Toshiba Satellite C655D-S5134

From Toshiba

Product Details

List Price:

$449.99

Price:

$349.99 &  FREE with Super Saver Shipping.

	You Save: $100.00 (22%)

 

Product Description

Toshiba Satellite C655D-S5134 Get things done and stay connected with the Satellite C655 laptop, a very affordable, easy-to-use PC for basic productivity at home or in the office. Featuring a 15.6" diagonal TruBrite HD display, plus new AMD E240 processor technology and ample graphics horsepower, this laptop gives families, students or small and home-based businesses the essential power and workspace to study, tackle budgets with a handy 10-key pad, keep up on Facebook and Twitter , or simply do more at their desk. An attractive Trax textured finish blends looks with durability. With Wi-Fi , Ethernet and Vision Technology3 from AMD, you can connect, and experience quick-loading, rich web content,sharp photos and crystal-clear music. Escape into your favorite casual games and enjoy smooth, realistic graphics. Plus, plenty of ports and storage give you the freedom to expand, or hold more files and media. Conclusion: Toshiba technology delivers style at any price.

Toshiba Satellite C655D: Affordable Mobile Computing

 A nicely affordable, easy-to-use PC for basic productivity at home or in the office, the Toshiba Satellite C655D (model C655D-S5134) gives families, students or small and home-based businesses the essential power and workspace to study, tackle budgets with a handy 10-key pad, keep up on Facebook and Twitter, or simply do more at their desk.

The bright 15.6-inch LCD (1366 x 768) offers a true 16:9 aspect ratio and 720p native high-definition resolution. It also features an eco-conscious design with a distinctive textured finish. Plus, you get plenty of ports and storage to give you the freedom to expand, or hold more files and media.
This Satellite comes pre-installed with the Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium operating system (64-bit version).

Key Features

15.6-inch TruBrite display for excellent color depth and clarity (1366 x 768 resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio)

 

• 1.5 GHz AMD E Series processor E-240 (512 KB L2 Cache) offering good power for computing basics.
  
• 320 GB SATA hard drive (5400 RPM)
  
• 2 GB of installed DDR3 RAM (667 MHz; expandable to 4 GB)
  
• AMD Radeon HD 6310 graphics card provides exceptional features, performance and power-efficiencies that enrich what you see and do (384 MB - 947 MB dynamically allocated shared graphics memory).
  
• 8x SuperMulti DVD drive with double layer support
  
• Wireless Connectivity
  • With its integrated Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking capabilities, this laptop provides up to five times the performance and twice the wireless range using 802.11n-compatible routers as you would with 802.11g networks. It's also backward compatible with 802.11b/g networks (commonly found at Wi-Fi hotspots and in older home routers.
    

• Included Toshiba Software:
  • Toshiba Media Controller offers simplified media sharing. Using an intuitive drag-and-drop interface, it lets you share videos, music and pictures from the media library on your laptop with compatible devices in your home entertainment network, or with other compatible laptops and devices, like an Xbox 360 game console. And you can do it all without moving equipment, burning discs or fumbling with cables.
  • Toshiba Bulletin Board is an easy-to-use organizational and productivity app that lets you build your own personalized space on your desktop. With Toshiba Bulletin Board, you can quickly and easily manage your to-do lists and calendars, plus create your own custom work area by pinning your favorite photos, documents, links and more. 
  

Toshiba ReelTime helps you cut down the time it takes to search for files. The easy-to-use app takes traditional text-based file structures one step further to help you find what you're looking for more quickly. Accessible from your taskbar, it shows you a visual timeline of your recently accessed files--using graphical thumbnails--so you can easily identify and get to your files faster.

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium

The Best Entertainment Experience On Your PC

Windows 7 Home Premium makes it easy to create a home network and share all of your favorite photos, videos, and music. You can even watch, pause, and rewind TV or record it to watch whenever and wherever you want. For the best entertainment experience, choose a PC with Windows 7.

Peek behind open windows to get a quick look at your desktop (see larger image).

Windows 7: Your PC Simplified

Simplifies everyday tasks, works the way you want, and makes new things possible.

