Toshiba Satellite A215-S7422 15.4-inch Laptop (AMD Turion 64 X2 Dual Core Mobile Technology TL581, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, Vista Premium)

by Toshiba

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 14.3 x 1.3 x 10.6 inches ; 5.8 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 8 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B000VVFULM
• Item model number: A215-S7422
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: March 1, 2007

Product Description

Model: A215-S7422

Amazon.com Product Description

A great multi-tasker for road warriors, the Toshiba Satellite A215-S7422 notebook PC offers dual-core productivity from its 1.9 GHz 64-bit AMD Turion 64 X2 TK-58 processor. It allows you to easily run multiple programs without bogging down your system, and it features intelligent power management for longer battery life. Stylishly accented with an onyx blue metallic LCD cover, this Toshiba Satellite features a large, bright 15.4-inch XGA-resolution LCD (1280 x 800)--perfect for viewing multiple application screens or watching widescreen movies on DVD. It's also great for using as a media center, with Toshiba's unique Express Media Player enabling you to bypass the system and access CDs and DVDs with a touch of button.

Other features include a 160 GB hard drive, 1 GB of installed RAM (4 GB maximum), 54g Wi-Fi (802.11b/g), ATI Radeon X1200 video card with up to 319 MB of shared video RAM, dual-layer DVD burner, and a 5-in-1 memory card reader Additionally, this Toshiba notebook is RoHS-compatible, effectively reducing the environmental impact by restricting the use of lead, mercury and certain other hazardous substances.

This PC also comes preinstalled with Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium, which includes all of the Windows Media Center capabilities for turning your PC into an all-in-one home entertainment center. In addition to easily playing your DVD movies and managing your digital audio library, you'll be able to record and watch your favorite TV shows (even HDTV). Vista also integrates new search tools throughout the operating system, includes new parental control features, and offers new tools that can warn you of impending hardware failures.

The Basics

• Processor: The 1.9 GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-58 processor offers a dual-core architecture, which delivers additional computing resources to help expand your PC's capabilities by providing higher throughput and simultaneous computing--increasing your performance by up to 80 percent. You'll be able to perform multiple tasks such as digital rendering and gaming all while running virus scan or other background tasks seamlessly thanks to the innovative Direct Connect Architecture. And it's designed to handle simultaneous 32- and 64-bit computing with no degradation in performance. You'll enjoy long battery life thanks to the AMD PowerNow! power management technology, which delivers performance on demand and can extend system battery life up to 65 percent. And the AMD Digital Media XPress technology delivers stellar multimedia performance and playback on digital entertainment such as games, streaming video and audio, DVDs, and music.

  Each processing core has a 512 KB L2 cache (for a 1 MB total), and this processor can deliver up to a 1600 MHz system bus for lightning quick computing reflexes. (An L2, or secondary, cache temporarily stores data; and a larger L2 cache can help speed up your system's performance. The FSB carries data between the CPU and RAM, and a faster front-side bus will deliver better overall performance.)

• Hard Drive: The 160 GB hard drive (5400 RPM) offers enough to room to hold a digital audio library of over 26,000 songs and still have room left over for movies, games, and a large collection of software. This Serial ATA (SATA) hard drive also quickens the pace with a higher speed transfer of data--akin to FireWire and USB 2.0.

• Memory: The 1 GB of installed RAM (2 x 512 MB DDR2, PC5300) is an excellent start, but you'll want to add more RAM to handle today's demanding multimedia and productivity suites. It provides two DIMM slots and has a large 4 GB maximum RAM capacity. It also offers a top-of-class 667 MHz speed.

• DVD/CD Drive: The dual-layer DVD drive is compatible with a wide range of formats, including both DVD+RW and DVD-RW discs, CD-RW discs, and dual-layer (DL) DVD+/-R discs, which can hold up to 8.5 GB of data--great for backing up your MP3 collection or your most important documents. It features the following speeds: 4x both DVD+R DL and DVD-R DL, 8x for both single-layer DVD+R/-R, 4x for both DVD+RW and DVD-RW, 5x DVD-RAM, and 24x/10x for CD-R/RW. It reads DVD-ROM discs at 8x and CD-ROMs at 24x.

• Keyboard & Mouse: This notebook has a standard 86-key keyboard and electro-static two-button touchpad. It also offers CD/DVD media player and control buttons (play, stop, next, previous) as well as a volume control dial.

