Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I got this as a back-up laptop after reading specs and reviews. Having been a user and builder of PCs for many years (my first was a tower I assembled with an Intel 386/33MHz CPU for just under $2k!) I have to be amazed at how the performance/cost ratio has advanced, especially at the lower end of the market. This HP model provides a lot for little $. Only the basic black case speaks of lower cost, yet the case is sturdy--and won't easily show fingerprints. Keyboard is very good. Thankfully, performance is respectable from the AMD processor, much better than expected at this price point. Videos play well; the standard resolution display is good. More: 500GB HD, USB3 and two additional two USB2 ports, HDMI, ethernet, memory card slot, LEDs for HD operation (which seem to be missing from some models in recent years). CD/DVD burner included along with a camera and microphone. RAM included is 4GB with an open slot to add more, if desired. One could replace its 500 GB drive with a SSD for faster performance, if desired, and then use the 500 GB drive for external storage. It's wireless works well: youtube videos played quite well even with another program running in the background. Downloaded programs installed quickly as did programs installed from DVD. Speakers are adequate yet audio quality was better than average using good headphones connected to the headphone/microphone jack. Unit runs cool; battery life is decent (3+ hrs?)--and the battery is replaceable. A SSD would further increase run time on battery power. The mouse pad is decent. What's not to like about this entry-level model for so little $?! Sure, I'd have liked a lighted keyboard and more stylish case, but I can hardly expect these features at this price point. All-in-all, so far I'm impressed with this laptop's value, features, respectable performance for everyday tasks for such low cost. Good job HP!