Toshiba Satellite A135-S4527 (Dual Core 1.73GHz, 1GB RAM, 120GB HDD, Vista Home Premium)

Description: The Toshiba Satellite A135-S4527 is a 6-pound, mainstream consumer notebook computer.Compared to other consumer level notebooks on the market, it is very inexpensive at around $800.Has Wi-Fi (wireless connectivity) built-in.

Pros: Comes with Microsoft Windows Vista Home premium and Microsoft Windows Vista OS, which is somewhat more favorable than some similarly priced notebooks.By way of comparison, the typical cost of a product with a comparable set of OS is $1,420.

Cons: Only has a Pentium dual Core processor.This is not out of line with the product's price, but is less efficient than the average notebook on the market today.Also, this notebook has only 1 GB RAM, which is less than some similarly priced notebooks.For example, the Dell Inspiron 1525, a 6-pound notebook at around $800, has 4 GB RAM.Shared video memory has a negative impact 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: Suited for those who just need a basic notebook.Preserve family get-togethers for future generations by saving them onto DVD with this notebook's DVD recorder.Comes with advanced word processing software; it comes with well-rounded features for most writers.If you have a wireless network at home, wirelessly browse the Web from any room in your house with this Wi-Fi enabled notebook.

Value: In view of its very inexpensive price, this notebook has great features for the money.For example, when it comes to screen size, the average price of mainstream consumer products with a comparable screen size is quite a bit more -- right around $1,093.Generally, not targeted at the gaming crowd, this computer will likely fulfill more modest notebook needs.

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 Web more conveniently from any room.(2) For help in deciding if this is the right laptop for you, see CNET's buying guide for notebooks.

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: PSAD0U-05400P

• General

• Built-in Devices Stereo speakers, Wireless LAN antenna
• Width 14.2 in
• Depth 10.5 in
• Height 1.5 in
• Weight 6 lbs
• Localization United States
• Notebook type Budget, Thin-and-light (4-6 lbs.)
• Screen type Widescreen
• Wireless capabilities IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g

• Processor

• Processor Intel Pentium Dual Core T2080 / 1.73 GHz
• Multi-Core processor technology Dual-Core
• Data bus speed 533 MHz
• Chipset type Mobile Intel 943GML Express

• Cache Memory

• Type L2 cache
• Cache size 1 MB

• RAM

• Installed Size 1 GB / 2 GB (max)
• Technology DDR2 SDRAM - 533 MHz
• Memory specification compliance PC2-4200

• Environmental Parameters

• Environmental standards EPA Energy Star
• 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 120 GB - Serial ATA-150 - 5400 rpm
• 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 5 in 1 card reader
• Supported flash memory cards Memory Stick, MultiMediaCard, SD Memory Card, XD-Picture Card, Memory Stick Pro

• Display

• Display Type 15.4 in TFT active matrix
• Max Resolution 1280 x 800 ( WXGA )
• Widescreen Display Yes
• Color Support 24-bit (16.7 million colors)
• Features TruBrite

• Video

• Graphics Processor / Vendor Intel GMA 950
• Video Memory Dynamic Video Memory Technology 3.0
• Max Allocated RAM Size 256 MB

• Audio

• Audio output type Sound card

• Input Device(s)

• Input device type Keyboard, Touchpad, Multimedia control panel

• Telecom

• Modem Fax / modem
• Max transfer rate 56 Kbps
• Protocols & Specifications ITU V.90
• Modem features V.92 upgradable

• Networking

• Networking Network adapter
• Networking / Wireless LAN Supported Yes
• Data link protocol Ethernet, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, Fast Ethernet
• Networking standards IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g

• Expansion / Connectivity

• Expansion Bays None
• Expansion Slots Total (Free) 2 Memory, 1 ( 1 ) x PC Card - Type II
• Interfaces 1 x Display / video - VGA - 15 pin HD D-Sub (HD-15), 1 x Display / video - S-video output, 1 x Microphone - Input - Mini-phone 3.5 mm, 1 x Headphones - Output - Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm, 1 x IEEE 1394 (FireWire), 4 x Hi-Speed USB - 4 pin USB Type A, 1 x Modem - Phone line - RJ-11, 1 x Network - Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX - RJ-45

• Miscellaneous

• Features System password, Administrator password, Security lock slot (cable lock sold separately)
• Compliant Standards CB, CE, UL, CCC, CSA, FCC, GOST, SASO, R&TTE, FCC Part 68, FCC Part 15 B

• Power

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

• Battery

• Technology Lithium ion
• Installed Qty 1
• Battery capacity 4000 mAh

• Operating System / Software

• OS Provided Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium
• Software Adobe Acrobat, Google Desktop, Google Toolbar, Toshiba Assist, Toshiba ConfigFree, Microsoft Works 8.5, Yahoo! Music Engine, Toshiba Disc Creator, Toshiba Game Console, Toshiba Speech System, InterVideo WinDVD 8 SD, Toshiba Bluetooth Stack, Microsoft Money Essentials, Toshiba Value Added Package, Toshiba Recovery DiskCreator, Sun Java 2 Runtime Environment, Microsoft Windows Media Player 11, McAfee Internet Security Suite (Trial), Toshiba Extended Tiles for Windows Mobility Center, Microsoft Office 2007 Home and Student Edition (Trial)

• Manufacturer Warranty

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

• Sustainability

• EPA Energy Star Compliant Yes
• 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