Official X500 Owner's Lounge!

Hello there!

I am a proud fresh owner of TOSHIBA X500 - 110 (can't figure out what this 110 stands for; maybe it determines the 'Adriatic Region of Europe', it was made for - sticker says so - and that's where I am from),,,

The biggest dissapointment is the lack of subwoofer - really can't believe they didn't put it in!!!

Especially since I was thinking whether to buy HP Pavilion DV7 (half price of X500) - which has subwoofer and both HDDs running on 7200rpm (which is the 2nd thing I would really like to see on this baby!)...

Yeah, you are right about the keyboard, it is little bit too flat and too narrow - and entire comp, but especially the keyboard is made of fabulous shiny material which is impossible to keep clean. Once you've touched it - it is dirty, or better call it greasy - forever..

And sound (although with the best possible HK speakers) just can't fill up lacking of subwoofer...

But let's get to the good side!

This Intel i7 Q 720M with its 8 cores (4 physical and 4 Hyper Threaded) - it is just amazing! Its TurboBust technology is working perfectly...

I can't benchmark games for you, cause I am film&video editor/post production artist - but I can assure you that these Intel cores with 6MB of L3 cash, nVidia 250 graphics, 1TB (2x500 GB HDDs) and with 6GB of RAM - (all of that on 64bit Win7 Premium) simply blows away any desktop comp with first generation of, let's say, Intel Pentium Dual Core/Quad CPUs

I've been very worried (along side of all these hardware features above), if this machine is gonna be able to run my editing and after effects applications, only cause of slow (5.400rpm) hard disks,,,

But it works like a superstar!

First of all, I installed entire ADOBE CS4 PREMIUM STUDIO - which is about 15 heavy artillery programs... PREMIERE, PHOTOSHOP, AUDIGY (SoundBooth) and AFTER EFFECTS running at the same time, rendering fast, accepting as many effects as I put on those video tracks! --- guess that this 64bit OS and lot of RAM does its part very well - and I can still put in more RAM if I want)

And the same thing as with ADOBE package happens when I install AVID MEDIA COMPOSER with its package of supporting programs (without un-installing ADOBE)....

These i7 cores are just running up and down as threads come to them! very smooth.

SCREEN - or LCD monitor if you wanna - very bright, has some issues when you move your head up or to the side - but no spills of light - contrast is so strong that I have to put brightness down when working at the night time!

Greatly illuminated keyboard! good TOSHIBA software tools that come with it. My model has FINGERPRINT READER (I've red that some lacked it!)

Camera works better then I've expected it.

It is big and heavy, with short battery life - but that you kind of expect from monster like this (its AC adapter is big and heavy - around 2 lbs)

It for sure it is the Machine that will play a great role when I have to edit my video and photo footage on the location!!!

Only, the red-lit buttons, left from keyboard - (volume controls and such) make unbelievably loud noise, which you can't control - so, putting it in the MUTE mode, wakes up everyone around you

Oh, yeah, the touch-pad is great, made of some textured material - but waaaay too small!

After using 15.4" ACER for years, without mouse, I had to install one, on the day my X500 came from the store...

And the last thing!
It says on the box of my comp, in all specs, everywhere - that I have a Bluetooth, among other peripheral controls...
CAN'T FIND IT...
I guess there must be a software way to it, but I can't locate its existence anywhere in the hardware - I've tried with EVEREST, AIDA32 etc - nothing similar to BlueTooth seems to be around...
Anyone dag it out?

PS
Very interesting thing - do you ppl know how much do those notebooks cost here in Europe - this X500 is 2000 EUR (which is around) $3,000! If I understand it correctly it is almost 100% cheaper in US!
And so it is with all technical gadgets! Can't figure out why???!!!! It is not a new - "after the recession" - thing. It's been like that for ever...
You guys make more money and buy things for half price we pay for them!
Lucky you!

 

What they call "subwoofer" on the notebooks is not a proper subwoofer. It's just a low-frequency speaker, needed not to reproduce very low frequency (it can't, since still too small), but to make primary tiny speakers to sound less crappy
Since X500 has quite big primary drivers, they quite good in low frequencies already (except for real <100Hz subwoofers, which can not be put in the notebook anyway). I've compared sound on X500 and X200 (X200 had 2-band speakers and subwoofer), and X500 sounds better - no less bass, but sound is a lot more clearer (because of lack of interference between speaker bands).

