Tagged Products - 13.3in

Apple MacBook with 13.3" Display - White

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Apple MacBook with 13.3" Display - White

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Apple MacBook Air 13.3" Laptop (1.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 2 GB RAM, 64 GB Solid-State Drive)

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Apple MacBook Air 13.3" Laptop (1.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 2 GB RAM, 64 GB Solid-State Drive)

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is also small enough that you can pack it up in your case and bring it with you if need be. The battery life is fantastic: I can take class notes for 3 hours straight and still have plenty of juice for another hour or two of use...if I had to estimate battery time, I'd say it consistently gives me 4 1/2 to 5 hours of use. I do not do a lot of video editing or gaming, etc., but I do use this for way more than email, including tons of writing, business uses, and web design. It isn't the task master that the Pro's are, but it's convenience makes up for any shortcomings. So, it basically comes down to what works for you, and because my primary computer is an iMac, the portability, speed, and ease of use of the MacBook Air is a great choice.

Sony VAIO SZ Series 2.4GHz Laptop Computer-VAIO SZ760N/C T8300 2.4G 2GB SYST250GB DVDRW 13.3-WXGA XB

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bag and is now bent. I wish there were a way to take it off as I don't need the WWAN.

The battery (like other users attest) loses power even if the whole system is turned off. This is annoying as I do not use my laptop every day during the summer (I am a student), opting for the convenience of my desktop quite often. Therefore, I have to worry about my battery much more than I did with my previous laptop, which was a Gateway. I'm not sure by how much it loses power as I have only recently realized it has this problem, but it's ~10% per day. I have not attempted to contact Sony regarding the battery due to other reviews which make it seem futile.

In the end, this laptop is pretty cool. It looks nice, runs fast, says Sony on it, the keys make a satisfying click for fun typing, the screen is pretty, etc. However, I wish it had a slot-load disc drive, more USB ports, a backlit keyboard, better battery which didn't drain even when powered off, and a sturdier and removable WWAN antenna.

Apple MacBook Air 13.3" Laptop (1.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 2 GB RAM, 64 GB Solid-State Drive)

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bag and is now bent. I wish there were a way to take it off as I don't need the WWAN.



The battery (like other users attest) loses power even if the whole system is turned off. This is annoying as I do not use my laptop every day during the summer (I am a student), opting for the convenience of my desktop quite often. Therefore, I have to worry about my battery much more than I did with my previous laptop, which was a Gateway. I'm not sure by how much it loses power as I have only recently realized it has this problem, but it's ~10% per day. I have not attempted to contact Sony regarding the battery due to other reviews which make it seem futile.



In the end, this laptop is pretty cool. It looks nice, runs fast, says Sony on it, the keys make a satisfying click for fun typing, the screen is pretty, etc. However, I wish it had a slot-load disc drive, more USB ports, a backlit keyboard, better battery which didn't drain even when powered off, and a sturdier and removable WWAN antenna.

Sony VAIO SZ Series 2.4GHz Laptop Computer-VAIO SZ760N/C T8300 2.4G 2GB SYST250GB DVDRW 13.3-WXGA XB

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bag and is now bent. I wish there were a way to take it off as I don't need the WWAN.





The battery (like other users attest) loses power even if the whole system is turned off. This is annoying as I do not use my laptop every day during the summer (I am a student), opting for the convenience of my desktop quite often. Therefore, I have to worry about my battery much more than I did with my previous laptop, which was a Gateway. I'm not sure by how much it loses power as I have only recently realized it has this problem, but it's ~10% per day. I have not attempted to contact Sony regarding the battery due to other reviews which make it seem futile.





In the end, this laptop is pretty cool. It looks nice, runs fast, says Sony on it, the keys make a satisfying click for fun typing, the screen is pretty, etc. However, I wish it had a slot-load disc drive, more USB ports, a backlit keyboard, better battery which didn't drain even when powered off, and a sturdier and removable WWAN antenna.

Toshiba Fusion Satellite U405-S2830 13.3" Widescreen Laptop

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This is my first Vista machine, and I wanted to hate it. I am/was a die hard XP guy. But I must say after I cleaned it up, I really like it and have had no issues.

A few nitpics..... The speakers are not the greatest (laptops never are) and they are very quiet. Would be nice to have a bit for volume from them. It is a very stylish laptop, but get used to fingerprints all over it. Every little thing shows, and though it looks great, a matte finish would be easier to keep clean. The bloatware is a pain (not the worst I've seen) and takes about 45 minutes to get rid of. But just about all laptops are full of bloatware (with the exception of Macs) so not really something to rag on this particular one about.

In closing. A great laptop and a great value.

