HP Pavilion dv4-2170us Intel Core i5, 2.26Ghz, 4GB, 320GB, DVDRW with Lightscribe, White Notebook, 14.1", Webcam, HDMI, Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Had this HP DV4-2170US for just over a week and love it. The keyboard has a nice silky feel to it and responds nicely. Love the "touch" volume and WiFi controls; you basically just slide your finger over the volume level to adjust and just "tap" the WiFi icon to turn it on/off, cool! The screen is nice and has that glossy look that most new laptops have.
I got a pretty good deal on this laptop through Staples. The offer included a $46 instant savings, plus a $50 savings from HP and it was priced pretty low to begin with. I ended up paying ~$670 shipped, tax, etc., not bad for an Intel i5 processor, 14.1" machine with 4GB/320GB HD.
My only issue was that initially, it did recognize my WiFi setup but would not authenticate? I tried resetting my wireless router, rebooted it, reset all the settings, etc., nothing worked! I then finally just reloaded the driver/software for the adaptor (off of HP's site), and that fixed it, go figure!
Battery life could be a bit better, I get just over 3 hours on a full charge which I believe is less than HP indicates (4 hours?), but that's not really a deal breaker. Others have mentioned that the Intel i5 processor is a bit of a power monger, not a bad sacrifice for more speed/power!
Overall, if you don't mind the white cover and keyboard I definitely recommend this laptop.
On a side note, the HP DV4-2160US is the exact laptop (same specs) but with a brownish/plaid cover and black keyboard instead of the white setup on the HP DV4-2170US.

Click Here to see more reviews about: HP Pavilion dv4-2170us Intel Core i5, 2.26Ghz, 4GB, 320GB, DVDRW with Lightscribe, White Notebook, 14.1", Webcam, HDMI, Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit

Click here for more information about HP Pavilion dv4-2170us Intel Core i5, 2.26Ghz, 4GB, 320GB, DVDRW with Lightscribe, White Notebook, 14.1", Webcam, HDMI, Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit

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Toshiba Satellite M645-S4055 LED TruBrite 14-Inch Laptop (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I was deciding between this (Toshiba Satellite M645-S4055 LED TruBrite 14-Inch Laptop (Black)) and the ASUS 14 in bamboo (ASUS U43JC-X1 14-Inch Bamboo Laptop (10 Hours of Battery Life)) which was the same price, but the ASUS was on pre-order forever it seemed and this one was out of stock or available elsewhere for more $$. I happened to catch it back in stock one night 8/5/10. I needed to replace a 5+ yr old HP laptop and a 2 yr old HP desktop, so I wanted the power of a desktop (or near) with the portability of a laptop, and I really like the size/weight of the 14 in. This Toshiba and the ASUS were pretty even on many specs - hard drive, 1 gb graphics, RAM, keyboard style, OS, i5 processor, etc - so at the time it came down to availability and features. I say at the time because now that the ASUS is available, it also comes with a 150 GC which I can always use. That would've probably made me wait on the ASUS had that been made known when it was still on pre-order.
ASUS over Toshiba:
Longer battery life, 8 cell vs 6 cell on the Toshiba
USB 3.0 - currently don't have a use but good for the future
WiDi - I currently don't have a use for it
Bamboo finish - very nice looking, would look great just sitting on the end table!
And for a limited time, that it comes with a 150 gift card, making it the cheaper option
Toshiba over ASUS:
Graphics card (both 1 gb NVIDIA plus integrated, but Toshiba's is 330 vs ASUS 310)
RAM - 8 gb max - both come with 4 gb but that's where ASUS maxes out
Sound - reportedly better on the Toshiba but I can't say for sure, I know it sounds good and full to me
Keyboard - backlit
Sleep & Charge USB port - bonus but not essential for me
Sleep & Music - bonus but again not essential
Labelflash printing - pretty cool and might use this, so far haven't tried it
Have also seen on a couple of reviews that even though the ASUS has a 2.0 mp webcam, the quality isn't good. I don't use a webcam much so this wouldn't have been a dealbreaker either.
Trackpad buttons - two instead of one like the ASUS. I've used the ASUS on a 14 in thin & light I got for my nephew and it's awkward, though I'm sure one can get used to it in time.
Bluetooth - you have to get the ASUS U43JC-A1 to get bluetooth for more money.
At the same price, I think the Toshiba is probably the better deal, however the ASUS with the 150 GC would've been the better deal of the two.
Now that I have the Toshiba, what do I think? It's great so far, though nothing's perfect! The fusion finish is pretty neat and I wasn't sure what to expect based on the pictures.
Keyboard, Trackpad, mouse buttons - I like the slight pattern on the trackpad, have a better feel of where I am on it without feeling like it's friction. As expected, the backlit keyboard is nice. The keyboard itself is good, the spacing, not soft, haven't noticed any flex. The keys are "slick" - at first it felt odd but getting used to it. There's a row of "buttons" at the top that are touch buttons - they control sound level, play/pause, wifi, and eco mode. These stay lit for easy access, as does a small light bar above the trackpad. The trackpad also has an easy on/off button above it.
DVD Playback - I've burned DVD's with no problem. I went to play back a dvd I had just burned to check it, and playback was stuttering, I was worried. However, the laptop had been on for days - I rebooted and all was well, playback was fine. Playing a movie was great, smooth, and the sound was full (the movie 2012). The slot loading dvd drive made a little more noise than I expected at times like during software installation but maybe that's normal? Something I'm going to monitor to make sure there's not a problem. I plan to do some home movie type editing, the reason I wanted the 1 gb VRAM and a decent processor, so have to make sure the noise doesn't indicate an impending problem.
Battery Life - I'm averaging about 4 hrs when I run it all the way down. Though longer battery life would've been nice, I don't travel much at all and it would be rare that I'd need to run off of battery any longer than that. I believe a higher capacity battery is available though (12 cell) if I decide I need it. I looked into that before purchasing.
Windows 7 - I had only had brief experience with Win7, while working on others' computers so this was my first real taste of it. Was still using XP except had Vista on a desktop (that is being sold now!). So far I like it, and def better than Vista. There's a slight learning curve but there are some things I have set so that things like the task bar at the bottom are more like I'm used to. I was also able to install a 32-bit software that I wasn't sure would install and run, much to my surprise. The software is several years old but it's a title I like and am used to, and was sad to think I couldn't use it. Installation however was smooth and it is running just like it did on my old XP laptop (just faster!).
WiFi - I have a Cradlepoint router with N (verizon mobile internet), and had no problems connecting to it. Also have a WiFi printer (Epson Artisan 810) - went to the Epson site first to get the right Win7 64 bit drivers and am able to print and scan via WiFi as well.
Noise - For the most part it's quiet. My old HP laptop and desktop were deafening at times. It's not as quiet as the Dell I use for work, but close.
Heat - Warm (just near the back) but bearable - Though they never recommend it, I can sit it on my lap without feeling like I'll need burn cream after. Keyboard, trackpad, etc have all stayed cool.
Software/Bloatware - Not bad, not as much as I thought there would be and is usually on new machines. I uninstalled Norton AV since I already have a multi-user license for McAfee Total Protection. McAfee downloaded, installed and is running with no problems. I have not tried the Toshiba online backup and don't plan to. It keeps reminding me which is annoying so I've got to see how to stop that. If I need online backup the McAfee I have actually comes with it. I transferred all my email over to Windows Live Mail from another computer. Comes with IE but I installed and use Firefox.
Office 2007 Trial - Mentioning this specifically because I saw a review of another M645 model that they had problems with the trial. I didn't use it, I already had Office 2007 Enterprise, so I uninstalled the trial and installed my version.
Update 8/27/10 - Picture posted. Finally stuck a SD card in, and you know how most laptops (at least my last 3) you have to push the card in til it clicks and sometimes it doesn't want to? Don't on this one. It slides in smoothly right up front (under the indicator lights, right of touchpad) and it sticks out just slightly, even less because of the angled front.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Toshiba Satellite M645-S4055 LED TruBrite 14-Inch Laptop (Black)


