Toshiba Satellite C55-A5308 15.6" Laptop PC - Intel Core i3 / 4GB Memory / 750GB HD / DVD±RW/CD-RW / Built-in HD Webcam & Microphone / Windows 8..
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55 of 56 people found the following review helpful.
Toshiba Satellite C55-A5308 15.6" Laptop - Great Value
By Matt D.
Bought package that included this laptop the weekend after Thanksgiving 2013 from BB Electronics Store.
I bought the laptop primarily for writing code and MS Exel and Word. (Note: computer did not come with Excel and Word installed.
If not listed in the description must be purchased separately.)
The following are what I like about the laptop:
> The computer starts up quickly from shutdown (25-30sec) and sleep (5sec)
(removed Norton Anti-Virus and installed AVG Free and it starts up from shut down a little faster. 7 sec faster according to AVG)
(also removed the majority of the apps and bloatware on the computer. There wasn't much bloatware.)
> Computer opens and runs programs quickly.
> The screen has good resolution and a wide range of brightness
> Battery has lasted over two hours with screen on next to lowest brightness and using a compiler to write code. 60% remaining
(I am sure using multimedia would consume the battery faster.)
> 1 - USB3.0 port, 2 - USB2.0 ports, HDMI output, DVD +-RW
> Wifi works fine.
> Sturdy construction (Haven't dropped it yet...)
> The touchpad works. (Package included logitech wireless mouse)
> Does not weigh to much for daily transport.
The following are what I dislike about the laptop:
> The screen is somewhat glossy. Not as bad as some laptops I have used but not matte either
> The plastic body feels kind of cheap.
> The initial set up took about 20 minutes and required a MS user account ID and Password. I created one just for use on this
computer and accidentally typed it in wrong and was able to bypass this step. Computer also wants an internet connection for
set up but you can get around that also. (This is probably true for all Windows 8 computers)
> Windows 8 - I had never used Windows 8 so I was a little frustrated at first. The computer starts up to a screen that looks more
like a smartphone than a computer desktop. Click the rectangular button with Toshiba on it to get to the desktop. Watch a
Youtube video on it if you don't want to be frustrated.
I will update this review if any problems arise.
27 of 29 people found the following review helpful.
Extremely fast initial setup; sound quality is not great; MS Office is not included
By TurquoiseEyes13579
Setup- It took me all of about five minutes to get this laptop up and purring. (It was fully charged when it arrived to me, as well.) I purchased a Patriot Rage 3.0 memory flash drive, enabled ReadyBoost on it and vroom!, very fast Internet speed. (Doing this also adds some memory to the computer for backup, which I'll likely need down the road.) I've downloaded quite a few programs (iTunes, Amazon Cloud, Kindle Reader, etc.), and have noticed no real decrease in computer startup or Internet speed. I deleted the bloatware and excess stuff on the Desktop that was already installed, what little there was of it. My old desktop PC (a 2007 Dell) was becoming obsolete, slow as molasses and problematic in operation- so this laptop is a completely awesome replacement...with the main exception of sound quality. As I'm addicted to music and movies, this is not a great thing. But for the cost of the laptop and two-day free delivery with Amazon Prime, I'm not going to complain too much. I get anti-virus protection free through my Internet service provider, so I did not have to spend extra $$$ on that.
Charging- With heavy use including Internet, a charge lasts me 5-6 hours. It also charges back up to 100% very quickly, too- a heck of a lot faster than my year-old Smartphone does!
OS- All right, Windows 8 will take getting used to, but it honestly is not THAT bad. The most annoying thing is the Start menu not being "pre-loaded" with all applications and a simple search tool. When you hit the start menu button, you're taken out of your desktop screen and into the "front door" of the computer. FYI, you don't have to create an MS account and sign into your computer that way, if you won't be using any MS software. When I bought the laptop, I didn't pay enough attention to the MS Office aspect of the purchase (this is the only laptop purchase of my life). I'm a big fan of Google Drive, and primarily use that for creating docs and presentations myself, but there are times when I simply must have access to MS Office in order to view files which professors and fellow students send me. However, as a full-time college student, I simply went to MS Student online and bought the whole 2013 Suite for 79.99 (four years total for that one-time price, which includes free Skype, and it also installed the whole Suite to my Smartphone at no additional cost- awesome!) I admit that I do not use Excel or PowerPoint much at all, for my purposes. Regardless, at least you can buy whatever version of Windows that you like best for this, since this laptop isn't pre-loaded with one.