Sony VAIO SZ Series 2.4GHz Laptop Computer-VAIO SZ760N/C T8300 2.4G 2GB SYST250GB DVDRW 13.3-WXGA XB

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This is my first Vista machine, and I wanted to hate it. I am/was a die hard XP guy. But I must say after I cleaned it up, I really like it and have had no issues.



A few nitpics..... The speakers are not the greatest (laptops never are) and they are very quiet. Would be nice to have a bit for volume from them. It is a very stylish laptop, but get used to fingerprints all over it. Every little thing shows, and though it looks great, a matte finish would be easier to keep clean. The bloatware is a pain (not the worst I've seen) and takes about 45 minutes to get rid of. But just about all laptops are full of bloatware (with the exception of Macs) so not really something to rag on this particular one about.



In closing. A great laptop and a great value.

Sony VAIO SZ Series 2.4GHz Laptop Computer-VAIO SZ760N/C T8300 2.4G 2GB SYST250GB DVDRW 13.3-WXGA XB

...

This is my first Vista machine, and I wanted to hate it. I am/was a die hard XP guy. But I must say after I cleaned it up, I really like it and have had no issues.





A few nitpics..... The speakers are not the greatest (laptops never are) and they are very quiet. Would be nice to have a bit for volume from them. It is a very stylish laptop, but get used to fingerprints all over it. Every little thing shows, and though it looks great, a matte finish would be easier to keep clean. The bloatware is a pain (not the worst I've seen) and takes about 45 minutes to get rid of. But just about all laptops are full of bloatware (with the exception of Macs) so not really something to rag on this particular one about.





In closing. A great laptop and a great value.

Apple MacBook Air 13.3" Laptop (1.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 2 GB RAM, 64 GB Solid-State Drive)

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and zip around" and rubber stud design cover design perfect for this model.

2. The case being aluminum does get very heated especially when resting on top of your knees! Another reason for buying a travel sleeve and investing in one which is thick enough to help on this point - again a reason why the Huzzk range was my choice.

3. The many comments on battery replacement are lacking in understanding that when traveling a lot the key is being able to carry and insert a spare battery. However technology moves on and I have offset this problem by investing in the portable Power Monkey kit which is both small and light plus provides several hours power if a mains supply is not available.

4. On battery life the personal experience and many of the Apple magazine reviews are now also stating the same point, that the Apple batteries seem to take some time to build up to their maximum life/charge, so expect only just over a few hours in early days of portable usage. Whether it makes the 5 hours target remains to be seen but again the Power Monkey option addresses if needed.

5. However much people rave about the looks and the great Leopard OS, be prepared to accept this is an ultra portable and so speed, performance and storage will not be as great as larger Macs (including the Mac Books at cheaper prices) - that is not a criticism just the reality. The beautiful screen and excellent size and feel keyboard however leave all other ultra portables (including Sony Vaio range) in the shade.

Overall I am thus very satisfied and would strongly recommend this model long as you are happy with the above compromises - I just wish Apple in their publicity and claims would accept that in terms of comparability it cannot match the rest of their laptop range but as an ultra portable it is King versus the competition (hence my "mistress" title to this review!)

Apple MacBook MB061LL/A 13.3" Notebook PC (2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 1 GB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, Combo Drive) White

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and zip around" and rubber stud design cover design perfect for this model.



2. The case being aluminum does get very heated especially when resting on top of your knees! Another reason for buying a travel sleeve and investing in one which is thick enough to help on this point - again a reason why the Huzzk range was my choice.



3. The many comments on battery replacement are lacking in understanding that when traveling a lot the key is being able to carry and insert a spare battery. However technology moves on and I have offset this problem by investing in the portable Power Monkey kit which is both small and light plus provides several hours power if a mains supply is not available.



4. On battery life the personal experience and many of the Apple magazine reviews are now also stating the same point, that the Apple batteries seem to take some time to build up to their maximum life/charge, so expect only just over a few hours in early days of portable usage. Whether it makes the 5 hours target remains to be seen but again the Power Monkey option addresses if needed.



5. However much people rave about the looks and the great Leopard OS, be prepared to accept this is an ultra portable and so speed, performance and storage will not be as great as larger Macs (including the Mac Books at cheaper prices) - that is not a criticism just the reality. The beautiful screen and excellent size and feel keyboard however leave all other ultra portables (including Sony Vaio range) in the shade.



Overall I am thus very satisfied and would strongly recommend this model long as you are happy with the above compromises - I just wish Apple in their publicity and claims would accept that in terms of comparability it cannot match the rest of their laptop range but as an ultra portable it is King versus the competition (hence my "mistress" title to this review!)

