Toshiba Satellite U305-S2812
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Toshiba equipped the Satellite U305-S2812's with a 13.3" glossy widescreen that pops images and videos off the screen with its above average brightness and contrast ratios. The screen enjoys Toshiba's TruBrite technology but since it is of glossy nature, you may have some issues if a light source is right behind you.

For a notebook that is scaled at the lighter end of thin and light models, the Satellite U305-S2812 has an impressive number of ports attached to it. It has 3 USB ports, a FireWire port, a 5-in-1 multimedia card reader, an ExpressCard slot, VGA out and so on.

The performance, as expected from the hardware profile, is good enough for everyday tasks. However, it's somewhat limited by Toshiba's decision to equip Satellite U305-S2812 with an integrated Intel GMA X3100 graphics card. The graphics card shares memory from system's RAM and hence doesn't let the notebook perform as good as the models with dedicated graphics cards, even if entry-level.

The notebook also has an integrated 1.3 megapixel webcam and the audio performance is just average.

Satellite U305-S2812, except for the integrated fingerprint reader, doesn't shine in terms of security features. This may deter the corporate minded executives from going for this laptop. Adding to this hindrance is the fact that mobile broadband is absent too, though Satellite U305-S5127 does come with wireless draft-N connectivity and bluetooth for small business executives or students.

Weighing 4.5 pounds, Satellite U305-S2812 is a thin and light notebook that is not very far from being a low budget ultraportable.

The battery life for Satellite U305-S2812 is excellent. The 6-cell default battery can give you anywhere from 2 to 3 and a half hours depending on your brightness settings and usage of processor as well as wireless connections. If you want to feel in heaven, spend a few extra bucks and get the 9-cell upgraded battery that will almost give you 4 to 5 hours of away from mains computing.

Unfortunately, the Satellite U305-S2812 includes lots of bloatware pre-installed on the machine that slows down the boot time remarkably. Users are advised to uninstall what they don't need or plan to use of these free/trial programs (most of them basically, if not all) as soon as they get their notebook.

Overall, the Toshiba Satellite U305-S2812 is quite an excellent laptop in its class. Meant to be a portable lightweight machine that has enough power for performance and lasting battery lifetime, and that within a reasonable budget, it suits the professional and campus communities alike.