Toshiba Satellite A205-S5812 15.4" Laptop

Toshiba Satellite A205-S5812 15.4" Laptop (Intel Pentium Dual Core T2330 Processor, 2 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, Vista Premium)
Good laptop for the price
I bought this toshiba satellite a205-s5804 at bestbuy for $450 a couple of months ago. After making several research, this laptop seems to be the best for tis price. I upgraded the ram to 2 GB , I bought kingston 1gb kvr667d2s5/1g from Newegg for $18.99/each, I installed it with no problem. This is my second laptop after my IBM R40, i guess it makes sense to buy a new laptop than to repair the old one. So far, I have no problem. I disabled all the startup program except the sidebar, and my computer opens fast. The only problem I had was, I was not aware that you have to turn on the wireless internet connection by switching on a button that is on the front edge of the notebook, it lights up once you have it on. I have to use a cordless mouse because the tab on the mouse pad is not soft to touch and you will hear a loud tapping sound everytime you press on it. I have a black laptop, with a white keyboard. I never realize that it is easier to read the letters on the keyboard when it is white. Keyboard is soft to touch and wide enough for people with big fingers.The sound is good, after my experience with the IBM's lousy sound. I like the wheel on the front edge of the notebook to adjust the sound.
Toshiba Laptops

The stylish Satellite A205-S5812 Notebook PC is must have for everyday computing with a 15.4" diagonal widescreen. Intel mobile technology offers powerful processing capabilities along with large capacity hard drives and memory. Stay in touch with the built-in 802.11b/g wireless Wi-Fi. A robust, yet lightweight design starting at 6.0 pounds, this notebook is perfect for watching DVDs and since it comes with 2GB RAM you get the freedom to work with multi-window viewing of several applications at a time. With 160GB Hard Drive capacity, store music, photos, videos and office files. Use the ExpressCard slot and USB ports for your peripheral devices. If you're looking for inexpensive basic notebook to work with e-mailing, typing up reports, or just surfing the web this notebook is the right choice for you. 15.4 diagonal WXGA (1280 x 800) TruBrite TFT LCD display Mobile Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100 with up to 358MB shared graphics memory DVD+-R/RW Super Multi Drive with Double Layer Realtek 802.11B/G Wireless 10/100 Ethernet 1 ExpressCard Slot (34/54 Slot) 2 USB 2.0, 1 Headphone out, 1 VGA, 1 RJ-11, 1 RJ-45 Approximate Unit Dimensions - 14.3 (W) x 10.5 (D) x 1.55 (H) Approximate Unit Weight - 6.0lbs

Sony VAIO VGN-NR240E/S 15.4" Laptop

Sony VAIO VGN-NR240E/S 15.4" Laptop (Intel Pentium Dual Core T2330 Processor, 1 GB RAM, 200 GB Hard Drive, Vista Premium)

sony
While I am satisfied with my lightweight, easy to tote along,Sony Vaio 15.4" laptop, I am very disapointed with the product delivery. The battery was not enclosed, nor was the mouse. Amazon gave me the number to reach Sony customer service and after 43 minutes of run around and being placed on hold several times, I gave up. I have been away from home since then and have not yet repeated my efforts. I ended up purchasing a battery locally in order to use the laptop on this trip. The missing mouse is not a problem as I have a blue tooth wireless mouse that I will be using instead. I expected more from Sony. Unless I get satisfaction soon this will be the last Sony product that I will purchase. (Forget the new HD large screen TV-if they won't take care of something this small, I won't consider a large purchase.
Sony Laptops

The 15.4" VAIO(R) NR notebook with XBRITE-ECO LCD technology exemplifies contemporary style in a mobile PC ideal for everyday productivity and entertainment. Boasting an aesthetic yet functional design, it will turn heads with its unpretentious charm. Enjoy superior performance with an available Intel Pentium Dual Core processor. Connect to wireless networks, such as your home network or public hotspots at cafés and airports, with wireless LAN technology. And build your own media library with the built-in CD/DVD burner. With its good looks and tools like these, the VAIO(R) NR is a great PC for all your day-to-day computing endeavors. 15.4 WXGA (1280 x 800) XBRITE-ECO Display Mobile Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100 with up to 251MB Video Memory DVD+-R/RW Drive with Double Layer Atheros 802.11B/G Wireless 10/100 Ethernet Card Reader - Memory Stick, Secure Digital (SD) 1 ExpressCard Slot (34 Slot) 4 USB 2.0, 1 Headphone out; 1 Microphone-in, 1 VGA, 1 IEEE 1394, 1 RJ-11, 1 RJ-45 Approximate Unit Dimensions - 14.2 (W) x 10.6 (D) x 1.5 (H) Approximate Unit Weight - 6.2lbs