Toshiba Fusion Satellite U405-S2830 13.3" Widescreen Laptop

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and they said they can't do anything since there needs to be at least 9 consecutive ones. Amazon said 3 consecutive, but after pleading my case (having it in the middle), they agreed to replace the laptop. Unfortunately, the replacement one also had a dead pixel, but this time in the top left corner. That was something I can live with.
That been said, I don't know if Toshiba has some quality issues, or it's really, really bad luck!

In a nutshell, you will be getting a lot for the advertised price of $1099. Keep in mind you neither pay shipping nor tax, which makes this computer a steal.

Case Logic SNS-13 13 inch Student Laptop Shuffle ( Black )

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and they said they can't do anything since there needs to be at least 9 consecutive ones. Amazon said 3 consecutive, but after pleading my case (having it in the middle), they agreed to replace the laptop. Unfortunately, the replacement one also had a dead pixel, but this time in the top left corner. That was something I can live with.

That been said, I don't know if Toshiba has some quality issues, or it's really, really bad luck!



In a nutshell, you will be getting a lot for the advertised price of $1099. Keep in mind you neither pay shipping nor tax, which makes this computer a steal.

Toshiba Fusion Satellite U405-S2830 13.3" Widescreen Laptop

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name on the lid or the lighted Satellite logo on the case. Nor of the new, shiny surfaces on the unit which show every stinkin' fingerprint. If Toshiba could go back to matte surfaces, cool the youchpad and case and buttress that keybaord, I'd give it a 10. Right now, it's about an 8.5.

And yep, Vista's pretty miserable. Please, Microsoft - - stop dumbing down your OS GUIs because you're just succeeding in making everything two+ clicks more difficult to access when needed. Like shutting down, for instance. Maybe after a month of occasional tweaking I'll get it set up the way I need it, but that's too much wasted time.

Sony VAIO SZ Series 2.4GHz Laptop Computer-VAIO SZ760N/C T8300 2.4G 2GB SYST250GB DVDRW 13.3-WXGA XB

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name on the lid or the lighted Satellite logo on the case. Nor of the new, shiny surfaces on the unit which show every stinkin' fingerprint. If Toshiba could go back to matte surfaces, cool the youchpad and case and buttress that keybaord, I'd give it a 10. Right now, it's about an 8.5.



And yep, Vista's pretty miserable. Please, Microsoft - - stop dumbing down your OS GUIs because you're just succeeding in making everything two+ clicks more difficult to access when needed. Like shutting down, for instance. Maybe after a month of occasional tweaking I'll get it set up the way I need it, but that's too much wasted time.

Dell XPS M1330 Midnight Blue 13.3" Widescreen Ultrathin & Ultraportable Notebook. Intel Core2Duo T5550 (1.83GHz), Vista Home Premium. 2GB RAM, 160GB HDD, Slotload DVD+/-RW, webcam & Bluet

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negative about the display is that the viewing angle isn't as wide as I had expected, and isn't as wide as the viewing angle on some other laptops with glossy displays.

We both got large hard drives, hers at 5400rpm and mine at 7200rpm. The 5400rpm one should be fine for 90% of users. I got the faster one because I do a lot of number crunching.

Hers has the integrated graphics, mine has the optional 128mb dedicated graphic card - neither of us have really pushed the graphics to the edge, but for everyday applications the (less-expensive) integrated graphics seems every bit as good as the extra-cost dedicated graphics card.

We both got core 2 duo intel processors - hers is 2.0 ghz, mine is 2.4 ghz. I consider a core 2 duo running at 2.0 ghz or better a necessity for anyone buying a laptop these days. I also suggest getting a large hard drive. It's better to pay extra for these things now, than to find out next year that your needs have outgrown your processor and hard drive. (RAM, however, is something you can upgrade later at relatively low cost as your needs grow.)

The keyboard has an excellent feel; typing on it is very pleasant, and the keys are not especially noisy. I've had 8 laptops from various companies (gateway, dell, toshiba, and 4 thinkpads from ibm or lenovo). Everyone says that thinkpads have the best keyboards. I think that USED to be true. But the keyboard on my most recent thinkpad - built after lenovo bought thinkpad from ibm - isn't quite as good as the keyboards on the three ibm-branded thinkpads I owned. Compared to most laptops, I like the keyboard on the Dell xps m1330 very much. This is subjective, though, and you should visit your local Best Buy (most locations stock Dell XPS laptops) and try the keyboard yourself.

We also like the slot-loading CD/DVD reader/burner better than the more common tray-loading ones. It is noisier than the tray when accepting or ejecting a disc, but the noise is only for a second or two and it is very tolerable, not annoying at all.