Toshiba Satellite M645: Easy Portability with 14-Inch HD Screen
Combining great portability, generous battery life and modern style in a slim, eco-smart package, the Toshiba Satellite M645-S4055 is sized to travel while providing powerful computing resources for all of your needs--work, learning and play. The 14-inch LED-backlit display offers HD TruBrite technology for optimal image clarity, widescreen aspect ratio for watching letterboxed movies and extra desktop working space, and native 720p high-definition resolution for watching downloaded HD video.

Toshiba's M645 series laptops has been redesigned with the Fusion X2 Finish--an elegant matte textured surface with a gloss trim that's durable, uniquely stylish, and less prone to fingerprints.

You'll also be able to burn through the hottest new digital media, content creation and advanced 3D gaming with the breakthrough performance of the Intel Core i5 processor--with 4-way multitasking processor power to work on four tasks simultaneously.

Thanks to the built-in webcam and Toshiba Face Recognition software on this machine, you'll enjoy a more convenient way to communicate, log on or share your laptop among the family. Other Toshiba exclusive features include a power-saving Eco Utility to help reduce power consumption based on your needs, USB Sleep-and-Charge port, and a hard drive impact sensor that protects your data. Additionally, this laptop also includes the innovative Sleep and Music functionality, which lets you listen to music through its speakers without booting up.

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



Key Features
14-inch widescreen HD TruBrite LED-Backlit display not only renders stunning visuals, but it's more environmentally friendly as it uses less power (1366 x 768 resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio).


2.40 GHz Intel Core i5-450M dual-core processor for smart performance with a speed boost (2.66 GHz with Turbo Boost Technology; 3 MB L3 cache). Intel's Turbo Boost technology maximizes speed for demanding applications, dynamically accelerating performance to match your workload--providing more performance when you need it the most. It also comes equipped with Intel HD Graphics--an advanced video engine that delivers smooth, high-quality HD video playback, and advanced 3D capabilities, providing an ideal graphics solution for everyday computing.


500 GB SATA hard drive (5400 RPM)


4 GB of installed DDR3 RAM (expandable to 8 GB)


NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M with 1 GB of dedicated DDR3 video memory (up to 2782 MB of total available graphics memory) provides up to 10 times the performance of integrated graphics with amazing visuals and Windows 7 compatibility. Let your GPU do the work for video playback with NVIDIA PureVideo HD technology--helping extend battery life, reducing fan noise, and freeing the CPU for multitasking.


8x SuperMulti DVD drive with double layer support and Labelflash printing, which enables you to personalize your discs and keep them looking attractive and organized with direct-to-disc laser printing.


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



Harman Kardon stereo speakers bring an added dimension to music, movies and gaming with rich, immersive virtual surround sound.
Dolby Advanced Audio blends a suite of technologies to deliver a stunning audio experience from headphones or your laptop speakers. It analyzes audio signals and restores tones often lost in encoding, mimicking the same optimization techniques that go into tuning movie theaters and mixing rooms, resulting in brighter highs and deep, thumping bass tones. It also expands stereo signals to 6.1- or 7.1-channel playback for a listening experience that will have you talking long after the performance.


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



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



Up to 5 hours of battery life (6-cell battery; 48 Wh)


Dimensions & Weight: 13.3 x 9 x 1.39 inches (WxDxH); 5.4 pounds



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

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



What's in the box
This package contains the Toshiba Satellite M645-S4055 notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions.

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

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

Learn more about Toshiba's environmental commitment.

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

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

Click here for more information about Toshiba Satellite M645-S4055 LED TruBrite 14-Inch Laptop (Black)

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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.
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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.
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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.
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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)

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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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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.

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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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HP Pavilion DM4-1062NR Notebook Pc Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)So I purchased this from the microsoft store and really love it. Its aluminum case is beautiful and solid feeling. Its fast and gets a 6.6 for windows experience processor and a 4.5 for graphics. In fact I wrote a detailed review on my blog but heres some points in a nut shell. There a couple of emissions of the product discription as it does have the fingerprint scanner and webcam. It seems to be the same as the HP Pavilion dm4-1060us 14.1-Inch Laptop but sold thru microsoft hence the microsoft signature. Microsoft signiture means no bloatware so it should be easier to set up.
But mine had touch pad click problems. I initially tried to change mouse settings but it still failed then I called microsoft tech support (its a microsoft signiture) and he told me I was changeing windows mouse settings not driver. When I went to to mouse driver settings they were grayed out but I was able to hit restore default and that corrected problems and got mouse settings ungrayed.
Another low point is that I actualy only get about 4 1/2 hours of battery life for browsing without pluging in so 6 1/2 is very optimistic.
As for bloatware free- I had to download the simple pass finger print scanner software from hp to use the fingerprint scanner and install the hp web cam software. You would think that microsoft would have already installed these programs. The antivirus thats installed is Microsoft security essentials which I like better then norton and they include office starter 2010 a scaled down version of word and excel. They also have a trial version of office 2010. they also have click to install software form hp if you like the hp stuff. But overall its pretty free of bloatware just wish that Microsoft would know what HP stuff is needed and what is not.


