Notebook Reviews

This is the first time i bought something online that is so costly.So you can imagine i have done a good deal of research. Sony VAIO K23, indeed was THE BEST pick of them all, (I simply dont like DELL notebooks, all of them have a monotonous look). I got it in 2 days. I am very much impressed with its look and the screen ranks it above all laptops available till date. you also get a bunch of useful softwares with it. I was concerned about the weight, but its really not that heavy.So it was a good deal at least for me.

In my review, I initially complained about the error in making recovery discs. I mentioned that I found out the problem had already been mentioned online. After calling Sony customer service, they decided to mail me the recovery DVD free of charge even though it would normally cost money if bought online. The expedient and hassle free response to my problem proves how Sony excellent Sony support has been.

No other complaints!

Except one thing, if this laptop is too heavy for you, go to the gym and work out.

I ordered this laptop not even 4 days ago and I didn't even pay for the shipping, as I checked their Super Saver shipping method. I received it, along with a few other things, within 4 days total!

The XBrite screen is great. It makes the colors SO vibrant and it makes my older laptop, also from sony, look pretty weak!

If you're not a super freak about wanting to burn DVD's, having the max processor and what not, then this laptop is definitely better than the K27, which is $400 more.

I went from a standard laptop case from IBM to this backpack and I couldn't be happier. My T20 fits fine in the padded slot for the laptop and I still have lots of room for accessories and books, etc. It is also so much more convienient to carry around on the train to work than the bulky IBM case. Good construction and pretty good looking too!

Terrific bag for a mid-sized laptop. It holds my IBM 1200 I-series with a 13.3 inch screen just right, if the laptop was any larger, the bag would be too small. There are plenty of pockets for CD's, the ac adapter, an external mouse, cable lock, plus room for books or manuals.

Other good points, it looks like an ordinary backpack, it isn't advertising to the world that you're carrying $2000 worth of electronics with you.

This bag is a great flashy color that is cool for any high schooler. It holds your laptop plus has room for books, papers, etc. A great price for a bag that will last 4 years of school!

I like this notebook. I had purchased a cheaper laptop earlier, but sent it back because of the fan noise. The cheaper laptops typically use Intel Celeron processors which do not include "Speedstep" technology. Intel's speedstep (or AMDs similar technique) is needed to reduce power consumption/dissipation (and hence heat) to keep the fan off. In Intel's line, it seems to only come with Mobile Pentium M (part of "Centrino") and with *Mobile* Pentium 4s. The Gateway M505X which has the more advanced Pentium M (1.4 GHz which is equivalent to perhaps a 2.4 GHz P4)) does not run the fan at all during most uses (probably would if one ran games, etc.), and the hard drive is virtually inaudible. In short, the machine is totally silent. In addition, the bottom only gets moderately warm (not hot). Also, the palm rests do not suffer from heat buildup like some competing models (hard disk location is better in 505X).

The touchpad is awesome. Has a very smooth feel, never missing my finger's commands. I wish the left/right mouse keys were slightly less stiff, and I must say that although the keyboard is nice (less force needed than on HPs and Compaqs), I am dissappointed that Gateway left a chasm below the j, k, and l keys. When these keys are hit, the keyboard flexes slightly and the sound made is significantly different than the keys on the left side which have structure below them. But I'll learn to live with it... :-)

The multimedia capabilities of the machine are excellent. Especially the sound quality. I am frankly amazed at how good this thing sounds. As an Electrical Engineer, I know it is not easy to make good sound from tiny speakers, but this machine does a good job. (It's not going to compare to large speakers, of course, but it is infinitely better than the speakers in the cheaper laptop I purchased and returned). The 505X has, in addition to the two top speakers, a "subwoofer" that does a very credible job of enhancing the lows. Makes bass guitar tracks, etc. very clearly heard, and fills out the sound in general. There's even an equalizer that comes up in the system tray that you can use to alter the tonal quality and add effects such as reverb! The only negative on the sound is that max volume is not too high. In a noisy environment, this might be an issue, but its certainly fine for around the house.