The bottom of the laptop does not get as hot as most other laptops I've used. However, some folks who bought this laptop say that theirs run pretty hot. A good thing to do is make sure you get the option to return your unit for a full refund, in case this (or anything else) turns out to be a problem.

We both get excellent battery life from the standard 6-cell battery. When running on battery power on a cross-country flight, I turned down the brightness of the display two notches from maximum, and got a bit over 3 hours of battery life. (This wasn't watching a DVD, though, which would use up the battery a bit faster.)

The build quality of these things seems very good. I fully expect them to hold up well over the long haul.

I realize this is subjective, but we both really like the looks of the XPS laptops. They are sleek and attractive. I encourage you to visit your local best buy and see one in person and judge for yourself. (This will also give you a chance to type on its keyboard to see whether you like the feel of it).

The Dell XPS laptops come with some nice extras, including:

a) all of the drivers, software, and operating system files on backup CDs or DVDs. This is unusual: most other laptops have these on their hard drives, and the buyer is required to create his or her own backup discs - most people don't bother doing this, which is bad news if a disaster happens and you have to reinstall everything from scratch.

b) a nice leatherette folder that holds all of these discs and the manual (yes, it comes with a printed manual, too!)

c) a soft sleeve to protect the laptop in case you put it in a briefcase, large handbag or backpack not specifically designed for laptops.

d) a small, thin wireless IR remote, which you can use when watching DVDs or listening to music or enjoying other media. This is a very cool but not incredibly useful extra, because you probably won't be sitting very far from the 13.3" display when watching your movies.

Now for the negatives.

There are only 2 USB ports. You can get around this with a USB hub, but some devices need to be plugged directly into a USB port in the computer. You can also get around this to a limited extent by opting for built-in bluetooth, then using wireless bluetooth devices instead of USB devices where possible. Still, it's inconvenient having only 2 usb ports.

That's really the only negative about the laptop, itself. The laptop doesn't have a few other luxuries that some other laptops now have - such as a little light built in to the top of the monitor that you can turn on when you're typing in a dark environment (red-eye flight) and it dimly lights up your keyboard. But just about everything else you'd need is here.

The big negative was dealing with Dell.

After configuring and pricing my systems online at dell's site, I ordered over the phone, because I'd read that you can bargain a bit with the phone sales reps. In fact, I did save about $200 on each of the laptops this way. However, the sales rep entered the order incorrectly for one of the laptops, never sent me a confirmation email, and gave me an incorrect customer number. Then, he took 5 or 6 days off, and it was very hard for me to get any information about my orders from anyone else at dell. When I finally did, I saw that one of the computers was not configured the way I ordered it, and it was quite a lot of trouble to get that changed back to how I originally wanted it.

After that was all straightened out, the laptops were built and shipped to me a few days before the estimated ship and delivery dates, which was a nice bonus.

But one of the laptops came with a nice, small 65-watt power supply adapter, while the other came with a big bulky and heavy 90-watt adapter. I thought there must be a mistake, they are both the same laptop, after all. It took me a while (and several calls) to learn that either adapter could be used safely with either laptop, but that the the 90-watt adapter would be better for the laptop with the faster processor.

I've made a couple calls to Dell technical support. Each time, I got through to a real human in only about 5-10 minutes. (These days, that's really quite good.) I believe this is because XPS laptops get access to "express" customer service/support, while regular Dell laptops (e.g. inspiron) have the regular (i.e. slow) tech support with long wait times.

The tech support person was located in the Philippines. He was very patient and helpful.

One other negative about Dell: they shipped both laptops with Windows Vista, the original edition NOT service pack 1 - even though SP1 was available to Dell for 2 months before I placed my order!!! That meant I had to install SP1 on both laptops. This installation did not go as smoothly as it should have (e.g., after installation, computer froze once, and later didn't wake from sleep correctly, or woke up but didn't recognize attached usb devices, etc).

In fact, I have a few issues with Vista, but I'm reviewing the laptop, not Vista, and you unfortunately will likely be forced to get Vista with almost any new laptop you are considering buying.

But it was incredibly disappointing that Dell put the old Vista on these machines when SP1 was already available. Perhaps they hadn't yet gotten around to testing SP1 on their laptops.

* * *

Would I do it all over again? Yes, even if I had to go through the same hassles dealing with Dell, because I really love these XPS laptops.

Apple MacBook Air 13.3" Laptop (1.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 2 GB RAM, 64 GB Solid-State Drive)

...

negative about the display is that the viewing angle isn't as wide as I had expected, and isn't as wide as the viewing angle on some other laptops with glossy displays.



