Hands on review - Toshiba Satellite A350

If you’re in the market for a decent low-price multimedia laptop then Toshiba’s Satellite A350 may be worth a checking out. Not only is it great looking, but it also provides plenty of power for basic home use.

The 16-inch laptop features an extremely sharp High Definition 16:9 aspect ratio widescreen display, which is crisp and bright. Watching DVD’s is a joy, and the large screen makes working with multiple windows open easy. The keyboard’s action is smooth, fast and fluid, although there is some flex, and the touchpad is sensitive and reactive.

A powerful Intel Core 2 Duo T5800 processor powers the machine, but the GMA 4500MHD graphics card is disappointingly limited. Basic photo editing shouldn’t be a problem, but the laptop isn’t powerful enough to run anything but the most basic games. Nevertheless, the 250GB hard drive will provide ample room for your music, photos and films.

The A350 is packed with features including a Harman/Kardon speaker system, touch sensitive media controls and a wide range of ports including four USB, one eSATA, a Firewire (mini) and an express card. Perhaps surprisingly though, no HDMI out.

See issue 124 of What Laptop in June for the full review.