Toshiba 15.6" laptop - $229 at Best Buy

[Kaido]

Some additional notes:

1. F2 to get into BIOS
2. F12 to get into the boot menu
3. Atheros Boot Agent (Ethernet) supports PXE boot (BIOS option)

 

[Kaido]

hmmm... mine has the sticker that says usb3, but i get no usb3 on any usb... and i turned the 'power to usb on sleep' in bios on but there's no power from any of my usb's when it sleeps...

i'm not too worried about either of these, but am curious...

Regarding the USB 3.0 port - I just tested a USB 3.0 external hard drive. It shows properly as "External USB 3.0", although I'm not sure if that's showing the name of the drive, or recognizing it as as external USB 3.0 drive. The port is not blue. I get the exact same speeds on both ports, both under Windows 7 and Windows 8 (29.3 MB/s read, 21.9 MB/s write, both of which are USB 2.0 speeds). So I'm definitely not getting USB 3.0 speeds.

Something is fishy here. Class-action lawsuit for mislabeled budget laptops? :awe:

 

[D-Man]

Grabbed one this morning doing a cleanup and updates before I do a backup. This is a steal for an everyday laptop. I have had faster laptops and still own a faster one than this. Thing is for what I do and how little I use a laptop this is great. I gonna give my old one to my granddaughter It has a 17" screen and I like the smaller screen.

 

[toyota]

yeah its hard to find a desktop with similar specs for this price so its like getting a free 15.6 inch screen. I still have not had time to even take mine out of the box yet but overall it looked really nice in the store.

 

[cubeless]

Regarding the USB 3.0 port - I just tested a USB 3.0 external hard drive. It shows properly as "External USB 3.0", although I'm not sure if that's showing the name of the drive, or recognizing it as as external USB 3.0 drive. The port is not blue. I get the exact same speeds on both ports, both under Windows 7 and Windows 8 (29.3 MB/s read, 21.9 MB/s write, both of which are USB 2.0 speeds). So I'm definitely not getting USB 3.0 speeds.

Something is fishy here. Class-action lawsuit for mislabeled budget laptops? :awe:

does yours power when sleeping on usb? have to turn on in bios...

this may be why these are $230...

 

[MoInSTL]

1. There is a removable RAM/HDD access plate on the bottom. Uses a single #1 Philip's head screwdriver. It is a captive screw, so you don't have to worry about losing it. Genius system all around - one captive screw + easy access to the hard drive & both RAM slots. The 3V CR2032 button battery is also accessible here (next to the hard drive).

2. There are 2 RAM slots. Mine has a single 4GB stick. I added an additional 2GB stick that I had handy and it works just fine for 6GB total.

3. The hard drive has kind of a tinfoil drive cover with a rubber skeleton around it (feels like a very crappy design, but it works I guess haha). You swap it out like this:



4. It can accept a standard 9.5mm 2.5" hard drive. The stock MQ01ABF050 500gb 5400rpm drive is 7.0mm, the new slimline-style.

5. The hard drive connector is SATA-III. I installed a 120GB SATA-III drive and got 411.5 MB/s read and 443.5 MB/s write in Aja System Test.

Thanks! Yes, my Dell laptop used captive screws. Thanks for confirming it's SATA 3. I knew it had two slots. Guess I'll power it off and add a 2GB stick I have leftover from upgrading the Dell to 8GB.

EDIT: Added a 2GB stick. They have both been sitting in its holder for months. $0 cost. Shows 6GB under System. Snapping the cover back into place was easy... easier than I expected.

 

[toyota]

I think something is wrong with mine. I was going through the setup process and last thing I saw was it say almost ready and then next time I look over the screen is black. that was 15 minutes ago and nothing has changed. just blank screen with all 3 lights solid on the laptop.

EDIT: turned the power off and then back on then it went to where I could sign in. when I sign in though the damn thing just goes right back to a blank screen. I googled it and it seems common. well I guess the damn thing is going back and I am so pissed off right now and scared to try another one.

 

[Macgyversite]

Reboot. Unplug. Take the battery out and press the power button. Then reassemble and reboot if possible.

 

[toyota]

Reboot. Unplug. Take the battery out and press the power button. Then reassemble and reboot if possible.

after the 3rd restart it works but I have no confidence at all in this pos now.

 

[The0ne]

the Skullcandy headphones are crap. Hardly any bass at all and can't even compare to my KSC75. And they are selling these at $60? Wow.