• Improved desktop navigation features like Snap, Peek, and Shake, make it easier to manage all of your open windows.
• Creating a home network has never been easier. You can even share files and printers with all the PCs with Windows 7 on the network.
• Find virtually anything on your PC--from documents to songs to email--just by typing a word or two with Windows Search.
• Designed to make your PC sleep and resume quicker.
• Watch, pause, rewind and record TV with Windows Media Center to watch whenever and where ever you want*.

Create, Connect and Share with Windows Live

Windows 7 and Windows Live bring it all together for free. Get the free set of programs that make it simple to create and share amazing photos and movies, organize mail, and stay connected with your closest friends.

• Get 25 GB of free online storage with Windows Live SkyDrive.
• Sync files on your PCs automatically with Windows Live Mesh.
• Share photos during video chats with Windows Live**
• Easily edit photos and combine the best parts of multiple photos into one perfect photo with Photo Fuse.

Windows Live is available for free at download.live.com.

Complete your PC Experience with Microsoft Office 2010

• Microsoft Office Starter 2010 includes reduced functionality versions of Microsoft Word and Excel with advertising. (Note that PowerPoint or Outlook are not included.)
• Purchase Office 2010 today and get the most out of your new PC.

Customer Reviews

By Mad Max

We tested a variety of Toshiba Satellites - and it's very confusing, because there are so many model numbers that are so similar.

We highly recommend the Toshiba Satellite, just not this model (C655-S5134). The problem is, it's using one of the SLOWEST processors on the market today. It's roughly 10-year-old technology.

To make matters even more confusing, after testing a dozen different Toshibas, we actually bought another Satellite C655 model (the C655-S5048) for the same price. It's almost identical in every respect, except the processor on our model (AMD P320) has a clock speed of 1,261. The clock speed on the C655-S5143 has a clock speed of (get this)... 350! That's nearly 1/4th the speed!

This was all very confusing to us, but here's the "short cut" - when you're shopping around for laptops, write down the name of the processor, and look it up at: CPUbenchmark-net

You will see some ridiculous inconsistencies, and you will be an informed consumer. Just poke around on Amazon for a few minutes - you will find plenty of Toshiba laptops for under $400, with processor speeds over 800-1,000 (which should be considered the bare minimum).

Don't think for a second that a faster processor will cost more. We also reviewed some of the more expensive Satellites ($599-$699) and found slow processors in that price class as well! And this is consistent with pretty much all computer manufacturers - the problem is that Intel, AMD, etc., invest a lot of money in marketing, and consumers demand chips they don't know anything about. But you can be a more informed consumer, and feel really good about your purchase.

Here are some general comments about the C655-series Toshiba Satellites:

PRO:

-Keyboard is an excellent size, and numeric keypad on the side is excellent for us. We use it all the time.

-Screen is fantastic - love it, no complaints. (I would not recommend the Toshiba models with the Trubrite screen - models with the TruBrite cost a minimum of $100 more & it picks up lots of glare/reflections.)

-Stays very cool (even when playing videos), and the fan rarely kicks on.

-It's light weight & durable. My 12-month old will pound on the keys occasionally, and it holds up just fine.

-Comes with built-in antivirus software. I recommend also installing Avira, and every computer/laptop you own should be running Hostsman.

-The battery isn't shabby, although this model has a slightly cheaper battery than the one I bought. The battery on the C655-S5048 lasts at least an hour longer.


CON:

-No built-in camera or mic.

-Sound is not great. Most people assume it's cheap speakers, but it's not. Speakers are fine - but the sound driver itself is the problem for some reason. You can uninstall the driver & have Windows install a generic driver that will boost your sound levels by 50% (easier said than done in Windows 7).

-We have some general complaints against Windows 7, not Toshiba's fault (a discussion for another day). The biggest problem is, with the 64-bit version of Windows 7, we could not port any of our software from our previous Satellite to our new one.

Bottom Line: (1) Don't buy this model - it's a very nice laptop, but the speed is too slow. (2) You don't have to be a techie to be an informed consumer. It only takes 5 seconds to look up the speed on the site provided above (again, 800-1,000 should be considered the absolute minimum). (3) Unless you need a super-computer for specialized programming, you should be able to find a Toshiba Satellite with a great processor & all the amenities you need for under $400, right here on Amazon.

