Solid, reliable, cheap
Written: Oct 15 '00
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Pros: Cheap, solid and reliable
Cons: Low memory, slow screen
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| ianbetteridge's Full Review: Toshiba Satellite 2100 |
I've had a 2100CDS for about six months now, and I've found it to be a very solid and reliable performer. I purchased it for just under £1000, in a configuration that included 32Mb of RAM, a 4Gb hard drive, and a 400MHz AMD K6-2 processor. The main reason I chose the Satellite over other products was a combination of price and the reputation of the Toshiba brand. I wasn't disappointed.
The first recommendation that I'd make to anyone considering buying this machine is to purchase it with an upgrade for the RAM. 32Mb is pitiful by todays standards, and the lack of memory really hurts the performance of what is a reasonably fast processor. I ended up upgrading mine to the maximum of 160Mb, about a month after purchase.
This brings me on to one of the impressive features of the product: Upgrades of both memory and hard drive are very easy. The 2100CDS has a slot for a single standard SODIMM (up to 128Mb supported), which is accessed by removing a small plate underneath. Fitting an upgrade is a five minute job.
Likewise the hard drive, which I ended up upgrading two weeks ago. Changing the drive involves removing a plate on the side, sliding the old drive out, and sliding a new one in - again, a very quick and easy job. However, if you're not thinking about storing megabytes of MP3s, you will most likely be satisfied with the 4 or 6Gb drive installed.
This machine is very much a workhorse: for standard tasks like email, word processing, spreadsheets and so on its more than adequate. It even manages to pack enough performance to play games reasonably well. I've managed to play Half Life on it fairly smoothly, although as might be expected from a machine with only 2Mb of VRAM, it's not exactly the highest 3D quality!
During the past six months, I've tested the Toshiba with three different operating systems: Windows 98 (supplied with the machine), Windows ME, and Windows 2000. All worked well, although subjectively the machine runs more smoothly and reliably with Windows 2000. It's handled every peripheral I've thrown at it, whether PC Card, serial, parallel or USB, with ease.
The only drawback with this machine is the screen, which is low enough quality to make cursors 'submarine' - disappearing if you move it too quickly. If graphics are really important to you, I'd recommend you look at another machine, with a faster, more responsive LCD. You can, of course, attach an external monitor to the Toshiba if you wish.
Overall, the Satellite 2100CDS is a solid machine that offers good value for money. Recommended for anyone on a budget.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 1500
Operating System: Windows
Processor: AMD K-2
Processor speed: 301-400
Screen Size: 12"
RAM: 32
Internal Storage: CD-ROM
Hard Drive (GB): 4-6
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Epinions.com ID:
ianbetteridge
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Member: Ian Betteridge
Reviews written: 3
Trusted by: 0 members
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