more comfortable view by providing users with a wider and more ergonomic viewing angle. In addition to the two standard USB ports, the n61JQ includes one USB 3.0 port, providing for faster transfers of high definition data, such as movies and videos, as well as various other large capacity file formats; and USB 3.0 charges USB-chargable devices with 900mA,faster than the 500mA of current USB 2.0. The notebook comes with the ASUS 360 service program that includes a 2 year global warranty, one month zero bright dot guaranty, free two-way standard shipping, twenty-four hour tech support seven days a week, and a one year accidental damage warranty, protecting the notebook from drops, fire, spills and surge.

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Dynex Optical Mouse Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I would have written a favorable review of this mouse a month ago. After just 3 months of very mild light use, it has failed. The middle mouse button lost all traction and began slipping. The optic lens doesn't track properly. I bought it because it was cheaper than other brands. If you pay more than 1 dollar for this you are being ripped off. There are much better brands out there. This is the third Dynex item I've bought that failed (out of 3 total). The first item was a sound card. I chalked it up to a fluke and I bought a pair of headphones with my mouse. The headphones failed within 14 DAYS. I had only used it a few times and it just stopped transmitting audio.
I've been building my own computers for years, and have a degree in digital audio (as well as a higher degree in another field). I understand hardware and computers. These are very cheaply made in China. This is the one brand I recommend that you avoid like the plague. They already burned me on three products. I won't ever buy from them again.

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Surf the web and navigate your computer in style with this optical mouse, ergonomically designed with rubber side grips for added comfort and support.

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HP Pavilion dv6-3052nr 15.6-Inch Entertainment Laptop (Silver) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Pros: Processor and GPU are excellent. I have ran Star Craft 2 on ultra settings without any issues. WoW on ultra except for shadows and get roughly 45 FPS in Dalaran. Minimal bloatware only took about 10 mins to remove.
Its a beautiful machine. The case has some kind of artsy pattern on it.
loading times are low thanks to the 7200 RPM drive. other laptops in this price range didn't have this. I was able to copy the 18GB WoW from my main computer to this in about 4-5 mins (via ethernet cable not wireless).
Cons: the display resolution is a little low for the size. I've seen other laptops in this size range with superior displays. In spite of this, the resolution is worth the sacrifice in exchange for everything else being so powerful.
The touch pad is a bit strange. The buttons are part of the pad. This means that while your trying to click on something you can accidentally move the mouse, however the sensitivity is very good.

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Get a notebook that keeps up with your busy life. It’s always showtime with the HP Pavilion dv6-3052nr Entertainment Notebook PC. Watch DVDs on the 15.6-inch diagonal High-Definition HP BrightView LED Display, plus video chat in low-light environments using the integrated HP webcam. Browse the Web using built-in Wi-Fi or paly the latest games with the Intel Core i7-720QM processora and an ATI Mobility Radeaon HD 5650 graphics card with 1 GB dedicated video memory. IDEAL FOR

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SteelSeries Xai High Performance Laser Gaming Mouse (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I am a big fan of ambidextrous mouse, and Xai is a great replacement for the Logitech G3 that I've used for a long time.
Pluses:
- very smooth tracking and movement
- mouse settings mostly configurable thru the LCD and without driver
- 4 side buttons that are customizable, including macros (using driver software)
- customization is stored on-board, up to 5 profiles, so no need to have driver software on all your computers
- Can be comfortably used for both claw/palm grip
- Has rubber coating that feels very nice and comfortable to the touch
- Buttons are well built and nice clicks with good feedbacks yet not too firm
- Good quality teflon feet for gliding
Possible cons that I don't mind:
- some may say the middle wheel is too stiff to scroll
- some may get annoyed by the placement of side buttons, though I find them well placed and un-obtrusive.
Cons:
- Slightly buggy on firmware upgrade**
**When I ran the firmware upgrade, it returned an error message warning that the firmware has NOT been upgraded. After which, the mouse becomes irresponsive. Un-plugging and re-plugging in the mouse makes it work again and the software says the firmware is up-to-date. Weird. It did scare me that I may have "bricked" the mouse for a moment. Knock off one star.

