ipower 5542 Review

ipower 5542 What a Deal

The specifications and relative speed of a laptop don't always give an impression of the machine's strengths, as the quality of a keyboard and screen can often be more important than the specific performance of the inner components. The increasing popularity of larger display panels has led to heavier and larger laptops that are more suited to life on the desktop than as a travelling companion. At 3.6kg, the ipower is definitely suited to life on the desk. This is borne out by a less than satisfactory battery life, under test, of 46 minutes. The keyboard has individually mounted translucent keys and is extremely comfortable to use, with the keys having a good deal of travel.

The 15-inch TFT display is bright and clear, even when running on battery power. Unlike other 15-inch panels in this review, the ipower has a native resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels as opposed to the higher 1400 x 1050 pixels. One reason for this is the decision to use the nVidia GeForce4 GO 420 graphics adapter, which has 32MB of onboard memory but offers a lower resolution display.

In keeping with the Pico Systems and Time laptops, the ipower has an integrated digital card reader that is capable of reading and writing SmartMedia, Secure Digital and MultiMedia Cards. The laptop also has traditional expansion ports in the form of parallel and external monitor ports, along with a single Type II PC Card slot. Taking advantage of the latest advances in the USB technology, the ipower has four USB 2.0 ports and a single mini FireWire port.

As a consumer company, Packard Bell bundles a number of applications with its laptops and make many more readily available, either as upgrade options or through mail-in offers. The ipower 5542 came supplied with, among other applications, Norton AntiVirus software, CyberLink PowerDVD and RecordNow DX for the creation of CD-Rs for the purpose of backing up your laptop's hard drive. The ipower is fitted with a 24X combination DVD/CD-RW optical drive. While aimed at the home user, we felt that the Packard Bell ipower 5542 has the versatility to suit the home user or the office worker alike.

Packard Bell systems are New Factory Refurbished

1 What does "Factory Refurbished" really mean?
2 Does a Refurbished PC look 2nd hand? Absolutely not!
3What warranty terms will I receive with a Refurbished PC?
4 An extended 3 year warranty

What does "Factory Refurbished" really mean?
All systems will have been manufactured within the past 4 months (please note, this only refers to Packard Bell PCs and Laptops) and sold through one of the UK’s largest chain of PC stores. If for any reason the product is returned to the manufacture from the store, it cannot be re-sold as "New & Boxed" and it therefore goes through a Re-Manufacturing process where by this time normally out of date. It is then sold as "Factory Refurbished". End of line, clearence stock, but still as new with full warr

: Does a Refurbished PC look 2nd hand?

Absolutely not!

In fact we take so much thought over the condition of the packaging, let alone the PC itself, that we are convinced you will think these systems are New & Boxed.

: Are Factory Refurbished Systems as reliable as a "New" PC?
Whatever the reason for return, all systems follow the same Refurbishment programme. To give you an idea of the thorough tests and checks that each machine undertakes, we have summarised the process as follows:

1. All machines that arrive at the Refurbishment Facility are powered on and tested to check for any faults. If no faults are found the Hard Drive is reformatted and the Windows 98/ Windows ME Operating System is installed. The unit is then "soak tested" for 4 hours.

2. Any faulty units are passed through to the Engineering section where the faulty parts are replaced. The unit then goes back through to point 1 above.

3. The serial number is then updated with a new serial number, which identifies it as a Factory Refurbished product and a clean label is produced outlining the Model Number, Specification, Description and Serial Number.

4. The System is then placed in new packaging and the new label is fixed to the box.

5. Prior to despatch each System is transferred to the Quality Assurance Department where all units are re-checked both technically and aesthetically. The condition of the packaging is as important as the condition of the machine. We want you to receive your Refurbished PC and think that the machine is actually New & Boxed.

6. All components of the machine are individually checked at this point. The keyboard and mouse supplied with the unit are used in the process, together with all USB ports both front and back. Our QA Engineers even run a DVD movie with headsets to ensure the sound and graphics cards are 100% tested and functioning prior to despatch.

7. The QA Engineer then signs off the QA Checklist for each PC and the System is then ready for despatch.

: What warranty terms will I receive with a Refurbished PC?
All our Factory Refurbished Laptops are supplied with a 3rd Party 12-month RTB warranty, covering all parts and labour. Our warranty is one of the best available with a guaranteed first time repair.

Specifications may be subject to change without notice. All Trademarks acknowledged. E & OE. Photographs are for illustration purposes only. Intel, Intel Inside and the Mobile Intel Pentium 4 Processor - M Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of the Intel Corporation or it’s subsiduaries in the United States and other countries. All models shown are subject to stock availability. Iridium will replace/repair any one of its notebooks/LCD Monitor if it has more than 5 bad pixels during the first 12 months from its date of purchase.