Smokin'...

Toshiba Toshiba Toshiba Toshiba Toahiba Toshiba Toshiba.

What else can I say? They make the best laptops for the money on the market. You can find fancier, more expensive laptops, but Toshiba's computer division makes laptops...and that is all they make and they do it well.
Nobody does it better.

I have had no experience with Dell, but can wholeheartedly recommend Toshiba's. The only computers I have had in the last 10years have been Toshiba laptops and a couple of IBM's.
On your old laptop, check out the a/c jack hole, sometimes, they become unsoldered from the mainboard and this could cause intermittent power ups. Does it work well with just the battery, or do the same symptoms apply

Thanks, Martha & Genes, are there any particular models of Toshibas that you are partial to? I've heard quite a few folks swear by the reliabilty of their Toshibas on this forum. I will check the link you gave. The Averatec doesn't seem to power up with just the battery, either, but I'm not sure that the new battery came charged. My first thought was that something came unsoldered... I will check it out...
--JOHN

I didn't study carefully, but I didn't see why you want a "laptop", not a desk top, you seem to be using it as a desk top. But, if you must have a laptop, not a notebook, so that it can be closed up and pushed out of the way, then by all means get a laptop with a big screen, so you don't end up wanting to buy a monitor.

I've looked with some interest the 12" Averatec notebook, about 4 pounds, but then I take my computer on a lot of airplanes and haul it around a lot on the end of my arm. I have an HP, desktop replacement, about 3 years old, and it has been around the world (mileage wise) a couple of times and still works fine, save the screen which now has a vertical line, a connection problem here too I think. It isn't enough of a problem to make me replace it, but its 8 pounds (or thereabout) is. But I digress...HP is good in my experience. I just purchased a new Dell Desk Top for my wife and it works great so far, passes test one, they shipped a working unit. I purchased it mostly on price, or said another way I now find Dell price competitive, in the past I saw them as too expensive. I think you'll be happy with Dell.

Thanks, Jerry, about my averatec, I loved it because it was so light and portable, had a brilliant screen, and ran flawlessly. It is a model 4200. Only problem would be the longterm reliability. We've had it about two years, take wonderful care of it, case it and lock it in our dresser so the kids can't play with it. Expected it to be troublefree for a longer period. I have also heard from others here that Averatec has had very poor reviews from the likes of cnet and pcmag.
I did not know there was a difference between the term "laptop" and "notebook," I thought they were interchangeable. We have a desktop in our home, but our little office area is an extension of our bedroom and often times my wife likes to stay up very late to study and doesn't want to bother me. She is a nurse, and it seems that every few months there is an exam she has to study for. She uses it mainly to snuggle up on the couch, open a nursing program or an internet site via wifi from our desktop.I had a Dell Desktop about 13 years ago and was very happy with it. I now have an HP Presario SR1475 desktop. I am happy with it, although I will more than likely up the memory from 512MB to 1 or 1.5 G, as now that I am adding programs, photos and songs, it seems to slow up a bit as multiple programs are opened. I am thinking that Vista will probably need 1 G of memory should I go to it, which I am not sure if I will, yet. Anyway I too digress... I punched up a comprable Toshiba on Genes link, and it came up a couple hundred dollars more... so I believe I am getting more for my money with Dell... I will take apart the Averatec, take my time and do some shopping around before I make a decision.
--J

Great. I suspected that you needed a portable (here's a third and general term) for reasons like you stated. My married daughter has a notebook on a small desk in her bedroom, and doesn't want a desktop because it is too big. The Dell Desktop I purchased just before Christmas has a very slim "tower" and it sets on the floor (elevated a few inches) beside the desk, with a flat panel monitor on the desk.

