Toshiba's thin-and-light Satellite M115 series of portable computers offers excellent core power in a frame that starts out at just over five pounds, making these systems easily transportable. We took at a look at the M115-S3094, a pre-configured option available in many local brick-and-mortar computer stores.

The M115-S3094 is built around the 1.6GHz Intel Core Duo T2050 processor. It's not the fastest Core Duo CPU (and notebooks with Intel's newer Core 2 Duo are starting to crop up), but it's still a speedy processor thanks to the twin processing units built into the single chip. Toshiba provides a decent 512MB of fast 533MHz memory in these laptops, which is adequate for web-browsing and word processing while able to handle most apps. There are twin memory slots (although both slots may be occupied), and these systems will support up to 4GB of RAM, so you have room to upgrade down the road.

The 14.1-inch TruBrite widescreen display is not the largest screen you'll see on a portable computer, but it's one of the sharpest. And the screen size and 1280x800 resolution is more than adequate for watching movies or viewing multiple applications tiered side-by-side. This modest screen size is one of the reasons this portable computer is able to keep its weight down so nicely.

Storage on these portable computers is respectable thanks to an 80GB 5,400rpm hard drive. This gives you a solid amount of space for multimedia files and application installs.

If you run out of room, you can transfer data over to backup DVDs via the SuperMulti DVD writer. This optical drive supports burning to both CDs and DVDs, including the newer double layer format of disks. This media lets you store up to 8.5GB of data or four hours of high-quality video on a single disk. Its DVD+R DL and DVD-R DL speeds of 2.4X and 2X respectively aren not the fastest out there, but they're fairly typical of what you'll find on portable computers.

The only real omission on the Satellite M115 is dedicated video memory. The Intel integrated graphics share video memory with the main system RAM, so these portable computers won't be great gaming machines, but very few thin-and-light laptops are.

Toshiba includes a wide range of connectivity inside these laptops. In addition to a modem and a network interface, the M115 systems feature 802.11a/b/g wireless, so you'll be able to connect at a wide variety of wireless hotspots.

Other connectivity options abound as well. There's a 5-in-1 media card reader that lets you pop in Secure Digital and other flash memory cards and easily transfer files and photos from your PDA or digital camera. And there are four USB 2.0 ports and a Firewire port for hooking up flash drives or high-speed peripherals.

The six-cell battery inside the Satellite M115 provides a healthy life of close to four hours before needing a recharge thanks to the low-power consumption components. The Mist Gray chassis is sharply designed and easily fits into even a small laptop bag. The 5.24 pound frame won't weigh you down much when you're traveling.

These systems come with Windows XP Media Center Edition, so they are well-equipped for handling media files. In fact, the keyboard features multimedia controls and hotkeys for opening often-used applications. Even though this thin-and-light portable computer is smaller than most systems, we still found the keyboard comfortable for typing.

Toshiba also bundles Microsoft Works 8.5 applications with these portable computers, but if you need the full-fledged Office suite, it'll cost you extra. The software bundle also includes InterVideo's WinDVD Creator 2 Platinum that lets you create your own movies and then burn them to DVD.

There's a standard one-year warranty on this portable computer line, which includes parts and labor and also covers the battery. You can extend the coverage up to four years if you need additional peace of mind.

Toshiba's Satellite M115 series of portable computers are straightforward and well priced. They don't offer a lot of frills, but they're cost-conscious thin-and-light laptops that feature solid core power, a sharp display, and a very transportable frame.


Pros: Great price, solid core components
Cons: Not cutting edge

Warranty
1 year, limited