Epson 50-sheet 13x19 Matte Paper-heavy Weight Super Bsize

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Epson Heavyweight Matte Paper is a large-format, ultra-smooth, bright-white printing paper that produces photographic-quality images with brilliant colors and sharp graphics. This heavyweight paper works with most InkJet printers.

Product Description

Ultra smooth, non-glare, heavyweight paper for long-lasting photos and professional looking brochures

Epson 69 Series DURABrite Ultra Color Ink Cartridges - Multipack (T069520)

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Ideal for printing rich and vibrant everyday text documents and photos on plain and glossy papers, The Epson DURABrite Ultra Color Ink Cartridge Multi-pack comes with three cartridges--cyan, magenta, and yellow. Excellent for double-sided printing, the DURABrite Ultra ink doesn't bleed through paper. This ink also offers superior resistance to water, fading, smudging, and is acid-free.

Product Description

Epson's revolutionary DURABrite ink produces smudge, fade and water resistant prints that look brilliant on both plain and glossy paper. This package contains 1 Cyan, 1 Magenta, 1 Yellow ink cartridge that are compatible with the following Epson printers and all-in-ones: CX5000, CX6000, CX7000F, CX7400, CX7450, CX8400, CX9400Fax, C120, NX100, 200, 300, 400, WorkForce 30, 40, 500, 600

Samsung LN52B550 52-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV with Red Touch of Color

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Key Features

• Screen Size: 52 inches
• Full 1080p HD
• Fast 6ms response time minimizes blurring of fast motion in sports programs.
• Mega dynamic contrast ratio
• HD-Grade 1920 (H) x 1080 (V) pixel resolution: High-resolution pixel density is combined with a built-in image scaler to handle inputs from a variety of digital and analog audio/video sources.
• Built-in digital tuner: No external box needed
• Anynet+ (HDMI-CEC) allows the TV's remote control to operate at the push of one button, peripheral AV devices such as a DVD player featuring HDMI-CEC.
• Game Mode enhances dark areas, sharpens the picture, speeds up the image processing response and enhances the sounds of your games. Picture and sound quality optimized for the special needs of gaming systems at the touch of a button.
• Side-mounted USB 2.0 port: Connect USB devices directly to your HDTV to view JPEG photos or MPEG movies or easily listen to your MP3 player through your HDTV's audio system or your home theater system.
• Touch of Color (ToC): Samsung's unique manufacturing process accents the surrounding bezel with a stylish red tone.
• Wide Color Enhancer 2 optimizes a given color's hue, resulting in more natural rendering of colors.
• Audio: Two 10-watt stereo speakers (for 20 watts of total power)
• SRS TruSurround HD creates an immersive, feature-rich surround sound experience from two speakers, complete with rich bass, high frequency detail and clear dialog.
• Energy Star Compliant: Reduces energy consumption by up to 25 percent compared with standard TVs.
• Swivel stand included.
• Warranty: 1 year parts and labor with in-home service, backed by Samsung toll-free support

Connections
A wide variety of multimedia devices can be connected to the set through any one of the four HDMI 1.3 inputs (including one on the side), and the handy Anynet+ feature (HDMI-CEC) lets you control all your CEC-enabled peripherals--such as a DVD or Blu-ray player--using just one remote. Connect HD digital devices like disc players, game consoles, and satellite dish components into the two rear connections and use the side-mounted input for cameras, camcorders, and laptops. HDMI is the best performing interface for displaying an HD source on an HDTV.

• HDMI (version 1.3): 4
• Component: 2
• Composite A/V: 1
• USB 2.0: 1
• PC input (15-pin, D-Sub): 1
• Digital audio output: 1 optical
• View an image of this

Dimensions

• TV without stand: 49.5 x 31.4 x 3.1 inches (WxHxD); 54.9 pounds
• TV with stand: 49.5 x 33.6 x 12 inches (WxHxD); 63.3 pounds

Panasonic VIERA X1 Series TC-L26X1 26-Inch 720p LCD HDTV

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We have a 50" Sony SXRD Projection TV in which we paid over $5,000 for including the stand! I love the TV but when your Electricity bill is over $300.00, you need to find ways of cutting down on the utilities. Besides that, this TV needs to have its projection lamp replaced once a year at the cost of over $300! Even at discount places, this lamp is still over $250! Think about replacing that lamp every year. In no time, you would have spent enough to purchase a brand new 40 - 50 inch LCD TV. This Panasonic TV is not only smaller but Star Energy rated, so that should save some on the energy cost.

In the bedroom was an old Toshiba 13" CRT type TV and watching movies on it wasn't much fun, so what better time to replace the bedroom TV. Since I'm retired and have a limited income, my budget was under $350 and this fits the budget perfectly.

I read somewhere that the size of the TV one should buy should be based on the distance (in inches) from the TV to where you'll be sitting; divided by 2.5. After measuring the distance, I came up with 80", divided by 2.5 and it comes out to 32 inches. A 32" TV would have been perfect but too big for the stand I wanted it to sit on, so I settled for this TV and I'm a happy camper! Besides, it would have been beyond my budget! I do wonder however if this is just another advertising ploy to sell you a larger unit? I think that dividing the distance by 3 works out just as well.

In comparison, the Sony has a softer smoother image while the picture on this TV is more vivid and has more contrast. Having worked at a large Electronic Store, I have noticed that most people prefer a brighter more contrasting image when it comes to TVs and monitors. I still prefer the Sony because the picture (to me) is a bit more realistic but that's just a minor complaint.

One concern was choosing between a 1080P and 720P monitor. But from what I've been told, it makes a difference on a larger TV (40" or more), but not so much with the smaller screens. I tend to agree with that since it's all about the number of pixels (dots), the distance between each pixel and their size. Have you ever noticed on the old CRT TV's that the smaller the TV, the better the picture quality? That's because (without getting too technical) there's a set number of pixels horizontally and vertically on a CRT, and the smaller and closer the pixels are, the better the image. On the smaller screen size, the pixels are smaller and closer together which makes the images clearer. The number of pixels does make a difference, but only to a certain extent. It depends on the area to be filled. On this size TV, the 720P works very well and you won't see a major difference if it had 1080P.

Another concern was whether to purchase a new DVD player. Hooking up an old standard DVD player to an HDTV didn't make any sense. So I had to consider a Blu Ray or an up-converting DVD player. That was an easy decision since we have about 2000 standard DVD's. Replacing all those with the Blu Ray equivalent would get costly (about 10-20 grand), so an up converting DVD player was the obvious choice

So I purchased the Sony HDMI DVP NS710H up-converting player, and combined with this TV, works great! The picture is stunning and I couldn't be happier. No, it's not quite as good as having Blu Ray, but it does improve the image of a standard DVD considerably. However, the up-conversion only works if you hook it up via an HDMI cable. So please be aware of that!

You can hook your PC video output to this T.V. via a 15 pin VGA cable and the image looks fairly decent, but you may have to adjust the Horizontal and the Vertical positions on the TV, and the resolution on your graphics card as well. The native resolution for this T.V. is 1366 x 768, but you can try the different resolutions that your graphics card has to offer and find one to your liking. The process is fairly simple if you have the right cables and a 15 pin VGA output plug on your PC. However some of the newer graphics cards only have DVI outputs, so you will have to get a DVI to VGA converter. Right now, I have this set up to output my Netflix movies to this T.V.

(Addendum as of Jan 16, 2010) I now have a Roku HD player for watching Netflix and Amazon movies and it works wonderful. Now I don't have to mess around with flipping back and forth from Computer monitor to the T.V. It was becoming a pain and the PC is unusable while it was being used to stream in the movies. The only thing you should be aware of is that you NEED some kind of a router for it to access the internet and use HDMI cable instead of the provided composite cable for best results.

In regards to the poor viewing angle; It IS disturbing that the description of this TV states that the wide 178 degree viewing angle ensures clear images even when viewed from an angle. This is clearly not the case as far as my TV is concerned. Well maybe to their point of view, having a clear image versus a washed out image are two different things. However again, it's a minor complaint because how often are you going to watch it from the sides?

Picture Quality (when hooked up to Cable, DSL, Antenna)?
Excellent IF you're getting good reception from your provider. But keep in mind that if your reception is poor, this TV will NOT improve the image quality. In the copy world it's referred to as "Garbage In, Garbage Out". That simply means that if you try and copy an illegible image or text, don't expect the copier to suddenly make it clearer and sharper. I am not aware of any TV that has what may be called an "Image Clarifier" but may be possible in the future. But as of now we know that NOT all channels will come in clear, and so this TV will only output what's coming in.

