Review: Toshiba NB305 netbook

Toshiba's NB305 updates the company's netbook range with Intel's latest Atom.

processor and improved graphics, but is otherwise little changed from the.

previous generation. However, like its predecessor, it boasts an impressive.

battery life for such a small system.Available since February, the.

NB305.

is a mini laptop with the familiar netbook specifications of 10.1in display,.

Intel Atom processor, 1GB memory and weighing in at not much over a kilogram. It.

inherits the styling of.

last.

year's NB200 model, and features a similar 'chiclet' style keyboard that.

makes for comfortable typing despite the small size of the system..

New in this system is Intel's Atom N450, introduced at the end of last year,.

which integrates graphics functions onto the processor itself, and is supposed.

to deliver a boost in graphics handling. It also adds hyper-threading to the.

Atom line, which uses spare CPU resources to make the N450 look like two.

processors to Windows, although in reality it is still a single-core chip.Performance .

We found the performance of the NB305 to be much in line with the earlier NB200.

model, as was its battery life, so it is effectively just a slightly upgraded.

version with expanded Wi-Fi support to include 802.11 b/g/n and with Windows 7.

Starter now an option alongside Windows XP Home. Weight remains the same as the.

earlier generation at 1.33kg.Our review unit (the NB305-105) had Windows 7 and shipped in a white colour.

scheme (brown is also available) with a 250GB 2.5in Sata hard drive, which for.

some reason was partitioned into two 116GB logical drives, with a further small.

partition for system recovery.Screen .

The NB305's 10.1in Toshiba TruBrite screen gave a nice bright and sharp.

1,024x600 image on our review unit, but we found the screen hinge does not go.

far enough back for you to comfortably see the screen if you are using the.

system on your lap. On a desk, it is a different matter, and the battery pack.

sticking out from the underside lifts the case to a decent typing angle..

Keyboard .

Toshiba's keyboard has tile-like separate keys that make it easier to type, with.

just the top row of function keys and the arrow (cursor) keys smaller than full.

size. The touchpad is also a decent size and supports multi-touch, so you can.

use gestures such as pinching together with two fingers to zoom in.

Taken from here