Customer Reviews
Computer May Be Fine -- but how would I know? 
2007-04-27
I'd love to know how well this computer met my needs, but Amazon can't seem to deliver it to me. This is the second computer that they have postponed the delivery date for two months -- ON THE ORIGINAL DATE OF DELIVERY! Computer promised on April 27th (a customer service rep guaranteed this to me last night), now (April 27th) promised for June 27th.
My advice, unless Amazon can resolve what appears to be a supply chain problem, is to stay clear of them for computers, because they currently cannot meet their promises. After one week, with a pending trip, I'm back to a brick and mortar outlet for a computer at the last minute.
Very disappointing.
Fast Laptop With Great Graphics 
2007-04-12
I purchased this laptop to help me with my "on the road" business. I am a Realtor that needs to have quick access to multiple forms and presentation materials for my clients.
I jump around to numerous websites that require user logins and the fingerprint login assistant has worked flawlessly. Needless to say, my clients are impressed with this feature, as well as the 17" widescreen high res monitor.
I also purchased the portable Canon iP90 printer at the same time. Both the laptop, printer and accesories fit into a relatively small case w/o any issue, other than the weight, if carried for a long period of time.
DVD movies play perfectly on this laptop, taking advantage of the HD widescreen features. The only issue encountered, so far, is the software program "Windows Movie Maker" (bundled with VISTA OS)crashes upon my attempt to utilize some of the features. Based on my subsequent web search, it appears that others have had the same problem. I have not been able to find any suggestions on Microsoft or Toshiba's support sites. However, I prefer to conduct my video editing on my desktop PC, so this really isn't an issue for me.
This is a sweet laptop for the price and I have already recommended it to friends.
Great Computer, Terrible Toshiba Support, Amazon is the Best 
2007-04-10
This computer is just awesome. It is fast, not heavy (one pound lighter than my old Dell 15") and hardly gets hot even when doing difficult tasks like encoding video (which was a major problem with my old Dell).
Some minor things I think that may need some improvement are: the very small shift-button on the right side of the keyboard, always needing to check if the notebook is really closed, need to give it an extra push; everything else is just perfect.
Now about the support. This notebook is supposed to come with Microsoft OneNote 2007. It was not included though, just a trial. I have called Toshiba, litterally, more than 15 times. Two times I was referred to Microsoft, but because it is pre-installed software by Toshiba, it should be their problem. Every time I had to explain the same story over again, and each time got a different story. Things are badly organized at Toshiba support, if organized at all. They make you think you are stupid, though in fact they are because they have no idea what they are talking about, except for just two out of the 15 I spoke. Worse, the problem never got solved.
Untill... I contacted Amazon. They have the best customer support ever. Just one e-mail and they sent me, for free and with 2 day shipping, a brand new full version, in sealed box, of Microsoft OneNote 2007. That was amazing.
So the only reason for me giving 4 stars is because of Toshiba's support. 5 stars for the computer itself and 10 (if that were possible) to Amazon!
Full spec'd and full featured notebook with minor annoyances 2007-04-03
My desktop's motherboard went on the fritz, so I used that as an excuse to move over to a notebook.... and this was my choice! Having looked around a bit and learning of Vista's memory requirements, I was convinced that I needed 2 GB of RAM... well, I think it was a wise move.... I may be able to trim back some applications, but "out of the box" I was using 1 GB of memory with only the mail application and Internet Explorer open. Whoa! The processor is plenty fast enough for me and although I plan to use an external drive for my mp3s and videos, the hard drive leaves plenty of room to work with if I don't have the external handy or if I need to work from the drive.
Performance wise, Vista has a built in ranking system and grades the PC in various areas on a scale from 1-5. This PC ranks high in the hard drive (4.8), memory (4.3) and processor speeds (4.7), but only meets the graphics and gaming graphics requirements set up by Vista by a small margin (3.1 each with 3.0 being minimum). I take it that means this isn't well suited for hardcore gaming. Overall, I feel its a great computer and haven't noticed any obvious drawbacks due to this "score" as of yet.
Some of the cool things include the fingerprint reader and speakers that actually sound halfway decent (for notebook speakers). I also like having 4 usb ports and that they are located 2 on the right, 1 in back and 1 on the left with enough space to actually use all of them if need be. Wireless picked up my girlfriends D-Link router instantly and connected to the internet right out of the box (after turning it on with the front switch).
For the annoyances, there are only a few things that grabbed me. First is my screen came with a dead pixel. I know this happens at random, and usually manufacturers allow up to 4 or so, so 1 isn't bad. Another thing is sometimes when it goes into sleep or hibernate, I can't get the screen to come back up.... I have to force a shutdown and reboot with Windows giving me the "windows was shut down improperly" splash screen. I'd say this happens about 5% of the time so far. Finally, the card reader seems to be really "deep". After putting my memory stick all the way in, I almost had to get some tweezers to get it back out. Of course, its easy to pick out the annoying things and I could go on even longer about how great it is... but that's no fun to read, now is it? :P
Bottom line is I would still totally buy this again... The screen is beautiful and the performance is great. Go Toshiba!
