Canon Puts Efficiency On PressToshiba Mini NB305-N410BN
Manufacturer: Toshiba Part number: PLL3AU-00L00C
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Accessories
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- With a new Atom processor and a tweaked design, the Toshiba Mini NB305-N410BN is an improvement over the already excellent NB205, at a price that's identical.
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CNET editors' review
Toshiba Mini NB305-N410BN price range: $479.99
- Reviewed by: Scott Stein
- Edited by: Dan Ackerman
- Reviewed on: 02/03/2010
The good: Great battery life; large touch pad; improved speakers, bulge-free battery; sleep-and-charge USB port.
The bad: The keyboard, while wide, has awkwardly sized keys for touch-typing; some Netbooks offer HD displays for the same price.
The bottom line: With a new Atom processor and a tweaked design, the Toshiba Mini NB305-N410BN is an improvement over the already excellent NB205, at a price that's identical.
The world of cheap, ubiquitous, and nearly identical Netbooks has been a stable and predictable landscape for a while now, and hasn't gotten any less predictable with the launch of Intel's next generation of Atom processors. Whereas Netbooks used to run Windows XP, have N270 processors, and 1GB RAM/160GB hard drive as standards, now Netbooks run Windows 7 Starter, have N450 processors, and have 1GB RAM/250GB hard-drive configurations, with occasional variations.
Those variations--extra RAM, better resolution or larger screens, larger batteries, and keyboard designs--define how much any Netbook is worth. The Toshiba Mini NB305-N410 is, by most standards, an average Netbook in terms of base features. At $399, it's affordable, but still $100 more than some budget models out there. On the other hand, the advantages when compared against the previous Toshiba Mini NB205 model we reviewed last December are considerable. For the same price, the Mini NB305-N410 has much-improved battery life, thanks to its new N450 Atom processor, plus the battery bulge we always hated about the NB series has been nearly eliminated. Throw in stereo speakers, and the NB305-N410 is a good step up from Toshiba Netbooks of the past, and it's offered at the same exact price point.
| Price as reviewed | $399 |
| Processor | 1.6 GHz Intel Atom N450 |
| Memory | 1GB, 800 MHz DDR2 |
| Hard drive | 250GB 5,400rpm |
| Chipset | NM10 |
| Graphics | Intel GMA 3150 |
| Operating system | Windows 7 Starter |
| Dimensions (WD) | 10.5 x 7.6 inches |
| Height | 1.4 inches |
| Screen size (diagonal) | 10.1 inches |
| System weight / Weight with AC adapter | 3.5/2.9 pounds |
| Category | Netbook |
Toshiba's Mini NB series of Netbooks has always been one of the strongest in terms of overall construction and design. With an attractive, silver, plastic finish and a bronzed, semi-shiny lid on our Sable Brown version, the NB305-N410BN cuts a professional profile and avoids looking like a toy, even in colors such as royal blue and frost white.
Even better, the battery that used to bulge out the back has now been tucked under the chassis, leaving a slight riser underneath that's barely noticeable. The result is a far more compact body all around and cleaner lines. The NB305 series does include another configuration, the NB305-N310, with a different tapered keyboard, Windows XP, and only a 160GB hard drive. The price on the NB305-N310, however, is only $50 less than the N410 we reviewed. We prefer the N410, but some might prefer Windows XP to the slightly under-featured 32-bit Windows 7 Starter.
Inside, a large rounded hinge houses the power button, centered above the keyboard. Shiny plastic frames the glossy inset 10.1-inch screen, and an integrated Web camera provides decent Web video chat with the included Skype software. The NB305-N410 keyboard is a raised chiclet-style affair, running edge to edge across the Netbook base and making the most of the limited space. The keyboard has a similar feeling to that of the Sony Vaio W, but the keys are larger. Unfortunately, they're a bit wider than they are tall, and are oddly oriented, which is sure to provide some difficulty to touch-typers--the space bar is smaller than normal, and tab keys feel very compressed. The multitouch touch pad is huge by Netbook standards, and the two buttons below are easy to click--more so than on the Toshiba Satellite T100 series.
Below the keyboard, a somewhat absurd array of LED indicator lights display everything from Wi-Fi status to whether the battery's low. Honestly, Toshiba could have whittled down the light array to five key functions, instead of nine.