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The technology, shape, size, weight and surface of the SteelSeries Xai were designed with one purpose: to enhance the users performance. The sensor offers huge improvement over current laser mice, processing 12,000 Frames Per Second at movement speeds of 150 Inches Per Second. SteelSeries Xai can be fully configured via a LCD menu system on the back of the mouse, while supporting advanced macro capabilities of up to 200 strokes per button. Advanced software allows configuration of SteelSeries FreeMove, SteelSeries ExactSens, SteelSeries ExactAim, SteelSeries ExactRate, plus automatic lift distance calibration. SteelSeries Xai is a tool - not a gadget.

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Gateway FX6831-03 Desktop PC (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Like many, I wanted to avoid the whole Vista fiasco, so the Gateway FX6831-03 is my first new computer in seven years.
You only have to look at the specs: a powerful I7-860 processor coupled with a ATI5850 video card and an insane 16 gig of DDR3 memory to know this is a blazing fast machine at a modest price, so I'm going to talk about the out of the box stuff. I ordered the Gateway FX6831-03 desktop PC from Amazon via standard shipping and it arrived in good shape from J&R Music and Electronics in less than a week.
First, I opened it up to look inside. The case is crummy sheet-metal with screws, but the layout looks solid with no glaring problems and a big power supply (I've uploaded some photos into the "customer image" section). It has front-loading bays to add two more hard drives to its internal 1.5 TB drive. So far I've added a 1 TB Hitachi SATA drive to handle just HD video files. Setup was a bit tricky--I was expecting a simple plug and play, but I had to go into the device manager and format the new drive before it would show up. It's all good now.
The interior is tight because of the "cooling tower" on the CPU and the massive video card. Wedging in additional PC cards would be tough, though I would be hard pressed to think of what else to add! It has two disk drives--one CD/DVD burner and one CD/DVD/Blu-ray player; I replaced the CD/DVD burner with a Pioneer 205 Blu-ray/CD/DVD burner. I also supplemented its single case fan with two additional fans out of an excess of caution in this powerful machine.
The exterior is really sweet with red glowing racing stripes, an extremely fast multi-card reader and LOTS of USB ports (10!), FireWire, HDMI and more. You can nestle your iPod or MP3 player on a little indented platform on top, right next to two USB ports.
Turning on the Gateway FX6831-03 was a pleasant surprise. First there was a pretty good "whir" sound, then it settled down to dead quiet. I had to double-check that the fans were going! It is also quite energy efficient: my computer, modem/router/WiFi and 24" LCD monitor only use 108 watts while performing most tasks.
The setup was a snap. I don't know which was better: the new machine or the 64 bit Windows 7 Home Premium. In any case, unlike my previous Windows machines, I was able to get on line in seconds instead of wasting half a day fiddling with settings.
Unfortunately, the computer has no setup disks, and the setup instructions were of the pathetic "don't use this machine in the shower" sort. After removing some bloatware and downloading about 50 updates (true!) I loaded and tweaked dozens of personal programs. Note: Windows 7 doesn't use Outlook Express--it uses Windows Live Mail. Also, Windows has a nice (free!) anti-virus Microsoft Security Essentials program that won't bog down the system. Simple stuff, sure, but it was new to me and much appreciated. Rebooting only takes about 60 seconds.
You can also use Windows Easy Transfer between your new and old machine, but it I couldn't make it work via USB cable. I had to use an external hard drive. It took several hours and is a bit buggy. Also, start planning on moving all your e-mails and e-mail addresses to your new machine.
Most of my old (some very old) programs work on the Gateway FX6831-03. High end products like Photoshop CS5, Photomechanic, Pinnacle Studio HD and games like Supreme Commander 2, Dragon Age and Age of Empires III are amazingly fast even at highest resolution! For instance, Photoshop CS5 loads in six seconds! I've only had it a few months, but this machine is everything I could possibly want. Note of warning: Gateway is reported to have HORRIBLE customer support, but I figured it would be worth the risk. If I ever have a problem, I'll update this review.

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Gateway FX6831: Gaming Supercomputer With a streamlined racing car-like design complete with mesh venting inhale and red lighting effects, the Gateway FX6831-03 desktop computer provides a fantastic entertainment and gaming experience. It combines quad-core processing power via the Intel Core i7-860 with cutting edge graphics processing via the ATI Radeon HD 5850 graphics card with 1 GB of discrete video memory--perfect for visually rich apps and the most vivid DirectX 10 games. They're complemented by 16 GB of DDR3 RAM and a 1.5 TB hard drive for maximum storage right out of the box. This FX model also includes Blu-ray Disc drive for viewing movies in crystal-clear HD resolution as well as a separate SuperMulti dive for creating your own DVDs and CDs.
Enjoy the next generation of video playback with the HDMI output, which allows a single cable to transmit uncompressed high-definition video and audio to your digital TV or capable external monitor. A myriad of front-accessible ports make it easy to connect, including the Digital Media Card Reader for convenient connection and downloads from your digital devices. And with a touch of a button, you can turn your monitor into a media slideshow of your favorite photos with the unique photo frame button.

