I was looking for a laptop that would play DVDs, allow me to surf the net, keep my music and photos neatly arranged, and facilitate social networking & video chats without much fuss. My friends and folks advised me to go either for a Dell, an HP or a Sony Vaio. Fair enough. Those are big names, and have an
established market. However, I chanced upon this beauty while flipping through Flipkart pages. At 16.6K, this was mouth watering. I am not much into gaming, graphics or rigorous multitasking on the computer, so the configuration and price appeared just right for me. Okay, the Intel T4500 Dual Core Processor isn’t exactly brand new and that it may not cook my food or mix a drink or two for me, but what the heck, even the i3 and the i5 couldn’t do that either. So Toshiba Satellite it was. Received it spot on time with cash on delivery. Super packing. Got it configured with Windows 7 on a 32 bit platform. The driver CD came with the laptop. No hassles at all. Heartily recommend this model to everyone who wants a laptop for casual use.
Received the Notebook in with :
1. Philips DSP 2500 5.1 Multimedia Speakers with Wireless Remote – sealed yet,
2. a Decent Imported Toshiba Original Carry Case (not Back Pack) and a
3. McAfee AntiVirus Disc (would have been more useful if an Internet Security Software had been bundled instead)
Upgraded to 4GB DDR3 RAM and installed Windows 7 64 Bit OS from my MSDN subscription with bundled Drivers, all essential day-to-day Applications and Internet Security Software.
PROS:
The Windows Experience Index (WEI) for this Notebook is given below. The Windows Experience Index is a broad benchmark to check how well Hardware Components run Windows 7 :
*Processor : 5.8 out of 7.9
*RAM : 5.8 out of 7.9 (almost standard on all 4GB configurations)
*Graphics with Aero : 3.6 out of 7.9
*Gaming/3D Graphics : 3.3 out of 7.9
*Disk Transfer Rate : 5.8 out of 7.9 (almost standard on all current HDD configurations)
The Windows Experience Index of this Toshiba Notebook puts to shame the performance of any Netbook on the Market, considering this Unit is priced at a level equivalent to a Netbook with an External DVD Writer. Its Processor Performance WEI is also just 10% lower than that of a Second Generation i3 Processor based Notebook.
Overall performance for day-to-day and office productivity applications is Excellent.
The Battery Run-Time after 3 Charge/Discharge Cycles for DVD Playback is 2.5 Hours. Will be slightly higher for standard non-multimedia applications.
The On-Screen Quick-Launch Keys and Synaptics Touchpad are very convenient.
Storage Capacity is Huge at 500GB.
The Intel GL40 chipset is approx. 4 years old but is very stable.
CONS:
1. The Notebook has only 2 USB Ports which is 1 short of competing models. You have to connect a USB Hub if you need more USB Ports. You also have to pay ~Rs.10,000/- more to get a single USB 3 – Superspeed Port based Notebook.
2. The inbuilt Webcam has a VGA resolution whereas other expensive Competitors offer a 1.3 Mega Pixel Webcam.
3. The onboard LAN Port is 10/100 Mbps, some of the more expensive Notebooks offer a Gigabit 10/100/1000 Mbps Port instead.
4. There is no HDMI output Port for connectivity to LCD TVs.
5. More Expensive Notebooks also come with Windows 7 and Device Drivers pre-installed, which is highly recommended.
CONCLUSION :
A Notebook with Outstanding Value and Performance. Will recommend this Model to anyone wanting to purchase a Notebook/ Netbook in a budget of Rs.20,000/- for running Day-to-Day and Office Productivity Applications.
Also strongly recommend upgrading the System RAM to 4GB from 2GB for faster performance(will cost under Rs.1000/-), purchasing a Genuine Windows 7 Home Basic/Premium 64 Bit Operating Sytem with Media (~Rs.4000/- and ~Rs.5000/- respectively) and an Internet Security Application (Kaspersky Internet Security 2011/2012 ~500/-).