I don't think there is wide agreement on on portable terminology, but the term laptop came out first, and they were a laptop FULL back then, I started packing one around the world in the late 80s. Then, when these portables became small enough to have a footprint about the size of a USA sheet of notebook paper, 8.5x11, they were called notebooks. Then people started using the terms interchangeably. I think Desktop replacement refers to the really big and heavy ones that have poor battery life, running the same processor chip set as a Desktop. The HP Laptop I have is of that type, it has a 2.8 GHz processor and a battery life of a bit over 1 hour. The big screen does help my old eyes see, still I do plan to buy a small and light-weight Notebook soon. I had an Averatec 2260EH1 on order from Circuit City a few months back, but they screwed up the paperwork so badly, didn't even have my name correctly shown, I refused to accept delivery. Since, I've noticed Dell's prices on light weight notebooks has become more affordable.

Good luck with you decision, and your repair of the Averatecc, let "us" know if you were able to fix it.

Toshiba has so many models and they have a questionaire ...
"which is the right Toshiba for me?"

I know this sounds frivolous, but when it comes to computers, buy more than what you think you might need. Not being able to meet the demands placed upon it...will kill a computer. I don't know of anyone with a crashed computer that crashed because the computer had more oomph than the applications given it. I know more than plenty that misjudged what they planned on doing with their computers underbought and crashed nightly. Always have wiggle room ...especially with Microsoft...
marf

Here's something along that line...Toshiba is known for their 100GB + hard drives.

You might wind up spending 100.00 to 200.00 more for seemingly the same thing...but you won't be.

A computer is much than the sum of its parts. There is the quality of wiring, and materials used, and most important...cooling. Heat sinks and fan specs should be right up there with processors.

The Toshiba laptops are very rugged and durable. It might have been someone here that mentioned a story about a news reporter in a war torn land, caught in crossfire and sucessfully used their Toshiba laptop as a bullet shield...but I wouldn't recommend shooting one at close range. They can take a lot of abuse and spilled drinks and recover from it. They don't catch on fire.

marf

I don't know who makes the "toughbook" but tough is their stock in trade. However, I read the subject needs to be more living room than war room based.

While I respect "rugged" I'd not pay for more of that than needed, for example, I haven't even priced out the toughbook, as its more than I need and I have subjected notebooks, at least one Toshiba (a Tecra), to a lot of travel.

Well, my house ain't a war zone, but with three young kids running around, it resembles one at times. Although the kids rarely have access to the laptop, accidents do happen. Thanks for your comments, and I will certainly check out the link you suggested, Marf. Yes you are right about going with more, not less than what you think you will need. That's why I am looking to go with 2g RAM,a beefed up graphics card and I might bump up the HD to 80-100g. The Toughbook, from Panasonic sells for about $2500. Dell makes their own version, they market towards small business and gov for about the same price. Although I haven't made a decision, you're doing a great job stearing towards the Toshiba, Marf

PS: On a laptop, is the Intel core Duo the way to go, or the AMD Athon? I assumed the core duo, but AMD folks sure seem to have their following? Suggestions?
--J

Wow: I ran into this from Curcuit City, a company I don't much like doing business with in regards to computers, but this seems like a hell of a deal I would prefer one more G of memory, but I love the huge HD and everything else, especially the price:

Toshiba Satellite® 15.4" Widescreen Notebook PC (A105-S4384)

Microsoft® Windows® XP Media Center Edition:

Microsoft Vista Premium ready:

Great performance: The Intel® Core 2 Duo T5500 processor and 1024MB of advanced DDR2 memory deliver ultra high-speed computing. The robust 160GB Serial ATA hard drive has plenty of room for your multimedia.

Next-generation processing: The Core 2 Duo represents the next generation of Intel Centrino® Mobile Technology-based notebook processors. This new processor combines dual-core mobile performance, power efficiency and outstanding ability to multi-task.

Bright display: The 15.4" WXGA display features TFT active matrix and TruBrite technologies so images are crisp, clear and vibrant.

Go wireless: Built-in 802.11a/b/g wireless LAN

DVD SuperMulti drive: Use this drive to burn DVDs and CDs to share your files,

Media card reader: Toshibas Bridge Media Adapter lets you quickly transfer documents, images and music files between your PC, MP3 players, digital cameras, PDAs and more.

