Updated:Sunday, January-04-2009

Toshiba Satellite A215 S4697 Review

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Toshiba Satellite A215-S4697 15.4-inch Laptop (AMD Turion 64 Processor TL52, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, Vista Premium)

Toshiba Satellite A215 S4697 Laptop

Features and Technical Details
Features

    * Bright 15.4-inch LCD stylishly accented with an onyx blue metallic LCD cover
    * 1.6 GHz 64-bit AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-52 processor, 160 GB hard drive, 1 GB RAM, dual-layer DVD/CD burner with Labelflash printing
    * 54g Atherols Wi-Fi (802.11b/g); 10/100 Ethernet; ATI Radeon X1200 graphics card with up to 319 MB of shared memory
    * Connectivity: 4 USB, 1 FireWire, 1 VGA, 1 S-Video, 1 ExpressCard 34/54. 5-in-1 memory card reader
    * Pre-installed with Windows Vista Home Premium (with Media Center capabilities)

Processor, Memory, and Motherboard

    * Hardware Platform: PC
    * Processor: 1.6 GHz AMD Turion 64
    * Number of Processors: 2
    * RAM: 1000 MB
    * RAM Type: DDR2 SDRAM

Hard Drive

* Size: 160 GB
* Type: Serial ATA

Cases and Expandability

* Size (LWH): 14 inches, 11 inches, 1 inches
* Weight: 20 pounds

Description

A great multi-tasker for road warriors, the Toshiba Satellite A215-S4697 notebook PC offers dual-core productivity from its 1.6 GHz 64-bit AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-52 processor. It allows you to easily run multiple programs without bogging down your system, and it features intelligent power management for longer battery life. Stylishly accented with an onyx blue metallic LCD cover, this Toshiba Satellite features a large, bright 15.4-inch XGA-resolution LCD (1280 x 800)--perfect for viewing multiple application screens or watching widescreen movies on DVD. It's also great for using as a media center, with Toshiba's unique Express Media Player enabling you to bypass the system and access CDs and DVDs with a touch of button. The dual-layer/multi-format DVD drive also burns CDs and offers Labelflash print functionality.

Other features include a 160 GB hard drive, 1 GB of installed RAM (4 GB maximum), 54g Wi-Fi (802.11b/g), ATI Radeon X1200 video card with up to 319 MB of shared video RAM, 5-in-1 memory card reader, and a biometric fingerprint scanner for added security. Additionally, this Toshiba notebook is RoHS-compatible, effectively reducing the environmental impact by restricting the use of lead, mercury and certain other hazardous substances.

This PC also comes preinstalled with Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium, which includes all of the Windows Media Center capabilities for turning your PC into an all-in-one home entertainment center. In addition to easily playing your DVD movies and managing your digital audio library, you'll be able to record and watch your favorite TV shows (even HDTV). Vista also integrates new search tools throughout the operating system, includes new parental control features, and offers new tools that can warn you of impending hardware failures.

The Basics

* Processor: The 1.6 GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-52 processor offers a dual-core architecture, which delivers additional computing resources to help expand your PC's capabilities by providing higher throughput and simultaneous computing--increasing your performance by up to 80 percent. You'll be able to perform multiple tasks such as digital rendering and gaming all while running virus scan or other background tasks seamlessly thanks to the innovative Direct Connect Architecture. And it's designed to handle simultaneous 32- and 64-bit computing with no degradation in performance. You'll enjoy long battery life thanks to the AMD PowerNow! power management technology, which delivers performance on demand and can extend system battery life up to 65 percent. And the AMD Digital Media XPress technology delivers stellar multimedia performance and playback on digital entertainment such as games, streaming video and audio, DVDs, and music.

Each processing core has a 512 KB L2 cache (for a 1 MB total), and this processor can deliver up to a 1600 MHz system bus for lightning quick computing reflexes. (An L2, or secondary, cache temporarily stores data; and a larger L2 cache can help speed up your system's performance. The FSB carries data between the CPU and RAM, and a faster front-side bus will deliver better overall performance.)

