New Portege Z830

Doesn't that usually mean they won't price match to blackfriday deals, not the other way around...

But yeah at 699 it sounds like a steal...

There is also a way to get the z830 at around 150$ discount at toshiba too , got mine that goes for 1,200 for 1,050~

 

I agree totally with makryger's analysis. Not to mention Intel Wireless Display (WiDi), (which works beautifully with my Netgear PTV2000 adapter), a feature not found even on many higher priced laptops.

Even my Sony SZ160, for which I paid $2,718.49 on 3/3/2006, had issues with the spacebar. (You can read all of the complaints about that in the archives of the Sony forums on this website.)

The way I figure it, for all of its minor flaws, this ultrabook is a great deal, now made even more so by the $699.99 price at BB reported by makryger. I'm hoping that this machine will last me until 2013, when convertible tablet/ultrabooks, powered by Intel's Haswell chip and by Windows 8, will be available.

 

Oh...? Do tell!

 

pm me as I don't want them to close it up (just in case)

 

Hurry up guys, Toshiba - Portégé Ultrabook Laptop / Intel® Core™ i3 Processor / 13.3" Display / 4GB Memory - Silver - Z835-P330

 

Is the "Toshiba Service Station" really necessary? It is taking up a lot of background memory, considering I don't think it is really doing anything.

The bloatware is astonishing. I think I need to do a clean install, but this didn't come with a windows 7 disk. Can anyone point me in the right direction to figure out how to do this without the disk? Is it safe to download an iso file? I've heard about a risk of embedded viruses.

By the way, it turns out my screen was defective. It is going back, and I'm getting a replacement. The other issues I have (spacebar and fan) are minor. This thing is so light, I can't bring myself to use another laptop now.

 

google for the iso that is hosted by DigitalRiver, they are a well known brand and are commissioned by microsoft to distribute isos

 

Thanks Makryger for the announcement. Got $100 refunded.

@Ryrad500
This is windows 7:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/win...-7-download-links-just-like-vista-before.html

This is windows 7 SP1
http://forum.notebookreview.com/win...-digitalriver-windows-7-sp1-13-languages.html

For the bloatware/crapware and drivers that came from a factory install, go to this location;
C:\Program Files\Toshiba\TOSAPINS\COMPS1

For the drivers from the Toshiba website:
Model Content Page Just search for your appropriate model. The one on the link is the BestBuy model.

 

Yeah it's only available in Canada: STAPLES | BUREAU EN GROS

Checked a US Staples and it doesn't exist.

 

Thats not the exact one but yes this one is only avail in Canada. I never realized how unique it really was until I tried to fit the Lenovo U260 in there which was wider....also a perfect fit and doesn't stretch the pad-folio in any way.

 

Has anyone had any experience using anti-glare screen protectors? The reflection is starting to bug me, and I figure if I'm going to buy one, may as well do it early on in my notebook's life.

I see a few options on google... ViewGuard... NUsheild...

 

Haven't tried one..but I thought you were gonna get the z830 model? That has a matte screen.

 

I've been going back and forth... now with the new $700 price tag, I'm having trouble justifying the extra $500+ pricetag (or extra ~$400 with the discount you mentioned). Especially when I could do many of the upgrades myself, like the matte screen, the better wifi chip, the extra ram, etc.

The only thing I would really be missing is the i5... Considering I was perfectly satisfied with my old laptop with an amd turion 64 TL-64... I figured I would still be happy with something that is supposedly twice as fast, even if there exists the i5 that would be 2.5x as fast.

 

What apps would you be running?

I've been playing with Adobe Creative Suite and World of Warcraft on the Best Buy i3 version, and it's plenty snappy enough. Based on what I've experienced on it thus far, I wouldn't even consider paying $400 more for an i5. Of course your usage patterns may be completely different from mine.

 

*double post*

 

Both adobe and WoW have hardware acceleration and utilize the GPU mostly rather then CPU. And its 355$ more to be exact

Advantages of z830 prebuilt:

1) i5
2) 3 year warranty
3) Matte screen
4) Better wifi + bluetooth
5) Fingerprint reader
6) Windows Professional

maybe some more stuff..

 

Where are you seeing the i5 version for $1,054? Cheapest I'm seeing is $1,099. Only $45 difference, but still.

3-year warranty is worth a bit. I'd have to see the matte screen in person before deciding. The bluetooth, fingerprint reader, and Win Pro vs. Win Home, are all worth nada to me personally, so I wouldn't be willing to pay extra for those, but some might.

It all depends on where you place importance, and how much each feature is worth to you.

When you say it only costs $355 more, that doesn't sound like much in the global scheme of things, but that is 50% more than the base unit. Proportionally, that's a one hell of an upgrade fee.

Also, it loses a little bit of its lustre once it passes the $1K mark... when you say $699, people are likely to say "wow!"... at least that's the reaction mine has gotten when I show it to people. That's not a deciding factor, but still...

 

As of now, the most intensive stuff I'm doing would be watching 1080p movies on youtube... otherwise its mostly just regular old web browsing and office document stuff. Yes, I have been known to multitask, but I'm not one of those people who has 20 chrome tabs open at once while watching a movie and skyping simultaneously.