Ready to entertain: Express Media Player gives you fast access to your music and movieswithout having to boot up.

Enhanced battery life: Intel Deeper Sleep technology allows new processors to use even less voltage when idle. Youll enjoy better power savingsand longer battery life.

Get connected: One FireWire, one S-video and four USB ports let you connect to TVs, cameras, peripherals and more.

$799 after $100 mailin rebate.

Wish we had those prices and a CC up here in Canada where I live. If so, I would be on that like "stink on a skunk"!!!

If you order from CC over their web, keep an eye out on the paper work. I canceled my last order with them about a year ago for a notebook when they got my name wrong on the paperwork, and I had a warranty and about $250 in rebates at risk. After being unable to clear it up with them via email (I saw the error in their order confirmation email to me) I refused to accept delivery, told UPS to take it back. That was easy, one good thing the UPS interface. If you buy in the store you should be able to avert any such error on their part. They, by the way, had no problem getting my name right on billing my Visa.

I think the Satellite is the low-end of the Toshiba product line, but a good machine, I assume. I have seen a few in action and never heard any complaints among the many colleagues I have who travel with notebook computers, perhaps one in 6 or 7 being a Toshiba. I've not really made a count, just going form a mental "snap shot".

I'm skeptical of CC and especially Bust Buy ...where I got my Toshiba...and even Toshiba got mad at me for buying from them. I came home with more crap that I didn't need.
All department stores order from all the manufacturers' "specials" that you can't get anywhere else, not even the company that makes them. They all do it, even Sony and Apple too. HP and Compaq is big on that.

Sometimes they are good and sometimes they are not. If Toshiba puts their name on it, its going to be fairly good.

If they don't sell it themselves...its not good enough.

I'm leary.

Toshiba's top of the line home entry is of course the Qosmio...they do have sales, unfortunately not at the moment...which I am surprised, because after the Holidays is ususally good deal time.

The Qosmio's 160 GB hard drive is two 80 GB drives and it has a nice 256 MB GPU which is what is going on with graphics cards.

I have a Satellite and I like to game. I have a 3.2 GHz P4 CPU, 1.5G GB of RAM, 80 GB HD and a crappy 64MB graphics card(GPU). Most games back then were CPU dependent. Now they are GPU dependent as are many new applications. I can play 2002's Morrowind and make it look better than many of the new super duper computers can with mods and tweaks.

One budding young genius came up with something called MGE the Morrowind Graphics Extender and it allows nearly unlimited viewing distance (while in the game) by wrapping dlls, and it is GPU dependent. Well I got a great looking game but I wanted more. I downloaded the MGE (so I sould see for miles and miles)and my FPS (frames per second) went down to 5 and I all I could see was my desktop.

While you are not planning on buying a computer to play Morrowind with MGE, the technology is going in the direction of GPUs regardless, especially with VISTA. Applications and browsing are going to be more and dependent on the graphics card.

As you know, the only drawback to owning a notebook is the integrated graphics card or GPU...you are stuck with it.

With even my 2003 Satelite, I can add a second multidrive, a second hard drive, RAM up to 2GB, a floppy, PC cards. I got extra bays...blah, blah...but I'm stuck with my GPU...and its wicked-good for a 64MB card...my screens are fantastic...they are better looking than what the game companies produce to sell the games. But it won't handle the shift from CPU's.

I bought my Satellite in 2004 and it was a late 2003 model...wonderful features. It has built in programs to save my battery, because I don't use it. After 3 years its still a 100%?!!!!. My dad's 26lb baby MaineCoon Cat used as a spring board, and my cat loves to walk across the keyboard. She has thrown up on it three times.

I am hard on keyboards, so I plug in a keyboard and I have added Alec Lansing's plug n' play speakers, and Logitech's MX1000 laser mouse...so I'm flying at the moment.

