Toshiba A305?

I purchased a new Toshiba A305-S6843 on Wednesday at Best Buy...it took talking to the store manager in order to purchase it, because evidently the street date on this model is 6 April 08. However, it was out on their floor in the laptop "cage", not hidden in the back. The "blue shirt" said that they could not sell it yet, but the store manager apparently thought it was OK to do so. Here are a few of the specs:

Core 2 Duo T8100 2.1Ghz
4GB PC5300 RAM
2x200GB 5300/4200rpm hard drives in RAID 0
ATI Radeon HD 3470 graphics (256MB VRAM)
Windows Vista Home Premium x64 SP1

Best Buy was selling it for $1249.00, and they had a stepped-down model for @$1000.00...

After I got home, I Googled the model and nothing comes up for that particular model, and it does not show up on the Toshiba web site for support or as an upcoming model. Has anyone heard/seen/read about this line?

 

yeah , that's leaked bythe Engaget site first about a month a go as usual and this site also reported it a few weeks a go.

I did not think this model would be out so fast , but I may buy one since I am looking for a 15.4 to replace my old laptop.

Is the 1k stepped-down model you mentioned had the same ATI?

I just curious about the Graphics card.

And I like the black color.

When will you get it ?

 

Actually, I purchased it that same day! There were only two of them in the "cage", and I live about 30 miles from Best Buy, so once the manager gave the OK I snapped it up then and there.

They did not have either model unboxed/on display, so I can't speak as to what the stepped-down model had or did not have. The blue shirt said that they were waiting for the 6 Apr circular to unbox one....

I did some initial searching on the forum to see if the model popped up...didn't get any hits. Hopping over to Engadget now...

I'll post more detailed specs and some pics later tonight...

 

Thanks , sounds interesting at least to me.

 

Review! Review!
If you have some time, it would be nice.
I'm sure Toshiba will have the support for your A305 soon.

 

but bestbuy's web site does not have this A305 model and neither does Circuiltcity's.

 

A quick pic of the spec label on the laptop (sorry for the quality)...review to follow soon...

 

4gb is too much for me , I rather get 2 gb and save a bit , is that option possible?

 

I just experienced almost the same situation tonight. In my case, it was the only one they had (the floor model). I purchased it after quickly getting their credit card so I can do 6-months-no-interest on it and they said they would have it delivered to their store from the warehouse by Wednesday of this next week. They said there is only one in their warehouse (in Texas) and that I just got it. He also told me that the prices is their "introductory price" and it would likely cost more once it really hits the market. (??)

The price is incredible considering the power of this laptop. I cannot find anything online about it either and have been trying all evening (until I found a link bringing me here to this forum and your post).

I am eager to receive it on Wednesday. How do you like yours so far?

 

So how much was it?

If it is less than 1400 , I would like to order it as well.

do you think it is cheaper than 1400?

 

Mine was $999.

 

I purchased for $1249.00...

 

Well, 999 is a steal , thank you.

 

I bought the same computer but have not opened it yet because I want to research any software or driver set backs due to 64BIT

Any Thoughts?

 

Did you HD have 400GB or 250GB?

 

400GB, which I think is actually 2x200GB drives. I don't actually get it until Wednesday, they had to bring it in from their warehouse... but I have paid for it already. The 4GB RAM is what I was most happy about, since it is (yuck) Vista, and because I do a lot of Photoshop type image editing and need that kind of power. My least favorite feature is the built in webcam, but I can put a piece of tape over the lens (ha ha!).

 

At least it has Vista Service pack 1 already on it! I can't believe I paid $250 more for the same. Did you get it at Best Buy?

 

Yes, at Best Buy. They only had the display model and so I actually went to two other Best Buy stores looking for it and the other stores didn't even know what I was talking about. When I went back to the original store, I paid and they put it on order. They didn't have any other models available, just that one. My wife said she noticed on the receipt something about if it doesn't arrive by Wednesday (the promised time), I get an additional 10% off or something. I'm in no hurry, so am hoping it come in on Thursday instead!

 

I saw the step-down at Best Buy today. Notes I took on it were:

Toshiba A305-S6837 for $999.99
Intel Core 2 Duo T5550
4GB DDR2
320 GB hard Drive
15.4" Truebrite LCD
Vista Premium w/ Service Pack 1
Intel Graphice Media Accel X3100
Intel Next-Gen Wireless N Tech
6.0 lbs

Store I saw it in only had the laptop on display. Manager said a few stores close by had 2 each in stock.

 

T5550? Ok ,so there are currently 2 different configurations for thsi model?

Configuration 1: T8100, 4gb, ATI HD3470 and 400gb HDD.

Configuration 2: T5550, 4gb, X3100 and 320gb of HDD.

I am asking my mom to order it in California and ship it over to Thailand.

