New Portege Z830

@sergey:

For the z835, I think the P330 is actually the non-Best Buy model... the 8305 is the BB one.

And the only difference between the two that I can tell is the fingerprint reader.

For BT and Win7Pro... you have to go to the z830 models.

 

I think you are wrong. BB is p330 toshibadirect is st8305

As fot BT, on the Toshiba Direct site, it is clearly stated that z835 ST has BT. And a tel representative said, that it is there. It is all little bit confusing...

 

It would make sense that the BB model is P330 since it uses a different designation than the 83xx numbers, but I'm using Tosh's product description page:

Toshiba Portege® Z830 Series Ultrabook Laptops | us.toshiba.com - All Available Models & Configurations

It would also make sense that the BB model would be the only one without BT or the fingerprint reader, but not having BT on an z835 vs an z830 is also logical.

I would lean towards your ToshibaDirect page being more correct but a phone call might clear things up (or not, depending on the knowledge of the sales rep).

Either way, I am looking for a z830 that has BT and the fingerprint reader, although a $799 z835 is very compelling (maybe I'll get both!).

 

My z830 (supposedly with an i7 processor) is still showing slated to arrive on Wednesday. Guess I'll camp out with the owner's manual tonight. Looks like a fairly comprehensive manual. Been a while since I owned a Toshiba. I've been using Thinkpads now for probably 15 years. Feels good to know that a manufacturer has covered this many bases (over 200 pages-worth; of course, many are warnings designed by lawyers rather than set up for users actually to learn). Either way, I'm looking forward to Christmas on Wednesday.

 

Hi Sir!

Mind sharing the FCC ID for the Z830?
I wish to study its wireless performance and compare it with other ultrabooks.
I hope you could help.

Thanks in advance.

 

Well, for those of you worried about the bluetooth, I'm going to buy the Intel Centrino Advanced N 6230 and try that instead. (About $25) I'll report back the results.. though it probably won't be for a couple weeks.

Lemmy_0, I'm not sure what the FCC ID is, but the chip in there right now is an Intel Wifi 1000 bgn.

 

Talked to a Toshiba rep named "Vanessa." She said that, to replace the 120 Gig SSD that is coming installed as standard [in the new z830 that's supposed to arrive on Wednesday], I needed to look for a Serial ATA SSD. Could that be? I was just thinking she'd say "SATA 2" -- or something similar. 2.5", right? So... would this Sandisk work?

 

No, I think this new z830 Portege is a bit different. I'm pretty sure it uses an mSATA drive; a newer interface and a lot smaller. Thus, while most laptops use regular SATA, Vanessa is wrong. [**EDIT** - It is common for the Sales Reps to be wrong when you ask about technical specifics. I've seen this before].

AnandTech - Toshiba Portege Z835: A New Ultrabook Appears

Here's some examples of mSATA drives:
Newegg.com - msata


If you really need a larger Harddrive, HDD or SSD, and want regular SATA connectivity, perhaps look at the Portege R830.

 

@makryger - thanks for the heads up. that will be of help. but not enough for the information I need. I'll still be standing by here.

 

Regular SSDs won't fit in sub 1-inch ultrabooks.

 

In today's PC Mag review of the Toshiba Portégé Z835-P330 (the Best Buy $799.99 model), the author, Brian Westover, notes:

I'd like to buy a WiDi adapter for use with my new Z835. However, the Toshiba Z830/Z835 series is not yet listed on the Netgear compatibility site as a computer that functions with their Push2TV adapter. The Intel Wireless Display website lists 3 adapters that are currently available for WiDi: Netgear Push2TV HD Adapter PTV2000, Belkin ScreenCast TV Adapter, and D-Link DHD-131 TV Adapter. I've done a Google search and cannot find any reviews comparing the 3 WiDi adapters side by side.

Do any of you have experience with WiDi adapters or any thoughts about which of the 3 available WiDi units will offer the greatest compatibility with the Toshiba Z830/Z835?

 

My mother has the Netgear WiDI adapter. Works very good with her SONY-S laptop; pretty cool for steaming Youtube vids and etc...

I would think, if Toshiba has the WiDi listed, then it is probably there. I just don't think Netgear updated their database.

 

SSD probably won't fit in laptops with mSATAs as their main storage.

Here's an image that compares: mSATA, 1.8" Flash, 2.5" SSD, and 3.5" HDD

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/msata-ssd-flash,review-32232.html

For reference, the smallest on the left is a mSATA
The third drive from the left [white drive] is a 2.5" SSD

 

Very helpful stuff. So the technology just isn't quite there yet for 256 GB, it seems. See this article, for example.

