vrs99's stats
- Review count200
- Helpfulness votes1,288
- First reviewOctober 30, 2013
- Last reviewNovember 3, 2024
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating4.6
- Review comment count8
- Helpfulness votes6
- First review commentDecember 29, 2013
- Last review commentJuly 18, 2017
- Featured review comments0
Questions
- Question count0
- Helpfulness votes0
- First questionNone
- Last questionNone
- Featured questions0
- Answer count45
- Helpfulness votes47
- First answerDecember 31, 2013
- Last answerJanuary 17, 2022
- Featured answers0
- Best answers1
Maximize your broadcast viewing enjoyment with this flat-panel ANTOP outdoor HDTV antenna. It captures UHF and VHF signals within its powerful 65-mile reception range, and its durable exterior resists moisture and UV damage. Install this ANTOP outdoor HDTV antenna on a wall or pole via its mounting bracket, or place it indoors with the included stand.
Customer Rating
5
Excellent HDTV Antenna - Good Price
on July 23, 2018
Posted by: vrs99
Have been testing the ANTOP AT400 for a couple weeks and it is the first HDTV Antenna that has performed well for me.
An important need for my family is to have TV reception during severe storm episodes, tornado watches, warnings and strong thunderstorms. Typically, when we have severe weather our satellite loses reception. We are in fact looking for a lifeline for up to date information during the storms in case we must go into our shelter.
The ANTOP design will work for many wanting to install indoors, the flat panel white décor is not distracting and for those with Techie taste will appreciate the look. Although it is a bit tall at 23.5” and comes in at 10.2” in width. Much nicer than the all metal designs for interior usage.
My first inclination was to set the ANTOP behind a small HDTV in my office and direct the antenna towards a window facing major city 55 miles from my home. That idea did not fly with the TV blocking the reception, got nada. Next set the ANTOP on a low sitting table in my office with system directed at the city. That worked but only with a few stations locking on strong signal.
To my surprise when I sat the ANTOP on a shelve speaker on the same table, which raised the antenna 12”, and directed towards the city the main stations locked strong signals and tripled the amount of stations received.
Now we are waiting for an installation team to come to our home and install the antenna outside to expand/extend the range with better signal reception. I am convinced that once the antenna is mounted to the exterior of our home the signal reception will be significantly increased. One note, the antenna should be quite simple to install to the exterior of the home if one is so inclined. For my part I am happy to pay someone to climb the ladder to the top of the house while I watch.
Picture reception on my office 1080 HDTV is outstanding, colors are excellent, picture is true 1080 HP.
It is cool to capture such brilliant broadcasts over the air for Free!
If you are looking for a solid interior antenna I can highly recommend the ANTOP AT400.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+17points
17of 17voted this as helpful.
Manage your home network with this dual-band ASUS Blue Cave wireless router. It uses Intel Wi-Fi and 802.11ac 4x4 technology for advanced network throughput, and it delivers blazing-fast data speeds of up to 2600 Mbps for optimal performance. This ASUS Blue Cave wireless router is built to perform, thanks to its dual-core Intel CPU.
Customer Rating
5
Excellent Security Features - Strong Wi-Fi
on July 2, 2018
Posted by: vrs99
ASUS had my attention with the looks and packaging of the Blue Cave, it is cool and aesthetically pleasing. Was jazzed before I even got the box open.
But more importantly to me was the aspect of having a Hardened Router at the head of my network parade. This is my first ASUS router and I am impressed with the depth of the Front-Line Protection they have built into this box. Teaming up with TrendMicro was an exceptionally smart move on ASUS’s part, TrendMicro being a solid leader in Consumer and Enterprise Network protection.
Having access to TrendMicro’s Black or White Lists is a Big Thumbs-up with the Blue Cave. Have not had access to Black Lists on a consumer router previously, last time I used Black lists was back in my Enterprise IT years. They are very helpful in avoiding pitfalls on the Internet, TrendMicro maintains a current Black List of Web-Sites found to be malicious and blocks access. In today’s environment this is particularly notable. Kudos.
The Blue Cave is quite easy to get up and running, but I suggest if you pick one of these gems up to take some time and dig into the router’s settings, they are extensive for a consumer router.
The options and settings are wide-ranging, a few that caught my eye are a highly customizable Traffic Manager (QoS) and a excellent Traffic Analyzer which tracks client and app usage graphically (love it). The Firewall is highly tunable and where you will find the Black List option.
Wireless is unexpectedly stronger than I expected with the built-in antennas. Three rooms away from the Blue Cave my Signal Quality is running between 585 Mbps and up to 720 Mbps which surprisingly is the same rate that I am pulling off a larger router with Eight Large External Antennas from the same room! The Blue Cave is also pushing more Max Data Rate than my larger 802.11ac router at 346.7 vs 288.9 on the 2.4 GHz band and matching it on the 5 GHz band at 1733.3. Lot of juice in a small box.
After running the Blue Cave for a couple weeks, it has blocked quite a few Web-Sites that two of my software systems did not catch. That is a warm and fuzzy feeling, in-depth protection for the network and my family.
My network has enough routers, bridges and switches to light up a small city and the Blue Cave has earned a place at the head of my system with its brilliant set of technologies and capabilities.
Managed large enterprise networks formerly and I am excited to find many of the technologies we employed in our networks, firewalls and routers in the Blue Cave. The cost for the Blue Cave makes it a remarkably good choice for anyone wanting to secure their home network. On top of that it is a good-looking piece of equipment with strong Wi-Fi and networking features.
Big Thumbs Up.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+21points
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Run programs on this 12.3-inch HP Chromebook convertible laptop. Its detachable touch-screen display lets you enjoy brilliant 2K content, and you can write and draw on it with the included Active Pen. This HP Chromebook convertible laptop has 32GB of storage, and its Intel Core m3 processor and 4GB of RAM provide smooth performance.
Posted by: vrs99
Have never had interest in Chromebooks, they were limited in functionality in my world.
That changed in a big way when I got my hands on the HP Chromebook X2. It packs a punch and offers the functionality that works in my world from silky smooth web browsing to office functions and beyond. When I say silky smooth that is an excellent description of the speed and response time in the Chrome browser. To my surprise it smokes my home built “beast” desktop in web browsing, the desktop beast has tested out faster than 99 percent of the world’s computers. Yikes, the Chromebook has come a long way.