Thanks guys.

 

I purchased a Toshiba A305-S6825 from Best Buy today. I couldn't find any info on it anywheres. It's not listed on Toshibas website or Best Buys. It's in the store.

It wasn't until I googled A305 that I found this forum. There was the one I purchased and the display model available. From reading the posts here, I guess this must be a newer model as well.

 

There is also a Configuration 3: It has 2gb and 250 HD and is only a 32Bit. Both the others are 64bit. It was $899

 

oh the no3 is the best for me since I dont need 400gb of HDD space.

and for me , 2gb is enough, thanks man.

 

It's running Vista... 2GB RAM is just barely enough for the operating system.

 

Got mine today.
First problem: Flash. I tried to view something online that is in flash. Oh gee, Flash doesn't support 64 bit. No go. Can't view things online.

Hmmm.
I'll need to figure out a work around in the next couple of days or this baby's going back to Best Buys for a refund (minus their 15% restocking fee, I suppose).

 

will this laptop run world of warcraft ok??? im exchanging a amd turion x2 with a ati radeon graphics card and 2 gig of ram for this system. the current card has 128mb onboard and up to 512 shared. ill be getting the T5550 system as my best buy dosnt have the 1249.00 one. kind of unfortunate.

 

I am interested in the laptop from the original post, the one with 4GB RAM and 400GB HDD. What is the native screen resolution?

Thanks,
Hunter

 

Adobe Flash Player is not supported for playback in a 64-bit browser. However, you can run Flash Player in a 32-bit browser running on a 64-bit operating system. Adobe is working on Flash Player support for 64-bit platforms as part of our ongoing commitment to the cross-platform compatibility of Flash Player. We have not yet announced timing or release dates.

To use Flash Player to view Flash content on a 64-bit operating system, you must run a 32-bit browser.

 

I purchased this exact computer on Saturday the 30th and I have already had to replace the battery (that didn't fix my problem) and now I had send it back to a toshiba authorized service company and now they are replacing the mother board. Toshiba A305-S6825

 

i just bought the same laptop and am trying to dual boot xp. when i insert the xp disc and try to load it on my newly created partition, it says it doesn't recognize any harddrives on my system. any advice? this system's specs are awesome for the price, but if i can't load any of my old software, it just isn't that great a bargain...Help!

 

Goes on sale at Best Buy Sunday for $1099. just bought one but getting cold feet about the 64 bit processor.

 

Is there a disadvantage in getting a 64-bit over a 32-bit?

Does this mean a lot of things won't work. I hate Vista...nothing works!

Thank you

 

I don't get it. The CPU is 64bit, but Vista Home Premium on this baby is 32bit, so what's the problem? I didn't know there's a 64bit Vista Home available.

 

http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.pro...05S6845&JRSource=zdnet.datafeed.TOS+A305S6845
This is an interesting version, too. Is this online store safe?

 

why not buy it from best buy and get a 4gigs of ram for the same price, unless there is something different on that one that you like.

 

This has one less GB of RAM and is $300 more than what I paid at Best Buy and while I'm not a promoter of Best Buy (though have nothing against them either), at least I know I can return it if I don't like it or have a problem. I'd sooner trust Best Buy over an online store UNLESS it were a well known online retailer (Tiger Direct, B&H, or someone on that order).

 

I'm seriously interested in this laptop, but it is crucial to me that it have a 32-bit OS. I called Toshiba Tech Support and they told me that ALL Toshiba laptops ship with Vista 32-bit... yet in this thread there seems to be a concern over the 64-bit OS. Can someone please confirm for me that the OS is in fact 32-bit, or if not, whether 32-bit drivers are available?

Also interested in battery life and how hard the two hard drives are affecting that.

Thanks! Looks like a sweet machine!

 

here it is: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8770582&type=product&id=1203815723071

Please someone answer this 32 bit/64 bit question before I end up shooting myself in the foot with a computer that won't run half my programs. Then there is the virus and spam prevention concern. questions questions questions

 

Saw this machine at Best Buy on 4-5-2008. Gotta admit I was a star-struck by this beauty with all that memory and hard drive space for such a good price.

Here's a summary of some various versions (including the above three):
Config 1: S6843 = $1250 at Best Buy as of 4-13-08; this configuration available only at at Best Buy (per sales dude at toshibadirect.com); SOLD OUT ONLINE as of 4-13-08
Config 2: S6837 = $1000 at Best Buy as of Sat. 4/5/08 (current price unknown)
Config 3: Don't know anything else about this one.
Config 4: S6834 = $870 at JR.com and toshibadirect.com as of 4/6/08 (current price unknown)--T5550, 3gb RAM, x3100, 200gb HDD
Config 5: S6829 = $1000 at Circuit City as of Sun. 4/6/08 (current price unknown)--3gb RAM, 320gb HDD
Config 6: S6825 = $950 at Best Buy as of Sat. 4/5/08 (current price unknown), 3gb RAM, 250gb HDD

Note: all prices are subject to change at any time.

