I haven't had this one very long, but after installing some high end programs (Adobe CS-5 suite, Corel Draw X5, Video Studio pro, and MS Office) and running them, I am very pleased with the results. No problems at all installing or running the programs. I loaded and edited eight high res photos in Photoshop with no problems. The small screen doesn't give me the view or capabilities of my 25" monitor & desktop computer, and I would not like to do any serious graphic design work on the Toshiba, but for what it was intended for, it does very well.
If you would like to see more reviews on the Toshiba R835-P94, look at the Toshiba R835-P81, it is the same computer except the P94 also has Bluetooth and is over $100 cheaper. The P94 is an Amazon exclusive, which probably accounts for the lower price. The P81 comes with 6 GB of ram while the P94 only has 4 GB. The 4 GB of ram is fine for most applications and most users, but I like to max-out my ram. I bought two 4 GB high speed ram modules (a total of 8 GBs) for $46 and the P94 is noticeably faster. Installation of the ram is very easy.
A real shocker was discovering that the battery power lasts almost as long as advertised. Amazing! I have never had a laptop that even came close to this one.
I'm not a "gamer" so I can't speak to its capabilities in that arena, but I have watched streaming movies, and DVD's with no problems. The only negative things that I have noticed so far are that it has a narrow vertical viewing angle. I'm comparing it to my old Sony Vaio which has a larger and very good screen. The other negative is the ton of bloat ware programs that Toshiba loads on the computer. I doubt that you will ever use the majority of them. Sadly, it seems that all of the manufacturers are doing this now.
Overall, the Toshiba R835-P94 is very good computer for the price. Small, light weight and good power.
If you want a compact and lightweight laptop that doesn't compromise on functionality and still looks great (and doesn't cost an arm and a leg), then this one's for you. I've been carrying around a 15.5" Sony Vaio for the past 2.5 years--don't get me wrong, I love that chunker--but it got pretty beat up, the battery life was absolutely horrible, and I dreaded having to lug it around in my backpack all day for classes (I'm a full-time college student). So I started looking for a replacement. Buying the Toshiba Portege R835-P94 was one of the best choices I've made in purchasing technology. Here's my breakdown of the pros and cons:
Pros.
1. It only weighs 3 pounds! I can do curls with it on my weak arm for ten minutes and not feel a thing. (well, maybe that's exaggerating, but it's ridiculously light!)
2. It's gorgeous. The exterior looks black in low light, but every once in a while I'll catch a glimpse of that "magnesium blue," and it makes me happy. Not to mention the slight texturing on the cover makes it look even better.
3. The thing fits into my purse. It's nice not to have to take my backpack somewhere just because I'm bringing my laptop.
4. Battery life! I haven't actually sat down and timed how long it can last, but I do know I can watch a 2-hour-long movie, an episode of The Office, and work on a paper (all in high brightness and volume) and still have a solid 40% left. I can't even describe how wonderful it is to take it out for the day, use it during classes and in the student center, and not have to take the power cord with me. It's fantastic.
5. The touchpad. My Vaio didn't have multitouch, and it had some funny texturing on the touchpad. But this Toshiba's touchpad is glorious. It's smooth and super convenient, and it doesn't jump at all when you try to move the mouse.
6. Speed. It's very fast--I haven't had any issues whatsoever with trying to download things or access "busy" web pages.
Cons.
1. Smudges and fingerprints. Because the laptop's a darker color, dust and oils show up on the keys and cover a lot easier than they do on a lighter shade. But of course you can clean it off regularly if that bothers you. It's definitely not worth passing up this baby for.
2. Microphone placement. I like to Skype with friends and family, and I was a little annoyed to find out that the microphone is located on the front right corner of the laptop base right next to the SD slot. It's easy to forget it's there and accidentally rub over it with my wrist when I'm multitasking with working on a project and Skyping, because then the noise kills whoever I'm talking to. Not a great idea to put that there.
3. Speakers. They do their job, but I can tell the difference between these speakers and my Vaio's. These just sound kind of hollow, and the quality's not fantastic. But hey, they work.
So, yeah. That's what I have to say about the Toshiba Portege R835-P94. All in all, I think it's a fantastic laptop for the price. I'm very happy with my purchase and would definitely recommend this laptop to anyone!
