Compare Notebook or Laptop Computers

After a long research I chose Toshiba Portege R705-P25 laptop as my final answer for a very light but powerful home unit. Being spoiled at work with a much more expensive and sturdy military spec 12' HP Elitebook 2540p with Core i7, I wanted something that wouldn't break my home bank, equally light and of a similar power, with a bit bigger screen, so I decided to look for a 13.3' screen size. At first I thought that this laptop was expensive, but when I compared it to other units of similar size and features, this was actually very attractively priced (bought on special at a local M&B store for $800 plus tax). What really made me go back to the store and buy it after reviewing all the alternatives is the fact that I had it in my hands and felt its weight, or lack thereof. It is so light that it reminds me of fake laptops they use at furniture stores. After several weeks I could tell why this one won CNET's Editor's Choice. After several months everything it is mostly great except... Read more

I bought this computer from best buy because it had a better price. Anyhow, i researched a lot before buying this pc. I finally decided over the fan critics (the fan actually can be heard, but is not as noisy as the people says)considering that it is actually 3lbs!!!!!! it's very light!!!! has the best performance for a pc of this capacity. I totally recommend it!

This computer is everything you could ask for in a laptop: Fast, extremely light weight, plenty of RAM, large HDD, relatively small size (13.3). I have been very happy with overall performance.

However, two issues are worth noting on the negative side: Fan noise and durability.

The fan noise has been noted on many sites. Some reviewers are not bothered by it, some are. I am one of the people that is bothered by it. It's not terribly loud, but it is a unique frequency that stands out from other ambient noises. After hearing it the first time, my brain locked on to it and it's all I hear when the machine is operating in my home office. I have another computer humming away with normal fan noise (air flow through an opening), and other low level noises, but I hear this over everything. It's tolerable but not desirable.

Durability - This one is less tolerable and I am currently working with Toshiba to repair under warranty (with no luck so far). The... Read more