Toshiba’s NB255 Netbook Promises Great Keyboard for Sub-$300 Price

We’ve long been fans of Toshiba’s netbooks, because they offer the best combination of style, ergonomic comfort, and long battery life in the market today. However, they’ve never been a bargain with prices in the $400 range at a time when other vendors are lowering their MSRPs. Today, Toshiba announced the NB255 a $299 netbook that promises the same strong performance, keyboard, and battery life as its big brother the NB305, but uses a less expensive plastic lid and keyboard.

It has the following specs:

• Intel Atom N455 CPU – This is the new 1.6-GHz Atom that supports DDR3 RAM
• 1GB of DDR3 RAM
• 250 GB hard drive
• A 10.1-inch 1024×600 screen
• A 6-cell battery good for the usual 8 hours or more of battery life

The NB305 is also getting a refresh, though it’s less dramatic. The price is dropping to $379, Toshiba is bumping the processor up to Intel’s Atom N450, and red is now a color option. Both netbooks will be available starting June 20th.

Check out our hands-on video and gallery below for a closer look at the Toshiba NB255.