First impression when I saw the HP X2 as we took it out of the box was the stunning design. The pearl white lid is brilliant. That goes along way as I plan to set the unit up for my wife, she loves the look. Couple kudos in my back pocket when she realizes the X2 is hers.
After working on the laptop, the last two days setting it up must confess a little jealously that I will not be using the computer. It is fast, everything I have thrown at it from office products, browsing difficult web-pages that typically load slowly, to crunching numbers have not fazed this little brute in any way. It smoothly sails threw all the operations I have thrown at it, I am amazed.
Setting up the HP X2 is almost effortless. It is well prepared and executed through all the steps.
Surprised at how similar the Chrome GUI interface they have delivered is to the Windows GUI, feels right at home immediately.
Screen has an excellent picture, solid colors. Movies look superb.
Rely heavily on Office 365 for business as well as home tasks, all the apps are available on Google Play Store and hooked up with our Office 365 account effortlessly. Installed OneDrive to complete the hooks into our Microsoft ecosystem, so far works like a charm.
If you plan on using your “old” USB stuff, well that has become so yesteryear, you will need to step up to USB 3.0 type C power connectors. Kudos.
If you want to use a mouse I would suggest going Bluetooth, which was my first thought as I have never liked the touch pad mouse thingy. Now that I have used this computer I find the touch pad quite nice, highly accurate and with the touch screen and the stylus I could see myself hanging the mouse up, maybe.
CPU, Memory and storage are fast, that is always a big plus. Storage is 32GB which appears to leave you with about 20.5GB for storing your stuff. After loading several of the Microsoft Office Apps and other base programs I am now at 17GB of free space.
The storage may seem tight and will be for some but is simply resolved by adding MicroSD memory in the speed and size you desire.
Battery life is very strong. Topped off the charge yesterday and the machine has been in use and running for many hours the last two days and I am left with a 60% charge. Like that. Wi-Fi is top notch supporting two band connectivity.
My wish is that the keyboard was backlighted, for me it is tough as I use my laptop on the coffee table at night watching the tube. The Oxford Blue on the interior of the unit does not help seeing the keys in dim light. On the other hand, my wife who will be using the HP X2 never uses her backlighted keyboard.
Bottom-line, I love this little laptop and it delivers a nice blend of performance, quality build and hits all the right notes for a highly productive computing device. Have now become a convert and admire the Chromebook tech.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+3points
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Toshiba 4K UHD Fire TV Edition is a new generation of smart TVs featuring the Fire TV experience built-in and including a Voice Remote with Alexa. With true-to-life 4K Ultra HD picture quality and access to all the movies and TV shows you love, Toshiba Fire TV Edition delivers a superior TV experience that gets smarter every day. The Voice Remote with Alexa lets you do everything you'd expect from a remote—plus, easily launch apps, search for TV shows, play music, switch inputs, control smart home devices and more, using just your voice.
Customer Rating
4
Nice TV with loads of Goodies
on June 15, 2018
Posted by: vrs99
The Toshiba couldn’t be easier to setup. Once it is out of the box the setup runs smoothly, takes very little time to be operational. The Quick Start Guide is well laid out and understandable. Gather your network Wi-Fi name and password if using Wi-Fi, if wired all the better. It does include RJ-45 Ethernet port. Mine is Wi-Fi and streaming has been smooth sailing.
Grab your Alexa login info as well if you have a Echo account. Alexa/Echo is built into the system, just speak to the controller. Pretty cool dimming the Hue lights, checking the weather on my weather station, etc. all from the remote!
You can also pair the TV to an Echo device if you like, I find the remote works much better as you can hold close to your voice. It makes a great Echo device, speak into the remote and the sound is supplied by the Toshiba’s Onkyo speakers.
The Onkyo speakers sound quite good with DTS Studio Sound and Dolby audio technologies.
Picture is crisp with good color - excellent.
System runs smoothly, response time is exceptional with the Quad-core CPU/Multi-core GPU goodies inside.
Graded a Four Star instead of Five because when I want to turn on DIRECTV must first use the DIRECTV remote to turn on the TV and the Genie together, does not start connected to the DIRECTV Genie you start on the Fire Home page. Step 2 use the Toshiba remote to select the HDMI for DIRECTV. Step 3 go back to DIRECTV remote to watch TV. That’s not fun. Hoping Toshiba adds an update soon that allows you to select where you land when you turn your system on.
Bottom-Line, this is an excellent system and enjoy having it in our home. You would be very hard pressed to find more technology and a set of this quality at this price point anywhere. If this TV fits your needs and budget it should be an easy choice.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+47points
65of 83voted this as helpful.
Only at Best BuyRecord your trips and save incident clips in HD video with this Rexing dashcam. It records in a continuous loop, overlapping for uninterrupted coverage, and if a collision is detected, its gravity sensor locks recorded files to preserve important data. This Rexing dashcam operates in temperatures up to 140 degrees F for use in any climate.
Customer Rating
4
Very capable Dashcam in a small package
on May 12, 2018
Posted by: vrs99
from TN
When I first ordered the Rexing V1P was a bit concerned about the effort it would take to wire it into the car without wires hanging out, which is not cool. Surprised to find that I had the front camera installed and wired easily within 30 minutes. Discovered that the wires easily slide into the car fittings and found a path through the back of my glove box.
Camera set up is simple, especially if you read the user guide first and take it step by step. There is an omission in the guide for connecting the camera to a PC with the USB. At this step simply select “Mass Storage” on the camera menu after plugging the camera to a PC via USB (cable included) by pushing the OK button.
Menus are straight forward and setting up the camera to your preferences is rather easy and takes very little time and effort.
The videos from the front camera are HD Fish Eye wide view (170 degree) with excellent color. Night driving has good results with picking up the lower lighting outside. Highly satisfied with the video quality.
After two days of driving my regular errands/routes have used about fifty percent of a 32gb card. The camera by default records on a loop, when it is full it will start writing over the oldest files.
