Toshiba America Inc http://www.toshiba.com
In adding a fresh new face to its Satellite line, Toshiba engineers spent the long winter months focused on industrial design. Just in time for the warm weather, the company has rolled out the sleek byproduct of that toil. The Toshiba Satellite U405-S2830 is dressed up in what Toshiba calls its Fusion finish. While the technique of fusing decorative patterns with glossy laminates isn't new in the laptop world, the U405's look is bound to entice media enthusiasts and college-bound students. It also doesn't hurt that this 4.7-pound portable integrates Intel's finest technology and has a starting price of only $1,149 (direct).
In-Mold Decoration (IMD) is a hot trend in laptop lid decoration: A subtle pattern is inlaid under a lustrous finish. HP started it (check out the HP Pavilion dv6500t), Gateway is using it (as with the Gateway M-150X), and ASUS just launched its own in-mold models. TheU405's Fusion finish uses a pattern of parallel white lines, inlaid beneath the glossy black of the cover. The interior is dressed up in the same fashion, with the pattern adorning the palm rest areas and the edges of the full-size keyboard. The keyboard is heavily glazed to give it a really shiny look—so shiny that under bright lights the glare coming off the keys can be distracting. But the keys feel like those of a grand piano and are responsive to the touch. The mouse buttons, made out of chrome, are attractive and click quietly.
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What really distinguishes the interior is Toshiba's use of LED lights. The bright white LEDs provide a striking contrast to the very dark grays and blacks of the keyboard and its surroundings. The Satellite brand logo on the bottom left-hand corner, a line above the touchpad, and the touch-sensitive multimedia buttons all light up. I wouldn't classify this system as an ultraportable, as its 4.7-pound weight puts it more in line with mainstream laptops. It competes with systems like the Apple MacBook 13-inch (Core 2 Duo) and the Dell Vostro 1310, which weigh about 5 pounds and have roomy 13.3-inch widescreens. The U405's 13.3-inch screen is superb for all things multimedia.
Most mainstream laptops have already moved to Intel's latest Penryn technology, and the U405-S2830 is no exception. It runs on a 2.1-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T8100 processor, which can also be found on the Sony VAIO VGN-FZ485U and the Fujitsu LifeBook A6120. The U405's SYSMark 2007 Preview Overall score surpasses those of the Sony and Fujitsu laptops by 8 percent and 5 percent, respectively. The system couldn't, however, overtake the Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch (Penryn) and the ASUS M50Sa-A1, which have Core 2 Duo T9000 series processors. The U405-S2830's 3GB of RAM enabled it to match the MacBook Pro on our Photoshop tests. Since there's no option for discrete graphics, as there is on the Dell Vostro 1310, you'll have to settle for light game play with the U405-S2830's integrated graphics chipset. The system managed 3 hours 3 minutes on the MobileMark 2007 test, which may not seem like much but is reasonable for a 52-Wh, six-cell battery. A high-capacity, nine-cell battery, available for an extra $150, is good to have as a spare.
The Toshiba Satellite U405-S2830 focuses on two things that especially matter to today's consumers when they're shopping for a new laptop: looks and price. Its "Fusion" design, combined with the elegant use of LED lights, is guaranteed to draw some appreciative glances, and Toshiba packs in the latest technology and up-to-date features that few can complain about at a reasonable price. Though it's not the lightest laptop with a 13-inch screen, the combination of a fresh new look and affordability makes this Satellite worthy of strong consideration.
Toshiba Satellite U405-S2830
Toshiba Satellite P305-S8825
Toshiba America Inc http://www.toshiba.com
Desktop PCs have a lot going for them: big screens, high-performance parts, and comparatively low prices, just to name a few. But if you're working in a smaller space, you don't always have room to squeeze in a whole desktop setup. The Toshiba Satellite P305-S8825 ($1,050 street) offers a nice compromise. This spacious laptop is classified as a desktop replacement, because it blends together a roomy 17-inch widescreen with a 7.5-pound chassis. It occupies a smaller area than a conventional desktop without forcing you to scrimp much on screen size, and, at about $1,000, doesn't cost much more than your average desktop.
The P305 could easily be used as a secondary system, something that you can leave on your desk most of the time, plugged into a port replicator or a second monitor. Although it's nowhere near as light as the 6.7-pound Apple MacBook Pro 17-inch, the 7.5-pound P305 is significantly lighter than the Gateway P-171XL FX (9.2 pounds), the Dell Inspiron 1720 (8.8 pounds), and the HP Pavilion dv9500t (8.2 pounds). If this is still too heavy, you can work your way down to the Toshiba Satellite A305-S6845, which has a 15.4-inch screen and weighs only 5.8 pounds.
