Brother HL-5250DN Refurbished Network Ready Laser Printer with Duplex Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought the Brother HL-5250DN printer from Amazon for five reasons:
1) fast monochrome (black and white) printer.
2) network capability.
3) automatic duplexing (printing on both sides of the paper).
4) Enclosed paper tray.
5) Price (and the one-year manufacturer's warranty is nice, even on the refurbished product).
I also like the low toner, paper, and drum replacement indicator lights on the printer. The cost of the toner cartridges is about the same with other printers I've seen.
What comes in the box:
Printer, drum and toner assembly, AC power cord, paper Quick Setup Guide, CD-ROM. The CD-ROM has the drivers, entire Owner's Manual, and animated installation guide.
Note: No cables are provided.
If you are going to connect the printer to a wireless router, you will need an Ethernet cable.
If you are going to connect the printer directly to one computer, you will need either a USB or parallel cable. The printer has connections for both.
Setup
The setup did not go as easily as I hoped.
I had two problems with installation and setup:
1) I was not sure which network to use (peer to peer or shared).
2) After installation, I could not print from one of the two computers on the network.
After easily removing some shipping adhesive tape, inserting the drum/toner assembly (looks like a full toner cartridge, not a starter cartridge) and paper tray, I was ready to proceed with installing the software drivers.
The Quick Setup Guide presents you with choices for Windows 98/Me/2000/XP: USB interface, parallel interface, and network interface. There are also choices if using Windows XP Professional x64 Edition and Macintosh. The manufacturer's website indicates Microsoft Vista has "built-in" drivers but Brother drivers are also available on the website.
Upon clicking "Install Printer Driver" from CD-ROM menu, I was presented with three choices: USB cable users, Parallel cable users, and Network cable users. I chose the network cable users since I wanted to add the printer to my wireless network router. I was presented with a license agreement that I accepted. I then had to choose between "Brother Peer-to-Peer Network Printer" or "Network Shared Printer". I chose peer-to-peer to print directly to the printer over the network rather than to a central server on a shared printer. On Step 8 I had to choose "LPR" or "NetBios". I had no idea which one to choose and I didn't find any useful information to help with the decision. I chose LPR and clicked Next. The printer was recognized. Make sure to write down the IP Node Address (for a wireless router it is something like 192.xxx.xx.x).
Now, I needed to access the printer from my wireless computer running Microsoft Vista. I went to the Control Panel and double clicked on Printers. I then chose "Add a Printer" and selected "Add a network, wireless or Bluetooth printer". The computer searched for and found the printer. A couple more clicks and I was successfully printing from the wireless computer.
Printing from the desktop computer running Windows XP, connected to the router with an Ethernet cable, would not be as simple. The computer recognized the printer but would not send any data to the printer. I went to Control Panel, Printer and Faxes, right clicked on Properties. The General tab did not have the Location of the printer. I added 192.xxx.xx.x and clicked OK and tried printing a document but I was not successful. After two hours of dealing with it and looking at the company's website, I called the company (toll-free phone number right on the box). The company was closed; I called the next morning just after the company opened at 9 a.m. Eastern. I went through a very brief voice prompt menu and I was connected to Robby in all of about two minutes. He was polite but he was not able to solve my problem. He told me second level support would call me within 24 hours. Just over two hours later I got a call from Debbie, who was in Memphis, Tennessee. She was very helpful and quickly identified the problem. When hovering over the printer icon in the Printer and Faxes folder, the little popup message indicated the printer was offline. I don't know how I missed that. To correct the problem all I had to do was right click the printer and select "Use Printer Online". After a few seconds the printer was in Ready status. Problem resolved.
Summary
This is my first Brother printer and I am very favorably impressed. I don't think there is another printer on the market with these features at such a low price, at least at the time of this writing.
The product is shipped in the manufacturer's box, not an Amazon box, so all your neighbors will know what's in the box on your doorstep. The box looks like the box for a new printer, listing many features of the printer but it is clearly marked "Factory Refurbished". The printer itself has a sticker on the back with "Re-manufactured Product". My printer was originally manufactured in September 2005. I bought it in May 2007.
My experience with Brother International has been very positive. I got a great printer with excellent features, a full-size toner cartridge TN-550 (not a starter toner cartridge!), and a one-year warranty. From idle/sleep, the first page took only 20 seconds to print and the text quality is great. The icing on the cake was the technical support provided by Americans. Their promptness and knowledge was impressive. This was easily the best technical support experience I have ever had!Update December 4, 2007:
I am still very pleased with the printer but it is noisy when printing and it does make "tick, tick, tick" noises sometimes. Neither of these issues has effected performance. The only annoyance I've experienced is with envelope printing - the envelope always crinkles. This isn't a big deal for me but it is something to consider if envelope printing is important to you.
Update October 7, 2008:
I purchased another refurbished HL-5250. The toner and drum are also factory refurbished. The drum unit (DR-520) has life expectancy of 22,500 pages, about 90% of new. The toner cartridge (TN-550) has an expected yield of 3,150 pages at 5% coverage. A new toner cartridge has an expected yield of 3,500 pages.

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The EHL-5250DN is a 30ppm network-ready monochrome laser printer with a built-in duplex feature. Designed for busy offices and small workgroups, it is a smart and versatile choice.

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Valor NVG-720W In-Dash DVD Multimedia Receiver w/ Navigation Review

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(More customer reviews)Dont be afraid of the name Valor. They make top of the line equipment at a very reasonable price. This unit does it all and has a very friendly interface. Perhaps the biggest selling point is all the accessories it comes with. It comes with an ipod cable, nav dvd, a 2 gb card to download updates, 2 remotes and also a very "mouse" that allows you to change station/songs with a mouse scroll wheel as well as volume. Pretty much everything in the unit you can fully customize. The nav is very accurate and has a lot more points of interest than i ever expected. Sound quality is great with plenty of equalizer options. Bluetooth is a great function- i guess you dont always sound incredibly clear on the other end but no real complaints. If youre in the market for a multimedia system to handle everything you need- look no further. I had looked at pioneers and jensens and the extras you needed to buy were just too much. This is BY FAR the best bang for the buck. Dont hesistate because you want to buy a name brand. Youll end up with a better unit and only spend half the money.

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MSI Wind U100-843 10-Inch Black Netbook - 5.5 Hour Battery Life Review

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(More customer reviews)Cons: -one of the rubber feet fell of, no big deal as the six-cell battery tilts and lifts it forward w/its own rubber feet.
-screen is not really vibrant in colors, msi says its a led screen, though i would have expected more quality since led tv are the latest rage. compare to the acer i was looking into, the acer has the upper hand on screen quality.
-lots of bloatware, I would add/remove and clean up through msconfig first (btw download the wifi update a.s.a.p.)
-Be patient, playing vids on youtube for example require some wait, though it was really not a media pc in the first palce to be honest.
-Keyboard a little awkward (its a netbook, part of the trade off) especially the arrow keys, too thin, overall minor complaint as it reviewed as one of the best netbooks keyboards. just nit-picking ;)
-MEMORY UPGRADE - This was my biggest complaint. Every laptop I have own had a separate compartment door that would allow easy access to memory banks for quick upgrade only requiring the removable of 1 or 2 screws. BE WARNED the u-100 actually requires removal of the whole under cover AND there is one screw hole that is covered by a void warranty warning if tampered sticker(which seems to be a the lamest warranty void warning i have seen). Obviously, MSI says that customers need to take to an authorized msi location to have the upgrade done. I dont want to spend more, so I, just like many other msi netbook owners, have just went w/ dyi. it was tricky but not too challenging. I dont recommend this to anyone who has never worked under the hood of any pc (laptop or desktop). The whole process seems like an accident waiting to happend to damage anything under there. It took a second attempt to have the new stick recognized. its funny how they offer a bundle w/ an addtl memory stick. She runs faster and smoother now.
pros: -runs faster and smoother than my 15" xp (remove junk software and if possible dyi memory, 1gb max, novice would be advised to consult w/ someone who has great pc hardware knowledge)
-Wifi (again, hookup through lan and get the update) is excellent
-The six-cell batt does not protrude the back like some other netbooks, MSI did a nice job of making it portrude down and thus tilts it up and forward, nice little detail for your wrists comfort. also, the excellent Case Logic LNEO 10 bag holds it w/ a little room to spare.
-Light weight, just under 3 lbs
-batt last a little over 5 hrs. there is a nice msi wind community site that might provide some tweeks to make it last "6 to 5.5 hrs", too busy right now to check that out.
-exhaust was traditionally placed to the side (left side for this one), acer placed it @ the bottom...no thank you.
-Nice little touch, a magnifier, comes in handy.
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Even though I have placed a lot of cons, I my opinion, it is definitely worth the 5 stars. it does everything you would need from a netbook, its working great for school (I hear a lot of whispers and pointing when I take it out in class, some students are lugging around 15 and 17 inchers, they must love the work out, lol), the small footprint easily sits on those lecture rooms w/ the swivel up "desktop" (i call them cutting boards), it runs all my office apps w/ no biggie, plays all my music. Bottom line, it has the performance and price that I was expecting. This msi definitely won me over the acer and much more pricier offerings from asus, samsung, dell, and hp. Plus msi offered a great rebate on this too! Thanks for checking out my blab-review.