We both got large hard drives, hers at 5400rpm and mine at 7200rpm. The 5400rpm one should be fine for 90% of users. I got the faster one because I do a lot of number crunching.



Hers has the integrated graphics, mine has the optional 128mb dedicated graphic card - neither of us have really pushed the graphics to the edge, but for everyday applications the (less-expensive) integrated graphics seems every bit as good as the extra-cost dedicated graphics card.



We both got core 2 duo intel processors - hers is 2.0 ghz, mine is 2.4 ghz. I consider a core 2 duo running at 2.0 ghz or better a necessity for anyone buying a laptop these days. I also suggest getting a large hard drive. It's better to pay extra for these things now, than to find out next year that your needs have outgrown your processor and hard drive. (RAM, however, is something you can upgrade later at relatively low cost as your needs grow.)



The keyboard has an excellent feel; typing on it is very pleasant, and the keys are not especially noisy. I've had 8 laptops from various companies (gateway, dell, toshiba, and 4 thinkpads from ibm or lenovo). Everyone says that thinkpads have the best keyboards. I think that USED to be true. But the keyboard on my most recent thinkpad - built after lenovo bought thinkpad from ibm - isn't quite as good as the keyboards on the three ibm-branded thinkpads I owned. Compared to most laptops, I like the keyboard on the Dell xps m1330 very much. This is subjective, though, and you should visit your local Best Buy (most locations stock Dell XPS laptops) and try the keyboard yourself.



We also like the slot-loading CD/DVD reader/burner better than the more common tray-loading ones. It is noisier than the tray when accepting or ejecting a disc, but the noise is only for a second or two and it is very tolerable, not annoying at all.



The bottom of the laptop does not get as hot as most other laptops I've used. However, some folks who bought this laptop say that theirs run pretty hot. A good thing to do is make sure you get the option to return your unit for a full refund, in case this (or anything else) turns out to be a problem.



We both get excellent battery life from the standard 6-cell battery. When running on battery power on a cross-country flight, I turned down the brightness of the display two notches from maximum, and got a bit over 3 hours of battery life. (This wasn't watching a DVD, though, which would use up the battery a bit faster.)



The build quality of these things seems very good. I fully expect them to hold up well over the long haul.



I realize this is subjective, but we both really like the looks of the XPS laptops. They are sleek and attractive. I encourage you to visit your local best buy and see one in person and judge for yourself. (This will also give you a chance to type on its keyboard to see whether you like the feel of it).



The Dell XPS laptops come with some nice extras, including:



a) all of the drivers, software, and operating system files on backup CDs or DVDs. This is unusual: most other laptops have these on their hard drives, and the buyer is required to create his or her own backup discs - most people don't bother doing this, which is bad news if a disaster happens and you have to reinstall everything from scratch.



b) a nice leatherette folder that holds all of these discs and the manual (yes, it comes with a printed manual, too!)



c) a soft sleeve to protect the laptop in case you put it in a briefcase, large handbag or backpack not specifically designed for laptops.



d) a small, thin wireless IR remote, which you can use when watching DVDs or listening to music or enjoying other media. This is a very cool but not incredibly useful extra, because you probably won't be sitting very far from the 13.3" display when watching your movies.



Now for the negatives.



There are only 2 USB ports. You can get around this with a USB hub, but some devices need to be plugged directly into a USB port in the computer. You can also get around this to a limited extent by opting for built-in bluetooth, then using wireless bluetooth devices instead of USB devices where possible. Still, it's inconvenient having only 2 usb ports.



That's really the only negative about the laptop, itself. The laptop doesn't have a few other luxuries that some other laptops now have - such as a little light built in to the top of the monitor that you can turn on when you're typing in a dark environment (red-eye flight) and it dimly lights up your keyboard. But just about everything else you'd need is here.



The big negative was dealing with Dell.



After configuring and pricing my systems online at dell's site, I ordered over the phone, because I'd read that you can bargain a bit with the phone sales reps. In fact, I did save about $200 on each of the laptops this way. However, the sales rep entered the order incorrectly for one of the laptops, never sent me a confirmation email, and gave me an incorrect customer number. Then, he took 5 or 6 days off, and it was very hard for me to get any information about my orders from anyone else at dell. When I finally did, I saw that one of the computers was not configured the way I ordered it, and it was quite a lot of trouble to get that changed back to how I originally wanted it.



After that was all straightened out, the laptops were built and shipped to me a few days before the estimated ship and delivery dates, which was a nice bonus.



