Performance: Overall this laptop's performance was good, below that of many other models but still powerful enough for tasks such as email, word processing, web browsing, streaming movies and even some gaming. Compared to other tested laptops, its speed was adequate for common tasks such as web browsing, video conferencing, and application startup. Speed was adequate when composing documents, working on data spreadsheets, and other productivity tasks, and its speed was adequate for manipulating filters on images, converting and editing videos, and rendering models and calculating simulations.
Portability: This laptop is a good choice for traveling, although not ideal. At 9 hours, battery life was long enough to get you through a typical workday. Its max screen brightness was lower than our target for battery tests, which gave it a slight advantage. At 4.6 pounds, weight was typical for a laptop this size.
Ergonomics: Some features of the keyboard, touchpad, and labeling, were well-designed, and were comfortable or convenient to use. The keyboard has large keys and was comfortably sized. Its high contrast letters were easy to read. There's a dedicated number pad. The power button was well labeled and conveniently located.
Display: The display quality was good overall. Colors were in the ballpark, though not completely accurate. The display was anti-reflective, so there was little or no glare when viewing in a brightly lit room or outdoors. The display had a narrow viewing angle, so you'll have limited flexibility in how to position the screen for optimal viewability for one user, and it will be difficult for more than one person to look at the screen at the same time.
Useful features and attributes on this model include: The spacious 1TB hard drive offers plenty of room for storing your music, photos, and movies. You can connect common external devices such as hard drives and Blu-ray burners to the USB 3.0 ports for maximum performance. Gigabit Ethernet provides fast transfer of data over a local network. This laptop is compatible with HDMI for connecting to an HDTV.
Downsides: There's no optical drive like a CD or DVD reader, so you'll have to buy an external drive if you need one. The battery is not easily removable.
