M35-S359 opinions? ... Found fair deal.

Circuit City is selling this for $1399 after rebates. I just happened upon it while in the store. It looks and feels (tangible aspects important to me) like one of the better notebooks Ive yet seen in my price range (<$1500). The materials used feel of good enough quality and the screen backing is quite strong (important!).

I am actually looking for a thin and light in the size range of the Dell D600 and Fujitsu P-series, but this one has such a nice comfortable screen (though only W-XGA) and is only 6.2lbs. So although it looses somewhat on portability, it will allow me to work on my large documents more easily. Whatever laptop I decide on will become my primary computer, as my desktop is aging. It needs to be powerful 'enough' for me to run multiple apps at once, use my hp printer/scanner PSC1210 (memory hog), AND have long battery life. Battery life is said to be about 3-3.5hrs. However, the double capacity 12-cell battery at CCity is only $150. this should extend total run time to 10hrs for about $1550 +tax.

If you have any critical opinions on this one, user experiences to share, or know of a better deal/recommendation, then please let me know!

P 1.4 'M'
802.11b
512MB
60GB
CD-RW/DVD

Neil

 

Battery:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?j=1&id=1067388547550&type=product&ref=03&loc=01

 

The specs can take care of your listed needs without issue. I don't have direct experience with this model though...

Editor in Chief http://www.bargainPDA.com and http://www.SPOTstop.com

 

I have been using this laptop (PM 1.4, 768MB, 40GB, standard battery) for about a month now.

I am a programmer and run VS.NET on a daily basis. My following opinion is based on my needs of getting my job done:

Pro:
1. Wide screen
2. Bright screen
3. Cheap (I paid $1100 + $100 for RAM upgrade)
4. Performance is fast enough for my purposes

Con:
1. Battery life is somewhat limited to about 3hr with the screen set at 75% of max. brightness.
2. It gets hot on the palm rest area and on the bottom.
3. The keyboard is a bit soft for me. I like IBM's keyboard better.

My 2 cents.

 

Hey CIOC,

Where did you buy yours? Was that the price after rebates?

PS: If you need more time, why dont you get that batt for $150?
7hrs+ additional time (on paper at least)! Never thought such a (relatively) large laptop could outcompete the new micro-mini's by Fujitsu, etc...

Yea, the screen is what really what caught my eye.. its like 'relaxing' to look at....must be the brightness. Though resolution is not as sharp as I like, but the size may make up for it. I'll try setting it at 1600 x 1200+ at the store tonite.

Neil

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by NBC

 

I looked at that notebook today and am considering it but it lists at Comp USA today for $1599.97 after mail-in rebate. Boy, I need to go to Circuit City! Are you going to get it? I am wavering but it looks like a good notebook. Do you know if this is considered lightweight for a notebook? I need a very lightweight one but that has the same RAM and hard drive this one has. Do you think the video memory is enough? Eboomernotebook

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by NBC

 

Hi NBC,
I assume you're not buying into this hi res LCD marketing strategy that notebook manufactures use to make their specs look competitive on paper and that you have tested many laptops at high res to say for sure that you'd want to stick to a high res screen. Seeing as how this is going to be your primary computer, a thin and light series like the Dell Lat D600, which only has 14" screen sizes would be tough on the eyes for pro-longed text work. The Dell D500/600 is what some of us use at work (8-9 hours per day) and the most comfortable screen res for myself is XGA (1024X768) and I do a lot of text work as a software developer.

Personally, between the Dell and the Toshiba, I would go with the Dell if I had to carry it around a few times a week.

The D600 has much better built than the Toshiba M35. As the Toshiba M35 is plastic construction only and it is a heavier laptop.

After using the M35 for a while, it really heats up. To me, there is definitely enough heat under my palms to make me quit using it. And the heat felt at the bottom of the laptop...you can forget about ever using this as a "laptop". There's even a sticker on the bottom telling you not to make bare-skin contact with it.

But the screen on the M35, I just couldn't take my eyes off of it. It was that beautiful. It's wider, but not a true wide screen because it's not 16:9 ratio, so playing DVDs on it will suffer from the black lines above and below the picture.