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?Just over 1 inch tall and only 4.4 pounds?Powerful Intel Core i5-430M processor with 500 GB hard drive?Stylish, brushed aluminum finish?Extra-large touch pads and island-style, full-size keyboard?5-in-1 digital media reader allows for easy photo transfer from digital cameras

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Toshiba Satellite M645-S4070 14-Inch Laptop (Fusion X2 Finish in Slate) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)With 500 GB, a blu-ray player, 4 GB ram, Windows 7, a good graphics card and high quality luxury speakers, this is the perfect mid-range laptop. I purchased it at 699 at a brick and mortar store. It is fast, though not lightening fast, plenty of hard drive space, well built, great exterior feel, and meets all of the needs of the average user. Well worth any price under 800.

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Create custom DVDs and CDs with this laptop's DL DVD RW/CD-RW drive with Labelflash technology for high-quality labels. The 14" high-definition widescreen display features TruBrite technology and 1366 x 768 resolution for stunning image quality.Windows 7 Home Premium preloaded Which Windows 7 edition is best for you? Compare.Intel 4G WiMAX chipset built in for Internet access to go at next-generation mobile broadband speeds. Learn more about WiMAX. Wireless service plan required; sold separately. WiMAX service not available in all areas.Learn more about Intel processors. Information provided by Intel.Learn more about Intel Wireless Display.

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ASUS N53JF-XE1 15.6-Inch Versatile Entertainment Laptop (Silver Aluminum) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I couldn't pass up this notebook when I read the specs. This is simply the best notebook that you can get for the price.
I've built around 8 desktops for myself and family members over the past several years and have used Asus motherboards exclusively. The only issue I've run into was a NIC failure on one of them, around 4 years into the life of the computer. It was probably due to a surge, either through the cable line or a faulty modem, so I can't necessarily blame it on the board. That problem was easily and inexpensively solved with a PCI-based NIC.
Choosing an Asus notebook seemed like a logical step.
What this computer has that others in the same price range don't:
- Full HD (1920x1080) display
- Blu-ray drive with DVD burning capabilities
- USB 3.0
- Dedicated graphics with 1GB dedicated VRAM
- a relatively large 7200rpm hard drive
- 1-year warranty INCLUDING accidental damage
Other nice-to-haves:
- Core i5 processor
- 64-bit OS
- 4GB Memory
- Wireless N
- Gigabit LAN
- HDMI port
- eSATA
- a number pad
- webcam lens cover
Please note, at the time of this review, there are a couple things in the "Product Description" that are incorrect:
- The display is indeed 1920x1080 as stated in the "Technical Details" section, not 1366x768.
- There is no ExpressCard 34 port.
Some not-so-great things:
- No FireWire
- No ExpressCard slot
- Comes with Home Premium and not Professional or Ultimate
- LOTS of pre-installed applications and trialware
Thoughts:
I consider myself well-versed in computers. For all of the facets of life, it seems like I always needed a different computer for different things: a notebook for travel, a basic web/email workstation, a media center for home theater use, and yet another computer for audio production (a hobby of mine). Just in the past couple of years, computers have finally become powerful enough to where I can start consolidating all of these different functions into fewer machines without worrying about performance or resource issues. That's where the N53JF-XE1 comes in. It's essentially a desktop replacement. The high-res screen and number pad ensure that you're not sacrificing ergonomics for portability, but the computer is not unweildy. Don't get me wrong, this thing is pretty big, even for a 15" notebook. My work-issued notebook has the same screen size, but it's at least 1" narrower than the N53. Yet, the weight is well-distributed and the shape doesn't make you feel like you're holding a cinder block.
This isn't my first Windows 7 computer, so I was familiar with the changes that MS has made to Windows since XP (I stayed faaaaar away from Vista). There's a couple steps that I would recommend when setting up this computer:
- MAKE THE RESTORE DISCS. You will want to do this. You will get prompted on startup until you create them. It will take 5 DVDs. Unless you have a Windows 7 x64 (any version) disc laying around, you will be SOL if your HDD dies without the restore discs.
- Install all Windows updates.
- Uninstall some of the bloatware/trialware. It's hard to wade through what you'll need and what you don't need. There are games, 3rd party apps like New York Times Reader and Kindle, and some Asus-branded utilities. My best advice is to run these apps and figure out what they do. If you think you'll use them, keep them. If not, uninstall. If you're a month in and you still haven't used the app, you can probably uninstall it.
As I mentioned, this notebook has no firewire or express card port. A firewire port would have been helpful since there's still a lot of A/V equipment that uses FireWire. Since there's also no ExpressCard port, I can't add FireWire ports.

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Feel the Power. Hear the Power. Turn up the volume on the 15.6-inch N53Jf-XE1 notebook and prepare to be impressed. Featuring ASUS SonicMaster technology—co-developed by world-renowned audio experts at Bang and Olufsen ICEpower—and a unique top-mounted speaker design, this multimedia powerhouse combines hardware and audio for an unsurpassed, ear-pleasing experience. Boasting new NVIDIA GeForce GT 425M graphics with battery-boosting NVIDIA Optimus technology, the N53Jf-XE1 excels when performing graphic-intensive tasks like video editing, DirectX 11-enabled gaming, and graphic rendering. And with ASUS VideoMagic 3-in-1 software package, you get image-enhancing programs like PowerDVD 9 with True Theatre that instantly scales DVD-quality to Full 1080p HD with smoother frame rates so you can enjoy videos and movies in the quality they deserve. Powered by the Intel Core i5-460M processor with Intel Turbo Boost Technology, the N53Jf-XE1 delivers the multitasking muscle and smart performance that senses the tasks at hand and dynamically boosts the processor for a stutter-free experience. Specially built into the N53Jf-XE1, the ASUS Super Hybrid Engine extends battery life via the ASUS Power4Gear Hybrid utility. The N53Jf-XE1 also comes with SuperSpeed USB 3.0 that charges USB 3.0-enabled devices quickly and transfer files from USB storage devices to your notebook up to 10 times faster than previous generation USB 2.0 speeds.1 The N53Jf-XE1 features a 2.0 megapixel webcam with security lens cover, 500GB 7200RPM hard drive, ASUS Splendid technology, multi-touch trackpad, Express Gate, new wave keyboard, and a brushed aluminum design.

