Conclusion: Straddling the Fence

My recommendation for the Toshiba DX735 is a bit of a sideways one. I will say that of the three all-in-ones I've tested recently, I like it the best, because Toshiba was able to find the kind of balance that eluded Dell and HP. Each of those systems had major strengths, but they also felt half-baked in other ways. For better or worse, Toshiba played it safe with the DX735 and came out at the end with a machine that at least seems like a reasonable option.

Where the DX735 falters is honestly the software and the price. Toshiba doesn't seem to have even really tried as far as the software goes; that bulletin board application is a holdover from older touchscreen systems. I reviewed a laptop with a touchscreen for PC World in the summer of 2009 that ran the exact same application, and at least there it made sense that the software referred to the computer as a laptop. There aren't any allowances for taking advantage of the touchscreen, it's just there.

And then there's price. While the DX735 surpasses the HP and Dell units I've tested in some ways, I can tell you right off the bat I wouldn't recommend it. I like the mobile i5 in this particular configuration, but power users are going to want to upgrade to the i7-2670QM model while others will probably be served just fine by a similar unit from a different vendor at a cheaper price that runs an AMD Athlon II or Intel Core i3. (I wouldn't recommend any Dell units using their current chassis given its heat problems with the hard drive.) This Toshiba sells for $899 $849 at Best Buy and that's not bad, but it's not stellar. We dinged the Dell and HP units for including subpar discrete GPUs, and Toshiba manages to avoid that pitfall by eschewing discrete graphics entirely; the problem is that the price is such that you'd expect to find a bit more muscle inside.

That leaves our DX735 in kind of a weird space, just like its peers. This is a situation where the old axiom "there are no bad products, only bad prices" would seem relevant, except the price is basically right for the hardware included. Unfortunately, for its intended market I just don't see what good spending up on a mobile Core i5 will really do compared to a desktop Core i3. If you want performance a model that includes an i7-2670QM is also available for under a grand at Best Buy, if you're interested.

User Experience, Heat, and Power Consumption
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  • dagamer34 - Tuesday, November 22, 2011 - link

    Get a network TV Tuner like the HD HomeRun Prime and stick all of your Blu-ray rips on a NAS. If you have everything flowing over Ethernet, you don't need Toshiba to add more stuff (and end up making it thicker).

    Out of sight, out of mind! :)
  • ksherman - Tuesday, November 22, 2011 - link

    I think the iMacs just offer a better value than most of the PC counterparts. Just put Windows on it. Decent GPUs, good CPU options, solid design and a great screen. Sucks ROYALLY in the peripherals department (it needs eSATA and USB3 badly) but it's still a solid machine.

    Or just build a desktop :)
  • ksherman - Tuesday, November 22, 2011 - link

    And yes, I know it's nearly a $400 up charge, but you gotta ENJOY using your computer. Totally worth it.
  • ananduser - Tuesday, November 22, 2011 - link

    Only that dismal bootcamp drivers make it a poor choice for a Windows machine. Not to mention the extra you have to pay for a Windows license. Or the mobile GPU option since we are talking about a desktop machine here. Rather order a premium desktop( since we are not talking about DIY in this article) from Velocity, Maingear and the like. And to preserve and match display quality pair it with any brand of IPS display and you're set.
  • Alilsneaky - Tuesday, November 29, 2011 - link

    I can't imagine who would buy this thing.
    An 800+ dollar internet pc that isn't modular and wouldn't even let you replace the monitor (obviously)?

    What an abomination, form over function taken to the extreme.

    How on earth does it even cost this much if it has a cheap TN panel?.

    I can understand laptops, I can understand even tablets or oldschool palm pilots, but what on earth is the point of this thing.
    I suppose it's aimed at the BOSE crowd?
  • shenma - Tuesday, March 27, 2012 - link

    http://www.batteriecentre.com/toshiba.html Haute Qualité toshiba Batterie ,Petit prix Batterie pour PC portable toshiba ,Promo jusqu'à 30%,Les batteries sont garanties un ans.
  • GlassLass - Monday, April 23, 2012 - link

    Hard drive failed within 3 months. Servicing took nearly 2 months. When I finally got the computer back the bezel/case around the screen was scratched really badly (looks like someone in the Toshiba service department slid the face of the computer around on a hard surface, embedding several permanent scratches all over it.) And, of course, one of the USB ports on the side is now bent (inside) so that the USB port can't even be used. Looks like the USB port was used as a pry point during repairs.

    Also, when I got it back from Toshiba servicing, I noticed the machine now makes odd sounds at startup similar to a cappuccino machine. Don't know what that means, but it probably means there are more problems.

    All in all- WORST electronic purchase I've ever made in my life.
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    Hohe Quaulity laptop Akku & adapter, notebook Batterien ,Versand in die ganze Europ,1 Jahr Garantie, 30 Tage Geld-zurück
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