The notebook computer is a Toshiba model # A105-S4254 with a 15.4" inch 1280x800 WXGA screen, 1.6Ghz Intel Centrino Core Duo T2050 processor, 1GB of system ram, an 80GB 5400RPM hard drive, and a CD/DVD combo burner disc drive.

Previously I had been using a desktop replacement generic body notebook from M-Tech Computers. It had a 2.8Ghz desktop processor, 1 gig of ram and a dedicated 128mb Nvidia video card. It was fast but not very mobile since the battery had long since given up holding a charge, it weighed 12 pounds and the intense heat coming from the desktop processor made it impossible to use it on your lap.

I played around a bit with the games that Toshiba included on the machine and it seems to sustain a decent frame rate or FPS (frames per second).

But I bet that a hardcore player would want a dedicated graphics board with at least 128 or 256mb of video ram.

The Intel GMA 950 graphics processor only gets 3-8mb of dynamic video memory and a maximum of 128mb ram allocation.

Toshiba had loaded Windows XP Home on the laptop with all sorts of trial software and other junk that I didn't need, so I formatted the hard drive and popped in my XP Pro CD.

The number of active processes on the computer dropped from over 30 to about 20 once I was done installing windows and all the programs I normally use.

I highly recommend you either clean up your Toshiba or do a fresh install of your preferred OS.

Not only will it free up gigs of hard drive space but the system will gain some speed.

Some of the programs I have installed include Adobe Premiere (video editing), Photoshop (picture touch up), ThumbsPlus (image organization & batch processing), Microsoft Frontpage (web design), Cute FTP (website file transfer to host), Express Thumbnail Creator (web page image gallery creation), Trillian (instant messenger), Nero Burning Rom (back up files to CD/DVD-R), Zone Alarm (firewall security), and AVG (anti-virus).

With the Intel Centrino Core Duo (and also the newer Core 2 Duo) processors, I can now have Nero writing to a DVD-R at 8x speed in the background while I surf the web with multiple browsers and upload via FTP to my web server.

The first computer my brother and I were given was an Apple IIC but we switched to PCs right after that so I wasn't going to choose an Apple since I'm too set in my ways.

The Lenovo (formerly IBM) laptops looked promising but the models that appealed to me didn't include a Firewire IEEE 1394 port which I need for capturing video from my Mini-DV Sony Camcorder.

The only thing I worry about is breaking the plastic hooks that latch the screen to the body.

My previous Mtech only had one plastic hook while the Toshiba has two.

I broke the latch on the Mtech by pulling it out of the laptop bag incorrectly.

It was my first laptop so I've since learned to be more careful when pulling it out of the case. I also bought a zippered neoprene sleeve with handles for more protection and to make it easier to pull the laptop out of my leather laptop bag.

After a few weeks I did get the check in the mail. I decided to use part of the rebate money for an Antec Notebook Cooler to prolong the laptop's life and also a S-Video to RCA plug adaptor.