Sound Volume? It has plenty for a bedroom. In fact, I had it on a little over halfway and my wife who was in another room downstairs asked me to turn the volume down. However, audio output is only 10 Watts (5W +5W) and the speakers are located underneath: to the left and to the right of the stand. So this TV is meant for a bedroom or a similar environment. It is not meant to be the main TV in a large room connected to a surround sound system. That, I have on my 50" Sony TV. It is also not meant for a noisy environment such as a garage while you're working on your table saw or doing laundry, or in a Kitchen while you're running the garbage disposal or the dishwasher. No, it's not meant to compete with other surrounding noises. So please keep that in mind when making your purchasing decision.

Outputting TV sound to a sound system or Speakers: It DOESN'T have a Headphone Jack, and please be aware that this can only be done via an OPTICAL cable. So whatever you're connecting it into must have an OPTICAL (Toslink) input. You can purchase a third party converter such as the GENFEN but be aware that there are two versions (The cheaper model does NOT convert Hi-Def (5-1 Dolby Surround Sound) audio. Another option is to purchase one of the Behringer MS### Speakers which has an Optical input.

The SD card viewer: Would have been nicer if they had a USB port instead where you can plug in a flash drive or an SD card reader. There are so many different types and sizes of SD cards that if you don't have the right size, it won't work. As an example, I have a Nikon D200 (uses an SD card) and an Olympus C3040 Camedia Camera (uses a Smartmedia card) and neither one will fit into the TV's card reader. I could purchase the right size SD card, insert it into my SD card reader and transfer pictures into it, but why go through the extra expense and effort?

The IPOD Docking Station: I don't have an IPOD, but I'm willing to bet that it's a nifty little feature that a lot of people can use. Lots of people out there with IPODS! I have the less expensive Sandisk for listening to music while I work outside or walk and it serves me well.

The Controller: Easy to read with LARGE LEGIBLE buttons for Old tired eyes like mine! Two of my favorites are LAST (to flip back and forth from the last channel watched) and MUTE (for those annoying commercials!)

I know that this has been a lenghty review, but I hope that I've given you enough information for you to make an intelligent purchasing decision. I love this TV and would highly recommend it for it's picture quality, stylish look and it wasn't too long ago that you couldn't touch an LCD T.V. like this at this price! AWESOME!

Logitech X-540 5.1 Speaker System (Black)

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I've had these speakers for about three months now and they have the potential to be and sound amazing, however for one reason or another, they just aren't and don't.

The first annoying thing is the length of the satellite speaker cables. NONE of them are really long enough for their intended uses. The front left/right speakers only have about 6 feet of cable. If you put the sub woofer on the floor to the right or left of your desk, there isn't enough cable to run to the farthest left/right speaker. I had to purchase extension cables to make this work. The rear right and left speakers have much longer cables, but even these are only about 15 feet long. Again, if you place the sub woofer on the floor to one side of your desk, 15 feet isn't long enough to run back around a desk, then to some point behind the operator. These should be at least 25 feet long. Again, I had to use an extension cable to make the furthest rear speaker reach where I needed it.

When I first installed them, I felt like they didn't have as full a sound as my previous stereo speakers, but I chalked that up to the difference between a three speaker (two desktop, one sub woofer) system and this one. They sounded kind of "airy" and light, but some adjustments to my computer sound settings remedied most of that complaint. Now most of the time they're fairly clear, but very often any bass notes will cause distortion in the front right/left speakers. This is something I only noticed with extremely loud volumes in other speaker systems I've owned. At low volumes on music with no bass they sound great though....with one tiny exception...

I'm not sure why, maybe it's the extension cables, or just the fact that I've had to run the speaker cables in close proximity to my power cables, but I experience occasional popping in ALL the right/left speakers of this system. The center channel speaker doesn't seem to have this problem. The pops sound like I'm listening to music on an old LP that has become scratched. They are occasional and random, but frequent enough that they are a source of annoyance.

I wish I had another 5.1 speaker system to compare these to, but I'm not made of money and can't run out to buy another system to make a comparison. I purchased these on the generally good reviews I'd seen for them online and because they were reasonably priced with a good set of features. I use these speakers for listening to music, watching movies, and playing games. I'm willing to put up with the issues for now, but I'm probably going to replace them as soon as I can.

SquareTrade 3-Year Laptop Warranty ($800-900 Items)

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I have several warranties from Squaretrade for various products. I had two claims so far. In both cases, I was reimbursed for the full purchase amount, typically in five days from the date of the claim. In the most recent case, I had an issue with a used computer. Rather than send out a tech to troubleshoot, Squaretrade decided to pay out the purchase price in full. I took the computer to a local shop, and it only needed a new power supply. Squaretrade could have just paid for the repair, but they decided the age of the computer did not make it worth the money spent on troubleshooting. This was even though the problem turned out to be minor.

All in all, I am very pleased with the customer service of Squaretrade. Their warranty prices are very reasonable, and their customer service is excellent.

Toshiba Satellite P305-S8915 17.0-Inch Laptop

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If you are looking for a widescreen laptop, this Satellite has everything you want and doesn't give you things you don't want for the money. I had an HP and I won't ever go back. I love the fact that you get the (64 bit) version of Vista, that is the only way to get the true benefits of 4gb of ram with Vista. The eSATA/USB port is the only way to go if you are planing on using an external storage device, it is many times faster than using USB alone. They put just the right amount of software on the computer without all the bloatware the comes preinstalled with other computers (HP). This laptop has a great look and finish, I especially love the feel of the keyboard and when you type it is very quite. I forgot how much I missed the 10 keypad, I won't go without one again. The finish does seem to be a little suseptible to scratches. The Harman/Kardon speakers sound great, you can turn the sound all the way up without any static. The FM tuner works great and it is nice to listen to the radio while on the laptop. So far, the battery life is very impressive for such a large screen laptop. The more I use this Satellite, the more I love it.

Toshiba Satellite A355-S6930 16.0-Inch Laptop

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This Toshiba Satellite replaced a four-year-old Dell Inspiron. As a writer, I use my laptop every day and wanted a comfortable keyboard and touchpad. This Satellite delivers with a sturdy keyboard, enough space to rest your palms comfortably while typing and a textured touchpad.
The touchpad has touch scrolling on both the right side and bottom (handy for scrolling along large spreadsheets), so you don't have to hold down the left-click button to scroll--much easier on the hand. The touchpad scrolling settings are adjustable and can be removed.
The click buttons are large and placed so that your palms don't brush them while you type.
I also wanted a laptop with excellent video quality for watching DVDs and Play Now features from NetFlix. Videos are crisp and colorful on this 16-inch screen and it's easy to see from several angles (unlike my old LCD-screen where the screen had to be tilted just exactly right to avoid the black shadow effect).
If you like to watch movies in bed on the computer with your honey, this computer is great for that since both people can see the screen without black shadowing. The light-up DVD controls on the top of the keyboard are also a great feature for watching DVD's in bed.
The speakers are very good quality, with excellent range and can be turned up loud enough to enjoy music or watch a movie from another part of the room.
My most favorite feature of this computer is the volume control. Located on the front, next to the 5:1 memory card reader and headphone jack, is a small wheel that turns left and right, like the volume control on a radio.
It's so simple, it's brilliant! When you have music blasting and the phone rings with a call from a client, a quick flip of the dial and the sound is turned down or off. No more hunting on the keyboard for the Function Key + a picture of a muted speaker.
The Satellite has a built-in webcam that is easily activated with a click. The webcam controls appear whenever your mouse hovers near the left side of the screen.
Speaking of hovering controls, whenever you press the FN (Function) key, a large legend appears at the top of the screen with function controls, which is handy when you don't have your glasses.
All four USB ports are on the sides near the front, as is the network port. It is easier to plug and unplug components, but it's also easier to bump my USB drive when picking up something from my desk.
Did I mention that this computer is blazingly fast? Wow! Need to have five different programs running plus several web pages open? Not a problem for this zippy laptop.
I've been very happy with the Toshiba Satellite and would highly recommend it.

Qosmio X505-Q870 Q1-2

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After exhaustive research, I decided the Toshiba Cosmio x505-870 powerhouse had the best specs for the best price. This was the next in a long line of Toshiba laptops for me. I was hooked after my first one about 10 years ago. Due to the design, durability, price, and support, Toshibas have always been my first choice and I would, and do, recommend them to everyone that asks. The Cosmio X505-870 is my new passion. My only complaints are minor and cosmetic. The slick surface of the keyboard and the awkward multimedia and power buttons are the only hindrances I have found. The new, positive design elements far outway the problems though. The toned-down color scheme, the disable button for the touchpad, and the beautiful 18.4 screen(although not full 1080p) to name a few. There were some issues with the BIOS that Toshiba addressed directly, so I would suggest updating the BIOS immediatly after creating your restore disks. I don't think it would be possible to regret the purcase of this system, and I recommend it whole-heartidly.

