Toshiba Satellite P305D-S8900

Experts and users say that the 17-inch Toshiba Satellite P305D-S8900 has some hits and misses, but it is one of the better values among big-screen, desktop replacement laptops. Despite its budget price tag, this Toshiba laptop delivers tons of extras, including a discrete graphics card that helps carry the video load when the going gets tough. That helps to somewhat overcome the P305D-S8900's biggest negative -- an underpowered AMD processor -- and makes the Toshiba laptop a capable performer for everything short of serious gaming. It's an especially strong multimedia performer with its large, high-resolution display and surprisingly capable Harmon Kardon speakers. For best results, however, reviewers recommend cleaning out the huge amount of pre-loaded free trial software ("bloatware") that slows boot up time and otherwise drags down performance. If you have a tighter budget, experts like the value offered by the HP G60-235DX (*Est. $500) and the very similar HP G60-230US (*Est. $600), and at 16 inches, the display is nearly as large.

Although we found lots of reviews of earlier versions of the Toshiba Satellite P305D series of laptops, most are out of date. However, Laptop Magazine has an excellent, detailed and testing-based report on the 17-inch P305D-S8900. User reviews, though not plentiful are helpful; Newegg.com is the best destination for those, but a small selection can also be found at OfficeDepot.com.