I remember when I bought mine in 2004 and people said I didn't need such a powerful system. What I see and what I can do is amazing. My Apple loving cousins tongues are still hanging out with envy over what I can do that they can't. I can still just about handle anything except the game Oblivion...which is as Tom's Hardware (computer site)states is the litmus test of any computer. I can even handle the game Psychonauts...and I'm not supposed to be able to.

One way to buy a computer is to take a close look at what you can't afford. IE the Qosmio. It starts at 1,900.00.
What's interesting is what makes this better than the other models, are there any features that you wouldn't want anyway, adding to the cost? What are they? Could you custom build a Qosmio (through a Satellite model) leaving off the features you don't want, giving you a better price? What's this business about GPU's ?
Is one company better than another? (Nvidia is usually Toshiba's drug of choice.) What is all this busines about differnet types of RAM? What about hard drive speeds? If you get a 160GB hard drive how much slower is it going to be than two 80GBs?

Most important...cooling. Pay 200.00 more for a top of the
cooling system, your computer will last years longer.

Start looking at the Qosmio without fear of the price to understand it. You probably can customize something close to it for 13,000.00 to 15,000.00, especially when they run rebates, which might be as close as next month. Toshiba hasn't had a big sale in quite a while...they are about due...and when they put on a big sale, the deals are amazing...even on the Qosmio.

Take a deep breath and go beyond the sticker shock.

marf

Feature-rich and portable, the Satellite® P100 series features a choice of 17" diagonal widescreen displays* with Toshiba's TruBrite technology, dramatically expanding your multimedia and multi-tasking possibilities. Next-generation Intel® Centrino® Duo Mobile Technology* and professional-grade graphic chips meet the high demands of multimedia users, creative professionals and gamers. There's also robust sound through the built-in harman/kardon® speakers. Toshiba's Express Media Player adds instant-on performance. And the high-capacity hard drive teamed with the DVD SuperMulti Drive* enhance multimedia flexibility.
Systems may be configured for Intel® Centrino® Mobile Technology* by choosing the appropriate Intel® processor and the Intel® Wireless LAN option. Choose Intel® Core Duo Processors* for Intel® Centrino® Duo Mobile Technology and Intel® Core Solo Processors for Intel® Centrino® Mobile Technology*.

Also Includes:

Microsoft® Works, Microsoft® Office OneNote 2003, TOSHIBA Express Media Player, InterVideo® WinDVD® 5, Sonic Solutions® PrimeTime, Sonic Solutions® RecordNow! Basic, 5-in-1 Bridge Media Adapter, ExpressCard slot, 4-USB (2.0) ports, i.LINK IEEE-1394, TV-out (S-Video), 10/100 LAN port, V.92 modem port, RGB monitor port, Microphone jack (monaural), headphone jack (stereo)

Customize your Notebook PC
Select the components you want and we'll build to order.
Availability: Average build time for customized orders is 8-10 business days.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CPU > more

Intel® Celeron® M 430 Processor (1.73GHz, 1MB L2, 533MHz FSB) [subtract $360.00]
Intel® Core Duo T2250 Processor (1.73GHz, 2MB L2 Cache, 533MHz FSB) [subtract $260.00]
Intel® Core2 Duo* Processor T5200 (1.60GHz, 2MB L2 Cache, 533MHz FSB) [subtract $160.00]
Intel® Core2 Duo* Processor T5500 (1.66GHz, 2MB L2 Cache, 667MHz FSB) [subtract $110.00]
Intel® Core2 Duo* Processor T7200 (2.00GHz, 4MB L2 Cache, 667MHz FSB)
Intel® Core2 Duo* Processor T7600 (2.33GHz, 4MB L2 Cache, 667MHz FSB) [add $440.00] Choice of this component may delay shipment.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Operating System > more

Genuine Windows® XP Home Edition
Genuine Windows® XP Media Center Edition 2005 [add $30.00]
Genuine Windows® XP Professional [add $80.00]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Color Variation > more

Mist gray
Sunlight Copper [add $30.00]
Smart Indigo [add $30.00]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Office Software > more

