At this average level of performance, all office work is well managed. No problems will be encountered with multitasking or multimedia applications. Older games as well as casual gaming e.g. “The Sims III” are supported. People looking for a primary laptop and who do not require high performance gaming will be satisfied.

• 3DMark 06 1024 x 768

  2842 #

• PCMark 05

  2947 #

• PCMark Vantage

  2059.5 #

The reviewers’ opinions tended predominantly towards moderate satisfaction concerning the laptop design. The notebook’s appearance was decently received and should prove to be at the taste of many users.

The build quality is above average providing for the necessary protection of the computer’s internal parts. The build quality should be acceptable for users moving the laptop around on a frequent basis, even after a couple of years. The external parts might however wear out after medium-term usage , resulting in cracks or squeaking sounds.

• Base Unit Flex

   : 

  4.0/5

  The notebook frame can solidly serve for many years without any major problems. Cracking sounds, gaps and loose parts are almost nonexistent. The surface will resist most abuse, however it will show scratches over time.

• Hinge Stability

   : 

  2.0/5

  The hinge, connecting the screen to the laptop body, is not up to the standards of flexibility and tightness. Some difficulty will be experienced when trying to open the laptop with one hand. There might as well be some annoying wiggling experienced when walking around.

• Display Panel

   : 

  2.7/5

  When opening or closing the screen lid, some minor color distortions will occur on the display. This also happens when applying pressure on the back of the display panel. There might be some gaps between the different parts of the frame.

Generally the reviewers evaluated this laptop to be below average. At this level, office work could be manageable. For more demanding tasks like multimedia use, high definition gaming and professional editing you will need a higher quality display. To get a more comprehensive review of this display, users should check the ratings of the different attributes of this screen.

• Display Resolution

  1366x768

  This resolution is also called HD-ready. Viewing more than one website on the monitor is almost impossible, as one window takes up almost the whole space. Graphic designers might not be completely satisfied with this resolution, as this latter might be too small. High resolution picture and video editing is plainly impossible. This resolution is a good option for gamers as many graphic cards will be powerful enough to support the native resolution of this display. Watching most movies will be possible without any black bars at the top and bottom of the display.

• Color Reproduction

   : 

  3.0/5

  The color spectrum covered by the display is acceptable. Both color saturation and natural appearance of the pictures are good enough for viewing HD movies and gaming. Professional designers however will find that only a higher level of color reproduction will satisfy their needs.

• Contrast

   : 

  2.0/5

  The contrast between the darkest color -black- and the brightest color -white- is below average in this computer. This results in having the darkest areas being washed out resembling a dark shade of gray, while the brightest areas appear to be of a light grayish color. Movies can be enjoyed provided that the room is completely darkened. Most office workers will find the readability to be sufficient, while some might be annoyed by the close shades of gray characterizing both the dark text and the bright background. The needs of professional designers will surely not be met with this notebook.

• Contrast Value

  223 :1

• Brightness

   : 

  2.5/5

  The maximum brightness of this computer can be described as sufficient in most indoor settings. Under medium lighting conditions, this computer will provide for reading, watching movies and gaming with no annoyances. Bright ambient light will however not be favorable for any of the activities mentioned above. A positive point with this mediocre range of brightness is that it allows for energy saving. The battery lasts for longer hours compared to when used with a brighter screen.

• Average Brightness

  251.5 cd/m²

• Reflections

   : 

  1.0/5

  The reflections on this screen cause its usability to be close to minimal. Users will only be able to comfortably view the display in either dark environment or with the least possible amount of lighting. Outdoor use will prove to be absurd; patience and continuous focus will be required for any actual and efficient use of this laptop under medium lighting conditions.

• Viewing Angle

   : 

  1.0/5

  When you position yourself directly in front of the screen, everything is clearly visible. However, moving your head a little to the side will cause the colors to distort. It is almost impossible for two people to watch a movie unless they seek absolute intimacy. This laptop is recommended for people who demand privacy in public spaces.

The internal speakers of this laptop provided for a below average sound quality. Low sounds are still recognizable. Music can still listened to although the users should account for the necessity of external speakers when planning to watch a movie with a group. Musicians should not even stop to consider this laptop for their work, and gamers will be disappointed as the sound will be convincing. Even maximum volume will not make the sound experience enjoyable.

• Sound Clarity

   : 

  3.0/5

  The clarity of the sound is still ok at this level. While demanding audiophiles will think of it as a disaster, the rest of us will find the sound experience provided by this laptop satisfactory when watching movies or playing games.

• Lows

   : 

  0.0/5

  This laptop has Zero bass. The sound has no dynamics and it will close to impossible to differentiate different sound levels. This laptop should be then ideal for users with hearing impairment, or those not needing sound to be integrated in their laptop usage.

This keyboard will be just enough for causal use, as it will be quite hard to make it fulfil the comfort and endurance required for long typing hours. It will for example be perfect for your 15-minute morning news session, or for checking and answering short emails. It will be very challenging to use this keyboard for extensive gaming or for any tasks requiring considerable typing speed.

• Layout

   : 

  2.3/5

  Many users will have a hard time readjusting to the layout of this keyboard. Some of the keys might be placed, shaped or sized differently compared to a conventional keyboard layout, leading to frequent typing mistakes and a decrease in typing speed. Overall users will not be satisfied with this layout, although with persistence it can still be manageable.

