Acer Aspire ES1-511-C59V 15.6-Inch Laptop (Diamond Black)

CUSTOMER REVIEW



Okay, I just gotta unleash a quick rant based on a few reviews I read on here about this PC:



Be a responsible buyer and READ the description of what's included to make sure you're buying something you really want. Too many complain about "oh, this didn't come with so-and-so, I'm so pissed off". If you read the info about the item, you probably wouldn't have a problem. That's why the seller takes the time to post what you need to know. Second, if you want a laptop that performs like a $10,000 laptop, then go out and BUY a $10,000 laptop rather than buying one for $250 and complaining about it for being cheap in reviews. I mean, common sense seems to be a lost skill in our society, it's a shame.



Now I feel better...moving on to my review!



I'm a college student and was looking for a cheap laptop to help me with school as well as other casual things like watching videos, emailing, and watching Netflix. I just received this recently and I'm already in love with it! The laptop is very lightweight and the perfect size. It's my first time using Windows 8 after years of using XP and Windows 7 so I'm still getting a feel for the software. All I needed was a computer that could handle my daily activities online, nothing fancy or overpriced and this Acer fits all my needs. You can't beat a laptop for under $250, it's a great deal!



A few quick things: There is only one numerical pad at the top, none on the side of the letters like other computers. There's also no CD drive so you'll have to buy an external drive, use a flash drive, or download certain programs you need. Other than that, this laptop is perfect and I'm glad I got it. If you need a standard entry-level laptop for casual to moderate use, you can't go wrong with this one.



BIG TIP as of 8/2/2014: I found a way to make the tiny sound speakers sound better! Go to the audio icon in the right-hand corner. LEFT-CLICK and go to PLAYBACK DEVICES. LEFT-CLICK on SPEAKERS and click on PROPERTIES. Go to ENHANCEMENTS tab and click box next to LOUDNESS EQUALIZATION. That should make the laptop sound much louder and fuller. Enjoy!



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Toshiba Satellite C55-B5298 15.6-Inch Laptop

CUSTOMER REVIEW



I just received this laptop and here are my initial impressions:



The laptop is super thin. It is pretty close to MacBook Pro territory in terms of thinness. One inch is the sweet spot for laptop thinness in my point of view.



I was comparing this laptop to similarly priced Chromebooks and a similarly priced Dell Inspiron. The advantage over Chromebooks is obvious when you look at the specs. With this laptop you get two USB2 ports and 1 USB3 port. You get a larger screen at 15.6 inches. You get a full size hard drive at 500GB and a full size keyboard. The bottom line is that you get a full computer. I own a Samsung Chromebook and this laptop is better in every regard, except perhaps size and weight.



The advantage of this over the Dell Inspiron is the location of the speaker grills, USB 3.0, and the inclusion of a VGA port and an ethernet jack. As a part-time instructor, the inclusion of a VGA port is very important since I need to plug into a projector that uses VGA.



I purchased a Toshiba Satellite about 8 years ago for my wife. Over time, the power adapter port broke inside the laptop. The power adapter port inside that laptop was a barrel. The power cable and the barrel inside the laptop plug into each other. Somehow the barrel inside her old Toshiba broke off its mount points inside the laptop. Perhaps it was stress on the cable, since it sticks out quite far from the laptop when plugged in. It still works, but it is dangling inside, making the process of plugging it in more difficult. Additionally, the left mouse button broke on her old Toshiba.



Why do I mention this? I mention this because this laptop has the same barrel-style plug. The mouse buttons also feel very similar to her old Toshiba. They even have the same hollow clicking sound as her old laptop. I am afraid this laptop may exhibit the same issues over time. I recommend taking good care of this laptop to hopefully avoid these issues.



The keyboard of this laptop is super low profile. It looks great, but there is practically no movement of the keys. While this is an exaggeration, there is some truth to it too, because these keys are amazingly flat and short. I get the impression that these keys can't take a beating. I am used to Lenovo Thinkpad keyboards at the office and a Thinkpad SL510 at home, just so you know what I am comparing this laptop's keyboard to.



It feels well-built and solid, despite my past history with my wife's Toshiba as described above. Only time will tell if the power plug, keyboard, and mouse buttons hold up to use.



The design style of this laptop is nice. I like the textured look and the black color. The sculpted lines of the sides of this laptop are attractive as well.



I have been using Windows 8 since the beta test, and I still find it awkward. This laptop did not come with a restore CD, so I suspect there is a restore partition, like most PCs.



The Celeron inside is not fast at all, but is good enough. I suspect the additional software bloat, like the included 30 day antivirus package is weighing its performance down. I will probably uninstall the software and just use the Microsoft antivirus that is built into Windows 8.



On Geekbench, this laptop scored 991 single core and 1701 multicore on the 64-bit benchmarks. On the 32-bit benchmarks, it scored 870 single core and 1367 multicore. These scores are lower than my Thinkpad SL510 with a Core2Duo chip inside from a couple of years ago (64-bit: 1184/1939 and 32-bit: 1094/1846). Then again, I paid three times as much for that laptop.



This laptop is good for its price. I'd say that price is its leading feature. For its price, you get a full size, fully capable PC laptop that can handle day to day tasks. I'd recommend this over a Chromebook for sure.



If I had to sum this up in one sentence, it is amazing how much computing power is included for the price.



As I use this more I will provide further updates.



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Acer C720 Chromebook (11.6-Inch, 2GB)

CUSTOMER REVIEW



I have an Acer C720 ($199) and an Acer C720P ($299) and both are amazing machines. If you dont mind plunking down the extra $100 for the touchscreen then go for it but really you will do fine without it and save yourself $100 especially if you are buying these as gifts like I did for others in my family.



