The PC Reviewer

MB OK, May 24, 2010

The white Macbook was updated on May 18 2010. There are minor differences between the 2010 Macbook and 2009′s model, detailed below.

The UPGRADES are

1) Geforce Nvidia 320M integrated graphics processor with 48 processing cores. This is better than the Geforce 9400M in last years model. Useful for content creation.

2)Mini display port now supports video AND audio with a compatible Mini-DP to HDMI adapter. (Last years model only supported video)

Thats it.

STANDARD FEATURES – from last years model (minor changes noted in brackets)

Polycarbonate unibody

Core 2 Duo processor (2.4ghz – up from 2.26 ghz)

1280 x 800 resolution Glossy LED backlit screen,

iSight camera,

2 GB Ram – 1gb ram sticks x 2

250gb hard drive

8x slot-loading SuperDrive dvd burner

Large multi-touch trackpad ( Intertial scrolling is now enabled ),

2 USB 2.0 ports ,

Wi-Fi – 802.11n specification; 802.11a/b/g compatible, Bluetooth 2.1 and Gigabit Ethernet -10/100/1000.

Inbuilt battery – (which Apple advertises as capable of lasting between 9 to 10 hours.) Not true. Real world battery life is between 3 to 6 hours depending on what tasks you use your computer for.

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 Macbook as it is – is good for basic computing activities – such as browsing the web, typing articles or watching movies. However, if you’re planning to buy a Macbook for multimedia work, such as editing high resolution photos or HD videos and plan to use multiple applications at the same time, please ensure that you upgrade the ram from 2gb to 4gb.

Why?

Because using a macbook with 2 gb of ram (such as this one) to multitask is a GREAT way to drive yourself crazy as the computer struggles to keep up. Try editing 10 megapixel RAW images while playing music in iTunes with Safari open. 2gb of ram is not at all adequate for multitasking / using processor intensive applications on a Macbook. I understand that Apple has to differentiate between the Macbook and MBPro to justify the price differences but skimping on the ram and putting 2gb inside a 9 product and thus, affecting the user experience is not the way to do it.

Upgrading the ram yourself from 2gb to 4gb is a great idea. Currently, Crucial CT2KIT25664BC1067 4GB 204-PIN PC3-8500 SODIMM DDR3 Memory KIT (2GBx2) costs .99. So that brings your total to 10 (9 MB + .99 Ram) if you upgrade your Macbook’s ram

So for only 0 more than your Macbook, (if you take into account the cost of the ram upgrade) a viable alternative is the standard Apple MacBook Pro MC700LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop which costs approximately 60 on Amazon. The MBP 13 comes with the added benefits of a more durable aluminum unibody, a backlit keyboard, an SDXC card slot, a firewire 800 port, a thunderbolt port and most importantly, 4gb of ram. Which allows you to multitask effortlessly.

If you’re going to use the Macbook for any computationally demanding activities such as content creation, editing large RAW images or HD videos you should upgrade the ram to 4gb or just buy the standard MBPro 13 inch. The significantly faster i5 processor and 4gb ram in the MBPro 13 make a big difference in the daily usage experience.

However, if you only want to use the Macbook for general tasks like writing articles, browsing websites or watching movies, it will handle those duties adequately. At the same time, also keep in mind that if you only need a laptop for basic duties, many other manufacturers offer less expensive laptops which are just as (if not more) capable.

Hope this helps!

P.S. Update – Feb 15 2011 – At present, the Macbook is extremely out of date compared to other computer makers current products. C2D processor, 250 GB 5400 rpm hard drive, 2 gb ram, 2 USB ports. In 2011, these are totally unlike a 9 notebook’s specs and more like a netbook’s specs (excluding the C2D processor)

I’d recommend waiting for a Macbook update by Apple. Another good option would be to buy a notebook by HP,Sony or Toshiba (for 9 you’ll get a much more powerful machine with regards to hardware) or buy the updated 2011 Macbook Pro 13 base model.

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Form and Function, June 19, 2010

By 

T. Brown (NC, USA) – See all my reviews

  

As a student, I’ve been trying to find a well-built computer for under 00. For me, the MacBook is a perfect fit.

Pros:

-The touchpad is incredible for web browsing. I have been using PCs notebooks for years, and I have never liked touchpads, but this has proved to be an exception. I can easily do two-button clicking, scrolling with two fingers, and going back and forth through pages with three fingers. I find I no longer do I have to lug around a USB mouse (except if I want to some gaming).

-The computer starts up in 20 seconds without having to wait for background processes to load up (unlike windows).

-The build quality of the MacBook is unmatched for its price. The unibody does not creak at all when handling it.

-Multi-tasking is surprisingly good for only 2GB RAM. The only hiccups I have had were at the first couple of seconds of playing movies on iTunes with a lot of other programs running.

Cons:

-No HDMI port

-Battery does not last 10 hours (about 4-6 for me with iTunes and Wi-Fi running). Still, it is much longer than the competitors for the price range and size.

Even though the build is solid, you may want to get one of these covers if you worry about scratching:

Speck Products See Thru Satin, Soft Touch Hard Shell Case, for 13-inch MacBook Aluminum Unibody/Black Keyboard (Black) – DOES NOT FIT WHITE MACBOOK

They snap on in seconds and look great.

If you are a student who is not looking to do any graphic design I highly recommend getting the MacBook instead of the MacBook Pro if you want to save money. Sure it only has 2 GB RAM, but you can easily upgrade it now for 0 Crucial CT2KIT25664BC1067 4GB 204-PIN PC3-8500 SODIMM DDR3 Memory KIT (2GBx2) or wait a year and do it for about .

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One Word: Perfect, July 27, 2010

By 

E. Kellum “Teck_guy” (Fremont, Ca USA) – See all my reviews

  

As a student, I was pretty hesitant to get the MacBook, but after MONTHS of exhaustive research looking for the right laptop (I’m a networking student, and also I am working on my A+ PC Repair certification, so I know a thing or two about PC’s and Windows), I decided that I needed a change in my life. I’ve had an IBM ThinkPad T60 last me four years through school, but after 4 re-install’s of XP, I’ve had enough of the constant attacks of viruses, spyware, etc…and I decided to go with the MacBook.

PROS:

Perfect for web browsing, e-mail, and document creation.

Comes with great features right out of the box: iLife simply rocks; it comes with PhotoBooth, Garageband (where you can create your own music or learn to how play an instrument), Preview, and iMovie (it’s basically an easier version of Windows Movie Maker)

Time Machine for backing up documents and pictures, which is FAR SUPERIOR than using the Backup Feature in Windows.