The camera does not include Wi-Fi or an APP to mange via mobile, that seems a bit shortsighted as almost all gadgets today (including my washing machine) can connect Wi-Fi. Would make it much easier to download any file(s) you may want or require rather than removing the camera and totting to your computer. Another small nitpick is the charging plug for the car outlet is rather large and I do not like the bright red light. That I will simply cover with an alternate color/paint.
It is quite nicely loaded with all the functions/tech you will need to record video as you drive, and it does an excellent job. The audio recording is quite good as well, this function can be turned off for privacy purposes.
One aspect I like is that it is small and discreet, does not present any issues with blocking your full view of the road and does not standout for any prying eyes of people who be tempted to borrow your unit.
All in all, a good unit which sits quietly out of mind and out of sight and records your travels
My Best Buy number: 2002595546
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+4points
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The Turtle Beach Stream Mic is the first professional desktop microphone created for gamers streaming directly from their Xbox One and PlayStation 4, as well as from a PC or Mac. The Stream Mic features Adaptive Mic Patterns, customizable software, a dual-capsule mic array with advanced digital processing, and a zero-latency headphone output so anyone can stream like a pro.
Customer Rating
5
Great Microphone
on April 24, 2018
Posted by: vrs99
from TN
Turtle Beach Stream Mic offers quality sound at an affordable price. Compared the Stream Mic to my son’s $150 Mic and surprisingly it offers better sound quality (based on other’s feedback after listening to both Mic’s on-line). Plus, takes up less desk space than the more expensive taller Mic.
With an integrated studio-grade processor and multiple adaptive mic patterns you will feel, and sound like a pro.
Works with Xbox, PlayStation or PC.
Overall the Turtle Beach Stream Mic is a cost-effective innovative solution for all you microphone needs.
Bottom-Line, it is an excellent Mic, attractive (its got the look) with a great price.
My Best Buy number: 2002595546
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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0points
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Equip your screening room with this Epson home cinema projector. It lets you enjoy movies, games and online content at an image size of up to 300 inches, and it has a built-in 10W speaker for a complete audio and video setup. This Epson home cinema projector has two HDMI ports for connecting a Blu-ray player and video game console.
Customer Rating
4
Immersive Home Theater
on April 17, 2018
Posted by: vrs99
from TN
From box to operating is a snap. If you have ever plugged in computers/TV ports you will be right at home, 2 HDMI, USB, mini-USB, PC VGA and audio out. Menu setup and control is simple with the well laid-out remote.
On a 150” screen panel the picture is exceptional, has transformed my living room into a theater, big difference from the 55” TV. Maximum projection is 300” display!
Have not to date tried 3D at home but will be jumping on that wagon now with the Epson Cinema 2100. We are excited hoping that it will provide the level of 3D that you experience in theaters where the images jump out at you.
Keep in mind that it is more involved than just rolling a new TV into the room and setting it up on the stand. We installed an overhead mount as well as a 150” wall screen panel. Don’t forget the wiring to your video source and audio output. Wished they had added an RJ45 ethernet port to cable that we could have cabled the Epson Cinema into our network. An up to date audio receiver is a nice addition to this system. Connect the video source to the receiver which will output audio to your sound system and video to the Epson Cinema. Nice stuff.
The Cinema 2100 has a great picture, an immersive picture that the whole family loves.
My Best Buy number: 2002595546
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
Amp up your workouts with these JLab Epic Sport wireless earbuds. Memory Wire ear hooks keep them securely in place during activity, and their six tip options and interchangeable Cush Fins let you make custom adjustments for an ideal fit. These JLab Epic Sport wireless earbuds have a 12-hour battery life for uninterrupted listening during long training sessions.
Customer Rating
4
Rocking Earbuds
on April 16, 2018
Posted by: vrs99
from TN
The Jay-lab Epic Sport Wireless fitness earbuds offers crystal clear sound with deep bass. With one of the longest battery life on the market these earbuds will keep you rockin’ along all day. These earbuds are sweat-proof, moisture resistant, and stay firm in your ears so you can play tough.
You can also customize your sound without an App! Bluetooth 4.2. In-line controls make changing the volume, playing, pausing, and skipping tracks a breeze. 8mm sound drivers deliver lowest lows and highest highs.
Rock On.
My Best Buy number: 2002595546
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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0points
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Pick up over-the-air HD channels with this Mohu Sail antenna. It has everything you need to install it in your attic or on your roof. With a range of 75-miles, the antenna lets you enjoy free entertainment without a cable subscription. The modern curved aesthetic blends in with home decor for a seamless appearance. This Mohu Sail antenna has a FirstStage amplifier located right at the antenna, where the signal is at its best to help deliver a crisp, clear picture.
Customer Rating
5
Brilliant Hi-Def Antenna!
on April 7, 2018
Posted by: vrs99
from TN
MOHU Sail arrived today, had the Kid bring it in the house and asked him to unbox the antenna. About fifteen minutes later when I went to look at the Sail found the Kid over halve way finished with installing the hardware. Moral, could not be simpler to hookup the gear.
Took the Sail into my office to hook up, simply plugged the supplied adaptor into the TV USB (power) and the coax to the antenna connection on the TV. Scanned for TV/antenna channels on the TV and started watching Hi-Def TV over the air.
Tried an over the air Digital HD antenna years ago indoors and was far from impressed – That Changed Today.
The Sail delivers excellent 1080 HD over the air broadcasts inside my home office from the station that is 60 miles away with many hills and trees in between. Can’t wait to get the Sail mounted outside, expecting higher performance and more than the six channels I am picking up from inside the house.
One of the reasons I am pumped about this antenna is that I have satellite TV service which during storms goes on the blink. During strong storms that is not a warm and fuzzy feeling. Now we will continue to be online with Storm News Broadcasting, that is a Warm and Fuzzy Feeling.
Brilliant TV picture from a solidly engineered product. Love it.
My Best Buy number: 2002595546
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+6points
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Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean 4100 Plaque Control, Rechargeable electric toothbrush with pressure sensor, White Mint HX6817/01
Customer Rating
5
Brilliant Toothbrush
on March 21, 2018
Posted by: vrs99
from TN
What you first discover if you have been brushing your teeth with a manual toothbrush, after the first use of the Sonicare 4100 you will notice that your teeth feel much smoother – they are in fact cleaner. My family and I have all noticed this the first time using Sonicare products. As they say the proof is in the pudding.
