HP G62-340us 15.6-Inch Laptop PC - Up to 4 Hours

HP G62-340us 15.6-Inch Laptop PC - Up to 4 Hours of Battery Life (Charcoal) (Personal Computers) 

I'm really pleased with the purchase of this laptop. One thing to realize is that it's not the fastest or thinnest/lightest laptop out there. It's pretty much a standard laptop, with modest specs, but it does all many of the functions that a basic computer user out there is looking for.

Pros:
Nice keyboard - chicklet style, easy to type on
Touchpad response is smooth and easy to use (note: see con on touchpad below)
Good screen clarity
Speedy enough for most tasks (internet, word processing)
Wireless connection was strong, fast
Fan is quiet and unobtrusive
Doesn't get very hot when on your lap

Cons:
Case design very basic (rubberized?) and not all that attractive
Touchpad button is stiff - Hard to push
Too much HP software installed - Some of this will appeal to the novice user who may like all the toolbars, picture managers, dvd players, and software update programs installed.

At first it seemed as if the screen was a bit blurry, but then I realized it was the opening HP setup window that looked bad. It's not designed for the optimal screen resolution of the LCD panel. I don't know why HP doesn't fix this, as it's the 2nd time that I've noticed this on HP laptops. The screen looks nice in Windows 7.

I'll try and update this review a bit more once I have more time with the laptop, including battery life.

Overall, a nice machine in this price range. You can find similar specs across the board with the different manufactures of laptops, but this would be a quality choice.

Toshiba Satellite A665D-S6076 15.6-Inch LED Laptop

Toshiba Satellite A665D-S6076 15.6-Inch LED Laptop (Fusion X2 Finish in Charcoal) (Personal Computers) 

We've only had this machine for a few days, but it's been great. I am still having trouble getting my head around the fact this machine sells for $579 on Amazon. Wow. This replaces an older Shuttle XPC that has served us well for many years. The Shuttle is now happily residing in the man cave. Only a few minor complaints:

1) Not a big fan of the multi-touch action on the touchpad. It's a bit jumpy and sensitive. It's too easy to "pinch" and you find yourself with really big or really small text on your web pages, even when your hand is just close, not necessarily touching. I have a MacBook Pro for work, and this multi-touch pad isn't even close to working as well, but then this machine cost about a third of what the MacBook did. I can totally live with it. It's mainly my wife's machine anyway, and she prefers a mouse, so it's a non-issue.

2) Web cam is cheesy at .3 MP, but it gets the job done.

3) Screen is really glossy. I wish there was a matte option. You can get quite a bit of glare in a sunny room.

That said, there are also many pros:

1) Very snappy overall. I've always been a fan of AMD due to their architecture and cost/speed ratio. I never thought it made sense to split hairs with performance metrics on a personal machine anyway. As long as you get pretty current technology, you'll be fine. I have been in a technology job for many years dealing with servers and such, and my experience makes me prefer AMD if I have a choice. Your mileage may vary. 4GB RAM and a nice 500GB hard drive are all we'll ever need. Wish the HD was 7200 RPM, but that wasn't a deal breaker by any means.

2) Surprisingly good sound. I streamed an Austin City Limits episode on it and it sounds incredible for a laptop. Headphones also sound much better than other laptops. Even a bit more crisp and clear than my MacBook. Very impressed with the Dolby/Harmon/Kardon combo.

3) Bang for the buck. $579? Ridiculous.

4) Not too much bloatware. I was expecting more. I only had to uninstall a couple of apps and disable a few of the Toshiba software apps that pop up in your grill when you first boot the machine up. I was expecting to spend hours uninstalling junk, but I haven't had to.

