Customer Reviews

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

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

 

 

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.

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!

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.

I love my Toshiba Satellite. It was up and running out of the box without a glitch in any way. The keyboard has the nicest
touch response I've ever experienced, although I must point out a major design flaw on the part of Toshiba: the one and only way to power the computer comes by way of a button of the detachable wireless keyboard. So if something happens to your keyboard, you are not going to be able to plug in an external keyboard and operate this unit. Bad planning by the product engineers, I would say. Another minor ergonomic quibble relates to the Disc drive drawer, whose button is practically impossible to locate
by touch alone. (The "open" button is recessed to the point where it is practically flush with the drawer.) I've learned to
use the "eject" button on my Windows Media Player rather than
hunt for the hidden "eject" button on the drawer itself!) Also,
the floppy slot is rather awkward in shape. I don't have much
need for that format, but would be unhappy if I did. Other than
those things, I recommend the unit heartily. The heat and noise
is far less severe than my previous laptop units by Compaq, IBM, and WinBook. The huge bright screen makes watching DVDs a joy.
And the navy blue and black style is more attractive than photos would indicate.

I do cart this beast to and from work each day. Screen size and power are wonderful. The detachable keyboard and wireless mouse are fantastic features. I have only owned laptop's and this is by far the best laptop owned yet. If you really do use a laptop most frequently on your lap, this isn't the machine for you. Screen brightness is great as well.

Cons: Gets hot. Uncomfortable and heavy (10lbs) on your lap. Finger distance between keyboard and touchpad a stretch (when keyboard inserted). Mouse batteries die every 3 weeks. Should have come standard w/802.11. I haven't found a laptop case yet that it will fit in. Batteries do not last overnight with OS in standby. Since room within this beast is not a problem, the speaker quality should have been better. Only a 1 year warranty.

This is a powerful machine. It has everything needed for the most challenging business tasks, including multimedia presentations. It also provides great performance for entertainment during long trips. I've had it for about two months, and so far I'm very pleased. Not for those seeking a lite portable though.

The company I work for bought several of these machines, along with a "next day on-site service" plan. I was happy with mine until the fan started making this horrible noise. Then the machine started shutting down spontaneously (system board got too hot, I think). I called Toshiba for the next day service we had paid for. To make a long story short, it's been two weeks, the fan has been on back order, and my repair date has been pushed back five times. It's still not fixed, and they keep stringing me along, "I'm sorry, the fan is on back order, it will be here in a couple of days." Do yourself a favor, buy from a company that cares about its customers (not Toshiba).

This laptop gets very hot after 15 minutes!!
No wonder where the heat is coming from 2.2Ghz, buy 1.6Ghz or less .
1.6 Ghz runs more cooler than this melting notbook!