My First Laptop Ever Is A Great One!!!
Written: Nov 30 '00 (Updated Dec 02 '00)
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Pros: Full of features, 20 GB HD, 15"display...
Cons: Wish customer support was more knowledgeable...
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| jmrm5's Full Review: Toshiba Satellite 2805 |
This is the very first laptop computer I have ever owned. I have always been a desktop guy, since I have always loved to play those ever so popular role-playing games. However, since my new job required me to do some occasional traveling (read extensive) I had no choice but to get a laptop computer.
So out I went to the local computer stores and notebook depots in my area to have a look at what the laptop world had to offer. And to say the very least I was very surprised at the amount of features and available functions mobile computers have these days. Wow!!! There are models out there with desktop-like screen sizes and hard drives that are very much comparable to the best desktops.
Upon browsing the different retail outlets I was keen to notice the Toshiba Satellite line since it had a rather unique appearance. That being it was two tone in color, a light matte silver and dark grayish blue case. It really looks cool and unlike other laptop cases.
With that said I finally settled for a Toshiba Satellite 2805-S401. I wrote a check for $2349 and I was out the door. My laptop came home to me equipped with an Intel Pentium 3@700 MHz, an impressive 128 MB of RAM, a 8X DVD, and (this is the kicker) a 20 GB hard disk. Nice I must say!!!
The screen is a nice 15” TFT display controlled with by a S3 Savage/IX graphics controller. This is one area of my laptop purchase decision where I did not want to skimp on. I figure mobile computing will be that much easier if I have a nice display to view, and it is the part of the computer which we all look at the most.
My Toshiba Satellite 2805-S401 also came with a LAN and Internet-ready with 10/100 ethernet port which is very handy thereby I can connect to the university mobile network with ease. This is very important since this is where I access the net since it is still free for recent alumni like myself.
In addition to the LAN connectivity this Toshiba has a aV.90/K56flex modem ports, which is handy, however I never make use of the thing. I have already removed the driver controlling the device since I never will use it. Dial-up connections, you say??? What is that??? Broadband only please!!!
In addition to all these features I must add that I was very happy that my laptop at least came with WinMe, and not the archaic Win98SE. But I have to be honest with you after using WinMe for two weeks, I almost pulled out my hair because the OS was not nearly as configurable then Win2k Professional.
So I whipped out my Win2k Professional CD and reformatted the entire HD and performed a fresh install. Now I am happy again.
In terms of support I have found the Toshiba Customer Service people ok at best. They can often answer questions relating to non-hardware questions with ease and direct answers. However when it comes to software windows support questions or more in-depth hardware questions I feel like I knew more than the other person on the other side of the line.
Which is bad considering I really don’t know much about computer hardware. I know how to use a computer and that more of “everything” (like RAM) is generally good.
I encountered this situation when I called Toshiba support if I was going to have any known conflicts if I was going to install Win2k Professional on my computer. I basically came away from the call feeling that I had none of my questions answered.
In terms of the end user warranty it is one year parts, labor, and battery. I kind of wish it was a little longer than that but I guess you can’t have everything. I should add that you could purchase additional warranty coverage at a premium price but, I elected not to go that route simply because it was rather expensive.
Overall I have been very impressed with my first laptop purchase. The Toshiba Satellite 2805-S401 is a very capable computer with many useful features (like a 20 GB HD). My only gripes are that I wish the customer service/support were a little more knowledgeable in general and that the unit came with a longer warranty.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 2349
Operating System: Windows
Processor: Intel Pentium III
Processor speed: 601-700
RAM: 128
Internal Storage: DVD
Hard Drive (GB): 13-20
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jmrm5
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Reviews written: 90
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"jmrm5 is a professional reviewer for a national electronic equipment magazine and a newspaper."
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