Review: Toshiba Satellite P105-S921

[Troyus]

Toshiba Satellite P105-S921 Review


Introduction:

OK, as you probably know, the big deal here is the new Toshiba is A) The first true gaming laptop from Toshiba and B) The first laptop to be fitted with Nvidia's new Geforce 7900GS.

System Specifications:

The P105-S921 is driven by an Intel Centrino Duo (Dual Core) 1.8G CPU. , x512MB 667MHz ram, a 160GB 4200RPM Fujitsu (strange in that Toshiba makes drives of its own as well...)

The monitor is a 17" glossy , and the videocard is the 7900GS. Some new Toshiba features, such as a dual mode touchpad which you can use to launch programs as well as drive the mouse, and a fingerprint ID scanner to login to the machine with, also exist. The ID scanner is pretty cool, letting you scan in up to 20 different fingerprints, allowing mulitple fingerprint users. For more info on specs go visit Toshiba's website on the specs, as I don't see the purpose of me regurgitating specs here.


Chassis Design and Build Quality:

The design quality is acceptable, and while there are a few minor complains I have, they are mostly small annoyances. For one, the ridiculous hotkey buttons built into the laptop, and two, the LED lights which illuminate the Harmon Kardon speaker clusters... They are a little distracting, and might get me some looks at wrok... and I think about the 2 minutes of power they rob from my battery life. But that's just me. The good news is that, for 17" game capable laptop, this is a light machine, weighing in at about 7 lbs. It's also relatively thin, too. This is about as portable as 17" gets.

Screen... There is an average amount of flex to the screen, and the point between the screen hinges (where the TOSHIBA logo resides) is particularly cheesy... Pushing on the Toshiba logo will cause the screen and the frame to bend a bit. That area should have been more reinforced than it is.


Keyboard... is OK. It feels a little different to me than other laptops I have used, but works well, just makes clicky-clacky sounds. Another guy I work with said he liked it, so go figure. He owns a mac laptop anyways. ;) YMMV. There is a bit of flex in it, but nothing too bad. It is also not fully sized... the LETTERS are sized right but some keys, like quotes and other specials chars, are 2/3rd sized instead. Personally don't dig this and whish they would have just put in a full sized keyboard - it looks like they had room to do it if they were inclined to. It does have a numpad though, which is full sized.

Sound... is amazing. As Fujitsu have mastered LCD screen and Dell has mastered 1 day coupon deals, Toshiba has taken audio to a new level with these speakers. I'm not afraid to say that I have what you'd call a golden ear, after countless bands and years of playing and composing... and the fidelity of what comes out of this laptop with regards to sound is far and away, the best I have ever heard on stock speakers.

Performance:

In order to gauge system performance, I loaded 3dMark05. Stock drivers, no tweaks, and this is what you get:

3DMark2005: 6202

While that isn't as high as the 7800 GTX's I have a feeling that if one wanted to overclock this card, they could easily... The laptop does not get very hot at all, even under gaming conditions. There is a fan that will turn on ocassionally, with venting to the rear left side of the laptop. And then there is the 90nm construction of the 7900.. which makes it more overclockable than say, a 110nm 7800.

HDD:
RANDACC: 19.9ms
AVG READ: 25.9 MB/S


Battery Life:

Battery life seems very good, around 2.5 hours initially.

Conclusion:

This laptop meets my expectations. My other (cheaper) option was the MSI-1039 but I finally decided the screen and the videocard advantages of this model compelled me to take the plunge. As a technology consultant, and a gamer (sometimes) ;) and someone who was looking to replace their desktop... it achieves what is required. For someone trying to meet all three goals (Work, Play, Home) this is good stuff, and at $1,850.00 (all inclusive total!), not too badly priced either. For people who want a business laptop, there are cheaper, lighter solutions. For gaming only, a hot running, power sucking 7800GTX in a thick brick of a laptop is the way to go. And for those who want truest of DTR's, you would want a slightly larger keyboard. Thus, a compromise of all three would result in something called the Toshiba Satellite P105-S921.


Pros:

Very portable (for 17") and thin.
Very strong GPU Performance
Runs very cool
Harman/Kardon speaker system (WOW!)
Light relative to features
Fingerprint ID system
Price-Performance ratio very good (1850.00 OTD via Amazon.com)
Looks sleek.

Cons:

LCD screen resolution (YMMV, personally I like this resolution)
Good, but not great, color warmth from screen.
Flexy Screen
Average Build Quality (Fujitsu is better, HP is better. This reminds me of Dell.)
NO "clean" XP CD. (Toshiba will NOT send you an XP CD WITHOUT AOL crap, Yahoo Crap, and alllll kinds of other Crap, preloaded for your disenjoyment.) They even train the technicians to believe that no such XP CD's exist at Toshiba without these programs! lol.

[dlx22]

thanks for the review, if my dell e1505 problem doesn't work out i'll probably be saving my money for the toshiba.

[Pharoke]

Great review Troyus. Now all we need are some nice hi rez pics.:D

[martino]

Nice review!

Strange...you have a laptop with a GPU which isn't even listed on nVidia's website. :lol:

And a few questions:
1) How is the speed of the HDD? The benchmarks look rather low, even compared to my lappy...much slower. :(
2) What is the dual-mode touchpad like? And isn't the touchpad a bit small?
3) Do they actually send a Win XP CD at all?

Also, have you run 3DMark06, just so that we could try and compare it to the Go 7800/GTX in the Dell Core Duo/Solo forum.

Thank you!!!

[m94mni]

Strange...you have a laptop with a GPU which isn't even listed on nVidia's website. :lol:


"Available models: GeForce Go 7900 GS, GeForce Go 7800 GTX and GeForce Go 7800"

http://www.nvidia.com/page/go_7800gtx.html

[martino]

"Available models: GeForce Go 7900 GS, GeForce Go 7800 GTX and GeForce Go 7800"

http://www.nvidia.com/page/go_7800gtx.html
It wasn't there yesterday :p
Still...not like it says much about. No specs, nothing...

[MarekS]

Great review but i have some questions ....
You are comparing this lappy to other companies like dell, fujitsu - did u own any of those laptops, because the screen and built quality on toshibas is TOP NATCH .... I own P25 s676, qosmio G20 and those are the best built laptopts EVER as well as screen quality :D It just feel wierd that sudenddly toshiba puts bad LCD and bad built quality :) ... Definatelly better than my xps2 .... :D :) .... so just wanna make sure it is just your preferance or is it relly bad :)
Ohhhh and HP definatelly has not better built quality from toshiba ... no way ....