Intel Core i7 Processor i7-920 2.66GHz 8 MB LGA1366 CPU BX80601920

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Pros:
It's my first build and coming from a Pentium 4 3.4 ghz in my Dell to this processor is simply amazing. I can now play Oblivion and L4D in the settings I want! Everything else it pretty much cuts through it like butter. It get a Windows 7 WEI of 7.6 3dmark Vantage CPU score P42500+ and I have it overclocked to 3.67 with blck of 184 vcore 1.225 with vdroop. Coupled with a Cooler Master V8 it's prime 95 stable (small ffts - 2 hours, large - 2 hours, blend - 9 hours) and LinX stable (max memory 10 runs) 75 degrees C max. Ambient 80 F

Cons:
None

Other thoughts:
If you are new to overclocking like I was here are some simple steps for a modest overclock:
WARNING: It is entirely possible to burn your CPU! Don't go crazy and set a high base clock from the start. Follow the steps!

1) download Realtemp.exe, cpu-z, prime 95, and LinX (google em)
2) go into your bios and increase the base clock by 5 (or 10 if impatient but remember my warning)
3) Load Windows and breath a sigh of relief if it does. But thats only 1/5 of the battle.
4) Run CPU-z to verify your overclock, close it then run realtemp.
5) Run LinX max memory, 3 runs. If it blue screens, restarts or errors then you've gone too far and you need to dial it down to keep your machine stable. Your last setting is your max overclock without adding vcore (cpu voltage).
6) If it passes with no errors and your max temps aren't above 85 C (some people use 80) then you're good, and you can add more base clock.
7) Go back to step 2 rinse and repeat.

8)Once you get to a speed you're happy with and it passes LinX, and is below 85 C, run prime 95 stress test for at least 6 hours of blend, 2 hours of small ffts, and 2 hours of large ffts. If it survives that then you're good for gaming and most everyday apps. If it survives p95 blend for 24 hours (no errors, <>

Asus Rampage II GENE Core i7 / Intel X58/ DDR3/ CrossFireX & SLI/ A&2GbE/ MATX Motherboard

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this is such a great product!!! i love ASUS and would never buy from anyone else. everything worked right out of the box. right now iam running a core I7 920 @ 3.6 ghz with my temps never higher then 45C using a cooler master V8. two Geforce GTX 260's in sli and six gigs of OCZ reaper pc3 14400, 1800 MHZ. PLUS it came with Kaspersky antivirus, and 3D Mark 06...
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!IF YOUR LOOKING FOR A MICRO ATX BOARD THIS IS THE ONE FOR YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
thank you amazon!!

Corsair 256 GB Performance Series Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) CMFSSD-256GBG2D

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I just got this yesterday after a long weekend wait and let me tell you this thing rocks. And it rocks fast :). I am going to give you a review on a perspective of real world use and not on benchmark with all the numbers, not yet anyways.

I bought this for my MacBook Pro unibody and it is the best upgrade I have ever done. The speed is just simply mind boggling. I was shocked on how fast everything is. I am not talking about user wishful thinking, bias opinion of the speed gain, I am talking about screaming fast, jaw dropping speed. To give you some ideas on how fast this thing boots up, with the original stock drive, I got out a stop watch and timed it (not very scientific here but it'll do) and it took 1 minutes and 46 secs to cold boot the MacBook Pro into the desktop. With this new SSD, it took 22 seconds.

Applications loading is extremely fast as well. I mean, as soon as you hit the icon, the app is already fully loaded. I have a 8000 songs iTunes library plus about 40+ movies and 10 TV shows and iTunes loaded with lighting speed. It used to take at least a full minute to fully load iTunes, now it takes, literally 1 to 2 seconds (yes you read correct 1 to 2 secs to fully load iTunes).

I also have Photo collections with several thousands pics and it took, are you ready? It took 2.2 seconds to load the entire library. How cool is that?

Safari and FireFox are both stunning in loading speed with about 8 tabs of web pages.

My machine was running fairly cool with the old drive but when watching movies, the machine gets warm or sometimes hot to touch. With this SSD, I watched a full length 2 hour movie and the bottom of the MB Pro is steel cold. The fan never kicked on the entire movie. In fact I have not heard the fan since yesterday. To be fair, the MB Pro is so efficient that I never had any problem with heat or hear the fan noise but with the SSD drive, it is just dead quite. Very strange to use a completely noiseless and steel cold to the touch notebook.

About the drive. I did extensive research and found that this is one of the very best right now, watch out Intel (I think Intel still is the King). Before you get turned off my the name Corsair, it is really a Samsung drive with Samsung RAM chips and controller. Samsung has its own version of 256GB SSD but they only sell to OEM and not regular folks like you and me.

A tip:

Installation of the drive into MB Pro is very simple. Remove one screw that holds the drive and remove the 4 screws on the old drive (need special screw driver for these 4 screws). There is a video from OWC computing that shows exactly how to do it.

Painless upgrade:
I first put the SSD drive into an external USB enclosure. Downloaded SuperDuper, a free program to clone my old existing drive to the new SSD. Installed the SSD into MB Pro and boot it up. The first time booting up with SSD took a lot longer than what I stated earlier. I believe the OS needs to do some configuration for it first. After another reboot, the speed was astonishing.

I know that this is not cheap and I hear you. But if you want the joy of the greatest upgrade ever in the history of upgrading, this drive is the drive to get. Also, DO NOT go cheap on SSD drives. You get what you paid for. All SSDs are not created equal. Go do some research before buying but if you want to listen to someone who already did the research, read anything and everything on SSDs for years, then run, don't walk and buy this awesome drive.

Kingston SSDNow V Series 128 GB SATA 3GB/s 2.5-Inch Solid State Drive with Notebook Upgrade Kit Bundle SNV125-S2BN/128GB

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My laptop's old 80GB drive was overheating and causing blue-screens. A friend recommended an SSD to eliminate the heat problem. There are a lot of SSD options, not all budget friendly and not all actually reliable. One online "shootout" noted that while the Kingston SSD worked flawlessly, another more expensive device ran faster but only until its wear-leveling algorithms faltered (after which it performed worse than a hard drive). Having read that, and frankly quite tired of the blue-screens from the overheating hard drive, I selected the Kingston for its low cost and the completeness of the kit. Installation was very easy. Pay attention to the notes in the packaging: remove your laptop drive, place it into the supplied external enclosure, and put the SSD into the laptop. It wasn't my first guess about the sequence but it makes sense in hindsight. The transfer software worked first time, taking about an hour. The laptop booted and all applications have run perfectly. Consistent with the online "shootout" I read before purchasing, the Kingston SSD is 2x faster than my prior 5400 RPM drive. Database programs and virus scans take half the time. A drive test program rated its read rate at 118 megabyte/second. For comparison, a friend's expensive 15K HD drives were running at only 80MB/s. It's been a month now and no blue screens, consistently fast operation, and absolutely no heat from the drive. For me, the Kingston SSD kit hit a sweet spot of price, performance, and features.

HP EV089AA 12 Cell Lithium Ion Battery for HP Pavilion DV6000 DV2000

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his laptop battery is so awesome. I get on average 5-6 hours of charge off of this battery, which is way more than I could have ever imagined. Keep in mind that the 5-6 hours is also because I keep my power settings on HP recommended or power saver options when the laptop is not plugged into the power cord, which is what you should do when your laptop is running only on the battery. But 5-6 hours on average is amazing, when I used to only get about 45 minutes out of the original 6-cell battery that the laptop originally came with. After about 2 years of constant use I was only able to get 45 minutes out of the battery, which would never even charge to a full 100% when plugged in. But deciding to buy this new 12-cell battery was the best choice ever, seriously. And I don't mind that the battery sticks out a little in the back- I look at it as being a 3-in-1 deal because I get an EXTREMELY long lasting battery, the lift cools the laptop, and the lift elevates the laptop at a slight angle making it a lot more comfortable to type: 3-in-1 awesomeness! At it's very sturdy, so no worries there.
Now I don't have to worry about my laptop battery dying quickly and I don't have to worry about constantly searching for power outlets during lecture. I don't even have to worry about taking my power cord with me every time I go to class now. Thank goodness. This is a fabulous battery that lasts for HOURS, and if that's what you're looking for you won't be disappointed! I wasn't, and I'm pretty picky! Definitely a worthwhile buy!
My Laptop: HP Pavilion dv6000

Buying a laptop? 12 tips for you!