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Canon Pixma MP520 Photo All-On-One Inkjet Printer (2178B002) Review

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(More customer reviews)It has both front and rear paper feeders. I can load two types of papers and/or envelops and select the source either with a button or through computer. This is the very best part. What I hate about HP printers: they all have only front feeder. Because front-fed papers must go a 180 degree sharp turn around, they are never able to do trouble-free envelop and double-side printing. Prints always miss top or bottom, because paper is fed either too fast or too slow, absolutely no consistency. If you print large international mailing labels/forms, you know what I mean. Paper jam is your routine with HP. Canon has no such problems at all, at least with its rear feeder.
It uses 4 separated ink cartridges for all 4 colors. With those 3-in-one cartridges, I was always scared to print graphics, because one color always went faster and the entire cartridge must be thrown away. Now I can just replace a single color and I can physically see ink level!!! Even better, these cartridges are very easy to refill. I must admit that the color cartridges popped out by themselves and I think I'll call Canon like the other reviewer. With HP, cartridges are built with print headers, making them very expensive, difficult to refill and, if doable, for few times only before the printer head got clogged and must be replaced.
More expensive Canon all-in-one, such as MP530, MP830 and MX700, are all way too huge! This one is still quite big compared to printer-only models, but I still can put it on my desktop fine. Because it is not so tall and has a flat top, I can put my stationary plate on it; so it is big but does not waste the space.
Cheaper Canon AIO, such as MX300 and MP470, all use the stupid cartridges like HP and you'll pay much more on ink! Before you buy a printer, make sure it uses at least 4 individual cartridges. For Canon current models, it means "8" series cartridges (CLI-8C/M/Y).
I can't list all the good points, just these are enough: only $110, lowest cost on ink, rear feeder (& front!) and not huge. It does all the things for me and it does them all well at the lowest cost. For some people, what it does not do: fax and CD/DVD printing (only for special and more expensive blank disks).
The very similar MP610 can print CD/DVD with an optional CD tray that you can buy from eBay or make your own. MP610 uses one more extra ink, a dye black for color printing for better contrast. MP520 uses only one pigmented black ink that's good for water resistance but slightly less ideal than dye ink for photos. Overall, MP610 produces doubled resolutions over MP520, which really does not matter to me as MP520's resolutions are already superb and it's 4 lb lighter, slightly smaller and $100 less than MP610 and one less ink tank to deal with.
MP610 can also do automatic duplexing while this MP520 can do it manually only. Auto duplex is very cool, but it is very slow compared to manual duplex, so you may end up seldom use it and miss nothing with a MP520.
So, if you do lots of top-quality photo and/or CD/DVD printing, then go with the MP610. If you need fax, add a MX300 just for that function for only $58 from Walmart; don't buy the MP530 etc. - they are huge! If you don't print much, MX300 is the one and the only one you need. Otherwise, stay with MP520. In any case, never go HP. Don't go Epson neither because their integrated printer heads (non-removable) tend to clog and no way to replace or fix. If a Cannon printer head (removable) gets clogged, you can easily take it out and clean it with a bottle of compressed air. I know what I'm talking about.

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The versatile Canon PIXMA MP520 Photo All-in-One inkjet printer lets you preview, scan, copy, and print photographs and documents with one easy machine. This all-in-one printer features a compact, streamlined design that can preview images in high resolution on its two-inch TFT display, scan beautiful images with color resolutions up to 2400 by 4800 dpi, or print photos directly from memory cards, cameras, DV camcorders, or camera phones. The printer's Easy Scroll Wheel makes operation a breeze, while the Auto-Image Fix feature ensures that every photo is stunningly clear and vivid--even when scanning difficult items such as thick notebooks or faded images. In its helpful dual-paper tray, you can neatly store plain and photo paper at the same time.
Just press the Power button and get to work, thanks to the printer's helpful Quick Start design,. Copies come out crisper than ever with the system's Dual Color Gamut Processing Technology. Compatible with Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Mac OS X 10.2.8 to 10.4.x7 operating systems, this printer comes backed by a 1-year limited manufacturer's warranty.
What's in the Box Pixma MP520 photo all-in-one printer, cross sell sheet, easy setup instructions, quick start guide, setup software and user's guide CD-ROM, user's guide, PGI-5 black ink tank, CLI-8 (cyan/magenta/yellow) ink tank, power cord, print head, and sample media (8.5-by-11.5-inch sheets).

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Gateway NV7915u Notebook PC (Black) - Intel Core i3-330M 2.13GHz / 17.3" LCD / 4GB DDR3 / 500GB HD / 8x DVD-Super Multi Drive / Built-in webcam / 802.11b/g/draft-n / HDMI Port / Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Review

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(More customer reviews)I just purchased this product at BB yesterday, and I couldn't be happier! This was one case where BB had a better price than Amazon, $599.99. This is an exceptionally good laptop for that kind of dough, it does everything I need it to and then some. I have to give kudos to Intel for this amazing processor, it is way faster than my core 2 duo, with a lot of the same specs. The screen, however, is my favorite part, really crisp and clear for every purpose. I am not a gamer though, so that may not be it's best purpose. For a general household computer, it is more than sufficient with internet needs, email, music storage and streaming, and for movies as well, although a blu-ray disc player would be a nice addition. Not that I can complain for the price!! This gets 2 very big thumbs up!

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Sunny Boy SB4000 Review

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(More customer reviews)My Sunny Boy 4000US inverter has been on-line since August 11, and has performed up to expectations. However, the Sunny Beam remote bluetooth monitoring module is still unavailable, even though if you go the SMA America web site they continue to show it as an available option. Without the Sunny Beam monitor you have to either stand in front of the Sunny Boy inverter and note the readout as it cycles through the parameter of interest, or have a web-based monitoring system installed at about double what the expected price of the portable Sunny Beam monitoring module is supposed to be. Plus, you have to run a phone line connection to your Sunny Boy inverter, and, of course, then monitor the inverter's performance using a computer with an Internet connection. Whereas the Sunny Beam monitor, if it ever becomes available, is a small, portable, stand-alone device that can be positioned inside your house at a convenient location, and doesn't require a computer to use (although it is supposed to have a USB port so you can connect it to your computer for a data transfer, if you wish). But, the driver is apparently Windows only, so if you have a Mac, you're out of luck, unless it's one of the newer Macs with an OS that can also run Windows.
So while I give high marks to SMA America for their line of inverters designed for solar voltaic systems, I have to give them only a three-star rating for advertising (for at least a year) an option that still isn't available. The supposed availability of the Sunny Beam bluetooth monitor, with its range of about 300 feet, was a material part of my decision to purchase the SMA Sunny Boy inverter. So, be warned.

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Sony VAIO VGN-FW373J/B 16.4-Inch Laptop - Black Review

