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25 of 28 found the following review helpful:
 5 Stars Jul 28, 2010
By Steve
I just recieved this laptop today. Didn't know that this laptop would be so big. I've been researching which laptop to purchase and I came across this one. I've had previous laptops from alienware, dell, apple, ibm thinkpad, etc. This laptop is by far one of the best, jaw droppingly beautiful, extremely fast, laptops ever.
The design of this laptop is superb with black and red all over the place. The illuminated keyboard makes everything clearly visible and not to mention super fast with 4 gigs of ram. Upon first boot, it gave me some errors about lan ethernet not being connected by it was easily fixed when i jumped into system bios and change the setting.
The weight of this laptop needs some getting used to because it is 11 lbs. It is a bit on the heavy side. Also, I was a little hesistant because it came with only 500gigz of hdd space but after feeling the speed and seeing the size of the 18" 1080p HD display, I'd say it was worth it.
The Harmon Kardon speakers are super crisp sounding and the touch music buttons on the left side of the keyboard makes playing media easy. The best thing about this laptop is that it comes with a numeric keypad that most laptops do not come with to save space. I use the numeric keypad alot daily. This is a key reason I chose this beast, for speed and the keyboard layout. All the extras that it comes with made my decision clear.
If your looking to replace a desktop but want a big display with superb quality and decent size with a numeric keypad, this is definately one of the laptops you should consider.
15 of 16 found the following review helpful:
A mobile and small studio music production workhorse Sep 27, 2010
By Elteto
Toshiba has always been a laptop innovator, and the Qosmio line continues that tradition. This review focuses on music production use of this laptop, but the issues mentioned are probably applicable to various uses.
PROS:
-Tested with great results for 64 bit Cockos Reaper 3.69 and Propellerhead Reason 5, individually AND in ReWire mode, and for 64 bit EastWest Quantum Leap Play instruments. Solid performance with multiple VST instruments, effects, and even real-time mastering at the same time.
-If a musician debated whether to buy a Mac or a Windows laptop, he or she should consider that this model has more power and features for much less money than the top-of-the-line (or even a comparable) MacBook Pro costs. Unless a musician used Logic, considering that all other major digital audio workstation software titles are available for Windows, this one would be a better deal.
-Shopping around, a musician would notice that other laptops MAY have a 1080p screen, i7 processor, Blu-Ray drive, FireWire port, ExpressCard port, eSATA port, GigaBit LAN, but he or she would be hard pressed to find all those features in ONE laptop. This model has them all.
-Perfect for musicians who want horsepower in the studio, but also want it available to them on the road. With the connection options for eSATA (for fast streaming sample libraries); FireWire, ExpressCard, or USB2 ports for professional audio interfaces; four cores for real-time effects processing; and large enough screen for effective work in a digital audio workstation; this laptop can easily be even the main production machine of a home studio.
-64 bit Windows provides more speed, memory support and power for resource-hungry music applications. As sample libraries these days exponentially grow in size, the support for 8GB maximum memory is useful.
-7200 RPM hard drive makes load and save times noticeably faster. There is also the option to add an additional hard drive inside the machine, providing more ways to carry sample libraries and not burden the operating system drive with continuous sample streaming.
-The built-in sound card supports 24 bit, 96 kHz audio, so even if a musician did not want to set up the machine and start plugging in audio interfaces, he or she would be able to work on a project without having to change sample and resolution rates. This sound card can also be used simultaneously with an external audio interface, perfect for cueing, previewing in live situations or while doing DJ work.
-There is a VGA port for projectors or older monitors, AND a HDMI port to attach another 1080p monitor, providing even more Windows desktop space for music production. A musician can have the project window open on the laptop screen, with the effects and library browsers on the secondary screen. The HDMI port also supports audio, so the machine can be connected to a home theater system as well.
-The ExpressCard/54 port allows for more expansion options, however, the actual connection end only supports 34 mm cards. (There are many of those "L" shaped "fake" 54 mm cards out there.)
-If a band wants to home-produce a music video, there is plenty of power to run a more serious video editing suite, and the dual-screen option makes it even more effective.