The entire Satellite line, including the P305 Series, recently underwent a redesign. Rather than painting over the lid or adding texture to it, Toshiba refreshed its look with an inlaid pattern underneath a heavy gloss, a combination the company calls the Fusion finish. The technique is similar to the in-mold decoration pioneered by the HP dv6500t and most recently picked up by ASUS and Gateway. The interior surfaces—the palm rests and the dashboard—are decorated in a similar manner. The stylized speakers, illuminated Satellite logo on the bottom left-hand corner, and touch-sensitive multimedia buttons on the dashboard add to the P305's design appeal.
The notebook's 17-inch widescreen is suitable for multimedia content, but its glossiness might create enough glare to annoy those who work under a fluorescent light. Similar systems like the Apple 17-inch and the Dell 1720 have options for matte or antiglare screens.
Screen resolution is another factor to consider. You have the impression of a bigger canvas space, as well as sharper image quality, with a high-resolution screen, but text and font sizes appear tinier and could affect those with troubled vision. The P305's 1,440-by-900 resolution falls somewhere in the middle, whereas the MacBook, the Dell 1720, and the Gateway P-171XL go to extremes, boasting a high-definition- and gaming-friendly 1,920-by-1,200 resolution. And there are even bigger screens out there, like the mammoth 18.4-inch display on the Acer Aspire 8920G.
So where did Toshiba economize to hit this price point? The answer appears to lie in the CPU. The P305's 1.83-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5550 processor won't win any performance races, but it can still handle activities like video and photo editing, movie viewing, and heavy office tasks. The system's 3GB of RAM and ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3470 graphics card keep the processor from choking, but they still couldn't save its benchmark test scores on SYSmark 2007 Preview, Windows Media Encoder, Photoshop CS3 tests, and CineBench R10. On the other hand, it's very difficult to build performance thoroughbreds like the HP dv9500t, the Dell 1720, and the Apple 17-inch for a price this low. For lack of a better expression, you get what you pay for with performance.
The same is true for battery life, unfortunately. I thought Toshiba could have put in something bigger than the 43-Wh battery, but because users are unlikely to take it on the road anyway, the P305's disappointing 1 hour 55 minutes on MobileMark 2007 can be tolerated.
There was a time when you had to pay an arm and a leg for a big screen on a laptop; it was the most expensive feature. But times—and technology—change, and the Toshiba Satellite P305-S8825 is right there with them, offering the benefits of a desktop without the hefty price of a laptop. Thanks to its 17-inch widescreen, a numeric keypad, and a full list of features, you needn't think twice about choosing it over a conventional desktop. And the $1,000 price makes moving from a desktop to a desktop replacement an easy transition.
Toshiba Portégé R400-S4931
Toshiba America Inc http://www.toshiba.com
I've always envisioned Apple implementing a rotating hinge and a digitizer screen on the Apple MacBook 13-inch (White). Needless to say, such an announcement won't be coming any time soon. But with its Portégé R400-S4931, Toshiba offers a sweet alternative. The R400-S4931 looks very similar to the MacBook 13-inch, complete with a piano-white finish and a gorgeous 12-inch widescreen. Toshiba goes the extra step by adding a rotating screen and tablet capabilities, courtesy of the new Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate operating system.
Toshiba knew that, because of its looks, people would immediately associate the R400-S4931 with a MacBook 13-inch. That's why it made sure to emblazon the "Toshiba" logo in bold letters across the lid. The piano-white finish is undeniably sexy and doesn't draw as many fingerprints as would a black finish like the one found on the HP Pavilion tx1000. Brace the system on your forearms and you'll realize how light it is. With long dimensions (12" by 9.5" by 1.25") and a 12-inch widescreen, the system still weighs a mere 3.7 pounds, about the same as the Lenovo ThinkPad X60 Tablet. It's also at least a pound lighter than the Portégé M400-S4032 (Toshiba's other convertible tablet) and the tx1000.
The R400-S4391 doesn't overwhelm you with a ton of features. It follows the same philosophy as the X60 Tablet: Keep the machine as light as possible and still deliver a great tablet experience. For instance, it doesn't have a built-in optical drive, unlike the HP tx1000 and the Toshiba M400-S4032. (There is an optional external dual-layer USB DVD drive for $149.) You get two USB ports, both of which are located in the back. A wireless on/off switch comes in handy for flights. There is also a fingerprint reader located on the screen, alongside the navigation dial, and several other quick-launch keys. The unit has a Trusted Platform Module built in, and you can use it to take advantage of Vista Ultimate's Bitlocker feature (which lets you encrypt a folder or an entire partition, preventing intruders from accessing private information), but getting it configured is no easy task. You'll have to repartition your drives (NTFS format) and make sure you have an updated BIOS.