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(More customer reviews)I was going to wait a bit longer before writing this review of the new Sony FW-373J/H 16.4" 1080P Hi Definition Notebook computer, but it's so impressive, with outstanding performance, utility, standard features, software, and has hardware packaging that is 2nd to none in this price range of c.$1250+/- notebooks, that I couldn't wait to put it in perspective, compared to other "media center" notebooks.
I bought this Sony for my wife, but it's such a gem, has incredible performance characteristics and utility features like the Blu-Ray ROM (Sony Optiarc BC5500S v1.75 firmware-Oct, 2008) optical drive, a very efficient, speedy 2.4Ghz C2Duo Intel SCR(P)-8600 CPU w/3MB L2 Cache, running a 1066Mhz FSB (front side system bus, the pathway between the 4GB of PC-6400 800Mhz SDRAM and the hard drive, ie faster is better(!)--and this is as fast as it gets-- FSB's in notebooks), that I've been using it too. A LOT!
Don't forget the 7200-RPM SATA II 2.5" HD, which is easily reached via a 2-screw trap door on the bottom of the case (as is the SDRAM, but that's only 1 screw!), which has plenty of room for most people's work, media collection, photos, applications for business and pleasure, et al. I can't imagine "upgrading/updating" this particular HD setup, as 320GB is as big as a 7200RPM HD gets right now...maybe IF Hitachi, Western Digital, or Samsung comes up with a 500GB 7200RPM notebook HD there will be a reason to upgrade, but not now!
Tonight we watched "Transporter 3" using the Sony notebook as the player, the Jason Statham action-sequel in Blu-Ray ROM format, on our Samsung 52" HDTV, the TOC (Touch of Class) Series 8000x model w/50,000 Contrast Ratio, 120Mhz Video Codec Switching, 4ms response time, etc, arguably the best LCD available today, and it was just astonishing & fantastic! We hooked everything up via a simple 10-feet-long-HDMI-Cable using the Sony FW-373J/H as the "player" with the standard Blu-Ray on-board player built into the Windows Vista 64-bit Home Premium OS by Sony engineers, called "InterVideo® WinDVD® BD for VAIO" (quite a mouthful, yah? They could have just called it "Sony BluRay Player" but no, go figure!).
All you do is hook up your HDTV to one end of the HDMI cable after "sourcing it", attach the other end to the Sony notebook, insert the Blu-Ray movie into the optical drive, (with preferences enabled this happens...) and BAM! The video starts playing on the TV instantly, with full on-screen controls available for menus, setup, etc for the movie. Crazy-Bitchin-Good!
That was the deal-sealer, seeing that Blu-Ray movie via the Sony notebook tonight!! It WAS CLEAR, CLEAN, PERFECT, EVERYTHING YOU WANTED in clarity, depth of field, all that Blu-Ray HDTV goodness rolled up into a great action-movie experience like "Transporter 3"... and to see the new notebook's player and optical drive doing the duty, putting the film up onscreen with such a quick one-two-three "Play!" sequence, well, it was just great! The sound was fantastic, everything synched-up correctly with our Marantz-6800-powered audio system, enabled by a JBL Studio Sound Speaker System in all its 16-inch bass-reflex glory, and I am telling you it played purrrfectly through the Sony notebook's optical drive. No Hill For a Climber!
Now that experience is out of the way, and fully described, because it IS a fantastic feature to be able to play Blu-Ray media through the notebook, but let's talk about the CPU, the memory, the OS, the unbelievably full-featured, and strong ATI Mobile RADEON® HD PCI-Express Video Card w/512MB of discrete, dedicated DDR2 VRAM, with get this, 2280MB of "burst VRAM" available via shared memory from the SDRAM/HD system! Holy Smokes! That's quite a package!!
Some desktops don't have a better video card system than the Sony does, and this thing just SMOKES in performing its rituals, whether it's working magic with the 16.4" 1920 x 1080P NATIVE HD widescreen back-lit LCD display on photos in Corel's PC photo program, displaying 2 side-by-side web pages with Flash-Player enabled, or just simply going about the business of mundane things like working behind-the-scenes to enable crisp, clean, precise rendering of any normal project you can think of: Word Processing, film editing in Sony Vegas 5 Pro, or just plain 'being beautiful'...it's a stunning display of video power all-around!! I can't say enough about how the ATI Mobile HD Video Card w/512MB of DDR2 VRAM/SDRAM performs, because it's the best notebook display I've seen in a long, long time...bar none, including all Mac Pro displays, right up to the 17" Apple widescreen in their top-of-the-line $2700 notebook.
Our LCD screen, apparently a Samsung device as best as I could tell (they are the No.1 producer of LCD technology devices worldwide), has NO DEAD PIXELS, not a one to be found! It's clear, clean, crisp, responsive and fast in any and all circumstances, has no big "footprint" like the 18.4" widescreen notebook LCD's do, and yet there you go, there's native 1080P display power all day, all night! It's truly a fantastic, feature-laden display, one I can't say enough about.
The C2Duo 2.4Ghz CPU is F A S T, don't think it isn't! You know it's good when you see the Windows Performance scores of 5.4 to 5.9 on everything but "Gaming graphics" where the notebook scores "5.0", oh well, it's built by humans, yes? It does have a small weakness there, but that's about it! The 4GB of 800Mhz PC-6400 SDRAM does a nice job with almost any assignment, ie it's enough for virtually all Windows Vista tasks, throw in 4 to 5 open programs, some background FM music via FireFM in FireFox 3.0.7 (ditch Windows Explorer as your browser first chance you get!), and there's still 1GB of SDRAM availble for "burst" assignments.
You can order up twin 4GB DIMMs to make 8GB of SDRAM in the machine, but at this time it's prohibitively expensive @ c.$400 a DIMM, so equipping the notebook with 8GB of SDRAM is stupid right now...wait until summer, or later, when Samsung's chip supply dries up (they cornered the market on the 4GB DIMMs apparently), and you can buy a pair of 4GB DIMMs for $400 or less for both, and then it'll be a good thing to do...but not right now.
As for the network adapter, which is an Intel PCI-Express WLAN card, with A, B, G, and "Spec N"-qualified high-speed abilities, it's so seamless in its operation that I almost forgot to mention it! It just works fantastic. You should have seen my eyes when I installed iTunes 8.1 for PC the other day, and hit the "shared" Library key in iTunes, and voila! Up popped my 2TB Apple TV/iTunes Library from my G5 "SuperSystem," across my studio over in the "serious computer territory", yes, right there on the PC's desktop there was an unlimited supply of iTunes goodness, some 200GB of music, and more than 1.4TB of AppleTV movies ready for sharing on the PC! My Lordie, that was a fantastic surprise!! So I didn't have to install a bunch of music for my wife's edification...she could simply "share" my rather substantial Apple iTunes music system from across the room, a coup'de'etat if I've ever made one happen...PC and Macs living in harmony, together, functioning perfectly fine using the same music. Now that's KUHL!
What else is nice, and stands out? Well, the touch-pad works 110% to my liking, if you're not using a Mini-BlueTooth Mouse like my LogiTech V470, which only costs $38 here at Amazon.com, so there you go! Another strong point, the notebook's "A2DP" BlueTooth (stereo BlueTooth for headphones, earphones, and v2.1.x BlueTooth for external devices like a mouse) is another wonderful standard feature, so you can utilize the USB ports (3 of them, located on the right, front side of the case) for what they were meant to be used for: peripherals like a printer, scanner, etc. There's also a FireWire port, for those of you who still own FireWire movie cameras, or have external HD's with FireWire 800/400 connections, (with Oxford 924 or 912 bridge boards...these are good things), they are all GOOD TO GO with this notebook, with the conveniently placed port on the left side of the case.
You know, I should say something about how this notebook LOOKS! It's just great! It has spacey curves over to the heavy-duty magnesium-alloy body's end, which is at a set of HD hinges that will never, ever creak, groan, lack support for the display, and it looks T H I N, and subtle, and even though it weighs some 6.7 lbs w/standard battery, it doesn't look heavy and overblown, like so many of the "big generation" of PC notebooks do these days. The brushed magnesium finsh is really groovy! Clean looking! The media controls over the back-right edge of the chassis, up by the screen are appropriately placed, and work well for home-base media movies onscreen, or playing music with the optical drive, whatever!
I am glad I held out for the grey case vs. the black case, aren't all of you in this group? It just looks G R E A T with the alloy body, the two compliment each other, sort of "flow into each other" and work with the Sony Style form to make up a stunning notebook masterpiece. As a practical exercise, the Sony wins, to me anyway it does...it's just so "handsome and practically sexy-looking"... In so many notebooks there's nothing but plastic and buttons, and this machine rocks the house with heavy-duty doses of class, style, and grace of design. The key placement is a bit unusual unless you're a previous Sony owner, with the keys placed/vertically surfaced OUT of the top of the case, but with a scant 2mm of travel per key, they feel right-on, and correct for the application.
I bought an Antec® notebook cooler, the twin-fan design alloy and plastic device, for the notebook with the order, so I can't comment on its ability to cool itself without a notebook cooler, all...Read more›

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Samsung UN55B7000 55-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LED HDTV Review

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(More customer reviews)I was a committed DLP fan before undergoing a conversion experience on Friday April 17th. I had planned to replace my Samsung DLP with a Mitbushi DLP or LaserVue. In the final hours, I just couldn't go through with it.
A major Los Angeles vendor set up a display with the UN55B7000 sandwiched between a LaserVue and a Kuro 151. The results were pretty plain to my eyes. The Luxia pretty well crushed both of them. The cult of Kuro will denounce me for heresy and blaspheme, but this is what I saw. About 1 hour of fiddling with the settings on LaserVue did not change the situation much. The Kuro was locked in at calibrated settings which the employees would not allow me to change. Evidently, it was fully tuned up. Once again, this left me with the impression that a fully calibrated Kuro is an over-rated beast indeed. No wonder Pioneer quit the market.
The bottom line: I bought this unit the next day. It took about 2 hours to tune up after I took it out of the box. [Use the natural color setting. Customize motion smoothing to 7 for jitter control and 7 for blur control, or shut it off entirely] Since then it has been pretty astounding. Unbelievable color. Unbelievable reds. Unbelievable contrast ratios. Unbelievable black levels. Very bright. Generates no perceivable heat. Does not get hot. The detail and sharpness and depth of image is truly astounding. I have never seen anything that can compare, and I have been shopping for several months now.
Cons
I am still questioning the merit of the 120Hz motion smoothing technology. It does weird things to slow motion instant replays. It does stranger things to 24fps movies. Seems to work best with live actions sports and HDTV programs shot on digital. You can always turn it off. Blu-rays seem more natural with the technology switched off. Ultimately, Blu-Ray looks magnificent either way.
Advice
A word of advice for the first reviewer and everybody else. You should never, never, never use the speakers on your HDTV. All HDTVs are equipped with pathetic 10 watt reference speakers that stink. All HDTV owners should invest in some sort of home theater surround sound system. It doesn't have to be that expensive. Even a $300 Home Theater in a Box will make a world of difference.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Samsung UN55B7000 55-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LED HDTV

Samsung UN55B7000 Ultra slim full HD 1080p LED TV's perfect combination of ultra advance technologies and Touch of Color rich red bezel accent makes it a technological master piece... Bet you can't take your eyes off even when it is switched off. UN-55B7000's DLNA networking lets you enjoy net surfing and Internet@TV streams contents from web widgets like Yahoo! Flickr, YouTube, USATODAY and various others.Ecological concepts of saving electricity help to reduces power consumption as it doesn't contain mercury or lead. Sure to get the all new adventure of home theater. 55 inch Full HD and little more than an inch deep UN55B7000 is a perfect accumulation to your dream media room. Advance features combine to endow you with more sharp and realistic lifelike images. Internet connectivity streams variety of contents obliviating need of any PC.

