Portege R700 - the thin and light 13.3"

i'm also curious... is the Portege R700 the model featuring SCiB?

 

I checked on Toshiba's site and the 6 and 9 cell batteries are the same. I wanted to make sure too because I'm getting ready to pick up the R705 and if it really only lasts ~4 hours, the 9 cell is a must

 

my r705 lasts a little bit over 4 hours with eco on, lvl 3 (30-40%) brightness (just browsing web)

 

I was at Best Buy today, playing with the R705 for a good amount of time. They left the battery in the display model, so I unplugged it for 20 minutes and it depleted 4% in that time. I know Windows' battery life estimator isn't the most accurate indicator, but at 96% it estimated over 7 hours remaining. Although my short 20 minute test is probably not the most accurate method, but at that rate... it would have depleted 12% per hour, yielding over 8 hours of battery life.
This was all done in eco mode with the screen brightness at 10-20% (just 1 notch higher than the lowest possible setting) while reading reviews on the R705 in IE.
Probably too early to make a final judgment, but it makes me think the people complaining about 4+ hrs being impossible have their screen set too bright and are performing too many tasks (listening to music, watching a video, etc.).

Other things I noticed...
Engadget reports that the screen is less glossy than most typical consumer laptops. With the screen turned off, it didn't appear to be any less mirror-like than the others. I did notice that the screen's colors seemed to be significantly off, compared to the other 2 Toshibas next to it. Not a big deal, as long as the screen can be calibrated? The glossy screen is an easy fix with an anti-glare film. Got one on my HP TM2 and it does it's job well.
Another thing that bugged me is that Toshiba used a slightly glossy paint on the keys because it seemed to accumulate smudges quite easily. Keyboard noise was also noticeable.
The trackpad worked fine and 2 finger scrolling worked without a hitch (didn't quite understand what Engadget was complaining about?).

Anyway... after not being able to make up my mind between this and the Acer 4820TG for a good hour, I saw that my local MC just sold out of the 4820TG, so that sealed the deal. Gonna leave the R705 in the box for a couple of days though to make sure I have no buyer's remorse.

 

hmm... not too sure then
On my HTPC, I tried hooking it up with HDMI and it looked noticeably better with VGA. Doesn't make much sense since they're both putting out the same resolution, but maybe it's just because VGA > HDMI ???

 

Unfortunately, both of my HDTVs are 720p so I can't help you out with 1080p settings. But I can tell you it looks and sounds awesome using HDMI. Definitely not grainy or washed out.

I haven't tried using VGA out yet for comparison purposes.

 

Thanks for the post. I'm in the same boat as you were deciding between the this one and the Acer. Both have their pluses and minuses and I can't make up my mind.

 

Unfortunate this is. If this is truly the case, I'm going to have to send this one back and order something with a standard SATA hard drive and put in my own SSD. Here I thought I was buying a premium top shelf laptop and they decide to cut corners that limit compatibility and upgrade-ability.

 

Thanks, Random.

Can anyone please suggest me a cost-effective 192GB/200GB/256GB SSD that I can use with the configurable r700-1300 model?

 

New Bios Posted yesterday on Toshiba's Driver Site
get it here...

Model Content Page

 

i'm deciding between this one, the acer 3820T, hp dm4, asus ul30vt, asus u35jc.

I'm wondering if the R705 is worth $163 over the HP dm4-1060us... or $200 over the Acer 3820T. The weight and build quality are the only advantages I see for the toshiba...am I correct? If that is true, then I wouldn't mind saving $150-200 bucks to have <1 more lb of weight.

 

How are you finding the Acer 3820T for $600? or are you factoring in sales tax for the R705?

I'd have to agree with you, for the most part, that the Toshiba's appeal is the weight and build quality. It does have some smaller features that I really like though, eSATA, USB charge while sleep/off, ODD (though I'd replace it with a secondary HDD caddy), Intel WiDi. But most importantly, you can't put a $$$ on portability. Well maybe you can... but having a comparable size/weight to a $2k Sony Vaio Z at a fraction of the cost is what makes it most appealing to me. I like to think of it as a poor man's Sony Vaio Z

Acer 3820T if price is the biggest factor, with portability being a close second.
HP DM4, I'd only get that if I ended up going with a CTO. For ~$900, you can get awesome specs with an Intel 160gb SSD. Retail version is almost pointless, since you can get A LOT for your money for less than a couple hundred more.
Asus UL30VT if battery life is most important, with price being a close second.



Hmmm... with TD BCB being at 15.2% now and not having to pay sales tax and a $20 discount on the 4820T and 5820T... I'm almost tempted to just return my unopened R705 ($875 after tax), get the 5820T for less than $600 (after BCB), AND keep my HP TM2...

cheaplikeafox, maybe you should just upsize to the 4820T... it'd only be about a pound more, an inch wider, but at least $250 cheaper than the R705.

 

* Changed the thermal control parameter for the 9.5mm ODD model.
* Implemented the Intel specification for the Intel Core i5/i3 Mobile Processors.
* Implemented the zero power ODD function. (EC-1.30)

wonder if any one of the above, or all of them, have anything to do with owners reporting less than acceptable battery run times?