Buy Toshiba Portégé R835-P94 13.3-Inch Laptop (Magnesium Blue) Now
The Toshiba Portege R835-P94 is a Windows laptop that is fine for wireless productivity in your home or on the occasional business trip, but it is not made to stand up to daily wear and tear of a heavy user. It's a pity, because it's a fast, efficient machine.
BACKGROUND:
I previously owned an indestructible, tiny SamSung NetBook, but after three years of using it 8-12 hours a day the keyboard was finally giving out. I am a HEAVY user, and while I'm not rough on my electronics, they do need to survive constant use and the jostles that come with a daily urban commute. I needed something light, portable, and sturdy that would allow me to be productive ALL DAY and EVERYWHERE on my couch, riding the subway, walking to meetings at work, at lunch in the city, and between sets with my band.
Four months into my purchase and I have many regrets, but depending on how you use a laptop you might not have the same turnoffs as I do.
THE GOOD:
Right out of the box, the Portege R835-P94 seems as though it is a decent MacBook Air competitor. That's not why I purchased it I'm not a Mac fan but when I held it next to my wife's Mac the form factor and weight were a close match, even if this machine is much more plastic-y.
This Portege comes right up to the limit of what I consider portable. Any bigger and it just wouldn't work in tight situations like airplanes. While heavier than NetBooks, this machine is still very lightweight for its size.
First and foremost, I think the battery life is stellar. On a relatively bright, high-functioning battery setting I can get 6-8 hours. It's rare that I ever run out battery unexpectedly and if I do it charges fast.
Second, it is quick. It boots quickly, hibernates intelligently, and shuts down in a flash. I used it for a week with the installed RAM for internet, word processing and spreadsheets, video, and minor image manipulation with nary a moment of slowdown. An easily removed panel allowed me to beef up the RAM in two slots not necessary, but easy to do with Crucial 8GB Kit (4GBx2), 204-pin SODIMM, DDR3 PC3-10600 Memory Module (CT2CP51264BC1339). (Warning: You will need a special .50 mm Phillips Head screwdriver to open the panel I bought Wiha 26194 Screwdriver Set, Phillips With Precision Handles, 4 Piece!)
The machine is decently ergonomic, with a full-sized keyboard and a slightly off-center track pad with two click buttons. The function keys make sense, and a guide to them overlays onscreen when you press function. I do object to the Page Up and Down buttons being relegated to a vertical row on the side rather than being nested on either side of the up arrow (which is available), but that's a personal preference.
The screen is really bright and clear, though it does glare at some angles and on darker content due to its gloss finish. The CD/DVD drive is a lifesaver, and I marvel at how they managed to fit it in.
I was relieved to find that the computer has hardly any junk software I associate with most major laptop brands. Aside from standard MicroSoft programs, there's not much of anything pre-loaded. If you haven't used Windows 7 before, it is transparent. It has not once gotten in the way of my daily use, and in some instances of hunting for features or settings I think it is a considerable improvement over XP.
THE BAD:
Despite all of my likes of this machine, they cannot overcome the fact that the build quality is cheap. Yes, that makes it light, but it's not worth the trade-off!
My left hinge fell off within my first day of use. I can push it back on, but it has never fit snugly. The battery locks fell out the first time I set it down sharply on a counter at lunch, and never went back in the same. The hinges are weak, allowing the screen to swing with any small amount of momentum or a strong breeze (I'm not joking!).
A few keys are already missing my keystrokes. They just don't depress and rebound fast enough to keep up with my typing I switch to a desktop to write anything lengthy, which defeats the purpose of having a laptop! Also, the trackpad is beginning to show signs of failure.
However, my major complaint is the hard drive. I have had complete hard drive failures within the first 100 days of ownership of every Toshiba product I've bought in the past year, and this laptop was no exception. My old NetBook survived being accidentally punted down a shallow set of stairs and all of the other abuse of three years of daily use. This computer? Three months and a dead HD, right in the middle of my work day no punts! I replaced it with a Solid State Crucial 128 GB m4 2.5-Inch Solid State Drive SATA 6Gb/s CT128M4SSD2, which I recommend doing RIGHT AWAY if you decide to purchase it. It was as easy to install as RAM, and it only took about two hours to load the factory settings from backup DVDs (which you have to make yourself or order for an additional fee).
