What's the catch?

Hey all,

I've recently been looking into getting a new laptop. I've mostly been looking at Dell, HP, Sony, but now I'm leaning towards Asus.

I came across this laptop: http://www.toshibadirect.com/td/b2c...m_mmc=explore-_-bto_series-_-satellite-_-P500

and configured it with

2.8ghz core 2 duo
4gb ram
ati hd4650
64gb ssd + 320gb @7200rpm
12 cell batter
3 year warrantee

it's coming out to be $1700, which is far cheaper than any other laptop I've sen with those specs. Is there some sort of catch? Is the notebook built cheaply/have bad resolution/run hot, etc? I don't mean to rag on Toshiba at all, I know nothing about their laptops, and I'm just wondering why this laptop seems to be so cheap. Going from 4-6gb ram is only a $140 upgrade, and 2.1ghz to 2.8ghz is only $300. I also haven't seen a 12 cell battery on any other laptop.

Is this too good to be true?

 

There are several cons to this laptop:
- low resolution screen (1680x945 whereas many 18.4" offer 1920x1080 (HD) screens)

- I am not sure about heat, but I would look carefully for some review on this product (I took a brief look)

- It's a large and thick laptop by any standards; perhaps they haven't sold too well and Toshiba has decided to drop their prices.

- despite the fact that it appears to be designed for gaming, it doesn't offer a graphics solution that is quite as powerful as competitors (ex, HP's HDX18)

http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=4610

 

DDR2 is pretty cheap,, no Blu-Ray, ATI video cards are pretty cheap, their warranty is just typical mail in service, non LED display, no TV tuner, etc.

If you're comparing to the bigger brands (Dell, HP, Sony, IBM), they all tend to use Nvidia, 3 of 4 are using DDR3, Dell provides on site service, all of the 4 are using LED screens, etc.

Toshibas are awesome products IMO in terms of longevity, design, and support. They are just a bit more basic in terms of specs. Dell specs will blow this machine away for roughly the same price, but the reliability seems questionable (XPS/Studio XPS problems anyone?). IBMs tend to sell for a premium because of their known reliability, and HPs are known for getting the most specs for the money. Bottom line - if you want a decent performer that will last a long time and can live without some of the newer perks like LED screens and better resolutions, a Toshiba is for you. If you upgrade frequently and want all of the latest features, you'll probably want to look at Dell, IBM, or HP. And if you have a few Gs to spend, maybe Sony.

Thats my deuce cents.