Toshiba Satellite A505-S6973 16.0-Inch Laptop - Black/Grey

by Toshiba

• Intel Core 2 Duo Processor 2.1GHz
• 4GB DDR2 RAM
• 500GB 5400RPM Hard Drive
• 16-Inch Screen
• Windows Vista

Product Description

Amazon.com

~Replace your desktop PC with the Toshiba Satellite A505-S6973, which features a 16-inch diagonal HD TruBrite widescreen LED-backlit display, touchpad with multitouch control, power-saving Eco Button to help reduce power consumption based on your needs, USB Sleep-and-Charge ports, and a dual-layer DVD±RW drive that burns CDs and offers LabelFlash print functionality. The bright 16-inch LCD (1366 x 768) offers a true 16:9 aspect ratio and 720p native high-definition resolution, and the A505 is great for using as a media center with the touch-sensitive media keys placed above the keyboard. And it's sure to stand out in the crowd thanks to the stunning Fusion Finish with Sonic pattern in Black Onyx.

The A505's brilliant high-gloss Fusion finish with a Sonic pattern in black onyx is sure to turn heads.

The 16-inch A505 has a 104-key keyboard (with 10-key pad) and lighted, touch-sensitive multimedia controls (see larger image).

With the multitouch-enabled touch pad, you can pinch, swipe or rotate images on the display screen with the brush of your fingers.

The built-in Harman Kardon speakers bring an added dimension to music, movies and gaming with rich, immersive virtual surround sound.

It's powered by the 2.1 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T6500 processor, which boosts speed, reduces power requirements, and saves on battery life. It also offers a fast 800 MHz front-side bus speed and 2 MB L2 cache. It also includes Intel's 5100AGN wireless LAN, which will connect to draft 802.11n routers and offers compatibility with 802.11a/b/g networks as well. Other features include a 500 GB hard drive, 4 GB of installed RAM (upgradeable to 8 GB), 1.3-megapixel webcam, Harman Kardon speakers, 5-in-1 memory card reader, HDMI audio/video output as well as SPDIF digital audio output for 5.1-channel surround sound, and 64-bit version of the Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium operating system.

This Toshiba notebook is Energy Star 5.0 certified and it is RoHS-compliant, effectively reducing the environmental impact by restricting the use of lead, mercury and certain other hazardous substances.

Key Features

• 16-inch widescreen TruBrite HD LED-Backlit display not only renders stunning visuals,it uses less power (Learn more)
• 2.1 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T6500 processor for excellent multi-tasking (Learn more)
• 500 GB Serial ATA hard drive (5400 RPM)
• 4 GB of RAM (800 MHz; upgradeable to 8 GB)
• Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD with up to 1759 MB of dynamically shared memory allocated by the system (Learn more)
• 8x SuperMulti DVD drive with double layer support and Labelflash printing (See speeds)
• 1.3 megapixel with Face Recognition capabilities for added security (Learn more)
• Sleep-and-Charge USB port allows you to charge your mobile phone and other devices even when the notebook is asleep or off.
• Touch pad with multitouch control gives you a whole new dimension of freedom--the ability to pinch, swipe or rotate images on the display screen with the brush of your fingers.
• 104-key keyboard with 10-key pad
• Draft-N Wi-Fi networking (802.11a/b/g/n) for greater speed and range
• Fast Ethernet (10/100)
• HDMI-CEC audio/video output lets you control additional media players with just a single remote.
• Harman Kardon stereo speakers bring an added dimension to music, movies and gaming with rich, immersive virtual surround sound
• Brilliant Fusion finish with Sonic pattern in Black Onyx (Learn more)
• Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium operating system (64-bit version) (Learn more)
• 6-cell (4000 mAh) battery
• Dimensions: 15.1 x 10.2 x 1.61 inches (WxDxH)
• Weight: 6.5 pounds
• Warranty: One-year limited hardware warranty

Networking, Connectivity & Expansion
With its integrated Draft-N Wi-Fi networking capabilities, this laptop provides up to five times the performance and twice the wireless range using 802.11n-compatible routers as you would with 802.11g networks. It's also backward compatible with 802.11b/g networks (commonly found at Wi-Fi hotspots and in older home routers) as well as 802.11a networks (which has a higher throughput, but more limited range--great for closed office environments). This notebook also provides Fast (10/100) Ethernet networking.

It also includes a next-generation ExpressCard card slot (replacing the PCMCIA slot), which lets you take advantage of thinner, faster, and lighter expansion cards for even more advanced wireless, networking, storage, and security features. It comes with the following external connectors (see a view of the ports on both sides of this laptop):

• 4 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players
  • Includes 1 eSATA/USB combo port with USB Sleep and Charge
• 1 HDMI output for connecting to a compatible HDTV or home theater receiver for uncompressed digital audio and video via a single cable
• Analog video output: 1 VGA
• 1 ExpressCard 54/34 slot for adding advanced wireless, networking, storage, and security features
• 5-in-1 memory card reader compatible with Secure Digital, Secure Digital High Capacity, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, Multi Media Card, xD Picture Card
• 1 headphone jack (with SPDIF digital audio support), 1 microphone jack
• RJ-45 port for 10/100 Fast Ethernet
• RJ-11 port for 56K modem

What's in the box
This package contains the Toshiba Satellite A505-S6973 notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions.

