A Desktop Replacement Laptop without the bulk and price.
Written: Feb 24 '02
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Ease of Use: |
 |
|
|
Pros: Modular Bay, Pentium 3-M 1.13 GHz, GeForce video, 3 USB ports, SmartMedia slot and more
Cons: Only XGA resolution and software bundle.
The Bottom Line: If you think Dell makes better Laptops for the money, you're really paying too much. No wonder Toshiba sells more laptops than Dell.
|
|
|
| lavoisier's Full Review: Toshiba Satellite 3005-S307 (PS302U-019XDX) PC Not... |
When I was looking for a laptop for my university program, I wanted something that has the power of a desktop computer, without the bulk of the desktop replacement laptop. From there, I had many choices; but some of the choices, they had to buy an external floppy drive in-order to have it. I rejected those nominees; because I don't really like to carry an external floppy drive and that they really add desk space to really use the floppy drive. Then it's narrowed down to just the Dell Inspiron 4100 and the Toshiba Satellite 3000 series. But what I found with Dell is that they're too expensive, when compared to the Toshiba with the equivalent specifications, see details below. So therefore, I went with Toshiba, since I knew that they have the reliability for their laptops and they've managed to sell more laptops than Dell does.
The Laptop
Processor and Memory
The Toshiba Satellite 3005-S307 features a Pentium 3-M 1.13GHz processor, that allows me to stay up to date in technology and it allows me to tackle more processor demanding applications. With the SpeedStep technology, it allows me to extend the battery time, in which is important in case of any power failure or when I'm not near an electrical outlet.
For the memory, it features a 256MB of memory (expandable to 512MB) that allows me again, to tackle on more applications simultaneously and you can easily upgrade the memory, by the user accessible memory slots.
Storage and Modular Bay
For the storage, the laptop offers a 30GB hard drive that could store many files and there's more than enough room for your digital audio files that you've downloaded off the Internet.
Then there's the modular bay that holds either the floppy drive for your small files from your MS Office applications. But the real detail is the laptop features a CD-RW/DVD combo drive. With the combo drive, you can view your favorite DVD movies, create your own audio CDs, backup your hard drive, preserve your digital pictures and many more. Of course, you can decide what you really want in the modular bay. It can be a second battery, hard drive or even another CD ROM drive. But Toshiba doesn't seem to bundle any travel light module to make the laptop extra light, when we don't need a floppy or CD ROM.
Display and Video
The Satellite 3005-S307 features a 14.1" screen with an XGA resolution, which is bright in any lighting condition and it's even suitable for viewing DVD video and even makes video editing a pleasure. But I wished that Toshiba had an SXGA screen for better viewability and higher resolutions, so that I can have an effect on a larger screen without ever going for a 15" screen.
For the external video, the Satellite 3005-S307 featured a GeForce 2 Go graphics chipset for stunning video. When I've hooked the laptop to my Samsung 955DF monitor, it was incredible. The colors we're very lifelike and I can easily see how it's ideal for gaming and DVD video. Plus, the GeForce 2 Go graphics port isn't just for conventional monitors like my 19" Samsung as mentioned, it can even deliver great results with professional monitors like the Sony FD Trinitron lineup.
It doesn't even stop here, since the laptop also featured an S-video port for plugging your LCD projector and it delivers great results without ever sacrificing the value of the laptop. It can even be used to view your DVD movies on a full sized TV screen for greater viewing pleasure.
Peripheral Connection
For connecting your peripherals, the laptop doesn't feature a PS/2 port nor it does offer a serial port. But it does seem to be justified by the 3 USB ports on the laptop computer though. For sending files to the printer, you can either use the parallel port for your desktop printer, a USB port or you can use the infrared port for selected printers. It also features 2 Type II or 1 Type 3 PC card slot, for your wireless networks, the future I/O ports such as the USB 2.0 or even add a digital media reader card such as Secure Digital /Multimedia Card (MMC) or Compact Flash. But the laptop also features a Smart Media slot for your digital cameras, MP3 audio players, PDAs and many more. For high-speed devices, the laptop also featured an iLink (Firewire) port for your digital camcorders, scanners, external hard drives and many more.