The Gateway FX6831 desktop PC with mesh venting inhale, red accents and red lighting effects for a racing car-like design.

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Logitech G9 Laser Mouse Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I've been a Logitech gaming-mouse user/lover for a long time. In fact, the last four mice I've used with my gaming rig have been the MX510 (Blue), MX518, G5 (1st version) and now the G9.
The G9 is the perfect combination of the old G5 (precision, accuracy and on-the-fly resolution adjustments) and the MX revolution (with that killer mouse wheel), stuffed into in a customizable, comfortable and easy to control form factor.
Pros:
-I really like the new weight style much better than the G5. The weight "tray" is hidden under the grip so there is no way it can just pop out like on the previous generation mouse. For me, a properly weighted mouse is key in FPS. Too light and you are all over the screen. Too heavy and you are too late.
-Not only can you change the weights, but you can also change the grips to suit your playing style and the color of the LED indicators. I prefer the Wide Load grip for my big hands and the blue LEDs to match my Microsoft Reclusa Gaming Keyboard (Black).
-As long as you are a "righty", it's very comfortable, even after some marathoning. Like all previous Logitech mice I've owned, ergonomics and comfort are never lost in the design.
-Another great addition is the ability to save up to 5 profiles to the mouse's internal memory. No drivers or software needed to load up your custom mouse settings. There is a switch on the bottom that lets you toggle through your profiles. Perfect for LAN parties when you might not be gaming on your own rig.
-Scrolling with the Micro Gear is a blast when not gaming. There is a switch under the mouse that lets you toggle between what I call the "click" mode (a must for weapon changing in FPS) and the "scroll" mode (a must for scrolling web pages and long documents).
-The gaming-feet surface is much improved. I use this mouse with a SteelSeries SteelPad QcK+ mouse pad and it is smooth as butter. I eventually plan on moving to a solid surface pad as I've heard they can improve accuracy with less friction.
-There are two thumb buttons on the left side. I know this was added to newer model G5 (my older version didn't have this) and it's a warm welcome. These are a must for forward/back functionality when you browse the web.
Cons:
-The Setpoint software is a little flaky. I chalk this up to being an early release. It took a couple reinstalls to finally get it to work correctly. Its possible previous software versions on my PC caused this issue. Everything works now.
-I can't use my wrist pad with this mouse. I know it sounds weird, but the back of the mouse isn't as long as the G5 and it slopes downward in a way that forces your wrist to touch your mouse pad. Because of this, it works best without an elevated wrist pad behind it. If you do try to elevate your wrist/forearm, it can be pretty uncomfortable. No biggie, I'll make due.
- $100 price. Ouch, but I've gotta have the latest and greatest.
So there you have it. I'll update this review as I put it through more testing.
Be sure to check out the customer photos section. I took some photos of the G9 side-by-side with my old G5. Enjoy!

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Logitech G9 Laser Gaming Mouse with interchangable grips

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Dell Inspiron i1545-4583JBK 1545 15.6-Inch Laptop (Jet Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I'm not sure where the above bad reviews came from, but I find it hard to believe that anyone had such a bad experience with the same system that I bought from Amazon. Looks like most of the reviews are for computers bought from someone else or even directly from Dell, and the guy that bought 3 in the last year and had all of them crash within a month after the warranty expired????? well that doesn't make since.... they all come with a 1 yr warranty, and if he bought three within the last year, then they would still be under warranty..... but I digress,,, and here is my review:
I bought the Inspiron i1545 that is sold on Amazon.com and it has more than met my expectations. I figured that a $619 laptop would be the low end of the spectrum when looking for performance, but this has all the componants of the "high end", as far as RAM and Hard disc. Win 7 makes it easy and has very fast start up and shut down times. It runs very effeciently when I have multiple windows open and I'm gettting close to 8 hours between charges (so far). I did a ton of research for computers before making this purchase, and even went to places like Best Buy so I could get a better feel for what the computer looks and feels like. This Inspiron has all the qualities I was looking for: Sleek, light weight, incredibly clear screen, and responsive keys. Add that together with the 4GB of RAM, 500GB of Hard disc, and I love the "Dell Dock" that allows me to put all my icons in one place, which keeps my desktop clean and professional looking.
My opinion is that you cannot go wrong with this system. You certainly get more for your money!