Key Features
15.6-inch LED-backlit Full HD disdplay with ASUS Splendid Technology for razor-sharp Full HD visual quality (Learn more)
ASUS SonicMaster Technology co-developed by world-renowned audio experts at Bang & Olufsen ICEpower delivers improved clarity, volume, and resonance, and more detailed sound. (Learn more)
Intel Core i5-460M processor with Intel Turbo Boost Technology for smart multitasking that automatically boosts performance (Learn more)
ASUS Super Hybrid Engine and ASUS Power4Gear Hybrid optimizes the system to extend battery life for the task at hand (Learn more)
SuperSpeed USB 3.0 for quicker devi ce charging and up to 10x faster transfers than USB 2.01(Learn more)
New wave keyboard features larger-sized keys for an enhanced typing experience
NVIDIA GeForce GT 425M graphics with 1GB DDR3 VRAM and battery-boosting NVIDIA Optimus technology delivers fast performance for Full HD playback and gaming (Learn more)
ASUS VideoMagic Software for clearer images and smoother visuals (Learn more)
Express Gate mini-operating system grants instant access to internet, music, Skype, and more in seconds

Learn More
Relax, ASUS Has You Covered Ranked as the #1 most reliable PC brand by 3 independent sources2, readers and editors alike choose ASUS as their trusted notebook and netbook. ASUS relentlessly strive to exceed expectations of quality to ensure you an unmatched peace of mind every time you start your PC. We also back our commitment with the industry's most comprehensive warranty.
1 Year ASUS Global Warranty3 Offers a level of coverage that would add hundreds of dollars to the price of competing laptops:
1 year global warranty
30 day Flawless Display Guarantee
2-way free standard shipping
24/7 tech support

1 Year Accidental Damage Warranty (ADW)3 Whether your notebook is damaged by accidental spills, drops, electrical surges, or fire, ASUS will fix it or replace it for you during the first year after purchase.
Covers accidental drops, spills, power surges, and fire damage
Target 3 business day turnaround time for repair / replacement; not including receiving and shipping time
1-way shipping (from ASUS to the user) at no additional cost
24/7 toll-free phone support

What's in the Box
N53Jf-XE1 Notebook
AC Adapter
6 cell Battery Pack
Warranty Information Card

Specifications
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
Display: 15.6-inch LED-backlit Full HD display (1920 x 1080)
Processor: Intel Core i5-460M processor (2.53 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 2.80 GHz)
Chipset: Intel HM55
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GT 425M graphics with 1GB DDR3 VRAM
WLAN: 802.11 b/g/n (@ 2.4GHz)
LAN: 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet
Memory: 4GB DDR3 SDRAM, 2 x SODIMM socket (expandable to 8GB)
Storage: 500GB 7200RPM hard drive
Optical Drive: Blu-ray combo drive
Camera: 2.0 megapixel with security lens cover
Speakers: Built-in speakers with SonicMaster Technology
Microphone: Digital Array Microphone
Card Reader: 1x 5-in-1 card reader (SD/MMC/MS/MS-PRO/MS Duo)
Input / Output:1x Headphone-out jack (SPDF support), 1x Microphone-in jack, 1x RJ45 LAN Jack for LAN insert, 3x USB 3.0 ports, 1x E-SATA
Battery: 6 cell
Dimensions: 15.6 x 10.6 x 1.2 ~ 1.6 (W x D x H)
Weight: 6.4 lbs (with 6 cell)
Color: Silver

© 2010 ASUS Computer International. All Rights Reserved. ASUS is a registered trademark of ASUSTeK Computer. All specifications are subject to change without notice and features are only in select models. Products may not be available in all markets. Brand and product names mentioned are trademarks of their respective companies. © 2010, Intel Corporation. All rights reserved. Intel, the Intel logo, Intel Inside, Intel Core, and Core Inside are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. Intel® Turbo Boost Technology information: http://www.intel.com/technology/turboboost 1All figures theoretical values compared to USB 2.0 benchmarks for reference purposes. Actual speed depends on device and system status. 2Rated 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/ ). Rated number 1 reliable PC maker in Spring 2009\'s RESCUECOM report http://www.rescuecom.com/RESCUECOM269.html 3For 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 Circuit City 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. Check your retailer for specific warranty information. One incident covered per notebook.

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Lenovo Ideapad Y560 0646-2EU 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Let me start off by saying that this is a very fast computer. I7 makes it a blaze and with 4 gigs of ram it holds its on on any advanced program or game. The videocard in it is more than enough to run Modern Warfare 2 at some high settings and it'll run most things without a hitch. It is relatively slim as a desktop replacement laptop. I categorize it as a desktop replacement for a few reasons I'll explain later on. Now, other things that it does well - size and weight are great for all of the power that you get. The build is pretty solid, although I could go for a studier base.. it'll give you a little flex if you pick it up from the corner.
Now the cons:
The battery life is very short, but what can you expect while running a quad core and a dedicated graphics card.
Mobility wise you can pack it up and bring it around with you but with very little juice and time on the go you better bring along a power cord. Also, the size makes it so that it'll fit into a backpack but you are going to feel this thing when you are taking it around with you. I came from a 13'' macbook pro that I thought was fantastic for mobility and for battery life but it lacked on the speed realm.
The screen.. come on, this should be at least a 1680x1080 screen. There's no reason for it to be 13XX by 7XX. The screen itself is decent, it's nothing terrible but it is not on par with MBP's screens.
The track pad is a little too grippy for my tastes, and you'll have to drag your finger around with some force to get it going.
The track pad placement is not the best, as I hit it constantly with the bottom of my palm while I am typing on the keyboard. It could be / should be placed a little differently... I didn't have much trouble typing with the MPB again but with this I am getting my cursor pushed around and put into the middle of my sentences causing me to go back and fix them.
Now for the ugly:
This computer Blue screen of deathed on a regular basis and hard locked when doing too much video and audio at the same time. I looked into this is great detail on Lenovo's forums and I have fixed it somewhat. I got rid of the original bloatware installation of Windows 7 and found a regular version to install. After that I updated all of the drivers as best I could, and then I updated the BIOS as well. I sometimes still get some hard locks, although very rarely now. Also, I get the "BIG POINTER" problem that sometimes shows up for other users of this particular laptop. So with that said I had some serious functionality problems getting this laptop to run correctly for me. I had ubuntu on it for a time and it ran without a hitch, but why are we going to be putting ubuntu on a $1000 semi gaming computer? Doesn't add up for me at least.Would I recommend it?
I think its a great computer when it works. I think if you know what you are getting into you are going to get a deal. I think that if it worked constantly I wouldn't have a reason not to recommend it. If I didn't have the functionality issues with it I'd tell people that the screen is a little weak but it's a hell of a deal with all that horsepower in it. Think of it as a dragster that has weak brakes.. super fast, but not the most functional for day to day driving.
I would not recommend it only because I would have gone with a ThinkPad not an "Ideapad" This is obviously a cheaper and less reliable solution to a ThinkPad and it is more geared towards your gamer crowd than your business crowd. If I could do it again I would go ThinkPad without a second thought. Who needs I7 in a computer that's only going to run an hour - hour and a half without a power cable? Get this computer as a desktop replacement that's more affordable and smaller than a $2000 alienware.
If you want mobility and more functionality, go with a ThinkPad or equivalent.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Lenovo Ideapad Y560 0646-2EU 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black)