[Troyus]

Great review but i have some questions ....
You are comparing this lappy to other companies like dell, fujitsu - did u own any of those laptops, because the screen and built quality on toshibas is TOP NATCH .... I own P25 s676, qosmio G20 and those are the best built laptopts EVER as well as screen quality :D It just feel wierd that sudenddly toshiba puts bad LCD and bad built quality :) ... Definatelly better than my xps2 .... :D :) .... so just wanna make sure it is just your preferance or is it relly bad :)
Ohhhh and HP definatelly has not better built quality from toshiba ... no way ....

Acxtually, Yes. I owned a Dell Latitude for a year, and a Fujitsu Lifebook for a month. This isn't the Qosmio line, which I believe is their high end. I believe the Satellite to be mid-range. I also own a very old Toshiba laptop a 3110CT, and I think the build quality of the older Toshiba is superior to this new one. But, this machine is much better in every other way.

[Pharoke]

It wasn't there yesterday :p
Still...not like it says much about. No specs, nothing...
Link (http://www.notebookforums.com/showpost.php?p=1911696&postcount=26) to my post regarding 7900GS specs.

[Troyus]

Nice review!

Strange...you have a laptop with a GPU which isn't even listed on nVidia's website. :lol:

And a few questions:
1) How is the speed of the HDD? The benchmarks look rather low, even compared to my lappy...much slower. :(
2) What is the dual-mode touchpad like? And isn't the touchpad a bit small?
3) Do they actually send a Win XP CD at all?

Also, have you run 3DMark06, just so that we could try and compare it to the Go 7800/GTX in the Dell Core Duo/Solo forum.

Thank you!!!
1) The speed seems good to me, no problems, I would not make the HDD RPM a buying decision-ator.

2) I'm not too thrilled on the dual mode touchpad, it is a small pad already, and the dual mode button takes up space too... if you accidentally touch it the pad lights up and now it launches applications. To be honest, when it comes to a laptop, I'm a nipple man. But since the nipple has gone the way of to Dodo, I now use a usb mouse instead. I don't like touchpads at all, totally inaccurate pointing device.

3) Toshiba sends along a recovery CD which has XP+tons of crap on it. They don't ship or even support clean XP copies and the uselesses on the phone even had the gall to tell me that if I install XP on the system (without bloatware) it voids the warranty.

3DMark06 (Stock system, no optimized drivers): 3766 :)

In short I think all these companies are lame in their own unique ways, Dell, Sager, Toshiba, etc. The list goes on... it's luck of the draw and that's that really. Get what fits your needs don't stick with a certain brand.

One plus side to Toshiba, I didn't take a phone trip to India. Not that I have it in for Indians, great culture andf history spanning thousands of years... but if I can't understand you over the phone, and you can't understand me over the phone, then why are we having a phone call. This was a big reason why I passed up Dell.

Anything else let me know... if you REALLY want pics I could do it but man I am lazy about that stuff... I will say it looks better in person then on the website!

[jfanman]

Anything else let me know... if you REALLY want pics I could do it but man I am lazy about that stuff... I will say it looks better in person then on the website!

One other question. How do you compare the weight of this laptop to some of the other laptops you've used? I know you said 7.1 lbs but sometimes it's helpful to get an idea of your opinions compared to other laptops. Do you find that you can fit this in a backpack or a bag?

Appreciate your great review! Really helped me with whether I should get this laptop. If you can provide us with some pics, it would make this review even better!!

:thumbup:

[wildwon]

One plus side to Toshiba, I didn't take a phone trip to India. Not that I have it in for Indians, great culture andf history spanning thousands of years... but if I can't understand you over the phone, and you can't understand me over the phone, then why are we having a phone call. This was a big reason why I passed up Dell.

Toshiba uses foreign call centers as well as Dell.

[Troyus]

Toshiba uses foreign call centers as well as Dell.

Yeah it DID sound like someone from the bible belt... which is pretty much another country to me. :lol:

[Troyus]

One other question. How do you compare the weight of this laptop to some of the other laptops you've used? I know you said 7.1 lbs but sometimes it's helpful to get an idea of your opinions compared to other laptops. Do you find that you can fit this in a backpack or a bag?

Appreciate your great review! Really helped me with whether I should get this laptop. If you can provide us with some pics, it would make this review even better!!

:thumbup:

It's pretty close to a 15.4" laptop in most respects, just longer... the only problem is that it has a 17" screen... so it has that 'footprint', but it's not any wider than that. I haven't tried to fit it in a backpack or bag, I have a laptop totebag thing which used to hold my 12" Toshiba (hahahha) but it still (barely) fits this one. The advantage over other 17" laptops is that this one is generally thinner, and lighter - but it still covers the same footprint. For something backpack friendly I would probably go for the MSI-1039 or other 15.4" laptop. You don't get much more real estate with 17", and the 15" screens have less flex. I just thought it would be good for working in multiple windows, and maybe to watch some movies. :)

I just want to make it clear that this isn't the answer to everybody's laptop problem, but it probably is to some. Think of it as a Dell XPS for grown-ups. ;)

Glad you liked the review! I'll put some pictures up pretty soon here, as soon as I can find my digital camera... which is somewhere... in this house... under something... :cursing:

Ahh.. one other bummer... the memory card slot doesn't support compact flash, but not many of them seem to... :/

[Pharoke]

It's pretty close to a 15.4" laptop in most respects, just longer... the only problem is that it has a 17" screen... so it has that 'footprint', but it's not any wider than that. I haven't tried to fit it in a backpack or bag, I have a laptop totebag thing which used to hold my 12" Toshiba (hahahha) but it still (barely) fits this one. The advantage over other 17" laptops is that this one is generally thinner, and lighter - but it still covers the same footprint. For something backpack friendly I would probably go for the MSI-1039 or other 15.4" laptop. You don't get much more real estate with 17", and the 15" screens have less flex. I just thought it would be good for working in multiple windows, and maybe to watch some movies. :)

I just want to make it clear that this isn't the answer to everybody's laptop problem, but it probably is to some. Think of it as a Dell XPS for grown-ups. ;)

Glad you liked the review! I'll put some pictures up pretty soon here, as soon as I can find my digital camera... which is somewhere... in this house... under something... :cursing:

Ahh.. one other bummer... the memory card slot doesn't support compact flash, but not many of them seem to... :/
Pretty much everything is going the way of the SD card now. Seems the new motto is "smaller is better".

