Cost is a greater factor now than ever when purchasing a new notebook, which is why the Toshiba Satellite L305-S5921, priced at $499, is a compelling system. At only about $100 more than the typical netbook, the Satellite L305 packs a speedy hard drive, plenty of ports and connections, and a 15.4-inch display into a 6-pound machine. It’s a decent budget laptop for those who want a big screen—and better performance than a netbook—without breaking the bank. Just don’t expect too much punch out of this laptop.
Design
The L305 won’t win any design awards, but it doesn’t offend, either. The a 14.3 x 10.6 x 1.5-inch system features an Onyx Blue lid with Toshiba’s logo emblazoned across the middle. When you pop the top on this 15.4-inch notebook, you’re treated to a glossy black base; for consistency’s sake, we would’ve liked to have seen glossy, black keys as well, but it was no big loss. At 6 pounds, this system is not exactly light, but it’s portable enough to move from room to room without too much effort.
Keyboard, Touchpad, and Ports
A spacious keyboard makes typing an effortless affair, but there’s a hint of flex when you begin to pound away furiously. Above the keyboard are a power button and six media control keys. If you’re confused about the functions of each F-key, pressing the Fn key will bring up a translucent overlay that gives you a brief description of each, as well as shortcuts to a number of Toshiba’s diagnostic tools. Some keys can be used in conjunction with the Alt key for extra functionality. For example, Alt+U and Alt+O will take you back or forward, respectively, between Web pages that you’ve visited.
The lightly textured touchpad had a suitable amount of space for navigating the display with ease, and the mouse buttons provided good feedback without being loud.
The L305 packs numerous connectivity options: The right side features one USB 2.0 port, an 8X DVD±RW drive, and a Kensington lock slot; the back contains the modem; the left side houses two additional USB 2.0 ports, VGA out, Ethernet, and ExpressCard/34/54; and the front of the system has the 4-in-1 memory card reader, headphone and mic jacks, volume wheel, and Wi-Fi on/off switch. Unlike the $799 Gateway MD Series, the L305 lacks an HDMI port.
Decent Visuals, No Webcam
Our The Godfather: Part II DVD looked good on the 1280 x 800-pixel resolution display, but the glossy coating will have you struggling with reflections if you aren’t positioned anywhere but directly in front of the notebook. Blacks were black and the display was capable of good contrast, but colors lacked vibrancy.
Conspicuous by its absence is a built-in webcam, a device that you’d expect on any modern notebook; even netbooks have them. A pair of speakers above the keyboard were sufficiently loud, but lacked a bottom thump.
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