HP Pavilion 14-b017cl Sleekbook Laptop Computer w/ i5, 6gb RAM, 500gb HD- $399

I'd say this is a no-brainer IF you need something portable *with* a little extra horsepower to go along with it. I had a netbook (or, several) for many years ever since they came out, but I won't go back to one anymore. I highly enjoy my 13" Sony 2nd gen i5 laptop (got it for $400ish) because it's portable but it can handle everything. I had a netbook with an HDMI port, that could barely stream anything.. Doesn't make sense.

A new 14" 3rd gen i5 under 4lbs is very very nice for school or traveling. $400 is a nice compromise on price too.

I just realized it, this thing has no optical drive. Not a deal-breaker per-se, but something to be aware of (kind of like the 10/100 enet- which is surprising on IB - I bet it's actually GigE).

Also, has 2x USB 3 and HDMI. Too bad I can't find the model on hp's website... I'd also like to know if anything is user replaceable, or if it's a unibody design making it a PITA to take apart.

Also, if you're on the fence about this one, just buy it (leave in box) and see if you see any better deals on BF... if not be happy!

Good deal. Thanks

Good price for the i5 edition of this machine, it will be a bit of a pain for those who want to swap the HDD out, here's the HP manual for this frame, must remove keyboard etc etc to access. take a look!
http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Man...560607.pdf

Got one at the Pleasantville, NJ Sam's Club. Other clubs in the area didn't have it available. Nice thing about this club is that is in a UEZ area, so only 3.5% NJ sales tax instead of 7%.

Quote from blcfla : Good price for the i5 edition of this machine, it will be a bit of a pain for those who want to swap the HDD out, here's the HP manual for this frame, must remove keyboard etc etc to access. take a look! http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Man...560607.pdf

You're lucky, if this was a Toshiba, you'd be getting sued now

Quote from ruysnr : is sam's club like costco where you need to pay annual to get membership?

yes, 40 $ basic membership

Does this one come with Bluetooth? Also can anyone find specs on HP website?

Quote from atl9 : yes, 40 $ basic membership

or pay 10% surcharge of the product you're buying...
which in this case... 40 bux...

Will this be available for Nov 23 as per ad again? I was waiting for this deal.

Quote from thund3rcat : Both video cards benchmark about the same. http://www.videocardbenchmark.net...el+HD+4000 i5-3317U will beat the AMD A8-4500M in most benchmark, despite the AMD being a quad. The Sam's deal is a lot better imo.

Benchmarks are one thing but Intel's video drivers blow. Current benchmarks being equal, the integrated AMD GPU is going to perform more consistently (smooth) with more compatibility and speed updates over time. If gaming is a top priority it is worth considering, and the AMD solution should be workable at such a low resolution.

But if gaming is just a small slice then the numerous advantages of the i5 are hard to argue against... and Sandy Bridge graphics are getting close to where they need to be. Much more workable than earlier versions.

This mobile i5's benchmark is slightly over 3100 (slow for an i5, fast for home use), while the A8 is a tad over 2600.

Text on a 14" screen will be much sharper than a 15.6" screen, be more portable, and lighter. The battery as a 4-cell kind of sux though, and many 14" laptops have an optical drive. The 5400 rpm is definitely a wrench in the cog - but many will upgrade to an SSD (carefully after pulling the keyboard).

Hopefully this has a 1.3mp web cam. 0.3 really kills decent deals like this. It says HD webcam, but that can mean 1.0 - still better than 0.3.

Would this be a decent computer for a college kid? (not gaming, etc. just school papers, etc.)

Maggie

Quote from Jalard123 : Who uses ethernet ports anymore? Its 2012.

Have you ever configured your router????



Have you ever configured your router...... on 1000? Mannnn!!


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