Average Rating: 
Rating: - Am very pleased, but ....
This Toshiba is my sixth laptop - first and fourth were Compaqs (loaned to fellow co-workers), second a WinBook (poorest quality of all 6 and bad experience with company), third an iBook (stolen!) and fifth a ProStar (a wonderful machine - also loaned to a co-worker). This Toshiba is the best of the bunch with the iBook running a close second.Overall I am very happy to finally have a machine that acts as a full desktop replacement at a reasonable price. I upgraded it to XP Pro after downloading the drivers from Toshiba and it works like a charm (except for one thing ... see below). I have yet to try to put Mandrake 9.0 on it for dual OS availability. For myself I have only had three complaints with the laptop. 1.)The first is a minor one that I had to laugh at when it came in the mail - the laptop is a dark, midnight BLUE. Not black, as I had expected, somehow. :) Oh well! 2.)The second, though, is a bit more problematic, and that is bound up with the LAN module (it is made by Intel). I have found it very "hit-and-miss" with regards to connecting to networks via ethernet cable and cable modem broadband connections. As far as I can tell, it works best with a short distance cable from the gateway, dns server, etc. When I had that in place (going through a switch) everything worked fine ... but away from that it has been touchy. Perhaps this is only particular to my laptop, though. But ... prospective buyers should be aware. :) It could just be my bad luck but it could also be a poor choice for a LAN module on Toshiba's part. Of course one can always get a pcmcia LAN card for ... or so ... so if a problem it is not irreplaceable! By the way, if you do upgrade the machine to XP Pro via clean install the driver for the LAN module is available from Intel's website (version 6.4 or something). The only driver on Toshiba's download/support page for this laptop is for W2K. It doesn't work with XP, although it will install itself. The driver available on Intel's website is what they ship the XP Home package with. 3.)The third (small!) complaint is with the ATI M6 video chip. I use an external monitor (for use a 1280x1024 full page layout in QuarkXPress) and found that the color images the video port threw onto it were of a slightly washed out quality. The graphics on the laptop display itself, though, are stunning. I have absolutely no complaints with that! If you are just going to use an external monitor for functions where color accuracy is not an issue (like in page layout without embedded color images - we use mostly black and white anyway) then there should be no problem with this small drawback. If you are .... Other notes: the weight is not a big problem for me personally, nor is size ... one can simply purchase a bag to fit this 15" screen laptop into for a very reasonable price most anywahere - although why a user would not purchase a hard case is beyond me. :) Even if it is a little heavier I am the sort that is willing to endure a little discomfort to protect my investment. I am also the sort that likes to get the longest possible warranties on things though. Also: I have not been disappointed with the sound much, but perhaps I haven't been around the really rich multimedia oriented laptops previous to today? The lack of a ps/2 port was not a problem for me personally as I was already using usb keyboards and mice. If you need a ps/2 keyboard or mouse in pre-boot applications the laptop's own built-in keyboard and touchpad work fine. Once again, though, overall I am very satisfied with this wonderful machine (we are going to wireless networking soon anyway!) and would recommend it's being bought to others.
Rating: - Good but not the best in this price range
There are two very comparable notebooks close enough in price to call a tie: the Compaq Presario 1525US and the Toshiba Satellite 1905-S303. On paper they look very similar: 2.4 GHz Pentium 4, 512MB RAM, 40GB hard drive, 15" screen, ATI Radeon graphics chipset (AKA M6-P). However a closer look gives the Compaq a slight edge.Screen: Both 15" but the Toshiba is 1024-by-768 pixels while the 1280-by-1024 pixels. To your eyes the Compaq will be sharper because there are more and smaller dots on the screen. This matters a lot more than you might think (the Compaq is much easier on the eyes). Weight: The Toshiba is 8.3 pounds, while the Compaq is 7.0 pounds. While neither is a lightweight, you will notice that extra 1.3 pounds if you carry your notebook around a lot. On other issues they are pretty much the same: great for any use other than high-end 3D games (very few notebooks are). Both are a little power hungry and don't have the best battery life (2-3 hours of good use). For more than that you need to spend a bit more on a notebook using a true P4-M processor (hands down the best notebook CPU ever made but it cost more). However these are very powerful mobile desktops that work great for those who have their notebooks plugged in most places they go. These machines will handle high-end computing tasks for many years to come, but the Compaq wins by virtue of its superior display.
Rating:  - Awesome machine..power box
Ok, I'll list the raw facts first.
Cons: 8.3 pounds ...a tad heavy.
No ps2 port.
No serial port.
Processor is not "mobile"Pros: 2.4 GhZ
512 ram
15" display
usb + firewire ports
(2) pcmcia ports
lots of space 40 gig.
descent battery life for the power it pushes out.
burner,dvd,floppy,tv out,v92 modem,lan, 32mb video
yaddy yadda yaddy yadda yaddy yadda yaddy yadda. I can honestly say that this power house box. It has taken every piece of software that I've thrown at it. Movies are great on it, magnificent display.Very efficient cooling system.
I'm very picky when it comes to my electronics. I've researched and compared months and months before this purchase and I narrowed it down to Sony Dell and Toshiba. So since toshiba had the best rebate offer around, thats the one I got and I have no regrets. This laptop also has a slot for a wireless mini pci card when you open the cover that conceals the memory. This upgrade can be added to have wireless internet and network access.
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