A Review of the Toshiba Satellite A215-S6814 15.4" Laptop

The sub-$1000 notebooks are some of the most popular especially this time of year while students are stocking up before they go off to school. I've gotten my hands on the Toshiba Satellite A215-S6814 15.4" Laptop. This notebook has seen a recent price reduction and has placed it in that sub-$1000 category. As a result of this we've see a drastic increase in its sales numbers. Because of this new found popularity I've decided to give it a review. First let me start with a few of the basics.

Hardware:

Imaging: A bezel integrated Webcam

Processor: 2.2 GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-64

Storage Space: a 250 GB hard drive

RAM: 2GB RAM (this can be upgraded to a 4GB maximum)

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

Graphics Accelerator: ATI Radeon X1200 graphics card (using up to 319 MB of system RAM as video RAM)

14.3" x 10.6" x 1.5" and it weighs about 5.8lbs.

What immediately stands out on this notebook is the absolutely fabulous 15.4" XGA LCD operating at a resolution of 1280 x 800. The LCD is clear and crisp with a glossy finish, and doesn't wash out under direct light. Toshiba's are known for their great screens and this notebook is no exception. The only downside is that the weak graphics card won't allow for any graphically intensive games. The processor is great though, the 64 bit AMD is quite strong and should allow quite a bit of longevity. The memory is quite good, the 250GB hard drive is perfect and the 2GB or RAM is enough to run Vista smoothly.

Connectivity:

Integrated Wireless

1 Ethernet Port

4 2.0 USB ports (this is the gold standard of PC connectivity and is used for anything from mice and keyboards to printers and MP3 players)

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

1 ExpressCard slot (this can be used to add hardware like a Bluetooth adapter or a cellular modem)

1 VGA port (this is the typical monitor connection)

1 S-Video port (this is a typical projector connection but can also be used for connecting to compatible televisions)

1 Mic in / 1 audio out

1 56K modem port (so that this notebook can dial up an internet connection)

5 in 1 memory card reader (this is used to directly insert solid state memory from mobile devices)

The connectivity on this notebook is great; I love where the USB ports are. I wish it had a Bluetooth adapter but that can be remedied with a 20 or so dollar investment in a Bluetooth USB dongle. This notebook would be great for both students and professionals alike. It is light and sturdy enough to be carried to and from the office or class. It will do plenty of work and even play a few movies or tunes. Priced at about $900 this notebook is about right on target.