Toshiba Satellite L550-1CC Laptop Review
Toshiba has got very good reputation that it is an expert at experimentation and improvisation. It is clearly evident in the way its products and especially its laptops look and perform. The Satellite series laptops are just the example that justifies the above statement. The Satellite is a series of high end laptops, which were released by Toshiba earlier this year. They have become a revelation in the laptop market since they look very alien. They are not like laptops that you will normally see. Out of those, the laptops that belong to the L550 series are the most superior in almost all the aspects. The main reason behind the production of this set of laptop computers by Toshiba is that, the company offers a laptop that is as good as its desktop counterpart and hence the latter can be replaced by the former, so that a lot of space is saved. Now, let us save some of the aspects of the Satellite L550 from revealing here itself as we unfold each and every feature of it in the detailed review below.
Design:
Bedazzling Looks:
The Satellite L550 is one of those laptops that will catch your eye the moment you look at them. The dimensions of this laptop are slightly on the higher end since this is a big computer and it is made to be a replacement for your desktop computer. It has come with a great colour combination. The steel grey display cover and the snow silver top cover make the design look better in association with the black coloured keyboard. The dimensions of the Satellite L550 is (W x D x H) 416.2 x 272.3 x 36.3 mm. These dimensions are significantly higher than normal. The satellite laptops also weigh more. If you see the Satellite L550, it weighs about 3 kg. The weight and dimensions also depend on the screen size that is selected. The more the screen size, the higher the dimensions. Although this particular laptop may not be that comfortable on your lap nor is it an easily portable thing, but it still has commanding looks that will make sure that its portability issue is nullified.
Display:
The display part of the laptops from Toshiba has always been very good and also attractive. Now, the Satellite L550-1CC Laptop Computer is a little unique as it has got a bigger display. A screen as big as 17.3 inches measured diagonally, gives you a lot of space to view movies and play games. The TruBrite HD + technology give you a high brightness display with a screen resolution of 1600 x 900 pixels and an aspect ratio of 16:9. This aspect ratio means that the display will be in a landscape format and it will be great to watch movies on it. The screen is also LCD type which is backlit by an array of LEDs. This makes sure that the display is always lucid and crystal clear and in addition to this, the viewing angles are great on the Satellite L550. Hence, you can say that the display mechanism of the Satellite L550 is better than that of many others in the market.
Features: A Flurry of them
Toshiba has included many features in the Satellite L550 17.3″ Laptop so that the laptop can easily replace a desktop computer. Along with those which you will see on a conventional laptop computer, there are also additional features that make up a complete Satellite L550.
Toshiba Bulletin Board:
This is a unique feature that is developed by Toshiba and it will feature on your laptop irrespective of the operating system that is used by the computer. This Bulletin Board is like a small homepage that will be seen on your main screen. It contains many features like calendar, clock, to-do list, sticky notes, important reminders and schedules etc., which are also designed in an awesome manner so that, they are not only easy to use, but also are very stylish. All you need to do is just drag and drop the different files or even folders to this menu and they will be stored right on the desktop, rather than inside some folder which you need to search for every time. You can also customise it and change the way the panel looks by changing designs and applying backgrounds. You can also access the online back up support team by a click and also get regular updates and news. This is like an easy access panel and will be of great use for people from all walks of life.
Toshiba ReelTime:
The ReelTime is a panel for media files and it is more like a collection of recently created and used files or folders. Instead of the conventional search and find option, you can scroll through various files that were accessed in the recent past. You can also select specific files and store them in this panel so that they can be accessed quickly. Photos, Videos, Movies and other documents are stored here in the form of thumbnails, so that it will be easy for you to identify them with just a glance. The ReelTime, just like the Bulletin Board is like a dock and it can be hid or even removed whenever needed. But, using is really fun as well as time saving and you can access all you r favourites at a single place.
Processor:
The processor decides how a computer works and you need to select a computer that has a robust processing system so that you will not face many problems in the future. The Toshiba Satellite L550 comes with a wonderful Intel® Pentium® Processor T4400. It is one of the best that you will ever find in the market. Its features are also very good; a clock speed of 2.20 GHz that is equivalent to two central processing units which means that there is wonderful response to the signals and hence the computer operates really fast. A couple of other features include a front side bus off 800 MHz and a second level cache of 1MB. What all these numbers mean to you is that, your laptop will be very quick in its functioning and there will also be little or no problems regarding its operation.