The ports are USB but speeds are slow. My USB 3.0 doesn't work on 2.0 ports but comes up fine on this laptop.

 

[toyota]

it was supposed to come with headphones? where does it actually say that?

 

[cubeless]

the headphones weere last week... they were in the middle of the page offers on the laptop page...

and they're ok headphones - for free...

 

[Kaido]

I think something is wrong with mine. I was going through the setup process and last thing I saw was it say almost ready and then next time I look over the screen is black. that was 15 minutes ago and nothing has changed. just blank screen with all 3 lights solid on the laptop.

EDIT: turned the power off and then back on then it went to where I could sign in. when I sign in though the thing just goes right back to a blank screen. I googled it and it seems common. well I guess the thing is going back and I am so pissed off right now and scared to try another one.

Do you think this was a hardware problem, or do you think it was a screwup in the initial Windows 8 setup?

 

[toyota]

Do you think this was a hardware problem, or do you think it was a screwup in the initial Windows 8 setup?

it did not do it again after I installed 8.1. This is my first experience with 8 and I do not like it at all. it's just more steps to do what should be simple every time and I don't care for this interface at all. Anyway the laptop is going back because the trackpad is not worth a crap and is completely inconsistent for me I may have to repeat the same movement 10 times for it to respond. I've never had a problem like that on any other laptop so I don't know what's going on with it.

 

[Kaido]

it did not do it again after I installed 8.1. This is my first experience with 8 and I do not like it at all. it's just more steps to do what should be simple every time and I don't care for this interface at all. Anyway the laptop is going back because the trackpad is not worth a crap and is completely inconsistent for me I may have to repeat the same movement 10 times for it to respond. I've never had a problem like that on any other laptop so I don't know what's going on with it.

It sounds to me like you might have a borked Windows 8 install - random shutdowns & goofy trackpad issues. My first suggestion would be try doing a re-install (if you have a USB stick or DVD's available, or I think you can also initiate recovery from the recovery partition) and seeing if it happens again. I have an Asus cheapo laptop in the same vein as this that has a pretty mediocre trackpad; this one is far better because it recognizes your finger without any fuss, so it's weird that your trackpad is acting goofy. I would usually say it's a hardware issue, but the shutdown thing would typically be separate from a touchpad issue if it were hardware.

 

[toyota]

well I am just going to return it. I just got it cause it was cheap but its turned into more trouble than its worth.

I have Windows 8.1 that I was about to install on my gaming pc but after seeing it in action, I might just stick with Windows 7. lol

 

[boomerang]

I spent a considerable period of time making this laptop, after the upgrade to 8.1, look and operate as close as I could to 7. Afterwards I decided to get to know 8.1 and I actually uninstalled startisback. I really like 8.1 with one exception. I cannot get used to working with IE11 in Metro. I really prefer it from the desktop. But, it may grow on me over time. I probably need to Google some tips on working with it.

I'm experiencing a little weirdness with the touchpad myself. I have customized a number of settings and have been making changes to try and correct the problem. I even downloaded the latest version from Toshiba and the problem continues.

I am somehow touching the pad in a manner that gives me a right click. I do not have anything set up to do that in the Synaptics software. I am also experiencing scaling going on in IE11 from the desktop. The percentage shown in the right on the status bar changes. It happens so fast I can't get a handle on what is actually happening.

I should probably try to set everything to defaults and start over as a troubleshooting step.

 

[gill77]

Thanks OP.

In for one.

Hope the USB 3.0 is 3.0.

 

[Zap]

Hope the USB 3.0 is 3.0.

Mine is not. Ignoring the color of the port for a moment, taking a look at it does not reveal the extra pads required for USB 3.0 transfers.

USB 3.0 has the extra 5 pads in front of the usual four.

 

[Kaido]

Mine is not. Ignoring the color of the port for a moment, taking a look at it does not reveal the extra pads required for USB 3.0 transfers.

USB 3.0 has the extra 5 pads in front of the usual four.

I went ahead and updated the OP. Three of us have USB 3.0 ports that are not performing as USB 3.0 ports, despite what the sticker says. It is not blue in color, it does not get USB 3.0 speeds, it doesn't show up as USB 3.0 in the Device Manager, and the Toshiba support website says nothing about USB 3.0. I think the sticker & quickstart guide were printed in error. I suspect the different symbol on the side (USB port in an oval) is just for the "Sleep & Charge" feature.

 

[AkumaX]

thanks for all your helpful info, kaido!