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HP Pavilion DV5-1003NR 15.4" Laptop (2.0 GHz AMD Turion X2 RM-70 Processor, 3 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, Blu-Ray DL DVD±RW/CD-RW, Vista Premium) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)PRODUCT STATUS: Although HP still makes some Pavilion DV-5-series notebooks, the DV5-1003nr is discontinued in late 2008/early 2009. (If you are interested in this notebook, you should find excellent pricing on this particular model, because it is no longer being manufactured, but is a recent product and updates for drivers, firmware, and software are still available from Hewlett-Packard's Web site.
In August 2008, I received a new HP Pavilion DV5-1003NR notebook as an unexpected gift. I had been looking for a factory-refurbished IBM ThinkPad, two to four years old, with not operating system installed, because I planned to run Linux on the notebook. ThinkPads have become a favorite of Linux users because of their compatibility, durability, and reliability -- and I personal find that widescreen displays (which seem to be the norm for standalone and notebook/laptop displays) adversely hinder my productivity, because the work that I do makes vertical screen space more valuable than extra width.
My DV5-1003nr notebook (officially an "HP Pavilion DV5 Entertainment Notebook PC") came with 4-GB of RAM, 1-GB more than the default, although the unit preshipped with a 32-bit, OEM version of Vista Home Premium SP1 (which cannot take advantage of 4-GB of RAM); a retail, boxed 32-bit Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate Upgrade (which was over $200 at the time, but was purchased because the Best Buy salesperson told "my benefactor" that Vista Ultimate make full use of the 4-GB of RAM (which, of course, is not true of the 32-bit version -- but was the reason for the purchased of a 2-GB SoDIMM to replace the 1-GB soDIMM occupying one of the two memory slots) and stated that HP "should have no problem with the upgrade" and that, if the notebook was purchased with Best Buy's 2-year extended protection plan (which it was) that the upgrade from HP's OEM version of Vista Home Premium (without installation or recovery discs) to a Vista Ultimate was compatible with the extended service plan.
NOTE: My particular unit was assembled in Chine in May 2008 with a defective AMD processor. The notebook could not load Windows Vista the first time that I turned it on (which should have been a red flag to return the unit immediately for an exchange or, ideally, a refund). Because the computer was new, I had to keep refusing the Startup Repair option to select a recent restore point (and I was not offered the recovery option, presumably because Vista had not yet loaded and had not yet added the recovery partition as a boot option): After an hour, Vista loaded, but a growing barrage of errors and lockups started. I created two recovery DVDs on Maxell's best DVR-R data discs as soon I as was prompted to do so during the setup process. (This process took several hours.) I tried using the recovery partition and the recovery DVDs that I used to restore the computer to factory condition, but was trapped in an endless cycle -- and HP support totally ignored my support requests for three months. Because I have built all of my computers myself (except for the Macs), I kept trying to resolve the cascading problems myself, out of habit, but realized that I should used Best Buy's 2-year extended protection plan.
A technician from the Geek Squad at the store where the notebook was purchased called me two days after I dropped off the computer, stating that the HP had built the notebook with a defective CPU, and that he'd seen symptoms of "motherboard issues" before the diagnostic software and computer crashed. I approved shipping the computer to a service center for repair, and the technician told me that he expected the motherboard with the CPU would be replaced. When the notebook arrived back at the store in three weeks, I was upset to learn that the hardware was not mentioned in the report (except in the condition comments, which stated that the unit showed no signs of wear or abuse) and that no repairs were performed: Vista was reinstalled because of "one missing and one corrupt system file, but all is well now." The extended coverage has a "no lemons" clause, but Best Buy will replace a computer only after "four valid repairs," and installations are not considered repairs. I have not yet found a way to escape this trap.
I contacted HP CEO Mark Hurd about my lack of support and was assigned a case manager who was was less than helpful and subjected me to verbal abuse and insults every time that I called him (and he never called me). My notebook came with a single-fan cooling mat, which I recommend for all notebook and laptop computer users, and I had always used it. My first unit had a tilt feature and I put the notebook in my lap for two seconds to adjust the tilt. During that time I jumped in as a reflex to an intense burning sensation, although I managed to catch the notebook before it hit the floor. The redness and pain (through thick denim jeans) last for three days. During a conversation with my HP case manager, I had mentioned my concerns about the heat and that the CPU typically runs at 70-72 degrees Celsius (roughly 160 degrees Fahrenheit or more) and he laughed and said, "they do run hot, don't they!?" -- and he evaded my query of how he could help me resolve the problem. I then described my injury and my HP case manager told me that the burn was MY responsibility, because "HP actually makes a distinction between a laptop and a notebook computer; you put a notebook in your lap, and a notebook is NOT a laptop." My case manager became irate when I stated that his job was to resolve my problems, per Mark Hurd's wishes, not entangle me in semantics -- and he started to rant and was unintelligible, so I quietly hung up the phone.
I have contacted Geek Squad's CI, Robert Stephens, whom I hope can intervene, but -- after two more messages to Mark Hurd's office -- I missed a phone call from someone in the HP executive department, but -- based upon HP's ever-dropping service ratings (and the fact that I returned a new scanner that died after three months and received a filthy refurbished unit with felt pen marks scrawled around the control buttons) -- I am hoping that Robert Stephens can end this message, but I also have 30 days before my HP warranty expires (which I have honored, not installing the Vista Ultimate upgrade because I was told it would instantly void my warranty), and if Robert Stephens does not contact me soon, I must contact HP, although I have been deceived, ignored, and fully expect HP to allow the warranty to expire.
PRODUCT OVERVIEW: Hewlett-Packard's series of wide-screen, shiny metallic and black, entertainment series of notebook computers is not intended for business use (for which its design is not intended or suited). I would describe the HP Pavillion DV5 series as "a portable DVD player for people who do casual computing for short periods of time."
The plastic (silver or bronze, depending on one's model) keys are so reflective that I struggle to see the characters. If I start typing "gibberish" and need to reposition my hands in the correct touch-typing position, the process strains my eyes and wastes time. The Synaptics TouchPad (which is actually metal) is difficult to customize and the two buttons require undue pressure and are very loud. (I recall thinking that I broke the switches several times.) The screen may be popular with people who view DVDs on the computer, but the reflective, glass-like surface generates glare that literally gives me double- and triple-vision and causes my eyes to burn. Focusing has become a problem even when I am not using the notebook's display, and I actually visited my ophthalmologist four months after getting this notebook, convinced that I needed a new eyeglass prescription. (I also use an external keyboard and mouse, although I cannot afford an external monitor.)
If you decide to purchase a Pavilion DV5-1003NR, make certain that you purchase a new unit with a full warranty. Based upon my Web searches, and the growing number of Web sites such as HPLies.com, I suggest that you purchase a third-party, extended service plan from a trusted provider at the same time that you purchase any HP computer -- although my experience with HP, sadly, is not unique, and I suggest that you do not purchase any HP desktop, laptop, or notebook computers -- or any product that might require support.
Consumer Reports and other independent organizations have published comparisons of OEM computer manufacturers, based upon quality of product and quality of service and support. I "shot myself in the proverbial foot," because I was so used to building and troubleshooting my own computers. I suspect that bare-bones laptop and notebook computers and/or kits will be available in the future, but most computer users prefer to purchase a computer that works and for which they can get friendly and prompt, responsive service.
Finally, even if my particular unit were not built with a defective CPU, overheating is a problem that is plaguing HP notebooks -- Intel and AMD -- beyond the models that have had recalled batteries, which were the causes of the overheating. Heat and dust will always be enemies of computers, but small, powerful computers -- and many people use laptop computers as their only computer -- lack the space for air to flow or additional fans that help cold desktop computers. (Of course, additional fans are not a viable cooling option for notebook computers, because of their adverse effect on battery life.)
I am sure that my serious hardware defect is an exception, although it is my first (and last) experience with AMD processors, but Hewlett-Packard has a verifiable record of poor quality, poor or nonexistent support, and the deception and abusive treatment of customers that I have experienced.
'Caveat emptor'!
Cordially,
David
P.S. -- Like many reviewers, I would like to give this product and HP a rating of zero stars, but one star is the minimum rating that I can give! :-)

