wow, eight reviews already? and its only breakfast time ;-)
take a look at my blog at: h...
wow, eight reviews already? and its only breakfast time ;-)
take a look at my blog at: http://banbaandbeyond.blogspot .com
Member since:24.02.2007
Reviews:10
hello folks,
i bought a refurbished compaq presario cq60 (to give it the full title) about 3 months ago, and i love it. it does everything i need it to do and a little bit more, bit reading between the lines will let the more astute readers realize i don't need it to do a hell of a lot.
my basic usage includes: word processing, general internet use, playing movies/music, downloading movies/music and perhaps a little bit of photo shopping images (to give me the baywatch physique).
DISPLAY
the laptop comes with a 15.6 inch display, which is 0.2 inches bigger than a standard laptop. not a huge amount of difference you may think, but it is worth it. As the screen is that slight touch wider, watching widescreen movies is nicer, also the text size is a little bigger, making it easier on the eyes. You will, however, find that while it does still fit into normal carry cases for 15.4 inch laptops, it takes a significantly larger
amount of persuasion :)
the graphics are very clear and crisp while watching videos/movies, although i wouldn't recommend this for heavy gaming as the graphics card will not support it and you cannot upgrade it either. The computer has a line out for a HD ready screen, which is a welcome addition meaning you can literally use the computer as a monitor and use a larger screen with better quality.
the keyboard is slightly oversized for a laptop, making typing much easier (i am using it right now) and also the verrrry handy full numerical keypad on the far right makes online shopping, use of the calculator etc a doddle compared to the awkward use of the standard numbers.
SPEED
As i said at the beginning, this computer isn't going to win awards. My particular model has the semperon processor, which i find perfect, and has 2GB of ram, which is sufficient for my needs. if you will be running memory intensive programs, get something with higher ram or a dual core processor, as you will find this tedious. My computer has never frozen, i have never had to wait an annoying amount of time for anything to occur, but that is because the most intensive program i run is Safari, which takes up a fraction of the 2GB ram. If you want the computer for the same uses as myself, then it is a more than comfortable speed.
EASE OF USE
Perfection. Absolute perfection. The programs load very quickly and simply, the mousepad is a thing of genius, responding perfectly compared to other laptops i have owned (with the handy addition of a scroll line on the right hand side of the mousepad). the only complaint i would have is towards windows vista, which has nothing to do with the laptop! i personally find that the microsoft and windows programs are sub-standard, so i use others.
~internet explorer constantly comes up with errors on the script, so i instead use Safari (but mozilla firefox is a perfect substitute) ~Windows Media Player constantly refuses to play certain types of media, which is ridiculous, so i use VLC media player which has no frills or fancy skins, but plays everything!
EXTRAS
Battery life is poor - 2 hours ish when on balanced mode, but lets face it, how often do we use a laptop in the middle of a field, you will generally have access to a plug or won't be using it for 2hours. If you do need to use it off the battery, turn off the wifi if it isn't needed as it will sap the battery.
as far as the wifi goes, i have only ever had once when it wouldnt connect, and that was in my kitchen... although i think that was more of a protest against my cooking rather than anything else! range is standard, about 10-15 meters or so, i can pick up about 5 different wireless networks at home, so i presume its about that distance.
also comes with a 1.3mp webcam, which is a nice touch, but has yet to be used. if anyone knows of any irish relatives i may have in australia, be sure to recommend them to me and ill finally have an excuse to use skype :)
All in all this is a great laptop, and i purchased mine for just under 300 nupes with postage to Belfast, N.Ireland, so you couldnt shake a big stick at it :)
definitely get one of these laptops if you are looking for a general computer which ticks all the boxes
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
(+) cool and quite robust trackpad, good display,64-bit windows 7 (-) few connectors,dell drivers only, not realy for gameing (most models), finger print prone!
Advantages: Reasonable size, professional look, HD sound and vision, 60 day norton trial, 1 year warranty Disadvantages: Does not come with microsoft package
Advantages: Reasonable size, professional look, HD sound and vision, 60 day norton trial, 1 year warranty Disadvantages: Does not come with microsoft package
Jul 21st, 2009
very helpful by (100%):