Sonicare has been in the electric toothbrush industry for a long time and their technologies have advanced brilliantly over the years.
A few Features:
EasyStart which comes activated and gently increases the power over the first 14 brushings.
Reminds you when to replace your brush head.
Pressure sensor which protects your teeth from excessive pressure.
EasyStart which comes activated and gently increases the power over the first 14 brushings.
Reminds you when to replace your brush head.
Pressure sensor which protects your teeth from excessive pressure.
A feature that I love over the older models are the new handles, they have an excellent feel to them, svelte with an elegant look – looks good on the counter.
Bottom-line, if you want clean teeth with proven technology give the Sonicare 4100 a look.
My Best Buy number: 2002595546
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+8points
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vrs99's Review Comments
p>HP Split 13-g110dx Convertible 2-in-1 Laptop: With the power of a laptop as well as the portability of a tablet, this split convertible HD touch-screen laptop provides the best of both worlds to work or play wherever you go.Learn more about the New Windows ›
Overall4 out of 5
4 out of 5Good value with limitation
By CSatTX
from Houston, TX
I am writing this review using the Split X2. Bought it on Black Friday. This is a tablet and a laptop combined. With a i5 CPU, 13 inch screen, and the price, this is a very good value. For a laptop, the weight (4.4 lbs) is OK, not great.
The only con on this item is it is non-expandable. First, the memory is only 4GB and soldered. It cannot go to 8GB. Second, there is supposed to be a HD space in the keyboard unit like the other X2 models. For some reason this particular model does not have that feature.
So if you can live with 4GB memory and 128GB SSD, this is an excellent machine. I am running Lightroom and MS Office on this machine and performance could have been better.
vrs99
Drive expansion
December 29, 2013
The X2 does accept a 500GB drive in the keyboard.
0points
0of 0voted this comment as helpful.
p>HP Split 13-g110dx Convertible 2-in-1 Laptop: With the power of a laptop as well as the portability of a tablet, this split convertible HD touch-screen laptop provides the best of both worlds to work or play wherever you go.Learn more about the New Windows ›
Overall4 out of 5
4 out of 54 convience of tablet and power of a real computer
By nearlynormal
from springfield, IL
4 out of 5. Works as advertised. The screen works as a nice sized tablet. It could certainly use aUSB port onthe screen. If you aren't carrying the keyboard and want to show some photos from a flash drive you're out of luck.
vrs99
TN
Adding flash storage
December 31, 2013
It is true the tablet does not have a USB port to throw some pictures into. But you can insert a micro SDHC card into the top/tablet. You can currently get 64 GB Micro SDHC card class 10 which will fit nicely and increase the tablets storage by 50%.
Personally I store almost 11,000 high resolution picture files which requires 29 GB of storage. So I am guessing that 64 GB would suit the average user.
0points
0of 0voted this comment as helpful.
Utilizing 4 high-performance antennas and power amplifiers, this Linksys Smart Wi-Fi WRT1900AC dual-band Wireless-AC router offers optimal wireless strength and signal coverage, so you can easily connect devices throughout your home or office.
Overall5 out of 5
5 out of 5Rock Solid
By vrs99
from TN
Replaced my Linksys EA 6700 router with the WRT1900ac on my home network. The EA 6700 is a good router but it is not in the same class as the WRT1900ac.
The signal is outstanding, solid and fast throughout the whole house and outside too boot.
Setup is smooth and easy, especially if you are familiar with latest versions of the Linksys software. The router has plenty of features and added a few more since the last router versions.
Has the best Network Map I have seen, informative and quickly shows where your bandwidth is being used.
If you need/want a powerful router that is flexible and expandable (according to Linksys) in the future take a hard look at the WRT1900ac.
vrs99
TN
Plan on using eSATA? MUST READ - be Forewarned
September 3, 2014
One of my main decisions in purchasing the WRT1900ac was to attach my NetGear NAS on the eSATA port for easier access across my network.
No such luck.
Spent time with Linksys tech and neither my eSATA NAS from NetGear nor my external eSATA drive will work with the WRT1900ac.
Linksys does have a compatibility chart - somewhere - but not in their spec listings of what works with their router.
If you want to use eSATA do your homework and see if your device is compatible.
Tough Luck if your device is not on the list.
0points
0of 0voted this comment as helpful.
Upgrade your laptop's storage with this Samsung 850 PRO MZ-7KE512BW internal SATA III solid state drive, which offers a generous 512GB capacity for digital data. SED (Self-Encrypting Drive) technology controls access to private information.
Overall
1 out of 5
1 out of 5Crashed and Burned after 44 Days - Good Luck
By vrs99
Fast SSD - and Extra Fast to Crash in just 44 days. Of course it was on a Friday evening and cannot speak to Samsung until Monday. Cannot Chat with them as they do not offer Chat for SSD's.
Luckily it crashed two weeks after the 30 day return period to Best Buy. Guess it is a good thing they offer 10 year warranty? But have heard they will return a refurbished unit, which will not be good on 44 day old product. Must be living on the bleeding edge, should have stuck with the Toshiba, which I can't see a real life difference in speed.
vrs99
TN
After a Day of Wrestling with the SSD
July 11, 2015
After pulling every rabbit out of my hat I finally got the SSD going again. Have to completely reload OS, etc. starting at Windows 8. Not fun.
But I am "somewhat" happy that I was able to get the drive working. Not sure what happen to the drive, but have some suspicion of a setting in Magician (software system for the 850 Pro) which boosts speed?
+2points
2of 2voted this comment as helpful.
Only at Best BuyUpdate your portable technology kit with this HP Omen 17-inch laptop. Ideal for gaming, this machine combines a 7th generation Intel Core i7 processor with 12GB of DDR4 RAM for ultra-fast performance on the go. An island-style backlit keyboard equipped with dedicated macro keys makes this HP Omen 17-inch laptop easy to use in the dark.