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Kenwood KVT 617DVD - DVD player with LCD monitor and AM/FM tuner Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)For some context:
I recently installed this head unit in my '04 Grand AM. I'm running it with a pair of Polk DB components, Alpine 6x9 rears, a single Alpine Type S 12" sub in a sealed box and a Pioneer GM-7100 amp feeding the sub around 350W RMS. This unit was an upgrade from my '06 model Pioneer DEH-P5800mp.
First let me say that I (as I imagine most people do) did a LOT of research before choosing this head unit. I encourage anyone interested in an in-car DVD screen to get out to a local retailer to view and test as many options as you can. It's one thing to look at all the specs and details in print but an entirely different experience once the device is in front of you. All the features in the world don't mean anything if the controls are counter-intuitive or the LCD is low quality. I'm happy to report that this Kenwood unit met all of my qualifications and expectations both on paper and in reality.
The screen is bright and contrast is sharp. The built in light sensor dims the screen at night and brightens it during the day, making sure you always have a good picture. There are plenty of tilt and depth options to suit pretty much any application. The touch screen menu interface is a nice alternative to some other screens that force you to use dedicated areas of the screen to arrow through all the options to select the one you want.
The only two drawbacks to the 617 are the lack of an external display when the screen is closed and the 2V pre-out voltage, but both are comparable to the features of similarly priced screens (from companies with less history, or lower quality standards than Kenwood) and are easily balanced out by the positive aspects of the unit.
What really drew me to the Kenwood line was the look of the screen. Most other manufacturers surround the LCD with up to an inch of plastic, wasting space and making for an ugly border around an otherwise nice looking display. Kenwood does away with that, filling nearly the entire fold-out portion of the HU with the ample 7in. screen.
The install went smoothly and the connections to the stock wire harness were no more complicated than a standard CD head unit install. Kenwood provides ample wire to locate the unit's external "brain" in the trunk if you choose, or under a seat as I did.
Don't be thrown by the low price, overall this is a great unit for anyone looking to move up to DVD capability.

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Panasonic Viera TC-37LZ800 37-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Standard Definition channels looks great via DirectTV. I have yet upgraded my TIVO DirectTV box to HD, but the SD pictures actually look very good. SD picture cannot be compared to HD picture, but this TV does display SD picture very well.
DVD picture from the XBOX 360 via HDMI looks great.
1080P games looks excellent. No lag issue.
Connected a laptop via VGS to the TV to watch some online movies and they look great! What a surprise.
Opinions about complains I have seem online.
1. Reflection on the screen
I have this TV in my bed room and I mainly use it at night with minimal lighting. If reflection really annoys you, you may want to consider LZ85 or other bands that use matte screen. IMHO, picture on glossy screen produces much better picture that matte screen. I compared LZ800, LZ85 and a few other bands matte screens side by side in a retail store to draw the conclusion.
2. Fan noise
Not noticable unless I stick my ear next to the TV (like an inch apart from the TV).
3. Color Text not sharp
Not using the TV as a monitor to read color text. Therefore, not a concern.
4. Backlight Bleeding
Fortunately, not experiencing it.
The online price for this TV is an excellent buy because of the quality, and craftmanship. I am very impressed with Panasonic whom can focus on Plasma for 2008 line up, but still manage to produce an extremely high quality LCD. This model definitely is comparable or even better than Sony XBR 6/7 or Samsung 6/7 series. A big plus with Panansonic is her web site provides all specific details about the TV.
Good luck searching and recommend you look at the TV in person before making your final decision.

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Toshiba M305-S4910 14.1-Inch Widescreen Satellite Laptop Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)All I have to say is that I bought this laptop also from Best Buy and I LOVE it. As an IT guy with nearly 10 years of experience, this little guy is well worth the investment. What I like most are the keys. I normally type 60+ wpm but the way that the keys are designed, it seems like its 70+. Very ergonomic. Battery life is great and with the amount of RAM the performance is exceptional. Very slick look! Highly recommended.

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Boss BV9562I In-Dash Double-DIN 7" DVD/MP3/CD Widescreen Receiver with USB, SD Card, and Front Panel AUX Input (Motorized, slide-down front panel) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This unit might be worth about $150.00 if it worked.
It won't fit in the Scosche FD1426B Double ISO DIN Kit for 2004-Up Ford. It's too big. I had to do serious mods on the mount's faceplate to get it in the dash.
Once in the dash, the unit was really disappointing. The menus look like they were designed in BASIC in 1988.
The touchscreen on my unit kept malfunctioning. It would randomly show that it had been touched when nothing was even near it. I thought perhaps a solid ground might help, but nothing stopped this behavior. I sent it back today.
The iPod interface was really klutzy. The MP3 player does not support album art.
Somewhere I read this screen moves out of the way when it's not in use. That is incorrect.
I also read somewhere it was detachable. It is not detachable.
The screen does swivel down so you can access the disk and SD card slots.
The picture on the box (same one in all the advertising) is very misleading.

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Gateway LT2030u 10.1-Inch Red Netbook - Over 7 Hours of Battery Life (Windows 7 Starter) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I bought this notebook (Black LT2032u) at Best Buy a few days before Black Friday, and so far, I'm rather impressed. Bought this more my wife, since she can never seem to get on my computer (I'm always on it). Plus, it's so small and light, we can leave it downstairs on the entertainment center, instead of her having to go upstairs to the computer room to use a computer.
It's form factor is just about the perfect size. My only complaints are:
1. The keyboard is a bit cramped for my bigger hands (but it's a netbook, so I can't really fault it for that, as I knew what we were buying)
2. The fact that the edges of the lid don't have any lips or hold points, so opening the cover when it's closed can be a bit tricky. A lot of times, I have to use my fingernail to start prying the lid from the base. Overall, not a deal breaker by any means, but can be annoying sometimes.
3. It comes with a Gateway Backup Utility for backing up your PC, but since the Netbooks don't come with a writable DVD drive (or any for that matter), the utility says no drive is available, and won't do a backup. Personally, I think this a flaw that Gateway should have considered, and modified the program to let you write to a DVD drive if you have one, or write an image to the Hard Drive, so you can move it to another PC on the network, and burn it to a DVD there.
The pc itself runs good. It came with the standard Atom 270, 1 GB RAM, built in Video Card, built in webcam, etc, except, this had a 250 GB HDD instead of a 160 GB HDD, and it came with Windows 7 Starter. While I don't care for how scaled down Win 7 starter is, again, I can't fault Gateway for that (blame Microsoft). I immediately upgraded the RAM to a 2 GB chip (replacing the 1 GB), and it is rather quick with this addition. Plus, I installed Google Chrome (which is much quicker than IE, and even Firefox by a bit), and it cruises the web with ease. I also uninstalled all the Norton bloat ware, and installed Windows Security Essentials Antivirus, which, believe it or not, is really very good and light (great for a Netbook). Oh, and it's free! Also pulled of the Microsoft Office Trial, and installed OpenOffice (also good and light, and great for a Netbook).
After two weeks of playing with it (yeah, I know, I supposedly bought it for my wife!!), I find myself not going upstairs to the computer room to use my main PC (a 6 month old new Toshiba Laptop) as much, and instead, I can do most of what I need on this one.
Really haven't run into to any other issues (other than those mentioned above), and I have to say, we're very glad we got it. Plus, when it was on sale at Best Buy for $279, it was a great price, considering all the other netbooks with Win 7 and a 250GB HDD were at least $350. I was originally considering the Toshiba NB205-N330, but that was $399+. Yeah, it may have had a N280 instead of the Gateway's N270, and a little bit fast BUS speed, and Bluetooth (I can buy a USB Bluetooth adapter for $4 if I need one), but, to save over $120, it was worth it. I don't think I would have really noticed the difference too much (at least not when I was playing with both at Best Buy side by side).
I'm very glad I purchased it, and I highly recommend it. Even a few of my friends who've come over, and I showed it to them, were very impressed. Save yourself a few bucks, and go with this over the higher priced Toshiba, Asus, etc. You won't be disappointed!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Gateway LT2030u 10.1-Inch Red Netbook - Over 7 Hours of Battery Life (Windows 7 Starter)

The ultra-portable design of the Gateway LT netbook (model LT2030u) is ideal for those on the move who need a quick, easy way to connect to the Internet and stay in touch with family and friends. Weighing less than 3 pounds, it features a 10.1-inch LED-backlit display and an easy typing keyboard. Check e-mail, communicate with friends via VOIP and webcam, share photos, surf the web, listen to music, watch movies and more--wherever you are. It also features a multi-gesture touchpad that enables you to pinch, flick and swirl your fingers for an intuitive navigation of web pages, photos, spreadsheets and more. And you'll get extended use on the go with the included 6-cell battery, which provides up to 7 hours of continuous use.
The Gateway LT has a luxurious look with a high-polished finish, rounded edges, silver hinges and engraved metallic logo. Plus, its textured palm rest hides fingerprints and wears much better than glossy-finished palm rests--making it as durable as it is chic.

It comes pre-installed with the Microsoft Windows 7 Starter operating system, which combines the latest in reliability and responsiveness with the familiarity and compatibility of Windows. It includes new Windows 7 features like Jump Lists to help you to better find and manage files, and connecting to printers and peripherals is easier than ever. (Learn more about Windows 7 Starter below.)

This netbook is powered by the 1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 processor, which is designed especially for mobile devices and features an innovative hafnium-infused circuitry that reduces electrical current leakage in transistors to conserve energy. The integrated 54g Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g) will keep you connected to email and all your social networks. Other features include a 250 GB hard drive, 1 GB of RAM (667 MHz), three USB ports, and 5-in-1 memory card reader.