* Hard Drive: The 160 GB hard drive (5400 RPM) offers enough to room to hold a digital audio library of over 26,000 songs and still have room left over for movies, games, and a large collection of software. This Serial ATA (SATA) hard drive also quickens the pace with a higher speed transfer of data--akin to FireWire and USB 2.0.

* Memory: The 1 GB of installed RAM (2 x 512 MB DDR2, PC5300) is an excellent start, but you'll want to add more RAM to handle today's demanding multimedia and productivity suites. It provides two DIMM slots and has a large 4 GB maximum RAM capacity. It also offers a top-of-class 667 MHz speed.

* DVD/CD Drive: The dual-layer Labelflash DVD drive is compatible with a wide range of formats, including both DVD+RW and DVD-RW discs, CD-RW discs, and dual-layer (DL) DVD+/-R discs, which can hold up to 8.5 GB of data--great for backing up your MP3 collection or your most important documents. It features the following speeds: 4x DVD+R DL, 4x DVD-R DL, 8x for both single-layer DVD+R/-R, 4x DVD+RW, 4x DVD-RW, 5x DVD-RAM, and 24x/16x for CD-R/RW. It reads DVD-ROM discs at 8x and CD-ROMs at 24x.

With the Labelflash functionality, you can burn high-resolution, high-contrast pictures on the label side of DVD discs using the same laser used for data recording. Enjoy transparency and high-quality not found in traditional printable media. All you need is a Labelflash DVD disc to start labeling without a printer.

* Keyboard & Mouse: This notebook has a standard 86-key keyboard and electro-static two-button touchpad. It also offers CD/DVD media player and control buttons (play, stop, next, previous) as well as a volume control dial.

Screen, Video & Audio
This notebook has a 15.4-inch TFT display with a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels (native 720p for high-definition viewing). It also provides TruBrite technology, which makes images brighter and more vivid thanks to its anti-glare feature. Video is powered by the ATI Radeon XPress 1200 integrated video/graphics card, which delivers up to 319 MB of dynamically allocated video RAM shared with the system RAM. ATI's HyperMemory technology allows the chipset to run in either Unified Memory Architecture (UMA) mode or with dedicated frame buffer memory to enhance graphics performance. It also features an integrated audio card with headphone and microphone jacks.

Networking, Connectivity & Expansion
This notebook has an integrated Atheros 54g wireless LAN that's fully compatible with 802.11b/g wireless networks. It also includes a next-generation ExpressCard 54/34 card slot (though no PCMCIA card slot), which lets you take advantage of thinner, faster, and lighter expansion cards for even more advanced wireless, networking, storage, and security features. Here's the full list of connection options:

    * 4 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players
    * 1 FireWire (also known as IEEE 1394 or i.Link) port for connecting digital video camcorders and other peripherals
    * 1 ExpressCard 54/34 slot
    * Video out: VGA and S-Video
    * Stereo headphones/speakers/line-out
    * Microphone/line-in
    * 5-in-1 memory card reader (Secure Digital, MultiMedia, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, xD Picture Card)

It also has an integrated 56K modem (V.90) and an RJ-45 LAN network port (for a 10/100 Ethernet connection to networks and DSL/cable modems).

Operating System
Windows Vista Home Premium is the operating system for users with advanced computer needs, and it includes all of the Windows Media Center capabilities for turning your PC into an all-in-one home entertainment center for watching DVD movies and accessing your digital audio library. You can also use Windows Media Center to record and watch your favorite TV shows (even HDTV) and to access new kinds of online entertainment content. Computers that include Windows Vista Home Premium and an auxiliary Windows SideShow display will also allow you to access key data even when your computer is off. It is also easier than ever to share files between other PCs in your household and to manage your laptop computer settings to more securely connect via Wi-Fi.

Every edition of Windows Vista provides the essential tools and technologies to help protect you whether you are browsing the Internet, connecting to a wireless network, or just reading e-mail. All editions of Windows Vista include new tools that can warn you of impending hardware failures long before you have lost any important personal data. And, all Windows Vista editions include parental control features that allow you to manage and monitor your family's use of games, the Internet, instant messaging, and other activities.