Mobile Movie Theater.Fun is a notebook that brings multimedia to life.Introducing the IdeaPad Y560 notebook with OneKey™ Theater II. The Lenovo® IdeaPad™ Y560 notebook can automatically adapt its performance to your needs, thanks to the Intel® Core™ i7 processor with Intel® Turbo Boost Technology.This multimedia notebook also comes with OneKey™ Theater II to deliver sharp and vibrant video with stunning clarity on a 15.6" HD widescreen, while Dolby® Home Theater™ surround sound and JBL® speakers make for an exhilarating sound experience.And with SlideNav, an intelligent touch-sensitive slide bar, there\'s a new way to navigate your favorite desktop shortcuts.The IdeaPad Y560 also features Lenovo Enhanced Experience for Windows® 7, which provides faster boot and shutdown times, plus a richer multimedia experience.Best of all, it\'s from Lenovo, makers of the award-winning ThinkPad.
Lenovo IdeaPad Y560 Key Features
Key Specifications

Intel® Core™ i7-720QM processor
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit
15.6 inch high-definition LED backlight display, 16:9 widescreen
High-performance multimedia: 4GB DDR3 memory and 500GB HDD storage
Integrated high-speed WiFi
DVD reader/writer
Lenovo Energy Management 5.0 enables extended battery life, long-term battery durability and lower noise output through dynamic fan control

GET ENTERTAINED

Dolby® Home Theater™ surround sound with JBL® designed speakers
ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD5730 1GB graphics support and HDMI output
OneKey™ Theater II - intelligent one-touch audio-visual optimization for clearer, brighter images and richer audio
SlideNav - intelligent touch-sensitive slide bar for easy desktop navigation
Integrated web camera

REST EASY

Ambient Light Sensor protects your eyes by automatically adjusting screen brightness based on ambient light conditions
OneKey Rescue System for quick and easy data recovery with antivirus protection
VeriFace facial recognition technology - a fun way to log in to your PC

A BETTER WINDOWS 7 EXPERIENCE

Lenovo Enhanced Experience for Windows 7 provides a faster, richer and easier way to use your PC







OneKey Rescue System
VeriFace Face Recognition
Lenovo Energy Management
Lenovo Enhanced Experience for Windows 7

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Dell Studio XPS sx8100-850NBC Desktop (Piano Black with Chrome Trim) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I ordered this Dell XPS8100 last weekend using the FREE shipping option (5-9 business days). I received the PC and a Dell Monitor (Amazon via [...])yesterday. Very fast delivery. I've just started setting things up. I had an initial concern regarding the speed of the memory, however, after running a couple of different diagnostic programs, I learned that the memory was as advertised, 6GB, DDR3, 1333Mhz. The PC is much quieter than my previous one, and also runs considerably cooler (about 85 degrees F). I don't know about the primary hard drive other than it is a SATA. Most XPS PC's come with a SATA II 3 Gb/s. For $699, it appears this was a good deal.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Dell Studio XPS sx8100-850NBC Desktop (Piano Black with Chrome Trim)

Discover a more immersive media experience with the new Dell Studio XPS 8100 desktop, designed to keep you front and center of all the action.

Impressive multimedia, intrepid design.

