4 comments about HP Pavilion DV5-1000US 15.4-inch Laptop (2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P7350 Processor, 4 GB RAM, 250 GB Hard Drive, DVD Drive, Vista Premium) Black.

1. This notebook rocks! It is powerful, runs really cool and will likely be an excellent choice for many. Setup was a snap and I had no problem connecting the unit to a wireless network. However, I must say, I wish HP provided more documentation with the computer or at least had a complete user manual available online. I generally know my way around computers, yet it took me some time to figure out what made everything work.
   
   If you are considering a notebook in the $600 - $700 range, I would recommend you check this system out. For a few more dollars, you get a lot more technology. This is a computer you can easily keep for several years.
   
   While I like doing business with Amazon, I found the laptop for 849.99 at another retailer. Often you will find chain retailers offering hefty discounts on computers. Of course, they are hoping you purchase other product along with your computer.
   
   Bottom-line is this, I think the DV5-1000 is an excellent computer, Well, worth taking a close look at!



2. I've had this for 3 weeks and am now returning it.
   
   Pros: Sleek, fast, screen looks great. For me the ideal size as a desktop replacement and providing portability around my apartment (too big to take it everywhere all the time).
   
   Cons: This was the kicker. The volume control does not work. I tried numerous calls to customer service, did about 6 different patches (new driver installation, then uninstall quicklaunch then reinstall, restore point, recovery). It worked, then problem resurfaced 2 weeks later. Big issue is the volume adjustment pops up in a big black box in the middle of your screen every 5 or 20 seconds, making it impossible to enjoy surfing the internet. It'll disappear (the problem), then whenever I play a mpeg or video file, the volume clicking noise and icon box will constantly reappear. I'm going to avoid the dv5 series entirely. When i googled 'pavillion dv5 and volume bug' i noticed a lot of other people have the same complaint. Otherwise a great laptop - just google and do you research. maybe my PC was the anomaly.



3. I needed this notebook next day, and Amazon's reasonable charge for next day delivery (under $20 on a $900 item) allowed me to order it this way. Unfortunately, the confirmation had delivery estimated in 5 days (over a weekend). I called to complain, and was told they were having supply problems. I said the item was in stock when I ordered it, and they offered to refund my shipping. That was nice, but I wanted it the next day. Well, imagine my surprise when it arrived the next day. Nice.
   
   The notebook is beautiful. It's supposed to come with a P7350 2.0 Ghz processor, but instead, it came with a P8400 2.26Ghz processor. Really nice! It does everything you'd want, and it's as fast as Vista allows it to.
   
   Problems:
   
   Of course, the notebook is loaded with trials, and the IE home page set to eBay (of all places). Easy enough to fix, though. Windows update installed a bunch of updates, and HP had updates for the BIOS and most of the drivers. All these updates for a brand new computer?
   
   But even after all those updates, the very cool looking volume slider doesn't work well. It's very choppy and slow to respond. The updates fixed the problem with it not working after sleep, but it's still choppy and slow. HP support couldn't help either.
   
   And Vista. XP is far faster (try copying some files across the network with Vista) and far less annoying (it almost forces you to turn off UAC).
   
   HP does us a disservice by not providing XP drivers for this notebook. I suppose most of the drivers could be located via the internet (not sure about that video camera, though), but how inconvenient. So much so that I'll stick with Vista unless it gets too annoying.
   
   But these problems are few, and none of it distracts from the enjoyment of the notebook. It's a great notebook, and a really good value.



4. Purchased this laptop for my fiance's daughter. I will be taking it back to Puerto Rico with me on 10/10 so here is my problem. I love this laptop so much I almost want to keep it(which I know I can't because she truly needs it for school)or purchase another one. I currently own a Dell Inspiron. I honestly feel like selling my Dell and purchasing another DV5-1000US. From the dual-core processor the list goes on....4gb memory, 3mb cache, 250gb hard drive and to boot....a built-in webcam/microphone. Before receiving this laptop, I told my fiance not to expect much from the built-in webcam. I had to eat my words as I used it that same night while we chatted on instant messenger. Not only that but I called her computer and spoke with her just as well as if I was on the telephone. I will support another reviewer who stated there were many updates to download and install for Windows. I believe there were about 25 or 26 updates which took some time to download and install. That would be the only complaint I had which to me is not much of a complaint. The laptop itself is simply beautiful!!!! I look at my Dell now in disgust. Another reviewer mentioned experiencing trouble with his volume control. I tested the volume control on this one and it worked flawlessly...even the mute button worked at the touch of my finger. Another kudos I will give to HP....the memory card reader on the left side of the pc not only excepts SD cards but also Memory Stick cards. That is a huge plus in my book. There is an HDMI out on the left side of the pc. Another issue for some people will be the fact this little sucker does not come with any supporting software. You have to create your own recovery discs and I highly advise using dvd and not cds. When you go into creating your recovery discs it tells you how many discs you will need. I used dvd-r and only needed three discs. Obviously if one uses cd-r you will be needing many more discs due to the lack of storage available in comparison to dvd. $899.99 minus a $50.00 rebate...what a steal!!!! I would have purchased it even without the rebate. Amazon had a list price of $1375...not sure how accurate that is but with all the features on this pc....it would easily list over $1000.00 most places you look. I know my future step-daughter is going to love this laptop. She is excited and cannot wait to see it. I hate to part with it and I have only played around with it for a couple of days. I would highly recommend this laptop to anyone. Selected one day shipping on a weekend purchase and it was shipped that Monday and delivered Tuesday. The one day shipping rate thru Amazon was very reasonable at $18.00 or so. Anyone purchasing this laptop will not regret it.

5 comments about ASUS Eee PC 1000 10-Inch Netbook (1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 Processor, 1 GB RAM, 40 GB Solid State Drive, Linux, 6 Cell Battery) Fine Ebony.