Toshiba Satellite T235D-S1350 TruBrite 13.3-Inch Ultrathin

Toshiba Satellite T235D-S1350 TruBrite 13.3-Inch Ultrathin Laptop (Black) (Personal Computers) 

Purchased this laptop a couple of weeks ago for my son who starts college in the fall. Primary objective was a capable laptop with extended battery capability. Specifically, I was seeking a laptop which could readily run Microsoft Office 2010, but was not a "gaming" laptop; given there are already too many distractions in college! The other key feature for my son was a full size keyboard, as he has large hands - this ruled out most netbooks. The 13.3" display and 3.9 pound total weight is an excellent balance between capability versus transportability.

The T235-S1350 uses a next gen Intel CPU (U5400), which is among the most efficient available (i.e., very low power usage). Note this is a 'value' Intel CPU, which has virtualization disabled (i.e., hardware support for running a virtual PC with another operating system). The AMD CPU versions of the T235 (-S1340 and -S1345) have very capable CPUs, but are not very efficient compared to the latest Intel CPUs; hence their reduced battery life.

The product description incorrectly lists the battery rating at 48Wh - it is actually a much more capable 61Wh. The included software allows tailoring of "eco" settings to achieve extended battery use. Based on standard usage, my son has achieved 5-6 hours of actual use (rated at 8+ hours).

Only significant negative is the lack of Bluetooth, as a standard wireless mouse requires one of the three USB ports. The combo eSATA/USB port is a nice bonus for future growth. Would purchase again.

Toshiba Satellite L655D-S5110 15.6-Inch LED Laptop

Toshiba Satellite L655D-S5110 15.6-Inch LED Laptop (Fusion Finish in Helios Grey) (Personal Computers) 

I'm gonna be slightly skewed in this review because I just upgraded from a netbook (MSI Wind U120), but this laptop more than does the job. I have owned it now for about 3 months, and it has kept up superbly with everything I've thrown at it. I use it to program (I'm a CS major in school) and play games like League of Legends, and it hasn't skipped a beat. For the sale price of $589, it more than does the job. 

Toshiba Satellite C655D-S5041 15.6-Inch Laptop

Toshiba Satellite C655D-S5041 15.6-Inch Laptop

Technical Details

• Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit),3.4 hours of battery life
• AMD V Series Processor V120,250GB HDD (5400rpm),2GB DDR3 memory
• DVD-SuperMulti (+/-R double layer) with Labelflash drive
• HD TruBrite LCD Display
• No Bluetooth (No Antenna)
• 65W (19V 3.42A) Auto-sensing 100-240V / 50-60Hz input
• Li-Ion (48Wh 6-Cell)|Up to 3.4 hours
• 2-USB (2.0)
• 10/100 Ethernet LAN
• Wi-Fi Wireless networking (802.11b/g/n)
• Standard stereo speakers Headphone jack (stereo) Microphone jack (mono)
• No Webcam and microphone built into LCD bezel
• 256MB-893MB dynamically allocated shared graphics memory

Toshiba NB505-N508TQ 10.1-Inch Netbook

Toshiba NB505-N508BL 10.1-Inch Netbook (Blue) (Personal Computers) 

The first one I ordered would not start Windows, just gave a DOS screen saying it could not find the operating system. Credit Amazon for an almost totally painless return process and for having a replacement in my hands 24 hours after the defect was found.

I really like the second one so far. Boots fairly quickly, feels very solidly made, has a super display and an excellent keyboard and touchpad. Seems like very good value for the price.

I would give it five stars right now except that the delivery of the first defective machine makes me wonder a little about quality control and durability.

Toshiba Satellite L635-S3104 13.3-Inch LED

Toshiba Satellite L635-S3104 13.3-Inch LED Laptop (Grey) (Personal Computers) 

I've had this notebook for about three weeks. It meets my expectations for the most part. Unfortunately it comes loaded with Norton, Toshiba software I haven't found a use for yet, and Windows 7 takes some getting used to. The description above of the stereo speakers is pure bunk. At the highest volume setting they sound like a pair of headphones turned up all the way. No bass whatsoever. I think there's another Toshiba model that's installed with Harman-Kardon speakers. Go with that one.