Handy Computer Guide

A review of the Toshiba Tecra A9-S9021V Notebook has been posted over at Laptop Magazine. 'With the Tecra A9, Toshiba took an old-school approach to addressing the corporate notebook market: Make it as bland as possible so as not to offend anyone. While the gray and black plastic chassis would be appropriate for a sub-$1,000 machine, at the Tecra A9’s price, we’d like to see richer materials. The machine is the typical size for a 15.4-inch notebook, but a little more effort could have gone into shaving some bulk. In fact, at 14.4 x 10.6 x 1.5 inches and 6.4 pounds, the Tecra A9 is nearly identical in size and weight to the new Sony FW Series—which has a screen that’s an inch larger.'

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Posted by HCG Admin at 1:54 PM | Permalink

A review of the Toshiba Satellite L305-S5875 laptop has been posted over at CNET. 'The Toshiba Satellite L305-S5875 is a thoroughly average, entry-level laptop. It wasn't too long ago that an average, entry-level laptop meant one that was underpowered and shabbily designed. These days, spending between $600 and $700 for a laptop means you are getting a relatively modern dual-core configuration that comes housed in a decent-looking case. While the $679 Toshiba Satellite L305-S5875, a fixed configuration that you'll find on big-box store shelves this summer, will suffice for students, the Sony VAIO VGN-NR430 E/L proved itself to be imperceptibly faster in the labs with a perceptibly longer battery life. The Sony also can be found for less--as low as $599 at the time of this writing--and feels sturdier with a better keyboard.'

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Posted by HCG Admin at 10:04 PM | Permalink

Digital Trends have published a review of the Toshiba Satellite M300-S1002X Notebook. 'Like previous Toshiba notebooks we’ve reviewed, the M300 comes with quite a bit of pre-installed software. In addition to the numerous Toshiba utilities such as Disc Creator, Speech System, Power Saver and others, Toshiba also includes a 60-day trial of Microsoft Office 2007 and a 60-day trial of Norton 360 All-In-One Security. Other pre-installed apps include a business card maker, Picasa 2, Netwaiting, Google Desktop and Intervideo WinDVD.

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Posted by HCG Admin at 12:34 PM | Permalink

A review of the Toshiba Satellite Pro U400 business notebook PC has been posted over at Notebook Review. 'The U400's stylish design features a 2-tone color scheme of matte silver on black. Many of the traditionally-square notebook features have been softened with round edges. The overall style is carried onto the keyboard and touchpad areas with both reflecting the shape of the notebook itself. Once the factory stickers are removed from the palmrest areas, the notebook's design blends into a cohesive whole.

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Posted by HCG Admin at 10:39 PM | Permalink

Pocket-Lint have published a review of the Toshiba Portégé R500-11Z Notebook PC. 'Weighing in at just 1.1kg, this machine is as light as some of the new breed of mini-notebooks that have been grabbing the headlines of late. It may be light and the design compact but you won't find any compromises in performance or features. The body is tough and feels designed to meet the needs of regular travel. You'll also find a DVD rewriter built-in, which is an impressive piece of engineering for a notebook of this size. The 12.1-inch Super-TFT screen uses LED technology to deliver a far better image quality than you'll find with standard fluorescent screens. For the traveller, it also has the added advantage of being thinner and lighter.'

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Posted by HCG Admin at 10:11 PM | Permalink

Notebook Review have published a review of the Toshiba Satellite P305 widescreen laptop. ' The Satellite P305 is the latest Intel-based 17" notebook from Toshiba. This notebook is a complete refresh of the older P205 series model, with a brand new durable fusion finish, and a much sleeker design. Toshiba offers a wide range of configuration options for this notebook, with processors going from the Intel Pentium T2370 to the latest T9300 Penryn based Core 2 Duo. Three graphics options are available with this notebook online, ranging from Intel X3100 integrated graphics to the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3650 dedicated graphics card to let users configure it just the way they want to. Read on to see how well this notebook stands up through our testing.'