1. I have had my eee for about a month now and really love it. The screen looks absolutely great. Native resolution is 1024x600, which is more than adequate for most stuff. The built in speakers are also surprisingly good. MP4 movies and MP3s play and sound great on this little guy. The keyboard is a reasonable size and very workable compared to the earlier versions of the eee. Network connectivity is good. It seems to connect to most Wifi hotspots very well. Although, it is slow making the initial connection. The power brick is also very lightweight which is a nice surprise. It comes with 1 Gig of Ram which should be more than adequate for most people. I upgraded to 2 gig with no issues. Also, the hard drive is solid state, no moving parts.
   
   The OS uses Xandros Linux which is a Debian variant. The User Interface is not customizable unless you know a little bit about Linux or are willing to learn. If you do know a little about Linux, its pretty easy to tweak. All the tools you need for a traveling NetBook are there. Firefox 2.x, Thunderbird 2.x, Skype, Open Office 2.x, Terminal/Shell, File Manager, a media player (MP4 movies play great), and MP3 Player. The MP3 player has a funky UI, but it works with my iTunes library just fine. I just had to copy the files over and put them in the eee's music folder.
   
   Only a few negatives that I have run across. The fan seems to run a lot which is kind of odd since it has a solid state drive. The right shift key is very small and on the wrong side of the arrow key. This messes up touch typists. Inserting or removing USB devices while the NetBook is on may cause it to lock up. It works find with USB Drives and Mice as long as they are connected with the machine powered off.
   
   If you want a nice travel NetBook for light duty work, some e-mails, some blogging, a little surfing, movies and MP3s, this machine is great. And its only $1200 less than a MacBook Air.



2. When I received the computer with Xandros, the first thing I did was plug in my external drive and install Windows XP Pro with nLite to make the installation smaller and slipstream the drivers into the install to speed things up a bit. With XP Pro running, the computer boots up in around 30 seconds, and nearly instantly if on standby. It runs decently fast with a few programs open, but bogs down on heavily java scripted pages and running video, but only so much can be expected of a ultra low voltage processor. I have been reliably getting 6 hours of battery life with Wi-fi, full brightness and the processor set on high. If I put the processor on power saving and lower the brightness, I did get 10 hours on a charge. This really is a great laptop for work and internet surfing. This has entirely replaced all of my other computers, except for one that I use solely as a DVR. Overall a great product and I recommend it to every one. A word of warning though, Xandros is terrible, and if you don't want to spend for a licensed copy of XP, I would recommend checking out the other Linux releases that have driver support, such as Debian.



3. I love this little computer. I use it for everything; it's great for school. The only issue that I've had with it was the operating system. It came with Xandros pre-installed, but it is incredibly oversimplified and the icons tend to disappear on you. However, I easily fixed this by installing Ubuntu-Eee, replacing the old OS. Now everything works perfectly! For more on Ubuntu-Eee, [...]



4. quite a great gift for a programmer/developer - it runs smoothly with development tools like Eclipse, IDEA etc



5. Everything is great and perfect.
   However, this pc needs an exteral DVD-rom.
   Also, the mouse pad is too sensitive.

5 comments about ASUS Eee PC 901 8.9-Inch Netbook (1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 Processor, 1 GB RAM, 12 GB Solid State Drive, XP Home, 6 Cell Battery) Pearl White.

1. This device is so small and light, and easy to use. Great for travel, no docking station or plug in peripherals to weight you down. I can literally slip this into my purse and go.



2. Worthwhile purchase. It has proved to serve its purpose for an alternate computer. It very convenient and versatile. I would not recommend it as a primary laptop/computer.



3. Very satisfied with my purchase. It's really portable and the communication features (Wi-fi, bluetooth, web cam) are very convenient. Initially concerned about the size of the flash memory but it proved to fulfill my needs. My only problem is that my son took it from me to college and eventually I'll have to buy another for myself. . . .



4. SOME KEYS DONT WORK,LIKE F8F9 FOR VOLUME,PRINT SCREEN,4 SWITCHES ON THE LEFT HAND ABOVE THE KEY BOARD DONT WORK AND LOT OF THINGS,OVERALL I DONT RATE THIS AS A GOOD PRODUCT.



5. Over all I'm a big fan of the Eee. For 99% of what you'll do with it, it's awesome. It's surprisingly performant, and has great battery life, though don't expect the 6-7 hours the write-ups will promise - I'd say 4-5 is more realistic (still, that's pretty good considering my full-sized Dell gets about 45 minutes off the tether). Also, it's small enough to fit in almost any bag, durable enough so you don't have to worry about putting it in any bag, and so light you won't even notice.
   
   The one issue is that the keyboard is too small. Typing more than a few lines is extremely frustrating even if you have small hands, and so far "getting used to it" isn't helping much. If you're planning on using this to take notes in class or write on the go, I recommend you look into something larger. I ignored reviews that made this same complaint and am regretting it now.

5 comments about HP Pavilion DV6810US 15.4-inch Laptop (AMD Turion 64 X 2 Dual Core TL-60 Processor, 3 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, DVD Drive, Vista Premium).

1. I INITIALLY ORDERED THIS PRODUCT IN MAY 08 BEACAUSE OF THE FETURES ADVERTISED BY AMAZON WHICH INCLUDED A BUILT IN CAMERA. WHEN MY ORDER ARRIVED IN TRINIDAD & TOBAGO IT DID NOT HAVE A CAMERA. I CONATACTED AMAZON WHO PROMISED TO SHIP THE CORRECT LAPTOP TO ME. GUESS WAHAT THE SECOND LAPTOP DID NOT HAVE A CAMERA AS ADVERTISED. I HAVE BEEN CHARGED FOR TWO LAPTOPS I DID NOT ORDER. I'M VERY DIS-SATISFIED!!!
   