You can control button beeps - in the BIOS setup.

To use bluetooth either install Toshiba Bluetooth Monitor (will use built-in OS stack) or install full Toshiba Bluetooth custom stack.

European models are little different, first of all they include bluRay writer (which is very expensive), fingerprint reader, and some other config differences. Also European prices customary include VAT while US prices do not include sales tax.

 

Thnx for these few eye openers!

 

In my BIOS, I can only TURN FUNCTIONAL KEYS SOUND ON or OFF - can't regulate its volume - it's either loud as can be or with no sound at all... My BIOS is from September 2009....
Do you know whether there is a newer version and if so, which tool do You use to flash BIOS???

 

I never said that you can regulate its volume... But you can switch beeps off.

 

Yes. I biosed that touchy stuff after it kept going into eco mode by accident and then programmed my num pad arrows to control up-down and mute when doing games and other stuff. Dont know why they bother with that crap to da left. Some things are meant to be analog. I miss an ole wheel to turn,too.

 

Hello,
Like some of you, I 'm finding the sound quite strange. I've read that some of you have unistalled the conexant driver. I'm not quite sure, what I need to reinstal after that. Do I need to instal some Windows 7 generic drivers ? from where ?
Thanks in advance for your response.

 

Hey all i have a big problem here ok i gave my mate my laptop to upgrade from the win 7 oem to enterprise version and he did not make any recovery dvds or anything and now i cant install or find any graphics drivers for the 250m ive tried the ones on the toshiba website and nothing and the nivida web site says i need to get the ones from toshiba atm my card is only working at 14mb (ment to be 1gb) and the driver is a standed vga card driver any help would be great or if i could get a copy of the recovery dvds sent would be great too im in australia melbourne thenks

 

Got my X500 for over 2 months, I cant really see the difference compare to my X300 (Ran Test etc)

Just Bigger screen @_@

 

can any one please help me with my problem?

 

download drivers from laptopvideo2go.com forum

 

These drivers should work - http://www.nvidia.com/object/win7_winvista_64bit_195.62_whql.html I dont see why they wouldnt. Give them a shot.

 

Sometimes notebook OEM would put a restriction that driver update is avilable only from their websites & not from Nvidia directly. From my experience I feel that this happens when they are trying to limit something in GPU so they customize the driver.

This is a good suggestion as this site has driver with moded ini. So you can install any driver. But keep in mind that this will lift any limitations came with the stock driver from OEM. It can be good & also bad depending upon your preferences. For example I was having very low frame rates in some games with the stock driver (in my 3 years old machine ). But when I installed the updated driver from laptopvideo, the performance increased 2X. But my GPU temps also became very high causing occasional problems.
But I am still running that updated driver cause the performance jump is just too big .

 

well i instaled win7 ultma x64 and its running now only problem is when i play cod: world at war and most other games cept spore it freezes and goes all 16 bit looking then the computer crashes and goes in to the blue screen of death

is there any chance any one can send me recovery cds? dont want to pay the 90 bucks from toshiba to get them

or if any one else can make any suggestions on this as the computer is only 3 days old

 

Looking for a bag any suggestion ?_?

 

use your recovery partition,man! Unless you axed it then your up e creek. Dont think anyone can just send you their recovery disks. Theres recovery utilities all over the x500.Have a look and good luck.

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...474&cm_re=toshiba_18.4-_-34-996-474-_-Product I would get this. I got this, waiting for it to ship. I eventually will take out the machine just not yet. Kinda embarrassing being in Starbucks and everyone is looking at you lol.

 

I was @ Starbucks on Christmas eve with my X300, and people was whispering how huge my X300 was,they also commented how on earth would people buy such laptops and carrying them around. Well I just continue surfing the net, and looking @ bags for my X500.

This tell me, that most people are just jealous because they don't have one. IMO The Qosmio series is a brilliant machine or so notebook gaming on the go. No offence to people, this is a free world and why I should be bother with what people have and have not. I am a proud owner of an X300 & X500!!!

If i had a bag for my X500 I would bring it out on my own joy and take it to anywhere i wish.

