Toshiba P100-194 is a multimedia giant.

Equipped with striking hardware, it appeals gamers and film enthusiasts.
In my following review I used a different strategy compared to the pattern used in the other reviews. I consider this "review" as the story of my personal experiences, which I wrote down during the last days rather than an actual test report.

Still I considered essential features which belong to a review about notebooks.

Following computing power, graphical power and special equipments of the notebook mentioned above, are being considered.

I conscientiously created my "experience  report" in consideration of the accuracy of all test result.

I looked forward to getting my notebook for a long time. On Thursday, 21st of September, I finally got it. Against my expectations I bought one of the best notebooks currently available – at least concerning the mobile graphical power.
From the beginning to the completion of this report I had a critical look at my notebook. I checked its power during power supply operation as well as during battery operation – but extremely complex test, e.g. benchmark tests were only performed during power supply operation.

As this notebook is to be my faithful companion during many years, I paid special attention that this test report is very detailed.

Nevertheless, I omitted unimportant features like precise CPU specifications, because they can be looked up at the site of the manufacturer anyway. Finally, I want to state that this report is also my contribution for the Community, which I consider the best forum all days. The community is and will be a part of myself. It helped me to find the right notebook and taught me lots of things.

Processor

The Toshiba P100-194 is equipped with an Intel Core Duo T2400. Each core uses a clock rate of 1.83 GHz. Till now I have never had to wait a long time, when using computer games, office applications etc. – Everything ran fast without problems - self-evidently also with many open applications at a time. Pro Processor:

• fast
• yet enough reserve capacity
• no problem with games

Contra Processor:

• nothing

Main Memory:

The Notebook is equipped with 1024 MB RAM (2x 512 MB) with a clock rate of 533 MHz and using - far as I know - Dual Channel Mode. This is adequate for today’s applications and games, but in the future one might reach the 2 GB bound. One Gigabyte more would not have done any harm. I can’t complain about the speed, I think it is fast enough.

Pro Main Memory:

• Dual Channel

Contra Main Memory:

• 2 GB would have been preferable

Hard disk:

The Toshiba P100-194 has a real huge hard disk. Although the effective size is only 187 GB and the speed is only 4200 rpm, the hard disk works relatively fast and pleasantly quiet. Some might not be pleased that the manufacturer of the hard disk is Fujitsu. It is fast, if copying from one place of the hard disk to another place of the same hard disk. On the contrary, the hard disk could be a little bit faster, when copying from an external data carrier. Pro Hard disk:

• 187 Gigabyte
• pleasantly quiet
• fast, despite of 4200 rpm

Contra Hard disk:

• 4200rpm

Video Card:

This is the absolute highlight of Toshiba P100-194, because it uses the high-performance Nvidia Geforce 7900GS with 256 MB VRAM. It has sufficient power for current and certainly also for future games so that nothing will limit the absolute joy of gambling. Games like “Far Cry” or “Battlefield 2” run at maximum resolution and with all details without problems. Thanks to full Direct X 9.0c and SM 3 support effects are displayed on the screen. Furthermore the video card is connected with 256 Bit.
Because the notebook features “HD to go (Mobile High Definition)”, one will be astonished of the colours, the extremely accurate images and videos. No doubt that much power also leads to considerably waste heat, but it is lead off silently – so that nobody is disturbed.

Pro Video Card:

• extremely fast
• 256 MB dedicated memory
• 256 Bit
• SM 3 and Direct X 9.0c support
• HD to go
• silent

Contra Video Card:

• considerably waste heat

Sound:

P100-194 is equipped with classy designed Harman/Kardon speakers, which promise excellent sound and also keep this promise. The hardware consists of a Conexant HD Audio TruSurround Chip. The pitches are excellent and the bass is okay – even if it does not really exist – and there is no noise. The only thing, which can be animadverted, is the maximum volume. While the maximum volume is sufficient in silent environments, one will unfortunately have problems hearing something in a louder environment.
In exchange P100-194 is equipped with proprietary additional accessories, e.g. a volume control and 2 audio-outs and 1 audio-in on the front side.

Pro Sound:

• excellent sound
• no noise
• Volume control on the front side.
• LineIn/LineOut/SDPIF (or so) on the front side.

Contra Sound:

• to low in a loud environment

Network:

Toshiba P100-194 is equipped with an ordinary V.90 Modem, which is the standard of nearly all notebooks – so there is nothing special here.
Moreover it is equipped with a WLAN adapter, which uses the “Intel WLAN 3945ABG“ chipset and belongs to the Centrino technology. As expected, it can connect well to a WLAN router, even over long distances and even if there are lots of wall in between (this is the case in my house). Another outstanding feature is the integrated Intel Gigabit LAN Adapter, which supports 10/100/1000 Mbit.
The Intel Gigabit LAN Adapter is very fast, but I think that many notebooks, which come into the market nowadays, are equipped with Gigabit LAN too. Though at the moment, there aren’t available many – as far as I can see.
Besides that, there is only a Standard FireWire Port installed at the left side of the case.

Pro Network:

• Gigabit LAN
• WLAN long-range
• Firewire and 56k Modem

Contra Network:

• nothing

Other:

There is a 5in1 Card Reader on the front side of the case. Furthermore, the notebook is equipped with a PCMCIA Slot and a Express Card Slot.

4 USB ports (2 right, 1 left, 1 at the backside), a DVI-D and a VGA out, as well as a S-Video In (or Out kA).

Furthermore, the notebook has a Kensington Lock built in order to provide some security. All told it is a good handyman.

Operating System:

The relative new Toshiba P100-194 is delivered together with „Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Rollup 2 OEM“. It is actually like any other Windows XP – but one realizes soon that is more like the Professional Edition, which has been enhanced by a nice desktop and the Media Center. Media Center is a real outstanding program for watching DVDs, Videos or pictures or listening to some songs. If you have the necessary hardware (the Toshiba is not equipped with it in standard fitting), you can also watch TV or listen to radio.
Therefore, one does not need to get additional DVD-Software or Media Player, because  the notebook is equipped with the Media Center anyway. – All together this is a nice add on.
 
Additional Software:

Toshiba is delivered with a small package on software. It comes with Recovery-CDs for the Media Center Edition and the Express Media Player and Microsoft Works 8.5.

Other:

Furthermore, the Toshiba notebook comes with T-Online Entertainment, which I did not test and the movie „Das Wunder von Bern“, which is encoded as video file. In order to get rid of all the software I do not need, I decided to reinstall the operating system from scratch. I successfully finished the reinstallation after two hours. The setup is easy, but it needed a fairly long time to copy the files to the disk. First of all the disk was defragmented, afterwards all the files were copied, but at 48% it stopped for a whole hour and afterwards the installation continued slowly. Over all, I think it was too slow.

Default Settings:            

• 1024x768
• Optimal Filtering