Here is a list of the APPS I use on both and it runs them fast and flawlessly:

Facebook, Gmail, Google Drive, Google Docs, Chrome Remote Desktop (flawlessly connects to my Windows 7 laptop and I can run any windows program remotely with ease and flawlessly connects to my Office Desktop and I can access all my office records which is key since i am a family doc), Google Cloud Print (easily prints documents to all the printers i have set up), MyBible, Kindle, Twitter, Hootsuite, Weatherbug, Netflix, Pandora, YouTube, Google+ photos (automatically puts all my photos taken on my Iphone over to my chromebook), RUNS ALL WEBSITES INCLUDING BANKING WEBSITES and my mobile hospital app FLAWLESSLY WITH CHROME (including adobe flash player sites which my Ipad and Iphone still wont run)



The only CONS i can find so far are no SKYPE app.....If you want to do video calls then need to use GOOGLE HANGOUTS which is much less intuitive than skype....and you CANNOT hook a printer directly to a chromebook but you can use google cloud print to print easily...needs wifi connection to do most things (this is really not a problem for me as i am always connected and they have developed a number of apps that work when not connected including document writer and email offline



Battery Life Amazing! almost 8hrs of use!

Touchscreen good but not like an Ipad (can't use your fingers to zoom in with pinch)

Touchpad very good! (and really dont need the touchscreen because touchpad works so good)

Keyboard very solid,

Can use any wireless mouse with it. (Ipad still cant utilize a mouse)

Screen brightness great.

Sound adequate but a bit tinny

USB port charges devices and can use flash drives to move and transfer files (another thing I still cant do with my Ipad)

2 years free of 100GB Google Drive (this saves you $120 right there)

12 free wifi passes while on planes (i dont fly much but still a nice convenience and saves you the $10 or so connection fee)

Free virus protection



All in all a great economical way to access the internet with ease and lightning speed and do 95% of what most people use a personal computer for this day and age.



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ASUS Transformer Book T100TA-C1-GR(S) 10.1" Detachable 2-in-1 Touchscreen Laptop, 64GB (Grey)

CUSTOMER REVIEW



I've been using this for about 2-1/2 months and like it. I've had no prior experience using touch-screen commands but had very little difficulty adjusting. Other comments you've read including battery life are accurate from my experience. Be aware there are limitations: Only one USB port; no camera a la iPad; very small key pad especially if you've got large hands and are used to full size keyboards; 32GB pad is really too small for heavy usage.



Confirming other's comments plus some of my own:

1. Do purchase 64GB pad even though it costs extra.

2. Immediately set updates for manual selection vs automatic.

3. I've left keypad "as-is" and have been very satisfied with default settings.

4. I immediately set-up Firefox as default browser (with ixQuick HTTPS overlay for security).

5. I immediately set-up Classic-Shell overlay to maintain Win-7 versatility. (Installed easily and works fine).

6. I immediately added Glary Utilities; CCleaner; MalwareBytes; and a few others I use regularly - no problems.

7. I immediately added a Logitech mouse simply because I prefer it to a keypad for daily usage.

8. Consider buying/using a USB dock due to the single USB port provided in the keyboard. (You won't need separate power supply since the keyboard USB port will automatically power the external dock).

9. There are a bunch of aps installed that I don't use or want (social media, et Al) but I've not yet deleted. I'm guessing I'd free up more space on my limited 32GB pad since I made the mistake of not ordering the 64GB version.

10. I've downloaded programs directly and I've transfered programs/data via thumb drive; all with no problems.

11. The system works simultaneously with mouse and touch-screen commands both activated at the same time.

12. Be aware there is no CD drive (or DVD drive). Not a problem since you can add with a portable USB connector. Mine works fine for both the CD/DVD drive and the older 3-1/2" floppy drive (guess I just really dated myself).



Hope this helps you with your eval. I would have liked to have known much of this prior to my purchase. The single change I would have made in my order would have been to upgrade to the 64GB pad.



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Apple MacBook Air MD760LL/B 13.3-Inch Laptop (NEWEST VERSION)

CUSTOMER REVIEW



If you're looking to buy a macbook to use as a desktop replacement, or to use as your primary computer, then the Macbook Pro may be a better choice due to it's faster CPU, slightly stronger GPU, and retina display.



If you are looking for a laptop that you will be using primarily for traveling, or on the go (library, coffee shop, flights), then look no further than the Macbook Air.



It's what you'd expect in this model. It's very sleek, light, and portable. It runs very quiet. The price is significantly lower than the Pro, and the battery life is excellent. Considering the tasks that most people will be running on the Air, it's performance will be more than plenty for most people. The Core i5 and the HD5000 GPU can handle gaming surprisingly well. And normal tasks like web browsing, iLife applications, and movies, music, and web, will run very quickly and smooth.



The 11" is a nice choice as it gives you better mobility, and fits better into small spaces, like the food tray on a coach seat. However, battery life is shorter. But unless you intend to use it non stop on a 12 hour flight, the 9 hour battery will last you for most any situation. The 11" model also puts the laptop in a price range that gives it a great value that macs are typically not associated with.



Startup and shutdown time is very snappy as you'd expect with the mac. The keyboard is very brisk, and I find that my typing is the most fast and accurate than on PC laptop keyboards. The trackpad is very large, has a glass surface, and it has lots of gestures (all useful and practical), and it is a joy to use, unlike the small, plastic, unresponsive trackpads that other laptops have.



Apples standard 1 year warranty is the best in the industry. Especially when its augmented with your local Apple store and genius bar, and especially if you decide to purchase AppleCare. Unlike other brands where you only have a 15 day store warranty, and any issues for the next 11.5 months require an RMA claim, and shipping your system to the manufacturer which can take a month. Or for less serious issues, long calls to indian call centers where you are transferred a dozen times, put on hold for long periods of time, and are put through lengthy warranty validation processes.



For this latest iteration, the hardware has been bumped up, and the price has been reduced $100 which makes it a great value. This helps to offset the non retina display.



However, not all is perfect. I have to deduct one star because of one major caveat. The macbook's RAM is soldered to the motherboard. This means that you cannot upgrade the RAM in the future. RAM upgrades are simple, easy to do, and play a major part in extending the lifespan of your computer. RAM requirements go up faster than CPU and Disk Space needs, because richer content requires more RAM. I have an iMac from 2008 that I still use today thanks to the fact that I was able to double the RAM. If it was not possible, I would have had to sell it on eBay several years ago.My advice is to spring for the extra RAM now if you plan to own this laptop for more than 4 years.



What I enjoy about the macbook is they are good to go as soon as you take it out of its box. You don't have to spend hours uninstalling two dozen junkware programs that came installed on your system that are taking up valuable space. You don't have to run registry utilities to clean up after that. Nor do you have to install anti virus scanners and malware and adware removers. You don't need to download and install 96 critical updates in order to patch all the security holes in the operating system, just to keep it safe and afloat.