It also comes with the following software: Norton Internet Security 2009 (30-day trial), Toshiba PC Health Monitor, Microsoft Works, Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 Edition (60-day trial), Windows Media Player, Corel DVD Movie Factory, Google Toolbar, Google Picasa, PowerCinema, WildTangent Orb Game Console

Learn More

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Superb Viewing on 16-Inch Widescreen LCD

The 16-inch WXGA LCD has a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels--perfect for watching movies in their intended 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio. It also provides TruBrite technology, which makes images brighter and more vivid thanks to its anti-glare feature. Video is powered by the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X4500MHD, which uses shared video memory (up to 1750 MB allocated from the system memory) and provides Windows Vista Aero interface support and enhanced 3D graphics performance--delivering over 2x scores on 3DMark 06. Intel Clear Video Technology provides outstanding video playback with sharper image quality, increased clarity, and customizable color controls. It also enables enhanced visual quality of interlaced content on progressive displays.

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Intel® Centrino® Processor Technology: Advanced Technology for Connected Mobility

“ Very clear, bright display, FAST processing, and good feature set. ” Michael Carver  |  24 reviewers made a similar statement

“ My first laptop ever was Toshiba Satellite (that was n years ago!) ” Gadget Freakenstein  |  13 reviewers made a similar statement

“ I recently called Toshiba and asked if repairs done under warranty have a warranty. ” John T. Rice  |  13 reviewers made a similar statement

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

210 of 215 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars at 650, this is a steal... July 12, 2009

By Gadget Freakenstein

Amazon Verified Purchase

Bought this for my wife to replace a 4-year-old Acer. Ordered last night and got it this morning...

Right off the bat, the huge screen size mesmerized me. Migrating from a 14" to this with a much better quality screen was a pleasure to the eyes.

The system booted up quickly for the first time but I had to do LOTS and LOTS of updates including SP1. Toshiba never stops short of putting bloatware in its laptops sadly. But about 2 hours of "cleaning" made the laptop breath a lot easier...

The web cam sliding panel on the screen is annoying and I haven't found a way to completely disable it yet.

Overall, on looks I give it a solid 5 stars. I got the black one. It's shiny and very good-looking. It's a bit on the heavy side at over 7 lbs but that was totally expected.

The keys on keyboard are very comfortably spaced and are very responsive. The 10-key is a HUGE plus. The mouse is very tactile and responds great to the touch of the fingertips. It's supposed to allow multi-finger touch as well I think, but haven't had a chance to mess around with that yet.

It also comes with instructions as to how request your free copy of the Windows 7 upgrade. You can do so through Toshiba's web site.

The bottom of the laptop does not get nearly as hot as the older Acer used to, so that's a plus.

My first laptop ever was Toshiba Satellite (that was n years ago!) and only if I had kept that one and I could put the side by side... what a world of difference.

I left the BEST feature (in my opinion and so far) for last: The speakers are THE BOMB!!! They are hands down the best speakers on any laptop I have ever seen/owned. I owned another Toshiba that I bought from the retailer that sells things in bulk and it also had very loud speakers for a laptop but this laptop's speakers are both LOUD and FANTASTIC quality. The harman/kardon label says it all. Indeed one of the best features so far...

Again, it's been only 1 day and I spent most of it getting rid of the bloatware, downloading numerous VISTA updates, and installing many of the software she uses, so I didn't get to play with it much. But overall, I am loving it, and most importantly she's been truly enjoying it so far.

<<**UPDATE 7/12/09**>>
One little annoying feature I could've lived without is the volume buttons' system beep. These touch-sensitive buttons (located on the top right corner of the keyboard) are very responsive, but by default they produce a very annoying system beep every time one or the other is touched. I found through the Sound settings in Control Panel an option that let me turn that off which improved my experience with the volume buttons 100%. Before, sometimes after holding the + or - button for a few second, I guess because the annoying system beep itself was glitchy, it'd get "stuck" and would continue to beep even after I let go... That's resolved now that I turned off the system beep associated with it. The touch buttons now function the way they ought to. The buttons are lit so when you touch one or the other, the light goes off for each touch indicating the volume is going up or down one notch. No need for the buzzing system beep... Anyhow, thought to share this...

<<**UPDATE 7/23/09**>>
VERY IMPORTANT-----READ!!!!
Last night, as my wife was using the laptop, it just died.... literally, the whole screen went out.... The power button and battery button were both on; the hard drive light was off; the indicators right below the screen (top of the keyboard) were all off; the power button was fully lit. The fan (yes, it actually has a fan... I found it, but it's SUPER quiet) was functioning but the keyboard didn't seem to respond....... Long story short after troubleshooting for at least 45 minutes and getting nowhere, I called the tech support. It was a call center overseas but the response was quick and tech seemed knowledgeable enough I guess; troubleshooting steps were exactly same as what I had already tried...... sadly, he declared the laptop dead at 10:46 p.m... Cause of death: Unknown (hardware related!). So the tech support tells me I have to ship it to their depot... nothing is done overnight! They would ship the empty box -- ground shipping --, then I'd ship it back to them -- again GROUND --, then it'd take them 7 to 10 business days to repair, and then they'd ship it back to me -- GROUND! I am sorry, but my poor Sony laptop after 10 or so months of heavy use, started having problems with its Wi-Fi card; long story short, I had my laptop picked up, repaired, and sent back to me within 5 business days good as new.