 

I've done research on these WiDi adapters and there's not a tremendous amount of info about them. I would say that your best choice is the Netgear PTV2000 model though.
Netgear, like the others, does a REALLY poor job of maintaining compatibility info so don't expect to see the Toshiba Z830 listed for months (if it ever gets listed). Also, Netgear will offer you ZERO support as it's not on their compatibility list. But it really should just work!
I suggest doing what I did. Buy it from somewhere that won't give you a hard time about returning it if it doesn't work. Respectable online stores are selling for $100 or less now.
I'm not sure if I will buy another for my new laptop. It was not 100% reliable with previous laptops. May just stick to HDMI connections.

 

I actually bought the netgear PTV2000 model off of ebay ($60) last week in anticipation of buying the z835. I was hoping to basically have a wireless docking station- with a small logitech adapter plugged into a usb port, wireless printer and storage, and then just have the computer connect to my larger monitor via WiDi. However, from the reviews I've read, it sounds like there is a slight lag that makes it difficult to use for this purpose. For videos, it works great, but not the lag makes it difficult for mouse use. So I may end up just hooking it up via HDMI.

But as I mentioned earlier on in this thread- the one feature no one is talking about is HDMI-CEC! The toshibas are one of the few companies that provide this natively. So you can use your tv remote to control your laptop. Or turn on your laptop, and (if connected via hdmi), the tv will turn on and go to the right input.

 

Oh, btw, you know what bugged me the most about the Z835 available for pickup at Best Buy? Every single one of the boxes was in poor condition. They had this black/grey dirt/imprint all over the front that really detracted from the small, premium and new look of the package. It could have just been that one shipment at the best buy i was looking at, but every single box had the same problem. Also, they put this anti-theft plastic tie around the box that is so tight that it actually cuts into the corners of the box a bit. Minor quibbles, but I feel like these problems are easily avoidable.

 

I noticed this poor condition on ours as well, and it had an overnight UPS label on it direct from Toshiba - I think all the early shipments were couriered over night to the stores - ouch on cost for them!

 

I can confirm the lag from personal experience. It's far too long to make it a practical monitor. Moving the cursor is like using low bandwidth remote control software.

You will also be sending 1280x720p -- I've gotten it to send 1920x1080p but that makes the lag even worse and the connection even more unreliable.
I've also had the connection drop unexpectedly even though I have the laptop directly in front of the TV.

 

To the owners of the Best Buy model of this laptop: Is it a speedy laptop? I'm looking for emailing, surfing the internet, and watching 1080p videos. Hope it doesn't buffer on HD quality vids.

 

For those purposes, the z835 will be plenty fast. Keep in mind that the screen resolution is 1366x768, so you'll be just as well off playing 720p content as 1080p, but performance should not be an issue for any of the things on that list.

 

Makryger is correct; the z830 can only watch 720p videos on the screen [no ultrabooks have 1080p resolutions].

You can watch 1080p videos if you hook up an external monitor [that has a 1080p resolution]. However, the buffering issue is dependent on your internet connection/stability. [It was a factor of the hardware, but the included Intel HD 3000 graphics has shown it can stream 1080p content].

Good luck

 

Just to tweak that statement- you can watch 1080p videos on the z830, however the resolution will be downsized to your screen. So you may as well their 720p counterparts, if you've got them. But as alex said, that's the same with all 13" laptops.

 

Your correct again Makryger !!
Thanks for the correction.

 

Just wanted to say hi all...one on the way! i7!

 

Good stuff, Series_9_guy. I can't figure it out -- the UPS tracking page says it's still expected by end of the day tomorrow (i7)... but the truck hasn't checked in since it departed Aliso Viejo, CA on 11/18. Shouldn't there be some kind of sorting hub in Memphis or something? Either way, I'll be pretty disappointed now if it doesn't come tomorrow. I guess... sometime tomorrow, the status should change to "Out on truck for delivery." If it doesn't, with Thanksgiving break, I'll be toast. :-(

 

I see that you live in Louisville, KY. Chances are it's heading straight there; one of UPS's largest HUBs is located in Louisville [I think it's the largest UPS HUB in the US].

Also, as for Toshiba, they have UPS do all their repairs, which is also conducted in Louisville, KY. If you ever run into a problem I would expect fast turn around times

 

I have no less than 6 mSATAs to play with in this baby!

 

You must be regretting you chosen screen name....


Anyways, in other news, I noticed on a spec sheet that Toshiba is actually not telling the entire truth regarding the actual thickness of this laptop. Even though we've been told 0.63", that number is... inflated! Its 0.63" with the feet. Without them, its only 0.33". Less than 9 mm! Is that even possible?

