Toshiba Satellite A205-S5812 15.4-inch Laptop (Intel Pentium Dual Core T2330 Processor, 2 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, Vista Premium)

This computer was okay for me at first. But after less than a year, now it's having some major problems. It holds a charge with the new charger I had to buy(the old one broke easily) but it will not charge itself. The charger also falls out easily(as it did with the original charger as well). I had to buy a new battery for it, but it turns out that wasn't the problem. I now have to by a new charger for it, but I don't think that's going to be the problem either as the charger is managing to make the laptop stay on.

I think it's actually that piece that you connect the charger into on the computer. And if it is, I have no idea how to fix that. Not to mention I've already spent over 100$ trying to find out what's wrong with this thing.

Far too many problems for being less than a year old. Not to mention, it's running Vista(granted, sadly, all computers are nowadays).

Toshiba's A205-S5804 is one of the worst put together laptops I've seen, and as a PC repair technician I've seen quite a few. There are only 2 USB ports on the left side of the machine - which means you need a long USB mouse cord to loop around the back of the machine (for right handed people).

The USB ports are extremely close together and parallel to each other, so any devices you have MUST have an extension cord. Large flash drives, MP3 players, and USB modems will block the 2nd USB port. You must purchase USB extension cords and/or a USB hub. This is extremely frustrating to anyone using Vista's readyboost feature, which allows a flash drive to be used as extra virtual memory.

An Express Card slot allows you to slide a card into the machine, the only problem is that there IS NO Express Card hardware. It is amazingly frustrating to spend 20 minutes trying to line up pins for a device that does not exist.

Preinstalled software includes a gigantic program for controlling Bluetooth (a wireless device like WiFi mostly for printers and phones). This might lead someone to believe that Bluetooth is built into the machine... it isn't. Massive amounts of RAM are devoted to running software controllers for hardware that does not exist.

Also preinstalled are (1) Games you can play only once before having to pay Toshiba to play again (2) Resource hogging anti-virus software that expires in 30 days before demanding hundreds of dollars to keep using it (3) MS Office suite with 30 day expiration

All in all, a badly put together machine. For the same price you can get a refurbished Dell Inspiron with a faster processor, three times the RAM, double the hard drive space, and an integrated 2 mega pixel webcam. HP also makes excellent machines, both refurbished and new. Avoid Toshiba.

I bought this computer March 12, 2008 for just under $750, right before it jumped to almost $1100. Excellent laptop for what I payed for it definitely 5 star material. The screen is incredible I often forget that it is only 15.4", Lots of RAM and hard drive space for advanced software suites, and multiple operating systems. I have put up to 3 Linux partitions in addition to the existing vista partition at one time (I was testing some diffent distros out) and I have had more than enough space to do that and put 3000 songs and countless movies on it with more than enough room to spare.

Let's jump right in. I have a u205 toshiba model a A215 AMD based Laptop same toshiba . For some reason the A205 model well while a good basic laptop
better than Acer anyway . Well the A205-S5804 from Toshiba just sucks if u are looking for a solid performance and reliable laptops from toshiba look towards the A215 models and U Series from the maker.
In conlusion i gave this model from toshiba 2 very big thumbs down.

Just ordered two of these, arrived, opened up one to check it, found there is no web cam integrated into the bezel whatsoever. Also the case is black and not 'Onyx blue metallic'. Amazon's own description of this laptop is misleading and incorrect. Buyer beware. Amazon has been contacted and these laptops are going back to them, at their expense. No genuine 'sorry' given. They said they will update the product description with the correct information. Too little, too late!

This is a great laptop.. works great for the everyday use. it was easy to set up and get going.

The laptops works fine however it caught me by surprise when it came with an OEM version of the old windows vista. Had some problems with problems that kept malfunctioning.

