Hello all, newbie here. I'm buying my 1st laptop and after reading several reviews, I still have some doubts on each one to get: A305-S6905 (3G,320HD) or A305-S6908(4G,250HD), both have Intel Graphics 4500 and some suggested it would be better to buy an HP with Intel X3100. Would the Intel 4500 serve its purpose when running Adobe PS6 CS3, Windows Movie Maker, Macromedia Flash? It isn't for games, but video and webdesign. I also liked the battery life of 6905 (32bit): 3.36hs vs 2.30hs s6908 (64bit). I don't know the 'bits' difference (I prefer XP), so would a downgrade save battery life? Also is it possible to install old programs on a 32bit (I bought some and wouldn't like to loose them). Last question, I really liked the look (fusion with stripes and glossy keyboard, despite the fingerprints..), but does it fade or crack after a while, anyone heard of this? It seems a fine structure and I don't think on selling it for at least 3 years. Kinda desktop replacement. I'm sorry about the noob questions but I'm confused already... Would anyone recomend another model (15" or 15"+ screen) from Toshiba, Asus or HP please? Any insights, opinions, critics are very welcome. Thank you!

Hm I guess nobody knows, most previous topics about Toshiba vs HP have 0 answers.

I would say this. HP has left many owners dangling in the wind with defective GPUs on their motherboards. I would suggest avoiding them strictly based on that fact. edit Google for GPU failures on HP. You will get many hits. HP is not responsible for the failures but have taken a poor position on repairs. Look at the link below. The laptop you are considering doesn't have the problematic GPU on it but the company is my issue. http://arstechnica.com/hardware/new...

You would want the 32-bit Vista to increase the compatibility of your XP software - that doesn't guarantee it would run in Vista, but increases your chances. You should check to see if there are VIsta updates for that software on the publisher's websites or ideally - see if it has 64-bit support as well. By going with 32-bit, you limit the ability to recognize more than 3GB of RAM - something that would be nice for Photoshop, since more RAM=faster operation in this case. I would stick with the Toshiba vs. HP - I used to repair these and HP's tend to die with no warning, whereas Toshiba's have more common problems - ie: Hard Drive due to users bumping them too hard.

Bottom line - get a Toshiba. They are highest in resale value over time and they are pretty reasonable to begin with. I have had nothing but problems overall with HP laptops. Toshiba's are extremely reliable and fast. There is no question which one you should get in my mind. Good Luck.