Quick, pretty, usable Netbook - Toshiba Mini NB305-N410BN 10.1-Inch Netbook - 11 Hours Of Battery Life
Where To Buy Toshiba Mini NB305-N410BN 10.1-Inch Java Brown Netbook - 11 Hours Of Battery Life
Quick, pretty, usable Netbook
Let me start by saying that I read nearly every review on Amazon for this product before buying it. Some of the reviews actually seem to be for related Toshiba netbooks which have slightly different features. I am not sure if this is due to users posting reviews in the wrong place, or Amazon aggregating reviews for closely related products, but potential customers should make sure the reviewer is actually reviewing the correct product when considering their praise or criticism.
In any case, if you are considering a netbook, and you actually KNOW WHAT A NETBOOK IS, and what it should be used for, you will be happy with this netbook. I have owned it for several days now and I am loving it. Here are some of my thoughts on the subject:
1. The keyboard:
It is great. I have not yet sat down to serious long hours of typing. I will though, as this netbook will be my main tool for finishing my thesis and eventually writing my dissertation. For the page or so I have written on it, it has been extremely comfortable. I have found in the past that I can adjust pretty well to typing on weird keyboards. I had a first gen EeePC and I was able to get used to that horrible thing. This keyboard, however, required no adjustment. I was typing pretty easily from the beginning.
2. The screen size:
Works for me. It is a little cramped on certain websites, but a quick F11 to make the browser full-screen seems to usually do the trick.
3. The speed:
Here, and on point 4 (OS), is where my review may not be helpful to all readers. I immediately purchased the crucial 2GB memory upgrade. It actually arrived before my netbook did. I started up the machine right out of the box and ran through the first time setup before shutting down and installing the RAM, though. Everything seemed to be decently responsive. Nevertheless, people concerned with speed should read the next portion of my review where I talk about…
4. The operating system:
Windows 7 Starter seemed to work fine. Since, however, I am a grad student and get somewhat of a discount on Microsoft products, I opted to upgrade to Windows 7 Professional pretty soon after purchase. I have to say, I did not notice a huge leap in speed going from 1GB to 2GB of RAM on Windows 7 Starter. Yet when I upgraded to Windows 7 Pro, there was a noticeable overall improvement in the performance of the machine. I cannot explain this, as I am pretty sure that Windows 7 Starter has the same architecture as Windows 7 Pro. If anything, you would think the stripped-down Windows 7 Starter would be designed to operate efficiently within the limited resources of a netbook. In any case, I am not knocking Windows 7 Starter– it is the standard for netbooks– and it seemed to work fine. I just noticed an improvement when I upgraded.
5. other software stuff and notes
I also installed MS Office 2007 Pro from the web with no problems. That and web browsing are going to be my main uses for this netbook. I have yet to attempt an install of Adobe Acrobat Pro from an external DVD drive, but I will soon (the external drive is old, from my first-gen EeePC, so I hope it works). I have watched a lot of streaming Netflix content on this without any significant problems. I think that is a pretty good measure of the machine.
6. Battery
The battery life is amazing. I am reasonably sure it doesn’t quite live up to the ideal 11 hours under my normal usage. Still, the battery lasts so long I don’t even really know what to do. I am used to having to set a routine to charge my gadgets, like plugging in my iPhone before I go to bed, etc. This machine, however, has so much battery life left that it is actually confusing me. I am guessing for my usage, I’ll be charging it every 1.5 to 2 days.
7. Speakers or The Worst Part of This Netbook
Everyone has said it on here and I will repeat it. These speakers are pretty miserable. Not even just the speakers, but the maximum volume level as well. I knew it going in, so I cannot complain too much. I am able to watch Netflix stuff at night lying in bed, but only just. I am sure if there was any background noise (a fan, etc.) it would not cut it. The key though, is that this is a netbook. The combined forces of physical constraints (size and weight) and pricepoint make anything more substantial than these speakers nearly impossible. My advice is to get a good set of headphones, and also perhaps a nice compact set of speakers. I have a folding JBL On Tour speaker unit that is amazing for its size. I actually use it for most of my television watching on a regular basis.
8. Aesthetic appeal
I find this netbook quite beautiful. Though it is listed as “Java Brown” I do not think that is an accurate color name. I would have been totally happy with “java brown,” but the color of this netbook is more metallic. It is more like a burnished deep copper or bronze color on the outside, with closely spaced diagonal lines etched into it. When opened, the deep copper color which surrounds the screen is more glossy and the diagonal lines are a pattern of slightly lighter color, not etched. Very nice overall. It also just feels sturdily built.
In sum, I am very satisfied with this netbook. I hope my review helps!