   DO NOT EVER PURCHASE LAPTOPS FROM AMAZON.



2. This is a pretty sweet laptop. The screen is big, bright and great. The 3GB of RAM keep this puppy running smoothly and the 320 GB HDD gives you more than enough space to store what ever you need on this computer. The nVidia graphics card with 512 MB of separate memory makes the picture quality astounding. The touch buttons up top are perfect, not too sensitive, and not to the point where you have to stab them with your finger to work. An interesting feature I wasn't even aware because it wasn't mentioned in the review was the fingerprint scan log-on system. Although at first I wasn't to fond of it (for the love of God it wouldn't record my index finger print signature)eventually you get used to it and I haven't logged on through the password option since like the fourth day I got the laptop. The webcam is pretty good and although it may not seem like it would, those two little holes next to the webcam are a really powerful microphone. The speakers are pretty powerful for a laptop speaker, but then again Altec Lansing is a good speaker brand.
   
   Now I only have pretty much one con about this computer. The battery life. Its not horrible, but its not the greatest either. It won't hinder your experience with the laptop that much, but its there in the back of your head. Why not just include a more cell-containing battery from the start is a pretty crappy move from HP, but seeing as how the upgrade battery will set you back $100 and most people will flock like stupid cattle to get it, HP isn't gonna give an easy hundred up just like that.
   
   Either way, I pretty much give this laptop a 5/5. Truly amazing.



3. Good laptop, excellent TL-60 microprocessor, great memory 3Gb. Bad VGA card...just 64 Mb dedicated video memory. Fast 160 Gb HD.



4. Another fine product by HP with Amazon doing an excellent job of purchase and delivery.



5. I purchased this unit for my son who is entering his freshman year of high school. I have an HP unit for work that has been very reliable so thought I would give this a shot for him. He is very happy with it, works great for surfing and watching videos. We have not tried the Blue Ray player yet, but assume it will be nice. Having the 3 GB of Ram appears pretty crucial as I recently was upgraded (?) to Vista at work and my machine, which does not have that much Ram, runs pretty slow on it, but his works much quicker. Only drawback might be the wieght of this unit. It has an amazing battery life, but it comes at a heavy price, pun intended, the thing weighs a lot comparatively, but all in all, well worth the money and was very easy to fire up and start working on it right away.

5 comments about HP 2133-KX870AT 8.9-inch Mini-Note PC (C7-M 1.6 GHz Processor, 2048 MB RAM, 120 GB Hard Drive, Vista Business).

1. This would be ok for traveling to check email or to act as a cache for pictures, but it is a little slow and clunky for anything else. It has a habit of notifying you that it is downloading updates and then shutting down in the middle of what you're doing. Vista business does not come with any of the rudimentary games that come with xp and so you can't play freecell or solitaire while waiting for a connection. This little computer is a bit of a disappointment.



2. Over the last few days I have had the opportunity to deal with SLED 10.1, SuSE Linux Enterprise Desktop, which ships with the new, and beautiful, machine that I am typing this post on. The experience was educational, if you haven't already convinced yourself that the pseudo open source nature of Novell's pact with Micro$oft is evil, I encourage you try SLED on for size.
   
   First things first, when I booted the computer, it hung, I rebooted, and was greeted with an operating system that had no repositories, well, maybe that's an exaggeration, it had no "real" repos, not that were SLED specific. In addition to this (outrage) inconvenience, (I'm a Debian man, you can tell,) the microphones and camera didn't work. (What! Didn't these folks think any of this through beforehand?)
   
   Alright, with that out of the way, I can tell you that I love the machine, it's solid and awesome in every way that I can think of, now that I have Xubuntu installed.
   
   Installing another operating system on the Linux variant is a must (it's also a must on the windows machines, but you all know that,) SLED is bad, and Eric Hess has written this sweet tutorial:
   
   https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LaptopTestingTeam/HP2133
   
   for the installation of a real operating system onto the 2133, and setting it up to get everything working, (well, there are 2 inconspicuous things that aren't perfect on my machine, but it will get there.)
   
   I don't have an external cdrom drive, nor a Windows machine, and so I followed the instructions here:
   
   https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/FromUSBStick
   
   under the "manual" category, to cook up a bootable sd card, which I stole from my camera.
   
   The rest of the instructions, for setup of audio and wifi, worked wonderfully, and now the machine is a sweet piece of work. It's responsive for my needs as an IT specialist and student, and doesn't get too hot to use on my lap in bed (don't block the vents matey!)
   
   Overall, great job HP, Novell will not be getting any recommendations from me, and I am a happy camper.



3. Una notebook excelente para escribir y navegar. Pantalla nitida y clara, sonido perfecto y un buen rendimiento en general. Mi única queja es la batería de 6 celdas que sobresale de la parte de atrás, además que tarda bastante tiempo en cargar.
   
   
   This notebook is excellent for writing and surf the web. Nice and clear screen, perfect sound and good performance. The only complain is the 6 cells battery, it comes out from the back and takes so long to charge.



4. What a mess! I gave the ASUS away, thinking larger keys/screen would be worth the extra price. Here's what I got with the HP 2133:
   
   1. Touch pad sends the cursor bouncing around, you'll spend a minimum couple seconds trying to find it every time you use it.
   
   2. After two weeks of sitting on my credenza, booting up produced ... nothing. The unit wasn't dropped, abused, the OS simply evaporated.
   
   3. HP's website doesn't recognize HP 2133, HP 2133 Mini-Note, etc. You get the idea HP is ashamed of it. The only way to get email to a service tech without a product number is to email the President.
   
   4. The first tech who called quickly realized the OS was ... whatever it was. He shipped a dvd with SUSE on it. I didn't ask the obvious, why didn't HP ship it with the 2133 to begin with. I tried to find tech info, operating manuals on the website. Good luck.
   