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Dell Inspiron 15: Streamlined Design, Powerful ProcessingStay connected wherever you roam with the Dell Inspiron 1545 laptop in black, which features a bright, vivid 15.6-inch LCD screen and long-lasting 6-cell battery. Weighing just under 6 pounds, it's a great choice for both work and play with the screen's high-definition resolution and included DVD drive (which can also burn dual-layer DVD and CD media).
The Dell Inspiron 1545 in black.

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Acer Aspire AS7551G-5056 17.3-Inch Laptop (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Well so far it is a really nice machine.
Pros: Nice Graphics, Very very nice display, keyboard is solid.
Cons: Onboard graphics drivers are terrible, the speakers could be better, the mouse pad could be better.
Based on what I have seen so far I would say its worth getting. At first I was really annoyed because I was having display issues with Call of Duty 4 and Civilization IV would crash frequently. Eventually I installed ATI's drivers and it solved those problems. The screen is gorgeous though, its nicer then my monitor on my desktop and that thing is really sweet. The keyboard responds well and I especially like the number pad. It runs rather hot but most laptops do. I have just been setting it up so it is off the surface about half an inch and it runs much cooler now (cooling pad would also work). Oh right and the HDMI port is handy too. The battery lasts about half an hour to 45 minutes while playing Call of Duty on high settings, which is better then I would have expected from a 6-cell laptop battery.
On the other hand it runs into the same problems that all Acer's have rather bad speakers. I mean don't get me wrong laptop speakers are not the best around but these things are very loud and on the loudest setting they distort the sound a little. But I was expecting that from an Acer. Also the customer support for it is TERRIBLE!!! Again that is a problem with Acer though. Luckily I really haven't had any really issue to call Acer about. The mouse pad on it feels a little cheap. I mean I haven't had any problems with it but the pad on an HP or Dell are much better.
Overall its a very nice laptop once you install ATI's drivers. And since it is about $100 cheaper (when I got it) then a different company's essential identical twin it does make it worth it. Just be warned it is an Acer.
Oh right I think it says it comes with Windows 7 Pro. It lies it is Windows 7 Home. Still 64 bit though so not a big deal I guess. I'll try to check back later on after I have played with it more.

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Acer Aspire 7551G: Mobile Cinematic Entertainment
Enjoy a portable theater experience with the Acer Aspire 7551G (AS7551G-5056) PC laptop, which features a 17.3-inch CineCrystal display with a fast response time so that fast action moves seamlessly across the screen and a 16:9 aspect ratio--perfect for viewing content created for the widescreen. The two built-in speakers produce vividly realistic audio, and you can connect the laptop to your own home theater receiver for 5.1-channel surround sound. You'll also be able to connect this laptop to your HDTV via the HDMI port.

The notebook's rounded edges and smooth lines bring a slenderized look while the mesh-patterned cover brings a rich appearance. The keyboard also extends to a dedicated numeric keypad, making number key-ins quick and streamlining productivity.

It's powered by a triple-core AMD Phenom II processor and the ATI Radeon HD 5650 graphics processor, which combines multi-core processing and powerful graphics for a superior digital entertainment experience. A Multi-Gesture Touchpad enables you to pinch, flick and swirl your fingers across the touchpad for more natural photo and video viewing as well as intuitive navigation of websites. Other features include ultra-fast Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking, an integrated webcam for video chats, and a SuperMulti optical drive that's compatible with double-layer DVD discs.

