Toshiba Satellite T135-S1305RD TruBrite 13.3-Inch Ultrathin Black/Red Laptop - 9 Hours 22 Minutes of Battery Life (Windows 7 Home Premium) List Price: $649.99 Sale Price: $534.95 You save: $115.04 (18%)   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Average Rating:

Description

The Satellite T135 Series are affordable, ultrathin laptops built for everyday life on the go. Toshiba’s thinnest and lightest Satellite models feature a power-efficient processor, making them ideal for students or fast-moving pros who demand a travel-friendly laptop with long battery life. Though sleek and light, the T135 Series deliver the performance you’d expect from a standard laptop—horsepower to handle the day’s tasks or evening’s entertainment, plus a great communications package to keep you effective, online and in touch. They also offer uncommon convenience, thanks to a suite of Toshiba “Smart” features, plus a comfort-driven, eco-focused design that includes a stunning Fusion Finish in Nova Red, White or Black.

Built for your everyday life on the go, the affordable Toshiba T135 laptop (model T135-S1305RD) with 13.3-inch screen is Toshiba's thinnest and lightest Satellite model yet, offering the performance, flexibility and functionality you expect in a standard-sized laptop but in a highly portable and efficient package. Featuring a power-efficient Intel ultra-low voltage processor and Windows 7, the T135 powers up quickly from standby mode and provides energy saving enhancements that deliver up to 9 hours of battery life. It's also been given a number of comfort-driven, eco-focused design elements that are capped by the stunningly stylish Fusion finish in Nova Black. Learn more about Windows 7 Home Premium below. Weighing just 3.9 pounds, the ultrathin Toshiba Satellite T135 features a 13.3-inch LED backlit screen and up to 9 hours of battery life (see larger image). The stunning Fusion finish in Nova Red (see larger image). The full-sized keyboard makes it comfortable for extended on-the-go typing (see larger image). Pre-installed with the Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium operating system (32-bit version), you'll be able to easily create a home network and share all of your favorite photos, videos, and music. Windows 7 is the easiest, fastest, and most engaging version of Windows yet. Better ways to find and manage files, like Jump Lists and improved taskbar previews, help you speed through everyday tasks. Windows 7 is designed for faster and more reliable performance, so your PC just works the way you want it to. (Learn more about Windows 7 Home Premium below.) The Satellite T135 is engineered to feature the comfort and convenience of a standard laptop yet in an ultra-thin package. It features a full-sized keyboard and full-sized touchpad with multi-touch capabilities, enabling greater flexibility to browse and control what's happening on-screen with gesture commands--including two-finger pinch, swipe, rotate and scroll. It's also been designed to be environmentally conscious with a power-efficient, mercury-free LED backlit display that also provides brilliantly colorful imagery for photos and video thanks to the native HD TrueBrite screen. Thanks to the built-in webcam and Toshiba Face Recognition software on this machine, you'll enjoy a more convenient way to communicate, log on or share your laptop among the family. Other Toshiba innovations include a hard drive impact sensor that protects your data and a USB Sleep and Charge port that enables you to charge electronics peripherals--like your cell phone or MP3 player--even when the laptop is turned off. It's powered by the dual-core Ultra Low Voltage (ULV) Intel Pentium SU4100 processor for advanced energy efficiency. Other features include a 320 GB hard drive, 3 GB of installed RAM (4 GB maximum), Draft-N Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g/n), Bluetooth connectivity (including stereo music streaming), integrated Intel GMA 4500M graphics (for up to 1340 MB of shared video memory), HDMI audio/video output, and multi-format memory card reader. Because of its size, the T135 does not include an optical DVD/CD drive, but an optional external drive can be connected via one of the three USB ports. This Toshiba notebook is Energy Star 5.0 certified, and has received a Gold EPEAT designation for meeting standards to help reduce its environmental impact. Additionally, it is RoHS-compliant, effectively reducing the environmental impact by restricting the use of lead, mercury and certain other hazardous substances. Key Features 13.3-inch high-definition, LED-backlit TruBrite display for amazing color depth and clarity (Learn more) Windows 7 Home Premium makes it easy to create a home network and share all of your favorite photos, videos, and music. And you can watch shows for free when and where you want with Internet TV on Windows Media Center. Get the best entertainment experience with Windows 7 Home Premium. (Learn more) Get more features with Windows Anytime Upgrade. It's the best way to add features to Windows 7, takes as few as ten minutes, requires no software or downloads, and you'll keep your existing programs, files, and settings. Windows will walk you through the simple upgrade process. Energy efficient, dual-core 1.3 GHz Intel Pentium SU4100 processor with ultra-low voltage for extended battery life (Learn more) 320 GB Serial ATA hard drive (5400 RPM) with an impact sensor that helps safeguard your data by "parking" the hard drive heads in the event of a drop or sudden movement. (Learn more) 3 GB of RAM (DDR3; upgradeable to 4 GB) Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500M with up to 1340 MB of dynamically shared memory allocated by the system (Learn more) 1.3 megapixel webcam with Face Recognition capabilities for added security (Learn more) Draft-N Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g/n) for greater speed and range Fast Ethernet (10/100) Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity enables you to communicate and synchronize with Bluetooth-enabled peripherals such as PDAs and cell phones as well as enjoy wireless stereo music streaming (thanks to its embedded A2DP profile). Three USB ports with one Sleep and Charge port on the left side, allowing you to charge your mobile phone and other devices even when the notebook is asleep or off. HDMI-CEC audio/video output lets you control additional media players with just a single remote. Built-in stereo speakers Pre-loaded software includes Microsoft Works SE 9.0 for word processing and spreadsheet work. Enjoy a 60-day trial version of Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007. Full-sized 85-key keyboard with 10-key pad Enjoy proactive PC health--without the worry. For your peace mind, this laptop comes with an innovative PC Health Monitor that constantly keeps tabs on things like your machine's power usage, temperature and hard drive--so you won't have to. Up to 9 hours of battery life with 6-cell (5600 mAh) battery Dimensions: 12.7 x 8.78 x 1.35 inches (WxDxH) Weight: 3.9 pounds Warranty: 1 year warranty with international limited warranty coverage 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). It's also outfitted with Bluetooth connectivity (version 2.1 + EDR), which enables you to communicate and synchronize with Bluetooth-enabled peripherals such as PDAs and mobile phones. You'll also be able to stream music to compatible Bluetooth-enabled headphones and speakers thanks to the embedded A2DP profile. This notebook 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 Includes 1 eSATA/USB combo port with USB Sleep and Charge 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 memory card reader compatible with Secure Digital, Secure Digital High Capacity, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, Multi Media Card, xD Picture Card 1 headphone jack, 1 microphone jack RJ-45 port for 10/100 Fast Ethernet RJ-11 port for 56K modem The T135's ports (see larger image). What's in the box This package contains the Toshiba Satellite T135-S1305RD notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions. It also comes with the following software: Norton Internet Security 2009 (30-day trial), Toshiba PC Health Monitor, Microsoft Works, Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 Edition (60-day trial), Windows Media Player, Google Toolbar, WildTangent Orb Game Console Learn More 13.3-Inch High-Definition Display This notebook has a 13.3-inch TFT display with a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels (native 720p for high-definition viewing). It also provides TruBrite technology, which makes images brighter and more vivid thanks to its anti-glare feature. Video is powered by the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500M, which uses shared video memory (up to 1340 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. Windows 7 Home Premium makes it easy to create a home network and share all of your favorite photos, videos, and music. You can even watch, pause, rewind, and record TV. Get the best entertainment experience with Windows 7 Home Premium. Simplify everyday tasks Work the way you want Make new things possible Simplify your PC with new navigation features like Aero Shake, Jump Lists, and Snap. Customize Windows to look and feel the way you like by changing themes and taskbar programs. Setting up a home network and connecting to printers and devices is easier than ever. Windows 7 Home Premium supports the latest hardware and software. Designed to make your PC sleep and resume quicker. Takes full advantage of 64-bit PC hardware and memory. Connecting to wireless networks is fast and easy. Watch, pause, rewind, and record TV with Windows Media Center. Watch your favorite DVD movies. Includes integrated video and Dolby audio codecs. Jump Lists New in Windows 7, Jump Lists take you right to the documents, pictures, songs, or websites you turn to each day. To open a Jump List, just right-click a program icon on the Windows 7 taskbar. (You'll also find them on the Start menu.) What you see in a Jump List depends entirely on the program. The Jump List for Internet Explorer 8 shows frequently-viewed websites. Windows Media Player 12 lists commonly-played tunes. Your Jump List missing a favorite? You can "pin" whatever files you like there. Jump Lists don't just show shortcuts to files. Sometimes they also provide quick access to commands for things like composing new e‑mail messages or playing music. Improved Windows Taskbar In Windows 7 you can "pin" favorite programs anywhere on the taskbar for easy access. Not crazy about the icon lineup? Now you can rearrange them any way you like by clicking and dragging. Finally, there are new ways to preview windows. Point to a taskbar icon to see a thumbnail preview of open files or programs. Then, move your mouse over a thumbnail to preview the window full-screen. You can even close windows from the thumbnail previews--a big time saver. Snap Ever need to cut through a cluttered desktop and quickly focus on a single window? Just click a pane and give your mouse a shake. Every open window except that one instantly disappears. Jiggle again--and your windows are back. Energy Efficient Intel Pentium Processor Offering the latest in ultra-low voltage processing power, the dual-core Intel Pentium SU4100 has a has a power consumption rating of just 10 watts and a 1.3 GHz speed that's paired with a 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.) Designed for use in ultra-thin laptops to balance the competing needs of high performance with battery consumption, the Pentium SU4100 features Intel SpeedStep technology, helping your system to dynamically adjust processor voltage and core frequency to decrease power consumption and heat production. It also comes with built-in Execute Disable Bit technology, which helps keep your laptop safe from viruses, worms, and other malicious attacks. Hard Drive Protection While the highly portable nature of notebooks exposes them to the knocks and bumps that are an inevitable feature of life on the move, this Toshiba model features a 3D-accelerometer monitoring system that detects freefalls, shocks and vibrations and protects the integrated HDD to secure against the loss of any personal data. Integrated Webcam with Face Recognition Capabilities A 1.3 megapixel digital web camera built into the LCD's bezel lets you quickly snap photos and participate in live video chats. The integrated webcam does more than just video chats. It includes Toshiba Face Recognition capabilities--the ultimate hands-free, hassle-free way to log onto your laptop. Just show your face to the webcam--no keeping track of hard-to-remember passwords and no unnecessary typing. And if you're using one laptop for several users--say for the whole family or for a small business--Toshiba Face Recognition lets you switch profiles with one simple look.

Features

• 1.3GHz Intel Pentium Ultra Low Voltage SU4100 Processor
• 3GB Memory
• 320GB Serial ATA Hard Drive
• 13.3" LED-Backlit Display
• Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit, *9 Hours 22 Minutes of Battery Life

Reviews

PERFECT LAPTOP FOR THE COLLEGE STUDENT!!!

by D. Green from Manorville, New York on 2009-12-29
I recently purchased this laptop for my college student daughter and she loves it. It is light in weight and extremely thin but yet appears to be very durable. It has all of the "bells and whistles" one could wish for except for an optical drive in which case one can easily purchase a portable optical drive. (I would recommend the Toshiba Portable Multi-Super Optical Drive.) For normal applications the battery will last for at least eight hours before it needs to be recharged! This is a real plus for college students who use their laptops during classes. My daughter found the touch pad a little awkward for her but the addition of an inexpensive usb retractable mouse works flawlessly. Some reviewers on other sites have complained that the sound was too low but that was because they did not realize that the volume is to be adjusted by going to the Control Panel and clicking on Smart Audio/Smart Eq. to make the needed adjustments. Apparently the manual does not point this out. With features such as Windows 7, a built in web cam., full size keyboard, plenty of speed and memory, long lasting battery, a HD 13.3 inch screen, and a memory card reader, this surely makes the Toshiba T135-S1305 the perfect laptop for any college student!!!

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Wonderful laptop with a couple quirks

by D. Adams from Lexington, NC on 2010-03-07
After much searching and trial & error I finally came to this laptop. I'd actually considered it earlier but the models I saw only had the single core processor. Once I expanded my budget a little, I realized this was more along the lines of what I truly wanted. 13.3" is a wonderful size for portability, but not too small/difficult to use. Build quality is great. Everything fits together nicely with no wobble or creeks. The screen, while it has poor viewing angles, looks good and has a nice resolution (unlike smaller netbooks). The battery life is simply amazing. While it may not acheive the 9+ hours it's rated for, you'll easily get 5+ hours normal use. Speakers actually are pretty good. Being mounted on the bottom makes lap use a little muffled, but their acoustics really aren't that bad. My suggestion though, take advantage of bluetooth and get yourself some wireless earphones! Now some people complain about the touchpad being poor. A large portion of this is related to the drivers preloaded for it. Uninstall them and it functions MUCH better. People also complain about the keyboard. Most of the time it's quite good, but sometimes you'll hit a key wrong and it either wont register or feels like it's breaking sideways. To be honest it's not that bad, but I'd say it's one of the main drawbacks of the lappy. Now, I strongly suggest going with the duel core processor. As much as I wanted the Core 2 like the UL20 has, the specs are nearly identical. The Pentium in the T135 only differs by slightly less cache (2MB vs 3MB) and it's lack of VT-x. The average user wouldn't notice the difference. I used the UL20 for a few weeks and I'd be hard pressed to say it was any faster than this Toshiba. Now, these ULV processors do begin to show their weakness while doing things like photo editing, but surfing the web and such is quite pleasant... Much nicer than Atom based units.

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Excellent machine

by T. Bond from Alabama USA on 2010-05-30
I was looking for a laptop with some very specific requirements; this system met or exceeded all of my requirements (plus it had the added bonus of being red! :D ). I've been using it on a daily basis for a couple of weeks now. The battery life is very impressive when compared with a standard laptop and even some netbooks. I tweaked it slightly from the defaults that came shipped, and I haven't had any trouble using it continuously for hours on end. The keyboard has a very good feel (that is one of the things I'm very fussy about). The touchpad works very well also, although the chromed buttons are strange and take a little bit of getting used to. You have to be sure and click on the outer end of the button, not towards the middle, or you won't get a "click." Wireless connection speed and uploads/downloads have been great. As another reviewer mentioned, there was an issue with the sound levels being very low; however, there is an updated driver available for download that corrects this issue. If you are hesitating because this system doesn't come with a CD/DVD, you can always purchase an external CD/DVD later. I love this machine and would not hesitate to purchase it all over again. Well worth the money, especially if you are torn between choosing a more expensive laptop vs a more-affordable but hobbled netbook.

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Great deal for the money

by Primalpenguin from Ohio on 2010-05-24
I bought this for my wife 2 months ago and it is perfect for her. Much better than a netbook. Yes it does not have a CD/DVD, but you can most everything from the net. It was a great buy and she LOVES it.

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great deal

by Rick Paulsen from on 2010-07-05
We bought this laptop as a graduation gift for our daughter to take to college. Small, light, capable with an awesome battery life. She's very happy with it.

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Apple iPad MB292LL/A Tablet (16GB, Wifi) Sale Price: $619.99   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Average Rating:

Description

A magically and revolutionary product at an unbelievable price.

