Toshiba

Introduction:

I was looking for a netbook for my daughter to do her homework without hogging our main computer and also with an option of storing digital photos/video from my TZ10 camera via the SDHC memory card reader. Also, access to the internet on the move when there is free Wi-Fi available.

Eventually I bought a Toshiba NB250-107 netbook for £249 with some vouchers under the Big Tesco ClubCard voucher exchange scheme to help reducing some of the costs, without checking on the web about Toshiba's after sales reputation.

With a bit of a hindsight, this was a mistake.

Problems after the purchase:

The netbook itself is okay and serves my intended use --> hardware is okay.
The problem lies with the software.

1. It comes with Windows 7 starter. The battery lasted just after two hours (not 4 hours as claimed at all, may be with XP) with the default settings. By default, the graphical environment of Windows 7 is very power hungry and drains the battery rapidly.

Personal solution: change the settings to 'best performance' rather than 'best appearance'.

2. It comes with lots of Toshiba bloatwares and other un-necessary pre-installed softwares. perhaps as a standard procedure for all laptops and netbooks so that their IT staff can work like robots - do one installation with all types of machines. They consumes a lot of system resources too --> battery drainer.

Nero 10 Essentials (not really essential, no CD/DVD drive with this machine).
Microsoft SQL server (There is no Microsoft Access installed, redundant).
McAfee (evaluation for a month, useless)
Microsoft 2010 trial (crippled software with only Word and Excel, 60 days evaluation, useless)

Toshiba non-essential wares:
ReelTime (resource and battery drainer).
Bulletin Board --> consume resources to communicate back to base.
Toshiba service center - Toshiba will store your data in their server for 7 years!!! Beware!
Toshiba Tempro - useless and resource hogging.
Toshiba Online Support information - useless
Toshiba value added package --> redundant, use Windows 7 instead.

Personal solution:
Get rid of all the non-essential and crippled/evaluation software and most of the Tosh-ware. Keeps only the webcam and Flash card (reader) support softwares.

3. Since it comes with Windows 7 starter pre-installed, there is no CD-ROM in the box for emergency rescue because there is no CD/DVD drive. To obtain a CD-ROM, you have to apply to Toshiba with a valid serial number to get one for £29.99 + purchase a CD/DVD drive.

However there is an option to create your own recovery media using a USB stick, or NOT!!!!! The Toshiba Recovery Media Creater programme does not work, even worse than a bloatware - a malware!

It corrupted my 8GB pen drive that I have specifically bought for the emergency recovery of this netbook. This programme failed to format my pen drive and after the error messages, my pen drive was reduced to 0 byte capacity. Thereafter the pen drive can not be accessed or reformatted.

Prior to this I have tested the pen drive extensively on my PC and the netbook by transferring ~8GB files to and from it and reformatted it without any issue. It is obviously the software!

I have made a complaint to Toshiba with all the details since November and they have acknowledged it by automated email. I am still waiting for a proper response.

Overall verdict:

They don't even deserve on star.

Appalling after sales service with either of these tactics:

1. Playing it long - not respond properly so that I may forget the complaint.

2. They are still scratching their head (one month on) to find a way to deal with it, even with the error messages that I have presented to them, without telling me.

3. They are working on a bug fix for their software - with a few more months/years to go, without telling me.