New Portege Z830

[GloryField]

I made the recovery on USB drive, it didn't take too long. Now another question: if I restore using this, would it wipe all my personal files/passwords etc from the laptop?

[uniten]

I made the recovery on USB drive, it didn't take too long. Now another question: if I restore using this, would it wipe all my personal files/passwords etc from the laptop?

um..maybe... it will obviously wipe the files and everything. but by maybe I mean when data is erased, it is not really erased...it depends on the procedure on the utility.

When I gave my Series 9 back, i manually deleted all my files, did a wipe on all empty space. Then did a factory reset. Then another wipe on empty space. Then took a text file and expanded it to fill up the entire hard drive. then another factory reset. lol...

[heavyharmonies]

I stopped by Best Buy after work and after a few minutes of playing I just had to buy one. This thing is SWEET!

Random musings in no particular order:

It reminds me of the Sony Vaio X series I used to own, but with balls.

The i3 and SSD combination is quite snappy. I think that some people get hung up on numerical benchmarks, looking at the sustained read/write numbers, forgetting that the biggest advantage of an SSD in a lappy is the access time.

It's not as nimble as my Vaio Z, but I wouldn't it expect to be (i5, three 64GB SSDs in RAID 0, discrete graphics), and I've been looking for something lighter to take on the road since I'm using the Z as a second desktop with an external 28" monitor.

I don't understand the complaints about the Toshiba's appearance. It doesn't have racing stripes or Hello Kitty skins, but the brushed silver is quite attractive. I like it.

Considerably lighter in feel than both the Samsung 9 and Asus UX31 that Best Buy also had... and for quite a bit less money.

The screen is no worse than other glossy screens I've used... I do wish it was matte though.

Facial recognition software is craptacular. I gave up after 10 minutes when it couldn't find my ugly mug. I used the facial recognition on my Alienware M11x, and it worked MUCH better on that platform.

I like the dedicated eco-mode button. I also like the on/off button right above the touchpad. I've never seen that before on a laptop. I can't count the number of times I've effed up a document because of an errant touchpad brush. Other laptops should have this feature.

Speakers aren't too shabby for such a tiny laptop.

Fan noise/whine/whatever is so low as to be unnoticeable. I don't work in complete silence; perhaps if I did, it might be an issue.

This thing fits inside my leather portfolio... just barely, but it fits. Way cool.

The only thing about buying from Best Buy is the 9% sales tax here in The Peoples Republic of Illinois. Ugh. Still, the 18-month 0% financing they're offering on the BB card is handy. Also, since the return period has been extended until January 4 with no restocking fee, this gives plenty of time to experiment, break it in, and see if it's worth keeping, while still having an out.

For 8 bills, this is one sweetheart of a lappy.... a featherweight with a bit of a punch.

[uniten]

I thought extended return policy at BB did not include computers?

That said if your up for an i5 and a matte screen the z830 is there on toshibas website, not sure if they charge tax in Illinois or not.

[BigNerd]

I thought extended return policy at BB did not include computers?

Not what they told me... but I guess I should verify again knowing BB.

That said if your up for an i5 and a matte screen the z830 is there on toshibas website, not sure if they charge tax in Illinois or not.

Does anyone know what states Tosh charges tax in?

[heavyharmonies]

I thought extended return policy at BB did not include computers?

I specifically asked, and was told that it inlcluded computers.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/...11+HUG20111110

Easy Returns: Best Buy takes the hassle out of holiday returns. Recognizing that sometimes the perfect gift may be a duplicate or not quite as perfect as the giver intended, Best Buy's return policy has been extended for purchases made this holiday shopping season. Gift purchases can be returned or exchanged-with no exclusions -- from November 13, 2011 through January 4, 2012. For the holiday season, Best Buy also has removed its restocking fee entirely, including no fees on special orders.

[uniten]

Not what they told me... but I guess I should verify again knowing BB.

I could be mistaken as that was the policy last year:

Extended Holiday Returns

I guess thsi year they are more desperate lol

Does anyone know what states Tosh charges tax in?

um..well I know they charge in NY, but due to the new law almost everyone does *sigh*

[BigNerd]

I threw one in my cart to check... and they do charge in Cali... they also charge in IL (sorry heavy).

The BB receipts still mention the restocking fee but a manager there told me that it was actually taken away since Jan 1 of 2011... I guess they just haven't burned through all their receipt paper yet.

[GloryField]

i thought BB return was until Jan 24th?

[uniten]

i thought BB return was until Jan 24th?

Seems like it is:

Holiday Return Policy

my guess is the article forgot the "2" in front of the "4"