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| TOSHIBA PABAS227 batteries |
The Satellite P775-100's power consumption is about equal to the P770 model. The more power is needed, the higher the power consumption. In idle, where all saving options are enabled (minimum display brightness, disabled wireless modules), the power consumption is 16.5 watts. 21.9 watts are consumed with a bright display, enabled WLAN and energy settings on high performance.
The maximum measured power consumption of the laptop (stress test) is 94 watts. The 120 watt adapter (about 650 grams) is sufficiently sized for this.
The included 48 watt battery is based on a lithium ion technology and allows the Toshiba batteries Satellite P775-100 notebook work independent of an external power source. The question is - for how long? Our processor stress test drains the battery's power after a relatively short time. The laptop shuts down after only 48 minutes. Recharged within two hours, we could watch a DVD movie for exactly 53 minutes. After this time, the screen turned black and the notebook turned itself off. Recharged again, we surfed on the Internet via WLAN. The battery lasted for 121 minutes here. We measured 164 minutes (~2:44h) in the Reader's Test where WLAN is disabled and the display brightness is set to minimum.
Those are fairly short runtimes, but perhaps the energy profiles that Toshiba includes on the laptop will help here. We even recorded a shorter battery runtime in eco mode with the Reader's Test. Rather than the previously measured 164 minutes, it is now only 131 minutes. Taking matters into our own hands apparently has a greater effect than the manufacturer's defaults.
Case
This model has also inherited the peculiarities of the case used in the entire Satellite range. In terms of material, Toshiba completely relies on plastic and that is noticed when it's touched for the first time at the very latest. The surfaces have a pleasant feel, but yield quickly under light pressure (MSI BTY-S25 batteries).Overall, the case has a satisfactory, but not good pressure stability. The wrist rest yields on the outer right and left under the weight of the hands. The optical drive is, as so often, a weak point. Although the number pad above it can't be depressed, the base plate below it can.
The display lid is kept in place by two hinges, which have a good hold. The frame hardly teeters after it's opened. The maximum opening angle of about 140 degrees is well suited for use on the lap. The display bezel of the 17.3 inch screen is easy to warp and can also be pressed on the back. The display bezel "rattles" on the base unit in a closed state because it lacks a lock hook or similar mechanisms.
The notebook's black surface magically attracts dust, but it doesn't prove to be as prone to fingerprints (acer batteries).
The Satellite P775-100 3D Vision weighs proud 3.15 kg, including the 6 cell battery. The power adapter adds another 650 grams. The notebook's outer dimensions are 270 x 413 x 28 mm (front). The rear has a height of up to 36 mm.
Connectivity
Many interfaces are distributed around the laptop. In addition to four USB ports, one of which supports USB 3.0, there is a VGA and HDMI port, two audio jacks (1 headphone, 1 microphone) and the RJ45 jack.
The optical drive - a Blu-Ray reader - is built-in on the right. The card reader for SD/MMC and MS memory cards is located on the front.
The rear remains exempt from interfaces and sockets in this notebook. There is no connector for a docking station on the laptop's bottom.
A point of complaint: All ports on the sides are in the front area. Disturbing cables and plugs beside the laptop have to be reckoned with when they are used extensively.
Input DevicesThe keyboard, comprised of 102 keys, including a separate number pad, hasn't been modified in comparison to other Satellite models (P770-10P). Toshiba relies on the tried and tested here. If the user prefers, a backlight can be turned on and can also be disabled via a timer. Every key has its own LED. We notice that the fairly long space bar is only illuminated on the left. This is either Toshiba's intention, or an LED was already malfunctioning in our test model (PA3817U-1BRS batteries).
Toshiba has placed seven additional function keys above the keyboard. They light up when touched. Three of the keys enable or disable WLAN, the 3D functionality, or start the Web browser. The other keys control the volume, or are "start" and "pause" buttons for the video player.
Touchpad
The touchpad is located in front of the keyboard. As already in the P770-10P it is capable of multi-touch and supports gesture navigation (scroll, zoom). The touchpad can be disabled via a dedicated button.
Webcam
The two webcams installed into the display bezel (with built-in microphone) support a resolution of 1280x800 and can also be used as a 3D camera.
DisplayToshiba uses a 17.3 inch, glossy Trubrite FHD screen (43.9 cm) in the P775-100 3D Vision notebook. It has an LED backlight The screen can reproduce a maximum resolution of 1920x1080 pixels (Full HD) in an aspect ratio of 16:9. Additional monitors/displays can be connected to the laptop over the lateral VGA socket or HDMI port. They allow a maximum resolution of up to 2048x1536 pixels.
The measurements of the FHD screen recorded a contrast of 696:1 at a black value of 0.26 cd/m2 and an illumination of 80 percent. The maximum brightness of only 189 cd/m2 isn't convincing.
The comparisons of the reproducible color spectrum show an almost complete coverage of sRGB. Consequently, the used screen is above the current average.
Not much of the color brilliance - which was already moderate indoors - was left over outdoors due to the screen's limited brightness. The reflections of the environment contributed even more to this. Little could be seen on the high-gloss screen depending on the viewing angle. Even the glossy display bezel reflected a lot.
The FHD screen's viewing angles in this Toshiba laptop aren't particularly wide especially on the vertical plane. The displayed content starts to distort at a tilt angle (back and forth) of approximately 45 degrees. It fades, respectively inverts so that we couldn't recognize much of the displayed content in these positions.
When the display is at a 90 degree angle to the base unit, the content can be recognized well from both the front and sides. The colors are strong and rich in contrast on the 17 inch device, depending on the lighting conditions (in dark rooms).
Speakers
Two speakers take care of the sound. They are located above the keyboard in the Satellite notebook. The two speakers from Harman/Kardon emit a good sound, although the device doesn't have a subwoofer. The sound can be improved even more via the Dolby Audio Enhancer and modified to suit personal preferences. The volume can be easily controlled or muted via the soft touch bar (above the keyboard). However, the keys' beep sound is irritating when they are triggered. This can't be disabled (MSI BTY-L74 batteries).
Verdict
Pretty notebook with 3D features, but we ask ourselves why glasses are still needed. Toshiba proved that this is also possible without even before the IFA. The P775-100 3D Vision is almost based completely on the model, P770-10P (without 3D functions) - including all pros and cons. Toshiba has copied the case, its interfaces and functions 1:1. Even the cheap looking plastic material. We would have expected more from a 17.3 inch notebook priced at about 1500€.
The built-in hardware hasn't changed, with exception of the two hard disks and memory unit. The hard disk's capacity has increased to 1.5 terabyte and the RAM is now 8 GB. That is the least that could be expected in view of a price difference of ~500€ compared to the P770-10P. A quad core (Core i7-2630QM) and an Nvidia graphics (GT 540M) supplies enough power in the current model, but only in 2D mode.
The P770 model didn't have 3D. A pair of shutter glasses is included in the scope of delivery and makes watching movies and games in the third dimension possible. 2D material can also be viewed on the Satellite P775-100 in 3D. 3D movies run smoothly. But principally, a matt and considerably brighter screen would have been better.
Within games, the frame rate nosedives by almost 50 percent when switched from 2D to 3D. Thus, stuttering has to be expected in some games and only a significant reduction of graphic details helps. Another feature in the Satellite P775-100 is the installed DVB-T receiver, but the matching antenna isn't included.
1500€ for a 3D laptop in a plastic case is a lot of money, especially since the graphics performance is only on a midrange standard. And the display doesn't belong to the best of its kind, either.