Overall5 out of 5
5 out of 5Hp omen gaming laptop
By Martinezjorge7
I recently bought the 16 omen laptop and I was able to return mine and be able to upgrade the the newest one it has a better graphic card and an new design with a better cooling vent with a 1 tb hard drive
vrs99
TN
NO DVD
July 12, 2017
There is no DVD built, you would have to use external.
0points
0of 0voted this comment as helpful.
HP OMEN by HP Laptop: Power through the virtual landscape with this versatile HP Omen 15-inch laptop. Ideal for gaming, this machine packs a 7th generation Intel Core i7 processor and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX video card for superior graphics performance. The 1TB hard drive inside this HP Omen 15-inch laptop provides plenty for space for gaming profiles and other multimedia files.
Overall4 out of 5
4 out of 5Excellent laptop, but not the best value
By Xephyroth
from Colorado Springs, CO
This HP Omen is the 3rd gaming laptop I've ever owned, and it's undoubtedly the best one I've had the pleasure of using. However, this product isn't perfect out of the box.
FIRST IMPRESSION / UNBOXING:
Out of the box, the first thing that I noticed is that this laptop has impressive build quality. The sand-blasted brushing brings a pleasant aesthetic while also bringing solid weight and durability. It's not incredibly flashy, so it doesn't scream "gamer" like a lot of other laptops, but it definitely brings a touch of the "gamer" aesthetic without being overzealous. The notebook is also much thinner than I expected, as I've been used to much thicker gaming laptops, but I suppose the lack of an optical drive attributes to that. The power brick is fairly small and compact for a machine that's capable of entry/mid-level gaming.
Out of the box, the first thing that I noticed is that this laptop has impressive build quality. The sand-blasted brushing brings a pleasant aesthetic while also bringing solid weight and durability. It's not incredibly flashy, so it doesn't scream "gamer" like a lot of other laptops, but it definitely brings a touch of the "gamer" aesthetic without being overzealous. The notebook is also much thinner than I expected, as I've been used to much thicker gaming laptops, but I suppose the lack of an optical drive attributes to that. The power brick is fairly small and compact for a machine that's capable of entry/mid-level gaming.
DISPLAY:
Turning the display on, the 1080p IPS matte display is nice and bright, and viewing angles are decent without too much color shifting. Bezels aren't too large, and it's not something I noticed until just now while writing this review. While I'm used to Quad-HD and 4K resolutions, I was not displeased with this display in any fashion. The webcam is above the display and can record at 720p/30fps. Not the best, but not the worst webcam I've seen.
Turning the display on, the 1080p IPS matte display is nice and bright, and viewing angles are decent without too much color shifting. Bezels aren't too large, and it's not something I noticed until just now while writing this review. While I'm used to Quad-HD and 4K resolutions, I was not displeased with this display in any fashion. The webcam is above the display and can record at 720p/30fps. Not the best, but not the worst webcam I've seen.
KEYBOARD:
Typing on the keyboard is pleasant with the chiclet-style keys. It didn't take me too long to get used to the keyboard, having come from mechanical keyboards and MacBook Pro keyboards. The addition of the num-pad is certainly nice, as well. The keyboard is backlit red (as you'd expect with the Omen), but settings are very simplistic compared to other gaming laptops. The backlighting has 3 states: fully on, WASD on, or fully off. No, there are no fancy effects, and I wouldn't expect any at this price. I do find it a little bit surprising that you can't dim the backlighting, but I rarely dim the backlight on my keyboards, anyway, so it'd be a useless feature for me.
Typing on the keyboard is pleasant with the chiclet-style keys. It didn't take me too long to get used to the keyboard, having come from mechanical keyboards and MacBook Pro keyboards. The addition of the num-pad is certainly nice, as well. The keyboard is backlit red (as you'd expect with the Omen), but settings are very simplistic compared to other gaming laptops. The backlighting has 3 states: fully on, WASD on, or fully off. No, there are no fancy effects, and I wouldn't expect any at this price. I do find it a little bit surprising that you can't dim the backlighting, but I rarely dim the backlight on my keyboards, anyway, so it'd be a useless feature for me.
TRACKPAD:
Out of the box, the trackpad sensitivity was incredibly low for my personal taste. After making some adjustments to the Touchpad Settings in Windows 10, I found a sensitivity that worked well for me. The touchpad does not physically click, but there are left/right trackpad buttons. Initially, I did find the buttons to be awkwardly placed, but I actually got used to them fairly quickly. While the touchpad isn't the best I've ever used, it is pretty good, in my opinion. 2 and 3 finger gestures work, as well.
Out of the box, the trackpad sensitivity was incredibly low for my personal taste. After making some adjustments to the Touchpad Settings in Windows 10, I found a sensitivity that worked well for me. The touchpad does not physically click, but there are left/right trackpad buttons. Initially, I did find the buttons to be awkwardly placed, but I actually got used to them fairly quickly. While the touchpad isn't the best I've ever used, it is pretty good, in my opinion. 2 and 3 finger gestures work, as well.
SOUND:
The Bang & Olufsen speakers surprised me. They have good volume and a pleasant sound signature. However, they're bottom-firing, so when you put the laptop on your lap, the frequencies dampen and you lose a bit of treble/mid-range impact. Keep in mind, this is with the "B & O Play Experience" toggled on from the "Omen Audio" application. You'll definitely want to leave that on if you're using the speakers, or else the bass will disappear and will sound really anemic. I did notice some clipping at max volume when bass-heavy music was involved. Headphone jack works well as you'd expect, but doesn't promise anything fancy, so don't bother trying to drive headphones with high impedance. The built-in microphone array is good for video/voice chat session, but don't expect it to compete with a USB desktop microphone in terms of sound quality. For all casual purposes, it does just fine.
The Bang & Olufsen speakers surprised me. They have good volume and a pleasant sound signature. However, they're bottom-firing, so when you put the laptop on your lap, the frequencies dampen and you lose a bit of treble/mid-range impact. Keep in mind, this is with the "B & O Play Experience" toggled on from the "Omen Audio" application. You'll definitely want to leave that on if you're using the speakers, or else the bass will disappear and will sound really anemic. I did notice some clipping at max volume when bass-heavy music was involved. Headphone jack works well as you'd expect, but doesn't promise anything fancy, so don't bother trying to drive headphones with high impedance. The built-in microphone array is good for video/voice chat session, but don't expect it to compete with a USB desktop microphone in terms of sound quality. For all casual purposes, it does just fine.
