Toshiba Portege R200

The Toshiba Portege R200 makes me excited, as it is a 2.7-pound laptop with a great battery life, and a slick look. The price tag of $2,099 USD is a little hefty for the specifications, but the security, support, and the three year warranty help justify the cost.

The hard-shelled silver case is a tiny 0.8-inches thick at its fattest edge. Nevertheless, it does not feel flimsy and is pretty evenly balanced. The R200 has a 1.2-GHz Pentium M processor, 512MB of RAM, and a relatively spacious 4,200-rpm 60GB hard drive.

The R200 takes forty seconds or so to boot, but once up and running, programs load up quickly. The Toshiba Portege R200 is said to blow past the four hour mark as long as the Wi-Fi is turned off, but is able to perform over three hours with wireless on. Unlike many notebooks in this weight class, the machine remained cool to the touch, with little to no noise.

The 12.1-inch LCD is underwhelming, especially for a system that costs more than two grand. It suffers from narrow viewing angles, and just does not have the brightness to withstand direct sunlight.

This laptop is great for business use, though its processor is a little underpowered when compared to other machines at the same pricepoint. I see this becoming a favorite for travellers due to its light weight, compact design, and long battery life.

Related Posts: