I bought this to replace an aging dell inspiron and couldn't be happier. This laptop runs cooler, faster, and more quiet than that old dell, and it can play games with some high video settings. My son bought Star Wars, The Old Republic, and when I saw the recommended system requirements, I told my son not to hold out much hope for playing with enhanced graphics. Happy to say, I was wrong. This computer handles it just fine. Looks even better on 240Hz Flat Screen through HDMI. You do need to keep it plugged in to AC for Netflix, HD Youtube, and games (increases performance), but otherwise the battery handles everything else perfectly. I get about 4 hrs with a somewhat dimmed screen and running a single fan cooling pad (Belkin F5L091TT). The WiFi range is exceptional compared to my old dell with an antennae (yeah, its OLD). I've heard people complain about the FingerPrint Scanner. Only problem I've had is that it won't read my 8 y.o. girl. Small fingers I guess. And there is a break in period for the touch pad but the illumination around the pad is a nice touch. Also I've seen complaints about the case finish. These people should never own stainless steel appliances. Just wipe it down with a little water and a soft terry cloth, it'll look new again. And one last complaint, the delete key is in a bizarre place as compared to dell and windows keyboards, but you get used to it. It is full of bloatware, but that's easy to fix. I took off Microsoft Office and replaced it with OpenOffice just because it's what I'm used to, and the fact its free. MS Office is just a 6 week trial, than you have to pay to use it. 6 GB of memory seems odd, but it handles what you throw at it. I do plan to max out the memory just for the heck of it although I have yet to reach 50% memory capacity. It comes with norton security suite, which is a great suite. Disable IE as your primary browser and use Firefox. I have yet to update Windows 7 after about a month. It is SP1, but until I see a problem, forget it. I recommend turning off automatic updates. Windows Vista and 7 cured me of trying to keep a computer updated, seen too many BSOD on 2 separate systems after updating. This is a great system, looks top notch, and isn't like the old HPs of yesterday. You won't feel ashamed to own this one. Gives my 3 y.o. custom gaming desktop a run for its money.