My 2 cents. If you can, try them both out for yourself to figure out what you like and what you can settle with. Happy purchasing!

 

Hi Neosynthesis,

Can you expand on this marketing strategy you mentioned? Well, I defeinatley must go out on a few dates with a NB before I take one home; its got to have a good build [ ]

The Fujitsu's P series are hot stuff, but for a primary pc Im not so sure how that will work out. I do have a nice MAG .25 17" at home. After seeing that WXGA Toshiba, I think I would like a larger screen in a light package. The only thing I odnt like about this Toshiba....is well...the screen. I know I said how nice it is (its pretty nice), but I wish you could increase the resolotion past (I think) 1280 x 768 (checked at CCity today). It would be nice to work with and the form factor of that NB is just about perfect blend...not too small not too big. The picture looks a bit washed out and not as pixelated as the flagship similarly styled P4 powered XSXGA 17" they have there. You know the type? The screens are super glossy like acrylic/glass and the pictures are really vivid....same goes for the 10" Sony TR3 and Fujistus's.

Alas, the 10hr battery life is tempting though. Cant get everything for $1500. I wish they had an option for SXGA though.

I have played around with D600; not terribly impressed (looked pretty good at first). Actually, what turned me off is reaidng ALL of the complaints by users about the HOT left handrest (which I verified as true). Also read a PC Magazine Review on the TOSH site (see Tecra M2 link in other post) about all the mfg's rating for quality; siad the Latitude actually has more prons than Inspirons..that settled that. Also said in last 12 mos, Dell averaging 1/4 defetive pcs. Have you noticed a Heat problem with D600?

The M35 didnt seem nearly so hot at the store to me compared to D600. The plastic casing actually seems pretty strong.


...hhmmmmm......widdddescreeen [?]

Neil

But you know those hi-res 10" screens on the Sony TR3 and Fujitsu P series are eye candy...I just love the resolution and vidvidness...alas Im afraid working on editing a couple large word docs would not be possible



Eboomernotebook:

Im not sure. Its one of the most attracive price/weight/feautures/tuffness NB's Ive seen so far (still looking). Go over the CCity; Ive never been that impressed with Comp USA (pricewise)

 

Can't agree with neosynthesis more. Don't buy into those high resolutions yet before you try using them yourself.

I've also had a chance to use a D500 for a couple of days. It is much more portable than M30/M35. But the screen on my M30 is unbeatable. Again, it's really up to what you want from your laptop.

I bought mine from a guy on eBay. I normally don't buy high priced items from eBay. However, the seller lived in my area so I had a chance to check it out before buying it. It was brand new in the original box and came with the manufacturer warranty. So it was a good deal for me.

 

Hi NBC,

I haven't had experience with a D600, but I have used a D500 (PM 1.3 512M, 40G 5400rpm) for a few days. I am supposed that both models are similar enough.

My M30 generate more heat that my D500. If you feel that the heat generated by the D600 is too much for you, the M30/M35 may not be for you, especially this will be your primary computer.

My 2 cents.

 

I've been using this machine for a number of weeks and, aside from a few quibbles, am quite pleased with it. The M35 seems to strike a decent balance between performance and battery life. As others have mentioned, the display is excellent. I also like the black border that surrounds the screen. It adds a picture frame effect. Some users complain about the Toshiba's keyboard layout. I haven't had a problem with it. In fact, I prefer its placement of the page navigation keys. Also, the bundled OneNote program has become very useful as a free-form database for all sorts of information.

On the down side, the machine does generate heat on the bottom. I wouldn't care to use it on my lap for any stretch of time. The optical drive is a bit noisy as well. Toshiba bundles a utility which helps to tone down the buzz...by slowing the drive down.

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by ciocc

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by ciocc

 

JNT

Although the screen is bigger than others with 14.1", I still think that it doesn't fit 2 browsers side by side quite well yet.

The overall quality of this laptop is superb and the only downside is the heat generated from the bottom and the battery life. So I'd recommand the 12-cell battery if you don't mind spending the extra $150. Upgrading to at least 512MB of RAM is highly useful too.