Key Features
10.1-inch high-brightness LED-backlit display delivers a 1024 x 600 resolution for less scrolling while searching the Internet and staying productive while traveling
Windows 7 Starter makes small notebook PCs easier to use because it puts less between you and what you want to do--less waiting, less clicking, less hassle connecting to networks. And Starter combines the latest in reliability and responsiveness with the familiarity and compatibility of Windows. (Learn more)
Get more features with Windows Anytime Upgrade. A small notebook PC running Windows 7 Home Premium is even easier to use. The new taskbar and advanced navigation features make launching programs, opening files, managing windows, and getting around your PC faster and easier. Personalize your PC to be just the way you want it with helpful gadgets and desktop themes--even turn your desktop into a slideshow of your favorite photos. And you get the best entertainment experience on a PC. With Windows Media Center, you can watch shows for free when and where you want with Internet TV.
Multi-gesture touchpad allows you to intuitively navigate WebPages, media libraries, photos, spreadsheets and more by simply flicking, swirling and pinching your fingers.
1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 processor extends battery life and power efficiency to deliver excellent mobile performance and Internet connections on the go (includes 533 MHz front side bus and 512 KB L2 cache)
250 GB hard drive (5400 RPM)
1 GB of RAM (667 MHz) to help complete your netbook tasks quickly and easily.
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 integrated video processing
0.3-megapixel webcam integrated into the display bezel for easy video chats and conferencing
54g Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g)
VGA video output for connecting to an external monitor
5-in-1 memory card reader
VGA video output
Built-in stereo speakers
Dolby Headphone Technology provides the dramatic sound effects of a 5.1-channel soundtrack.
HD Audio provides your system with the support it needs to handle the most cutting-edge audio content. Plus, you'll hear more of your tunes and tones, with auditory playback coming out at a higher quality than systems without HD sound.
Pre-loaded software includes Microsoft Works for word processing and spreadsheet work. Enjoy a 60-day trial version of Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007.
6-cell battery for up to 7 hours of use
Dimensions: 10.17 x 8.04 x 1.03 inches (WxDxH)
Weight: 2.95 pounds
Warranty: 1 year parts and labor

Networking, Connectivity & Expansion This netbook has an integrated 54g wireless LAN that's compatible with 802.11b and 802.11g networks, and it also provides Fast (10/100) Ethernet networking.

3 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players
Analog video output: 1 VGA
5-in-1 memory card reader compatible with Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, MultiMediaCard, Secure Digital, and xD-Picture Card
1 headphone jack, 1 microphone jack
10/100 Fast Ethernet

What's in the box This package contains the Gateway LT2030u netbook, 6-cell rechargeable battery, AC adapter, and printed documentation

It also comes with the following software: Microsoft Works (applications for word processing, spreadsheet, calendar, and email); 60-day trial of Microsoft Office 2007

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Windows 7 Starter makes small notebook PCs easier to use because it puts less between you and what you want to do—less waiting, less clicking, less hassle connecting to networks. Windows 7 Starter combines the latest in reliability and responsiveness with the familiarity and compatibility of Windows.



Intel Atom Processor: Your PC's Perfect Internet Companion Take the Internet to more places with the long battery life and flexibility of a compact, lightweight netbook powered by the incredibly small, amazingly smart Intel Atom processor. It features a design structure that packs in 47 million transistors into a single chip sized at just 22mm (0.87 inches), and it uses just 2.5 watts of power--less than 1/10 of the 35 watts used by an Intel Core 2 Duo processor--for excellent battery management. This 1.6 GHz Atom N270 processor also includes a power-optimized front side bus of 533 MHz for faster data transfer on demanding mobile applications and a 512 KB L2 cache (which temporarily stores data).

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HP Pavilion DV4-1227US 14.1-Inch Laptop - Espresso Black Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I ordered this laptop on the HP website, even though the model number is not the same (mines is DV4-1300), it has all the same exact features as this model, and looks physically the same. So far so good I haven't had any problems. It's packed with features, and the best part is, that it's affordable. I got my laptop for $701.00, of course this was with the use of a coupon, and a student discount, plus the shipping was free, not only that, but I got free upgrades on the memory and hard drive. I think this is the perfect laptop for a student, because it's not that heavy and you can easily take it with you where ever you want. I also love the 14" screen it's not too big, but it's not too small, to me it's the perfect screen size on a laptop. The fan is a little noisy at times, but it's not a major concern. It also gets quite hot on the bottom, but I think most laptops do. The battery life I found to be so-so, not the best, but not bad either.
My computer specs:
-Espresso Black
-Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1 (64-bit) (free upgrade)
-Intel Core Duo 2 Duo Processor T6400 (2.0Ghz)
-3GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm) (free upgrade)
-320GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection (free upgrade)
-Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD
-14.1" diagonal WXGA High-Definition HP BrightView Widescreen Display (1280 x 800)
-LightScribe SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-RW with Double Layer Support
-Webcam + Fingerprint Reader
-Wireless-G Card with Bluetooth
-HP Integrated HDTV Hybrid Tuner
-HP Color Matching Keyboard
-6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
-No Modem Overall, I do recommend this computer, especially for students like myself who are on a tight budget, you'll get a lot of bang for your buck!

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Offering an eye-catching modern look, the entertainment-focused HP Pavilion DV4-1227US notebook PC makes it easy to enjoy your favorite music and videos while on the go, as well as keep you productive with a speedy dual-core processor and 64-bit Windows Home Vista Premium operating system. The 14.1-inch high-definition BrightView display looks good even in direct sunlight, and you'll enjoy movies or music in seconds with the external DVD or music buttons to launch HP QuickPlay (which bypasses the boot process). Control playback settings from up to 10 feet away with the included HP remote, then store it conveniently in the Express card slot. Turn your next instant message into a live video chat with the integrated webcam and omni-directional microphone. Optimized for low-light environments, it's great for capturing short videos to share on your favorite social networking site.
It's powered by the 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T6400 processor, which boosts speed, reduces power requirements, and saves on battery life. It also offers a fast 800 MHz front-side bus speed and 2 MB L2 cache. HP's ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection locks your 250 GB hard drive into place when it senses abrupt motion to help prevent data loss. The built-in eSATA/USB combo port enables fast backup to an external hard drive. Other features include 4 GB of installed RAM (8 GB maximum), Intel GMA 4500MHD graphics (up to 1759 MB total), dual-layer Lightscribe DVD±RW drive (which also burns CDs), ExpressCard 54 slot, quad-mode Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g), and 5-in-1 memory card reader.

High Style Expanding on the sophisticated elegance of HP's notebook design from the past few years, the new DV series is defined by fluid, modern lines and metalized finishes. Bursts of energy and excitement are brought to life with the HP Expresso Black Imprint, using bright flickering balls that erupt outwared against a sleek black backdrop. The streamlined look is enhanced with a color-matched keyboard and touchpad. And touch media controls light up and become visible only when the system is powered on further enhancing the clean appearance.

The Basics

Processor: The Intel Core 2 Duo T6400 processor has a 2.0 GHz processor speed, fast 800 MHz front-side bus (FSB), and 2 MB L2 cache. (An L2, or secondary, cache temporarily stores data; and a larger L2 cache can help speed up your system's performance. The FSB carries data between the CPU and RAM, and a faster front-side bus will deliver better overall performance.)
With two computational execution cores in a single processor, it provides greater system response when running multi-threaded applications simultaneously with no significant increase in power consumption. It's optimized for multitasking and is ready to support the Microsoft Windows Vista operating system. It can simultaneously run multiple demanding applications--such as graphics-intensive games or serious number-crunching business productivity applications--while downloading music or running virus-scanning security programs in the background. Some of the advanced Intel innovations of the Core 2 Duo processor include:

Smart Memory Access: Improves system performance by hiding memory latency, thus optimizing the use of available computer data bandwidth to provide data to the processor when and where it is needed.
Advanced Digital Media Boost: Effectively doubles the execution speed for instructions used widely in multimedia and graphics applications.
Dynamic Power Coordination: Coordinates Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology and idle power-management state (C-states) transitions independently per core to help save power.
Deeper Sleep with Dynamic Cache Sizing: Saves power by flushing cache data to system memory during periods of inactivity to lower CPU voltage.



Hard Drive: The large 320 GB Serial ATA (SATA) hard drive (5400 RPM) offers a wealth of storage space, perfect for storing a vast multimedia collection or for editing digital video. This SATA hard drive also quickens the pace with a higher speed transfer of data--akin to Firewire and USB 2.0.
You'll enjoy enhanced hard drive protection with HP's Protectsmart, which includes a 3D accelerometer that safeguards your data by parking your hard drive if your notebook detects any range of motion, such as being knocked off your desk, falling or taking abuse.



Memory: The 4 GB of installed RAM helps boost the amount of available video RAM that's shared with this notebook's video card. This notebook has an amazing 8 GB maximum RAM capacity (4 x 2 GB). To receive the faster data transfer benefits of the dual-channel DDR2 RAM, any RAM additions require memory modules of same capacity and clockspeed.