Screen, Video & Audio
This notebook has a 15.4-inch TFT display with a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels (native 720p for high-definition viewing). It also provides TruBrite technology, which makes images brighter and more vivid thanks to its anti-glare feature. Video is powered by the ATI Radeon XPress 1200 integrated video/graphics card, which delivers up to 319 MB of dynamically allocated video RAM shared with the system RAM. ATI's HyperMemory technology allows the chipset to run in either Unified Memory Architecture (UMA) mode or with dedicated frame buffer memory to enhance graphics performance. It also features an integrated audio card with headphone and microphone jacks.

Networking, Connectivity & Expansion
This notebook has an integrated Realtek 54g wireless LAN that's fully compatible with 802.11b/g wireless networks. It also includes a next-generation ExpressCard 54/34 card slot (though no PCMCIA card slot), which lets you take advantage of thinner, faster, and lighter expansion cards for even more advanced wireless, networking, storage, and security features. Here's the full list of connection options:

• 4 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players
• 1 FireWire (also known as IEEE 1394 or i.Link) port for connecting digital video camcorders and other peripherals
• 1 ExpressCard 54/34 slot
• Video out: VGA and S-Video
• Stereo headphones/speakers/line-out
• Microphone/line-in
• 5-in-1 memory card reader (Secure Digital, MultiMedia, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, xD Picture Card)

It also has an integrated 56K modem (V.90) and an RJ-45 LAN network port (for a 10/100 Ethernet connection to networks and DSL/cable modems).

Operating System
Windows Vista Home Premium is the operating system for users with advanced computer needs, and it includes all of the Windows Media Center capabilities for turning your PC into an all-in-one home entertainment center for watching DVD movies and accessing your digital audio library. You can also use Windows Media Center to record and watch your favorite TV shows (even HDTV) and to access new kinds of online entertainment content. Computers that include Windows Vista Home Premium and an auxiliary Windows SideShow display will also allow you to access key data even when your computer is off. It is also easier than ever to share files between other PCs in your household and to manage your laptop computer settings to more securely connect via Wi-Fi.

Every edition of Windows Vista provides the essential tools and technologies to help protect you whether you are browsing the Internet, connecting to a wireless network, or just reading e-mail. All editions of Windows Vista include new tools that can warn you of impending hardware failures long before you have lost any important personal data. And, all Windows Vista editions include parental control features that allow you to manage and monitor your family's use of games, the Internet, instant messaging, and other activities.

Preloaded Software
Microsoft Works 8.5, InterVideo WinDVD 8, Google Desktop and Picasa, Ulead DVD MovieFactory 5, McAfee Internet Security Suite (30-day trial), and Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 Edition (60-day trial).

Dimensions & Weight
This notebook measures 14.3 x 10.6 x 1.55 inches (WxDxH, and it weighs 5.8 pounds.

Power
It comes with a 4000 mAH lithium-ion battery pack for extra-long battery life.

What's in the Box
This package contains the A215-S7422 notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions. It is backed by a one-year limited hardware warranty.

Product Description

Toshiba Satellite A215-S7422 15.4 in Notebook. The Satellite A215 notebook delivers cutting edge technology that is built to match your lifestyle mobile and multitasking. Systems feature the latest AMD Athlon 64 X2 dual core mobile technology and big memory for optimal performance. A 15.4 in diagonal WXGA TruBrite display shows off media from a DVD SuperMulti optical drive that reads and writes up to 11 formats. High speed wireless LAN 802.11b/g5 lets you work cable free.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

89 of 94 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good computer, but do you want Vista?, October 31, 2007

By 

William Balsam "Ursus" (Taos, NM) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Toshiba Satellite A215-S7433 15.4-inch Laptop (AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core Processor TK-551, 2 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, Vista Premium) (Electronics)

I have seen many Amazon reviews that are of different computers, so just to be clear this is the Satellite A215 S7433 with the AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core Processor TK-551, 2 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, and Vista Premium. Some of the details are important to the functioning of the machine. Also, my rating will be for the machine only and I'll have separate comments/warnings about the Vista Premium operating system after discussing the machine.

Counting computers that I bought, my wife bought, and that I asked my employer to buy for me, this is my 4th Toshiba. I use a computer for work and pleasure and I want something that will be an appliance, that is, plug it in and expect it to work for a reasonable period of time with minimal trouble (like a refrigerator). All my previous Toshiba's have fit this mold and the S7433 I have had for about three weeks seems to be carrying on that tradition. It is not fancy, just gets the job done and is reasonable value for the money.

