Toshiba Mini NB205-N210 (NB200 series) 10.1-Inch Black Netbook - 9 Hour Battery Life Review

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(More customer reviews)UPDATE:
Just in case you decide to order a case for this netbook, keep in mind that the dimensions in the Amazon description or Toshiba's website (10.4 x 7.6 x 1.27 inches) are the dimensions of this netbook WITHOUT the 6-cell battery. If you look at the side-view photo in the Amazon description area (the one with the 7.6" measurement right below it), you'll see it's pictured without the battery. I just measured mine and with the 6-cell battery protruding from the back, it's actually 10.4 x 8.4 x 1.27 so many of the cases you find on Amazon made for 10" netbooks may not fit the NB205 with the 6-cell battery. Okay that's it for my update... read on for my original review...
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I just received my Toshiba NB205 yesterday and after spending many hours "playing" with it, I can easily say that, hands down, it is the BEST Netbook on the market today!
At the end of next week, I'll be traveling overseas and I wanted a small and lightweight laptop that I would be able to use to watch movies on the plane, transfer vacation photos and videos to, and use the internet for researching stuff from my hotel room. I currently own a 15" Macbook Pro but decided I didn't want to take it with me since it's a bit bigger & heavier and I can't afford to lose it. That's when I began researching these Atom-based Netbooks.
When I started researching, the Toshiba NB205 had not yet been released but there were still many netbook models out there by other manufacturers. I had originally considered the Samsung NC10, Acer Aspire One AOD250, Asus 1000HE, and Lenovo S10 as they all were pretty much equipped with similar configurations (Atom N270/N280 1.6 or 1.66Ghz cpu, 10" screen, 1GB ram, 160GB HD, 6-cell Li-Ion battery, Windows XP Home) and priced in the $350-400 price range. I won't go into too much detail about what I liked or didn't like about the other products but I had pretty much narrowed it down to either the Samsung NC10 or the Acer AOD250. Then I came across a pre-release review from Laptop Magazine on the Toshiba and decided to wait on my netbook. It was definitely worth the wait considering this is the first netbook I've come across that actually had noticeable differentiating features. When you compare all the others, it's kind of hard to choose from one over the other because they're all so similar!
The 4 biggest selling points on this Toshiba NB205 that had me wait for it was the 9-hour battery life, the look & feel of the keyboard, the size of the trackpad & buttons, and the overall aesthetics of it.
The whole point of buying a laptop this small and compact is for its portability factor. When you have to lug a brick-based AC adapter with you in fear the battery in your laptop won't last as long as you need it, it sure interferes with how portable carrying a laptop really is. A 9-hour lithium-ion battery will definitely solve that problem. Most of you are probably wondering how realistic that 9-hour rating really is... Let me just reassure you all, the battery life is GOOD! I brought it to a full charge, then unplugged it from the adapter and watched two movies on it (more on the movie playback capabilities later) and did 4 hours worth of web surfing afterwards -- all off the power from the battery on a single charge! You students out there can now bring it to all your classes and not have to look for a wall outlet! Oh, btw, I had the screen brightness set to 1/2 (level 4 brightness setting) and turned off the Bluetooth.
Netbooks are known for smaller keyboards and even worse, SMALL trackpads and trackpad button(s). In addition to the smaller size, many of the netbooks I saw in person at my local Fry's Electronics had very "cheapy"-feeling keyboards -- they just felt real fragile compared to the keyboard on my Macbook Pro. Enter the Toshiba NB205. Finally, a netbook that has a keyboard with keys that had the look and feel of a Mac keyboard and a robustly solid build to it. In addition to the look and feel, the keys were also pretty darn close in width to my Mac keyboard (both my Macbook Pro's keyboard, and my desktop Mac's keyboard). I'll try to post some comparison photos on Amazon this weekend for all those interested. The trackpad and buttons on the NB205 is also the biggest I've seen in the netbook category. Toshiba did a tremendous job in getting this right. Most of the other netbooks had really small trackpads and little miniature trackpad button(s) that felt real flimsy. Another feature that I like with the trackpad that's not stated anywhere is that the very right edge of the trackpad can be used for scrolling web pages or other documents (similar to the one on the Samsung NC10). This feature is not obvious as there are no arrow indicators like there is on the NC10 but it does support it!