I like this notebook very much 2007-03-22
This is the third notebook I've owned. The main reason I bought this notebook is because I was so dissatisfied with the noise level of my other notebook. This notebook has functioned very well so far for about a month. It is very quiet, light, and cool to the touch. I am typing this review while the notebook is on my legs, and I've got shorts on! It is not much warmer than my body temperature and the fan is just barely detectable most of the time. Every once in a while, the fan comes on loudly but only for about 2 to 3 seconds, then I don't hear it again for a very long time.
I'm not a big fan of Vista so far. It seems to run well enough, but there have been some problems with software compatibility. I have a couple of programs that don't run in Vista that ran just fine in XP. I'm hoping that these problems are worked out soon and I've been able to come up with workarounds for the most troublesome program.
One major annoyance to me is the fact that the keyboard has been made a little narrower than a full size keyboard. The way this was accomplished was by narrowing all the keys to the right of the <, L, and P keys. Also, for some reason, there is an additional \| key to the right of the up arrow key. The addition of this unnecessary key, along with the slightly narrower right side keys has resulted in a shift key that is about 1/3rd of the width of the left shift key. I wish there was an easy way to map the redundant \| key to be an up arrow and then reprogram the up arrow to be an additional right shift key. I am getting better at typing on this computer but I've moved the cursor up a line by accidentally pressing the up arrow instead of the shift key numerous times. One more keyboard complaint; There are no dedicated "Home" or "End" keys. If you want to use those, they can only be used when the numeric keypad is off or if you also press the shift key.
I also wish there was a volume button on the top of the computer with the rest of the multimedia keys. The volume is controlled either by software controls or by a thumbwheel which is on the front edge of the computer just to the left of the antenna power switch. It would probably be ok where it is if there was an icon on the top next to the edge to show where it is located. The wheel is black and the case where the switch is also black, so it's hard to see without raising the front of the computer a little to look for it.
I didn't think I would use the fingerprint security but I've been using it and it seems to work fairly well. I've gotten to the point now that I'm lazy about typing in my password. I'd rather just swipe my finger. You have to be consistent about how you move your finger across the sensor, but once you get the hang of it, there are not that many bad scans.
The computer has plenty of hard drive space with it's 160GB, 5400 rpm drive. It's pretty responsive too, with quick load times for most programs and responsive web browsing.
The wireless networking seems to work fine but I haven't really tried to check the limits of wireless reception. It works well in my house and in my garage so far.
The power supply is probably only about 1/3rd of the size and weight of the one used by my previous computer (which had a P4, 2.8 Mhz processor). I don't think the battery time is all that great on this but I haven't really given it a good test. I use it while it's plugged in most of the time. It is noticeably slower when running on the battery though.
The sound is fine by me but I don't listen to that much music or play any games. The video is also fine but then again, I haven't really tested it very thoroughly since I just use it for office-type applications and browsing.
Overall, it's a very nice computer and I'm satisfied to have it. I am disappointed about the keyboard, and I would have rated it with 5 stars if it wasn't for that. I'm learning to use the keyboard better and I think that with practice, it won't be so annoying.
Good Notebook but major problems with Toshiba..be warned 
2007-06-03
I have had this laptop for a little while now and I waited to review until some issues got resolved. This may be a bit lengthy but I hope it helps those of you looking to buy a laptop. Another reviewer wrote about a delivery issue with Amazon stating one date then pushing it off for 2 mos. I had the same issue, but after escalating Amazon did deliver the notebook on time.
The notebook itself is very nice. I read all the other reviews and I had no problems with USB ports or the pixels on the screen. As mentioned, the keyboard is narrow and if you type fast like I do it takes some getting used to. I kept pressing the wrong keys especially the Shift on the right side, but I am getting used to it. I agree that it is annoying. I had no problems with Vista or installing my older software, it was easy. The only technical issue I have had so far was an error message on the Fingerprint reader. "fingerprint reader is not connected" but the next reboot it was fine..it is a little tricky to get it to work as others mentioned. Overall it is a good laptop.
Now the very troublesome part. Toshiba support, it is beyond terrible. I had read the other reviews and thought maybe it wasn't as bad as people said. All companies can get slammed in support, so maybe Toshiba wasn't so bad. I was wrong, it is far worse than what people have said. This laptop originally had the spec showing One Note 2007 full version. That software was missing from my laptop (see review below as another customer had the same problem and Toshiba refused to help them). I called Toshiba support and held forever, got a tech support person who could not speak nor understand English and after repeating myself several times told me that I had to call Microsoft about the software. I explained that it was OEM software and had nothing to do with Microsoft, he then told me to contact Amazon then said he had nothing to do with it to go to customer support. I waited 30 minutes (no exaggeration) for customer support who told me that tech support should have helped me (while I was holding for customer support I did call Toshiba sales and they verified One Note should have been pre-installed). Customer support told me to put the recovery disk in, it didn't have One Note so she was stumped. After several more days eventually she called back and said I wasn't going to get One Note as it shouldn't have been on the laptop. To make a long story short, I escalated to Corporate Customer Support and they placed the blame on Amazon. Every single employee of Toshiba pointed the finger at someone else and no one helped. There are major language barriers and the employees were inexperienced in customer support and lacked knowledge about their own products. I am not sure what country 1st and 2nd level tech support is (India maybe?) but I was told you have to ask for 3rd level before you go back to the US. The customer svc rep said she was in Manilla so everything seems to be outsourced thus the language issues. Amazon did eventually help me with the software.
