New Toshiba laptops. Laptop "Toshiba Satellite" (Toshiba Satellite): best models, comparison and reviews
We continue to introduce you to the largest manufacturers laptop computers in order of their market position. The fourth issue of our Guide is dedicated to the fourth largest company in global laptop sales - Toshiba.
As usual, we’ll start with an analysis of the model range.
Toshiba Satellite
Toshiba's main line of laptops. To date, it has smoothly evolved into home multimedia solutions, although it began rather with business tools. However, in those days when the Satellite family was launched, all laptops belonged to the business class; in general, there were no others.
The laptop did not do normal work and was practically silent. The hot air exhaust is on the chassis side, thanks to its generous prism, the aerodynamic noise is not very good for the fans. Due to the glossy surface, there are reflections. The colors are deep and sharp, still patchy. Benchmark results were fairly balanced, with a very low graphics performance rating. She had a battery, the laptop was closed for 4 hours and 5 minutes of work. Good laptop
, which works well, works well, but you are unlikely to find a stronger site.
The name of the line is one of the most successful on the market. Perhaps even the most apt one: what word captures the essence of a portable computer better than “satellite”?
There are several series of laptops within the family:
L - budget models (the current line includes both 15.4 and 17’’ screens);
U - the most compact (nowadays with a diagonal of 13.3’’, but there was also one “twelve”);
The matte body, decorated with wavy scratches, is effectively imprinted with imprinting and dirt, "shiny", but with a diamond around the display, here the prints cling to one. The webcam offers a perfectly clear and crisp image, without any difficulty with fast movements. She just crawled into more places. The microphone is very sensitive, but the voice sounds a little stupid. The criticism deserves the sound - it is played only by one speaker on the right side, instead of asking for a phone call. The keyboard has a very high button
M - medium-sized laptops (14’’, such a model is not yet available in the current line);
A - standard size models (15.4’’ in the modern version);
P - the largest laptops (at this moment - 17’’);
X - gaming models (so far there is only one, with a screen diagonal of 17’’).
Series U, M, A and P are usually issued in uniform style. The modern Satellite design differs from the previous style with a dark color scheme and a glossy mirror surface. The L Series traditionally uses the previous generation's design with some simplifications due to the reduced cost. Finally, the X-series is designed broadly in the style of the rest of the laptops in the line, but with a few additions to make it more impressive.
The body of the laptop is firmly anchored but it doesn't shrink much, but when it comes to gripping a corner it does drop a bit. The mist is also a display cover, but it does not affect the display even under high pressure. The image is very good, as are the viewing angles. Ambient light reflections are unpleasant.
The laptop cools smoothly, but even during normal work, the armrests are uncomfortably warm. The performance of the laptop was excellent, achieving the highest performance in the test. It excelled mainly in CPU performance and fast drive, with the average being achieved in memory speed and graphics performance.
One of the inherent features of the Satellite line is a very wide variety of configurations within one model. For example, the same Satellite A300 has varieties with both integrated graphics and discrete graphics - both entry-level and mid-level performance. Processors can range from budget Pentium Dual-Core and low-end Core 2 Duo on the Merom core to top-end Core 2 Duo models on the Penryn core. Of course, the amount of memory and hard drive
may also vary, but these are less important differences.
The speaker's sound is among the best in the test - it's unnecessarily slippery and tinny, but it doesn't miss the stars and it doesn't bother listening. The keyboard is well written, the handwheels are located far enough from each other. The critic deserves glossy plastic between the buttons, you'll close it after a few minutes and you'll never get it. It works well with the multi-touch touchpad, even if it's a little annoying on the test side.
For the A300, soon after the official announcement, the number of configurations reached 12, and the A200 model at the time it left the market was available in as many as 20 versions! It’s not so easy to figure it out, since the configurations are hidden behind a faceless number like “A300-23P,” which makes it completely impossible to understand anything. It’s good that analogues on the AMD platform are included in separate models with the suffix “D”, for example Satellite P300D. This As usual, we’ll start with an analysis of the model range. the lineup differs in better side
from the same HP Pavilion.
The laptop's design is quite bland, tilting around corners and sometimes turning off somewhat. The display cover is soft and easy to fold, but it does not press down on the display even with more pressure. In everyday use the computer is quiet and the armrests are always cool.