Features

• 9.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen Multi-Touch display with IPS technology. 1024-by-768-pixel resolution at 132 pixels per inch (ppi).
• 16GB flash drive with 1Ghz Apple A4 custom-designed system on a chip.
• Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n) Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR technology
• Box Contents:iPad Dock Connector to USB Cable 10W USB Power Adapter Documentation

Reviews

A leap in the right direction

by Craig Whisenhunt from on 2010-04-04
I've now spent the better part of a day playing with the new iPad, and while it excels in many things there are still some things anyone considering buying one should probably keep in mind. First the good sides: This thing is very fast, opening and closing applications is quick, the screen is incredibly responsive, there is no lag while typing, and the built in Safari browser does a great job of quickly loading even graphic intense pages. The not so good sides: As has been thoroughly pointed out, there is not presently much in the way of multitasking within the iPhone OS, but with most expectations pointing towards a summer release of OS 4.0 this might be remedied by mid summer, and almost certainly by a generation 2 release. That said, it should be kept in mind that on such a little screen being able to view multiple applications at once will likely never be something you'll use, and the speed by which you can open and close applications makes this less a headache than you might think. It isn't as fast as moving between open apps, but it isn't a deal breaker by any means. The lack of a camera in this generation is a little surprising, while I've purchased my iPad already, I honestly believe that with the number of competitors expected over the course of 2010 we're probably going to see a generation 2 by Christmas with a camera. It's still an amazing device, but the ability to video chat with it would definitely put it over the top, that's a feature worth waiting for. The lack of Flash support isn't as irritating as I expected it to be, but still something to consider. Many major sites have evolved to html5, or are in the process of doing so. This allows for full viewing by the Safari browser, and where it exists, it works great. The remaining sites still using Flash show up with annoying little boxes looking for a plugin that is likely never going to exist. If you spend a lot of time on flash heavy sites it really probably is worth considering holding out to see how the Slate/Android Tablets look in a few months, but if you're mostly just e-mailing and checking facebook (no Farmville) the lack of Flash support probably won't bother you too much. As a laptop replacement: The inclusion of the iWorks utilities gives this device a little bit of a laptop personality. Don't let that persuade you into believing that you don't need a computer though. You might be able to get away with ditching a laptop if all you really do is e-mail or very light word processing, but if you do anything more than that you'll like the freedom and ease a full computer offers for more complex tasks. That said, this device is a tremendous leap towards a future tablet style device that may very well be a replacement for your computer, but for now it is more of a casual use device than something you can really expect to do substantial work with. I have put together a presentation in keynote, which was easy enough to do, but pages isn't as intuitive as I'd have liked, and taking lengthy notes or writing long letters/e-mails/reports will probably make it worth considering buying either the keyboard dock or the wireless bluetooth keyboard. Battery life seems to live up to the claims, I managed to get about 7 hours before getting the 20% remaining battery life indication, which puts it about right for 10 hours or so of total use. One very important thing to realize about charging the device is that presently (at launch) there is some issues with charging via USB from many computers. The iPad is different than other iPod products, it requires a bit more power to charge up, and unfortunately most USB ports aren't set up to support that higher power draw. This is something that may be fixed in a firmware update to allow for a slower charge, or it may simply be that you'll need to either rely on a new Mac (seems like they can handle the power issue) or rely on the wall charger. Just don't be surprised if you plug it into your computer and it doesn't show that it is charging. All in all, the iPad is an impressive device that might make for a reasonable replacement of a netbook for casual users. For people who need something to really do a lot of work on, you may find that for the price that a netbook or laptop still offers the better value for your needs. Future generations of this device will probably transition into fitting that market better than this first generation. However, if you're an avid reader, casual gamer, music fan, who doesn't do much more on the web than check a few sites, and e-mail. This thing is definitely worth considering! If you're on the fence, nothing about this product is so incredible as to justify running out and buying one right now, but it is worthy of your consideration if you're thinking you might like a tablet style device. I definitely would encourage you to go play with one at best buy or an apple store to get a feel for it. With a number of competitors due out over the next few months we're likely to see some price movement, or a second generation release, so it may be worth it to wait it out a little while. One final note, the screen is absolutely gorgeous while it is turned on. It is crisp, bright, and very easy to see from any angle. But when you turn it off, every finger print and swipe is suddenly very visible (while it is on the light is bright enough you don't see them fingerprints). If you are a neat freak, or just hate finger prints on your devices you'll have to invest in some microfiber cloths or get used to using your shirt sleeve! In conclusion, it's a lot of fun, and I'm not the least bit sorry to have bought one. It does many things, and over the next months will do many more. If you think you want one, go play with one, and if you don't want to wait for a next generation this one is definitely awesome. If you have specific needs that aren't really addressed in this generation or by apple, don't let the hype or peer pressure bully you into this one, there are a number of devices coming with great potential, one of those might be a better fit.

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Not without flaws, but certainly more than just a glorified iPod Touch!

