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I have had the NB205 frost white version (the $399 price) for about a week.

Good points:
1) build quality seems high compared to other netbooks that I looked at.
2) keyboard and touchpad are very usable.
3) the NB205 looks great (my opinion).
4) screen is bright and usable outdoors. There is a glossy finish but compared to glossy notebooks that I have, the NB205 seems better.
5) Battery life seems to be good. Using full power and bright screen, the batter lasts over 6 hours. With battery saving features enabled, would last longer.

Bad points:
1) Speaker is terrible. I use earbuds which work fine.
2) Many special Toshiba programs used to control hardware and do different system tasks. This only a bad point if you are thinking of upgrading to Windows 7 because it may make the upgrade harder (are there Windows 7 versions available of these programs, etc.).

I upgraded the memory to 2GB. This did not seem to make a significant difference in performance. Perhaps someone who runs more demanding programs might have a different result.

Overall, I am very satisfied with the unit but one must keep in mind there are limitations when using netbooks.Get more detail about Toshiba Mini NB205-N210 10.1-Inch Black Netbook - 9 Hour Battery Life.

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I ordered my Toshiba mini-computer from Amazon on Tuesday and got it on Thursday.
I have a 5 year old Toshiba laptop which works fine so I know Toshiba computers work well.
I am mobile impaired so I need a light, easy-to-use computer. This mini-computer fills that need.
This could rank as one of the best purchases I've ever made. I have had this for three days now. It is so much fun to play with, I haven't turned it off except to eat.
It has a fast boot time. The design is excellent.
I have researched all the current netbooks available right now. This one wins hand-down. The keyboard is easy to type on. The screen is clear and easy to read.
The touchpad takes some getting used to. It can be used to scroll vertically or horizontally. It tells you how to do this in the manual. What the manual doesn't tell you is that a quick finger movement at the top edge to the left brings you to the previous window. A similar movement to the right brings you to the next window you were looking at. The same is true when using the internet. Left movement take you to the previous page - right takes you to the next page. This was particularly annoying before I figured out what was going on.
The speaker is totally inadequate. Most applications don't require a good speaker. This computer has Bluetooth. There are many Bluetooth stereo headphones and speakers out there - so perhaps this will not be too much of a problem. I listened to a couple of tunes on Pandora with a set of plug-in headphones. The sound quality was great. I also watched a Netflix movie. The video quality was excellent.
Overall, this netbook is excellent choice for me. If I was going to rate this on a scale of 1-10, I would give it a 9.5, but since I cannot use that rating system here, I guess I'll give it 5 stars.
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Well I have been doing research and playing with netbooks for several months now. I had to replace my aging 5 year old HP that was recently stolen. I wanted something with a long battery life and was extremely small and portable.
I rolled down to my local best buy on July 4th and I was hell bent on getting the ASUS 1000HE. I found out that the model they sold only had the Atom 270, but I wanted the Black Tie warranty so I was going to live with that. However, when I got there, they did not have any in stock. In fact, the only netbook that had the Atom 280 was the Toshiba NB 205. I never even heard of it. I found out that they were out of stock so I ran home and called until I found a best buy that had one in stock. I read some reviews but they were dismal at best.
After playing with it non stop for 3 days, here is what I like about it.
1. The Case is much better looking than any other netbook out there. It even looks nicer than the Mac Books. It is much nicer than the ASUS 1000HE.
2. The screen is very crisp and bright. It also has 8 levels of brightness.
3. The Keys are very nice to type on and are spaced out well.
4. The touchpad is responsive and the left and right keys are placed like a normal laptop.
5. Although it took some time to get the wireless working, it hooks up faster than my other 2 laptops.
6. It runs XP so with some minor tweaks, it ran just as fast as my other laptops.
7. It plays MP4 movies/videos very well.
8. It handles office applications like Excel and Access very well.
9. I was able to watch 3 full length MP4 movies and still have over half the battery life left.
10. It boots up fast and it has no problem with multiple windows.
11. Netflix live stream videos work great on it.
12. 3 USB Ports (one can charge while it is off), 1 VGA Port, 1 RJ45 Port, and a SD Port.

Now on to what I don't like.
1. The back of the battery does stick out another inch but it does seem to act like a bumper. I bought a Targus bag with a handle and it fits perfectly.
2. The speaker is very inadequate, the earphone jack works well.
3. The Wireless setup was a pain. I wish it had a dedicated switch.
4. The instruction manual is almost useless.
5. Can't really adjust the screen resolution (although the stock settings are fine).