[andre25]

helllo congratulation for your toshiba:thumbup:

sorry
i have a question :=
3DMark2005: 6202

3DMark06 (Stock system, no optimized drivers): 3766


stock =375/1000?????????

lunch a optimal performance......pls......

[Troyus]

helllo congratulation for your toshiba:thumbup:

sorry
i have a question :=
3DMark2005: 6202

3DMark06 (Stock system, no optimized drivers): 3766


stock =375/1000?????????

lunch a optimal performance......pls......

To be honest I'm not sure where to get optimized drivers for this videocard as of yet, since it's pretty new right now. Any ideas, anybody?

[suddste223]

pics

[gamarini]

To be honest I'm not sure where to get optimized drivers for this videocard as of yet, since it's pretty new right now. Any ideas, anybody?
Hy...
First of all take a look in Video Card Clock Settings Tablet and post your default core clock and memory clock.
Than you can try to use the "Detect Optimal Frequencies" button for find the best core/memory clock for your "great" vid card. Than, with the new settings, try to relaunch 3dmark2005 benchmark and post your new score.

Thanks in advance...:)

[andre25]

Hy...
First of all take a look in Video Card Clock Settings Tablet and post your default core clock and memory clock.
Than you can try to use the "Detect Optimal Frequencies" button for find the best core/memory clock for your "great" vid card. Than, with the new settings, try to relaunch 3dmark2005 benchmark and post your new score.

Thanks in advance...:)
:thumbup:

[andre25]

Drivers for the GeForce Go 6800\Ultra, GeForce Go 7800GTX


You may go to the Dell Downloads Home to get drivers modified by Dell for your laptop's graphics card.

LaptopVideo2Go Modified ForceWare Drivers (Requires replacing INF files on drivers made for Desktop graphics cards) Created and maintained by Pieter of LV2G.

Tweaks R Us XTreme-G MobileForce Modified ForceWare Drivers (Run installer to extract + install) Created and maintained by me (GeForceTony).

DHZer0point Modified ForceWare Drivers (Run installer to extract + install) Created and maintained by The DHZer0point Team.

[andre25]

Explaination of Differences Between the Drivers


Dell Modified ForceWare Drivers - Drivers modified by Dell that are usually the "safest" drivers. Meaning they will most likely be the slowest performers of the bunch, and are also usually not as up-to-date (as far as bug fixes) as the latest NVIDIA ForceWare drivers out there.

LaptopVideo2Go Modified ForceWare Drivers - Created and maintained by Pieter of LV2G, these drivers are essentially reference NVIDIA drivers with Mobile GPU (Graphics Card) support added.

Tweaks R Us XTreme-G MobileForce Modified ForceWare Drivers - Created and maintained by me (GeForceTony). These take LaptopVideo2Go drivers a step further by also adding image quality and performance tweaks.

DHZer0Point Modified ForceWare Drivers - Created and maintained by The DHZer0point Team. These also have image quality and performance tweaks.

[andre25]

NVIDIA Video Driver Update from Uninstall -> Install -> Happiness


A.) Download and Install Driver Cleaner Pro.

[Removed part about Live Update for Driver Cleaner Pro, as the author has REMOVED this feature starting with version 1.3 ]


1.) Unplug NIC card or modem from the Internet, or disconnect (DriverCleaner ReadMe).

2.) Disable any AntiVirus Software. If you don't disable it, it could give you trouble (Driver Cleaner ReadMe).

3.) Uninstall current Video driver, called "NVIDIA Drivers"(If you have an NVIDIA mobo and an NVIDIA videocard, make sure you only uninstall the video driver, not all NVIDIA drivers or your mobo will lose its drivers also).

4.) Reboot.

5.) As the reboot comes up, after the quick memory test and hard drives have been recognized, hit F8 and enter "SAFE MODE". On some boards if you hit F8 too early you will enter other utilities.

6.) On reboot into Safe Mode WinXP SP1/SP2 *WILL* auto detect and ask you to install drivers. You should be able to cancel out of the auto install hardware wizard move to step #7. If you can NOT cancel out of auto detect wizard then, navigate to Device Manager -> Display Adapters -> highlight NVIDIA... and click Uninstall or Remove but DON'T reboot (From DriverCleaner ReadMe, modified for clarity by Rike).

7.) Run DriverCleaner with the filter for the driver ("nVidia"). Quit DriverCleaner and restart into Windows XP normal mode.

8.) Install the new video driver.

9.) Empty the recycle bin and Reboot.

10.) Redo what was undone in #2 & #1, in that order. Reboot if needed to re-establish Internet connection.

11.) Enjoy!

[Troyus]

Tried going down the coolbits route... no dice... is my 7900 too new?

[Pharoke]

Tried going down the coolbits route... no dice... is my 7900 too new?
I don't think so. Should just download, right click the coolbits file after extraction (if necessary) and choose merge.

[ericsherbrooke]

did I miss the pics?........:p

[Troyus]

did I miss the pics?........:p

I need to find my camera, not sure where it is, I'll get to it this weekend for sure (unless the surf is really good.)

Part of the problem is that if I have time to take pictures of my laptop I'd rather spend it gaming on the thing! :mmm:

[Fidget]

I need to find my camera, not sure where it is, I'll get to it this weekend for sure (unless the surf is really good.)

Part of the problem is that if I have time to take pictures of my laptop I'd rather spend it gaming on the thing! :mmm:


it shouldnt be too long, i have taken many pics of mine and they can be done fast...

[fullOut]

why a 4200 serial-ata?!.. i think its the only thing that sux!!!...

[Troyus]

why a 4200 serial-ata?!.. i think its the only thing that sux!!!...

My guess is heat, or reduction of it... less rpm equals less heat.

But yeah, I do notice when trying out FEAR, the lag from hard disk caching/loading, now that I have had some time with it. ANy suggestions on hwo to speed that up, without getting a new HD? :)

[fullOut]

yeah... i was waiting for m1710, but its damn overpriced... so starting looking for a new...

when i saw p105.. why not.. it have an 7900 gs same m1710 cheaper model.. but... a 4200 realll sux..

well.. as your question ... i dont think that have any magic to get better... only way is replacing... which is sux, isnt!!?

btw qosmio 35 has an 7300 .. out of question..

hard times!!

regards,

[ChadLittle]

yeah the 1710 is a good $1000 more fully loaded, that 512mb vid card is nice; but it seems to be limited to 2 gigs of memory while the Toshia is 4GB.

