Toshiba has recently launched its very own netbook, but what makes it special? Toshiba already boasts a notable line of laptops such as the Toshiba Portege R500-10U, which is a critic favorite. Toshiba is working on advertising the quality of its brand to boost consumer interest. Toshiba is essentially banking on its “name” to achieve success in the netbook market.
Toshiba’s NB100 is going to sell for about $300 for its Linux-based model that is equipped with 512MB of memory and a 80GB hard drive. Toshiba is offering a Windows XP model for about 100$ extra, but with 1GB of RAM and a 120GB hard drive, which in our opinion is clearly the better option.
The design of the NB100 is definitely not at par with its competitors. The lid simply looks cheap – it looks like it was taken off from another netbook and reattached messily. The edges are too sharp and the lines don’t even match up. It looks like a box. The sharp edges seem like they would be damaged very easily, while the humungous battery takes up pretty much all the available space in the back. Toshiba claims that it allows easier grip, but we think it’s more of a nuisance than a blessing. The only good thing about the Toshiba’s looks is the three colors you can choose from.
The NB100’s battery is a 4-cell 5200mAh Toshiba that offers 3.5 hours of battery life. Compared to Asus’s netbooks, 3.5 hours is relatively bad, but it is average when considering all netbooks as a whole. On the bright side, the 9-inch NB100 weighs 0.99 kg (according to Toshiba), an amazingly low number. Toshiba should definitely get some credit for that score, if for anything at all.
The NB100’s keyboard is probably its most impressive feature – it did not compromise on keyboard size at all, perhaps that is the reason for the bulky battery that is hidden in the back. Like the Dell Inspiron Mini 9, the NB100 sports an edge-to –edge keyboard and has no missing keys. The touch pad is reasonably sized, approximately the size of a hardback book. Interestingly, the left mouse button is a little bit longer than the right one. Our theory is that the subtle difference is there to reflect the dominantly used button in relation to the other. There are also indicator lights under the touch pad, which is definitely a plus considering its practicality.
Overall, the Toshiba NB100 is no different from any other 9-inch netbook out there. However, there is one intriguing question that we would like to pose (perhaps it is in favor of Toshiba…) – would you rather purchase a netbook from a well-known brand like Toshiba or from a relatively unheard-of, obscure brand? That is the question.
Tech Specs (varies with customization):
General
Motherboard chipset
Intel GM945GSE
Processor number
N270
Processor speed
1.6GHz
Processor
Intel Atom
Memory/Storage
Amt of RAM
1024 MB
Hard drive
120 GB
Card Reader
SD, MMC, MS, MS Pro, xD
Connectivity
Ports
3 x USB 2.0; VGA out
Bluetooth
Yes
Infrared
No
Ethernet
10/100
Wireless LAN
802.11b, 802.11g
Webcam
Yes
Display
Graphics hardware
Intel GMA 950
Amt of video RAM
224MB
Diagonal screen size
8.9 inch
Screen resolution (max)
1024 x 600
Sound hardware
Built-in stereo speakers
Software
Operating system
Win XP Home
Chassis
Weight w/battery
1.05 kg
Dimensions
255 x 190.5 x 33 mm