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 4 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 2 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 2 buy a new battery 4 it, but it turns out that wasn't the problem. I now have 2 by a new charger 4 it, but I don't think that's going 2 be the problem either as the charger is managing 2 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 2 fix that. Not 2 mention I've already spent over 100$ trying 2 find out what's wrong with this thing.

Far too many problems 4 being less than a year old. Not 2 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, & 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 2 loop around the back of the machine (for right handed people).

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

An Express Card slot allows you 2 slide a card into the machine, the only problem is that there IS NO Express Card hardware. It is amazingly frustrating 2 spend 20 minutes trying 2 line up pins 4 a device that does not exist.

Preinstalled software includes a gigantic program 4 controlling Bluetooth (a wireless device like WiFi mostly 4 printers & phones). This might lead someone 2 believe that Bluetooth is built into the machine... it isn't. Massive amounts of RAM are devoted 2 running software controllers 4 hardware that does not exist.

Also preinstalled are (1) Games you can play only once before having 2 pay Toshiba 2 play again (2) Resource hogging anti-virus software that expires in 30 days before demanding hundreds of dollars 2 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, & an integrated 2 mega pixel webcam. HP also makes excellent machines, both refurbished & new. Avoid Toshiba.

I bought this computer March 12, 2008 4 just under $750, right before it jumped 2 almost $1100. Excellent laptop 4 what I payed 4 it definitely 5 star material. The screen is incredible I often forget that it is only 15.4", Lots of RAM & hard drive space 4 advanced software suites, & multiple operating systems. I have put up 2 3 Linux partitions in addition 2 the existing vista partition at one time (I was testing some diffent distros out) & I have had more than enough space 2 do that & put 3000 songs & countless movies on it with more than enough room 2 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 4 a solid performance & reliable laptops from toshiba look towards the A215 models & 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 2 check it, found there is no web cam integrated into the bezel whatsoever. Also the case is black & not 'Onyx blue metallic'. Amazon's own description of this laptop is misleading & incorrect. Buyer beware. Amazon has been contacted & these laptops are going back 2 them, at their expense. No genuine 'sorry' given. They said they will update the product description with the correct information. Too little, too late!

The stylish Satellite A205-S5812 Notebook PC is must have 4 everyday computing with a 15.4" diagonal widescreen. Intel mobile technology offers powerful processing capabilities along with large capacity hard drives & memory. Stay in touch with the built-in 802.11b/g wireless Wi-Fi. A robust, yet lightweight design starting at 6.0 pounds, this notebook is perfect 4 watching DVDs & since it comes with 2GB RAM you get the freedom 2 work with multi-window viewing of several applications at a time. With 160GB Hard Drive capacity, store music, photos, videos & office files. Use the ExpressCard slot & USB ports 4 your peripheral devices. If you're looking 4 inexpensive basic notebook 2 work with e-mailing, typing up reports, or just surfing the web this notebook is the right choice 4 you. 15.4 diagonal WXGA (1280 x 800) TruBrite TFT LCD display Mobile Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100 with up 2 358MB shared graphics memory DVD+-R/RW Super Multi Drive with Double Layer Realtek 802.11B/G Wireless 10/100 Ethernet 1 ExpressCard Slot (34/54 Slot) 2 USB 2.0, 1 Headphone out, 1 VGA, 1 RJ-11, 1 RJ-45 Approximate Unit Dimensions - 14.3 (W) x 10.5 (D) x 1.55 (H) Approximate Unit Weight - 6.0lbs

Stylishly accented with an onyx blue metallic LCD cover, the Toshiba Satellite A205-S5804 notebook PC is a great blend of multitasking productivity, multimedia prowess, & efficiently powered portability. It features a large, bright 15.4-inch XGA-resolution LCD (1280 x 800)--perfect 4 viewing multiple application screens or watching widescreen movies on DVD. It's also great 4 using as a media center, with Toshiba's unique Express Media Player enabling you 2 bypass the system & access CDs & DVDs with a touch of button. The dual-layer/multi-format DVD drive also burns CDs.

This notebook is powered by the 1.5 GHz Intel Pentium T2330 dual-core processor, which provides an optimized, multithreaded architecture 4 improved gaming & multitasking performance, as well as excellent battery management. It also includes a 160 GB hard drive, 2 GB of RAM (maximizing capacity), 54g Wi-Fi connectivity (802.11b/g), Intel GMA X3100 video card with up 2 251 MB of shared video RAM, & two USB ports.

This PC comes preinstalled with Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium, which includes all of the Windows Media Center capabilities 4 turning your PC into an all-in-one home entertainment center. In addition 2 easily playing your DVD movies & managing your digital audio library, you'll be able 2 record & watch your favorite TV shows (even HDTV). Vista also integrates new search tools throughout the operating system, includes new parental control features, & offers new tools that can warn you of impending hardware failures.