I just don't know, the guys at work would kill me if I got a Dell since we sort of compete with them, but damn I really want to play some cool ass games soon at full res.

[MarekS]

yeah the 1710 is a good $1000 more fully loaded, that 512mb vid card is nice; but it seems to be limited to 2 gigs of memory while the Toshia is 4GB.

I just don't know, the guys at work would kill me if I got a Dell since we sort of compete with them, but damn I really want to play some cool ass games soon at full res.
did u conisder the 5950????

[SPEEDwithJJ]

when i saw p105.. why not.. it have an 7900 gs same m1710 cheaper model.. but... a 4200 realll sux..

well.. as your question ... i dont think that have any magic to get better... only way is replacing... which is sux, isnt!!?



You can customize a P100 on the Toshiba (http://www.toshibadirect.com/td/b2c/cmod.to?seg=HHO&coid=-30605) web site. :)

[mad_pupp3t]

did any one notice on Toshibas web site the .pdf of the modle says 256,512,2048 so-dimms but no 1024 dimms.I was wondering if that was a typo.

[g00nter]

why a 4200 serial-ata?!.. i think its the only thing that sux!!!...
Probably becasuse they wanted to thow tons of storage space in there and the only options for a 160GB HDD at the present are a 4200 and a 5400. They probably went with the 4200 to make a price point (keep the unit "under" $2k. Also, I don't know if Toshiba Storage manufactures a 5400rpm 160GB drive or Toshiba has contracts with anybody that does. Besides, the performance should be pretty high due to the high density of the drive so it shouldn't be THAT big of a deal. Besides,HDD's are all too easy to swap out so you could just wait until a 7200 rpm drive comes along and swap it for that then.

[fullOut]

You can customize a P100 on the Toshiba (http://www.toshibadirect.com/td/b2c/cmod.to?seg=HHO&coid=-30605) web site. :)

yeah... but dont have 7900gs! :/


Probably becasuse they wanted to thow tons of storage space in there and the only options for a 160GB HDD at the present are a 4200 and a 5400. They probably went with the 4200 to make a price point (keep the unit "under" $2k. Also, I don't know if Toshiba Storage manufactures a 5400rpm 160GB drive or Toshiba has contracts with anybody that does. Besides, the performance should be pretty high due to the high density of the drive so it shouldn't be THAT big of a deal. Besides,HDD's are all too easy to swap out so you could just wait until a 7200 rpm drive comes along and swap it for that then.

yeah u probably right.. but i dont belive an 7200 hardrive in this configuration will increase that much, dell m170 was like $1700 with gtx and 7200 hd.
anyway.. u are right thats easy to swap.. thinking!! :)

[sairasu]

Any news on when P105 will release in Canada? (In particular the model in subject?)

[mad_pupp3t]

If the notebook has not been QA-ed for 7200RPM HDD
then you might overheat some components.Has any one tried it yet.?

[cinek]

regarging the p105-s921

in Poland there is P100 typology with p100-221 being the top of the line (t2500 core duo, media center xp, 7900gs and 5400rpm 120gb drive). As far as my research will have the same body as Yours p105 -> that is why i want to ask --> are the speakers enough loud and clear to listen to music and movies at home and what about the placing of the speakers are they beeing blocked by wrists while working on this laptop ?

[Fidget]

Any news on when P105 will release in Canada? (In particular the model in subject?)


who knows but if it does come out up here it will be under the p100 name, we dont get the x5 or the xx5 models since thats the number scheme used for the USA, we get different models here.

[Troyus]

regarging the p105-s921

in Poland there is P100 typology with p100-221 being the top of the line (t2500 core duo, media center xp, 7900gs and 5400rpm 120gb drive). As far as my research will have the same body as Yours p105 -> that is why i want to ask --> are the speakers enough loud and clear to listen to music and movies at home and what about the placing of the speakers are they beeing blocked by wrists while working on this laptop ?


Yes, the speakers are loud enough and clarity is excellent, but you will have it blocked by your wrist on one side IF you use a mouse on your laptop, on the side of it where there is flat space (which is what I do).

Touchpad only should have no problems.

[MarekS]

regarging the p105-s921

in Poland there is P100 typology with p100-221 being the top of the line (t2500 core duo, media center xp, 7900gs and 5400rpm 120gb drive). As far as my research will have the same body as Yours p105 -> that is why i want to ask --> are the speakers enough loud and clear to listen to music and movies at home and what about the placing of the speakers are they beeing blocked by wrists while working on this laptop ?
Toshiba Europe is well known for differnet specs and names for the same models :( ... hovever second edition od g20 was much better than the us version :D For the same price u got pm2.13, 1gb, 2x100gb etc.
I own toshiba p25 s676 and believe me ... harman/kardon speaker on this baby are awsome .... can imagne the qosmio line :D

[Fidget]

yeah toshiba generally has great speakers

[joarfeve]

yeah toshiba generally has great speakers

You are right Fidget.... "generally" (I heard other models):$ but maybe the BIG exception are mine:( , Toshiba A60...smallest sound ever and the volume knob allways get dirty...:mad: Otherwise, my notebook is a great workhorse, very reliable:thumbup:

[kevineugenius]

yeah the 1710 is a good $1000 more fully loaded, that 512mb vid card is nice; but it seems to be limited to 2 gigs of memory while the Toshia is 4GB.

I just don't know, the guys at work would kill me if I got a Dell since we sort of compete with them, but damn I really want to play some cool ass games soon at full res.

That would be false. The 1710 has 4gb option as well.

For optimal drivers, try omega-drivers.net (I think it is). All you have to do in that one is open up the advanced properties, enable overclocking, then push find optimal. Usually you can bump it up a tad, but not too much. Easiest overclock I've ever done.

However, you guys need to note a few things. As troyus said, its the lightest most portable gaming 17"-er out there. It has a 7900gs and a 4200rpm hard drive for a reason. If you want a mammoth power-house machine, you're probably looking at the wrong computer. Get a Clevo that only has 55 minutes of battery life and weighs 14.5 pounds, or get a Toshiba that has hours of battery (dunno how many, probably simple to find out) and weighs 7 pounds. Totally different machines for totally different purposes.

[Pharoke]

That would be false. The 1710 has 4gb option as well.

For optimal drivers, try omega-drivers.net (I think it is). All you have to do in that one is open up the advanced properties, enable overclocking, then push find optimal. Usually you can bump it up a tad, but not too much. Easiest overclock I've ever done.