There's no bios to worry about, no blue screens of death, no driver conflicts, and freezing and crashing is extremely rare, instead of a common occurrence it is with PC's. Macs tend to retain their optimal performance, and you won't find the need to defrag your drive every 6 months, and format and reinstall the OS every year to combat performance degradation as I always had to do with my PC desktops and laptops.



OSX is Unix based, which is very solid and stable. It's the same platform that mission critical enterprise servers use in corporate data centers. Windows is based on DOS, which is less stable and robust, and more prone to security issues. I have also become frustrated by the design choices in Windows 10, like the removal of the start menu, and the way it is designed to be used with a touch screen as if it's an operating system for a tablet. Even with high end touch screen laptops, I did not use these touch screen features.



Another perk is that the whole iLife suit is included for free. And much like iOS, the OSX App Store has great new software that is either free or low cost, coming out every week, giving more incentive to use this platform.



So basically, if you want a macbook that is the best for traveling, and has the best value, this should be your first choice.



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ASUS 15.6-Inch HD Dual-Core 2.16GHz Laptop, 500GB and Optical Drive

CUSTOMER REVIEW



This is a nice budget laptop for students and/or people just looking for something to do basic computer tasks. I'm a student, and although I already have a nice custom-built desktop computer that I do most of my work on, I felt like I would benefit from having something portable to have in-class or while hanging out on campus.



This is, obviously, not a laptop for gaming. Out of curiosity I installed Skyrim on it and surprisingly it did run the game on low settings (albeit not with ideal fps) and it ran Minecraft fairly well (minor stuttering from time to time--but still definitely playable). If you're buying a laptop with the intention of gaming or any other intensive computer tasks I would highly recommend you look into the $500+ price range for a laptop with more capable specs.



In my case, it runs all the programs I needed it for: Visual Studio 2013, Eclipse, and other IDE's run perfectly fine. Word and other Office 2013 programs run perfectly fine. Browsing the internet with Chrome is perfect. Streaming HD video or playing a 1080p movie file is perfect. Unity3D (a game engine) and Blender (3d animation software) run acceptably. For $250 I really can't ask for anything more.



Pros:



Price: $250 for a brand new full featured Windows 8.1 laptop is insane. I would recommend one of these over a similarly priced Chromebook any day.



Extremely lightweight: I was surprised when I took it out of the box at how little it weighed for the size--very easy to carry.



Quiet and stays really cool: Even while testing out the gaming I didn't notice any sound from fans and even after using it for a while it didn't feel warm at all.



Nice design: Not a flashy laptop, just clean and non-descript aesthetics. Doesn't look like a high-end laptop but also doesn't look like a budget one. I like the textured matte plastic on the back. Screen hinge feels solid with not much play.



No optical drive: I know for some this is a con--but I can't even remember the last time I used a CD/DVD and would much rather have the savings on weight, power consumption, and cost. If you need to format and reinstall the OS or something just make a bootable USB stick (very easy to do).



Nice screen: The screen is bright with decent contrast and a 1366x768 resolution that's pretty much the standard for this size of laptop (at least until you get to the $600+ price range). I don't think it is LED backlit but it does its job well.



Nice keyboard with a number pad: If you're doing office work or programming it's pretty much essential to have a keyboard with a num pad. The keyboard as a whole is decent, no complaints except there's just the tiniest bit of rattling noise when tapping away. The trackpad is offset so that your hands don't rest on it when typing in a normal position.



Cons:



Not upgrade friendly: There's no easy way to access the RAM, HDD, or even the battery. Although I really didn't have any intention of upgrading it so it's not a huge deal. This laptop is what it is and the slow-ish processor with low-end integrated graphics will always be this computer's bottleneck. If I need a faster laptop I'd rather just save the upgrade money to buy a new laptop.



Power cord input is very snug: I guess this could be a pro, but where the power cord plugs into the laptop is so snug and secure that if you (or a pet) tripped over the cord it would certainly pull the laptop off the table before it came out. Makes me a little wary.



No light for caps-lock or num-lock: It has a power/charging light and an HDD activity light on the front and that's it. Wish it had an indication light for caps lock and num lock. Also, it sometimes doesn't seem to remember if num-lock is on when waking up from sleep etc. I find myself having to reactivate num-lock even though I'm positive I didn't deactivate it.



Trackpad buttons: The left-click and right-click on the trackpad are a little hard to press for my taste and they are kind of noisy. Using the Asus Smart-gesture or whatever it's called makes it where you can just tap/double tap (or tap with both fingers to right-click) the trackpad to avoid using the buttons at all which seems like a better alternative.



All in all it's a decent and capable budget-friendly laptop with only a few minor gripes. I would definitely recommend it.



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Toshiba Satellite C55-B5298 15.6-Inch Laptop

CUSTOMER REVIEW



I just received this laptop and here are my initial impressions:



The laptop is super thin. It is pretty close to MacBook Pro territory in terms of thinness. One inch is the sweet spot for laptop thinness in my point of view.



I was comparing this laptop to similarly priced Chromebooks and a similarly priced Dell Inspiron. The advantage over Chromebooks is obvious when you look at the specs. With this laptop you get two USB2 ports and 1 USB3 port. You get a larger screen at 15.6 inches. You get a full size hard drive at 500GB and a full size keyboard. The bottom line is that you get a full computer. I own a Samsung Chromebook and this laptop is better in every regard, except perhaps size and weight.



The advantage of this over the Dell Inspiron is the location of the speaker grills, USB 3.0, and the inclusion of a VGA port and an ethernet jack. As a part-time instructor, the inclusion of a VGA port is very important since I need to plug into a projector that uses VGA.



I purchased a Toshiba Satellite about 8 years ago for my wife. Over time, the power adapter port broke inside the laptop. The power adapter port inside that laptop was a barrel. The power cable and the barrel inside the laptop plug into each other. Somehow the barrel inside her old Toshiba broke off its mount points inside the laptop. Perhaps it was stress on the cable, since it sticks out quite far from the laptop when plugged in. It still works, but it is dangling inside, making the process of plugging it in more difficult. Additionally, the left mouse button broke on her old Toshiba.