The 10.1-inch glossy LED-backlit screen on the Mini NB305-N410 has a 1,024x600-pixel native resolution. Though this lower-than-HD-resolution screen is common, there are plenty of Netbooks with 1,366x768-pixel resolution displays, including the Sony Vaio W series. Colors and icons are crisp and bright, offering a better-than-average experience once resolution is forgiven. The NB305's audio has received a welcome bump up from the NB205 series, adding a second speaker for stereo sound. The speakers still lean toward tinny and soft, but they are significantly louder than they were before.
| Toshiba Mini NB305-N410BN | Average for category [Netbook] | |
| Video | VGA-out | VGA |
| Audio | Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks | headphone/microphone jacks |
| Data | 2 USB 2.0, 1 USB 2.0/sleep and charge, SD card reader | 2 USB 2.0, SD card reader |
| Expansion | None | None |
| Networking | Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi | Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
| Optical drive | None | None |
Our favorite feature on Toshiba laptops, the sleep-and-charge USB port, is once again included on the Mini NB305-N410BN. Gladly, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi is included, but unfortunately Bluetooth is not. The NB305-N410 can expand its memory from the included 1GB of RAM up to 2GB, but upgrade features beyond that are somewhat limited.
Intel's new Atom N450 processor offers nearly the same level of performance as previous N270/280 Atom processors, and the NB305-N410 therefore doesn't do much more than its predecessor, the NB205. Basic single-process tasks such as Web browsing, light office work, and e-mail are perfect fits for a Netbook such as this, but heavier multitasking and online video viewing will be disappointing. Our Hulu-watching experience ranged from choppy and passable to full-screen stutter that's unbearable, although downloaded video files play relatively well.
 Juice box |
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| Mainstream (Avg watts/hour) | Toshiba Mini NB305-N410 |
| Off (60%) | 0.81 |
| Sleep (10%) | 0.91 |
| Idle (25%) | 5.63 |
| Load (05%) | 15.2 |
| Raw kWh Number | 24.04 |
| Annual energy cost | $2.73 |
The six-cell battery in the Toshiba Mini NB305-N410 ran for 7 hours and 4 minutes using our video playback battery drain test, which is a fantastic number for a Netbook. Great battery life is fast becoming a standard of newer Atom N450 Netbooks, but it's important to note that 7 hours represents what we consider a grueling scenario of continuous video playback: under less strenuous conditions, battery life should be even longer.
Toshiba includes an industry-standard, one-year, parts-and-labor warranty with the Mini NB305-N410, which can also be upgraded to three-year coverage. Support is accessible 24-7 via a toll-free phone line, an online knowledge base, and a Web site with driver downloads.
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
Toshiba Mini NB305-N410BN
Windows 7 Starter; 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450; 1024MB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz; 50MB (Shared) Mobile Intel GMA 3150; 250GB Hitachi 5400rpm
Sony Vaio Eco VPC-W212AX
Windows 7 Starter; 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450; 1024MB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz; 250MB (Shared) Mobile Intel GMA 3150; 250GB Seagate 5400rpm
Asus Eee PC 1201N
Windows 7 Starter; 1.6GHz Intel Atom N330 Dual-Core; 2048MB DDR2 SDRAM 2050MHz; 256MB Nvidia ION; 250GB Hitachi 5400rpm
Acer Ferrari One
Windows 7 Home Premium; 1.2GHz AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core L310; 4096MB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz; 384MB (Dedicated) ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3200; 250GB Seagate 5400rpm
Acer Aspire One 532h-2326
Windows 7 Starter; 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450; 1024MB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz; 250MB (Shared) Mobile Intel GMA 3150; 250GB Seagate 5400rpm
Asus Eee PC 1005PE
Windows 7 Starter; 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450; 1024MB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz; 251MB (Shared) Mobile Intel GMA 3150; 250GB Seagate 5400rpm
HP Mini 5102
Windows 7 Starter; 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450; 1024MB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz; 248MB (Shared) Mobile Intel GMA 3150; 160GB Seagate 7200rpm
Find out more about how we test laptops.
User reviews
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Superb device for staying connected while on the road
by PassatDoc on April 3, 2010
Pros: 1. Lightweight, compact
2. Looong battery life, I get 9-10 hours per charge
3. Transition to Windows 7 was fairly painless, though I miss XP
4. Plays mp3 and mp4 video files with ease
5. Performs quite well when RAM upgraded to 2GBCons: 1. HD display would have been nice
2. Speakers are worthless, but wonderful audio with headphones or ear buds
3. With only one RAM slot, it was wasteful to pull out the 1 GB RAM memory and swap a 2GB card. Why not provide 2 GB and charge $15 extra?Summary: I bought this netbook to stay in touch while on the road. However, it's so light and easy to use that I now find myself using it on the ...
