Toshiba A200-1AB review

Toshiba is hardly shy about this notebook's origins.

The glossy black lid has the manufacturer's name embossed across it in big silver letters. Opening the notebook, we noticed that the lid's hinges aren't very stiff. Whenever you adjust the screen's position, it wobbles back and forth for a few seconds before settling. This could be a pain if you need to use the notebook on a bumpy train or plane ride.

The display is good, certainly better than the one used on PC Nextday's Zoostorm 52-4201. It's a little brighter and the gloss finish makes colours look richer and blacks inkier. However, it also means you'll suffer reflections from strong light sources.

Between the display and the keyboard are two clear plastic speaker ports. These look stylish and the speakers sound amazingly good for a notebook. They won't blow you away with volume, but for watching downloaded video clips or browsing your MP3s to burn a compilation disc they are more than capable.

The speakers are controlled by a dedicated volume dial on the front of the chassis. It's a feature Toshiba often includes; we wish more manufacturers would do the same. A memory card reader supports all the main formats except for CompactFlash. Alongside that is a switch for disabling the built-in wireless, which is cleverly tucked away to stop you switching it off accidentally. The edges of the chassis have all the other ports we'd expect, with four USB2 ports, FireWire and an S-video output.

At first, we weren't that impressed by the keyboard, as it flexes a little when you type heavily and the Return key is a little small. However, we did warm to it because the keys have a good depth of travel and springy feedback. We had no similar reservations about the touch pad. It's big, accurate and has a smooth finish.

The 80GB hard disk is disappointing, only half the size of the Zoostorm's. It still provides plenty of storage for most users, but if you hoard music or video clips on your notebook, it will fill up quickly.

It's not the fastest notebook we've seen for this price, but it's quick. The Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 1GB of RAM will speed through all but the hardest of tasks. Even some simple video editing is easy with this notebook, although more complex jobs may benefit from more memory. Unfortunately, both memory slots are full, so you'll have to discard the current memory to upgrade.

The battery lasted for two-and-a-half hours. This is enough for occasional use away from the mains, either around the house or in a meeting room, but it's not sufficient for regular mobile use.

This great notebook is only let down by a wobbly lid and small hard disk. It's a good alternative to PC Nextday's Zoostorm 52-4201 if you want a better-looking notebook with decent speakers for the home.