Why do I mention this? I mention this because this laptop has the same barrel-style plug. The mouse buttons also feel very similar to her old Toshiba. They even have the same hollow clicking sound as her old laptop. I am afraid this laptop may exhibit the same issues over time. I recommend taking good care of this laptop to hopefully avoid these issues.



The keyboard of this laptop is super low profile. It looks great, but there is practically no movement of the keys. While this is an exaggeration, there is some truth to it too, because these keys are amazingly flat and short. I get the impression that these keys can't take a beating. I am used to Lenovo Thinkpad keyboards at the office and a Thinkpad SL510 at home, just so you know what I am comparing this laptop's keyboard to.



It feels well-built and solid, despite my past history with my wife's Toshiba as described above. Only time will tell if the power plug, keyboard, and mouse buttons hold up to use.



The design style of this laptop is nice. I like the textured look and the black color. The sculpted lines of the sides of this laptop are attractive as well.



I have been using Windows 8 since the beta test, and I still find it awkward. This laptop did not come with a restore CD, so I suspect there is a restore partition, like most PCs.



The Celeron inside is not fast at all, but is good enough. I suspect the additional software bloat, like the included 30 day antivirus package is weighing its performance down. I will probably uninstall the software and just use the Microsoft antivirus that is built into Windows 8.



On Geekbench, this laptop scored 991 single core and 1701 multicore on the 64-bit benchmarks. On the 32-bit benchmarks, it scored 870 single core and 1367 multicore. These scores are lower than my Thinkpad SL510 with a Core2Duo chip inside from a couple of years ago (64-bit: 1184/1939 and 32-bit: 1094/1846). Then again, I paid three times as much for that laptop.



This laptop is good for its price. I'd say that price is its leading feature. For its price, you get a full size, fully capable PC laptop that can handle day to day tasks. I'd recommend this over a Chromebook for sure.



If I had to sum this up in one sentence, it is amazing how much computing power is included for the price.



As I use this more I will provide further updates.



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ASUS 15.6-Inch HD Dual-Core 2.16GHz Laptop, 500GB and Optical Drive

CUSTOMER REVIEW



This is a nice budget laptop for students and/or people just looking for something to do basic computer tasks. I'm a student, and although I already have a nice custom-built desktop computer that I do most of my work on, I felt like I would benefit from having something portable to have in-class or while hanging out on campus.



This is, obviously, not a laptop for gaming. Out of curiosity I installed Skyrim on it and surprisingly it did run the game on low settings (albeit not with ideal fps) and it ran Minecraft fairly well (minor stuttering from time to time--but still definitely playable). If you're buying a laptop with the intention of gaming or any other intensive computer tasks I would highly recommend you look into the $500+ price range for a laptop with more capable specs.



In my case, it runs all the programs I needed it for: Visual Studio 2013, Eclipse, and other IDE's run perfectly fine. Word and other Office 2013 programs run perfectly fine. Browsing the internet with Chrome is perfect. Streaming HD video or playing a 1080p movie file is perfect. Unity3D (a game engine) and Blender (3d animation software) run acceptably. For $250 I really can't ask for anything more.



Pros:



Price: $250 for a brand new full featured Windows 8.1 laptop is insane. I would recommend one of these over a similarly priced Chromebook any day.



Extremely lightweight: I was surprised when I took it out of the box at how little it weighed for the size--very easy to carry.



Quiet and stays really cool: Even while testing out the gaming I didn't notice any sound from fans and even after using it for a while it didn't feel warm at all.



Nice design: Not a flashy laptop, just clean and non-descript aesthetics. Doesn't look like a high-end laptop but also doesn't look like a budget one. I like the textured matte plastic on the back. Screen hinge feels solid with not much play.



No optical drive: I know for some this is a con--but I can't even remember the last time I used a CD/DVD and would much rather have the savings on weight, power consumption, and cost. If you need to format and reinstall the OS or something just make a bootable USB stick (very easy to do).



Nice screen: The screen is bright with decent contrast and a 1366x768 resolution that's pretty much the standard for this size of laptop (at least until you get to the $600+ price range). I don't think it is LED backlit but it does its job well.



Nice keyboard with a number pad: If you're doing office work or programming it's pretty much essential to have a keyboard with a num pad. The keyboard as a whole is decent, no complaints except there's just the tiniest bit of rattling noise when tapping away. The trackpad is offset so that your hands don't rest on it when typing in a normal position.



Cons:



Not upgrade friendly: There's no easy way to access the RAM, HDD, or even the battery. Although I really didn't have any intention of upgrading it so it's not a huge deal. This laptop is what it is and the slow-ish processor with low-end integrated graphics will always be this computer's bottleneck. If I need a faster laptop I'd rather just save the upgrade money to buy a new laptop.



Power cord input is very snug: I guess this could be a pro, but where the power cord plugs into the laptop is so snug and secure that if you (or a pet) tripped over the cord it would certainly pull the laptop off the table before it came out. Makes me a little wary.



No light for caps-lock or num-lock: It has a power/charging light and an HDD activity light on the front and that's it. Wish it had an indication light for caps lock and num lock. Also, it sometimes doesn't seem to remember if num-lock is on when waking up from sleep etc. I find myself having to reactivate num-lock even though I'm positive I didn't deactivate it.



Trackpad buttons: The left-click and right-click on the trackpad are a little hard to press for my taste and they are kind of noisy. Using the Asus Smart-gesture or whatever it's called makes it where you can just tap/double tap (or tap with both fingers to right-click) the trackpad to avoid using the buttons at all which seems like a better alternative.



All in all it's a decent and capable budget-friendly laptop with only a few minor gripes. I would definitely recommend it.



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Apple MacBook Air MD760LL/B 13.3-Inch Laptop (NEWEST VERSION)

CUSTOMER REVIEW



If you're looking to buy a macbook to use as a desktop replacement, or to use as your primary computer, then the Macbook Pro may be a better choice due to it's faster CPU, slightly stronger GPU, and retina display.



If you are looking for a laptop that you will be using primarily for traveling, or on the go (library, coffee shop, flights), then look no further than the Macbook Air.



