Toshiba Satellite A215-S7472: 15.4-Inch, Crowd-Pleasing Notebook

Toshiba is one of the most popular notebook manufactures on the market today. When you combine that with the most popular notebook size of 15.4 inches, you end up with some quick-moving products. The Toshiba Satellite A215-S7472 falls straight into that category, and I've had a lot of questions about it lately. So I've decided to take one home and get accustomed to it firsthand. I'll let you know how it performs and who should take one home. First, let me mention the basics.

Hardware:

Processor: 64-bit 2.2 GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-64

Storage Space: 250 GB hard drive

RAM: 2GB RAM (expandable up to a 4 GB maximum)

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

Graphics Accelerator: ATI Radeon XPress 1200 graphics (using up to 319 MB of available system memory)

Dimensions and weight: 14.3" x 10.6" x 1.5" and it weighs 5.8lbs.

The most noticeable thing about this notebook is the onyx blue metallic bezel covering a spectacular clean and crisp LCD. Toshiba manufacturers notebooks with screens that rival the likes of Sony and Apple, just go into a retail store and check out the lineup, I think it is quite noticeable. Another nice exterior feature is the integrated webcam which can produce and image slightly better than a cell phone camera. For those that will be using this as an entertainment device you'll be glad to hear that it has media playback controls which allow you to pause, fast forward etc. without having to go into the software. This notebook has adequate memory with the 250GB hard disk as well as the 2GB of RAM. The 2GB of RAM allows Vista to run smoothly but if you need more that is something that can be upgraded easily and inexpensively.

Connectivity:

Integrated Wireless

1 Ethernet port (so this notebook can connect to a wired network)

4 2.0 USB ports (these are used to connect peripherals like mice, printers, mp3 players or digital cameras)

1 FireWire port (this is used for a high speed data connection between a digital camcorder or another compatible PC)

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

1 HDMI output (this is a high definition television connection)

1 VGA port (this is a standard monitor port)

1 S-Video (this is used typically to connect to a projector but can be used for some compatible televisions)

1 Audio out / 1 mic in

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

I absolutely love the connectivity in this notebook. It isn't missing anything and it is all ergonomically placed. The HDMI port allows users to connect this notebook to their HD television in the living room, that means that this turns into a multimedia powerhouse and could theoretically replace your TiVO. I believe most users will enjoy this notebook because of its versatility to do work as well as its entertainment value. Coming in at $930 this notebook is a true value and if it is time for you to grab one I wouldn't hesitate.