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Gateway NV5929u, i5-430m, 4GB DDR3 memory, n-wifi, 6-cell battery, 15.6" laptop computer, Windows 7 64-bit, Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I know my review is extremely long, but I've tried to provide as much information as I can. I will continue to update this review periodically and respond to comments, so if you have questions please feel free to ask.
A note on the error:
A lot of people picked up this laptop on sale at Best Buy for $500. It was an error on Gateway's part; they put in i5 chips instead of i3 chips, but the box was labeled as i3 and the laptop has the Intel i3 inside sticker on it. The system bios says it has an i5 and benchmark tests prove it does have an i5-430m. It will get up to 2.53 ghz when turboboost comes on. Stock speed is 2.26 ghz. Hyperthreading means it has 2 physical cores and 2 virtual cores. This laptop does have a $750 msrp value, but I wouldn't have paid $750 for it. Many people got them on sale because of a mistake. In any case, this is a solid laptop, although not at the retail price of $750. I think for $750 there are definitely a lot of good laptops out there, but you need to buy with your goals in mind. If you want a gaming laptop, look for a really good video card. What you need varies by what you want to do with the computer.
Pro:
The laptop feels sturdy, the screen has little play in it and stays firmly in place to wherever you open it. It looks sleek, is thin and pretty light at under 6 lbs. A 15.6 inch screen is a nice balance between size and portability, in my opinion. 17.3'' is great but they can weigh a pound or two more as the entire laptop is bigger as a result. 15.6 inches fits in my backback with no problem. Overall I really like the design and build quality of this laptop even if it is plastic. The only aluminum-cased laptops I've ever seen are the macbook pro ones from Apple, and those cost upwards of $1500. If you want a metal or carbon fiber one, get a macbook pro or some other high end model.
This thing is fast. The i5-430M is an excellent chip. You can google benchmarks on it. The i3 is 30-40% faster than a C2D, and the i5 is quite a bit faster than the i3 because of turbo boost technology. It also gives better battery life than the i3 because it has speed step and lower voltage. It's odd that the faster chip gives you better battery life, but that's just another perk.
4GB DDR3 1066mhz (3.68gb usable it says) is excellent. DDR3 is the newest type of RAM and it's still really expensive. The Gateway website says it recognizes 4gb RAM max. It only has 2 RAM slots, so it comes maxed out on RAM. This is fine because adding anything more than 4gb RAM would be pretty much useless for most people. I haven't been able to get this to use much more than 2gb, let alone 4. 4gb RAM is perfect for most people, and since the RAM is already maxed, get a solid state drive if you want a performance boost.
320gb 5400rpm hard drive is plenty of space. Whoever wrote the product description made a mistake because it is a 320gb hard drive. It's roughly 284 usable after having been formatted and with the Gateway Recovery Partition still in place. Many people don't understand that when you buy a 320gb hard drive, you do not get 320gb of space. No, you have not been lied to. Manufacturers use decimal notation (320gb = 3.2 billion)but computers read binary, so it's really about 298gb. You always get slightly less than what the manufacturer says, I believe it's 7% less than what is advertised, so this one holds about 298gb. The Recovery Partition takes up some space as well, so for usable space it's in the 280s unless you get rid of the partition. If you want a 500gb hard drive, they're easy enough to buy online and put in yourself. There are guides online for how to do this; it's very easy to do on this model. You remove a few screws from the bottom panel and you have access to the hard drive and the RAM. To remove the hard drive you take out 2 more screws and then pull the hard drive down to free it, and then you can remove it from the case. A solid state drive would make this ridiculously fast, but they're very expensive right now because they're bleeding edge technology. In a year or two they'll be way cheaper and absolutely worth the money for an upgrade.
The screen looks good. It's a glossy LED-backlit LCD screen. The resolution isn't super high, but this isn't a $2000 laptop. It's 1366 x 768. Most people will want to use the HDMI port to watch blu-ray on their LCD/plasma tv. With a 15.6 inch screen you can still enjoy blu-ray movies even if they aren't on a huge screen. I notice they have a lot of detail, but a small screen really doesn't do blu-ray justice. That's what HDTVs are for. This screen, like all budget laptop screens, suffers from poor viewing angles. I really don't mind this at all, but some people want an awesome screen. If this is a concern to you, be prepared to spend $1500+.
The optical drive will play blu-ray movies and you can use it to burn CDs and DVDs, but not blu-ray discs. No one can distinguish between 720p and 1080p on a screen this size, so it not having a 1080p resolution isn't a dealbreaker for me. While I've noticed that blu-ray movies are much crisper and have more detail than standard DVDs, the difference isn't as significant as viewing a dvd and then a blu-ray movie on my hdtv. This laptop will let you play 1080p on your hdtv via the HDMI port, but you can't actually get the full 1080p experience on the laptop itself because the screen's resolution is not 1920x1080. The 720p/1080p difference only matters on bigger screens and depends on how far away you're sitting from the screen. If you want a 1080p screen, you're going to pay the premium price for one. I think this resolution is fine for both blu-ray and normal tasks. As far as the optical drive goes, you can't burn blu-ray with it. If you are wanting to burn blu-ray movies, I imagine you're going to want to be able to do HD encoding, and for that you really want an i7 quad core desktop setup anyway.
There are tactile buttons up by the screen for mute, volume up, volume down, wireless on, etc. Very cool.
The laptop feels cool to the touch. I had it running for 5 hours and it wasn't even warm on my legs. Update 6-16-10: After using this for several months it still stays very cool. CPU temp usually stays in the mid to high 30s C, peaking around 43C when computer is under light use. This is very cool for a laptop. The hard drive also stays cool, in the low 30s C. I've been able to get the temp up to 83C using Handbrake to encode video to .mkv with h.264. That's the max temp I've achieved.
Windows 7 Home 64 bit is pre-loaded. It's better than Vista.
The computer will not continue to charge if you plug it in and it's already a really high charge, say 96-100%. This is a good thing. It means it won't charge the battery when it's not needed. So it will say "96% plugged in, not charging." What ruined my old laptop battery was overcharging and heat.
Cons:
The keyboard isn't the best ever, but I tend to have low expectations for laptop keyboards. I never buy $2000 laptops, so for the price you can't expect something incredible. I have no problem with this keyboard, though. It has the number pad on the right so you can work with numbers a lot easier. This doesn't have a standard 10-key layout, though. The period is above the number pad instead of between 0 and enter at the bottom. I find this to be annoying, but it's ok. Having a number pad at all is a great feature.
The touch pad is somewhat difficult to work with, but overall it's not that bad once you get used to it. I think all touch pads feel slightly different, so it's something that you have to grow accustomed to. I adjusted the settings to remove the two-finger gestures, tapping and what not, so it works much better than it did when I first turned the laptop on.
Normally there are two buttons, one for left and one for right click. This has a plastic bar where you click on the left or right side. I don't really like it, but for me it's not a deal killer. It took a little getting used to. I think the advantage that it offers is that you won't accidentally right click as much. Otherwise it's an odd bit of engineering. This won't matter if you carry a mouse.
128mb of integrated video memory is good, but not enough to play most modern computer games that need 256, 512 or higher. If you're doing something that's GPU-intensive (photoshop CS4+, playing games like Crysis, etc) this will be something to consider. If you need more video graphics, look elsewhere. Make sure to update the graphics driver on the Intel website. Apparently I can't put a valid link in my review despite it being the correct link to the Intel website. You'll have to do a search for it yourself. On the Intel website under Support you can use their Intel graphics update utility or search for the correct update by selecting the operating system and clicking on drivers to find the new updates. As of 6-16-10 the current driver is 8.15.0010.2119
A 6 cell battery isn't the best. A 9 cell would have been amazing, and it's possible there are 9 cell batteries available for this, but 9 cell batteries are heavier than 6 cell ones, so it's a trade off. It gets a little over 4 hours on the lowest power setting. Make sure to go into advanced power plan options by clicking on the battery icon. You should change the "power saving" plan's advanced options. You'll want to set the CPU to use 0% max while unplugged. It's still enough cpu power to watch streamed video or play blu-ray movies and your battery will last a lot longer on a charge while unplugged if you do this. You can also set the cooling to passive so the fans won't come on; this will give you a little extra battery life as well. Getting over 4 hours on a single charge with a laptop that performs as well as this one is fantastic. It's not a...Read more›

Click Here to see more reviews about: Gateway NV5929u, i5-430m, 4GB DDR3 memory, n-wifi, 6-cell battery, 15.6" laptop computer, Windows 7 64-bit,

Take advantage of this manufacturer label misprint deal! The enclosed computer is a Gateway NV5929u (retail price $749), but labels are incorrect on the package and computer sticker - giving you an extra bargain on the latest technology! All of the above product features, as well as b/g/n wi-fi, 10/100/1000 networking, Multi-in-1 Digital Media Card Reader (Memory StickTM, Memory StickTM Pro, Multi Media CardTM, Secure DigitalTM, xD-Picture CardTM), fax-modem port (RJ-11), built-in webcam, 5.84lbs system weight, Dimensions: 1.02"-1.46" (H) x 14.66" (W) x 10.19" (D), 280GB hard drive 5400 SATA. 4 USB Ports, HDMI out. This one is sure to sell out soon!

