Toshiba Portege A600-S2201

Description: The Toshiba Portege A600-S2201 is a 3.2-pound, thin-and-light notebook computer.Compared to other thin-and-light notebooks on the market, it is relatively inexpensive at around $1,035.The 12.1 inch widescreen has a native resolution of 1280 x 800, which is fairly standard among laptops.Built around the Intel Core 2 Duo processor.This unit comes with a 160GB hard disk drive and 3 GB of RAM.

Pros: Is only 11.3-inch wide, which is considerably narrower than some similarly priced notebooks.By way of comparison, the average cost of a product with this narrow a wide is $1,805.The External Serial ATA port (ESATA) will transfer data to an external hard drive much faster than USB 2.0.The built-in fingerprint reader will speed up the log in process while adding a strong layer of data protection.An anti-theft security tether can be fastened into the built-in lock slot.

Cons: Has a modest 1.2 GHz CPU speed, which is considerably slower than some similarly priced notebooks.For example, the Lenovo ThinkPad X200, a 3-pound notebook at around $960, has a 2.4 GHz CPU speed.Shared video memory has an adverse effect on system performance which may be okay for users with more modest graphics needs.Users with more demanding needs should look to a graphics solution that brings its own muscle.

Suitability: A thin-and-light notebook, suited for business computing.If you have a wireless network at home, wirelessly browse the Web from any room in your house with this Wi-Fi enabled laptop.The good battery performance will keep your laptop running longer without plugging in.Archive your digital videos using this notebook's DVD burner.With 128MB of dedicated video RAM, this machine will do OK with some games and multimedia applications, but will fall short of satisfying the serious gaming enthusiast.

Value: In view of its relatively inexpensive price, this notebook has good features for the money.

Suggestions: (1) Given this device's Wi-Fi capability, you may want to get a wireless access point for your home, so that you can browse the Internet more conveniently from any room.(2) The integrated camera, while it does not have the resolution of most handheld cameras, can be handy if you want to video conference over the Internet.

CNET's Product Briefs are generated by a software tool that combines product specifications with knowledge of our editorial experts. They do not reflect hands-on assessment or labs testing. For more information about how we create Product Briefs, contact us.

• Manufacturer: Toshiba
• Part Number: PPA60U-007008

• General

• Platform Technology Intel Centrino 2
• Built-in Devices Speaker, Wireless LAN antenna
• Embedded Security Trusted Platform Module (TPM 1.2) Security Chip , Fingerprint reader
• Width 11.3 in
• Depth 8.8 in
• Height 1.2 in
• Weight 3.2 lbs
• Color Aluminium silver
• Localization United States
• Notebook type Ultraportable (Under 4 lbs.)
• Screen type Widescreen
• Wireless capabilities IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11 n (draft), IEEE 802.11g

• Processor

• Processor Intel Core 2 Duo SU9300 / 1.2 GHz
• Multi-Core processor technology Dual-Core
• 64-bit processor Yes
• Core voltage technology Ultra Low Voltage (ULV)
• Data bus speed 800 MHz
• Processor features Execute Disable Bit capability
• Chipset type Mobile Intel GS45 Express

• Cache Memory

• Type L2 cache
• Cache size 3 MB

• RAM

• Installed Size 3 GB / 5 GB (max)
• Technology DDR2 SDRAM - 800 MHz
• Memory specification compliance PC2-6400
• RAM configuration features 1 x 2 GB + 1 GB (soldered)

• Environmental Parameters

• Environmental standards EPA Energy Star, EPEAT Gold, RoHS
• Min Operating Temperature 41 °F
• Max Operating Temperature 95 °F
• Humidity Range Operating 20 - 80%

• Storage Controller

• Storage controller type Serial ATA/IDE
• Storage Controller / Serial ATA Interface Serial ATA-150

• Storage

• Floppy Drive None
• Hard Drive 160 GB - Serial ATA-150 - 5400 rpm
• Storage Removable None
• Hard drive type Portable

