Toshiba Tecra M5-S433 Notebook - Intel Centrino Duo Core Duo T2400 1.83GHz - 14.1″ XGA - 512MB DDR2 SDRAM - 100GB - DVD-Writer (DVD-RAM/±R/±RW) - 56Kbps - Wi-Fi , Gigabit Ethernet - Windows XP Professional - Titanium - PTM51U-02P01P; Weight - 5.2 pounds; Size - 12.4 x 10.3 x 1.2 inches

Laptop Magazine reviewed Toshiba Tecra M5 and writes: “With the Toshiba Tecra M5, Toshiba demonstrates yet again that it knows how to build a business-focused laptop at a good price. This 5.2-pound thin-and-light has every feature mobile pros might be looking for (save one), plus a host of built-in security and durability features. Nicely configured at $1,799, this notebook won’t break the budget.

Wrapped in an attractive silver metallic-flake chassis, the Tecra M5 isn’t too flashy. Lift the lid and you’ll find a bright 14.1-inch screen. The height of the 4:3 display might mean a tight fit on airplane tray tables, but the viewing-angle performance from above and side-to-side was good. We also appreciate the native 1024 x 768-pixel resolution, which made text and icons easily viewable. The Nvidia Quadro NVS 110M mobile GPU delivers a host of display options, including multimonitor support.

ntel’s Centrino Duo mobile platform runs the show; it delivers a 1.83-GHz dual-core processor and an 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi chipset, among other goodies. Performance from the Toshiba Tecra M5 was right in line with other thin-and-light business laptops we’ve recently tested, such as Dell’s Latitude D620 and Lenovo’s ThinkPad T60.

The Toshiba Tecra M5 scored 236 on MobileMark 2005, besting the HP Compaq nc6400’s score of 219 by about eight percent. This is on a par with other systems we’ve tested with this processor. Runtime from the Toshiba Tecra M5’s standard six-cell battery hovered right around 3.5 hours with Wi-Fi on or off. That’s a little below average, but Toshiba sells a 12-cell power pack ($71.99) that should deliver all-day battery life. The 3DMark03 score of 3,340 is impressive for a business notebook this size, which means this system should be able to handle Windows Vista’s Aero graphics with ease, not to mention 3D games at lower resolutions.

Unlike many of its competitors, the Toshiba Tecra M5 does not offer embedded wireless broadband, so buyers interested in that technology will need to purchase a PC Card solution. However, most every other feature business users crave is here.

On the security front, you’ll find TPM, as well as a built-in fingerprint reader. For durability, Toshiba has included an active protection system for the hard drive, a spill-resistant keyboard, and shock-absorbing materials throughout. In addition, the hard drive and display are housed within their own internal casings to better protect them from the rigors of the road.

The full-sized keyboard is comfortable and quiet, save for a couple of keys that got squeezed a little, and Toshiba had enough foresight to offer both a touchpad and pointing stick. Our test machine also included Toshiba’s versatile DVD Multidrive in the bay, letting you read and write all types of optical discs.

The full complement of ports includes VGA and S-Video out, FireWire, three USB 2.0 ports, and a serial port for legacy peripherals. The Toshiba Tecra M5 accepts PC Card devices as well as a built-in SD Card reader.”

This entry was posted on August 27, 2006 and is filed under Toshiba.