DVD/CD Drive: This multiformat DVD/CD drive is compatible with writing both DVD+ and DVD- disc formats as well as dual-layer (DL) DVD+/-R discs, which can store up to 8.5 GB of data. It features 4x DVD-R DL Write Once, 2.4x DVD+R DL Write Once, 8x DVD+R, 4x DVD+RW, 8x DVD-R, 4x DVD-RW, 16x DVD-ROM, 40x CD-R, 24x CD-RW, and 40x CD-ROM speeds.
This LightScribe DVD±RW drive lets you laser-etch silkscreen quality text and images on to CDs and DVDs . Your software, PC and discs work together for a no-hassle way to burn just the labels you want. After you burn content, just flip the disc over, reinsert and burn your label--anything from a simple title to a full-disc work of art.



Keyboard & Mouse: This notebook has a 101-key keyboard and a touchpad with on/off button and dedicated vertical/horizontal Scroll Up/Down pad. It also includes two quick-launch buttons (HP QuickPlay Music and DVD).
Screen, Video & Audio You'll enjoy razor-sharp graphics and widescreen movies with the 14.1-inch WXGA high-definition screen, which has a widescreen resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels--perfect for watching DVD movies the way they were meant to be seen. Video is powered by the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD, which uses shared video memory (up to 1759 MB allocated from the system memory). This graphics card is built with Intel Clear Video technology, which delivers clearer, more detailed images by eliminating many of the jagged edges and video artifacts seen when viewing interlaced content and features powerful color control to ensure videos are not too dark, overly bright, or washed out.
The Altec Lansing speakers provide exceptional sound, and it also includes SRS Premium Sound. You'll be able to privately share enjoyment of multimedia with a friend via the dual headphone jacks.

Networking, Connectivity & Expansion This notebook has an integrated 54g wireless LAN that's fully compatible with 802.11b/g wireless networks. It also includes a next-generation ExpressCard 34 card slot (replacing the PCMCIA slot), which lets you take advantage of thinner, faster, and lighter expansion cards for even more advanced wireless, networking, storage, and security features. It comes with the following external connectors:

3 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players (with 1 eSATA + USB 2.0 combo port)
1 HDMI output (for connecting to a compatible HDTV or home theater receiver for uncompressed digital audio and video via a single cable)
Analog video output: 1 VGA
1 ExpressCard/54 slot (also supports ExpressCard/34)
2 headphone jacks
1 microphone jack
1 Expansion Port 3 connector (for use with the HP xb3000 Expansion Base or the HP Notebook QuickDock)
1 IR receiver
5-in-1 memory card reader (Secure Digital, MultiMedia, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, xD Picture Card)
10/100 Fast Ethernet networking
56K modem (V.90)



Operating System The 64-bit version of Windows Vista Home Premium (with SP1) is the operating system for users with advanced computer needs, and it includes all of the Windows Media Center capabilities for turning your PC into an all-in-one home entertainment center for watching DVD movies and accessing your digital audio library. You can also use Windows Media Center to record and watch your favorite TV shows (even HDTV) and to access new kinds of online entertainment content. Computers that include Windows Vista Home Premium and an auxiliary Windows SideShow display will also allow you to access key data even when your computer is off. It is also easier than ever to share files between other PCs in your household and to manage your laptop computer settings to more securely connect via Wi-Fi.

Every edition of Windows Vista provides the essential tools and technologies to help protect you whether you are browsing the Internet, connecting to a wireless network, or just reading e-mail. All editions of Windows Vista include new tools that can warn you of impending hardware failures long before you have lost any important personal data. And, all Windows Vista editions include parental control features that allow you to manage and monitor your family's use of games, the Internet, instant messaging, and other activities.

Preloaded Software

HP MediaSmart Software Suite: Your one-stop multimedia and entertainment center to create photo slideshows, share personal videos, listen to your favorite music playlists and watch DVD movies.
muvee autoProducer Basic: Automatically create professional looking home videos and burn to DVD.
Cyberlink DVD Suite Deluxe: Automatically fix and edit videos and create CDs and DVDs. Edit, burn and archive data to discs.
Microsoft Works 9: Includes a word processor, spreadsheet, database and calendar.
Microsoft Office Home and Student Edition 2007 (60-day trial version).
Adobe Reader 8: Read and print PDF files.
Norton Internet Security 2009 protects your PC and your identity when you email, bank and shop online; 60 days of protection updates included.

Dimensions & Weight This notebook measures 13.15 x 9.45 x 1.57 inches (WxHxD) and weighs 5.1 pounds.

Power It's powered by a 6-cell rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which has a battery life of up to 2 hours (depending on usage).

What's in the Box This package contains the HP Pavilion DV4-1227US notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, IR remote control, and operating instructions. It is backed by a limited warranty for parts and labor for one year from date of purchase as well as technical telephone assistance for one year. Software is also covered for 30 days from date of purchase.

Reduce your impact on the environment with this Energy Star-certified system and HP's innovative take-back options, including trade-in, recycling and donation.

Click here for more information about HP Pavilion DV4-1227US 14.1-Inch Laptop - Espresso Black

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Acer Aspire AS1410-8804 11.6-Inch Black Laptop - 6 Hour Battery Life Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I keep checking out the Netbooks that come into the hardware lab where I work, looking for something to replace a cheap one I bought for my kids to play with, but they all just seem too small. As a result I've been poking around the high-end of the Netbook spectrum / low end of the Ultra-portable spectrum for something more usable. The Acer Aspire 1410 series does a great job of bridging the gap between small low cost "Netbooks" and more expensive "Ultra-portables" (which is what Acer classes this as). It manages to overcome many of the short comings of Netbooks without getting anywhere near the $1000+ price range of most ultra-portables. It has a few drawbacks, notably material quality: like a lot of Acer products the plastic molding is attractive and the tolerances are tight. However the quality of the plastic is more in line with what you would expect with a Netbook (which is to say it is lower density plastic and more likely to scratch or break). To me it's reasonable that the overall component quality is lower than what I would get if I spent $1000 (display not as nice, finish not as refined, buttons not as responsive, etc...). Still, overall this is a well put together computer with good build quality considering the price. While I didn't end up buying one myself if might be the right fit for you: if you are on a budget and you need a small laptop that can do more than browse web pages this would be a very good choice.
Let's go over the specs:
CPU: The Core 2 ULV SU3500 is a great CPU choice and far more powerful than the Atom CPU found in most Netbooks. This is a single core (as opposed to the two core "Core2 Duo") Ultra Low Voltage cpu running at 1.4GHz. Depending on the exact application this CPU is about 3-6x more powerful than the typical Atom Processor. It also has 3 MB of cache (cache is a form of on-chip high speed memory) vs the Atom's 512 KB. With 6x the cache of the Atom this CPU is going to spend a lot more time running instructions and a lot less time waiting on the memory sub-system. It also helps that the Core 2 ULV SU3500 memory bus is about 25% faster than what you will find on an Atom. The Core2 is technically more power hungry than the Atom but when running applications the difference isn't significant (5 watts for the Core2 vs 1.5 watts for Atom). The main difference happens when in standby or sleep mode where the Atom will use much less power than the Core2 (because the kind of transistors on the Atom "leak" less power than those used on the Core2 when in those modes). So if you need long battery life while carrying your computer around in standby with brief periods of activity you might prefer the Atom based Netbooks (say for sales calls on the road). I think most users will probably prefer the Core2 - I know that I do. Update: there may be a dual core version of this coming out soon. It's on the list to arrive where I work but that doesn't mean it will be sold in the US.
MEMORY: 2GB of DDR2 RAM is plenty and the 667Mhz memory speed is good enough (faster notebooks go up to 1066Mhz). This system runs Vista which is more memory hungry than the Windows XP or Linux found on most Netbooks so 2GB, while enough, doesn't go as far as you might think. Still, as long as your aren't planning on doing any really serious gaming 2GB will handle the typical office application with no troubles.
HDD: The 250GB HDD has plenty of storage given that most users don't use more than 50GB. Serious gamers and video encoders will need a lot more space than this.
DISPLAY: The 11.6" 1366x768 screen looks good and is a lot more useable than the 8-10" screens found on most Netbooks. The resolution is much better than what you will find on most Netbooks and it is reasonably bright (200 nits vs 300+ nits on higher end laptop). I passed on this model because the viewing angle is limited (the manufacturer list the viewing angles as 60vert/90horiz compared to 120v/140h on a high end display) and my sons like to sit with me and watch YouTube videos. The limited viewing angles might be a selling point for somebody traveling who would prefer not to share what's on their screen with others. So while Acer clearly saved some money here it's still a good display: unless you need a really high quality LCD I think most people will be pretty happy with this screen (again it's far better than what you'll find in most Netbooks). For those few who care it's made by AU Optronics and I think it's model B116XW01.
GRAPHICS: The Intel Mobile GMA X4500HD graphics won't impress any gamers but if you're running business applications it will do just fine. Update: they loaded Autocad on this thing at work and it wasn't pretty. It might have been a driver issue but the render times were terrible. It's not really a surprise but don't buy this to run your CAD software. Of course for most users this won't be an issue.
AUDIO: notebooks are not known for great speaker sound and this notebook doesn't break from that trend. Again it's better than most Netbooks but not by a lot. Update: With headphones on I found the sound to be fine.
DRIVES: Like most Netbooks and Ultra-portables this has no CD or DVD drive. I recommend buying an external CD Drive. The software industry may start to switch over to USB drives soon (Windows 7 will be sold on USB drives) so this may not be a big deal for much longer. Today it's a pain to not have a CDROM.
BATTERY: The 6 cell battery is perfect for this notebook (thanks to the low power components). This notebook is probably too small for an 8 cell to fit cleanly but the 4 cell found in most Netbooks just isn't adequate, even for an Atom CPU. This 6 cell battery will provide about 3-5 hours of real use though with aggressive power saving modes you can get over six hours. Update: we have two of these in our hardware lab and it was just pointed it out to me that one (which came pre-release) had a higher capacity battery than the release version (5600mAH vs. 4400mAH). I've adjusted my battery life numbers down to reflect the release version. Interestingly the non-US version of this laptop has the higher capacity battery. I can only assume Acer was trying to bring the price down to compete in the tight US netbook market.
WEIGHT: Coming in a 3.1 lbs this is tiny bit heavier than the typical Netbook but not by much (Netbooks will range from 2-3lbs). Most regular notebooks are 6-8 lbs.
WIRELESS: The usual Intel 5100 A/G/N supports the most common standards ("A" and "G") along with the new "N" standard. You should have no trouble connecting to wireless networks. This is pretty standard though a few laptops will support 3G out of the box.
In short: while this notebook isn't perfect it is well built and unlike most Netbooks, actually has a decent CPU. It's small and light but big enough that you can actually use it. If you've got 1K-2K to spend you can get a better Ultra-Portable notebook (I'm partial to Sony's and Apple's offerings in that segment) but in this price range there isn't much competition.
Oh I should note that while this model is dark blue, Acer makes this in two other colors you can buy:
Acer Aspire AS1410-8913 11.6-Inch Ruby Red
Acer Aspire AS1410-8804 11.6-Inch Black
Also if you're outside the US this might be sold as the "Acer Timeline 1810T" locally and may have slightly different specs (such as a better battery).