Summary: I bought this netbook to stay in touch while on the road. However, it's so light and easy to use that I now find myself using it on the sofa or the patio table, which I never did with my older and heavier Lenovo T40. The T40's battery barely gave two hours on a full charge, which severely limited its portability. The Toshiba netbook's new processor is more energy efficient and I get ten hours of operation average between charges.
I bought a CD drive in order to load software that doesn't offer a download option. I already had a large collection of movies in mp4 format (conversions of DVDs I already own, originally converted for iPod use), so the lack of a CD/DVD drive is not a deal-breaker for me. Wireless card is "N" speed and works great with a high speed router.
The performance was greatly enhanced by swapping the supplied 1GB RAM for a 2 GB card. Put another way, the performance was less than stellar out of the box. There is only one RAM slot, so an upgrade means that you set aside the brand new, original 1GB card, which is somewhat wasteful. Given the $10-20 cost differential between a 1GB and 2GB RAM card, it would have made more sense to supply the netbook with 2 GB in the first place and charge an extra $10-15. If there were two slots, one could simply buy a second card, but with only one slot, why not give the product excellent performance right out of the box?9 out of 9 users found this user opinion helpful.
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I Love this Little Machine!
by emmerc on April 5, 2010
Pros: The battery is just awesome, one whole day of work with a single charge is the first reason for me to buy this machine. The hard drive with its 250GB and its impact sensor makes it perfect as it is quite roomy and safe. The wireless, the three USB!
Cons: Windows 7 is a bad joke not an OS! I went right away to Windows XP Home SP3 and the machine runs every program so smoothly. I would like it to have bluetooth built in. Maybe I should have bought the one with 3G built in.
Summary: I have had this machine for about one week and let me go back to the battery life, I have gotten at least 8 or nine hours so far. I ...
Summary: I have had this machine for about one week and let me go back to the battery life, I have gotten at least 8 or nine hours so far. I was told to drain it a couple of times before it reaches its optimum level but it is awesome.
I need to correct my commentaries on Windows 7, as the one installed in this machine is Windows 7 Starter, which has a number of limitations as no access to desktop theme or wallpaper modifications, network work group creation and additionally I felt it quite heavy and slow so I replaced it in this machine with Windows XP Home SP3 which maybe is an old OS but is fully functional and light enough as to be used in this machine that seems more like a full laptop in small format rather than a netbook. Windows XP Home runs very smoothly in this machine and allows me to work without taking care of the OS as it should be. If I would like some eye candy, then I would install Ubuntu 9.10 with compiz fusion and I would have a real extravaganza of visual effects while keeping all the functionality of the machine and with a lot of resources still available to run all my applications even in a netbook as I did with my previous Asus eee Pc 900.
The weight, its 2.60 pounds makes it perfect for the road. Now I leave my behemoth of 7.1 pounds at home as Desk Top Replacement (Toshiba P305-S8832!) and now I take this little one to the library, classroom, Starbucks and so on.
Speaking about the road, having a roomy 250GB Hard Drive with 3D sensor is perfect I did transfer all my documents from my DTR and some music, videos, installed ALL my software as a mirror of my DTR and still I have a lot of HDD room for more data. This is perfect in this machine. I installed Libronix 3.0, MS Office 2003, Bible Works 6 and 7 on it and all of them run very well.
The wireless detects every possible wireless signal from all around and pick them up even those that are really weak signals and stick to the one I have chosen even if it fades away, the machine will look for it, select it and connect to it right away. I can't ask for more.
The screen display provides me with a nice clear and sharp image so working with MS Word, in the Internet browser or any other program is not problem.
I had a bad experience with Windows 7 so I created the restore media DVDs right away and did a fresh installation of a fully legal Windows XP Home SP3, which is working very well now; even with the SATA AHCI enabled. I got all the drivers in the Toshiba site, this was quite convenient. The only trick was with the AHCI and then I went to the Intel site, searched the driver, unpacked it and did a forced upgrade of the driver in the device manager, restarted the machine, went to the BIOS, enabled the AHCI and it was ready! Also I updated the BIOS right away. Maybe I will increase the ram to its 2GB maximum just because I can and not because it is needed. And I will get a 3G usb modem so I might have internet access where there is not a wireless signal nor a wired network available.