No Microsoft® Office® Suite software
Microsoft® Office® 2003 Small Business Edition [add $249.00] (Powerpoint, Word, Excel, Outlook, Business Contact Manager, and Publisher)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Memory > more

512MB PC4200 DDR2 533MHz SDRAM (512MBx1) [subtract $220.00]
512MB PC5300 DDR2 667MHz SDRAM (512MBx1) [subtract $210.00]
1024MB PC4200 DDR2 533MHz SDRAM (512MBx2) [subtract $160.00]
1024MB PC5300 DDR2 667MHz SDRAM (512MBx2) [subtract $150.00]
1024MB PC4200 DDR2 533MHz SDRAM (1024MBx1) [subtract $150.00]
1024MB PC5300 DDR2 667MHz SDRAM (1024MBx1) [subtract $140.00]
2048MB PC5300 DDR2 667MHz SDRAM (1024MBx2)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LCD > more

17" Widescreen XGA+ TruBrite display (1440x900) [subtract $50.00]
17" Widescreen SXGA+ TruBrite display (1680x1050)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Graphics Controller > more

Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 950 with 8MB-128MB dynamically allocated shared graphics memory [subtract $150.00]
NVIDIA® GeForce Go 7600 with 128MB discrete graphics memory [subtract $75.00]
NVIDIA® GeForce Go 7600 with 256MB discrete graphics memory

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HDD > more

40GB HDD (5400rpm, Serial-ATA) [subtract $250.00]
60GB HDD (5400rpm, Serial-ATA) [subtract $230.00]
80GB HDD (5400rpm, Serial-ATA) [subtract $195.00]
100GB HDD (5400rpm, Serial-ATA) [subtract $145.00]
120GB HDD (5400rpm, Serial-ATA) [subtract $70.00]
100GB HDD (7200rpm, Serial-ATA)
200GB HDD (4200rpm, Serial-ATA) [add $130.00]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Optical Media > more

CD-RW/DVD-ROM Multifunction drive [subtract $50.00] CD burner
DVD SuperMulti drive (+/-R Double Layer) CD & DVD burner supporting up to 11 formats.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mini-PCI/WiFi > more

No Wireless LAN (Antenna only) [subtract $35.00]
Atheros® Wireless LAN (802.11a/b/g) [FREE]
Intel® PRO/Wireless LAN 3945ABG (802.11a/b/g) Intel® Centrino® compliant

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bluetooth > more

No Bluetooth (Antenna Only)
Bluetooth® (v.2.0) + EDR [add $25.00]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Battery > more

Li-Ion Battery (6-Cell, 4000mAh) [subtract $75.00]
Li-Ion Battery (9-Cell)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Notebook Price: $1,860.65


Now if you went down to a Intel® Core2 Duo* Processor T5500 (1.66GHz, 2MB L2 Cache, 667MHz FSB) [subtract $110.00]
-110.00

100GB HDD (5400rpm, Serial-ATA) [subtract $145.00]

-145.00

17" Widescreen XGA+ TruBrite display (1440x900) [subtract $50.00]
-50.00

No Wireless LAN (Antenna only) [subtract $35.00]

-35.00
_______________

-340.00

That would give you still a wicked good computer that will last for years for:
1520.00

But I would wait just a little longer, they have had fantastic sales in the past. I don't know how long you can hold out...but if you can wait for at least 8 more weeks by signing up at the site for notifications...do so.

marf

As mentioned already, my one and only Toshiba was a Tecra, and I think it was about 1990, and that was the top of the line back then. The company bought it and I think it was over $2,000, maybe as much as $3,000. Gee it had a hard drive with a GByte, wow! May have been as late as 1995, seems I remember W95 being on the machine. My memory isn't good enough to remember, but then it adds nothing to this thread other than perspective. The price of notebooks has come way down.

