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(More customer reviews)This is a very nice entry-level laptop! I'd rate it somewhere between 4 and 5 stars - closer to 5.
It has a decent processor and plenty of RAM (4 gigs) to better realize the advantages of 64-bit Windows. I may consider doubling up to 8 gigs in the future.
In my mind, 4 gigs should be the minimum amount of RAM offered with machines using 64-bit OS.
I bought the Lenovo G560 when the price dropped around Presidents Day - The Microsoft store briefly had it for a real steal, but sold out very quickly. Luckily, that price drop influenced other vendors such as Amazon. This review pertains to the G560 at the bargain price I paid. Had I been willing to spend more, I might've gone in a different direction.
I have had this for almost a week now and these are my initial thoughts and observations, in no particular order:
** It seems solidly built, as to be expected from Lenovo.
** The surface of the lid is designed as to not collect fingerprints.
** The display is nice - not too much glare.
** Great to have a numeric keypad!
** I find that I miss the convenience of having a "mute" button for the speakers. No mute button to be found.
** The webcam and microphone performances are sub-par. Not a big deal for me, but for others it might be.
** The G560 runs very cool. I had it compress and process some video for well over an hour and there was little noticeable increase in heat/warmth. The Intel P6200 is going to run a bit slower, but much cooler than a Core i3 processor - I consider that an advantage in an entry-level laptop. The P6200 is plenty fast paired with the ample RAM.
** There are a number of convenient power management options that influence performance and battery life. The battery charge still expires fairly quickly, though.
** Likewise, there is great attention paid to ease of backup and system restoration. The "One Key" backup options are excellent and should be taken advantage of immediately. I recommend making "system default" backup dvds that will restore the machine to its "right out of the box" condition and then, after configuring the software to your liking, backing up the system to the default Lenovo partition.
** There is no HDMI out - That would have been nice to have.
** The optical drive tray feels a bit flimsy, but I guess that is to be expected these days - they don't build them like they used to. Not a big worry for something that can be replaced easily and inexpensively.
** There is not a lot of bloatware to remove. I have found that I dislike Office Starter and will replace it with Open Office.
** Likewise, once the trial McAfee Security Suite expires, I plan to replace it with the free Comodo Suite.
Avira is an excellent and highly rated free AV option as well and can be used in conjunction with the Windows Firewall and Windows Defender to provide decent security.
** The VeriFace log in pops up all the time, whether you use it or choose to use only a password to log in. You cannot shut it off - you must uninstall VeriFace or click through it every time you log in.
** The G560 also features AnchorFree's HotSpotShield. This seems like a useful app for unsecured hotspots, but it does foist 3rd party advertising upon you and may or may not contain mild spyware. I haven't studied this version and I don't remember being presented with an EULA to look at. Older versions admitted to collecting tracking data in their EULAs...
If this is a feature you really want, I would suggest an alternative with a better reputation. There are a number to choose from, but I recommend Comodo's TrustConnect. [No, I don't work for Comodo :)- But I volunteer in a number of Security Forums and find Comodo's free products to be excellent. You'll pay $20.00 annually for TrustConnect, though....]
** These are the "Windows Experience Index" scores right out of the box. You are able to tweak various settings to improve these scores, if you so desire. System components are rated on a scale of 1 - 7.9:
Processor: Calculations per second --> Score of 5.8
RAM: Memory operations per second - -> Score of 5.9
Graphics: Desktop performance for Windows Aero --> Score of 4.4
Gaming Graphics: 3D business and gaming graphics --> Score of 4.9
Primary hard disc: Disk data transfer rate --> Score of 5.5
All told, this is a pretty good value for what I paid for it. It runs all the software I want it to run and it does so quickly and without error. Obviously a week's ownership is not enough to assess durability, but the G560 seems to be solidly built.
Two thumbs up!!
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Lenovo G560 Series 0679ALU 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black)Lenovo G560
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