   5. The dvd loaded from an stand-alone optical drive, thankfully, I have one.
   
   6. The new OS is as screwed up as the first; of course, installing it wipes out everything on the computer previously. The computer keeps asking for a hd password, advising that the hd (actually the 4gig flash memory) is locked until the right password is entered. Huh? This wasn't on the OS previously.
   
   7. I use the same password for everything, I assumed it was from something on the OS before it blew up. That password doesn't work on the 2133. After four wrong guesses the OS finally proceeds, recognizes f9, f10, f11, etc. However, without the password, it's a circular firing squad, back and forth, till I give up. There's a list of possible generic passwords for SUSE on the Internet. None of them work.
   
   8. I wrote the President of HP again, got an email from the head of the linux hp 2133 unit, or something like that. Who hasn't returned my calls or emails. He did suggest via email that I should send the 2133 to him so he could straighten out the mess. That's a first, and confirmation for me that HP recognizes what a disaster it has brewing.
   
   9. Maybe I didn't know where to find the program, before it blew up I tried to watch movies, .avi and .mpg formats. Neither of which worked. I've finally found a linux movie player on the internet, problem is, I can't access the computer to add it or test it.
   
   10. I've loaded the OS from the dvd three or four times, after loading I get the 'enter password' screen.
   
   11. I like to think I'm a somewhat sophisticated user, I go back to TRS-DOS. Open Office, Firefox, work OK. I've found linux requires far more effort to use than XP. That was before it blew up.
   
   12. The cat loves flopping down anywhere the computer has been resting. It's not quite hot enough to fix flapjacks, but it's close.
   
   13. I stopped by Office Depot today to buy an XP for $99. At checkout I saw the small print, 'this is only an upgrade of a prior Windows OS.' Of course, there is no Windows OS. I saved $100, but don't have a notebook computer to take on a trip Monday.
   
   14. Complete XP is $200. Spending $200 on XP to add to the 2133 is foolish, I can buy the Acer Aspire One for not that much more.
   
   15. I told the tech at HP ... I haven't been fishing in decades, but I'll go just to use the HP as a sinker.
   
   16. I've got an order in for Acer Aspire One, $349 for the 1gig 120hd, XP at MicroCenter. The keys are still kinda small and tight, I don't like Bill Gates, etc., but it can't be the disaster the HP has been.
   
   17. Save your money. You'll thank me.



5. Siempre estuve buscando una laptop o notebook de ese tamaño, nadie tenía algo así, tan potente, rápida y a un precio realmente accesible, claro que por el tamaño no tiene el lector de CD/DVD pero no me complica ni perjudica pues cuando uno quiere algo hay que estar dispuesto a renunciar a algunas cosas.
   Muy recomendable, el Windows Vista Business corre bien y rápido y la batería es genial dura más de 3 horas. Aun no pruebo la webcam pero supongo todo debe estar bien, sino volveré con malos comentarios. PUNO -LAGO TITICACA - PERU. Adeu.

5 comments about ASUS Eee PC 901 8.9-Inch Netbook (1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 Processor, 1 GB RAM, 20 GB Solid State Drive, Linux, 6 Cell Battery) Pearl White.

1. I've been looking for a small, affordable and highly portable machine for quite some time. For my needs, I really needed it to be Windows based. I bought the EEE with the intention of installing windows on it. I decided on the linux version because of the extra ram and ssd.
   
   As a linux machine, it runs great. It boots up quickly and launches apps without any delay. The battery life is nice too, I got almost 6hrs. I have large hands so it took a little while to adjust to the keyboard, but I was able to touch type on it with a little effort and some creative wrist maneuvers. IMO, it's fine for short docs, but if I was writing an paper, I'd probably get an external keyboard.
   
   Before going through the trouble of wiping the ssd, I wanted to make sure windows would run smoothly so I installed VMWare with a Winxp guest. This config ran really well. I was impressed!
   
   I considered leaving it in this way, but having to boot 2 OS to get to the apps I wanted just wasn't worth it. Also, I wanted to run things like Reason and running in VMware caused noticeable audible blips in those cycles where the host OS had control of the CPU. Aside from this inherent side-effect of running under VM, the actual processor performed well. It was able to play every project I had previously created - and some of those had maxed out my CPU on the desktop PC originally used to create it. Nice!
   
   So why am I giving it only 4 stars? Well, after installing windows, the PC became unbearably slow, so much so that I restored it back to linux and returned it.
   
   This thing doesn't have that fast of an IO sub-system (another reviewer commented on this). For linux this is fine because disk access is pretty efficient. Not so under windows, where the OS seems to want to read little bits of info from hundreds of files. Yeah, it only takes about 30-40 seconds to boot windows, but it takes another 5+ minutes for post-boot disk processing to end. During this waiting period, the machine is basically a paper weight.
   
   I would have given it only 2 stars, but since I am not using it for it's intended purpose, I felt that was unfair. I highly recommend this product as a linux PC.



2. I purchased the ASUS 901 to enable me to leave my full sized (read too heavy to carry and battery life too short to make useful on a plane) laptop at home on business trips. From the perspective of MS-Office file compatibility (using Linux and Open Office on the ASUS)I am very satisfied. However unless I can get over two hurdles it will NOT fill my needs. 1) I have been unable to link my Apple wireless blutooth keyboard and mouse to the ASUS and use them. I find the keyboard too cramped to use for more than navigating websites. 2) I cannot watch movies loaded onto SD cards on the machine and the tech support on this issue has been less than helpful.
   
   Speed of the machine is good. Internet connectivity is great. Screen (recognizing it is small - but that is the choice I made) clarity is excellent. And battery life is great.
   
   If they address my two issues and add more robust tech support I would highly recommend the product. If not ... I wouldn't waste the money. I'd just bite the bullet and purchase a Lenovo X301.