The widescreen is also nice. Native resolution is 1280 x 800, which is OK for my eyesight. Like other laptops, if you go to a different (lower) resolution, the fonts look a bit rough, so be sure you can read text at the native resolution. The text is going to be slightly smaller than say, a 15 inch TFT with 1024x768 native resolution. Brightness is good, and has many levels so one can save power and battery life by turning it down if you want. One slight negative on the display is that mine has one bad pixel. It is stuck on and noticible with dark backgrounds, but completely invisible most of the time, so I can live with it... On the subject of battery life, I went 4 hours of mixed use (surfing web wirelessly, loading a few programs, playing snippets of DVDs, intermixed with some idle time on a mid-brightness setting), and still had 20% left in the battery.

Wireless works fine. Seems to get as good a signal or better than my external card on my other machine. Power management is pretty good too. When I put it to sleep (hibernate mode), it gets there in 13 seconds. Waking from hibernation takes 22 seconds. Not bad for a machine with 512Mb of RAM. Of course, your mileage may vary, depending on what software you are using.

Finally, the aesthetics and build are nice too. The metal lid and keyboard surround are fashionable and the machine feels quite solid. Would be nice if it were a few pounds lighter, but the 6.7 pounds is about state-of the art for what it contains.
For the price, I'm very pleased!

had the notebook for about a month now, and love everything about it. No problems to report so far.

Pros: wide-screen is definitely a major plus, at 6.7lbs lighter than other comparable notebooks. Sturdier than comparable models. S-video port, and 3 USB ports. Looks VERY cool.

Cons: No infrared (has the port built in, but its been disabled), at 1.4M not the fastest out there, 40 gigs is slightly smaller than others.

Final note, I was debating between the toshiba m35 which was cheaper at the time than this,but the toshiba seemed flimsier and even though it had a bigger hard drive, it was not that appealing. The keyboard on the toshiba feels quite uncomfortable.

Similar to another notebook shopper, I debated between the comparable Gateway M505X and Toshiba M35-S359, (see the very complete review "Nice machine, nice price", December 2, 2003 for the Toshiba).

Unlike that reviewer, I ended up purchasing the Gateway for a couple of reasons:

The Toshiba felt a bit flimsy and the keyboard was mushy. The Gateway seems to be constructed better and have a more subsantial feel with a very nice keyboard, without being much heavier (~1/2 pound).

The Gateway has much better speakers and a subwoofer which enhances the sound. The Toshiba sounded faint and metallic in comparison. The Gateway also has a very handy AV panel with LC display.

The screen on the Toshiba might be a little better, or at least a little brighter at its highest setting, but both are very good.

The Gateway offered better extended warranty packages for less money. Also, you can take it into any Gateway store instead of shipping it somewhere. Complete extended warranties with accidental damage coverage offered by computer retailers for about the same price were only 2 years vs. Gateway's 3.

The Gateway is much sleeker, and cleaner looking with its monotone metallic case and integrated speakers.

I realize that most of my points are aesthetic, but the hardware is almost identical, and performance should be very comparable.

Not only the rolling case is great both in storage and functionality, but also TARGUS is a great company, I've owned an Easy roller for 3 years now and it withstand all the use and abuse that a frequent traveller can inflict to a Computer case, until finally the extensible handle broke (just the plastic grip) i've contacted targus in france took the case to their office, and in less than two weeks, no questions, no charges i've received at home a brand new one from the manufacturer.