So now the machine is working very well and I am using it as much as I use my main machine (P305-S8832). This is my third Toshiba in a row, to the first one (Toshiba Satellite Pro 6100) I squeezed six and a half years of service (still working at full throttle!), the second one (P305-S8832) is my main working machine at home since one and a half years ago and now this NB305-N410BL is for me to use it wherever I go. I am writing a PhD Dissertation, so I have to take a machine to the library quite often. I teach a class once once in a while far from home so I need something small and powerful enough as to move all my teaching stuff while preserving its functionality and my communication capabilities.
I highly recommend this machine for the warrior of the road.
Updated on Apr 5, 2010
Updated on Apr 27, 2010Battery life!!!
Let me tell you that this machine is not just meant to browse the web, read e-mail and some soft duties. I installed WinXp Home SP3 on it.
I am using this machine to write my PhD dissertation and I keep MS Office 2003 open with four to five windows, BibleWorks 6 and 7, Libronix 3.0g, firefox (three or more tabs), Thunderbird and some others as winamp and this machine works not only up to the job but the battery gives me at least eight hours of continuous service at this rhythm. This is awesome! If you need a machine to do some serious office work away from home or the office, this is the right machine! Do not look for more. In addition, when you plug this machine to power, it consumes less than the power pack provides so it allows you to really charge the battery while you work. Did I say eight hours of heavy office work? :-)
Updated on Dec 20, 2011Hi friends, recently I replace the HDD with a 500gb 7200rpm HD, upgraded the memory to 2GB DDR2800 and the OS to Windows 7 Home Premium and that machine is working pretty well. After more than one and a half year of service this little machine is still the machine I use for the road. Plenty room in its hard drive, plenty battery time and small size and weight! It is just perfect!
Updated on Apr 30, 2012No problem ryorklive, the affair with WinXP is a kind of nostalgia. I still own two licenses of WinXP SP3. having said that, you may see in my Dec 20, 2011 update that it was running on Win7 Home premium and as today, it runs on Windows 7 Professional. Two years after purchase, the machine works flawlessly and provides from 6 to 8 hours of battery life. It is still perfect for the classroom and the road. Sure I miss 3G and HDMI on it but for heavy work I have a 17.1 inches laptop (Windows 7 Home Premium) and a heavy Desktop (Windows 7 Pro) with two 19 inches monitors, big HD, plenty memory and a pretty good video card.7 out of 7 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great nebbook, bette battey life than ASUS 1005PE
by mike_e_01 on February 8, 2010
Pros: Bright screen, comfortable keyboard, very good mouse pad.
Cons: Speakers are way too quiet.
Summary: I am writing this review for one reason, to correct a mistake made by most reviewers about the battery life of this netbook. In comparison test, the Asus 1005PE outlasted ...
Summary: I am writing this review for one reason, to correct a mistake made by most reviewers about the battery life of this netbook. In comparison test, the Asus 1005PE outlasted the Toshiba by 2 hours or so on video playback tests. In these reviews, the mistake made was to not account for the fact that the Toshiba has a MUCH brighter LCD than the Asus, and setting the brightenss to the same percentage of full is not a fair comparison. The Toshiba at 70% is brighter than the ASUS at full.
I have both netbooks--the Asus belongs to my wife--and have tested them head to head at the same perceived brigthness and sound level (had to turn the Asus down for the sound, it has much better speakers) and the battery life is a bit better on the Toshiba, though by a little bit (10,20 minutes). This was my expectation, as it has a 10.8v 5300mAh battery to the Asus' 10.8v 4800mAh. The Asus is a bit more efficient, because it had almost the same life with a weaker battery.6 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great netbook. Does everything I want it to!
by bkohler on April 23, 2010
Pros: Comfortable keyboard.
Great battery life.
Bright screen.
Fast processor for a netbook.
Windows 7 starter works great
Wireless n.Cons: Speakers are quiet, but this is true for just about all netbooks. At least the sound is louder than the HP Mini.
Summary: Great out of the box netbook. I was able to connect right away. Streams Hula, netflix and youtube just fine. Also, this is very light weight and great for tossing ...
Summary: Great out of the box netbook. I was able to connect right away. Streams Hula, netflix and youtube just fine. Also, this is very light weight and great for tossing in a backpack or carrying around. I almost want to use this more than my regular laptop. I can't think of anything really negative to say about thus. I'm very satisfied with this purchase.
