Hands on Toshiba's Satellite 1805-S253

• 11/01/01

Toshiba's Satellite1805-S253 is the perfect, affordable notebook computer for students and educators at any level. The notebook is easy to use, and offers many features and a great performance for the price, which starts at $1,199 (the review unit was priced at $1,299). With an 850 MHz Intel Pentium III processor; 128 MB of RAM, expandable to 512 MB; and a 15 GB hard drive, this notebook is fit for any student or classroom. Part of Toshiba's Satellite 1800/1805 Series, the 1805-S253 is also available in a slower model with an 800 MHz Intel Celeron processor.

I was impressed by the notebook's all-in-one design, which includes a floppy drive conveniently located in the front, a DVD-ROM drive and two PC card slots. Also impressive is the notebook's 14.1" TFT active-matrix display, which provides a good-size working environment as well as an excellent viewing screen for your favorite movies. Another great feature are the external control keys that allow users to control CDs and DVDs even while the notebook lid is closed and the power is off. In addition, the notebook offers a one-touch Internet access button, as well as two shortcut buttons that are programmable to launch custom applications.

The Satellite features an integrated 10/100 Ethernet port and V.90 modem, as well as two USB ports. It also has a security lock slot, which is important for educational institutions. The Satellite comes installed with Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition, Lotus SmartSuite Millennium Edition, and other basic programs, as well as an offer that lets customers select up to two software titles from a choice of categories, including education, reference and creative suites. The notebook's battery life is impressive, though its size puts it on the heavy side at 7 lbs. But the Satellite's overall compact size makes up for this. The biggest drawback for me is that the notebook d'esn't have a touch pad. Instead, it offers an AccuPoint II pointing device that I personally don't find as effective as touch pads. But considering the Satellite's incredible performance, all-in-one design and price, one could say it was created for the education market.

-Matthew Miller
mmiller@thejournal.com

Contact Information
Toshiba
Irvine, CA
(800) TOSHIBA
www.toshiba.com

This article originally appeared in the 11/01/2001 issue of THE Journal.