- Excellent Storage Features
- Two Full Gigabytes of Memory
- Strong Software Bundle
- Integrated Graphics Processor
- Case Design Easily Shows Dust and Scratches
- Intel Core 2 Duo T5500 Dual Core Mobile Processor
- 2GB PC2-5300 DDR2 Memory
- 200GB 4200rpm Hard Drive
- 8x DVD+/-RW Dual Layer With LabelFlash
- 15.4" WXGA (1280x800) Widescreen LCD and 1.3MP Webcam
- Intel GMA 950 Integrated Graphics
- v.92 56Kbps Modem, 10/100 Ethernet and 802.11a/b/g Wireless
- Four USB 2.0, One FireWire, ExpressCard/54 and 5-in-1 Card Reader
- 14.3" x 10.5" x 1.6" @ 6.3 lbs.
- Windows Vista Ultimate, MS Works, WinDVD, Google Desktop, McAfee Internet Security
5/16/07 – Windows Vista was released with a myriad of editions. The most common of these is the Home Premium edition. Toshiba pulls off a surprise with the Satellite A205-S4629 by including the Ultimate Edition of the new operating system. This gives the system complete access to all the multimedia, business, networking and backup features. It is a surprise as this version is typically only found on top of the line notebook PCs.
Outside of the software, Toshiba also manages to pack in a lot of storage features. They have included a very spacious 200GB hard drive that is 25% larger than the 160GB drives showing up in most thin and light notebooks. The downside is that it runs at the slower 4200rpm spin rate that does decrease performance some. The included 8x dual layer DVD burner also includes the LabelFlash labeling support. This is similar to the LightScribe function found in other systems in that it requires LabelFlash compatible media.
The processor of the Satellite A205-S4629 isn't one of the fastest, neither is it one of the slowest. The Core 2 Duo T5500 provides a decent balance of performance and cost. The major benefit for its performance is the two full gigabytes of PC2-5300 DDR2 memory. This allows the notebook to run the new Vista operating system without any slowdown issues.
If there is one major flaw with the Satellite A205-S4629, its the graphics. The 15.4” widescreen LCD is large and quite bright, but the graphics use the integrated Intel GMA 950 unit. This limits its 3D performance and does not allow the system to take full advantage of the Vista Aero interface. This system could be so much better if only they had included a dedicated graphics processor.