5 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Portable and great battery life but speaker sucks...
by ahmad_22 on February 5, 2010
Pros: Good keyboard,Bright display, Large touch Pad, stylish , USB-charge-sleep-mode...
Cons: Speakers are not loud enough,
Summary: Toshiba NB305 is the best Netbook i have seen in the market in its price range. The main reason why i bought this is the larch touch pad... i haven'...
Summary: Toshiba NB305 is the best Netbook i have seen in the market in its price range. The main reason why i bought this is the larch touch pad... i haven't seen any other Netbook having this large touch pad.
The battery life at Balance is around 6 hours and thats enough for spending a day in collage without having to look for a empty power plug for recharging it.
The performance is satisfying. I upgraded the RAM to 2 GB so the software runs smother. I dual booted it with Ubuntu Netbook remix, the boot time is less than windows 7 starter.
The keyboard is really good and it doesn't make you tired of typing, However there is one other Netbook that has better keyboard.
It is Stylish and cool.
The only disappointing thing about this Netbook is the speakers.Speakers are not loud enough. I can't voice chat without headsets. Honestly all the time i should carry my headset with me...3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great computer, terrible keyboard
by joabla on August 6, 2010
Pros: Toshiba NB305-10F - Bought in July in Spain. 1 GB RAM at 1000MHz, 6-cell
- Battery duration, 8-9 hours.
- Being small, quality of screen
- Processor speed, better than expected
- Resume after suspension, not as Mac but not too bad (20-30 secs)Cons: - keyboard, the worse ever, Hard, rough, difficult to use, size is all right
- Preinstalled softwwre by Toshiba
- Price slightly above other Netbooks, but one of the few that comes with 6-cell by defaultSummary: I bought this laptop (Toshiba NB305-10F) in July in Spain. This model has 1 GB RAM at 1000MHz and the 6-cell battery.
Positive:
- Battery lasts quite a lot, basically. ...Summary: I bought this laptop (Toshiba NB305-10F) in July in Spain. This model has 1 GB RAM at 1000MHz and the 6-cell battery.
Positive:
- Battery lasts quite a lot, basically. I normally achieve 8-9 hours. Maybe if you watch videos battery length will go down to 6-7 hours, but in normal surfing and word processing, 9 hours . Which basically means you only have to plug it in once every two days or so depending on use. However, you can leave home without the charger for sure. And I have even taken already some 2-3 day trips and with careful use I have managed to do them without the charger, which is great. Just as to take into account, just one month has passed and the duration seems to have dropped slightly
- It is a netbook, so screen is small, obviously. That said, the quality is quite good and it does not consume a lot: the difference in battery usage between the screen at full brightness and low brightness is not as steep as it used to be with non-LED screens.
- Processor speed is slightly higher than expected. I mean the system responds more or less promptly. When watching compressed movies (like the ones you normally download) sometimes if blocks for half a second or so, so you may get a bit of jumping of scenes, but normally after a few minutes of watching these defect disappears.
- Resume after suspension. I assume this has to do more with the operating system than with the machine, but however, it works pretty well. It is not as fast as a Mac, but consider if you close the computer without bothering to turn it off, when you reopen it you will be fully operative after less than 20-25 seconds, which is quite reasonable. Mac does it in less than 5-10 seconds, it is true. But still, 20-25 seems pretty good.
Cons
- The computer has just one big drawback, but it is a very important one: its keyboard. It is probably the worst I have ever typed on, it is rough and you have to hit really hard on keys, so it does not really allow for fast and very fast typing, which makes you be less productive.
- Installed programs. Toshiba installs a million programs that are supposed to make the use of the computer easier and better. Unfortunately, this is not true and these programs take up a lot of processing power and memory. So you will have to waste a few weeks tuning the machine if you know how to do so (desinstalling programs and deleting entries from the Registry so less programs and services get launched at startup).
- Quality of keyboard. In addition to what I stated above, it is even worse. First I got a unit and after wasting more than 10 hours setting it up and installing programs, one of the keys jumped and could not be put back due to a plastic piece that was broken. So I took it back to the shop and they gave me a new one, which was great except for the time I had already invested. Even with this new machine, some keys always look on the verge of falling out.