SO THANKS TARGUS

Quiero dejar constancia a todos los hispanoparlantes que este producto Targus PR700 es excelente tanto para el viajero frecuente como para el ejecutivo y profesional moderno, tanto para las zonas rurales o urbanas. Durante mucho tiempo he estado buscando un maletin para todo el equipo de computacion y sus perifericos que me sirviera para todo tipo de actividad y este es el recomendado, es compacto, liviano, tiene muchos compartimientos y es de Ballistic Nylon (una fibra de uso militar extremadamente fuerte. Ademas del excelente producto el envio que me hizo AMAZON fue fantastico, super rapido y en menos del tiempo que me lo prometieron enviarlo lo he recibido. Amazon tiene los mejores precios del mercado, investigue mucho y gaste mucho dinero en otras marcas y tipos de maletines hasta que en Amazon encontre lo que deseaba. El diseño de Targus es muy bien estudiado, hecho por ingenieros especialistas en este tipo de productos. Felicidades targus y muchas gracias a Amazon por haberme enviado el producto de una manera ultra rapida y segura. gracias nuevamente y seguire siendo cliente de Amazon, no cambio a Amazon. ¡FELICIDADES POR TODO AMAZON, Y MUCHAS GRACIAS!

Quiero dejar constancia a todos los hispanoparlantes que este producto Targus PR700 es excelente tanto para el viajero frecuente como para el ejecutivo y profesional moderno, tanto para las zonas rurales o urbanas. Durante mucho tiempo he estado buscando un maletin para todo el equipo de computacion y sus perifericos que me sirviera para todo tipo de actividad y este es el recomendado, es compacto, liviano, tiene muchos compartimientos y es de Ballistic Nylon (una fibra de uso militar extremadamente fuerte. Ademas del excelente producto el envio que me hizo AMAZON fue fantastico, super rapido y en menos del tiempo que me lo prometieron enviarlo lo he recibido. Amazon tiene los mejores precios del mercado, investigue mucho y gaste mucho dinero en otras marcas y tipos de maletines hasta que en Amazon encontre lo que deseaba. El diseño de Targus es muy bien estudiado, hecho por ingenieros especialistas en este tipo de productos. Felicidades targus y muchas gracias a Amazon por haberme enviado el producto de una manera ultra rapida y segura. gracias nuevamente y seguire siendo cliente de Amazon, no cambio a Amazon. ¡FELICIDADES POR TODO AMAZON, Y MUCHAS GRACIAS!

Not only the rolling case is great both in storage and functionality, but also TARGUS is a great company, I've owned an Easy roller for 3 years now and it withstand all the use and abuse that a frequent traveller can inflict to a Computer case, until finally the extensible handle broke (just the plastic grip) i've contacted targus in france took the case to their office, and in less than two weeks, no questions, no charges i've received at home a brand new one from the manufacturer.

SO THANKS TARGUS

Quiero dejar constancia a todos los hispanoparlantes que este producto Targus PR700 es excelente tanto para el viajero frecuente como para el ejecutivo y profesional moderno, tanto para las zonas rurales o urbanas. Durante mucho tiempo he estado buscando un maletin para todo el equipo de computacion y sus perifericos que me sirviera para todo tipo de actividad y este es el recomendado, es compacto, liviano, tiene muchos compartimientos y es de Ballistic Nylon (una fibra de uso militar extremadamente fuerte. Ademas del excelente producto el envio que me hizo AMAZON fue fantastico, super rapido y en menos del tiempo que me lo prometieron enviarlo lo he recibido. Amazon tiene los mejores precios del mercado, investigue mucho y gaste mucho dinero en otras marcas y tipos de maletines hasta que en Amazon encontre lo que deseaba. El diseño de Targus es muy bien estudiado, hecho por ingenieros especialistas en este tipo de productos. Felicidades targus y muchas gracias a Amazon por haberme enviado el producto de una manera ultra rapida y segura. gracias nuevamente y seguire siendo cliente de Amazon, no cambio a Amazon. ¡FELICIDADES POR TODO AMAZON, Y MUCHAS GRACIAS!

