Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q888 TruBrite 18.4-Inch Laptop (Black/Red) Review
Toshiba has always been a laptop innovator, and the Qosmio line continues that tradition. This review focuses on music production use of this laptop, but the issues mentioned are probably applicable to various uses.
PROS:
-Tested with great results for 64 bit Cockos Reaper 3.69 and Propellerhead Reason 5, individually AND in ReWire mode, and for 64 bit EastWest Quantum Leap Play instruments. Solid performance with multiple VST instruments, effects, and even real-time mastering at the same time.
-If a musician debated whether to buy a Mac or a Windows laptop, he or she should consider that this model has more power and features for much less money than the top-of-the-line (or even a comparable) MacBook Pro costs. Unless a musician used Logic, considering that all other major digital audio workstation software titles are available for Windows, this one would be a better deal.
-Shopping around, a musician would notice that other laptops MAY have a 1080p screen, i7 processor, Blu-Ray drive, FireWire port, ExpressCard port, eSATA port, GigaBit LAN, but he or she would be hard pressed to find all those features in ONE laptop. This model has them all.
-Perfect for musicians who want horsepower in the studio, but also want it available to them on the road. With the connection options for eSATA (for fast streaming sample libraries); FireWire, ExpressCard, or USB2 ports for professional audio interfaces; four cores for real-time effects processing; and large enough screen for effective work in a digital audio workstation; this laptop can easily be even the main production machine of a home studio.
-64 bit Windows provides more speed, memory support and power for resource-hungry music applications. As sample libraries these days exponentially grow in size, the support for 8GB maximum memory is useful.
-7200 RPM hard drive makes load and save times noticeably faster. There is also the option to add an additional hard drive inside the machine, providing more ways to carry sample libraries and not burden the operating system drive with continuous sample streaming.
-The built-in sound card supports 24 bit, 96 kHz audio, so even if a musician did not want to set up the machine and start plugging in audio interfaces, he or she would be able to work on a project without having to change sample and resolution rates. This sound card can also be used simultaneously with an external audio interface, perfect for cueing, previewing in live situations or while doing DJ work.
-There is a VGA port for projectors or older monitors, AND a HDMI port to attach another 1080p monitor, providing even more Windows desktop space for music production. A musician can have the project window open on the laptop screen, with the effects and library browsers on the secondary screen. The HDMI port also supports audio, so the machine can be connected to a home theater system as well.
-The ExpressCard/54 port allows for more expansion options, however, the actual connection end only supports 34 mm cards. (There are many of those "L" shaped "fake" 54 mm cards out there.)
-If a band wants to home-produce a music video, there is plenty of power to run a more serious video editing suite, and the dual-screen option makes it even more effective.
-Non-music applications: it has plenty of graphics power for gaming, and it will certainly run office, Internet, and communications applications fast enough (it has a built-in camera). (Yes, it will do acceptably at Solitaire, too.)
-The built-in speakers have enough volume and range for playing background music or quick demos in a conference, or watching movies while doing other activities and not wanting to plug in headphones or connect to a sound system.
CONS:
-Weight: it is definitely not a netbook someone would want to carry around wedged between books and papers, in a purse, small bag or school backpack.
-Size: many electronics stores do not even carry bags for this large laptops. (Just check the Web, of course.)
-8GB maximum memory may be still not be enough for some very large sound samples: limited future-proofing.
-The media control keys on the left side of the keyboard are easy to accidentally hit while typing, and they emit a rather loud and sharp beep.
-The built-in sound card emits high-pitched noise at high volumes and a slight buzz when the machine goes to sleep. Not critical, though, and an external audio interface will eliminate the problem.
-On the subject of audio: this one specific model came with the sound card set to 44.1 kHz sample rate, and due to the rate mismatch, all audio sounds digitally crushed. It is NOT a defect, just a quick setting change! Right-click on the speaker icon in the notification area (system tray), select "Playback devices", then right click on the icon for the default sound card, select "Properties", then the "Advanced" tab. Change the bit rate to 24, and the sample rate to at least 48000 Hz.
-The power supply is large and heavy. The power consumption also makes it difficult to find car charging solutions from manufacturers of universal chargers.
-While battery life is still surprisingly impressive considering the features, it is not much if inspiration suddenly strikes and a musician wants to pull the laptop out and work in some random public establishment with no public power sockets available.
-Flat keyboard makes keys less distinctive for fast typing. An external keyboard for home/studio use is recommended.
-In certain tasks, such as CD audio extraction, the Blu-ray drive speed tested slower than even some portable, USB-powered DVD-only players.
-Toshiba has made better touch pads on some of its other models.
-There WERE a few "blue screens of death" on the first day of use during network operations and while accessing media files, but strangely (and luckily), not a single crash while running multiple digital audio workstations and using sample streaming simultaneously. Even multiple plug-ins, samples, and real-time mastering effects sailed smoothly with the four i7 cores.