If you are thinking of going in for a laptop (or a notebook, as it is called among the tech circles), here are a few tips that will come in handy.
3 questions to ask before you buy a computer

1. Opt for an Intel Pentium 4 or an Intel Centrino processor. The processor forms the computing core of your laptop and is one area where you must not compromise.

Invest wisely here. The processor is the first component likely to get outdated and it is not possible to upgrade it.

2. Opt for a 256 MB DDR SDRAM. A RAM of lower memory capacity will make it difficult to run certain applications and software.

Upgrading from 256 to 512 MB DDR SDRAM could cost you between Rs 4,000 and Rs 5,000.

3. Choose an Active-matrix (TFT) display, preferably an LCD. The display is an active matrix if you can see the arrow while it traverses the screen. Most displays nowadays are TFTs as the Passive-matrix (dual scan) is now outdated.

TFTs are highly preferred because of their sharper images, better resolution and smoother images of motion on the screen.

Wide screen laptops are a visual treat and recommended for those interested in the movie experience. But they cost 8% to 10% more than the conventional laptops, are obviously bulkier to carry and slightly low on battery life.

4. If you travel extensively, take care that your laptop weighs under 5 pounds. If your laptop will be confined to your room, you could go in for a slightly heavier one. It will be cheaper. It will also have a few more features.

5. Check the battery life on the laptop. Insist that it is a Lithium-ion (Li+) battery (nearly all laptops will have this one). Choose batteries with a high voltage and a high mAh. Do not go for NiMH batteries, as you will have to keep charging them frequently.

6. If you have no intention of using a CD frequently, an external DVD and CDRW drives may be preferred to inbuilt ones. The main convenience being that they reduce the weight of the base piece and provide lesser complications later on.

If they are an integral part of your work, you might as well opt for an inbuilt version.

Incidentally, the prices of DVD drives are expected to fall considerably over the next one year.

Don't stress on your laptop having a floppy drive. Floppies are getting obsolete by the minute and will soon be terminated.

7. If you are on the move, buy a laptop with a spill-resistant keyboard and shock-resistant hard drives. This will ensure your hard disk does not crash and you don't lose data in the event of a minor crash or fall.

8. Ensure the laptop has two or more USB ports, as you will need them to attach your peripheral devices like printers and scanners.

You could even consider buying a pen drive to act as a reliable data transfer mode.

Choose a laptop with wireless connectivity in the form of Bluetooth and Infrared. These make data transfer very convenient and reliable and you can send data to multiple recipients at one go.

These facilities on your laptop would cost you around Rs 1,000 more and are independent of any service providers.

9. Windows XP Professional is an ideal system for a laptop meant for office use. In laptops, it is very inconvenient to upgrade your operating system, so choose the latest one.

Windows is the most popular operating system, with XP Professional being the latest that supports all the software available today.

10. Some people prefer a touchpad mouse as the navigating option while others prefer the rubberised button situated between the keys G, H and B. Try working with both and pick the one you are most comfortable with.

Some laptops come equipped with both. You could also consider a cordless mouse, which is half the size of the regular one.

11. Insist on an inbuilt LAN card and modem.

There are basically two types of modems on offer -- internal modems and PC card-based modems. Make sure the internal modem is fast enough for your needs. Else, opt for the PC card-based one that sticks out of your computer, but is slightly better performance wise.

12. While budgeting for your laptop, bear in mind that a cheaper machine might prove expensive if you plan to upgrade it.

Do not compromise on the processor, the RAM and the operating system.

The memory capacity (GB) can be upgraded later on, so can the CD/DVD drives.

When you are buying your laptop check on upgradation. You can upgrade your machine with or without discarding it. If you plan to change your machine within two years, don't invest too heavily on it.

this is a huge improvement over my previous video card, i also have the ati radeon hd2600 pro, which is a gaming card. cannot compare rendering in after effects cs4 with the ati compared with the fx1800. ati took me 45 mins to render on a project, did the exact project with the fx1800 and it took 28 seconds to render, also shipping was great, always got good shipping from amazon, well sometimes seems to take a lil longer than the 4 or 5 days standard shipping, but always arrive in good condition.[ click D'pics 2 see detail ]

Logitech Performance Mouse MX

I agree with almost everything said in the other positive reviews about the great ergonomics, the scroll wheel that you can toggle between hyperscrolling (very useful) and the more common measured/notched scrolling, the many useful features attached to the other buttons, the way you can use the mouse while the battery recharges, and the incredibly tiny receiver that works with other compatible devices.

Maybe you're having trouble thinking of a way to justify spending $100 for a rodent. I was too, but I thought of a way to justify it that maybe a few of you might find helpful:

Before now, I'd never spent more than $30 on a mouse (except once, a $50 microsoft bluetooth mouse that doesn't work too well). But I was never happy with any of them. They were either uncomfortable after an hour or so of use, or stopped working after a while, or something. So, after a few months, I'd give up and buy another one. Over time, I spent probably $200 on a series of cheap mice.

When the Performance MX came out a few weeks ago, I saw all the positive reviews (from users and from professional publications and websites), and it occurred to me that maybe if I spent more for a really good mouse, I'd be happy and wouldn't have to keep buying $30 mice every few months.

As I said above, in most ways I think this is a great mouse and agree with the many other positive reviews. But I've experienced some minor issues, too.

1. When you start pushing the mouse around after it's been sitting idle - even for just a few minutes - there's an annoying one- to two-second lag before the cursor reacts. UPDATE Sept 15: Logitech tech support figured out that this was a defect. I got a replacement, and it's perfect. With Amazon, I didn't have to pay shipping for the replacement, and I didn't have to return the first mouse until after receiving the replacement. Very happy with Amazon's service.

2. At this time, the number of devices that are compatible with the unifying receiver is very small: just two keyboards and three mice. The unifying receiver would be far more valuable if there were more different types of compatible devices. For example, I would like to see a numeric keypad and also a presentation/pointer that could work with the unifying receiver - logitech makes both such devices now, but they won't work with the unifying receiver.

3. I'm probably being too picky here, but I find the "click" to be a bit tinny, and louder and less satisfying than other mice I've used. UPDATE Sept 15: the replacement mouse is worse. The left button makes the same tinny click when you press down, but when you let go it makes a louder sound, almost like a knock on a door. (The right mouse button doesn't do this. Go figure.) This gets annoying after a while. Sorry, but if I'm paying $100 for a mouse, I want it to be just about perfect.

Since almost all the other reviews of this mouse are very positive, I am sure that my experience with two of them each having a minor but annoying defect is uncommon. In absence of these apparently rare defects, this is a really great mouse.

Adobe Acrobat Professional 9

I'm that guy in the office that always downloads the betas, always been willing to take a risk to try out the newest software, so I've been through a litany of nightmares when it comes to new programs and their inherent bugs. That being said, I have to say that Acrobat Pro 9 has never given me one bit of trouble. I upgraded from 6 to 9 so I could take advantage of the LifeCycle Designer to design forms for my company. Installation went smooth, and it's never given me any trouble. I recently upgraded to Office 2007, and both programs continue to function perfectly, separately and jointly. I always hate to see other have problems with their software (there are just so many better ways to waste time), and everyone is certainly entitled to their own opinion, but I have give this one a thumbs up.

HP Photosmart Premium Fax All-in-One Inkjet Printer

This is overall a very good printer. I like the built in duplex scanner and printer; it scans 2 sided documents without the need to flip it as well as prints 2 sided. The only drawback is that there is a brief 10 second or so pause after printing one side to allow the ink to dry.

I would give this product a 5 star rating but lowered it by 2 for two reasons.

Reason 1:

I question the quality of this printer. My first one was defective. It had two problems.

First, the key pad would not function properly. It ignored about every other key press and that was when pressing them normally. Pressing the buttons quickly such as to scroll down a menu would result in only a few buttons being recognized if any. Going through the menu with this defect was a chore. I checked the display model at a store which did not have that problem. This defect appeared to affect all the buttons.

Second, the printer registered the ink as installed on December 2008 even though it was installed in May 2009. This did not affect the ink warranty however.

My replacement printer operated normally. The keypad recognized all the buttons. I was able to quickly work my way through the menus. The ink showed it was installed in May 2009. However, the connection piece in the back that connects everything (power cable, phone, Ethernet, USB, etc.) does not appear to be tightly connected to the printer housing (not a big deal).