Quiero dejar constancia a todos los hispanoparlantes que este producto Targus PR700 es excelente tanto para el viajero frecuente como para el ejecutivo y profesional moderno, tanto para las zonas rurales o urbanas. Durante mucho tiempo he estado buscando un maletin para todo el equipo de computacion y sus perifericos que me sirviera para todo tipo de actividad y este es el recomendado, es compacto, liviano, tiene muchos compartimientos y es de Ballistic Nylon (una fibra de uso militar extremadamente fuerte. Ademas del excelente producto el envio que me hizo AMAZON fue fantastico, super rapido y en menos del tiempo que me lo prometieron enviarlo lo he recibido. Amazon tiene los mejores precios del mercado, investigue mucho y gaste mucho dinero en otras marcas y tipos de maletines hasta que en Amazon encontre lo que deseaba. El diseño de Targus es muy bien estudiado, hecho por ingenieros especialistas en este tipo de productos. Felicidades targus y muchas gracias a Amazon por haberme enviado el producto de una manera ultra rapida y segura. gracias nuevamente y seguire siendo cliente de Amazon, no cambio a Amazon. ¡FELICIDADES POR TODO AMAZON, Y MUCHAS GRACIAS!

Not only the rolling case is great both in storage and functionality, but also TARGUS is a great company, I've owned an Easy roller for 3 years now and it withstand all the use and abuse that a frequent traveller can inflict to a Computer case, until finally the extensible handle broke (just the plastic grip) i've contacted targus in france took the case to their office, and in less than two weeks, no questions, no charges i've received at home a brand new one from the manufacturer.

SO THANKS TARGUS

Quiero dejar constancia a todos los hispanoparlantes que este producto Targus PR700 es excelente tanto para el viajero frecuente como para el ejecutivo y profesional moderno, tanto para las zonas rurales o urbanas. Durante mucho tiempo he estado buscando un maletin para todo el equipo de computacion y sus perifericos que me sirviera para todo tipo de actividad y este es el recomendado, es compacto, liviano, tiene muchos compartimientos y es de Ballistic Nylon (una fibra de uso militar extremadamente fuerte. Ademas del excelente producto el envio que me hizo AMAZON fue fantastico, super rapido y en menos del tiempo que me lo prometieron enviarlo lo he recibido. Amazon tiene los mejores precios del mercado, investigue mucho y gaste mucho dinero en otras marcas y tipos de maletines hasta que en Amazon encontre lo que deseaba. El diseño de Targus es muy bien estudiado, hecho por ingenieros especialistas en este tipo de productos. Felicidades targus y muchas gracias a Amazon por haberme enviado el producto de una manera ultra rapida y segura. gracias nuevamente y seguire siendo cliente de Amazon, no cambio a Amazon. ¡FELICIDADES POR TODO AMAZON, Y MUCHAS GRACIAS!

Quiero dejar constancia a todos los hispanoparlantes que este producto Targus PR700 es excelente tanto para el viajero frecuente como para el ejecutivo y profesional moderno, tanto para las zonas rurales o urbanas. Durante mucho tiempo he estado buscando un maletin para todo el equipo de computacion y sus perifericos que me sirviera para todo tipo de actividad y este es el recomendado, es compacto, liviano, tiene muchos compartimientos y es de Ballistic Nylon (una fibra de uso militar extremadamente fuerte. Ademas del excelente producto el envio que me hizo AMAZON fue fantastico, super rapido y en menos del tiempo que me lo prometieron enviarlo lo he recibido. Amazon tiene los mejores precios del mercado, investigue mucho y gaste mucho dinero en otras marcas y tipos de maletines hasta que en Amazon encontre lo que deseaba. El diseño de Targus es muy bien estudiado, hecho por ingenieros especialistas en este tipo de productos. Felicidades targus y muchas gracias a Amazon por haberme enviado el producto de una manera ultra rapida y segura. gracias nuevamente y seguire siendo cliente de Amazon, no cambio a Amazon. ¡FELICIDADES POR TODO AMAZON, Y MUCHAS GRACIAS!