-Non-music applications: it has plenty of graphics power for gaming, and it will certainly run office, Internet, and communications applications fast enough (it has a built-in camera). (Yes, it will do acceptably at Solitaire, too.)
-The built-in speakers have enough volume and range for playing background music or quick demos in a conference, or watching movies while doing other activities and not wanting to plug in headphones or connect to a sound system.
CONS:
-Weight: it is definitely not a netbook someone would want to carry around wedged between books and papers, in a purse, small bag or school backpack.
-Size: many electronics stores do not even carry bags for this large laptops. (Just check the Web, of course.)
-8GB maximum memory may be still not be enough for some very large sound samples: limited future-proofing.
-The media control keys on the left side of the keyboard are easy to accidentally hit while typing, and they emit a rather loud and sharp beep.
-The built-in sound card emits high-pitched noise at high volumes and a slight buzz when the machine goes to sleep. Not critical, though, and an external audio interface will eliminate the problem.
-On the subject of audio: this one specific model came with the sound card set to 44.1 kHz sample rate, and due to the rate mismatch, all audio sounds digitally crushed. It is NOT a defect, just a quick setting change! Right-click on the speaker icon in the notification area (system tray), select "Playback devices", then right click on the icon for the default sound card, select "Properties", then the "Advanced" tab. Change the bit rate to 24, and the sample rate to at least 48000 Hz.
-The power supply is large and heavy. The power consumption also makes it difficult to find car charging solutions from manufacturers of universal chargers.
-While battery life is still surprisingly impressive considering the features, it is not much if inspiration suddenly strikes and a musician wants to pull the laptop out and work in some random public establishment with no public power sockets available.
-Flat keyboard makes keys less distinctive for fast typing. An external keyboard for home/studio use is recommended.
-In certain tasks, such as CD audio extraction, the Blu-ray drive speed tested slower than even some portable, USB-powered DVD-only players.
-Toshiba has made better touch pads on some of its other models.
-There WERE a few "blue screens of death" on the first day of use during network operations and while accessing media files, but strangely (and luckily), not a single crash while running multiple digital audio workstations and using sample streaming simultaneously. Even multiple plug-ins, samples, and real-time mastering effects sailed smoothly with the four i7 cores.
-Bloatware: cannot escape it on pre-built machines. It takes some time to find and turn background leech applications off.
-The fourth USB port is an eSATA/USB combo, and as many devices a musician may want to attach to the machine, suddenly those ports do not seem to be enough. (Example: an eSATA extarnal drive for samples, an audio interface, a mouse, a music keyboard... that is it, no more ports.) An additional USB hub is a must for musicians.
In conclusion, the cons seem to be in most cases rather of the convenience or cosmetics types, and they do not seriously detract from the value of this laptop. The Q888 is a worthy studio machine replacement for home or small studios, with the option to quickly watch movies, surf the Web, or play online death matches while taking a break from producing music.
16 of 20 found the following review helpful:
 Anyone thinking of buying a Qosmio Feb 07, 2011
By BP
Let me begin by saying I have been a Toshiba laptop customer for 11 years now, and over that span of time I have owned 4 laptops, 3 of them would be considered high end model's. (Model's as follows: Satellite 5202-S703, Qosmio G25-AV513, Qosmio G45-AV680, and Qosmio x505-880) I had experience some problems in the past with some of the machines, but to Toshiba' credit they resolved them to my satisfaction even after having to send in one of their models for repair. Overall I have been a relatively happy Toshiba customer.
This is a review is about the Qosmio x505-880 model.
I ordered the Qosmio x505-880 on 12/9/09. I received my laptop on Wed, Feb 10, 2010 at 1:58 PM (2 months later). After opening and setting up the laptop, I notice that it would shut down intermittently and restart. I immediately contacted customer support who tried brief troubleshoots. They quickly realized that it was a hardware issue, and generated a return procedure and I shipped back my new $2300.00 laptop. Toshiba shipped me out a new laptop on Tue, Mar 9, 2010 at 7:45 AM (4 months after my initial purchase). The months following, the Qosmio x505-880 worked without any problems, the only concerning observations was the design placement of the AC adapter power cord input which was on the ride side of the laptop, so if you are right handed and use your mouse on the right side you are bothered by the obstruction of the power cord. The only other disappointment was the volume, even with Windows sound mixer at maximum it seemed a little low. Otherwise I found the laptop to perform as expected.