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Gigabyte LGA1156 4DDR3-2200 CrossFireX/GBE/Raid/SATA3/USB3.0/7.1-CH ATX Motherboard GA-P55A-UD3 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I've been using this motherboard in a new computer w/ i5-750 and ATI 5750 that I built. I haven't had any stability issues (haven't delved into overclocking) and it worked automagically with Windows 7 and Ubuntu 9.10. There's plenty of room for expansion and the price is right. I don't have any USB3 peripherals so couldn't try it out (it's supported in Linux). If I was building another machine I wouldn't think twice about using this board again.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Gigabyte LGA1156 4DDR3-2200 CrossFireX/GBE/Raid/SATA3/USB3.0/7.1-CH ATX Motherboard GA-P55A-UD3

Gigabyte MB-P55A-U3 Intel Core i7/i5/LGA1156/4DDR3-2200/CrossFireX/GbE/Raid/SATA3/USB3.0/7.1-CH ATX Motherboard

Click here for more information about Gigabyte LGA1156 4DDR3-2200 CrossFireX/GBE/Raid/SATA3/USB3.0/7.1-CH ATX Motherboard GA-P55A-UD3

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Toshiba Satellite T235D-S1345RD 13.3-Inch Notebook PC - Gemini Red Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)My 10" Acer netbook proved too small for me, so I went looking for a full size keyboard and larger screen but without sacrificing long (5-6 hr) battery life and light weight. Nevertheless, I was considering the Dell Inspiron 14" Intel i3 notebook, which has received some great reviews, but it only promises 3 hrs on the battery and will deliver even less as the battery degrades, so I chose this ultrathin Toshiba instead, which also happens to be a bit lighter. I was biased toward an Intel processor, but the AMD chip performs fine for me. Boot to login takes me 45sec and another 15sec for login/full software loading. (If you really want an Intel i3 chip in this model, the new Toshiba T235-S1350 comes with one at a higher cost.) Screen quality is great (with the screen tilted slightly back for best results), and Windows 7 is a big improvement over previous versions, making it easy to set up a home network, connect wireless, connect to a projector, or plug in new devices (drivers are loaded automatically), etc.
I like the keyboard, though if you're going to write your next novel on this notebook, you should test drive it first at a local store to see if you're comfortable with the flat keys. Also, remember, this model stays light by losing the DVD drive, so if this is important to you, either get an external one, or check out a different notebook that includes an optical drive. Does the battery really last 6 hrs as advertised for this model? Maybe in "econo" mode, but in "balanced" power mode I'm getting more like 4 to 5 hrs--it's hard to tell because the indicated time remaining on the battery jumps around depending on the application you're using. Having said that, I'm OK with anything north of 4 1/2 for a notebook this size. Because the front of the notebook slopes down, the mouse buttons are not as ergonomically well placed or as large as in some other Toshiba and Dell models, but because you can tap the mouse pad in lieu of clicking, you can work around this. And the mouse pad allows you to scroll down and sideways, which is great.
As with some other Toshiba models, sound quality is not good, partly because the speakers are located on the bottom of the notebook and partly because the speakers can't effectively reproduce bass notes. (I tried updating the sound drivers to see if that would help, but I appear to already have the latest drivers installed.) By using headphones and setting sound reproduction to the highest sampling rate, however, the sound quality is incredibly good, better than anything else I have at home (mp3 player, stereo, etc.). The cooling fans are placed on the sides and together with a less power hungry processor ensure that this model does not overheat your lap (unlike my niece's earlier Satellite model which can practically bake cookies.) This is also a beautifully designed laptop.
Pros: lightweight, great screen, beautiful design, long battery life, good processing performance and adequate keyboard/screen size. Cons: speakers, mouse buttons, and coming up a little short on advertised battery life. My overall rating is a 4+.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Toshiba Satellite T235D-S1345RD 13.3-Inch Notebook PC - Gemini Red

Get laptop-class size and performance, plus world-class ultrathin mobility, with the Satellite T235 laptop-a sleek, stylish PC that gives you all the unplugged power and freedom you need. Weighing less than four pounds, and measuring just an inch thin, this easy traveler is a cinch to carry. Yet it offers a 13.3" diagonal HD TruBrite widescreen LED display-well-sized for multitasking, work or play. Plus, it has the horsepower to handle the day\'s tasks or evening\'s entertainment, along with a great communications package to keep you effective and in touch. It also comes with a choice of processors. AMD Neo processors offer tremendous multimedia capabilities. And energy-efficient Intel Pentium processors are ideal for digital entertainment lovers who demand a richer Web experience, but expect an exceptional battery life rating too. The Satellite T235 laptop also stands out when it comes to convenience, thanks to features like a comfortable raised tile keyboard, fast resume, built-in HDMI port and Toshiba productivity apps, like USB Sleep and Charge. Add premium styling with a Fusion Chrome Finish, and you\'ve got a machine with a design, and a reputation, that really gets around.

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HP Pavilion DV4-2160US 14.1-Inch Laptop (Digital Plaid) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I looked for like a month before I bought this laptop (not sure what the difference is from the laptop on this page other than the color scheme).
Pros:
14" screen.
It has an impressive amount of features, including the intel i5-430 processor. I've had it less than a week, so we'll see how it holds up.
Fast
No problems with stuck-on pixels.
Nice keyboard. The DV4 has a full sized keyboard with full sized arrow keys. It actually has LEDs next to the Caps Lock and Num Lock keys. The num lock feature almost made me re-install the OS because I didn't realize it was on, and I couldn't log in. I had just used the windows easy transfer, and rebooted, and I was unable to log in. Lessons learned here: make sure you make a password reset disk, and make sure you make a second account just in case your first one gets locked out for some reason. Also burn your DVDs for system restore.
LED backlight for battery conservation.
Looks cool. The volume control and WiFi on/off switch above the keyboard are more of a proximity sensor, and are cool.
Comes with windows 7 home premium.
Wireless works well.