Wi-Fi is SO EASY to set-up using what Apple calls “Airport”, just go to the wi-fi antenna at the top of the right-hand corner and set-up right there.

Printing: Coming from a Windows world, and living in a household with a wireless network, setting up a printer was a pain in the butt with Windows, with Mac, it’s SO EASY to set-up and begin printing.

BlueTooth: BlueTooth is common in all laptops nowadays, and again, like setting up a printer, it basically connects with the BlueTooth device automatically.

MagSafe Adapter: Apple introduced this idea called MagSafe. If someone got caught on your power cord, it would take the cord and not the computer. I can’t tell you how many times my dogs got caught on my IBM power cord and basically almost took the computer with it.

Battery Life: Wow, what a difference. I was coming from a half-hour battery life on my IBM, although Apple says that the battery can last on a 10 hours on a single charge, in the real world, it’s falls under 6 hours, but still this is pretty incredible.

CONS:

2GB of RAM. Now coming from a Windows world, Windows is a memory hogger, so the more RAM you have in a Windows system, you are good to go, but with a Mac, it’s different. Now if you are compressing 1080p video on a MacBook, the system starts to hick-up trying to catch-up. My advice? Upgrade to 4GB or get the MacBook Pro.

EXPENSIVE: Like all Apple products, it’s pretty expensive. I was pretty hesitant to buy a MacBook because it was pretty pricey and being a student i.e. poor, I needed to save up a good chunk of money to buy one of these machines.

So if you are in the market for a new laptop, only need to do some document creating, and web-browsing this Mac is for you. If you want to do some high-end video compression, go with the MacBook Pro since the Pro lines are more aimed at high-end video production. This is definitely a perfect system if all you want is just web-browsing and document creation.

Happy Shopping!

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I guess I am a Mac after all…, December 9, 2011

I recently made the switch from PC to Mac, and I can say that I’m not sure why I waited so long. Considering that I have only had my computer a few weeks I can’t say much about the durability and longevity of the hardware, but I can say that the operating system (mine shipped with Lion) and software is top notch.

I labored for a long time trying to decide whether the 13″ MacBook Pro or MacBook Air was the right choice for me. I liked the form factor, screen resolution and weight of the Air, but couldn’t get comfortable with the comparatively small hard drive and the RAM fixed at 4GB. Considering these factors along with the significant price premium for an Air, I decided that the MBP was right for me.

I also thought long and hard about whether to go with the base model with the 2.4Ghz i5 processor and 500 GB HDD or the 2.8Ghz i7 processor with the 750GB HDD. after looking at reviews and benchmark tests I decided that for my uses, the less expensive model would be perfect and that the incremental added performance of the more expensive model is not worth the additional cost. When large solid state drives become more affordable I will probably switch my HDD out, but until then 500GB should provide plenty storage.

I opted to get my computer locally, but purchased the Crucial 8GB Kit (4GBx2), 204-pin SODIMM, DDR3 PC3-10600 Memory Module (CT2KIT51264BC1339) from Amazon for a great price. Once I got my computer home I installed the RAM in 10 minutes, start to finish. If you are planning this upgrade just be sure that you have the right Phillips head screwdriver.

After using this computer for the past few weeks and carrying it on weekly business trips I am very pleased with my choice of computers. It handles the Microsoft office suite flawlessly, and the added ram allows me to open and view very large pdf files without any lag. I have done minor video and photo editing on this computer and it performed very well. The added weight compared to the

Air hasn’t proven to be too noticeable, but I am a big guy at 6’4″ and 210 pounds.

So far I am pleased with this computer and my Mac experience overall. The process of learning a new OS and overall user interface was daunting at first, but Apple has done a great job creating a system that is intuitive and easy to learn.

I would recommend this computer to anyone looking for a new laptop that they expect to have for awhile and would like to be able to customize to fit their needs.

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MD 314LL/A 2.8 GHz, 750 GB HDD, November 13, 2011

The reviews here are for the MD313LL/A, yet the computer is actually MD314LL/A, which has a faster processor and bigger hard drive.

The MD314LL/A features a 2.8 GHz i7 processor, integrated Intel 3000 graphics and a 750 GB hard drive. I’ve never owned an Apple laptop before, so there was a little bit of a learning curve. Now that I’m getting the hang of it, I’m beginning to like OSX Lion better than Windows. Programs can be run on separate virtual desktops, and the computer never misses a beat when several programs are active. Switching between different desktops or open programs can be done by merely sliding three fingers forward on the large touchpad. Control-clicking on words or phrases in Safari brings up a context sensitive menu which allows the user to select to view a dictionary, Wikipedia, or do a Google search in a pop-up window in the browser. You can also ask the computer to speak the word or phrase, if you have any doubts about pronunciation. Safari also includes links to a library of plug-ins at extensions.apple.com, which includes a plug-in for Flash, so you can now watch free Hulu videos and other videos online. The network preferences window makes it far easier than Windows to set up a list of public DNS servers to bypass the sometimes slow, glitchy ISP servers.

This computer is completely silent. I wasn’t even sure it had a cooling fan until I downloaded a utility to monitor the fan speed. This computer is super fast, and the base plate never gets more than lukewarm. The light weight, small footprint, lighted keyboard, crisp screen and speed really make this computer shine.

The attention to detail is really outstanding. The cooling vents on the back of the base are completely covered by a sliding plate when the lid is closed, keeping dust out of the innards. The power supply has flip out legs for winding the cord for storage and the prongs can be removed so it can be used as a brick type supply with the supplied AC cord. The computer also has a green LED battery status gauge built into the left side of the base, which is activated by a flush button. The lid snaps shut quietly even though there are no cheesy stick-on rubber bumpers, and it is held closed by magnets. The built in light sensor shuts off the keyboard backlighting and brightens the display in bright ambient light. The computer also has a 3 axis accelerometer to protect the hard drive from damage. The attention to detail is why Macs are more expensive than the various PC clones.

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No longer an apple hater, December 28, 2011

Packaging:

Very impressed with the packaging. I was very impressed how well this thing was packaged. A well thought-out design protects the content and minimizes customer dissatisfaction.

First impression:

I am sure everyone who are interested to buy this product, has gone to best buy and played with it a bit. well, the new MBP right out of the box is 90% more impressive and attractive than that of the store. It is a good looking piece of machine.

