Toshiba Satellite A305-S6916

Pros: Very fast, great display, 320Gb HD, 4Gb RAM, 64-Bit Vista, very sleek look, above average battery life, firewire port, HDMI port, S-Video port and 4 USB 2.0 ports and dedicated video memory (512kb ATI Radeon)

Cons: Glossy paint job is a fingerprint magnet, palm area of keyboard gets a little warm

Summary: Overall, I love this laptop. I am very glad I decided to get it over the HP 1235dx. The 64-bit Vista is smokin' fast. The dedicated ATI video really helps this laptop's performance with graphics and video. There doesn't seem to be as much bloatware on this machine as others, and I was able to remove all that I didn't want in an hour or so. This machine really is fast, and has been able to handle everything I have thrown at it. I would recommend this laptop to everyone without hesitation. It's a Best Buy exclusive, and they put it on sale every now and then, which is even a better deal. The HD display on this thing is amazing. Watching videos on Hulu is like watching them on my DLP tv (only smaller). There is sufficient hard drive space for a laptop in this price range, and the 4Gb or RAM will handle most anything. Having the card reader up front is nice, and the 9 cell battery gives approx. 3.5 hours of use on the "power saver" mode. I am getting about 3 hours on the "balanced" mode.

The only negatives I've found so far are the fingerprint issue and the fact that, after about half an hour of use, the areas under the keyboard where you put your palms (either side of the touchpad) get pretty warm. It doesn't apper to hinder the performance, and the machine is very well ventilated. It's just mildly annoying.

I would definitely purchase this laptop again, if I had it to do over again. Toshiba really hit the mark with this machine, and the price is right, too. Go get one today!