The Toshiba Satellite L505D proves that you don't need to spend a fortune to acquire an excellent laptop. Equipped with enough power for most common tasks and its 15.6-inch display suitable for watching DVDs or streaming music, its 15.6" screen makes this an excellent device. While not perfect gaming system due to low graphics performance and 3D games not being too demanding; additionally it has achieved Energy Star certification and meets RoHS regulations making this notebook "green".
At first glance, the L505D fared well against budget systems; its Cinebench R10 score lagged that of Dell Inspiron 1545 (i1545-004ST) and Editors' Choice sub-$1000 notebook Acer Aspire 3935; however its 320GB, 5,400-rpm hard drive performed exceptionally well, scoring 23.6MBps on our LAPTOP Transfer Test (4.97GB of mixed media files duplication). Furthermore, Windows booted up faster than average in just 50 seconds; 10 seconds ahead of average!
Toshiba's keyboard is comfortable and responsive. Featuring its signature Fusion finish designed to disperse heat while adding grip, our only gripe with this model is that its surface tends to attract fingerprints. While its large touch pad is nice, we would prefer for it to have been more obviously separated from its surrounding case; still we appreciate its tapered keys and full number pad as perks of ownership.
Though stereo speakers were adequate, they lacked much low end. Physical media control buttons sit atop the keyboard including play/pause, forward and reverse playback; plus mute button acts as volume wheel which doesn't have clear maximum or minimum markers so its difficult to figure out how many spins increase or decrease volume.
Our tests showed that the L505D's battery life fell slightly short of expectations; lasting just 2 hours and 31 minutes on MobileMark 2007, about an hour shy of what is seen with Dell Inspiron 1545 or Acer 3935 models, respectively. Furthermore, its 44Whr battery is quite undersized for such a multimedia system.
Overall, the Toshiba Satellite L505D proves that consumers can find almost everything they need in a budget laptop under $650. Although not intended for 3D gaming purposes, it will suffice for surf-the-web, office work and music listening - perfect for students or home office workers seeking a multitasking multimedia system for light multitasking needs.