It came with a charger, extension cord for the charger, instruction book, screen wipe, and nothing more that I needed. I took the cord out, and started charging it. A full charging is highly recommended before use. after a few setup screens, I am up and running.

Upgrade time:(Make sure you shut down your machine first)

I ordered this machine with a 8GB memory upgrade (DDR3-1333) from Crucial. I did not want to pay a premium for the apple upgrade. Instead, I bought a dual channel kit separately for .00. I highly recommended Crucial brand as they use Samsung memory chips and for one more reason I am telling you next. I will not go through how to change the memory(a lot of youtube videos available). when I took out the existing memory out of the MBP, guess what chips they use on the memory sticks? yes, guessed it right, samsung.And I also have reasons to believe that the RAMs are OEM version of crucial memory judging by physical similarities. but, that is just my opinion, not a fact.

User Experience:

After the upgrade, turned on the machine and few beeps and clunks later, it started flying. I repeat, it is flying and my machine is currently running over 600 threads without any sign of slowing down. virtual box? NO PROBLEMO! this little beauty is a little beast in performance. I have installed over 50 applications, running dozens simultaneously, 10 more browser windows open, and it just happy. I can’t say enough about the multi-touch gestures. No other laptop I have ever used that had such ease of switching between applications, scrolling, searching, sliding and navigating. I have never used Mac OS before(not more than a few minutes of playing around at best buy), and I felt it was very intuitive to use and learned fairly quickly. I still don’t know a lot about the OS, but it has not stopped me from doing what I need to do.

What could be better:

Not that I cared much, but the standard power cord is a little short. I bought a sleeve to keep it safe, and it does not allow room for the extension cord that comes with it(big and bulky).

It has good speakers that play nice sounding beats. But the 15″ plays them better.

The outer shell is aluminium, but don’t think you can’t scratch it. I spent a sleepless night just cause it put a small scratch under it by accident. But, I am over it now.

Advice to the people who wants to take the plunge:

I felt like it was the best 00 I spent on a laptop. I could not justify it before using it as I always thought that Mac is more style than performance and usefulness. I admit that I was wrong. This machine offers more features and performance per dollar than I thought. This is a well-built machine that would serve me longer than any other laptop ever has for me. I have half a dozen windows machines in my house including a 990X extreme desktop that I built 4 months ago. I love windows, but I have learned that I can like both (Macbook pro and PC).

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Best budget 17″ laptop available, October 8, 2011

For those looking for a budget 17″ laptop for play or work, look no further. This is perhaps the best laptop that balance performance, cost, battery life and reliability. Purchased this laptop 2 days ago from Frys, couldn’t be happier. This is a list of my observations:

Pro:

1. Wonderful 17.3″ Sony screen – one of the best in the industry. Very bright. Lots of space to work. My work machine has a 24″ full HD screen and I don’t miss it.

2. Super fast second generation Core i5 2.4GHz 2430M 2.4GHz with turbo boost to 3GHz, not the much slower Core i3 and one step above the Core i5 2.3GHz 2410M you see on most lower cost sandy bridge i5 laptops

3. Very rigit chasis – no flex at all for a 17″ laptop, built quality is valut like – should provide many years of reliable protection. It is the BMW/Benz of laptops.

4. Extremely low power consumption – the 4000MAH battery will easily last 4-5 hours on light use – web surfing or working on office apps. I am very impressed.

5. Lightweight for a 17.3″ laptop – it is quite easy to carry it around, especially since the long battery life means you can usually leave the power adapter at home.

6. There are TWO battery upgrade options – a 5300MAH battery (VGP-BPS26) which is the same size and weight as the included battery, but will last 7 hours instead of 5 hours, and a 9 cell, slightly heavier battery which is 7950MAH (VGP-BPL26) and 10 hours battery run-time.

7. Blu-Ray drive for watching HD movies. Never get a DVD for a 17″ laptop. It is just not appropriate. Believe me you will want to watch Blu Ray on this machine.

8. 4xUSB ports, HDMI, VGA, Ethernet, SD/MS slots, Wireless on-off switch

9. Wondeful multi-touch touchpad with pinch to zoom and other gestures

10. Completely resist finger prints – the only place you are going to leave finger prints on this laptop would be on the screen. Sony has always been pretty good in this regard.

Cons:

1. Screen resolution is 1600×900 and no option to upgrade it, but it is probably one of the best 1600×900 screens out there. The slightly lower resolution is quite acceptable actually.

2. Included battery is 4000MAH, not the 5300MAH version which is the same size and weight

3. No backlit keyboard

4. Numeric pad makes the keyboard slightly off center

5. No bluetooth and no Intel Wireless Display

6. No USB 3.0 port

7. Speakers a bit weak, crackle a bit at full volume.

Immediately upon getting this laptop, I ordered another 4GB Samsung RAM that is identical to the one that is in the laptop, and also purchased an Intel Advanced Wireless 6230 mini-PCI WiFi card to replace the original Atheros WiFi card. The WiFi card upgrade allows me to have bluetooth and also Intel Wireless Display capabilities. The 8GB RAM makes this machine run so fast that most programs simply pop open immediately.

Just found out that upgrading to 8GB is a MUST!! It improved Windows experience score from 4.4 to 5.9, and significantly sped up the graphics! 3DMark06 went from 3200 to 4600 by simply upgrading the RAM, looks like the Intel HD 3000 is seriously starved for memory bandwidth. It is now a competent laptop even for casual 3D games!

The Windows 7 Experience score (8GB Ram):

Overall: 5.9

Processor: 7.0

Memory: 7.4

Graphics: 5.9

Gaming graphics: 6.2

Primary hard disk: 5.9

Very impressive score for a budget 17″ laptop!

Next purchase will probably be either the 5300MAH (VGP-BPS26) or 7950MAH (VGP-BPL26) battery – can’t decide which one though. The 5300MAH is small and light, same size as the original battery. The 7950MAH will last 10 hours and lift the laptop a bit for better cooling and typing angles.

Can’t be happier with the purchase and looking forward to improve it even further!

———EDIT 10/8/2011——–

Made up my mind and ordered a 7950MAH battery (VGP-BPL26)- might as well go for broke and get 10 hours battery life. This means that I will never have to bring the adapter out again, as it is truly an all day computing battery life. Can’t wait to get the battery!

———EDIT 10/16/2011——–

After using it for more than ten days, I can say that this is truly an excellent laptop with no major faults. The 7950MAH battery arrived and indeed provide more than 10 hours of battery life with light use. It lift the back of the laptop slightly for a better viewing and typing angle. Very glad to have the large battery instead of the standard version!

