Along with the Dell XPS M1330, this is the only laptop on test this month that creeps below the £1,000 mark. Not by much, though, with the Satellite P300 coming in at a still-pricey £907 (exc VAT).
Compare the two cheapest machines on test, though, and it’s clear that the Toshiba is the more striking of the pair. There’s a large 17in screen, and a glossy finish to the chassis that includes a row of white LED lights above the keyboard and dramatic lines across the wristrest.
The P300 also includes the best speakers we’ve laid ears on this month. Provided by audio specialist Harman Kardon, they provide more bass and clearer treble than anything else on test.
Toshiba also takes a different approach to the keyboard, with the keys having a high-gloss finish that makes them feel a little odd to type on. The 17in screen offers acres of space, with a comfortable 1,440 x 900 resolution, but it lacks the VAIO’s vibrancy.
Inside, there’s an Intel Core 2 Duo T9300 processor, which runs at 2.5GHz. It propelled the Toshiba to a score of 1.11 in our 2D benchmarks – but it’s some way behind the fastest laptops here. And for playing games, the Toshiba also lags behind its rivals with a score of 15fps in our medium-quality Crysis benchmark.
The rest of the specification is much better. A pair of 320GB hard disks match the Acer for storage space, adding up to a huge 640GB of space, while an ample 4GB of RAM is also up there with several of the other larger laptops.
But battery life is disappointing: while the 3.5kg P300 won’t be straying from the mains too often, it’s disheartening that the Toshiba lasted under two and a half hours in light use, and just over an hour in our heavy-use test. The Acer and HP machines, both of which are larger, offer better longevity.
But don’t be fooled: the Satellite P300 is a genuinely good laptop. Its entertainment credentials are improved by superb speakers, and considering its spec – particularly those hard disks – it also offers fine value for money.
Warranty | |
---|---|
Warranty | 1yr collect and return |
Physical specifications | |
Dimensions | 398 x 285 x 43mm (WDH) |
Weight | 3.500kg |
Travelling weight | 4.3kg |
Processor and memory | |
Processor | Intel Core 2 Duo T9300 |
Motherboard chipset | Intel PM965 |
RAM capacity | 4.00GB |
Memory type | DDR2 |
SODIMM sockets free | 0 |
SODIMM sockets total | 2 |
Screen and video | |
Screen size | 17.0in |
Resolution screen horizontal | 1,440 |
Resolution screen vertical | 900 |
Resolution | 1440 x 900 |
Graphics chipset | ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3650 |
Graphics card RAM | 512MB |
VGA (D-SUB) outputs | 1 |
HDMI outputs | 1 |
S-Video outputs | 1 |
DVI-I outputs | 0 |
DVI-D outputs | 0 |
DisplayPort outputs | 0 |
Drives | |
Capacity | 640GB |
Hard disk usable capacity | 590GB |
Spindle speed | 5,400RPM |
Internal disk interface | SATA/150 |
Hard disk | Toshiba MK3252GSX |
Optical disc technology | DVD writer |
Optical drive | Pioneer DVRKD08A |
Battery capacity | 6,000mAh |
Replacement battery price ex VAT | £100 |
Replacement battery price inc VAT | £115 |
Networking | |
Wired adapter speed | 1,000Mbits/sec |
802.11a support | yes |
802.11b support | yes |
802.11g support | yes |
802.11 draft-n support | yes |
Integrated 3G adapter | no |
Other Features | |
Wireless hardware on/off switch | yes |
Wireless key-combination switch | yes |
Modem | yes |
USB ports (downstream) | 4 |
FireWire ports | 1 |
PS/2 mouse port | no |
9-pin serial ports | 0 |
Parallel ports | 0 |
3.5mm audio jacks | 2 |
SD card reader | yes |
Memory Stick reader | yes |
MMC (multimedia card) reader | yes |
Smart Media reader | no |
Compact Flash reader | no |
xD-card reader | yes |
Pointing device type | Touchpad |
Audio chipset | Conexant HD Audio |
Speaker location | Above keyboard, base |
Hardware volume control? | yes |
Integrated microphone? | yes |
Integrated webcam? | yes |
Fingerprint reader | yes |
Battery and performance tests | |
Battery life, light use | 2hr 20min |
Battery life, heavy use | 1hr 4min |
Overall application benchmark score | 1.11 |
3D performance (crysis) low settings | 47fps |
3D performance setting | Low |
Operating system and software | |
Operating system | Windows Vista Home Premium |
OS family | Windows Vista |
Recovery method | Recovery disc |
Software supplied | Ulead DVD MovieFactory 5 |
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