 

Is there a noticeable difference between the core i3 and i5 processors? Is it worth the extra $200-300?

 

Between the MSRP of $899 and $1099... it could be because you also get other things beside just the bump in CPU. But from BB's $799 to $1099... that's really tough because the speed diff is small compared to $300.

 

Guess what! My z830 just left Hodgkins, IL, which is apparently just 5 hours from Louisville. It departed there at 10pm. Does that mean it could still make it on to a truck tomorrow morning? Whoa. Is it really happening? (Christmas early)

 

I just picked up a Z835 from BB. After using it for few hours, I can say its a good notebook for the price. Here are my pros/cons:

PROS:
The screen is ok, not great but decent
keyboard is good (except spacebar, see below)
Look are good for a business user
very light weight and thin
Touchpad and buttons work well

CONS:
LCD vert viewing angles could be better
Space bar response is not good for my typing position - I tend to hit the spacebar on the right edge so it feels very mushy
Fan Noise is very annoying. It makes the notebook seem cheap. If you press the fan, it almost makes a quiet blender like noise-- this is my biggest complaint (probably not loud enough that others would hear in a meeting) Lastly, it's not necessarily that the noise is loud, it's the sound itself. I have other laptops that make noise but it's an air type sounds, this sounds like the fan is getting old and needs some lube...

With that said, overall it works fine. I haven't loaded Office yet but i have the R835 with i3 processor and it works just fine - i'll assume the same.

 

Those are totally different i3 (mobile vs full voltage) so keep comparing, it is interesting!

 

On the truck and out for delivery!!! Whoooo-hoooo!

 

After using the Z835 I picked up at Best Buy on Friday I have to say that overall it is a pretty decent machine but the fan noise is very annoying. It does indeed sounds like it is old and not working right . . .
I am trying to decide wether to return or keep - if it wasn't for the fan noise I would probably keep this but the noise is very noticeable in a quiet room.

 

I wonder if there is a way to turn off the fan... or at least modulate it based on temperature. It sounds like some other Toshiba laptops had fan issues as well, which ended up being a problem with the bios. There was a a satellite model that had this problem first reported in sept 2010, and only recently got the bios fix.

 

Mine is configuring at this moment -- so lots of activity . . . and the fan is *barely* discernible. I mean... I can hear it if I listen for it, but in our office environment here, I won't notice it any more than I would the air coming in from the ventilation.

Shew -- sure is a major deal to allow it to do all the software install though. It's probably been configuring for 30 minutes so far.

My first impression is just how *light* it is. Everybody in our office gathered around because it was like nothing they'd ever seen before. This is the form factor that everybody's always wished for in a laptop. Amazingly light. Remarkably thin. But with an i7 processor and 6 gig of RAM. Seems impossible.

 

Congrats z830guy!!! Sounds like your the envy of the office

Keep us posted with any updates and make sure to give us a mini-review of your thoughts.

 

Thanks for asking!
Everything has worked... exactly the way one would have wanted it to work.

• "Out-of-box experience": Awe
• Display is *fine*. It's the thinnest display in the world. I didn't expect it to light up the entire atrium, you know?
• Ports are *perfect*: Some engineer should win an award for this. How did they squeeze in all this stuff?
• Keyboard is so *quiet*. Yes, I have to memorize the new key locations, so the reviewer that complained about the keyboard probably just didn't have those keys memorized with finger memory yet. The flat tops are probably flat (as opposed to raised and concave) so the whole set-up will be thinner -- duh. So sure it's a trade-off, but I'm guessing that anyone who buys this machine is willing to take the trade-off because they wanted a thin machine anyway, you know?
• The fan is *fine*. It's here on the desk beside me, quiet as a mouse. Not even making a peep, even though it's downloading the install file for Microsoft Office from our volume licensing site. So the bios is shutting down the fan to *nothing* when load on the processor is lighter, exactly as one would hope. But even when it was revved up a while ago, again, it's just part of having a thin machine, with less heat sink maybe, ... and an i7 processor.
• The fingerprint reader worked *amazingly* well. Toshiba's routine was completely intuitive. And it read the fingerprints tons better than the fingerprint reader I've been using on a Lenovo machine.
• In short, so far - I love it. I can't remember *when* I've looked forward to owning a computer more than this one. Thanks Toshiba!!!

 

The file installation is probably doing more to stress your SSD than your CPU. For the CPU, you may want to try something like a 1080p youtube clip to see if that gets the fan up.