There were several considerations in the choice of the S7433. First, unlike some of the other machines it lacks a webcam and LabelFlash CD writer. The webcam seemed to be a problem and cause conflicts and crashes and I wouldn't use it anyway. LabelFlash CD's are expensive, and not widely available and with flash drives and cheap, large portable hard disks who really needs CD's? The computer has a reasonably fast processor (the AMD seems to work as well as Intel) and importantly 2 GB's of RAM, which helps with Vista, and a 5400 rpm hard disk. I had read reviews of other Toshibas with larger but slower hard disks and hard disk speed was apparently a limiting factor in performance. The 160 GB hard disk is plenty large (the 60 GB hard disk on my Satellite 1905 S303 still has about 20 GB of space) and performance seems good.

Considering everything I have done the machine has been remarkably stable (no random black screens). It has not crashed (without my help - see below) and Toshiba's implementation of Vista seems really stable. This machine has a lot to recommend it: it is reasonably fast (but not significantly faster than my 1905), the screen is sharp and clear and easy to read (though glossy), the keyboard and touch pad have a good feel (though a mouse is always preferable), and the wireless is much better than the USB Netgear wireless I use on the 1905. Also, unlike the competition that frequently sports just 3 USB ports, the S7433 has 4, two on each side. That one additional port can make a big difference. Finally, the S7433 is much quieter than my old Toshiba which has a very noisy cooling fan.

On the con side, there are some (what I consider to be) design flaws. They all have to do with the placement of switches or ports on the front of the machine. All are difficult to use because it is hard to see them. These include the wireless on/off switch and light, the flash card reader, and, to some extent, the volume wheel. Although all work well, using these requires picking up the machine so you can see under the front. Also, battery life is short, about 2 hours unless you get the larger and heavier 9 cell battery. The 6 cell battery is light in weight, so it might be worth getting 2 of them instead of the 9 cell.

The cons aside, this is a good machine. Is it a major advance over my 5 year old Toshiba 1905? No! Computer design seems to have been on hold for the last 5 years and trading up won't get you much. The battery on my 1905 is going after 5 years and I thought "Why spend $200 on a battery when $750 can get you a new computer?". Having done it, I probably should have thought harder about getting a new battery.

So everything considered, I give the computer a 4 star rating.

Now for Vista, and don't buy this computer without reading about Vista and its limitations. I've had a lot of experience with computers. I've been using them since paper tapes and punch cards. I like to have things my own way and I don't want an operating system that is too intrusive. I've been able to coexist with DOS, Windows 3.1, 95, 98, and XP. Vista, however, is much more demanding that you do things its way. Classic folders in Vista does not mean folders like the ones you find in Win 95, but instead folders that look like IE. And, I have yet to figure out how to put a toolbar that has copy, paste and cut on the folder or have it tell you how many files are marked and what their total size is. I have crashed Vista twice requiring a system restore, once from the safe mode and command line. One time was forgivable since I was trying to install and old Win 3.1 database that wanted to exit to DOS to install. It worked on XP but not Vista. The second time I tried to install Canon Scanner and just plugged it in. Vista said put in the disk that came with the scanner and when I did everything slowed to a crawl - second system restore. Once I downloaded new drivers everything worked fine. Moral of the story is always check for new drivers.

HP printers present an especially aggravating situation. I have a number of printers ranging from 10 to 2.5 years old. My HP 5550 and 5650 have drivers built into Vista that have limited functionality. That means no checking ink level, no recognizing the photo cartridge, no borderless printing, and so forth. For my 2.5 year old HP 9650 wide format printer they said to use the driver from the 9800. I haven't tried it yet, but suspect it isn't good news. And for my ancient HP 320 portable no driver is available. So even using a USB to parallel cable doesn't do any good. I can't get too excited about the old 320, but the other printers should still be supported. Why bother buying a good printer only to find out it is obsolete when the next operating system comes out? Of course, this is just HP taking advantage of Microsoft changing the operating system. So before you buy a computer with Vista carefully check with your peripheral manufacturers to make sure real drivers (as opposed to limited functionality drivers) are available.

One other minor irritation, updates. By the time I got all my programs installed the computer needed about 350 mb of updates. This includes mainly Vista, Office 2003, and several Adobe programs. Without DSL or broadband there are many hours of updates.

On the positive side Vista does seem stable. With every thing I tried to have it do I was always able to recover from problems. I was even able to partition the hard drive without any problems. Surprisingly, I even got an old compiled Quick BASIC program to run.