I won't go into the aesthetics of this unit since you can pretty much see how amazing this netbook looks from the Amazon photos (I'll also add my own photos this weekend so you can get a better feel for the size, etc.) but let me now shift focus on using it.
Although I upgraded the memory on the unit to 2GB (I installed the Crucial 2GB 200-pin SODIMM DDR2 PC2-6400 800MHz Memory Module and it works great with the NB205!), all the testing I performed and am about to describe was done with the stock 1GB memory.
The very first thing I wanted to make sure this unit can do is play back, at the very least, DVD-quality movies (i.e. 480P movies (720x480 resolution)). One thing I'd HIGHLY recommend everyone who's interested in watching movies on their netbook do is download the FREE media player called VLC (Google "download vlc"). VLC is very lightweight and will play back movies a lot smoother than Quicktime or Windows Media Player; and given the inherently slower speeds of these Intel Atom processors compared to the Intel Core 2 Duo processors, using the VLC media player is your best bet. Using a free program called "Handbrake", one can convert their Bluray or DVD movies to AVC/h.264-encoded movies, which is what I used to convert some of my Bluray collection into a format that can be played-back on my NB205. Since it's out of the scope of this review and would require a tutorial guide of its own, I won't be able to explain how you would go about converting your Bluray or DVD movies. Anyhow, I first converted my Bluray edition of Valkyrie to a 720x480 resolution with a conservative 864kbs bitrate. The NB205 had NO PROBLEMS playing it back... It played back with very smooth video and the audio was synced up perfectly throughout the entire movie. So I decided to convert the movie again.... this time, using more aggressive settings... I converted it to a resolution of 1024x600 (since this is the native resolution of the NB205's screen) and a 2048kbps bitrate. Again, the NB205 was able to play the movie without a hitch. I didn't bother trying to convert the movie to 720P since the native resolution of the screen is only 1024x600 (it would be equivilent to 600P but 600P is not a standard). If you're planning to watch movies on the NB205 with someone else, you'll be happy to know that watching it from a 45 degree angle is very acceptible. Beyond the 45 degree angle, you won't be able to really see much so don't expect to have more than 3 people watching from it (why would you have more than 2 or 3 people watching off a 10" screen anyways!?).
Given it's capability to playback movies very smoothly, anything else I was going to throw at it would be child's play. Anyhow, I was reading that this laptop does get hot but after playing back two movies on it, it was not unbearable when resting it on my lap. So it doesn't seem like overheating problems will be too much of a concern for this laptop (but only long-term usage can really confirm this).
Another cool feature the NB205 sports that I'm not sure is available on all the other competitor models is a built-in accelerometer. It works the same way as the iPhone accelerometer but it's in the NB205 purely to detect if the laptop is about to take a fall. When it detects motion, it quickly moves the hard drive heads away from the hard drive to prevent any mishaps in case the hard drive is currently reading from or writing to the hard disks. Using a Toshiba software utility that's installed from the factory, you can change the sensitiviy threshold of the accelerometer or turn it off altogether.
There are obviously a lot more features that the NB205 comes with but I'm not going to explain each one simply because they're self-explanatory (such as bluetooth, wifi, etc.) but you can find out more about those features in Amazon's description of this product.
One final note before I conclude my review... Toshiba released two main models of the NB205 on the same day... the NB205-N310/311/312/313 (which is the model I have -- the NB205-N310/BN to be exact) and the NB205-N210. I think if you want to save $50, the NB205-210 would be a good choice as well -- provided you don't need Bluetooth or the Mac-style "chiclet" keyboard. For the extra $50, though, you also get the much sleeker, unique Toshiba-styling of the NB205-N31X series.
So if you're in the market for a very portable laptop, and you're considering a 10"-based netbook, the Toshiba NB205 is packed with features, enclosed around a very aesthetically pleasing body, and is very competitively priced!!!