It's what you'd expect in this model. It's very sleek, light, and portable. It runs very quiet. The price is significantly lower than the Pro, and the battery life is excellent. Considering the tasks that most people will be running on the Air, it's performance will be more than plenty for most people. The Core i5 and the HD5000 GPU can handle gaming surprisingly well. And normal tasks like web browsing, iLife applications, and movies, music, and web, will run very quickly and smooth.



The 11" is a nice choice as it gives you better mobility, and fits better into small spaces, like the food tray on a coach seat. However, battery life is shorter. But unless you intend to use it non stop on a 12 hour flight, the 9 hour battery will last you for most any situation. The 11" model also puts the laptop in a price range that gives it a great value that macs are typically not associated with.



Startup and shutdown time is very snappy as you'd expect with the mac. The keyboard is very brisk, and I find that my typing is the most fast and accurate than on PC laptop keyboards. The trackpad is very large, has a glass surface, and it has lots of gestures (all useful and practical), and it is a joy to use, unlike the small, plastic, unresponsive trackpads that other laptops have.



Apples standard 1 year warranty is the best in the industry. Especially when its augmented with your local Apple store and genius bar, and especially if you decide to purchase AppleCare. Unlike other brands where you only have a 15 day store warranty, and any issues for the next 11.5 months require an RMA claim, and shipping your system to the manufacturer which can take a month. Or for less serious issues, long calls to indian call centers where you are transferred a dozen times, put on hold for long periods of time, and are put through lengthy warranty validation processes.



For this latest iteration, the hardware has been bumped up, and the price has been reduced $100 which makes it a great value. This helps to offset the non retina display.



However, not all is perfect. I have to deduct one star because of one major caveat. The macbook's RAM is soldered to the motherboard. This means that you cannot upgrade the RAM in the future. RAM upgrades are simple, easy to do, and play a major part in extending the lifespan of your computer. RAM requirements go up faster than CPU and Disk Space needs, because richer content requires more RAM. I have an iMac from 2008 that I still use today thanks to the fact that I was able to double the RAM. If it was not possible, I would have had to sell it on eBay several years ago.My advice is to spring for the extra RAM now if you plan to own this laptop for more than 4 years.



What I enjoy about the macbook is they are good to go as soon as you take it out of its box. You don't have to spend hours uninstalling two dozen junkware programs that came installed on your system that are taking up valuable space. You don't have to run registry utilities to clean up after that. Nor do you have to install anti virus scanners and malware and adware removers. You don't need to download and install 96 critical updates in order to patch all the security holes in the operating system, just to keep it safe and afloat.



There's no bios to worry about, no blue screens of death, no driver conflicts, and freezing and crashing is extremely rare, instead of a common occurrence it is with PC's. Macs tend to retain their optimal performance, and you won't find the need to defrag your drive every 6 months, and format and reinstall the OS every year to combat performance degradation as I always had to do with my PC desktops and laptops.



OSX is Unix based, which is very solid and stable. It's the same platform that mission critical enterprise servers use in corporate data centers. Windows is based on DOS, which is less stable and robust, and more prone to security issues. I have also become frustrated by the design choices in Windows 10, like the removal of the start menu, and the way it is designed to be used with a touch screen as if it's an operating system for a tablet. Even with high end touch screen laptops, I did not use these touch screen features.



Another perk is that the whole iLife suit is included for free. And much like iOS, the OSX App Store has great new software that is either free or low cost, coming out every week, giving more incentive to use this platform.



So basically, if you want a macbook that is the best for traveling, and has the best value, this should be your first choice.



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ASUS 15.6-Inch HD Dual-Core 2.16GHz Laptop, 500GB and Optical Drive

CUSTOMER REVIEW



This is a nice budget laptop for students and/or people just looking for something to do basic computer tasks. I'm a student, and although I already have a nice custom-built desktop computer that I do most of my work on, I felt like I would benefit from having something portable to have in-class or while hanging out on campus.



This is, obviously, not a laptop for gaming. Out of curiosity I installed Skyrim on it and surprisingly it did run the game on low settings (albeit not with ideal fps) and it ran Minecraft fairly well (minor stuttering from time to time--but still definitely playable). If you're buying a laptop with the intention of gaming or any other intensive computer tasks I would highly recommend you look into the $500+ price range for a laptop with more capable specs.



In my case, it runs all the programs I needed it for: Visual Studio 2013, Eclipse, and other IDE's run perfectly fine. Word and other Office 2013 programs run perfectly fine. Browsing the internet with Chrome is perfect. Streaming HD video or playing a 1080p movie file is perfect. Unity3D (a game engine) and Blender (3d animation software) run acceptably. For $250 I really can't ask for anything more.



Pros:



Price: $250 for a brand new full featured Windows 8.1 laptop is insane. I would recommend one of these over a similarly priced Chromebook any day.



Extremely lightweight: I was surprised when I took it out of the box at how little it weighed for the size--very easy to carry.



Quiet and stays really cool: Even while testing out the gaming I didn't notice any sound from fans and even after using it for a while it didn't feel warm at all.



Nice design: Not a flashy laptop, just clean and non-descript aesthetics. Doesn't look like a high-end laptop but also doesn't look like a budget one. I like the textured matte plastic on the back. Screen hinge feels solid with not much play.



No optical drive: I know for some this is a con--but I can't even remember the last time I used a CD/DVD and would much rather have the savings on weight, power consumption, and cost. If you need to format and reinstall the OS or something just make a bootable USB stick (very easy to do).



Nice screen: The screen is bright with decent contrast and a 1366x768 resolution that's pretty much the standard for this size of laptop (at least until you get to the $600+ price range). I don't think it is LED backlit but it does its job well.



Nice keyboard with a number pad: If you're doing office work or programming it's pretty much essential to have a keyboard with a num pad. The keyboard as a whole is decent, no complaints except there's just the tiniest bit of rattling noise when tapping away. The trackpad is offset so that your hands don't rest on it when typing in a normal position.



Cons:



Not upgrade friendly: There's no easy way to access the RAM, HDD, or even the battery. Although I really didn't have any intention of upgrading it so it's not a huge deal. This laptop is what it is and the slow-ish processor with low-end integrated graphics will always be this computer's bottleneck. If I need a faster laptop I'd rather just save the upgrade money to buy a new laptop.