I've had this bag for over a year, and it has held up tremedously - with one exception. The clasps on the shoulder strap bent open, but was able to bend them back using a pliers. The bag is a bit heavy due to the leather, but it looks so much better than any nylon one.

After having used a Targus Notebook Case for two years, with excellent results,with a NEC laptop, I decided that the next Leather Case would be a Targus. The CLN5 is outstanding and it goes very well with my Dell Inspiron 8200 which I just acquired. After spending around $2,000.00 plus for the Dell 8200, I could not buy just any case. It had to be the best(Targus) in order to go with the best(Dell 8200). Needless to say, when I saw the Amazon.com price of [price] I knew this was what I was looking for. No if's and but's about it. I just bought it knowing that Amazon sells only the best. Highly recommend it to anyone,specially if you have an expensive Dell Notebook. Through Amazon.com of course.

The Quality is excelent and I recommend to any person that looks for a computer case with very good price and comtemporary appearance. Superior and finest leather finish. Excelent product. Zomar.

I've had this bag for over a year, and it has held up tremedously - with one exception. The clasps on the shoulder strap bent open, but was able to bend them back using a pliers. The bag is a bit heavy due to the leather, but it looks so much better than any nylon one.

After having used a Targus Notebook Case for two years, with excellent results,with a NEC laptop, I decided that the next Leather Case would be a Targus. The CLN5 is outstanding and it goes very well with my Dell Inspiron 8200 which I just acquired. After spending around $2,000.00 plus for the Dell 8200, I could not buy just any case. It had to be the best(Targus) in order to go with the best(Dell 8200). Needless to say, when I saw the Amazon.com price of [price] I knew this was what I was looking for. No if's and but's about it. I just bought it knowing that Amazon sells only the best. Highly recommend it to anyone,specially if you have an expensive Dell Notebook. Through Amazon.com of course.

The Quality is excelent and I recommend to any person that looks for a computer case with very good price and comtemporary appearance. Superior and finest leather finish. Excelent product. Zomar.

I've had this bag for over a year, and it has held up tremedously - with one exception. The clasps on the shoulder strap bent open, but was able to bend them back using a pliers. The bag is a bit heavy due to the leather, but it looks so much better than any nylon one.

After having used a Targus Notebook Case for two years, with excellent results,with a NEC laptop, I decided that the next Leather Case would be a Targus. The CLN5 is outstanding and it goes very well with my Dell Inspiron 8200 which I just acquired. After spending around $2,000.00 plus for the Dell 8200, I could not buy just any case. It had to be the best(Targus) in order to go with the best(Dell 8200). Needless to say, when I saw the Amazon.com price of [price] I knew this was what I was looking for. No if's and but's about it. I just bought it knowing that Amazon sells only the best. Highly recommend it to anyone,specially if you have an expensive Dell Notebook. Through Amazon.com of course.

The Quality is excelent and I recommend to any person that looks for a computer case with very good price and comtemporary appearance. Superior and finest leather finish. Excelent product. Zomar.

I've had this bag for over a year, and it has held up tremedously - with one exception. The clasps on the shoulder strap bent open, but was able to bend them back using a pliers. The bag is a bit heavy due to the leather, but it looks so much better than any nylon one.

After having used a Targus Notebook Case for two years, with excellent results,with a NEC laptop, I decided that the next Leather Case would be a Targus. The CLN5 is outstanding and it goes very well with my Dell Inspiron 8200 which I just acquired. After spending around $2,000.00 plus for the Dell 8200, I could not buy just any case. It had to be the best(Targus) in order to go with the best(Dell 8200). Needless to say, when I saw the Amazon.com price of [price] I knew this was what I was looking for. No if's and but's about it. I just bought it knowing that Amazon sells only the best. Highly recommend it to anyone,specially if you have an expensive Dell Notebook. Through Amazon.com of course.

The Quality is excelent and I recommend to any person that looks for a computer case with very good price and comtemporary appearance. Superior and finest leather finish. Excelent product. Zomar.