Toshiba Satellite T135-S1309
Manufacturer: Toshiba Part number: PST3AU-00J008
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- For a budget Windows 7 thin-and-light that won't need to recharge often, you could do a lot worse than the Toshiba Satellite T135-S1309.
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Where to buy
| store | customer rating | inventory | tax & shipping | price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best Buy |  | See Site | Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price | as of 12/08/2009 |
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CNET editors' review
Toshiba Satellite T135-S1309 price range: $549.99
- Reviewed by: Scott Stein
- Edited by: Dan Ackerman
- Reviewed on: 11/06/2009
- Released on: 10/22/2009
The good: Affordable thin-and-light; strong battery life.
The bad: Tinny speakers; no Bluetooth.
The bottom line: For a budget Windows 7 thin-and-light that won't need to recharge often, you could do a lot worse than the Toshiba Satellite T135-S1309.
Editors' note: This review is part of our 2009 Retail Laptop and Desktop Holiday Roundup, which covers specific fixed configurations of popular systems found in retail stores.
Sometimes, it takes a good retail excursion to find a deal that isn't otherwise possible. Case in point: the Toshiba T135. While we have already reviewed two different versions of Toshiba's Windows 7 entry to the thin-and-light laptop landscape, we were pleasantly surprised by this retail-only configuration. This is not uncommon; many of the configurations you see in stores are subtle tweaks of models that manufacturers sell online, trading flexibility for a better price. In the case of the Toshiba Satellite T135-S1309, it means a great price of only $550 instead of the $710 price of the Satellite T135-S1310, at the expense of 1GB less RAM, no Bluetooth, and a black lid instead of a red or white one.
We've previously noted that the T135's cheaper, single-core Pentium processor configuration, the Toshiba Satellite T135-S1300, had vastly inferior performance to the dual-core, more expensive S1310. The good news is that the S1309 has a price only $50 more than the inferior T135, but with a dual-core processor. At this cost-to-performance ratio, we'd say this is the must-get configuration of the Toshiba Satellite T135, if you're considering buying one. And the even better news is that the battery life is just as good as ever. It's still slower than higher-end thin-and-lights, but the T135-S1309 is a nice affordable balance that bargain-hunters should consider seeing in person.
| Price as reviewed / Starting price | $549 |
| Processor | 1.3 GHz Intel Pentium SU4100 |
| Memory | 3GB, DDR3 1066 MHz |
| Hard drive | 320GB 5,400rpm |
| Chipset | Mobile Intel GM45 |
| Graphics | Intel GMA 4500MHD |
| Operating System | Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) |
| Dimensions (WD) | 12.7 x 8.8 inches |
| Height | 1.4 inches |
| Screen size (diagonal) | 13.3 inches |
| System weight / Weight with AC adapter | 3.7 / 4.4 pounds |
| Category | Thin-and-light |
The T135 series shares a number of design similarities to the rest of the Toshiba Satellite lineup that received an upgrade earlier this year. The T135-S1309 is covered inside and out in a glossy black checkerboard Fusion Finish; it's accented with slick chrome highlights along the edge of the palm rest and on the touch-pad buttons. However, that slickness continues literally to the keyboard, which is finished in the same glossy coating we've been less than enthusiastic about in other Satellites. While the T135 is thinner than Toshiba's thick midrange Satellites, such as the U505-S2940, it's still a semichunky 1.4 inches thick.
The flat keyboard performs better than we remembered on larger Core 2 Duo models, but it still feels a bit too greasy. A matte rectangle of a touch pad, inset along the glossy palm rest, feels decent but not spectacular. The silver button-bar beneath is one continuous piece of plastic that toggles on either side for left or right clicks, but we always prefer distinct buttons instead. Other than the power button, there are no other buttons besides the standard keyboard, so control panel adjustments such as screen brightness are all handled with function-key combinations. Volume control is oddly relegated to a function combination with the 3 and 4 number keys, which took us forever to locate.