Click Here to see more reviews about: Toshiba Mini NB205-N210 (NB200 series) 10.1-Inch Black Netbook - 9 Hour Battery Life

Small enough to throw in a purse or bag, the affordable, super-compact 10.1-inch Toshiba mini NB205 netbook--which weighs just under 3 pounds--is designed with smart features like a full-sized keyboard and touchpad, long battery life, USB Sleep-and-Charge ports and a hard drive impact sensor that protects your data. You'll also get excellent battery life with the included six-cell battery that provides up to 9 hours of battery power--enabling you to go through an entire day of school, work or errands without worrying about a recharge.
Created especially for mobile devices, Intels 1.6 GHz Atom N280 processor uses an innovative design structure and hafnium-infused circuitry that helps reduce electrical current leakage in transistors--which means longer battery life when you're on the go. It also includes the Intel 945GSE graphics chipset, which provides browsing the internet, emailing, running basic PC applications and enjoying online digital media.

This model of the Toshiba mini NB205 (NB205-N210) has a brilliant high-gloss Fusion Finish in Black Onyx, and it features a 160 GB hard disk drive, 1 GB of RAM (upgradeable to 2 GB), 54g Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g), Fast Ethernet, and a Secure Digital memory card slot. It comes preinstalled with the Microsoft Windows XP Home operating system, which offers more experienced users an enhanced and innovative experience that incorporates Windows Live features like Windows Live Messenger for instant messaging and Windows Live Mail for consolidated email accounts on your desktop.



Key Features
10.1-inch LED backlit widescreen display (1024 x 600-pixel resolution) provides richer colors and clearer definition--perfect for browsing the internet
1.66 GHz Intel Atom N280 processor combines performance and efficiency to explore the Internet and stay connected while mobile (Learn more)
160 GB Serial ATA hard drive (5400 RPM) with an impact sensor that helps safeguard your data by "parking" the hard drive heads in the event of a drop or sudden movement. (Learn more)
1 GB of RAM (800 MHz; 1 memory slot; upgradeable to 2 GB)
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator GMA950 with up to 251 MB of dynamically allocated shared graphics memory
Webcam (0.3 megapixels) integrated into the bezel for easy video chats and teleconferencing
Three USB Sleep-and-Charge ports allow you to charge your mobile phone and other devices even when the notebook is asleep or off.
Full-sized keyboard (85 keys)
Integrated Wi-Fi networking (802.11b.g) so you can communicate, browse and share while on the move
Fast Ethernet wired networking (10/100)
Built-in mono speaker
Microsoft Windows XP Home operating system
Up to 9 hours of battery life from included 6-cell battery
Dimensions: 10.4 x 7.6 x 1.27 inches (WxDxH)
Weight: 2.93 pounds
Environmentally focused with RoHS compatibility (reducing its environmental impact by restricting the use of lead, mercury and certain other hazardous substances), Energy Star 5.0 compliant, and EPEAT Gold compliant
Warranty: 1 year warranty with international limited warranty coverage

Networking, Connectivity & Expansion This Toshiba mini NB205 notebook has an integrated 54g wireless LAN (Atheros) that's compatible with 802.11b and 802.11g networks, and it offers the following ports:

3 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players
Analog video output: 1 VGA
Memory card reader compatible with Secure Digital (SD), Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC), and MultiMediaCard (MMC)
1 headphone jack, 1 microphone jack
10/100 Fast Ethernet

What's in the box This package contains the Toshiba mini NB205-N210 netbook, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions.

It also comes with the following software: Norton Internet Security 2009, Microsoft Works 9, Windows Media Player, Google Toolbar, Toshiba PC Health Monitor

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Power-Sipping Processor The Intel Atom processor uses a design structure that packs in 47 million transistors into a single chip sized at just 22mm (0.87 inches), and it uses just 2.5 watts of power--less than 1/10 of the 35 watts used by an Intel Core 2 Duo processor--for excellent battery management. This 1.66 GHz Atom N280 processor also includes a power-optimized front side bus of 533 MHz for faster data transfer on demanding mobile applications and a 512 KB L2 cache (which temporarily stores data).


Hard Drive Protection While the highly portable nature of mini-notebooks exposes them to the knocks and bumps that are an inevitable feature of life on the move, the Toshiba mini NB205 features a 3D-accelerometer monitoring system that detects freefalls, shocks and vibrations and protects the integrated HDD to secure against the loss of any personal data.

Click here for more information about Toshiba Mini NB205-N210 (NB200 series) 10.1-Inch Black Netbook - 9 Hour Battery Life

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ASUS Eee PC 1000HA 10-Inch Netbook (1.6 GHz Intel ATOM N270 Processor, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, 10 GB E-Storage, XP Home, 6 Cell Battery) Review