3. When looking for a portable computer to join me on the road, I was most concerned about:
   * (Exceptional) battery life
   * (Small) size and weight
   * (High) exterior durability/build quality
   * (Solid) keyboard
   * (Good) wireless hardware/software
   * (Low) noise and heat
   * (At least) a 1024-pixel-wide display
   * (Reasonable) disk space
   
   At the time of research/purchase, the EEE line seemed to meet these requirements better than the alternatives I read about, especially battery life. The units are small, the 6-cell batteries really are great in the Atom-based models, the power brick is tiny, a carrying case is included in the package, etc.
   
   The tough call for me ended up being whether to get the EEE 901 or the EEE 1000H. At the time, the 1000H was significantly cheaper, came with a larger (and more traditional) storage unit, had a larger keyboard and screen, with nearly the same battery life, and had Windows. (The the Windows version of the EEE 901 really did not sound appealing given the low storage space on it.) I got to try out the Acer Aspire One at a local Best Buy, and felt that the keyboard size was just right. The knowledge that the 901's keyboard was smaller than the Aspire One's worried me, though when I saw pictures online comparing the overall size of the 901 to the 1000 to a normal-sized laptop, it seemed almost pointless to buy something just a tad smaller than a normal laptop, vs something significantly smaller and still usable. Also, the 901's keyboard has been around for a while (used in all EEE models except the 1000 up until that point), and reportedly felt a lot sturdier, even if it were smaller.
   
   The Windows question: while I am a die-hard Linux fan, I felt that it might be more practical having Windows on a portable machine that has to go everywhere---on rare occasions, you might run into things where you really wished you had Windows for. Plus with the hard disk in the 1000H, it would be easy enough to partition and dual-boot. If you bought a model loaded with Linux and wanted Windows on it, (I guess) you could try VMWare or something similar or try dual-booting off of the internal SSD's, but you'd still either have to buy it or steal it, neither of which are good options. You really can't beat the value of having it come with the machine.
   
   Ultimately, I decided on the Linux version of the EEE 901. It has just the right amount of built-in storage space, is completely silent when using the battery, has a solid-feeling keyboard, easy-to-read screen/resolution, excellent battery life (5 hours when demanding a lot from the wireless non-stop) and overall is just right for my needs. The build quality is great---does not feel or look cheaply made. And it's so lightweight, and it fits everywhere---in the car, on a coffee table; produces very little heat; it's small enough to have two on your lap at once, if you're into that kind of thing. I only wish it were capable of playing MSNBC's and CNN's live video streams. YouTube, Hulu, etc work fine. This is currently my *only* computer, and I've been using it all day for a month. I browse the web, do email and write software (on a remote system). Though the keyboard is small, it doesn't suffer flex in the way that the 1000H's apparently does, and I can touch-type on it at a satisfactory speed---maybe just a bit slower than I would on a full-size keyboard. As a fair warning, I do have smaller-than-average hands. And even with that "advantage", I did buy an external full-size USB keyboard to use when I really have to do some serious typing. But the portability factor of this model is just superb, and the built-in keyboard is really satisfactory 90% of the time. It definitely beats having a larger machine to lug around, even if the built-in keyboard were a tad larger.
   
   Finally, a note about wireless: The included wireless software works fine and is easy to use. Reception could be better, but I have nothing to compare it to. So let me put it this way: whenever and wherever I have needed to get online, I've been able to.
   
   Way to go Asus, you really got things right with the EEE 901!



4. I bought the PC through Amazon, but they delegated shipment through Beach Camera. The unit arrived with a pretty nasty screen problem - The glass looks like it's covered with dust, but on the *inside*. It's as if they dipped the screen too many times in the anti-glare solution at the factory.
   Needless to say, a cloudy screen is a fairly major problem when that screen is only 8.9" in size.
   Bad units happen, and I was just one of the unlucky .1% this time around. It's not like I couldn't return the merchandise for a full refund, right?
   I emailed Beach Camera, and was directed to their voice support line. I called them and was told, in no uncertain terms, that they did not accept PC returns under any circumstances. I hadn't realized this at the time of purchase since I'd ordered through Amazon, not the Beach Camera site.
   I filed a complaint with Amazon, but was ultimately told that the case had been "closed" because notification of the Beach Camera non-return policy was made clear during the checkout process. I couldn't recall seeing this policy while checking out, and Amazon support was unable to tell me where it appeared in the process.
   So now I'm stuck dealing with the manufacturer, ASUS. I've filed an RMA with them, so I'll see where that goes, but I'm not optimistic.
   I'm certainly not going to buy anything from Beach Camera again (who wants to buy something online that they can't return if there is a problem?) and Amazon won't be the first Web site I shop at anymore.
   
   The sad thing is that I've had really good dealings with Amazon over the years, including a similar dispute with one of their Z-shop dealers (another "we won't take back a defective product" issue). In the last case, Amazon settled the complaint - correctly - in my favor.
   
   As far as the ASUS 901 device itself goes, discounting the bad screen, it's a really great gadget. It's a little heavier and bulkier than the 900s I looked at in the local retail stores (I couldn't find 901s for sale in my neck of the woods), but also more professional looking.
   The installed Linux distro isn't that bad. The desktop is very functional and pretty intuitive for beginners.
   The keyboard is cramped, so touch typing won't be easy, but it's pretty usable. Given the space alloted to the keys, it's the best you could expect.
   The external speakers are okay, as is the built-in camera.
   It's a little more sluggish than I would have expected from an Atom-based machine with a solid state drive, but not too bad. It runs YouTube videos fairly well, with only a hitch here and there. It does all other, less-demanding functions (such as Web browsing, mp3 and podcast playing, email, etc.) fine.
   All in all, if the screen wasn't obscured, I'd be a very happy customer.
   
