Toshiba Satellite A505D-S6008 TruBrite 16.0-Inch Laptop (Black/Silver) Review
Summary: Very fast 2.5GHz AMD Turion II CPU, great looking, bright display, huge 640GB drive, 4GB RAM, bad webcam, better than average Wi-Fi.
I wasn't expecting the speakers to perform this well, quality-wise. Trebles ring clearly, bass response is very good for such a small size and the bundled Dolby Surround Software is useful and gives a nice ambiance to the music. The volume is limited, though.
This laptop brings four (4) USB ports, and that's including the SATA/USB port. At first I couldn't find the one on the left side, next to the left speaker. I uninstalled Norton without any hassles, and now I'm happily running AVG free edition. HD videos are played excellently and Microsoft Office 2007 opens up very quickly.
The integrated Wi-Fi works better than any other adapter I've used, even external USB adapters. Signal strength at this location has always been "Low" because the router is several rooms away: surprisingly this adapter reports "Excellent" all of the time. Frequent Wi-Fi outages are now a matter of the past. Note that this laptop comes without internal Bluetooth.
I find the webcam's image to be truly terrible indoors (artificial light). It may perform better outdoors. The battery also under-performs, lasting around 100 minutes on normal and maybe 110 on "eco Mode" (assuming continuous, semi-intensive usage). This is probably due to the high-speed CPU: the A505D-S6004 sister product is reported to last around 3 hours on batteries. I'm planning on buying the 12 cell battery in the near future:
Toshiba Primary High Capacity Battery Pack - Notebook battery ( high capacity ) - 1 x lithium ion 12-cell 9000 mAh
The keyboard heats up a little after 30 minutes of intensive use, even with a chill mat. Some people complain that the keyboard is noisy but I have to disagree: I find the sound to be nicely muffled when striking the keys with the required force. Very intense typing may produce more noise, but not really that noticeable. I'm a fast typist (70wpm) so you can trust me on this. Put on some music and this thing is, in my opinion, virtually noiseless. The keyboard light is a nice feature that works well, providing much needed-lighting in dark rooms.
Here are the specs page at Toshiba Web if you want to take a look:
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Toshiba Satellite A505D-S6008 TruBrite 16.0-Inch Laptop (Black/Silver) Feature
- 2.5GHz AMD Turion II Ultra Dual-Core M620 Processor
- 4GB 200-Pin DDR2 SO-DIMM Memory
- 640GB Serial ATA Hard Disk Drive (5400RPM); DVD SuperMulti Drive with Labelflash
- 16" CCFL (16:9) 1366x768 Display; ATI Radeon HD 4200 Graphics
- Window 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Toshiba Satellite A505D-S6008 TruBrite 16.0-Inch Laptop (Black/Silver) Overview
For all you want to see, hear and experience, the Satellite A505 laptop delivers serious style, luxurious entertainment and punched up performance across a broad, brilliant HD TruBrite display. Tap into major horsepower for fast multi-tasking, innovative A/V advancements to amplify your media, plus a suite of user-inspired features to keep you more mobile, productive and creative. Or break free, wirelessly, as you connect, browse, share and chat face-to-face—better than ever. Unlike others in its class, this PC rocks premium components and a glam look, yet won't slam your pocketbook. Yes, it's a great big high-def world out there. And the Satellite A505 laptop let's you roll with it.
Toshiba Satellite A505D-S6008 TruBrite 16.0-Inch Laptop (Black/Silver) Specifications
Toshiba Satellite A505D: 16-Inch Screen for Mobile HD Entertainment
Replace your desktop PC with the Toshiba Satellite A505D-S6008, which features a 16-inch diagonal HD TruBrite widescreen LED-backlit display, touchpad with multi-touch control, and a dual-layer DVD±RW drive that burns CDs and offers Labelflash print functionality. The bright 16-inch LCD (1366 x 768) offers a true 16:9 aspect ratio and 720p native high-definition resolution, and the A505 is great for using as a media center with the touch-sensitive media keys placed above the keyboard. And it's sure to stand out in the crowd thanks to the stunning Fusion Finish in Quantum Black.