Screen- As another reviewer stated, the screen is glossy. I've not found this too be problematic, but I do have to adjust the brightness of the screen more on this laptop than on my desktop or Smartphone. However, I've had no problems with glare, just with needing the screen to be brighter or dimmer depending upon the time of day or night that I'm using this. It's not as pristine a monitor in pixilation as my desktop monitor (ca. 2007). But for the cost of this laptop, it is perfectly acceptable. The resolution and glare can be more problematic when I'm trying to watch a movie. Like an older TV screen will do, the glare can cause you to see your own refection, instead of the film playing on the screen.
DVD Playback- While a DVD player is a part of the laptop, the DVD holder itself is quite delicate. Be very careful when it's opened up, because I could see it snapping off very easily if accidentally hit against. The DVD button is very small and is as black as the rest of the laptop's case. It's located on the left-hand side of the laptop, and someone with poor eyesight or limited finger dexterity may struggle with using that button. Also be prepared to download a program like VLC Media Player, if you want to play DVDs that include .bup files. This is true for legitimately purchased DVDs that originate from the manufacturer's videotape master copies, NOT just bootleg copies of stuff, to be clear. The picture quality is just average. Installing some of the many Toshiba drivers available for improved sound and picture quality does help, but even then, don't expect the picture quality to be as good as a high-end TV or really nice desktop monitor. I downloaded MS Silverlight to replace Adobe Flash Player for Amazon Instant Videos and other video players that allow me to choose between the two. At least for this laptop, Silverlight gives better visual playback.
Sound- I opened up the mixer on the speakers and got improved sound quality through doing the following:
1) I went under "Enhancements", checked the box marked "Environment", and found that the best sound overall has come from the "Carpeted Hallway" setting. I'm sure that not everyone would agree, but this setting is most natural and pleasing to my ears, sounding more like my desktop, Smartphone and iPod do. "Living Room" has also a good, natural sound to it.
2) Also under Enhancements, I chose to check the Equalizer and set it to "Powerful". This alone made a BIG difference. Some of my music sounded very tinny before that, and this setting change made the vocals of any media that I play come to life again.
3) When using headphones, I check the box marked, "Headphone Virtualization" (also under Enhancements).
4) Under the mixer's tab entitled, "Advanced", I altered the Default Format to 24 bit, 192000 Hz (Studio Quality). You may find another setting suits your particular type of audio files better, but I've had slightly better, clearer playback with this format choice than any other.
Definitely install Toshiba drivers found online for free which are designed to improve the auditory quality. Until I did that, very little else that I did helped much. Once those were installed, the mixer changes I made were much more effective.
Further Sound Improvement Update, written on 3/15/14: I was reading a bit more online about sound improvement, and decided to play around with some stuff. I downloaded a newer (but still free) Realtek audio driver compatible with Windows 8, dated 11/2013 (the one that was pre-installed on the computer was from 8/2013). This helped improve the flat sound a bit more. I re-opened the mixer once that was installed. I listened to some of my best, newest recordings in MP3 format in order to get an accurate gauge of any sound improvement which my changes made. I experimented with the Enhancements setting under the mixer. The best two "Equalizer" settings (to my ears...) in Realtek are "Treble" and "Powerful". "Treble" gives a tad more "echo", and boosts the lead vocalist(s) volume. Powerful gives overall strength to the instrumentation, with a tad less emphasis on the vocals, but with the two kept in a nice balance. However, be aware that you're likely to hear this greatness through headphones far more than without them. There's an "Environment" option, too, which will give you a couple dozen simulated places to alter the sound of where the music was recorded (examples include Stone Corridor, Concert Hall, Carpeted Hallway, etc.) Fun to play with, naturally different settings work best for different bands/singers/music.
