Customer Reviews

Samsung Q310-34P 13.3-Inch Laptop (2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P8400 Centrino 2 Processor, 3 GB RAM, 320 GB Hard Drive, Vista Business)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

1st UPDATE TO ORIGINAL REVIEW:
So I've had my samsung for several weeks now, and noticed that the CD/DVD-ROM DRIVE DOOR KEEPS POPPING OPEN RANDOMLY. I haven't used this drive at all (Other than rip 1 music CD & watch 10min of a DVD movie), and I haven't been lugging it around town (it's just sitting around in my living room), so "wear & tear" isn't the cause.
I called 800-SAMSUNG, the rep was really nice, but "the only option we can offer you is to send it into our service center" under my 1 yr warranty. They would cover shipping, and turnaround time would be 4 days plus shipping days. That actually sounds pretty good and will be good option for most casual computer users, but the problem is I DEPEND on my computer

2nd UPDATE TO ORIGINAL REVIEW - *2 stars*
So I've had this for 3 months now, and surprisingly the CD-rom door doesn't pop open so frequently anymore. Not sure why because all the software is the same.

I've gotten used to all the other quirks (see my original review below) EXCEPT the 1 MAJOR FLAW about this laptop is that the spaces between each key is microscopically wider than other laptops(i've used several brands of laptops for over a decade), so CRUMBS/HAIR/STUFF FALLS THROUGH UNDER THE KEYS and KEEPS ME FROM PRESSING THE AFFECTED KEYS! I am not messy with food so I'm talking about the slightest speck of anything will jams that key so I have to press those keys very hard when typing. Also several times a day I have to shaking my laptop upside down to coax some of the particles out. For this reason alone I would drop the rating of this laptop to 2 stars (amazon won't let me change it)

Anyway, other than this additional quirk, the things I pointed out in my original review still hold. I did get used to the touchpad and like it. Machine is fast, doesn't get hot at all, and very good bright screen. Not heavy.

=========original review ===================
Overall I like this Q310-34G computer and would recommend it.
I ordered it from Amazon and received it within 2 days with free shipping and have used it for about 30 hours now(if my impression changes I will update this review later).

PROS:
* Fast. (It has a 2.0GHz processor and I noticed a definite difference in how smoothly things loaded compared to my old 1.8GHz laptop despite that this has Vista)
* Very quiet. (I have very good hearing and on my other laptops can hear them humming, but this one I can't hear the hard drive and even the DVD burning 200MB/min is very quiet)
* Stays cool (the vent on left side is great and the bottom/my lap doesn't get hot)
* Lightweight
* Screen is good (bright and crip images)
* Good looking (has black smooth plastic outer with a red color on the front edge where your would be. The smooth contours feel nice without being slippery and doesn't feel like it's going to slide out of my hands)

CONS:
* Tinny speakers (if music is your passion, I would definitely recommed plugging in earphones or external speakers. Also no dedicated buttons on the keyboard for music play/stop/forward.)
* Buttons below touchpad are 1cm too low for me (I do intense computer work at least 6-12 hours every day to frequently edit documents, so this is really straining my thumb/wrist to repeatedly reach down to click it. I don't think this would be an issue for people who are more casual computer users or who are mostly browsing internet and listening to music). I also don't think this would be an issue for people with longer hands -- I have small hands)
* Keyboard (requires a bit more effort than some other laptops to push down each key. I am picky about this so I noticed it, but most people won't notice this nor be bothered by this)

It has some quirks that will bother some picky people like me, but I think most users will love with laptop. It is fast and smooth and screen/exterior looks great.

I've been using the Q310-34G for over a month and am really pleased overall with this laptop. It's quiet, very light and has a great keyboard. It doesn't run hot. Good battery life. I use it primarily for internet, video streaming, moderate photo editing and word processing. It has served my needs very well. The high gloss finish does leave lots of fingerprints but it's not that big of a deal. If you are looking for a reasonably fast, sleek, lightweight laptop you won't go wrong with this one.

Most items purchased online sometimes are deceiving by the description and photos. This Samsung laptop was all I expected and meets all the needs I have for its use. As with all of the items with one exception were exactly as I expected that I purchased through Amazon.