Preloaded Software
Microsoft Works 8.5, InterVideo WinDVD 8, Google Desktop and Picasa, Ulead DVD MovieFactory 5, McAfee Internet Security Suite (30-day trial), and Microsoft Office Home and Student Edition (60-day trial).

Dimensions & Weight
This notebook measures 14.3 x 10.6 x 1.55 inches (WxDxH, and it weighs 6.3 pounds.

Power
It comes with a 4000 mAh lithium-ion battery pack for extra-long battery life.

What's in the Box
This package contains the A215-S4697 notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions. It is backed by a one-year limited hardware warranty.

Helpful Customer Reviews for

By P. Pimental
Note: This is a copy of the same review I posted on the Toshiba site.
Intelligent Design - all ports on the side, instead of in the back, keyboard large enough to permit normal typing speeds.
Excellent performance and features for the price and in comparison to competitor brands.
Excellent quality and solid feel in the construction of the laptop.
Excellent expandability. 4GB RAM max, 64 bit processor which may allow the laptop to upgraded to a 64bit OS in future, Vista or Linux (drivers, BIOS permitting) 200GB drive size.
Not an inordinate amount of shovelware.
Battery life at just over 2 hours, now that I "trained" it. A nine cell would have been nice, therefore only a 4 rating for battery life.
Wireless chipset, Sound and Video subsystems seem excellent.
Very quiet drive compared to A135-S4527. However it is slower than the 5400rpm drive in the S4527, which dropped performance rating to 4. I wish it had been partitioned into a c: and D: partition so that I could keep data on the d: partition and not have to backup offsite to restore the OS.
Sufficient RAM. I wish they had provided a single 1GB SO-DIMM rather than two 512MB's. I had to pull both out to upgrade to the recommended 2GB. The video will pull anywhere from 128MB to 384 so this upgrade is even more necessary than on systems using Intel's Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950.
I bought and returned a Acer Aspire 3680-2633 ( BIOS Issues) and a Tobshiba S135-4527 (32 bit processor and 2GB RAM limitation) before settling on this unit. No regrets on this one.

By Samuel M. Stone
I am a happy user of Thinkpad T series, but now with Lenovo taking over, I decided to buy a Toshiba, due to years of its great reputation, for my wife as she needed to replace her current laptop. After putting the product into my shopping list, I saw the local Circuit City offering $150 off, so I bought it there. (I just want to comment that I wonder how long Circuit City would last with the sales kids knowing little about the products they are selling but pretend to know a lot, and when you refused to buy additional warranty their face just turned unfriendly. Then it took them 20 minutes to find the key to open the closet to give me the box. It was the same attitude at the local CompUSA and I made a similar observation a couple of years ago, and now they are closed.)

At Circuit City, I saw an Acer Aspire with the same configuration as this Toshiba (except 160 GB hard drive) selling for $600. With unsatisfied experience with Acer Aspire, I bought the Toshiba with a little bit of hesitance due to a significant price difference of $250.

But Toshiba is Toshiba. My 9 year old daughter looked at it and said it was like a big DS (Nintendo). The look and feel is just like a piece of fine chocolate that you want to eat. The keyboard and touchpad are laid out in a perfect size, quality, and sensitivity. I am a trackpoint user and no touchpad has ever impressed me like this one.

The power of AMD Turion 64, with 2GB of ram just eliminated my ritual of having to buy additional memory right after buying a notebook. My wife still has her Acer Aspire with her and trying it next to each other, we just know it is worth $250 extra for happiness. Even without that comparison, this Toshiba is still a great deal for $850. You can't buy a better notebook. HP is selling a similar one around this range, but again, I didn't have a good experience with HP either.

One minor weakness is that you can't turn your screen all the way down to 180 degree, like my Thinkpad can. There are some occasions that I need to lay my computer nearly flat on a lectern to speak looking at it. If you don't need to use it that way, and few people do, this is not a problem.

I don't know about the support of Toshiba. The reason I like Thinkpad is IBM's service. I had a problem with my Thinkpad the other day, I called in and the next day there was a box at my door. I put the computer in, they picked it up, and I receive the computer back the next evening, with a new motherboard. I wonder if Toshiba can beat that. If they can, I am switching over.

Source:Toshiba Satellite A215 S4697 Review

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