PERFORMANCE:
This laptop comes with a 4-core / 8-thread Intel Core i7 processor. For most basic tasks, this is actually overkill. But for gamers, this is great, as more games are utilizing more threads. The GTX 1050 can play any older game at very high settings, and can still play many modern titles at medium / high settings at 1080p. 8GB of RAM is enough for most people, but individuals who multi-task with a lot of resource-intensive chrome tabs and extensions may find themselves wanting more. While the 1TB hard drive is rated for 7200RPM, I still find it unacceptable to not have the operating system installed on a Solid State Drive (SSD) for a machine at this price point. You will not be unlocking the full potential of this machine while your OS runs on a slow drive like this. Thankfully, the upgrade process is fairly simple. After consulting the service manual found on HP's support website, I unscrewed the 10 screws from the bottom of the laptop and removed the bottom panel by starting with the side closest to the display hinge. From there, you'll have access to the SATA drive bay, the M.2 SSD slot (unoccupied, but does support NVMe drives), and 2 RAM slots (with only 1 occupied). I suspect that each RAM slot supports up to 8GB, but I could not find any confirmation in any of the documents available on HP's support website.
This laptop comes with a 4-core / 8-thread Intel Core i7 processor. For most basic tasks, this is actually overkill. But for gamers, this is great, as more games are utilizing more threads. The GTX 1050 can play any older game at very high settings, and can still play many modern titles at medium / high settings at 1080p. 8GB of RAM is enough for most people, but individuals who multi-task with a lot of resource-intensive chrome tabs and extensions may find themselves wanting more. While the 1TB hard drive is rated for 7200RPM, I still find it unacceptable to not have the operating system installed on a Solid State Drive (SSD) for a machine at this price point. You will not be unlocking the full potential of this machine while your OS runs on a slow drive like this. Thankfully, the upgrade process is fairly simple. After consulting the service manual found on HP's support website, I unscrewed the 10 screws from the bottom of the laptop and removed the bottom panel by starting with the side closest to the display hinge. From there, you'll have access to the SATA drive bay, the M.2 SSD slot (unoccupied, but does support NVMe drives), and 2 RAM slots (with only 1 occupied). I suspect that each RAM slot supports up to 8GB, but I could not find any confirmation in any of the documents available on HP's support website.
I happened to have an unused SATA-based SSD, so I swapped that with the 1TB HDD and used the software that came with my SSD to transfer the OS from the HDD to the SSD. After this process, my HP Omen was substantially faster with booting the OS and running applications—a night & day difference.
BATTERY:
I haven't tested the battery life to an enormous extent, but enabling a battery estimation feature in the BIOS allows Windows 10 to report the estimated time (not just %) on battery. Depending on your brightness, power profile and workload, HP estimates 9 hours of mixed usage, and almost 7 hours of video playback. So far, I think that claim is accurate.
I haven't tested the battery life to an enormous extent, but enabling a battery estimation feature in the BIOS allows Windows 10 to report the estimated time (not just %) on battery. Depending on your brightness, power profile and workload, HP estimates 9 hours of mixed usage, and almost 7 hours of video playback. So far, I think that claim is accurate.
I/O:
The HP Omen doesn't support Thunderbolt 3, but all the USB ports support USB 3.1 (1 Type-C, 3 Type-A. There's also a gigabit ethernet jack, HDMI (HDCP 2.2, 4k@60Hz), and Mini DisplayPort. It also supports a full-size SD card which can be fully inserted into the laptop without sticking out. As mentioned before, it also sports a headphone and microphone jack.
The HP Omen doesn't support Thunderbolt 3, but all the USB ports support USB 3.1 (1 Type-C, 3 Type-A. There's also a gigabit ethernet jack, HDMI (HDCP 2.2, 4k@60Hz), and Mini DisplayPort. It also supports a full-size SD card which can be fully inserted into the laptop without sticking out. As mentioned before, it also sports a headphone and microphone jack.
CONCLUSION:
The HP Omen is a great laptop. It provides great features while also having room for a few upgrade. However, I do feel that an SSD should be included at this price—even a cheaper SATA-based M.2 or 2.5" drive would be fine. For a performance-oriented machine like this, skimping on the SSD is a poor decision on HP's part—especially at this price-point. I have seen competitor's laptops with the i7-7700HQ, GTX 1060, 16GB RAM, and 256GB SSD go on sale for cheaper. So in that regard, I do feel the HP Omen isn't providing as good a value, but it is objectively a good laptop—perhaps, just not as good a value when compared to other options around the same price.
The HP Omen is a great laptop. It provides great features while also having room for a few upgrade. However, I do feel that an SSD should be included at this price—even a cheaper SATA-based M.2 or 2.5" drive would be fine. For a performance-oriented machine like this, skimping on the SSD is a poor decision on HP's part—especially at this price-point. I have seen competitor's laptops with the i7-7700HQ, GTX 1060, 16GB RAM, and 256GB SSD go on sale for cheaper. So in that regard, I do feel the HP Omen isn't providing as good a value, but it is objectively a good laptop—perhaps, just not as good a value when compared to other options around the same price.
vrs99
TN
Support Manual web site?
July 14, 2017
Do you have the link to the HP Support Site that has the Support Manual?
Have been looking and must be in the wrong place - Thanks
0points
0of 0voted this comment as helpful.
HP OMEN by HP Laptop: Power through the virtual landscape with this versatile HP Omen 15-inch laptop. Ideal for gaming, this machine packs a 7th generation Intel Core i7 processor and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX video card for superior graphics performance. The 1TB hard drive inside this HP Omen 15-inch laptop provides plenty for space for gaming profiles and other multimedia files.
Overall5 out of 5
5 out of 5Zoom Zoom Zoom – Game On
By vrs99
from TN
This machine looks like it is going fast sitting on the desktop. The exhaust system vents on the back edges of the laptop brings to mind the tailpipes a supercar might be sporting. When it is cranking through benchmarking the cooling system and exhaust ports are doing a job, pushing volumes of hot air away from the machine.