So...if you are looking for a good laptop with good customer support do not buy this or any Toshiba..I would give their support an F- and that is generous. If you are technical and want a good laptop and are not worried about support then this is a pretty good one. I would rate the laptop a 4/4.5 and Toshiba a -10 but since we don't have that option a "0".
If I had to do it all over, I wouldn't purchase this laptop. I dread if that fingerprint reader is a real problem as I don't ever want to have to call Toshiba support again. Hope this review helps you in your decision.
P105-S6197 Good Workhorse Laptop 2007-05-12
This computer serves me well and I more than satified with it's capabilities. If you are a big gamer, then choose another computer with a better video card. I use my computer for business functions and also I use it as a gps using software and hardware available. It's a good workhorse laptop.
Excellent traveling companion 2007-05-12
I could not have asked for a better laptop than this. It is everything I wanted. It is fast, easy to hook up, charges up quickly. I love the "man size" screen. No more squinting. I must point out that Toshiba support is excellent. I had several questions about the wi-fi capability, and my inability to go on-line with it. Their rep was patient to a fault, walked me through everything I needed to know to get going. You do not get that kind of service elsewhere. Vista is a little hard to get used to, especially dealing with pictures, but that's not the laptop's fault. I wish I had had the opportunity to choose between Vista and XP. I would have definitely chosen XP.
A real stinker 
2007-05-06
This computer didn't have much to recommend it. I bought a Toshiba in mid-2002 that I was very satisfied with that finally gave up the ghost, so after looking at the market for a little bit, I gave Toshiba the tiebreaker for my next laptop.
Gripes:
1) This laptop had the worst keyboard I've ever used, bar none. They tried to jam a 10-key pad to the right of the QWERTY keyboard, which was a big mistake. It forced them to squeeze the arrow keys horizontally (i.e. all the arrow keys were taller than they were wide) meaning that my fingers couldn't fit on them. They also moved the right-hand shift key and made it smaller, making it impossible for me as a touch-typist to hit it without thinking hard about it, which is pretty darn frustrating for me as a ~70 wpm typist.
2) The fingerprint recognition device is more hassle than it's worth. Seriously. It was borderline useful for me, but my wife found it unusable. When it even acknowledged that she had passed her finger over it, it usually said she wasn't recognized. Very frustrating.
3) The power cable didn't plug in very well. We bumped it one night before bed and woke up to find the computer asleep with a dead battery. It charged back up OK of course, but it's a good thing we didn't need a full battery first thing in the morning.
Windows Vista stinks. Net/net, it's maybe a little better than XP, but five years and umpty million dollars for this piece of junk? The eye candy is OK, but not really what I need from an OS. The "advanced search" usability is apallingly bad. Changing your search once you have set it up is appallingly difficult. When it comes to networking, the nadir was when both Firefox and MSIE 7 wouldn't pull up any sites, but Mozilla Thunderbird was pulling down mail just fine and I could ping anything I wanted to. Also, WinXP at least has the decency to tell you when you're not connected to the network, but Vista had the annoying habit of not telling you when you've lost connection. Nice job, Microsoft.
About the only good thing I can say about the computer is that the screen was really good.
I sent the machine back and got a MacBook Pro 15.4". It was a fair bit more pricey than the Toshiba, but I like it a whole lot better.
-John
toshibas are bad 2007-04-27
I am to angry to even type anything. I called Toshiba about my defective USB ports, they told me they would send me a box to have my laptop repaired in, then they didnt send anything. I called weeks later and they tell me my warranty is up so they wouldnt send it. I told them I CALLED WHEN I STILL HAD A WARRANTY, back in december 2006. It is now April 2007 and I still have no USB cords. They keep on transferring me to Customer Relations, but I sit on hold for over an hour before I give up and hang up. That has been happening for a couple weeks now and Ive been calling daily. Then they give me these stupid case ID numbers that dont help, because I get one every time I call, so when I call again the representative reads all of them before helping me. i think, if you own a toshiba and live in America, AMERICANS SHOULD HELP YOU!! Whatver country you live in, thats where your representative should be from! I dont know when theyll get my laptop repaired, I think they give you the run around till your warranty runs up or till you get tired, then go pay a repairman by yourself