 

Does anyone know whether the best buy model has the TPM chip? The other R700s do, which is fantastic.

I'd miss the docking station connector, but cheaper and blue (ok, not really a feature) would be fine.

 

It looks like we're out of luck for adding a second HDD with a caddy. The problem is that the optical drive appears to be connected internally via USB; this is the first computer on which I've seen this. I noticed when I tried to change the boot order that the BIOS identifies the optical drive as "USB ODD"; this is confirmed by the device manager and the Intel Rapid Storage console, which does not show the optical drive connected via SATA. This almost certainly rules out the possibility of an HDD caddy, which would have to be SATA.

 

That's a major bummer, but not necessarily a deal breaker for me.
Appreciate the info though! I was planning on buying an SSD and using my trusty Hitachi 500gb HDD in place of the ODD. I'm about to place an order with TD and thought about adding an SSD because of the 15.2% BCB

On a side note... all this talk about this R705... I'm finding it extremely difficult to resist opening up the box! Almost certain this one is a keeper...

 

Apparently, Toshiba has replaced the R700-S1330 model with the -S1331, which has a dual layer DVD-RW instead ofa single layer. Price is the same. Gee, thanks, Toshiba. I haven't owned this thing for more than a week and it's already going obsolete.

 

Hi TerribleLie, I am gonna buy the configurable model with the lowest-cost HDD and then replace with SSD. Just to make sure, the HDD is 2.5-inch and not 1.8-inch, right?

And this SSD would be compatible, right?
Newegg.com - OCZ Vertex 2 OCZSSD2-2VTX200G 2.5" 200GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

Does the laptop have a removable cover at the bottom to replace HDD?

 

I haven't opened the box of my R705 yet... so I couldn't tell you for sure. But from what I've, yes... the HDD comes with a 2.5" form factor.

 

so zif is an interface standard like sata or pata or just a connector? toshiba advertises it as sata hd or ssd

 

Yes, the cover is removable. Though you have to remove the memory cover first, as it overlaps the cover for the hard drive bay.

 

Getting psyched to buy this thing, hopefully the bios update can increase battery life! Will probably be picking up mine 7/24 on my way to visit friends in NH, no tax baby!

Thanks for all the input here, it has been really helpful. That and seeing the R705 in person sealed the deal.

 

I am surprised so many are going for the R705 with the R700 now on eBay for $987.99. With BCB and eBay Bucks, you can get the R700 for only $80-90 more than the R705, with free shipping and no tax in most states.

Certainly the upgrade to the R700 is worth the $80-90!

$987.99 - $79.04 (8% BCB) - $19.76 (eBay Bucks) = $889.19

If I were to go to Best Buy and get the R705 I would have to pay about $870 after taxes in NY!


NEW Toshiba Protege R700-S1310 13.3" Notebook, Intel... - eBay (item 380250449404 end time Aug-11-10 12:09:15 PDT)

 

In Montana, we don't have sales tax so $799 means $799. The R705 has some consumer touches that are nice like WI-DI and Resolution Plus. That being said, docking, Bluetooth, and a longer warranty period are probably worth the upgrade to the R700 if you can get the laptop for close to the R705 price. If your pressing $1,000 for all of the upgrades, however, the price-benefit balance tips back to R705.

 

You are very right on this. For another $80-90, you get 3 yr warranty, bluetooth and fingerprint reader!

Bing ends end of July. :-(

 

Well I just showed how you can get it for only $89.20 more than the R705 tax free. The extended warranty giving you 2 more years is worth more than $90...I think SquareTrade wants over $100 for a 3 year warranty!

If you like the R705, I suggest you grab the R700 for $90 more!

 

Can you get a rebate check for Ebay Bucks? I thought you had to use them solely on Ebay, like a store credit.

 

That is true, but I am always buying stuff on eBay, so it is basically cash for me...for others it may not be as good I guess.

 

What are BCB and eBay Bucks? I've never used either.

 

I picked up the R705 from bestbuy today. Burning the recovery disks now. $860.44 with tax for me. I chose bestbuy since I am a Silver Rewards Zone member and that gives me a 45 day return window. So far I really like it.

 

Is there any chance that Toshiba will add an option for discrete graphics (say 310m or ATI 5450 at some point?

It would really make this an ideal laptop, and that is only a $50 option on some machines (like the DM4.) I'm certain it would be well received given the great feature set.

 

you cannot get that much from BCB because BCB only allows up to $200 per transaction, therefore you will get $16 in BCB, not $79. you wish.

 

"The maximum amount of Cashback Rewards per qualifying purchase is $200.00 USD."
eBay
The $200 is the maximum cashback award, not the maximum purchase price eligible for a cashback award. So people should be eligible for the $79.

 

don't take my word for it. Buy something over $200 with Buyitnow and see how much BCB gives you. In fact, I had made several purchases on ebay last month ranging from $300 to $450, each and everyone of them qualified for $16 of cashback.

 

I just ordered the R700 from Buy.com on eBay. BCB was recorded as $79. Plus eBay bucks of $19.76.

Unfortunately I live in California, so I still had to pay sales tax at 8.75%. Oh well...