 

I have my ways *whistle*

From what I hear the better wifi is worth it, but its 30$ to buy and upgrade it manually. Also, win7 pro has XP mode which allows you to run XP apps that may not be compatible...it may come in useful...

Not to mention the i5 is not just faster but comes with other useful stuff like Turbo boost, vpro, vt-d, TET, AES

To note: The i3 for 700$ is a good value definitely, but so is the i5 for 1055

pfftt..only 20? lol

 

I tend to agree. I wish BestBuy had a special deal on the i5 unit, since that's the one I'd prefer... but since they don't, it's hard to not consider just "settling" with the i3 unit. I'm sure it's perfectly adequate for most things.

 

I just went out and got one. They had 18 month 0% interest financing on it, so I decided to grab one. The Best Buy I went to said these systems have been flying off the shelf at the lower price.

 

The i5 is the biggest draw from ordering from Toshiba direct. However with Ivy Bridge coming next year and BB's recent price drop to $699 (Plus 1% CB, no tax for me, and Reward Zone ~$15 credit you can stack) it was irresistible.

In a couple years Toshiba will update and hopefully include Ivy Bridge, perfect touchpad, and a nicer screen. Then my saved $400 will go well spent again

 

I'm down to this or the ux31, I'd be at best buy right now because at 699 this thing is amazing. I just don't know that the i3 is enough. I was using a cheap gateway with an i3 over thanksgiving that was my cousin's and the thing just felt slow to me.

 

As a former ux31 attempted user... you really need to try out the asus keyboard and touchpad first- they are very difficult to use.

 

The i3 is still a very capable CPU. I know it's categorized as a low tier i-core, but it's still leaps and bounds better than the budget Celeron and Pentium chips.

I would check out the i3 in person and see how it runs; I was actually pretty impressed.

 

I actually plan to check it out in person tomorrow, it's in stock at the Best Buy near where I work. Hopefully they have it out on display. Especially because at $699 it's practically a steal.

 

Did that Gateway have an SSD or traditional HDD? I'd be willing to bet that a large part of the slowness you experienced was due more to the HDD than the cpu... the Z830 feels snappy to me.

 

Totaly agree

 

That's it !

Grab a Toshiba Z835 from BB now and use it for a while. In a few months there will be new Z835 series which may use Ivy Bridge, etc. So you can use saved 400 USD while purchasing new series Z835

I upgraded from core 2 duo 7500 to i5-2410m and could not see a big performance difference. So, I believe Z835-i3 much more performer than my current R835-i5 because of SSD.

 

Or, alternatively, do what I'm doing: enjoy my Toshiba Z835-P330 now and wait two years until convertible tablet-ultrabooks are available utilizing the Intel Haswell chip and Windows 8. Reportedly they will also have incredibly long battery life.

 

I'm trying to figure out what I need to reinstall after my clean installation. I can't figure out what the following are for. Any ideas?

1) Toshiba Common Module

2) Toshiba Power Saver (how is this different from the ECO thing?)

3) Toshiba Controls for Windows XP (umm...XP????)

4) AltairUpdateForFn-esse

5) Intel AHCI driver for F6 Install

6) TOSHIBA Sync Utility

 

Hey guys, for those of you who are gonna take apart your laptop to install more ram and etc. I am sure you know as it has been mentioned before you need a TR7 screwdriver or how they call it TamperProof Torx T7.

It is like a regular T7 but with a hole in the middle. I got mine for 2$ shipped from here:

Irwin 3053019 Torx Tamperproof Insert Bit, T7, 1 In L

Saves the effort of buying an entire set and the shipping is free 3 day shipping. It ships from NJ, so if you live in the NE coast in the US its 1 day shipping.

Remember this is just the bit piece that you put into a standard screwdriver, but it saves the effort of ordering a full scredriver set.

 

I mentioned this in the ultrabooks thread but is $699 a loss for Toshiba?

If an ultrabook of the Z835's quality can be made for less than $700 that bodes well for the ultrabook category as earlier reports had said they were having problems hitting $1000.

Or was that just bluster by the PC makers? I understand it costs more to fit technology into such a small space, but it would be good to have them priced lower.

 

So I stopped at best buy today and I left without a z835. Overall I liked the laptop, but a couple of things kept me from buying it. I didn't like the large font on the keys, it just felt cheap to me. I also didn't like how wobbly the screen was. I use my laptop on my lap 90% of the time and a wobbly screen would annoy me to no end. If I'm using a computer at a desk, it's always my desktop.

Despite the not perfect touchpad the UX31 won hands down for me. It felt snappier, I LOVED the 1600x900 screen, and most of all there was zero screen wobble. I didn't get what the complaint about typing on the keyboard, but then again I type heavy and had no problems with not pressing the key enough. If they had one in stock I'd have walked out of the store with one today.

 

My guess is the i3 processor that came out recently made a lot of difference. The 2 most expensive parts in a ultrabook generally are:

1) processor - cost cut by using an i3

2) SSD - cost cut by using their own ssd which is slower.