-Bloatware: cannot escape it on pre-built machines. It takes some time to find and turn background leech applications off.
-The fourth USB port is an eSATA/USB combo, and as many devices a musician may want to attach to the machine, suddenly those ports do not seem to be enough. (Example: an eSATA extarnal drive for samples, an audio interface, a mouse, a music keyboard... that is it, no more ports.) An additional USB hub is a must for musicians.
In conclusion, the cons seem to be in most cases rather of the convenience or cosmetics types, and they do not seriously detract from the value of this laptop. The Q888 is a worthy studio machine replacement for home or small studios, with the option to quickly watch movies, surf the Web, or play online death matches while taking a break from producing music.
Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q888 TruBrite 18.4-Inch Laptop (Black/Red) Feature
- 1.73 GHz Intel Core i7-740QM processor
- 4GB DDR3 1066MHz memory
- 500 GB Serial ATA hard drive, Blu-ray Disc® ROM and DVD SuperMulti drive with Labelflash® supporting 12 formats
- 18.4-inch HD TruBrite display, NVIDIA GeForce GTS 360M with 1 GB GDDR5 discrete graphics memory
- Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, 3.75 hours of battery life
Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q888 TruBrite 18.4-Inch Laptop (Black/Red) Overview
Get the extreme performance you crave - without the extreme price. Our Qosmio X505 laptop delivers powerhouse mobile performance with blazing-fast graphics, the latest in multi-core processor technologies and a high-def sound system - all wrapped up in a sophisticated Fusion Finish design. Enjoy faster and smarter performance with a powerful combination of breakthrough processor technologies, including the newest Intel Core i7 or Core i5 processors, plus the graphics horsepower of the NVIDIA GeForce GTS 360M GPU. Up to 8 GB of ultrafast DDR3 memory gives you more bandwidth to do, create and enjoy, while massive single or dual high-speed hard drives hold tons of entertainment. Savor luxurious sound with built-in harman/kardon speakers and Dolby Home Theater audio technology. Enjoy the latest movies with a Blu-ray Disc player on select models. Or simply plow through your day on a brilliant, HD 18.4-Inch diagonal display. The Qosmio X505 laptop has the power, performance and portability to do anything you can imagine - at a price you can afford.
Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q888 TruBrite 18.4-Inch Laptop (Black/Red) Specifications
Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q888: Hard-core Gaming, Brilliant Graphics
Amplify your 3D gaming and video editing with incredibly fast frame rates with the Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q888 gaming laptop, which features a stunning 18.4-inch display--with true 1080p high-def resolution--and the Intel Core i7 processor with four cores of intelligent processing power. Additionally, it offers ultra-fast DDR3 system memory and the NVIDIA GeForce GTS 360M graphics with 1 GB of GDDR5 video memory. Together, this pairing of high-performance technologies allow you to rip through the latest 3D games at lightning-fast frame-rates or create high-definition video and audio faster and more efficiently with smooth rendering and encoding.
 The Toshiba Qosmio X505 features a striking design on the outside and is packed with premium technologies on the inside (see larger image). |
 The stunning Fusion finish in Omega Black with stylish red chrome accents (see larger image). |
 A comfortable full keyboard with LED Backlighting and numeric 10-key pad (see larger image). |
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The Qosmio X505 features Toshiba's striking Fusion Finish in Omega Black with stylish red chrome accents and a comfortable full keyboard with LED Backlighting and numeric 10-key pad. An intuitive touchpad with multi-touch control enables greater flexibility to browse and control what's happening on-screen with gesture-commands--including two-finger pinch, swipe, rotate and scroll.
It also includes a 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.
This Qosmio comes pre-installed with the Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium operating system (64-bit version).
Key Features
- 18.4-inch high-definition TruBrite display with 1920 x 1080 resolution for amazing color depth and clarity and native 1080p support.
1.73 GHz Intel Core i7-740QM processor (with Turbo Boost Technology up to 2.93 GHz) delivers maximum processing power in response to peak demands. Intel's Turbo Boost technology maximizes speed for demanding applications, dynamically accelerating performance to match your workload--providing more performance when you need it the most. It also comes equipped with Intel HD Graphics--an advanced video engine that delivers smooth, high-quality HD video playback, and advanced 3D capabilities, providing an ideal graphics solution for everyday computing.
- 500 GB Serial ATA hard drive (7200 RPM)
- 4 GB of DDR3 RAM (upgradeable to 8 GB) gives you the bandwidth you need to get the most of today's popular software, multitask all day long and run applications without a glitch.
- NVIDIA GeForce GTS 360M with 1 GB GDDR5 discrete graphics memory offers what gamers want most--hyper-realistic action with intense 3D visuals, plus vibrant, lifelike scenes and dynamic character effects--thanks to NVIDIA's PhysX technology. It goes beyond everyday gaming with built-in CUDA technology to speed demanding system tasks, like video playback and HD movie editing. You'll also enjoy up to a 50 percent improvement over previous generation mobile graphics processors, and a more rewarding Windows 7 experience with accelerated video and image processing (2298 MB total available graphics memory).
