Home > Consumer Reviews > Toshiba Satellite L355-S7834 17-Inch Laptop (2.0 GHz Intel Dual-Core T3200 Processor, 4 GB RAM, 320 GB Hard Drive, DVD Drive, Vista Premium)

I have a predecessor to this model, which reached its predictable obsolescence factor about two months after the 1yr warranty expired. On Toshiba's website it's currently 800. On Amazon's website it's 999. I went to walmart and bought it for 599, fyi. Try there first.

Pros:
* 17" glossy widescreen, I love this, now I'm so spoiled
* 4G RAM, 320G HD, some shared video memory, eh-ok processor (better than the one I had anyway), a good everything- disc drive
* memory card reader, video output port (both cool), 3 USBs one on right
* Pretty. Keyboard is black (I don't prefer this, harder to see in low light) as well as the hardbody so it looks Matrix-ian cool.

Cons:
* Whatever bozo decided the volume should be a wheel on the front-bottom of a laptop needs to be counseled. If you use a laptop on your lap (imagine that), this tends to get constantly messed with. Especially if you are kinda fat. Don't ask me how I know.
* Typical of package computers it comes with all kinds of crap which needs to be uninstalled -- various sales stuff, Norton and MS which are only 'trials'. Once I uninstalled that junk, and installed the dozen programs worth having instead (all free, or with a free version), it was ready to go.

All in all this is a good price--but a better price at walmart frankly--but I'm reviewing it primarily for the computer itself, which so far is pretty good. All Toshiba, Dell, Gateway, etc. package computers are pretty cheap parts, they're likely to need some kind of repair even in the first year and especially after, but if you're not rich enough to buy custom built better quality stuff (I recommend ASUS for example) then these allow a nerdish life on a budget.

[1] Free (or close enough) programs worth putting on your new laptop:
* Firefox browser (use this to go download everything else)
* AVG Anti Virus (uninstall expensive bloatware AV your PC has first)
* Filezilla FTP (couple firefox plugins do FTP well, but I like FZ)
* Textpad text/code editor ("nagware" your conscience is your guide)
* Open Office (does everything MS Office does, reads ppt/doc/xls/etc.)
* Media Monkey (music management software)
* Spybot Search & Destroy (kills those pesky ad-invaders)
and because I'm a nerd,
* ColdFusion Developer edition is free
* Jungle Disk (amazon's S3 backup service) is not free but uber-cheap and has already saved me with backups I can get to from anywhere
And some trivial things like:
* Skype internet telephony (call Czech free, sounds like next door)
* Trillian IM (yahoo/aol/msn/icq/irc all in one client)
* Caffeine (teeeny thing, keeps computer 'awake')
* Screen Hunter (useful screen capture utility)

I will eventually add Amazon unbox but my loathing for the software and the way it locks up my VISTA (augh) making me say, "Yes, ok!" like 25 TIMES when my computer starts (the number varies. Must be something obscure. Reinstalled, can't solve it.) is so moronic that I'm delaying in morbid dread. It's so totally invasive I don't even want it on my computer but now I've spent way too much money to let it go (gah!). I like Unbox except for that horrible detail. This is what comes of having software people are locked into with no competition I guess. (Plus videos you would re-download 'cause you paid for 'em become 'unavailable'-- so you better have mega hard drive backup space ready.)

In defense of it though -- you can watch video on demand here online with unbox--from a buck or a few just like a rental movie or TV show on the fly, you don't need the software for that (amazon.com/unbox/ to go).

The 17" laptop was exactly what we were needing - larger screen and full keyboard for ease of use. It was not selected for graphics or gaming applications. We were, however, very diapoointed with the Amazon store and customer service. The Toshiba orginal factory packaging was intact, but the outer protective box and packing material was flimsy and inadequate. There was only 1 small piece of protective air pocket packing material. When I contacted Amazon Customer Service, they did not take the time to understand the problem or follow-up, which was diasppointing for the expense of this item. This has made me skittish from ordering big items in the future.

The brief assessment

The Satellite L355 is a large, heavy portable - I can't make myself call it a LAP-top - machine that provides sufficient computing power to run Vista in full Aero mode, decent hard disk storage, good 17-inch display, adequate IO, a somewhat subpar near-full-size keyboard and a few bells and whistles such as 801.11g Wi-fi and integrated Webcam and microphone. The bundled free software includes Microsoft Works, Skype, some games and some annoying '60-day-trial' bloatware such Norton 360.

Overall, this is a good machine if travel is not its main purpose and if the relatively low price is factored in. It will replace a basic desktop once a mouse is added.


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Detailed review

Delivery and physical setup
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The 'laptop' comes securely packaged in a relatively small box. The package is easy to open and there isn't a lot of assembly required. Besides the laptop's body, there is the power supply, a couple of CDs and not much else.

Specs
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- Dual-core Intel processor at 2 GHz
- 4GB SDRAM
- 320GB hard drive
- 17" display
- 802.11b/g Wi-fi
- DVD drive
- Webcam + microphone
- 3 USB 2.0 ports
- Modem
- Ethernet port
- RGB monitor port
- 5-in-1 Bridge Media Adapter slot that supports Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, Secure Digital, MMC and xD media
- Near full-size keyboard with numeric keypad
- Touchpad

On the Vista performance benchmark, the Satellite scores a 3.3 with 'graphics' accounting for its lowest scores - 3.3 for Aero and 3.4 for 3D business and gaming and the CPU (5.1) and the hard drive (5.3) being the highest.

Setup
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Vista Setup begins as soon as the power button is pressed and it completes quickly. Once an account is created and after given permission, the Satellite was able to quickly find and join my Wi-fi network and download and install the latest mostly Vista updates - over 40 of them.

To my surprise, there wasn't a lot of bloatware, Norton 360 60-day trial being the most annoying of them all - its window pops up and it can't be closed, the only apparent option being to run the setup. I was able to get rid of it by immediately removing it and other unwanted 'free' or 'free trial' offers such as NetZero before touching their setup processes. The Google Toolbar installed itself before asking but a 'thank you' pops up when it's finished.

Explorer and Windows Media Player are present but it was easy to install my favorite browser (Chrome) and relegate the Explorer to the second-tier, 'backup browsers' status.

Once the Norton 360 is removed, Vista begins to complain about its lacking virus protection. One reasonable truly free offer, and this is what I installed, was Avira. Once Avira was installed, I was able to register it with Defender and Vista stopped complaining.

Other pre-installed but not '60-day trial' packages included are Picassa and Google Desktop. They can be easily downloaded off the Net but I don't mind them being there since they do not interact intrusively with the user.

Operation and Ergonomics
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As I mentioned already, the keyboard is a little unusual. While large, some of the keys are not where I would expect them - the Fn and Ctrl keys, for example are switched as compared with my familiar Thinkpad layout, the shapes of the 'Backspace' and 'Tab' are a little odd and so is the layout of the top row function keys. I would not type my next novel on this keyboard. Being a spoiled Thinkpad user, I missed the little knob that controls the mouse pointer movements. The touch pad works but it doesn't work for me. I wasn't comfortable until I attached a Logitech Nano cordless mouse by inserting its little dongle into one of the 3 available USB ports.

In my opinion, the display is the best part in the Satellite. It's large and it's bright. Wide-screen DVD movies play great on it but, sadly, this being a Toshiba (not a Sony) the optical drive does not support Blu-ray.

The integrated Webcam works well with apps such as Google Chat or Skype and it's well integrated and easy to use.

The Satellite weight - really, really heavy - does not make it suited for frequent travel. Its lacking a docking station add-on does not make it a good telecommuting choice.
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Rating and evaluation

The Satellite 355's size and weight do not make it a good choice for anyone looking for a traditional 'laptop'. However, anyone looking for a 'sometimes portable desktop' that integrates just about everything other than the mouse, this can be a good compromise. This is exactly what I wanted for one of my sons and I am therefore happy with my purchase.

I have not had the new comp for a mnth yet, and I am really glad I got it! So much it can do and I want to learn it all.