   Update (10/09/2008)
   
   I received a call from a representative of Beach Camera, and he said that he was willing to accept a return on the PC if ASUS would not take it back under warranty. ASUS is willing to take the unit back for repair, however, so hopefully the problem with the screen will be rectified.
   I still disagree with Beach Camera's "no returns" policy, and think that Amazon should make such restrictions crystal clear during check out, but I will give Beach Camera credit for following up and being willing to go the extra mile to satisfy a customer.



5. i purchased the eee 901 about 3 weeks ago and i have been extremely pleased with it. although i have had some minor issues overall i still think this product deserves 5 stars.
   
   pros:
   
   Intel atom processor means faster performance (over celeron predecessor), better battery life and extremely cool operating temperature.
   
   n wireless and gigabit 10/100/1000 ethernet
   
   5 hours EFFECTIVE battery life
   
   2 microphones for stereo recording.
   
   multi point touchpad capable of 2 finger scrolling and pinch zoom
   
   LED screen (as opposed to lcd)
   
   25 second boot time on stock operating system.
   
   surprisingly upgradeable for such a small machine.
   
   cons:
   
   "20 gb" hard drive is actually 2 drives a 16 gb and a 4 gb.
   
   stock operating system is very childish even though this is a fully fledged system
   
   no optical drive (no room for one)
   
   only one ram slot (expandable to 2 gb)

5 comments about HP 2133-KX869AT 8.9-inch Mini-Note PC (C7-M 1.2 GHz Processor, 1 GB RAM, 120 GB Hard Drive, Linux).

1. This would be ok for traveling to check email or to act as a cache for pictures, but it is a little slow and clunky for anything else. It has a habit of notifying you that it is downloading updates and then shutting down in the middle of what you're doing. Vista business does not come with any of the rudimentary games that come with xp and so you can't play freecell or solitaire while waiting for a connection. This little computer is a bit of a disappointment.



2. Over the last few days I have had the opportunity to deal with SLED 10.1, SuSE Linux Enterprise Desktop, which ships with the new, and beautiful, machine that I am typing this post on. The experience was educational, if you haven't already convinced yourself that the pseudo open source nature of Novell's pact with Micro$oft is evil, I encourage you try SLED on for size.
   
   First things first, when I booted the computer, it hung, I rebooted, and was greeted with an operating system that had no repositories, well, maybe that's an exaggeration, it had no "real" repos, not that were SLED specific. In addition to this (outrage) inconvenience, (I'm a Debian man, you can tell,) the microphones and camera didn't work. (What! Didn't these folks think any of this through beforehand?)
   
   Alright, with that out of the way, I can tell you that I love the machine, it's solid and awesome in every way that I can think of, now that I have Xubuntu installed.
   
   Installing another operating system on the Linux variant is a must (it's also a must on the windows machines, but you all know that,) SLED is bad, and Eric Hess has written this sweet tutorial:
   
   https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LaptopTestingTeam/HP2133
   
   for the installation of a real operating system onto the 2133, and setting it up to get everything working, (well, there are 2 inconspicuous things that aren't perfect on my machine, but it will get there.)
   
   I don't have an external cdrom drive, nor a Windows machine, and so I followed the instructions here:
   
   https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/FromUSBStick
   
   under the "manual" category, to cook up a bootable sd card, which I stole from my camera.
   
   The rest of the instructions, for setup of audio and wifi, worked wonderfully, and now the machine is a sweet piece of work. It's responsive for my needs as an IT specialist and student, and doesn't get too hot to use on my lap in bed (don't block the vents matey!)
   
   Overall, great job HP, Novell will not be getting any recommendations from me, and I am a happy camper.



3. Una notebook excelente para escribir y navegar. Pantalla nitida y clara, sonido perfecto y un buen rendimiento en general. Mi única queja es la batería de 6 celdas que sobresale de la parte de atrás, además que tarda bastante tiempo en cargar.
   
   
   This notebook is excellent for writing and surf the web. Nice and clear screen, perfect sound and good performance. The only complain is the 6 cells battery, it comes out from the back and takes so long to charge.



4. What a mess! I gave the ASUS away, thinking larger keys/screen would be worth the extra price. Here's what I got with the HP 2133:
   
   1. Touch pad sends the cursor bouncing around, you'll spend a minimum couple seconds trying to find it every time you use it.
   
   2. After two weeks of sitting on my credenza, booting up produced ... nothing. The unit wasn't dropped, abused, the OS simply evaporated.
   
   3. HP's website doesn't recognize HP 2133, HP 2133 Mini-Note, etc. You get the idea HP is ashamed of it. The only way to get email to a service tech without a product number is to email the President.
   
   4. The first tech who called quickly realized the OS was ... whatever it was. He shipped a dvd with SUSE on it. I didn't ask the obvious, why didn't HP ship it with the 2133 to begin with. I tried to find tech info, operating manuals on the website. Good luck.
   
   5. The dvd loaded from an stand-alone optical drive, thankfully, I have one.
   
   6. The new OS is as screwed up as the first; of course, installing it wipes out everything on the computer previously. The computer keeps asking for a hd password, advising that the hd (actually the 4gig flash memory) is locked until the right password is entered. Huh? This wasn't on the OS previously.
   
   7. I use the same password for everything, I assumed it was from something on the OS before it blew up. That password doesn't work on the 2133. After four wrong guesses the OS finally proceeds, recognizes f9, f10, f11, etc. However, without the password, it's a circular firing squad, back and forth, till I give up. There's a list of possible generic passwords for SUSE on the Internet. None of them work.
   
   8. I wrote the President of HP again, got an email from the head of the linux hp 2133 unit, or something like that. Who hasn't returned my calls or emails. He did suggest via email that I should send the 2133 to him so he could straighten out the mess. That's a first, and confirmation for me that HP recognizes what a disaster it has brewing.
   
