Dec 01, 2018 01:52 AM
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(Updated Sep 15, 2019 11:50 AM)
I bought this laptop in 2010, while I was thinking about having a back-up / portable option instead of my desktop, which was already 6 years old by then. I was getting the laptop at a good discounted rate and decided to give it a shot. Incidentally, it also coincided with myself moving into a new residential area. Little did I know then, that it was going to be my roommate for the next 8 years or more.
This is what I have to say about the device.
LOOKS: With a 15.6 inches wide HBCSV LCD screen with 1366 x 768 pixels resolution to go with its matte brown glossy shade and a netted design, it is certainly pleasing to look at, with its curvy edges to an otherwise flat body.
PORTABILITY: One of the key benefits of having a laptop is its portability and a lighter weight certainly helps that aspect. At 2.6 kgs, it was lighter than the average weight of 15’’6 wide laptops at the time. In this regard, it was certainly a plus.
I’ve traveled with it to just about anywhere, whether it is visiting my native home, my friends’ home, weekend getaways in Europe, holiday destinations in India and so on. It has seen and experienced a lot with me. It’s probably the first entity to get informed about all my personal activities. I suppose the same could be expected, of a roommate. :D
TECHNICAL SPECS: It came pre-installed with Windows 7 Home Premium, 4 GB RAM, 2.4 GHz Core i3 2nd Gen dual core Intel processor to complement its 320 GB SATA hard disk with 5400 rpm rotation capacity.
It also comes with 3 USB slots, 1 headphone and microphone jack each and a VGA port. A 19V / 3.42 Amperes output / 50-60 Hz AC adapter accompanies the package.
MEMORY AND PERFORMANCE: The 1066 MHz RAM, together with the ROM worked quite well with Windows 7 and i3 processor. Working with multiple applications was never problem. There was no undue heating or lag. I suppose the HDD rotation capacity also greatly helped fast and adequate retrieval of the magnetic stored data even with multi-partitioning.
I must say Windows 7 was very well suited to it. It never crashed till the next 7 years straight and performance was very good with the configuration it had. The i3 processor was newly released in 2010, so it was already equipped with the best it could be with, at the time. I did play games from time to time, but was not a regular heavy gamer. I think that helped too.
IN-BUILT MULTIMEDIA: It had a 0.3 MP Web Cam which was adequate. In any case, the advent of other web-tools have sort of minimized the need for a webcam nowadays.
It also had built in Stereo Speakers, which were working fine till 6.5 years straight. The microphone was also good and I never faced any issue with it.
DVD DRIVE: This peripheral required cleaning from time to time, but I managed to keep the optical drive going for 7 years straight. The DVD writer was pretty suitable and worked well with Nero.
KEYBOARD: It is a QWERTY keyboard, as can be expected. Main advantage is the presence of “FN”, the function key, which allows for a shortcut to a host of features. One doesn’t have to search for it in the “Properties” of the installed OS or in some knob located on the monitor. The touchpad is also good and has worked pretty well, all these years. One could also use a wireless mouse, if needed.
OTHER FEATURES: It is Bluetooth enabled, although I can’t honestly say I ever successfully used it. It detects Bluetooth devices and is detected. But that’s where the story ends.
Wireless internet and with wire internet and LAN works fine with it. All kinds of plug and play USB devices work well with it.
It also came with a host of “Toshiba Assist” features. But I preferred 3rd party options and Windows 7 options to most of them.
PERFORMANCE WITH WINDOWS 10: After a bit above 7 years, when I had it first serviced, I also decided to get the Windows 10 OS installed, as it had been in use for a couple of years or so.
Overall performance was a bit faster with other obvious advantages of Windows 10. But there were shut-down problems with heating noticeable, from time to time, initially. After trying out several things, it turned out that the “Intel HD Graphics Media Card” for the GPU only worked well with an older version, which I discovered by some calculated guesswork and reading. The impromptu shut-downs have greatly diminished since. Every time, Windows 10 updates the GPU driver, it should be manually updated to older one for better performance.
BATTERY: It has a 6 cell Li-Ion battery which serves this laptop very well. It used to give very reasonable back up. I’ve never had to replace it till date. Yes, over the years, battery life after charging has diminished, as can be expected. But after all these years, it still gives back-up in excess of 1.5 hours post charging, after well over 8 years of heavy usage.
SERVICE CENTRES: Service centres are not plenty, but then I suppose there don't necessarily have to be too many and I've only required it once or twice during this entire period.
All in all, a pretty good electronic purchase for its time. I’ve had a pretty good experience with it and I’m not done with it, nor is it done with me. So, I hope to have more experiences and adventures with it in the days to come before I eventually bid it goodbye. If one understands and uses this model well, returns are pretty good.
