Toshiba Satellite 1955-S801 Laptop (2.2-GHz Pentium 4, 512 MB RAM, 40 GB hard drive)

by Toshiba

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 11.7 x 13.2 x 2 inches ; 8.3 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 12 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B000069Z08
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: July 9, 2002

Product Description

Stay on top of all of your work as well as all the new movies with this Toshiba 1905S277 laptop. This laptop features a DVD/CD-RW combo drive, so not only can you create your own CDs, but you can also watch movies even on the go. The big 15M-^RM-^R XGA TFT display makes viewing much easier. And when it is time to do some work, you can rely on the 1.6GHz Intel® Pentium® 4 processor with a 30GB Ultra DMA hard drive and 256MB SDRAM to help you get everything done in no time.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A True Desktop Replacement, November 11, 2002

By 

Gerald "Gerald" (Chapel Hill, NC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Toshiba Satellite 1955-S801 Laptop (2.2-GHz Pentium 4, 512 MB RAM, 40 GB hard drive) (Personal Computers)

I shopped around for 6 months for the perfect desktop replacements, and settled for the 1955-S801. If you think of it as a "luggable" with a huge "readable" screen then you won't be disappointed. I've owned four laptops - from the svelte Portege to the Thinkpad series, and must say this notebook gives you the most bang for the buck. Although ....does not promote this series as their multimedia notebook, it really is their most capable of all. The huge, beautiful 16" LCD screen is this notebooks most clearly defining characteristic. It is bright, and has plenty of contrast - right up there with my T22 IBM Thinkpad's 14.1" monitor. The image is consistent from edge to edge with very little shimmering (like a satin sheet). I didn't notice any more heat coming from this laptop than my IBM Thinkpad which has a P3 1.2Ghz mobile CPU, However, the fan is louder, but that's it. At ($$$) this notebook is a five star, any higher and it's a four star b/c ....really needs to address some of the most commons concerns - like the impossible to find eject button.

The Good
Huge "readable" 16" LCD (1280x1024) - The Best!
1GB RAM Capable (I installed Kingston Value memory)
P4 2.2Ghz "Desktop" CPU (yes, desktop - this is a desktop replacement)

The Bad
* Hard-to-find CD-ROM eject button (you will have to look for it)
* Loud fan which kicks on and off
* WiFi "Ready" which means it has a built-in antennae, but you need to buy an impossible-to-find ($$$) mini-PCI card option to work. Good luck finding it or get the latest 1955-S803 notebook. I'm using a Cisco 350 Aironet PCMCIA card which works flawlessly.
* Keyboard layout not as nice as it could be - especially considering the real estate that the engineers had to work with e.g. short space bar which is hard to reach with your left thumb. I would rather have had a larger, better layed-out keyboard then have it be wireless.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best tech purchase I have ever made, July 24, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Toshiba Satellite 1955-S801 Laptop (2.2-GHz Pentium 4, 512 MB RAM, 40 GB hard drive) (Personal Computers)

Pros: Screen is huge and bright, like a high-end LCD. Wireless keyboard and Mouse really increase comfort. Powerful machine, with pretty much everything you will need. Toshiba quality.

Cons: Lack of USB 2.0, speakers don't perform as well as they look. Lotus Smart Suite? What gives? 40G is great for laptop but still small compared to desktop. I will need to get a firewire ext. hardrive for video editing and music collection.

I have had this machine for over a week and I am quite satisfied and impressed. For once I do not feel like I am sacrificing with a notebook. It was purchased as a desktop replacement, and I now I have so much more room in my desk and around it. Everything is working fine so far, only one crash. I use this machine for media editing, games, and normal stuff. I have a real small sony for when I hit the road. Since I do move around, I won't have to lug so much technology.

This is the baddest laptop out today.. Nevertheless, I could have wished for DVD-RW, 100+GB HD with 7200rpm, video-in, and built in wireless networking. I am sure that is what we can buy next year!

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Genuine desktop replacement, July 29, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Toshiba Satellite 1955-S801 Laptop (2.2-GHz Pentium 4, 512 MB RAM, 40 GB hard drive) (Personal Computers)

This is an amazing machine. The 1280x1024 LCD is very, very nice and works very well in 16" form factor. Tosh got it right with this, big time. No more squinting at 1450x1000 SXGA+ or 1600x1200 UXGA matrices packed into too-small 15" LCDs. Have verified hands-on that max external res is actually 2040x1536 at 24-bit color, and this notebook fully supports "virtual desktop" with real-time panning of a physical 1280x1024 "viewport" over the entire 2040x1536 resolution if you want to use it that way.

Notables:
- Processor is P4 not P4-M. Unit weights nearly 10 pounds. Not for transcon flights.
- Only USB 1.0 (x3 ports) but also has firewire port.
- Detachable keyboard of questionable value unless also using external monitor. Otherwise combo of notebook housing plus detached keyboard may put some users too far from LCD for comfortable use. Cannot swing housing all the way under (180 degrees) to form a support stand that would sit behind the LCD.
- Using unit at native screen res of 1280x1024 may cause problems with LCD projectors.

Tired of the noise & heat from your desktop PC? If you are on a network at work or have any NAS available so that a single 40gig HD in the notebook itself will suffice as your working storage, then this notebook is the _first_one_ I've seen that I think really qualifies as a desktop killer.