Toshiba Tecra A9-S9013X
Notebook Reviews > Toshiba Tecra > A9-S9013X

Toshiba's new Tecra A9-S9013X has many of the features of the Tecra A9-s9013 in a more affordable, no frills package. It boasts all the usual features found on a Toshiba laptop, but cuts costs mainly by including Windows XP operating system instead of Windows Vista. Despite the weaker inner workings of the Tecra A9-s9013x when compared to higher priced Toshiba laptops, it is still an attractive notebook for those looking for a quality budget machine to take care of their business needs.

The Tecra A9-s9013x utilizes a simply designed silver and black case that weighs in at around 6.6 pounds. Its basic looks make the Tecra A9-s9013x suitable for business and it is plenty durable to boot, meaning you won't have to worry about hauling it around town. It comes standard with a spill proof keyboard with comfortably sized keys and touchpad. Due to the unusual layout of the keys, most notably the position of the power button on the left edge, the keyboard takes some time to get used to.

The Tecra A9-s9013x's monitor is a 15.4 inch matte widescreen, but there are some problems with the brightness of the display, which makes it less than ideal for outdoor use. The included graphics card, the GMA X3100 which supports DirectX 10, is comparable to others bundled with the competition's notebooks, but its overall quality still falls short of independent video cards. The Tecra A9-s9013x's exterior features a host of ports including three USB 2.0 jacks, a serial port, a media card reader that accepts 5 different types of memory cards, a VGA output, and a PC card slot.

As with other Toshiba models, the Tecra A9-s9013x comes equipped with a variety of security features. This includes a fingerprint reader located between the cursor keys and pre-installed security software that allows the user to set multiple passwords to prevent unsolicited access to files. The hard drive itself utilizes Toshiba's EasyGuard protection that uses an active protection system to prevent physical damage to the 120GB hard drive in the event of a fall.

With its basic design and not so impressive processing performance, the Tecra A9-s9013x is not the most attractive notebook on the market. However, at a price of $1,149.00, it offers important features, such as a 2.2GHz Core 2 Duo processor, and added security for those on a budget looking to buy a quality business oriented laptop.