The Basics

• Processor: The 1.6 GHz Intel Pentium T2330 dual-core processor delivers additional computing resources & help expand the PC’s capabilities by providing higher throughput & simultaneous computing. You'll be able 2 perform multiple tasks such as digital rendering & gaming all while running virus scan or other background tasks seamlessly. Each core shares 1 MB of L2 cache, & they have a 533 MHz front-side bus. (An L2, or secondary, cache temporarily stores data; & a larger L2 cache can help speed up your system's performance. The FSB carries data between the CPU & RAM, & a faster front-side bus will deliver better overall performance.)

• Hard Drive: The 160 GB hard drive (5400 RPM) offers enough 2 room 2 hold a digital audio library of over 26,000 songs & still have room left over 4 movies, games, & a large collection of software. This Serial ATA (SATA) hard drive also quickens the pace with a higher speed transfer of data--akin 2 FireWire & USB 2.0.

• Memory: The 2 GB of installed RAM (2 x 1024 MB, PC2-5300) maximizes the capacity 4 this PC. It also offers a top-of-class 667 MHz speed.

• DVD/CD Drive: The dual-layer DVD drive is compatible with a wide range of formats, including both DVD+RW & DVD-RW discs, CD-RW discs, & dual-layer (DL) DVD+/-R discs, which can hold up 2 8.5 GB of data--great 4 backing up your MP3 collection or your most important documents. It features the following speeds: 4x DVD+R DL, 4x DVD-R DL, 8x 4 both single-layer DVD+R/-R, 8x DVD+RW, 6x DVD-RW, 5x DVD-RAM, & 24x/16x 4 CD-R/RW. It reads DVD-ROM discs at 8x & CD-ROMs at 24x.

• Keyboard & Mouse: This notebook has a standard 86-key keyboard & electro-static two-button touchpad. It also offers CD/DVD media player & control buttons (play, stop, next, previous) as well as a volume control dial.

Screen, Video & Audio
This notebook has a 15.4-inch TFT display with a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels (native 720p 4 high-definition viewing). It also provides TruBrite technology, which makes images brighter & more vivid thanks 2 its anti-glare feature. Video is powered by the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100, which uses shared video memory (up 2 251 MB allocated from the system memory) & provides Windows Vista Aero interface support & enhanced 3-D graphics performance--delivering over 2x scores on 3-DMark 06. Intel Clear Video Technology provides outstanding video playback with sharper image quality, increased clarity, & customizable color controls. It also enables enhanced visual quality of interlaced content on progressive displays.

Networking, Connectivity & Expansion
This notebook has an integrated Realtek 54g wireless LAN that's fully compatible with 802.11b/g wireless networks. It also includes a next-generation ExpressCard 54/34 card slot (though no PCMCIA card slot), which lets you take advantage of thinner, faster, & lighter expansion cards 4 even more advanced wireless, networking, storage, & security features. Here's the full list of connection options:

• 2 USB 2.0 ports 4 connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras 2 MP3 players
• 1 ExpressCard 54/34 slot
• Video out: VGA
• Stereo headphones/speakers/line-out
• Microphone/line-in
• 10/100 Fast Ethernet
• 56K modem (V.90)

Operating System
Windows Vista Home Premium (32-bit version) is the operating system 4 users with advanced computer needs, & it includes all of the Windows Media Center capabilities 4 turning your PC into an all-in-one home entertainment center 4 watching DVD movies & accessing your digital audio library. You can also use Windows Media Center 2 record & watch your favorite TV shows (even HDTV) & 2 access new kinds of online entertainment content. Computers that include Windows Vista Home Premium & an auxiliary Windows SideShow display will also allow you 2 access key data even when your computer is off. It is also easier than ever 2 share files between other PCs in your household & 2 manage your laptop computer settings 2 more securely connect via Wi-Fi.

Every edition of Windows Vista provides the essential tools & technologies 2 help protect you whether you are browsing the Internet, connecting 2 a wireless network, or just reading e-mail. All editions of Windows Vista include new tools that can warn you of impending hardware failures long before you have lost any important personal data. And, all Windows Vista editions include parental control features that allow you 2 manage & monitor your family's use of games, the Internet, instant messaging, & other activities.

Preloaded Software
Microsoft Works 9.0, Google Desktop & Picasa, Ulead DVD MovieFactory 5, McAfee Internet Security Suite (30-day trial), & Microsoft Office 2007 Home & Student Edition (60-day trial).

Dimensions & Weight
This notebook measures 14.3 x 10.5 x 1.55 inches (WxDxH, & it weighs 6 pounds.

Power
It comes with a 4000 mAH lithium-ion battery pack 4 extra-long battery life.

What's in the Box
This package contains the A205-S5812 notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, & operating instructions. It is backed by a one-year limited hardware warranty.