It comes preinstalled with Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium, which includes all of the Windows Media Center capabilities for turning your PC into an all-in-one home entertainment center. In addition to easily playing your DVD movies and managing your digital audio library, you'll be able to record and watch your favorite TV shows (even HDTV). Vista also integrates new search tools throughout the operating system, includes new parental control features, and offers new tools that can warn you of impending hardware failures.

The Basics

• Processor: The Intel Core Duo T2080 processor is built with the Mobile Intel 945PM Express chipset, and it has a 1.73 GHz processor speed, fast 533 MHz front-side bus (FSB), and 1 MB L2 cache. (An L2, or secondary, cache temporarily stores data; and a larger L2 cache can help speed up your system's performance. The FSB carries data between the CPU and RAM, and a faster front-side bus will deliver better overall performance.)

  The Intel Core Duo processor has two computational execution cores in a single processor, providing greater system response when running multi-threaded applications simultaneously with no significant increase in power consumption. It's optimized for multitasking and is ready to support the next version of Microsoft Windows, code-named Vista. It can simultaneously run multiple demanding applications--such as graphics-intensive games or serious number-crunching business productivity applications--while downloading music or running virus-scanning security programs in the background. It's more efficient, thanks to Intel's Power Coordination and Deeper Sleep, which help to transfer power only to those areas of the processor that need it. It also features Intel's Digital Media Boost, which delivers enhanced performance on floating point-intensive applications such as CAD tools, 3-D and 2-D modeling, video editing, digital music, digital photography and gaming.

• Hard Drive: The 120 GB Serial ATA hard drive (5400 RPM) is just above average in size for business notebook PCs. It provides more than enough capacity for storing documents, digital media files, and productivity software. This SATA hard drive also quickens the pace with a higher speed transfer of data--akin to FireWire and USB 2.0.

• Memory: The 1 GB of built-in memory (PC4200, DDR2 SDRAM) is a good start for power users, and it offers a decently fast 533 MHz speed. It has two memory slots, enabling you to add up to 2 GB of RAM for worry-free handling graphics-intensive presentations and multiple open business productivity applications. To receive the faster data transfer benefits of the dual-channel DDR2 RAM, any RAM additions require memory modules of same capacity and clockspeed.

• DVD/CD Drive: The dual-layer DVD drive is compatible with a wide range of formats, including both DVD+RW and DVD-RW discs, CD-RW discs, and dual-layer (DL) DVD+/-R discs, which can hold up to 8.5 GB of data--great for backing up your MP3 collection or your most important documents. It features the following speeds: 4x DVD+R DL, 4x DVD-R DL, 8x for both single-layer DVD+R/-R, 8x DVD+RW, 6x DVD-RW, 5x DVD-RAM, and 24x/16x for CD-R/RW. It reads DVD-ROM discs at 8x and CD-ROMs at 24x.

• Keyboard & Mouse: This notebook has a standard 85-key keyboard and electro-static two-button touchpad. It also offers a launch button for the Express CD/DVD media player and control buttons (play, stop, next, previous) as well as a volume control dial.

Networking, Connectivity & Expansion
This Toshiba Satellite has an integrated Atheros 802.11b/g wireless-LAN that enables you to easily connect at wireless hotspots wherever you roam. You get a good offering of connectivity options:

• 4 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players
• 1 FireWire (also known as IEEE 1394 or i.Link) port for connecting digital video camcorders and other peripherals
• 1 VGA monitor port
• 1 S-Video out
• 1 PCMCIA (or PC Card) slot (Type II, PCMCIA R2.01, PC Card16, CardBus)
• 1 headphone jack, 1 microphone jack
• 5-in-1 memory card reader that's compatible with Secure Digital (including SDIO), MMC, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, xD Picture Card memory cards

Operating System
Windows Vista Home Premium is the operating system for users with advanced computer needs, and it includes all of the Windows Media Center capabilities for turning your PC into an all-in-one home entertainment center for watching DVD movies and accessing your digital audio library. You can also use Windows Media Center to record and watch your favorite TV shows (even HDTV) and to access new kinds of online entertainment content. Computers that include Windows Vista Home Premium and an auxiliary Windows SideShow display will also allow you to access key data even when your computer is off. It is also easier than ever to share files between other PCs in your household and to manage your laptop computer settings to more securely connect via Wi-Fi.

Every edition of Windows Vista provides the essential tools and technologies to help protect you whether you are browsing the Internet, connecting to a wireless network, or just reading e-mail. All editions of Windows Vista include new tools that can warn you of impending hardware failures long before you have lost any important personal data. And, all Windows Vista editions include parental control features that allow you to manage and monitor your family's use of games, the Internet, instant messaging, and other activities.

Preloaded Software
Toshiba software includes Disc Creator, Recovery Disc Creator, and Speech System. Third-party software titles include Microsoft Works 8.5, InterVideo WinDVD 8 SD, Google Desktop and Toolbar, McAfee Internet Security Suite (with 30-day trial), and Microsoft Office 2007 Home and Student Edition (60-day trial).

Dimensions & Weight
This notebook measures 14.2 x 10.5 x 1.45 (WxDxH) and weighs 6 pounds.

Power
It's powered by a 4000 mAh rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which has a battery life of up to 2.5 hours (depending on usage). It has a 4.5-hour full charging time.

What's in the Box
This package contains the A135-S4527 notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions. It is backed by a one-year limited hardware warranty.

  Customer Reviews  

toshiba's edsel
Rating: 1
There was a time when Toshiba dominated the low-mid price notebook market. Toshiba virtually "invented" the "laptop", so dominant were they at the origin of the genre. No longer is this the case. What made the old Toshibas as good as they were, was that they either made their own components, or subcontracted locally in Japan, and assembled all their machines at home. This situation enabled excellent quality control. In the 90's, they started subcontracting in Korea and other parts of the Pacific Rim, and assembling the machines all over the world. In my opinion, the biggest mistake was the cheap harddrives they have built by Hitachi. These Hitachi harddrives are simply junk. The notorious Hitachi "Death Star", as it became known,may have crashed more frequently than any other hard drive built in the late 90's. The tragedy is - Toshiba hard drives are still made to the exacting standards of their early 90's machines, but they can knock off hundreds of dollars per machine by installing the cheap Hitachis. Combine this situation with the compatability problems of Vista in its current state and there you have major problems. Take it from one who has learned by hard experience. You get what you pay for. If these were Toshiba drives, you'd be paying $899 US not $699 or lower. Voila!