It has a dull finish that lags in the cheap laptop segment. The image doesn't suffer from reflections from ambient lights, so you can work on it either outdoors or from behind. The display otherwise offers solid viewing angles, likely due to the display structure.
A few typical features of modern Satellites:
The card reader and audio connectors are located on the front; remove the volume control wheel next to it;
High-quality Harman Kardon speakers are used;
Screen resolution for a diagonal of 15.4’’ and less is only 1280x800, for “semnasheki” - 1440x900; there is only one exception: the X200 model has a resolution of 1680x1050; The battery was very solid - 4 hours 10 minutes. Taking everything into a lightweight sub-laptop that's different matte display
The webcam disappointed us, the picture was shameless, but the holiday took the edge. The color was a bit overwhelming, my face was a little purple. The microphone is less sensitive to the other side, in order to hear you have to speak louder. When talking about built-in speakers, the focus is on higher heights and more high levels, lower rhythms and bass during playback. Vocals are clear, but connect external speakers to the music.
Near the base of the screen there is an additional touch panel with “buttons” that control multimedia functions;
The shape of the hinge is L-shaped: when opened, the lid obscures the back side of the case; for this reason, there are no useful elements at the back.
Satellite laptops are usually fairly priced, although you can often find slightly less expensive alternatives. Toshiba generally adheres to the average level of markup for Russian retail, although sometimes it changes this rule and increases the price very much, trying to emphasize the premium nature of the product.
The keyboard is perfect, there is no replacement here. She is right to write to her, with minimal interruptions, and she is wisely silent. To be completely satisfied, we simply skipped it, but we are in the cheapest laptop category, so we can't expect such a pleasure. The touchpad only recognizes one finger, but otherwise it works great, the buttons are silent.
The design of the laptop is really correct in relation to the price, even if the rotation doesn't shrink or bother you. Although the display cover is pressurized, it does not jerk on the display - the back pressure in the backpack is easy to handle. The display offers rugged viewing angles and a high-gloss surface finish that reflects ambient lights. The colors are high maximum brightness high, the display structure is probably in the image.
Toshiba Satellite Pro
This year, Toshiba seems to have decided to tackle the “medium and small business” segment, for which purpose it revived the Satellite Pro line, which had been in a coma. A complete set of new products with screen diagonals from 13.3 to 17’’ was released at once. The models received the same body shape as the “regular” Satellite, but the colors were less flashy and more practical: light silver plus black, no gloss.
On the other hand, the weaker result was due to hard speed disk. Other parameters are balanced and correspond to a very good result. High power was selected in lower batteries, but it is still pretty decent for 3 hours and 40 minutes.
Although it belongs to these dealers, we think it's a good buy. It offers relatively high performance, high quality processing, works well with it and looks very good. Of course, a webcam with a working diode and microphone. Using a pair of 3.5mm jacks, you can connect headphones and an external microphone. The touchpad works well, it's a multi-touch button, the button is more fun.
There are no other major differences - these are practically the same laptops with the same configurations. Let's say, for names of the same name Satellite models and Satellite Pro offer the same range of processors, video adapters and volumes random access memory and hard drive. Although there are still some simplifications: no Harman Kardon speakers, no multimedia touchpad you won't find it here.
Unfortunately, the keyboard was not exaggerated. The laptop burns at the bottom, even after prolonged use, the palms were cool. The plastic body makes an impressive impression and does not bother or run away. This also applies to the display screen, but it will touch the back of the display with higher pressure from above.
The display has an excellent picture and distinctive colors, thanks to the shiny finish, of course, reflects the surrounding light. They are delighted by the completely reasonable viewing angles. Unfortunately, it had a small maximum volume and a small “pupa”. She did not know the battery on the battery, the value of 3 hours 6 minutes is the lowest in the test.
It’s sad that the screens used here are exactly the same: with low resolutions and a glossy finish that is completely inappropriate for workhorses. Let's hope Toshiba was smart enough to equip the Satellite Pro with at least more capacious batteries than the home Satellites. If these “office and office workers” operate on just as little battery power, they will seriously lose to their competitors. Let's also hope that the Russian representative office will not sell these laptops at a high price - after all, their main advantage is their simplicity.