by S. Showalter from Ohio, USA on 2010-04-16
Having spent some serious time with Apple's iPad since its release, it's easy to see how the device can stir up so much excitement and so much disappointment from all different angles with much less middle-ground. People tend to either love it or hate it. I hope I can shed some light on the details of real-world iPad usage, not just blind claims like several non-iPad users seem to be screaming. I'll detail all the benefits and the caveats of owning the device I've found so far, with hopes that you'll get a clear picture of whether or not the iPad really is for you. For those interested, I've also compiled two iPad listmania lists: Must-Have iPad Accessories: http://www.amazon.com/lm/R1M3AJDBR2BCA7?tag=1pad-20&ie=UTF8 iPad vs. Other Tablets: http://www.amazon.com/lm/R3QLZ307253XU6?tag=1pad-20&ie=UTF8 ===== Background and Initial Reaction ===== I'm a mobile app developer who's created apps and games for the iPhone, iPod Touch and now iPad. Leading up to the announcement of the iPad, several rumors surfaced about Apple's new tablet device within iPhone development circles. The big rumor was that it would likely be based on the iPhone OS (the operating system built for the iPhone/iPod Touch). I had a lot of mixed feelings about that though. Part of me wanted the iPad to be able to run standard Mac apps (which the iPhone OS simply cannot do), while the other part of me saw the potential for app developers to take full advantage of the iPad's bigger screen and multi-touch interface on a whole new level, as iPhone/iPad apps generally aren't available for the Mac or PC specifically. What this meant for future iPad users was the potential to do more with the iPad than you would be able to do with an ordinary Mac or PC, though there would be some compromise therein until Apple or other developers could create an app that would fill any gaps in functionality. When announced, I was fairly critical about how similar the iPad was to the iPod Touch. Indeed it does seem like an oversized iPod Touch, especially with the overly huge icons (and excessive spacing between them) on the home screen. Only 4 additional apps per-screen are permitted on the iPad (24 total) than the iPod Touch (20 total). But while iPad isn't without flaw, nor is it a complete laptop or desktop replacement by any means, it's still certainly more than just a glorified iPod Touch. After spending some time with it, the differences quickly become evident. Neither is it a "Kindle killer" though it is certainly a great e-reader that will have a lasting effect on the future of digital books and publications. Moreover, there is a definite potential for the device to be useful beyond everything it is currently being touted as by Apple. Consider what the iPhone can do now compared to its first version with nothing but Apple's standard iPhone apps (before the app store was created). ===== First Impression ===== Taking the iPad out of the box for the first time, you'll come to realize just how touch-worthy the device really is. The slick screen reflects your glossy-eyed likeness as you gaze upon it and inhale in that one-of-a-kind scent synonymous with brand-new electronic gadgetry. Wrapping your hand around your new baby to embrace it for the first time, you find new meaning to the term "baby" because the back feels smooth like a baby's butt. And there's no doubt that this is exactly how Apple wants you to feel when unboxing the iPad for the first time. Right away, you'll probably notice that it's heavier than you might expect for such a slim device. For a real-world reference, the weight is comparable to that of two 200-page magazines (or 400 pages). Why so heavy? This thing's got two massive batteries which give it that touted 10 full-hours of life with wifi, though I got eight full hours out of constant Netflix streaming. Either way though, such a great battery life is something the iPhone/iPod Touch can't, uh... touch! Another contributor is Apple's signature glass touch-screen. However, the glass screen is phenominal at preventing scratches and ensures the display will always be crystal clear... at least until you lay your greasy mitts all over it. Smudging of finger oils is an issue with just about any touch screen device, but the iPad is special. It has an "oleophobic" coating that should repel the greasy smears, streaks and fingerprints. After using it a majority of the first day, it became evident that the coating doesn't work 100%. It resisted much better than the iPod Touch, which has no such coating, but you can expect there will still be some traces of oil residue from the skin contacting the screen. Washing your hands frequently helps reduce this, but you'll really only notice it if you try to notice it (by either reflecting light off the screen, or turning the screen off). So ultimately your experience interacting with the iPad will hardly be affected by such smearing--there won't be any blurriness or ill effects. However, do note that oleophobic coatings usually start deteriorating after a few months, so expect it to degrade over time, and eventually wear off completely, resulting in more pronounced smearing. One of my bigger grievances with the iPad is the utter waste of screen real-estate. I'm specifically talking about the excessive 1" black margin around the sides. What is the deal with that? Surely Apple could have thinned that out and either made the actual screen slightly bigger, or made the iPad itself slightly smaller. It really disheartens me for Apple to have squandered such valuable space on rubbish like that. The margin should have been the size of the margin used for the 13" or 15" MacBook Pro or the iPhone/iPod Touch--about half an inch. While on the subject of wasted space, I'm also equally disappointed with the excessive spacing (padding) between the app icons on the home screen. Just like the much-smaller iPod Touch, you can only have four apps per row (i.e. four columns) when in portrait mode (orientation in the upright position), though an additional row has been added. On the other hand, flipping the iPad to landscape mode (on its side) enables you to have one additional column of apps, though you lose the additional row that you get with the iPad's orientation set to portrait mode. Meanwhile, the iPhone/iPod Touch cannot show apps in any orientation other than portrait/upright. Either way, in both iPad orentations, it seems like Apple could have fit an additional column of app icons between each other, though five or six columns in portait mode (and six or seven columns in lamdscape mode) would satisfy my preferences. In any case, at least the iPhone OS 4.0 update (scheduled for the iPad this fall) will bring "folders" to the iPad, a feature that allows you to better-organize apps on the home screen by grouping them into a single icon whose app collection is revealed in a popup region. ===== So What Can This Thing Do? ===== When Apple first announced the iPad they didn't tout it so much as an ebook reader as they did a "netbook killer" (due to its ability to surf the web, check e-mail, watch videos, listen to music, and do a lot of the simpler tasks that netbooks were originally designed to do. Thus Apple had put less weight on the iPad as an e-reader in their announcement, which is still very apparent now that the iPad has been released. Despite the fact that it has begun to spark a revolution in the publication and delivery of full-color magazines and news, in addition to its support for reading e-books, Apple has taken a low-lying strategy with their iPad as an e-reader or "Kindle killer" as some iPad users have touted. When you go to Apple's website, and browse the guided tours that Apple has made for the iPad, you'll see that the guided tour for Apple's e-book reader app "iBooks" is near the bottom of the list. (Just below it is Apple's guided tour for its iPad productivity suite "iWork" which lets you edit Microsoft office documents such as Word files, Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations). What they don't exactly tell you outright is that iBooks (or iWork) is not included on the iPad out-of-the-box. They're extra applications that you have to download from Apple's iPad app store. Having not bundled the iBooks app with the iPad, Apple seems to be positioning the iPad as more than just an e-book reader. Despite the fact that you have to download iBooks, the app itself is indeed free, though the books themselves aren't (of course). As a courtesy though, and as a sort of demonstration, Apple decided to throw in a Winnie the Pooh book for free. What a nice gesture, Apple! On the other hand, to use the iPad for editing office documents, you'll need to download Apple's productivity suite iWork, a trilogy of apps which consists of: Pages, for word processing; Each of the three apps can be downloaded separately for $9.99 each. Completely reworked for the iPad, the complete iWork suite will set you back a whole thirty bucks. So be aware of that before you go ahead and grab the iPad for use with work-related document editing, and so forth. Also note that if you do intend to use the iPad for heavy writing or word-processing purposes, you'll find that your ability to type quickly will be greatly inhibited by the virtual keyboard. Thus, you should snag the external keyboard as well (Note: I'll also explain some typing techniques below). Either way, be prepared to pay more than merely the price for the iPad alone. There's clearly more than meets the eye if you intend to transform the iPad into something a little more productive than it might be for you out of the box. ===== Interaction Experience ===== The iPad is fast and responsive, and touch interface is phenomenal on the same level that all of Apple's other touch-screen devices have been to date. With the iPad, Apple brings a whole new meaning to the term "multi-touch". The iPad touch-screen supports up to ten simultaneous touches, assuming there is ever a need for that, and given that the developer of whatever app needs that many touches has integrated support for that many touches. For example, the most common app supporting ten simultaneous touches is the piano app. Being touted more as a Web browser and email device than an e-book reader, plus with the added potential that you'll be using the iPad to edit office documents, typing on the device can quickly become a concern. First off, realize that the iPad is not a laptop in the sense that you aren't going to be typing at a speed that I would consider fast enough to be conducive for heavy usage like writing a book, posting articles on blogs or typing lengthy emails. With that in mind, there are a couple approaches you can try to determine what' typing method is right for you. The ideal method might also change depending on where you are and how the iPad is oriented when using it. Typing Method #1: The most common and most flexible approach is to type with your thumbs, which can be done whether sitting or standing. To do this effectively, the iPad should ideally be in portrait mode--I'll explain why in a bit. Grasp the bottom of your iPad with your palms facing each other, and your pinky fingers towards you for the iPad to rest on. To stabilize the iPad and prevent it from flopping over and falling out of your hands, stretch both of your index fingers upwards towards the top of the iPad as much as is comfortable. Proceed with using your thumbs hunt and peck the keys on the virtual keyboard to your heart's content. This typing method works best with the iPad in portrait orientation (tall/upright position). It can also be used like this in landscape orientation (wide/sideways position), though I find it much harder to reach the central keyboard keys with my thumbs without the edge of the iPad interfering (constantly hitting the web of skin between the thumb and index finger). Typing Method #2: I've found this next method to be even more useful, though it requires you to be is best used while seated, with the iPad in resting in your lap, or on something soft, preferably with the iPad in landscape mode. With the iPad situated securely on your legs, you'll find it becomes easier to type with your full range of digits (fingers), like you would on a full sized physical keyboard. I found it slightly awkward, though, to hit the spacebar frequently with the side of my thumbs as you typically would on a physical keyboard. Still, whether you use your thumbs for the spacebar, or decide to use your fingers instead, you'll still find yourself typing slightly faster than with the thumbs-only hunt-and-peck method. Also, this typing method doesn't work well with the iPad resting any anything hard and flat like a desk or table, as the rounded backside of the iPad causes it to wobble uncontrollably while trying to type. However, if placement on a hard surface is a must, you might try putting something soft under the iPad to stabilize it. Other methods of typing on the iPad include the aforementioned external keyboard, as well as speech-to-text transcription apps. The latter includes the Dragon Notes app from Nuance, but I've found its quality in transcription to be laughable at best. ===== Web Browsing ===== Alongside email, and spending money in the app store, Web browsing is one of Apple's biggest suggestions for using the device. The iPad was born to surf the Web, and its screen resolution of 1024x768 tends to concur, especially in landscape mode. Most websites are around 800-1000 pixels wide, so when the iPad is in landscape orientation, Apple's Safari Web browser will render any sites that are less than 1024 pixels wide at their intended original size, meaning you see them at their true size, rather than seeing a smaller, more compressed version of the site. In general though, I tend to prefer browsing the Web in portrait mode, since web pages are almost always taller than they are wide. Still, even in portrait mode, the iPad allows you to see more content at a decent size, Of course, even in portrait orientation, the compressed pages rendered are still easily readable without squinting your eyes, which isn't often the case for Web browsing on the iPhone/iPod Touch. Plus, you can always zoom into any section by double tapping any region of the active page. Even zoomed-in regions are displayed with crisp clarity, and working within the Safari browser interface is swift and responsive. However, not all your sites will work desirably on the iPad. Apple is closed-mindedly refusing to support Adobe Flash on the iPad (as it has with the iPhone/iPod Touch). Regardless of whether you like it or not, Flash is being used around the Web, not only for advertising and video but for many other uses from graphs to product comparisons. The same lack of support is true of Java, AIR, Silverlight and others. So expect some of your sites to only be supported to a certain degree, if not entirely in rare cases. This can be a bit of a bummer until Flash starts being replaced with other technologies like HTML5's canvas technology, which is poised to take on some of Flash's most familiar capabilities. ===== Email ===== Email on the iPad's Mail app is best viewed in landscape mode, as it allows you to see both your list of messages on the left as well as the selected message itself on the right. It also makes managing emails easier, such as moving messages to other folders (or to the trash). Another reason for landscape mode is to make typing those lengthy emails easier (using typing-method #2 mentioned above). You can have multiple email accounts, including Gmail, Yahoo, AOL, MobileMe, Microsoft Exchange and other custom POP3 and IMAP accounts. Overall, The Mail app is fairly simple to use. It's easy and quick to read and answer your emails, but in general it's not very powerful. For example, there is currently no support for a unified inbox, but support for that will be added in the fall with the iPhone OS 4.0 update. Important Note: With the growing number of portable web connecting devices, there is one concern I want to express on your behalf. When you close the Mail app, it continues running in the background, even after disconnecting from one WiFi hotspot and reconnecting to another. My concern with this is that if haven't set up your e-mail with a secure connection, and you connect to a public WiFi hotspot that a malicious user is monitoring, then the instant your mail app connects to the hotspot to check your e-mail, your e-mail credentials may be suddenly compromised. To avoid this you definitely want to be using some kind of secure connection for your e-mail if at all possible. Web-based email such as Gmail typically support this out of the box, and Gmail accounts are the easiest to setup on the iPad. ===== Media ===== If you own an iPhone or iPod Touch, it's comforting to know that you audio/video experience will be similar on the iPad. You can watch videos via the YouTube app, which has been updated for the iPad to show YouTube HD videos beautifully. While the 1024x768 resolution of the iPad is a standard 4:3 ratio, not a widescreen 16:9 ratio, the HD videos as well as other video (including downloads from the iTunes store) display just fine. The Netflix app was also a pleasant and much-welcome surprise, as I'd been waiting over a year for Netflix to put out an app for the iPhone/iPod Touch. While it isn't that, it is indeed just as good. Netflix videos stream quickly and even moving the play position back and forth in the timeline, the movie starts playing very quick without much time rebuffering the video. ===== Photos ===== Two words: No camera! But thinking seriously about this, would you really want to take pictures/video with this device? You might look kind of awkward. I can't say that I've felt the urge to whoop out my iPad and shoot a photo yet. On the other hand though, logically speaking, Apple should have put the camera up front (as a webcam) instead of on the back, to make the iPad more versatile as a video-chat device for use with apps such as Skype. Ultimately, though, I think Apple couldn't make a decision on exactly where to put a camera. Even on the front, they would have to put it either at the top (optimized for portrait mode) or on the side (optimized for landscape mode). I'll admit, such a decision would be tough, which might explain why Apple decided to nix it all together. Of course, that left an open market for iPad apps that could help bridge the gap. Now, there are a couple apps that allow you to pair your iPhone to your iPad, take pictures with the iPhone, and then subsequently send them to your iPad. First, download an application called "Camera A" on your iPad. Then on your iPhone and grab the "Camera B" app. One of the apps will be free, the other is 99 cents, but for that 99 cents you will get the ability to take pictures with your iPhone and save them directly to your iPad through the Bluetooth connection. ===== E-Reading ===== Whether it's books, magazines or news, the iPad isn't just making history, it's making an impact on the future of media reading on a whole new level. Apple has been under-emphasizing the e-book and e-publication reading capabilities of the iPad to date, but I feel it's one of the iPad's greatest strengths, regardless of how heavy it is. Fact is, the iPad is still a game-changer. After all, it's lighter than 98% of other laptops with the same sized screen. It is becoming crystal-clear just what the iPad means for the publication industry. This goes far beyond simply reading e-books. Magazine and newspaper publishers have been jumping onboard the iPad bandwagon by creating their own custom apps that take their publications to a whole new level, but interactively and financially. My experiences interacting with some of these new digital representations of magazines and newspapers have been a breath of fresh air. Being able to read them on a screen simply isn't enough. The ability to still touch them, combined with a rich interactivity on a level that can't be matched by their printed counterparts has really given new life to what I feared was becomming a dying trade. Of course, another big perk for me has been the ability to save space because now I can keep all my magazines around without ever taking up more than the size of a single magazine (since the iPad is comparable in size to a single magazine). As far as e-books go, you're not losing out by passing up on the Kindle, because you have full access to Kindle books on the iPad via Amazon's Kindle app. That's not to say that the iPad is a Kindle killer by any means, as the two devices are distinctly different, and both offer a very unique experience. If you read a lot of novels, or prefer to read outdoors, and you don't mind reading in shades of gray rather than in full-color, then the Kindle was indeed made for you, as the Kindle is lighter and the display is easier to read in the sunlight. However, that doesn't mean the iPad would serve no purpose to you, even as an e-reader, because it can read Magazines, News and even the Web on a level that cannot be matched by the Kindle (at least not yet). Besides, no one said your choice was limited to one device or the other. Get them both, if it tickles your fancy! All physical aspects aside, the iPad is definitely a great e-reader, just on a whole new level. Those touting that the iPad is just a glorified iPod Touch, however, probably don't realize this important distinction: the apps being put out by publishers are iPad specific and cannot be used on the iPod Touch nor on the iPhone. ===== Gaming ===== If you're like me, you probably don't have time for games. Ultimately, I still se the iPad as a productivity device more than as a gaming console. Regardless, it may still be high-time to let the kid within you roam free from time to time, as I do. Alas, it may just be time to Without a doubt, millions of people use their computers for gaming, and with the iPhone and iPod Touch having taken on a clear role as a gaming console that has been as revolutionary for mobile gaming as the Wii was for living-room gaming, it goes without saying that the iPad is, and will continue to be, a decent platform for playing games. I see board games and lap-friendly games being the most popular on the iPad. Meanwhile, I suspect that games heavily dependent on rotation and other accelerometer-based interaction may quickly wear you out do to the weight of the iPad. I got tired of playing EA's Need For Speed: Shift after about 5 minutes. Resting the iPad on my knee didn't help much. ===== Productivity ===== Productivity carries numerous definitions. Usually its "getting something done" though some people tend to believe that it's the ability to focus without being distracted, which I see as one of the iPad's strengths considering it currently does not support multitasking (yet). In the context of software though, applications that allow you to edit office documents are commonly referred to as productivity software. Apple's own suite of productivity apps, collectively called "iWork", has been re-created from the ground up just for the iPad. (Previously it was only available for Macs.) For work-minded individuals, it will probably one of the most popular uses of the iPad. There are three apps in all: Pages is a word processing app that allows you to create and edit word processing documents. Then there's Numbers, which allows you to create and edit spreadsheets. Finally there's Keynote, which lets you create or edit presentations and slideshows (including PowerPoint files). So far, I've found the latter to be pretty invaluable in giving personal presentations within small groups or one-on-one meetings. However, there is a whole category of iPhone and iPad-specific apps dedicated to productivity, and are consequently located under the category titled "productivity" in the categories section of the app store. Remember, any app that works for the iPhone will run on the iPad, but do note that there are some exceptional productivity apps made or updated for the iPad specifically. Some notable iPad-specific productivity apps include Bento (personal organization/information management), Things (project management), iTeleport (remote desktop/VNC), Layers (drawing/painting), and GoodReader (best PDF+ reader around). ===== Printing ===== Notice that I haven't said much about printing so far, as there is no perceived way to print from any of the iWorks apps, nor from email, nor Web pages in Safari. This is a potentially huge flaw, especially for people who want to use the iPad for editing office documents. This, if nothing else, is what I think sets the iPad apart most from desktops, laptops, netbooks and even other (Windows-based) tablets. There are apps that support printing, but they have been quirky to use and typically require a printer that supports them and the details of what you can and cannot print varies widely between the available printing apps. ===== Security ===== With portable devices, there should always be some level of concern regarding the safety and protection of your data. The iPad deliver surprisingly well in the area, providing several layers of security to protect your data. You can require complex passcodes to securely access important information, encrypt data whether stored or transferred over WiFi, and even remotely wipe everything from your iPad instantly in the event of theft or loss (with subscription to Apple's MobileMe service). ===== Technical Specifications ===== Amazon's product descriptions tends to be a bit lacking so here's all the technical jargon geeks have come to expect when researching new gadgets. Feel free to breeze on through! Size and weight: Height: 9.56 inches (242.8 mm) Width: 7.47 inches (189.7 mm) Depth: 0.5 inch (13.4 mm) Weight: 1.5 pounds (0.68 kg) Wi-Fi model; 1.6 pounds (0.73 kg) Wi-Fi + 3G model In the box: * iPad * Dock Connector to USB Cable * 10W USB Power Adapter * Documentation Display: * 9.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen Multi-Touch display with IPS technology * 1024-by-768-pixel resolution at 132 pixels per inch (ppi) * Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating * Support for display of multiple languages and characters simultaneously Wireless and cellular: Wi-Fi model: * Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n) * Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR technology Wi-Fi + 3G model: * UMTS/HSDPA (850, 1900, 2100 MHz) * GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz) * Data only * Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n) * Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR technology Location: * Wi-Fi * Digital compass * Assisted GPS (Wi-Fi + 3G model) * Cellular (Wi-Fi + 3G model) Capacity: * 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB flash drive Processor: * 1GHz Apple A4 custom-designed, high-performance, low-power system-on-a-chip Sensors: * Accelerometer * Ambient light sensor * Magnetometer Audio playback: * Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz * Audio formats supported: HE-AAC (V1), AAC (16 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), MP3 (16 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, and 4), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV * User-configurable maximum volume limit TV and video: * Support for 1024 by 768 pixels with Dock Connector to VGA Adapter; 576p and 480p with Apple Component AV Cable; 576i and 480i with Apple Composite AV Cable * H.264 video up to 720p, 30 frames per second, Main Profile level 3.1 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; Motion JPEG (M-JPEG) up to 35 Mbps, 1280 by 720 pixels, 30 frames per second, audio in ulaw, PCM stereo audio in .avi file format Mail attachment support: * Viewable document types: .jpg, .tiff, .gif (images); .doc and .docx (Microsoft Word); .htm and .html (web pages); .key (Keynote); .numbers (Numbers); .pages (Pages); .pdf (Preview and Adobe Acrobat); .ppt and .pptx (Microsoft PowerPoint); .txt (text); .rtf (rich text format); .vcf (contact information); .xls and .xlsx (Microsoft Excel) Languages: * English, French, German, Japanese, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Russian Keyboards: * English (U.S., UK), French (France, Canada), German, Japanese (QWERTY), Dutch, Flemish, Spanish, Italian, Simplified Chinese (Handwriting and Pinyin), Russian Dictionaries: * English (U.S., UK), French, French (Canadian, Swiss), German, Japanese, Dutch, Flemish, Spanish, Italian, Simplified Chinese (Handwriting and Pinyin), Russian Accessibility: * Support for playback of closed-captioned content * VoiceOver screen reader * Full-screen zoom magnification * White on black display * Mono audio Battery and power: * Built-in 25-watt-hour rechargeable lithium-polymer battery * Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video, or listening to music * Up to 9 hours of surfing the web using 3G data network * Charging via power adapter or USB to computer system Input and output: * Dock connector port * 3.5-mm stereo headphone jack * Built-in speaker * Microphone * Micro-SIM card tray (Wi-Fi + 3G model only) External buttons and controls: * On/Off, Sleep/wake * Mute * Volume up/down * Home Mac system requirements: * Mac or Windows PC with USB 2.0 port * Mac OS X v10.5.8 or later or Windows 7, Windows Vista, or Windows XP Home or Professional with Service Pack 3 or later * iTunes 9.1 or later (free download) * iTunes Store account * Internet access ===== Praise ===== * iPad continues Apple's trend of creating the best multi-touch experience around * Wireless-n support, means faster and farther-reaching WiFi connections (if your router supports 802.11n) * Battery life: I was acheiving about 8 hours of battery life with constant Netflix streaming over that span of time ===== Dissappointments ===== * Would have preferred a higher resolution such as 1280x960 * Less wasted space, including thinner black margins and more columns of apps on the home screen * Weight could have been closer to a typical magazine (12 ounces) * Wish it were a smaller 8" version with a 163ppi resolution, like iPhone * Still no multi-tasking (though this will be added in the fall iPhone OS 4.0 release) * Crippled Bluetooth stack, lacks support for BT file transfer and DUN profiles * No memory card slot (or maybe this was a ploy to get users to buy the camera kit) * No perceived ability to print. There are apps for that, but there should be a universal method for printing if you're going to use this for productive purposes. ===== The Bottom Line ===== Despite several disappointments, the iPad is a device worthy to be in a class of its own. This is a good and a bad thing, as it's certainly no laptop nor netbook replacement. But there is a lot of potential. Apps from the app store, built especially for the iPad, will be what makes the iPad shine, as more and more developers see its potential and start coding world-class apps for the device. It may not leave your pockets or wallet happy, but if you want to take the iPad from good to great, there are plenty of "apps for that". Given all my tips, I think you'll find the iPad to be a usable device, with a deceptive price (given upgrades, apps and AppleCare). And just like every other Apple fan, you'll get over its flaws. There's always hope for Apple to improve on the iPad 2G in another year or two. I hope you've found my hands-on review helpful. :)

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Comparison Between Kindle and Apple iPad

by The Big Guy from Pittsford, NY USA on 2010-05-06
Want the long and the short of it without having to read a "mega review"? Here goes. I have an original Kindle and a DX and I've had an iPad for one week. I love them all, but the iPad has won me over. Here's what I've experienced so far: VERSATILITY - Apps, movies, music, pictures, effective internet connectivity, color display, extremely intuitive GUI all combine to make iPad the hands down winner in this category. DISPLAY - E Ink is much better for reading, especially in bright light. And, the matte screen on the Kindle doesn't smudge as easily as the iPad screen. However, the iPad has a gorgeous color display and once you get accustomed to it, reading is not difficult. I especially like the backlit display at night when reading in bed ... I can read to my hearts content and not bother my sleeping wife. Slip on the headphones and my full iTunes library is available while I read. If you want a device only to read books, the Kindle wins. If you want color and a display that shows book diagrams and pictures clearly, the iPad wins. PAGE INTERFACE - I actually like turning pages on the Kindle much better than I do on the iPad. While the iPad has a cool page turning visual (it looks like the page is actually turning), the touch screen is far too sensitive and there is very little edge around the screen to hold on to. The result is that I'm constantly turning pages on the iPad when i don't want to. Kindle's buttons win this one hands down. CONVENIENCE - on the iPad, all my media is in one place (audio books, photos, music, books, internet, breaking news/weather, address book, email ... the list goes on.) The Kindle, while and excellent book reading device, still requires me to bring along an iPod or a laptop when I travel. iPad is the clear winner. PRICE - Kindle and the iPad simply aren't that far apart. If a hundred bucks is going to break the budget, stick with the Kindle because it is an excellent reader. If you can afford a little more, go with the iPad... it just is much more versatile. If the Kindle DX were a couple of hundred bucks less, it would be a great reading bargain. AVAILABLE BOOKS - hands down, Amazon slaughters Apple in just sheer volume of available titles. However, Apple's titles often include color pictures, diagrams, etc. that can actually be sized by the reader for easier viewing. Downside here is that Apple's titles are often higher priced. Winner here is Amazon/Kindle. However, there is an App available for the iPad that allows you to read Amazon Kindle media. It is still not a very elegant design, but it does allow you to read these titles easily and I'm sure the App will only improve with time. SEX APPEAL - ok, when the Kindle was first introduced, it was a hot item. I couldn't read it at the airport without being interrupted at least a few times by people asking what it was and waning to look at it. Same thing with the iPad, only it's exponentially hotter. With it's sleek design, excellent color display and tons of Apps, people just go nuts asking questions. In short, it just generates a lot of interest and this is proven by the fact that Apple has already sold over a million of these things during the first month of availability. This thing is addictive ... with the Kindle, I can read a book. With the iPad, I can do almost everything I could before on my laptop AND I can read a book. MY OPINION ONLY - sorry Amazon. You have a great product that pioneered the whole ebook market (others came before you, but you made it work.) Your Kindle is an excellent product, but given the iPad, your device is very much overpriced. Your library continues to be the standard by which all others are judged and I will continue to buy e-books from you, but I'll be reading them on an iPad. On that rare occasion where I'll be laying on a beach reading in direct sunlight, I'll pull out my Kindle because you have an edge there. I hope whoever reads this finds it useful. I the end, it's your money and your preference so my opinion really doesn't matter. I hope you enjoy whichever device you settle on.

