Tech Spotlight : TruBrite screen gorgeous on Toshiba laptop, but Celeron processor no speed demon
Posted on Monday, February 13, 2006
Hot software and hotter gadgets are fun to play with, but it’s that rare chance to play with the big toys I really enjoy.
I’ve spent the last couple of weeks playing with just such a toy : the Toshiba Satellite A 105-S 171 laptop computer.
As with most Toshibas I’ve seen, this one is built like a rock but with a style that’s sleek and smooth. The full-size keys make it easy to type, and control buttons on the left make it easy to use the computer’s DVD Super-Multi drive.
The most striking feature of this computer is the screen. It has a 15. 4 inch-diagonal widescreen monitor, and it features a technology called TruBrite. The screen is sharp and bright, making the colors pop. The glossy screen can have a bit of a glare when darker images cover the screen, such as during a movie, but for the most part it’s just plain gorgeous.
The other great feature of this machine is the built-in wireless technology. No need to worry about adding Ethernet lines or struggling through complicated network setups. Network configuration was very easy thanks to Windows XP’s setup and the built-in Intel mobile technology.
The computer comes with Windows XP home, as well as Quicken 2005, to help users watch their pennies ; InterVideo WinDVD, to create DVDs ; Sonic RecordNow ! to back up data onto CDs, create music CDs or make copies of CDs ; and a number of trial programs, including Microsoft Office.
The battery life is decent on this machine, but not spectacular. I got about 3 hours out of a charge. A big reason for the limited battery time is that monitor. Such a large, bright monitor really sucks the battery dry. There are plenty of energy-saving options within Windows available, though. I must say, it’s a worthy trade-off. That screen really is gorgeous.
The computer is made to be a multimedia machine perfect for those who can’t spend a ton on a notebook. At less than $ 1, 000 retail, the machine offers features usually found on the more expensive machines. Firewire and USB 2. 0 ports allow for fast transfer from digital still and video cameras. The DVD burner and aforementioned software make it easy to take that multimedia and turn it into their own DVD creation. The 100 GB hard drive means there is plenty of room for movie creation. I was quite impressed with the integration of multimedia elements here.
This computer has a lot of great features, but it also has a few weaknesses. There was one minor weakness : the speakers Their loudest sound wasn’ very loud, and the quality was less than stellar at higher vol umes, which surprised me since Toshiba uses Harmon Kardon, a high-quality company. It seems a shame for a computer to look so good and sound so blah.
I also had a problem with the video memory. Rather than ded icated memory chips, the com puter shares its video memory with the system memory. In oth er words, the system may have 512 MB, but only 448 MB was be ing used because 64 MB was be ing set aside for video memory When massive video and taxing processor tasks combine, every thing slows down as a result.
That brings me to the major weakness : that Celeron proces sor. I’ll be honest, I’ve never been a fan of Celeron proces sors, and this computer rein forced my prejudice. Shutdown start up, game play and some high-processing programs were just S-L-O-W. Small, non-taxing tasks like surfing the Web were no problem. But I started playing a small Web game. After a couple of levels, everything slowed to a crawl, and movements became jerky.
At 1. 6 Ghz, this is not the fastest processor to begin with. Saddling such a well-built computer with the so-so performance of a Celeron processor versus a straight Pentium 4 (which only costs a few dollars more ) is just wrong. Would it really be that hard to add a straight Pentium processor ?
As it turns out, Toshiba does offer another A 105 model. It’s nearly identical to this model, but the A 105-S 2712 has a faster 1. 73 ghz, Pentium M Centrino processor. OK, the hard drive drops from 100 GB to 60 GB, but for only $ 50 more retail, it’s worth it for the speed boost.
The new Toshiba Satellite A 105-S 171 has its flaws, but the computer is great as a whole. The widescreen monitor and its TruBrite display make an instant impression, and the builtin wireless is fast and incredibly convenient.
As far as notebooks go, this one is worth of consideration for those who don’t want to take a major hit to their budgets. (Though between you and me, toss in another $ 50 and get the A 105-S 2712 for that faster processor. )
While I always enjoy trying out new hardware and software it’s the opportunity to play with big toys like this that spice the routine up a bit. Routine is good, but adding an occasional dash of spice, well, that makes the rest even better.
Melissa L. Jones may be reached at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 515 Enterprise Drive, Suite 106, Lowell, Ark. 72745, or by e-mail at mjones@arkansasonline. com.
Where it’s @ Toshiba’s Satellite A 105-S 171 laptop computer features a 1. 6 Ghz Intel Celeron Mobile processor, 512 MB of memory (64 MB shared for video memory ) and 15. 4-inch widescreen monitor. Wireless technology is built in, and it comes with Windows XP Home. The product currently retails for $ 999 with rebate. More information is available at www. toshibadirect. com
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