Like all convertible tablets, the R400-S4931 has a rotating screen that lies flat against the base. The digitizer pen (in matching white) can be pulled out from the front bezel. Although it has a comfortable feel, I would have liked to have seen a thicker middle and material that has traction for a better grip, as on the ThinkPad X60 Tablet's pen. Interestingly, the top of the lid doesn't latch onto the base. Instead, it has a locking mechanism involving two linchpin-like modules on each side of the rotating hinge. This configuration still felt fairly secure, anchoring the bottom corners of the screen, and it minimized the "wobbling" effect when you flip the screen back to laptop mode.
Much of the excitement over this tablet centers on Vista. The R400-S4931 launches with Windows Vista Ultimate, which includes the Tablet PC Edition and a host of other features. Tablet functionality is arguably one of the most improved features in Vista. I tried out several applications, including Windows Journal, Microsoft Office 2007, and StickyNotes, and the overall experience was enjoyable. The notion of using pen gestures, or "flicks," to navigate text pages is smart, but hard to grasp. You'll have to create near-perfect strokes to make use of this feature. I was actually impressed with the operating system's ability to recognize my borderline-legible handwriting. It does a great job with script and error corrections. Furthermore, there's a built-in training program that teaches the system how to improve its reading of my chicken scratches, er, handwriting.
The R400-S4391 takes advantage of Vista in other ways. Along the front bezel, you can find an LCD panel that displays text using a feature in Vista called SideShow. The idea here is to relay e-mail messages, RSS feeds, and text messages over to a secondary display. The display is big enough only for text, but it consumes little power and can be kept on without booting into Vista. The data scrolls across this display, much like a stock ticker. You can flip through the messages using the three buttons next to the display. For e-mail applications, you'll have to set up an account and configure SideShow for use with the account. You can also get information on this secondary screen about the strength of your wireless signal, date and time, and battery life remaining. Other "gadgets" can be downloaded for use with the display, but so far, there are only a few available via Microsoft's site. The ones that were loaded on my test unit included Windows Mail (successor to Outlook Express), Microsoft Outlook 2007, Toshiba's own proprietary notification gadget, and Windows Media Player 11. So far, however, I haven't been successful at getting these gadgets to work with the display.
You can tell that the tablet and the operating system are still in their early stages. I couldn't get some of the network features to work efficiently. For instance, the R400-S4391 has built-in wireless WAN from Verizon's EV-DO, but Internet connection was intermittent, and there were times when there was no data transfer even though the signal was strong. Toshiba is also notorious for preloading a slew of applications, mostly its own, so getting everything to run smoothly is still a work in progress. When the EV-DO connection was working properly, I was able to download data at 758 Kbps in Manhattan.
Performance, unfortunately, is a drawback. The R400-S4391 gives you enough horsepower to run Vista Ultimate and the 3D interface. It does so by implementing 2GB of RAM and dedicating a full 192MB of that RAM to the shared Intel graphics chipset. The 1.2-GHz Ultra Low Voltage Intel Core Duo U2500 processor has lower power than the Low Voltage Intel Core Duo on the Lenovo X60 Tablet. If you're using this machine primarily for handwriting, editing photos, and watching YouTube, though, you'll be just fine. The 43-Wh battery is relatively small compared with the extended ones on the Lenovo and HP, but you can add another 43-Wh slice underneath the base to boost battery life. The extra battery is a little clunky and hard to attach, but combined with the standard battery it will give you close to 6 hours. The standard battery alone drained in 2 hours 45 minutes while running some of my DVD and Web-surfing tasks.
At $2,599 direct, the Toshiba Portégé R400-S4391 is one of the most expensive convertible tablets on the market. What you get is a machine that takes full advantage of the features in Windows Vista Ultimate, including enhanced tablet functions, better handwriting recognition, Vista SideShow, and Bitlocker encryption. You also get a design that raises envy in the Apple community and a chassis that's light enough to make Lenovo raise its eyebrows. In fact, among tablets without an optical drive built in, it's second only to the X60 Tablet. With its light weight, glossy widescreen, and snazzy looks, the R400-S4391 should appeal to media junkies who crave true mobility and who want to do more than just spreadsheets and note-taking.
Toshiba Portege M700-S7002
Toshiba America Inc http://www.toshiba.com
Although its tablet PC lineup may not be as impressive as Fujitsu 's, Toshiba has put together a solid and diverse array of convertible tablets over the past several years. The Toshiba Portégé M700-S7002 ($1,799 direct) is a convertible tablet that competes with the Fujitsu LifeBook T4000 Series and the ASUS R1, offering a wide selection of bred-for-performance, standard-voltage processors. Although not the lightest model by tablet standards, the M700 has a built-in optical drive to soothe some of the grumbling over its weight.