 

Don't think so.
Personally I would'nt understand too why the heck would you carry such huge & heavy machine to Starbucks to "surf the net" (except maybe trying to be a show off ), and I own one myself
Neither I would use a shoulder bag - 18.4 inches in the shoulder bag look just comically huge, and 5+ kilos make me walk visibly inclined That's why I use backpak for traveling with my X500.

 

Well imo if you can afford a Ferrari its no point keeping it in the garage. Of course you take it out to show it off otherwise whats the point of having one.
or
In your case I would have gotten a desktop

 

These Toshibas are hardly Ferrari of laptop world, which clearly visible in their price too - they maybe big, but they still mainstream range.
Ferrari's are Alienwares, Sagers or mobile workstations like Dell Precision, or HP Elitebooks.

I would get a desktop, if not the need to do actual travel with it. Kind of hard to pack desktop PC in the backpack.

 

I do own a Alienware, just bought one 2 weeks ago. I take it to work everyday and its great with CAD. I m just saying I do understand it is huge and heavy. Just people don't mind there business from where i m from thats all.

 

Hey i bring my precision m6400 to starbucks i never get any looks cause its looking boring but boy it is way from being that. When i get the bag i will think of taking it out with me sometime, its just that's huge to put on those small desks. But eh whatever, they are made to be taken out anywhere. It seems like my 17 inch targus backback is starting to lose its life already, so i probaly will buy a toshiba 18.4 backpack eventually, bookbags do even the weight at times but i do like to change shoulders sometimes. This machine is not top of the line, neither is it a Ferrari, or a mustang, its like a honda with special features.

 

Hm, i dont see why people have become so weak, lol. There were people who use to carry 20" Laptops around (Remember the XPS and the HDX Dragon?)

People need to start going to the gym, lol.

 

Yeah baby girl i agree i need to go the gym, my shoulders hurt a lot lol. How have you been? I really don't care how heavy it is sometimes, its meant to be portable take it out!

 

Totally Agree

 

Now how you will look if you bring that in the Starbucks lol - you'll defenitely get the *looks*, yeah. Looks for being top mark insane instead of just little silly

Let's not turn this into absurd, will we? Next you'll say you should lug PC case in one bag and monitor in other around just to stay healthy - I've done this for LAN parties, but that its possible does not mean it should be done as often as you could

 

Can I damage the speaker on my X500 if I turn the volume to max? or it just a myth?

 

I don't think so. Amplifiers on laptops are simply not powerful enough.

 

Yea that's what I though...just some folks from work where telling if I play mp3 on max or even play games, I can say goodbye to me speakers ..... Thanks for the answer mate

 

I am interested in this laptop for HD video editing, primarily avchd files. My hp hdx16 doesn't cut it. I was looking at the 850 and a hp dv8t. The hardware seems better in the toshiba and toshiba seems to be a more reliable brand. I would appreciate thoughts.

How about anywhere to buy in the US? The only place I have located is the toshiba site at 1899 plus tax with 4 to 5 weeks for delivery.

Jim

 

Hi there, You can try Ebay I saw a couple there for sale.

 

Early Happy NEW YEAR guys!!

 

Lol I had both and most people could carry them, you just looked like a pleb whilst doing so

 

Its hard to buy the machine out of the country, try not to get with the ssd its just too small upgrade later, when they are much cheaper. The sub woofer does not matter much, its the external speakers, i recommend kllipsch pro media 2.1 computer speakers.

 

Kllipsch pro media 2.1 very please to own a set, couldn't agree more!

http://reviews.cnet.com/pc-speakers/klipsch-promedia-2-1/4505-3179_7-9807237.html

 

Yes man its amazing i am going to get it soon enough.

 

I just purchased one of these cant wait to get it. Two questions.

1. Does anyone use a laptop cooler with this? I am not a gamer, but will be using this for avchd video editing.

2. I would appreciate feedback on the usb dock.

Jim

 

1. Why do you need cooler? This is huge laptop with not hot components inside, it gets plenty of cooling by itself, and it's quiet too.

2. Why don't you just buy any good USB hub you like, like I did? I connected all my external peripherals to hub, so if I want to sit with laptop on the couch, I just unplug 2 cables (power and usb to hub).