The 13.3-inch glossy LED-backlit screen on the Satellite T135-S1309 has a native resolution of 1,366x768 pixels, sharp colors, and good brightness, and it looked perfectly crisp in our use. Above the screen is a Webcam that took fair video, but grainy and low-resolution snapshots. More disappointing were the Satellite T135-S1309's speakers, which although stereo and planted on the base below the keyboard, still sounded as if they were emanating from the middle of a pillow-lined box: the volume at maximum was so soft and tinny as to be practically worthless. We also had issues with Toshiba's Netbook speakers, but other Toshiba speakers were generally exceptional. This was a big letdown.
| Toshiba Satellite T135-S1309 | Average for category [thin and light] | |
| Video | VGA-out, HDMI | VGA plus HDMI or DisplayPort |
| Audio | Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks | Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks |
| Data | 2 USB 2.0, 1 USB 2.0/sleep and charge, SD card reader | 3 USB 2.0, SD card reader |
| Expansion | None | ExpressCard/54 |
| Networking | Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi | Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, optional WWAN |
| Optical drive | None | DVD burner |
In addition to a sleep-and-charge USB port (always a nice feature to charge devices while your laptop is asleep or off), the Satellite T135-1309 also has an SD card reader and an HDMI port. One feature that's removed is Bluetooth, which is available in the T135-S1310, but for the $160 savings, we don't mind.
The included 320GB hard drive in the T135-S1309 is a generous size for the price, and the 3GB of RAM can be easily expanded up to 8GB after purchase if desired. Of course, as is the case for nearly all laptops now, Windows 7 Home Premium is preinstalled. Windows 7 worked well on this machine, and we had no complaints.
Now, for a word on the confusing landscape of Intel ULV processors. The T135-S1309 has an Intel Pentium SU4100 processor, which is in fact a dual-core processor; it's not generally as powerful as a standard Core 2 Duo or Core 2 Duo ultra-low-voltage processor, but it's a far better alternative to a single-core processor such as a Celeron or Atom. The single-core version of the T135 (the T135-S1300) uses a Pentium SU2700 processor, which we'd avoid.
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
While the T135-S1309 performed worse than the average budget Core 2 Duo laptop in our comparative benchmark tests, it's a big leap forward in multitasking compared with single-core budget laptops like the Toshiba L455-S5975. Don't expect gaming or high-end multimedia multitasking, but the dual-core Pentium ULV processor inside the T135-S1309 is a solid choice for a budget-minded user.
 Juice box | |||
| Toshiba T135-S1309 | |
| Off (watts) | 0.26 |
| Sleep (watts) | 0.6 |
| Idle (watts) | 6.16 |
| Load (watts) | 23.58 |
| Raw (annual kWh) | 25.71 |
| Annual operating cost (@$0.1135/kWh) | $2.92 |
With its six-cell battery, the Toshiba T135-S1309 ran for 5 hours and 55 minutes using our battery-drain test, which loops continuous video playback. You can certainly expect longer battery life results under normal work conditions. However, nearly 6 hours is a great number for a thin-and-light, and it was one of the budget laptop category leaders for our holiday 2009 retail laptop roundup. It also happens to be our most energy-efficient budget laptop in this category, with an annual energy cost of just $2.92. If this is an advantage of using the Pentium SU4100 processor, then we're all for it.
The Toshiba Satellite T135-S1309 is backed by an industry-standard one-year warranty. Support is accessible 24-7 via a toll-free phone line, an online knowledge base, and a Web site with driver downloads. While retail shops are happy to sell you an in-store extended warranty, they are often expensive and hard to use, so we don't recommend them.
