A Critical Review of the Toshiba Satellite P205-S6267 17" Laptop

Historically notebooks with a screen size larger than 17" have been considered entertainment notebooks or desktop replacements. These aren't the types of notebooks that will be taken to class every day or carried around in a notebook satchel everywhere. These notebooks are designed to be a desktop replacement meaning they'll serve the purpose of a desktop without the large footprint. I have gotten my hands on, and have decided to review, one of the most popular models on the market today; the Toshiba Satellite P205-S6267. First let's get started by looking at a few of the basics.

Hardware:

Processor: 1.86 GHz Intel Core Duo T23050

Storage Space: 120 GB hard drive

RAM: 2 GB RAM (this is an un-upgradable maximum)

Optical Drive: a CD R/RW with integrated dual-layer DVD +/- burner with Labelflash printing

Graphics Accelerator: an integrated Intel GMA 950 video card

Dimensions and weight: 15.7 x 11.3 x 1.83 and weighs about 7.2lbs.

One of the first things you notice about this notebook is the metallic onyx blue LCD cover surrounding a fantastic LCD. Toshiba's are known for their screens and this becomes apparent as soon as you walk into a retail outlet and see the notebook lineup. This notebook has a decent processor but unfortunately falls a little short in the memory categories. The 2GB of RAM is adequate to run Vista smoothly but the 120GB hard disk is small for the current market. The integrated video card is also a bit of a disappointment. Don't expect to edit much more than a few family movies or play a few simple games, it just isn't strong enough to tackle the latest and greatest. It will likely be alright for standard tasks.

Connectivity:

Integrated Wireless

4 2.0 USB ports (These are used to connect peripherals like mice, printers and MP3 players)

1 FireWire port (this is used for high speed data transfer between other compatible PC's or more frequently digital camcorders)

1 VGA monitor output (this is a standard monitor connection)

1 S-Video output (this is typically used to connect to projectors or compatible televisions)

1 ExpressCard slot (this slot is used to add missing hardware like a bluetooth adapter or a cellular modem)

1 audio output / 1 microphone input

5 in 1 memory card reader (this is so users can directly insert their solid state memory cards from their mobile devices.)

The connectivity is about average. A lot of 17" notebooks have as many as 6 USB ports because they often do serve as desktop replacements. This one has the standard 4. This notebook will be fine in the work environment, or perhaps on a dorm room desk. It will do work tasks without considerable lag and will play movies and MP3 music no problem. This notebook currently has an average online retail price of $1500 which in my opinion is a little high for the level of performance I've experienced. I would look around for comparables and find a better deal, I know they're out there, it shouldn't be to hard to find them.