 

I dont necessarily want to buy want, I thought I would need one. Based on your feedback, I don't need one, is that what you are saying?

What is a good usb hub? I have not heard great things about the toshiba.

Jim

 

Yep, I don't think you need laptop cooler.

Well, personally I just bought noname 7-port chinese USB hub from eBay for 5 bucks
Though later I have found it does not work well in self-powered mode (with power supply attached) - makes battery fuse to trip (!).

So I think you would wan't to at least buy a know brand name hub, like Belkin, Targus, etc. More expensive, but more quality

 

Hi there,

Just to let you know playing games on the x500 I usually get about 73 degrees tops, without playing games 53 degrees tops, the most heat are usually between the speakers (along the middle section below the LCD panel). Yes i do use a cooler for it (not much difference in terms of helping lowering the temperature)

there are only 4 Usb Dock on the X500 it seem or I am blind eek: ) So I bought a cooler with 4 USB 2.0 port included.

Hope this help with your Question.
______________________________
Toshiba Qosmio (X300-770)
Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T9400 (2.53GHz, 6MB L2 Cache, 1066MHz FSB)
W7 UE (32 Bit), 4GB ram KKR 1066, Resolution 1,680 x 1,050
WD Scorpio Black 320GB x 2 (Without free-fall sensor)
NVIDIA GeForce 9700M GTS

Toshiba Qosmio (X500-D830)
Intel® CoreTM i7-720QM
W7 Home Pre (64 Bit), 4GB ram, 18.4" Full HD (16:9)
Stock 320GB x 2 7200rpm
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTS 250M

 

new bios. Anyone try it yet?

 

no not yet, going to wait for another couple of months 1st

______________________________
Toshiba Qosmio (X300-770)
Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T9400 (2.53GHz, 6MB L2 Cache, 1066MHz FSB)
W7 UE (32 Bit), 4GB ram KKR 1066, Resolution 1,680 x 1,050
WD Scorpio Black 320GB x 2 (Without free-fall sensor)
NVIDIA GeForce 9700M GTS

Toshiba Qosmio (X500-D830)
Intel® CoreTM i7-720QM
W7 Home Pre (64 Bit), 4GB ram, 18.4" Full HD (16:9)
Stock 320GB x 2 7200rpm
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTS 250M

 

Heres my Toshiba Setup, I know is not much........going to get some new table soon.



This is thee bag for the X500 that toshiba sent me today, I am very pleased.......Perfect backpack for it



______________________________
Toshiba Qosmio (X300-770)
Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T9400 (2.53GHz, 6MB L2 Cache, 1066MHz FSB)
W7 UE (32 Bit), 4GB ram KKR 1066, Resolution 1,680 x 1,050
WD Scorpio Black 320GB x 2 (Without free-fall sensor)
NVIDIA GeForce 9700M GTS

Toshiba Qosmio (X500-D830)
Intel® CoreTM i7-720QM
W7 Home Pre (64 Bit), 4GB ram, 18.4" Full HD (16:9)
Stock 320GB x 2 7200rpm
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTS 250M

 

Just installed.
Most obvious thing immediately noticed - better CPU(left) fan speed management, less noisy from initial boot moments.

 

I installed as well. My install of Win 7 updated some drivers, did a reboot and everything is "normal".

I don't see any real changes, didn't listen to the bootup fan speed since it rarely gets shut down.

Boot times still logging the same speed, a quick benchmark shows no difference. I'd say nothing "really" major from a user perspective.

 

I finally got my Toshiba bag nice bag, its very confortable even though you know you are carrying ten plus pounds with this bag i don't feel it much. I like the gts 250 but man this card is so slow, stupid toshiba worrying about eco mode, i can't achieve two hours and a half even if i wanted too just ain't going to happen. So who has overclocked the card and what clocks do you recommend?

 

I will be getting my x500-q875 tomorrow and have a question about a 2nd hard drive. Unfortunately, I could not fine a 850 or the new 880 that has the ssd + hd. I have heard that you cannot add a 2nd hard drive but cant confirm that. Is it possible? I would love to keep the 320gb and add a 80gb ssd but my only option may be to add a bigger ssd. Thanks for the assistance.

Jim

 

If you buying the model that has one hard drive originally, the second bay will not have a connector, so addition is not possible unfortunately.