Performance: Overall this laptop's performance was only fair, well below that of many models but still good enough for routine tasks like email, word processing and web browsing. Performance was okay for routine productivity and Web-based tasks but for some tasks it's very slow, particularly when launching applications and scanning for malware. It was slow for viewing and editing photos, and slow for viewing and editing HD videos.
Portability: This laptop is a good choice for traveling, although not ideal. At 10.75 hours, battery life was very long, enough for a full day's work with a little more battery life to spare. At 2.6 pounds, weight was typical for a laptop this size.
Ergonomics: Some features of the keyboard, touchpad, and labeling were not well-designed, so it's not especially comfortable or convenient to use. The keyboard was not full-sized. Its high contrast letters were easy to read. The power button labeling was hard to read when the laptop is off, and it was inconveniently placed, either difficult to reach or too easy to accidentally press. The touchpad was uncomfortably small, providing less space for gestures than most others tested.
Display: The display quality was good overall. Colors were in the ballpark, though not completely accurate. The display was highly prone to glare making it difficult to see in a brightly lit room or outdoors. The display has a wide viewing angle, especially important if more than one person needs to see the screen at a time, say, for a video or presentation. Friction on the touchscreen may prevent fast swiping, and fingerprints may take some effort to clean off.
Useful features and attributes on this model include: Laptop converts to a touchscreen tablet to be used as either a laptop computer or a tablet. There's a 32GB solid-state hard drive, which uses less power and accesses data more quickly. You can connect common external devices such as hard drives and Blu-ray burners to the USB 3.0 ports for maximum performance. 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 primary drive only has 32GB of storage, which can quickly run out of room. There is an SD card reader for adding extra space, but you may need to delete unused files in order to install large system updates. The battery is not easily removable.
