At this level, the performance is very low. This limits the user to usual activities e.g surfing the web, writing emails. Using applications like Word or Excel is possible, though at a very low speed. Gaming and other high performance tasks are impossible. People looking for a secondary laptop or using non-complex applications only will be satisfied.

• 3DMark 06 1024 x 768

  514.5 #

• Cinebench xCPU 64Bit

  1398 #

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

   : 

  3.5/5

  The laptop chassis is quite resistant, however few imperfections with gaps and cracking sounds might annoy the user. The surface will suffer from some scratches if the computer is not protected during transportation.

• Hinge Stability

   : 

  2.5/5

  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

   : 

  4.0/5

  Colour distortions barely visible to the naked eye occur when pressing the back of the monitor, or when moving it back and forth. The user can expect that no gaps will exist between the different parts of the display panel.

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

  1366 x 768

  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.

• 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

  174 :1

• Brightness

   : 

  1.5/5

  This level of display brightness is close to ideal for having a long lasting battery. What would however not last for long is the perfect vision you might enjoy now, especially if you persevere in using this laptop in an averagely lid room. You could still find it somehow enjoyable to use your computer in a dark room, but turn the light up, and all you will see is the frame of your screen.

• Average Brightness

  171 cd/m²

• Reflections

   : 

  0.5/5

  The reflection on this display is abysmal. The slightest light source in the surroundings causes the screen to strongly reflect the lighting, making thus deciphering information impossible. It is thus recommended to only use this laptop in pitch-black environments. Continuous use in this setting is far from ideal for both the sanity of the users and their eyesight, as a minimum exposure to light everyday is highly recommended for a human-like life experience.

• Viewing Angle

   : 

  2.0/5

  Looking at the screen from the side causes color distortions. Two people watching a movie have to sit close together for both of them to get a good picture. Even when you move in your chair color deviations will be noticeable. On the plus side, this display provides for some privacy in public spaces.

The sound quality is close to a disaster. The bass is almost non-existing and even at maximum volume, you need to stick your ears to the laptop to hear conversations in movies. It is not worth mentioning the lousy sound experience when gaming, unless you prefer silent war games. In short: External speakers or headphones are a must for any sound to be decently experienced.

• 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

   : 

  3.0/5

  The layout of this keyboard might not feel comfortable for everyone. Inconveniences such as unintuitive positioning of different keys and different key sizes compared to the standard layout will be encountered. This most likely will lead to typing errors until the user readjusts to the keyboard.

• Keyboard Size

   : 

  3.0/5

  Although the size of this keyboard is still decent, typos might be a bit more frequent as the keys might not be large enough, depending on the size of your hands. The palm resting area could be too small for some users, although it is generally suitable and comfortable. All in all, the keyboard is proportionate enough and should still fulfill the needs of most users, especially after some getting used to.

• Key Responsiveness

   : 

  1.0/5

  This keyboard unfortunately does not provide for much feedback. The individual keys are either too stiff or too soft, and typing becomes very frustrating. No matter the pressure applied on the keys it requires quite some patience to identify the exact pressure points necessary for accurate feedback. Users will experience very limited joy while using this keyboard, and it would indeed be a true and honest trial for their patience.

• Keyboard Flex

   : 

  1.0/5

  This keyboard flex might be for many users at the edge of what a bearable typing experience is. The plastic below the keyboard is often subject to considerable flex resulting in the individual keys moving uncontrollably. Typing is thus far from comfortable, and is too slow and often too frustrating, that you might just give up on using the keyboard altogether.

Reviewers considered the trackpad of this laptop as falling a little bit below general standards. Problems with either the accuracy of the touchpad, its size, its slipperiness or its roughness might be at the origin of this rating. The touchpad button does not seem to rank high neither, and problems with either precision or smoothness will make extensive use a modest experience. Some users might already be thinking of having an external mouse within reach, thus making up for the shortcomings of this trackpad.

• Touchpad Surface

   : 

  2.0/5

  The feeling of this touchpad will vary depending on the users and their preferences. For most reviewers, this touchpad was unsuitable for extensive use. Because of problems such as excessive roughness or a slippery surface, the users might not be satisfied quite yet with this touchpad.

• Touchpad Size

   : 

  2.5/5

  This touchpad is relatively small for effective and efficient usage. You can increase your touchpad sensitivity settings so that the mouse pointer will move faster. This comes with a downside: High sensitivity settings will cause your cursor to fly through your display sacrificing accuracy. To keep the mouse at an acceptable precision level, you would be required to make multiple strokes to reach the other site of the screen, which can be tiring especially on bigger displays.

• Buttons

   : 

  2.5/5

  The reviewers considered the quality of this trackpad button to be less than average. Although this button quality might be sufficient for some, it will be less than desired for most. Problems with the unclear feedback, excessive softness or stiffness of the button will be obstacles for efficient use. The clicking sound produced by this button might as well be a little too obtrusive for pleasant use.

The picture can be a little bit noisy when the light conditions are not good but for video chatting it will be okay.

The battery life is quite good. If are going to work outside, you can easily plan to spend up to six hours without your charger. Be it for a client meeting, preparing a paper, or simply answering your emails, lowering the brightness of your screen will greatly contribute to extending the battery life. As long as you do not launch programs which suck a lot of energy out of your battery like watching movies or playing games, you should be able to enjoy your half a day out. Also, make sure to check that the energy saving mode is on to maximise the time away from the power socket.

• Battery DVD/Video

  3:48 h

  The laptop will last for 3 to 4 hours when used for performance demanding applications such as watching movies. Other tasks such as turning the brightness all the way up, playing music in the background, or streaming online videos will stress your battery as well. Playing games will use the battery up even faster, so if you want to use your notebook for some time, you might want to avoid it all together. Buying an additional battery could be quite expensive, but it will allow you to double the time you can stay without a power plug.

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.

Most users will find the laptop to be on the quiet side. There is some noise emitted from the fan, the CD drive and other laptop parts, yet most will not experience any inconveniences due to it. Noise sensitive people might opt for an even quieter computer.

• Noise Idle

   : 

  3.5/5

  You could hear some silent noise from the fans when the laptop is idle.

• Noise Normal Use

   : 

  3.5/5

  Noise emitted from this laptop will not cause any major inconveniences when doing office work or browsing the Internet. Although it might be be noticeable in a quite room, it should not be obstructing your concentration.

• Noise Full Load

   : 

  3.0/5

  When you are watching a movie, editing a video, or playing games, the noise emitted by this laptop will not be of much disturbance according to most reviewers. The degree to which you will be annoyed depends on your sensitivity and on how quiet your surroundings are.

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

   : 

  5.0/5

  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

   : 

  5.0/5

  There is no spot on the laptop that is overheated at anytime.