As more companies are now manufacturing computers, especially laptops and notebooks, we, the consumers, have become very lucky as this piece of integral hardware has dropped prices and there are many options to choose from. And not because they are now relatively cheaper, that doesn’t mean that their performance takes a dip. The Compaq CQ60-305EA is such a notebook, made for the average user with regular usage; it is a notebook that is very simple and affordable with a remarkable 15.6 inch widescreen that delivers very well in terms of speed and performance.

The Compaq CQ60-305EA though is far from the ideal notebook to lug around. It is a bit chunkier and heavier than most of the latest designs and users of the Compaq CQ60-305EA have made use of the notebook more as a home PC. But its widescreen display makes up for the fact that it’s a notebook and provides a feel of a desktop.

Design wise, the Compaq CQ60-305EA looks very much the same as the other Compaq laptops and notebooks in their line-up. The case has a glossy black outer shell with a silver letter "Q" on top. As mentioned, it can be a bit heavy as it weighs in at 6.5 pounds. This weight can be attributed to the fact that it has a large frame measuring 37.8 cm lengthwise, 25.2 cm in width, and 4.4 cm in height. Although it can be tiring to lug around, it is still very portable. And with a large frame comes usually a large screen, and this Compaq notebook has a widescreen that has a 15.6 inch display that has a pixel resolution of 1366 x 768 and with the BrightView Technology of HP, the screen provides more than ample performance and quality displaying a glossy and reflective finish enhancing the brightness and depth of colour of the screen and its images. The screen can also natively display HD content with 720 p because of its 16:9 aspect ratio. This means that whether at home or on the road, you will be able to watch High Definition videos.

Again, because of its large frame, the Compaq CQ60-305EA can support a full keyboard, which to a good number of people is an added bonus; also, there is a dedicated numeric keypad perfect for those who have just moved from a desktop to a laptop. Keyboard colour is black on the CQ60-305EA which is the same with the rest of the models in this line. Just below it is a silver palm rest and a touchpad. What is lacking though is the availability of controls for media and for volume adjustment. Alongside the keyboard surface, you will be able to find switches, buttons, and controls for WI-FI, power, and for the touchpad.

As mentioned above, the Compaq CQ60-305EA is a very reliable notebook for the average user, but this notebook is not for gamers. With such affordability comes some sacrifice, and unfortunately, this comes in the form of the performance. But again, for those that use their laptops and notebooks for simple operations, the CQ60-305EA provides more than adequate performance, but for gamers and for video editing and other advanced features, this is not the unit for you.

Overall, the Compaq CQ60-305EA is a notebook recommended for general use. For regular tasks such as web browsing, making documents, watching videos, you can be rest assured that it will perform superbly. For advanced tasks, don’t get your hopes up.