Cons:
The far right corner is dim, about a square centimeter area right in the corner. If I move my head to look directly at it, it's not very dim. You might not even notice unless you move the task bar like I do.
The screen is glossy. All laptops have glossy screens except for a few Dell business laptops. HP might have one too that you can special order.
The hard drive is a little noisy (but I believe any noise is too much), and a little warm. The fan spins constantly, but you can turn it off in the BIOS (it still cycles when it needs to).
Other:
The touchpad seems like it has a lot of friction at first, but it got better, and if I use the tip of my finger with light pressure it glides just fine. The touchpad screen scroll feature works well. Has a button to turn off the touchpad if you don't want to use it.


Click Here to see more reviews about: HP Pavilion DV4-2160US 14.1-Inch Laptop (Digital Plaid)

For those who want an all-in-one performance notebook with rich multimedia features, the HP Pavilion dv4 Entertainment series delivers mobile performance that looks as great as it runs. Powered by the latest processor and graphics technologies, it delivers optimal mobile performance to support your lifestyle.

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ASUS K52JK-A1 15.6-Inch Versatile Entertainment Laptop (Dark Brown) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have been using it for a few days now. I love Windows 7 (coming from XP) and the laptop overall. It's very quick with Matlab, Word, and whatnot. I will try to keep it free of crappy software and I hope it lasts a long time.
Construction is plastic, but is solid. There is some keyboard flex in the S,D,E key neighborhood. The arrow keys are a bit small and weirdly positioned, the right shift is smaller than the left shift. There is a number keypad, which is nice, but I don't use it. The screen is pretty and glossy (could be good or bad thing, depending on what you do). The webcam works well, but it's only VGA. Speakers are decent, given that it's a laptop, but my definition of decent may differ from yours.
One of the cheapest laptops out there with Core i5 and 1Gb of dedicated video memory + 4Gb RAM + 500Gb drive. It's not compact, but it's not bulky either. Beats the hell out of my old Toshiba Satellite A15 that I had in college. Laptops have come a long way in the past few years.
I hope this helps.

Click Here to see more reviews about: ASUS K52JK-A1 15.6-Inch Versatile Entertainment Laptop (Dark Brown)

The 15.6-inch, HD-ready K52JK-A1 notebook is an all-around performer by ASUS. This versatile notebook has been engineered with a scratch-resistant Infusion design that\'s slim and light so it stays looking new day after day.Even with its compact style, the K52JK-A1 now gives you more battery life than ever before with the ASUS exclusive intelligent ASUS Power4 Gear utility and delivers a whole new level of multitasking performance powered by the Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost Technology.With its brilliant 15.6-inch HD widescreen driven by an HD-ready ATI Mobility Radeon HD5145 graphics processor, you can indulge in primetime entertainment with crystal clear visuals and HD cinema.Plus, you get on-the-go comfort with a multi-touch trackpad and a full-size chiclet keyboard with numeric keypad for easy input. With the 64-bit version of the Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium operating system pre-installed, you'll be able to easily share all of your favorite photos, videos, and music. And now you can experience FastBoot Technology; the unique performance boost for Windows 7 made possible by ASUS's close partnership with Microsoft. WithFastBoot Technology, this Windows 7-enabled ASUS notebook starts up in a staggering 30 seconds. The K52JK-A1 also boasts a smudge-resistant palm rest with ASUS Palm-proof technology, 4GB DDR3 system RAM, built-in webcam and digital microphone, a spacious 5000GB hard drive, high-speed wireless N connectivity, and a host of other convenient features that all add up to an incredible value for an enhanced user experience.


Key Features

Vivid 15.6-inch HD LED-backlit Color-Shine widescreen for an immersive cinematic experience (Learn more)
HD entertainment ready with ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5145 graphics processor
New Intel Core i5-430M processor with Turbo Boost for smart multitasking performance (Learn more)
High-speed wireless N networking (802.11 b/g/n @ 2.4GHz)
500GB hard drive for fast, convenient storage and access to all your documents, music, videos, and photos
4GB of advanced DDR3 RAM brings increased performance at lower power outputs
Spacious and cool-to-the-touch palm rest with ASUS Palm-proof technology (Learn more)
Chiclet keyboard with numeric keypad for increased typing precision(Learn more)
Multi-touch trackpad lets you intuitively navigate through web pages, documents, and pictures (Learn more)
HDMI high-definition audio/video output allows a single cable to transmit uncompressed high-definition video to your digital TV or LCD
64-bit Windows 7 Home Premium for a faster and more reliable operating system
2 year global warranty and 1 year Accidental Damage Warranty

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Media-centric Features
Comfort and Control Included
Head-turning Style and Convenient Portability
Get Ready for the Next Generation of Intel Processors
Connectivity, Communication, and Storage On The Move
ASUS Makes Your Windows 7 Experience Better
Complete Customer Care Package
Accidents Happen
What's in the Box The entire ASUS K52JK-A1 package contains a warranty information card, notebook, and 6-cell battery pack
K52JK-A1
AC Adapter
6-cell Battery Pack
Warranty Information Card
Specifications
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
Display: 15.6-inch HD LED-backlit Color-Shine Widescreen (1366 x 768)
CPU: Intel Core i5-430M processor (2.26Ghz to 2.52Ghz with Turbo Boost)
Video: ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5145 with 1GB DDR3 VRAM
Wireless: 802.11 b/g/n (@ 2.4GHz)
LAN:10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet
Memory: 4GB DDR3, 2 x SODIMM Sockets
Storage: 500GB 7,200RPM hard drive
Optical Disc Drive: DVD Super Multi Double Layer Drive
Camera: 0.3 Megapixel
Speakers: Altec Lansing speakers
Microphone: Digital Microphone
Card Reader: : MMC, SD/SDHC, MS, MS Pro
Input/Output: 1 x Mic-in, 1 x Headphone-out, 1 x VGA port/Mini D-Sub 15-pin for external monitor, 3 x USB 2.0 ports, 1 x HDMI
Battery Pack: 6 Cell
Dimensions: 15.2 x 10.2 x 1.4 –inches (W x D x H)
Weight: 5.8 pounds (with 6-cell battery)
Color: Brown † Internet access required. Free TV content varies by geography. Some content may require additional fees. 1Rates 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/ ). 2For 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. 3One 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 images. 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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