Anyway, I then went to iTunes and on their own Menu, I opened up "Edit", "Preferences", "Playback", and adjusted the bit rate and bits per sample to match my Realtek mixer settings. (Apparently iTunes has to match the stereo mixer settings for them to play at the same bits-per-sample and bit rate together.) OVERALL, the best settings that I've found for both is 24-bit/124000 Hz on both iTunes and Realtek together. However, be aware that the age and quality of a recording will make these settings something you'll need to adjust from track to track for optimal playback (especially when not using headphones). Older music, like my beloved Bobby Darin recordings, are naturally coming from far older master tracks and are testier to work with. They have more background fuzziness to be overcome, and so I often have to change the iTunes Equalizer's setting to cancel that out, choosing "Treble Booster" instead of "Dance" mode. Newer songs, like ones from the group Little Big Town, were where I REALLY heard my sound enhancement gyrations payoff. Keep your volume levels from the system you're playing from and the computer's master mixer as even as possible- sound distortions will be far more apparent when you have one system up really high and the other really low. (I'm aware that all of this may be very redundant info for audiophiles, but hopefully it will help anyone who is not already a master at creating great playback from their computer. Even an inexpensive laptop should give you decent playback sound.)
I played around with the DTS through Realtek's Audio Manager. Interesting changes, but not one setting change (and I spent HOURS going through the various ones) made a real difference on non-headphone playback improvement, particularly for older tracks and bass. In reality, there could be something wrong with the internal sound card on my personal laptop that is creating the lack of bass. But after reading through many forums online, trying every known improvement to mankind, I've come up with no real fix for that lack of bass or subpar sound when not using headphones.
Yet Another Sound Update, 3/21/14- When all is said and done, the sound is vastly better listening through stereo headphones than via non-headphone playback. With headphones on and A LOT of tweaking with this laptop yet again, I'm at least getting good playback in that way. Better than nothing, right?! I've found no solution to overcome this lack of sound quality, when not using headphones. As I did today, you could try deleting the built-in DTS and built-in Toshiba Audio Enhancement from the laptop for improved overall playback. (You can find these programs under the Control Panel, and just uninstall them there. Don't worry- you can always reinstall them for free, if you find that you still need them. DTS in particular seemed to make headphone playback less spectacular. That just be a problem with MY laptop, though, and may not be applicable to everyone else's.) Eliminating those two things did greatly improve the headphone sound quality to the point that even an audiophile can appreciate. But for playback sans headphones...well, I finally broke down and bought an external USB sound card today. I simply see no other way around it, as I tend to think that the internal sound card within the laptop is to blame, and not the Realtek HD Audio mixer itself, that is the issue. (After doing hours of research, this is my conclusion for now.) I will update my review once the external sound card and new speaker is plugged in, and advise how that worked out.
The Final Audio Update, 4/4/14- I bought an inexpensive 7.1 External Sound Card and the AYL Mini Speaker SPK001. Cost me maybe $25, cheap by even my college student standards. That worked like a charm. Plenty of bass, treble, voice, clarity, volume, etc. All of the nuances in my music that I know so well have become reality again. My laptop now sounds every bit as good as my nearly-three-times-as-expensive (out of the box...) desktop PC, my Android Smartphone, or my iPod. If you went ahead and bought this laptop and have been having sound issues, I highly recommend shelling out the few extra bucks and going with this option, instead of driving yourself bonkers trying to download drivers, uninstall one thing after the other, and becoming a yogi to keep up with the gyrations needed to maintain decent sound from song to song or movie scene to scene. You may be able to go without buying the external sound card, and just getting the new speakers- but I wasn't taking any chances! (Especially if my suspicion about the onboard sound card being defective are accurate.) Anyway, problem solved!
17 of 19 people found the following review helpful.great laptop period
By Armando guerra
this laptop was only 350 at bestbuy It came with a bundle and I tried all the other laptops that were 400 hundred or more and this one outperformed an hp that was 400 dollars im extremely happy with my purchase and it has an i3 processor cheapest you will find
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