However, you guys need to note a few things. As troyus said, its the lightest most portable gaming 17"-er out there. It has a 7900gs and a 4200rpm hard drive for a reason. If you want a mammoth power-house machine, you're probably looking at the wrong computer. Get a Clevo that only has 55 minutes of battery life and weighs 14.5 pounds, or get a Toshiba that has hours of battery (dunno how many, probably simple to find out) and weighs 7 pounds. Totally different machines for totally different purposes.
I have read somewhere that average battery life (no intensive gaming) is somewhere between 2.5 and 3.25 with the 9-cell battery. Not bad in my opinion.

[afham07]

dont forget to snap picture of A105 alongside with any 15.4" laptop .. I want to see how big A105 is .. :D ..

[Dexeaur]

wicked benchmarks mate. Now all i have to do is to wait for the price to drop low enough for a student to get!

[ChadLittle]

That would be false. The 1710 has 4gb option as well.


Not at the time of the post; At the price for 4GB, you could almost get a second notebook :eek:

Still, it looks like an incredible machine, its version of the 7900 is hot.

[ericsherbrooke]

did I miss the pics?........:p


:p

[MooneyX]

Just picked up my P105-S921 from Micro Center and so far I'm loving it. Thanks for you input Troy! I'll take some photos later and add MHO review too. However, it will be short because what Troy stated is right on the money! The real test for me is when I load up my flight sim.

[Troyus]

Just picked up my P105-S921 from Micro Center and so far I'm loving it. Thanks for you input Troy! I'll take some photos later and add MHO review too. However, it will be short because what Troy stated is right on the money! The real test for me is when I load up my flight sim.

I am glad to hear it! (That you be taking photos... lol!) I'll eventually get to it too.. sorry I've been slow on that part of the review. But I do think it looks better in person, so pics "wouldn't do it justice".

For great justice!!!

[Pharoke]

I am glad to hear it! (That you be taking photos... lol!) I'll eventually get to it too.. sorry I've been slow on that part of the review. But I do think it looks better in person, so pics "wouldn't do it justice".

For great justice!!!
GuildWars player?

[ericsherbrooke]

GuildWars player?

exactly my tought!!!

'Factions' owns me right now....

(sry for thread hijack)

[unclebrudy]

Excellent review Troyus, really enjoyed the reading, and smokin' hot laptop.

If you have time:

1. So, no option to turn off those blue LEDs, huh? That'd be a huge issue if I was to give a presentation with it.

2. Biometric fingerprint reader? Convenient or irritating?

3. $1,850? Where?

Thank Troy. May just have to sell this Qosmio for one of those badboys.

-Brian

[hulaguy]

$100 rebate from Amazon, was $150.

[Troyus]

GuildWars player?

Haha, nah just... saying justice reminded me of good ol' all your base... Only game I play currently is Rome Total War.

[Troyus]

Excellent review Troyus, really enjoyed the reading, and smokin' hot laptop.

If you have time:

1. So, no option to turn off those blue LEDs, huh? That'd be a huge issue if I was to give a presentation with it.

2. Biometric fingerprint reader? Convenient or irritating?

3. $1,850? Where?

Thank Troy. May just have to sell this Qosmio for one of those badboys.

-Brian

1) I don't see a way to turn off the LED's. I have kind of gotten used to them. Since they are blue, they are not as distracting as, say, red. Not too big of a problem. But a way to turn them off woudl be nice. I would prefer them off.

2) The bio ID reader is actually very cool. I use it to login now, instead of typing my password. It sometimes requires more than one 'swipe' to read my finger, but it's still better than typing. Note that the other unique feautre - a "dual use" touchpad - is useless.

3) Yeah it was 1850.00 on Amazon for a week.

The only new problem I noticed is that the finish is easily scratched. I have lots of little marks next to the touchpad from using my optical mouse on it as a mousing surface.

I also really like the analog volume control knob on the front of the laptop. Some things were never meant to be digital!

If you buy it you will probably be happy you did. Unless mine blows up or some other force majeure event occurs, I will remain convinced this is a sound purchase.

[pdX]

great post!

[Covert]

Did you check in the BIOS for a way to turn off the LEDs? Just a thought, and sorry if that seems obvious.

[Troyus]

Did you check in the BIOS for a way to turn off the LEDs? Just a thought, and sorry if that seems obvious.

Yep. No dice.

[mad_pupp3t]

is the bios a standard bios or does it give you options to under and overclock.? I am just wondering cause i also ordered this notebook and it will be here on Monday May 8th from http://www.datavis.com/webapp/commerce/command/ProductDisplay?prrfnbr=461601&prmenbr=2000
along with Targus Aluminum Attach Notebook Case. Total including shipping for both was $1957

[MooneyX]

is the bios a standard bios or does it give you options to under and overclock.? I am just wondering cause i also ordered this notebook ...

No to the bios settings. This bios is as basic as it gets! You're going to love your new toy. And personally the 4200 rpm hard drive rpm is a non issue. I've learned to ignore all the test and let real world use be my guide.

[MooneyX]

Photos posted here.

http://www.notebookforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=150653

[mad_pupp3t]

Well it arrived 3 days earlier than i thought.It was larger than i expected.Still very nice.Downside is all the adware installed in it.Cant wait till BF2 spec forces is installed then give it a test.

base: 3dmark06 3775:headbang:

[MooneyX]

Well it arrived 3 days earlier than i thought.It was larger than i expected.Still very nice.Downside is all the adware installed....

First thing I did was remove all the bloatware. How do you like it so far. I ran FS 2004 with all my added scenery and planes without any problems. Nice frame rates even with settings set high. Just for the fun of it I ran FS in a window while surfing the net and doing a little photoshop. Not one hiccup! Yeah Baaby.... :thumbup: :dance2:

[mad_pupp3t]

The bios is REALLY disappointing, and the driver that Toshiba has installed is also disappointing,but in a few months hopefully their will be more updates.I cant wait to instal PilgrimR2 and give it a run.
BTW i installed BF2 and it looks really nice(2x512 ddr2_667) good, (2x2048)better.

[areutalkingtome]

I just got my new s921 and i love it! The notebook and the new 7k100 Hitachi I ordered came the same day!

I need help swapping this hard drive out!

Iv had exp with ASUS and MSI laptops, they make barebone notebook building easy! But when it comes to Toshiba, HD's are a PITA!