The HP Omen is the most bang for the buck that I have ever seen in a laptop, this box is loaded with edgy technology. Not going through a list of specs, those are easy enough to find, what is impressive is that all techs are up to date, not last year’s stuff. Too many times have seen corners cut to save a dollar. Not here. Not one USB 2.0 in sight, which is surprising seeing that we just built beast of a desktop a month ago with the latest Z270 Kaby Lake i7 7700K, USB 2.0 ports still in use on an advanced motherboard. Kudos to HP.
Take a close look at the specs, you will find 802.11ac with a solid 866.7 Mbps connection. “Dual Force functionality splits traffic across two data streams, sending gaming traffic over the fastest connection available (typically wired), and all other traffic over WiFi.”
Other ports of interest (not a complete listing check the spec sheet):
1 USB 3.1 Type C
3 USB 3.1
Mini DisplayPort
3 USB 3.1
Mini DisplayPort
What I love is the fact you can purchase a HDD Omen model and then add your M.2 NVMe drive of choice, that is cool. If you are not yet familiar with M.2 NVMe you should take a look. In a word (or more) they are fast, about seven times that of a standard SSD.
What is interesting is that with the HDD the system boots up in 9 seconds, that is fully populated with my programs/anti-virus and all my files. Impressive. Being spoiled by SSD’s I must tip my hat to HP; this machine runs tremendously smooth with the 7200 RPM Hitachi HDD.
The Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 (4 GB GDDR5 dedicated memory) discrete GPU ran through the Unigine Heaven Benchmark smoothly turning good numbers while the cooling system kept the GPU at a respectable 68 degrees. Notable, that with all the heavy iron under the hood the system manages the temp easily.
Ran my favorite game, Civilization VI through its paces today set on the highest graphic settings and it ran like a champ.
Looks, it has the looks, brushed aluminum case with an excellent finish. Nice touches all-around.
Know it is a way cool machine as my kid, the gamer in the house is explaining all the great and subtle reasons why it would be better for him to hang onto the machine. Yeah right!
What I am getting use to is the keyboard offset, a bit to the left to make room for the full size numeric pad, which is a nice touch. Keyboard is fine and well suited for heavy accurate work, or gaming for that matter.
Want a blistering rig in your hands at an excellent price point, one that can kick it at games and can be easily expanded, check out The Omen.
vrs99
TN
Maintenance and Service - Upgrade Manual
July 15, 2017
If you purchase the Omen and wish to upgrade memory or add M.2 SSD you can find the manual here:
http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c05533785
+3points
3of 3voted this comment as helpful.
HP OMEN by HP Laptop: Power through the virtual landscape with this versatile HP Omen 15-inch laptop. Ideal for gaming, this machine packs a 7th generation Intel Core i7 processor and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX video card for superior graphics performance. The 1TB hard drive inside this HP Omen 15-inch laptop provides plenty for space for gaming profiles and other multimedia files.
Overall5 out of 5
5 out of 5Zoom Zoom Zoom – Game On
By vrs99
from TN
This machine looks like it is going fast sitting on the desktop. The exhaust system vents on the back edges of the laptop brings to mind the tailpipes a supercar might be sporting. When it is cranking through benchmarking the cooling system and exhaust ports are doing a job, pushing volumes of hot air away from the machine.
The HP Omen is the most bang for the buck that I have ever seen in a laptop, this box is loaded with edgy technology. Not going through a list of specs, those are easy enough to find, what is impressive is that all techs are up to date, not last year’s stuff. Too many times have seen corners cut to save a dollar. Not here. Not one USB 2.0 in sight, which is surprising seeing that we just built beast of a desktop a month ago with the latest Z270 Kaby Lake i7 7700K, USB 2.0 ports still in use on an advanced motherboard. Kudos to HP.
Take a close look at the specs, you will find 802.11ac with a solid 866.7 Mbps connection. “Dual Force functionality splits traffic across two data streams, sending gaming traffic over the fastest connection available (typically wired), and all other traffic over WiFi.”
Other ports of interest (not a complete listing check the spec sheet):
1 USB 3.1 Type C
3 USB 3.1
Mini DisplayPort
3 USB 3.1
Mini DisplayPort
What I love is the fact you can purchase a HDD Omen model and then add your M.2 NVMe drive of choice, that is cool. If you are not yet familiar with M.2 NVMe you should take a look. In a word (or more) they are fast, about seven times that of a standard SSD.
What is interesting is that with the HDD the system boots up in 9 seconds, that is fully populated with my programs/anti-virus and all my files. Impressive. Being spoiled by SSD’s I must tip my hat to HP; this machine runs tremendously smooth with the 7200 RPM Hitachi HDD.
The Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 (4 GB GDDR5 dedicated memory) discrete GPU ran through the Unigine Heaven Benchmark smoothly turning good numbers while the cooling system kept the GPU at a respectable 68 degrees. Notable, that with all the heavy iron under the hood the system manages the temp easily.
Ran my favorite game, Civilization VI through its paces today set on the highest graphic settings and it ran like a champ.
Looks, it has the looks, brushed aluminum case with an excellent finish. Nice touches all-around.
Know it is a way cool machine as my kid, the gamer in the house is explaining all the great and subtle reasons why it would be better for him to hang onto the machine. Yeah right!
What I am getting use to is the keyboard offset, a bit to the left to make room for the full size numeric pad, which is a nice touch. Keyboard is fine and well suited for heavy accurate work, or gaming for that matter.
Want a blistering rig in your hands at an excellent price point, one that can kick it at games and can be easily expanded, check out The Omen.
vrs99
TN
Adding M.2 SSD
July 18, 2017
Added a M.2 SSD to the Omen and nuked all the partitions on the HDD and added it back to the system. Day and Night performance. That is one aspect I like about this model is that it does not come with an installed M.2 drive, you can pick your own SSD ads capacity.
Screams with the new M.2 and have an additionally terabyte of storage on the HDD, whcih I use to sync my files to frequently before syncing with the NAS.
Great machine.
+1point
1of 1voted this comment as helpful.
vrs99's Questions
vrs99 has not submitted any questions.