Power cord input is very snug: I guess this could be a pro, but where the power cord plugs into the laptop is so snug and secure that if you (or a pet) tripped over the cord it would certainly pull the laptop off the table before it came out. Makes me a little wary.



No light for caps-lock or num-lock: It has a power/charging light and an HDD activity light on the front and that's it. Wish it had an indication light for caps lock and num lock. Also, it sometimes doesn't seem to remember if num-lock is on when waking up from sleep etc. I find myself having to reactivate num-lock even though I'm positive I didn't deactivate it.



Trackpad buttons: The left-click and right-click on the trackpad are a little hard to press for my taste and they are kind of noisy. Using the Asus Smart-gesture or whatever it's called makes it where you can just tap/double tap (or tap with both fingers to right-click) the trackpad to avoid using the buttons at all which seems like a better alternative.



All in all it's a decent and capable budget-friendly laptop with only a few minor gripes. I would definitely recommend it.



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Toshiba Satellite C55-B5298 15.6-Inch Laptop

CUSTOMER REVIEW



I just received this laptop and here are my initial impressions:



The laptop is super thin. It is pretty close to MacBook Pro territory in terms of thinness. One inch is the sweet spot for laptop thinness in my point of view.



I was comparing this laptop to similarly priced Chromebooks and a similarly priced Dell Inspiron. The advantage over Chromebooks is obvious when you look at the specs. With this laptop you get two USB2 ports and 1 USB3 port. You get a larger screen at 15.6 inches. You get a full size hard drive at 500GB and a full size keyboard. The bottom line is that you get a full computer. I own a Samsung Chromebook and this laptop is better in every regard, except perhaps size and weight.



The advantage of this over the Dell Inspiron is the location of the speaker grills, USB 3.0, and the inclusion of a VGA port and an ethernet jack. As a part-time instructor, the inclusion of a VGA port is very important since I need to plug into a projector that uses VGA.



I purchased a Toshiba Satellite about 8 years ago for my wife. Over time, the power adapter port broke inside the laptop. The power adapter port inside that laptop was a barrel. The power cable and the barrel inside the laptop plug into each other. Somehow the barrel inside her old Toshiba broke off its mount points inside the laptop. Perhaps it was stress on the cable, since it sticks out quite far from the laptop when plugged in. It still works, but it is dangling inside, making the process of plugging it in more difficult. Additionally, the left mouse button broke on her old Toshiba.



Why do I mention this? I mention this because this laptop has the same barrel-style plug. The mouse buttons also feel very similar to her old Toshiba. They even have the same hollow clicking sound as her old laptop. I am afraid this laptop may exhibit the same issues over time. I recommend taking good care of this laptop to hopefully avoid these issues.



The keyboard of this laptop is super low profile. It looks great, but there is practically no movement of the keys. While this is an exaggeration, there is some truth to it too, because these keys are amazingly flat and short. I get the impression that these keys can't take a beating. I am used to Lenovo Thinkpad keyboards at the office and a Thinkpad SL510 at home, just so you know what I am comparing this laptop's keyboard to.



It feels well-built and solid, despite my past history with my wife's Toshiba as described above. Only time will tell if the power plug, keyboard, and mouse buttons hold up to use.



The design style of this laptop is nice. I like the textured look and the black color. The sculpted lines of the sides of this laptop are attractive as well.



I have been using Windows 8 since the beta test, and I still find it awkward. This laptop did not come with a restore CD, so I suspect there is a restore partition, like most PCs.



The Celeron inside is not fast at all, but is good enough. I suspect the additional software bloat, like the included 30 day antivirus package is weighing its performance down. I will probably uninstall the software and just use the Microsoft antivirus that is built into Windows 8.



On Geekbench, this laptop scored 991 single core and 1701 multicore on the 64-bit benchmarks. On the 32-bit benchmarks, it scored 870 single core and 1367 multicore. These scores are lower than my Thinkpad SL510 with a Core2Duo chip inside from a couple of years ago (64-bit: 1184/1939 and 32-bit: 1094/1846). Then again, I paid three times as much for that laptop.



This laptop is good for its price. I'd say that price is its leading feature. For its price, you get a full size, fully capable PC laptop that can handle day to day tasks. I'd recommend this over a Chromebook for sure.



If I had to sum this up in one sentence, it is amazing how much computing power is included for the price.



As I use this more I will provide further updates.



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HP 15-g070nr 15.6-Inch Laptop (Optical Drive Not Included)

CUSTOMER REVIEW



I wanted to buy a laptop for my daughter's birthday. Nothing too expensive, but enough to do schoolwork, play games, surf the web, etc.



I researched many, and decided on this one, mainly because of the $250 price tag.



For the price, this laptop is a great deal. That is, if it included the advertised optical drive.



Before you argue, the pictures show it, and the spec sheet used to show it as a CD/DVD combo drive.



Without the optical drive, the price is not as good. Luckily, Amazon has good customer service and refunded me $50, which is more than enough to purchase an internal drive. I called HP and was told by the tech that they would send me a drive free of charge. He took my information and passed me along to his supervisor who would approve the order. The supervisor was willing, but couldn't find a model number for the drive. He sent my case higher up and told me to expect a call back the next morning. I received a callback from an extremely rude lady that said it's Amazon's fault and they wouldn't help me. I said that's fine, just let me know the specs of the drive so I can purchase one. She refused, and I hung up, eventually settling for an external drive.



For $275, which includes this laptop plus a decent external drive, the price is no longer worth it, especially when the Wal-Mart version of this laptop has an internal drive and HD webcam for $295. But for my cost of $225 total, it will work.



The good news: There is a slot for a SATA drive, and installation is as simple as removing a single screw. If anyone has any luck finding an internal drive, please comment on my review with the model to help others out.



Minus one star for the exclusion of an optical drive at the price point this laptop is at, and another for the rudeness of the HP rep.



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ASUS 15.6-Inch HD Dual-Core 2.16GHz Laptop, 500GB and Optical Drive

CUSTOMER REVIEW



This is a nice budget laptop for students and/or people just looking for something to do basic computer tasks. I'm a student, and although I already have a nice custom-built desktop computer that I do most of my work on, I felt like I would benefit from having something portable to have in-class or while hanging out on campus.



