Toshiba Satellite

Today, Toshiba took the wraps off its refresh of its Satellite notebook line- the 15.4-inch A300, the 14.1-inch M300, the 17-inch P300, and the 13.3-inch U400- which feature several improvements over previous models. These include:

• 64-bit computing: The notebooks are now compatible with the 64-bit version of Windows Vista, which lets the systems take advantage of a full 4GB of memory for editing photos and video or creating audio files.
• e-SATA port: Enables high-speed file transfers between a notebook and an external HDD, with rates up to 5X faster than USB 2.0
• Three Sleep-and-Charge USB ports: Users can power their gadgets via USB even when the systems are powered down.
• Facial Recognition: Users can log into their systems by using just their faces.
• Intel’s latest Core 2 Duo processors
• Built-in FM Tuner

Besides the new additions, pricing and configurations remain the same for these notebooks as their previous iterations, the details of which can be found here. The Satellite refreshes are available for purchase now.

This isn’t the ho-hum Toshiba Satellite you’re accustomed to seeing. Sporting a dazzling new design, the 4.6-pound Toshiba Satellite U405, the company’s successor to the U300 line, strikes a fine balance between sweet looks and portability.

Any discussion about this machine has to start with its stylish new digs. Measuring 12.4 x 9.0 x 1.0 inches and weighing 4.6 pounds, the U405 is roughly the same size and weight as the 12.2 x 8.9 x 1.3-inch, 5-pound U305. We love the new in-mold Fusion Finish design that serves up a glossy gotta-touch-it, black-and-gray gradient color scheme; it even extends across the face of the touchpad for a more unified look.

While the U405’s styling looks like it was taken straight from the HP school of design, Toshiba adds its own unique visual flair by embedding the power button, touch-sensitive multimedia keys, a section of the touchpad, and the Satellite logo on the base of the system with a cool-looking white LED light that radiates a futuristic feel. The keyboard is equally attractive with its super-glossy keys, but they were too spongy for our tastes. Still, we liked the small, but serviceable keyboard that offered enough room for users with large hands to touch type.
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Today, Toshiba announced two new additions to its notebook family, which are designed to give users a nice array of features for an even nicer price: The Toshiba Satellite A200 and L350 series.

The Toshiba Satellite A200 series offers a 15.4-inch TruBrite display, DVD SuperMulti (with Labelflash), Windows Vista Home Premium, and 802.11b/g Wi-Fi at a starting price of $599. Based on the model, you can get a chunky 3GB of RAM, a webcam, a choice of dual-core processors, and up to 250GB of storage space.

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