I remember my first laptop a Compaq Areo, think the name was, it had an amazing four MB of memory! Was good for running the basic microsoft Works WP at the time, and you could brows the WEB via Linx,a text only reader. We used it mainly for it's graphing calculater capabilities. At the time, few professors knew what a laptop was. They assumed they were graphing calculators. Guys would bring them into calculus exams with full equations completely written out in the word processor. I think I paid over $600 for it, used. New ones went for well over a thousand, but had a wopping 8MB of memory and about 140M harddrive... and could actually run Microsoft Word.

Anyhow, my sentments exactly about buying from Curcuit City and BBuy for that matter. Thanks again for your comments...

wow... looking over your second post there, marf, that is a wickedly good computer... abit more than i wanted to bite off, but never the less... I do believe I'll wait until February. You will start to see some smoken deals, I believe...
--J

Hi ross939,
That Toshiba Satellite® 15.4" Widescreen Notebook PC (A105-S4384) is one sweet deal.About the best you can get for that kinda money and Toshiba is a great brand.Like you said the only thing it lacks is another gig of ram but you could always improve on that at a later time.(In about a year after they get all the bugs out of Vista).Vista will need 2 gigs of ram to work half way decently.
I don't care for CC either but for a great price like this I would go for it without hesitation.Wish I was in the market for a laptop.hehe
Hope this helps ya.

Marf, that does sound good! How are the warranties and service with Toshiba? Do they offer phone support?
I've stuck with Dell over the years because of their support (good & bad), but still better than other computer companies.
I am planning a laptop down the road and would consider Toshiba if their service is good.
It seems the most popular on this forum and good quality.

Jane

whoops didn't see your last post. sorry

Jane;
If you do decide to get a Toshiba from one of the big box stores, do not and I repeat do not get any extended warranty from them. When you get it home, register it online at Toshiba.com (in US)You get an automatic 1 yr warranty from Toshiba. If you wish to get an extended warranty, get it directly from Toshiba. You have 1 yr to make up your mind. However, If you wish to get the accidental coverage (droppage, spillage etc) you must apply for that before the first month of ownership is done.
Good luck

"whoops didn't see your last post. sorry"
Hey, no problem... I'm still open minded about what to get. I'm going to be up in the area that has a Curcuit City tomorrow, and I may just stop by to check it out. These nice filks have come up withg some smoken' recommendations, I just don't know if I can or have reason, to go that high (the highend Toshibas). I'm not much into gaming anymore, my kid's go an xbox... but I could see myself getting back into games some time, as there are so many amazing new games out since I was lad (we're going back to the "kick the can era!" Anyhow, alienware also makes some hot looking machines... also kicks butt on gaming. we shall see...

When the circuit city guys pulls it up on his computer screen... might ask him if he has any in 'open box', and glance down the price column.

Hi Jane: I have read many consumer reviews on laptops, mainly from cnet and pcworld.com, and it seems that the one issue that consistantly brings down satisfaction scores from the Toshiba buyers is their service. They were reviewing the top uf the line Qosimo, for example, and cnet editor gave it and 8.1 and of 10, the highest, editor's choice rating in the catagory. If you look at reader's ratings, the score dropped to a 7.4, or "good" (total of fifty votes. The one issue that drove down the score was service, comments that the tech support was terrible, and phone help was non existant.
...just something I noticed.
--John

I have been satisfied with what I purchased over the counter at CC, and have been satisfied on some web order stuff, but not on the computer I ordered as already stated. Saying again, if you buy a big item form CC, do it over the counter.

I agree on not buying extended warranties.

I've delt with Toshiba support a couple times. Easy going straight shooters.
I'd give them A-plus because there's no real hastle nor stupidness of the bulk trained phone support personell starting from the page one, question one, of their step by step manual.

I talked to a support guy one day,,, obvious india accent .. he was taking a long time responding... said he was taking notes because I was teaching him about dsl modems - and eveybody always calls him wanting to do what I was telling him how to do. He had no idea what they are talking about. Thankful guy.
Transfered me to an american opperator to move me to next support level. Where's my ATM, get me off the frame relay!