And 3rd most expensive is the lcd which is subpar.

The toshiba ultrabook effectively has no components that are "amazing" in it, thus allowing such costs.

As I posted earlier, its not a wobbly screen, its the whole laptop that wobbles due to improper balance.

 

I hope you enjoy the UX31. It's certainly a sleak machine, and I guess as with every laptop, different people will have different experiences. I personally could not get used to the keyboard and touchpad problems. Also, am I allowed to say in public that a 1600x900 screen was too much for me? Everything was just so small, and it took such a long time to navigate from one side of the screen to another. I actually think the 1366x768 is a good size for a 13" screen. I also prefer the independent mouse buttons of the toshiba, the dedicated home/end/pgup/pgdn keys, the extra USB port, the full size hdmi and vga that don't require adapters, the more secure power connector, and the extra $400 in savings, but that's just me.

I'm simply not seeing the screen wobble that other people have noticed... sure, if I plant it on a steady surface, and flick the screen with my finger, it will wobble a few times and then steady itself again, but with regular typing on my lap, I'm not really noticing it.

 

Remember, this is the "Best Buy" version; the z835 through Toshiba is still $850-$900
Portege Z835-ST8305 Ultrabook™


IMO, I think Best Buy's plan is to cut the cost of the z835 to a point where they make hardly anything on the laptop sale, but make tons of cash of their extra addons: Best Buy warranty, accessories [laptop bags, mice, etc..], and technical support [geek squad]. From what I see it's working, everyone is buying the z835 from Best Buy, not ToshibaDirect.

 

Those dastardly fiends... you won't see me buying your overpriced warranties and accessories! I am my OWN geeksquad!

 

Shhh! Keep your voice down! Actually, I agree. While I absolutely love 1600x900 on a 16.4" screen, it's a bit much (for me) on a 13.3" screen.

Typical loss leader. And it seems to be working well for them!

 

@makryger:

I want 1920x1200 (not 1080 mind you) on a 13" screen... ala the old Sony Z.

At least while my eyes still work.

 

@SoundGood:

I can read the copyright below line 11.

 

I'm pretty sure there's an " E" up on top.

 

i thought it was an M that fell over

 

No need to buy special torx bits just to open the back cover to upgrade RAM. I used two small slot drivers and can turn the torx screw easily.

 

That's understandable, especially about the resolution. For now since my eyes are still great I like the higher resolution. The money to me is less important since I'll be using the machine for 4 years or more depending how its holding up (I'm still using an asus a8js right now that I bought back in jan of 07).

The mini hdmi isn't a big deal, monoprice makes a mini hdmi to full sized hdmi cable in lengths of like 1.5ft to 20ft. Like I said, I am a heavy typer so I didn't have any issues with the keyboard. The pad wasn't perfect but it seems as updates have come out it's gotten better.

I liked the z830, and honestly if I was only going to be using it for a year or 2 I'd probably have just gone with it. But I tend to keep my laptops longer so I wanted something that feels slightly more high end. Thats the beauty of computers, there is something for everyone.

 

Didn't have those either...but for 2$ its no big deal...

personally the zenbook was my first choice out of the ultrabooks but I feel iffy about the fact that regularly ASUS provides 2 years warranty on their laptops, this one has 1 year.

While I always liked ASUS products I have a saying "If a manufacturer is confident with the quality of their product, they offer a warranty that reflects their confidence in said product"

 

hmm there's a sale on Vaio SA with i5/Radeon6630m/5400rpm HDD for $800. It's 3.65 lbs and 0.92" (vs 2.54 lbs and 0.64" in Z835) and around 4.5 hrs of flash/wifi battery life. Not sure if I should keep Z835 or not. It's fast enough for me now with the i3 but maybe down the line it might not run everything I need it for, I multi-task a lot with opera + firefox + IE, and excel/powerpoint all open.

 

For your use an i3 is more then enough, if something comes along that your laptop can't handle neither will that sony laptop.

One thing I can suggest regardless of what processor you got is get an app similar to Flash Control for Google chrome. I am sure other browsers have similar extensions. What it does is deactivates all flash until you click on it/white-list the url. Super useful when multitasking due to all those unused tabs have flash advertisements which waste cpu/gpu resources.

 

Went to staples today. I bought a pack of Mont Blanc roller ball refills and tried to look for a portfolio for my z830. I found a nice zippered portfolio with a pad/notebook inside, but it's over $50 after tax. It was so nice too Stiff hard cover but it's wrapped in faux leather with foam padding.

And wow! This thread is now at 16 pages. That's alot longer than most threads I've seen around that aren't stickied.

Back to topic...
So lately my z830 has been really slow. My fear is the SSD slowly dying on me. I used CCleaner on it, but only the actual cleaner. I don't use the "Wipe Free Space" because it writes over it so many times.

Since I'm planning to return this after the holidays, how can I safely reformat the SSD so your average Joe won't be able to recover sensitive info? I recently did 3 factory restart, and I was still able to recover many documents.