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Video Review: 3G iPad

by D. Bowman from LA, CA on 2010-05-17
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R27EQN1JOFPJRA Hopefully my video shows you most of everything you needed to know. If not, please feel free and ask. I will try to respond. The iPad is an amazing entertainment tool. It will soon be much more than that. For those with iPhones and iTouch iPods, you will not be as dazzled as those who have been deprived (I have a Blackberry, trust me, I know). All will love this device, but the is always a price. I mean literally, a big price :-) It is worthy of 5 Stars due to the vast things you can do. Video, music, pix. But not like every phone or iPod. This is completely different. This is nearly perfect.

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Hated it until I bought one

by John S. Dean from Sturtevant, WI United States on 2010-04-08
Just to set the stage correctly - I'm a multiple Microsoft MVP winner for the tablet PC platform. I've been using tablets since their inception in the early 2000's and have used Windows since 1988. I've been programming since 1981. My level of knowledge is way, way up there. And until last July, I never even considered a Mac product. Everything I needed to do was available on Windows, most of the critical apps of mine weren't even available for the Mac OS. Last spring I purchased another car, and I've long had MP3 players, but never an Ipod. This new car had direct plug access to the Ipods, and allowed all the metadata to display on the radio head unit, as well as full control via the steering wheel controls. So I got an Ipod, my first Apple device. For the heck of it I threw the little Apple sticker on my back window and watched everyone who knew me, employees and clients alike (I'm the director of an IT consulting firm), freak out when they saw the apple on my car. Then last July a friend of mine showed me his new Macbook pro, and what got me was the hardware, NOT the software. The touchpad was just magical, and after trying it, there was no other input method to compare, and all the windows machines had nothing that felt like this glass surfaced beauty. The backlit keyboard, the solid body (My last two Lenovo's had cracks in their shells just from grabbing one side and picking them up), the design of the hardware was just light years past anything ever done on a PC. And with the new ones running on the intel processor, and able to directly run windows, not just virtually, it made sense for me to get one. So I did. Then last November I replaced my 1 year old Media center PC with a new Dell Zino, and a month after that replaced THAT with a new Mac Mini. So in about 5 months, I went from a Mac hater to someone who had an ipod, a macbook pro, and a Mac Mini. So when the iPad was announced, people weren't sure where I'd fall. I was a longtime Mac hater, now a convert, but this "first ever tablet device" was hardly that, Microsoft has been doing tablets for a long time. And my initial take was very, very negative. Like most of the talking heads out there who didn't like it, I was wondering what possible use something that wasn't a real OS would be, something that can't multitask, and, for my tablet background, why on earth there's no support for pens. For me, the best thing about tablets and slates has always been notetaking. I loved MS Journal, and Onenote. Not for *converting* the handwriting to text, but for persisting my notes IN handwriting. I liked it. Worked great. And the form factor on this device would have been outstanding for such activity. But no joy, we all know how Jobs hates pens. Don't know why, he thinks it's an "outdated" method of input or some such, yet he puts keyboards on everything, which, according to his type of thinking, should also by now be an outdated type of input... So I had no plans on getting one. I have been waiting for more info on the HP Slate, which would run Windows 7, have multitasking ability, all the things I was used to on a slate. But I kept thinking about the battery life. And the form factor. I use a kindle daily, and this would be a great replacement for it since, while I liked the concept, both versions of the device I've had just still didn't do it for me. My eyes don't get strained from conventional monitors and displays so it didn't benefit me at all to have the paper ink, but it WOULD benefit me to have a backlit device again for night time reading. And since the iBook app supposedly would allow me to open other books I already had (I've been doing ebooks for years and years before the kindle was ever announced, reading them on my windows PDA phones and comptuers), there was potential here. But I kept going to the single use, non comptuer OS, limitations. But I also start to twitch when there's a new toy available. So I started thinking about what I do with computers, both for work and at home, and realized that I didn't *NEED* a full windows 7 slate device with multitasking and everything, since I did not want a second "main" computer. I keep EVERYTHING for both work and my entire personal life on my laptop, so getting the HP would then necessitate a lot of syncing of data between both the windows side of my macbook as well as the mac side. Something I don't like dealing with. So I realized I didn't want a full computer. I didn't need the ipad to replace anything, or take over any existing functionality of my computers. I wanted it to take over my kindle, and maybe give me some fun drawing apps to play with my 6 year old in. So I decided to give it a try. So two days ago I ran to the local brick and mortar, figuring they'd be sold out, but at least I could play with a demo unit and see what it was like, get myself past my preconceptions and all the BS flying on the blogosphere. I picked one up, held it, and two store associates were playing with the one next to me. I asked them how quickly they sold out - they told me they didn't, that Apple did a great job stocking them, and they had all versions still left. I decided to not even play with the demo, but just take one home. So I grabbed the 16GB version (knowing I didn't need it for an ipod and such, so 16GB would be sufficient) and went home. Unboxed quickly since there's nothing but the unit, USB cable, and power adapter. Came fully charged, so I was up and running instantly. Within about 15 minutes I had 70 free apps installed already and was moving through things like a pro. And it dawned on me that even if i wanted that HP Windows 7 based slate, it would NEVER be this smooth. That is one place where Apple just dominates - the UI. And this one was great. Everything worked intuitively, the apps were well designed, and I found my conversions of some of my ebooks to EPUB format installed just fine in Itunes, and showed up just beautifully in iBook. So the reading experience became way better instantly than the kindle could be. And with the kindle software available, I can already get the books I purchased there as well, so i had the best of both worlds. The drawing apps were a big hit for my 6 year old, who, like any kid, loves finger painting. Weather apps abound, my favorite so far is weatherbug (not a shock, theirs was my favorite gadget for Windows Vista and Windows 7 as well). I've had storms here, heavy, severe, over the last few days, and my usual thing when dealing with storms at night, while I'm laying in bed reading my kindle, is to randomly get up, go into the great room, and check out the local weather satellites from a few local news stations, see what is still heading this way, how heavy, etc, maybe check mail again while I'm there, then go back and read some more, repeat a few times over an hour or two. So this time, I just changed form iBook to Weatherbug, saw instantly the local radar, what was still on the way, then hopped into the browser, checked all my mail accounts (the built in Microsoft Exchange support is seamless and works great BTW), and enjoyed the browser, which works and looks just as well as my Safari does on the macbook pro. So without having to leave my toasty bed, I was reading, checked three weather sites, three mail accounts, and was back reading, all flawlessly, no running around my house. The last part I tried finally last night was instant message, which for me is critical since all my employees use it to keep in touch with me, as do a couple friends. With the push technology, all the "you can't do this and that at once" fell apart for me and was debunked. I already had noted that my ipad, regardless of what I was doing or what app I had open, chimed i had a new mail on my works' exchange server before even my smart phone, or my computer directly connected to my exchange server. And so went my experience with IM as well. I loaded a client I've used in windows, then closed the IM program and opened iBook, and a buddy of mine sent me a message. I got not just the notification, but a bubble with his text actually opened in front of ibook, and had a choice of switching over to reply or just close the text bubble and keep reading. So that really rid me of all concerns about the lack of multitasking since that gives me exactly what I need - notification of an email or an IM while I'm doing something else. This is all the computing power I needed on this. So I finally realized I didn't WANT another tablet PC, another full fledged computer. I wanted something to fill a need between my phone's screen and my computer. Something to replace my kindle, something for some neat games, playing and painting with my 6 year old, and simple/convenient IM and mail access when i'm just vegging at home and don't always want to pull my laptop on my lap to check something quick. The keyboard is actually far easier and better to use than I had expected, and much faster to type on than I hoped. Not as nice, obviously, as a full screen one, but works surprisingly well. Screen is a delight - even hours of reading later it's still comfortable, bright, but it gets fingerprints easily despite some "non fingerprint coating" they tried to use to minimize it. Still looks awful after a while at an angle when you look at it askew. But not at all noticeable while staring at it straight and using it. Screen brightness is good, but it doesn't go down as far as I would've liked for ebook reading, but then I found iBook has a separate brightness control that lets me dim it to nearly nothing for use in the dark. Outstanding. So then I started throwing some music and photos on it, and that's when I realized I can easily use this to show my grandmother pictures of her great grandson, since she's in her upper 80's and refuses to have a computer, so we can't email her or send her links or anything. So I started playing with music and photos, and this thing became such a cool toy at that point. I had to run back to the store and return it so I could buy the larger 32GB model since I knew by this time I was keeping it. Fortunately I have a 45 day return period with no restocking fees at this place, so the upgrade was painless and free of cost. That's when I found out that itunes was automatically backing up my unit when it synced. So when I plugged the new one in, the first thing it said was "restore?" So i tried it. It restored all my settings, including mail, so all I had to do was reenter passwords the first time, and I was back up and running after it resynced my apps again. Those stayed in Itunes so I didn't have to redownload everything. Playing with pictures is pretty fun and very smooth, and the speaker on this thing is surprisingly full of bass. There's even an equalizer for tweaking the sound output to your liking. And the music keeps playing after you close the app so you can have the tunes playing while doing other things (but it will stop when you hit something else that takes over multimedia like a video or some other sound thing from an email of course). I grabbed the apple book-like cover and the dock, but you can't charge it in the dock while that cover is on. So I went from the initial "What a useless piece of junk" detractor to the "I wouldn't live without it" supporter. I gave them all sorts of grief for using the term "magical" to describe it, but I have to say, that it actually felt nearly magical that first hour doing things... All my experience with the tablet PC and I wasn't ready to experience what this interface was like. And with this, i may finally be able to get my grandma to have something to keep at her condo so we can email her pictures and such... This would make it a lot easier for her than trying to get her to use a full computer... So for a first revision, it's a grand slam out of the park hit. Granted, it's just a big ipod touch or iphone or whatever, but for someone who never used either of those, and wanted something with a useful form factor, this is a BIG hit.

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Apple MacBook Pro MC226LL/A 17-Inch Laptop List Price: $2,199.00 Sale Price: $1,749.00 You save: $450.00 (20%)   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Average Rating:

Description

MacBook Pro brings high performance and precision design to everyone. Every new MacBook Pro features a breakthrough, long-lasting battery that delivers up to 7 hours of wireless productivity on a single charge (8 hours on the 17-inch MacBook Pro) and can be recharged up to 1000 times—nearly three times the lifespan of typical notebook batteries. The new LED-backlit display has a 60 percent greater color gamut than that of previous generations, giving you richer, more vibrant colors. Every MacBook Pro features the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics processor, which provides an outstanding graphics experience for everyday tasks. Power your way through the latest 3D games—including Call of Duty and Quake—and enjoy improved graphics performance with iWork, iLife, and everything you do in Mac OS X. The 17-inch MacBook Pro has an advanced graphics architecture that employs both the integrated 9400M and the NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT discrete graphics processor. Experience the fastest, smoothest, and clearest graphics yet for pro applications like Aperture and Motion, productivity tools such as Keynote, and intensive 3D games. Depending on how much performance or battery life you need, it’s a snap to switch between the two processors. And with the latest 2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, it’s the most powerful Mac notebook ever. All in a precision aluminum unibody enclosure that’s less than an inch thin.