Does anyone have any exp swap'n the HD in the new p105 s921, or can u point me to a link of advice? THX!

I cant wait to post some benchmarks with the new drive in there!

[darkfear]

This notebook looks great. But i think they've left out the fingerprint reader in the german version. All pictures show the laptop without it but the model i saw in an electronic store had a plate to cover it.

[MooneyX]

I just got my new s921 and i love it!
Congrats on your new baby! My desktop is jealous and doesn't see me much anymore. :thumbup:

[Scav]

P100-192 is the german version? can you pls comment on the 1440*something resolution? because most of the 17inch notebooks have at least 1680*something..

[Pharoke]

P100-192 is the german version? can you pls comment on the 1440*something resolution? because most of the 17inch notebooks have at least 1680*something..
I would say if you have poor eyesight or suffer from headaches from looking at small print on the computer then the 1440x900 resolution should be fine. Also most games will be playable with fairly high settings at the resolution without a loss in fps.

[hulaguy]

$1800 at Costco.com

[MooneyX]

P100-192 is the german version? can you pls comment on the 1440*something resolution? because most of the 17inch notebooks have at least 1680*something..

The resolution isn't a problem at all and games looks great.

[MooneyX]

I just got my new s921 and i love it! The notebook and the new 7k100 Hitachi I ordered came the same day! .....

Why didn't you give the so call slow drive HD a chance? I find its real world performance is just as good as the 7200's in my desktop. Post your specs when you get it install.

[mad_pupp3t]

7200rpm drives would be great in here,load times for games,but the 4200prm will generate less heat.A 160g drive can hold alot of game images,all you need to do is wait 5 seconds more.

btw:To run Quake3 on lcd properly @max res.
1. run the game at least once (as I'm sure you have).
2. go into the baseq3 folder and open up the .cfg file in wordpad.
3. make the following changes:
seta r_customheight "900"
seta r_customwidth "1440"
seta r_mode "-1"
seta cg_fov "105"

4. Save

[suddste223]

btw:To run Quake3 on lcd properly @max res.
1. run the game at least once (as I'm sure you have).
2. go into the baseq3 folder and open up the .cfg file in wordpad.
3. make the following changes:
seta r_customheight "900"
seta r_customwidth "1440"
seta r_mode "-1"
seta cg_fov "105"

4. Save


and you need to make a backup in case things go wrong.

[maximus9314]

A question on the remote: does it only work for Toshiba's Express Media Player or does it also work in Windows (Media Player, PowerDVD, Winamp etc)? It worries me for Toshiba called it 'Express Media Player Remote Control'.

[MooneyX]

A question on the remote: does it only work for Toshiba's Express Media Player or does it also work in Windows (Media Player, PowerDVD, Winamp etc)? It worries me for Toshiba called it 'Express Media Player Remote Control'.

Good question but I doubt it can control the windows apps. I'll let you know tomorrow what I find out.

[mad_pupp3t]

it can only act as a remote for dvd drive.Its not too bad,can play dvds, audio cds and dvds too.

[Ice-Tea]

In case anyone cares: there's a decent chance this is a MXM notebook ;)

[gyoung345]

Anyone notice that the Toshiba P105-S921 is now gone from Toshiba's website?

http://www.toshibadirect.com/td/b2c/cmod.to?seg=HHO&coid=-30597

[nj2tx]

I just ordered one the other day! ...yeah i noticed...what the @@@@ does that mean?

[g00nter]

Probably out of stock or they may be updading some of the options or despcription information.

It happened once before that they "dissappeared" for a day or so.

[MooneyX]

I just ordered one the other day! ...yeah i noticed...what the @@@@ does that mean?

Hmm.. maybe a price increase?????? Or you can customize it.

[gyoung345]

It's also gone from Circuit City's website. You can find in listed under Toshiba but when you click the link you get an error.

[det922]

turns out ur all wrong, the remote almost acts as a mouse one day when i was bored and pusing the arrow buttons it was scrolling menu's by itsself, im going to dj a party 2 night using my p105-s921 the creative audigy2zs card and creative program it works universally but it works better with certian programs, windows media player it works perfectly in, the creative one has to be focused to work and if u have a menu highlighted it will scroll with arrow keys, spend 5 mins and play with it that lil remote can do alot

[MooneyX]

turns out ur all wrong, the remote almost acts as a mouse one day when i was bored and pusing the arrow buttons it was scrolling menu's by itsself,... spend 5 mins and play with it that lil remote can do alot

Thanks for the investigative work. And you're right it does do a lot. Now that's what I call a CoOl FacTor :thumbup:

Reps for you my brother! :bow:

[gyoung345]

Looks like it is back on Toshiba's site.

http://www.toshibadirect.com/td/b2c/...HO&coid=-30597 (http://www.toshibadirect.com/td/b2c/cmod.to?seg=HHO&coid=-30597)

[ViViDboarder]

I've got a bit of a question. I'm in the market for a laptop and I've always liked to have near top end quality, although I also happen to be unkeen on spending my hard earned cash. I've looked at the stats on this laptop and they are spectacular (My friend bought one so I'm gonna check it out when his ships) but I'm also looking at a lower cost alternative, the HP 8000t. It has nearly the same stats and is around $400 cheaper. The other thing is that for the same price I can get a 15.4" MacBook Pro, which I know as well to be an extremely good laptop. Although I've never owned a Mac and have not seen a MacBook Pro. Now, I've never used a Mac and I have a few friends Bias against Hp for various reasons and just witnessed my roommate last years Toshiba completely die (Harddrive failed. I tried every type of format and install of at least 4 different operating systems) so I am wondering if anyone has first hand comparasons of any of these.

[binski]

I just opened up my new p105-s921 and my first impression is WOW. The finger print is easy to set up and works better than i expected. Its very quiet, light, and the screen is amazing. It was also extremely easy to connect to the internet. The only problem that i can see rght now is having to remove a lot of useless programs. Ill get back later with impressions after i have owned it for a while.

[gyoung345]

Removing the programs is always a problem when you buy from one of the big vendors.

[det922]

thers no reason to be biased on this laptop, or toshiba a hd is not a whole laptop and have had alot of hard drive faliures from alot of diff comps over the years, its just natural "wear n tare" im so into this comp im going to post my own review with pics and in action pics (i used it to dj a party its first week). so keep tuned!