System configurations:
Toshiba Satellite T135-S1309
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit); 1.3GHz Intel Pentium SU4100; 3072MB DDR3 SDRAM 1066MHz; 128MB (Shared Video) Mobile Intel GMA 4500MHD; 320GB Toshiba 5,400rpm
Asus K60IJ-RBLX05
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit); 2.1GHz Intel Pentium Dual-Core T4300;
4096MB DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz; 32MB (Dedicated Video) Mobile Intel GMA 4500MHD;
320GB Seagate 5,400rpm
Toshiba Satellite A505-S6980
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit); 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T6600; 4096MB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz; 128MB (Shared Video) Mobile Intel GMA 4500MHD; 500GB Toshiba 5,400rpm
HP Pavilion dv4-2045dx
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit); 2.2GHz AMD Turion II Dual-Core M500;
4096MB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz; 320MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3200; 320GB Western Digital 5,400rpm
Dell Inspiron 1545-4374
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit); 2.1GHz Intel Pentium Dual-Core T4300;
4096MB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz; 32MB (Dedicated Video) Mobile Intel GMA 4500MHD;
320GB Hitachi 5,400rpm
Gateway NV7802u
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit); 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T6600; 4096MB DDR3 SDRAM 800MHz; 64MB (Dedicated Video) Mobile Intel GMA 4500MHD; 500GB Western Digital 5,400rpm
Sony Vaio VGN-NW240F/T
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit); 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T6600; 4096MB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz; 128MB (Shared Video) Mobile Intel GMA 4500MHD; 320GB Fujitsu 5,400rpm
Gateway NV5207u
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit); 2.1GHz AMD Athlon X2 Dual-Core QL-65;
4096MB DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz; 256MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3200; 320GB Hitachi 5,400rpm Toshiba Satellite L455-S5975
Windows 7 Home Premium; 2.2GHz Intel Celeron 900; 2048MB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz;
128MB (Shared Video) Mobile Intel GMA 4500MHD; 250GB Toshiba 5,400rpm
Asus UL50AG
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit); 1.3Hz Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 ULV; 4096MB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz; 32MB (Dedicated Video) Mobile Intel GMA 4500MHD; 500GB Seagate 5,400rpm
User reviews
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Think twice before buying it
by Ikke-107 on November 12, 2009
Pros: light weight, good battery, good screen
Cons: T135 lastet ONE week. It is DEAD as it can be and i can throw it away. It won't start or boot and Toshiba is not able or not willing to solve the problem. So if you do not want a laptop that last only one week, buy another brand with better support/
Summary: I wrote a complete story what happened and how i was ' helped ' by Toshiba, i thought to be a leading and major brand. I stuck now with a laptop i ...
Summary: I wrote a complete story what happened and how i was ' helped ' by Toshiba, i thought to be a leading and major brand. I stuck now with a laptop i bought one week ago and it is dead and Toshiba is not willing or not able to solve the problem at hand. They even do not have or will not provide a RECOVERY CD to get the computer reinstalled. What kind of warranty or support is this? Buy your next laptop somewhere else for example the Dell Insperion 11Z series, almost the same specs but i asume a better service. I hate that Toshiba doesn't want or can resolve a simple solution for a laptop that won't boot again since the internal HD drive got damaged. They suggested that i should go back to the store where i bought it (BEST BUY) las vegas even after i told them several times that i live in Europe. How stupid is this? I am very disappointed and i wouldn't recommend buying anything from them if they not can provide support. I hate even the fact that the RECOVERY CD they do not have can not be sent to Europe! what kind of support is that, first you do not have a recovery CD which they should have or easily could be made by them and if they had it, they won't sent it to you even if you pay H and S. So please backup you laptop asap and make a recovery CD Toshiba can not help you if the same **** happens to your Laptop. I think it was caused by the ECO powersave mode, it never recovered from a black screen and i had to power it on and off but after that the HD got corrupted and was or will not boot again. Even the secret bootoption keys to boot the RECOVERY partition do not work anymore. So i am very happy with spending 600 US $ for a laptop that last less then week. Good luck fellow users but be warned and i hope you will have more luck then me and that you never have to relay on support from Toshiba (level one or two) Sincerely
1 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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There's a quick fix for the weak speaker volume
Pros: - Incomparable performance for the value
- Dual-core processor even though Intel fails to say so on the stickerCons: - Weak speakers, but here's a quick fix for that:
http://riactant.wordpress.com/2009/11/25/software-fix-for-weak-toshiba-t135-speakers/ -
Inexpensive and capable
by ripsterlb on November 22, 2009
Pros: LED backlit screen
Thin and light
Price
Out-of-the-box usabilityCons: No optical drive
Keyboard is "slippery" but not unusable
Wide format touch padSummary: Bottom line is that this machine provides the feel and every-day functionality of the $1800+ thin and light contingent, but at 1/4th the price. While the T135 doesn't "...
Summary: Bottom line is that this machine provides the feel and every-day functionality of the $1800+ thin and light contingent, but at 1/4th the price. While the T135 doesn't "wow" with power, it flawlessly runs all standard end user applications like Firefox, iTunes, Microsoft Office 2007 - and simultaneously.
Its not as fast as my 2 year old 2.1Ghz Core 2 Duo machine with the same memory, but for standard use its perfect. In terms of doing exactly what its supposed to do, I'd give it a 10 - and in terms of grade, I'd give it a 7.5. Unless you're looking to transcode DVDs or do intensive video creation - this machine should satisfy both your computing needs and your wallet. -
Love this Toshiba Labtop!!
by mightyd63 on November 20, 2009
Pros: Great battery life!!