———EDIT 11/9/2011———

Having lots of fun with this powerhouse machine – running multiple VM on it (8G RAM really helps), the OSX Mac VM is running at twice the speed of my other 2.66GHz Core2Duo Sony. Still very happy with the purchase. Have discovered a minor flaw – the green power button is a bit…

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Excellent laptop, November 22, 2011

Very very nice laptop, no complaints.

- True desktop replacement.

- The design and looks are great, very solid build and light to move around.

- The quality of the screen is amazing, blu-rays played flawlessly.

- Chiclet keyboard is very comfortable to type on.

- Performance is excellent for multimedia family use purposes.

- Integrated graphics card is no good for heavy graphics software like gaming but more than enough for everything else.

- It came with 4GB (4GB x 1) of ram and I replaced with 8GB (Kingston ValueRAM 8GB 1333MHz DDR3 KIT 4GB x 2) for faster multitasking and increased integrated graphics card sharing.

- Windows Experience Scores: Processor: 7.0, Memory (8GB RAM): 7.4, Graphics: 6.3, Game graphics: 6.3, Primary hard disk: 5.8

- Battery ran for 3 hours @ 2.40GHz full power no turbo boost and highest screen brightness.

- 4 usbs is great to have, we had 3 before and was always 1 short.

- 640 GB @ 5400 hard drive is more than enough space and speed.

- Speakers are good enough for a laptop. I have external speakers hooked up so I don’t really use the internal ones.

- No bluetooth, no problem cause we have never used it on other laptops.

- Fans are on the quiet side.

All in all it was a perfect purchase at an incredible 9. If you don’t want to spend much on an excellent family desktop replacement laptop with an amazing 17″ screen you have to get this. Enjoy!

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Love the screen size and the speed, Best Screen in the market. Sandy Bridge CPU. good value, October 2, 2011

This one have a 17.3″ screen. And the LED display is Glass-view screen, not like other higher price SONY Vaio which have anti-glare screen.

I prefer this one. This also have the new i5 CPU and Blu-ray.

After several months of research and compare. I bought one of this. I really love the screen, it’s super clear. And only Apple Macbook Pro 17″ can compare to this SONY.

But you know, Apple Macbook pro will cost 00 plus. That’s too much for me.

And I found this SONY, 17.3″, i5 sandy Bridge CPU and BLu-Ray. Apple Mackbook pro do not have Blu-Ray.

Cannot be happier. The price is reasonable. And I love the SONY Gate software, it looks so cute. And I can also use this SONY Vaio to control my PS3.

Get one, you won’t be regret.

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Comparison to the 2011 Macbook Pro 13″ and a Wifi Drop Problem, July 29, 2011

Updated January 9th, 2012 – skip to bottom to read updates.

I’ve owned the machine for 5 months now and have simplified the review for your convenience.

Things I like:

+ Light weight; 2.9 lbs (1.3 kg). You can easily hold it with one hand – the MBP 13″ is noticeably heavier at 4.5 lbs.

+ Solid build quality like the MBPs. Chassis is rock solid, no keyboard flex, screen housing is rigid with minor flex in the middle.

+ Better ergonomics than the MBPs; the palm rest edges don’t dig into your wrists like the edges on the MBPs do.

+ Same fluid multitouch trackpad and the backlit keyboard makes a return.

+ The screen is a pleasure to use with it’s high resolution (1440 x 900) and semi-gloss finish.

There is no glass cover so there will be dramatically less reflections compared to the screen of the MBPs

I personally chose the Air over the Pro because of reduced glare.

+ 18 second boot ups and 3 second shut downs. Resumes from sleep within 3 seconds.

+ The two USB 2.0 ports are on opposite sides of the laptop (less clutter than MBP)

+ Speakers are surprisingly loud; they can fill up a small room.

+ Runs extremely cool and it’s so quiet that you’ll wonder if the fan is running at all.

I can definitely feel heat ~ 87 degrees F on the MPB 13′s underside after 6 hours of use

where as the MBA 13′s underside stayed relatively cooler.

+ Runs Windows 7 just as cool and quietly. (I installed Windows 7 via flash drive)

+ Performance is almost identical to the MBP 13″ 2011 on everyday tasks because the Core i5

CPU can turbo boost to 2.7 GHz and the SSD allows for instant application launching.

+ Gaming: it has the same Intel HD Graphics 3000 as the MBP 13″ 2011. I was able to run

Starcraft II smoothly at low settings on native resolution. Medium settings also ran nicely but

you get less FPS during large battles. League of Legends ran smoothly at medium settings

30 FPS flat) on native resolution.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Things I don’t like:

- *IMPORTANT* Wifi drops constantly on my unit (skip to the bottom to read more)

- The keyboard is shallower and has less travel than the MBP keyboards (you’ll get used to it

within a few days)

- The screen has less color gamut than the MBP 13′s screen. This screen covers only 46% of

sRGB color spectrum where as the MBP 13′s screen covers 77%. For image editing,

I would use an external monitor.

- The vertical viewing angles aren’t so great. One minute tilt of the screen causes colors to shift

dramatically (for example: a purple color can change from lavender to light blue as you tilt

the screen backward or forward). Again, I would use an external monitor for tasks in

which accurate colors are mission critical. For everyday use it’s not noticeable and is

actually easier on the eyes than the glare-prone screens of the MBPs.

- Not all models come with the same SSD. There are 2 variations; a Samsung SSD and a

Toshiba SSD. The Samsung SSD significantly outperforms the Toshiba SSD in

benchmarks (check the AnandTech review)

To check what SSD you have, click on the Apple logo -> About this Mac ->

more info/system report -> then look on the left hand side and click on “Serial- ATA”.

If your SSD’s serial number starts with “SM” it’s a Samsung and a “TS” means it’s a

Toshiba.

- I personally get 5 hours of battery life max on a single charge while surfing with 10+ tabs open on safari; I got

~7 hours doing the same tasks on the MPB 13 2011. My activities included watching

YouTube videos, viewing flash content on tech and news sites, reading/writing email,

and using AIM.

- No FaceTime HD Camera (720p) as on the MPBs. The quality difference is, unfortunately,

very noticeable.

- The integrated microphone is located on the side of the laptop instead of on top of the keyboard

as on the MBP. During Skype calls, my buddies told me that my voice sounded muffled

when using the Air. Using a headset with a mic, I was able to improve the sound quality.

- The base of the machine developed a creaking noise within the first week of use. I suspect this to be

caused by uneven tension in the screws.