Is it safe to assume that one should get at least 3gb because of Vista?

I found a nice sticky on this site (by Lithus) which explains this whole 32bit vs. 64bit deal; my brain is still processing that info.

Off topic note: my bro-in-law feels that a 6 lb. 15.4" is too big and heavy for classroom note-taking. I looked into a 13.3", specifically the Dell XPS 1330, but the price is significantly higher, of course, especially if you want oodles of RAM and hard disk space. Any thoughts?

Thanks, folks! -tg

 

How do I find this 'sticky' from Lithus? I'm new here...thanks.

 

Hi,

I'm an employee for J&R. I just wanted to address your post specifically, and hopefully clear up any misconceptions about J&R for anyone else reading this thread.

First and foremost, J&R is not just an online retailer, we have our flagship location on Park Row in the heart of downtown Manhattan, NYC across from City Hall. It's not hard to miss us, we occupy an entire city block, so I think we have some presence.

Might I add, we've been in business since 1971, long before Tiger Direct or B&H, so suffice to say, we know what we are doing. You don't last for 37 years if you don't.

So provided you have your receipt/proof of purchase and are within the return period, then returns are not an issue.

Some more information about us...

http://www.jr.com/templates/information/aboutJR.tem

 

I grew up flipping thru the little J&R catalogs. I finally got a chance to stop by the store this past winter and do some shopping. It is a gadget lovers paradise. I only wish that they had more stores throughout the country. The closest thing to J&R outside of NYC is Fry's, and J&R has them beat hands down on prices. Just shows you that brick and mortar stores can compete with online stores on prices.

 

No problem. It's called The Layman's Guide to 64-Bit:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=172649

- tg

 

Hi, no offense intended. I've never dealt with J&R, but have been buying from B&H since the late 1970's (mostly camera and video equipment). I wasn't trying to single out a specific store though should have just stuck to the topic of the pricing. Actually, for many years I was not a very big fan of Best Buys, having worked in senior management for one of the largest computer makers in the country I know that when we were filling Best Buy orders, we often used lesser grade parts. Honest! I was even hesitant in making this Toshiba purchase there, but the price was just too good.

To the topic of software not working on it (64 bit), I have been loading my software to mine and everything is working fine. I don't do games though and was advised that games could be an issue. I even loaded a program that is quite old and it runs beautifully. I have plugged in a few external devices and it detected and loaded drivers immediately. So far I am still impressed.

 

I wasn't offended.

 

Hello,

Can someone please help me?

I want to purchase a laptop and the processor is 64-bit, the operating system is 32-bit and I was wondering if i can safely run 32-bit applications on this set-up?

Intel Core 2 Duo T8100 2.1Ghz
4GB PC5300 RAM
2x200GB 5300/4200rpm hard drives
ATI Radeon HD 3470 graphics 256MB
Windows Vista Home Premium 32-bit SP1

I'm confused with the whole 32-bit vs 64-bit topic. I don't want to purchase this laptop and then later find out I can't run 32-bit applications.

Please help me sort this out. Thanks.

 

Hello!

For those who have already purchased this laptop.. what have been your experience so far? (it's not easy to find reviews online yet).

I'm planning on buying the new M305 series. More or less the same A305, but with a 14.1 screen.

Thanks!

 

As I have already stated........... I have this laptop in 64 bit and I have loaded all my 32 bit applications with no problem. I had a browser issue initially, not realizing that the browser that came on the system (IE) was 64 bit and would not run Flash. I then put Firefox onto the system, which I prefer anyways, and now Flash is going along fine.

I loaded Photoshop CS and it runs perfect (and FAST!). I then loaded a very old version of PaintShopPro (Ver 7.0) and it runs perfect also. I am having to order a new copy of Microsoft Office (I have misplaced mine), but am sure that will run along perfectly as well.

I don't play games on the computer so cannot speak on that.

I have plugged in my Creative Vision W (MP3, 30GB HDD) and it picked it right up. I've plugged in external hard drives, no problem. Also, card readers. I'm running wireless for Internet and it found my network immediately and worked like a charm. Also, it picked up my video camera (a high end Canon XL2) and is working great with the demanding digital video.

So far, it's all great................ I'd get one if I were someone still considering. I'm not crazy about going to Vista, but even that has turned into an okay experience.

 

Ok, so how 's yours running?

Can you post your 3Dmark06 score?

I'd be interested in how the HD3470 or HD3650 performs, with 4gb of ram.

Thank you.

 

yeah , J and R is a good company, is very famous among photogs.