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Posted by HCG Admin at 5:00 PM | Permalink

A review of the affordable Toshiba Satellite A300-177 Notebook has been posted over at Pocket-Lint. 'The Satellite A300 takes the current rounded look of the Satellite range and gives it a high-gloss finish. This looks great and certainly makes it look more appealing. However, the finish does soon attract smears and fingerprints and we found ourselves constantly having to wipe it clean. It's the same with the keyboard, which has the same style of finish. The keys are of a good size and it is comfortable to use, but we'd have preferred a matt finish. There is even a reassuring click as you type, so you know you've struck the key correctly.

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Posted by HCG Admin at 10:14 PM | Permalink

PC Advisor have published a review of the Toshiba M700-110 Tablet PC. ‘With the Toshiba M700-110 used as a regular laptop, we find the usual complement of features we expect of a modern portable, including 802.11 networking (a, b, g and draft n), a dual-layer DVD-writing optical drive, Bluetooth and 5-in-1 card reader. Powering all this is an Intel Core 2 Duo processor clocked at 2GHz, supported by 2GB of RAM and a 120GB hard drive.

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Posted by HCG Admin at 10:11 PM | Permalink

Notebook Review have published a review of the Toshiba Satellite M305 Notebook. ‘If you're one of those notebook users who judges the build quality of a notebook by how much metal is visible in its construction, the M305 won't be earning many high marks in your book: this laptop is all about the plastic, with glossy (and thus, highly obvious) polymers covering nearly every inch of its surface. Again, while the slick plastic can feel a little cheap, the M305 belies this idea with a tight, solid build and lots of nice details.

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Posted by HCG Admin at 4:27 PM | Permalink

CNET have published a review of the Toshiba Satellite U405-S2830 laptop. 'The $1,149 Satellite U405 is a sleek, light 13-inch system, and while it won't be replacing the 13-inch MacBook in our affections anytime soon, the new features and decent specs make it worth a look in the thin-and-light category. The new Satellite look is certainly an improvement over previous versions, which have alternated between slate gray and bizarre red-and-black flamed designs. Toshiba says the new look is a "Horizon" pattern in a "Fusion" finish, which basically means silver-gray and black pinstripes that combine for a distinct metallic sheen. Nearly identical in terms of features and design are the new 14-inch Satellite A305D and the 15-inch Satellite M305.

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Posted by HCG Admin at 10:29 PM | Permalink

A review of the Toshiba Satellite U405 Notebook has been posted over at Notebook Review. ‘The Toshiba Satellite U400/U405 series is a new 13.3" widescreen notebook that weighs in at just 4.85 pounds and packs solid Intel Core 2 Duo Penryn performance and a big hard drive with plenty of storage space. Add to that a stylish chassis covered in Toshiba's new "Fusion" finish, 3GB of RAM, a webcam, and fingerprint reader and this notebook starts looking even better. Toshiba calls this notebook a "compact hero [that] balances working room with carrying comfort." Let's take a look and see if this laptop is as good as it sounds.

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Posted by HCG Admin at 10:09 PM | Permalink

A review of the Toshiba Satellite L355D laptop has been posted over at Notebook Review. ‘The Toshiba L355D has a design that we are very familiar with, that has changed very little from the older P200 series notebook. The notebook body slimmed down across the board, but without comparing pictures between each model it would be hard to tell the difference. The peak height at the feet remained very similar, but the notebook profile is thinner in the front and back. The biggest change is the hinge design, which went from a "hidden" design to a double hinge setup.

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Posted by HCG Admin at 10:44 PM | Permalink

A review of the Toshiba Portégé M700-S7002 convertible tablet PC has been posted over at PC Magazine. '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.

