Customer Reviews

Toshiba Satellite M45-S169 15.4" Laptop (Intel Celeron M Processor 380, 512 MB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, DVD SuperMulti Drive)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I was hesitant to buy a laptop that had as many bad reviews as good ones, but now I couldn't be happier with my laptop! It runs more smoothly, reliably, and faster than my best friend's Dell laptop. I admit that I paid a little more for this baby than my best friend paid for hers, but not by much. The battery life was for only about an hour, but it said that in the product specs, so I wasn't worried about it.

I would imagine that there are plenty of people who have purchased this laptop and are perfectly happy with it who haven't left a review. Normally, I am one of those people.

This is a nice notebook -- when it works. Like many people with Toshiba laptops, this model has a problem where it shuts off when it feels like it. Sometimes it restarts, sometimes not. Within two months of having it, it had to be sent away for repair, and now, after being back for about 3 days, it is still shutting off for no reason.

Research indicates there could be a cooling problem or a static problem. Toshiba is aware of these issues, and supposedly there is a lawsuit being brought against them because they refuse to address the issue.

I'm going to try to get my money back, but I'm not hopeful.

Well I'm happy with my M45-S169. I've had mine over 4 years now and never had a problem with the computer. I recently upgraded to 1024 of RAM and my old computer keeps on a truckin' like a champion.

I have had my Toshiba laptop for only 2 months before it died. I took it to an authorized dealer, and they had to replace the MOTHERBOARD and Hard drive. It has been 1 week since it's been repaired, and it keeps on shutting off. I called the Toshiba tech support and they said I had to take it back for repair. They will repair it for "free." I don't know about you but somehow this doesn't seem like a good deal considering 1) I have to drive 30 mins out of my way to take it there 2) it took ONE WHOLE WEEK, I do all my business on the darn thing, that is a long time considering 3) I had to pay money to have the repair company "expediate" to fix it, otherwise, it may have been 2 weeks out 4) I spent hours tweaking and putting back information that was lost, etc. - does Toshiba pay me back for my billable hours?

I think that if they know there is a problem with the cooling system where there is more than a handful of people, they should replace the whole computer and not just parts. Do lemon laws apply to computers?

This is great laptop. Amazing screen true to its name "Tru BRIGHT". DVD Multidrive & WIFI 802.11 G is sure handy.

The only issue is 4 cell battery which lasts abt 1 hr or little more. BUt then if you want long battery life, u need centrino...dont you? So you should have considered it before buying Celeron M processor laptop.

This is my second toshiba & i am not at all disappointed. Infact, my freind bought another one after seeing mine. All of you guys going for small screens, have a look at WXGA 15.4" screen & you would never want small.

I luv it..!

Maybe it's just me. I think a $1000 machine should be able to make it at least a few months of gentle use without dying on you. For the general user, this machine has a great combination of features, and it worked well and fast for the month it actually worked; the screen was beautiful. One day I shut it off and the next time, beep beep beep. It is now on its way to the service center. Maybe it will resuscitate, maybe not. Generally, when a machine eats dust this quickly it doesn't bode well for the long term. Customer service was very good and efficient -- Toshiba has warranty contracts with UPS Stores to pack & ship them back at their expense, so it was an easy process. Much better than HP, where I had to pack my own box and wait at home for pickup (slower though). I'm beginning to think that to buy a laptop you need about $5000 -- enough to go through 4 or 5 of them until you get one that lasts. I had an HP and the Toshiba both turn belly up, and the little generic cheap-o laptop at work just keeps humming along... go figure.

(later adddition ...) Well, the repair held and this machine continues to perform perfectly. I know it is no longer available, but I'm adding this just to be fair to Toshiba.

My brand new Toshiba M45-S169 laptop has a battery life of <1 hour! If I had known that Toshiba was selling the M45-S169 with a substandard battery, I would have selected a different computer. Toshiba fooled me. Shame on them. I'll never buy another Toshiba product.

This computer may not be the fastest but it gets the job done for basic things like taking notes in class, surfing the web, and watching 360p and 480p videos. It's been about 5 years since I got this computer and it is still working (bought it in December 2005). I wouldn't recommend it if you're planning on watching videos.

This laptop has worked and is working great with no problems! Unlike other reviews with laptop shuting down by itself, i have not experienced any problems with that! You cant go wrong with this laptop.

I have owned a Toshiba Satellite M45 for about 2 years and it has been nothing but trouble. On the hardware side:
1) The DVD player simply fell apart after very little use.
2) The computer hangs a lot. I took it apart (in an ESD environment) and a little metal clip fell out. It is supposed to be soldered somewhere but I do not know where.
3) It takes 4-5 boots to get the computer to start using the full video screen. It prefers to boot up using a distorted partial screen mode.
4) It will not shutdown normally. I have to hold the power button for six seconds to get it to shutdown.
5) One of the speakers crackles so I do not use sound.

The design of this system is pretty elegant for being a few years old but too bad they built it so poorly.

I am an electrical engineer with a lot of computer experience which is the only reason this computer works at all. I would strongly recommend against Toshiba products unless you can and want to work on them.