Amazon.com has certified this product is Frustration Free. A Frustration-Free Package is easy-to-open and comes without hard plastic "clamshell" casings, plastic bindings, and wire ties. It's designed to be opened without the use of a box cutter or knife and will protect your product just as well as traditional packaging during shipping. Products with Frustration-Free Packaging can frequently be shipped in their own boxes, without the need for an additional shipping box. Learn more about Frustration-Free Packaging. Featuring a precision unibody enclosure crafted from a single block of aluminum, the 17-inch MacBook Pro is thinner and lighter than its predecessor as well as stronger and more durable. But Apple didn't stop innovating with the body's design. The MacBook Pro also includes a new high-resolution LED-backlit widescreen with a 1920-by-1200-pixel resolution, a greater color gamut for more vibrant colors, and a 700:1 contrast ratio that makes whites brighter and blacks blacker. It also includes the new glass trackpad that does away with the trackpad button (for larger tracking area) and features Apple's Multi-Touch technology. And the non-removable battery lasts up to 8 hours on a single charge and can be recharged up to 1000 times--compared with only 200 to 300 times for typical notebooks. The 17-inch unibody MacBook Pro (see larger version). Under the hood, the MacBook Pro is powered by a powerful 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor (with 6 MB L2 cache and 1066 MHz front-side bus), which runs applications faster and more efficiently as well as helps to reduce power requirements and save on battery life. And the MacBook Pro includes two video processors for ultimate flexibility: NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics for great everyday performance and NVIDIA 9600M GT discrete graphics (512 MB of GDDR3 memory) for fast, smooth video--perfect for 3D gaming. Other hardware features include a 500 GB hard drive, 4 GB of installed RAM (which can be upgraded to 8 GB), an 8x combo Superdrive (for burning dual-layer DVDs as well as CDs), built-in Gigabit Ethernet for high-speed networking, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR (Enhanced Data Rate), FireWire 800 port, Mini DisplayPort video output (for DVI and VGA connections), and an ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot for expansion solutions such as 3G cellular networking. It comes pre-loaded with Apple's Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard operating system--an operating system custom-designed for the advanced technology inside--and it also comes with the iLife '09 suite of applications, including iPhoto, iMovie, Garageband, and iTunes. The Unibody MacBook Pro Design Traditionally notebooks are made from multiple parts. With the MacBook Pro all of those parts with just one part--the breakthrough unibody enclosure. Every MacBook Pro starts its life as a single block of aluminum, which is precisely machined into the basic unibody design. Another pass and the unibody takes shape. Another, and the integrated keyboard emerges. When you pick up a new MacBook Pro, you immediately notice the entire enclosure is thinner and lighter. And it feels strong and durable--perfect for life inside (and outside) your briefcase or backpack. The standard aluminum electro-static trackpad has been replaced with a new glass Multi-Touch trackpad, which provides 40 percent more tracking area than before. Use two fingers to scroll up and down a page. Pinch to zoom in and out. Rotate an image with your fingertips. Swipe with three fingers to flip through your photo libraries. Swipe with four fingers to show your desktop, view all open windows, or switch applications. The entire trackpad surface is also a button, allowing you to both track and click virtually anywhere on the trackpad. And you can easily enable multiple virtual buttons in software, such as right-clicking. The keyboard has also been improved, with the rigid aluminum keyboard webbing cut precisely to hold the keys, which are curved to perfectly fit fingers. And it's illuminated, so when you're in low-light settings, such as airplanes or conference rooms, you can always see what you're typing. Vibrant Display With the high-resolution LED-backlit widescreen display on the 17-inch MacBook Pro, you get desktop-quality color in an Apple notebook for the first time. The moment you open your MacBook Pro, you're greeted instantly by full, corner-to-corner screen brightness. The 1920 x 1200-pixel resolution (133 pixels per inch) means you can view more palettes and windows or watch HD video in its native 1920 x 1080 resolution. Perfect whether you're working in the studio or out in the field, the display offers a 60 percent greater color gamut than previous generations for richer, more vibrant colors and a 700:1 contrast ratio that makes whites brighter and blacks blacker. In addition, the seamless glass enclosure makes the display stronger and more durable. Because it's power efficient and the glass is mercury- and arsenic-free, it's also greener than ever. Long-Lasting Battery The 17-inch MacBook Pro includes a newly engineered lithium-polymer battery that that lasts up to 8 hours on a single charge thanks to advanced chemistry, intelligent monitoring of the system and battery, and Adaptive Charging technology. The battery is built right into the computer, eliminating the space-consuming mechanisms and housings that standard removable batteries require. This non-removable battery also provides a longer battery lifespan of up to 1000 recharges--meaning fewer depleted batteries and less waste, which is better for the environment. Giving it a lifespan of up to 1000 recharges required breakthroughs in battery technology. Apple electro-chemists developed advanced chemistry that maintains the battery's charging capabilities longer than ever. And while most notebooks wear down their batteries by charging them at a constant rate, the 17-inch MacBook Pro takes a different approach. Using an Apple-developed technology called Adaptive Charging, a microchip on the battery constantly communicates with the computer to determine the optimal way to charge its cells, adjusting the current up and down depending on a variety of conditions. Combined, these advancements offer a dramatic improvement in battery lifespan: more than three times the lifespan of typical notebook batteries--up to five years. Off-the-shelf lithium-ion cells come in fixed, cylindrical shapes. The 17-inch MacBook Pro is powered by custom-made, ultrathin lithium-polymer batteries. Intel Core 2 Duo Processor Experience improved energy efficiency, expanded wireless connectivity, and amazing battery life with the 2.80 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, which has a super-fast 1066 MHz front-side bus (FSB), and an extra-large 6 MB on-chip shared L2 cache running 1:1 with processor speed. (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 hafnium-infused circuitry--which reduces electrical current leakage in transistors--conserves even more energy, giving you more time away from the wall outlet. With 6 MB of shared L2 cache, data and instructions can be kept close to the two processor cores, greatly increasing performance and allowing the entire system to work more efficiently. And, because the processor cores share the L2 cache, either can use the entire amount if the other happens to be idle. Video Processing & Output The 17-inch MacBook Pro combines the efficiency of an integrated graphics processor with the desktop-class performance of a discrete graphics processor thanks to the inclusion of both. Out of the box, it runs the integrated NVIDIA GeForce 9400M processor, which provides plenty of performance for everyday use with up to 5 hours of battery life. But when you need turbocharged performance for the most graphically intensive tasks, the discrete NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT processor delivers--such as for demanding 3D games like Quake, Call of Duty, and Spore. And thanks to a new graphics architecture, it's easy to switch between these two processors. The 9400M graphics processor shares 256 MB of DDR3 SDRAM with main memory, while the 9600M provides 512 MB of dedicated GDDR3 video memory. The MacBook Pro includes a next generation Mini DisplayPort, which delivers a pure digital signal that can drive up to a 30-inch widescreen display. The Mini DisplayPort is ultra-compact at just 10 percent the size of a full DVI connector, and is compatible with Apple's 24-inch Cinema Display. Adapters are also available for using VGA, DVI/HDMI and Dual-Link DVI displays Hard Drive and Memory The 500 GB Serial-ATA (SATA) hard drive (5400 RPM) quickens the pace with a higher speed transfer of data--akin to USB 2.0. The 4 GB of PC3-8500 DDR3 RAM (two SO-DIMMs of 1024 MB) has an industry-leading 1066 MHz speed, and the RAM capacity can be increased to 8 GB. Wireless Connectivity The built-in 802.11n wireless networking provides up to five times the performance and twice the range of 802.11g, but it's also backward-compatible with 802.11a/b/g routers, enabling you to communicate with the a wide variety of Wi-Fi resources. It works seamlessly with the new AirPort Extreme with 802.11n. Use the built-in Bluetooth wireless technology to connect to your PDA or cell phone, synchronize addresses, or download pictures from your cell phone. You can also use a wireless headset for iChat audio chats and VoIP calls as well as quickly share files with a colleague. Video Conferencing with Built-in iSight Artfully placed in the glass display is an iSight camera, which enables easy video conferencing as well as allows you to snap pictures of yourself and create video podcasts. Using the iChat AV application, video conferencing is integrated into your iChat buddy list, so initiating a video conference is a breeze. iChat also lets you hold audio chats with up to 10 people and provides high-quality audio compression and full-duplex sound so conversation can flow naturally. For video podcasting, you can record a short clip using the iSight camera, then use iWeb to create a video blog entry or post your GarageBand-recorded podcast. Other Features Three USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 800, ExpressCard/34 slot Mini DisplayPort compatible with DVI, VGA, and dual-link DVI connectors (all optional) Dual display and video mirroring: Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display and up to 2560 by 1600 pixels on an external display, both at millions of colors 8x slot-loading SuperDrive with the following write speeds: 8x DVD±R; 4x DVD±R DL (double layer); 4x DVD±RW; 24x CD-R; 10x CD-RW Built-in full-size backlit keyboard with 78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) keys, including 12 function keys and 4 arrow keys (inverted "T" arrangement) Internal omnidirectional microphone and built-in speakers Combined optical digital output/headphone out (minijack) Combined optical digital input/audio line in (minijack) 95-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery providing up to 8 hours of battery life using 9400M graphics (up to 7 hours using 9600M graphics) Kensington lock slot Measures 15.47 x 10.51 x 0.98 inches (WxDxH) and weighs 6.6 pounds (including battery) Environmental Considerations Apple has worked hard to eliminate many of the toxins that are a common part of computer manufacturing. Apple engineers removed the majority of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) from circuit boards, internal cables, connectors, insulators, adhesives, and more in the MacBook Pro. Because Apple makes both the hardware and the software for the MacBook, they're designed to work together to produce a smarter product that uses less electricity. For instance, to reduce energy consumption, the hard drive spins down automatically when inactive. MacBook Air also decides which processor--CPU or GPU--is best suited to efficiently perform a task. The LED-backlit display in the MacBook Pro is another feature that plays an important part in conserving energy, consuming 30 percent less power than conventional LCD displays. And the display is designed to dim when you enter a darkened room. The MacBook Pro meets the stringent low power requirements set by the EPA, giving it ENERGY STAR certification. MacBook also meets the latest efficiency requirements of ENERGY STAR Version 5.0 Specification for Computers before its July 2009 effective date. The MacBook Pro has also earned the highest rating of EPEAT Gold. The Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool, or EPEAT, evaluates the environmental impact of a product based on how recyclable it is, how much energy it uses, and how it's designed and manufactured. Pre-Loaded with Mac OS X Snow Leopard and iLife '09 Every Mac comes with Mac OS X Snow Leopard, the world's most advanced operating system, and iLife, Apple's innovative suite of applications for managing photos, making movies and creating and learning to play music. Snow Leopard builds on a decade of OS X innovation and success with hundreds of refinements, new core technologies and out of the box support for Microsoft Exchange. iLife features iPhoto, to easily organize and manage photos; iMovie with powerful easy-to-use new features such as Precision Editor, video stabilization and advanced drag and drop; and GarageBand which introduces a whole new way to help you learn to play piano and guitar. Installed software Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard (includes Time Machine, Quick Look, Spaces, Spotlight, Dashboard, Mail, iChat, Safari, Address Book, QuickTime, iCal, DVD Player, Photo Booth, Front Row, Xcode Developer Tools) iLife '09 (includes iPhoto, iMovie, GarageBand, iWeb, iDVD) What's in the Box MacBook Pro, display cleaning cloth, 85W MagSafe Power Adapter, AC wall plug, power cord, install/restore DVDs, printed and electronic documentation

Features

• Ships in Certified Frustration-Free Packaging
• 2.8 GHz Core 2 Duo Processor
• 500 GB hard drive, DVD/CD SuperDrive, 4 GB DDR3 RAM
• NVIDIA Geforce 9400M + 9600M GT Graphics, 17 inch LED Display
• Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard Operating System

Reviews

Macbook Pro 17-inch (Mid 2009)...fantastic desktop replacement

by Greg L. Stewart from San Antonio, TX USA on 2009-07-04
Simply put, the best laptop I've ever owned. I configured it through Apple with the 128GB SSD and apps install incredibly fast and launch instantly. The screen is a marvel, 1920 X 1200 with LCD backlight. I opted to go with the glossy, so there are some reflections but only when using directly in front of a bright window, otherwise its not a problem (for me anyway). Bear in mind, this is a BIG laptop...its a tray table...but very sturdy and NO flex in the chassis. The trackpad is also very useable, although I still opted for a mouse (Logitech M555b Bluetooth, highly recommended also). It doesn't heat up much and has incredible battery life...if I switch to the 9400M integrated graphics (which is fine for most uses), I can get 6 hours on a charge no problem, with WiFi, Bluetooth, brightness at about 60% and the SSD as the primary HD. With a different config YMMV, but I'd bet 5-6 hours is the norm for this machine. All-in-all, a great laptop. I'll have this 2-3 years no problems.

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Great in OS X, but dismal support for XP, Vista and BootCamp

by D. F. Watt from Natick, MA USA on 2009-12-18
One year ago, disgusted by dismal experiences with multiple PC manufacturers (Dell, Acer, among others) in terms of their terrible support for Windows (along with poor hardware reliability issues and very poor servicing of hardware), I took the plunge and decided I would buy a Mac. I basically have to have windows XP because it's required to interface with various hospital systems, but I thought if the Windows partition went down (a virtual guarantee with Windows XP at some point), at least I would have a reliable Mac system as a backup. I expected a far better experience, given the customer service ratings of Apple, which are far better than any PC manufacturer. Little did I know what I was getting into. The XP partition blue screened on a regular basis, from the first moment it was created. Microsoft of course makes it anything but easy to figure out why XP is bluescreening - part of their effort to duck and cover around the OS being a buggy mess. (Any misbehaving driver will bring it down.) And Apple's position on this consistently was that "this is not their problem." Adding insult to injury, I was charged for support by Microshaft (despite this partition being built from a new copy of Windows XP professional). Well, what else is new - this is standard PC fare, and the primary reason why so many people are switching to Macs. What was a revelation was to discover (after using a great little program called BlueScreenView that not even Microsoft was aware of) that the driver causing ALL the blue screens was Apple's proprietary mouse driver for the touchpad/mouse. Even more stunning, I found out that Apple apparently was aware of this all along (12+ months), but failed to contact users, and failed to correct the mouse driver issues for over one year, despite numerous complaints on the part of numerous boot Camp users about the mouse driver causing major problems. Apple's position on this is that all Windows issues have nothing to do with them. That might be true . . . except for the small fact that Apple was writing the XP driver software for the mouse that was causing all the problems. This kind of "it's not my responsibility" attitude is something you expect from Microsoft, or perhaps from Dell, but you don't expect from Apple. After roughly one year of difficulties (blue screens almost every day or every other day, bringing down the system and causing loss of work and endless grief along with two corrupted C drive partitions), I was able to find a fix for this, no thanks to Apple. It's been a shock to see Apple operate the way that every other big corporation in America appears to operate. The Mac side of course works just fine, but I bought this system to use it primarily as a PC (with Mac OS X capability as a backup). If you are never going to use as a dual OS system, this is a fine computer and OS. However, I would strongly caution anyone against buying an Apple laptop or desktop system if they intend to have serious dual boot capability and intend to use some version of Windows more than 10% of the time. What you'll find is a serious lack of support and a position of complete denial of responsibility by Apple for anything that happens under boot Camp. Although they finally provided a viable mouse driver (hence I upgraded this review from one to two stars), they could have not stonewalled me for a year, and simply admitted that their driver was buggy and crash-prone, but they didn't. Given that this dual operating system capability has become one of Apple's strong selling cards and responsible for a significant fraction of sales, this position by Apple has to be seen as egregious, and totally unacceptable. My discouraged conclusion is that if you intend to use this system to operate any version of Windows, you have to be aware that you will be on your own. Microsoft will regard all OS issues under BootCamp as Apple's problem, Apple will regard them as Microsoft's problem, and in the final analysis, they are all going to be YOUR problem. Watch out!! (and unfortunately the virtual emulation of Windows under Parallels or VMWare is no solution either - earlier versions were massively buggy!!) I am confident that this review will be unpopular with the Mac faithful (leading to poor ratings!) - attacking Apple is about like insulting someone's mother in some people's eyes. Such loyalty is admirable, and speaks to some of Apple's strengths - which make this experience all the more puzzling. But for anyone that has struggled with an XP, Vista or (soon) Window 7 partition on a MacBook, this experience should be a MAJOR caution. For those who will never cross into the unreliable and buggy world of Windows on this hardware (a most fortunate majority of owners spared all the headaches of the PC world), this is probably a five star system. But it is striking to see such disparity between Apple on these two sides of an issue (OS X support vs Windows support), and it's really a shame. I had hoped for far better. Footnote April 2010: After finally getting updated drivers from Apple, I have now have four months go by without a single blue screen of death. For this reason I am updating my rating to three stars. I wish Apple had made the updated mouse/touchpad driver widely available earlier, and had informed users of the fact that this driver was very buggy and crash-prone. The Apple side is a five star product, and between that and the restored functionality of the XP/Windows side, I am changing my overall rating upwards. Hopefully Apple learned something that will ensure that future BootCamp users not have to go through what I went through.

