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. It was fast for productivity and Web-based tasks such as word processing, Web browsing, and scanning for malware. It was slow for viewing and editing photos, and speed was adequate for viewing and editing HD videos.
Portability: This laptop is a good choice for traveling. At 9.25 hours, battery life was long enough to get you through a typical workday. At 2.7 pounds, this is lightweight for a laptop this size.
Ergonomics: The keyboard was not full-sized. Its high contrast letters were easy to read. 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 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: 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 battery is not easily removable.
