Review: Toshiba Portege R705 ultra-portable laptop

by Scott Carmichael on

With just one month left in the year, our search for the perfect travel friendly laptop may finally be coming to an end with the Toshiba Portege R705.

The R705 comes from the top of the range lineup of Toshiba laptops – which obviously means premium features at a premium price. So – what makes this machine so special, and is this the machine you should consider as your new travel buddy?

Inside the version we reviewed (the R705-P41) is an Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB of memory, a 500GB drive and an optical drive. Graphics are powered by a Mobile Intel HD chipset with Intel WiDi technology (more on that later). The screen is a 13.3″ 1366×768 LED backlit panel with support for 720p video with a webcam mounted above the display. The R705 supports 802.11a/g/n WiFi. Expansion ports offer eSATA, USB, HDMI, VGA, Ethernet and audio. Battery life is rated for “up to 8 hours”.

While all of these specifications sound great (and they are), the real surprise comes from the weight of this computer: just 3.22lbs. To put this in perspective – the new 13″ Apple Macbook
Air weighs 2.9 lbs and does not offer the speed, optical drive or battery life of the Toshiba.

The outside of the Portege R705 is made of magnesium alloy, and is built around a rigid frame – the top of the screen flexes quite a bit, but since it is made of metal, a little flex shouldn’t matter too much. The shiny metal Toshiba badge is a nice touch, adding to the overall premium feel of the R705.

The keyboard is a “chiclet” version – which makes for nicely spaced keys, with dedicated page up/page down buttons, arrow keys and a full row of function buttons.

Not much to add about the keyboard other than “it works perfectly”. Spacing is nice, there is just the right amount of travel and long amounts of typing never bothered me. The lack of a backlit keyboard option is a tad disappointing.

The same applies to the generously sized trackpad – it responds nicely, supports multi-touch and its buttons work better than most of the machines we’ve recently tested.

The built in DVD drive is a real treat – even if you rarely use one, the drive inside the R705 means you won’t have to make compromises – the machine just offers everything you need. When not in use, the Toshiba power management software can completely shut down the drive, reducing its power load on the battery.

The little button on the top right is to enable the Intel WiDi feature. WiDI stands for Wireless Display, and is a trick built into the Intel i5 Chipset.

With WiDi and a compatible WiDi receiver, you can “beam” your video from your laptop to the WiDi box, and connect it to a TV or projector. Range is relatively limited, and you need to invest a little under $100 for the box, but it does make for a fun tool if you use your laptop for business.

The chrome screen hinges not only cool, they also make the structure very sturdy. There is no wobble in the screen when it is open.

Battery life, while rated at 8 hours, usually managed to not go past the 6:23 mark. Even with everything turned down to a bare minimum, the six hour mark was about the most we could squeeze out of it. Still, a very respectable lifespan on a machine with a powerful processor.

So there you have it – all the ingredients for the perfect travel laptop – 13.3″ is the perfect size for a machine that comes on the road with you. The screen size is perfect for some entertainment, the keyboard is great for doing lots of “real” work, the Intel i5 is powerful enough for almost anything you throw at it, and battery life is sufficient for most flights.

In the model we reviewed, there is no Bluetooth or fingerprint reader – two options that are available on higher-end versions. Also, the Intel HD video may be fine for basic HD video playback, but it won’t win any prizes from gamers.

Priced at $939.99, this is clearly a few steps above the kind of machine sold on Black Friday at your local megamart, but an ultra-portable delivers so much more than many budget computers.

Of all the ultra-portables on the market, the Portege R705 is the one we’ve fallen in love with. How Toshiba managed to pack so much in such a light machine amazes us every time we pick it up.

For (online) retailers of the Portege R705, head on over to Toshiba.com.

Toshiba and Best Buy announce the Satellite L635 – the world’s first full-size kids laptop

by Scott Carmichael on

Toshiba and Best Buy recently announced the world’s first full size laptop specifically designed for kids. The Toshiba Satellite L635 features a 13.3″ screen, DVD/RW drive, 2GB of memory, a 250GB drive, a wipeable keyboard and an array of software to make the machine both fun and safe to use.

The L635 comes with kid friendly browser KidZui, as well as Net Nanny, which allows parents to set boundries on what the machine can be used for. Kids also get two Disney movies and Lego Batman. When traveling, the machine can play DVD’s, keep kids entertained on a road trip and let them do their homework from their hotel room, without them having to borrow your own laptop.

Now, as a parent, I fully understand that some of you will be shaking your head, and reminding people that when we were kids, we had to settle for an old box and half a crayon. But times have changed – and without computer skills, kids are already at a disadvantage. Still, the $499.99 investment is probably quite hard to justify. Still, if the machine is treated right, it’ll last for at least five years, and $100 a year isn’t too much to ask for helping with educating (and entertaining) your kids.

The L635 is available at Best Buy retail stores and Bestbuy.com

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Toshiba Satellite T135 notebook review – perfect balance of size, weight and power

by Scott Carmichael on

In this review, we’ll introduce you to the Toshiba Satellite T135 notebook. Inside the model on review (the T135D-S1320) is an AMD NEO MV40 processor, 3GB of memory and a 250GB hard drive. Graphics are powered by a dedicated ATI Radeon chip on a 13.3″ widescreen LED backlit display.