I reviewed a lot of laptops and I choose this model because of the specs and the price.
I knew what I was getting and I was not disappointed. I like everything about this model especially the 2GB of Memory, the large screen, the large keys, and all the Preloaded Software. After turning it on I was set to go within twenty minutes.
The only two things I would criticize about this model is there are only two USB ports and they are on the left-hand size; extremely awkward when using a mouse. However, I knew that drawback before I purchased this laptop. When reviewing all the other brands and models I felt those two minor faults were minimal compared to all the other qualities.
I also appreciated that this model came with a Master CD with all the preloaded Software--that's great! I have seen too many systems requesting that you do a Full-Backup after setup, and that can be tedious.
So I would give this model an A-. The speed is great too and I believe that's because of the memory. From all the reviews everyone complained that Vista was extremely slow with only 1GB of memory.
Finally, I knew that Toshiba is a good brand so I was grateful to be able to get this model. I hope to enjoy it for years to come.

I bought this toshiba satellite a205-s5804 at bestbuy for $450 a couple of months ago. After making several research, this laptop seems to be the best for tis price. I upgraded the ram to 2 GB , I bought kingston 1gb kvr667d2s5/1g from Newegg for $18.99/each, I installed it with no problem. This is my second laptop after my IBM R40, i guess it makes sense to buy a new laptop than to repair the old one. So far, I have no problem. I disabled all the startup program except the sidebar, and my computer opens fast. The only problem I had was, I was not aware that you have to turn on the wireless internet connection by switching on a button that is on the front edge of the notebook, it lights up once you have it on. I have to use a cordless mouse because the tab on the mouse pad is not soft to touch and you will hear a loud tapping sound everytime you press on it. I have a black laptop, with a white keyboard. I never realize that it is easier to read the letters on the keyboard when it is white. Keyboard is soft to touch and wide enough for people with big fingers.The sound is good, after my experience with the IBM's lousy sound. I like the wheel on the front edge of the notebook to adjust the sound.

I purchased a Toshiba Satellite and have regretted it ever since. Owning a Toshiba product has been the worst experience of my life.

In short, within less then 6 months the computer won't turn on. After hours on hold (and being hung up on) I got through to Toshiba customer service representative, then I had to drive over 45 minutes to take it to an "authorized service provider". In the year I have owned my computer it was being repair for more than 5 months of that time. I caution anyone buying a Toshiba product not to. Toshiba provides the worse customer service I have ever encountered. Save yourself the aggravation and headaches and never buy one of their products. I never will again.

The laptop by itself is awesome, great look nice hardware profile. At the beginning the mouse pat was almost un-useful the web cam driver crash every time that the PC resumes from stand by and windows OS was really slow. I don't know if all this problems came from factory installation but I refresh the hard drive with the restore DVD and the performance is outstanding. No hardware/software problems so far.

Great product, I love the 3gig ram included that is really necessary for VISTA...perfect for home-office or stationary place...not recomended for portability because is a little big and heavy, like I said is perfect for replacement of an old desktop computer...
D.

This laptop is absolutely phenomenal. I've had it for about a month now, not a single problem. I mainly use it for gaming and the internet and it runs flawlessly even with 6 or more demanding programs running (limewire, Warcraft 3, Itunes, etc) at the same time.

Pros:
3GB of Ram
200 gig Hard Drive.
4 USB ports
Beautiful screen
Windows Vista Home Premium
Multi-card reader

Cons:
Speakers could be a little louder.

has a nice sleek design with very soft rounded edges, sloped palm rests, and even a glossy screen that you don't usually find on business notebooks.

This laptop is a decent choice for those looking for a budget computer. Hard core gamers, enthusiasts, or anyone else looking for high-performance should look elsewhere. But for surfing the internet, office programs, and other basic applications this is a great choice. The dual-core Intel processor is more than enough to run those basic applications smoothly and quickly. The 120GB hard drive is plenty to keep all your music, videos, etc.

You will definitely want to upgrade the RAM to 2GB (the max) from the 1GB it came with. New memory should cost less than $50 at many online computer retailers and it provides a *very* noticeable improvement in performance. Upgrading is very simple, you open the hatch on the bottom of the laptop, remove the 2 memory modules there (2 x 512mb) and install the new modules (2 x 1GB). For those interested, the type of RAM you're looking for is DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) 200-pin SO-DIMM. Although many of those retailers let you enter the model# and it shows you compatible memory you can buy.

The weight listed here at amazon is 9lbs, but the actual weight is much less. This laptop replaces a 4 year old Dell Inspiron that was really over 9lbs and this laptop is significantly less. I'd say probably closer to 6lbs.

This doesn't come with any of the extras you see on more expensive laptops such as memory card readers, media buttons (like play/pause, forward, rewind, etc), extra USB ports (there are only 2), or things like bluetooth or N-wireless (it does come with B/G-wireless). The battery is also rather short, lasting only about 2 hours, a little more or less depending on the selected power profile.

The DVD drive reads and burns CDs and DVDs effortlessy. I don't use iTunes, so I can't comment on other's troubles with it, I'm sure it will influence your choice if that is a program you use frequently.

The screen is very very nice. Very clear and bright, and has a smooth anti-glare glass(?) covering. The build quality is overall very nice and feels solidly built.

For those interested, the Vista Experience scores are as follows:
Procesor=4.7
Memory (RAM)=4.2 (note that changing to 2GB did not affect this score)
Graphics=3.1 (poor due to Intel XMA graphics. this is why gamers should look elsewhere)
Gaming Graphics=3.3
Primary HardDisk=4.9

I received this timely and have enjoyed using it for several weeks now. It works well for about 2 hours without a charge. Screen display is superb, speed is excellent. It will serve me well this year.

i bought this at best buy with 2 gig,s of ram for 599.00 .i was very impressed till it started locking up and the screen would go blank-black .the only thing to do to it was hit the off button to reset it.this machine locked up 16 times in one day best buy couldent fix it.three more came back while i waited on mine to see if they could fix it.
all so the power button has no light............joanie carter

Great lightweight laptop for the price!
This is a sturdy low priced laptop that's good enough for everyday use.
Beware however this is only upgradable to 2gb due to intel chipset limitations. The keyboard is firm and tactile, the screen is excellent compared to higher priced laptops, and processor is more than adequate for everyday use!

I've only had mine for a week and aside from allowing VISTA to drive me up a wall it seems to be a rather sound laptop. Though people claim it does not have a lot of extras on it I find it offers more than I will use in a life time.

I'm a litle disappointed in battery life but what is bugging me is WHERE IS THE MODEL NUMBER??? I can find it no where on the PC. How do I even know this is the model that I purchased. I find this very intersting.

But again its a good machine.

I'm confused, most reviewers are slamming this laptop for only having 1GB of RAM when it's clearly stated that it comes with 2GB. Wasup with that? Also they're complaining about it only having 2 USB plugs and not having a multi-format memory card slot. WHAAA! Spend another 10 or 20 bucks for a hub and a peripheral card reader. DON'T WHINE CUZ YOU CAN'T READ THE DESCRIPTION BEFORE YOU BUY... DUH!

Other than a few minor things about the product that are annoying, rather than a problem, I have no complaints. It has performed without incident.

I've had this notebook for about a month and I'm happy so far. As has already been stated, the 1GB of memory is not enough. But memory is cheap. I upgraded to 2GB, and it performs very well. If you don't mind only having 2 USB ports (hubs are also cheap), this is a great machine.

First, please pardon the small foreword to this review: I try not to post negative reviews. Generally, if I have something negative to say about something, I attempt to keep it to myself. This is not one of those times. I literally could not be more disappointed and angry with the optical (CD / DVD) drive on this computer, and moreover, the customer service / support (none of either) that I've received after multiple attempts on the phone with Toshiba.

I purchased a Toshiba Satellite laptop through Amazon a few weeks ago after some fairly extensive research and review-reading. It's not the most expensive model on the market, but I've asked around, and people that I respect gave Toshiba laptops the "thumbs up". The A205 model that I bought, as well as many other Toshiba models, come with a TSST model TS-L632H DVD / CD RW drive, and when using iTunes to burn a disc, the computer returns with error messages (specifically, "error 2131"). The importing of CDs is also extraordinarily slow: about 20-25 minutes to rip one disc!.

