Customer Reviews

Toshiba Satellite P25-S509 Laptop (2.80-GHz Pentium 4 (Hyper-Threading), 512 MB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This laptop is big, 17" XGA screen. Bright and nice. Its kinda heavy if you want to carry it around (10punds) If you need a laptop to carry around then buy a 15" or a Centrino powered notebook.

The hardrive has only 5200rpm so this is the only thing I don't like about this laptop. I whish it was 7200rpm.

Battery does not last so long, but where would you go with this big and heavy laptop without a DC or AC adapter? So this not an issue for me.

I really like the power on button, turn it on and it turns red, then when windows boots up it turns blue, on standby mode it flashes slowly... it's beautiful!!

I only wish it weight less, kinda like the powerbook.

Yeah, this machine is fast, I currently have a Dual Athlon MP 1800+ as my desktop, at work I have a Pentium 4 HT 800 FSB at 2.4mhz and this Toshiba laptop can put up a nice fight between them. Of course when rendering, the dual athlon MP wins.

All the menus just "pop up" instantly, programs open up fastly. Boots up and turns of fastly. Windows XP PRo, great!

For all the specifications on this laptop just click on the link TECHNICAL DATA on the left side on this page.

In late November, I purchased a Toshiba Satellite P25-S509 because this is an innovative computer with many features for the money. At the time of purchase, my only concern was whether I would be able to upgrade the operating system. This computer comes with Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition. For many advanced uses of computers, such as Web and database development work requiring IIS, the Home Edition will not work. My plan was to upgrade the Home Edition to Microsoft Windows XP Professional.

To my shock, this computer comes only with a rescue disk. Toshiba does not supply the Microsoft XP Home Edition operating system disk. The Toshiba factory-installed image on the rescue disk includes Service Pack 1. Neither the Toshiba nor the Microsoft Web sites provide any supported upgrade paths or workarounds for this Toshiba model.

Even if you do not need to have Microsoft Windows XP Professional, buying this computer would be a mistake. If you ever have any operating system problems, your only solution would be to use the rescue disk to re-install Toshiba's factory-installed image. Doing this would require you to re-install any software you installed after purchasing the computer.

I telephoned Toshiba to ask if they sell any Toshiba laptop computer with Microsoft operating system disks. The Toshiba employee informed me that Toshiba is supplying only a rescue disk for all of its laptop computers. My response to Toshiba was that this is an unacceptable practice and that I would never buy any Toshiba computer as long as they continue to supply only a rescue disk.

It is a terrible shame that a company that has been so innovative in manufacturing full-featured laptop computers at competitive prices would resort to finding a way to destroy the value of its computers to users. No one should purchase any Toshiba laptop computer until Toshiba ends this practice of supplying only a rescue disk.

This computer is really bad. I was so excited when I bought this computer because it was my first notebook and it was 17 inches. I've been through hell and back I can tell you that. I wasnt going to write a review on this until tonight...my cdrom multi drive died again. First one died 3 weeks after I had the computer brand new, it took toshiba in toronto 6 weeks to get me a new one which is rediculous, then they sent me the wrong cd rom drive (clearly didn't fit into my computer) so I called them to tell them that they sent me the wrong one and they called me a liar and told me many times that I was wrong and that they had sent me the right rom and that I wasnt a computer tec and that wouldnt know if it was the right one or not and then they hung up on me. SO tonight (Aug. 25th) 2 weeks after getting the cdrom that fits, the new one stopped working today so now im really mad because i have to send the whole computer back to toronto again.

Their customer service is very bad also. I called them weeks ago to tell them that my first cd rom didnt work and they said ok fed ex it to us in Toronto (I dont live in Toronto or anywhere close to there) and we'll have it back to you in a few days and I said great. SO I sent it and a week went buy and I didn't hear from them or got my computer back in the mail. So I called toshiba and asked them what the deal was and they said they would have to keep it for 4 weeks until they got the "part" in from asia. I said that's rediculous and your customer service sucks. So 1 week later I get the computer back without a cd rom in it because i told them i was paying for the internet and want my computer back and to mail me the cd rom. SO then they made me sign a "waiver" saying that if I damage the cd rom in anyway "installing" it then it's not their proboem. Installing what? All you do is push it in. So anyways I get the rom that doesnt fit 5 weeks later, call them do a bunch of yelling because now im pissed that I waited 5 weeks without a rom and they send me one that doesnt even come close to being a match for my computer. So then 2 weeks ago the new one came and it worked and fit and now today the new cd rom say i/o device error again so now i have to go through the whole thing again. I wrote the president of toshiba in the US and the BBB in Canada to tell them that im never buying a toshiba product again and why.

