I rarely post reviews but I think this shop has a repeat customer in me. Hopefully helpful in it's length :)
Summary:
This is a great box for a great price. Granted, I've only had this box about a week, I see some folks have reported issues after a few weeks (to which I'll update this post if things start going wonky).
1) Wear:
I expected the keys and mouse pad would be a lot more worn. Perhaps they'd been replaced though. There is some wear on the spacebar, one of the alt keys, one of the shift keys, and the letter N...but the mouse-pad is nearly flawless. Perhaps also these Elitebooks have been prominently use as work issued laptops they we're docked more often and used external mouse/keyboards. I also don't think it was pulled off the dock often though, there are hardly any scratches on the bottom. One tiny tiny scratch on the lid. I hadn't even noticed until I decided to write this review! No blown pixels, speakers are fine for laptop speakers. Probably won't be blown away.
2) Speed:
No lag or signs of problems with the processor, RAM slots, or graphics card at all. like none, really.
I needed something low cost, in a short time period, and able to compile some older/heavfty/lengthy java(6) code with multiple libraries (non-nerd speak - do a lot of work). I read a ton of reviews on hardware (processor, ram, hard drive speed, graphic card memory usage, etc) and that's what I used to even find the specs I required - regardless of the actual brand/model etc. This box meets all my requirements, includes some extra stuff, and at a really really good price!
3) Power units:
Solid. Charges fully in expected time frame, holds charge for as long as I expect and as long as window battery reports. Power cord in good condition. Velcro rap still in tact and not all frayed!
4) Value:
I found what I thought would get my by for a few months while I saved up some more money for a i7 or better. Given the specs if this hardware setup, this really is the best deal ever for a refurb. I did increase the ram to 8GBs. The ability to go up to 16GB at this price point is a *HUGE* benefit in my opinion. The one thing I'll say about that is that the laptop I received has 2 2GB sticks so you can't just add 1 4GB stick to bring the box up to 8GB. Not a big deal if you're going to stay at 4GB. Adding 2 4GB sticks of RAM cost me an extra $46. I think I saw other reviewing mention that also. I don't see it in the specs. I did see a 8GB option that this seller carries but I wan'ted *new* sticks of RAM anyway - much better for the hardware overall (matching sticks).
Couple things about the laptop, not so much the seller.
I've been a dell user for +12 years - servers, desktops & workstations, laptops (heck, I still have my Jukebox!) but I know HP is relative solid so I wasn't too worried in switching. My 2nd repeat customer note is that whenever I *do* buy a new laptop it'll likely be an Elitebook or some flavor that will be available. It's *so* much more functional then the Dell Inspiron I was previously using.
I'm still getting use to this pointing stick thing though. If you've never used one you might consider disabling it. I found myself brushing into it when typing fast and not realizing I've moved the mouse/cursor so that I'm typing in a totally different place - really annoying. I've disabled it for now. Clearly not the sellers fault, just a note about the laptop itself).
Another note about this particular laptop - even though it weighs in nearly 5lbs I finds it really thin (for a form factor ~3ish years old) and doesn't *feel* like 5lbs. My commute is public transit for about an hour. I was carrying around a 5.2lber though - might just be the downsize from a 17".
Lastly, I had some trouble with the additional function keys (ie, screen brightness, audio, etc). Turns out this is really common when a box is wiped. It was super easy finding them and installing myself. I'll tote - not the sellers fault really. Every other addon works - even this fancy finger print reader :)
Overall - really great experience, great refurb, I'd do it again.
| Standing screen display size | 14 Inches |
|---|---|
| Screen Resolution | 1366 x 768 pixels |
| Max Screen Resolution | 1366 x 768 Pixels |
| Processor | 2.5 GHz core_i5 |
| RAM | 4 GB DDR3 |
| Memory Speed | 2.5 GHz |
| Hard Drive | 250 GB HDD |
| Graphics Coprocessor | Intel HD Graphics 3000 |
| Chipset Brand | Intel |
| Card Description | Integrated |
| Wireless Type | 802.11bgn |
| Number of USB 2.0 Ports | 3 |
