Customer Reviews

Toshiba Satellite M45-S265 15.4" Laptop (Intel Pentium M Processor 730 (Centrino), 512 MB RAM, 100 GB Hard Drive, SuperMulti Dbl Layer Drive)

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

 

 

I bought this machine after reading a favorable review in consumer's reports and laptoplogic.com. I would recommend trying one first at a Best Buy or circuit city.

Pros:
- Attractive design - thinner and more eye-pleasing than M35/M35X predecessor
- Exceptional sound from built-in speakers, though deeper bass is lacking
- Quiet keyboard with easy-to-depress keys, though see issues below
- TruBrite display produced excellent images
- Touchpad is smooth and has good tactile feel
- Sonoma platform with 533MHz FSB
- Solid WiFi performance
- Wide array of connectivity options: 3 USB 2.0 ports, FireWire, SD/MMC/xD/MS/MS Pro Media Card slot
- Very quiet and cool to the touch - fan came on rarely and made a pleasant sound when running
- Toshiba power management and system management software: Touch and Launch, Acoustic Silencer, graphical WiFi utility
- S-Video (TV Out) for connection to projectors and TVs

Cons:
- TruBrite display exhibits lots of glare, though this is common on nearly all glossy LCD's
- Lacks DVI output and Express Card
- Display exhibits too much flex and seems fragile
- Poor 3D performance due to integrated graphics and shared memory
- Below Average Battery life
- Slower 333MHz DDR memory rather than newer 533MHz DDR2 memory, though lower latency (CL 2.5) generally compensates for slower speed
- Keyboard seems slightly cramped and is shifted to the right rather than centered; dedicated Windows® key is inconveniently located in upper-right area of keyboard
- Relatively low-resolution 1280 x 800 display (98 PPI), though TruBrite has good color & contrast

I am on day two of ownership of this computer. I'm very impressed that I haven't burned my legs when I have it on my lap, as I have done many times with my Dell laptop!

I have to agree with one of the other reviewers, the keyboard is a little awkward to use, and those with small hands might want to shift the primary mouse button to the right. I'm not impressed with the speakers, though I'm not using the computer for MP3s or anything requiring great sound.

In closing, this is a great computer for students, or those who like to surf the web. The wireless internet works amazingly well.

My Toshiba is wonderful. The Pentium M is something everyone should look into getting.

Today, laptops are going slower proc. speed to maximize efficiency and cooler temps. Like that one reviewer stated.."NO BURNING MY LEGS". The computer is very quiet, almost seems it is not even running. My HP sounded like a Turbine Generator spinning in the wind..seriously, it was loud.

The Laptop gives you many options to conserve power, from adjusting screen brightness to adjusting the computer's capabilities while running on battery...nifty

Only quirk is the keyboard..its a bit off center, but we'll just have to (GOSH DARNIT) adjust!!..haha

I have owned my Toshiba M45-s265 for 6 years now and have had no probelm with it with the exception i have had to get one virus removed one year ago, I utilize it alot. I have A cousin that has owned a Toshiba laptop for 10 years now with no problems. My laptop at this moment is still running great and I just bought a 4 hour battery for it because i'm about to go back to school. Being that I just paid $150. for a new longer life battery for this laptop I am actually online looking into the cost of another Toshiba M45-s265 for when this one dies on me, i will have an extra battery to use for it as well. I am not expecting it to happen any time soon. This is my first and only laptop thus far. Very happy with it!

I have had the laptop for almost a year now, the main reason I bought it was that I could only take one "electronic device" with me (I work overseas) This Laptop combines the best of both worlds, it's a fast and agile computer (if you add more ram) and its a great wide screen DVD player (separate controls and you don't have to boot up the computer which adds to the battery life) It's great for travelers and college students with limited space. It has built in 802.11 b&g wireless so internet connections are easy. Toshiba support has been good, they sent me an updated restore disc with new drivers for free (since I was overseas and could not get to a service center) All in all, a great computer...only one concern: case is of fragile plastic construction and cosmetic damage is unavoidable. So Handle with care! Also, be careful with the power cord, a friend has a similar model and the Power connector is weak, and a yank on the cord damaged the daughter board it is soldered to (an expensive fix)

Hi all,

although it depends on how you will use the computer, I can generally say that the 512Mb of RAM is not enough. Since the RAM is shared with the graphic card, windows normally opens at 350Mb or more. Therefore you normally use nearly all of the ram space which most of the time really bothers the user.

