Toshiba Satellite Pro L300-1FO review

Toshiba's Satellite Pro range is aimed at corporate users and is known for its no-nonsense design and resilient build quality. While the Satellite Pro L300-1FO won't win any awards for style, it is nevertheless a powerful, usable and highly portable business laptop.

As with all but the HP in this group, the chassis weighs 2.6kg. Its 206-minute battery life betters both the Advent and HP, however, so you can easily keep working on the daily commute and also on longer journeys whenever necessary.

The staid design suits a mass corporate rollout, but lacks individual charm. The bulky chassis is incredibly resilient, so is sure to withstand the rigours of long-term use. Only the screen flexes slightly under pressure, but this is generally an intended feature to prevent against cracking.

Good usability

The large keyboard is quick to respond and provides strong usability. Its only flaw is a noticeable clicking sound as the keys are pressed, which may irritate speed-typists. Thankfully, the large mouse buttons don't display such a fault.

The 15.4-inch screen is standard, but provides strong image quality. Its glossy Super-TFT coating increases reflections when used outdoors, but it is a bright and colourful panel, and is also suited to entertainment use.

This laptop uses a dual-core Pentium processor, but despite a faster 2.16GHz clock-speed, we found the Toshiba slightly slower to respond than the Celeron-powered HP Compaq Presario CQ60-214EM. It suits basic multi-tasking, however, and we had no trouble simultaneously running several business applications.

BENCHMARK MACHINE: Samsung Q45

Where the Toshiba compares unfavourably to its rivals is in its poor storage options. Although the 120GB hard drive provides ample space for basic use, it is bettered by most similar machines. The lack of flash card support is also frustrating.

Unlike the HP Compaq Presario CQ60-214EM and Advent 5712, there is also no integrated camera. This is a shame, as business users would surely get plenty of use from such a feature. Connectivity to external displays is also limited to analogue monitors and projectors only, as there is no HDMI or DVI digital ports.

Thankfully, the balance is redressed slightly by a range of excellent proprietary software applications and a full suite of internet security tools. First-time users will certainly appreciate the extra usability and it adds to the value of this laptop.

While the limited storage and features of the Satellite Pro L300-1FO are unfortunate, its strength, battery and performance help it stand out, making it an excellent choice for both business and consumer users alike.

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