This review is from: Toshiba Portege R835-P81 13.3-Inch LED Laptop – Magnesium Alloy Casing in Blue (Personal Computers)
I was looking for the previous model Toshiba Portege R835 P70 for some time. After reading all reviews on portable lightweight laptops, I was sold on it. i5 2410 processor, 4GB RAM, and ~3lb weight were great specs. I recently noticed it had been discontinued and there was no apparent replacement on Toshiba’s website. That was until Toshiba magically quietly added this new, updated model to their website last week. The Portege R835 P81 takes an already stout laptop and makes it that much better! Now it has an i5 2435 processor rated higher and 2 more GB of RAM (to a total of 6GB). While it only has a 640GB HDD at 5400rpm, it starts up quick and gets going. I love that it’s so light weight and makes my life a ton easier in my day to day operations running my business. I needed portability since I spend the better part of my day meeting clients at homes and businesses, and this laptop does the job. I looked into Macbook Airs, Samsung 9 series etc., but nothing beats this computer for the “bang-for-your-buck” factor. I recommend this laptop for anyone that wants a smaller form factor that will last you a long time.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
This review is from: Toshiba Portege R835-P81 13.3-Inch LED Laptop – Magnesium Alloy Casing in Blue (Personal Computers)
Update: 1/13/11 This will be the last update. My girlfriend and I broke up and she returned the laptop to me because she doesn’t feel comfortable having it anymore. I’ve sold it on Auction on Ebay for $680.00. This is still a great laptop and I’m truly disappointed I will not get to see it again. I’m thankful for all the positives feedback I’ve been receiving about this review and I’m very happy to help out. As you can see, the reviews are growing slowly for this laptop so you should feel very confident you won’t be disappointed in this laptop.
As for my girlfriend and I, we’re not talking anymore and she’s gone ahead and purchased her own new laptop, a Sony.
Update: 11/21/11 There was a few problems regarding wifi on this Toshiba where it wouldn’t connect to networks that require a password within the browser (workplace or school network where it required your id number/username). We tried using an external wifi adapter via USB and it turned out it still wouldn’t connect. I called Amazon and verified with them there seem to be something wrong with the Wifi, it would connect successfully at home or on a mobile hotspot but not at work/school. Amazon was very prompt and got a supervisor approval to send a new replacement laptop with free one day shipping. We tried it out just today at both work and school and now it works just superbly!
I’d like to give FIVE STARS to AMAZON for their great customer support, I’ve been buying from them constantly since 2006 and they’ve been nothing but fantastic towards treating me like their VIP customer.
Besides that, we now have a like new laptop again, and I’m not really concern about moving data back and forth to the hard drive because of my expertise in computers. I’ve been reading other reviews, yes this laptop is quite delicate but this laptop is so light of course it’s going to be fragile! The keyboard seems just fine, it’s not an exactly nice finish like a macbook but it’s still just a decent keyboard. The webcam has not provide much issue, I webcam with my girlfriend almost every other night and I can hear her clearly and see her clearly just fine. She would even point the webcam at our fish pet and I could see the fish even in low lighting!
Currently my girlfriend is a moderate business worker and full time student and this laptop has been nothing but quick, fast, and lightweight for her. Even I’m enjoying playing with it now and then over my White Unibody Macbook.
Update: 11/8/11 Its been over two weeks. The laptop is still running strong and there hasn’t been any problems at all. My girlfriend mentioned during her class someone complimented on her laptop stating that it’s so lightweight and you don’t see many lightweight laptops with an i5 processor. We purchased this case (attached item name below) and it fits perfectly and very easy to put in and out. There has been no issues with the battery life, it’s still very long exactly as stated. The wireless connection has been superb. There has been some Toshiba software that may be bloatware, but half of it is actually useful compared to other laptops. Toshiba really focused on making programs that is truly essential for the user.
Case Logic QNS-113 13.3-Inch EVA Molded Laptop Macbook Air/Pro Sleeve (Black)
Update: 10/31/11 It’s been over a week. This laptop has been nothing but fantastic for my girlfriend. No problems whatsoever. Very quick and fast at both starting up and turning off. There was some skeptical questions regarding the battery life. At 90% it said there was 4 hours of battery left, but once it went down to 70% it said there was 6 hours of battery left. Regardless overall depending on the usage, just surfing the internet and doing light word processing it goes beyond seven hours which is plenty of time away from a power outlet.