This machine can be loud. Not at rest the fan is audible, but not annoyingly so. I read other reviews stating the mouse buttons were loud. This seemed like a trivial complaint to me, but they really are! No matter how gently you click, they make an obnoxiously loud KERTHUNK. The chicklet style keys are also rather clacky, and extremely squeaky since day one (even with a dab of WD-40). The DVD drive is incredibly loud I think prohibitively so if you plan to watch anything. Also, the computer weirdly emits a loud chirp every so often I assumed this was the hard drive, but it continues to do so even with the SSHD installed.
Another minor complaint there is no on-screen overlay when you raise or lower the volume with function keys. I thought for sure something was broken until I Googled it! The sound is decent for a laptop loud, but no bottom end.
Finally, while glossy finishes make for attractive electronics, they also mean you are constantly wiping away dirt and smears. It's no big deal, but if you are the kind of person who needs your electronics to look elegant and spotless this might not work for you. The screen shows smudges very quickly, so keep a microfiber cloth handy in your case.
BOTTOM LINE:
This laptop is probably heaven sent for lighter users who simply want something that will keep them surfing and productive when they need a connection. If that's what you want, I cautiously recommend it though, I do endorse springing for the solid-state HD.
My complaints are those of someone who LIVES on a laptop. It's where I work, play, and create. If you're like me who uses a machine morning until night, who juggles it between meetings and writes thousands of words a day the Portege is just not ready for the task. You'll be shedding plastic pieces, wincing at the loud and squeaky keys, and praying the HD doesn't fail between cloud backups.
I can tell this is not going to last three years it has already broken in at least three ways in four months! If you are looking for a daily use laptop, please use caution (and back up your data)!
Read Best Reviews of Toshiba Portégé R835-P94 13.3-Inch Laptop (Magnesium Blue) Here
Just got this last week and cannot get over the battery life. Given my last laptop had me looking for an outlet every 45 minutes, the all day life on this is amazing. The computer is zippy, effortlessly handled every program I've thrown at it thus far, is extremely light (3lbs), and looks sleek. Basically, I love it.
A few con's:
*hate chrome, the hinges are not my cup of tea
*the eco utility does this weird dimming thing randomly, kind of annoying but I rarely use that power setting anyway.
*backlit keyboard wouldve been the cherry on the top.
Aside from that, no issues so far. Definitely recommend the laptop
Want Toshiba Portégé R835-P94 13.3-Inch Laptop (Magnesium Blue) Discount?
Update as of Dec/2012I am not as happy as I was with this purchase, but still consider it to be a good value in this product area.
Reasons for lowering my initial review:
1. Fan runs almost continuously. This has gotten to be an area of huge annoyance for me. I havent really tracked this from the beginning, but one day a few months back I was working and noticed the fan never really stopped. Now, of course I notice it all the time. Had I known this was going to happen, I probably wouldnt have bought this computer.
2. Battery life has dropped significantly over time. I would say it's down 40% from when I first started using it.
Bottom-lineif you are really using the computer to work,like I do, you might keep on looking, and the fan noise will drive you nuts eventually.
Do still love the low weight though!
Update as of 04/20/2012 still extremely pleased with this computer. The Bluetooth was really easy to install and found my cell phone the first time (I have had trouble with other computers). Bluetoothed serveral pix and found the transfer was faster than normal.
I have had this computer for a week now. So far I am really happy. It is very light (I have to carry two LT's)and it fits well in my backpack. The battery life is excellent. I have used it on battery for about 5 hours and it was down to about 1/3 charge when I plugged in.
I also liked the fact I could delete some of the factory installed software-completely. I get sick of all the pop-ups begging you to activate their software. I have had computers where this was impossible (for the average user) and had to live with these popups.
There is not a lot else to say. I am a 'light" computer user (no gaming, or high tech uses) The applications I do run (MS) open quickly so, plenty of memory (4-GB) and the 640 GB hard drive will store all my picures and videos. As I said, I travel a lot and take pix and videos as mementos.
I recommend this PC to anybody who travels a lot and needs a personal PC to take with them. It is an excellent value for money!
One noteif you get one, also buy a padded sleeve to protect it. Being so thin means it is fairly fragile and evidently (reading other reviews Toshiba is pretty firm on their 'damage' policyif you break the screen you might as well throw this one away as the screen replacement will cost as much as new computer. just take care of it and you shouldnt have any trouble)
Good luck!
Excellent laptop, But, the keyboard skips letters typed and also inserts double letters of some typed. Typing is very frustrating.
