Reader Reviews: HP Pavilion

Editors note: This HP notebook review was written by Joan Marie Warren

My current laptop is the HP Pavilion dv6; my daughter purchased two of these laptops on Black Friday in 2009, after waiting in line at Staples for hours, one for herself and one for me, as an early Christmas gift. Priced at $199.00, this was a steal for this machine and well worth the long wait in line.

This Pavilion model is top of line and looks classy with a dark bronze finish with the signature HP swirl designs. It has a 15.6 inch screen, and weighs about 6 pounds which makes it easy to take just about anywhere. The keyboard on the lap top is full size so it is very easy to type on, unlike the net book that this little prize replaced. The touchpad is the HP ClickPad with the technology to turn it on and off, which is great, because I prefer my trackball and my daughter prefers the touch pad. This laptop is also equipped with a built in web cam, a DVD drive, wireless LAN card, an onboard card reader that reads most of the external memory cards available today, built in speakers along with an earphone jack and a microphone jack. This model has four USB slots, two located on each side, which is great to connect peripheral hardware, such as my trackball or my iPod cord needed to charge my iPod and sync with iTunes. On the inside it is equipped with an Intel Core i3 processor (2.40GHz) and Windows 7 64-bit operating system, which runs any of my frequently used programs superfast. We are both college students and use Microsoft Office programs often, like Word, Excel and Power Point, along with iTunes. The video quality is great, as a long time desk top user I never knew that a lap top could provide this high quality video. I have watched DVD movies on my laptop along with many episodes of my shows from the internet.

Another plus that came with this laptop is the LightScribe technology that allows you to label a DVD or CD by etching the title you select or create yourself right on to the disc, a special LightScribe disc is required to take advantage of this feature. My only complaint with this laptop is the battery life and the AC adapter. The battery is a standard 6-Cell 55WHr Lithium-Ion Battery but it never lasts for more than two hours tops and the AC adapter connections appear to wear over time, sometimes it takes three or four tries to get the AC Adapter to show that is charging the battery, it appears to be a problem with the connection to the computer itself or between the box that joins the two cords. We are in the process of looking into getting the battery in mine replaced or the AC adapter, whatever the charging problem results to be.

Overall a great machine and well worth the money! I would recommend this to anyone.

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Buying Your First Laptop

A laptop is not a businessman’s tool anymore. Due to its portability and affordability, most people are keen to buy one. Many people looking for laptops are confused with the choices available and the technicalities involved. The article addresses various aspects to consider before you buy your first laptop.

Processor: The processor is the beast that provides your laptop all the computing power. The faster and more powerful the processor, the better performance you get. For basic computing purposes like word processing and browsing an Intel Core 2 Duo processor would suffice, where as for more advanced work like graphic design, multimedia & heavy gaming, a more powerful processor like an Intel Core i5 is recommended. Processor speeds are provided in Giga Hertz (GHz). The more the GHz, the faster the processing will be.

Memory: Random Access Memory (RAM) is another crucial consideration for performance. The memory is the immediate storage area for the laptop to do its computing using the processor. Normally laptop RAM comes in multiples of 1 gigabyte (GB). A basic laptop with Windows XP and MS Office needs 2GB RAM to work comfortably. For higher end work like programming or gaming its better to go with 3 or 4GB RAM. If you plan to upgrade your RAM later, ensure that the laptop you are going to buy has free slots for the additional RAM.

Hard Disk: Hard Disk Capacity is the amount of storage that is needed for storing your operating system files, movies, photographs, MP3 files and other documents. You will need to consider your future storage requirements while deciding on the hard disk capacity. A basic laptop intended for word processing , browsing may require only 80GB, where as a 500GB is recommended for a user who wants to store lots of music files, photographs etc. You can also augment your future storage needs later by buying an external hard disk later.

Size: The beauty of a laptop is in it’s portability so the size needs to factor in to your decision. Small laptops for sale offer an edge over larger ones because they’re lighter to carry, but a larger one means you can perform more functions with it.

Screen: Laptop screens come in different sizes and aspect ratios. The screen size specified by the manufactures is the diagonal measurement from one corner of the screen to the other in inches. The larger the screen, the more area you will get and less strain on your eyes. The downside of having bigger screens is the portability aspect goes down. A larger screen is recommended if the laptop is used for continuous work, whereas a smaller screen is optimal for the extremely mobile users.

Battery: A very important aspect is the back up time provided by the laptop battery when it’s not connected to the power socket. If the laptop is to be used extensively for travel, recommend going for a laptop that gives more backup time of 4-5 hours where as for the home user a back up time of 2 hrs is sufficient.

Optical Drive: As DVDs are common nowadays, it is advisable to go with a combo drive(DVD/CD -RW) that can read as well as write DVD’s and CD’s.

Pointing Devices: Laptop manufactures provide a touchpad (a rectangular box at the keyboard) or a joystick at the middle of the keyboard. Which one to use is completely a personal choice and based on your comfort. It is recommended to play around with both these options and arrive at the one of your comfort.

USB Ports: With USB devices getting popular, it’s a good idea to have a laptop that has at least 3 USB ports and that too high speed USB 2.0. The more number of USB ports, the more devices you can connect to the laptop at the same time

Warranty: Since laptops are very delicate devices with lots of components that too packed in a very small space chances of some of them conking off are a possibility. A laptop screen replacement itself might cost you a quarter of the price of the laptop. Go for laptops that has 2 years of more warranty and if not, its wise to invest in an extended warranty that gives you complete peace of mind.

While you are looking for good laptops for sale, do check with multiple vendors or retailers and compare their offerings based on your needs. Do not let a small useless freebie help you decide on the dream laptop. Try to bargain for free upgrades or extended warranty cover. It is also better to go for a laptop manufacturer who has a service center near you; otherwise you might have to bear the shipping expenses to the service center.

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How To Get The Best Deal On A Laptop

Purchasing a laptop is an important and rewarding process. If you do it right, you can find a product that fits your needs at a good price. If you do it wrong, you can wind up spending too much money on a piece of technology that does things you don’t want it to do, doesn’t do things you wish it did, or doesn’t work at all.

So, where to begin my search, what should I look for and how will I know what is the best laptop brand for my needs? I think you need to evaluate a series of questions about yourself and your computer usage to begin narrowing down the number of options. There are at least a few hundred choices, but you can quickly narrow it down once you know the following: *Apple/Mac or PC? *10-12 inch, 14-16 inch, or 17-19 inch? *Gaming or heavy video editing? *Speed and memory? *Price? *Brand? *Deals? Let’s walk through each one and by the end you should have a good sense of a few solid choices.

Apple computers are known for being slick, simple to use, beautifully designed, great for video editors, and generally expensive. PCs are known for being technically adaptable, fast, great for business, and generally affordable. Those are stereotypes that have begun changing over the years but still generally hold true.

The next major decision is size. Smaller 10-12 inch computers, also known as netbooks, make great portable devices. They work best as a secondary computer for use in web browsing, notetaking, and general work on the go. Medium sized 14-16 inch laptops are ideal for general use and can be either portable or used as a stationary computer. The screen is large enough to be comfortable but not so large as to be cumbersome. Larger 17-19 inch screens are beautiful and functional but not so portable. They’re best for graphic designers, gamers, and those who want a sleep alternative to a desktop computer that they can still unplug and pack into a suitcase.

Gaming and heavy video editing requires special features. For one, speed is a primary concern, so you’ll need a top of the line processor with lots of RAM (random access memory). You’ll also need a high end graphics card. Gaming usually happens on PCs, but video editing tends to happen on Apples.

As for speed, even those not doing heavy gaming or editing may want a zippy device which can handle multiple programs and windows running at the same time. If you tend to do 15 things at once, make sure that you opt for a faster chip with more RAM. If you are more of a simple web-browser and occasional document writer, you’ll be fine with less.