Operating System:
The Satellite L550 comes with a pre installed operating system of Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, 64 bit. It also comes with the special feature, Toshiba HDD recovery, which means that there will always be a back up for all your data in the computer and they can be recovered again even after the system is formatted due to any reason. Now, in many cases, the 64 bit system faces some problems regarding compatibility. Some applications or features require a 32 bit system and they cannot work with the 64 bit one. Even if they are compatible, they require an upgrade for that. Hence, Toshiba offers you the 32 bit Windows 7 as well and you can select it at the time of purchasing. For normal home usage, the 32 bit version works well and it is more than enough.
Memory:
Memory is also one of the features that are instrumental in deciding the capacity of a computer. The standard RAM of the system is 4 GB and is very good considering other similar computers in the market. 4 GB means you will have a large ready memory and this ensures that the system runs at a very fast rate. This RAM of 4 GB is common to all the Satellite laptops. But, even then, it can be upgraded to a higher memory depending on individual interest. An additional 4 GB of memory is supported by the Satellite L550. The RAM is also DDR3 type, which is superior to the commonly seed DDR2 and it boosts the overall performance of the system. Coming to the hard disk space, a standard hard disk is provided to all the Satellite laptops, whose capacity is 500 GB with drive rotation speed of 5400 rpm. 500 GB will be more than sufficient for home usage and you can store plenty of movies, videos, games and stuff. There is no option for expansion here. If at all more memory is required, you have to purchase an external hard drive.
Graphics Card:
After featuring such a good processor, it will certainly be great if there is a graphics accelerator. And yes, the Satellite L550 comes with a formidable graphics card. Intel’s latest and one of the best in the market, Mobile Intel GMA 4500 M, is used as the graphics accelerator for all your needs and especially for gaming. This is great news for all the gamers because, such a robust graphics card allows high end gaming on your laptop. Detailing more about this card, the total graphics memory that is available is up to 1340 MB, for a 32bit system which has 3 GB of RAM and about 1759 MB for a 64 bit system which has 4 GB of RAM. The memory type of this graphics card is shared. Hence, looking at these jaw dropping numbers, all the gaming fanatics should definitely buy the Satellite L550.
Face Recognition:
Of late, a few of the manufacturers are providing the face recognition feature for their laptops in particular. This strengthens your security since there is nothing like the password setting system and then the leakage of that password so that your files are open for access to all those who open the computer. From now onwards, your face is the key to open your computer. This is a very useful facility. First of all, you need to register your face with the software that is pre installed in the computer. Only one face can be registered and stored at a time. Overall, your computer is now safer than ever before, that is unless you have a twin sibling.
Wi-Fi:
Wi-Fi is now a compulsory feature for all laptops as it has become very popular as well as useful. Even though this is a pretty common feature that you will see on every laptop, the Satellite L550 features an integrated WLAN card that is capable of detecting even the slightest of signals so that you can easily access any wireless hotspot. The connectivity is also very strong with excellent signal strength which means that even video chatting and calling can be done with pretty good speed. Chatting with your pals and sharing files like pictures and videos has never been easier and the Satellite L550 provides special options when it comes to sharing files. Hence, leave the mess of wires and cables and plunge into the wireless world.
Software Bundle:
The Satellite L550-1CC Notebook Computer comes with a huge software package; so huge for a package that you will not be able to carry it if it consisted of hardware instead. Such is the software abundance. Here is a list of all the special software provided by Toshiba: Toshiba Disc Creator, Face Recognition software, Toshiba Photo Service, The manual, Toshiba Assist, Supervisor Password Utility software, Microsoft Student, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Works, Wild Tangent Games Console, Connectivity Doctor, Toshiba Drivers and Utilities, Google Pack comprising Google Toolbar, iGoogle, Google Picasa, ConfigFree, Toshiba Recovery Media Creator, McAfee Total Internet Security which includes free updates for 30 days, Toshiba Accessibility, Flash Cards, Toshiba DVD player, Toshiba Button Support, PC Diagnosing Tool, Toshiba Power Saver, Components Common Drover, Toshiba Zooming Utility, Toshiba Value added package, and Chicony Camera Assistant software. Some of these are pre installed in the computer while the others come inside a software CD package and they have to be installed separately by the users.
Ease in Usability:
Easy Usability is a special package of the wonderful features provided by Toshiba in the Satellite L550. It comprises Control Buttons, LED backlighting, Eco utility, Smart display support, Toshiba LifeSpace, McAfee Total Internet Security, Touch pad with multi touch control, Toshiba TEMPRO Performance tuning service, and PC health monitor. All these aforementioned special features make the Satellite L550 a very unique and one of the best user friendly and user accessible laptops ever.