Bottom line is Vista is OK, but if you have a lot of legacy equipment be prepared to replace some. The operating system itself is stable but more limiting than XP. If I had it to do all over again I probably would have bought a new battery for my old computer, mainly because of the operating system. But of course, every other new computer on the market uses Vista also.

41 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Toshiba Satellite A215-S7462 Laptop, November 18, 2007

By 

David A. Watkins "Vetteman" (Geneso, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Toshiba Satellite A215-S7462 15.4-inch Laptop (AMD Turion 64 X2 Dual Core Processor TL-60, 2 GB RAM, 250 GB Hard Drive, Vista Premium) (Electronics)

Purchased 11/3/07
Like most of the other reviews that I have seen while trying to find solutions to problems with my Toshiba Satellite A215-S7462 Laptop, the screen would just simply black out and nothing that I could do would bring the screen back up. The Toshiba Service Center told me that the only way to get the unit to come back up is to crash it by turning off the AC power and then take the battery out, which means loosing anything that you were working on back to your last save. Toshiba knows of this problem and it has existed on other series of their laptops. The problem is that their power saving features do not work.

The Service Rep said the only way to stop this from happing is to:
Access the Control Panel
Select Power Options
Choose the last power option feature which maximises power to the computer at all times and cuts off power saving features.
For "On Battery" and "Plugged In", set "Tun off the display" and "Put the computer to sleep" to "Never".

This works, but the unit runs on max power all of the time, which causes the battery to completely run down is less than an hour even with minimal use.

If you are needing a laptop with long battery life, this is not the unit that you want to buy. This is really poor performance, especially for a lithium battery.

Toshiba's docking stations will not work with Vista. The Toshiba service rep said that Toshiba is aware of the problem, but is not working on a fix. So if you are going to use this at home, be prepared to have a laptop that looks like an octopus with several cables plugged into each side since none of the USB or other ports are in the back of the unit.

The only manual that comes with the unit is electronic and is made for 2 different series of laptops. The guide does not differentiate which features are on which series. The explanations of the features and utilities are useless. You are told that they exist and how to access them, but are not told how to use them. Some features are not even talked about like how to access the WiFi feature. Kind of like buying a rocket ship and being told to enter a close the door, with no instructions on what all those gadgets inside are for or how to use them.

There a numerous junk software programs that come preloaded that you have to pay additionally for after a 30 day trial period. This consumes a lot of time trying to figure out what you can get rid of safely.

All of the new machines are coming with Vista. Be prepared for a big learning curve. Vista and Microsoft Office Pro 2007 are user hostile because all of the basic tools have been so radically changed and relocated that it is just like having to learn a completely new way of doing things. If you have not had the privilage to experience Vista yet, go to a computer store, click on the Start icon and try to figure how to shut the pc down.

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great value laptop ...with a little tweaking, November 14, 2007

By 

A. B. Davis "davisbr" (Spokane WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Toshiba Satellite A215-S7433 15.4-inch Laptop (AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core Processor TK-551, 2 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, Vista Premium) (Electronics)

First, some background. I'm a contract sys admin, administering a bunch of disparate small businesses in a small agricultural community. I actually received a [new] Tosh' A215-S7428 (this is the Office Depot version of the A215-S7433 ...its specs are exactly the same) in trade from a very, very desperate business consultant working at one of those companies several weeks back.

My client had called me in and asked me to look at the consultant's apparently non-functional laptop; yep, it was indeed dead (you could still smell burnt electronics). The consultant asked what he could do, and I'd recently noticed both Staples and Office Depot had some very attractive prices/rebates on laptops, so I directed him there.

But! He said he *had* to have a laptop with XP Pro (and it's all Vista, all the time around here); so I recommended he call Dell ...which was also untenable: he really needed it right! now! today! (he was a very expensive consultant).

Hmm. I thought about it for a minute, and saw opportunity knocking ...so I offered to trade him my two year old (and very nice) Dell (and transfer the data from his dead laptop's hard drive to the Dell) if he'd buy *me* one of the laptops I'd seen. And he was quite happy to do so. (When the rest of the consulting team showed up a few days later, I understood why he was so happy: they were all using worse laptops than my "old" Dell: that firm really needs to cut loose with a little cash).

Really, we were both happy: I needed an opportunity to familiarize myself with Vista, and the Tosh' A215 fit my equipment needs, and his pocketbook.

Anyways, on to the A215.