- after 5 months of, a white cluster of stuck pixels developed in the bottom left corner of the screen.

The machine has been handled with care so it’s not accidental damage.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Conclusion: Which one should you get?

As a…

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Best Macbook to date, August 12, 2011

Customer Video Review Length:: 7:19 Mins

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Great Looks, Speedy Laptop. Gets hot and loud under moderate CPU load., August 15, 2011

I have been using my new 13″ Macbook Air, 256GB, Core i7 for just over a week and here are my impressions…

First, the good stuff…

- The industrial design is absolutely gorgeous and rock-solid. The laptop is thin, light and pleasure to look at.

- Screen is 13″ but the resolution is comparable to that of most 15″+ laptops. Perfectly usable for graphic/software development. While Macbook Air uses (supposedly) an inferior TN panel compared to Macbook Pro, I did not find a drastic difference between the two (I also own a 17″ Macbook Pro). The Air has slightly smaller viewing angles and perhaps not as good colour reproduction, but the differences are subtle. Also, there’s a lot less glare on Air’s “glossy” display compared to glossy Macbook Pro.

- Performance is great, in some cases it bests the Quad Core i7 17″ Macbook Pro, thanks to its SSD Drive. Startups/shutdowns are super fast and the applications open/close almost instantly. Having said that, do not expect to do any serious gaming on this little guy. The built-in Intel graphics chip has hard time handling even 5 year old games and is actually slower than nVidia chip on the previous generation Air.

- Expect to get about 4-5 hours of mixed use out of “7 hour” battery. That’s what I average while doing some Photoshop and web dev work, browsing, listening to music and viewing a few video clips.

Now, the negatives…

Well, it’s one negative really, but it is something I find extremely annoying. The laptop gets VERY hot when CPU usage approaches 50% and the fan kicks in full-blast at 6,000+ RPM.

I first noticed the excessive noise when I was transferring my data and applications from the time machine backup upon initial setup. The fan stayed on entire time, CPU temperature was approaching 90C while being only 30% utilized.

I continued to experience high heat/fan noise issues throughout the week. Sometimes it was during routine web browsing where some of the websites contained Flash elements. Starting Windows XP in Parallels would immediately set the fan in motion, again, sometimes hitting 6,000+ rpm. Playing Civilization IV, a fairly old game, had fan going full blast entire time with CPU again reaching 90C. Apple’s own “Cosmos” screensaver brings the CPU temperature up to 80-85C and the fan up to 4500-5000rpm. The most annoying thing — none of these tasks were taxing the CPU at more than 50%!

I did a fair bit of research on this issue. There are multiple discussions on Apple, MacRumours and other forums about excessive heat and fan noise. Also, many report increased heat on their older Apple laptops after upgrading to Lion, so perhaps (fingers crossed), there’s a patch on the way that will improve thermal management somewhat.

The thought about returning the Air for refund did cross my mind, but I decided to keep it in the end. I am not a gamer and doing my work (web/mobile development) is not very taxing on the CPU, however, I do not think it is unreasonable to expect relatively quiet operation on such premium laptop with only 50% CPU usage. I can only hope that Apple is listening and looking to remedy the problem.

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 Comments (11)

Suits and performs properly, December 22, 2010

If you have shopped all around for Dell laptop batteries, you know that this one is WAY cheaper than the 1 that Dell sells straight. My first Dell battery only lasted two several years so why would I go to Dell and spend for a replacement when I could get a no-frills brand battery for only such as delivery? Even if this no-frills battery only lasts me six months, I am nevertheless way in advance of the recreation. Ok, I will occur down from my soapbox and tell you that this battery fit perfectly into our Dell laptop, and performs effectively. Soon after a complete charge, it runs the laptop for several hrs before needing a recharge. Even at , this would be a fantastic offer. At , this is a no-brainer. I suggest this battery for anybody who demands a alternative or spare battery for thier Dell laptop.

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&nbspComments (2)

incredibly pleased customer, February two, 2011

permit me start off out by stating that I was quite skeptical of buying a battery on-line for 50 % the price that Dell gives them at, but being the very broke higher education college student that I am, I really failed to have much of a selection. Let me notify you that so significantly, this item is fantastic. (its only been a number of days, but all would seem nicely) Matches properly into my inspiron 1525, and holds a cost for more than 3 hrs while browsing the net and by way of continuous use. I would advise this item to any person and am incredibly content. excellent product, and it arrived at my doorway inside of four days. Will change my rating to a 5 star soon after i have owned it for a month or so if it carries on to perform like this.

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&nbspComment (1)

Purchaser BEWARE, Could three, 2011

I experimented with to save money and it came back to bite me. The battery does not cost. My Dell Inspirion 1545 states plugged in not charging. It did not perform straight out of the package deal. Very disappointing! Regrettably, I even study the evaluations of this taking place to other individuals and considered absolutely it wouldn’t happen to me. How could someone sell a defective product and get away with it? I so desire I had just purchased a battery from Dell. I guess its time to go through the return plan. I will update following I return it.

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&nbspFeedback (10)

A extremely great acquire….please stick to these methods ahead of you acquire, January 15, 2008

By&nbsp

P. Bangera (Jersey City NJ) – See all my testimonials

&nbsp&nbsp

I obtained this solution from Amazon and it was delivered in two hrs.

You want to make positive you stick to these methods just before you obtain extra memory, otherwise you could landup purchasing an incompatible RAM.

one. Go to the corsair web site.

two. Pick memory configurator on the top rated appropriate facet.

3. Decide on Laptop computer and then the brand.

four. Then enter the model (typically found at the bottom of the laptop).

5. If asked for a chipset along with the model, then proper click on on My pc -> Attributes -> hardware -> device manager.

six. Make it a point to open up your laptop covering above your RAM and check the RAM model.

7. Do not have confidence in your producer handbook. In my case, it was pointed out chipset 943 and RAM PC2-4200. Following doing steps five & 6, I observed my chipset was 945 and RAM PC2-5300.

eight. Phase six is also crucial, since you will have an thought about the accessible slots. In my case I had to enhance from 1GB to 2GB. But I had 2 slots coated with 512MB every single. So I had to purchase 2 * 1 GB.

Hope this assessment was useful.

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&nbspRemarks (two)

A ideal in shape, April thirteen, 2007

By&nbsp

Franklin E. Halasz (Albuquerque, NM United States) – See all my critiques

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Despite the fact that this is not the identical kit quantity as the a single on Crucial’s site, it labored perfectly in my MacBook. Took me five minutes to install. And it arrived in 2 days!