Reason 2:

In choosing my new printer, I was looking for a low cost printer to do black and white printouts to replace my old HP laser 4si. The replacement black ink cost appears to be much more expensive when compared to the HP Officejet Pro 8500 wireless all in one model. This printer uses the 564XL black ink which is good for only about 800 pages. The 8500 all in one uses the 940XL black ink which is good for about 2200 pages, nearly 3 times more, yet they cost about the same when purchased from Amazon. It would appear the price per page for black ink is more than double the cost of the 8500 model.

The color inks appear to have the same per page cost between this model and the 8500 when purchased through Amazon. The inks for this printer have about 1/2 the page capacity, but are also about 1/2 the price.

While I prefer the 8500 models black ink cost, I decided against that higher end model because of an annoying high pitch noise it emits from where the power cable connects (at least from the one I took home as well as from several store displays).

Good Quality Photos:

The photos look great on HP glossy paper. Looking at them, they would appear to come from a photo lab, there was no graininess. I never believed Ink Jets could print such beautiful images. However, when I printed them through Windows Vista photo gallery, they came out too red. I adjusted the magenta down and increased the cyan and yellow. I still wasn't happy with the results. When I printed them through the HP Digital Imaging Monitor and selected Auto Photo Fix under advanced options, the colors appeared to print correctly under the default settings. So I am guessing in the future, I will need to print all my pictures via the HP Digital Imaging Monitor.

Genuine HP 564xl 5-Pack Ink Cartridges (Black, Photo, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow) Sold Only in Sealed Retail Packaging!

Use Genuine HP Sealed Retail Boxes to insure best quality printing.

Genuine HP 564 Regular Capacity 5-Color Combo Pack: Black, Black Photo, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow In Individual Retail Boxes

Value cartridges for high-volume printing: Cartridge yield: Black-approx. 800 pages, Photo Black-approx 290 pages, Colors-approx 750 pages each (actual yield depends on printer and specific use. 

• GENUINE HP PRODUCT in Retail Boxes
• Get more for your money: original HP cartridges ensure that your printing is right the first time and every time
• Rely on HP for consistent, high-quality results
• Get brilliant, true-to-life color and laser-quality black text with our Vivera ink technology
• Preserve your memories with photos that resist fading for generations, compared with less than a year for store brand inks

Pandigital Pan Touch PAN8002W02T 8-Inch Digital Picture Frame (Black)

Pandigital has left a bad taste in my mouth over the past few years. I bought a first generation frame from them about 2 years ago, just as these "photo" frames were starting to become mainstream. I particularly like the pandigital models because the frames have glass covers, making them look a lot more like a "real" picture frame, as opposed to some of the uglier models out there.

Anyway, 2 years ago, I had nothing but problems with the pandigital frames. My computer would not recognize the frame when I synced it via usb. This was quite a common problem for many users if you check past reviews. Pandigital did nothing to resolve the issue other than tell people to exchange the frame. Well, unfortunately the frame was never actually defective - it just had poorly coded software that was inherently incompatible with specific builds of Windows XP. On top of that, no matter how much memory you loaded up in the frame, it would only recognize 2000 pictures; however, it took me a few hours of experimentation before I figured out that was the problem, given NOWHERE in the documentation was there a point about a limitation on the "number" of photos you could use. Anyway.. I digress..

So just the other day, I saw that Pandigital has a new model frame, the Pantouch. It looked almost identical to their last generation of models, which was fine with me. Also, I saw on the box that it could hold up to 6,400 photos. I saw that clearly they had fixed that previous 2000-photo limit, so I decided with much hesitation to purchase this new model.

On the plus side, the frame synched up with my PC just fine, and sure enough I was able to load up my 3,000 pictures onto the frame just fine. But then that's when the problems begun. The frame would start to lock up in mid slide-show. I started taking off photos and found that to keep the frame from locking up, I could only have around 1,000 pictures. I even tried to downsize the file size of the pictures, so that my 3,000 pictures only took up 400MB of space, and put them directly ON the memory of the device (which has 512MB). Still, the stupid thing wouldn't run the slideshow without locking up.

After about 5 hours of trying different types of memory cards, quantities of pictures, and changing file types, I found out the problem: You cannot run a slideshow on more than 1,000 photos in RANDOM-MODE. Yes, if you are having problems with the slideshow locking up, it's because you need to switch OFF the random mode. Apparently the frame has a very slow processor and when it tries to search all of the internal memory for a "random" photo, the process takes too long and the frame just locks up. For some reason I haven't been able to figure out this issue has never been explored... I guess maybe no one has more than 3,000 photos?

Anyway, after fixing that issue, my frame is fully operational. The actual user interface is pretty good compared to other frames. The "pantouch" technology is a complete gimmick. It works, but I found myself just using the remote and on-device buttons to navigate. Also, I really want to know what type of genius product manager decided it would be "appleish" and "trendy" to use a touch-interface on a glass picture frame! It's one thing to have a touch-screen phone, because finger prints aren't much of an issue, but common, who wants finger prints on their glass picture frame?

So in conclusion, I give this frame 3 stars. It loses 1 star because of the shoddy memory and hardware, and the fact that the frame gets cranky once you have over 1,000 photos on it. It loses another star for Pandigital's abysmal customer service, because if this thing dies on you, you won't get getting much help from them!

Genuine HP 564 Regular Capacity 5-Color Combo Pack: Black, Black Photo, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow In Individual Retail Boxes

Value cartridges for high-volume printing: Cartridge yield: Black-approx. 800 pages, Photo Black-approx 290 pages, Colors-approx 750 pages each (actual yield depends on printer and specific use.

HP Photosmart Premium All-in-One Printer

I had a not very old Epson Photo printer, the RX580, and was happy with it. However, it did not last long at all. While I may go a month or two without printing, I certainly don't expect the printer to become inoperable during downtime...
I purchased a new Mac to replace my tablet PC in July, so a few days ago for the first time I tried to hook my mac up to it, and I could not get anything to print well. After some troubleshooting and testing from other platforms, I realized that there was something wrong with the unit physically, and tossed it in the garbage and looked for a printer at a local brick and mortar.
I was half sold on getting one of the Canon all in one units, based on some favorable remarks in some of the apple forums, but the local store by me only had one model of Canon, a lesser one than I wanted, so I looked at the rest of the available printers, and narrowed it down to this HP and another HP, one step below this. The kicker for me was the bluetooth in this one, which was worth the extra $40 for me, since I run an 802.11n only network at home, and had assumed the wireless on this unit was just 802.11 b/g like most. Happily, I was mistaken.
Got it home, unboxed, and like the other reviewer said, this is a nicely sturdy, well built, solid home printer.
As usual, I downloaded the most current version of the software and driver rather than relying on the CD to be current, and indeed the CD had been superceded. The download and install went fine, so when it started nagging me about where the printer was, I hopped into the printer and set up the wireless just to see, since it actually saw my 802.11n network. Sure enough, entered my encryption key, and there it was. And instantly my mac found it, and the install completed.
One thing to note, the little paper manual that came with it didn't seem to have anything in there regarding setting up the unit, so I'm going to assume detailed instructions are probably on the CD in PDF or TXT files somewhere. But I was able to get the wireless going without any documentation, the touch screen is very well designed and extremely simple to follow. The flow for printing or setup is well thought out.
So I did some printing, both of 4x6 as well as some 8 1/2 x 11 photos, and they turned out just excellent. Superb, better than I had hoped for, and certainly faster than I had expected.
I will also add that the printer loves to do the samba, especially the 8 or 9 minute "first run" it does the very first time you power it on. But it gives the status right on the LCD, and a timer counting down so you know how long it will be. I'm assuming the wiggles after printing are probably cleaning off the heads and parking them to seal them again between print jobs.
I haven't tried the duplexer yet, but as the other reviewers mentioned, scanning is just as simple and as high quality as the printing.

After I knew it worked and was happy with it, I hopped back into the on screen menu and checked the bluetooth settings, then added it via bluetooth to my mac, and a minute later, was printing via bluetooth.

One surprise was that it actually came with a USB cable for those who will use one - something I'm not used to seeing bundled with printers.

Another nice feature for me is the front paper load - after the Epson I just tossed, it's nice to be able to get at the paper right in the front, rather than feeding from the top in the back. Makes it easier on my shelf in the computer armoire, i don't have to roll it out and play around trying to find where things fit back there out of sight.

The finish is nice. And the mac software works well, haven't booted to my Windows 7 install yet to see how it works there, but I would be surprised if I had any problems on the windows side. This is not my first HP printer, and if it performs and lasts as well as my others have, I will be more than happy with it.

I purchased mine without any review searches at all, since it was an impulse grab at the store when the one I was looking for wasn't available, but I'm glad it wasn't, as this one has a few more features and works better than I could have hoped.