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Posted by HCG Admin at 10:16 PM | Permalink

A review of the Toshiba Satellite Pro U300 Notebook has been posted over at Pocket-Lint. ‘Finished in black and grey plastic, this isn't the most stylish of notebooks but it certainly proved robust for use on the move. It's a slim machine considering there is a DVD rewriter built-in and the size means it great for the commute, as it will easily slip in to any standard carry case. With an overall weight of 2.1kg, it's reasonably portable and coupled with a battery life well in excess of 3 hours, we were more than satisfied with its portability.

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Posted by HCG Admin at 10:32 PM | Permalink

Laptop Magazine have published a review of the Toshiba Satellite X205-SLi4 gaming Notebook. ‘Toshiba’s latest rig is powered by Intel’s 2.1-GHz T8100 Penryn CPU, and it’s complemented by a relatively generous 3GB of RAM. The Nvidia SLI Dual GeForce 8600M GT graphics card alone boasts 512MB of dedicated video memory, but newer and faster graphics cards like the 8800M GTS are avaialable on lower-priced systems. The Satellite X205-SLi4’s two speedy, 160GB, 7,200-rpm hard drives are satisfactory for storing movies and games. Too bad you can’t opt out of the HD-DVD drive, which means you’re forced to pay a couple hundred dollars extra for obsolete technology.’

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Posted by HCG Admin at 11:20 AM | Permalink

A review of the Toshiba Satellite X205-SLi4 laptop has been posted over at PC Magazine. 'Toshiba doesn't take it slow when it comes to updating the Satellite brand. Ever since the company launched its first gaming laptop—the Satellite P105-S921—in early 2006, the torrential downpour of beastly laptops equipped with powerful graphics cards hasn't ceased. As of this review, Toshiba has a total of nine laptops that target gamers, four of them legitimate contenders against big names like Alienware, Dell, Gateway, and Voodoo. The Toshiba Satellite X205-SLi4 ($2,499 direct) is the latest gaming laptop to emerge with SLI graphics and an Intel Penryn processor. These parts aren't as powerful as the screaming ones on the Dell XPS M1730 or the Gateway P-171XL FX, but the low cost of ownership relative to other gaming laptops should grab the attention of part-time gamers and college-bound students.'

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Posted by HCG Admin at 10:23 PM | Permalink

CNET have published their review of Toshiba Qosmio G45-AV690 multimedia notebook PC. 'The Toshiba Qosmio G45-AV690 is physically identical to its predecessor, sticking with the current Qosmio two-tone look, with a black lid offset against a white interior. The glossy plastic finish is attractive, even if we generally prefer the matte look, but it can be fingerprint-prone. A huge silver Qosmio logo sits on the back of the lid, broadcasting your brand preference to anyone nearby.

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Posted by HCG Admin at 10:12 PM | Permalink

CNET Asia have published a review of the Toshiba Satellite M200 Notebook. ‘The M200 submitted to CNET for review featured an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T5250 running at 1.5GHz, with 1GB of onboard memory. Graphics are provided by the inbuilt Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100, which will consume up to 251MB of the onboard memory. Thankfully, the memory can be upgraded up to 4GB; a single slot is occupied out-of-the-box by the inbuilt 1GB. The M200 features a super-multi DVD recorder with support for every format you'd care to throw at it, and it ships with Windows Vista Home Premium edition.

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Posted by HCG Admin at 3:35 PM | Permalink

Laptop Magazine have published a review of the new Toshiba Qosmio G45-AV690 Notebook. 'Like the G45-AV680 that came before it, the 10.6-pound G45-AV690 features a beautiful 17-inch, 1920 x 1200-pixel resolution Ultimate TruBrite widescreen display, which brilliantly showcased our U2: Rattle and Hum HD DVD in full 1080p. We were equally wowed by the powerful Harman Kardon Bass Reflex speakers (with subwoofer), 1-bit digital amplifier, and Dolby Home Theater audio technology, which produced crisp audio.