But one of the laptops came with a nice, small 65-watt power supply adapter, while the other came with a big bulky and heavy 90-watt adapter. I thought there must be a mistake, they are both the same laptop, after all. It took me a while (and several calls) to learn that either adapter could be used safely with either laptop, but that the the 90-watt adapter would be better for the laptop with the faster processor.



I've made a couple calls to Dell technical support. Each time, I got through to a real human in only about 5-10 minutes. (These days, that's really quite good.) I believe this is because XPS laptops get access to "express" customer service/support, while regular Dell laptops (e.g. inspiron) have the regular (i.e. slow) tech support with long wait times.



The tech support person was located in the Philippines. He was very patient and helpful.



One other negative about Dell: they shipped both laptops with Windows Vista, the original edition NOT service pack 1 - even though SP1 was available to Dell for 2 months before I placed my order!!! That meant I had to install SP1 on both laptops. This installation did not go as smoothly as it should have (e.g., after installation, computer froze once, and later didn't wake from sleep correctly, or woke up but didn't recognize attached usb devices, etc).



In fact, I have a few issues with Vista, but I'm reviewing the laptop, not Vista, and you unfortunately will likely be forced to get Vista with almost any new laptop you are considering buying.



But it was incredibly disappointing that Dell put the old Vista on these machines when SP1 was already available. Perhaps they hadn't yet gotten around to testing SP1 on their laptops.



* * *



Would I do it all over again? Yes, even if I had to go through the same hassles dealing with Dell, because I really love these XPS laptops.

Apple MacBook Air 13.3" Laptop (1.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 2 GB RAM, 64 GB Solid-State Drive)

...

negative about the display is that the viewing angle isn't as wide as I had expected, and isn't as wide as the viewing angle on some other laptops with glossy displays.





We both got large hard drives, hers at 5400rpm and mine at 7200rpm. The 5400rpm one should be fine for 90% of users. I got the faster one because I do a lot of number crunching.





Hers has the integrated graphics, mine has the optional 128mb dedicated graphic card - neither of us have really pushed the graphics to the edge, but for everyday applications the (less-expensive) integrated graphics seems every bit as good as the extra-cost dedicated graphics card.





We both got core 2 duo intel processors - hers is 2.0 ghz, mine is 2.4 ghz. I consider a core 2 duo running at 2.0 ghz or better a necessity for anyone buying a laptop these days. I also suggest getting a large hard drive. It's better to pay extra for these things now, than to find out next year that your needs have outgrown your processor and hard drive. (RAM, however, is something you can upgrade later at relatively low cost as your needs grow.)





The keyboard has an excellent feel; typing on it is very pleasant, and the keys are not especially noisy. I've had 8 laptops from various companies (gateway, dell, toshiba, and 4 thinkpads from ibm or lenovo). Everyone says that thinkpads have the best keyboards. I think that USED to be true. But the keyboard on my most recent thinkpad - built after lenovo bought thinkpad from ibm - isn't quite as good as the keyboards on the three ibm-branded thinkpads I owned. Compared to most laptops, I like the keyboard on the Dell xps m1330 very much. This is subjective, though, and you should visit your local Best Buy (most locations stock Dell XPS laptops) and try the keyboard yourself.





We also like the slot-loading CD/DVD reader/burner better than the more common tray-loading ones. It is noisier than the tray when accepting or ejecting a disc, but the noise is only for a second or two and it is very tolerable, not annoying at all.





The bottom of the laptop does not get as hot as most other laptops I've used. However, some folks who bought this laptop say that theirs run pretty hot. A good thing to do is make sure you get the option to return your unit for a full refund, in case this (or anything else) turns out to be a problem.





We both get excellent battery life from the standard 6-cell battery. When running on battery power on a cross-country flight, I turned down the brightness of the display two notches from maximum, and got a bit over 3 hours of battery life. (This wasn't watching a DVD, though, which would use up the battery a bit faster.)





The build quality of these things seems very good. I fully expect them to hold up well over the long haul.





I realize this is subjective, but we both really like the looks of the XPS laptops. They are sleek and attractive. I encourage you to visit your local best buy and see one in person and judge for yourself. (This will also give you a chance to type on its keyboard to see whether you like the feel of it).





The Dell XPS laptops come with some nice extras, including:





a) all of the drivers, software, and operating system files on backup CDs or DVDs. This is unusual: most other laptops have these on their hard drives, and the buyer is required to create his or her own backup discs - most people don't bother doing this, which is bad news if a disaster happens and you have to reinstall everything from scratch.





b) a nice leatherette folder that holds all of these discs and the manual (yes, it comes with a printed manual, too!)





c) a soft sleeve to protect the laptop in case you put it in a briefcase, large handbag or backpack not specifically designed for laptops.





d) a small, thin wireless IR remote, which you can use when watching DVDs or listening to music or enjoying other media. This is a very cool but not incredibly useful extra, because you probably won't be sitting very far from the 13.3" display when watching your movies.