The overall impression is of weak sound. Does it make sense to buy a cheap laptop? At the end of the test we must say yes. If you want high performance and light weight for your mobility, this is what you need to stick with. It depends on what features are important to you and on the other hand, you accept the trade-off.
Prices haven't fallen in a long time, they have nowhere to go. However, in some categories they increase slightly. Outstanding competitor manufacturers and a large number of retailers are driving prices down. We need such a relatively strong crown.
Toshiba Tecra
Toshiba's line of full-size corporate models is currently in a rather pitiful state: it consists of only two models, of which only one is actually sold. Apparently, the company simply does not have enough resources to develop this kind of laptops and compete with HP, Lenovo, Dell and Fujitsu Siemens, which are well established in this segment.
The shift over such a long period of time is quite minimal. Further price reductions are also unlikely for marketing. A large laptop shortcut cannot be cheaper than a small netbook. At this time, we may even be tempted to break even, because every new model has a slightly better configuration and a slightly higher price.
The recently launched laptops from the following models are the cheaper models and this year the manufacturers are no longer getting into the luxury category. How long they will stay in the country is unknown, and there is currently no extravagant news. The elevator went up from seven to ten o'clock. The price has not yet been set, you can expect around 12 thousand CZK including tax. With these processors there are more than six latitudes. The design has changed slightly and some models will also be able to choose the color of the model.
Laptops from the Tecra line have a different design from the Satellite; they are characterized by more strict shapes and body colors, as well as increased protection from external influences. The Tecra line also cannot boast of a wealth of available accessories - traditionally a strong point of corporate models. Overall not the best choice.
Toshiba Portage
A legendary family of ultraportable laptops, in which many truly revolutionary models were released at different times. Additions to the Portege line do not occur very often, and, as a rule, only two or three models are available at a time. At the moment, this is a compact convertible laptop Portege M700, with very outstanding characteristics for its class, as well as the world's lightest dual-spindle laptop Portege R500.
However, the prices in the configurator are high, if you want to save, look at the ready-made reports in electronic stores. Very good, there is a battery charge for the battery, which the manufacturer produces for up to 10 hours. All models are yet to be launched in late May and June. Despite these laptops, they can provide good performance for both office and multimedia work. Even with this manufacturer, we can soon expect laptops aimed at small businesses.
Very good rough surface of the chassis that resists fingerprints and mechanical scratches. However, this multinational giant is also a manufacturer of nuclear power technology, Shinkansen speed components and Japanese computer programmers. Tanaka did not attend school, but she had extraordinary technical talent and the ability to continually learn on her own. From his earliest childhood he designed and manufactured a number of remarkable mechanical improvements and amusements designed to simplify the work as well as to provide amusement to his surroundings.
The latter is interesting in that it is equipped with a 12.1” screen, while all models of similar weight use 11-inch screens: the Portege R500 is slightly larger than its competitors, which made it possible to equip it with a more comfortable keyboard.
True, the lightweight design affected the strength of the case - the metal from which it is made feels too thin and flexible.
Operating hours for 200 days
However, Tanaka's ingenuity was not limited to mechanical toys. He was the first engineer in Japan to build a steam locomotive, although he had never seen a steam engine before. The technical solutions he used were taken from the Dutch manual or only from the drawings contained in this manual, because he could not speak Dutch. When the Tanaka plant in Shibaure Seisaku-sho was renamed at the beginning of the century, it was already a large enterprise, which, in addition to telegraph devices
Portege laptops are quite expensive, especially in Russia - after all, here, among other things, they serve as the locomotive with which Toshiba is trying to drag its products into the premium segment. That is, high prices for Portege are set not even for the sake of profit as such, but to increase the value of the brand. What makes the purchase of these laptops not very justified: the buyer will have to pay not only for the product itself, but also for the manufacturer’s ambitions. Or, to put it simply, for the nameplate.
When the name changed to Tokyo Denki at the end of the century, it was already an established company, known throughout almost all of Japan. At the end of the year, it employed more than 100,000 people and was the fourth largest Japanese company. What it was a good choice, it soon worked out; Saba had not only experience, but also intuition. He knew that if a company had to compete internationally, it was not enough to produce quality products.