- Price is slightly above that of other netbooks in the market (Sony Vaio, Acer, Dell, and many others). But, at least in Spain I found this was one of the only ones that offered a 6-cell battery by default while in others I would have had to buy the long duration battery as an extra, making the price of any of them be higher than this one.
Overall
Probably, it would be the perfect netbook if it wasn?t for the terrible keyboard, that makes it a nightmare to use on producing content (docs, blogs, etc.). If you are basically going to use it to consume information (i.e. web surfing) this is a great computer. If you need to write frequently big amounts of text, this is not the computer for you: you will go crazy trying to type.3 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great Netbook and fabulous battery life.
by Chehalis1946 on March 20, 2010
Pros: This is a perfect netbook for me because of the incredibly long battery life, as this is the reason I got a netbook. It's nice and small and pretty light, easy to carry around in an airport without being loaded down. It has a nice size hard drive.
Cons: I don't know if somethings wrong with the one I got, but I can hardly hear the speakers at all without a set of headphones, but that wasn't my main reason for getting this, as battery life was my main priority.
Summary: I really like this netbook and I've only had it for a few days. The keyboard is easy to type on and it's light and very functional. It ...
Summary: I really like this netbook and I've only had it for a few days. The keyboard is easy to type on and it's light and very functional. It has plenty of features and it's quite a classy little computer.
2 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Abandoned by Toshiba
by guru388 on October 22, 2010
Pros: Has a quality look
Cons: nb205. wireless card keeps failing. bought notebook 07/2009. in 5 months the connect quality got worse and worse. 1st time they got it working the next 5 month they had me send it in. returned it. 5 months dead again. They say sorry out of warranty.
Summary: They played games with me for the warranty period. Now 17 months later they want (would not say exact amount) $165.00 to $400 to fix the machine. They had ...
Summary: They played games with me for the warranty period. Now 17 months later they want (would not say exact amount) $165.00 to $400 to fix the machine. They had me send in the machine last April returned it to me in May with no documentation on what was done it anything. Now the machine won't connect and Toshiba says that they did replace the connection card in May but they only warranty the repair for 30 days and now I'm out of warranty even though this has been a constant 5 month occurance since I bought the netbook. So buyer beware when buying Toshiba
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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An excellent portable computer
by AndrewWelton on July 16, 2010
Pros: Attractive design, Comfortable keyboard, Great battery life, Portable, Good value for price, Sturdy construction
Cons: Windows 7 Starter, Large touchpad, Quiet speakers
Summary: I've had my Toshiba netbook for a month now, and I am very pleased with it. It's incredibly portable (it weighs about as much as a hard cover ...
Summary: I've had my Toshiba netbook for a month now, and I am very pleased with it. It's incredibly portable (it weighs about as much as a hard cover book), feels sturdy, and gets great battery life (usually around 8hr). It can play Hulu videos with only a little choppiness (which disappears if I turn down the resolution of the video I'm playing).
I like the feel of the keyboard compared to some of the other netbooks I've handled. The important keys (A through ;) are the same size as on my full-sized laptop which keeps my hands from feeling crowded when I type like they do on some other netbooks (like my brother's Acer). The keys on the edges (tab, enter, shift) are a little smaller, but still large enough that I can find them with my fingers. The keyboard has enough room beneath it for me to rest my hands comfortably on the body of the computer, unlike HP's netbooks (where I have to rest the bottoms of my palms on the table the computer is sitting on - uncomfortable).
The only issue with the keyboard is the touchpad. It's so large that I often accidentally rest my hands on it while I'm typing, causing it to click to a different part of the document as I'm in the middle of a word (so I have to delete the text I accidentally typed in the wrong place, move the cursor back to the place I had been typing before, and resume - annoying). It's a bother, but I'm already starting to learn to keep my hands off of the touch pad so I don't accidentally select something else while I'm typing. It would be better if the touch pad were a little smaller (ironic, as the large touch pad was a selling point in some of the reviews I read before I purchased the model).
The speakers are terrible (difficult to hear even when turned up to full volume). I knew this before I purchased the computer, however, so it wasn't a surprise. I don't see this as an issue, because I won't be using the speakers to listen to music or watch a movie while I'm in public; I'll be using headphones. While I'm at home in private, I can attach a set of computer speakers to the netbook if I want a good sound experience. This computer's designed to be portable, and you don't need good speakers when you're on the move (unless you want to be that jerk who plays loud music in the library - you really ought to be using headphones when you're away from home).