More costs more. Price is where all of these options come together. Apple is more expensive. Better chips, graphic cards, and more RAM are all more expensive. If you’re looking for the best laptop deal, a cheap 10 inch computer with full capabilities can be had for $300 dollars. An average, fully loaded 15 inch computer could be had for $700 if its a PC and $1200 if it’s an Apple. A high end, large screen gaming/graphics/business laptop could run into the $2500-4000 range. Brand choice is partly a matter of preference and partly a matter of reputation. Apples are known for being well made, so there is no concern there. PC brands with the best reputation are HP and Dell laptops, followed by Toshiba, Sony, and Acer. A newer company ASUS has been making neat devices that many people like.

Whatever brand you buy, try it out in person to see how it feels. Laptops are a very personal device and you need to like using it. Deals and checking out popular laptops for sale are the final concern. Like cars, laptops will come down in price before the next year’s new models come in. The worst time to buy a laptop is typically around the holidays or when students are going back to school. That’s when everyone buys one. A good idea is to select a few models that suit your needs and shop around for prices over a month or two. When a big sale on laptops pops up, take advantage of it. If you follow all of these tips, your laptop purchase should be a successful one.

Final thoughts: only buy the software you need. Great anti-virus software is available *free* online. Try AVG, Malware Bytes, and CC Cleaner. Microsoft Office-like applications can be had for *free* in the open source Open Office suite. Most insurance is not a great buy. The first year is always covered by warranty, and laptops rarely last more than 3 or 4. Just take good care of it and you should be ok. Good luck!

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Top 5 Laptops For Individual Needs

There are so many different reasons why someone would purchase a laptop and there are just as many different individual requirements that consumers have. With this in mind, here are five laptops out, of the vast amount of laptops available, that seem to stand out in their respective categories.

1. Good gaming laptop

Some of the good gaming laptops that stand out are the Alienware M series laptops, specifically the Alienware M15x laptop. It stands out due to its allocation in the series; it offers the best of both the high end and the low end models. In tests this laptop proved very formidable and could handle all the gaming that was thrown at it and over time had consistency in terms of CPU speed and processing. This was due to the machine’s astounding i7 Intel quad core processor which (if you didn’t know) is one of the top processors in the industry, definitely a plus. In addition to this, this highly awarded laptop 6 gigabytes dual channel DDR3 memory and 512 megabytes of GDDR3 GeForce graphics along with your choice of hard drive space. With this much power and graphics this computer will please any gamer. It will cost you, around $1400, but its well worth the cost when you can play games on your laptop in HD. Check a variety of gaming laptop reviews before making your decision.

2. Cheap Laptop

Not everyone has the resources to dish out $1400 on a laptop. There are some who would prefer to have a laptop to check emails, the occasional Microsoft office document, and web surfing. For this demographic, I recommend the Compaq Presario CQ62z. First of all, it’s only $400! What a deal! It comes with windows 7 and has 2 gigabytes of memory and 350 gigabytes of hard drive space, all of which can be upgraded. It has a decent AMD notebook processor which can handle simple tasks and never slow down. This laptop is definitely a favorite for many people.

3. Portable laptop

With all the things going on nowadays, there are some who prefer laptops that are portable and easy to carry around. With such laptops people don’t have to worry about carrying bigger conventional laptops. For this segment, the HP Mini 110 series really stand out. This computer is really cheap and only has a 10 inch screen and is really easy to carry around. It can do anything a normal computer can and comes with windows 7 in addition to that. It has about 1 gigabyte of memory and around 160 gigabytes of hard drive space (again, this can all be upgraded). In such a small device this is very amazing! It can do everything like a cheap computer but is smaller and easier to carry around.

4. College student laptop

College students usually get cheap laptops, but usually end up regretting this choice. In many cases, when they go to college, laptops become their TV’s, video game systems, and their home computers. With so many tasks student laptops need to be quite powerful. College is an investment, why not also invest in what you take and use their. In this section, the Apple Macbook pro is a great fit. The 15 inch model is, in most cases, the best fit. However there are 13 and 17 inch models also available. It comes with 2.53 gigahertz of processing speed 4 to 8 gigabytes of DDR3 memory based on your choice, and 256 megabytes of DDR3 memory. The hard drive space is 500 gigabytes. With such great features what else would a student need? In addition to this apple runs a college student program were college students get a free iPod with the purchase of a Mac. It costs around $1800 bucks but is well worth the costs, definitely a durable and student centered laptop.

