Rating: 
Summary: Good but not the best in this price range
Review: There are two very comparable notebooks close enough in price to call a tie: the Compaq Presario 1525US and the Toshiba Satellite 1905-S303. On paper they look very similar: 2.4 GHz Pentium 4, 512MB RAM, 40GB hard drive, 15" screen, ATI Radeon graphics chipset (AKA M6-P). However a closer look gives the Compaq a slight edge.Screen: Both 15" but the Toshiba is 1024-by-768 pixels while the 1280-by-1024 pixels. To your eyes the Compaq will be sharper because there are more and smaller dots on the screen. This matters a lot more than you might think (the Compaq is much easier on the eyes). Weight: The Toshiba is 8.3 pounds, while the Compaq is 7.0 pounds. While neither is a lightweight, you will notice that extra 1.3 pounds if you carry your notebook around a lot. On other issues they are pretty much the same: great for any use other than high-end 3D games (very few notebooks are). Both are a little power hungry and don't have the best battery life (2-3 hours of good use). For more than that you need to spend a bit more on a notebook using a true P4-M processor (hands down the best notebook CPU ever made but it cost more). However these are very powerful mobile desktops that work great for those who have their notebooks plugged in most places they go. These machines will handle high-end computing tasks for many years to come, but the Compaq wins by virtue of its superior display.
Rating: 
Summary: My Last Toshiba
Review: There's an old saying... you get what you pay for. This is DEFINITELY the case with the Satellite 1905-S303. WE've had the computer for about a year and a half now with nothing but trouble. Here's a run down: - Very Noisy Fan
- Laptop runs HOT HOT HOT! even with proper ventilation
- Periodically shuts down without warning (I think due to heat)
- After a year, the batter life is abysmal (less than 60 minutes)
- Very weighty & big
- Poor placement of cooling fan; if you try to use the laptop on your lap, you often block the cooling fan causing a crash due to heat
- Screen: if you have something really bright or really dark on the screen, you can sometimes see dark lines running up the screen from the light/dark area.
- Awful power managment; 90% of the time the battery dies w/out any warning to plug in
- WORST TECH SUPPORT EVER!!! We bought the 36 hour guaranteed turn around support. First time we sent it in for support, they "lost" the computer for a week. I lost a job b/c I didn't have my computer back in time for the demo. When they finally found it, but returned it untouched saying there weren't any problems (even though it regularly dies). Do yourself a favor... buy Dell. This is the LAST Toshiba I'll ever buy.
Rating:
Summary: Very poor Toshiba, I will not buy this Brand!!
Review: This damn machine alway crash without any warning and cannot boot after that. I have to try all the ways to cool it (including with ice!!) to make it boot again. Strongly against this damn machine.
Rating: 
Summary: Even better -- great value
Review: This model has more connections (usb, cat 5, tel, and more) than last year's toshibas. It needs no additional ram and has plenty of power. It truly can serve as a desktop replacement. Toshiba is also a highly durable brand. My other satellite has seen many a business and business/family trip. It has been a desktop on the road and a dvd player for my young ones while driving. I had a Dell, but it was cheap and could not hold up. I will never go back to D-hell. Only complaint: it needs a DVD writer, but that would bump up the cost. There is no better deal I could find,
Rating:
Summary: Best of all possible worlds
Review: This product contains the best of all possible worlds. Fast, powerful and capable of almost anything you would throw at it, but without the price tag that can stop a heart. I found this laptop to be comfortable, and a nice trasition for someone who has always been desktop bound. This computer is defintely worth a look.
Rating:
Summary: Am very pleased, but ....