Click Here to see more reviews about: Acer Aspire AS1410-8804 11.6-Inch Black Laptop - 6 Hour Battery Life

Weighing just over 3 pounds and measures 1.2 inches slim, the Acer Aspire AS1410-8414 makes it easy to roam the globe with a powerful PC. It includes a 6-cell battery that provides up to 6 hours of continuous use and a vividly colorful 11.6-inch LCD screen as well as an HDMI port for connecting it to an external monitor or HDTV for viewing presentations and movies. Presented in a stylish diamond black case, the thin and light Aspire 1410 also features a full-size keyboard and Acer's ComfyTouch technology, which uses an innovative Laminar Wall Jet Engine design to air-cool the processor and notebook case.
A Multi-Gesture Touchpad enables you to pinch, flick and swirl your fingers across the touchpad for more natural photo and video viewing as well as intuitive navigation of websites. The Multi-Gesture Touchpad allows you to scroll, zoom in and out and flip through web pages, photos, spreadsheets and more. An integrated Acer Crystal Eye webcam delivers smooth video streaming and high quality images for online chats and business video conferences, even in low-light situations.

Other features include a 1.4 GHz Ultra Low Voltage (ULV) Intel Core 2 Solo SU3500 processor, 250 GB hard drive, 2 GB of installed RAM, Draft-N Wi-Fi networking, and a multi-format memory card reader.



Key Features
11.6-inch LED-backlight widescreen display with 1366 x 768-pixel resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio and 200-nit high brightness (Learn more)
Energy efficient 1.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Solo SU3500 processor with ultra-low voltage uses only 5.5 watts of energy--less than 1/10 that of a normal desktop processor--for extended battery life (Learn more)
250 GB SATA hard drive (5400 RPM)
2 GB of installed DDR2 RAM (667 MHz; 2 x SODIMM slots; 4 GB maximum capacity)
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD with up to 1700 MB of shared video memory and support for DirectX 10 games (Learn more)
Multi-gesture touchpad supporting circular-motion scrolling, pinch-action zoom, page flip (Learn more)
Thermal-efficient cooling innovation ensures the notebook achieves comfortable skin temperature during use. (Learn more)
Crystal Eye webcam supports Acer PrimaLite technology, which consists of a premium sensor, firmware and lenses to provide superior video performance under low-light conditions. A built-in digital microphone helps keep background noise levels low and minimizes echoes.
Draft-N Wi-Fi wireless networking (802.11a/b/g/n) with SignalUp technology for enhanced antenna efficiency
Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000)
5-in-1 memory card reader
HDMI (with HDCP) and VGA video output
Stereo speakers with Dolby Sound Room audio enhancement transforms the experience of movies, music, and games.
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium (32-bit) operating system (Learn more)
Up to 6 hours of battery life with included 6-cell battery
Dimensions: 11.2 x 8 x 1.2 inches (WxDxH)
Weight: 3.1 pounds
Warranty: One-year parts and labor limited warranty with concurrent International Traveler's Warranty

Networking, Connectivity & Expansion With its integrated Draft-N Wi-Fi networking capabilities, this laptop provides up to five times the performance and twice the wireless range using 802.11n-compatible routers as you would with 802.11g networks. It's also backward compatible with 802.11b/g networks (commonly found at Wi-Fi hotspots and in older home routers) as well as 802.11a networks (which has a higher throughput, but more limited range--great for closed office environments). This notebook also provides ultra-fast Gigabit Ethernet networking (10/100/1000).

3 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players
1 HDMI output for connecting to a compatible HDTV or home theater receiver for uncompressed digital audio and video via a single cable
Analog video output: 1 VGA
5-in-1 card reader compatible with MultiMediaCard, Secure Digital card, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO and xD-Picture Card
1 headphone/line-out jack (with SPDIF digital audio support), 1 microphone jack
10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet

What's in the box This package contains the Acer Aspire AS1410-8414 notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions

It also comes with the following software: McAfee Internet Security Suite (trial version); CyberLink PowerDVD; Google Desktop; Acer Backup Manager; Acer GridVista

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11.6-Inch Widescreen Display with True 16:9 Aspect Ratio The 11.6-inch LED-backlit display (1366 x 768 pixels) presents true 16:9 aspect ratio with high-def resolution and fast 8ms (millisecond) response time for high-quality media playback as well as increased readability in low-light conditions. And the LED backlight technology is 33 percent more energy efficient than standard CCFL LCD screens.
Video is powered by the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD, which uses shared video memory (providing up to 1700 MB of video memory as allocated by the system memory). This graphics card is built with Intel Clear Video technology, which delivers clearer, more detailed images by eliminating many of the jagged edges and video artifacts seen when viewing interlaced content and features powerful color control to ensure videos are not too dark, overly bright, or washed out.



Energy Efficient Intel Core 2 Solo Processor Offering the latest in ultra-low voltage processing power, the single-core Intel Core 2 Solo SU3500 processor has a has a power consumption rating of just 5.5 watts and a 1.4 GHz speed that's paired with a fast 800 MHz front-side bus (FSB) and extra-large 3 MB L2 cache. (An L2, or secondary, cache temporarily stores data; and a larger L2 cache can help speed up your system's performance. The FSB carries data between the CPU and RAM, and a faster front-side bus will deliver better overall performance.) The Core 2 Solo processor delivers enhanced performance for today's demanding applications such as CAD tools, 3D and 2D modeling, video editing, digital music, digital photography and gaming. And Intel's Smart Cache technology enables smarter, more efficient cache and bus design for enhanced performance, responsiveness and power savings.


The Multi-Gestured Aspire 1410
Cool to the Touch The Acer Aspire 1410 notebook includes Acer's ComfyTouch technology, which uses an innovative Laminar Wall Jet Engine design to air-cool the processor and notebook case. Even when running for a full day the notebook remains cool in your hands or on your lap.




Windows Vista Home Premium Operating SystemWindows Vista Home Premium (32-bit version) is the operating system for users with advanced computer needs, and it includes all of the Windows Media Center capabilities for turning your PC into an all-in-one home entertainment center for watching DVD movies and accessing your digital audio library. You can also use Windows Media Center to record and watch your favorite TV shows (even HDTV) and to access new kinds of online entertainment content. Computers that include Windows Vista Home Premium and an auxiliary Windows SideShow display will also allow you to access key data even when your computer is off. It is also easier than ever to share files between other PCs in your household and to manage your laptop computer settings to more securely connect via Wi-Fi.
Every edition of Windows Vista provides the essential tools and technologies to help protect you whether you are browsing the Internet, connecting to a wireless network, or just reading e-mail. All editions of Windows Vista include new tools that can warn you of impending hardware failures long before you have lost any important personal data. And, all Windows Vista editions include parental control features that allow you to manage and monitor your family's use of games, the Internet, instant messaging, and other activities.

Click here for more information about Acer Aspire AS1410-8804 11.6-Inch Black Laptop - 6 Hour Battery Life

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