In every possible way, this machine is the perfect option for someone not content with the size constraints of a netbook, but not interested in a large 15″ notebook. By removing the optical drive, Toshiba kept the weight of the machine at just under 3.9lbs.

On the outside, the machine is quite striking. Our review unit came in a kind of red carbon fiber pattern, not overly bright, definitely a departure from the boring designs on most other machines. Connectivity comes from a memory card slot, three USB ports, audio in/out, VGA and HDMI. Having built in access to both video output ports is a huge plus – too many machines force you to pick nowadays, often resulting in investments in special adapter cables.

They keyboard on the T135 is a kind of hybrid between a regular keyboard and a chiclet keyboard. Key spacing is excellent, but there is a little bit of “flex” towards the middle. Thankfully, it doesn’t impact typing efficiency. Despite the small size of the machine, the keys are well layed out, and everything is where you’d expect it to be.

The multi touch trackpad is nice and large – and is part of the outer case. The coating on the trackpad is a little rougher than the rest of the unit, making it both comfortable and accurate. At the bottom of the trackpad are the left and right buttons – which are easy to press and respond with a nice click.

Under the trackpad buttons are LED indicators for power, battery charging status, HDD activity, memory card activity and wireless status.

The memory card slot on the right fits SD, Memory Stick and xD card compatibility. One other neat connectivity feature comes from the left side USB port. By enabling a software feature, this USB port provides power even when the notebook is turned off. With this, you can charge your phone, iPod or other device, without having to find an outlet or invest in a battery pack.

Speaking of batteries, battery life on the T135 is quite good for a machine this size – its six cell battery sits flush with bottom, and is rated for six hours. In real life usage, I was usually able to keep it running for just over five and a half hours, without too many energy tweaks.

Other features inside the T135 include a webcam with facial recognition (for security), 802.11n WiFi and a hard drive impact sensor, which locks the drive when any sudden movements are detected.

Performance from the AMD NEO MV40 processor is another perfect balance – it won’t run down your battery, but it still packs enough power to do things like Flash video and HD playback. The integrated ATI Radeon video chip obviously helps with this.

On the bottom of the T135 is a memory card cover, which can be opened by the user -but since the machine already comes with 3GB, chances are you won’t ever need to expand it.

The Toshiba Satellite T135 for travel

As I mentioned earlier, the T135 is what I consider to be the “sweet spot” size for travel. There is still a time and place for smaller machines, but I often find that 10″ netbooks can be too much of a sacrifice on the road. A 13″ machine is just right for me – it offers a large high resolution screen, full size keyboard and good battery life, without the weight and heft of a 15″ machine.

The Toshiba T135 runs Windows 7 home premium 64 bit – a nice step up from the basic OS versions found on some machines. Out of the box, the Toshiba also comes with a good array of software – you obviously get the usual lineup of things like a Microsoft Office trial, Norton Internet Security and Windows Live Essentials. But the value added Toshiba applications are actually quite good – the Toshiba suite provides DVD playback software, a CD/DVD editing application, face recognition security, a variety of support apps and a very extensive energy management suite.

All in all, at just over $500, the Toshiba is one of the best machines I have tested in this price/size range. The Toshiba T135 line is available from Toshiba.com and Toshiba retailers. The specific model tested in this review (T135-S1320) is available at Walmart retail stores.

Daily deal – Toshiba 320GB external USB hard drive for $74.99

by Scott Carmichael on

My daily deal for this afternoon is for (yet another) Toshiba portable external hard drive. Two weeks ago, I posted a good deal on a 250GB drive, but as prices continue to drop, you can now pick up a 320GB portable drive for just $10 more.

Besides being a really good deal, there are several other reasons why I think everyone who travels with their computer should invest in a portable drive.

For starters – the 320GB storage space should be enough to hold multiple backups of most of your important files. In addition to this, it can also make a safe place to store photos and videos you make on your trip, I know several people who made over 1000 photos, and lost every single one of them when their laptop hard drive crashed before arriving back home.

The best part about these portable drives is that they can be powered off the USB port of your laptop or desktop computer, which means you don’t have to drag an additional power supply along with you.

Another great thing a large external drive can do, is add more storage space for music or video files – especially since many small laptop computers only come with limited space. You’ll find this Toshiba 320GB portable hard drive on sale at Amazon for $74.99, which includes free shipping.

Daily deal – Toshiba 250GB portable hard drive for $65

by Scott Carmichael on

My daily deal for this afternoon is for a Toshiba portable external hard drive.

Besides being a really good deal, there are several other reasons why I think everyone who travels with their computer should invest in a portable drive.

For starters – the 250GB storage space should be enough to hold a backup of most of your important files. In addition to this, it can also make a safe place to store photos and videos you make on your trip, I know several people who made over 1000 photos, and lost every single one of them when their laptop hard drive crashed before arriving back home.

The best part about these portable drives is that they can be powered off the USB port of your laptop or desktop computer, which means you don’t have to drag an additional power supply along with you.

Another great thing a large external drive can do, is add more storage space for music or video files – especially since many small laptop computers only come with limited space. You’ll find this Toshiba 250GB portable hard drive on sale at Amazon for $65.85, which includes free shipping.