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Never back to PCs

by Dr. Goetz K. Oertel from Potomac, MD on 2009-11-01
This is my second Mac, an upgrade in size and disk capacity from my first Mac, a MacBook Pro 15 with Intel processor. There was nothing whatever wrong with that old Mac - after 3 1/2 years I just needed more area on the screen for my work and did not mind the much greater disk capacity of the new model The most telling aspect of my first Mac had been that it never "crashed", unlike generations of PCs I had used. If I managed to do something really "naughty" to my Mac, it sometimes closed a software program - but without noticeable loss of data. In stark contrast to my PC days, I never had to scramble to recover data. The worst I ever did was to inadvertently delete some ancient email messages. They proved easily recoverable from the external backup. Yes, initially it took a few hours to re-learn keystrokes that are different on the Mac than on PCs. I saved that back in no time, then received big dividends because my Mac never crashed. It just always works as it is designed to do. The most amazing experience with the new Mac was the transfer of my "stuff" from old to new Mac. I went at it with some trepidation because it had taken seemingly endless hours to migrate "stuff" from old to new PCs. By contrast, everything had migrated from old Mac to new Mac in less than one hour via firewire - and all worked perfectly. By 'everything" I mean not just all data - files, records, contact information, photos, calendar, etc.- but also all software I had installed on the old Mac. And, everything was exactly where and how I was used to it, and everything worked as it should on my brilliant and larger new Mac. It is now backed up by even greater memory and processor speed, and runs on Snow Leopard - which is just as flawlessly reliable as the previous operating system but faster and more efficient, with a few neat new features strewn in. I can still hardly believe that it took years, no decades, before I got fed up and dumped PCs and their flawed operating systems and incompatible software and data bases for something that works. A student in my family just "took the plunge" to Mac when she inherited my first Mac - she is thrilled. Before that I had loaned it to friends - decades long PC users - who promptly made me a nice offer for it and who have since bought new Macs from the local Apple Store. They are extremely conservative and frugal folks - but it did not take them long to figure out that one Mac every decade that always works is better than a new PC every three years that frequently "crashes". Macs serve their owners and serve them well. PCs work sometimes and expect their owners to serve and service them.. Who is master and who slave? There is never a doubt with a Mac!

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The Best!

by Daniel Lenzmeier from on 2009-10-13
Defnitely the best laptop you can buy. It's almost perfect and hats saying a lot considering how great their products are already. They just keep getting better and better, but this machine is so great it will last me a long time before another upgrade. Bravo!

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Brilliant!

by Mr. S. Shetty from UK on 2009-12-04
The best and the right decision that I made! I used a friend's mac for couple of hours last month (when he showed off) and immediately realised why MAC was a cut above the rest. When I decided to buy, thought as well should go for the best in the MACBOOK Pro range. I had so many Windows based laptops over the last decade but this I can say is a prized possession! No more crashes, viruses, firewalls, messy uninstalls, painfully slow startups, blue (or black) screens, registry headaches etc., After using this, I definitely made a decision not to go back to Windows again. If I did want to use Windows for whatever reason, bootcamp gives the option but not sure why would one want to? After seeing me praise the MAC some of my colleagues have either bought or in the process of buying one. The others who have bought it already say the MAC is 'just awesome!' If you're reading this with a view to whether you should buy or not, don't waste your time! Just go for it - you won't regret your decision.

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	Sony VAIO VGN-FW590F3B 16.4" Notebook PC Sale Price: $742.99

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HP Pavilion DV6-2162NR 15.6-Inch Black Laptop--Up to 4.25 Hours of Battery Life List Price: $1,007.00 Sale Price: $686.35 You save: $320.65 (32%)   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Average Rating:

Description

For those who want an all-in-one performance notebook with rich multimedia features, the HP Pavilion dv6 Entertainment series delivers mobile performance that looks as great as it runs. Powered by the latest processor and graphics technologies, it deliver the features you need to support your digital lifestyle.

Features

• Intel Core i3-350M processor (2.26 GHz, 3MB L3 Cache)
• 4GB DDR3 System Memory (2 DIMM) (expandable to 8 GB)
• 500GB (7200RPM) Hard Drive (SATA), SuperMulti 8X DVD±R/RW with Double Layer Support
• Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit, * Up to 4.25 Hours of Battery Life
• 15.6" Diagonal High-Definition LED HP BrightView Display (1366x768), Intel HD Graphics with up to 1696MB Total Available Graphics Memory

Reviews

Relieved and Extremely Pleased

by J. DREIER from North Pole, AK on 2010-03-03
I bought this HP for my wife to replace her 3 year old Toshiba. It's 100% her computer but she places everything technical in our lives on me and then holds me accountable for its performance. My wife is brutal on electronics and her laptop is no exception. The Toshiba had a VERY hard life and ticked along perfectly until the past few months. After wasting $200 on a failed repair (hard drive) I decided it was cheaper to replace it than to nurse it along. I initially went shopping for another Toshiba and frankly, I feel like I would be writing a 5 star review for a Toshiba if it hadn't come down to a $150 price difference. I was able to use the competing Toshiba at a retailer, but when I went to Amazon I found this HP. Nearly identical in performance and appearance; aside from a couple of keyboard control features they were the same. I bought the HP, Amazon shipped it FedEX and it arrived to Fairbanks Alaska in less than 48 hours (used standard shipping, nothing special). She loves it, charged it up and it performs flawlessly and much better than my 8 month old Dell XPS (Argh, never again...long story). I have not attempted to load Office 2007 yet, but suspect from my research on 64 bit systems, it will work fine. Neither one of us cares for the bubble scheme and thinks it detracts from the professional look of the rest of the finish (petty, I know). The mouse pad works perfectly and I particularly like the keyboard layout and feel of the keys. I REALLY like the number pad without having to buy a 17+ inch system which is of course standard now. 4 USB ports, 1 HDMI output, a great LCD screen and Graphics card...zero to complain about. Oh, and Windows 7 works very well. I'll report back if it doesn't hold up to the flagrant neglect my wife typically inflicts on her electronics, but as of for now she is rightfully treating like a shiny new sports car!

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Excellent Midrange Laptop with power, speed, and flexibility; perfect!

by Felix Felicis from Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft And Wizardry on 2010-04-02
Alright, so I'm 26 and a student, and I had been making due with a old Dell Dimension for the last 3 years, so hopelessly out of date that I wont spare you the details. I needed an upgrade and wanted a laptop in the $600-800 range that had a speedy processor, ability to handle videos of all types smoothly (esp. HD), enough RAM to multi-task with heavy programs and not break a sweat, lots of slots USB and otherwise and 500 gigs of space. When I saw the specs on this Pavillion it met all my qualifications, with good battery life for my traveling (I go from FL to NY often) and a nice look and smooth functionality/keyboard to boot. Obviously, buying a laptop is not a light consideration, especially when you have been working toward it for a while like me. So naturally upon booting up I immediately put it through the ringer. I loaded a printer, scanner and second monitor into the USBs, then used Nero to burn a DVD while watching Futurama on the monitor and Inglorious Basterds playing in 1080p on the main screen. Additionally I had iTunes doing a mass conversion while scanning some images in the background, with BitTorrent and Limerwire downloading and WinAVI converter making a .VOB as well. I had NO problems whatsoever = no lag, no image interlacing, no errors or delays in the converting/burning, no internet problems, no scanning issues or anything. That immediately sold it for me; if it can handle all the tasks I use most frequently all at once and look terrific doing it, who am I to complain? 4 GB of RAM is plenty, and though I prefer AMD in general the Intel i3 chipset is powerful and well worth it over Core Duo processors. Everything looks gorgeous, especially vivid colors in HD - South Park is a good example. The HDMI exporting is wonderful and looks great on my big screen. I'm never a big fan of proprietary software, but HP has a number of useful programs on here. The Mediasmart app is really good for HD, much better than Media Player in my estimation. The IDT sound options are terrific, especially for creating an artificial depth of field out of tiny Altec Lansing speakers - not bad themselves, by the way. The pad is great, with a scroll bar built in, the keyboard is big and has a number pad, a mic jack and two headphone jacks are in the front, and it's not too heavy either - I mean I could go on and on but you get the point. The only thing remotely disappointing was the webcam but honestly I don't care about it one iota. This machine is sleek, speedy and strong with lots of options and will definitely be in use for a long time for me at least. Highly recommended.

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My desktop replacement

by a reader from USA on 2010-04-05
I picked this up at another store, the dv6-2155dx, and I was a little unsure of getting the i3 processor instead of a model with the i5 or i7. I'm sure those are even faster but I can say for sure, this laptop is the quickest, most responsive, of any laptop I've had and I go through a lot by frequently upgrading and selling or loaning my previous. In this case I wanted to get a machine built with Windows 7 instead of trying to install it on my previous Vista system. Standout features for me so far: * Very solid and comfortable (and quiet) keyboard with lots of space, very ergonomic. * The fact that it has a number pad area like a desktop keyboard. * The widescreen performance and look. It just totally feels like a 17" screen even though its not. * Speed, as I mentioned. * Startup time is excellent. I can open and use an application in < 30-secs. I can also start many applications at once without it skipping a beat. * Quiet and speedy CD-rom. * Nice 500GB hard drive Potential drawbacks. * The i3 is very new but also the bottom of the tier of this generation of intel processors. It might become dated or bog down after I add a lot more data/programs to the system. The 4GB of RAM is a big help in keeping things moving. Overall I am very pleased with what I got. It's very solid feeling and very quiet and doesn't get hot at all. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Edit 6/18/2010 to add: When I said "*I can open and use an application in < 30-secs", I meant that I can do that from the point it's not yet on. So in the morning, turn on the power, login with my password, let all the startup processes finish and begin to idle, then open any program ---> all before 30 secs have passed. And I've now added photoshop over 10,000 large jpg's and RAW image files, large iTunes library, etc., and it's performance hasn't noticeably declined. Just takes a bit more time for maintenance (more files to scan and defrag). Still no heat, even when running photoshop &amp;amp; iTunes, Firefox &amp;amp; Chrome browsers, all together. And it's so quiet I do not hear it unless I hold it up to my ear and I've got normal hearing still (thankfully). And Win 7 has been a pleasure. You can customize the desktop, start menu, and taskbar to your preferences and make them like XP, which I did at first. But I went back to the original Win 7 theme and love it. Explore the jumplist features. Also, the 'Live taskbar previews' (when you hover over the icon or bar and get a small window) is more interactive than with Vista(Aero). You can turn it off if you don't like it of course. I did with my previous Vista laptop because it was sluggish but this laptop has no trouble with the enhanced appearance tools. So still quite happy.

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Very pleased - all expectations met

by from on 2010-03-30
This is a very nice laptop. Here are the highlights: The Core i3 runs cool and fast The 15 inch screen is bright and clear The 500GB hard drive is a good size and is also 7200 rpm (many laptops in this price range are only 5400rpm) The keyboard is comfortable and includes a number pad. At the top is a smooth touchpad style volume control/mute button. The synaptics trackpad has a dedicated vertical scroll area and the updated drivers now support three finger scrolling. Not too much preinstalled junkware to remove. Good amount of ports (4 USBs, one which handles eSata, plus an HDMI port) in addition to the standards you'd expect on a laptop. Speakers are nothing special, which is to be expected, but the computer comes with a small remote control that can be used to control audio and video playback. It might only work on the preinstalled HP media software. The remote can be conveniently stored in the express card slot on the left side of the computer. Fairly lightweight. Wireless-N capability Negatives? Not much really. It won't handle heavy duty gaming, but that's not what it's designed for. This model doesn't include Lightscribe or bluetooth, which is important to some people. You can definitely see fingerprints and I could do without the bubble graphics, but it's still a very sleek looking computer. The case is basic plastic, not ultra-durable aluminum. A sleeve/case is probably a good investment. I compared this to a number of other similarly priced laptops (mostly other HPs, Dells, and Sonys) and feel pretty confident that I made the right decision.

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I'm in love....

by L. Levy from San Fernando Valley on 2010-04-16
I saw this computer in Staples and I was drawn to it then. It was a bit cheaper because it was a floor model, but I wanted it. I especially wanted a full keyboard, because I do accounting work from home. The first week, I was very nervous with such a tiny computer. I was barely able to type. Not now... Now my fingers fly! I love Windows 7. I love how compact this thing is. The screen is huge compared to my desktop (which is going to Goodwill). I have a few minor complaints: I have turned off the wireless by mistake twice because there is a blue "symbol" for the wireless at the top of the keyboard that is actually a "touch screen button". It is very easy to run your finger over it and think you don't have a wireless connection. There's also a symbol the mute the sound to the left of the WiFi, but I still didn't catch on that fast. I would prefer more of the USB connection ports not so close to the front of the computer. I would rather not feel like I can dislodge them. Maybe it's because I'm not quite used to having a laptop as yet. Other than that, I love this computer. I thought I wanted a Dell, but not now. I've used the service with HP when I had a problem. They were terrific. I couldn't have asked for more. I did some research before I bought this HP and other people gave it high marks, too. It's a good deal for the money.

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Apple MacBook Pro MC374LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop List Price: $1,199.00 Sale Price: Too low to display   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Average Rating:

Description

Carved from a single block of aluminum, the MacBook Pro is a true engineering achievement. Its patented unibody enclosure is the product of precise machining. The new energy-efficient architecture in the MacBook Pro, gives you dramatically longer battery life. On a single charge, the battery in the new 13-inch MacBook Pro lasts up to 10 hours, and you’ll get up to 1000 full charge and discharge cycles — that’s nearly three times the lifespan of typical notebook batteries. MacBook Pro gives you more options for high-performance graphics, starting with the new NVIDIA GeForce 320M integrated graphics processor in the 13-inch model. It’s up to 80 percent faster than the previous generation and is even more energy-efficient for everyday tasks like writing email and surfing the web. Every MacBook Pro has a pristine LED-backlit display with wide-angle viewing and a color gamut usually seen only on a desktop display. So whether you’re watching a movie or making one, you’ve got the perfect canvas. The ultrathin, seamless glass enclosure makes the display strong and durable. And because it’s power efficient and free of mercury and arsenic, this display is greener than ever. The 13-Inch MacBook Pro has advanced Intel Core 2 Duo processors. It also comes standard with a large hard drive offering up to 250 or 320GB of storage capacity, so there’s plenty of room for your photo libraries, video projects, and files. And of course all MacBook Pros come standard with Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard Operating System and iLife.