• Optical Storage

• Type DVD±RW (±R DL) / DVD-RAM - Integrated
• CD / DVD read speed 24x (CD) / 8x (DVD)
• CD / DVD write speed 24x (CD) / 8x (DVD±R) / 4x (DVD±R DL)
• CD / DVD rewrite speed 16x (CD) / 6x (DVD-RW) / 8x (DVD+RW) / 5x (DVD-RAM)

• Optical Storage (2nd)

• 2nd optical storage type None

• Card Reader

• Card reader type Card reader
• Supported flash memory cards SD Memory Card, SDHC Memory Card

• Display

• Display Type 12.1 in TFT active matrix
• Max Resolution 1280 x 800 ( WXGA )
• Widescreen Display Yes
• Features LED-backlit

• Video

• Graphics Processor / Vendor Intel GMA 4500MHD Dynamic Video Memory Technology 5.0
• Video Memory 128 MB
• Max Allocated RAM Size 1340 MB

• Audio

• Audio output type Sound card
• Audio Input Microphone

• Notebook Camera

• Camera Type Integrated

• Input Device(s)

• Input device type Keyboard, Touchpad
• Keyboard localization and layout US
• Features Spill-proof

• Telecom

• Modem None

• Networking

• Networking Network adapter
• Networking / Wireless LAN Supported Yes
• Wireless NIC Intel WiFi Link 5100
• Data link protocol Ethernet, IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, IEEE 802.11n (draft)
• Networking standards IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, Wi-Fi CERTIFIED, IEEE 802.11n (draft)

• Expansion / Connectivity

• Expansion Slots Total (Free) 1 ( 0 ) x Memory, 1 ( 1 ) x ExpressCard/54
• Interfaces 1 x Display / video - VGA - 15 pin HD D-Sub (HD-15), 1 x Microphone - Input - Mini-phone 3.5 mm, 1 x Headphones - Output - Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm, 1 x Docking / port replicator, 2 x Hi-Speed USB - 4 pin USB Type A, 1 x Storage / Hi-Speed USB - Hi-Speed USB / eSATA, 1 x Network - Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX/1000Base-T - RJ-45

• Miscellaneous

• Features System password, Toshiba EasyGuard, Toshiba Wireless Key Log-on, Security lock slot (cable lock sold separately)
• Compliant Standards ACPI, RoHS, VESA DPMS

• Power

• Power device form factor External
• Voltage Required AC 120/230 V
• Power provided 45 Watt

• Battery

• Technology 6-cell Lithium ion
• Installed Qty 1
• Battery capacity 5800 mAh

• Operating System / Software

• OS Provided Microsoft Windows Vista Business (32/64 bits) / XP Professional downgrade
• OS Preinstalled Windows Vista
• Microsoft Office Ready Includes a preinstalled image of select 2007 Microsoft Office suites. Purchase a Medialess License Kit (MLK) to activate the software.
• Software Google Picasa, Google Desktop, Google Toolbar, InterVideo WinDVD, Toshiba Resources, LoJack for Laptops, Toshiba ConfigFree, Toshiba DVD Player, Microsoft Works 9.0, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Toshiba Disc Creator, Toshiba Speech System, Toshiba Bluetooth Stack, Toshiba Zooming Utility, Face Recognition software, Toshiba PC Diagnostic Tool, Windows Live Photo Gallery, Toshiba Fingerprint Utility, Toshiba Value Added Package, Sun Java Runtime Environment, Sun Java 2 Runtime Environment, Infineon TPM Professional Package, Toshiba Secure Digital Token Utility, Ulead DVD MovieFactory 5 for Toshiba, Norton Internet Security 2008 (Trial), Microsoft Office Professional 2007 (60 days trial)

• Manufacturer Warranty

• Service & Support 1 year warranty
• Service & Support Details Limited warranty - 1 year

• Sustainability

• ENERGY STAR Qualified Yes
• EPEAT Compliant EPEAT Gold
• Greenpeace policy rating (Sept 2009) 5.7

Toshiba

Manufacturer profile

• Website: http://www.toshiba.com
• Address: 1251 Avenue of the Americas, Irvine, CA. 92618
• Phone: 1-800-316-0920