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    Toshiba A100 / A105..please advise

    Discussion in 'Toshiba' started by pulsar, Jan 31, 2006.

  1. pulsar

    pulsar Newbie

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    I am considering buying either a toshiba a100 or a105. My main concerns about the machines:

    1. build quality
    2. battery life

    I couldnt find a detailed review but comments online expressed dissatisfaction with these elements. Could any current owners comment?

    Also, the a105 is the pre-configured model available at retailers. All the various configurations include intel integrated graphics. The a100, essentially a customizable version of the a105 on toshiba's website, offers the option of getting an ATI x600se card with 128 mb ddr sdram for a additional cost of about 200 bucks. I would like to get a laptop that is reasonable at gameplaying (though i am not a hard core gamer). Do you think the ati x600se is worth it?
     
    pulsar, Jan 31, 2006
    #1
  2. ZaZ

    ZaZ Super Model Super Moderator

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    You should consider the FAQ in the hardware forum and post there. Without knowing your budget or what you plan to do with it, it is hard to help. Toshiba build quality is average especially the Satellites. The Compaq v4000t I mentioned in your other thread is a better gaming notebook. Plus you can get it with a 12 cell battery.
     
    ZaZ, Jan 31, 2006
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  3. tvarad

    tvarad Notebook Enthusiast

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    I have the A105-S101 (Cel 380, 80GB HD, CDRW-DVDROM, 256MB) that was on sale recently at Best Buy. I maxed out the memory to 2GB which obviously gives a significant performance boost over the stock 256MB. The machine is light (6 lbs) for a 15.4" widescreen.

    The build quality is excellent and that is to be expected of a company like Toshiba (I don't have anything to complain about). The keyboard and touchpad is a significant improvement over the Compaq V2000 I've been using over the year. One problem I noticed is fan and HD noise if you're working in a really quiet environment. It looks like the fan operates at low speed all the time and kicks up when CPU intensive tasks are invoked. Wireless performance is good too.

    This model comes with a 4 cell battery which barely lasts for an hour. It's OK for my needs since I typically use it around the house with the PS and rarely on the road but you will definitely need a higher capacity battery to use it on the road.
     
    tvarad, Jan 31, 2006
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  4. xAMDvsIntelx

    xAMDvsIntelx Notebook Deity

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    If your getting the A100/A105 for gaming, make sure you aren't playing any intensive games - the X600SE isn't the best gaming card out on the market.
     
    xAMDvsIntelx, Jan 31, 2006
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