I've been fooling with microcomputers for 25 years, and I am astounded by the value and power packed into these little Netbooks for $400 or less. These are real computers for the price of a gadget. The Toshiba NB 205 I bought will do everything I want -- including word processing, spreadsheets, Web Browsing, e-mail, even decent photo editing. And I've been getting 6 hours of battery life without tweaking any "low power" settings. These are really breakthrough machines in terms of usability and luggability.
I won't bother you with details you can find in other reviews. I bought the Toshiba for two reasons. The first was a keyboard I could actually use (I'm an editor and touch typist, so a keyboard that isn't big enough for my clumsy fingers is a non-starter). I'm not normally a fan of chiclet keyboards, but after trying this one, I realized that that it makes the most of the limited space with a design that encourages precision without cramping your fingers. It's hard to explain this precisely, but the bottom line is that after a few minutes with it, I found myself making fewer errors than I did with other machines in the class. Still, I realize that keyboards and screens are largely matters of personal preference.
Also, having spent some years supporting reporters on the road, I concluded that the laptops least likely to fail were IBMs (the original) and Toshibas.
That said, there are a couple of design and execution problems that keep me from awarding the NB 205 very top marks. One is that I use a mouse with a portable computer everywhere but on a plane (where I rarely use them anyway because there isn't much room for them in the back where I fly). The Toshiba's power supply cord plugs directly into a port on the right side of the computer at 2/3 of the way back. It sticks out a couple of inches, making it very difficult to use the mouse normally. From a design standpoint, there are two solutions to this. One is to have the power supply cord plug into the left side of the machine, elminating the problem for 90 percent of the world. Unfortunately, Toshiba couldn't plug the pwoer cord it into the back of the unit because it has an extra-large, heavy-duty hinge back there, a useful feature. The other possiblity is a power cord with an 90-degree adapter on the end, which I've seen on other PCs. That would free up a path for the mouse.
Another issue (and I was obviously unable to test all the competitiors) is the visibility of the screen outside. Even with the brightness turned up all the way, the image fades considerably outdoors, even in open shade.
Still, my wife and I love the little machine and keep it upstairs next to the TV, where until now we've been reading e-mail and settling arguments by Web browsing with an iPod Touch. The Netbook really ups the ante here.
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