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        Toshiba releases first U.S. netbook

        Jonathan Angel | Date: Jun 17, 2009 | Comments: 1


        Toshiba says it will ship a netbook next week that uses Intel's Atom N280 processor and delivers nearly nine hours of battery life. The NB205 includes a choice of five colors (left), a "chiclet" keyboard, a 10.1-inch screen, and a 160GB hard drive, the company says.



        (Click here for a larger view of Toshiba's NB205)

        Toshiba, which ironically pioneered subnotebook computers more than ten years ago with its Libretto product line, was late to the netbook market, and initially offered only the dowdy-looking NB100 (right) internationally. The company's new NB205 is the first netbook it has offered in the U.S., and it's a slightly modified version of the Dynabook UX announced in Japan last April.

        The NB205 is available in two different models. The NB205-N310 has a cover that comes in "sable brown," "royal blue," "posh pink, or "frost white," and sports an imitation carbon-fiber effect with raised lines. It also features a shiny keyboard with a chiclet design, similar to Apple's MacBooks. The NB205-N210, meanwhile, includes a sober black case and a more traditional keyboard, but costs $50 less, according to Toshiba.

        According to Toshiba, the keyboard (below) has a 19mm pitch, decreasing typing mistakes. Compared to the company's original NB100, the NB205's LED-backlit screen is larger, now spreading its 1024 x 600 pixels over a 10.1-inch work area.


        Toshiba's NB205-N310 looks identical to the Dynabook UX (pictured)
        (Click to enlarge)

        Toshiba's NB205 uses a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N280 processor, instead of the 1.6GHz N270 that still features in most other such devices. Employing the usual 945GSE (945GCSE northbridge and 82801GBM southbridge) chipset, the netbook comes with 1GB of RAM, which can be upgraded to 2GB, according to Toshiba.

        Toshiba ships the NB205 with an extended, 5800mAh battery that protrudes from the back of the machine somewhat, as pictured at right. According to the company, the battery lasts up to nine hours -- a claim that has been confirmed by a Laptop Magazine review (see later in this story for details).

        Featuring a 160GB hard disk drive loaded with Windows XP Home, the NB205 weighs 2.9 pounds (1.33kg) with the extended battery, Toshiba says. The NB205 has three USB 2.0 ports, a webcam, a VGA output, a microphone input and headphone output, and a 10/100 Ethernet port. Noting that one of the NB205's USB ports can supply power to external devices even when the netbook is turned off, Toshiba also cites 802.11b/g wireless networking and an SD expansion slot.

        Features and specifications listed by Toshiba for the NB205-310 and NB205-210 include:
        • Processor -- 1.66GHz Atom N280
        • Memory -- 1GB of DDR2 memory, expandable to 2GB
        • Display -- 10.1-inch LED-backlit display with 1024 x 600 resolution
        • Camera -- 1.3 megapixel
        • Storage -- 160GB hard disk drive
        • Networking:
          • LAN -- 10/100 Ethernet port
          • WLAN -- 802.11b/g wireless
          • PAN -- Bluetooth (not on NB205-N210)
        • Other I/O:
          • 3 x USB 2.0
          • 1 x VGA
          • Microphone input
          • Headphone output
        • Expansion -- SD slot
        • Battery type/life -- 5800mAh battery delivers nine hours of operation
        • Operating temperature -- 41 to 95 deg. F (5 to 35 deg. C)
        • Dimensions -- 10.35 x 7.57 x 1.3 inches
        • Weight -- 2.9 pounds (1.33kg)
        Availability

        According to Toshiba, the NB205-310 and NB205-210 will be available next week for approximately $400 and $350, respectively. More information may be found on the company's website, here.

        In a review that confirmed the manufacturer's claim of nearly nine hours' battery life, Laptop Magazine says the NB205-310 has "everything we'd recommend in a netbook." For more details, see the publication's website, here.


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