Sony VAIO VPC-CW21FX/P 14-Inch Laptop (Pink)

"Let me start by saying that I use my computer for much more than average daily use. I record multi track audio (i.e. home studio), as well as average daily tasks. I also work in a place that is very much pro Mac/anti PC. That's okay, I'm not biased either way, you just get more horsepower for your money with PC.

I downsized from my desktop system which was a Core 2 Duo with 2GB RAM on XP Pro. It was working, but I needed more horsepower (i.e. faster processor and more RAM), and I also figured a laptop that could suit my home studio needs would be perfect because I could then be mobile as well.

A lot of research went into purchasing a laptop. I left no stone unturned, and looked at ALL the models, up to a certain price range (under $1000), even models with lesser specs in certain areas than this one.

After much research, I decided this has everything I need. I've had it about three weeks now, and it's a great machine. Even some of my coworkers who prefer Macs said it's a nice laptop, and we all know computers where I work. After seeing the specs and the pricetag on this, they agreed that I did well.

My only gripe about it is that because it's a Vaio, it comes with TONS of extra Vaio software (as well as other trial software, and other programs that I have no use for). Three weeks later, I'm still experimenting with which Vaio software I should and should not uninstall. Some Vaio programs are necessary to operate things like the function keys, where others are not necessary. I will not post a list here, but search out the individual programs and make your own decision. Other than that, this thing ROCKS!!! Nice clear graphics, fast processor, good RAM (I plan to expand mine up to the allowable 8GB though), and totally KILLS my old Core 2 Duo machine. I was able to pull up sessions from my external hard drive after installing my recording software, and sessions that would nearly max out my Core 2 Duo machine barely had this computer running at 50% system resources. Beautiful, just what I needed. The hyper threading on the new Core i series is amazing.

I bought an e-SATA express card to use with the card slot to stream my external hard drive, I run an audio interface off the firewire port, and an iLok. I'm also going to purchase a firewire express card with a Texas Instrument chipset in it to see which transfer rate is better between the e-SATA card and the FW card (it 'should' be the e-SATA, but I'm still going to try it). I also plan on purchasing a wireless mouse, full size keyboard, and 22" monitor, so basically this laptop will sit off to the side as I record, mix, and edit audio. This is everything I need at the moment, and is working out as an audio computer as good or better than I thought. I highly recommend it. Oh, and regarding the Vaio software - for the average user, most of it is actually pretty cool, I just like to run my machine as clean and lean as possible so that most of it's resources are available when it comes time to lay down audio tracks."

Gateway NV7920u 17.3-Inch Laptop (Cherry Red)

 

Gateway NV7920u Notebook comes with these specs: Intel Core i5-430M Processor 2.26GHz with Turbo Boost Technology up to 2.53GHz, Windows 7 Home Premium, 17.3-Inch HD Widescreen Ultrabright LCD Display, Mobile Intel HM55 Express Chipset, 4096MB DDR3 1066MHz Memory, Intel Graphics Media Accelerator HD, 500GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive, 4X Blu-ray Disc/DVD-Super Multi double-layer drive, Built-in Webcam, Multi-in-1 Digital Media Card Reader, High-Definition Audio Support, 802.11b/g/Draft-N Wi-Fi CERTIFIED, 4 - USB 2.0 Ports, HDMI Port, Multi-gesture Touchpad, 6-cell Li-ion Battery (4400 mAh), up to 3-hours 50 minutes of battery life, 7.4 lbs. | 3.3 kg (system unit only), AC Power Adapter, AC Power Cord, Wireless Setup Card, Registration/ Limited Warranty Card, Norton Internet Security 2009 (60-day trial)

Apple MacBook Air MC234LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop

 

After owning and enjoying the first generation Macbook Air (1.6 MHz, 80GB drive), this unit is an unbelievable upgrade. For the same price as the original, this unit is incredibly faster. Programs start up about 3 times faster and the SSD drive is silent and extremely quick. Startups and shutdowns are noticeably quicker too. My initial experience has indicated that the battery life should be better as well. I was also impressed with the browser speed pickup as pages seem to render all at once without the typical lag the original unit had.

ASUS UL50AG-A2 Thin and Light 15.6-Inch Black Laptop - 12 Hours of Battery Life

 

The thin and light ASUS UL50Ag is a harmonious blend of form and function. Powered by an Intel Core 2 Duo ultra-low voltage processor, it boasts an impressive 12-hour battery life for all-day computing. It also sports user-centric features such as a multi-gesture touchpad and provides an impressive multimedia entertainment experience with Altec Lansing speakers and SRS Premium Sound. All of these features and more are shrouded in a robust brushed aluminum lid that not only looks magnificent, but also helps in maintaining the notebook’s stylish exterior day after day. ASUS notebooks come with ASUS’ 360 service program that includes a 2 year global warranty, one month zero bright dot guaranty, free two-way shipping and twenty-four hour tech support seven days a week. Plus it comes with a FREE One Year Accidental Damage Warranty protecting your notebook from drops, fire, spills and surges.

Acer AS5740-6025 15.6-Inch Laptop (Blue)

 

Just received. Amazon service as usual, perfect. My expectations were high and I have not been disapointed. Core i5 processor is fast. Screen is glossy but beautiful. Keyboard is excellent. Everything works. First experience with Windows 7; looks good, nothing to complain about it. Time will tell, but this seems to be a bargain.

Acer Aspire Timeline AS3810TZ-4925 13.3-Inch Aluminum Laptop - Over 8 Hours of Battery Life

 

Acer Aspire Timeline AS3810TZ-4925 Notebook comes with these specs: Intel Pentium Processor SU4100, Windows 7 Home Premium, 13.3-Inch HD Widescreen CineCrystal LED-backlit Display, Mobile Intel GS45 Express Chipset, 3072MB DDR3 1066MHz Memory, Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD, 320GB SATA Hard Drive, HD Webcam, Multi-in-1 Digital Media Card Reader, 2nd Generation Dolby Sound Room Audio Enhancement, Intel WiFi Link 1000 802.11b/g/Draft-N, 3 - USB 2.0 Ports, 1 - HDMI Port, Convenience Buttons- Multi-Gesture Touchpad, Acer PowerSmart Technology, Acer Backup Manager, Touchpad-lock, 6-cell Li-ion Battery (5600 mAh), 8+ hours of battery life, 3.5 lbs. | 1.6 kg (system unit only), AC Power Adapter, AC Power Cord, Wireless Setup Card, Registration/ Limited Warranty Card, McAfee Internet Security Suite (60-day insert)

Acer eMachines E525-2200 Notebook PC - 15.6" LCD / Intel Celeron 900 2.2GHz / 3GB DDR2 / 250GB HD / DVD±RW/CD-RW drive / 802.11b/g Wireless LAN /

Not a ton of features, but has a fast enough processor for web surfing and MS Office. Goes to sleep and comes back to life quickly with Windows 7. Good alternative to a netbook that has a micro-sized screen. I also have the Acer version (straight Acer brand, not Acer eMachines) and it is almost identical to this laptop, but has an AMD processor. I think this processor feels a little faster. Just wish the processor was a dual-core. Also beware that the screen resolution only has a height of 768, which by today's standards is a little short. But for the money, you can't beat it.

Compaq Presario CQ61-310US 15.6-Inch Black Laptop - Up to 4.25 Hours of Battery Life

This is the second laptop I have purchased, both of which were Compaq.

I got this laptop to upload pictures, surf the internet, and for general use around the house. The monitor is great and the picture is crisp and bright. The speed of this laptop is just what I had hoped for. I love the keypad that this laptop has...a big plus for the price!

I got a great deal on this laptop. I wanted a good laptop without having a huge bottom line to spend. I would recommend this laptop...Great little laptop! I don't regret sticking with Compaq.

The options available on this laptop, including the battery life are very good. I am able to work on things for hours and not worry about the battery dying.

The overall feel of this laptop is also great...it is smooth and sleek and looks great just sitting on the counter.

HP G71-340US 17.3-Inch Black/Silver Laptop - Up to 4 Hours of Battery Life

 

How can I express how incredible this machine is? Well let me try. Two weeks earlier I bought the Vista cousin of this machine that had a Pentium and only 1400/900 display (blech!) and it was a bit sluggish. After I saw an Office Depot flyer advertising this beauty for [...] with [...] rebate, I returned the Pentium to Best Buy, who didn't have this machine. This machine is a tremendous value. Huge hard drive, 4 gigs of ram, WONDERFUL keyboard (all the HPs have the best-engineered keyboards I have seen on any laptops, large and small). And 1600x900 instead of 1400x900 like some of the other models. I agree that the power cable should be on the left side, in fact on the one I returned it was. And yes, the speakers are underwhelming. But this is no "gaming rig", this is a business desktop replacement, period. Battery life? It says up to 4 hours by I get between 2.5 and 3 hours, and with the powersave mode, just a bit over 3 hours. The lesser cousin didn't even get 1.5 hours.