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(More customer reviews)I've been using my Asus 1000HA extensively for a few days now, and thought I'd post a few comments.
First, let me address the two most common "complaints" -- the stiff touchpad keys and the placement of the right shift.
TOUCHPAD KEYS: I also thought the touchpad keys were far too stiff until I realized I was using them wrong. The touchpad keys wrap around the front, and are designed to be "thumbed" at the front, not pushed down from the top. Once I figured out how to use them I found they are not the least bit stiff. It is actually a far better configuration than any other laptop I've used, because when you move your hand down to use the touchpad, your thumb is naturally placed in front of the laptop, and you can flick the touchpad keys from the front instead of trying to crowd all your fingers over the touchpad. With this design, I can now easily cut and paste with one hand, where as with other notebooks I typically have to work the keys with one hand while I use the touchpad with the other. Truly brilliant.
RIGHT SHIFT KEY: As to the shift key, it is technically right where it is supposed to be -- at the far right side of the keyboard. Look down at whatever keyboard you are using and you'll see the right shift key at the far right of the other primary keys (not including the number keys). But to accomodate the up arrow, Asus made the shift key half-sized. So you will find yourself occasionally hitting the up arrow when you meant to shift. I've already programed my brain to reach a little farther when I use the right shift key, so it isn't a problem. Someone else mentioned that she used a program to switch the shift and arrow keys, so that is an option if it turns out to be a problem for you.
MEMORY: I ordered the 2GB memory card along with the notebook, and installed it before I ever turned it on. It was a one minute upgrade. Thank you to all that mentioned going to the bios so that the memory would be recognized. Note that you don't do anything in the bios, just go to there and then save and exit. RAM is the most important component relating to system speed, and the memory was about $30, so I can't imagine that anyone would not want to make that upgrade.
BATTERY LIFE: Battery life was one of the main reasons I bought this notebook, because the two hours I was getting on my other small notebook just wasn't cutting it. After fully charging the battery, I turned on the computer and checked the battery life, which was reported at just three hours! But as Windows got a feel for the battery, that number kept going up until it reached more than five hours. I haven't put a stopwatch to it, but I've actually been doing a little better than that with my daily use thus far. Nice to just sit down and get to work while everyone else is fighting over the electrical outlets at the local Barnes & Noble. UPDATE: I found an aftermarket 12,000 mHa battery on ebay for the 1000HA. With this battery I can go well over eight hours on a single charge! It's quite a bit bigger, so some portability is lost, but between the two batteries I can leave the power brick at home.
USB PORTS: There are two on the right and one on the left. With my other laptop, having all three side by side was a problem because sometimes the item you plug in extends over another port. I had to use a multi-tap just to plug in all my stuff. The one on the left is toward the back, which is cool because I can plug in my Sprint wireless and it is out of the way.
FUNCTION KEYS: I like that there are no separate buttons for mute, wireless, etc. Everything is controlled with the function keys.
SPEAKERS AND TYPING ANGLE: Another brilliant design point. With my other laptop, the speakers are where you wrest your palms while typing, which means I am covering the speakers any time I am typing. The Asus puts them underneath, and the laptop is slightly raised on feet at the back to both give clearance to the speakers and create a better typing angle. The sound is very impressive for such a small notebook, and the volume is very good.
SCREEN: I have no problem reading the screen, even with my tired old eyes. The native resolution of the screen in 1024 x 600. That second number means you'll be doing more vertical scrolling. Set the taskbar to auto hide and use full screen mode with your browser. I am really glad I went with this computer as opposed to the Acer One, which has a 8.9" screen. I wouldn't want to go any smaller than the ten inch screen on the Asus.
KEYBOARD: I'm a big guy with big hands, and I have no problem touch typing on this keyboard. I'd say my typos have probably increased 2% as a result of the smaller size.
BOTTOM LINE: I wanted a notebook I could throw in my briefcase and keep with me at all times, and would also allow me to get real work done when I used it, without major compromises. This small notebook completely fills the bill.


Click Here to see more reviews about: ASUS Eee PC 1000HA 10-Inch Netbook (1.6 GHz Intel ATOM N270 Processor, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, 10 GB E-Storage, XP Home, 6 Cell Battery)

The Asus Eee PC 1000HA provides the power of a full-sized laptop in a compact body with an extra-large 10-inch screen, and is now powered by the latest Intel mobile processor. Designed specifically for mobile devices, the 1.6 GHz Intel Atom processor uses a brand new design structure new hafnium-infused circuitry--which reduces electrical current leakage in transistors--to conserve energy, giving you more time away from the wall outlet. Coupled with the ASUS exclusive Super Hybrid Engine, you'll also enjoy up to 7 hours of battery life with this Windows-powered laptop.
Much more compact than a standard-sized notebook and weighing just over 3 pounds, the Eee PC 1000HA is perfect for students toting to school or road warriors packing away to Wi-Fi hotspots. The Eee PC 1000HA also features a 160 GB hard disk drive (HDD), 1 GB of RAM, 1.3-megapixel webcam integrated into the bezel above the LCD, 54g Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g), Secure Digital memory card slot, multiple USB ports, a VGA output for connecting to a monitor.

It comes preinstalled with the Microsoft Windows XP Home operating system, which offers more experienced users an enhanced and innovative experience that incorporates Windows Live features like Windows Live Messenger for instant messaging and Windows Live Mail for consolidated email accounts on your desktop. Complementing this is Microsoft Works, which equips the user with numerous office applications to work efficiently.

