Feedback Please

[John]

I know this is off the subject but I am looking for a good laptop to develop
on. And I am wondering what others are using and reccomend! I am really
looking at the Toshiba Tecra S1 and the IBM Aseries and T40.

Thanks

[Colin Young]

After my recent experience with Toshiba's support/repair service, I'd say
you should should avoid them. Apparently "next business day" service means
the next day only if their fax system is working and then if it takes
another day because there was nobody at the service depot to receive the
FedEx shipment with your parts in it, it's "a reasonable delay" and we can't
do anything about it. Oh, and if the technician who does fix your machine
forgets to plug in one of the 20 or so connectors so the machine won't start
up you'll have to wait another day for another technician to come and finish
the job the first one started.

Don't even think about either doing the repair yourself or you'll void the
warranty. It must be done by a subcontracted service organisation that
employees highly-trained individuals who have received up to zero hours of
training on your specific model, and they have previously worked on your
specific model "a few times."

It took me 5 days from the first contact with Toshiba to get my laptop
repaired. Out of 6 Toshiba's we've purchased in the last few months, 2 have
required service. I think that's the same number of Dell's that have been
serviced in a year out of probably 50. Plus Dell actually sends out a
technician the same day you call.

However, if you enjoy chatting with people in Turkey (especially employees
of Seimens) when you have technical issues, by all means buy a Toshiba. I
should probably warn you that the call centre uses a 60 second loop of what
is quite possibly the worst on-hold music I have ever heard. It took about a
week before I stopped hearing it in my head every night when I tried to get
to sleep.

I'm not bitter or anything. It's too bad because they used to make fantastic
laptops, and having good speakers with a 15" screen and DVD is really sweet
when it works.

Colin

"John" <no****@hotmail .com> wrote in message
news:%2******** **********@TK2M SFTNGP09.phx.gb l...

I know this is off the subject but I am looking for a good laptop to develop on. And I am wondering what others are using and reccomend! I am really
looking at the Toshiba Tecra S1 and the IBM Aseries and T40.

Thanks

[John]

Thanks for the reply. We have purchased 3 Toshiba's in te past year and
have had no problems. However, I have heard of major complaints about Dell
and their laptops not as durable. I was leaning Toshiba however the IBM has
had great reviews on CNET and user reviews have been great. Any thoughts on
IBM? And I am sorry to hear about your Toshiba problems.

Thanks

"Colin Young" <[e-mail] > wrote in message
news:u%******** ********@TK2MSF TNGP09.phx.gbl. ..

After my recent experience with Toshiba's support/repair service, I'd say
you should should avoid them. Apparently "next business day" service means
the next day only if their fax system is working and then if it takes
another day because there was nobody at the service depot to receive the
FedEx shipment with your parts in it, it's "a reasonable delay" and we can't do anything about it. Oh, and if the technician who does fix your machine
forgets to plug in one of the 20 or so connectors so the machine won't start up you'll have to wait another day for another technician to come and finish the job the first one started.

Don't even think about either doing the repair yourself or you'll void the
warranty. It must be done by a subcontracted service organisation that
employees highly-trained individuals who have received up to zero hours of
training on your specific model, and they have previously worked on your
specific model "a few times."

It took me 5 days from the first contact with Toshiba to get my laptop
repaired. Out of 6 Toshiba's we've purchased in the last few months, 2 have required service. I think that's the same number of Dell's that have been
serviced in a year out of probably 50. Plus Dell actually sends out a
technician the same day you call.

However, if you enjoy chatting with people in Turkey (especially employees
of Seimens) when you have technical issues, by all means buy a Toshiba. I
should probably warn you that the call centre uses a 60 second loop of what is quite possibly the worst on-hold music I have ever heard. It took about a week before I stopped hearing it in my head every night when I tried to get to sleep.

I'm not bitter or anything. It's too bad because they used to make fantastic laptops, and having good speakers with a 15" screen and DVD is really sweet when it works.

Colin

"John" <no****@hotmail .com> wrote in message
news:%2******** **********@TK2M SFTNGP09.phx.gb l...

I know this is off the subject but I am looking for a good laptop to

develop

on. And I am wondering what others are using and reccomend! I am really looking at the Toshiba Tecra S1 and the IBM Aseries and T40.

