Specifications and thoughts
Specification
Please head on over the Satellite A300D-15B's review to gain a deeper insight into Toshiba's Satellite range. Knowing what makes that tick will provide decent background reading for this review.| Toshiba Satellite A300D-14O | |
|---|---|
| Processor | AMD Turion X2 Ultra ZM-80 (2.1GHz, 2x 1MB L2 cache, dual-core) |
| Motherboard | Toshiba Satellite Pro 300D |
| Memory | 3GB PC6400 (2GB+1GB) in dual-channel mode - DDR2-800 |
| Hard disk(s) | Toshiba 250GB, 5,400RPM, 8MB cache |
| Display/TFT | 15.4in WXGA (1,280x800) |
| Graphics hardware | ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3100 onboard (IGP, Puma) |
| Optical drive | HL-GSA-T50N DVD ReWriter, includes dual-layer support |
| Sound | Conexant HD audio with Dolby Sound Room processing |
| Modem | HDAudio Softmodem |
| Networking hardware | 1x 10/100/1000, Marvell Yukon 88E8072 PCIe Ethernet Realtek RTL8187 802.11 b/g WiFi |
| Ports and connectors | 4x USB2.0, eSATA, VGA, ExpressCard54, RJ45
(LAN), modem, 7-pin mini-DIN, mini-FireWire Mic-in, headphone-out |
| Operating system | Windows Vista Business SP1, 32-bit (Windows XP Pro also included) |
| Notable extras | Built-in card-reader (SD, MMC, MS, MSPro, xD) 1.3MP webcam |
| Weight | 2.872kg with supplied battery. |
| Battery | 6-cell, 4,000mAh (43WHr) |
| Dimensions | 363mm x 267mm x 38.5mm (W x D x H) |
| Warranty | One year as standard, international cover |
| Price | £520, including VAT |
It's no surprise that many of the features are common between both Toshiba laptops; they're based around the same chassis.
System memory is dropped from 4GB to 3GB and the screen resolution from 1,440x900 to 1,280x800. Having used 15.4in laptops screens for a while we feel that the higher-resolution panel is comfortably better.
The A300D-15B's discrete Mobility Radeon HD 3650 512MB graphics card is dropped in favour of onboard graphics, and we can appreciate that a business user doesn't need to a high-powered GPU in a laptop.
Entertainment-wise, the Harman Kardon speakers, glossy finish and HDMI port are all missing in comparison, understandably.
We're concerned that the battery continues to be rather small, delivering only 43WHr for a 15.4in notebook - a standard ~65WHr would have been far more preferable.
A change in operating system is also sensible and expected, with Windows Vista Business pre-loaded. Interestingly, Windows XP Professional SP3 is included in the package at no extra cost: dual-boot goodness, if you want it.
The same laptop is available with an Intel subsystem - A300D-1GO - featuring an Intel Core 2 Duo T5670 CPU, Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG WiFi, and X3100 integrated graphics. It also ships at the same recommended etail price of £560, including VAT, but both are available for around £40 less when shopping online.
