I have multiple desktops as I code from home. Some very high end, some low end. I'm currently moving and needed a laptop for motels/hotels that could allow me to work easily but not spend a lot for something I'll likely wind up giving to my kids after I'm done.This laptop's i5 processor is zippy compared to other i5s I've had. Having SSD out of the box combined with that makes a lot almost instant. I'm used to coding on linux without the overhead of Windows based IDEs but even Microsoft Visual Studio on here is decently fast.Some people have complained about the backlight on the keyboard going out after 30 seconds or whatever (I haven't timed it.) Do you want your battery dying fast? I don't. Really it's as simple as pressing any button for it to turn back on. In the very bottom-left is the control (ctrl) key which I just tap first so I'm not accidentally entering a wrong letter or such and boom the backlight is back on and stays on as you type. Another reviewer said it's not suitable for the dark but fact is that if their backlight was staying off they couldn't be typing much.On the note of the keyboard, it's really nice having a separate number pad on the laptop. A lot are missing this nowadays. Another reviewer complained about the F1-F12 keys defaulting to their functions instead of F buttons and having to use the Fn key. Well, just keep tapping F2 RIGHT after you hit the power button and before Windows loads to enter the BIOS settings. You can switch it to default to F1-F12 and hold the Fn key for the functions instead.Memory is 8GB upgradable to 20GB. I haven't bothered yet. I powerhouse on my desktops but haven't needed more on here yet. Even while running visual studio and installing multiple programs while using chrome and firefox I barely surpassed 4GB. Truth is I've never needed more than 8GB unless I was gaming even though the other computers have a minimum of 16.People are nitpicking at this laptop. It's a 500 dollar laptop. If you need more power/etc for your money, buy a desktop but then you also have to pay for a monitor or get a computer with a monitor in exchange for lower specs.I've been building computers and programming for 20 years now as well as gaming. I give this a thumbs up. Just don't expect to play any fancy games on it but truth is even the intel graphics has 4GB of GPU memory which is plenty for a lot of games combined with it's speed unless for some reason you need super high def graphics. Someone else mentioned RS3 on here. I've played it on lower computers. It's one of the benchmarks I use. I only play it with my wife for something to do together so haven't tested it on here as of now but it should definitely run without an issue.Also the WIFI chip/card (haven't looked) gets faster speeds than my tablet or phone. I'm using a mobile hotspot which is speed limited and get at least 4mbps on it which about maxes it. I'd safely assume normal WIFI would be much faster.I haven't heard the fan once even compiling a lot of code but I keep it on flat and hard surfaces. This is another complaint people have brought up... Know what you're buying when you buy. The vent is on the bottom as with other laptops I've purchased. Just don't block it and you won't have a problem. It's a fairly big vent area compared to having one on the side which actually is beneficial to cooling if you don't block it.