Caveat Emptor
Written: Apr 21 '03
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Pros: Long battery charge life; solid construction, features for the price
Cons: malfunctioning internal modem; no Internet capability; uneven tech support from Toshiba
The Bottom Line: Great value with rebates, if it works (repair agreement cost not included in price quoted). Useless if, as in my experience, the internal modem doesn't work.
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| soaringhawk's Full Review: Toshiba Satellite 2435-S255 (PS243U-0276RV) PC Not... |
On paper, and in many users experiences, this laptop is a great buy for the money and a great performer, compared to other products. In my experience, also, the product had many wonderful features: the packaging and set-up are easy to handle, the battery-charge life is excellent at around three hours, the computer feels generally solid, with the exception of the keyboard, and the controls are thoughtfully placed and easy to use. For an example of the latter feature, it was easy to change the screen brightness, and therefore the battery charge life, by clicking on an icon at the bottom right of the screen. Also, there are control buttons for the CD/DVD drive on the outside of the unit, so you can play a CD or DVD without having to use the rest of the computer.
On the downside, however, there was a big downside: I spent seven weeks trying unsuccessfully to get two different units to connect to the Internet correctly. Most of the time, when I tried to dial up the provider I received error messages. When there was a connection, it was very slow or didn't download web pages at all.
After spending all of my free time, and considerable time I I didn't really have, for seven weeks talking to tech specialists at Toshiba, two Internet providers and the retail store where I bought the computer, all agreed that the internal modems were malfunctioning (on both units!).
I know many people are buying this computer and loving it, and that's great. I don't claim that my experience is typical, or even common. However, I believe my experience is worth mentioning as a caution in considering any computer - check it out carefully before the return period ends.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 1549 bare
Operating System: Windows
Processor: Other
Processor speed: over 1000
Screen Size: 15 inches
Internal Storage: CD-RW and DVD
Hard Drive (GB): 31-40
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Epinions.com ID:
soaringhawk
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Reviews written: 1
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