Thanks

[jan v]

Hi

I've got a Toshiba 2100 P4 1700mhz . It came with 256 MB ram. THIS IS
DEFINITLY NOT ENOUGH because of the terribly slow harddrive.. I had to put
another 512 in it to disable the virtual ram.
Now it works verry well.So my advice, get one with a lot of ram. (and stay
away from packard bell)

jan

"John" <no****@hotmail .com> wrote in message
news:##******** ******@TK2MSFTN GP09.phx.gbl...

I know this is off the subject but I am looking for a good laptop to develop on. And I am wondering what others are using and reccomend! I am really
looking at the Toshiba Tecra S1 and the IBM Aseries and T40.

Thanks

[Matt M]

Also, you could try this, which is what I'm getting as soon as I can scrape
the cash together:
Fujitsu C2220C

Intel P4 2.4GHz (M)

512Mb RAM

15"TFT Display

60GB Hard Disk

DVD/CD Burner built in (burns -R DVD format)

Both Wireless Standards built in (54Mbps - G - Standard - this is rare)
Built in Floppy Disk Drive 4 x USB 2.0 Ports 1 x Firewire IEEE 1394 S-Video
out and a Memory Stick/ SD card slot (cameras MP3) Built in Modem and
10/100Mbps LAN MS Windows XP Pro

1 Year Fujitsu Warranty

http://www.fujitsu.ca/pdf/notebooks/.../c2220_abc.pdf

They are the most popular notebook in Japan and are actually made in Japan
not China, Thailand or Korea.

I hear it's quite good for development. Of course, you bump the RAM always.
As high as you can afford.

"John" <no****@hotmail .com> wrote in message
news:%2******** **********@TK2M SFTNGP09.phx.gb l...

I know this is off the subject but I am looking for a good laptop to develop on. And I am wondering what others are using and reccomend! I am really
looking at the Toshiba Tecra S1 and the IBM Aseries and T40.

Thanks

[Colin Young]

The problem with my Toshiba hasn't been durability, and all the Dell's I've
seen or used were solidly constructed and reliable. No experience with IBM.
Don't get me wrong. I like my Toshiba, but given the experience with their
repair service, I won't be buying another one.

With laptops, the key criteria (to me) is how fast will it get fixed when
(not if) something goes wrong?

Colin

"John" <no****@hotmail .com> wrote in message
news:uF******** ******@TK2MSFTN GP12.phx.gbl...

Thanks for the reply. We have purchased 3 Toshiba's in te past year and
have had no problems. However, I have heard of major complaints about Dell and their laptops not as durable. I was leaning Toshiba however the IBM has had great reviews on CNET and user reviews have been great. Any thoughts on IBM? And I am sorry to hear about your Toshiba problems.

Thanks

"Colin Young" <[e-mail] > wrote in message
news:u%******** ********@TK2MSF TNGP09.phx.gbl. ..

After my recent experience with Toshiba's support/repair service, I'd say

you should should avoid them. Apparently "next business day" service means the next day only if their fax system is working and then if it takes
another day because there was nobody at the service depot to receive the
FedEx shipment with your parts in it, it's "a reasonable delay" and we can't

do anything about it. Oh, and if the technician who does fix your machine forgets to plug in one of the 20 or so connectors so the machine won't

start

up you'll have to wait another day for another technician to come and

finish

the job the first one started.

Don't even think about either doing the repair yourself or you'll void the warranty. It must be done by a subcontracted service organisation that
employees highly-trained individuals who have received up to zero hours of training on your specific model, and they have previously worked on your
specific model "a few times."

It took me 5 days from the first contact with Toshiba to get my laptop
repaired. Out of 6 Toshiba's we've purchased in the last few months, 2

have

required service. I think that's the same number of Dell's that have been serviced in a year out of probably 50. Plus Dell actually sends out a
technician the same day you call.

However, if you enjoy chatting with people in Turkey (especially employees of Seimens) when you have technical issues, by all means buy a Toshiba. I should probably warn you that the call centre uses a 60 second loop of

what

is quite possibly the worst on-hold music I have ever heard. It took

about a

week before I stopped hearing it in my head every night when I tried to

get

to sleep.

I'm not bitter or anything. It's too bad because they used to make

fantastic

laptops, and having good speakers with a 15" screen and DVD is really

sweet

when it works.

Colin

"John" <no****@hotmail .com> wrote in message
news:%2******** **********@TK2M SFTNGP09.phx.gb l...

I know this is off the subject but I am looking for a good laptop to

develop

on. And I am wondering what others are using and reccomend! I am

really looking at the Toshiba Tecra S1 and the IBM Aseries and T40.

Thanks