Performance: Overall this laptop's performance was excellent. Tasks like email, word processing and web browsing will be speedy and you can even accomplish tougher tasks like video editing and mid-range gaming at top speed. It was among the fastest with writing, creating spreadsheets, video chat and other productivity tasks. It was among the fastest for mainstream gaming, viewing and editing photos and editing music, and among the fastest with productivity and Web-based tasks such as word processing, Web browsing, casual gaming and video chat. In addition, demanding video games will show smooth graphics and have a quick response.
Portability: This laptop is a good choice for traveling. 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 4.4 pounds, this is lightweight for a laptop this size.
Ergonomics: The laptop features, such as its keyboard, touchpad, and labeling were well-designed, making it comfortable and convenient to use. The keyboard has large keys and was comfortably sized. Its high contrast letters were easy to read, and the backlighting can be useful in dark rooms. Keys were conveniently positioned, good for touch typists who want to speed up typing. The power button was conveniently located, but its labeling was hard to read. The touchpad was among the largest of those tested, and provides ample space for different touch gestures.
Display: The display quality was excellent overall. Colors were accurately reproduced, realistic, and natural looking. 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. The touchscreen is smooth enough for fast swipes, and fingerprints clean off easily.
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 512GB 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 Thunderbolt 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 battery is not easily removable.
