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We liked
The G3 is a very affordable laptop from a recognised technology company. This machine is equally at ease in a business environment or in a student's room. It is thinner than what I was expecting and probably slightly lighter as well. On top of that it is well designed and the shift to a gun metal finish actually works well, giving it a fresh new look.
We disliked
A three hour battery life for a non-gaming laptop is a disappointing anomaly that HP should solve with the next iteration. Likewise, a 10/100Mbps Ethernet port is an anachronism given that GbE is now widely available.
Final verdict
This laptop is probably the most powerful new laptop you can purchase for around £200 (around $350, AU$390) with the A4-5000 giving it the edge on its low-cost rivals. Whether it is the best for you depends on your taste though – the diminutive Asus X200MA wins hands-down when it comes to portability and battery life, plus it has a touchscreen display and a tiny power adaptor.
This HP 255 G3 laptop was supplied by Ebuyer and is currently available for £199.98 (around $350, AU$390) including next day delivery. You can add an additional three-year warranty for £56.50 (around $85, AU$110).
Désiré has been musing and writing about technology during a career spanning four decades. He dabbled in website builders and web hosting when DHTML and frames were in vogue and started narrating about the impact of technology on society just before the start of the Y2K hysteria at the turn of the last millennium.
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