The good: Lightweight; optional built-in HSDPA modem; good value.

The bad: Relatively slow processor and graphics; poor viewing angles; looks and feels plasticky.

The bottom line: If you're after a truly portable laptop and don't want to mess around with external optical drives, the Toshiba Portege A600 will most definitely appeal.

Read full review of the Toshiba Portege A600 »

By Will Stapley, CNET.co.uk
Apr 8, 2009

Toshiba's ridiculously lightweight Portege R600 may steal all the headlines, but if you don't mind a few extra grams, the Portege A600 is cheaper. The configuration that we reviewed comes in at around S$2,999 (US$2,152.60), and is just as well-featured as the R600. At under 30mm thick, you shouldn't have any problems slipping it into your rucksack, either.

Editors' note : This review is based on tests done by our sister site CNET.co.uk. As such, please note that there may be slight differences in the testing procedure and ratings system. For more information on the actual tests conducted on the product, please inquire directly at the site where the article was originally published. References made to some of other products in this review may not be available or applicable in Asia. Please check directly with your local distributor for details.

Design

With its silver livery, the A600 looks good from a distance, but, when you get up close, the plasticky chassis loses some of its appeal. It didn't take long for some small but noticeable scratches to appear on the lid--investing in a carry case would be a wise move.

The left side of the chassis is home to two USB ports (one of which will also accept eSATA devices), audio sockets (complete with a traditional-style volume wheel), VGA-out and power socket. On the right side are a third USB port, Gigabit LAN, SD card reader, Wi-Fi switch and impressively, considering the laptop's small dimensions, a DVD burner.

The panel underneath the optical drive flexes more than we'd like, as does the screen, but the A600 feels surprisingly robust otherwise.

Toshiba has resisted giving the 12.1-inch display a glossy coating, so you won't be hampered by reflections if you take it for a jaunt outside. Better still, it's LED-backlit, which helps give the battery life a boost. On the downside, it's not the brightest display we've seen, and you'll need to position it carefully as viewing angles aren't great.

Considering an that optical drive is built in, the A600's 1.46kg weight (not including the power adapter) isn't bad, but there are lighter alternatives available if you're willing to increase your budget.

The keys are rather spongy though we had no trouble typing at speed. The textured trackpad is comfortable to use and, although small, the left and right buttons are responsive.

Features

Intel's Core 2 Duo ultra-low-voltage SU9300 drives the A600, while 2GB of DDR2 800MHz RAM comes preinstalled.

For some regions, there is an option for a 3G/HSDPA radio module. If you have a mobile broadband-enabled SIM card, the built-in HSDPA modem, located behind the battery, provides up to a 7.2Mbps connection. It's also HSUPA-compatible, allowing up to 2Mbps downloads. It's not locked to a particular provider and automatically selects the correct profile, leaving us to simply hit the "connect" button. Of course, anyone signing up with a mobile broadband package will most probably get a USB modem included, but they're easy to mislay and, if whacked when attached, will soon damage a USB port.

The A600 also has 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and a fingerprint reader between the trackpad buttons.

Performance And Battery Life

The Intel Core 2 Duo SU9300 CPU is designed with portability in mind, not power, as borne out by the A600's score of 2,974 in the PCMark05 benchmark test. The eagle-eyed among you will notice that this is less than the 3,322 achieved by the SU9300-powered Samsung X360. Samsung's use of a solid-state drive, as opposed to the 200GB SATA drive on the A600, is the reason. Once again, Intel's GMA 4500MHD integrated graphics processor proves good only for such gaming classics as Minesweeper, clocking just 659 in 3DMark06.

We also noticed some odd behavior on the part of the fan during testing. When under strain, it couldn't seem to determine at what speed it should spin, quickly ramping up to full pelt before slowing down again almost immediately, only to repeat the process a few seconds later. Thankfully, it whirred away quietly when we were running non-intensive tasks.

Battery life is commendable and, if you're extra conservative in your use, you can expect to get close to the 7 hours 21 minutes it achieved in Battery Eater's Reader's test. This dropped to 4 hours 23 minutes when we switched to the battery-bashing Classic test. If you make use of the wireless radios, battery life will drop faster.

It's hard not to be impressed by the Toshiba Portege A600. It may not be the thinnest or lightest of the thin and light models out there, but it's certainly a decent ultraportable laptop. It features the built-in optical drive that some rivals lack and, while by no means a powerhouse, will cope with most tasks. Throw in a decent battery life, and it's a good amount of kit for the money. That said, increasing your budget slightly puts the 1.1kg Portege R600 within reach.

Service And Support

Toshiba offers a three-year international carry-in warranty for this machine, with options to upgrade the coverage period at the point of purchase. For greater convenience, you can register the warranty online instead of mailing it in. Prompt assistance is available through a toll-free number for over-the-phone support and troubleshooting. An online support database called IRIS (Instant Response Information Service) features a search engine for solutions to commonly encountered problems. If the issue still cannot be resolved, the unit will have to be brought down to a Toshiba service center for repair. A list of service centers can be obtained from Toshiba's Web site, which also hosts updated drivers and utilities.

Tags: Toshiba Portege, Intel Core 2 Duo, USB Port, optical drive, Intel Corp.

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