Toshiba Notebooks

Hey,

I am currently interested in a Toshiba Satellite M50 laptop, but one of the things thats stopping me from buying it is that i've heard some bad things aobut toshiba notebook's quality. I was wondering you guys can give me your opinion on this.

Thanks

 

From what I've heard the M50 is basically a M45 with a change in the graphics card from nvidia to ATI. So the reviews for the M45 will probably give you a good indication of build quality.
I've had good experience with my old toshiba notebook, and it has lasted for years. I got it from work so it's been around a while before coming to me, and I haven't had any problems with it for the years I've had it. I do hear that the newer stuff isn't as good as their old products. I'm not sure for their consumer oriented stuff like the satellites, but the business line models such as the tecras and proteges still seem to get good reviews about build quality.

 

I don't think Toshiba has a quality issue, in fact their Tecra line-up is pretty nice and they make the most powerful tablet on the market. Generally though, their specs come out a little weak against the competition at the same price point. You may want to think about posting a new thread in the hardware forum answering teh FAQ for what to buy posts if you want more ideas.

 

I agree with Brian about the tablets. I have never used Toshibas, but I've heard that their notebooks are nothing but problems, but im not sure thast's true, that's just what I've heard. Definitely, it would be a good idea to fill out the FAQ so we can be of further assistance.

 

alrighty thanks. so here goes:

General Usage

What will you be using the notebook mainly for? Will you be using it to play games? Will you be using it for word processing / general productivity? etc.

I am attending University next year, so i will be mainly using office applications. If i can, it would be cool to be able to play games like Counter Strike, Gunbound and Starcraft, but not a necessity.

Are you looking more at a very small notebook, a standard notebook, or a large desktop replacement?

Looking for a laptop of either 12.1 or 14 inches.

Will you be carrying the notebook around a lot or be keeping it stationary most of the time?

Carrying it around a lot

How important is battery life to you?

Very important, 3+ hours

How long do you intend on using this laptop?

4-5 Years if possible

Features

Do you need lots of hard drive space?

Yes, at least 60 Gb.

Will you be burning DVD's or just CD's?

Well since I have such a large HD, I guess DVD so I can back up stuff more easily, but not necessary. CD would be fine

Do you tend to work with a lot of applications at once?

Yes

Graphics & Display

How big would you like your screen to be? Do you care if it's widescreen or not?

12.1 or 14 inches. Doesn't not matter if its widescreen. Would be nice though

Are you willing to pay more for premium screens enhanced by XBRITE, Crystal View, or Bright View? (Go to the bottom of this post for an explanation)

I would like to save money since I am a student, so no.

(If applicable) Will you be playing casual games or the latest games?

Casual

(If applicable) Will you be doing work in a 3D modeling program like 3D Studio Max or Maya?

Nope.

Miscellaneous

Do you care if your notebook looks good or not?

If its not that much more money, yes i do care. But for saving money, no

Are there particular brands you prefer or won't buy from?

Won't Buy- Dell
Prefer- Asus, Fujitsu, IBM, and others

How much are you willing to pay for this notebook?

under 2000 cdn would be really nice.

Are there particular models you have already looked at?

Asus z33a-expensive ram
Fujitsu s6231a- not sure if its worth the money for the specs
Toshiba M50-yk4 - heard about problems with Toshibas

 

I don't know about the Asus, as I've never used one.

the fujitsu is a little small, but that's my opinion. it'd be good for portability. the 40 gig hard drive is definitely small, and has no DVD burner. DVDs are now cheaper than CDs in terms of price to space ratio, so I believe that DVD burners should be a standard.

if you're worried about the build quality or any potential problems, remember most places will give your money back if returned within 30 days. just make sure you're not overcome with joy and completely destroy the box and packaging. try to keep everything as it was, until the 30 days are up.

I've had the M40-YP3 for almost 4 months and I'm very happy with the purchase.

 

Thanks buddy,

do you guys think this is a good deal:

Toshiba Satellite M50-yk4
Centrino 1.73
100 gb 4200 rpm
512 mb ddr 2700

For 1599.99 Cdn

HTML:

http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?sku_id=0926INGFS10062582&logon=&langid=EN

 

Just an opinion. I think one of the most important things you need to concern about M50 is the battery life. Up to now there is no reviews wherever because it's a new model. We can guess how the computer will perform base on the specification, but we have no idea about the battery especially the battery life of M40 is so disappointing. This makes us not sure if M50 suits you as battery life is very important for you. I can only say, if you can, wait for some M50 reviews.