-=[ ~~~ ]=-
I’m a very tech savvy person and have worked with all kinds of laptops from Toshiba, Acer, Asus, HP, Compaq, and Apple. I have to say I’m amazed of how great this Portege is, it’s definitely lighter than many of their rivals, and it carries an i5 Sandy Bridge processor, and it’s equipped with a large amount of ram and hard drive space.
From Squaretrade Warranty, Toshiba was rank #2 in reliability in laptops with the least malfunctions after three years, with Asus landing at #1. The reason why I prefer Toshiba is because they only make Netbooks/Laptops in the computing world. All the other brands they make laptops/desktops/all in one pcs. Toshiba however, only focuses on portable computing.
I’ve worked with the previous Portege, the R700 /w the i3 processor. The one thing that blew me away was that it’s a 3 pound 13.3 inch laptop. The Macbook Air at the time was lighter but it didn’t have an i3 processor. This new updated model though was a great find for me. I was looking around for a new laptop for my girlfriend. She…
This review is from: Toshiba Portege R835-P81 13.3-Inch LED Laptop – Magnesium Alloy Casing in Blue (Personal Computers)
I’m an IT professional and have used tons of laptops. This Toshiba laptop is very light compared to the macbook pro 13”, and has good battery life. Build quality is also good. However, it has some major drawbacks — its hard drive, BIOS, and customer service.
The stock hard drive is 5200rpm which is on the slow side. Besides, Toshiba put lots of redundant software on top of windows 7. The result is that starting windows and some apps takes a long time. One resolution to fix the slowness is to get a SSD to replace the slow hard drive. Now here comes the 2nd drawback — its BIOS.
The SSD I purchased is very fast and supports Sata III. However, the BIOS only supports Sata II which forces the SSD to work at a much lower speed. Note that the Intel chipset built in the laptop does support Sata III; it’s just Toshiba’s BIOS disabled the Sata III speed. This issue applies to the whole R835 series and has been discussed a lot online. Many people have complained to Toshiba and requested them to enable Sata III.
To my surprise, Toshiba decided to ignore customers’ feedback and requests. Their CSR is simply not answering customers’ questions. It’s very simply for them to change the BIOS and enable Sata III, but they simply choose not to do it. Very disappointed w/ their customer service attitude.
In summary, the price is simply too high for this handicapped device. Many other laptops at this price fully supports Sata III. Unless they fix the issue, I won’t recommend it to anyone who wants to get the speed out of the money they spend (which they deserve for this price).
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Authors bio is coming up shortly. 
Modest upgrade to an already great package.,
I was looking for the previous model Toshiba Portege R835 P70 for some time. After reading all reviews on portable lightweight laptops, I was sold on it. i5 2410 processor, 4GB RAM, and ~3lb weight were great specs. I recently noticed it had been discontinued and there was no apparent replacement on Toshiba’s website. That was until Toshiba magically quietly added this new, updated model to their website last week. The Portege R835 P81 takes an already stout laptop and makes it that much better! Now it has an i5 2435 processor rated higher and 2 more GB of RAM (to a total of 6GB). While it only has a 640GB HDD at 5400rpm, it starts up quick and gets going. I love that it’s so light weight and makes my life a ton easier in my day to day operations running my business. I needed portability since I spend the better part of my day meeting clients at homes and businesses, and this laptop does the job. I looked into Macbook Airs, Samsung 9 series etc., but nothing beats this computer for the “bang-for-your-buck” factor. I recommend this laptop for anyone that wants a smaller form factor that will last you a long time.
Was this review helpful to you?
|Powerful, Lightweight, Reliable, what’s not to love?,
Update: 1/13/11
This will be the last update. My girlfriend and I broke up and she returned the laptop to me because she doesn’t feel comfortable having it anymore. I’ve sold it on Auction on Ebay for $680.00. This is still a great laptop and I’m truly disappointed I will not get to see it again. I’m thankful for all the positives feedback I’ve been receiving about this review and I’m very happy to help out. As you can see, the reviews are growing slowly for this laptop so you should feel very confident you won’t be disappointed in this laptop.
As for my girlfriend and I, we’re not talking anymore and she’s gone ahead and purchased her own new laptop, a Sony.
Update: 11/21/11
There was a few problems regarding wifi on this Toshiba where it wouldn’t connect to networks that require a password within the browser (workplace or school network where it required your id number/username). We tried using an external wifi adapter via USB and it turned out it still wouldn’t connect. I called Amazon and verified with them there seem to be something wrong with the Wifi, it would connect successfully at home or on a mobile hotspot but not at work/school. Amazon was very prompt and got a supervisor approval to send a new replacement laptop with free one day shipping. We tried it out just today at both work and school and now it works just superbly!