The biggest problem with this computer is that it comes preloaded with Windows 7 starter. I've always been a Windows user and have been pretty happy to remain so, but Windows 7 is simply too much operating system for this computer to handle with it's small processor and low RAM. It was moving slower out of the box than my 4 year old computer that's running Windows XP pro. I found this unacceptable. To make matters worse, Windows 7 starter has most of the features of the OS disabled (Windows 7 starter is a trimmed down version of the OS sold with these machines to cut costs; upgrading to real Windows costs $80). I can run programs in Windows 7 (though it's slow), but I can't do simple things like change my desktop wallpaper or disable the sound it plays at startup. (This isn't a problem with just Toshiba netbooks - most netbooks on the market now come with Windows 7 starter.)
I considered buying an old copy of XP (there are some legal copies floating around online for decent prices), but XP's 7 years old... So I loaded Linux (Ubuntu, netbook version) and things have been working very well. The computer does everything I want it to, and it does it faster and more easily than it did with the preloaded Windows 7. I would definitely recommend this machine with Linux.
As a note, however, there is a bug with Toshiba netbooks running Linux which causes the computer to freeze if it's put into standby or hibernate, taking anywhere from 5 to 40 minutes to turn back on (ouch!). I had this problem, but apparently a lot of other people have as well and a google search found me a solution that has gotten everything working. Aside of this one issue (now fixed), I haven't had any problems running this netbook as a Linux machine.
In sum:
I use my netbook to surf the web, check email, compose documents, and watch videos on Hulu. It does all these things well. It's so light weight and compact that it's easy to carry around with me, and the battery lasts almost all day.
But it doesn't work well with Windows 7, and I was much happier with my netbook once I replaced Windows with Linux Ubuntu.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Nice netbook for the traveller.
by lmrge on March 3, 2010
Pros: Battery life, keyboard, general aesthetics,solid feel.
Cons: No bluetooth, only 1GB memory. Sound could have been better.
Summary: Netbook is well built. I added Windows 7 Home Premium, MS Office and 2GB memory module.I will add USB bluetooth. I disabled the Windows 7 indexing and the NB305 ...
Summary: Netbook is well built. I added Windows 7 Home Premium, MS Office and 2GB memory module.I will add USB bluetooth. I disabled the Windows 7 indexing and the NB305 runs flawless and boots faster. Battery life is great for cross country flights.
I checked out the Asus 1005 and an Acer netbook and went with this because it felt the most solid of all three, not cheap. Overall, I feel I made a great purchase.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Toshiba
- Part number: PLL3AU-00L00C
- Description: Looking for more freedom and style? Well the trend-setting Toshiba mini NB305 gives you a limitless digital lifestyle. Plus amazing features like sleek designs, a convenient full sized keyboard and 3D HDD protection to protect your precious data.
General
- System Type Netbook
- OS Provided Microsoft Windows 7 Starter
- Service & Support 1 year warranty
- Notebook type Netbook ,
Budget - Wireless capabilities IEEE 802.11g,
IEEE 802.11 n (draft),
IEEE 802.11b Processor / Chipset
- Processor Intel Atom N450 / 1.66 GHz
- Cache L2 cache - 512 KB
- Chipset Intel NM10 Express
- Features Enhanced SpeedStep technology,
Hyper-Threading Technology Memory
- RAM 1 GB ( 1 x 1 GB )
- Max RAM Supported 2 GB
- Technology DDR2 SDRAM
- Speed 667 MHz / PC2-5300
- Form Factor SO DIMM 200-pin
- Slots Qty 1
- Empty Slots 0
Storage
- Floppy Drive None
- Hard Drive 250 GB HDD / 5400 rpm
- Interface Serial ATA-150
- Storage Removable None
- Optical Drive None
- Optical Drive (2nd) None
- Hard drive type Portable
