Customer Reviews

Toshiba Qosmio G15-AV501/R 17" Laptop (Mobile Intel Pentium M Processor 745 (Centrino), 512MB, 100 GB Hard Drive, DVD SuperMulti Drive)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I have had several Toshiba notebooks, and have never had a problem with one of them. They all still work, but I retired and/or donated them due to technological improvements. I am VERY pleased with this new model. Not only is it incredibly fast for day to day computer tasks, but the screen is awesome! DVDs look great, and unlike the prior reviewer, with the unit hooked up to my DirecTV, the TV quality is also great. Even the sound is pretty good with just the computer's speakers.

Main drawbacks: the manuals could be better, both in terms of explaining how to set and utilize the many features, but also in terms of interfacing the set up with the Windows Media Center 2005. For example, the remote for the computer doesn't sync up with what the Windows guide assumes you have in terms of ability to plug in numbers on the remote key pad. Ditto for other types of accessories, like the D-Link Media Player, Rhapsody, AOL Radio, etc. (although all of these company's customer service, with the exception of AOL, which saw a tad better, SUCK at this). It took a couple of tech geeks to get it all set up and working (Kudos to the Geek Squad for getting the all the features set up on the notebook and getting the D-Link up and running, but the notebook was really the least of the problems, it was really getting the router, D-Link media player, Rhapsody and AOL to all work together). It was worth it though, because the Rhapsody running through my Denon receiver on 5 channel stereo through my home stereo speakers ROCKS!!!! A sleep timer would be nice for dozing off to the TV, and more choices on the remote, since turning the unit on by the remote boots up the computer. A separate button to turn on the TV, DVD only would be nice and make sense.

Bottom line, buy it and have a brave new world of multimedia possibilities open up to you at home and on the road!

Quote
"
1. The sound doesn't quite synchronize with the image
2. Most channels have an annoying bar of flickering pixels at the very top of the screen.
3. They tout the instant on feature without booting Windows, but don't tell you that only channels 2-13 are available in that mode.
"

1- I bought the same model and dont have any problems at all... but I can suggest while you are using tv feature, you should close all other background processes (personal ones of course). That should overcome the problem!
2- That is not caused by TV card mostly it is from broadcasted channels. I used 2 different types of TV cards on my desktop before and they had the same flickers due to the broadcasted channels! normally you wouldnt see it on you tv because it is probably over sized from the back tube! or TV res is too low that you cant really realize!
3- Totally you are wrong! Because there is a setting if you press F2 key while watching tv which will bring up setup menu so you can rescan all channels so they ll show? Why should you do that? Because it is not windows and not using windows settings!! It is qosmio player which I assume there is another chip that controls this features! If you press F1 you ll see guides menu which shows what each button stands or sets for!

All in all, I m pretty satisfied with this laptop! I currently owned a p15 s479 and this one came on right time to replace it :) For new bees, I suggest you to click buttons and discover instead of complaining! :) and read the manuals! although you may find it boring, in some parts there are really cool informations! If you have money and like the state-of-the-art stuffs you should buy it! But once again, you must be open to discoveries :) google is there and keys are under yyour kontrols if you dont know search it!

I have the exact same problems as the previous reviewer. Mulitple hard drive and system board replacements and unfriendly tech support. The computer is currently being fixed for the 6th time. Toshiba tech support is a joke - they know next to nothing. I once waited on hold for 2 hours and 15 minutes befor finally giving up. If you find youself in the same situation, contact customer relations (if you can get through) and file a complaint - the more the better. I hope to be getting a refurbished laptop as a result. You can sell it on Ebay ($1200) and buy something else - NOT TOSHIBA. NEVER AGAIN!!!!

Beware. The computers OK. I've owned it less than a year and the motherboard already had to be replaced.
But my main gripe is with the Toshiba Tech Support people. They seen to have only limited knowledge of their product.
Two examples: After replacing the motherboard and having problems connecting to the internet, two different reps assured me the operating system was corrupt and I would have to use the recovery disk. Before I copied 1000+ photos, 3000 emails and years of banking data, I thought I'd go to the source, Microsoft, pay their small fee, and see what they thought. After about 45 minutes of tinkering, the problem was fixed. Most recently, I wanted to upgrade the RAM. One tech told me the computer was upgradable to 2GB. After buying the memory, the computer would only recognize 1GB. I called back and was told this unit will only accept a max of 1GB. Wonderful! I went back the original order from Amazon to reread the specs and it states the computer will in fact accept 2GB. So, I will now call them back again as it looks like its a problem with the memory hardware and the computer will need to be serviced, again. Not looking fwd to that as they outsource the work and the last time I got a runaround until finally someone arrived (a week late).
I must admit the "Media" features are not worth much. You can watch TV on the computer as long as you run a wire from the cable box. What good is that. My error, I just assumed it would have wireless capability.
Finally, it has a lot of little quirks that I've never seen before. I just think you can do better elsewhere. Hope I saved you some future distress.