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

Key Features
17.3-inch CineCrystal LED-backlit widescreen display with 1600 x 900-pixel resolution (native 720p for high-definition viewing). Its widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio is designed to present websites without lots of left-right scrolling, as well as with a smoother line of sight.
2.10 GHz AMD Phenom II Triple-Core N830 processor with 1 MB L2 cache and 1333 MHz front-side bus for excellent multi-tasking. You'll enjoy movies, music and games like you never have before, with amazing detail, clarity and color. Plus, you can experience Microsoft Windows 7 the way it was intended. And with Vision Technology from AMD, you'll get a combination of cutting-edge processing and video power that allows you to experience vivid web and video content, sharp photos and crystal-clear music.
500 GB SATA hard drive (5400 RPM)
4 GB of installed DDR3 RAM (1066 MHz; expandable to 8 GB)
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650 graphics deliver advanced technology to deliver cinema-quality audio and video with 1 GB of DDR3 discrete graphics memory. Using ATI Stream technology, it helps accelerate even the most demanding applications, enabling you to do more than ever with your notebook.
8x SuperMulti DVD±R/RW drive can also write to CD, DVD-RAM, and dual-layer (DL) DVD±R discs--which can hold up to 8.5 GB of data.
Multi-Gesture Touchpad allows you to pinch, flick and swirl your fingers across the touchpad for more natural photo and video viewing as well as intuitive navigation of websites such as Google Earth. It also enables you to scroll, zoom in and out and flip through web pages, photos, spreadsheets and more. (Learn more)
1.3-megapixel Crystal Eye webcam with a built-in digital microphone that helps keep background noise levels low and minimizes echoes. Acer Video Conference Manager software supports 1280 x 1024 resolution online video calls.
Built-in Acer 3DSonic stereo speakers
Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking capability provides up to five times the performance and twice the wireless range using 802.11n-compatible routers as you would with 802.11g networks. It's also backward compatible with 802.11b/g networks (commonly found at Wi-Fi hotspots and in older home routers). This laptop uses Acer InviLink Nplify technology that enables multi-stream input or output for faster and more reliable bandwidth, and it also offers Acer SignalUp technology for enhanced antenna efficiency.
Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000)
Multi-in-1 Digital Media Card Reader compatible with Secure Digital (SD), MultiMediaCard (MMC), Memory Stick (MS), Memory Stick PRO (MS PRO), xD-Picture Card (xD)
Three USB 2.0 ports
HDMI high-definition audio/video output allows a single cable to transmit uncompressed high-definition video to your digital TV or LCD. It also includes a standard VGA video output.
Windows 7 Home Premium makes it easy to create a home network and share all of your favorite photos, videos, and music. And you can watch shows for free when and where you want with Internet TV on Windows Media Center. Get the best entertainment experience with Windows 7 Home Premium.
Get more features with Windows Anytime Upgrade. It's the best way to add features to Windows 7, takes as few as ten minutes, requires no software or downloads, and you'll keep your existing programs, files, and settings. Windows will walk you through the simple upgrade process. (Learn more)
Pre-loaded software includes Microsoft Works SE 9.0 for word processing and spreadsheet work. Enjoy a 60-day trial version of Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007.
Up to 3.0 hours of battery life (6-cell battery)
Dimensions: 16.3 x 10.8 x 1.4 inches (WxDxH)
Weight: 7.3 pounds
Warranty: One-year parts and labor limited warranty with concurrent International Traveler's Warranty

What's in the Box This package contains the Acer Aspire AS7551G-5056 notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions

It also comes with the following software: McAfee Internet Security Suite (trial version); NTI Media Maker; Google Toolbar; Acer Recovery Management; Acer GridVista; Microsoft Works; Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 Trial (60 days); Norton Online Backup

Learn More
The Acer Multi-Gesture Touchpad
A Multi-Gesture Touchpad allows you to pinch, flick and swirl your fingers across the touchpad for more natural photo and video viewing as well as intuitive navigation of websites. The Multi-Gesture Touchpad enables you to scroll, zoom in and out and flip through Web pages, photos, spreadsheets and more.

The TouchPad can also be disabled with a one-touch button, eliminating accidental cursor movement with palms and wrists when using an external mouse.

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

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

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Adaptec AVC-1400 Gamebridge Console Video Game PC Connector / Capture Recorder / USB 2.0 Adapter for X-Box, XBox 360, Playstation 2 / 3 (PS2 / PS3), Wii to PC Computer: AVC-1400 (Retail) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)For anyone out there that is thinking of picking this up. It does work on Windows 7. The installation is a little tricky but it does work.
To install you must do the following:
1. Open cd in explorer window.
2. Go to Software folder
3. Right click on InstallGB.exe and select properties
4. Go to compatability tab
5. Select run in Windows XP (SP3) and run as admin press ok
6. Go to Intervideo folder
7. Do the same for setup.exe
8. Go back and run InstallGB.exe
9. Plug in device when asked and follow install prompts.
Should work just fine now. I had no problems with my install. Worked on the first try. I never was able to get this thing to work properly on XP or Vista due to lack of PC power. Runs beautifully on my Win 7 system. Quality of video capture is nothing to write home about but it does the trick.

