Customer Reviews
Not disappointed 
2003-09-11
I'd been eyeing the Toshiba convertible tablets for almost a year, and finally picked up the courage to overrule my wife and buy one. (I'm still dealing with her wrath, which was soothed by a new piece of jewelery.)
I like this design far and above any other, because of the flexibility. While it weighs more than most tablets, due to the added built in electronics of the keyboard, I don't have to fumble with extra accessories. That is except for the external DVD/CD-RW.
The battery life is good, with the DVD attached and running, I'm getting just over 2 1/2 hours, but without it attached over 3 hours. The lesson here is you never get what the manufacturer states (3 1/2 hours), unless your screen is nearly dark. But it beats my old laptop, which was giving me barely 90 minutes while watching DVD movies.
The Zinio reader is an awesome concept. I downloaded the free copies of one of the monthly computer gamers magazines that was offered, and was suprised at how well it was working. I usually buy a couple of the computer magazines from the airport newsstand when travelling, but now can buy them online and read them on the tablet. What's even better is that I can also read the same magazines on the desktop too.
A helpful tip would be for you to obtain a Virtual CD emulator, so that you can cache copies of your most critical "road" CDs (games) which require the physical CD to run the software. I use GameDrive, and I haven't had any problems using it.
Good Choice 
2003-07-15
I've only had this tablet for about a week, now, so there is still much to learn about it. However, so far it has exceeded my expectations. I purchased the Toshiba 3505 Tablet after considerable research. I have used it to write meeting minutes...the option to turn my writing into type is a huge asset. And since I print more than I handwrite, the tablet has been surprisingly accurate with the translation from writing to type. I also carry it with me at work to keep track of "To Do" lists, phone calls/conversations, employee absences, and days that we use subcontractors. The tablet is geared toward organization, and it works beautifully. It has plenty of data storage options. The DVD Drive I got is external, however, which is a bit of a hassle unpacking it and plugging it in everytime, but I only consider that a minor inconvenience since it does have the internal memory cards for storing data. The only other minor negative I have with it is that it doesn't pack with much additional software, so I've had to load it up with my work programs. All in all, I am very glad to have chosen the Toshiba.
A powerful compact laptop that *happens* to also be a tablet 2003-06-13
I got this machine a few months ago - when they first hit the market. I was *very* excited about the TabletPC in general, and I knew I had to get one. The only question was: Which one should I get? I tried them all at length, and made the easy decision to go with the Toshiba for a few simple reasons:
1) It really is a top-notch laptop. 1.3GHz, 512MB RAM, and a 40GB harddrive. It is *super* light-weight and sturdy, and fits in the smallest of bags. Even if it wasn't able to convert into a tablet, this would be a competitive laptop.
2) It had the best configuration of ports, wireless, etc. I take a *lot* of digital pictures, and there is a CF card slot right in the side of it. The internal 802.11b wireless card works flawlessly in my home and work network, making it an extremely mobile device. My mini-mouse also plugs into one of the 2 USB slots quite nicely.
3) The *giant* 12.1" screen! Yes, it sounds tiny - but it's huge for a pressure sensative tablet screen, and much larger than most of the competition. It can also plug into an external monitor and use it's screen as *extra* real-estate if you desire.
The funny thing is that I use it in "laptop" mode about 90% of the time. I only use the tablet functionality to play solitaire, or to read news links online while laying in bed at night. It does a great job of recognizing handwriting to take notes in a meeting (as advertised) - but I type *much* faster than I can write with a pen anyway! Go figure.
The only draw-back that I have found is that the on-board ATI graphics are a little sub-par for a high end machine like this. If Toshiba had done a deal with nVidia or something, this would be a truly smoking machine!
As it turns out, however, my employer just furnished me with a brand new laptop, so I am selling mine in the "Used Item" section of this site. If it isn't listed, then I must have sold it already! Thanks for the "reach" Amazon!
- Joe
Toshiba's technical support was BIG problem 2006-02-17
I really liked my Toshiba Portage 3505 Tablet PC. It is a very light weight laptop with excellent features and functionality. The tablet functioned extremely well and was very touch sensitive. Sadly the monitor started to go out almost immediately and I was not able to get any help from tech support. When the monitor finally went out, not long after I got it, I was told, "sorry, no warranty" even though I had purchased the laptop brand new, directly from Toshiba. I found that to replace the monitor would cost as much as buying a new laptop. I agree with another reviewer who did not feel that Toshiba cared at all for their customers. I also never talked to a tech support person who seemed to understand basic English. I would gladly own another Toshiba laptop, especially to Portage Tablet PC, but only if I knew customer service would be provide better support.