 

[gill77]

Thanks Zap, good info.

I think I will still be happy with my purchase. I guess odds are now near zero for the 3.0, but still appreciate the heads up from the OP.

Gill

 

[Kaido]

Thanks Zap, good info.

I think I will still be happy with my purchase. I guess odds are now near zero for the 3.0, but still appreciate the heads up from the OP.

Gill

Here are pictures from the system:

http://imgur.com/a/cJuld

1. USB 3.0 sticker below Numpad on laptop
2. Oval around USB logo (notice it's not the SuperSpeed logo)
3. Quickstart guide of Right Side: "USB 3.0 port* (USB Sleep & Charge)" * Available on certain models
4. Outside of box: Fast File Transfer w/ USB 3.0

It clearly states that USB 3.0 is included on the laptop both on the box and on the sticker on the laptop. I tested all 3 ports on Windows 7 and on Windows 8 with the same speed test results. There are no blue USB ports on the laptop, and none of have the SS logo for USB 3.0.

This is definitely mis-advertising. Do I feel like pursuing it? It's a laptop for $229. No, I don't really care. Maybe others will. The Quickstart guide states that USB 3.0 is available on "certain" models; I suspect the stickers were printed in error. That's a pretty big error to make though - to print it both on the laptop itself AND on the box packaging.

Disappointing.

 

[brocks]

UPS finally delivered mine yesterday. I've hooked it up to an external monitor and speakers, and I'm pretty happy with the picture and sound, thanks to the tips here about the speakers.

But I hate Windows 8, and all the bloatware that came with it. I want to do a clean install of Win 8.1, which allegedly corrected some of the worst aspects of Win8. I've extracted my activation key with Belarc, so that should let me do a clean install from a DVD, right?

Two questions for people who already have theirs:

1. They had a big sticker on the inner plastic wrapper that had a lot of fine print about the included software. Can someone smarter than me (a very low bar) tell me if it's saying that I have to have all the included software still installed if I want to return it?

2. Warranty issues aside, is any of the software essential? I know I don't need Office or games or Norton, but do I need any of the Toshiba utilities for anything important?

Thanks to the OP and anyone else who posted tips on this.

 

[Kaido]

UPS finally delivered mine yesterday. I've hooked it up to an external monitor and speakers, and I'm pretty happy with the picture and sound, thanks to the tips here about the speakers.

But I hate Windows 8, and all the bloatware that came with it. I want to do a clean install of Win 8.1, which allegedly corrected some of the worst aspects of Win8. I've extracted my activation key with Belarc, so that should let me do a clean install from a DVD, right?

Two questions for people who already have theirs:

1. They had a big sticker on the inner plastic wrapper that had a lot of fine print about the included software. Can someone smarter than me (a very low bar) tell me if it's saying that I have to have all the included software still installed if I want to return it?

2. Warranty issues aside, is any of the software essential? I know I don't need Office or games or Norton, but do I need any of the Toshiba utilities for anything important?

Thanks to the OP and anyone else who posted tips on this.

1. Just make a USB or DVD recovery disc set; that way if, you want to return it, you can restore it to factory. I believe you can also recovery the laptop via hard drive recovery, although I haven't tested it.

2. There is only a small amount of bloatware to remove:

* MS Office Trial
* Norton (Anti-theft, Internet Security, Online Backup)
* EA's Origin
* Pokki
* Toshiba software (19 utilities, some useful, some not)
* WildTangent games

None of them are really that bad, either. Origin, Pokki, and WildTangent are basically like Valve's Steam store for EA, apps, and online games, respectively. Norton has a few & the Office trial comes on everything these days. Toshiba has a mix of utilities & useless stuff, so that's up to you what you want to remove. So nothing really nasty & only a handful of stuff to remove, only takes 10 minutes to nuke it all off! If you need help deciding which Toshiba software packages to remove, browse through this site:

http://www.shouldiremoveit.com/TOSHIBA-HDD-Accelerator-15583-program.aspx

3. I tried downloading both 8 and 8.1 directly from Microsoft using the key from Belarc, no dice. It's probably a Toshiba-specific key. The Slickdeals thread discusses using the SLIC BIOS hack to load an OEM copy of Windows, but that's beyond the scope of this thread for legal reasons. Plus, the benefit of using the Toshiba recovery installer is that you get all of the drivers pre-loaded, so you have full hardware usability right after re-installation. Otherwise you'd have to grab everything off Toshiba's website and do a manual install driver-by-driver.