Review: This Toshiba is my sixth laptop - first and fourth were Compaqs (loaned to fellow co-workers), second a WinBook (poorest quality of all 6 and bad experience with company), third an iBook (stolen!) and fifth a ProStar (a wonderful machine - also loaned to a co-worker). This Toshiba is the best of the bunch with the iBook running a close second. Overall I am very happy to finally have a machine that acts as a full desktop replacement at a reasonable price. I upgraded it to XP Pro after downloading the drivers from Toshiba and it works like a charm (except for one thing ... see below). I have yet to try to put Mandrake 9.0 on it for dual OS availability. For myself I have only had three complaints with the laptop. 1.)The first is a minor one that I had to laugh at when it came in the mail - the laptop is a dark, midnight BLUE. Not black, as I had expected, somehow. :) Oh well! 2.)The second, though, is a bit more problematic, and that is bound up with the LAN module (it is made by Intel). I have found it very "hit-and-miss" with regards to connecting to networks via ethernet cable and cable modem broadband connections. As far as I can tell, it works best with a short distance cable from the gateway, dns server, etc. When I had that in place (going through a switch) everything worked fine ... but away from that it has been touchy. Perhaps this is only particular to my laptop, though. But ... prospective buyers should be aware. :) It could just be my bad luck but it could also be a poor choice for a LAN module on Toshiba's part. Of course one can always get a pcmcia LAN card for ... or so ... so if a problem it is not irreplaceable! By the way, if you do upgrade the machine to XP Pro via clean install the driver for the LAN module is available from Intel's website (version 6.4 or something). The only driver on Toshiba's download/support page for this laptop is for W2K. It doesn't work with XP, although it will install itself. The driver available on Intel's website is what they ship the XP Home package with. 3.)The third (small!) complaint is with the ATI M6 video chip. I use an external monitor (for use a 1280x1024 full page layout in QuarkXPress) and found that the color images the video port threw onto it were of a slightly washed out quality. The graphics on the laptop display itself, though, are stunning. I have absolutely no complaints with that! If you are just going to use an external monitor for functions where color accuracy is not an issue (like in page layout without embedded color images - we use mostly black and white anyway) then there should be no problem with this small drawback. If you are .... Other notes: the weight is not a big problem for me personally, nor is size ... one can simply purchase a bag to fit this 15" screen laptop into for a very reasonable price most anywahere - although why a user would not purchase a hard case is beyond me. :) Even if it is a little heavier I am the sort that is willing to endure a little discomfort to protect my investment. I am also the sort that likes to get the longest possible warranties on things though. Also: I have not been disappointed with the sound much, but perhaps I haven't been around the really rich multimedia oriented laptops previous to today? The lack of a ps/2 port was not a problem for me personally as I was already using usb keyboards and mice. If you need a ps/2 keyboard or mouse in pre-boot applications the laptop's own built-in keyboard and touchpad work fine. Once again, though, overall I am very satisfied with this wonderful machine (we are going to wireless networking soon anyway!) and would recommend it's being bought to others.
Rating: 
Summary: I thought I was making an informed decision...
Review: Well, I am hoping that my experience is just one of those things. I did a lot of research and asked a lot of questions before purchasing my first notebook. Toshiba was recommended 5 to 1. However, after spending less than 4 hours on my notebook, and while writing a MAJOR grant for our non-profit agency, the Toshiba Satellite 1905-S303 failed me. The CD-ROM/DVD-ROM stopped working. Actually, the system no longer recognized it. Then, after spending over a hour on the phone with service, I started getting fatal errors. Now, I either have to send the item in or take it to a local authorized dealer...which, will have to wait until January, since the repair shop is too busy! I will give it one more chance and then it may be back to the drawing board. So, for now it is back to my 4 year-old desktop computer, which keeps on ticking...just like Timex! Update on the problem...the machine was poorly built! The soldering job was horrible and caused the machine to short(internally) and literally frying the guts of the machine. I was told I was lucky I didn't have a fire. I am having this re-built by an authorized dealer, rather than replacing with a new machine. If I received a replacement from Amazon or Toshiba, I could end up with the same problems. Hopefully I will be back on line with a "new" machine soon.
Rating:
Summary: A powerful notebook with flaws
Review: When I bought it, it had a good price/benefit relation. But it has a video driver problem that Toshiba couldn't solve until now. It crashes every hour. I do not recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Unbelievable value and performance
Review: When shopping for my new laptop, I was looking for a sturdy desktop replacement system. I use my laptop constantly; it goes with me to client sites every day, and if it's not with me in the car, it's fired up on my desk.
This thing is FAST, and the display is beautiful. The speakers are a little disappointing after the JBL Pro speakers in my old Compaq, but that's really a small gripe. The keyboard feels good, I like the feedback panel on the front (it actually gives useful info, although the lack of a battery meter is annoying). I thought I'd find the system to be comparatively bulky, but it's not too bad (it's heavier than my old system by about a pound). Another small gripe with the keyboard is the placement of the "delete" key and the ` (backtick/ ~ ). They are on either side of the spacebar, which is taking some getting used to as I use those keys a lot (I'm a Linux/ Unix consultant).
I do a fair amount of processor intensive work (program compiles etc.), as well as some graphics (Gimp and Blender 3d rendering) work, so the video engine is also important. I like that the 1905 has 16Mb of actual, dedicated DDR Vram. The most important factor in making my decision was that the system has standard componentry. I use Linux exclusively, and I had a nightmare getting Linux (specifically XFree86) to run when I purchased my old Compaq due to issues with video drivers etc..
I did a LOT of research before I bought the Toshiba, and I was gratified to see that everything worked under Linux (Mandrake 9.0) out of the box! XFree86 and KDE3 are a thing to see when running at 1280x1024 resolution. The only thing that I haven't gotten running yet is the AMR modem (a new type of Winmodem), although there is a project developing a driver for it. In addition, the system uses acpi instead of APM, which is a consideration under Linux (it's only supported under the newest kernels).
I've seen a few reviews about this model getting hot on your lap, but I haven't experienced that at all; in fact, it runs MUCH cooler on my lap than my old Compaq Celeron was. All in all, I'm more than satisfied with the system, and for the price, it was a steal!
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