Toshiba - Satellite 15.6" Laptop - AMD A8-Series - 4GB Memory - 1TB Hard Drive - Jet Black

I needed a replacement for a 2007 Toshiba Satellite running Vista on a Windows network. Ergo, my needs are very modest: Skype, DVD/CD burning, Netflix, word processing and lots of storage. This will stay at home, so I'm not shopping for durability or portability. A8 processor, 4GB ram and a 1TB drive for mid $300's had me at hello. Materials are cheap, black matte plastic, but for the price, I didn't expect Mg or Al surfaces. The keyboard isn't as solid as my old machine, but no deal-breaker; it's full sized with a separate number key. The touch pad seems to miss more often compared to my old machine, but since I disabled the swipe-from-the-right charm access, it is a little more dependable. Screen is nice, wide and bright, but the speakers are tinny and shallow sounding. Win 8.1 can't decide if it is a tablet or a desktop OS, but since the B5214 doesn't have a touchscreen, the main interface is the desktop when I'm working. Setup was very smooth onto my network, and the bloat-wear was limited to a game suite, some token MS apps and some typical cheese. Thankfully, they were easy to uninstall. I chose the free Webroot option, and the virus protection barely takes up any resources. Worthy accessories to make up for the shortcomings: decent set of headphones and a BT trackball. For the money, you can't beat the storage and processors, and if your needs are few, this is a steal.

Polly Positives -Overall I am very satisfied with this laptop. -Keyboard has a nice feel and is quite responsive, rarely hit the wrong key etc. No backlight, but unless you're sitting in a pitch black room there's no need. The track pad the same, smooth to the touch and very smooth scrolling. -Video is pretty impressive and very suitable for Youtube/Netflix etc. -Processing speed of this laptop is not an issue at all, even with SEVERAL Chrome Tabs open. -Battery life is pretty average, 3-4hrs on heavy use. -Battery pack cable is pretty long so that's handy if you're far away from a plug. -HDMI and USB plugs all work adequately and are well designed. Negative Nancy's -Sound is adequate, but not superb. -Windows 8... I'm coming from Windows Vista so it was quite a different experience... I wouldn't say I LOVE Windows 8, but I'm adjusting to it. (sorry to be add this in, I know it has no direct relation on THIS particular laptop's as all laptops now a days have upgraded to Windows 8. -Wifi Network Adaptor. HERE is my biggest issue... It keeps dropping my internet connection. It's hit or miss but it periodically goes to Limited and I have to use the Troubleshoot feature to reconnect. I know it's the laptop as all of our other devices are active on the network and are using the connection just fine. (Two Sony Z1's smartphones, a Sony Laptop and two tablets. Never have drop issues...) So I am still trying to figure out what the issue is. OVERALL VERDICT. For the price, this laptop is a no brainer. I paid $349 in October 2014 in Florida and it replaced an old 2005 Toshiba Satellite laptop. Toshiba makes great laptops and they have continued this tradition with this beauty!

As the default IT guy in our small but growing office I've actually picked up 3 of these laptops. They do everything our team needs and don't get bogged down easily. If what you're looking for is a solid machine for Office and web based applications this is a great buy for the money. I wouldn't give it the full 5 stars because it does feel a little cheap when you actually use it as a stand alone machine. The trackpad and mouse buttons annoy me a little and the case feels a little thin. Since we use them with a separate keyboard, mouse and additional monitor the feel isn't an issue for me.

This is a great budget laptop. It offers more than most laptops for the price. At first it was a bit slow. This can easily be fixed by changing the power settings. For some reason when the computer is on balanced power mode it automatically decreases the wifi range. once this is sorted, the computer becomes much faster and more intuitive. It is also important to note that the AMD is relatively easy to overclock. A major draw back is the track pad is absolutely rubbish, and the keyboard flexes a bit when you type. Also the dvd/rw drive is a bit clunky. It is important to note that THIS IS NOT A GAMER LAPTOP as such you should not expect it to perform like one. It is great for your every day tasks.

Nice laptop with the exception of a sticky, freezing mouse. Fast boot up. Works great in spite of windows 8. I have begun using an optical mouse with it. I really like it. I installed classic shell which helped a lot. This is a nice laptop all in all. Hopefully your mouse will function as it should.

I have always been a fan of Toshiba! I had one before this one that lasted for 7 years and is still going. It might be slow blow but still works! Which is why I bought a new one! I love it and it was a great price when I got it! Look forward to another 7 more years hopefully!

I originally purchased a cheaper laptop from the information supplied by this website, and due to the website having the wrong info about the other laptop Best buy upgraded me to this one. this laptop is average speed, major con: Touchpad is poor and not responsive though this may be another windows 8 downfall. compared to other laptops, this one is average which for Toshiba is sad because they were top quality. for basic pc needs i would recommend this laptop.

constant problem with green screen appearing on Netflix/ Have attempted to have Toshiba support fix this problem, and, guess what, two days later, green screen is back. Also on some facebook videos and utube videos. I like the computer, but I will bring it back if this problem is no resolved, I am too tired to go though the rigamorle of false fixes. Latest suggestion was to reboot if green screen appeared. I did and it did nothing. I have the green screen back after spending much time with tosihiba support spinning my wheelos.