[binski]

after a week or so of use, i havent run into many problems at all. havent had any hiccups or anything like that. personally i think that the speakers are loud enough, but i use a head set most of the time anyway. my real only complaint is that the cover scratches very easily. i left the protective sheet on as long as i could stand it, and right when i took it off i somehow managed to scratch it right away. overall it was definately worth the money.

[gmoffitt]

i'm getting mine on Monday..will probably try and image what's on there, then load Vista Beta 2. That or upgrade it to xp pro. Probably want to wipe it and reinstall as that's the fastest way of getting rid of the bloatware.

Looked at the vista requirements today and it should be fine, but may have to struggle a little with getting the various device drivers to work, we'll see.

[MooneyX]

i'm getting mine on Monday..will probably try and image what's on there, then load Vista Beta 2. That or upgrade it to xp pro. Probably want to wipe it and reinstall as that's the fastest way of getting rid of the bloatware...

First of all there isn't that much bloatware. Just do the uninstall thing, took me about 10 minutes to get rid of unwanted apps. Here's something to think about just in case you aren't aware of how this notebook is setup.

Toshiba has integrated some cool features that you might lose after doing an OS upgrade. Here they are in a list.

1. Protector suite finger print app.
2. Wireless configurator. This works great.
3. My safe folder. Opens with finger print reader.
4. Touchpad configurator.
5. No boot media feature.

Just a heads up but let us know how the Vista upgrade goes. And personally I don't see a need to upgrade to XP Pro. I have Pro on my desktop and don't miss it at all.

Good Luck!

[gmoffitt]

Mooney, thks for the list. That's why the image..and I'm assuming it comes with a 'reinstall' cd? Some do some don't. Anyway will try and image to my external drive. I need the xp pro upgrade in order to run ms virtual server. I also may want to put server 2003 on there.

I checked the specs for Vista and the laptop (esp the cpu and video) and it looks promising, but there's a download from ms for checking compliance. Will post my experiences.

The other challenge is getting memory to bulk out the 4GB limit..i'm finding it hard to find any 2GB sticks..lots of 2GB *kits*..i.e. 2 sticks, only found one 2GB stick so far:

http://www.bytewizecomputers.com/products/7/10/911/11776

oops..the above is PC5400, this laptop needs 5300..sorry! See my note further down.

[MooneyX]

Gmo, there is a toshiba recovery disk with all the drivers so you'll be alright with the upgrade. I check the Vista specs and this notebook is good to go. Looking forward to your evaluation and if this is your first duo core box then you're in for a nice surprise.

[nick-m]

Unless your Windows XP edition is 64bit and has the required CPU , it won't even recognize the full 4GB, so don't concern yourself with it.

[gmoffitt]

In further checking specs and newsgroups, Vista should be able to address the full 4GB, the chipset supports that as well. From a brief scan of discussions in the Vista technet group, 32 bit can go up to 4GB.

The fly in the ointment is usually that most applications (they were talking specfically about games) are not written for Windows to address more than 2GB. Although I might do some gaming on it, I'll primarily be using it for running things like Virtual Server and SQL Server.

XP also can address 4GB Max, see following link and discussion:

http://tinyurl.com/kpby5

Update..had a further discussion on the Vista technet site with a msft Vista tech, he stated there should be no issues utilizing the full 4GB. True, some apps may not use more than 2GB (most should not anyway) but the OS will reserve what it needs then manage the rest of the memory for the apps that are running.


So we'll see I guess..If the damn delivery truck would just get here faster!:reallymad

[Donovan323]

I got mine friday, so far I am loving it.The speakers and screen are great.It is actually pretty loud, I was worried that they would be a little low.So far A+.I am just trying to figure out which programs to delete and which to keep, I hope it is all on the restore cd.

[gmoffitt]

Yippee..it came today..:banana:

So currently removing the malware..*cough*..special software like AOL etc. Also will eventually want to remove the mcafee stuff. Noted that it does have the "windows vista capable" logo that MS licenses. They did not make the user manual easy to find (on the cd..as an exe file you have to install and the install does not put it in the menu).

Also bought Acronis True Image 9.0 to do an image to dvd/external drive, then will try with the Vista install. There's another thread here or on notebookreview.com where someone is already trying to install to Vista. Once I get my config set I'll image it and proceed with Vista.

Update..2 things..it comes with xp pro, which is good rather than xp home. xp pro can support ms virtual server. Also, review of the Acronis site forums finds some significant complaints/bugs with the current build, mainly that it's having issues writing recovery disks to dvds..apparently it all looks like it's going swimmingly..but the result is a blank dvd. There are others though that still swear by it, so it may be a combination of bugs and/or user errors as imaging & recovery can be a bit daunting for the novice user.

[MooneyX]

Great!

Tip: Access the user manual by opening the Toshiba Assist, then click on the question mark.

I made a mistake in my reply to you earlier. Quote: "And personally I don't see a need to upgrade to XP Pro. I have Pro on my desktop and don't miss it at all".

Our notebooks come with XP Pro. Hmm.. I must have slept that one. No wonder I didn't miss it... I already had it. :thumbup:


I must get more sleep I must get more sleep I must get more sleep

[gyoung345]

First of all there isn't that much bloatware. Just do the uninstall thing, took me about 10 minutes to get rid of unwanted apps. Here's something to think about just in case you aren't aware of how this notebook is setup.

Toshiba has integrated some cool features that you might lose after doing an OS upgrade. Here they are in a list.

1. Protector suite finger print app.
2. Wireless configurator. This works great.
3. My safe folder. Opens with finger print reader.
4. Touchpad configurator.
5. No boot media feature.

Just a heads up but let us know how the Vista upgrade goes. And personally I don't see a need to upgrade to XP Pro. I have Pro on my desktop and don't miss it at all.

Good Luck!

I think you can get all these as downloads from Toshiba's support site.

http://www.csd.toshiba.com/cgi-bin/tais/su/su_sc_modItemList.jsp

[gmoffitt]

At this point the only thing that's holding me back is that when the RTM copy of Vista rolls out, if it's like their past betas, I'll have to wipe it out and reinstall everything, vs keep my xp pro (which should work fine for what apps I want to install) and run the Vista upgrade against it when that time comes.

[gmoffitt]

Just a note regarding availability of 2GB ram modules..after further research it looks like the 2GB ram modules are coming at some point but not yet been released. The Kingston site has a page for this specific model, lists the 2GB as workable 'when available'.

[gmoffitt]

Regards the memory availability issue, further research found that the link I provided above is not the correct memory..5300 vs 5400 I think. Anyhow, checked with kingston who had the toshiba model listed with 1GB sticks available and 2GB sticks "when available". I sent them an email..their response:

"Thank you for your interest in Kingston Technology.