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Posted by HCG Admin at 9:15 PM | Permalink

Pocket-Lint have published a review of the Toshiba Satellite U300-13V Notebook. ‘The Toshiba Satellite U300-13V fits in the middle of this notion, as the 2.1kg chassis is aimed at those who need to work while on the move but the inclusion of Windows Vista Home Premium means it lacks connectivity and security features found in Vista Business. Helping to keep weight down is the 13.3-inch Super-TFT screen that comes with a widescreen aspect ratio, so viewing files side-by-side is easy. Graphics are an integrated solution, so you won't be able to run anything but standard tasks.

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Posted by HCG Admin at 9:26 PM | Permalink

IT Reviews have published a review of the Toshiba Satellite U300-134 laptop. ‘Our Satellite U300-134 came with what appears to be the standard amount of memory for a notebook these days, namely 2GB of PC2-5300, 667MHz, DDR2 memory. If you want to upgrade then the U300-134 motherboard will support a maximum of 4GB through two SO-SIMM slots. Performance-wise the U300-134 provides few shocks. PCMark05 produces a score of 4,032, which is about average for this combination of processor and memory, although holding the score down is the graphics performance of the integrated Intel X3100 chipset.

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Posted by HCG Admin at 9:10 PM | Permalink

A review of the Toshiba Satellite Pro A200HD-1U4 Notebook has been posted over at Computeractive. 'The computer uses Intel’s Core2 Duo T7500 processor and has 2GB of memory, making it a fairly powerful notebook. It also has a separate graphics card, an ATI Mobility Radeon HD2600. A 200GB hard disk should be enough to store lots of music and video, and a memory card reader, internal webcam and s-video output ensure it’s nicely up to speed in terms of handling media. Bluetooth and wireless network access are built in, although there’s no support for the latest 802.11n wireless technology.

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Posted by HCG Admin at 2:31 PM | Permalink

A review of the Toshiba Qosmio F45-AV425 gaming Notebook has been posted over at MobileTechReview. 'Despite the large size in this thin and small-crazed notebook world, the Toshiba Qosmio F45 looks well built and has its moments in design. The gloss black lid with Qosmio branding and white inner surfaces help create a sleek look, and the white keyboard is easy on the eyes. The Toshiba has a round AV control on the right side of the keyboard and a DJ style volume control on the left, resonating with the round speaker grills above the keyboard. They do look unique and cool. The notebook has a standard 86-key keyboard along with a touch pad and fingerprint scanner. The full-size keyboard feels comfy to type on and has good travel by notebook standards. The shiny and smooth wrist area feels great after removing the super-sized marketing stickers (fortunately they peel off easily and cleanly).'

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Posted by HCG Admin at 1:11 PM | Permalink

A review of the Toshiba Qosmio G45 Penryn multimedia notebook has been posted over at Notebook Review. 'Compared to other high-end notebooks the Qosmio is an extremely flashy computer. The display cover is glossy black with the Qosmio brand name embossed over it; proudly announcing its name to those around you. Opening the laptop reveals its glossy white palm rest and keyboard surround, nicely contrasting the top cover, with chrome dials and touch-sensitive selection buttons to control various functions. Bright blue LEDs illuminate all soft media buttons, as well as the volume dial and power switch when the unit is powered up. The LED’s can be disabled if the user so wishes, by pressing a soft-key above the keyboard.

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Posted by HCG Admin at 1:11 PM | Permalink

CNET Asia have published a review of the Toshiba Portege M700 Tablet PC. 'One of the key improvements to the Portege tablet PC series is the inclusion of LED technology in the display. More power-efficient yet brighter than conventional LCD panels, it allows for a thinner display that has better readability in bright environments. Despite this, the screen of the M700 LCD is intentionally made thicker to ensure that it will not crack at the slightest pressure. In fact, even when we pushed hard on the LCD from the back there were no signs of ripples on the LCD. It also helps that the magnesium-alloy chassis is able to withstand more punishment than plastic-based bodies.