Tags : Sony Laptop , Laptop , Sony VAIO

HP Pavilion DV6770SE 15.4" Entertainment Laptop

HP Pavilion DV6770SE 15.4" Entertainment Laptop (AMD Turion 64 X 2 Dual Core TL-62 Processor, 3 GB RAM, 250 GB Hard Drive, Vista Premium)
For those who want advanced digital entertainment capability coupled with leading-edge mobile performance and communication features in a distinctive design, the HP Pavilion dv6700 series Special Edition Notebook PC delivers! It features a subtle HP-exclusive Radiance pattern that is a mixture of ripples on a sea of radial lines. And AMD mobile dual-core technology enables use of multiple demanding applications, such as photo editing, DVD burning and playing a game, at the same time. Chat face to face or take pictures and video clips using the HP Webcam and Microphone. Listen without disturbing others with the included stereo earbud headphones. And control content from up to 10 feet away with the HP Mobile Remote Control that can be stored in the ExpressCard slot for convenience. This 6.06lbs light notebook exists at the intersection of computing and entertainment with its 15.4" High-Definition BrightView widescreen display, innovative entertainment features and fresh design. 15.4 diagonal WXGA (1280 x 800) BrightView Widescreen display NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS with up to 1535MB graphics memory with 256MB dedicated Built-in Webcam and microphone SuperMulti 8x DVD+-R/RW Drive with Double Layer 802.11B/G Wireless 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet 5-in-1 Bridge Media Adapter - MMC, SD, MS, MS Pro, xD 1 ExpressCard Slot (34/54 Slot) 3 USB 2.0, 2 Headphone out; 1 Microphone-in, 1 VGA, 1 HDMI, 1 TV-Out (S-Video), 1 IEEE-1394, 1 RJ-11, 1 RJ-45 Approximate Unit Dimensions - 14.05 (W) x 10.12 (D) x 1.56 (H) Approximate Unit Weight - 6.06lbs
HP Laptop

Good value for money
This particular laptop model is a good value for your money (March 2008 when I purchased it). I spent some time shopping around for a laptop to replace my desktop at a reasonable price, and this model was the winner. It has a faster AMD dual core processor than comparable models (TL-62 at 2.1 GHz). Similar priced laptops most likely give you the AMD model below (the slower TL-60). If you prefer Intel processors, you'll pay a premium as most laptops at this price range give you an Intel Duo Core T5450 which runs at a slower 1.7 GHz. If you want a 2.0 GHz processor, you have to upgrade to the T7250 or T8100 processor which costs $150+ more.

This laptop gives you a generous 3 GB of RAM which is a big plus. 250 GB hard drive is the standard size for less-than-$1000 laptops. For me, the biggest feature is the 256 MB nVidia GeForce 8400M GS discrete graphics card. The discrete graphics card allows you to run video games much more smoothly than an integrated graphics card found on cheaper laptops. 256 MB is very good for a laptop at this price. I play Battlefield 2142 and it runs smoothly on the laptop. I'm sure it will struggle with the newest, more graphics-intensive games that will be released later in 2008, but then you'll need to buy a very expensive gaming laptop or just go with a desktop... I definitely didn't want to spend $2,000+ on a laptop.

As for the negatives, they are minor:
1) QuickPlay is a complete joke. I thought you could play a DVD movie without loading up Windows. Nope... If you press the QuickPlay button, the laptop still loads Windows but takes you directly to the QuickPlay interface. Not much benefit in this...

Here's a blurb from Wikipedia if you search on "QuickPlay":

"As of 2008, QuickPlay versions 3.0 and newer included in notebooks shipping with Windows Vista, do not provide users with instant access to the software, as the "Direct" function no longer exists due to unresolved compatibilty issues. Users must first boot into Windows and access their user accounts before the software can run. It is currently unknown if or when HP plans to release newer versions of Quickplay, with a direct boot function."

2) The specs on the laptop battery that's included with the package shows battery life at 2 hours. Not very long. It probably can't last through a whole movie. If you plan to work a lot without power (e.g. Working during a airplane flight), buy an extra higher-capacity battery.
3) You get no CD/DVD in the box. As you'll read in the instructions, you'll need to burn a few DVD/CD's to create recovery discs the first time you boot up the laptop.

There are faster and more graphics-intensive laptops. But if you're looking to replace a desktop computer with a laptop without spending a lot (under $1,000), I recommend this laptop model.

Tags : HP Laptop , Laptop , HP Notebook , Notebook