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&nbspRemark

Vital Delivered the Improper solution … and then messed me close to, September thirteen, 2007

By&nbsp

A. Mendelsohn (Boston, USA) – See all my evaluations

&nbsp&nbsp

I ordered this through Amazon, which handed the correct get onto Important. Crucial shipped me DIMM as an alternative of SODIMM. Following phoning them and becoming left on hold for forty minutes, they:
1) refused to acknowledge they had created a mistake (despite the delivery order enclosed with ram supplying all the proper get details)
two) insisted that I ship the ram again AT MY Price
three) would not ship me the correct ram at the price advertized on Amazon — they needed to cost a lot more
Entirely a foul knowledge. Avoid Vital!!!!!!!!!!!!

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&nbspFeedback (five)

I REALLY want to give it five stars… but. (UPDATED), November 8, 2011

By 

S. Lacey “Cohete Loco” (Nashville, TN) – See all my reviews

  

Let me start with the good:

So awesome. Great OS, fabulous improvements to the existing line bumping up the processor speed and adding the thunderbolt port. This is my second MacBook. The first one I had was a 2006 model, not the Pro. I fell in love with it. This one has had the same effect. I had upgraded my old MacBook to Lion, so I kind of knew what I was getting, but hadn’t been able to enjoy some of the awesome new multi-touch features. The improvements to the OS have been relatively gradual, but substantive. The feel of this machine compared to the old MacBook is far superior. The Unibody construction is solid, sleek and beautiful. It is everything I’d hoped it would be from a look and feel standpoint, but somehow a bit more sturdy.

For the not so good, I got the stock screen – which is VERY glossy. I mean … REALLY glossy. It’s still beautiful and has better color reproduction than I could ever expect from a notebook. The reflectiveness of the display is only a minor inconvenience if you work in a controlled-lighting environment like me (I prefer it dark) or if you can crank up the brightness.

My real problem with it? The statement of 7 hour battery life is not just mere exaggeration — it’s a lie. I challenge anyone to show proof that through anywhere near normal use can get more than 2.5 hrs out of it. I’ve got the brightness all the way down to just one notch above ‘off’ and the keyboard backlight off. The first full charge of this battery got me only about 2 full hours. Enabling the battery timer is useless. The “Time remaining” goes from 4 hours plus to less than 2 hours over the span of about 10 minutes. It’s a joke. It’s so bad that I’m thinking I only got half a battery or something.

I have an extended battery on a Dell notebook that gives me 7.5 hrs of regular use, and had an extra “slice” battery that attached to a Compaq elitebook that gave me 7-8 hrs. I know what 7 hrs of battery looks like. This ain’t it.

My only other complaint is that it gets really hot. There’s a reason they aren’t called laptops.

If you buy this – don’t go into it expecting 7 hrs of battery life, and you’ll be perfectly satisfied.

All that being said, I think I’m done buying Windows PCs.

UPDATE:

With the help of some responders to my original review, I am seeing much better results from the battery – close to 5 hrs + of normal use. Leaving the original text of the review intact, but updating the rating to the 5 stars the product deserves. I’m extremely satisfied. Very happy Mac owner.

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The Ultimate Macbook Experience for Everything! (no joke), December 5, 2011

By 

T. A. Dinh “Never Give Up” (San Jose, CA) – See all my reviews

  

(Over three years of experience in IT with Mac Products)

-=[750GB Version]=-

I’ve been maintaining/repairing computers for ten years but the product that has made a huge impact on my life is the Mac. After working with Windows NT, 98, 2000, and XP. I’m glad that I was introduced to the Mac line when the White/Black Macbook was just coming out. Since then, once you go Mac, you can’t go back.

Apple is a great company, many people think they’ve overrated and overcharge for their products. The main product you’re paying premium for is their operating system and customer support. The operating system is what makes the Mac run so smoothly and safely. You can see the OS works very well with the right specifications, and worry free in regards to getting a virus. How often do you hear about a Mac user running into a virus issue, rarely.

I’ve worked with the old Macbook Pro 15″ with the i7 Dual Core. This is a huge upgrade from that, it has a performance score twice as much as last years model. This is one of the latest processor in a laptop market today. This is an i7 Quad Processor, and of course I am happy that this is an Intel processor and not AMD. I upgraded to Corsair 8GB 1333mhz Ram. Together with the processor makes this a great buy for multitasking.

The screen is very reflective. When I use this outdoor it proves a problem to see and I end up squinting at times. But if you’re majorly using the screen indoor (like I do), you will only see how beautiful this screen lights up. It’s really instant on thanks to being LED and you can see how thin that screen is. The resolution on this Macbook is a big improvement over the last years model as well, thanks to the 1GB graphic card.

Now you’re probably wondering, why I mention this Macbook is for everything. Three simple reasons, it has the graphics card (1GB) that can make it do the most intensive graphic program, we’ve reached the time when programs are being made for both Windows and Mac, and lastly it can have Windows 7 installed as well.

The graphics has amazed me. I’ve played Starcraft 2, Day of Defeat Source, Team Fortress 2, and Grand Theft Auto IV on high settings. I even can play Battlefield 3 as well while on Medium setting and the quality is beautiful (installed on Windows). The graphics card plays an additional role in the speed of the computer. You can have a great processor and a large amount of ram. But when it comes to watching HD videos, video editing, or playing games, the graphic card has to be good a well. 1GB I guarantee you will have plenty and is just on par with a desktop gaming computer. Most games that are graphic intensive recommends 1GB, looks like this Macbook is prepared!

Many people say, “Mac’s are not made for gaming”. You can definitely prove them wrong now, you have a 1GB card and that saying is old now. There are many games out available for Mac and they work stunningly great on it. I am surprise myself that Battlefield 3 ran so great! You can get AutoCad, Photoshop, and so much more. But if there’s a certain window product you need to install, well here’s my third reason.

You now can feel like you paid for TWO laptops and operating systems, thanks to Boot Camp.

You can install Windows 7 on this laptop thanks to boot camp. Just hold down the ALT key upon boot up after you install it and choose either Mac or Windows to use. Apple has a built in program that walks you through it just like turning on a computer. It’s so simple. you’ll have Windows 7 on this laptop in an hour, thats how long it took me. Thanks to having Windows installed, I can install any program I want. This has a 750GB hard drive so there is a large amount of space for both OS. This Macbook is now definitely made for everything.

