Toshiba's Satellite P10526022 portable computer is an excellent desktop replacement system with a large, beautiful screen, great core power and a nice array of components. But even though it holds its own against a lot of desktop machines, the P105 starts out at just seven pounds, so it's still quite transportable.

The first aspect you notice on this portable computer is their 17-inch TruBrite widescreen display. It's great for watching movies and it works very well for having multiple applications open and tiered. This means you won't be missing your desktop display when you're on the road.

There are various iterations of portable computers in the P105 family, but you can get a baseline priced system with Intel's Core Duo processor. We took a look at the $1,400 P105-S6014 that ships with the 1.60GHz Intel Core Duo T2050 and 1024MB of 533MHz DDR2 memory. This provides plenty of power for multitasking, with the twin execution cores of the CPU and the plentiful RAM give you extra support for running multiple applications.

The SuperMulti DVD writer in these portable computers can handle almost every optical media format on the market, including DVD-RAM for multiple rewrites and Double Layer media that stores up to 8.5GB of data on a single disk. A 100GB 5400rpm hard drive provides lots of storage space for multimedia files and application installations.

The integrated graphics on most of the line are basic Intel graphics that share video memory with the main system RAM. They've fine for most tasks such as browsing the Web or using office applications, but they won't do much 3D gaming. If you want to use your P105 as a gaming portable computer, you should consider the high-end model. It starts out at nearly two grand, but boasts a faster Core Duo processor and NVIDIA's GeForce Go 7900 GS graphics with a whopping 256MB of dedicated DDR3 video memory.

The P105 portable computers offer a variety of extra features that make them stand out from the laptop crowd. For starters, there's the Toshiba Express Media Player that plays audio CDs and DVD movies without having to boot up the system. It saves on battery life and is a convenient way to access your multimedia. There's a 5-in-1 media card reader that supports MMC, Memory Stick, Secure Digital, and xD Picture card flash memory for transferring files and photos from your PDA or digital camera onto your computer.

The added width of these portable computers means there's room for a 10-key numpad at the end of the keyboard for users who enter lots of numbers. The P105 laptops also include a modem, network interface, and 802.11a/b/g wireless connectivity so you can hook up to the Internet in a variety of ways.

These portable computers feature all the latest connectivity ports, including four USB 2.0 ports and a Firewire port for hooking up high-speed peripherals like digital camcorders. The ExpressCard slot supports both /34 and /54 formats of this new PC card technology for future devices that will use the faster ExpressCard connectivity.

The built-in Harman Kardon speakers deliver good stereo sound, although there is no subwoofer included in these portable computers, as some vendors have opted for with their desktop-replacement systems.

The P105 runs Microsoft Windows XP Professional edition, providing additional tools and enhancements for viewing and handling multimedia. The software bundle includes Microsoft's Works Suite 8.5 office applications, Quicken financial software, and Microsoft's Office OneNote which saves hand-written notes and easily shares data with other users.

The six-cell battery provides about two to 2.5 hours of battery life--not that extensive for a portable computer, but not horrible for a large-screened desktop replacement system. Toshiba offers a one-year limited warranty as coverage for these portable computers, and of course the company offers a variety of plans for lengthier and more extensive coverage.

Toshiba's P105 line offer great core power, a variety of useful extras, and large, brilliant widescreen displays at a quite reasonable starting price.

Warranty
1-year limited