They still need to come up with new, more complex products. Analyzing the market, Saba decided to intensify research in the field of semiconductors, computers and telecommunications technologies. Regarding computers, he focused on mobile devices, which, as it turned out, were also smart choice. With a size and weight of about 4 kilograms, it was a revolution in the field of laptops. Moreover, the laptop has a built-in slot for an external modem - this was the first step towards integrating online communications and mobile computing.
Toshiba Qosmio
A line of laptops with advanced AV functionality. At the moment there is only one model with a diagonal of 17’’ –. By the way, this is the only one in the model Toshiba series laptop with FullHD display. The design is completely different from all other Toshiba lines. I must say, the Qosmio G40 really looks simply gorgeous - perhaps this is the most impressive 17-inch laptop on the market.
Toshiba Qosmio G40: a simply gorgeous laptop - price to match |
This model was the world's first laptop with an HD DVD burner. After the recent death of the format that Toshiba promoted, the prospects for the Qosmio G40 have dimmed somewhat.
It’s interesting that in Japan, where they don’t like “semnashki” in principle, a more compact F40 model with a 15.4’’ screen is sold (resolution, however, is only 1280x800). By the way, one of the configurations is equipped with a Celeron M processor: the Japanese are more rational about processor performance and understand that megahertz is not the main thing in a laptop.
STORY
The companies leading today in the IT market are mostly very young; they were founded in the second half of the 20th century. Ages of 70-80 are rare among them. Toshiba stands out against this background, because its history dates back to the 19th century: the company appeared as a result of the merger of Tanaka Seizosho and Hakunetsusha, founded in 1875 and 1890, respectively. At the turn of the century, these companies were renamed Shibaura Seisakusho and Tokyo Denki, and in 1939 they merged into Tokyo Shibaura Denki - under this name the combined company was known until 1978, after which the abbreviation Toshiba existed until then ( TO kyo SHIBA
ura) has become the official name of the company. Toshiba is a very large organization that deals not only with laptops, televisions and video equipment known to most mere mortals. In addition to consumer electronics, the company's product range includes the development and production of semiconductors, mobile storage devices (as hard drives
, and optical drives), LCD and LED displays, and so on. And if we move away from electronics altogether, Toshiba’s arsenal includes products such as high-tech ceramics and alloys, construction equipment, elevators and escalators, and even nuclear reactors or equipment for hydroelectric power plants.
Toshiba itself never tires of claiming that it was the first to develop a portable computer - in 2006, Toshiba organized a large-scale celebration of the anniversary of this device. It still depends on what can already be considered a full-fledged laptop computer and what not yet. Because the first compact, “wearable” representatives of the IBM PC platform (if we talk without reference to a PC, you can get completely confused) appeared a little earlier, in the first half of the 1980s.
But the Toshiba T1000, which saw the light of day in 1986, was much lighter (only 2.9 versus more than 10 kg) and more compact than the same Compaq Portable and Kaypro, and in addition, it could boast a built-in battery and a reasonable price, unlike the Grid Compass 1100. So that the Toshiba T1000 can be considered, if not the first laptop in general, then really the first mobile computer- absolutely right.
The T1000 was followed by an improved version of the T1200, then the TX1200 with a 286 processor, the T2200 with a 386 processor, and so on. Toshiba has been closely involved in the process of improving laptop computers, and it is absolutely impossible to imagine the history of laptops without it. Especially without the Portege line of models, which have always occupied the top of the ultraportable computer charts.
Now a few words about the current state of affairs. The Toshiba company is one of the rare cases when its position in the world ranking table practically coincides with the Russian one: the Japanese manufacturer ranks fourth in the world, and third in Russia.
This result in our market was achieved by the company over the past two years and was the result of two important facts: firstly, the company managed to create an adequate and, moreover, even attractive model range - Toshiba finally caught the desires of consumers and embodied them in hardware. Secondly, the Russian representative office of the company worked properly, establishing work with partners and logistics, as well as extorting the import of “gray” Toshiba laptops.
At the last Toshiba event held in Russia, which was dedicated to the announcement of the new Satellite, the general manager for the CIS and Baltic countries of Toshiba Europe GmbH, Igor Snytko, expressed the opinion that it was time for the company to take a more prestigious place in the Russian market. Well, let's wish Toshiba this year, if not to fulfill his dream, then at least to come closer to its realization. And to you, dear readers, we wish you successful and pleasant shopping in all respects, Have a good mood and productive rest - fortunately summer has finally arrived. Until the next issue!