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Adaptec AVC-1400 Gamebridge Console Video Game PC Connector / Capture Recorder / USB 2.0 Adapter for X-Box, XBox 360, Playstation 2 / 3 (PS2 / PS3), Wii to PC Computer: AVC-1400 (Retail)

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A4 Tech XL-750F Gaming Mouse Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I think I really got a big bang for my buck with this mouse. I like the weight and the pads on the bottom really make my the mouse glide effortlessly. The dpi settings are easy to change on the fly and the turbo-like button is a great addition itself. It is hard for me to believe how much better my fps gaming skills have gotten thanks to this mouse. I have no real cons for this device but there was a issue with the bundled disc that came with my mouse it's one of those smaller cd-roms but my two disc drives couldn't read it so I had to go to their website which was probably a better idea to get more up to date drivers.

Click Here to see more reviews about: A4 Tech XL-750F Gaming Mouse

pA4 Tech X7 USB Full Speed Laser Gaming Mouse has the powerful and patented 3xFire Button which rapidly fires 3 shots with just 1 click-increasing target accuracy. It has 6 DPI shift ability with color Indication 600-800-1200-1600-2000-2500dpi./p

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Lenovo Ideacentre H215 Series 08931EU Desktop (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Pros:
Very low price
Attractive glossy case
Great expansion possibilities
Cons:
Integrated graphics architecture
Wired mouse & keyboard
Includes bloatware
No WiFi
Overall:
I'm very happy with my purchase. We had a laptop go dead in my house and needed a quick'n'cheap replacement. Benchmarks online indicated that the new Radeon 3000 graphics chipset was very good as far as integrated graphics go. Even though this computer had less storage, RAM, and an inferior CPU for the price to many competing computers, that was enough to make me go with this one.
Quick and easy, out of the box, turned on, it was ready to go in very short order. It comes with a 15-day McAfee installation that needs to get shown the digital door, and a variety of Lenovo-branded applications that are likely useless, but at least they're harmless. For such a cheap computer, this is a very low level of bloatware. I would have liked a wireless mouse and keyboard considering how cheap they are, but what they offer isn't bad. The integrated memory card reader is a nice touch, but the lack of WiFi was sorely missed.
320GB of storage is fine, the optical drive is an optical drive, and the memory is good. It comes with Windows 7 x64, but only has two memory slots and as such maxes at 4GB of memory with 2GB included in one of those slots. Hopefully, memory sticks with greater than 2GB will arrive soon, thus allowing you to take advantage of the x64 architecture and install more than 4GB of memory. Even if that never happens, though, 4GB is enough to keep you happy for at least five years, and very likely more.
Performance is as expected. It pushes a 1920x1080 monitor perfectly well. Online Flash videos play in high-def without issue. Adobe Lightroom runs smoothly. This would do well as a media PC for your television setup since the fans inside are very quiet.
What this computer will NOT do is play games. I figured it would be comparable to the five-year-old laptop (that came with desktop gaming hardware), but it does not. World of Warcraft is entirely unplayable at the monitor's native resolution. You will NEED an external video card. This has the added bonus of freeing up the 256MB of RAM that the video architecture hijacks. Stock, the computer turns out ~1,100 in 3DMark06. Very good for this price range, but not good enough.
It's here that I'm so glad I went with this computer. The motherboard inside has lots of room to breath and everything is easily accessible. Better still is that it has a PCI slot, two PCI-Express X1 slots, and a PCI-Express X16 slot. Wow! Usually, discount computers skimp anywhere they can, and expansion slots on the motherboard are some of the first things to go. Totally kickass. Also kickass, installing the new video card automatically disables the integrated video card. No need to go into the BIOS to disable it. Is this new? I haven't been building computers in awhile. I still remember DIP switches and jumpers. Sigh. Those were the days.
Moving on. Consider before you buy a video card, though. I bought a Radeon 5750 to guarantee Warcraft nirvana and it requires a 500 watt power supply, where the included PSU is only 180W. You can buy a silent 500W PSU for $35, but that's more money, and if budget is a consideration, every dollar counts. Still, I think it's worth it. The overall component choices made by Lenovo are quite solid, and with an extra $165 spent on the video card and power supply, the computer can run World of Warcraft at max graphical settings at the monitor's native resolution and maintain framerates above 30fps. The 3DMark06 score is now ~12,000. With a little money spent now and then, this super-cheap computer could remain modern and usable for many years.
You can find this computer for about $20 cheaper ($359) at BestBuy. Just thought you'd like to know.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Lenovo Ideacentre H215 Series 08931EU Desktop (Black)