Enjoy room-filling audio in any living space with this LG Hi-Fi shelf system. Its two 150W speakers produce loud, detailed sound, and it streams music via Bluetooth when you pair it with an Android device. This LG Hi-Fi shelf system has an EQ function that optimizes the audio based on the music you're listening to.
how many cds does is play?
Enjoy room-filling audio in any living space with this LG Hi-Fi shelf system. Its two 150W speakers produce loud, detailed sound, and it streams music via Bluetooth when you pair it with an Android device. This LG Hi-Fi shelf system has an EQ function that optimizes the audio based on the music you're listening to.
Can this be connected to tv
It does connect with my LG TV via the LG Sound Sync/Bluetooth easily.
Would think that it would sync with any Bluetooth enabled TV but might need up to date version of Bluetooth.
If it does not remember Best Buy has generous return policy.
Would think that it would sync with any Bluetooth enabled TV but might need up to date version of Bluetooth.
If it does not remember Best Buy has generous return policy.
6 years, 2 months ago
by
vrs99
Run programs on this 12.3-inch HP Chromebook convertible laptop. Its detachable touch-screen display lets you enjoy brilliant 2K content, and you can write and draw on it with the included Active Pen. This HP Chromebook convertible laptop has 32GB of storage, and its Intel Core m3 processor and 4GB of RAM provide smooth performance.
I read in the specs "Built-in media reader for simple photo transfer. Supports select memory card formats." Does anyone know what formats are supported or not supported?
Run programs on this 12.3-inch HP Chromebook convertible laptop. Its detachable touch-screen display lets you enjoy brilliant 2K content, and you can write and draw on it with the included Active Pen. This HP Chromebook convertible laptop has 32GB of storage, and its Intel Core m3 processor and 4GB of RAM provide smooth performance.
Any info on this show stopper for me? (86) Access to the Google Play Store and related apps will be provided as part of a regular OS update. This feature might not be available at time of purchase;..
Your question is not clear. The Google Play Store is available with the first release of the unit.
6 years, 4 months ago
by
vrs99
Run programs on this 12.3-inch HP Chromebook convertible laptop. Its detachable touch-screen display lets you enjoy brilliant 2K content, and you can write and draw on it with the included Active Pen. This HP Chromebook convertible laptop has 32GB of storage, and its Intel Core m3 processor and 4GB of RAM provide smooth performance.
Does this computer have a camera in which I can use Skype?
Has both front and rear facing cameras, not positive but would bet that the camera will work with Skype.
If you cannot find an exact answer you could always take one and try it out. BB has a generous return policy.
If you cannot find an exact answer you could always take one and try it out. BB has a generous return policy.
6 years, 4 months ago
by
vrs99
Toshiba 4K UHD Fire TV Edition is a new generation of smart TVs featuring the Fire TV experience built-in and including a Voice Remote with Alexa. With true-to-life 4K Ultra HD picture quality and access to all the movies and TV shows you love, Toshiba Fire TV Edition delivers a superior TV experience that gets smarter every day. The Voice Remote with Alexa lets you do everything you'd expect from a remote—plus, easily launch apps, search for TV shows, play music, switch inputs, control smart home devices and more, using just your voice.
Will you be able to download Amazon Apps ? Like Silk browser,and downloader ?
Toshiba 4K UHD Fire TV Edition is a new generation of smart TVs featuring the Fire TV experience built-in and including a Voice Remote with Alexa. With true-to-life 4K Ultra HD picture quality and access to all the movies and TV shows you love, Toshiba Fire TV Edition delivers a superior TV experience that gets smarter every day. The Voice Remote with Alexa lets you do everything you'd expect from a remote—plus, easily launch apps, search for TV shows, play music, switch inputs, control smart home devices and more, using just your voice.
will there be a need to use a firestick or is it built into the tv already? is it wifi or ethernet?
Fire TV is built in.
Wi-Fi and Ethernet are both included.
Wi-Fi and Ethernet are both included.
6 years, 4 months ago
by
vrs99
Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean 4100 Plaque Control, Rechargeable electric toothbrush with pressure sensor, White Mint HX6817/01
is this item stocked in local stores
It is in stock at our Best Buy. Check their web-site it will tell you if they have it available for pickup.
6 years, 7 months ago
by
vrs99
Only at Best BuyUpdate your portable technology kit with this HP Omen 17-inch laptop. Ideal for gaming, this machine combines a 7th generation Intel Core i7 processor with 12GB of DDR4 RAM for ultra-fast performance on the go. An island-style backlit keyboard equipped with dedicated macro keys makes this HP Omen 17-inch laptop easy to use in the dark.
Does this laptop have an M.2 socket that supports an NVMe SSD? Also, is there an empty socket for ram expansion?
Here is the link to the spec sheet - will answer many of your questions.
http://www8.hp.com/us/en/images/OMEN_Laptop_17_an013dx_tcm245_2468782_tcm245_2469233_tcm245-2468782.pdf
The answers I am quite sure are yes as noted by the specs.
http://www8.hp.com/us/en/images/OMEN_Laptop_17_an013dx_tcm245_2468782_tcm245_2469233_tcm245-2468782.pdf
The answers I am quite sure are yes as noted by the specs.
7 years, 4 months ago
by
vrs99
Only at Best BuyUpdate your portable technology kit with this HP Omen 17-inch laptop. Ideal for gaming, this machine combines a 7th generation Intel Core i7 processor with 12GB of DDR4 RAM for ultra-fast performance on the go. An island-style backlit keyboard equipped with dedicated macro keys makes this HP Omen 17-inch laptop easy to use in the dark.
recently pre ordered this laptop I was so excited about it that after I put my order for it I didn't realize it didn't have a Solid state drive I'm very concerned that my laptop won't operate at it's best is there a way I can upgrade it by adding a SSD
Here is the link to the spec sheet - will answer many of your questions.
http://www8.hp.com/us/en/images/OMEN_Laptop_17_an013dx_tcm245_2468782_tcm245_2469233_tcm245-2468782.pdf
From what I understand the answer is yes and it is noted,
http://www8.hp.com/us/en/images/OMEN_Laptop_17_an013dx_tcm245_2468782_tcm245_2469233_tcm245-2468782.pdf
From what I understand the answer is yes and it is noted,
7 years, 4 months ago
by
vrs99