M45-169 Opinions

Any of you guys have any thought on this notebook? I'm not sure what the 'DVD SuperMulti drive' is either.

Any help would be appreciated, thanks.

 

I just bought this notebook last week. I love it. I'm actually in the middle of writing a review to post on some sites, however I'll post what I have so far:

Reason for Purchasing:

I purchased this computer to be used as a "hotel laptop" while out of town. Primary uses are internet, word processing, and web design. I did not intend for this machine to be a desktop replacement, however I wanted it to do whatever I was likely to throw at it for a few years. To fit my needs I had three main demands for a laptop:

1. 15.4" Widescreen display
2. High RAM capacity and a good HD speed for multi-tasking
3. Price around $1000

Other Laptops Considered:

Along with this Toshiba M45, I considered the HP dv4000 and Dell Inspiron 6000. Similarly configured, the prices of the three were about the same (with a decent Dell coupon). The Insipron was immediately at a disadvantage for two reasons: I needed this laptop ASAP before a long business trip, and I value being able to touch/see the laptop in stores. Despite continuing good reviews, I have also been skeptical of Dell hardware in recent years, so I all but eliminated the Inspiron as an option.

The choice between HP and Toshiba was tough. The dv4000 had received good reviews and look/felt solid in stores, while on the contrary I was not too excited about the looks/feel of the M45. However the M45's hard drive, IGP, and Toshiba's repuation won me over despite the fact I found the HP more aesthetically attractive. After all, it is what's under the hood that counts, even with notebooks. Unfortunately at the $1000 price range there weren't many other options.

Display:

The Toshiba TruBrite display is crisp and clear, and came with no dead pixels. My biggest gripe is that the colors aren't very true out of the box. When viewing artwork and pictures I've created in the past, some yellows and blues are definitely too dark on the M45. Some tweaking is definitely required in order to see the "correct' colors - although this might be true of many laptop displays , and it is certainly addressable.

Vertical viewing angle (tilt, or azimuth) has dramatic changes is colors, much more than I expected, which could be troublesome when doing webdesign artwork. On the contrary, horizontal viewing angle is exceptional - you can clearly see text when you're looking almost directly parallel to the display, which I found amazing.

The screen is glossy, however reflection is only an issue in certain lighting arrangements, such as a lamp behind you. I think we often forget that TV's and tube monitors have glossy screens as well, so this really isn't anything we're not used to coping with.

Keyboard/Touchpad:

My biggest concern about the M45 was the seemingly sloppy keyboard layout. While most laptops try to cleverly arrange a keyboard into a perfect rectangle with no wasted space, Toshiba made no such effort with the M45. There is a gap between the numbers and function keys, much like a standard keyboard, which helps prevent accidental function key pressing. However I am constantly bothered by the number row which is offset from the left about a half-inch. Why didn't Toshiba use that extra space to widen the "backspace" bar?

The media hot-buttons to the left of the keyboard make the keyboard seem off-center, however when your hands are correctly on the "home row" you'll find that the keyboard is centered quite well with the touchpad perfectly between your wrists.

Performance:

The performance for this notebook is good for its price. During general use it runs great, and I’ve not had any problems with stability. It can handle multi-tasking well, although I have noticed a slight hesitation when lots of big programs are open, but that’s not something that a little RAM upgrade couldn’t remedy.

Obviously this isn’t the notebook you’d want if you’re a gamer, however I like to play games every once and a while, so I was hoping this notebook could at least play some games, even if on low display settings. This notebook definitely delivered. I gave it a shot with Madden 2006, and with medium display settings it runs smooth enough to play. And again, a little memory upgrade would only make it better.

Overall Impression:

I’m very satisfied with this notebook. Unfortunately there aren’t many options in the $1000 price range, but I can’t imagine getting much better performance or features for the money.

Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any questions.

BTW, I think the DVD SuperMulti-drive refers to the fact that it is a double-layer DVD+/-CD-RW (ie, it does it all for DVDs or CDs).

 

Thanks alot for such an informative response so soon after my original post.

Very helpful and covers just about any questions I had.