This is Toshiba Satellite C55-C5241 15.6 Inch Laptop (Intel Core i5, 8 GB, 1TB HDD, Black), one of Best-Selling Laptop on Amazon.com
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| Image by Amazon.com |
The Features Of This Item Is:
- Intel Core i5-5200U Processor, Mobile Intel HD 5500 Graphics
- 8 GB DDR3L SDRAM
- 1.0TB (5400 RPM, Serial ATA), DVD-SuperMulti
- 15.6-Inch, 1366X768 pixels LED-lit Screen
- Windows 10 Home, Textured Resin in Brushed Black
For the money when purchased ($449 shipped), it has to be one of the best deals going. I've been paying attention and I have yet to see anything come very close aside from refurbs with older processors. Performance is snappy with a processor (Core i5-5200) that benchmarks better than the AMD A6 in the desktop I am replacing with this. Is it equivalent to a $1600 top of the line model? No, of course not, but nothing I've seen at this price point can touch it. Normally at this price point, you are sacrificing much more. This thing comes with a DVD drive as well. Considering how thin it is, that's something of an accomplishment for the money as well. I should point out that I'm not a power user, but I do prefer to err on the side of more processor power vs. less. If for no other reason, you simply get more life out of a more powerful computer. This thing will do fine unless your very demanding.
Negatives?
Constuction - Tuffbook this isn't. the display seem a bit flimsy to the touch as does the case on the bottom. If your a tinkerer, you will need to remove the entire bottom cover to access the memory or the drives, rather than the typical access panels many of us are accustomed to. The flip side of this is that the entire thing is quite light to tote around.
I'll admit to not being a huge fan of the keyboard. It does ok, but my 5 1/2 YO HP laptop has a far better keyboard. Admittedly, it's not terrible, but when docked, I use a proper Logitech. The touch pad, I like the fact that it has the older style buttons still. The newer style "floating" touchpads aren't terrible, I simply prefer the buttons, I'm sure opinions vary on this.
Speakers - not great, but better than I expected considering cost and form factor. They are far superior to the gawd-awful speakers built into my Acer touchscreen monitor. Of course proper speakers are still a step up.
It should be pointed out that it's actually a decent looking product as well. Sure there are prettier, but it could have been an eyesore for what I paid and I'd still be relatively happy. The fact that it actually looks decent is a nice bonus. That said, one review pointed out that the edges were a bit on the sharp side. I haven't had an issue with it myself, but if it becomes a problem, I'll simply put a bit of tape on the edges in question.
Some people might consider this a negative, but I feel it's a positive: No Shovelware to speak of. It comes with Windows, McAffee Anti virus, the odd DVD and other such software and some Toshiba utilities. That's pretty much it. No introductory, trial, free for 90days office suites or other such clutter. All computers should come like this. I tend to be a bit minimalist when it comes to software. No delete-athon was required to get rid of all the unneeded crapware that some builders dump in, cough, cough HP, cough cough.