 The A505's brilliant high-gloss Fusion finish in Quantum Black is sure to turn heads. |
 The 16-inch A505 has a 104-key keyboard (with 10-key pad) and lighted, touch-sensitive multimedia controls (see larger image). |
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Thanks to the built-in webcam and Toshiba Face Recognition software on this machine, you'll enjoy a more convenient way to communicate, log on or share your laptop among the family. Other high-tech features include a power-saving Eco Utility to help reduce power consumption based on your needs, USB Sleep-and-Charge port, and a hard drive impact sensor that protects your data.
Pre-installed with the Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium operating system (64-bit version), you'll be able to easily create a home network and share all of your favorite photos, videos, and music. Windows 7 is the easiest, fastest, and most engaging version of Windows yet. Better ways to find and manage files, like Jump Lists and improved taskbar previews, help you speed through everyday tasks. Windows 7 is designed for faster and more reliable performance, so your PC just works the way you want it to.
Key Features
- 16-inch widescreen TruBrite HD LED-Backlit display not only renders stunning visuals, but it's more environmentally friendly as it uses less power (1366 x 768 resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio).
- 2.5 GHz AMD Turion II Dual-Core Mobile M620 processor with 2 MB L2 cache for excellent multi-tasking. And it's designed to handle simultaneous 32- and 64-bit computing with no degradation in performance.
- 640 GB Serial ATA hard drive (5400 RPM) with an impact sensor that helps safeguard your data by "parking" the hard drive heads in the event of a drop or sudden movement.
- 4 GB of RAM (DDR2; 800 MHz; upgradeable to 8 GB)
- ATI Radeon HD 4200 graphics with up to 1918 MB of dynamically allocated shared graphics memory.
- 8x SuperMulti DVD drive with double layer support and Labelflash printing, which enables you to personalize your discs and keep them looking attractive and organized with direct-to-disc laser printing.
- Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g/n) for greater speed and range.
- 1.3 megapixel webcam with Face Recognition capabilities for added security. And if you're using one laptop for several users--say for the whole family or for a small business--Toshiba Face Recognition lets you switch profiles with one simple look.
- Harman Kardon stereo speakers bring an added dimension to music, movies and gaming with rich, immersive virtual surround sound.
- Fast Ethernet (10/100)
- 5-in-1 memory card reader compatible with Secure Digital, Secure Digital High Capacity, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, Multi Media Card, xD Picture Card
- ExpressCard (34/54) slot lets you take advantage of thinner, faster, and lighter expansion cards for even more advanced wireless, networking, storage, and security features.
- Four total USB ports with one eSATA/USB combo port that also features Sleep and Charge capabilities, allowing you to charge your mobile phone and other devices even when the notebook is asleep or off.
- VGA video output
- Windows 7 Home Premium makes it easy to create a home network and share all of your favorite photos, videos, and music. And you can watch shows for free when and where you want with Internet TV on Windows Media Center. Get the best entertainment experience with Windows 7 Home Premium.
- Get more features with Windows Anytime Upgrade. It's the best way to add features to Windows 7, takes as few as ten minutes, requires no software or downloads, and you'll keep your existing programs, files, and settings. Windows will walk you through the simple upgrade process.
- Pre-loaded software includes Microsoft Works SE 9.0 for word processing and spreadsheet work. Enjoy a 60-day trial version of Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007.
- 6-cell (5200 mAh) battery
- Weight: 6.48 pounds
- Dimensions: 15.1 x 10.2 x 1.61 inches (WxDxH)
- Warranty: One-year limited hardware warranty
- Energy Star 5.0 certified
- Gold EPEAT designation for meeting standards to help reduce its environmental impact.
- RoHS compliant effectively reducing the environmental impact by restricting the use of lead, mercury and certain other hazardous substances
What's in the Box
This package contains the Toshiba Satellite A505D-S6008 notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions.
It also comes with the following software: Norton Internet Security 2010 (30-day trial), Toshiba PC Health Monitor, Microsoft Works, Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 Edition (60-day trial), Windows Media Player, Corel DVD Movie Factory, Google Toolbar, Google Picasa, PowerCinema, WildTangent Orb Game Console
*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Aug 16, 2010 03:26:29