Having never owned a laptop, I don't know how this laptop compares with similar models within the price range, but I'm reasonably impressed with the performance thus far (minor annoyances aside.)

I purchased the laptop primarily for it's mobility and the ability to send and receive streaming media (video) online. I was not disappointed. The processor is fast enough to handle the demands I've placed upon it; the images are vivid, crisp and clear. Audio is excellent, however, the low volumn level is disappointing. If you plan to use this laptop for music, be prepared to use external speakers.

I imagine the touch pad is standard for laptops, huh? Probably takes a while to learn how to use it effortlessly, but my wife and I found it annoying. I returned to the store the following day to purchase a wireless mouse,

Keyboard placement is awkward if you're used to using a PC key. The keys are a bit small too. Fortunately, working with video doesn't require much typing, so I can easily overlook the keyboard.

I CAN'T ignore how quickly the battery depletes. I had planned to use this laptop for product demonstrations away from home. Unless I'm near an electrical outlet, I can't expect more than 1 or 2 hrs of use. Kinda inhibits my purposes of being mobile.

I wasn't in the market for a DVD player/burner, so I consider this a bonus. I've never liked DVDs in the widescreen format, but I think the 15' screen makes the widescreen format look more acceptible to me now. (Probably closer to theatre screen dimensions.) Much better than watching a DVD via the television. It's worth mentioning, though, that images appear distorted unless you sit directly in front of the screen. Again, I'm new to this so I don't know whether this is common with laptops or not.

Overall, I think this Toshiba has been a quality purchase. A 4 rating may be a bit high, but this laptop deserves a better rating than just "good".

I bought this computer a while back, because at that time (Spring 2003), my Gateway 400C (very old), had completely died (I got it to work in Decmember 2003, then it died in May this year...for good). Although the computer's power is good, I was VERY dissappointed in Toshiba.

The proccessor is an Intel Centrino...nice! The memory is good at 512 MB, but I wish I could upgrade it. Some programs use a lot of the memory. It uses Windows XP Home. I love Windows XP, it's one of Microsoft's best OSs (unless you count Longhorn). The hard drive is 100 GB, that's big...for me that is. It's a little big but it's really light, so you won't notice.

But what really wanted me to write this review is the VERY poor Toshiba service. In October, the Blaster worm was attacked on my computer. Sadly, Norton definitions were outdated, and didn't track it. All of the sudden, restart in one minute. Frustrating. I called Toshiba since the computer was still under their warranty, I asked them about 10 times (for them to understand me) that I would need a restoration disc. They said it would be here in 3 weeks. Four weeks...it's still a no-show. I call them again, and they actually have the nerve to refuse to help me! I took the computer to Best Buy to see if they could get me a restoration disc. They said that they have them...they're coming in a week. So far, add it all up, it was about 3 months before getting the computer to work (which inspired me to fix the Gateway). Adding on, my friend's Toshiba laptop (different model) had spyware on it, and Toshiba refused to help them...to be honest for no good reason. Also, if you read my review for Toshiba's DVD/VHS player, it seems Toshiba is just a poor company. I know the review is about the computer, but I'm VERY angry at Toshiba. I am not buying Toshiba again.

If you're looking for a laptop with a good balance between price, performance and work, there's the one! It can provide you the best typing experience, 100% confortable, easily hot, and it even runs the most complicated games with HQ graphics!
Plus, it's a good student PC...

The computer that was given to me did not work from the beginning. It did not receive power. I sent it into the company and it has now been a month since I first sent it off. I am not pleased that I was not able to receive a replacement especially when I need a computer because I am in college.