Sorry to say but the battery life is not the rated seven hours unless you plan to only do word documents, light internet surfing, and brightness all the way down. If you play games, browse the web heavily, socialize, webcam, and brightness all the way up, you’d get most likely 3-4 hours only. This is ok for me because I can adjust accordingly of how much power I need. If I’m in class, I’ll be having my brightness level down and the battery can last long just fine. As for gaming, I’ll make sure to be at a desk and with my power adapter handy. Battery life doesn’t affect me whatsoever, and comparing Mac to other 15.4 inch laptops, the Mac has a great power management built in the OS that makes sure it uses next to no battery usage while on standby.

Overall for the price, you’re not paying for just the cool factor of Apple, but for the customer support as well. If you have a problem with the Mac, there’s a Genius Bar in the Apple Store there with experts to help you out. Within the first year after purchasing it’s free help. Even after the one year they will not mind taking a look to see what the problem is. But with…

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20+ year former IT guy makes the switch, and can’t believe he waited this long, December 3, 2011

By 

M. Zolikoff (Ann Arbor, MI United States) – See all my reviews

  

(This review was typed on this machine).

I researched this purchase EXTENSIVELY via Amazon, Best Buy, other retailers, and my local university (with educational pricing for staff/students/faculty). In the end, I ended up purchasing this machine from Best Buy as the price was the same and I had a line of credit (although I had to pay tax: hey, someone has to help pay for our roads, right?)

In short, I can’t say enough positive things about this purchase. This machine is INCREDIBLY fast, the interface is slick (although it takes some getting used to coming from the Windows world – especially window minimizing and the function keys), and with an iPhone 4S and iPad 2, iTunes syncing is a DREAM compared to Windows (on purpose, El Steve?).

The screen is plenty big (if you’re waffling between 15″ and 17″, go to a local Best Buy or Apple Store and play around with each – the 17″ has better resolution, but lift them up and check the weight – I prefer the 15″ for portability and weight, but you’re choice will depend on use), and I ordered the 8GB memory package from Amazon (which should show up any day now). Regarding memory I will say: 4GB is just enough; the OS and apps eat up just about every bit, so I’m looking forward to 8GB.

The backlit keyboard is a dream to type on, the magnetic charger is kid-proof, and the multi-touch trackpad alone is well worth the price (I’m a big fan of the two-finger “reverse scrolling”, the back-and-forth swiping in Safari is SO convenient, and the 3/4 finger swiping to bring up LaunchPad and the like is great).

My sole complaint is the lack of USB ports, but only because I’m using a Logitech M305 wireless mouse. If I had a true Mac-compatible Bluetooth mouse this wouldn’t be an issue, but in hooking up an external USB drive for Time Machine backups (a Western Digital 2TB) and the Logitech dongle, I’m out of USB ports when I have to sync my iPhone or iPad. But hey, with everything else being incredibly integrated, I’m not complaining THAT much.

Taking and syncing videos and pictures via my iPhone (the local Christmas parade!) is flawless, and iTiVo is a must for those with TiVos.

Regarding apps, take a look at Moom, Alfred, DaisyDisk, AppTrap (for uninstalling apps), and Handbrake.

I may end up getting the Applecare plan (part # MD012LL/A), but if I do, I’ll get it elsewhere (4 from other sites vs. 5 from Amazon, just do a search on Google Shopping for the aforementioned part number).

In summary, this machine is already making my life easier with regard to home pictures and video, expanding my family’s use of our iPad, and backups. Good-bye Windows, Hello Mac!

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 Comment (1)

For the On the Go Person, August 26, 2010

By&nbsp

Mel Odom (Moore, Ok USA) – See all my critiques

&nbsp&nbsp

&nbsp&nbsp

&nbsp&nbsp

I have to admit, when I initial opened the box and took this undesirable boy out, I was appalled by the size. I have been trying to go more compact and smaller with everything I have close to on a daily basis. My 4-pound notebook pc seemed nearly dropped in it.

Then, when I started incorporating in the notes, textbooks, pens, mouse, exterior drive, earphones, and other accessories I carry often, I was stunned again by how a lot the situation held. Comfortably. Every thing is effortlessly laid out inside of it, easy to get to and quick to hand. I really like the exterior entrance/pocket that permits me to get to some of my tools without having opening the circumstance.

The scenario appears great and seems really sturdy. It stands up and provides excellent safety for the personal computer.

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&nbspRemark

This works great!, June 18, 2010

By&nbsp

Rodney Cox – See all my testimonials

&nbsp&nbsp

I had acquired a new Qosmio X505 laptop with an eighteen.4 inch display screen and needed a greater situation. This case performs fantastic. It’s simply large enough for the laptop computer as effectively as all the different peripherals. The bag alone has a wonderful sense.

A excellent purchase.

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&nbspComment (1)

Carrying circumstance, on the low cost, August 1, 2010

By&nbsp

S. J. Koblentz (Columbus, OH United States) – See all my evaluations

&nbsp&nbsp

&nbsp&nbsp

This circumstance logic bag is what I would phone a laptop or computer scenario on the low cost. This bag is light excess weight and would do in a pinch, but it is not a prolonged phrase expense. One could get an oversized laptop computer into the middle pouch, which supplies a padded modified that can be modified for scaled-down laptops. For an affordable machine, this *could* perform as a short phrase answer.

The bag is mild bodyweight, thinly padded and the materials are merely way too thin to offer any level of defense. Although the seams ended up all effectively sewn, I identified that the shoulder strap clips (these clips that connect the strap to the bag to be plastic with steel wire closers) to look low cost. Although the springs on these are tense, 1 side broke although attempting to detach the strap. As a consequence, its in the trash.

I just can not advocate this scenario if you can pay for to buy a greater a single. As I stated, this would perform in a pinch as an emergency computer situation, but it just just isn’t what I would take into account safe for a common objective notebook.

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&nbspRemarks (2)

excellent memory for a MBP 2011 i5 13′, March twenty five, 2011

This memory is wonderful for my new MBP 2011, i5 13″, also when Mac OS detects 8 Gb of memory, the graphic memory raises up to 512 Mb (from the authentic 384 Mb w/ the built-in intel hd3000 chip)

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&nbspRemarks (7)

Functions on a February 2011 MacBook Pro 15 inch, March sixteen, 2011

By&nbsp

Michael Stanford (Dallas, TX) – See all my reviews

&nbsp&nbsp

Plugged it in, put the back go over back again on, fired it up keeping down the D important to operate the memory examination. Memory check ran Ok. Restarted.