A laptop is a very necessary and useful thing. But for someone who does not understand technology, it will be difficult to do right choice. The wide variety of laptops is confusing. Therefore, before making a purchase, be sure to find out as much information as possible about the product. In this article we will look at a laptop
general characteristics
Toshiba has extensive experience in the production of laptops. It has always been distinguished by the high quality and practicality of all models.
Appearance budget laptop It can also be quite stylish, especially if it is made by Toshiba. Laptop Toshiba Satellite - This universal device. This laptop can easily replace a computer. Toshiba has released a whole line of mid-range Satellite laptops, each of which includes eye-catching design, advanced technology and reliability. The manufacturer provides the buyer with the opportunity to choose a high-quality laptop at an affordable price.
Laptops Toshiba Satellite C660
The Toshiba Satellite C660 laptop is a “smart” device for those who do not have a lot of money. It combines reliable Japanese quality and an inexpensive price. The laptop is available in various colors: black, white red and steel gray.
The technical characteristics of the C660 can be assessed in two ways. The laptop has both advantages ( wireless connection to the Network and a wide range modern processors), and disadvantages (weak battery). The design does not evoke a storm of emotions: laconic black color, smooth lines. The touchpad is made using multi-touch technology and is located very conveniently. Has a built-in Wi-Fi module. The display diagonal is 15.6 inches. Above the screen there is a webcam and microphone. Interestingly, the Toshiba Satellite C660 laptop has a facial recognition feature. The battery allows you to work for more than 4 hours in a row.
Overall the laptop is quite functional. It is ideal for “home” work, but nothing more. A weak battery will prevent you from enjoying games. This budget model for working in office programs. The laptop is also an ideal solution for studying.
Laptops Toshiba Satellite A300
The Japanese company pays close attention to design, as exemplified by the Toshiba Satellite A300 laptop. The glossy finish, which looks very impressive, cannot fail to attract the attention of buyers. Not only the display lid, but also the internal panel of the laptop, including the keyboard and touchpad, are marked with a bright shine. The Toshiba Satellite A300's equipment matches its appearance. It is based on Intel platform Centrino.
The Toshiba Satellite A300 series of laptops has a fairly wide range, which will allow you to choose the right model both in price and according to your requirements. The amount of RAM ranges from 2 to 4 GB. The maximum supported capacity for younger models is 4 GB, for older models - 8 GB. Volume of hard disk from 200 to 500 GB. This is quite enough to store movies, photos, and music. The display diagonal is 15.4 inches. The plus is that all Toshiba Satellite A300 series laptops have a 1.3 MP webcam. Some models also have a Bluetooth module. Good sound is provided by high-quality stereo speakers famous company Harman/Kardon, which allow you to completely immerse yourself in sound reproduction. The screen is equipped with a glossy coating, which makes the colors more rich and vibrant. In a word, the laptops of the Toshiba Satellite A300 series cannot be called boring and faceless. They certainly stand out from their peers and competitors.
Laptop Toshiba Satellite L850
Like any other Toshiba laptop, the L850 has a beautiful design. The body, however, is made of white glossy plastic, which quickly gets dirty and covered with scratches, and in addition, bends quite easily. The bottom cover is made of matte black. Although the surface is glossy, it leaves almost no marks. Above the screen is a webcam, to the left of which there is a microphone. Rubber pads that are located around the screen prevent the cover from hitting the body. The keyboard has a numeric keypad, which distinguishes the laptop from other models. The keys are large and silent. The amount of RAM is from 6 to 8 GB. The laptop's LCD screen has a diagonal of 15.6 inches and a resolution of 1366x768 pixels. It has pretty good viewing angles and excellent transfer colors. Battery this laptop rather weak. It lasts on average for 3 hours. The dimensions of the laptop will not allow you to carry it with you.
Thus, we can conclude that Toshiba has released a very stylish laptop with fairly good performance, which is suitable for both easy to use, and for games.
Working with connected devices
Work with additional devices will be provided by drivers for the Toshiba Satellite laptop. Version selection software depends on the laptop model, that is, each piece of software is developed only for one specific model. When using the driver, operating system interacts with relevant devices through a conventional interface. Drivers for Toshiba Satellite laptop can be downloaded online. After installing them, you can easily use the connected equipment.