But now that I'm thinking of the SSD-there was a question of whether Toshiba would be using the same one in their higher up models. You think you could try running CrystalDiskMark to see whether the SSD is any better than the best buy model?

 

Gosh, it sounds like we are speaking about two different machines. I can hardly hear the fan noise, except when I place my ear very close to the keyboard. After the reports of loud fan noise from others on this forum, I thought that maybe I'm developing presbyacusis (hearing loss associated with aging). So I asked my office mate, who is 10 years my junior, and he said he would be very hard pressed to hear any fan noise. I think that the background noise from his old Gateway 9550 XL and from the general hubbub of our medical office blocks out any trace of fan noise from the Toshiba Z835.

 

I went to Best Buy today in hopes of seeing some of the "Black Friday" items, and actually decided to also check out the z830.

I was very impressed by the unit and started laughing when I picked it up; it really is amazingly lightweight. I didn't spend much time with it, but the screen looked acceptable and bright, and the bootup times were VERY fast. All for $799; I don't see any better deals than that.

Toshiba made a real winner here. Now I'm considering buying one in the foreseeable future

 

So you have finally seen the light (weight)...

 

On the topic of fan noise.

Is it possible that some Z830/5 models have a nerfed cooling system like the Best Buy model of the R830 did?

 

Yes ! lol

 

Sure. Running it right now.

I just keep shaking my head in amazement. My fingers have already adapted to the keyboard... for the most part. (OK, I still stumble when I reach up for the backspace, and I haven't even begun to figure out the fact that I have a dedicated "home" and "end" key again, but on the main "letter" keys, I love it. I'm booking it. It has a *great* touch and plenty of keypress (travel) for my taste. And I'm loving it that I can't "outtype" it. I've been using a bluetooth Microsoft 6000 keyboard for the previous year. Didn't realize home much it was slowing me down!!!

All the utilities are working flawlessly. Volume, monitor switching (I use a desktop monitor at home and a different model at work, with differing resolutions -- and it adapted completely automatically, so long as I remember to 'throw' the signal to exclusive desktop -- instead of "duplicate" on laptop screen and desktop... which is a standard maneuver for me anyway.)

I've worked off a slate for the past year -- an Asus EP121 -- and I carried it *everywhere*. I wondered if I would keep carrying around this z830 just as much as I did the slate. My wife had to politely ask me if I could leave it at home when we went to Blockbuster to rent a video for the family to watch together. Yup -- I love it.

I'm still on battery. Haven't plugged it in since I left the office at 3pm... and it's been on the whole time (except for the 15' trip to the video store ). I've been copying and installing. It runs MS Office 2010 lickety-split. And it says it still has 37% remaining!!! (1 hour and a half minimum remaining)

My 24-year-old was all set to make fun of me until he took it in one hand, iPad in the other. Yikes, guys -- it's practically the same weight! It *felt* the same weight. And the size isn't really all that much different!

So -- not sure what this means... but I can tell you that it gives the *appearance* of being very fast:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
CrystalDiskMark 3.0.1 x64 (C) 2007-2010 hiyohiyo
Crystal Dew World : http://crystalmark.info/
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
* MB/s = 1,000,000 byte/s [SATA/300 = 300,000,000 byte/s]

Sequential Read : 159.601 MB/s
Sequential Write : 51.070 MB/s
Random Read 512KB : 144.643 MB/s
Random Write 512KB : 30.079 MB/s
Random Read 4KB (QD=1) : 7.990 MB/s [ 1950.6 IOPS]
Random Write 4KB (QD=1) : 2.287 MB/s [ 558.3 IOPS]
Random Read 4KB (QD=32) : 8.581 MB/s [ 2095.0 IOPS]
Random Write 4KB (QD=32) : 5.966 MB/s [ 1456.5 IOPS]

Test : 1000 MB [C: 56.5% (61.3/108.5 GB)] (x5)
Date : 2011/11/23 21:30:54
OS : Windows 7 SP1 [6.1 Build 7601] (x64)

----
Found some SSD benchmark scores here:
Based on that chart, I guess my Toshiba SSD is right *next* to the bottom of the barrel. Oops. All I can say is -- whoa... if it seems to run this fast with *this* drive, think what it'll do when we find the write 256 Gig drive for upgrading.

 

I can't figure out how these benchmark software products are supposed to work:

Many SSD Benchmark Reviews Contain Flaws - Zorinaq

 

Oh, the sequential read speed seems not that fast...


Have you tried running Windows System Rating?
How much is its score?

 

Oh and by the way, please share the FCC ID.

Thanks in advance...