Please don't get frustrated in your search - I give this laptop 5-stars except for the speed. This is a good brand (Satellite) and a good price (under $400). But there are at least 5 other models that are 3-4x faster for the same price. If you're looking at this product, reading this review, you are definitely on the right track. Hope this helps, and enjoy your new laptop!

By I. Reyes
I have had this computer for the past week, and just love it. I got it to replace my PC and needed it for school. I wanted something with a large screen, a full keyboard and powerful. I wasn't looking for a beautiful laptop, but I got one, with the black and red accents it is a gorgeouse device.

I didn't have any problems with getting it set up on my network, or having programs that I didn't need pop up all over the place like I have read on other reviews. It has been smooth to work with and just an excellent laptop.

As you may have read with other reviews, this laptop is very large, and yes even knowing this it did surprise me when I got it. Because of its size it is heavier then your average laptop or notebook, but not manegeable. So if you are looking for something to carry out with you, you need to be aware of that. I don't carry it around it will sit in my bedroom on my desk, but I do like the option that I can take it with me anywhere if I need to.

The picture for movies is prime...as good or better then my LCD TV. The sound is off the charts, just love that it has the Harman/Kardon speakers and they truly are crisp clear and loud.

I have not had any problems with the power connecter as some of the other reviews have suggested, possibly Toshiba could have fixed that problem, because the connector fits nice and snug and has never been loose or fallen out.

I did get a stand with a cooling system for it, because it does heat up and the fans keep it cool. I got the Cooler Master NotePal Ergostand Notebook Cooler R9-NBS-4UAK got it here on amazon as well. It is perfect for this size laptop and it includes 4 USB ports, I usually have it on while I'm working and I don't even hear any of the fans not the Laptops or the stand's.

So far I haven't found any con's just love the product and hope to enjoy it for a long time.


By  nmalisa
I think the previous review: "We tested a variety of Toshibas" misrepresented this laptop and it's processor (well, Accelerated Processing unit or APU as AMD likes to call it since it includes both the CPU and a graphics chip in one package).

E-240 is not some 10-year technology, it is actually the latest generation of *low power* and graphically very capable processors (for its class). Amazon/Toshiba correctly described it as "offering good power for computing basics" as it offers everything a casual user or a student might nees (except for the camera which should have been included for this price). The real advantage of this processor is the fact that it combines the CPU and a "discrete" GPU on a single die and hence improves power efficiency while providing great graphics, solid cpu speed for a very affordable price.

This processor/laptop is intended for: word processing, internet browsing, movie watching, and similar applications (so no, don't try to run the latest games on it or anything that will require high computing power) while allowing for a very long battery life.

I don't think any of celeron laptops (atom especially) are anywhere close to the graphics capability of E-240 which you are getting here. Also, your battery will last much more than those other similar laptops (up to 6 hours).

Here are more details on the processor itself:

[...]
which (among other things) says:

"The AMD E-240 (codename Zacate) is a single core processor for small notebooks and netbooks. It offers a relatively powerful integrated graphics card and a single channel DDR3-1066 memory controller.

Inside the E-240 one Bobcat core (the second one is deactivated) can access 512KB level 2 cache. In comparison to the Atom processors, the Bobcat architecture uses an "out-of-order" execution and is therefore faster at the same clock speed. However, the performance is far worse than similar clocked Penryn (Celeron) or Danube (AMD V-Series) cores. On average the cpu performance of the E-240 should be between a 2 GHz Atom and a Celeron single core with 1.1 GHz.

The integrated Radeon HD 6310 graphics card offers 80 shaders and an UVD3 video processor. Compared to the slow GMA 3150 in the Atom processors, the HD6310 offers a lot more performance and is about as fast as the Nvidia ION graphics solution"

I myself decided to go with AMD C-50 (in a Gateway NV laptop for $350) which has two CPU cores and is extremely quiet and stays as cold as my iphone.

Thank you and good luck on your laptop search!