I'm not going to review the equipment list ...I presume you can read, and you're already familiar with the features. Suffice to say its got excellent performance & features for a very moderate price (that said: why-oh-why did Toshiba not include an internal Bluetooth with this ...so if you want Bluetooth, be prepared to buy a USB dongle, like I did ...but the lack of BT is not a show-stopper, just something for you to keep in mind). Overall, Toshiba has a winner here.

But there are a few issues you should be aware of.

First, you need to uninstall a couple of the Toshiba provided drivers/utils right off: they're quite incompatible with the display driver (near as I can make out ...unfortunately, it was several weeks ago when I did this, and I can't recall the exact one, but I think it was something to do with the keyboard: a google search will give you a more precise clue). The "symptom" is annoying display artifacts across the top of the screen (which are about one pixel "deep"). After uninstalling the offending utility, no more problem. Actually, that is arguably the only real problem I've had.

Next. Battery life - at four hours - isn't bad at all. UNLESS you leave it in high performance mode all the time (which I do). You can expect about two hours of mixed browsing and reading (light on the hard drive access) with this configuration. For me, that's more than sufficient. I primarily use it plugged in, sitting in a recliner.

Wireless is flawless. BUT DO NOT UPDATE THE FACTORY DRIVER THROUGH MICROSOFT UPDATE. I did, and all of a sudden my connectivity was subject to "interruptions" (I'm not sure, but it seems that the wireless NIC was going into sleep mode). I rolled back the driver, and the problem went away.

Sleep mode. If you've ever used a Compaq laptop, you know how badly wrong a manufacturer can screw up sleep mode (since I bought my wife a Presario at the same time the consultant traded me for the new Tosh', I can report that HP still hasn't gotten sleep mode quite right). In contrast, Toshiba has a superior implementation of sleep mode.

...WITH one small procedural gotcha however (and particularly if you're using a wireless mouse ...which I do, as I loathe touchpads): you MUST disconnect the power prior to putting the laptop into sleep mode. If you don't, you'll be tearing your hair out to try and get it to awaken (just give it up press-and-hold the power button: you're forced to power cycle to wake the thing).

So long as you remember to pull the mains adapter before putting it to sleep (and I leave it unplugged until I'm ready to use it again), you almost never have to reboot the thing: it's "instant on", even for online sessions.

(Sleep mode on the A215 is almost as nice as the old HP OB300/425/430/530 LCD models, which inarguably had the best sleep mode implementation of any laptop ever.)

Remembering to unplug the adapter before putting it to sleep is a potentially annoying quirk to be sure, but the reward of rarely having to power-cycle your system is immensely satisfying (I've went as long as two weeks without power-cycling the laptop completely).

SIDE NOTE: I disabled hibernation on the Toshiba. Sleep mode works well, and I don't see the point of hibernation (since it stays plugged). If I'm going to leave it in sleep mode for an extended period, say, several weeks, I'd just do a proper shut-down.

Last isn't really a Toshiba issue. It's about Microsoft Vista, and the stock configuration on the A215 ...which is quite simply awful. Vista as-factory-installed simply sucks the life out of the A215: it's dead slow.

Happily, the A215 doesn't have to stay that way. The fix is simple: turn off all the Vista eye-candy effects, and tune the operating system for performance. It is quite startling how much more responsive the A215 becomes by turning off all the dreck.

I'll go a step further. Vista turns out to be a quite capable and useful (and stable) OS once you disable the thoroughly unnecessary and CPU-cycle-sucking visual effects (and by turning off the annoying UAC: google it). Indeed, Vista may well turn out to be the most stable Microsoft OS to date (and by de-tuning the UI, it is certainly the best "Windows 2000" UI ever ...and since that remains my favorite Microsoft UI, you can regard that as high praise indeed).

A good start on performance tuning Vista is achieved by going to Control Panel, opening Performance Information and Tools, choosing "Adjust visual effects" in the left hand column, and clicking the radio button for "Adjust for best performance" on the Visual Effects folder tab, and finally clicking Okay.

It's as simple as that.

Oh yes, there's more performance possible, and a google search will turn up a plethora of suggested tweaks of varying complexity and effectiveness, but turning off the eye candy alone is a fine start to reclaiming the built-in power inherent to the A215 as it comes from Toshiba.

I'll summarize by saying it's a fine machine, and with a few simple tweaks, you'll have a quite capable personal computer that should meet your needs for several years, and at a relatively nominal cash outlay (under six bills, if you keep your eyes open). It's a good value.

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