If you are a mainstream computer user who needs a reliable machine for everyday tasks, then the Toshiba Satellite C55-C5241 is the laptop for you. It is perfect for both the working adult or the student, able to multitask and perform various tasks such as web surfing, networking, and document editing. The 15inch 4.9 pound computer is quite light for its size, making it easy to carry around with you as you go about your day.
Overview of the Satellite C55-C5241
Before we dive deeper into the review, here is a summary of the key specs and features:
Operating System: Windows 10
CPU: 2.2GHz 5th Gen Intel Core i5 5200U
RAM: 8GB
Hard drive: 1TB 5400 RPM
Display: 1366×768 LED-backlit display, non-touch
Connectivity: 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, 100Mbps Ethernet
Design
The Toshiba Satellite C55-C5241 comes in a nice matte black, with a brushed textured resin finish, which gives it a premium look. There is some tapering on the front edge, making it look sleek and modern.
It measures 15×10.2×0.93 inches and weighs 4.9 pounds. However, it is rather flimsy. When you try to open the laptop from one of the corners, the entire screen flexes. This betrays the fact that it is made of cheap plastic. It appears that this is the tradeoff Toshiba had to n=make in order to ship the quality internal components for a low budget price.
Display
The 15.6inch 1366×768 display is LCD with LED backlit, which gives even lighting. The antireflective coating also reduces glare and reflection. The low resolution limits a lot of functions and what can be done comfortably using the display. However, for normal web surfing and clerical work. it works perfectly. There is no touchscreen display.
Hardware
The Toshiba Satellite C55-C5241 is packed full of decent specifications for the asking price. The 2.2GHz 5th Gen Core i5 5200U CPU, the 8GB RAM, and the 1TB 5400 RPM hard drives are pretty good features and components for a laptop of this price. With such components, you can comfortably run multiple applications and browse several tabs at the same time with ease. It can even handle some light casual gaming.
1. Ports and slots
The ports that the Toshiba Satellite C55-C5241 comes with include 2 USB 2.0 ports, 1 USB 3.0 port, a headphone jack, a memory card reader, and an HDMI slot. It also includes a DVD drive for anyone who would want to watch or burn anything into DVD discs. Since this is not a gaming laptop, we suggest choosing a budget mouse for it.
2. Webcam
It has a 720p webcam above the display area. The camera is decent enough to clearly bring out all the colors in the scene, but it can be a little blurry and grainy, and when you use it in a room with bright lights, the colors get washed out. However, as laptop webcams go, it is a pretty decent camera for a laptop of this price tag. If you want to use the webcam for more serious tasks or if you want all your features to be clearly brought out, you should probably invest in an external webcam.
3. Keyboard and Touchpad
The island keyboard looks great, but the user experience you will get with it is not as awesome. The keys feel a little mushy, and the overall quality of the keyboard seems a bit substandard. It is also not backlit, so you will have a hard time using it in dark spaces. However, Toshiba does include a dedicated numeric keypad, and they should get some credit for that foresight.
The touchpad is a multi-touch trackpad that is comfortable, accurate and very responsive. It can handle all the various gestures that Windows 10 supports with ease. However, the mouse buttons can be really loud and annoying.
Software
It comes with almost no preinstalled bloatware. The only software that Toshiba includes is Mcafee antivirus, which you should probably uninstall immediately and get a better and less annoying antivirus. All the other software that you will get with your purchase are those that come with your Windows 10 installation, and you can choose to ignore or uninstall all the ones you do not need.
Performance
The Toshiba Satellite C55-C5241, like most Toshiba products, is a true workhorse considering the low price you have to pay. It handles multitasking better than some pricier models, and it comes with almost no preinstalled bloatware.
However, it comes with a 1TB 5400RPM HDD. This makes copying or transferring files a rather slow affair. A 7200 RPM HDD would have suited it much better. However, the 1TB space is enough for storing all your media files without constantly worrying about your space running out.
It has a 2.2GHz 5th Gen Intel Core i5 5200U processor with 8GB RAM and a mobile Intel HD 5500 graphics card. This lets it offer stable performance especially with Windows 10. It is however not suitable for hardcore gaming like the 17 inch gaming laptops in our list.
Audio
The speakers that the Toshiba Satellite C55-C5241 comes with are ok if all you want to use them for is casual listening to music. They are not as powerful as anyone would like, and you will barely get to hear any bass with them.
Battery Life
The battery life is about 5 hours in normal standard usage. This is rather disappointingly low, as some similar laptops clock up to 8 hours. However, it seems to be just one of the few trade-offs you will have to live with if you want all the awesome features for that price.
Pros
1. It is quite powerful for its price range. You can comfortably perform a wide range of tasks on it and even do some light gaming
2. The keyboard comes with a dedicated numeric keypad
Cons
1. It comes with weak speakers that barely bring out any bass 2. The user experience you will get from the keyboard is disappointing, with keys that feel mushy and an overall low-quality keyboard 3. It has disappointing graphics and display quality
4. The 1TB 5400 RPM HDD is a little slow using a 7200 RPM HDD would have been better.