Acer Aspire Timeline AS1810T-8638 11.6-Inch HD Display Black Laptop - Over 8 Hours of Battery Life

Acer Aspire Timeline AS1810T-8638 Notebook comes with these specs: Intel Core2 Duo Processor SU7300, Windows 7 Home Premium, 11.6 inch HD Widescreen CineCrystal LED-backlit Display, Mobile Intel GS45 Express Chipset, 4096MB DDR2 667MHz Memory, Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD, 320GB SATA Hard Drive, Integrated Acer Crystal Eye Webcam, Multi-in-1 Digital Media Card Reader, 2nd Generation Dolby Sound Room Audio Enhancement, Intel WiFi Link 1000 802.11b/g/Draft-N, Bluetooth 2.1+ EDR, 3 - USB 2.0 Ports, 1 - HDMI Port, Convenience Buttons- Multi-Gesture Touchpad, 6-cell Li-ion Battery (5600 mAh), 8+ hours of battery life, 3.08 lbs. | 1.4 kg (system unit only), AC Power Adapter, AC Power Cord, Wireless Setup Card, Registration/ Limited Warranty Card, McAfee Internet Security Suite (60-day insert)

ASUS K50IJ-X8 15.6-Inch Black Versatile Entertainment Laptop

 

The ASUS K50IJ-X8 notebook is designed to offer exceptional performance and value. Boasting the muscle to provide cinematic audio and visual enjoyment, users can experience immersive entertainment anytime, anywhere in comfort and style. The ASUS K50IJ notebook sports a 15.6 inch High Definition display that provides a high contrast rate and color saturation, while an Intel® GL40 chip set provides crisp and clear visuals. Rounding out the entertainment package, Altec Lansing speakers, complemented by SRS Premium Sound technology, provide high definition audio enjoyment. The K50IJ also allows for a comfortable computing experience with the ASUS exclusive IceCool design. Intended to provide users with a comfortable mobile computing experience, IceCool Design boasts cleverly designed and positioned heat vents which keep the palm rests cool, lower than that of the average human body temperature. The K50IJ-X8 also comes with a 1 year global warranty, one month zero bright dot guaranty, free two-way shipping and twenty-four hour tech support seven days a week. In addition, a One Year Accidental Damage Warranty is included, protecting your notebook from drops, fire, spills and surges.

Compaq Presario CQ61-410US 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black)

 

I just received this nice 15.6" notebook and I admit that I like it! The sound is great. The keypad is really handy when you need it. And the reponse of this computer is satisfying with windows 7 loaded.

However, pictures in its product page might be a deceiving. Although they are shown in the pics, this model does NOT come with a webcam and HDMI. I was surprised when I opened the box and found this truth. Hence, I further digged into the specification sheet and found that I was wrong. Beware, if you think this is really a steal with a webcam and HDMI for this low price, you may just make a mistake like what I did.

In all, I do not regret my decision of buying it at all. You can buy a netbook for $299.99. But I will pay a little bit more to go with this notebook ($379.99) with full capability, faster processing speed and a DVD burner in trade of the mobility. Now, I am going return my cute but slow netbook...

HP Pavilion DV6-1354US 15.6-Inch Black Laptop - Up to 4 Hours of Battery Life

 

I purchased model DV6-1354US with 500gb hard drive and 6 cell battery. I use this laptop for editing photos with Adobe Photoshop CS4, as well as editing audio with Adobe Audition 2.0.

I have a five year old HP laptop running XP and it is still going strong. Despite outsourced Indian phone support, I was able to communicate support issues effectively. I am confident in future hardware performance and support from HP.

Transition from XP to Windows 7 was intuitive. The new taskbar is my favorite improvement. Followed by much better graphic interface and widgets. Some of my XP software causes Windows 7 to turn off Aero mode. I feel that windows has caught up with Apple in terms of graphics and workflow.

As far as laptop is concerned, Dave from Portland has a great review comparing the different models available on Amazon. The DV6-1354US is sufficient for me to use Adobe Photoshop and Audition, as well as multitask.

I will never go to a laptop again without a numeric keypad, this was an unexpected plus. I do miss the old HP media controls above the keyboard. They are replaced now by a volume and wireless control. I like that they are no longer buttons but touch sensitive surfaces above the keyboard.

The DV6 is quieter and cooler than my old HP. The power cord is beefier, which was always a problem with my old HP. Although I would prefer a magnetic power cord like Apple offers. Compared to other manufacturers, I would have to say that HP has the best price for great, reliable hardware.

Everything is a wonderful improvement except for the sound. Frequently, friends would ask where the music was coming from when I used my old DV1000. I felt that the sound was very rich for such a small system. I find the DV6 to have a much shallower, smaller sound that finds trouble filling a bedroom. For this reason, I drop the DV6 to four stars.

Also, the DV6 doesn't come with recovery disks. You need 3 DVD+R or -R (not RW) disks to create your own.

Overall, I really enjoy this computer, and probably will continue to enjoy it for another 5 to 7 years until RAM is in petabytes and laptops cook dinners. If I had to do it again I would still choose it over an Acer, Asus, Dell, Mac, or Sony.

Toshiba Satellite T135-S1300 TruBrite 13.3-Inch Ultrathin Black Laptop - 9 Hours 22 Minutes of Battery Life

 

No issues so far. What I really liked is it's battery life. Gave me full 5 hours when connected with internet. Good for personal day to day use like internet, email, word processing, playing music etc. One thing I didn't like is speaker which is very low. Otherwise its a good laptop for personal use.

Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q880 TruBrite 18.4-Inch Gaming Laptop (Black/Red)

 

Bluntly, this laptop puts most gaming desktops to shame. The I7 processor is a true upgrade from the Core 2, 1066MHz RAM and SSD give you enough bandwidth and read speed to reduce load times incredibly, and the huge HD screen is like sitting in the front row at a theater. Add to that Blu-Ray, the undisputed best speakers I have ever heard on a portable, and a full-sized illuminated keyboard and you will realize why this is the most impressive gaming laptop on the market.

The price is extremely reasonable given the feature set. Previous generation gaming portables could lighten your wallet by almost $3,000 for stock options, while this one is under $2,000 with just about every bell or whistle you could want. Building a desktop with similar specs would set you back nearly $1,400, thus a $500 price premium for portability is more than acceptable.

In multimedia, simply put, the Qosmio Q880 will handle anything you throw at it. Blu-Ray is flawless, as is 1080P downloaded content. The speakers are very powerful for their size but do lack bass response like all small speakers, though I was impressed with what it had. It seems to use the chassis as a wave guide for low frequencies. The screen is bright with good color reproduction, easily the match of a desktop display, and even when viewed very closely (in your lap for instance) retains sharpness.

As to gaming, again there is no current title that this laptop cannot handle. In extremely demanding games you may have to turn off a few bells and whistles to play at 1920x1080, the same as you would with a single card in a desktop. 6GB of RAM as opposed to the usual 3 or 4 in gaming laptops is refreshing, giving overhead rather than trying to match the current batch of high end games. World of Warcraft, The Sims 3, Borderlands, and Mass Effect 2 all run without a hitch.

Finally the laptop-y things; Battery life is good for a gaming laptop but this is by no means a netbook. You'll get about 2.5-3 hours in constant use provided you're not running 3D games or anything more demanding than Internet and Office apps. Thanks to a CPU that can not just ramp down its frequency but shut off parts of itself on demand, you can have battery life and power in the same box. The appearance of the unit is very cool, but I tend to think a lot of people would like options other than black and red.

A few things I was disappointed to find: There is no install media included with the Q880. I know it is easy to create restore disks, but when plopping down nearly two grand for a laptop you'd think the least they could do would be to print a few DVDs. The first thing I do with a prebuilt system is reinstall everything without the bloatware, and having to use several of my own blank DVDs is asinine. As of my receipt of this unit there are no valid drivers for the GeForce 360M, and the ones available from Toshiba's site do not support it either. (The ones that come preloaded into the OS are edited to support the 360M and are a bit out of date. I had to hack my own to bring them to current, and there are minor bugs as the official drivers do not yet exist. After nVidia officially releases the 300 series a driver will be available.)

HP Pavilion DM3-1130US 13.3-Inch Laptop (Silver)

 

The only difference between this model and the one I have is that mine has no bluetooth.

