Good starter laptop

The Toshiba Satellite Notebook is a great computer for starter or home/school use. It is a low cost option for those wanting a laptop but don't want to spend a fortune. I was able to find this Toshiba Satellite for under $700.00! I was then able to buy an extended warranty, it will cover everything for four years. I would definitely advise you to purchase this warranty as I have had to send mine back to get a new motherboard and another part that went bad. Those repairs would have cost me more than the insurance so I made out well. Anyone who has a computer knows that things can go wrong and the cost to repair can be really high.
As far as the computer itself, I like it a lot. It has all the features that I need for home use. You can play your dvd's on it without a problem. My kids also use it for their games and surfing the net and they love it. The screen is bright enough and the picture is clear. It has plenty of storage and runs fast with my DSL service. It also has the built in wireless and is able to pick up a signal in any part of my house without any problems.
Now for the things I am not pleased with...The battery life stinks! I don't think it even lasts 20 minutes any more. When it was new it would last for about 45 minutes but that quickly diminished to only lasting 20, probably after 2 months it started this. The warranty does not cover batteries so we're on our own with that one. Then the speakers, sound quality are not very good. It is hard to hear movies if you aren't sitting right by the computer. If you need sound you should probably invest in some speakers. The only other thing is that the mother board went bad within 7 months, thankfully it was covered by the warranty so I really can't complain about that except for the amount of time it took to fix it and get it back.
For the price this computer it is fine for personal use.