A Review of the Budget Priced 15.4" Toshiba Satellite A205-S5831 Laptop

I continue my series of Toshiba Satellite laptop reviews by looking at another budget level entry in the A205-S5831 Laptop. This notebook is one of the most inexpensive entries Toshiba has offered the market recently. As a result it is selling very well, but is it really worth the dough? I have gotten my hands on one and I'll let you know where I stand on its performance and capabilities. First let's get started by addressing a few of the basics.

Hardware

15.4-inch LCD stylishly accented with an onyx blue metallic LCD cover

Processor: 1.73 GHz Intel Pentium T2370 dual-core

Storage Space: 160GB hard drive

RAM: 1GB (Expandable up to a 2 GB maximum)

Optical Drive: A CD R / RW with an integrated dual-layer DVD +/- burner

Graphics Accelerator: Intel GMA X3100 graphics (Shares 256MB of RAM for Video RAM)

Dimensions and weight: 14.3" x 10.6" x 1.55" and 6.05 pounds

Like a number of the Toshibas that have come out recently this model has a blue design in its bezel. Just be sure that it is appropriate for whatever use you have planned for this notebook. While the design is certainly striking, many will argue that Toshiba's best feature on their Satallite notebooks are the WXGA Trubrite TFT LCD screens. That is certainly true with this note book which is operating at a maximum resolution of 1280 x 800. It is crisp and glossy, as a result there is a little bit of glare in bright light but it looks great in typical conditions.

This notebook is inexpensive and you usually get what you pay for especially in this industry. As a result there aren't many bells and whistles. The processor isn't an especially speedy one, however it is capable of general computing - MS Office, handling music, simple games, and such. I wish that it had 2 GB of RAM because Window's Vista really needs 2GB to operate as it was intended. Otherwise it is fine, the integrated graphics card won't allow for any intensive gaming but does fine with general operating. Let's get to the connections available.

Connectivity

Integrated Wireless (to connect to wireless networks)

Ethernet Port (to connect to a wired network)

5 in 1 Memory Card Adapter (with this you can directly insert your memory card from your digital camera)

ExpressCard Slot (use this to add a Bluetooth adapter)

4 2.0 USB ports (the gold standard of connectivity, use these to connect your laptop with things like digital cameras, printers, and mp3 players)

Audio out / Mic in

VGA output (a standard video output for monitors)

S-Video Output (use this to connect to projectors)

Modem Port (for dialup!)

This notebook doesn't have the perks like Bluetooth or firewire. But for around $575 dollars you can afford to by the adapters if you need them. This notebook is priced about right for what you get. This would be the notebook that I recommend out of all of the budget level Toshiba Satellites. It will be a great tool for a student that needs to have something for class but also enjoys downloading music and watching movies. It is mobile enough to take on the road but large enough with the 15.4" screen to replace that desktop.