Security:
In order to provide you and your computer ultimate security, Toshiba has taken a few steps by introducing a few security features. They are the supervisor password, which can be set by the computer administrator, Face recognition software, about which we have already discussed, HDD password on request which means you can set passwords for specific files and folders, user password, which is a very common feature and you will find this on every computer in the world, and last but not the least, a slot for Kensington Cable slot. All these features protect your computer from data losses.
Special Features:
Toshiba is always reckoned to be a provider of extra special features especially when it comes to its laptops. Here, in this case, the special features that can be found on the satellite L550 are: SM BIOS compliant, integrated VGA Web Camera for Video over IP, integrated microphone for Voice over IP, 4 mechanical Control Buttons (Mute, Play/Pause, Forward, Rewind), HD Audio support, Enhanced Intel® SpeedStep® Technology, and ENERGY STAR qualified computer. Another important thing to be noticed here is that the Toshiba Satellite L550 is in compliance with the demands of the pertinent European Directives towards CE marking.
Hence, it has been such a long list of features that everybody will feel tired of reading but at the same time, feel happy to have it.
Performance:
The Toshiba Satellite L550 is already a wonderful computer to have at your home, with all the wondrous design and fantastic features. Now, imagine what if the performance of the Satellite L550 is on par with the best in the business. Doesn’t that sound great to you?
Picture and Sound Performance:
As we have already seen, the Satellite L550 17.3 inch Laptop Notebook comes with a solid display technology. Now, this technology in association with a great processor and a very good graphics card provides you very splendid performance. The pictures are great on the Satellite L550’ screen and it is ideal for watching movies and playing high end games. Both these are never better on any other laptop in the history because, imagine watching movies on such a big and qualitative screen like that of the Satellite L550. It is really entertaining and it is a commendable effort put in by Toshiba. Talking about the audio system and its performance, the Satellite L550 comes with built in stereo audio speakers that support a 24 bit audio format. The sound system has been greatly improved by Toshiba and the Satellite L550 features the Toshiba Bass Enhanced sound system, which provides excellent acoustics and the sound system complements the videos and games very well. Hence, you will not be harried by frequent audio and video troubles.
Interfaces:
Interfaces decide the connectivity range of a computer and perhaps none other than Toshiba knew it better. This is because you will find a lot of ports or interfaces on all sides of the Satellite L550, which is very good sign since the more the interfaces, the better the connectivity. Here is a list of all the connectivity ports: 2 x USB 2.0, 1 x external monitor,1 x external microphone, 1 x headphone stereo, 1 x eSATA / USB 2.0, 1 x integrated VGA Web Camera with built-in microphone, 1 x RJ-45, 1 x DC-in, Multi Media Card up to 2 GB, 1 x 4-in-1 Bridge Media slot, SD Cards up to 16 GB supported , Memory Stick up to 256 MB compatible , Memory Stick Pro up to 2 GB compatible. Hence, these connectivity options enhance the range of usability of the Satellite L550. You may not find so many features on any other laptop. Again, the main reason behind providing so many ports is because the Satellite L550 is kind of a replacement to desktop computer.
Battery:
Toshiba satellite L550 uses a lithium ion battery as usual. According to the tests conducted by Mobile Mark, the battery life of the laptop is considered to be very good. On an average, the Satellite L550 has a maximum battery life for a period of 3 hours and 15 minutes. The exact life depends upon individual usage of the laptop and also the functioning of the different features that are mentioned already. Using the power saver option also enhances the battery life significantly. An autosensing AC power adapter is also provided for worldwide usage, which can be used at both 100 V and 240 V. The adapter features are: an output voltage of 19 V and an output current of about 3.95 A.
Warranty:
Toshiba offers parts and labour warranty to the Satellite L550 for a period of about of one year from the original date of purchase. This particular warranty is called the EMEA carry in. Toshiba announced that it also is offering an array of sundry services in order in extend the warranty service in an indirect manner. Even after the official warranty period is over, you can still avail different offers put up by Toshiba. For further details, visit the official website of Toshiba.
Verdict:
For many years, there was not a single laptop that could replace a desktop computer. At last, Toshiba has done it by introducing the Satellite L550. Beautifully engineered, this latest laptop from Toshiba has beaten its rivals regarding the design. Along with that, it has got one of the best features and they are also more in number than on most other laptops. They all are pretty useful to even the hoi polloi. Special attractions like the Toshiba Bulletin Board and Toshiba ReelTime only make the scene better.