“About This Mac” exhibits “Memory eight GB 1333 MHz DDR3.”

Note: Following removing ten screws, the again cover remains retained by two plastic clips near the heart. Pry it up gently and it pops off.

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&nbspComment (one)

What a deal, March one, 2011

By&nbsp

John S. Dean “John” (Sturtevant, WI United States) – See all my testimonials

&nbsp&nbsp

&nbsp&nbsp

Just changed my two thirty day period aged 15″ macbook professional with the latest i7 type they introduced a few days ago. So my aged 8GB wasn’t suitable ever again. Only about five months in the past that older type memory price me not rather 3 times what this more modern RAM cost.
Received it set up without any problems in the laptop, booted up good, operates great.
Finest value I located, can’t believe how cheaply I received this new laptop up to 8GB.

Edit – labored wonderful on my new 2011 Mac Mini as nicely, now has 8GB.

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&nbspResponses (nine)

Very good for use during travel, June 20, 2011

By 

J. Arms “SpanProf” (Arkansas) – See all my reviews

  

I have only used this netbook for a bit over a week, but it is very comfortable and easy to use. The first thing I did was to upgrade the Windows 7 Startup to the Enterprise version (with a legal copy of the latter); Startup is fine if you only wish to do Microsoft games, e-mail, word processing, spreadsheets, and internet cruising. It has no real flexibility with respect to personalization. I currently own two other netbooks–another Asus (7″ model) and an HP 10″), and I purchased this one due to its dual processor, which is definitely quicker than the HP Atom chip. My wife has taken possession of the HP for her use, as the 10″ keyboards are definitely much more comfortable than those on the 7″ model. It is definitely light and easy to transport, which is the main reason for purchasing these units. I recommend it to those who are not doing heavy duty gaming or using programs that rely heavily on number-crunching.

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 Comment (1)

Fantastic for travel and light use, July 6, 2011

I got this little netbook just before going on a vacation. I wanted to have something small and lightweight that I could use to check email, keep in contact with folks, and upload photos, etc. This was absolutely perfect for the price and for its intended purpose.

Pros:

The computer really is small. It easily fits in a medium size purse, and is very light weight.

The battery lasted well, although I haven’t put the battery life to the test. It charged up quickly. The wireless worked great.

All the programs I tried worked well, and seemed to run as fast as they do on a regular computer. I downloaded some free photo-editing software (from Google), and was able to do some preliminary editing of vacation photos while traveling. I also downloaded “Open Office” so I could use it to compose a letter or a note, and Google Chrome for web browsing. (And I downloaded Angry Birds on Chrome.) I haven’t used it extensively – just while traveling, but all the programs I mentioned worked just fine for me.

The keys are well marked, and there are some “FN” shortcuts for volume, brightness, etc that are easy to find.

Also, apparently some netbooks are very shiny and hold fingerprints – this one is a matte surface (I got the red, which is more of a brick color) and it stays clean looking.

I didn’t do any “customization” – no changing the operating system, changing the memory, anything like that. For my purposes, it worked great right out of the box.

Cons (such as they are):

There are really no cons that I can think of. Keep in mind, I would *not* use this as my primary computer, but frankly I don’t think that’s what it was intended for. The screen is pretty small, so it’s a little hard sometimes to see a web page, or even to browse through multiple photos. And the keys are a little closer together than my regular laptop. But the small size is also the advantage – this is exactly the small computer you’d want to bring with you when traveling. Not only is there less to lug around, but if your laptop is lost or stolen, you’d be out less money. (Also, the important files you might keep on your home computer will not be compromised – something to think about when bringing a laptop on a trip.)

Another reviewer mentioned that the screen jumped, and that the navigation keys were difficult to use. I used both the touchpad and the arrow keys to navigate, and didn’t experience the problems mentioned. The touchpad is, however, very sensitive – you can “click” with just the lightest tap right on the touchpad. I found this very intuitive to use, though, because my Lenovo laptop works the same way. I would suspect there are settings someplace to change the touchpad sensitivity, but it’s also pretty easy to get used to (I did with the Lenovo).

Overall, highly recommended – for what it is, which is a netbook (as opposed to a notebook) designed to surf the web and do light computing.

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 Comment

Very functional as an Ubuntu netbook, too., September 7, 2011

By 

Marc Hines (Portland, OR) – See all my reviews

  

*** Update after using the unit for a few months ***

We have used this unit to watch movies off the hard drive on plane flights and in hotels (using head phones) and found it to be very nice for travel (or typing from bed as I am using it right now).

In practical terms; battery life is from 4-6 hours (5 is decent average) running Ubuntu as the OS.

The newer Ubuntu 11.10 runs like a champ on it, so Ubuntu 10.10, 11.04 and 11.10 all work without needing any drivers.

Lastly, the memory upgrade to 2 gigs was not really necessary for a Linux distro; the orignal 1 gig would have been fine. I can run 4 or 5 applications and still use only 350 megs of RAM.

*** End of update; you will now be returned to the original review ***

Let me begin by saying the Windows 7 that comes with the system by default worked better that I expected (Slow, but it did work); but I bought this as a Linux portable small enough to haul to meetings and carry with me without lugging my massive laptop.

The 1015PX was approved by Asus to run Ubuntu 10.10; they had planned to offer it for sale that way, but that seems to not have happened.

I loaded the more recent Ubuntu 11.04, and everything works without loading a single additional driver. I am expecting the Ubuntu 11.10 release will run just as well (I have a test install of it running on another box).

I will let you know that Ubuntu 10.04.03 LTS (Long Term Support) did not support the trackpad off the live CD, so plan to install 10.10, 11.04 or 11.10 if you are Ubuntu inclined.

Reviews of this netbook on other sites mention it runs the current Fedora fine, but I have not tested that myself.

Here are the weakness of this system:

If you are running a Linux distribution, the hard disk will be the slowest component. That said, it runs Ubuntu very nicely. My 2-gig memory upgrade has not arrived yet, and even at 1 gig of RAM Linux is very happy.

If you are going to use Windows on it, you really must upgrade to 2 gig of RAM or only run very low intensity windows programs.

Lastly: The sound volume is very ‘discrete’ (low) from the speakers. Perfect for not attracting attention during a meeting where you are taking notes, but you will need to use ear-buds if you are going to watch movies/listen to music from it.

Short of it: Install a Linux distro and double the performance of the little jewel compared to Windows. If you have to use windows, you can get by that way, too.

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 Comments (5)