The 2GB module is expected to be released by the end of this year. You can check back with us later on this year and we should have more information available. "

So it looks like the chipset is a little ahead of the memory manufacturing curve, I'll wait for kingston or someone else to pump out a 2gb stick.

[gyoung345]

I just spoke with my CDW rep who was getting me one of these. He called Toshiba to find out what the shipping delay was and was told that the P105-S921 was being discontinued and they wouldn't be shipping any more out.

[gmoffitt]

thks for the info..if you talk to the CDW rep again plz ask to forward a one-fingered salute to Toshiba for us..:reallymad

[gyoung345]

I wonder if something is wrong with it to be pulled so quickly (or maybe it wasn't selling well?). I'm now evaluating other options. I am looking at the M685-E from gateway.

Anyone have an info on the new T2300E processor? Does it significantly save battery life?

[gmoffitt]

I think the 2300 is just a slightly slower processor. Would have to compare the specs on the new model to the one I purchased to see what changed. I'm not necessarily unhappy with it..might have something to do with a faster drive or something.

I did see the Gateway models and they were aggressively priced for the features, but their financial situation is not good..stock has gone from $4 to about $1.50 in last two years..this link shows a pretty massive downgrade by analysts recently.

http://finance.yahoo.com/q/ao?s=GTW

Have you looked at the HP models? I saw a wide screen model at Fry's for about $1600, I think it was a T2300, but faster twin hard drives, plus came with stock 2GB memory (but 2GB max vs toshiba's 4GB max). Had an nVidia card, etc. I've had an HP laptop for about 4 years, worked great, good service..it had a startup problem about the 1st week I had it, they made it easy to ship and get fixed in about 3 days. Worked fine ever since.

[thegr8anand]

I just spoke with my CDW rep who was getting me one of these. He called Toshiba to find out what the shipping delay was and was told that the P105-S921 was being discontinued and they wouldn't be shipping any more out.

the model similar here is also being discontinued i think. the retailer where i saw now lists it as "Clearance Product. Limited Stock". I hope there is nothing wrong with them

[gyoung345]

the model similar here is also being discontinued i think. the retailer where i saw now lists it as "Clearance Product. Limited Stock". I hope there is nothing wrong with them

What retailer?

[Ice-Tea]

I was under the impression they pulled that model because they bumped the HD to a faster version, no?

[thegr8anand]

What retailer?

Here is New Zealand.

http://www.dse.co.nz/cgi-bin/dse.storefront/en/product/XC3766

[gyoung345]

It could be they are flushing inventory waiting for the Core 2 Duo's in Mid-July.

[gmoffitt]

at quick glance of that NZ product, yeah the faster hard drive seems to be the major difference. I noted that in looking at some of the competitor products (HP, Gateway..etc) that they had faster hard drives, sometimes dual hard drives.

[gyoung345]

Looks like new models have been released...

http://www.notebookforums.com/post2227445.html#post2227445

[gvarv]

Excellent thread with lots of good info:) I was just wondering if the people who bought the P105's are still happy with their purchase? And did any of suffer the dreaded dead pixels of doom?

[gmoffitt]

Mine's working fine, I pimped it up to 2gb of ram (the 2gb sticks are not available at this time), no pixel issues, works fine. Got the ram from egghead, it's the same ram used by the new apple notebooks (in fact most of the customer comments for that ram on eggheads site were apple owners).

[gyoung345]

Which RAM did you buy? The patriot or the gigaram? I am going to order it from Newegg as soon as I get the shipping confirmation regarding the P100-ST9012.

[gmoffitt]

bought two of these, about $82 a piece.
Been running on them for about a week now with no issues.

http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16820221043

gigaram 1GB 200-Pin DDR2 SO-DIMM DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) Notebook Memory -

[ignacio104]

:( Well, I bought a P105 SP921 (is the latin american version of the P105 S921), and every thing looks Ok, except for the lights under the speakers, I can see the LEDs (or at least that´s what I think), but they are turned off and I don´t know if I can turn them on, probably this model doesn´t have this lights, anyway, does anybody knows something about this? thank you

[mad_pupp3t]

Here is a link to pimp out 4g of memory.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820208083

After a couple of emails back and forth to Trancend these modules are compatable in the P105 S921.

[msngy]

i want to put a laptop in my van. can anyone say which model will take the rocking while driving and having it on.

[probest]

[QUOTE=Troyus]Toshiba Satellite P105-S921 Review


Chassis Design and Build Quality:

The design quality is acceptable, and while there are a few minor complains I have, they are mostly small annoyances. For one, the ridiculous hotkey buttons built into the laptop, and two, the LED lights which illuminate the Harmon Kardon speaker clusters... They are a little distracting, and might get me some looks at wrok... and I think about the 2 minutes of power they rob from my battery life. But that's just me. The good news is that, for 17" game capable laptop, this is a light machine, weighing in at about 7 lbs. It's also relatively thin, too. This is about as portable as 17" gets.



I bought the same model and want to turn off / on the blue led lights which iluminate the HK spekers.

Please someone found the form to use this??????

Thank you

[thundersike]

I'm considering this Toshiba P105-S9337 they're selling through Costco online:

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11192983&whse=BC&Ne=4000000&N=4017753&Mo=9&pos=7&No=0&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&cat=29722&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&Sp=C&ec=&topnav=


One thing I'm wondering: that 'puter comes with a 9 cell battery instead of a 6. Would that help battery life much? I don't expect to be unplugged long with a laptop that big, but more than an hour would be nice.


Other advice? Precautions?

[Pharoke]

I'm considering this Toshiba P105-S9337 they're selling through Costco online:

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11192983&whse=BC&Ne=4000000&N=4017753&Mo=9&pos=7&No=0&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&cat=29722&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&Sp=C&ec=&topnav=


One thing I'm wondering: that 'puter comes with a 9 cell battery instead of a 6. Would that help battery life much? I don't expect to be unplugged long with a laptop that big, but more than an hour would be nice.


Other advice? Precautions?
I have the predecessor to the one you mentioned (with the 9 cell) and after some undervolting with NHC I get nearly 3 hours of battery life under general usage. It still doesn't get much life if I am playing something like F.E.A.R. but then I don't expect it to. If I am going to game hard I am plugging it in.

[batteryland]

Battery life really seems good, 2.5 hours initially.