   9. Maybe I didn't know where to find the program, before it blew up I tried to watch movies, .avi and .mpg formats. Neither of which worked. I've finally found a linux movie player on the internet, problem is, I can't access the computer to add it or test it.
   
   10. I've loaded the OS from the dvd three or four times, after loading I get the 'enter password' screen.
   
   11. I like to think I'm a somewhat sophisticated user, I go back to TRS-DOS. Open Office, Firefox, work OK. I've found linux requires far more effort to use than XP. That was before it blew up.
   
   12. The cat loves flopping down anywhere the computer has been resting. It's not quite hot enough to fix flapjacks, but it's close.
   
   13. I stopped by Office Depot today to buy an XP for $99. At checkout I saw the small print, 'this is only an upgrade of a prior Windows OS.' Of course, there is no Windows OS. I saved $100, but don't have a notebook computer to take on a trip Monday.
   
   14. Complete XP is $200. Spending $200 on XP to add to the 2133 is foolish, I can buy the Acer Aspire One for not that much more.
   
   15. I told the tech at HP ... I haven't been fishing in decades, but I'll go just to use the HP as a sinker.
   
   16. I've got an order in for Acer Aspire One, $349 for the 1gig 120hd, XP at MicroCenter. The keys are still kinda small and tight, I don't like Bill Gates, etc., but it can't be the disaster the HP has been.
   
   17. Save your money. You'll thank me.



5. Siempre estuve buscando una laptop o notebook de ese tamaño, nadie tenía algo así, tan potente, rápida y a un precio realmente accesible, claro que por el tamaño no tiene el lector de CD/DVD pero no me complica ni perjudica pues cuando uno quiere algo hay que estar dispuesto a renunciar a algunas cosas.
   Muy recomendable, el Windows Vista Business corre bien y rápido y la batería es genial dura más de 3 horas. Aun no pruebo la webcam pero supongo todo debe estar bien, sino volveré con malos comentarios. PUNO -LAGO TITICACA - PERU. Adeu.

5 comments about ASUS Eee PC 900 8.9-Inch Netbook (Intel Mobile Processor, 1 GB RAM, 16 GB Solid State Drive, Linux, 4 Cell Battery) Galaxy Black.

1. The Asus Eee PC has been exactly what I intended it to be. It's a breeze to set up, and very easy to use. The main function that I use it for is Internet browsing on the go. It is so simple to throw it in my bag and take it along with me so that I have access to the Internet at coffee shops and hotels no matter where I travel to.
   
   It's not meant to be a fully-functioning PC, so if that is what you are looking for then look somewhere else. However, if you need a surprisingly versatile little machine that enables you to travel lightly and still have access to the Internet, then this is the buy for you!
   
   The Eee PC is affordable, durable, and easy to use. I looked at some of the other options, but ended up choosing this one. I don't regret it at all. Btw, the Linux model is the way to go. Why pay more for Windows when you have so much functionality built into the Linux model for free?
   
   Thank you Asus!



2. I received this little wonder on Thursday and am in love with it. It is perfect for email and internet browsing. Pretty slick for ebooks too, which is something I had not considered.
   
   I think the best thing about it is that it contains no Microsoft products. I had forgotten the shear joy of having true control over a computer, like it was pre-windows, and am seeing the pure beauty of Linux.
   
   The only bad thing I can add is that Amazon does not tell you that the eee comes with a nice sleeve in the box so I did not have to order the $20 one, which I will be sending back.
   
   You can't beat the price on this thing so I highly recommend that you buy it!
   
   regards,
   Steve



3. Talk about portability...this Asus Eee PC 900 is a fantastic deal for the low price. The display has increased from 7" on the Asus 700 to 8.9" for this model, and it only weighs about 3 ounces more than the original model. I had never used Linux, but find it to be much faster than Windows, but with the 900 PC you can add Windows XP if you are addicted to that OS. If you travel a lot like I do, it is great to be able to check and write your email anywhere you are. I was out of the country for six weeks and spent nearly $200 at internet cafes, but that is now a thing of the past. It came with a nice little carrying case to keep it from getting all banged up in my carry-on. Once you get used to the small keyboard, it is a breeze.P.S.---I'm adding 1/2 a star to my rating!



4. I have been using this computer for a little over a month and I'm pretty happy with it. I recommend running more than one operating system on it to see what you like. I currently am running XP Pro and Ubuntu-EEE Linux on it. Windows XP runs real sluggish unless you tweak it which requires some knowledge of computers. I am really impressed with Ubuntu-EEE though as it does almost everything I need, runs faster than XP on it, and looks better than Vista. This is by no means a desktop replacement though and you need to know that going into this. For $350 you really can't find a better deal. I run Streets and Trips on XP with a bluetooth GPS receiver I bought and it works great. This computer does not have bluetooth built in but you can pick up a USB dongle for $8.00 if you look. All in all, I am happy with my purchase and happy that there are so many specific accessories and forums for this computer which have tutorials on how to do anything and everything with these machines.



5. Great product the only thing i noticed is its a little heavier than the MSI Wind u100 other than that its a great netbook.

5 comments about Nokia N810 Portable Internet Tablet.

1. Some random thoughts.
   
   Great price for some nice hardware. The fit and finish is great.
   
   The device is a good internet tablet, but does not have strong PIM functionality. Additional community software is helping in this area.
   
   If Linux is your thing, there are a lot of additional packages out in the community that really expands the functionality.
   
   Wifi and tethering to Nokia N75 work great for connectivity anywhere. Very smooth.
   
   Built in email client has some performance issues with a large Google account via IMAP. The latest update of the tablet has helped. By the way, make sure you flash the most current firmware right out of the box.
   