I've gone through 2 in 6 months. Optical drive failed on both. The good thing is is that the first one was swapped on the spot. Bad new is that the second will be gone for 4 weeks while they "fix it". Look elswhere....

I absolutley love this computer. When my old Toshiba 4015 CDT developed some hardware problems I decided to bite the bullet and get a new machine. After reading numerous reviews and articles I narrowed my manufacturer choices to Sony and Toshiba. This is a rugged, large for a laptop, fast and great looking machine. The screen is truly spectacular and the performance surpases all but the fastest most expensive desktops. I use the computer primarily for my job as a real estate broker in CT. As I write this review I am in FL on vacation. Taking this 9 plus pound unit on the AMTRAK sleeper was not really any more of a problem than my old, significantly smaller laptop. With all the usb ports, using the computer to input photos while on vacation is a snap. This is not a cheap computer, but worth every penny. If extreme portability is your primary concern, it is probably a little too large for you. On the other hand, if you only need a portable machine with uncompromising performance then I highly suggest you consider this computer.

I agree that a 7200 hard drive would make this machine smoke. It is pretty heavy to carry around but makes working a dream. This laptop has everything you need in a desktop with the ability to pack up and take it with you. Toshiba includes some real intuitive software. Configfree makes solving connectivity problems simple. The big screen makes everything so much nicer. Even editing boring spreadsheets is much nicer without having to scroll horizontally. I have always used IBM or Dell but IBM has been Jacking up prices and Dell's Quality has slipped. This machine is sturdy and runs great. No bugs yet knock on wood. Getting a 17" bag is no easy task and if you are replacing a desktop I fully recommend getting a USB optical Mouse. Don't bother with one of those little laptop ones this machine is already huge.

This is the one laptop computer I intend to keep forever! Until now, I bought a new personal notebook about every six months.

It's loaded with everything I wanted when I was making my selection, plus plenty of things I never knew I wanted, as well as a plethora of good stuff I haven't had time to use and others I don't really know what to do with yet, but which seem cool anyway.

I got a whole lot more than I required for a price that's what I expected to pay for a far lesser computer.

TOSHIBA has long been my favorite brand of mobile computers. I've also owned and had varying degrees of success with HP, Compaq (back before it was bought by HP) Dell, SONY, IBM laptops. I've always found Toshibas to be highly durable, able to withstand rough physical handling. That, to me, is a most important requirement in a computer you will be carrying through airports, subways, in the car, and whereever. Having gone totally wireless, my notebook is never connected by a cable except to change security codes to protect the wireless connection from interference and intrusions. That's when the Ethernet port comes in especially handy. Walking from room to room, up and down flights of stairs, outside onto the deck or by the pool, I never worry about dropping my Toshiba because she can take a beating.

Speaking of hazards, Toshiba's standard warranty is excellently backed up, and at a full year, it's four times longer than Dell's. I spent a little more and added Toshiba's extended warranty with damage protection in case it gets knocked into the pool or dropped down the stairs or bashed by clumsy airport security officers. Although I purchased her at a local retail store, I went online and bought the SystemGuard Warranty direct from Toshiba. This model is packed with so many high-end features that the peace of mind is well worth the money.

Now that I've mentioned the goodies, let's get down to nuts and bolts, shall we? The first thing you SEE is the seventeen inch widescreen display. I was delighted to get one because it enables two pages to be displayed side-by-side while the print is plenty big enough to easily read. Writing reports or letters while reading a document you want to make citations from is easy and natural, whether you're writing a legal brief, a quarterly financial report or your master's thesis. It also works for web pages when you want to look at two of them side by side.

Having always scoffed at those sales come-ons for HP-Compaq's Presario line (I think they were first, anyway) about watching DVDs on a laptop, when I brought it home I was certain I'd never do that myself. Then one day I had a movie to watch and wondered just how good it WOULD look on this big screen. It was phenomenal. Big, bright picture and superb audio from the fine standard sound system. It does have TV-out, but I've never bothered to use that to show the movie from the laptop onto the TV because the sound and video are so good on the Toshiba.

