Toshiba Qosmio X305-Q706 17.0-Inch Laptop brings Powerfully styled and equally packed with powerful computing resources and video processing, the Toshiba Qosmio X305-Q711 is engineered to deliver unparalleled performance to gamers and multimedia enthusiasts. Featuring Toshiba’s trademark “fiery” Fusion finish with Rogue design, it pairs one of the latest Intel Centrino 2 processors with dual NVIDIA GeForce 9800M GTS graphics chips featuring NVIDIA SLi technology, a total of 1 GB of GDDR3 discrete graphics and up to 2175 MB of shared memory when using the included 64-bit version of the Windows Vista Home Premium operating system.
Enjoy all the in-your-face realism of today’s hottest 3D games with the 17-inch high-definition screen with a 1680 x 1050 (WSXGA+) resolution and amazing brightness, contrast, color saturation and overall image quality. And you’ll get crisp, immersive audio from four high-fidelity stereo speakers–and one very powerful sub-woofer.
This Qosmio is powered by the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processor–with Centrino 2 technology–which boosts speed, reduces power requirements, and saves on battery life. The 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P8400 includes a quick 1066 MHz front-side bus and 3 MB of L2 cache, providing an optimized, multithreaded architecture for improved multimedia and multitasking performance. Other features include a 320 GB hard drive (with 7200 RPM speed), 4 GB of RAM (maximum capacity), Draft-N Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g/n), Bluetooth connectivity, HDMI and DisplayPort video output, S/PDIF digital audio output for 5.1-channel surround sound, dual-label DVD drive with Labelflash printing (also burns CDs), webcam and microphone mounted on display bezel, and multi-format memory card reader. Additionally, this Toshiba notebook is RoHS-compatible, effectively reducing the environmental impact by restricting the use of lead, mercury and certain other hazardous substances.
Helpful consumer’s review
I’ve had this laptop for a while now and have loved it every minute I’ve had it.
Pros – The Dual graphics cards, the processor speed, 4 GB RAM, good display and very good overall machine everything works well together. Laptops of equal capabilities cost significantly more.
Cons – Weight, Battery life, finger print magnet, lack of choice on colors (even just a black color alternative would suffice)
Notes on buying from Amazon.com – I got the laptop from Amazon for a cheaper price then anywhere else I found it. The delivery was right on-time and the packaging was done very well to protect the product. I was hesitant to order such an expensive electronic device from an online third party distributor but was very impressed with how it was handled and the quality of the product.
Graphics -
The dual video cards running with just over 1g dedicated memory really make my games run smooth. I haven’t experienced any lag in my online gaming since I started playing them with this laptop.
Processor -
The dual processor at 2.26GHz and 4G RAM are very efficient at handling anything I’ve tried to run on it so far, and believe me I’ve tried to push it.
Note: you must load 64bit Vista version or it can only use 3Gb of the ram.
Display -
The screen is beautiful, it displays colors without any odd shadow spots or fuzzy areas on the edges. The only downside I’ve seen with the screen is on the default resolution settings without perfect vision some text can be a little difficult to read without moving your eyes closer then arms length.
Hard Drive -
The 320Gb HDD is ample space for a laptop.
Optical Drives -
The drive loads anything you put it in very quickly and quietly. I have not had the opportunity to test out the DVD LabelFlash, but it was just a weird addition to this laptop and I don’t see myself using it much if at all.
Bluetooth -
The Bluetooth links up quickly and doesn’t fluctuate, I use a bluetooth mouse and it feels more precise then my Razor Diamondback I use on my tower.
Webcam/internal microphone -
The webcam is extremely clear and everyone I have used it with say that it does not jump or static at all even with fast or jerky movements in front of the camera. The microphone is pretty good, sometimes I’m told I sound distant. It is very good about canceling out sounds coming from the laptop. I still prefer my headset over this mic however, it just isn’t quite as clear as a headset.
Media buttons -
The touch buttons at the top of the keyboard are a little odd to me, I try to keep my hands away from the top of the keyboard because they are so sensitive to any touch.
Sound -
The four main speakers and the subwoofer are great, I don’t know why they put the subwoofer on a laptop but it does add a nice feel to a game when you’ve got it in your lap.
Battery/ AC Adaptor -
The AC adaptor is a massive 5Ibl brick, but considering what it’s powering that isn’t too surprising. The battery in this laptop is nearly worthless, you can adjust the settings as to what is actually running when you switch to battery power, but this still will only get you thirty to forty-five minutes of power. I only use the battery if I am switching rooms or plugs. If your battery dies while you’re running your laptop it switches to what Toshiba called lockup mode, you have to plug the AC adapter in get a good 15-20 minutes charge on the battery. Then remove the AC and battery for 1 minute reseat the battery do not plug the AC in and power it up to get it out of Lockup mode. Annoying, but supposedly it protects your system from negative side-effects of loosing power while running. Something else of note, The back side on the bottom gets VERY HOT very quickly, make sure you have good airflow or a cooler pad.
Software -
I’ve barely found any use for the preloaded software, The Speech system is useless without training yourself to speak abnormally. The Norton and Office trials are full access trials which is nice, but ultimately useless after 60 days. The full version of Microsoft works is also very pointless unless your just using it for personal stuff, most professors or businesses wont except MSworks formatted documents. I haven’t had a chance to test out the Face recognition, Disc Creator and Ulead DVD movie factory.
Weight/Size -
This is a beast of a machine, though it is a laptop you almost can’t treat it as such. It weighs 15.09Ibs which is very heavy for a laptop. It also is extremely large on most of its dimensions. It is a 17″ screen but when it is closed there is an additional 1/2″ of computer in front of the screen, so it is too big for 90% of all laptop bags that would hold a 17″ laptop. It is also 2.5″ plus feet on the back side which is too thick for most pouches that laptop bags use to hold the laptop in place.
Design/Colors -
The only color this laptop comes in is flashy, if you like that kind of thing it works. If you don’t you don’t have any other options. The keyboard is overly shiny, it shows every single fingerprint and after an hour of working on an essay my keyboard looked five years old and gritty till I polished it over with a lentfree cloth. The touchpad uses a heavy duty surface, but this causes it not to register your movements all the time, sometimes you’ll slide your finger across and the mouse will stop moving for a second halfway across the screen. Not a big issue but annoying when it stops just short of what you’re trying to get to. It also does not have a scroll pad or wheel which is just an inconvenience. I have taken to only ever using my external mouse. The display screen is also a finger print magnet. I don’t recall ever touching my screen, I use the edges of the monitor to open and close it, yet there are prints on the screen in many places.