This is, obviously, not a laptop for gaming. Out of curiosity I installed Skyrim on it and surprisingly it did run the game on low settings (albeit not with ideal fps) and it ran Minecraft fairly well (minor stuttering from time to time--but still definitely playable). If you're buying a laptop with the intention of gaming or any other intensive computer tasks I would highly recommend you look into the $500+ price range for a laptop with more capable specs.



In my case, it runs all the programs I needed it for: Visual Studio 2013, Eclipse, and other IDE's run perfectly fine. Word and other Office 2013 programs run perfectly fine. Browsing the internet with Chrome is perfect. Streaming HD video or playing a 1080p movie file is perfect. Unity3D (a game engine) and Blender (3d animation software) run acceptably. For $250 I really can't ask for anything more.



Pros:



Price: $250 for a brand new full featured Windows 8.1 laptop is insane. I would recommend one of these over a similarly priced Chromebook any day.



Extremely lightweight: I was surprised when I took it out of the box at how little it weighed for the size--very easy to carry.



Quiet and stays really cool: Even while testing out the gaming I didn't notice any sound from fans and even after using it for a while it didn't feel warm at all.



Nice design: Not a flashy laptop, just clean and non-descript aesthetics. Doesn't look like a high-end laptop but also doesn't look like a budget one. I like the textured matte plastic on the back. Screen hinge feels solid with not much play.



No optical drive: I know for some this is a con--but I can't even remember the last time I used a CD/DVD and would much rather have the savings on weight, power consumption, and cost. If you need to format and reinstall the OS or something just make a bootable USB stick (very easy to do).



Nice screen: The screen is bright with decent contrast and a 1366x768 resolution that's pretty much the standard for this size of laptop (at least until you get to the $600+ price range). I don't think it is LED backlit but it does its job well.



Nice keyboard with a number pad: If you're doing office work or programming it's pretty much essential to have a keyboard with a num pad. The keyboard as a whole is decent, no complaints except there's just the tiniest bit of rattling noise when tapping away. The trackpad is offset so that your hands don't rest on it when typing in a normal position.



Cons:



Not upgrade friendly: There's no easy way to access the RAM, HDD, or even the battery. Although I really didn't have any intention of upgrading it so it's not a huge deal. This laptop is what it is and the slow-ish processor with low-end integrated graphics will always be this computer's bottleneck. If I need a faster laptop I'd rather just save the upgrade money to buy a new laptop.



Power cord input is very snug: I guess this could be a pro, but where the power cord plugs into the laptop is so snug and secure that if you (or a pet) tripped over the cord it would certainly pull the laptop off the table before it came out. Makes me a little wary.



No light for caps-lock or num-lock: It has a power/charging light and an HDD activity light on the front and that's it. Wish it had an indication light for caps lock and num lock. Also, it sometimes doesn't seem to remember if num-lock is on when waking up from sleep etc. I find myself having to reactivate num-lock even though I'm positive I didn't deactivate it.



Trackpad buttons: The left-click and right-click on the trackpad are a little hard to press for my taste and they are kind of noisy. Using the Asus Smart-gesture or whatever it's called makes it where you can just tap/double tap (or tap with both fingers to right-click) the trackpad to avoid using the buttons at all which seems like a better alternative.



All in all it's a decent and capable budget-friendly laptop with only a few minor gripes. I would definitely recommend it.



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Toshiba Satellite C55-B5298 15.6-Inch Laptop

CUSTOMER REVIEW



This laptop was bought for under $300 dollars.



The purpose was for mainly word editing and web browsing and it does that perfectly. The responsiveness of the device is more than adequate despite the slower processor. The battery is excellent running between 4 - 5 hours on a single charge.



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HP 14-Q039wm Celeron 2955 1.4GHz 4 GB 16 GB SSD, Turquoise (Certified Refurbished)

CUSTOMER REVIEW



I purchased this item from Woot on July 2nd, and I can say that overall I am pleased with my purchase.



The Positive:



1. There are Chromebook Store applications which will substitute for many Windows OS based programs (e.g., Google Docs, Sheets and Slides in place of MS Office). However, Goole Docs is not able to open password protected/encryped Office documents.



2. The Chromebook boots up literally within about 5 seconds; it truly is instant on.



3. While it is designed to be used primarily while online (hence the minimum amount of onboard storage), there are some applications which can be used while offline and stored on an SD card. I currently have a 64gb SD card in my Chromebook which I store music, media and other items I may wish to use when not connected with the internet.



4. The 200mb of free 4g data for the life of the device is a nice bonus if you happen to be traveling and need to get online where a free wifi hotspot is not available. (This is true for me when I travel to visit both my mother and mother in law, neither of which have internet.)



5. I was fortunate that my particular Chromebook appeared to be an open box item... likely a customer return where the purchaser wasn't aware that it is primarily designed to be used as a cloud based device (i.e., online). As a result, my device had the correct SIM card, still had the 100GB of 2 years worth of free GoogleDrive storage unused, and I would assume will also have the 12 free GoGo Inflight passes available (I won't know until I fly in September if this is the case).



6. Easy syncing with Android and Windows devices which also run Chrome.



7. Buying a device fulfilled by Amazon would make for a much easier return than buying directly from Woot. Had I experienced any issues with my Chromebook and needed to return, doing so through Woot would have been a nightmare as their customer service bears no comparison with their parent company Amazon.



8. Amazing battery life.



The Negative:



1. Some Windows based programs do not have Chrome store equivalents (e.g., Quicken... although Mint is a free Chrome Store app which is owned by the same company and works reasonably well).



2. Set up for the free T-Mobile data for life was not straightforward and required speaking with about four people over the course of 2 hours to reach somebody who was aware of how to activate (and associate) the SIM with the Chromebook. The T-Mobile CS personnel were unable to grasp that I did not have an existing cell phone number with them, nor wished to activate one on their system.



**NOTE** If you have T-Mobile currently, DO NOT sign up your SIM card on your existing account! Open a new, separate account or you will wind up with T-Mobile attempting to charge you for an add on device.