That disk, by the way, is DVD-RAM, meaning it reads AND writes CDs and DVDs. One cautionary note: Be careful to purchase the correct type of DVDs, DVD-RAM disks, because the others won't take recording from this drive if they are only +RW or -RW, for example.

I believe the best and most useful notebook computer is one that gives me everything I want, so this is what some people might refer to as a "desktop replacement" model. In addition to the DVD-RAM drive that writes to and reads from DVDs, CDs and such, enormous hard drive, built-in wireless and plenty of ports for webcams, digital movie and still cameras, built-in Ethernet and more.

The CPU, at about 3Ghz, rivals current desktop models. In fact, this particular processor chip was made for desktop computers. That causes it the emit whole lot of heat, so that often when I'm using it for long periods of time on my lap I will put a book under it. I have a lapboard that I use when I'm at home sometimes.

Even with the huge screen and the twelve cell battery and other must-have goodies, she's only about eight or nine pounds. The BATTERY life is INCREDILY LONG. On my first test run it lasted over five and a half hours during continuous heavy use consisting of CD based software installations to the hard drive and the repeatedly restarts that entails as well as other work. That it was able to do this while powering a seventeen inch screen was astonishing. This was only possible by using Toshiba's proprietary power management system, which is built-in free, just be sure to enable it so Microsoft's awful Windows power wasting system doesn't get in there. The battery life far exceeds expectations, and as a result, I haven't bothered to buy an extra battery like I'd planned to.

Due to the musclebound high speed CPU, everything runs fast and smoothly. None of the sluggishness of those Intel "mobile computing" processors that give up effectiveness and sheer speed for the sake of reduced power consumption and lower heat radiation output.

Comes preloaded with Windows XP Pro, which works fine, except that Microfost doesn't support 256K encryption for wireless networking. Seems kinda stupid for MS to make business software that doesn't provide the minimum level of security I require in my HOUSE.

The case is sturdy and attractive. The keypad is standard for Toshiba, and keystrokes are quiet but certain. Inside, you soon find that Toshiba has built-in a wealth of proprietary software which makes everything run fast and efficiently.

The immense hard drive has more than enough room for videos, photos, and everything else.

My P25-509 came with a 60GB hard drive, a Multirecorder (DVD-R/RW, DVD-RAM, CD-R/RW), and WindowsXP Pro. Other features are as described above.

It is quite apparent that this model was conceived as a desktop replacement rather than an easily portable, lightweight notebook sized computer. It's size permits it to provide all the standard ports, a full size keyboard, and the large 17" widescreen display. It is very sturdy, partly due to the rather large amount of metal used in construction of the case, which contributes significantly to its weight. The CPU is a standard Pentium 4 2.8GHz with hyperthreading technology as found in desktop PC's, rather than a more energy efficient mobile chip.

The battery required to power this thing is very large. A control panel allows the PC to run in a more energy efficient mode, with a dimmer display etc. There is also a setting for cooling; setting it to "silent mode" lessens the need for the cooling fansby reducing the speed/performance of the CPU, which reduces the drain on the battery. A fully charged battery lasts me about 3.5 hours in the energy efficient/silent mode.

I have no complaints, other than the fans being a bit louder than I'd like.

Well this my second Toshiba laptop. I gave away my old Toshiba (5105 series)laptop to my parents since they don't have any computer. I bought this computer because I had a good experience with my old Toshiba computer, but that is not true with this one. There are alot of things that are missing from this new laptop. First of all, where is the remote control? I used the remote control everytime I watched DVDs and play music. The play, stop, rewind and foward buttons that are placed on the bottom front of the laptop of the computer is pretty useless too. I'm watching dvd and try to press pause and nothing happened, but this work perfectly with my old Toshiba. Where is the free computer to tv jack? Where is the software to configure your touchpad sensitivity? Weird placement for speakers. I guess they want the speakers closer to the user, but I tend to block it with my arms when I'm typing. I was disappointed with this laptop. Not only it's big but the expansion bay is pretty useless. Where is the support?
The good things about this laptop:
- Big and wide screen, which means good for movies. Also the screen seems more crisp than my old one.
- Wireless internet included. That is a big plus
- the placement of USB, firewire and dvd drive is a plus.

Cmon... If you need any better than this in a laptop, you're crazy! This fits the needs, and it's enough to go on. Although it's pretty expensive, it's reasonable for all of these full upgrades on a laptop. It has more things than it does on my computer right now! Plus mobility. That's just amazing.