For communications, the laptop features a 56K V.90 Data/Fax modem for sending your faxes or going on the Internet. For those who would like to use the broadband (high-speed) Internet, the laptop also features a network port, which means you don't have to buy a separate PC card adapter for that purpose.
If you do want a fuller multimedia experience, it's best to hook the laptop to external speakers though, as the laptop speakers aren't really designed for multimedia use. But the speakers in general are better than what I've expected. You can even hook your microphone and headphones into the laptop's audio ports for voice recognition and individual entertainment.
Other Features
The keyboard is not very narrow, despite that this isn't a full sized laptop. It doesn't feel very springy or clunky, even during high speed typing. For a laptop, the keyboard feels very quiet and it doesn't wake anyone up, especially when I'm using the laptop in a Greyhound or airplane.
The touch pad is also not too sensitive nor is it too hard to really control. But I wished that it did have both an eraser head or touch pad like what Dell offers for their Inspiron 4100. Again, if you're not comfortable with the touch pad, you can always go for an external mouse for it.
Even as a full featured laptop, it didn't even include Internet shortcut buttons like e-mail, homepage or search. If it did, it would really make our lives easier with this laptop.
For the software, nothing interesting here, as it only features Win DVD 3.1, Norton Anti-Virus, Lotus Smart Suite Millennium Edition (I wished it was a MS Work Suite), Adobe Acrobat Reader, MS Internet Explorer and Quicken Basic.
The laptop runs on a Windows XP Home Edition, which is the latest operating system by Microsoft. The operating system is very stable and I don't have to worry about the uncertainties that I've seen with the Windows ME or Windows 98.
The warranty, even as a great laptop is still only one year and I wished that Toshiba could offer at least another year for no extra charge. Still, it's basically the market standard for having a one year warranty.
With the minimum laptop weight of less than 6 lbs. and a thickness of 1.4", I can easily carry the laptop without ever worrying about the weight or pain. It's easy to carry, thanks to its 2-spindle design. The design is ideal for those who are concerned about the weight and size of the laptop, but they still want the power of a desktop computer.
With the maximum battery life of well over 3 hours, I can easily continue working, even during prolonged power outages. I don't really sacrifice anything, even with the long battery life, because the SpeedStep technology allows me to save the battery, when I'm not using full processor power. With the 2nd battery in the modular bay, I can easily double my battery time.
With the price of just $1699, I can easily buy this and save the extra money for something else, rather than buying the Dell with the equivalent configuration. With such a deal out of this laptop, I won't have any hard time in just recommending it over the Dell Inspiron 4100.
Comparison ( Toshiba VS DELL )
Note: For the Dell, Ignore the Promotions.
Date: Feb. 24, 2002
Pentium 3-M Processor @ 1.13GHz
256MB SDRAM 1 DIMM
Modular 8x DVD/CD-RW Drive
30GB Hard Drive
Modular Floppy Drive
56K V.90 & 10/100 Network Card combo
14.1" XGA TFT screen
1 year warranty, Parts and Labor
Windows XP Home Edition
Toshiba: $1700, (plus shipping (if ordered online))
DELL: $2086, plus shipping (unless they have Free shipping)
As you can see, even with the same features, the DELL costs about $400 more than the Toshiba with the equivalent hardware. So the Toshiba is a much better value for your hard earned money.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 1700
Operating System: Windows
Processor: Intel Pentium III
Processor speed: over 1000
Screen Size: 14
RAM: 256
Internal Storage: CD-RW and DVD
Hard Drive (GB): 21-30
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
lavoisier
|
 - Top 200 |
|
Member: Hugh Jazz
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Reviews written: 180
Trusted by: 26 members
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.