The new Eee PC 1000HA has a customized, cutting-edge Infusion casing technology in Fine Ebony. Inlaid within the chassis itself, the motifs are an integral part of the entire cover and will not fade with time. The Infusion surface also provides a new level of resilience, providing scratch resistance and a beautiful style while out and about.

It's also equipped with the ASUS Super Hybrid Engine for automatic detection and adjustments of CPU frequency, voltage, and LCD brightness to minimize system noise and power consumption to save up to 15 percent power consumption, or to maximize system performance according to individual needs.

For journalists, photographers and other professionals who need to use a computer in the field to create, to communicate and to collaborate with other colleagues, the Eee PC's combination of power, extreme portability and rugged build makes it the ideal computing solution. The keyboard is 95 percent the size of standard notebooks, making it more comfortable to type for larger hands.

It's also a great choice for young students, and it includes two modes of intuitive graphic user interface design to accommodate both experienced and inexperienced PC users. The Eee PC also handles your digital images, movies, and music as well as Internet radio.

Nicely light at just 51 ounces (3.2 pounds), the Eee PC 1000HA has a 10-inch wide TFT LCD with a 1024 x 600-pixel resolution (WXGA)--making it more comfortable on eyes than its predecessor. In addition to its wireless LAN, it also offers wired Fast Ethernet (10/100) connectivity. You get three USB 2.0 ports, a VGA output for connecting to external monitors, headphone and microphone jacks, and a Secure Digital (SD) memory card slot (compatible with MMC memory cards). It's equipped with a 1.3-megapixel webcam (placed in the bezel above the LCD) and integrated microphone, allowing you to snap still photos of yourself while on the go for sending via email or join video chats with friends and family.

Battery-Sipping Processor The Intel Atom processor uses a brand new design structure that packs in 47 million transistors into a single chip sized at just 22mm (0.87 inches), and it uses just 2.5 watts of power--less than 1/10 of the 35 watts used by an Intel Core 2 Duo processor--for excellent battery management. This 1.6 GHz Atom N270 processor also includes a power-optimized front side bus of 533 MHz for faster data transfer on demanding mobile applications and a 512 KB L2 cache (which temporarily stores data).

Together with the exclusive ASUS Super Hybrid Engine, you'll enjoy a longer battery lifespan of up to 7 hours, allowing you to stay in touch and be connected for a longer period of time while on-the-go. It offers a choice of performance and power consumption modes for easy adjustments according to your computing needs. The Super Hybrid Engine toggles between the following three modes:

High Performance Mode (high performance with some power savings)
Super Performance Mode (maximum performance)
Power Saving Mode (maximum power savings and minimum noise)

Online Storage from ASUS With this Eee PC, ASUS also provides 10 GB of online storage (easily accessible via a desktop icon), which enables you to download up to 5 GB of data per day. It also provides secure file encryption and accessibility from both Windows and Linux platforms. Whether you want to share images with friends and family or store big business presentations, you can now access your data with ease and not worry about space constraints. The Eee Storage service is complimentary for the first 18 months, and it must be registered within the first 6 months after date of purchase.

Specifications

Operating system: Windows XP Home
Internal memory: 160 GB hard disk drive (HDD)
RAM: 1 GB DDR2
Processor: 1.6 GHz Intel Atom
Memory expansion: Slot for MMC/SD(SDHC) cards
Screen: 10 inches, 1024 x 600 pixels, LED backlight
Networking: 54g Wi-Fi (802.11b/g), 10/100 Fast Ethernet
Bluetooth connectivity: No
Peripheral connectivity: Three USB 2.0
External video: One VGA
External audio: One headphone and one microphone port
Webcamera: Yes, 1.3 megapixels
Battery: 6 cells (6600 mAh), up to 7 hours
Weight: 3.19 pounds (51 ounces)
Dimensions: 10.5 × 7.5 × 1.5 inches



What's in the Box ASUS Eee PC 1000HA, AC adapter, printed operating instructions. It's backed by a 1-year warranty on parts and labor.

ZBD from ASUS All Eee PC\'s come with ASUS\'s ZBD (Zero Bright Dot) guarantee. If the purchaser discovers one bright dot within 30 days of purchase, ASUS will replace the panel without cost to the purchaser.

Click here for more information about ASUS Eee PC 1000HA 10-Inch Netbook (1.6 GHz Intel ATOM N270 Processor, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, 10 GB E-Storage, XP Home, 6 Cell Battery)

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