Light weight about 4 lbs
Nice bright screenCons: Needs better speakers
Gets finger prints very easy, but because of dark colorSummary: I bought this to be a work and a take anywhere notebook. This labtop works great as a automotive dianostic tool with the software I added to it. The battery ...
Summary: I bought this to be a work and a take anywhere notebook. This labtop works great as a automotive dianostic tool with the software I added to it. The battery life is what sold me on this and not have the optical drive was also a plus, but i did buy the optional dvdrw drive. I didn't want this for watching dvds or for big imaging projects, just to use for work and hold some photos, music, and some light word processing
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CNET was C O R R E CT !
by Truebluemd on November 15, 2009
Pros: 1. Price (very reasonable)
2. Screen display (brilliant colors)
3. A netbook on steroids
4. Battery life lasts about 9-ish hours
5. Form factor (slim)Cons: 1. Gets fingerprints a lot
2. Weird right and left buttons and has a different feel to it.Summary: 1. Price is very reasonable. Can compete and even overtakes Sony Vaio X. For $600 it comes with an external optical drive (Best buy promo). Otherwise, $550.
2. Screen display ...Summary: 1. Price is very reasonable. Can compete and even overtakes Sony Vaio X. For $600 it comes with an external optical drive (Best buy promo). Otherwise, $550.
2. Screen display is awesome (brilliant colors). Almost at par with Macs.
3. Bring anywhere laptop. It's actually a netbook on steroids as they say. When you think about it, its actually undefined. It's a marriage between a netbook and a laptop.
4. Battery life lasts about 9-ish hours. Can't believe some reviews say battery is bad. Just got mine Nov 13 2009
5. Fast processing. I was actually looking for a netbook when I stumbled to this. This was my deciding factor (also the price and form factor) -
Excellent Lightweight Laptop!
by AllyGator49 on November 12, 2009
Pros: Very lightweight; long battery life; runs Windows 7 home premium; fast and responsive; sharp, bright 13.3" glossy LED backlit screen; sleek design; and a great price for these specs!
Cons: Speakers are weak; touch pad letters are gray on black, so impossible to see in dim light; no optical drive; the silver button bar on the touch pad is difficult to use.
Summary: All things considered, this is a great little laptop at a terrific price that I really enjoy using.
Summary: All things considered, this is a great little laptop at a terrific price that I really enjoy using.
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I love it!
by jayacosta on November 9, 2009
Pros: battery life is great, I make 8hrs trips everyweek and i don't have to charge the battery every 30min. Is fast and very stable, nice screen size and picture quality. Everything you need is here.
Cons: no cd rom, speakers are very the worst I have found in a laptop, even my Iphone earphones sound better from the table.
Summary: Nice, classy, compact life long battery, windows 7, hdmi, I love it. worth to buy, you won't regret it.
Summary: Nice, classy, compact life long battery, windows 7, hdmi, I love it. worth to buy, you won't regret it.
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Excellent all around
by mjcarpenter001 on November 9, 2009
Pros: Battery life (and extra long adapter cord), super crisp screen, ease of use with windows 7, HDMI output
Cons: "Shiny" coating on the whole machine leaves fingerprints and smudges EVERYWHERE!, no optical drive
Summary: I bought this as an upgrade to a several year old Lenovo T60 that I got while in college. It was old, clunky, vastly underpowered in processing capabilities, had a ...
Summary: I bought this as an upgrade to a several year old Lenovo T60 that I got while in college. It was old, clunky, vastly underpowered in processing capabilities, had a rapidly shrinking battery life, and a dead fan which caused the computer to get VERY hot, very quickly, and rendered the components too hot to function properly - I believe is a common problem with Lenovo.
I no longer needed the "business" computer, which the Lenovo was marketed as. Instead, I wanted something small, light, with decent computing power; HDMI output was also a key, as was the "n" wireless. The 320 GB hard drive is far more than I will need, and the 3 GB of RAM seems to be more than enough for the computer.