The M700-S7002 measures 9.5 by 11.8 by 1.5 inches (HWD) and weighs 4.5 pounds. You can't tell at first glance, but the system has received a considerable makeover from its predecessor, the Portégé M400-S4032. It retains a boxy look, absent any visual eye-candy that might make it look less like a business machine and more like its prettier sibling, the Portégé R400-S4931. But it adds a new hinge design, a widescreen, and a webcam. The optical drive is essentially the reason why tablets like the Fujitsu LifeBook T4210 and the ASUS R1 are thicker and less attractive than those that forgo the drive. It doesn't help either that the Wacom-enabled screens—the technology that drives handwriting recognition—have sensors beneath the tablet's surface that thicken the screen and thus increase the tablet's overall dimensions. So even though the M700 now has a widescreen format and an LED backlight, usually signaling a thinner screen, the Wacom technology counteracts that effect.
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The best part about convertible tablets is their ability to expose a keyboard with one swivel of the screen. In the M700's case, the full-size keyboard is very pleasant to type on. As for other not-so-conspicuous enhancements, the Portégé R400's latchless design is carried over to the M700. The rotating screen is locked into position by two pegs near the hinge, in place of a locking mechanism in the front bezel. According to Toshiba, this design will beef up the hinge by 35 percent, holding the screen steady at multiple angles.
In addition to the Wacom digitized screen, the M700 also incorporates touch-screen capabilities. If whipping out the digitized pen (stored near the system's base, on the left side) is too much of a chore, your fingers can take its place. For pen input, the combination of Vista's tablet platform and Wacom technology is unmatched. Touch sensitivity on the screen is terrific for navigating, but the handwriting recognition and the pen-on-paper feel take advantage of the digitized screen and pen. The two different functions don't interfere with one another, either: Once you place the pen against the tablet's surface, touch capabilities instantaneously take a back seat. Other convertible tablets that integrate both touch and Wacom technology include the Lenovo ThinkPad X61 Tablet and the HP Pavilion tx2000z.
Various buttons alongside the screen are useful when operating in tablet mode. You can find a miniature joystick for scrolling, a Windows security button, a display rotation button, and several customizable application keys. The dual-layer DVD burner is also modular, which means you can substitute an extra hard drive for it (but not an extra battery). A built-in 1.3-megapixel webcam gives you face time with family members and business associates, while three USB ports and the FireWire port should be enough for other peripherals. The one thing I would like to see is 3G support, either from Sprint's or Verizon's EV-DO Rev A or AT&T's HSDPA technology. While the M700 comes with 802.11n Wi-Fi and Gigabit Ethernet, adding a cellular modem would have given the Lenovo X61 Tablet a run for its money.
As with its predecessor, the Portégé M700 offers a variety of Intel processors to choose from—both past and present chips. My review unit came configured with a 2.2-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7500 processor, which is based on last year's "Merom" technology. More expensive versions with a "Penryn" core—namely, the 2.1-GHz T8100 and 2.4-GHz T8300, are also available. Either way, this is a performance seeker's tablet because it uses standard-voltage processors rather than the low-voltage ones found on the Lenovo X61 Tablet, the Fujitsu T2010, and the Dell Latitude XT (stay tuned for our review of this one). The M700 comes with 2GB of RAM, which is our recommended minimum for anything running Vista.
Despite running a powerful processor, the M700 was able to curtail energy usage, per my readings with a PS3 International Kill-A-Watt meter. In idle state, it used 12 watts—2W below Energy Star 4.0 requirements and very impressive for a tablet with this kind of horsepower. It consumed as little energy as the HP Compaq 2710p, which runs on an ultra-low-voltage processor. Furthermore, with environmental certifications piled on, such as Energy Star 4.0, EPEAT Gold, and RoHS, the M700-S7002 merits our PC Magazine GreenTech Approved seal.
The Toshiba Portégé M700-S7002 is for tablet users who fancy extra horsepower and an optical drive. Convertible tablets are considered laptops first, with tablet functionality taking a secondary role. This is especially true for the M700. If you're using a tablet primarily for pen writing, where you're typically cradling the system on your forearm or using it on your lap, however, I would recommend forgoing the optical drive. Look for a lighter system instead, like the Lenovo ThinkPad X61 Tablet or the Fujitsu LifeBook T2010.
The Satellite P200-1IR
The Satellite P200-1IR from Toshiba brings together three important qualities: performance, versatility and affordability! This laptop comes with a Pentium Dual Core processor clocked at 1.60 Ghz and 2 GB of RAM for increased stability and fluidity, meaning you can run different applications in Windows Vista at the same time. The Satellite P200-1IR is also equipped with three USB ports and a FireWire socket for connecting external devices, and has a dual-layer DVD writer and 5-in-1 memory card reader so you can store and back up data. You’ll also be able to surf the net using its built-in modem or Ethernet port, and reveal the face behind the computer to other internet users thanks to its built-in webcam! Think to the future with the Satellite P200-1IR from Toshiba!General Information Operating System Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium