Review of the 17" Toshiba Satellite P305-S8822 Multimedia Notebook

The multimedia notebook market is red hot right now and with several entrees weighing in at just under $1000 it is hard to know which notebook is right for you. That is precisely the reason why I have gotten my hands on the 17" Toshiba Satellite P305-S8822. I'm going to let you know what is great about this notebook and where it may fall a little short. First let me get started by popping the hood.

Hardware

Imaging: a Bezel integrated Webcam

Processor: 1.83 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5550

Storage Space: 200 GB hard drive

RAM: 3GB (expandable up to a 4GB maximum)

Optical Drive: CD R / RW with integrated dual-layer +/- R RW DVD burner

Graphics Accelerator: ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3470 graphics (With up to 1023MB of shared and dedicated memory)

Demensions: 15.7" x 11.3" x 1.5" and weighing 7.7lbs

This notebook has everything. The first thing I notice is the wonderful 17" XGA LCD screen operating at a resolution of 1440 x 900. The screen is bright although it does get a little washed out in bright light, but nothing extreme. The computer is strong and has little lag when multitasking a number of web browsers and office programs.

This notebook has the ability to act as a DVR thanks to the integrated recording software in the preloaded Windows Vista operating system. The excellent graphics accelerator is a great addition because playing games in the living room on your big new HD television set is just wonderful and really epitomizes what this notebook is all about. I have no real complaints about the hardware set up of this notebook however it seems to come with way too much preloaded trial ware. Removing this immediately seems to produce quicker boot times.

Connectivity

Integrated Wireless (so you can connect to any WiFi network)

1 Ethernet port (to connect to a wired LAN)

4 2.0 USB ports (use these to connect printers, mp3 players, and digital cameras)

1 FireWire port (for high speed data transfer between other PC's and digital camcorders)

1 ExpressCard slot (to insert additional peripherals like a Bluetooth adapter)

1 VGA output (this is a typical monitor port)

1 S-Video port (this is typically used to connect to a projector)

1 HDMI video output (this can be used to connect to a high definition television)

1 audio out / 1 microphone port

1 digital audio out port

1 56K modem connection (for dial-up)

5 in 1 memory card port (so you can directly insert your digital camera's memory card)

The connectivity of this notebook is everything I would expect for a notebook marketed as a multimedia laptop. I love the HDMI output which really makes this worth it. For around $1000 I love this notebook, it is a great deal at that price and right on target with comparable multimedia notebooks (like the HP Pavilion DV6871US which comes with a slightly slower processor). As a result I don't foresee any huge price decreases and it may in fact increase in price slightly. I predict that this notebook would make just about any consumer happy, so if you can afford it and need it I would pull the trigger.