Great Laptop, but get the CDT
Written: Jul 29 '02
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Pros: Rugged, reliable, fabulous keyboard, CD and FDD built-in
Cons: Heavy, screen quality, did I say it was heavy?
The Bottom Line: Fabulous computer, so long as you pop for the "CDT" model.
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| lawman67's Full Review: Toshiba Satellite 310CDS (PA1262U-S2C) PC Notebook |
First off, I no longer own a Toshiba Satellite. That said, I had a 310CDT for a little over a year, which differed from the CDS only in its TFT as opposed to DSTN screen. The DSTN screen, however, I know all too well from another Toshiba laptop (Satellite Pro 440CDX) issued to me at work, which, you guessed it, uses the exact same DSTN (Toshiba calls it HCA) screen as the Satellite 310CDS.
If you are buying a used Toshiba laptop, always look carefully at the letters at the end of the model name. If it ends in X or S, then it has a DSTN screen, while if it ends in T it is a TFT. C is for color, and D is for CD-ROM. Most Toshibas were available with a choice of screen, with the price difference when new up to $1000 or more. The great part is that buying used on ebay, the difference is usually less than $100, MUCH LESS.
The Satellite 310 was originally sold as a low-cost desktop-replacement type laptop. Back then, like all Toshiba laptops, the cases were made of rugged PVC plastic. Today the light gray casings look dated, however more often than not, they also still look brand new - a testament to the durability of this material.
I won't go into much detail about the relative performance except to say that a 200MHz Pentium MMX is not going to be all that pleasant for most modern games, but will do just fine running office applications, surfing the web, and even running a semi-modern OS such as Windows 2000, provided you upgrade to at least 64, preferably 128MB of ram. Forget Windows XP, this machine simply doesn't have sufficient muscle.
More important than processor speed, in my opinion, is how a laptop actually works, and here the Satellite 310 series is fabulous, though it has one ergonomic characteristic which may not bother you, but made me search for a replacement. That attribute is the machine's thickness, which at the fixed height tables and chairs at my office and in most classrooms forced my wrists into an uncomfortable position. This is probably more a reflection of my poor typing posture, as I like to rest my elbows on the desk and wrists on the surface in front of the keyboard, adjacent to the mousestick. Every laptop I've owned since is between .5 and 1.5 inches thinner, which for me makes a tremendous difference in comfort.
Of course the reason this computer is so thick is that it has both the CD and floppy drives built in, one above the other. Most other 3 spindle machines place the two drives on different sides of the computer, making the PC's footprint larger while keeping thickness down. THis is fine for most desktop-replacement type users, however if deskspace is at a premium, the 310's approach is better. Of course, if you want a thinner laptop, another excellent option is the Tecra 550CDT, which on ebay is only about $30 more, is a bit faster (266MHz - unimportant), but uses a select bay to accept EITHER the CD OR the floppy, not both at the same time. This machine is considerably thinner, has a TFT screen, and the same fabulous keyboard. A Satellite Pro 460CDT (166MHz) or 480CDT (233MHz) will likewise provide a thinner laptop with one drive bay, but all the same quality, at about the same price.
Speaking of typing, the keyboard, like all 1997/8-vintage Toshiba keyboards, has superb action and feel. It is somehow both crisp and soft at the same time, and just feels like high-quality, which it is.
Finally, while an older computer, it has a USB port, opening this 'older' PC up to modern peripherals.
Now, back to screens. DSTN screens, when new, look fine, so long as there are no TFTs nearbye. Look at a DSTN, then at the TFT of the person sitting next to you, and I promise, you will be envious. Its not the number of colors or the brightness, just this washed-out look that all DSTN screens, even the more modern HCA and HPA varieties, tend to display. In contrast, a TFT in good condition will really knock your socks off. My wife has a Satellite Pro 440CDT (P133, TFT) and I can say with confidence, that screen is every bit as nice as the very latest and greatest laptop available, just a bit smaller. On the 310CDT, you would get that exact same 12.1" TFT screen with 800X600 resolution and 24-bit color. I set mine at 16-bit color, and enjoy fast screen redraws and outstanding image quality. Also, anyone who thinks a 12.1" LCD is small, consider that it has a larger viewing area than a 14" CRT monitor. 12.1" was the largest available back in 1997, and really is a very pleasant size to use, even for a long workday.
So what else? Battery life is hit and miss on these, as the batteries are getting old. With a new battery you can expect about an hour and a half (2 hours advertised, but ads are always way-optimistic). The AC adapter is the same as most other Toshibas, meaning you can get a second really cheap on ebay (batteries are cheap too, just make sure its an unused one). EDO memory is also available, but if you order anything other than the original Kingston brand (made for Toshiba), there is a very good chance that your stand-bye/Suspend feature will not work. I don't know how or why, only from experience that it is fact. Finally, infrared and USB (Windows 98 or better) both work flawlessly, and add to the utility of these computers.
In conclusion, even in the year 2002, a Pentium MMX-equipped (even the 133MHz) Toshiba laptop (Satellite, Satellite Pro or Tecra) will pretty much do anything a modern one will. Just remember to make sure the model number on yours ends with a "T" before you buy. I would even downgrade to a 133 or 166MHz with a TFT screen before getting the 200MHz with the DSTN, the difference is THAT great.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 220 ebay
Operating System: Windows
Processor: Intel Pentium
Processor speed: Under 200
Screen Size: 12
RAM: 64
Internal Storage: CD-ROM
Hard Drive (GB): Under 4
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Epinions.com ID:
lawman67
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 in Computer Hardware |
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Member: Andrew F
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Reviews written: 210
Trusted by: 63 members
About Me:
Her Majesty's a pretty nice girl but she doesn't have a lot to say.
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