 

How odd. I just looked at my BCB account history, and I've had many cashbacks from ebay that exceed $16...by a lot.

 

If I didn't live in CA, that would be a no brainer for me... but it still ends up being over $200 more than the BB model.

Just ordered an Acer 5820T on Tiger Direct with 15.2% BCB. Sale price was $700 and I got $106.40 cash back.

So... that means the Toshiba R705 will probably be going back to BB. Less than $600 for an Acer Timeline X is just retardedly cheap. Still got my eyes set on the Toshiba R700 though, so as soon as it goes on sale or if BCB returns for BB, I'll buy it then.

 

Just want to say that I just picked up my R705 from Best Buy today for $799. I was also going to pick up a faster 7200rpm drive for it, but they had 1 intel 80gb SSD left in stock - so I snatched that instead.

Burned recovery disks, and then installed the intel SSD into it. Gotta say, I'm pretty impressed - even before the SSD the R705 seemed pretty darn snappy. I have a desktop i7 920 OC'd to 3.2ghz - and in day-day tasks I'm not seeing any difference. I can open up plenty of programs and apps without a hiccup. No reason for anyone to get the i7 config - unless you doing encoding etc - and even then, the R705 i3 350m isn't terribly slow. Probably save a bit on battery with the i3 config anyway. I got 5hours 30minutes in eco mode browsing the web. I'm sure the SSD helps over the stock Hitachi 5400rpm drive.

Love the look, love the screen, love the keyboard, love the speed. Much nicer than the gateway netbook I'm coming from!

Only con is all the bloatware this thing came with. Straight from disk recovery, I've got almost 20gig of installed stuff - do I even need all these toshiba apps? 80gig SSD here, and I really need the space.

 

I have the same rig as yourself (Intel 80gbSSD),I am loving this Toshiba,I have had other portege m2000 R100/R200 yrs ago,this is the coolest laptop that Toshiba has released Since 2007

 

Those who replaced the HDD with SSD, did you notice any drop in bottom heat or it is same?

 

Could someone with an Intel SSD kindly do a 32-bit PCMark Vantage (Overall)? I have a suspicion that the i5 + Intel SSD might be almost as fast as the i7 + toshiba SSD. I'm getting ~9800 with the i7 + Toshiba SSD.

 

The original S13x0's doesn't have dual layer DVD-RW?

Is there any other difference between the S13x0's and S13x1's?

 

Hmm. Got the official answer from
Toshiba Portégé® R700 Laptop Computers

The difference between the two Portege R700 models is in the optical drive:

Portege R700-S1320:
Fixed Optical Disk Drive
DVD SuperMulti drive supporting 9 formats
o Maximum speed and compatibility: CD-ROM (24x), CD-R (24x), CD-RW (10x), DVD-ROM (8x), DVD-R (8x), DVD-RW (4x), DVD+R (8x), DVD+RW (4x), DVD-RAM (3x)

Portege R700-S1321:
Fixed Optical Disk Drive7
DVD SuperMulti drive supporting 11 formats
o Maximum speed and compatibility: CD-ROM (24x), CD-R (24x), CD-RW (10x), DVD-ROM (8x), DVD-R (8x), DVD-R DL (4X), DVD-RW (4x), DVD+R (8x), DVD+R DL (4x), DVD+RW (4x), DVD-RAM (3x)

 

Hi, what was the HEIGHT of the Intel SSD that you've installed? Will this SSD having 9.3mm height fit?
Newegg.com - OCZ Vertex 2 OCZSSD2-2VTX200G 2.5" 200GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

Here's the Intel SSD spec page, but it lists multiple heights:
http://www.intel.com/design/flash/nand/mainstream/index.htm

 

WHOA......
just looked at laptopmag's test results on the R700
someone please tell me they are waaayyyy off???

battery recharge time (to 80%) = 3:31 hrs
battery recharge time (to 100%) = 4:25 hrs

that's an eternity and may possibly be a dealbreaker for me. yes... I am incredibly impatient

 

Depends on the wattage of the supplied adapter. Could be 65W.

 

well I found the Acer 3820T for $671 after BCB at JR and it's $873 for the R705 at BB for me. The only bad thing about tigerdirect is the 25% restocking fee., but hopefully you wouldn't need to return it.

i'm thinking price is the biggest factor for me then portability, battery...I think I might just get a cheap Acer 15" laptop for $380 with coupons and trade-in at Staples instead. $200 for portability is not worth it for me since I already have a netbook for portability.

 

I have the i5 model and really like it, but I'm wondering whether I need to take action on a possible build-quality problem.

Does anyone hear a small creak when opening (not closing) the laptop lid?

 

I've got the i3 350m version (best buy) with the intel SSD and I get about 7800 on pcmark vantage. First time I've ever run it so I'm not sure if I did it right - is that high or low?

 

Anyone using the R700 Hi-Speed Port Replicator?

I'm wondering if the 90W AC Adapter not requiring unplug during undock means you don't have to plug in power to the laptop when docked. Can anyone confirm? I'm using a 5310m with the HP USB port replicator and it requires plugging in 2 cables: USB and Power.