Had no issues with the initial setup, although there has been one instance during an installation where it said I didn't have administrator capabilities, with only one account (mine, as the administrator) on the computer. Having used nothing other than XP for well over 5 years (probably closer to 7) the change to Windows 7 is slightly odd, but nothing major. The features of it, especially the device recognition, to me, make it a much easier OS to use. (I have a wireless printer that just wouldn't work with the Lenovo - have had no problem with it on the Toshiba)
The battery life is excellent, which was something I was keyed in on when looking for a new computer. With Toshiba's ecoUtility, you can create settings which will give you upwards of 8 hours of battery life! While I have no put it to the test yet, I dont doubt it is more than capable of meeting that number.
The only knocks I have on the computer (so far) is the coating that is on almost 100% of the surface. It is a shiny coating (like the back of an iPhone 3G) that holds prints and smudges VERY well. If you can't stand smudgy or printed surfaces, definitely check it out in store first to see if you could live with it. I would also like to have had the option for a back-lit keyboard; seeing as how it is an ultra-portable, for people traveling a lot, or using it other places than a desk (etc...), it would be a welcome addition.
Overall, I am very satisfied with the computer, and would definitely recommend it. -
Toshiba is JUNK
by Ladydiamond987 on November 12, 2009
Pros: How would I know about what might have been good about the computer? It wouldn't run long enough for me to try it out and make any kind of recommendation.
Cons: The Toshiba laptop I bought and paid over $1500.00 for, always overheated and the computer shut down after maybe 5 minutes. I contacted Toshiba and they did not even respond to my email.
Summary: Bottom line: I will never buy a Toshiba product again and now that I am in a sales position to sell computers, I always recommend other brands of computers. (smile) ...
Summary: Bottom line: I will never buy a Toshiba product again and now that I am in a sales position to sell computers, I always recommend other brands of computers. (smile)
I back companies that back their products.0 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Toshiba
- Part number: PST3AU-00J008
- Bottom Line: For a budget Windows 7 thin-and-light that won't need to recharge often, you could do a lot worse than the Toshiba Satellite T135-S1309.
General
- Width 12.7 in
- Depth 8.8 in
- Height 1.4 in
- Color Nova black
- Notebook type Budget
Processor
- Processor Intel Pentium SU4100 / 1.3 GHz
- Data bus speed 800 MHz
- Chipset type Intel 40GS Express
Cache Memory
- Type L2 cache
- Cache size 2 MB
RAM
- Installed Size 3 GB / 4 GB (max)
- Technology DDR3 SDRAM
Environmental Parameters
- Humidity Range Operating 20 - 80%
- Max Altitude Operating 9842 ft
Storage Controller
- Storage controller type Serial ATA
Storage
- Floppy Drive None
- Hard Drive 320 GB
- Storage Removable None
- Hard drive type Standard
Optical Storage
- Type DVD+/-RW
Display
- Display Type 13.3 in TFT active matrix
- Max Resolution 1366 x 768
- Features TruBrite technology, LED-backlit
Video
- Graphics Processor / Vendor Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500M
Audio
- Audio output type Sound card
- Audio Input Microphone
Input Device(s)
- Input device type Keyboard, Touchpad
Networking
- Data link protocol Ethernet, Fast Ethernet
Expansion / Connectivity
- Expansion Slots Total (Free) Memory, Memory card reader
- Interfaces 3 x USB 2.0 - USB 2.0, 1 x Ethernet - RJ-45, 1 x Display / video - RGB, 1 x HDMI, 1 x Microphone, 1 x Headphones
Miscellaneous
- Features 802.11b/g/n Wireless LAN, Camera
Power
- Power provided 65 Watt
Battery
- Technology Lithium ion
- Installed Qty 1
- Mfr estimated battery life 9.1 hour(s)
Operating System / Software
- OS Provided Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium
- Software Drivers & Utilities, Toshiba Disc Creator, Toshiba Recovery Media Creator, Toshiba ConfigFree, Toshiba Face Recognition, Toshiba Hard Drive Impact Sensor, Toshiba PC Health Monitor, Hard Disc Recovery, Norton Internet Security 2009, WildTangent, Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007, Microsoft Works 9.0
Manufacturer Warranty
- Service & Support 1 year warranty
Sustainability
- Greenpeace policy rating (Sept 2009) 5.7
Manufacturer info
- Toshiba
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Toshiba products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.toshiba.com
- Address:
9740 Irvine Blvd., Irvine, CA 92618 - Phone: 1-800-316-0920