Combining advanced NVIDIA integrated graphics technology along with an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, the 13-inch Apple MacBook Pro is faster than ever and will keep you working longer away from power cords with an enhanced battery life of up to 10 hours of battery life. As with previous models, the new MacBook Pro features a precision unibody enclosure crafted from a single block of aluminum, creating a thin and light mobile computing workhorse (less than 1 inch thin and just 4.5 pounds) that's also highly durable. And it includes a 13.3-inch, LED-backlit glass display (instead of an LCD panel) as well as a glass trackpad that doesn't include a button (for larger tracking area) that features Apple's Multi-Touch technology. The 13-inch unibody MacBook Pro (see larger image). The new energy-efficient architecture in the 13-inch MacBook Pro gives you up to 10 hours of battery life on a single charge (see larger image). With 4 GB of memory and a 250 GB hard drive now standard, this is the most powerful 13-inch MacBook Pro yet. It also comes pre-loaded with Apple's Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard operating system--an operating system custom-designed for the advanced technology inside--and it also comes with the iLife '09 suite of applications, including iPhoto, iMovie, GarageBand, and iTunes. Specification Highlights 13.3-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display with edge-to-edge, uninterrupted glass (1280 x 800-pixel resolution). 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo dual-core processor with 3 MB shared L2 cache for excellent multitasking NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics processor with 256 MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory. 250 GB Serial ATA hard drive (5400 RPM) 4 GB installed RAM (1066 MHz DDR3; supports up to 8 GB) 8x slot-loading SuperDrive with double-layer DVD support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) Built-in iSight camera for video chatting Wi-Fi wireless networking (based on 802.11n specification; 802.11a/b/g compatible) Gigabit Ethernet wired networking (10/100/1000) Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) for connecting with peripherals such as keyboards, mice and cell phones Two USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 800 port SD card slot Mini DisplayPort video output with optional adapters for DVI, VGA, dual-link DVI, and HDMI output Multi-Touch trackpad for precise cursor control with support for inertial scrolling, pinch, rotate, swipe, three-finger swipe, four-finger swipe, tap, double-tap, and drag capabilities Full-size backlit keyboard Stereo speakers with subwoofers Dimensions: 12.78 x 8.94 x 0.95 inches (WxDxH) Weight: 4.5 pounds Up to 10 hours of battery life Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard Meets Energy Star 5.0 requirements What's in the Box MacBook Pro, display cleaning cloth, 85W MagSafe Power Adapter, AC wall plug, power cord, software DVDs, printed and electronic documentation The ports on the left side of the 13-inch MacBook Pro. Key Features The Intel Core 2 Duo processor and NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics are a great match for Apple's iMovie. A New Standard for Performance and Portability The new 13-inch MacBook Pro features advanced NVIDIA integrated graphics technology along with a faster Intel Core 2 Duo processor. That makes for the ultimate combination of performance, portability, and battery life--up to 10 hours--without adding an ounce to the slimmest, lightest MacBook Pro. With the 1066 MHz frontside bus and 3 MB of shared L2 cache of the Intel Core 2 Duo processor, all your applications will run faster and more efficiently than you thought possible. The 13-inch MacBook Pro also features the new NVIDIA GeForce 320M integrated graphics processor with 48 processing cores--three times as many as before. This results in a huge difference when using 3D games and graphics-intensive applications. And when you're not, you'll benefit from a new energy-efficient architecture that uses up to 40 percent less power for everyday tasks like writing email and surfing the web. The beginning of every MacBook Pro--a precisely machined, single block of aluminum. Unibody Design Traditionally, notebooks are made from multiple parts. With the MacBook Pro all of those parts with just one part--the breakthrough unibody enclosure. Every MacBook Pro starts its life as a single block of aluminum, which is precisely machined into the basic unibody design. Another pass and the unibody takes shape. Another, and the integrated keyboard emerges. When you pick up a new MacBook Pro, you immediately notice the entire enclosure is thinner and lighter. And it feels strong and durable--perfect for life inside (and outside) your briefcase or backpack. LED-Backlit Display LCD displays typically use cold cathode fluorescent lamps, or CCFLs, to create light and project a picture onto a screen, and this creates two problems--the lamps require more space and they take more time to warm up to full brightness. The MacBook Pro uses LED backlight technology to create the same amount of brightness in less space. And unlike fluorescent lamps, an LED backlight reaches maximum brightness instantly. Finally, a new, smaller iSight camera is concealed behind the display for quick access to video chats and snapping pics for uploading to social networks. The entire trackpad is the button, so you can click anywhere. Additionally, conventional CCFL displays use mercury to create a backlight and arsenic to prevent irregularities in the glass. The LED-backlit display on the MacBook Pro, on the other hand, is both mercury- and arsenic-free. LED backlight technology also conserves energy: This display requires up to 30 percent less power than a CCFL display. Buttonless Multi-Touch Trackpad With no button on the durable glass trackpad, there's more room to track and click--left, right, center, and everywhere in between. Without a separate button, the spacious trackpad gives your hands plenty of room to move on the large, silky glass surface. It also incorporates Multi-Touch gestures--including swipe, pinch, rotate, and four-finger swipe--and even more natural inertial scrolling--an intuitive way to scroll through large photo libraries, lengthy documents and long web sites. If you're coming from a right-click world, you can right-click with two fingers or configure a right-click area on the trackpad. Long-Lasting Battery The new energy-efficient architecture in every MacBook Pro, along with automatic graphics switching, gives you dramatically longer battery life. On a single charge, the battery in the new 13-inch MacBook Pro lasts up to 10 hours. And you'll get up to 1000 full charge and discharge cycles--that's nearly three times the lifespan of typical notebook batteries. Advanced chemistry and Adaptive Charging allow the battery to maintain charging capabilities longer and determine the optimal way to charge the battery's cells. Because the battery lasts up to five years, MacBook Pro uses just one battery in the same time a typical notebook uses three. That makes for less waste. And that, in turn, makes for one environmentally friendly battery. Environmental Considerations Apple has worked hard to eliminate many of the toxins that are a common part of computer manufacturing. Apple engineers removed the majority of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) from circuit boards, internal cables, connectors, insulators, adhesives, and more in the MacBook Pro. Because Apple makes both the hardware and the software for the MacBook, they're designed to work together to produce a smarter product that uses less electricity. For instance, to reduce energy consumption, the hard drive spins down automatically when inactive. MacBook Air also decides which processor--CPU or GPU--is best suited to efficiently perform a task. The LED-backlit display in the MacBook Pro is another feature that plays an important part in conserving energy, consuming 30 percent less power than conventional LCD displays. And the display is designed to dim when you enter a darkened room. The MacBook Pro meets the stringent low power requirements set by the EPA, giving it ENERGY STAR qualification. ENERGY STAR 5.0 sets significantly higher efficiency limits for power supplies and aggressive limits for the computer's typical annual power consumption. Also, every MacBook Pro model has earned the highest rating of EPEAT Gold. The Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool, or EPEAT, evaluates the environmental impact of a product based on how recyclable it is, how much energy it uses, and how it's designed and manufactured. Pre-Loaded with Mac OS X Snow Leopard and iLife '09 Every Mac comes with Mac OS X Snow Leopard, the world's most advanced operating system, and iLife, Apple's innovative suite of applications for managing photos, making movies and creating and learning to play music. Snow Leopard builds on a decade of OS X innovation and success with hundreds of refinements, new core technologies and out of the box support for Microsoft Exchange. iLife features iPhoto, to easily organize and manage photos; iMovie with powerful easy-to-use new features such as Precision Editor, video stabilization and advanced drag and drop; and GarageBand which introduces a whole new way to help you learn to play piano and guitar. Installed software Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard (includes Time Machine, Quick Look, Spaces, Spotlight, Dashboard, Mail, iChat, Safari, Address Book, QuickTime, iCal, DVD Player, Photo Booth, Front Row, Xcode Developer Tools) iLife '09 (includes iPhoto, iMovie, GarageBand, iWeb, iDVD)

Features

• 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
• 250 GB Hard Drive, 8x DVD/CD SuperDrive, 4GB DDR3 RAM
• 13.3 inch LED-backlit display, 1280-by-800 resolution
• NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics processor with 256 MB of shared memory
• Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard Operating System

Reviews

MBP Good!

by KSBAY from on 2010-04-20
The Macbook Pro has just been updated on April 13th 2010. There are some upgrades and a few changes between this year and last years model, detailed below. UPGRADES 1) The MBP 13 now has 4 gb of ram standard. This allows you to multi-task easily without any issues ( last years model had only 2gb of ram which was inadequate) Now there's no need to spend more money upgrading your ram UNLESS you're really into heavy duty multimedia work 2) It also features the Nvidia GeForce 320M integrated graphics processor with 48 processing cores. This is an improvement compared to the Geforce 9400M graphics chip in last years model and will help in graphics and content creation. 3) The battery lasts longer - now for 9 to 10 hours of use as advertised by Apple. In reality, it allows you to be mobile for 3 to 6 hours - depending on what task you're using the computer for. It's an inbuilt battery so once it's exhausted, it's back to the Apple store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider for replacement. However, Apple states that the battery will hold 80% of it's charge for up to a 1000 charges which means approximately 3 to 4 years of daily use. So it should be a while before you have to go in for that battery replacement. 4) The included hard drive is 250 gb (160gb in last years model). 5) Mini display port now supports video AND sound with a compatible Mini-DP to HDMI adapter (last years model only supported video) STANDARD FEATURES - from last years 13 inch model (minor changes noted in brackets) are An Aluminum unibody, Core 2 Duo Processor ( 2.4 ghz - up from 2.26ghz ), 1280 x 800 resolution Glossy LED backlit screen, iSight camera, 8x slot-loading SuperDrive dvd burner Large glass multi-touch trackpad ( Intertial scrolling is now enabled ), Backlit keyboard with comfortable chiclet keys Magsafe power adapter (with redesigned tip to reduce stress on the cable) 1 Firewire 800 port, 2 USB 2.0 ports , SD Card slot, Wi-Fi - 802.11n specification; 802.11a/b/g compatible, Bluetooth 2.1 and Gigabit Ethernet -10/100/1000. Software included is OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard and the iLife 09 suite of content creation tools. A 1 year warranty on parts and 90 day telephone technical support is standard. The lack of the latest Intel Core i5 or i3 processors processors in this machine is disappointing to some extent ( Anybody paying $1200 for a notebook positioned as a pro product, would expect new rather than "old" processors to be part of the configuration ) but I'd still recommended the MBP 13 to people looking to buy the lightest and most portable Macbook Pro as well as a capable machine in it's own right. Demanding applications like Skype, Photoshop, Lightroom, iMovie run smoothly. I would also consider purchasing applecare - AppleCare Protection Plan MC258LL/A - For Portable Apple Computers 13.3 Inches and Below along with the notebook. What most consumers don't know is that is that if you don't have Applecare and a product malfunction occurs after the first year, Apple's prices for repair/ replacement parts are extremely high. Another warranty extension option is Squaretrade (which also includes damage protection). It's better to pay once for Applecare or Squaretrade (whatever you prefer) and be covered for 2 more years after the first year is up than pay exorbitant repair/replacement fees if a part malfunctions. For those who are confused about whether they should purchase the $1199 MBP 13 or the $1499 MBP 13 - the only difference between this model and the higher priced model is processor speed and hard drive space - the $1199 MBP 13 has a 2.4 ghz processor and 250 gb hard drive and the $1499 MBP 13 has a 2.66ghz processor and 320 gb hard drive. Whether a 266 mhz (10% difference) and 70 gb more of hard drive space is worth 300 dollars more is your call. (Although you can purchase a 500 gb notebook hard drive for approximately $80 and install it yourself. Instructions are in the MBP 13 manual and you'll need a Philips #00 screwdriver. Installation videos are also available online) Hope this helps!

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13' Macbook Pro

by R. Cosby from on 2010-04-16
i just picked one of these up and I love it. I have read reviews complaining that Apple did not try to cram an i5 or larger CPU into this 13 inch machine. True, the chose to use the Core 2 Duo but that's not all bad. This is a stable, cool running, capable processor. The machine now includes 4 G of ram and a much improved video card from the previous version. I use this mostly for work where stability, battery life, portability, and longevity are the most important things to me. I rarely play games. I wouldn't use a portable for video work when I have a desktop available. I run office applications, safari, email, ever note, and skype. It all works great. The machine feels substantial in my hands. Pick it up and try to twist it. It is perfectly rigid. My Toshiba feels like the battery would fall out if I twisted a bit more. This one feels well built. I especially like the backlit keyboard.

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Went Mac and NEVER going back...

by El Coti from Ohio on 2010-04-26
I never write reviews. NEVER. But this is something that just has to be reviewed because everyone should have one of these. It's a little long but I feel that this has to be said. If I can't convince you, go to the store and mess around with one if you'd like. Better yet, read all the reviews. They all can't be wrong. I've been a windows user for all my life. The experience has been great all the way through XP. With all the negativity surrounding Vista, I decided not to persue it. I've had relatively little problems with windows honestly except dealing with all the problems I deal with on a daily basis (Help Desk Tech). If there's anything that I feel like touching least when I come home, it was my XP machine. Why did I go Mac? I've seen the hundreds of things that can go wrong with Windows. I've heard all the complaints about Vista. Haven't played much with 7 but just messing around with it @ Best Buy I thought, "Yea maybe it's better than Vista but it's pretty much the SAME OLD WINDOWS when it comes down to it." I'm deploying soon and I had a 17" Dell Inspirion 1705 Windows XP machine (See how long that is? I am happy to say that when someone asks me what I'm rollin with, I reply, "13-inch MacBook Pro" A lot shorter but that's besides the point). Anyways, the screen is HUGE and there was no way I'm taking that tank with me over there. WAY to heavy and WAY to bulky! So I was in the market for a Laptop that was at most 14". When it comes to electronics, I research a ton. What was the first thing I typed up when I was looking for a new PC? "What is the best brand of laptops (Windows)?" Yea that didn't help any. I got "HP is the best!" Then I got "HP is the worse!" So it was a lot of mixed reviews for mostly all of them. So I thought that I'd venture into Mac since I've never owned one. Went to the site and it gave me 2 options: Macbook and Macbook Pro. I opted for the Macbook Pro because 1) I wanted 4GB of RAM (I read it just works better all around) and 2) I wanted an SD slot. There are other reasons why Macbook Pro is nicer but I'll get into that later. What was my only doubt before buying Mac? What if I need Office? Well there's bootcamp. I'll tell you what, so far I've had no use for Windows yet (waiting to see how Office for Mac 2011 is before I decide). So I did it and let me tell you, I've never had more fun messing with a computer than I've had with my Mac. Ok enough ranting, what do I like? What don't I like? Pros: +Great design- A reason to get Macbook Pro over Macbook: the construction. All PCs=Plastic +OS is so easy- Navigating through my files couldn't be easier. No more "Well that file is in c:\windows\localprofile\temp\settings\...ETC" It's all simple to find (It also helps using Spotlight) +Dashboard and Expose- Widgets + Easy way to find what you have open = FUN +iLife- Bottom like, iPhoto and iMovie BLOW AWAY windows standard photoviewer and windows movie maker (garbage, cheap) + The touchpad- It's more than just being big, it's amazing. The gestures make the experience so much easier and fun. Want to scroll down? Place to fingers on the pad and swipe down. There are others but hard to explain ;) + It's just flat out fun to use- Windows just started getting dull for me. Mac is fresh and exciting. When you buy a car do you want to get a transportation (PC) or do you want to get something that you enjoy driving (MAC)? I enjoy driving Mac everyday. Cons: - Adjusting: It's difficult adjusting using windows all my life. But apple has set up many videos online to help you along. Thanks! - The little things I was used to: again goes back to adjusting to a new OS. Alt+F4 is now Command+W. Gotta get used to it. No biggie. Honestly, maybe I'm being biased (sue me) but I can't find a lot of cons yet as I'm still very new to this. Bottom Line: You want a mac. Start a new adventure in your life. It's not too late. Mac will make your life easier in ways you couldn't imagine. And hey, you might just have a little fun while you're at it ;)

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Another great machine from Apple

by nutjob from on 2010-04-17
This is my umpteenth Mac and as usual, it's a very satisfying purchase. Although the styling of this laptop, with the dark hinge and keyboard isn't quite my cup of tea (and is a matter of taste), this machine is far and away the most solidly built. It feels like it could stop a bullet, and it probably could. It's reassuring rigidity gives it a feeling of quality and sturdiness second to none. For someone who man handles his laptop all day every day, this is very important. To be seen over the next months and years is if the reliability of the machine is as good as its build quality. One final, off-topic note on delivery: Amazon service has been excellent. Yes, their systems are not perfect, but their customer service has made up for it. I originally got an inexplicable delivery date, but a call fixed that.