Back to this review, Amazon at the end saved the day... They overnighted one for me last night and I'll have the brand new laptop tomorrow, and then I have to send them this one back... just like that. So as of right now, I am disappointed with Toshiba's overall customer service.... The laptop was doing fantastic, and I have no idea why it died so suddenly... but it did and it's a done deal.. Moral of the story: 1) Sometimes you just end up getting a lemon 2) You get you what you pay for. With the money I bought my Sony laptop I could've bought 6 (I am not joking) of these laptops.... and neither their service nor their product has ever stopped short of being perfect... I am just sayin'...

<<**UPDATE 11/6/11**>>
With over two years of heavy duty use, it's still working for my wife... The only thing that happened to it was a few days ago when both Enter keys stopped working... Air can sprayed the keys after removing them and nothing helped really. Since both stopped working and not just one, it's got to be either the motherboard or something deep within the keyboard. Took to Geek Squad who couldn't figure it out on the spot and didn't give me much hope. They suggested using an external keyboard, which we bought for it... but then it occurred to me that I had heard of such programs as key re-mapper. Sure enough, downloaded one such program and minutes later I re-mapped one of the keys she never uses on her keyboard to her Enter key. It's not as convenient as the Enter button, but she's so happy that she now has an Enter key that she doesn't care about the location of it! But I'd think in a few month or so, this will be retired...

47 of 47 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great value, another wonderful Toshiba product! July 30, 2009

By sharkychick

Amazon Verified Purchase

First of all, this ia a LOT of computer for the price. I've had this computer for two weeks now and it is used several hours each day. I love that the RAM is upgradeable to 8gb, even though it runs beautifully fast with 4gb. The screen is great and I like the non-shiny finish of the screen, so there is no glare at all. The keyboard is the perfect size (for my regular-sized girl hands), and I really prefer the scrolly pad that the Toshibas have over other brands I have used.

This is the third Toshiba laptop in my household. We have absolutely loved all of them. This new one is definitely incredible, and the best of the bunch. The things that I find they all have in common are - They stay very cool (I use them all on laptop stands, mostly Rolodex Laptop Stands) and they are beautiful.

The A505-S6973 is no exception. This laptop comes equipped with everything I could possibly need and more hard drive than I will ever use. I didn't find that there was too much junk I had to uninstall...just the usual Norton hogzilla software and some internet type software (netzero) that seems to always come on computers these days. I usually have to spend the better part of the day uninstalling, updating, installing my own security software, and cleaning up. With this laptop I only spent a couple of hours with all of that.

The speed of the processor is wonderful. The premium speakers are quite noticeable as it seems like most mid-range laptops have junky speakers. I would actually listen to music or watch a movie on this one without even having to plug in my headphones.

Lastly, this is one beautiful laptop. The shiny black finish on the exterior top and the inside has a cool, subdued, lined design on it that you don't see in the online pictures. It is sleek and smart looking. It feels solid and well-built. I would not hesitate to recommend this laptop. I have had the best of experiences with every Toshiba brand product I've had over the years and the 3 laptops in my household, now including this one, are stellar in their performance.

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Sexy and Smart Machine August 7, 2009

By J. C. Herrera

Amazon Verified Purchase

This is an excellent buy, and the best deal out there. It's no wonder why it's Amazon's best selling computer.

It's a beauty to behold. Beautiful black finish with just the slightest hint of curvy lined design.
Beautiful keyboard. Love the multimedia touch controls. The Eco feature button is great and easy to reach. The Eco feature easily can give you an additional hour or more of battery life. The 16" screen is bright and gives great color and great for movies. The speakers are awesome for a laptop! And the one thing that was really a surprise...it's super cool, as in the battery doesn't heat up. Everyone was amazed that after hours of use, the battery wasn't hot at all. It may get SLIGHTLY warm on the left..but not too much. If it wasn't, then it would be a near miracle!

With 4G of Ram, run multiple programs at once with no hiccups. On my Dell I couldn't run Outlook, Limewire and Windows Live Messenger without something freezing. This Laptop does it flawlessly. With the huge 500G Hard drive, PLENTY of room for pictures, videos and downloads (movies, games..etc.) My wireless internet on this laptop zooms.

For $649, you CANNOT go wrong! It is the BEST value you are going to get for this price. 4G Ram, 500G Hardrive, 16" HD Screen, excellent speakers, gorgeous styled keyboard and cover, Cool battery making using the laptop comfortable.
If you are looking for a laptop in this price range...this is the best choice, hands down.