I am not a computer expert by any means, but I'm no novice, either. I cruised Toshiba's Website, TSST's website, and countless message boards to try to find a fix- and I found out that I am not the only one to have this issue. I also found out that the problem is likely specific to something called "firmware" that the computer uses to talk to the drive itself. Dell Computers were having a similar problem that they released a fix for in early January, but absolutely nothing, not even an admission of a problem, has come from Toshiba. Further, Toshiba's online support site offers an "ODD Firmware Updater" program for their optical drives that doesn't even support the TS-L632H model. So, Warning #1: If you're going to buy a Toshiba product, please beware of the TSST CD / DVD drives and / or firmware installed (but apparently not supported, as you'll see momentarily) by Toshiba. If you want to read more about this problem, please Google "iTunes error 2131". How Toshiba could release a product that is incompatible with what is far and away the most popular music program in the world (iTunes) is absolutely beyond me... and then to leave the problem unrectified, when it is apparently fairly common, is simply unconscionable. I understand sometimes patches and fixes are slow, but the first message board post that I have found on this problem with Toshibas was in November of last year- that's 4 months now!

As if this wasn't enough: after multiple attempts on the phone with Toshiba customer support, I have been blown off once, and hung up on 3 times in a row after that (after being on hold for 45 minutes each) over the course of 3 days. It is very very disappointing that Toshiba has not recognized this problem, but it nails the coffin shut to have such horrible customer service. Warning #2: Toshiba doesn't admit to problems or make any attempt to fix them... and they are also in the routine habit of hanging up on customers who call for service and tech support.

Consider yourself warned. I plan to return this computer and never purchase a Toshiba product again.

First, if you're looking for a laptop with all the bells and whistles, this version of Toshiba's Satellite isn't it. Still, it's a great unit. The screen is amazing. Crystal clear and sharp. Not overly glossy to the point where you can see who's standing behind you. Movies look amazing on it.

You can get by with the 1 gig of ram it comes with, but be prepared for it to be a little sluggish. Still perfectly usable, but if you really want to take advantage of the nature of dual core (i.e. multi-tasking) then you'll want 2 gig. I put 2GB of Kingston, (2 x 1GB) 200-Pin DDR2 667 (PC2 5300), in the system and it has run flawless.

Very nice touch-pad on this unit and the left-right buttons under the touch pad are just right - not too mushy to cause an accidental click and not to stiff that they are annoying. Keyboard is laid out nicely with the "delete" key in the top right corner. Just the way I like it. Movies played perfectly and I was able to burn CD's right out of the box. Vista has a very cool drag and drop CD burning utility built into the OS. Sound system very nice, though speakers not adequate for movies - too quiet. But the simulated Dolby Surround for headphones works very well.

Other nice features that other laptops fail to include is a latching mechanism when you close the "lid" and a switch that let's you instantly turn off WiFi. This works very well by the way and stretches battery power when you don't need to be "connected."

The quibbles. If you are going to use this laptop for typing your next novel, you might want to try out the keyboard in your local PC store to make sure you are comfortable typing on it for extended periods. It's a little on the stiff side compared to some others. Another minor grip is no TV out. It does have a VGA out, but if you want to throw the image onto a TV you'll need a converter - a simple VGA to S-Video cable for example won't cut it. Also, it only has 2 USB ports. If you plan to use it as your desktop unit as well, you might need a USB hub.

These gripes are minor in my opinion because I don't really NEED them, but to me, it was worth the sacrifice to get this unit at so low a price point.

I'm very happy with the system. Nice to have a Toshiba. Great brand. Everything worked, right out of the box. This one is replacing a Toshiba that I've had for years without issue.

A bought this computer because was one of the best value for the money. The dual core processor is great, 1GB ram look like not enought using Windows Vista (just the OS use 780MB ) so if you plan to use heavy software, I think you need 2 gb for ram.

As usual on Toshiba come with recovery cd (other brand not include this anymore, you have to burn it from the HD), quick install guide, and documents about warranty and toshiba accesories.

The finished look very well, except for the BIG BIG brand name on the lid, maybe somebody like that, not me. The keyboard is white color, the screen is pretty bright so you don't have any problem reading with sunlight. The weight is the normal for a 15.4" notebook, like 6 pounds.

This unit don't come with Card reader, you can see the space for it, but not coming with this model. I thought that thing about just two USB ports was a lie but is true, this notebook just have two USB port on the left side, doesn't have TV out.

PROs
Price
Dual Core 1.6ghz Processors
Bright Screen
Good Wireless reception
Good Finished

CONs
Windows Vista and Just 1GB of ram
Not card reader
Just 2 USB Ports