Environmental Parameters
- Environmental standards EPA Energy Star
- Min Operating Temperature 41 °F
- Max Operating Temperature 95 °F
- Humidity Range Operating 20 - 80%
- Max Altitude Operating 9842 ft
Display
- Type 10.1 in
- LCD Backlight Technology LED backlight
- Max Resolution 1024 x 600 ( WSVGA )
- Widescreen Yes
- Features TruBrite
Audio & Video
- Graphics Processor Intel GMA 3150
- Memory Allocation Technology Dynamic Video Memory Technology 4.0
- Max Allocated RAM Size 384 MB
- Camera Yes
- Sound Microphone
- Compliant Standards High Definition Audio
Input
- Type Keyboard,
Touchpad - Keyboard Layout US
Communications
- Wireless 802.11b/g/n (draft)
- Network Interface 10/100 Ethernet
- Compliant Standards Wi-Fi CERTIFIED
Battery
- Technology 6-cell Lithium ion
- Installed Qty 1
- Capacity 5800 mAh
- Run Time 11.1 hour(s)
AC Adapter
- Voltage Required AC 120/230 V ( 50/60 Hz )
- Output 30 Watt , 19 V , 1.58 A
Connections & Expansion
- Slots Memory,
Memory card reader - Interfaces VGA,
Microphone input,
Headphone output,
3 x USB 2.0,
LAN - Interfaces 3 x USB 2.0 - USB 2.0,
1 x Ethernet - RJ-45,
1 x Display / video - RGB,
1 x Microphone,
1 x Headphones - Memory Card Reader 2 in 1 card reader ( SDHC Memory Card ),
( SD Memory Card ),
( MultiMediaCard ) Software
- Software Included QuickBooks Financial Center,
Toshiba Hard Disk Recovery,
Toshiba Bulletin Board,
Toshiba ReelTime,
Microsoft Internet Explorer 8.0,
Adobe Acrobat Reader,
Toshiba PC Health Monitor,
Norton Internet Security 2010 (30 days subscription),
WildTangent Orb Games Console,
Toshiba Resources,
Google Toolbar,
Skype,
Toshiba Online Backup,
Toshiba ConfigFree,
Microsoft Silverlight,
Toshiba Media Controller,
Toshiba Bluetooth Stack,
Windows Live Essentials,
Microsoft Works 9.0,
Microsoft Windows Media Player - Microsoft Office Preloaded Includes a pre-loaded image of select Microsoft Office 2010 suites. Purchase an Office 2010 Product Key Card or disc to activate preloaded software on this PC.
Miscellaneous
- Color Texture finish in java brown
- Features Security lock slot (cable lock sold separately)
- Localization United States
Dimensions & Weight
- Width 10.5 in
- Depth 7.6 in
- Height 1.4 in
- Weight 2.6 lbs
Manufacturer Warranty
- Service & Support Details International warranty - 1 year - Carry-in
Sustainability
- ENERGY STAR Qualified Yes
- EPEAT Compliant EPEAT Gold
- Greenpeace policy rating (Nov 2011) 2.8
Accessories
- Toshiba High Speed USB flash drive - 32 GB (34336283)99.99
- Toshiba High Speed USB flash drive - 8 GB (34228387)29.99
- A-Data Classic Series C008 - USB flash drive - 4 GB (34637987)9.69
- Toshiba Mini Optical Mouse with USB Retractable Cable mouse (33705353)18.93 - 25.99
- Toshiba Nano Wireless Laser Tilt-Wheel Mouse mouse (33657189)43.38 - 64.53
- Corsair Vengeance M60 Performance FPS Laser Gaming Mouse mouse (35094973)52.26 - 80.94
- Cisco Linksys E4200 v2 Maximum Performance Dual-Band N900 router (35098697)164.99 - 199.99
- Asus RT-N56U Dual-Band Gigabit Wireless-N Router (34200558)114.79 - 135.00
- Belkin N150 Wireless Router - wireless router - 802.11b/g/n - desktop (34859948)28.99 - 34.99
- Belkin N300 Wireless N Router - wireless router - 802.11b/g/n - desktop (35263578)40.86 - 48.99
- Belkin N600 DB Wireless Dual-Band N+ Router - wireless router - 802.11 a/b/g/n - desktop (35190484)66.57 - 104.73
- Belkin N900 Dual-Band Wireless Router - wireless router - 802.11n - desktop (35262637)194.99 - 292.17
- Buffalo AirStation Nfiniti HighPower Giga WZR-HP-G450H - wireless router - none - 802.11b/g/n - desktop (34859675)82.11 - 95.99
- Cisco 881 Fast Ethernet Security Router supporting EVDO/1xRTT - router - cellular modem - 802.11b/g/n (draft 2.0) - desktop (35026157)
- Cisco Integrated Services Router Generation 2 819G-V - router - cellular modem - 802.11 a/b/g/n - desktop (35040403)
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Toshiba products on Shopper.com
-
- Manufacturer:Toshiba
- Address:
1251 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020 - Phone: 1-800-316-0920
