Toshiba Satellite P50T-BST2N01 Pro Reviews

Toshiba's Satellite P50T-BST2N01 desktop-replacement laptop impresses immediately, thanks to a 4K display with 3,840-by-2,160 resolution, but it's best suited to enthusiasts and professionals who simply must have Ultra HD.

Toshiba rates the P50T's battery life at three hours, and we saw 2 hours and 45 minutes in our strenuous video playback test. That's disappointing—more what we'd expect from a ponderous 17-inch gaming laptop than a 15-inch productivity machine, and more than six hours shy of the best-in-class MacBook Pro. Obviously the spectacular screen is a battery suck, and obviously those who choose the Satellite for their video or photo editing will need to do the majority of their work in the studio rather than in the field.Otherwise, it's hard to complain much about the Satellite P50T-BST2N01. As we said, we wish there was more 4K content to enjoy on the system—Netflix is streaming a show or two in 4K for lucky users whose ISPs pump out 25Mbps, but that's like a drop of water to a thirsty crowd. As much as we dislike drooling and mumbling, "It's amazing; you just have to see it" in reviews, that's what we find ourselves mumbling.That said, as long as the content drought continues, it's hard to write off the MacBook Pro With Retina Display in favor of the Satellite: The Apple gives you a Thunderbolt port, better scaling of on-screen elements, and triple the battery life. Unless you're a 4K content creator, we think the Mac is worth the extra $200.