Terrible Tech Support 
2004-01-06
Toshiba may make good products, but their support is the worst i have ever come across. They have lost my laptop for over a month now and do not care a lick about it. They're tech support team is in Turkey and they dont care a thing about anybody. They kept hanging up on me and refused to help me saying it will take some time. When i called back- no one knew anything and had zero updates. DO NOT BUY TOSHIBA PRODUCTS! Get a Gateway or Dell instead...two companies that actually care about their customers.
Two Thumbs Up on the Portege 3505 2003-12-10
This notebook is great! I've had it for about 3 months now and I haven't had any problems to date (knock on wood). From my perspective... here are the advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages
- Excellent design
- It reads 99% of my sloppy writing and you can save note in your own handwriting or convert them to text
- Fast CPU for a tablet pc
- Large hard drive
- USB 2.0 ports
- Weighs 4 pounds
- Compact Flash and Secure Digital slots
- Equipped with DVD-Rom (this is not available on the 3500 model)
Disadvantages
- It's a little slow compared to my Dell Dimension 8200, but what do you expect, it's a notebook
- Battery life
- External DVD-Rom
- Very little software provided... but this was an easy one to surpass...
Other Notes:
The first time I called tech support they were terrible. I was left with a bad taste in my mouth. The second time I called in I asked to speak with Tier 2 support and they were perfect! So just call up and ask to be bumped up from the stump answering the phone. BTW, the issue I had was with the DVD-Rom installation. It wasn't a big deal...
...P>In summary, this is an excellent notebook at a reasonable price. It's easy to use and it is the best in its class (at time of posting)! Be a good consumer and shop around before you pick one up.
"Hot" tablet/notepad 2003-10-22
The portege is an amazing machine. I've been looking to do away with notepads and pens during University lecture note-taking, and the portege has worked very well. The heat is not too much of a problem when you are running on a power saving mode. If you run on a high-energy mode, the fan vent will heat up a good amount, with the power plugged in near this vent also does increase the heat. It doesn't get to the point where it will burn your hand, just heats it up a bit.
The video's card failure is not an issue unless you want to run graphic intensive video games, I've been able to run a number of "light" games without too much of a slow down. Thanks to the 516 RAM things are very speedy. Hand writing software is very good, it takes only a few days to train yourself what horrible chicken-scratch will and will not be accepted.
The keyboard/pad scores high marks, being very intuitive keyboard layout.
You're paying for the tablet switch back function, not the power. But as far as changeable tablets, or just tablets, the protege has great power and has become a desktop replacement for myself.
A great tablet PC 2003-10-01
Tablet PC has been out almost a year now and is slowly gaining momentum in the corporate world. For the average consumer, though, I think it's still way over-priced and under-equipped in terms of software. In short, the Tablet PC platform is still largely a vertical market product.
That said, having a Tablet PC does give the gadget freak a few cool things to enjoy. For example, scratch on a pad to your heart's full content. Not enough? How about watching a DVD movie at any angle you wish? Still want more? You can lie on your stomach and surf the web, you geek!
The Protege 3505 is arguably the sleekest and strongest TPC on the market right now. It's a hybrid model with a keyboard which turns it into a notebook. Compared to the lower-rung 3500 model, the 3505 has more memory (512 vs. 256) and also comes with an external DVD drive. It has wi-fi built-in (along with Ethernet and IR), and depending on the specific configuration, you can opt for built-in Bluetooth as well.
Performance is solid from the P3-M processor. You should know that the TPC version of Windows XP is optimized for the processors so you actually get a lot of performance at "low" clock speeds. ("Low" compared to desktop P4s; if you compare with Power PC G3 or G4's, these are still "fast".) I certainly have no problem playing MP3s in the background while running a few Excel Solver analyses; the OS remains totally responsive.
Battery life is average for TPCs, but weight is where Toshiba can improve. On the other hand, this is an affordable TPC, so you have to ask yourself which of the two (weight vs. price) is more important to you. Fujitsu's Tablet PCs are better built and only slightly less sleek, but their battery life is not as good as Toshiba while costing more. Sorry, still no perfect TPC yet.
Should you get your Amazon Visa card out and order one right now? I'd say no. There isn't much software included, and the novelty factor wears off quickly, plus 4.1 pounds (not counting the external DVD) is a lot to carry. On the other hand, if your company pays for it, it's another story.
