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Some notebooks really stand out, but there's little to shout about with Toshiba's A40. While there's nothing wrong with it, this is mundane fare. The A40's problem is that it offers a bargain-basement specification but lacks the price tag to match.
An Intel Celeron processor running at 2.6GHz drives the notebook, and it put in a score of 118 in Sysmark 2004. We were concerned that XP would struggle with the 256MB of memory, but this can be upgraded to a maximum of 2GB. A 30GB hard disk is a little lacking, but should provide enough space for most.
One thing you won't be doing with the A40 is having much fun. The onboard graphics scraped in at 112 in our 3Dmark03 test. There's a CD rewriter and DVD drive, but the 15in TFT screen is built for spreadsheets. The usual connections are in place, with four USB2 ports and one S-video for TV. A data and fax modem is also built in.
The A40 is solidly built, although there is some give in the centre of the keyboard. One problem is the markings for extended functions. These have been set in grey next to black keys so it's easy to lose sight of them. The touchpad is competent but there's no scroll wheel.
The A40 clocked two hours, 56 minutes of battery life, but at 3.5kg it isn't that portable. At £749, this notebook is no bargain but the inclusion of Microsoft Works 7 adds value. This would make a reasonable second computer but there is better available for the price.
Contact: Toshiba 0870 444 8943
www.toshiba.co.uk
Specifications:
- Intel Celeron 2.6GHz
- 256MB of DDR Ram
- 30GB hard disk
- 10-speed CD-RW
- 8-speed DVD combination drive
- 15in TFT display at 1,024 x 768
- 337 x 298 x 37mm (w x d x h)
- 16bit stereo speakers
- Windows XP Home
- Microsoft Works 7
See also:
A great-value notebook with all the features you need from a desktop replacement. 23 Mar 2004
Are you suffering from an overworked, overheated notebook? Then read on as Antec have a cure for you. 23 Mar 2004All Notebooks & Tablets PCs
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