First Review of Ultra-Glossy, USB-Chargin’ Toshiba Satellite U405

Around these parts we consider notebooks with 13.3-inch displays to be sweet-spot machines. They’re light enough to take with you without a second thought yet generally powerful enough to be your primary PC. There are some pretty sweet high-end machines in this size range, like the MacBook Air, Sony VAIO SZ, and Lenovo X300, but what if you’re not swimming in cash? Take a good look at the $1,149 Toshiba Satellite U405, which we just reviewed. It’s not as svelte as the aforementioned lappies of luxury, but it’s got plenty of style, thanks to a new Fusion finish (think tweaked HP Imprint finish) and cool LED lights (my favorite is the one above the touchpad). This notebook stands out in two other ways: its Sleep and Charge USB ports can juice your gadgets even when the system is turned off, and facial recognition software leverages the webcam to log you into this thin-and-light. So how do these features work, and does the Penryn-powered U405 offer enough oomph for your buck? Check out the full review.