• Keyboard Size

   : 

  2.7/5

  The size of this keyboard might not be to the linking of some users. The keys are slightly small, which might result in some typos. The palm rest is designed for people with smaller hands. The keys might be too cramped resulting in frequent typing mistakes and quite a long readjustment time before distinctively improving your typing speed and reducing your typing mistakes.

• Key Responsiveness

   : 

  2.3/5

  Although some reviewers did not find this keyboard convincing when it comes to responsiveness, most users will still judge it as generally acceptable for typing. This keyboard could suffer from either too stiff or too soft individual keys, which generally causes a decrease in typing speed. Another problem that might be encountered with this keyboard is the level of feedback provided when typing. The individual keys would either take too long to jump back up or are impossible to push far down enough to get appropriate feedback. Users might find it too energy consuming or too annoying especially with long typing hours, yet this keyboard is still manageable from an overall perspective.

• Keyboard Flex

   : 

  3.0/5

  Although the plastic below the keyboard does flex at noticeable levels, it is still not bothersome enough to interrupt your typing. it is true that your typing speed might decrease and your comfort will not be ideal, but the flex of this keyboard is still not too annoying for most users.

• Keys Clicking Sound

   : 

  3.0/5

  The sound produced when clicking on individual keys could be considered by some at the verge of being disturbing. Most users however will not be bothered by it.

Most reviewers agreed that this touchpad should be to the liking of many users. The levels of accuracy, the size and the smoothness vs. resistance rates make this trackpad fairly above average. It is well suited for office work, browsing online and most other usage, although demanding users, designers and alike, might require a higher level of accuracy and would thus prefer an external mouse. The trackpad button quality was generally described as good and fitting the needs of most users.

• Touchpad Surface

   : 

  3.0/5

  The reviewers deemed the feeling of the touchpad to be acceptable. It was neither too rough, which would make your fingers hurt after extensive use, neither too smooth, which would cause your finger to slip. It is not a perfect tactical experience, but nevertheless good enough for most people.

• Sensitivity

   : 

  3.0/5

  Your expectations of an accurate touchpad should be generally satisfied. The levels of precision and speed provided by this touchpad are quite decent, and for most users, this touchpad will be just enough for daily use. Although the accuracy can be fine tuned in the Windows or Mac settings, the basic accuracy hardware wise is enough.

• Touchpad Size

   : 

  1.7/5

  The size of this touchpad will be a source of inconvenience most times it is used. It is too small for covering an average sized displays, with one stroke. This means you will have to constantly move your finger back and forth in order to reach the other side of the screen. You might think of improving your sensitivity settings, but this will sacrifice the precision of your cursor.

• Buttons

   : 

  3.3/5

  The reviewers considered the button quality of this touchpad to be satisfactory. Most users can rely on the accuracy and the smoothness of this button to carry out regular tasks. Very demanding users might find that the buttons fail to strike the right balance between being easy to click and giving clear feedback, making them a little too soft or too stiff. The button’s clicking sound will be acceptable for most, although sensitive users might prefer an even less noticeable auditive feedback.

• Buttons Noise

   : 

  4.0/5

  The buttons of the touchpad offer a nice clicking feedback while pressing.

The battery life at this level should be decent for most users. You can rely on this battery to spend up to five hours typing in the park, or taking notes during a relatively long lecture. To get more battery life, make sure the energy saving mode is on, close all programs running in the background and set your display brightness as low as possible. If with all those settings you still find the laptop running out of power frequently, you might consider acquiring an additional battery.

• Battery DVD/Video

  4:50 h

  When performing energy consuming tasks, this battery will last from 4 to 5 hours. Be it for watching a couple of movies, preparing presentations, or streaming videos, this battery will not fail you for quite some time. Note: Gaming requires much more power thus you will only be able to enjoy it for a much more limited time.

This laptop ranks amongst the lightest in the market. This weight makes the computer ideal for travelling or to use while commuting. Carrying this laptop feels just like carrying a bottle of water while hiking. It is easy to pack with your books when heading to the library, or to put back in your handbag after checking your morning emails at your favourite cafe. You might even forget you are carrying this laptop, even with the extra weight of the charger.

This laptop was rated by reviewers as rather noisy. In quiet environments such as libraries, lecture halls and the like, the laptop will make itself noticed. The noise of this laptop will challenge noise sensitive users, particularly in quiet environments.

• Noise Idle

   : 

  2.0/5

  The laptop is audible while idle.

• Noise Normal Use

   : 

  2.0/5

  Noise coming from the laptop will be quite intrusive to some, even during light tasks like office work and Internet browsing. It is even more emphasized when the surroundings are silent, making the noise much more noticeable. If you need to study for an exam for example, you should account for some good headphones with music flooding the laptop noise, so you can concentrate on your preparations.

• Noise Full Load

   : 

  1.0/5

  Running high performance applications such watching movies, editing videos or gaming will make your laptop roar. Not very pleasant when in a quiet environment, or when trying to be discrete.

The laptops stays always cool. All reviewers found, the heat from the notebook will not be a problem for your fingers or legs. You can watch movies, even play games on a hot summer day without the laptop emitting any heat.

• Heat Top: Full Use

   : 

  4.5/5

  The laptop keeps quite cool at normal use. That’s very convenient.

• Heat Top: Normal Use

   : 

  5.0/5

  The temperature on top of the notebook is excellent. It never gets too warm.

• Heat Bottom: Normal Use

   : 

  5.0/5

  The temperature at the bottom is excellent. It never gets too warm.

• Heat Bottom: Full Load

   : 

  4.0/5

  There could be a spot where the laptop gets a little warmer but never unpleasantly.