[b]I agree on not buying extended warranties.[\b]
I really didnt say I dont agree on buying extended warranties, only from the "big box store". Sometimes, extended or accidental warranties may be required ie. lugging back and forth to work/school, travelling, small kids (you never know)

Mikie, you are a computer wiz! No wonder the guy was taking notes. Trouble is I'm an dummy who needs someone to figure out what I'm trying to explain and then fix it.
I have two Dells. One is a 4 yr. old Dimension and if I call on that one, I get someone I can't understand, on the other side of the world.
My newer machine is their XPS, and I always get through immediately and to someone in this country. I'm always amazed at that.
They have two separate service lines. Somehow XPS gets 'red carpet treatment,' and with their Dimension line, you get almost nothing.
Service would be important to me.
Jane

Jane,
I wouldn't expect Dell or others to provide free technical support for a 4 year old product. Maybe that isn't what you complained about on Dell support. That's why we have this forum, go get free support/ideas on stuff that isn't under warranty coverage.

I have had good luck with technical support sending email, not using the telephone support. Email gives the support team a chance to refer the question to the right person, if they can't just take an answer off their script (Q&A).

jerry, the funny part is we have a warranty on the 4 yr old machine until Sept 08. Somehow, after the original warranty expired, the offered a deal on a 2 yr extension. My husband took it. They just sent someone to the house to replace the CD drive which died. No charge. I keep hoping the hard drive bites the dust before Sept 08. But from day one, it's been a hassle dealing with them on the phone.
Not the same with XPS. They give you the royal treatment. Hardly any menu, and someone in the U.S. answers the phone. I still can't believe we are still covered on the old machine.
I must say, that old machine is the best computer anyone could ask for. It has taken so much abuse (and still does) and runs faster than the new one, never crashed, has never had a problem except the CD drive wearing out. That machine was what sold me on Dell.
My new machine, which is 2GB doesn't run as smooth as the old one.
Jane

That is the one thing I have noticed since scouring the net and asking everyone and anyone in the know their opinions on who makes the most well put together laptop. It seems that many folks are extreemely loyal to one particular product or brandname, but one brandname doesn't seem to be conclusive over the other. The Imac sure has its very loyal following, as well as Dell and Toshiba and, another brand rapidly picking up steem is HP, especially their DV6000 and DV9000 lines. I am beginning to conclude that at this point, figure out exactly how much of a laptop you need and can afford, paying particular attention to Size of Hard Drive, How much Memory (RAM), and third, how much graphics card, and lastly and most important, the CPU. I have concluded that the duel core processor is important, as it is essentially two processors stapped together, and the OS uses one for certain functions and the other for certain functions, and most importantly, only one is being used and powered when both are not needed, saving battery power and overall electric consumption. Another rule of thumb, to save money, get the base core duo (1.60GHz, I believe), and skip the upgrade on the CPU and get 2G's of RAM, as your CPU runs out of cache space for storage, it will draw from Ram, and adding RAM is much cheaper than adding a high end CPU. Bottom line, I'm waiting for some hot sales. Another thing to think about is size, and yeah, folks, size does matter... Most of the 17" models that I've tried out in the stores just seem too damn big and heavy, especially if your going to use the thing as a LAP top... it's just too damn big for my lap, and I have a big lap at that... the 12" is just too small, especialy for viewing movies, etc. That's the one thing that turned me off from the DELL XPS 1200... hot looking little machine... just too small. 14-15" seems just right for my taste. It seems to me that all these machines (Toshiba, Dell, HP and many others) are all beginning to become clones of one another. Seems they are are made in China nowadays, and no one has yet to convince me overwhelmingly that one is better than the other...