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Posted by HCG Admin at 9:12 PM | Permalink

PC World have published a review of the Toshiba Satellite P205D-S7479 desktop replacement PC. ‘Equipped with a 2.2-GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 Dual-Core TL-64 processor, 2GB of RAM, 256MB of discrete graphics memory, and a 4200-rpm 250GB hard drive, the P205D-S7479 earned a WorldBench 6 Beta 2 score of 68. That result is 16 percent behind the average score of 81 earned by 19 currently tested desktop replacement laptops, and 13 percent behind the average score of 78 earned by three notebooks with an Intel chip of the same speed (the Fujitsu LifeBook A6110, the HP Compaq 8710p, and the HP Pavilion dv9500t). Though neither gap is huge, the differences do show that the P205D will lag in some applications.’

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Posted by HCG Admin at 3:34 PM | Permalink

IT Reviews have published a review of the Toshiba Portégé R500-10U ultraportable. 'Looking for a laptop that you can carry around all day and not notice it? Then you might want to take a look at Toshiba's Portégé R500-10U. In fact, you could carry this one around all week and still not know it. Why? Because it weighs an almost unbelievably light 760g. However, having a notebook this light isn't without one or two problems. If you are one of those people who hold their notebooks by one corner, beware: if you do it with the Portégé R500-10U you might well hear a nasty cracking sound. As you might have guessed, to make a laptop this light means using a lot of plastic in its construction, and with most of the weight being at the rear of the chassis in the form of the battery, the chassis tends to bend towards the back, hence the potential cracking noise.'

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Posted by HCG Admin at 3:48 PM | Permalink

Laptop Magazine have published a review of the affordable Toshiba Satellite A215-S4757 laptop. ‘The 6.3-pound Satellite sports a shiny Onyx Blue lid, which is so dark that it actually looks more black than blue, and as is usually the case with high-gloss finishes, it's a real fingerprint magnet. The front edge of the lid is tapered, allowing access to a set of bright blue LED status lights mounted on the lower edge of the chassis, along with a 5-in-1 card reader, a Wi-Fi switch and amber indicator light, microphone and headphone jacks, and a volume dial. The keyboard deck provides plenty of wrist room, and the full-sized keyboard was comfortable and responsive, as was the wide-aspect touchpad. The two mouse buttons are a bit too small, however.’

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Posted by HCG Admin at 4:21 PM | Permalink

CNET have published a review of the Toshiba Satellite M205-S7452 Notebook PC. ‘From the outside, the Satellite M205 is nearly identical to the other laptops in Toshiba's current lineup, such as the Satellite U305, with the same rounded edges, black accents, and silver interior. The dark-blue-speckled lid has a high-gloss coating--making it especially vulnerable to fingerprints and smudges, but it's attractive otherwise. One of our common complaints about the company's laptops remains the giant "Toshiba" emblazoned in large silver letters across the laptop's lid and the backlit Satellite logo on the front edge. It all adds up to branding overkill, making us feel like a walking billboard.

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Posted by HCG Admin at 2:47 PM | Permalink

InfoSync World have published a review of the Toshiba Qosmio F45 multimedia laptop. 'The Qosmio F45 comes in a two-tone, black and white glossy finish that's more stylish than Toshiba's entry-level Satellite or business-branded Tecra lines, both of which are painted with a matte finish. The black-and-white design isn't the most imaginative color palette in the notebook market and almost seems to be going for a “police car” look. Still, considering most laptops stubbornly opt for the “gray/even more gray” color pattern, the Qosmio F45 still pleasingly stands out in a laptop lineup. At 6.6 pounds, the F45 is a full 4 pounds lighter than the Qosmio G45. That's a 40% weight reduction, and obviously makes the unit much easier to carry around. It's still probably too big for watching movies on an airplane in coach seating, but you can realistically take it from one place to another without crippling your shoulders.'

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Posted by HCG Admin at 8:59 PM | Permalink