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Artwork: Rick Rizner, John Goddard
Toshiba Satellite P15-S420 Notebook
| WorldBench 5: Performance word scores reflect comparisons of PCs in the same category running the same operating system. See Guide to the Top-Rated Products for more details. | Very good: 73 (Windows XP Home) |
| Features | Very good |
| CPU | 3-GHz Pentium 4 |
| Screen size | 15.4 inches (wide-format) |
| System memory | 512MB of DDR333 SDRAM |
| Hard drive | 80GB |
| Graphics | 32MB NVidia GeForce FX Go5100 |
| Pointing device | Touchpad |
| Bays | None |
| Bundled removable-media drives | Fixed DVD±RW drive |
| Floppy drive | None |
| Ports | Parallel, serial, mouse/keyboard, three USB 2.0, microphone, headphone, S-Video, PC Card slot |
| Communications | V.92 modem, 10/100 ethernet, 802.11g |
| Business suite | None |
| Other features | N/A |
| Overall design | Good |
| Battery life (hours:minutes) | Limited: 1:28 |
| Weight (typical/minimum, in pounds): Typical weight includes the computer, AC adapter, optical drive, and floppy drive (if offered). | Heavy: 9.7/8.1 |
| Vendor's reliability/service | Good/Fair |
| Support policy | One-year parts and labor warranty; free unlimited 24-hour daily toll-free support |
Toshiba Satellite P15-S420
Satellite P15-S420 Notebook Review, by Carla Thornton May 27, 2004
We wouldn't want to be caught on a coast-to-coast flight with the Toshiba Satellite P15-S420 and a big presentation to finish before landing. This large, 3-GHz Pentium 4-equipped notebook had a battery life of just an hour and a half on one charge--not a ringing endorsement of its survival skills away from an outlet.
The P15-S420's desktop processor helped it post an average PC WorldBench 4 score of 118, which is 5 percent slower than the average score of 125 for notebooks we've tested with the mobile Pentium M chip.
A handsome 2-inch-tall notebook, the P15-S420 features a blue lid and a large, sensibly laid-out keyboard. The wide screen accommodates a lot of information at once, and low rubber feet raise it above the desk's surface so it can run cooler. Three application shortcut buttons, including a TV-out toggle, flank the right side of the keyboard; status lights occupy the left. All of the buttons, including those on the mouse, are composed of a soft plastic that feels like rubber, for extra typing comfort. The P15-S420's front-mounted, multiformat DVD+-RW burner supports state-of-the-art disc creation.
The notebook has numerous connections, including three USB 2.0 ports, an SD slot, a handy Wi-Fi switch on the left side, and audio controls on the front. You have to read up a bit in the manual to figure out how to switch between disc mode (to play CDs) and digital mode (for launching Windows Media Player), but overall we liked the music controls--especially the volume wheel. It's too bad that the speakers are in the palm rest, because closing the lid further dampens the already modest stereo sound.
As a desktop replacement, the P15-S420 suffers from a shortage of storage options. The hard drive is not upgradable by the user, and there are no modular bays for adding internal storage. Though our test unit's 80GB hard drive should keep most folks happy for a long time, people who consume gigabytes quickly or who want flexibility should look elsewhere.
Like most PCs these days, the P15-S420 comes with scant printed documentation--just a couple of startup guides. But they will suffice to get you going, and the PDF-format manual on the hard drive is complete.
Upshot: The Toshiba Satellite P15-S420 is a strong candidate for a desktop replacement system if you don't require good stereo sound or scads of storage.
Carla Thornton
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User Reviews
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User Reviews From Around the Web
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Reviewed by: jw1
Strengths: Speed
Weaknesses: Speakers, widescreen format
Overall: I've had many laptops over the years, but this is my first with the 15.4 widescreen, and I hate it. You're stuck with 3 resolutions - the native which provides screen fonts so small that they are barely readable (even with large fonts turned on), 1024x768 and 600x800, both of which stretch and distort the screen images. I don't use it for watching movies - I have a large screen TV - so the screen is a real minus for me. I wish it had a regular 15" screen. I'm coming off a 15" Toshiba which had Harmon Kardon speakers with a subwoofer, and this one sounds puny compared to that. For me, this whole widescreen and inferior sound is a big step backwards.
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Reviewed by: phaasit
Strengths: Wide screen, P4 with Hyperthreading, DVD +- R(w) drive, analog volume knob, 802.11g built in, Secure Digital Card reader, 80 gig HD
Weaknesses: Battery Life
Overall: I just came from my third E-Machine Laptop. Each one flattered me with problems. Its nice to come to a Toshiba. This is what I have always recommended to friends, but never had the money to buy one. Now that I did, I am happy I bought it. It runs smoothly, great performance. No problems at all. The only thing that is not much better than emachines is the battery life. It lasts about 2.5 to 3 hours. a little less than emachine, but it sports a P4, which takes more than an athlon processor. I just purchased a spare battery, so I have nothing to complain about. Runs anything imaginable like a charm! smooth, clear graphics. wonderful for college life.
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Reviewed by: eol_coamenel
Strengths: Display, HT, Wireless G, Storage.
Weaknesses: Speakers?, Battery?
Overall: My first laptop. I have been using for almost a week. The wide display is pretty cool. I watched a couple widescreen format DVDs on it... beautiful. The P4 HT Processor will complete 2 SETIatHome workunits in 3.5 hours, average. Though I won't be crunching WU's after my 2500 certificate.(those of you who know what that means will appreciate it) The DVD+-RW/CD-RW drive is speedy and has accepted all the different media without a hitch, hiccup or glitch. The built-in 802.11G card works well and at a considerable distance from the access point. As I said this is my first laptop and am unfamiliar with battery life and speakers. I thought 2.5-3 hrs battery life was low at full power.(two seti's running,surfing net and playing music cd) The 1 inch stereo speakers didn't seem loud enough in a noisy living room. But considering I am used to the unlimited power of a desktop and surround sound speakers, I might be expecting too much from ANY laptop. Overall I think anyone who buys this machine will be happy. I know I am!
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