Toshiba Satellite P205D S8806 Review

Toshiba Satellite P205D S8806 Features and Technical Details
Toshiba Satellite P205D S8806 Features

    * Powerful notebook for multimedia and business with widescreen 17-inch LCD and integrated Webcam
    * 2.2 GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-64 processor, 200 GB hard drive, 2 GB RAM (4 GB max), dual-layer DVD/CD burner with Labelflash printing
    * 54g Wi-Fi (802.11b/g); 10/100 Ethernet; ATI Radeon XPress 1200 graphics card with up to 319 MB of dedicated memory
    * Connectivity: 6 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: 2.2 GHz AMD Turion 64
    * Number of Processors: 2
    * RAM: 2000 MB
    * RAM Type: DDR2 SDRAM

Hard Drive

    * Size: 200 GB
    * Manufacturer: Portable
    * Type: Serial ATA

Ports and Connectivity

    * Modem: Fax / modem

Cases and Expandability

    * Size (LWH): 15.7 inches, 11.3 inches, 1.42 inches

Toshiba Satellite P205D S8806 Description
Replace your desktop PC with the Toshiba Satellite P205D-S8806 laptop, featuring all the power and hard drive space you expect from a top-of-the-line desktop but in an easily mobile package. Stylishly accented with an onyx blue metallic LCD cover, this Toshiba Satellite features a large, bright 17-inch XGA-resolution LCD (1440 x 900)--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 DVD±RW drive also burns CDs and offers LabelFlash print functionality. A 1.3 megapixel digital web camera built into the LCD's bezel lets you quickly snap photos and participate in live video chats.

It's powered by the top-of-the-line 2.2 GHz 64-bit AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-64 processor, which allows you to easily run multiple programs without bogging down your system and features intelligent power management for longer battery life. Other features include a 200 GB hard drive, 2 GB of RAM (4 GB maximum), 54g Wi-Fi (802.11b/g), 5-in-1 memory card reader, 10-key keypad, biometric fingerprint scanner, and ATI Radeon X1200 video card with up to 319 MB of shared video RAM. 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 2.2 GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-64 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 large 200 GB Serial ATA hard drive (5400 RPM) provides more than enough capacity for storing a large audio and video library, as well as extra space required for video editing. This SATA hard drive also quickens the pace with a higher speed transfer of data--akin to Firewire and USB 2.0.

    * Memory: The 2 GB of installed RAM (2 x 1 GB 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, 8x DVD+RW, 6x 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 104-key keyboard--with 10-keypad on the side--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 Toshiba Satellite has a 17-inch TFT display with a resolution of 1440 x 900 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:

    * 6 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
    * Microphone/line-in and stereo headphones/speakers/line-out
    * RJ-45 port for 10/100 Ethernet connection
    * 56K modem port (V.90)
    * 5-in-1 memory card reader (Secure Digital, MultiMedia, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, xD Picture Card)

Operating System
Windows Vista Home Premium (32-bit version) 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 9.0, Google Desktop and Picasa, Ulead DVD MovieFactory 5, McAfee Internet Security Suite (30-day trial), and Microsoft Office 2007 Home and Student Edition (60-day trial).

Dimensions & Weight
This notebook measures 15.7 x 11.3 x 1.83 inches (WxDxH, and it weighs 7.2 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 P205D-S8806 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 Toshiba Satellite P205D S8806

By Tim Madiar
I have been very pleased with this computer. My family and I decided replacing an old desktop PC with this laptop. We love the features on this unit and the quickess, but un-happy with Vista problems. Working with Microsoft on update problem and also developed another problem in which the computer will not acknowledge non-adminstrator profiles. Hopefully after I fix the update problem and load Service pak 1 for vista we will be back up to speed.

By Smart Shopper
This laptop is AWESOME......love the extra RAM and the large hard drive. It is fast and does anything you could want. The only bad part was the battery life...but you have shorter battery life with any 17".
I would recommend this product to anyone looking for a larger laptop