The problem began 4 months ago (around October of 2010) when I noticed it started to shut itself off intermittently as did the first Qosmio x505-880 that I received. I decided to monitor it and see if there was any improvement after I updated the bios and Windows 7 OS updates. Unfortunately, this did not resolve the issue but the problem became progressively worse. I contacted Toshiba's customer service who walked me through some troubleshooting procedures, this however did not resolve the problem. The Toshiba representative generated a return ticket to have it sent to their repair depot this was done on Mon, Dec 27, 2010 at 11:17 AM.
So far as of Monday, February 07, 2011, I have yet to receive my Qosmio x505-880 or an expected repair and return date. I contacted the customer support person who appeared mildly interested but responded by saying that currently Toshiba internal procedures was experiencing some upgrades so that they were not able to speak with the repair depot regarding the laptop repair status and that he would not be able to help me. I appreciated him initiating my speaking to a case manager, which is where things became more difficult. She mention that she was "sorry for any inconvenience" but after she emailed the repair depot that there was "nothing else that she could do for me", and that I "should call her back in 24 to 48 hours" I asked if there was someone else that I could speak with and her reply was "no" and that "she was the highest authority that Toshiba would allow me to correspond with". I then asked if there was someone like a district or regional customer care manager that I could email, to which she replied "they don't have the time to respond to customers". Her idea of resolving my concerns was to call her back in a couple of days (even though she would not leave me her extension number so I guess I would have to find her through the phone tree). I pointed out that I was left unsatisfied after this experience. Her reply was "she apologized for the inconvenience and that there was nothing more that she could do".
Since I shopped and purchased Qosmio x505-880 beginning on 12/9/09, I have only had a problem free working computer for around 6 months and out of the two that I have had both of them were faulty. A small piece of irony, I recommend the Qosmio to my closest friend, he bought a Qosmio x505-895s and hasn't had any problems.
7 of 8 found the following review helpful:
 Toshiba Qosmio X505-Q888 pretty good for the price if not for hardware failure Sep 18, 2010
By Dakusan
A full refund was issued upon confirmed hardware failure by Amazon (otherwise a restocking fee is applied). It was sent out immediately and received within 1 day.
Pros:
* Huge 18.4" monitor
Cons:
* The reason I was forced to return it was the monitor went bad in less than a week. The monitor would sometimes turn on after boot or a resolution change, but would always turn back off within 5 seconds. During the short spurts it was on, the colors were way off on half the screen. I did a lot of tests using an external monitor to try and fix the problem, but determined it was an unfixable hardware issue.
* Media/control buttons were located on the left side of the keyboard. They were touch sensitive buttons that were way too easy to trigger accidentally. Simply relaxing my left hand usually caused it to brush and trigger one of the pseudo-buttons. (Could be fixed via a piece of software that required either a double tap, or a prolonged hold, to trigger the keys)
* The power cord disconnected way too easily. It probably averaged coming out of the power slot about 3 times an hour with little movement of the laptop.
* It had very bad overheating problems consistently, but especially when playing games. I believe this might have caused the failure of the monitor.
* The speakers would cause the volume to fluctuate very randomly so music was always distorted as it increased and decreased in volume every few second or so.
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
Toshiba does NOT warranty KEYBOARDS May 21, 2011
By Will Flanery
I bought this computer last summer. It claims to come with a 1 year warranty.
Not long after I got it, one of the keys started popping off the keyboard, and eventually wouldn't stay on at all.
I called Toshiba and was denied warranty service because they don't cover keyboards! Even if it's clearly NOT physically abused!
Be warned; this Qosmio is much more flimsy and lower quality than my previous Qosmio (AV-600). The entire screen flexes badly (or quite well, depending how you look at it...).
Also, the speakers are less than half as loud as my older Qosmio. It is difficult to hear videos if the room is not silent.
This computer is poorly constructed and Toshiba's customer service is horrible. I'm very disappointed and will NOT be buying another Toshiba product.
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