Safe, Fun, Family Computing. Fun is non-stop multimedia from a PC that takes care of all the family\'s needs - the affordable Lenovo H215 desktop computer. For homework, family finances, editing photo albums or watching movies, the Lenovo H215 desktop computer is the ideal family PC. The AMD Athlon II X2 processor combined with plenty of DDR3 memory makes the Lenovo H215 powerful and flexible enough to handle most all home computing tasks. Plus the Lenovo Rescue System provides peace of mind by making data backup and recovery simple and easy. Best of all, it\'s from Lenovo, makers of the award-winning ThinkPad and legendary service and support.

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HP Pavilion dv6-3160us 15.6-Inch Laptop PC - Up to 4 Hours of Battery Life (Argento) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The specs on this laptop are really good. 4 Core AMD Processor will keep things moving at a pretty fast pace, although it ranks below Intel I7's, it still performs very well. Also a large hard drive and the light up keyboard is especially nice when working on things at night. However the best part about the laptop is the video card. The ATI Mobility Radeon(tm) HD 5650 was really the selling point for me. Standard video cards that come with lower end laptops are often the bare minimums and all too often hold the performance of a laptop back. Such is not the case with this laptop. The video card is phenomenal for the price of the laptop. Overall great laptop performance wise. It looks really sweet too. However there is one drawback with HP's and its the preloaded software. I don't know if other company's do it, but this one came loaded with stuff and really hinders the performance. I have a Windows 7 Ult disc purchased previously so I installed my own version after I played with the preloaded OS and software for a bit. Most of the drivers are on the HP website so there really wasn't any trouble finding them(if you choose to do this, make a recovery disc first!). But i know someone else said that if you press F11 on the start up and do the recovery option you can choose to reinstall windows with a minimal installation which will get rid of the preloaded software but still install all the drivers. Highly recommend though if your looking for an above average laptop with an excellent video card.

Click Here to see more reviews about: HP Pavilion dv6-3160us 15.6-Inch Laptop PC - Up to 4 Hours of Battery Life (Argento)

Keep the HP Pavilion dv6-3160us Entertainment Notebook PC in sync with your smartphone and connect to a wireless printer using integrated Bluetooth. Watch DVDs on the 15.6-inch diagonal High-Definition LED display and video chat in low-light environments using the integrated HP webcam. The keyboard on this HP laptop is backlit, so you can control movie playback and type easily in the dark. Plus, log in to secure websites with the swipe of a finger using the integrated fingerprint reader. The sleek HP Pavilion dv6-3160us Entertainment Notebook PC suits your personal and professional style with a brushed aluminum finish with the stream design in argento. Burn custom labels onto CDs and DVDs using LightScribe Technology and transfer photos from a digital camera to your HP laptop using the digital media reader. Expect great performance with a powerful AMD Phenom quad-core processor and premium audio. Browse the Web from any room using built-in Wi-Fi, plus store thousands of files on the large hard drive. IDEAL FOR

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Microsoft SideWinder X5 Mouse Review

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(More customer reviews)I have very big hands so I was happy to read other reviews on how huge this mouse is. It fits like a glove for me and couldnt get any better. Perfect button placement and very high quality design. I thought this was made of cheap plastic but it is very well designed and crafted. My only problem Ihave to get used to is how sensitive the buttons are. That i my fault though for using a cheap dell mouse that came with the computer. If you have at least medium sized hands this will be great for you.

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Fast. Durable. Gaming Mouse. Cut right to the chase with the Microsoft SideWinderTM X5 Mouse another addition to Microsoft¿s award-winning line of SideWinder gaming products. This fast, durable mouse delivers super-precise action with advanced features like vertical side buttons, 200 to 2000 dpi on-the-fl y laser tracking, macros, 5 assignable buttons, and more.

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