Toshiba Satellite L655D - $600

by Tinyman392
(Glendale Heights, IL)

Great Power at an Affordable Price.

The Toshiba Satellite L655D has a large feature base:

Pros:

-AMD Quad Core Processor @ 1.6GHz (per core): This allows the computer to be quick and snappy. Coupled with the quick and snappy will also come smoothness because of the processor

-AMD Vision Premium Technology: AMD is ditching the ATI name and going with their own. So this IS an ATI graphics processing unit. It delivers the ability to run high graphics games at an acceptable speed. Though not the best, one of the most powerful in this price range.

-4GB RAM: This is very useful for multitasking and being used for graphics memory. Makes the laptop run smoothly and boot up quicker as well.

-Windows 7 64-Bit Edition: As long as it doesn't come with Visa, I'll be happy. This is a nice snappy OS that is letting Microsoft slowly catch up to the look and feel of a Mac.

Cons:

-320GB Hard Drive: Most laptops offer a 500GB hard drive in this price range. However, none of them offer the quad core processor. It's a trade off.

-Non-recessed trackpad. This makes typing really difficult because you always "click" by accident. Palm check helps a little, but not as much as you'd like.

-No HDMI: It's has great graphics, but no HDMI in sight. No way to get decent output to an external monitor/television.

-Bloatware: All laptops come with this. This laptop has a little, but does take time to remove.

-Fingerprint Magnet: This laptop is glossy, and attracts fingerprints. Gets annoying after a while, but still looks nice.

Overall Thoughts:

This Toshiba Satellite L655D laptop is top notch when it comes to bang for the buck. You get decent graphics and a great processor for 600 bucks. The only downside is the hard drive space. The RAM is available for an upgrade if needed. If you absolutely hate fingerprints, you may want to reconsider before buying this. But it is a great laptop and I do not regret purchasing it.