The Satellite L550 is also one of the best performing computers in the world today, powered by the latest technology such as the processor and graphics accelerator. Toshiba is also regarded as one of the manufacturers who receive the least number of complaints. You may feel that the price of the Satellite L550 is a bit high for a laptop, but if you compare it with the price of the average desktop computer, you will find that it is really very affordable. Hence, if you need a desktop now and you have less space for it, you need not hesitate to place your order for the Satellite L550.
Check other Toshiba Laptops Reviews in this website.
Toshiba Satellite L550-1CC Laptop – Technical Specification Table
| Manufacturer | Toshiba |
| Model Name | Toshiba Satellite |
| Series | L550 1CC |
| DIMENSIONS AND DISPLAY | |
| Dimensions ( W x D x H) | 416.2 x 272.3 x 36.3 mm |
| Weight | 3 kg |
| Available colours | Silver Grey |
| Display type | TFT LCD display with LED backlit |
| Display size | 17.3 inch |
| Display resolution | 1600 x 900 pixel resolution |
| PROCESSOR, MEMORY, STORAGE | |
| Processor type | Intel Pentium T4400 |
| Clock speed | 2.20 GHz |
| Second level Cache | 1MB |
| Front Bus Speed | 800 MHz |
| RAM installed | 4GB |
| RAM type | DDR3 RAM |
| Max RAM Supported | Yes |
| WLAN Standard | 802.11b/g/n |
| Installed Memory | 4 GB |
| Maximum Memory Supported | 8 GB |
| Hard drive size | 500 GB |
| Spindle speed | 5400rpm |
| DVD Super Multi drive (Double Layer) | Compatibility : CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD-R(DL), DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+R(DL), DVD+RW, DVD-RAM Maximum speed : Read: 24x CD-ROM, 8x DVD-ROM/ Write: 24x CD-R, 4x CD-RW, 10x HS CD-RW, 24x US CD-RW, 8x DVD-R, 6x DVD-R (Double Layer), 6x DVD-RW, 8x DVD+R, 6x DVD+R (Double Layer), 8x DVD+RW, 5x DVD-RAM type : DVD Super Multi (Double Layer) drive |
| INPUT | |
| Keyboard | 105 keys |
| Track pad | Normal Touch Pad with multi touch control |
| GRAPHICS, VIDEO AND SOUND | |
| Graphics adaptor | Intel® GMA 4500M |
| Speaker Details | Built-in stereo speakers 24 bit audio |
| COMMUNICATION FEATURES | |
| Wireless | Compliancy : Wi-Fi® Network Support : 802.11b/g Wireless Technology : Wireless LAN |
| Memory card reader | 4-in-1 card reader |
| CONNECTIVITY | 1 x DC-in 1 x external monitor 1 x RJ-45 1 x external microphone 1 x headphone (stereo) 1 x integrated VGA Web Camera with built-in microphone 1 x 4-in-1 Bridge Media slot (supports SD™ Cards up to 16 GB, Memory Stick® up to 256 MB, Memory Stick Pro™ up to 2 GB and Multi Media Card™ up to 2 GB) 1 (Left) x eSATA/USB 2.0 2 (Right 2) x USB 2.0 |
| SOFTWARE | Toshiba Disc Creator, Toshiba User’s Manual, Supervisor Password Utility, Toshiba Assist, Chicony Camera Assistant software, Toshiba DVD Player, Toshiba Face Recognition Microsoft® Works, Microsoft® Office Home and Student 2007 (free 60-day trial), Toshiba Value Added Package (Toshiba Power Saver, Toshiba Zooming Utility, Toshiba PC Diagnostic Tool, Toshiba Flash Cards, Toshiba Components Common Driver, Toshiba Accessibility, Toshiba Button Support) McAfee® Internet Security (includes free Internet updates for 30 days), Wild Tangent Games Console, Toshiba Photo Service, Toshiba Recovery Media Creator, Google Pack (Google Toolbar, iGoogle, Google Picasa), Connectivity Doctor, ConfigFree™ Toshiba utilities and drivers |
| Operating System | Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 32 / 64 bit |
| Office package | Microsoft Works with Office Home |
| PC type | Laptop Computer |
| Security features | supervisor password HDD password on request user password slot for Kensington Cable Lock |
| Special features | SM BIOS compliant integrated microphone for Voice over IP HD Audio support 4 mechanical Control Buttons (Mute, Play/Pause, Forward, Rewind) ENERGY STAR qualified computer integrated VGA Web Camera for Video over IP Enhanced Intel® SpeedStep® Technology |
| BATTERY | |
| Battery technology | Lithium Ion battery |
| Battery life | 3.25 hours |
| WARRANTY | One-year limited Warranty |
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