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13" MacBook Pro

by J. Stacks from Arkansas, USA on 2010-04-17
I am extremely satisfied with my new MacBook - glad I waited for the 2010 model. For those concerned about processor speed, the Core 2 Duo processor works very well - no need for the i5/i7. Battery life is great and the bottom of the computer stays cool to the touch - much cooler than my old HP laptop. Display looks great as well. The touchpad works very well - very similar to the iPhone touchscreen. Wish I would not have waited so long to switch to a Mac. Edit: Just thought I'd share that full startup, not just wake from sleep, takes less than fifteen seconds and full shutdown takes less than five - much faster than any Windows PC I've had. On the subject of shipping, I originally placed my order on Tuesday (4/13/2010) and received an email on 4/16 with a projected delivery date of 4/20. Being curious, I decided to check the delivery date for a new order placed on 4/16. The projected delivery date for an order placed on 4/16 was 4/17, so I canceled my original order and placed a new one at about 3:30 pm. UPS delivered the computer at 9 this morning - great turnaround time. Overall, I am very pleased with my MacBook and with Amazon.

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	2740P I5-520M 12.1 160/2GB Pc Sale Price: $1,662.06

HP Pavilion dv2800t Artist Edition , Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo Processor T8300 (2.40GHz) , 14.1" diagonal WXGA High-Definition HP BrightView Widescreen Display (1280 x 800) , 4GB DDR2 System Memory,128MB NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS , Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 4965AGN Network Connection and Bluetooth(TM) , 160GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive , LightScribe SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-RW with Double Layer Support , Microsoft(R) Works 9.0 , Windows Vista Home Premium Sale Price: $1,569.45 Average Rating:

	Compaq Presario 2105US Laptop (1.53 GHz Athlon XP 1800+, 512MB RAM, 40GB hard drive) Average Rating:

	HP HDX 16t Premium Laptop Sale Price: $1,475.00

	HP Compaq 6530b - Core 2 Duo P8600 / 2.4 GHz - RAM 2 GB - HDD 160 GB - DVD?RW (?R DL) / DVD-RAM - GMA 4500MHD - Gigabit Ethernet - WLAN : Bluetooth 2.0 EDR, 802.11 a/b/g/n (draft) - TPM - fingerprint reader - Vista Business - 14.1" Widescreen TFT 1280 x 800 ( WXGA ) - Microsoft Office Ready Sale Price: $1,457.29

DELL Studio 15 Notebook, Laptop PC - Midnight Blue, Glossy widescreen 15.4 inch display , Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 2.4GHz, Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100 , 8 GB DDR2, 500 GB SATA HD, 6X Slot Load Bluray DVD/RW Combo Drive (BD Read Only) , Wireless-G Card , Integrated 2.0M Pixel Webcam, Microsoft Works, Windows Vista Home Premium, Dell Warranty List Price: $2,359.99 Sale Price: $2,059.99 You save: $300.00 (13%)

DELL Studio 15 Notebook, Laptop PC - Midnight Blue, Glossy widescreen 15.4 inch display , Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 2.4GHz, Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100 , 8 GB DDR2, 500 GB SATA HD, CD / DVBurner DVD/RW, Wireless-G Card , Integrated 2.0M Pixel Webcam, Microsoft Works, Windows Vista Business 32-bit SP1 with downgrade to XP Professional SP3 , Dell Warranty List Price: $2,509.99 Sale Price: $2,059.99 You save: $450.00 (18%)

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Gateway LT2106u 10.1-Inch Black Netbook - Over 8 Hours of Battery Life List Price: $299.99 Sale Price: $294.00 You save: $5.99 (2%)   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Average Rating:

Description

Gateway LT2106u Netbook comes with these specs: Intel Atom Processor N450, Windows 7 Starter, 10.1" WSVGA High Brightness LED-backlit Display, Mobile Intel NM10 Express Chipset, 1024MB DDR2 667MHz Memory, Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3150, 160GB SATA Hard Drive, Built-In Webcam, Multi-in-1 Digital Media Card Reader, High-Definition Audio Support, 802.11b/g WiFi CERTIFIED, 3 - USB 2.0 Ports, Multi-gesture Touchpad, 6-cell Li-ion Battery (4400 mAh), 8+ Hours of Battery Life, 2.76 lbs. | 1.25 kg (system unit only), AC Power Adapter, AC Power Cord, Wireless Setup Card, Registration/ Limited Warranty Card, Norton Internet Security (60-day trial)

Gateway LT2106u: Mobile Freedom, Expressive Style The ultra-portable design of the Gateway LT netbook 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. 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. Combining the power of the latest Intel Atom N450 processor and NM10 Express chipset with a 6-cell battery, this Gateway LT model (LT2106u) in black provides up to 8 hours of battery life on the go--enough for a full workday. Stay connected with friends and family via e-mail, IM or chat via the integrated Wi-Fi networking. The media card reader makes transferring photos easy, and the larger 160 GB hard disk drive gives you extra storage for your images. 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. 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. Key Features The Gateway LT netbook in black. The multi-gesture touchpad enables efficient one-handed data management. 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 1.66 GHz Intel Atom N450 processor (512 KB L2 cache, 667 MHz FSB) combines performance and energy efficiency to explore the Internet and stay connected while mobile. Up to 8 hours of battery life with included 6-cell battery (4400 mAh) 0.3-megapixel webcam integrated into the display bezel for easy video chats and conferencing Multi-gesture touchpad allows you to intuitively navigate WebPages, media libraries, photos, spreadsheets and more by simply flicking, swirling and pinching your fingers. 160 GB hard drive (5400 RPM) 1 GB DDR2 RAM (667 MHz; 2 GB maximum capacity) Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3150 video processor with 64 MB onboard memory and up to 256 MB of shared system memory. 54g Wi-Fi (802.11b/g) Fast Ethernet (10/100) Multi-in-1 memory card reader compatible with Secure Digital (SD), MultiMedia (MMC), Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, and xD Picture Card media 3 USB ports VGA video output Stereo speakers 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 restertainment experience with Windows 7 Home Premium. Get more features with Windows Anytime Upgrade. It's the best way to add features to Windows 7, takes as few as ten minutes, requires no software or downloads, and you'll keep your existing programs, files, and settings. Windows will walk you through the simple upgrade process. Pre-loaded software includes Microsoft Works SE 9.0 for word processing and spreadsheet work. Enjoy a 60-day trial version of Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007. Dimensions: 10.17 x 7.28 x 0.99 inches (WxDxH) Weight: 2.76 pounds Warranty: 1 year parts and labor What's in the Box This package contains the Gateway LT2106u 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; Norton Internet Security 2009 Trial; WildTangent Demo Games

Features

• 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 Processor
• 1024MB DDR2 667MHz Memory
• 160GB SATA Hard Drive; 802.11b/g Wi-Fi Certified
• 10.1" WSVGA High Brightness LED-backlit Display; Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3150
• Windows 7 Starter; Over 8 Hours of Battery Life

Reviews

Sleek, light, fast and efficient and sexy to boot!

by VooDooDoll_57 from Atlanta GA on 2010-01-26
I just received my LT2108 netbook and was impressed with it from the very moment I opened the box. Sleek, light, fast, efficient and sexy to boot! Excellent tactile keyboard, amazingly crip and bright screen, good touchpad, fantastic battery life - small footprint! Good transfer speeds and responsive. Handles multi-media and video without breaking a sweat. I find myself using this netbook more-so than my regular laptop - it does everything and is more than capable. I shopped around a variety of netbooks but this one tops them all. Gateway has really hit one out of the park with this LT. I recommend it highly without hesitation. Update: 25 May 2010 - Five months have passed and this little netbook is IT! It has surpassed my expectations. The only tweak I did was to upgrade it to 2 Gb memory...but only because I had a spare stick of memory on hand... not that it needed it. Love it!

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A student's opinion -- this netbook vs. HP Mini 100

by Poetoffire from Under Your Skin on 2010-05-05
I got this netbook around two and a half weeks ago, which means I can't talk about long-term effects. But here's what I thought about this netbook. I have a problem with my wrists which makes writing on paper for extended periods of time difficult and painful, but I type 90 words a minute, so I got an HP Mini 100 (chosen because the keyboard was the best I'd tried), for taking notes in school. The HP was good, don't get me wrong, but the screen's shape was clunky, it dropped my main wireless signal at school within a month, and even though it had a nice pattern on the back it wasn't the prettiest interface out there. After seven months I accidentally broke the screen, and the warranty told me it wasn't fixable and gave me back the money I'd payed for it. After trying this netbook out at a store and liking it but not its price, I eventually settled on buying this one off Amazon and getting a much cheaper online warranty. It arrived in a week, nicely packaged, with a power cable you had to put together. It was much lighter than the HP mini, and quite a bit more attractive-looking. INTERFACE The interface is gorgeous. Buttons are big and wide, the lights are displayed attractively, and it's pretty darn sexy looking. There is a barely visible pattern of horizontal lines on the back of the screen, which isn't that nice and certainly doesn't measure up to the elegant, fun, black-and-silver bubbles of the HP mini, but neither is immediately noticeable. There's a small silver bar reading Gateway on the lefthand side of the screen, with a tiny Gateway logo. I plan on getting a skin for the back when I can, just to make it a little prettier, but it isn't that needed. This thins is a fingerprint magnet, though, and scratches easily where the HP mini chipped. You'll have to keep dusting it off and washing off fingerprints. In two days it looked like my HP mini after I'd had it two months. So if you aren't gentle with your netbooks (lord knows I'm not), you might want to consider investing in a screen before it gets really scarred-looking. The touchpad is also a little more difficult to use, and keeps zooming in, but I'm getting the hang of it. DISPLAY The screen's very high quality, and it comes with a webcam far superior than the HP mini, or the one on my father's Mac. This webcam isn't extremely extremely high quality, but it's very nice looking, and has lots of brightness/contrast/color settings to get you in your best light. The positioning of the webcam is awkward angle-wise, of course, but that's just because it's a netbook. This comes with Windows 7 Starter, which has a folder organizational system similar to a Mac. I thought I was going to hate Windows 7, because I love XP's taskbar so much and automatically clumping programs are the bane of my existence. However, with a couple setting changes that are easy to find, it's possible to get the same shape and type of taskbar, except the logo/home button on my Stardock theme is a little cut off, but it's just odd-looking and not a problem at all. Right. Stardock. Big problem. All caps now: YOU CANNOT CUSTOMIZE YOUR DISPLAY. THERE APPEARS TO BE NO WAY TO APPLY THEMES OR CHANGE YOUR DESKTOP BACKGROUND. So I went to the web, and found out Acer made a deal with STARDOCK MY COLORS, a company that makes beyond well-designed themes for Windows Vista/Windows 7. These themes are very expensive (20 bucks each!) so Stardock wants to entice you. They offer up three free themes: a "go green", environmental one, a smooth pretty blue-silver one, and an online game scarlet one. The first two come with icon design for folders, and they're all very pretty. You install Stardock's program, apply your choice free theme (or stick with the other one), and it gives you desktop background options including pictures from your file. You still can't use other web themes than Stardock's, but theirs aren't half bad. Also, with Windows 7, there are gadgets you can put on the desktop, and ones you can download online. Those work wonderfully, and I use a to-do-list to keep track of my homework and notepad to keep track of my schedule. KEYBOARD Previously, I found it was difficult for me to type on the smaller keyboards, and selected the HP because its keyboard was so expansive. But after months of typing on the HP, I learned to adapt, and this keyboard isn't full-sized, no, but it doesn't have those ugly ridge things that others do and before I'd spent an hour with the netbook I could type just fine. If you haven't used a netbook before or aren't a good typer, the keyboard might take some getting used to, but it is by far a great keyboard and you could do much worse in the netbook vein. USB DRIVES/POWER CORDS/BATTERY The power cord connector is on the left side of the netbook. There are three ports for USB drives alone, which should be more than enough for the average consumer. There's also mike and earphone jacks, and the other types of connectors you'd expect on a computer. These ports and jacks line both sides of the netbook, and there's no ports at the back. The tiny-icons part of the taskbar (you know, sound, battery, updates, etc.) also includes a USB drive button that makes removing any drive easy. If that doesn't work, the Hard Disk Drives section of the Windows Explorer folders lets you remove with ease. No problems yet. The power cord is shorter than the HP mini, and if you'd like to reach across a room, get an extension. It suits my needs just fine. I wish it didn't end with a clunky bar that extends down, which makes it hard to plug into the middle of a line of three or more power outlets, but it can plug in things both upside-down and rightside-up, so that's a plus. Battery life is stellar, much better than the HP mini, and if you're on battery power the system gives you an estimate of how long you can run it on the current power setting. I tend to really like the way Balanced looks when it's plugged in, and want to run it with a better display quite a bit more than my HP, which I was content to just plug in when need be. RUN TIME Generally, it starts up fast, opens programs fast (Only around five seconds for Word 2007! It's a miracle!), and surfs the Internet fast. The speed is much improved from my HP mini. Overall, I highly recommend this for its wonderful price, beautiful features, and functionality. Yes, if you're editing pictures or video it is going to be slow and obnoxious, but I have another computer to do that on. To surf the Internet, use Word, watch videos on the Internet, listen to music, take notes for school...this is perfect. Highly recommended.

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so far so good

by Joe Michael Willis from on 2010-02-10
I'm using my netbook right now and it hasn't given me any troubles thus far. It's been excellent for my classes and is light enough to carry around. The battery works great too. It's exactly how its described. only trouble is the windows 7 starter. its a total bummer and I'm planning on upgrading to the home edition asap. 2 thumbs up for Gateway!

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Great Machine!!!

by F. Bendotti from Philly, PA on 2010-05-05
I just returned my Toshiba NB-205 and exchanged it for this. I had bought the Toshiba based on all of the positive reviews. This machine had a lot of positisives, but not as many as others. I figured since Acer owns Gateway, and Acer makes nice low cost laptops, this had to be a winner. Well, all I have to say is that this is way better. Yes it does have the new Intel n450 chipset and all the great features. I got the one with the 250 GB HD. This thing is extremely quick and compact. I keep the power settings at balanced and get great performance and battery life.I do switch it to high performance and get a boost in overall speed. Windows 7 Starter is not bad and gets the job done. Win 7 Premium would be nicer, but I can dealwith it.I just ordered a 2GB memory module, however it does surprizingly well with 1GB. Compared to the Toshiba, it is like night and day. It is better looking,has stereo speakers (and yes you can hear them) the audio is excellent. It handles video with no problem(720p). Netflix streaming is great, video and audio quality is excellent. Wifi is fast. I wish it had bluetooth, but i got a tiny BT dongle for $5.oo and it works great (Dealextreme). The laptop looks great, keyboard is a bit cramped, but no different than any other netbook. I thought about getting an Ipad, but then realized how limited it is compared to this. The decision was a no-brainer. $200.00 less and does way more. Win 7 Starter (Stable and fast) missing some features of Premium, not critical though. Keeps cost under 280.00 1GB Ram (wish it had 2GB) 1.6 Atom N450 250GB HD SD Card Reader. Multi-gesture track pad 3 USB 2.0 VGA out Stereo speakers are fantastic. Hands down better than anything out there. Wifi B/G/N and an ethernet port Under 3 lbs. Greater than 8 hours battery Webcam (OK resolution. Skype works great, I wish it were 1.3MP) Runs real programs Keyboard a bit cramped (I have big hands) expected from a small NB Great for travel. Nice design. Better than any i have seen. I wish the screen was 11.3" but I am very satisfied, especially since the price was fantastic, and I was on a budget. Using Google Chrome and IE8 for browsing. Chrome seems a little better for this Netbook.

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super

by Shane Mcwhorter from on 2010-04-29
Gateway LT2108u 10.1-inch Netbook----is everything and more they said it would be. screen size is fine--very clear. easy to use.--wireless app works great. would reccomend to anyone looking for a net book. Starter Windows 7 is perfect for my needs, but can be easily updated. really has 8 plus hrs. battery life. Amazon experience was great. 3 days delivery time (said it would 5).

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