Toshiba Satellite L355-S7817 17.0" Laptop (1.86 GHz Intel Pentium Dual-Core T2390 Processor, 3 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, DVD Drive, Vista Premium) Blue

Toshiba Satellite L355-S7817 17.0" Laptop (1.86 GHz Intel Pentium Dual-Core T2390 Processor, 3 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, DVD Drive, Vista Premium) Blue Features

Additional Toshiba Satellite L355-S7817 17.0" Laptop (1.86 GHz Intel Pentium Dual-Core T2390 Processor, 3 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, DVD Drive, Vista Premium) Blue Information

What Customers Say About Toshiba Satellite L355-S7817 17.0" Laptop (1.86 GHz Intel Pentium Dual-Core T2390 Processor, 3 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, DVD Drive, Vista Premium) Blue:

I wasn't comfortable until I attached a Logitech Nano cordless mouse by inserting its little dongle into one of the 3 available USB ports.In my opinion, the display is the best part in the Satellite. The bundled free software includes Microsoft Works, Skype, some games and some annoying '60-day-trial' bloatware such Norton 360.Overall, this is a good machine if travel is not its main purpose and if the relatively low price is factored in. The Google Toolbar installed itself before asking but a 'thank you' pops up when it's finished.Explorer and Windows Media Player are present but it was easy to install my favorite browser (Chrome) and relegate the Explorer to the second-tier, 'backup browsers' status.Once the Norton 360 is removed, Vista begins to complain about its lacking virus protection. I would not type my next novel on this keyboard. The touch pad works but it doesn't work for me. Besides the laptop's body, there is the power supply, a couple of CDs and not much else.Specs------ Dual-core Intel T3400 processor at 2.16 GHz- 3GB SDRAM expandable to 4GB- 160GB hard drive- 17" display- 802.11b/g Wi-fi- DVD drive- Webcam + microphone- 3 USB 2.0 ports- Modem- Ethernet port- RGB monitor port- 5-in-1 Bridge Media Adapter slot that supports Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, Secure Digital, MMC and xD media- Near full-size keyboard with numeric keypad- TouchpadOn the Vista performance benchmark, the Satellite scores a 3.3 with 'graphics' accounting for its lowest scores - 3.3 for Aero and 3.4 for 3D business and gaming and the CPU (5.1) and the hard drive (5.3) being the highest.Setup-----Vista Setup begins as soon as the power button is pressed and it completes quickly. The package is easy to open and there isn't a lot of assembly required.

Once an account is created and after given permission, the Satellite was able to quickly find and join my Wi-fi network and download and install the latest mostly Vista updates - over 40 of them.To my surprise, there wasn't a lot of bloatware, Norton 360 60-day trial being the most annoying of them all - its window pops up and it can't be closed, the only apparent option being to run the setup. I was able to get rid of it by immediately removing it and other unwanted 'free' or 'free trial' offers such as NetZero before touching their setup processes. The brief assessmentThe Satellite L355 is a large, heavy portable - I can't make myself call it a LAP-top - machine that provides sufficient computing power to run Vista in full Aero mode, decent hard disk storage, good 17-inch display, adequate IO, a somewhat subpar near-full-size keyboard and a few bells and whistles such as 801.11g Wi-fi and integrated Webcam and microphone. They can be easily downloaded off the Net but I don't mind them being there since they do not interact intrusively with the user.Operation and Ergonomics------------------------As I mentioned already, the keyboard is a little unusual. While large, some of the keys are not where I would expect them - the Fn and Ctrl keys, for example are switched as compared with my familiar Thinkpad layout, the shapes of the 'Backspace' and 'Tab' are a little odd and so is the layout of the top row function keys. Being a spoiled Thinkpad user, I missed the little knob that controls the mouse pointer movements. However, anyone looking for a 'sometimes portable desktop' that integrates just about everything other than the mouse, this can be a good compromise. Its lacking a docking station add-on does not make it a good telecommuting choice.______________________________________________________Rating and evaluationThe Satellite 355's size and weight do not make it a good choice for anyone looking for a traditional 'laptop'.

It will replace a basic desktop once a mouse is added.______________________________________________________Detailed reviewDelivery and physical setup---------------------------The 'laptop' comes securely packaged in a relatively small box. It's large and it's bright. One reasonable truly free offer, and this is what I installed, was Avira. Once Avira was installed, I was able to register it with Defender and Vista stopped complaining.Other pre-installed but not '60-day trial' packages included are Picassa and Google Desktop. Wide-screen DVD movies play great on it but, sadly, this being a Toshiba (not a Sony) the optical drive does not support Blu-ray.The integrated Webcam works well with apps such as Google Chat or Skype and it's well integrated and easy to use.The Satellite weight - really, really heavy - does not make it suited for frequent travel. This is exactly what I wanted for one of my sons and I am therefore happy with my purchase.

This is an exhibit computer for a small non-profit that we will use on the road to showcase DVD's and instructional videos. A much better buy than from tosiba direct.

I don't consider myself a computer guru, but I was able to load all the software and transfer all of my files and docs. from my old Satellite to my new one without any difficulty. It was easy. I love my new laptop.

The laptop comes with lots of trialware/bloatware. This is a good laptop but don't expect it to brake any speed records. I took mine to OfficeDepot and had them remove the junk and put a year copy of McAfee on my system. It'g good for general every day use, and light game play. It uses the Pentium 4 Dual Core which is a older technology. If you are buying it for your kid for school this is a good one but they will not really be able to play high end games.Likes:17" screen its big and brightalmost a full size keyboard with keypadit's quiet - I have other laptops and the fan can get quite noisybattery life is good I have gotten around 3 hours that is with my screen dim and not using the CD/DVD drive. watching a movie I got a little over a hour.light - some of my 15.4" laptop is much heavier then this one160 Gb Hard Drive - more then enough for the average userDislikes:sound the built in speakers are under powered and the volume is lowno HDMI or other HD outputs on itbuilt in graphics card is good for everything but not really for gamesVista Home Premium 32-bit I would like to had seen Vista Home Premium 64-bit pre-installedkeyboard - although its big the feel of the keys are cheapDon't get me wrong this is a good laptop for its price but if you want to play games or run graphic intensive programs, I would suggest getting one with a discreet graphics card.

I believe he is on the money.Pros:- 17" screen - great if you're going back and forth from laptop to desktop or other larger montitor; very crisp, colorful, high quality screen.- full size number keypad on right. This is my first laptop after using desktops for years. As a business owner who does all her own office work, the keypad is something I couldn't live without when using as a laptop; however if connecting to a full size keyboard when not mobile, may not be an issue for you- efficient, quick machine; looks good too; feels high quality, not cheap like some.- One year free Toshiba tech support with purchaseCons:-size may be an issue for the constantly mobile person. I did my research and was hesitant to purchase one without any reviews about it. My husband is a Toshiba fan and has had many laptops and gave this one a thumbs up. Also, it weighs a little more than smaller laptops - about 10 lbs. total.-not for the gamer - not enough RAM and storage for serious gamers; although I bet the big monitor would be a plus if it would function well.-Vista gripe - had to reinstall some firmware with the help of Toshiba tech support to get the hot keys to function properly - had something to do with the way Vista works.- there is some 'crap' you'll need to uninstall from this before you get going.[.].