   GPS is cool, but the maps are OK for rural America. Still looking for the "killer app" that uses this feature. The Turn by turn functionality is an additional subscription to the built in software.



2. Just great. Having a complete computer in your pocket enables you to do unexpected things. The decision of using Debian as a base gives you the choice of thousads of appplications to be used, although Nokia could provide a tidier way of organising the community apps.
   
   It works great as a SIP phone, too. And I don't regret that it doesn't have mobile telephony included, I prefer them separate, and also the Nokia can control the telephone with bluetooth.



3. 
   
   Pro:
   
   1) browser with flash support
   2) keyboard
   3) linux
   4) Beautiful screen.
   
   Cons:
   
   1) Slow. Slow. Slow. Don't know where to start. The browser is slow. To its credit, if you disable flash, the browser feels 2x faster but then again that's why people choose this over ipod touch right? for flash? if flash make the system slow as a pig, then it's a feature that subtracts from the value, not enhances it.
   
   2) Stalls. When some programs needs/hogs CPU, "mail app" + "browser", the system/UI freezes/stalled for unspecified periods of time. Very very annoying.
   
   3) Appears the device lacks enough ram or that the application are bloated or use too much ram. In any case, having even 2 programs running at a time, degrades the experience.
   
   ----
   
   Overall, I had high hopes but was very disappointed. It could be much much more but there is not enough ram and most apps are CPU hogs causing UI stalls.



4. just to give you an idea on how awesome the nokia n810 im writing the review from it. its preloaded with lots of google apps so anyone with a gmail account i highly recemend the product. may people complained about the keys on the keyboard but after i got it i didnt get why, my cell phones keys are way smaller. well that about it its a great gizmo.



5. This is a very nice product for quick Internet access when you're away from a computer. I leave it on all the time, and the battery lasts 2-3 days without needing to be re-charged, and it's easy to carry around (much easier than a laptop) and always handy when I need it.

5 comments about HP Pavilion TX2510US 12.1-inch Laptop (2.10 GHz AMD Turion X2 ZM-80 Processor, 3 GB RAM, 250 GB Hard Drive, DVD Drive, Vista Premium) Black.

1. This little gem is doing everything well and more...especially after "decrapification" with PC decrapifier. I purchased it mostly with intention to use it as PDF reader and for the tablet function. The handwriting input and recognition are nothing short but amazing. Fingerprint reader allows you to login into webaccounts, which are too many these days, with just a sweep of a finger -- very convenient and actually useful! The computer is fast when it is up and running. A little slow to boot and switch users. The major gripe I have with it is the HEAT or my the HEAT!! Once the fan kicks in, it blows hot air like Chinese dragon! I live in Phoeniz, AZ and the last thing I need is the extra heat on my lap. The fan is super noisy. The noise is very noticeable even in moderately crowded rooms. So if you are sensitive to these issues, I would recommend to stay away from this product. If you can live with it, this is the best tablet PC you can get for <$1K.



2. Positives: nice ergonomics.
   Negatives: the TX2510 has a vastly underpowered Central Processing Unit, a very slow hard drive, a short battery life, runs very hot, and has a substandard display. My first TX2510 died after less than four hours of use. Staples refunded my full purchase price without any questions. I purchased a second TX2510 from Office Depot and found that the operating system and applications software often froze, just locked-up or presented the Blue Screen of Death. The operating system would not shut down when attempting to reboot. I had to take out the battery to power off. As a professional and certified computer professional, I applied all my skills but was unable to fix any of the problems. I cannot recommend the TX2510, it is a poor choice for your consideration. I asked Office Depot for a refund but Office Depot would not honor their two week return policy. Hewlett Packard's technical support could not fix the problems either. Hewlett Packard Executive Office also refused to repair or exchange the TX2510. HP blamed the many problems on Windows Vista. Since Vista is the problem, I asked if I could downgrade to Win XP. HP stated that the TX2510 cannot be downgraded to Windows XP.
   Conclusion: The TX2510 is a total loss unless you want a to use it as a DVD player. If you do purchase this expensive door stop; I recommend that you also purchase the following accessories: mittens for the heat, headphones to block out the fan noise, Ibuprofen for the eye and neck strain, a long extension cord, and a backup DVD player so you will be able to make it to the end of your movie.HP Pavilion TX2510US 12.1-inch Laptop (2.10 GHz AMD Turion X2 ZM-80 Processor, 3 GB RAM, 250 GB Hard Drive, DVD Drive, Vista Premium) Black



3. I've had this laptop for less than 24 hours now. Went in to buy a VAIO, but the touch screen was irresistible. The laptop performs well most of the time. My only complaint - the keyboard keys are too hard. You won't notice the difference when you tap the keys a few times - but when you spend hours typing - you will!
   
   The glossy screen is extremely painful in a room with fluorescent lighting. It makes it virtually unuseable unless you are in a dimly lit room. I haven't even tried it in daylight. Along with the hard keyboard, this is one of the most "unergonomic" laptops in the market.
   
   Some users have mentioned that it gets pretty hot. Well, I think most laptops get hot - unless you're running a video or loaded a webpage on steroids, the heat is just about same as other laptops.



4. This laptop is very good as for its price... its problem though is that is runs very hot, and the battery drains a bit fast... nevertheless, the touch screen feels good, and the keyboard is very conformable.. still adjusting to mouse... Another annoying issue is the lights of the buttons of the screen... I wish I could switch the lights off..



5. It's small, lightweight, powerful. Multitasking with Vista is seamless. Can play most of the new games on this laptop. Can use most new editing tools like Photoshop, Adobe Suite, Ulead, Video Creator. No lags and delays. Fast working time. Processor and memory do not max out easily. Great for work and entertainment!
   
   Note that the AMD Processor generates a lot of heat so be prepared for this. But for me, the tablet mode compensates for this hot drawback.