Now for the negatives.





There are only 2 USB ports. You can get around this with a USB hub, but some devices need to be plugged directly into a USB port in the computer. You can also get around this to a limited extent by opting for built-in bluetooth, then using wireless bluetooth devices instead of USB devices where possible. Still, it's inconvenient having only 2 usb ports.





That's really the only negative about the laptop, itself. The laptop doesn't have a few other luxuries that some other laptops now have - such as a little light built in to the top of the monitor that you can turn on when you're typing in a dark environment (red-eye flight) and it dimly lights up your keyboard. But just about everything else you'd need is here.





The big negative was dealing with Dell.





After configuring and pricing my systems online at dell's site, I ordered over the phone, because I'd read that you can bargain a bit with the phone sales reps. In fact, I did save about $200 on each of the laptops this way. However, the sales rep entered the order incorrectly for one of the laptops, never sent me a confirmation email, and gave me an incorrect customer number. Then, he took 5 or 6 days off, and it was very hard for me to get any information about my orders from anyone else at dell. When I finally did, I saw that one of the computers was not configured the way I ordered it, and it was quite a lot of trouble to get that changed back to how I originally wanted it.





After that was all straightened out, the laptops were built and shipped to me a few days before the estimated ship and delivery dates, which was a nice bonus.





But one of the laptops came with a nice, small 65-watt power supply adapter, while the other came with a big bulky and heavy 90-watt adapter. I thought there must be a mistake, they are both the same laptop, after all. It took me a while (and several calls) to learn that either adapter could be used safely with either laptop, but that the the 90-watt adapter would be better for the laptop with the faster processor.





I've made a couple calls to Dell technical support. Each time, I got through to a real human in only about 5-10 minutes. (These days, that's really quite good.) I believe this is because XPS laptops get access to "express" customer service/support, while regular Dell laptops (e.g. inspiron) have the regular (i.e. slow) tech support with long wait times.





The tech support person was located in the Philippines. He was very patient and helpful.





One other negative about Dell: they shipped both laptops with Windows Vista, the original edition NOT service pack 1 - even though SP1 was available to Dell for 2 months before I placed my order!!! That meant I had to install SP1 on both laptops. This installation did not go as smoothly as it should have (e.g., after installation, computer froze once, and later didn't wake from sleep correctly, or woke up but didn't recognize attached usb devices, etc).





In fact, I have a few issues with Vista, but I'm reviewing the laptop, not Vista, and you unfortunately will likely be forced to get Vista with almost any new laptop you are considering buying.





But it was incredibly disappointing that Dell put the old Vista on these machines when SP1 was already available. Perhaps they hadn't yet gotten around to testing SP1 on their laptops.





* * *





Would I do it all over again? Yes, even if I had to go through the same hassles dealing with Dell, because I really love these XPS laptops.

Apple MacBook with 13.3" Display - White

...

negative about the display is that the viewing angle isn't as wide as I had expected, and isn't as wide as the viewing angle on some other laptops with glossy displays.







We both got large hard drives, hers at 5400rpm and mine at 7200rpm. The 5400rpm one should be fine for 90% of users. I got the faster one because I do a lot of number crunching.







Hers has the integrated graphics, mine has the optional 128mb dedicated graphic card - neither of us have really pushed the graphics to the edge, but for everyday applications the (less-expensive) integrated graphics seems every bit as good as the extra-cost dedicated graphics card.







We both got core 2 duo intel processors - hers is 2.0 ghz, mine is 2.4 ghz. I consider a core 2 duo running at 2.0 ghz or better a necessity for anyone buying a laptop these days. I also suggest getting a large hard drive. It's better to pay extra for these things now, than to find out next year that your needs have outgrown your processor and hard drive. (RAM, however, is something you can upgrade later at relatively low cost as your needs grow.)







The keyboard has an excellent feel; typing on it is very pleasant, and the keys are not especially noisy. I've had 8 laptops from various companies (gateway, dell, toshiba, and 4 thinkpads from ibm or lenovo). Everyone says that thinkpads have the best keyboards. I think that USED to be true. But the keyboard on my most recent thinkpad - built after lenovo bought thinkpad from ibm - isn't quite as good as the keyboards on the three ibm-branded thinkpads I owned. Compared to most laptops, I like the keyboard on the Dell xps m1330 very much. This is subjective, though, and you should visit your local Best Buy (most locations stock Dell XPS laptops) and try the keyboard yourself.