5. Business centered laptop

There are some who use laptops for business alone. For these people I recommend the Dell fastrack vostro 3300. This laptop offers unparallel power. It comes with windows 7 and other Microsoft productivity software, a fingerprint scanner for security, and damage protection. This laptop is in the $600 laptop range and comes with great power and processing speed that comes with windows 7. It runs with the intel core I processors, has lots of available memory, and offers lots of available hardrive space, all of which is customizable. It has a 13 inch screen and is perfect.

All of these laptops are great. Check your local store ads for these notebooks on sale to save some money. I wish you luck on this journey as you search for the best laptop that fits you needs.

READER QUESTION: What gaming laptops do you like? Any others besides Alienware? If you own Alienware, what do you think of it?

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Review: Dell Laptops

I’ve had several different brands of laptops over the years, but the brand I keep coming back to over the years is Dell. They have a huge selection of laptops to choose from, everything ranging from a purse-sized netbook, to an entry-level laptop, to the ultimate gaming laptops.

The first laptop I ever purchased from Dell was an Inspiron 15R. The Inspirion 15 starts at about $399, making it ideal for first-time laptop users, students, and anyone else looking for a sturdy, dependable, entry-level model. Fully customizable, the Inspiron line features 2.26Gh Intel Core processors – fast enough for any computing the average user does and comes preloaded with Windows 7. The basic Inspirion comes with 2GB single-channel memory, but I recommend upgrading tot he 4GB dual-channel, as I find it adds significantly to the performance/speed of the laptop. All Inspirions come with a massive 320GB hard drive, Intel HD Graphics card and 5-hour battery, although for heavy users you may want to upgrade the battery or purchase an additional one. It’s one of the best cheap Dell laptops you could buy.

The next laptop I purchased from Dell was my netbook, or as Dell calls them, “Minis”. These are by far the best cheap laptops out there. I got mine refurbished for under $200 on Dell’s outlet store; a new model starts at $299. The thing I absolutely LOVE about the netbooks are the small size. I can tuck it into my diaper bag or purse whenever I go out – it’s perfect for web browsing and or writing that essay I’ve been trying to postpone. I have to admit I jumped the gun a bit and bought one of the first Mini 8′s. With an 8GB hard drive, it was virtually impossible to run anything on it. However, all the Minis now come with a minimum 160 GB hard drive so that’s no longer an issue. That being said, the Minis aren’t great on power. You really can’t have any apps on them or they tend to run at snail’s pace, so make sure you have another laptop or desktop to run your beefier programs on because the Minis come with a mere 1GB of RAM. However, if you are looking for a truly portable laptop for web-browsing, the Mini is what you want.

If you are looking for a powerful, and I mean powerful laptop, check out Dell’s Alienware line. My most recent purchase, the Alienware laptop was my husband’s last Christmas present – he was not disappointed! Built for gaming, the Alienware 15X is available with a Intel® Core™ i7 940XM Quad Core Processor, the fastest laptop processor in the world. You can also pack in a whallopping 8GB of dual-channel (yes, I said dual) memory and an available 256GB solid-state hard drive. The 15X comes with a beautiful HD screen, and with an available 1 GB GDDR3 NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX video card, you can make sure all your graphic-intense games look great on it. The 15X starts at $1350, but with available options can top out at well over $3000. For hard-core gamers, it’s a small price to pay for premium performance.

Dell laptops are available nationwide at retailers such as Walmart, Target, and Best Buy. You can also customize your laptop online (their Studio line is available in 200+ designs) at dell.com. If you are truly looking for a great deal, check out their online outlet. You can get brand-new and refurbished laptops at a fraction of the cost, so if that costly system you’ve been eyeing has been alluding you, you’ll definitely want to check them out.

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