I’d like to give FIVE STARS to AMAZON for their great customer support, I’ve been buying from them constantly since 2006 and they’ve been nothing but fantastic towards treating me like their VIP customer.
Besides that, we now have a like new laptop again, and I’m not really concern about moving data back and forth to the hard drive because of my expertise in computers. I’ve been reading other reviews, yes this laptop is quite delicate but this laptop is so light of course it’s going to be fragile! The keyboard seems just fine, it’s not an exactly nice finish like a macbook but it’s still just a decent keyboard. The webcam has not provide much issue, I webcam with my girlfriend almost every other night and I can hear her clearly and see her clearly just fine. She would even point the webcam at our fish pet and I could see the fish even in low lighting!
Currently my girlfriend is a moderate business worker and full time student and this laptop has been nothing but quick, fast, and lightweight for her. Even I’m enjoying playing with it now and then over my White Unibody Macbook.
Update: 11/8/11
Its been over two weeks. The laptop is still running strong and there hasn’t been any problems at all. My girlfriend mentioned during her class someone complimented on her laptop stating that it’s so lightweight and you don’t see many lightweight laptops with an i5 processor. We purchased this case (attached item name below) and it fits perfectly and very easy to put in and out. There has been no issues with the battery life, it’s still very long exactly as stated. The wireless connection has been superb. There has been some Toshiba software that may be bloatware, but half of it is actually useful compared to other laptops. Toshiba really focused on making programs that is truly essential for the user.
Case Logic QNS-113 13.3-Inch EVA Molded Laptop Macbook Air/Pro Sleeve (Black)
Update: 10/31/11
It’s been over a week. This laptop has been nothing but fantastic for my girlfriend. No problems whatsoever. Very quick and fast at both starting up and turning off. There was some skeptical questions regarding the battery life. At 90% it said there was 4 hours of battery left, but once it went down to 70% it said there was 6 hours of battery left. Regardless overall depending on the usage, just surfing the internet and doing light word processing it goes beyond seven hours which is plenty of time away from a power outlet.
-=[ ~~~ ]=-
I’m a very tech savvy person and have worked with all kinds of laptops from Toshiba, Acer, Asus, HP, Compaq, and Apple. I have to say I’m amazed of how great this Portege is, it’s definitely lighter than many of their rivals, and it carries an i5 Sandy Bridge processor, and it’s equipped with a large amount of ram and hard drive space.
From Squaretrade Warranty, Toshiba was rank #2 in reliability in laptops with the least malfunctions after three years, with Asus landing at #1. The reason why I prefer Toshiba is because they only make Netbooks/Laptops in the computing world. All the other brands they make laptops/desktops/all in one pcs. Toshiba however, only focuses on portable computing.
I’ve worked with the previous Portege, the R700 /w the i3 processor. The one thing that blew me away was that it’s a 3 pound 13.3 inch laptop. The Macbook Air at the time was lighter but it didn’t have an i3 processor. This new updated model though was a great find for me. I was looking around for a new laptop for my girlfriend. She…
Read more
Was this review helpful to you?
|Slow hard drive; Flawed BIOS; Customer support non-existent,
I’m an IT professional and have used tons of laptops. This Toshiba laptop is very light compared to the macbook pro 13”, and has good battery life. Build quality is also good. However, it has some major drawbacks — its hard drive, BIOS, and customer service.
The stock hard drive is 5200rpm which is on the slow side. Besides, Toshiba put lots of redundant software on top of windows 7. The result is that starting windows and some apps takes a long time. One resolution to fix the slowness is to get a SSD to replace the slow hard drive. Now here comes the 2nd drawback — its BIOS.
The SSD I purchased is very fast and supports Sata III. However, the BIOS only supports Sata II which forces the SSD to work at a much lower speed. Note that the Intel chipset built in the laptop does support Sata III; it’s just Toshiba’s BIOS disabled the Sata III speed. This issue applies to the whole R835 series and has been discussed a lot online. Many people have complained to Toshiba and requested them to enable Sata III.
To my surprise, Toshiba decided to ignore customers’ feedback and requests. Their CSR is simply not answering customers’ questions. It’s very simply for them to change the BIOS and enable Sata III, but they simply choose not to do it. Very disappointed w/ their customer service attitude.
In summary, the price is simply too high for this handicapped device. Many other laptops at this price fully supports Sata III. Unless they fix the issue, I won’t recommend it to anyone who wants to get the speed out of the money they spend (which they deserve for this price).
Was this review helpful to you?
|