3. There is no natively-dedicated caps lock key on the keyboard; not a show stopper by any means, but old habits die hard when tapping away on the keyboard and I still wind up opening the search function when I wish to use a caps lock function. This can be altered in keyboard settings, but then requires resetting the option if wishing to utilize the default search function.



4. Chromebooks cannot run sites which require JAVA.



5. The touchpad takes a little getting used to, (e.g., using two fingers to scroll, or two fingers in the corner to right click).



6. Free data is on the T-Mobile network; if you live outside T-Mobile coverage area, there is no roaming option. If the T-Mobile/Sprint merger is approved, this MAY potentially expand the coverage area... but only time will tell.



I bought this as an adjunct for my rapidly dying laptop (until I can afford to buy the laptop I'd like), and for traveling. Had it been offered on Ammy back when I purchased mine, I would have jumped at the chance to buy one here rather than through Woot as Amazon is MUCH easier to work with (and ships promptly, especially if you have Prime).



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HP 14-Q049wm Celeron 2955 1.4GHz 4 GB 16 GB SSD, Coral (Certified Refurbished)

Product Description

Amazon.com

With this certified-refurbished HP Chromebook running lightning-fast Chrome OS, the best of Google is at hand on a colorfully sleek and stylish notebook. Access your favorite websites and Google apps instantly on a beautiful 14-inch diagonal HD display.



In addition, enjoy free 4G! All new and existing HP 4G devices will receive 200 MB of free data each month for life!

• No strings. No annual contract and no credit card to active service.


• Easy to activate. Ready out of the box: turn on, register, and connect--it's that easy.


• Data for life. 200 MB of free data every month for as long as you own and use your device on T-Mobile's network. NOTE: The box contains outdated literature referring to 2 years of free 4G service. However, all models were upgraded to lifetime 4G service.


• Want more data? Buy additional data on the fly at low pre-paid rates as you need it, when you need it.


• Need more information? Visit http://ift.tt/ViMCse

Features and Specifications

Microprocessor	1.4 GHz Intel Celeron 2955U Processor
Microprocessor Cache	2MB L3 Cache
Memory	On-board 4GB 1600MHz DDR3L SDRAM
Video Graphics	Intel HD graphics
Display	14.0-inch diagonal HD BrightView LED-backlit display (1366 x 768)
Hard Drive	16GB solid-state drive
WWAN	HP cr3124 HSPA+ Mobile Broadband Module
Wireless Connectivity	2x2 802.11a/b/g/n WLAN Bluetooth
Sound	Dual speakers
Keyboard	Full-size island-style keyboard
Pointing Device	HP Imagepad supporting multi-touch gestures without on/off button.
External Ports	Multi-format digital media card reader for Secure Digital cards 2 SuperSpeed USB 3.0 1 Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0 1 HDMI 1 Headphone-out/microphone-in combo jack
Dimensions	0.81 in (H) x 13.56 in (W) x 9.44 in (D)
Weight	4.07 lb
Power	65W AC adapter 4-cell 51WHr 7 Ah lithium-ion polymer battery
ID Mech Description	Front-facing HP TrueVision HD Webcam with integrated digital microphone
Operating System	Chrome OS

CUSTOMER REVIEW



I purchased this item from Woot on July 2nd, and I can say that overall I am pleased with my purchase.



The Positive:



1. There are Chromebook Store applications which will substitute for many Windows OS based programs (e.g., Google Docs, Sheets and Slides in place of MS Office). However, Goole Docs is not able to open password protected/encryped Office documents.



2. The Chromebook boots up literally within about 5 seconds; it truly is instant on.



3. While it is designed to be used primarily while online (hence the minimum amount of onboard storage), there are some applications which can be used while offline and stored on an SD card. I currently have a 64gb SD card in my Chromebook which I store music, media and other items I may wish to use when not connected with the internet.



4. The 200mb of free 4g data for the life of the device is a nice bonus if you happen to be traveling and need to get online where a free wifi hotspot is not available. (This is true for me when I travel to visit both my mother and mother in law, neither of which have internet.)



5. I was fortunate that my particular Chromebook appeared to be an open box item... likely a customer return where the purchaser wasn't aware that it is primarily designed to be used as a cloud based device (i.e., online). As a result, my device had the correct SIM card, still had the 100GB of 2 years worth of free GoogleDrive storage unused, and I would assume will also have the 12 free GoGo Inflight passes available (I won't know until I fly in September if this is the case).



6. Easy syncing with Android and Windows devices which also run Chrome.



7. Buying a device fulfilled by Amazon would make for a much easier return than buying directly from Woot. Had I experienced any issues with my Chromebook and needed to return, doing so through Woot would have been a nightmare as their customer service bears no comparison with their parent company Amazon.



8. Amazing battery life.



The Negative:



1. Some Windows based programs do not have Chrome store equivalents (e.g., Quicken... although Mint is a free Chrome Store app which is owned by the same company and works reasonably well).



2. Set up for the free T-Mobile data for life was not straightforward and required speaking with about four people over the course of 2 hours to reach somebody who was aware of how to activate (and associate) the SIM with the Chromebook. The T-Mobile CS personnel were unable to grasp that I did not have an existing cell phone number with them, nor wished to activate one on their system.



**NOTE** If you have T-Mobile currently, DO NOT sign up your SIM card on your existing account! Open a new, separate account or you will wind up with T-Mobile attempting to charge you for an add on device.



3. There is no natively-dedicated caps lock key on the keyboard; not a show stopper by any means, but old habits die hard when tapping away on the keyboard and I still wind up opening the search function when I wish to use a caps lock function. This can be altered in keyboard settings, but then requires resetting the option if wishing to utilize the default search function.



4. Chromebooks cannot run sites which require JAVA.



5. The touchpad takes a little getting used to, (e.g., using two fingers to scroll, or two fingers in the corner to right click).



6. Free data is on the T-Mobile network; if you live outside T-Mobile coverage area, there is no roaming option. If the T-Mobile/Sprint merger is approved, this MAY potentially expand the coverage area... but only time will tell.



I bought this as an adjunct for my rapidly dying laptop (until I can afford to buy the laptop I'd like), and for traveling. Had it been offered on Ammy back when I purchased mine, I would have jumped at the chance to buy one here rather than through Woot as Amazon is MUCH easier to work with (and ships promptly, especially if you have Prime).

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