A couple of things to consider also.
Laptops are notoriously more expensive to upgrade than desktops. Also, the amount of upgrading in most cases is limited to HDD, memory, and CPU (normally can be upgraded to the largest CPU offered in that model and supported by the same BIOS). The GPU(Graphics Processor Unit) is not readily upgradeable on most machines or brands, so what you get initially is what you have. Also note, any disassembly of your laptop will normally void your warranty (with exception of HDD and memory changes)

Well, I just ran across this on Costco.com it is pretty much everything I wanted, and a Toshiba on top of that. Marf, I hope you are right about that Toshiba dependability you have been writing about. Anyway, this is probably more computer than we'll need, but I have a feeling that it will suit our needs for years to come. I broke down and ordered it, after many nights of sitting here online, researching every different make and model and probably customizing 30-40 different machines from Dell, HP, Alienware and Toshiba Direct. Here is what I ordered. I would like your opinion, especially Marf, our resident Toshiba expert. Did I get a fair shake? Tell me what you think:

Operating System:

Microsoft® Windows Vista Home Premium
Processor & Memory:

Intel® Core 2 Duo Processor T5200 at 1.60GHz
533MHz front side bus speed
2MB L2 Cache
2GB DDR2 SDRAM memory (shared); upgradeable to 4GB
Drives:

180GB using two SATA hard drives (80GB primary + 100GB secondary)
DVD-SuperMulti Double Layer Drive:
Max Speed - CD-ROM (24x); CD-R (24x write); CD-RW (16x write); DVD-ROM (8x); DVD-R (8x write); DVD-RW (6x write); DVD+R (8x write); DVD+R DL (4x write); DVD-R DL (4x write); DVD+RW (8x write); DVD-RAM (5x write)
Graphics & Video:

15.4" widescreen TruBrite TFT LCD display; 1280 x 800 (WXGA) native resolution
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950; 8MB - 256MB dynamically allocated video memory (shared)
Communications:
Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG (802.11a/b/g) WLAN
10/100 Base-TX Ethernet
Toshiba V.92 software modem
Audio: Built-in stereo speakers
Sound volume control dial
Keyboard: 85 key US keyboard
Dedicated Windows and application keys support
HotKey functions
TouchPad pointing device
Expandability:

Two main memory slots (both may be occupied)
One PCMCIA Type I/II card slot
5-in-1 Bridge Media Adapter slot accepts Secure Digital, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, Multi Media Card and xD-Picture card
Ports: RGB port (monitor)
TV-out (S-Video)
i.LINK IEEE 1394 (FireWire) port
Four USB 2.0 ports
RJ-45 port (LAN)
RJ-11 port (modem)
Headphone output
Microphone input

PRICE: $1,169.99

BTW: This is a Toshiba Satellite A135-S4477

You already ordered it.. wow. Cool though.. you got yourself a 6 pounder.

I looked at that exact same one I think at amazon. I need taller, normal size screen though, not the shortie wide.

Well, I could have trimmed down a bit and gone with a 14.1" screen, but to match the specs would have been about $100-$150 more. After I ordered, I was tempted to change it to the HP DV6000, almost the same exact specs but it came with the NVIDIA Graphics card, about $200 more... decisions, decisions. I'm with you in that it's a bit bigger/heavier than I would like, but the 12.1 was too small for my wifes's liking. Anyhow... I'm sure I'll be second guessing a bunch, but hopefully this will be to our liking...

you said you needed a taller screen, Mikie... it seems that everyone's going with the wide format... all the new Dells, Toshibas and HP seem to be... do they still make the taller screens?

Ross, I have one of the HP DV6000's with the AMD 64 x2 processor. It has the 15.4" wide screen. I went to the HP site and configured what I wanted. Then I saw it advertised at CC with a couple of rebates for less that buying direct from HP. So I bought it there. I love it. Good luck with your new Toshiba. I hear they are great.

Tosh business models have some screens ...
14.1" TFT XGA 1024x768
14.1" TFT SXGA+ 1400x1050

Those are more standard sizes for image sizes - I keep some I Frames painted across the bottom of my laptop screen. Dont want to make the web view percentage much smaller if I can help it.

Dark out right now so pics look dark ... but laptop looks about like this all the time... even at nite.

If you are going to be dragging it around alot or have small kids present in the house, you might want to consider the accident warranty from Toshiba. As well you know, a spilled drink in small hands is quite a simple thing to happen, awful damaging to a laptop/notebook