HP - Geek Squad Certified Refurbished ENVY 15.6" Laptop - 6GB Memory - Natural Silver

I bought this to have something for $400 that would have enough power to run some virtual machines for work. I regularly run two VM workstations simultaneously and still run some programs on the host OS. The processor still has power to spare with all that going. With 16GB maximum memory it should run really smooth. The lit keyboard is a great feature I hope to see become more standard. I would have though the fingerprint sensor was kind of gimmicky, but I use it all the time because it really is easier that typing a password. The Beats audio wasn't a feature I was looking for, but it does give a full sound that would easily fill a office desk area with clear music. My only feature I'm missing is an interface for a docking station, but there's always a USB option. Being an IT professional for 16 years, I was planning on putting Windows 7 on this, but after spending some time learning where all the usual tools are, control panel, performance monitor, etc... I found that surprisingly, I actually like Windows 8 pretty well. There were no major hassles handling the DOA, but I did need to take it to a Best Buy store, the Geek Squad tech didn't seem familiar with display issues, but accepted when I explained the concept of backlights going out while you can still see a very dark display. He did initially want me to pick out a new in-store model as a replacement at first, but I wanted the refurb deal still, he wanted to credit my card and then re-order from scratch which would require me to pay another $400 that day then wait for the credit to apply. In the end he had to refund it to store credit, then adjust the higher price down to what I had originally paid, then re-order it with store credit. It just seemed like a terribly convoluted path for him to figure out how to swap my DOA for another new one. I had been told on the phone the local store would be able to expedite my replacement, but since it was essentially a new order, I had to wait for the full shipping time.

Overall, the laptop is excellent, being that its refurbished. Windows 8 takes some getting use to, ive had it for about a month now and still trying to figure out whats where and live tiles. Also the finger print scanner could use some work, at times it doesnt identify my finger print. A positive note about it though, with just one swipe of a finger you can launch your favorite website or program, no matter what screen you are on. To conclude, the price is right for me, the processor and memory is good enough for me as a student. Very portable, great battery life, built in cool sense so no over heating when gaming or studying on it, Beats by Dre is a great add-on. I LOVE IT!

I could not be more pleased with this HP laptop. Fast, responsive, great graphics. Combine those qualities with the excellent price and you've got a real gem. It's sleek, powers up quickly and the AMD A-10 processor is very fast, allowing for seamless multitasking. I'm not Windows 8 phobic so it doesn't bother me at all, yet for ease of use (since it isn't a touch screen for which 8 is a much better fit) I installed a classic Windows 7 shell and it works fine. A superlative computer that looks and performs like brand new...you would never know it's refurbished. If you're in the market for a fine computer & a great deal, this is the one. I researched long & hard before I chose this one and I am very pleased I did.

I'd been casing out laptops for almost a year. I knew my purchase was going to have to happen sooner or later—my old computer, bless it, wasn't up to snuff anymore—but I'm a very reluctant buyer. Then I saw this computer, the Envy m6, Geek Squad refurbished for $400, and bought it without thinking twice. I couldn't find anything else that matched its list of features for even double the price A month later, I'm smitten. I commute with the computer, using it both at home and at work. It's portable enough to carry back and forth every day, and powerful enough to withstand some diligent gaming back home. I'm not running the latest games on the highest settings, but this machine is more than serviceable. Aesthetically, the m6 is a solid package, as well. The brushed aluminum case and backlit keyboard seem to emulate a MacBook, at about a quarter of the price. The keyboard is responsive and almost full-sized (the arrow keys are a bit cramped, but even in games that used these keys, this hasn't been a problem), and the trackpad is nice and reliable. I did upgrade to a 256 GB Solid State Drive immediately, and using the two together, I get some crazy speeds—booting up my computer cold takes about 10 seconds, and waking up from sleep mode is almost instant. However, in the midst of my upgrade, I hit a snag. You see, the computer didn't ship with installation disks for the OS or any of the bundled software. I was forced to replace the original hard drive and finish the Windows setup, then clone the drive. I guess this is standard with Windows 8, but it still kind of bites. I would have rather just installed Windows 7 on my old license, even, but it turns out that HP doesn't support a full set of Windows 7 drivers for my model. I ended up heavily customizing Windows 8 to my liking, but that's neither here nor there—anyone particular about their computer setup can expect to spend their first couple days with a new machine tweaking settings and removing factory default software in favor of their own. And now that I'm firmly in the thrall of Windows 8, I do have to admit... it's real purty to look at, though I tend to stay in Desktop mode about 99% of the time. My only other quibble about the computer is the fan, which runs nonstop and can get kind of loud. I definitely understand why the fan would be necessary, considering the power of this computer, and it really helps—I haven't once felt my computer overheat. As for the noise, I'm sure a quick screwdriver tightening of my case would probably solve the problem. But even if it doesn't, and I have to replace the fan a year down the road, the value of this computer more than makes up for it.

Great laptop.Refurbused at $399.Can;t beat it Baclit keybord,fast and easy to use. Boots up fast. Finderprint reader is great. Only negative is diplay only for 768....should be 900 for AMD a10 with its graphics card Otherwise a fantastic deal

Windows 8 takes some adjusting, laptop is fine for a refurb., screen blinks a bit due to auto brightness adjustment, the touchpad fades around the perimeter, nice sound and resolution.

I love to use this after learning how to do all of the windows 8 functions, I found that I can run video games on one window to my tv and facebook on the main screen. Its fun.

I am really happy with my purchase. Windows 8 was not as difficult to navigate as I thought it would be, and the computer itself is as good as it promised to be. The audio is awesome and I really enjoy the computer overall.