Now to the review:

Pros: STYLISH WELL-BUILT MACHINE. This one looks COOL even when turned off.
4 USB Ports
HDMI Output. Plays 1080p flawlessly when I connect it to my plasma TV.
The Screen is AMAZING. Colors look so realistic and this is especially noticeable on human skin.
Fantastic Keyboard.


cons: No Optical drive, but this is really a good thing since discs are being replaced by downloads.
The Touchpad takes some time to get used to. Because of all the extra features.

Acer Aspire AS1410-8414 11.6-Inch Sapphire Blue Laptop - 6 Hour Battery Life

I purchased this laptop after a fair amount of research. I know that I wanted a smaller, portable laptop that we would use for general activities like web surfing, e-mail and the basics. This laptop is packed with an impressive set of specs. The screen was bright and sharp, it loaded up quickly and was quiet a cool running. However, I ended up returning it for a refund because after about a week of use, the touchpad started to become next to impossible to use. It was twitchy from the beginning. When I viewed web sites, it would occasional cause the brower's back button to activate, font sizes to increase or decrease and it almost acted like it had a mind of its own. Despite that we were planning to live with it but when it because next to impossible to use the touch pad, we returned it and will look for a slightly larger screen size. The cover was nice but showed finger prints immediately. Still a great machine for the price and wonderful features but not the right one for me.

HP Pavilion DV4-2161NR 14.1-Inch Laptop (Black)

 

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.

HP Pavilion DV6-2150US 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black)

I just got this and it booted right up, the screen quality is very nice, much better than the older style of laptops with the satin finish. This high glass finish really makes the screen stand out. I've used laptops by dell, lenovo and gateway in the past so my first impressions are below.

The laptop is not heavy, very reasonable and despite the 6 cell battery, most times I'm plugged in so it's not a big deal to me. I haven't timed out the battery yet but so far as with any new laptop is seems to do just fine. I wish it came with a cover or bag of some sort until I get my laptop bag, but I guess I'll be careful.

The side connectors are well laid out, I don't see issues with too much in a spot, it all seems pretty nice. My version did not have a modem (which I hope we don't need much longer). The one thing I'm trying to determine and it may be my misunderstanding but this should have "N" network wireless ability but when I booted it up, my dual band router only showed the regular G.

The big thing I like is the touch controls of the keyboard layout, everything is touch sensor, no buttons to break. The other thing that I really like is the pc does not get hot like older laptops do. It has no "side vents" for the cpu so it's clearly a much cooler operations than its earlier laptops. I always had to make sure I powered down the laptops in the bag or they'd overheat. With this style I'd be surprised if I had an issue. It comes with a little video remote that is nice if you are watching movies on a flight or don't want to mess with the keyboard. The hdmi on the side probably would be of good use if showing videos that way.

I personally don't care for the "bubble" design on the black finish, it could have been left alone without that stuff but oh well. As I work with it more I'll be able to post more but it's a very nice laptop and they even have a 50 dollar rebate on some locations.

As far as gaming, I haven't tried it so far but I'd suspect in most average games this I3 should do fine. I'm sure on call of duty versions it probably will not work well but I have a home desktop pc for that kind of gaming.

Toshiba Satellite L505-S5993 TruBrite 15.6-Inch Grey/Black Laptop - 2 Hours 25 Minutes of Battery Life

Offering solid performance and impressive affordability, the Satellite L505 laptop is tailor made for handling life’s essentials at home, school or work. Surfing the Net, downloading video, checking email, managing household finances or studying for finals, this easy-to-use, all-purpose, eco-conscious machine makes an excellent first-time or secondary laptop. It gives you ample processing power, memory and storage for getting things done. It also offers convenient connectivity options for staying in touch, along with ports for enjoying and sharing pictures and playlists. A stunning high-def display lends a new visual dimension to whatever you’re doing. While an all-new Fusion Finish design means you’ll be multitasking in style.

ASUS UL80Ag-A1 Thin and Light 14-Inch Black Laptop - 12 Hours of Battery Life

The thin and light ASUS UL80Ag is a harmonious blend of form and function. Powered by an Intel Core 2 Duo ultra-low voltage processor, it boasts an impressive 12-hour battery life for all-day computing. It also sports user-centric features such as a multi-gesture touchpad and provides an impressive multimedia entertainment experience with Altec Lansing speakers and SRS Premium Sound. All of these features and more are shrouded in a robust brushed aluminum lid that not only looks magnificent, but also helps in maintaining the notebook’s stylish exterior day after day. ASUS notebooks come with ASUS’ 360 service program that includes a 2 year global warranty, one month zero bright dot guaranty, free two-way shipping and twenty-four hour tech support seven days a week. Plus it comes with a FREE One Year Accidental Damage Warranty protecting your notebook from drops, fire, spills and surges.

HP G60-630US 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black)

For those who want to connect and manage everyday computing tasks with an elegantly minimalist notebook, the HP G60 series Notebook PC delivers balanced mainstream performance at a great value. Powered by Intel processor and graphics technologies, the G60 includes essential features to enhance your PC experience and life.

Canon PIXMA MX860 Wireless All-In-One office Printer

The Canon MX-860 is an all-in-one printer designed for home or small business. The printing is fast, sharp and clear. The auto-document feeder scans both sides of the page, a tremendous time saver when you work with two-sided originals. Couple that with duplex-printing and it's trivial to reproduce two-sided forms and documents. The network connectivity also works well...in the six months I've had the printer, it's operated flawlessly in a mixed Mac/Windows environment on both wireless and wired networks.

Let's look at the MX-860 on a piece-by-piece basis ...

Printing
The Canon MX-860 uses a set of five ink cartridges for printing. Two of the cartridges are black, with the other three being the typical Magenta/Cyan/Yellow set. The printed output is easily sharp enough to be used for business letters; it almost rivals laser printers in quality. To save paper, the printer has built-in duplexing. I haven't measured it, but single-sided printing speed is quite good...I suspect that the 38 pound weight of the printer is due to some good size motors pulling the paper and moving the printhead around. Printing in duplex mode is quite a bit slower. To avoid smearing, the printer waits for the first-side to dry before printing the second side.

Photographs have good tonal gradation and overall appearance, however they don't equal those from a high-end printer that's specifically designed to print photographs. The difference, though, is slight and everybody has liked the prints that I've made. The printer has the usual slots on the front to allow you to insert your camera's memory cards.

Scanning
Whoopee! Duplex scanning! Have you ever tried to scan a stack of two sided pages? And get them merged into one file in the right order? I tried. Once. Then I went out and paid $400 for a dedicated scanner (the Fujitsu ScanSnap S510). With duplex scanning capability on the MX-860, I wouldn't have needed to do that. You put the papers in the feeder, tell the printer that it's a two-sided original and push the button.

Faxing
Outgoing faxing works fine. The faxes seem to get there. Originally, the designers of the fax system missed an extremely important feature...you couldn't specify the number of rings before the fax machine answered. Without that ability, it was almost impossible for the machine to peacefully co-exist with your phone service in a single line household. This problem was fixed by a firmware update and current purchasers can set the number of rings before pick-up. Unfortunately, Canon hasn't posted the new firmware, so owners of older machines are stuck...be careful if you buy one used. +1 brownie point for recognizing and fixing the problem. -2 for not making it available... :>(

Networking and Setup
I had no problems getting both the wireless and wired network up and running. The setup is simple and straight forward. You'll need a USB cable to get the wireless network configured. It may be possible to wirelessly configure the wireless network, but there are certain insanities that even I won't try. You can only use one network - wired or wireless - at once. As I mentioned in the intro, it comes with both Macintosh and Windows software. Getting it to work on my additional networked computers was as simple as inserting the DVD and running the install program.

Ink Consumption
Some printer politely sip ink, but this isn't one of them. It's not quite as bad as beer consumption at a frat party, but in the last 2500 pages, I've gone through six black and two full sets of color cartridges. That works out to slightly over 10.5 cents per page at Amazon's current (11/11/09) prices for OEM ink cartridges...fine for normal use, but not great if you're going to use the printer heavily. Your ink consumption will vary, depending on the mix of photos, graphics and text that you print.

Packaging
You know that ubiquitous orange tape that printer manufactures use to hold everything together? It's there in spades. I wish I owned that franchise. Otherwise, it looks like the printer should ship well. It's well isolated with plenty of molded styrofoam.

In summary, this is my fourth Canon printer and probably the twentieth printer that I've owned. Outside of the faxing issue, it works great. The duplex scanning and printing are valued additions and real time savers...I would have given it a solid five stars if it wasn't for the faxing problem. I haven't used the printer enough to get a sense of long-term reliability; after a couple of thousand sheets of paper, it's been jam free and solid.