Toshiba Satellite 1415-S173 Notebook (1.8-GHz Celeron, 256 MB RAM, 30 GB hard drive) Personal Computer

Average Rating:

The CPU was built by Intel to be used in desktops, not notebooks; that mean it uses more power and runs a little hotter. Toshiba has been using desktop CPU in their low cost machines because they cost less. If (like many users) you tend to plug your notebook in and use it at a desk, then this is a pretty good deal. If you are looking for a thin, light, long life notebook that will sit on your lap for long periods, then this isn't the machine for you (those machines are much higher up the price ladder).

The graphics on this notebook are okay, but they won't run newer 3D games very well. They are great for moderate gaming, CAD work, or watching DVDs. In all fairness there are very few notebooks in this price range that have 3D gaming quality graphics. The HP xt125 is an exception to this rule if you really want a gaming capable notebook (it has it's own tradeoffs like a 14" screen). If you "want it all" you will have to spend a bit more money.

This is a low cost notebook so you don't quite get everything. The quality of the components is good, but not first rate, the battery life isn't a long as more expensive offerings, and this isn't a notebook built for hardcore gamers. But if you want a powerful computer you can carry around with a large screen, then you won't find many that compare in this price range.

The laptop's hard drive is pretty fast and spacious; its DVD/CDRW unit works flawlessly and is among the less noisy units I've ever seen. It burns CDs at a 24X speed! DVD or DIVX reproduction is as smooth as a silk (not to mention DIVX encoding, is fast!). Ok, it has 'only' 16 MB of video memory but' those are real MB, not shared ones, so their performance is a way better if compared to most laptop graphics within the price range. Also, the graphics chip, which is what really makes the difference, is a speedy GeForce 4 Go 420! (NOT an ATI M6-C). This machine shines in games (they look gorgeous in its huge and bright 15' screen), even in some newer ones like NFS 6 or Unreal Tournament 2003 (maybe it doesn't matches the standards of high end desktop graphics of course, but those titles were still perfectly playable).

My only complaint about this machine is its weight' you should have strong shoulders if you want to carry it around. However, I still give it an A+