Toshiba's Satellite A105 series of portable computers are geared toward the budget-minded, yet still deliver good performance in a light enough package to carry around easily. We looked at the A105-S2021 portable computer in the line, the starting system for the series with a price point of $849.99.

This portable computer comes with a 1.7GHz Intel Celeron M processor and 512MB of 533MHz DDR2 memory--a decent configuration for running office applications and browsing the Web. The memory may be taking up both of the available memory slots, so you should consider adding more RAM up front it you think you'll need additional memory.

Other systems in the line ship with double the memory and up to Intel's Core Duo processors with two CPUs on the same chip, so if you need more power in this design, Toshiba has it available. On the higher-end systems you can also find more advanced features such as a fingerprint reader for additional security and a dual functioning touch pad that can open applications, adjust the volume and other actions at the touch of a finger.

The 15.4-inch widescreen display on these portable computers provides a large and bright output for DVD movies or having open application windows tiered side-by-side. Even with this size of a screen, the portable computer weighs in at only six pounds--not bad for a budget system.

This portable computer series sports Toshiba's Express Media Player for watching DVDs or listening to audio CDs. You can use this player without having to boot up the entire portable computer--a handy way to catch a movie on a flight or listen to a CD with the laptop still in the bag. There are also multimedia controls on the side of the keyboard for handling the audio and video playback on this portable computer. The built-in stereo speakers deliver pretty good sound for a portable computer, although there's limited bass output.

Graphics in this portable computer are from ATI. Their Radeon Xpress X200M is better than typical integrated graphics, but still shares video memory with the main system RAM. The A105-S2021 will play most games, but this portable computer won't be stellar at 3D gaming on the go.

Its 100GB 5,400rpm hard drive provides a good amount of storage space for multimedia files and application installations, and the portable computer's SuperMulti optical drive is one of the best you can get. A Double Layer DVD writer, this drive is great for large backups and creating DVDs and it can handle the large capacity DL format that lets you store up to 8.5GB of data or four hours of high-quality video on a single disk. It also functions as a CD-RW drive, letting you burn audio and data CDs, and it can read almost any format out there.

In addition to a modem and an Ethernet adapter, Toshiba has built-in wireless connectivity to this portable computer line. This makes it easy to connect to the Web or the home office wherever you find yourself, whether it's a hotel room or a McDonald's wireless hot spot.

The main ding against this portable computer line is their 4-cell battery. This battery lasts for less than an hour and a half, so you might want to consider a second 6- or 8-cell battery for the system (starting around $100) if you need longer life away from a power outlet.

Toshiba offers four USB 2.0 ports on this portable computer for hooking up peripherals, but there isn't a Firewire port or a media card reader. The "mist gray" color scheme for the back of the display makes this portable computer stand out from the rest of the crowd aesthetically.

These portable computers run Microsoft Windows XP Home edition and ship with Microsoft Works Suite 8.5 office applications and Quicken financial software. All Toshiba portable computers also ship with Microsoft's Office OneNote, a handy program for sharing information and saving hand-written notes.

Toshiba offers a one-year warranty on these portable computers which can be extended to up to three years if you need additional coverage. The A105-S2021 retails for $849.99 but some vendors are selling it for under $700, making it a good buy for bargain hunters.

If you are looking for a basic laptop to get around the Web and run office applications, the Toshiba Satellite A105 series of portable computers offer excellent starting price points in a decent all-around package.


Pro: Great starting price, good set of components
Con: Short battery life, no Firewire or media card reader

Warranty
1-year limited