Ok, I ordered an A4...

I better see an ExpressCard slot!
These are the specs:

Pentium M 760
Windows XP Pro
512MB DDR333 (512x1) - no DDR2 avail. I have to accept compromises...
15.4" WXGA TruBrite
GeForce 6600 128MB
60GB HDD 4200rpm - I hope swapping for a faster HDD is possible
8x DVD burner dual-layer
WiFi Intel2200 BG
6-cell battery

Do you think it can handle Far Cry?

 

OK! Good luck!

And tell us how that goes...

 

It will burn and rip Far Cry easy...

Except in the future if you plan to do an upgrade to it, i would up grade it to the 100GB 7200RPM drive once it get release.

Also need to get another DDR 512MB...

Right now the spec for Dual Channel DDR PC3200 should be far in benchmark from single channel DDR2.

 

I plan on ordering the same laptop soon with similar specs but I found that the upgrade prices were astronomical on Toshiba's site. This is also true of Dell and Sony who is the worst.

The 760 processors is about 175-185 price difference compared to the 740 if you were to purchase separately versus the 250 upcharge. Granted having an extra 740 processor lying around is not likely to make that worthwhile unless you know someone willing to buy it for you. The option for a 750 would be great but they inexplicably skipped over that.

The 512mb DDR333 1xDIMM is a $100.00 upgrade when you could buy one for 70-80 bucks and still have the 256mb DIMM netting you 768mb system RAM versus 512.

The 15.4" TruBrite is worth the $50 IMO. A must have.

$50 extra for a 60GB 4200RPM junk drive that you plan to replace seems like a waste of cash. And why Toshiba didn't offer their great new 16mb buffered 5400RPM drives I don't know. Those things are both fast and quiet. Get one.

The 8x DVD-Burner is Toshiba's generic 8X DVD-Burner that can be had for about 110-120 separately versus the 180 upcharge from Toshiba which is to move up from a DVD/CDRW combo. So instead of having two drives for 120 you have one for 180.

The battery life on this thing is not that great from reports, so I would go to the 12 cell unless you don't plan to use this while traveling. It does add weight but for 75 bucks that's less than most company's upgrade charge from 6cell to 9cell.

The 6600 upgrade is too high, ~125-150 is what it should be. Dell's 6800 upgrade is the same price at 200.

The a/b/g card from Intel can be bought for under 30.

One thing that I find decent is the 3 year warranty with Accidental Damage protection at 200. A comparable warranty from Dell costs about twice as much.

I find that buying one of these stripped down is a decent value. I spec'ed out one with a 740, 256mb RAM, 40GB 4200RPM drive, no wireless, 6600GT, 12-cell, CDRW-DVD, TruBrite Screen for about 1400 bucks. Add in another 80 for RAM to 768mb(1GB dimms ~160), 100 for Hard Drive, 100 for DVD-RW, 30 for Wireless so for around 1750 you have a pretty smoking machine. Plus you'll have a few extra parts you could sell or reuse, such as taking the 40GB and making it into an external HDD with a cheap kit.

 

OK, I have ordered mine, also. Its specs are:

Pentium M 730 1.6GHz
512MB DDR333 + 512MB Kingston (identical specs, they say...)
15.4" WXGA TruBrite
ATI x300 64MB
60GB HDD 4200rpm
CDRW/DVD combo
WiFi 802.11 b/g
6-cell battery
Windows XP Pro
2.8 kg

It's supposed to arrive tomorrow!!! [ ]

 

How long is the wait suppose to be. I'm still waiting...

EDIT: Wow, this is a nice machine. I've never seen LCDs this bright! And it has the illusive ExpressCard slot!!

 

[Oh, how luck of you! see below...]

Sorry for the delay. I got my A4 (PTA40E-01600VEN) in the UK.

Problem is that it does not come with what Toshiba told me (written in their website when I bought it, right here http://uk.computers.toshiba-europe....oshibaShop=true). In fact, I may have mislead some of you in this forum by copying the officially wrong (but I thought true) information. I am writing a review that I hope to be ready soon and at the same time dealing with some people at Toshiba UK to know the reasons and find a 'reasonable solution'. Until now all they have offered is that I return it and get a refund... [ !]

Be aware that this model (and the more expensive PTA40E-01500UEN):

. DOES NOT have a Trubrite screen, as published (they have deleted this info in the website by now). In fact they have deleted more than appropiate so for your records is a standard 15.4" TFT WXGA (1280x800, widescreen).

. DOES NOT support Express Cards (even when the slot is present in the left side, covered by a fixed plastic lid). This was also published wrong (well, you can see that the slot is even there!); now it has been corrected.

. The ATI x300 graphics card is 128MB, and not 64MB as published (this is still wrong on their website)

. The hard disk seems to be 4200 RPM; it does not say anything about it in the detailed specs of the website, but I already knew.

You can't find more detailed info that in their websites, as the machine does not have them until you check what the operative system or some sort of benchmark tells you (the manual is general for any A4 with many "(depending on the model)"; no detailed specs out of the box or in a single sheet of paper in the box).

Be aware that the specs change from country to country (and in some you can configure it, as in USA), so always pay attention to the part number [even when it does not seem to be useful if you then find the wrong info in their own website!!!]

Oh, yes, add a stucked always-blue pixel in my brand new first laptop after £1000... [ ]