We bought this computer in 2005 and have had nothing but problems with it one after the other. We recently took it in to Best Buy (thank God we bought the extended warranty) because the screen was malfunctioning. I got a call today that this laptop has been recalled. That's funny, when I was on the phone with Toshiba support a few weeks ago they didn't mention the recall.

I bought my Qosmio in November of 2004 for work. I telecommute, so I am at home, at a hotel or at the office working basically 7 days a week. The intent was to have a Media Center capable device on a high end portable computer. This is all that and more! Every aspect of MS Media Center functions flawlessly, and there is no room for complaint. The one thing I would like to see changed is the hard drive configuration. For a device as high end as this, Toshiba should lose the 60/40GB drives and come stock with dual 100GB drives in a RAID-0 array. That would be something to brag about. Overall, I have no compaints other than the price and the weight, but I knew those factors when I bought it, and the sheer performance outweighs those drawbacks. I have used this device daily for seven months now. No regrets or remorse.

I wish I would know at a time of buying this laptop what I know now. To make my story really quick, Toshiba fails to repair this $3200 laptop. We have it for little over 1.5 year; it was used only for about 6 months. It is in repairs and being repaired since 2.2.2006 with the same problem for 6 times now.
This laptop has 4th hard drive, 3rd motherboard, 2nd graphic card, 2nd cooling fans and who knows what else. I made over 20 phone calls to Toshiba, spent numerous hours dealing with their unfriendly customer support mostly with a heavy accent and seem like over the sea delays while talking with them.
I believe Toshiba sells Qosmio and other laptops that have known numerous problems, the laptops overheat and break. Toshiba isn't interested in customer's satisfaction, they just want to sell the product and make the profit, or maybe they are shooting for a high numbers of sales. Their motto seems to be not to replace or refund their faulty products. Instead they will prolong the repairs as long as they can till your warranty runs out, so your consumer right of having it repaired in a reasonable timeframe and manner.
I am currently waiting for a response from Toshiba to my 6 pages long return receipt letter with detailed information and copies of repairs, since Toshiba's customer relations management denied some of the repairs done on this laptop by their certified repair center.
We as customers are protected by the product's implied warranty and should enforce our rights.
If Toshiba is not capable of resolving this issue to a satisfactory conclusion, than perhaps I should exercise my rights as a consumer.

Great computer... when it works. Serviced 5 times before Lemon law took affect. Get extended coverage for a long period of time and enjoy it while you can.

I owned a Toshiba Qosmio G15-AV501 since 01.15.2005 and without having an IT professional on my staff [with an Elect. Engineering degree, programming knowledge, and possession 30-plus years of electronics repair experience under his belt] to perform constant repair of it starting on the sixth month of ownership through the end of the two years I owned it under warranty, it would have been unusable to me. Being a lawyer and upon deeper reflection of my experience with it and belief that I could not have been the only one with such a glitchy machine (especially in the light of it being a 20-plus pound paperweight at present due to being fatally inoperable since February of 2007), along with Toshiba "volunteering" to extend the warranty for a second year (and currently proffering interactive tech support for Qosmio owners previously unobtainable during 2005 to present), I began to do some research. Much like the posts herein, I found alot of customers having dissatisfaction with the unit, as well as there being a few mentions of there existing either a quiet recall or buyback by Toshiba albeit through the possession of owners with extended warranties with retailers that sold the unit and extended warranties, I make the following request:

I would kindly appreciate any and all information that anyone possesses concerning how their Qosmio G15-AV501 was either repurchased, traded-out, or replaced by Toshiba (or by any other source) so that I can further investigate any potential resource for recourse with Toshiba that is available concerning it selling what has become my $2,750.00 "Qosmio Paperweight" before resorting to the alternative potential of initiating litgation against Toshiba over it.

Do note that I am more than happy to share the cause of my dissatisfaction upon mere request to do so (or confidentially exchange information in kind for information/assistance requested). In close, I express my appreciation in advance for any and all anticipated cooperation and assistance in this regard.

I have had all the same issues that everyone else has had with this laptop. From motherboard replacement to cooling issues to keyboard problems. When I bought the computer, I figured that because of the high cost ($2999) that it had to be a good laptop. It is currently at Toshiba right now being worked on for the 8th time. Their customer support as mentioned is terrible and unknowledgeable. I was back and forth between a Dell and a Toshiba but didn't feel like ordering the Dell online and waiting for it to be shipped to me. Please do yourself a favor and avoid the time and hassle of having to deal with this computer and buy another brand. I will never buy anything Toshiba again!!