Toshiba Satellite M55-S325
Laptop Magazine has some details on the Satellite M55-S325 notebook.
Related Posts:Similar in size and shape to the HP dv1000, the 5.3-pound Satellite M55-S325 features an attractive peacock-blue lid that protects the 14-inch TruBrite widescreen.
The keyboard has plenty of room, but the touchpad is a bit short compared to the other systems. The two sets of USB ports are stacked vertically, making plugging in multiple peripherals at once a chore. Having both the volume control wheel and Wireless On/Off switch up front is convenient.
The higher-end configuration of the Satellite M55 is powered by Intel’s 1.7-GHz Pentium M processor and 512MB of RAM. What makes this system unique among the four systems we tested is that it has the largest and fastest hard drive: 100GB running at 5,400 rpm. In addition to four USB ports, there’s a FireWire port, 5-in-1 memory card reader, and a dual-layer DVD burner.
It’s 3 hours and 13 minutes of battery life, however, trailed those two systems. The biggest dissapointment was this Satellite’s wireless range, with the internal 802.11g connection mustering a measly 3.8 Mbps 50 feet away from our access point. That’s significantly less than our 8.1 Mbps average for thin and lights.
Like the HP dv1000, the Satellite M55 enables users to listen to music and watch DVDs without having to boot into Windows. Toshiba calls this feature Express Media Player, and it worked fine on both our Coldplay CD and Spider-Man 2 DVD. A special row of multimedia keys to the right of the keyboard are for playback control, but we wish these keys worked in Windows mode, as well.
Loud and proud, the Harmon Kardon stereo speakers with SRS TruSurround XT technology produced the best sound of any of the thin-and-light systems we tested, edging out the Altec Lansings on the HP dv1000. In a unique design twist, the speaker is actually integrated into the top half of the notebook beneath the display for maximum impact. We’d like to see the M55 come with a slim remote control, as this notebook pumps out enough volume to be heard from across the room.