Laptops Arena

If you have read the last two articles then you already know that today's article is about Toshiba S300. Basically, this laptop is a Satellite Pro model, but somewhat merges more Tecra features than Satellite features. However, this is a good thing for anyone that wants a business oriented laptop model, with a Satellite price tag. This is the third installment in the Satellite Pro line. Basically it will bring the same looks sported by Satellite Pro S300M, but will include a bigger display, 15.4 inches.

Even more, the S300 will definitely bring improvements in terms of specs. So, we could name S300 the S300M's big brother, but what about the Satellite Pro L300? Basically at this point in the rebranding process, Toshiba made out of L300 the entry level model within the Satellite Pro line. Although it boasts a 15.4 inches widescreen, the L300 is offered for price tag of $499, smaller then both S300M and S300. Basically, S300 is marketed as the perfect desktop replacement laptop with a brilliant display.


This laptop has a various height from front to rear, 1.46 inches to 1.54 inches, wide of 14.2 inches, deep of 10.4 inches, the S300 weight about 6.2 lbs depending on the configuration chosen. As I said before, the design is somewhat inspired from the S300M. Basically, S300 looks like a conservative 2004 business laptop. Its design is not really modern or stylish but it is nice to look at thanks to the titanium silver LCD cover. The same titanium silver can be found once opened, surrounding the black keyboard. Otherwise, the case is made out of black matte plastic.

Overall, this design will keep away not only fingerprints and scratches but also admiring looks. Because the S300 display doesn't function like a lid when opened, the ports are also distributed on the back side as well. Therefore, on the back side of S300 you can find the RGH monitor output port, the modem port, and the input power jack. On the front of the S300 you can surely find the LED status indicators, the microphone input port, the headphone output port, and the Bridge Media Adapter, with the following compatible memory cards, Secure Digital, Multi Media Card, xD card, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, and SDHC.

On the right side you get three 2.0 USB ports, the Ethernet RJ 45 port (10 / 100 / 100 Ethernet), the sound volume control dial, and the Super Multi drive compatible with 11 formats (+ / - R double layer), such as, DVD - RAM 5x, DVD - ROM 8x, CD - ROM 24x, CD - R 24x, CD - RW 10x, DVD - R with both single layer at 8x and double layer at 6x, DVD - RW 6x, DVD + R with both single layer 2x, and double layer at 6x, and also the DVD + RW at 6x. On the left side you can find the serial port, the dock connector, the cooling vent, one eSATA / USB combo port with sleep and charge function, and the PCMCIA Type II Card slot.


The build quality is good, everything is in its place, and you don't get any flex of the lid. Once opened, you can easily see the black keyboard which looks nice. The keys should have been more matte than glossy, but beside this small inconvenient everything looks and works excellent. The keys don't have any flex when pressed and the feedback is over average. Under the black keyboard you get the touch pad and other two buttons. These three elements are however made out of a glossy silver plastic making them a little hard to handle. Even so, once you understand how to manage with them they will provide sufficient feedback.

Overall, Toshiba successfully included in S300 an excellent build quality. The integrated stereo speakers deliver a powerful sound but without any real bass to improve the sound quality. The 15.4 inches diagonal widescreen display sports the TruBrite TFT LCD technology with a WXGA resolution (also known as 1280 x 800 pixels).This is an excellent display and it certainly an improvement over S300M display. The brightness is excellent, the viewing angles are sufficient and the colors are vibrant. Overall you really get a good display package. In terms of specs, Toshiba offers more than one configurations available for the S300. Even so, some of their specs are common. The Mobile Intel GM 45 Express Chipset is available for all four preset configurations.

Also available, for all these configurations (S300 EZ1513, S300 EZ1514, S300 EZ2511, S300 S2504) is the Mobile Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500 MHD with 128 MB to 284 MB dynamically allocated graphic memory, and for the first three configuration S300 EZ1513, S300 EZ1514, S300 EZ2511 the 160 GB serial ATA hard disk with 5400 rotations per minute. Otherwise, the rest of the specs differ depending on the price you are prepared to pay. The best seller, S300 EZ1513 sports an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T6400 with 2.0 GHz, 2 MB L2, 800 MHz FSB, with only 1 GB PC2 6400 DDR2 SDRAM and Windows Vista Business Service Pack 1 (either the 32 bit version or the 64 bit version).


This configuration sports a $649 price tag. The second available configuration, with a $699 price tag, S300 EZ1514 includes the Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T6570 with 2.1 GHz, 2 MB L2, with 800 MHz FSB, 2 GB PC2 6400 DDR2 SDRAM, with the same operating system options. The third installment of S300, EZ2511, sports an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T660 with 2.2 GHz, 2 MB L2, 800 MHz FSB, and 2 GB PC2 6400 DDR2 SDRAM, still providing Vista Business for operating system.

This model is offered for about $829 price list. The last configuration has a price tag of $1.199 and sports an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor P8600 with 2.4 GHz, 3 MB L2, 1066 MHz FSB, 3072 MB (displayed as 2048 MB and 1024 MB) PC2 6400 DDR2, and 160 GB serial ATA hard disk with 7200 rotations per minute. For all these configurations the connectivity is ensured by the Intel Wi-Fi Link 5100 AGN with 802.11 a/g/n profile, modem slot, Intel 82567V Gigabit Network Connection, three 2.0 USB ports, one eSATA / USB combo port with sleep and charge function, RGB monitor output port, memory card slot, and Bluetooth version 2.1 with enhanced data rate.

In the most expensive models Toshiba also added the Easy Guard protection, offering shock absorbing design, hard disk drive protection, multiple level password utilities, fingerprint reader (located between the two buttons below the touch pad), and other safety element. Therefore, when talking about S300 we talk about at least two different models, the ones that offer the Easy Guard features, and the ones that lack this part of specs.

The extra software included is common by now for all the Toshiba laptops on sale, such as Toshiba Config Free, Sun java Runtime Environment, Google Desktop, Google Picasa, and the trial software like Microsoft Office Professional 2007, and Norton Internet Security 2008. Overall, the S300 is an interesting product, because it is by itself a sub line in the Satellite Pro line. You might just find it interesting enough to buy it. However, for $1.199 you can easily find something much better, and the $649 model lacks too many specs and sports an old design. I am guessing the future costumers of Toshiba Satellite Pro S300 are older customers of Satellite Pro products that are renewing their laptops.