We also like the slot-loading CD/DVD reader/burner better than the more common tray-loading ones. It is noisier than the tray when accepting or ejecting a disc, but the noise is only for a second or two and it is very tolerable, not annoying at all.







The bottom of the laptop does not get as hot as most other laptops I've used. However, some folks who bought this laptop say that theirs run pretty hot. A good thing to do is make sure you get the option to return your unit for a full refund, in case this (or anything else) turns out to be a problem.







We both get excellent battery life from the standard 6-cell battery. When running on battery power on a cross-country flight, I turned down the brightness of the display two notches from maximum, and got a bit over 3 hours of battery life. (This wasn't watching a DVD, though, which would use up the battery a bit faster.)







The build quality of these things seems very good. I fully expect them to hold up well over the long haul.







I realize this is subjective, but we both really like the looks of the XPS laptops. They are sleek and attractive. I encourage you to visit your local best buy and see one in person and judge for yourself. (This will also give you a chance to type on its keyboard to see whether you like the feel of it).







The Dell XPS laptops come with some nice extras, including:







a) all of the drivers, software, and operating system files on backup CDs or DVDs. This is unusual: most other laptops have these on their hard drives, and the buyer is required to create his or her own backup discs - most people don't bother doing this, which is bad news if a disaster happens and you have to reinstall everything from scratch.







b) a nice leatherette folder that holds all of these discs and the manual (yes, it comes with a printed manual, too!)







c) a soft sleeve to protect the laptop in case you put it in a briefcase, large handbag or backpack not specifically designed for laptops.







d) a small, thin wireless IR remote, which you can use when watching DVDs or listening to music or enjoying other media. This is a very cool but not incredibly useful extra, because you probably won't be sitting very far from the 13.3" display when watching your movies.







Now for the negatives.







There are only 2 USB ports. You can get around this with a USB hub, but some devices need to be plugged directly into a USB port in the computer. You can also get around this to a limited extent by opting for built-in bluetooth, then using wireless bluetooth devices instead of USB devices where possible. Still, it's inconvenient having only 2 usb ports.







That's really the only negative about the laptop, itself. The laptop doesn't have a few other luxuries that some other laptops now have - such as a little light built in to the top of the monitor that you can turn on when you're typing in a dark environment (red-eye flight) and it dimly lights up your keyboard. But just about everything else you'd need is here.







The big negative was dealing with Dell.







After configuring and pricing my systems online at dell's site, I ordered over the phone, because I'd read that you can bargain a bit with the phone sales reps. In fact, I did save about $200 on each of the laptops this way. However, the sales rep entered the order incorrectly for one of the laptops, never sent me a confirmation email, and gave me an incorrect customer number. Then, he took 5 or 6 days off, and it was very hard for me to get any information about my orders from anyone else at dell. When I finally did, I saw that one of the computers was not configured the way I ordered it, and it was quite a lot of trouble to get that changed back to how I originally wanted it.







After that was all straightened out, the laptops were built and shipped to me a few days before the estimated ship and delivery dates, which was a nice bonus.







But one of the laptops came with a nice, small 65-watt power supply adapter, while the other came with a big bulky and heavy 90-watt adapter. I thought there must be a mistake, they are both the same laptop, after all. It took me a while (and several calls) to learn that either adapter could be used safely with either laptop, but that the the 90-watt adapter would be better for the laptop with the faster processor.







I've made a couple calls to Dell technical support. Each time, I got through to a real human in only about 5-10 minutes. (These days, that's really quite good.) I believe this is because XPS laptops get access to "express" customer service/support, while regular Dell laptops (e.g. inspiron) have the regular (i.e. slow) tech support with long wait times.







The tech support person was located in the Philippines. He was very patient and helpful.







One other negative about Dell: they shipped both laptops with Windows Vista, the original edition NOT service pack 1 - even though SP1 was available to Dell for 2 months before I placed my order!!! That meant I had to install SP1 on both laptops. This installation did not go as smoothly as it should have (e.g., after installation, computer froze once, and later didn't wake from sleep correctly, or woke up but didn't recognize attached usb devices, etc).







In fact, I have a few issues with Vista, but I'm reviewing the laptop, not Vista, and you unfortunately will likely be forced to get Vista with almost any new laptop you are considering buying.







But it was incredibly disappointing that Dell put the old Vista on these machines when SP1 was already available. Perhaps they hadn't yet gotten around to testing SP1 on their laptops.







* * *







Would I do it all over again? Yes, even if I had to go through the same hassles dealing with Dell, because I really love these XPS laptops.