Watch Blu-ray Disc movies in crystal clear resolution with the read-only Blu-ray drive; also supports reading/writing of CD-R/RW, DVD±R, DVD±RW, DVD±R DL, and DVD-RAM The drive also offers Labelflash printing, which enables you to personalize your discs and keep them looking attractive and organized with direct-to-disc laser printing.
- Wireless Connectivity
- With its integrated Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking capabilities, this laptop provides up to five times the performance and twice the wireless range using 802.11n-compatible routers as you would with 802.11g networks. It's also backward compatible with 802.11b/g networks (commonly found at Wi-Fi hotspots and in older home routers.
- With integrated Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity, you can communicate and synchronize wirelessly with Bluetooth-enabled peripherals such as printers and cell phones.
- Harman Kardon stereo speakers bring an added dimension to music, movies and gaming with rich, immersive virtual surround sound.
- Dolby Home Theater suite of technologies delivers virtual surround sound from stereo speakers or any pair of headphones.
- Included Toshiba Software:
- Toshiba Media Controller offers simplified media sharing. Using an intuitive drag-and-drop interface, it lets you share videos, music and pictures from the media library on your laptop with compatible devices in your home entertainment network, or with other compatible laptops and devices, like an Xbox 360 game console. And you can do it all without moving equipment, burning discs or fumbling with cables.
- Toshiba Bulletin Board is an easy-to-use organizational and productivity app that lets you build your own personalized space on your desktop. With Toshiba Bulletin Board, you can quickly and easily manage your to-do lists and calendars, plus create your own custom work area by pinning your favorite photos, documents, links and more.
- Toshiba ReelTime helps you cut down the time it takes to search for files. The easy-to-use app takes traditional text-based file structures one step further to help you find what you're looking for more quickly. Accessible from your taskbar, it shows you a visual timeline of your recently accessed files--using graphical thumbnails--so you can easily identify and get to your files faster.
- Included Toshiba Utilities:
- Toshiba eco Utility makes it easy to go green as you go mobile. Hit the Eco Button and you'll launch the Toshiba Eco Utility, which puts all sorts of easy-to-read information on your screen, and gives you the ability to adjust the power settings on your laptop. It also activates a light showing you're in the Eco Mode. The Toshiba Eco Utility lets you pick the optimal power plan for your situation. Choose High-Performance when you need every watt you can get, Power Saver for the least energy consumption, or Balanced as a perfect blend of the two.
- USB Sleep and Charge offers a great way to keep your portable electronics powered up without requiring your laptop to be on. With this laptop's Sleep and Charge USB port, you'll be able to charge your smart phone, MP3 player, and other portable electronics--all without having to keep your laptop awake.
- Hard Drive Impact Sensor takes the worry out of taking your most important files and multimedia on the go. Able to detect sudden movement along three different dimensions, the impact sensor (a complex system of hardware and software) helps safeguard your data by "parking" the hard drive heads in the event of a drop or sudden movement. And it works faster than you can blink to help protect your laptop and all-important data.
- Up to 3.75 hours of battery life (12-cell battery; 87 Wh)
- Dimensions & Weight: 17.4 x 11.6 x .63 inches (WxDxH); 9.7 pounds
Networking, Connectivity & Expansion
| Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium
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. And with Windows Anytime Upgrade, you'll be able to add new features to your PC in as little as 10 minutes. Windows will walk you through the simple upgrade process, it requires no software or downloads, and you'll keep your existing programs, files, and settings
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What's in the box
This package contains the Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q888 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); Microsoft Works 9; Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 Edition (60-day trial); Google Toolbar; Microsoft Windows Media Player 12; Microsoft Silverlight; Toshiba PC Health Monitor; Toshiba Online Backup (30-day trial)
This laptop is backed by a 1-year limited hardware warranty.
Environmental Specifications
- 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
Learn more about Toshiba's environmental commitment.
Learn More
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25th Anniversary of Toshiba Laptops
This year, Toshiba celebrates its 25th anniversary of innovations and quality in the notebook PC business. Beginning with the launch of the Toshiba T1100, the world's first clamshell-type, fully functional laptop PC, Toshiba has led the with such innovations as the first laptop with a color monitor in 1991 and a laptop with integrated CD-ROM drive in 1995 (followed by the addition of a DVD drive in 1998). And in 2009, Toshiba unveiled the world's first ultraportable laptop with 512GB solid state drive.
Today, Toshiba continues to be a leader in eco-friendly manufacturing, with virtually all of its consumer laptops earning EPEAT Gold status for meeting standards that help reduce overall environmental impact.
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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Nov 04, 2010 18:01:32
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