All in all it was a pleasant surprise and I am glad I waited to buy.
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This machine exudes quality. Although it may not have all the bells a whistles of some other laptops (hence the reasonable price), the functionality is very good for all the basics. My bf and I did a LOT of online research and looked at all the online reviews and were impressed, and for good reason. Typing is very comfortable. While the screen is small (10.1 inches on the diagonal), it is very sharp and clear. It also has one of the nicest mouse pads I have ever used on a notebook --sorry Apple! I ordered my Toshiba here on Amazon and it arrived quickly (plenty in stock vs. the Toshiba Direct website currently) and in very good condition. There are three (3) USB ports, one of which can be used to charge any device. I plugged in my Sony Ericsson Z555 into it to get internet access when I am not near a wifi signal, and my phone gets charged in the process! Great little feature there. Comes equipped with Bluetooh, WiFi, a discreet web camera built into the bezel above the monitor, and a digital camera card slot in the front of the machine. It also comes with some nice and intuitive proprietary Toshiba software for customizing battery/power usage, one for detecting/connecting to WiFi internet connections, and another one for the built in web cam. As I understand, many laptops are a pain in the rumpus when it comes to upgrading memory or other components. Not the NB205. There are easily accessible compartments on the bottom for future upgrades. And with a brand like Toshiba, I'm sure you can customize this notebook to your liking quite easily and well into the future. But personally, I am quite satisfied with it right out of the box. If you are looking for portability and a loooong battery life (rated for 9 hours on a full charge), you might just want to consider this notebook. I do know that they are available at some Best Buy locations in case you would like to see one in person before you decide.Get more detail about Toshiba Mini NB205-N210 10.1-Inch Black Netbook - 9 Hour Battery Life.

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Purchased this for our trips around the country and abroad, when lugging the larger laptops is to cumberson. Also because it has XP for the OS. Agree with the other reviewer who experienced difficulty getting connected to wireless LAN. CAT5 no problems. Remember, this Toshiba has no on/off wireless switch.

If you get "When you press the Fn+F8 'hotkey' combination to turn on Wi-Fi or another wireless device, you may see this message: "Wireless Communication is Disabled. Please Turn on The Wireless Communication Switch." This message is displayed if the Wireless Communication Switch is OFF.

This 'switch' is implemented in software on the NB205, and others, though on many other Toshiba models, the Wireless Communication Switch is a hardware switch.

You must use Fn+F8 to turn it on. Also experienced "The wireless communication was connected, the router had assigned an IP address, but the NB205 refused to get it." It sat at "acquiring IP address" until it timed out. After time on the phone with Toshiba rep :( , and Linksys Rep ;), finally had to reset password on the WRT54G and all was well. The enclosed manual is next to nothing, so go to: [...]

If you experience problems connecting wirelessly, I'd call your Router rep. Sorry, but Toshiba's rep wasn't that helpful.

Another idea, as I did, was to take the unit to Best Buy and see if the unit can access their wireless LAN. If it can then you might have a password issue at home between the NB205 and your router.

Overall very pleased with the simplicity and features. Perfect for the road if you don't need heavy MS Office features.Get more detail about Toshiba Mini NB205-N210 10.1-Inch Black Netbook - 9 Hour Battery Life.

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Having researched netbooks since January 2009, I had narrowed down my choice to Asus 1000HE due to battery life, since most netbook features are similar. Recently Asus released the 1005HA and I was certain that was going to be my next purchase since it was improved over the 1000HE. I decided to check out Acer (blah), MSI(blah), HP/Compaq(blah), Samsung and Toshiba as well.

My main requirement was a good size keyboard, solid build, and great battery life. Toshiba NB205 excelled at all my requirements. I read every review I could find and even have google alerts set to Toshiba NB205. Office Depots have this netbook on display. Definitely visit your local store and try it out before you buy it. Then goto Best Buy to try out other selections and order it from Amazon.com.

Some key points:

1. Keyboard - great size, the keys are similar to the current gen apple laptops. I am typing this review on the NB205 so still getting used to it. The only strange thing is the ~ key sits to the left of the space bar instead of the ALT key. The ALT key is to the left of the ~ key.

2. Build - VERY solidly built netbook. Does not feel flimsy like all the other ones I have seen. I have a Dell XPS 1530 which I thought had a super solid build, this Toshiba NB205 is just as solid. Construction and design are great. I did not like the glossy covers and fingerprint magnet designs of the other netbooks. NB205 has a matte cover and texture to it that does not attact ANY fingerprints.

3. Battery life - Reviews tested well and better than the Asus 1000HE. Been using it for 1 hour and says 90% battery life after installing updates and downloading.

4. Trackpad - VERY large and controls well. Glides smoothly. No dinky trackpads like other netbooks. Has 2 separate buttons instead of just one. The pad is slightly recessed so it's easy to find it by feel.

The ONLY thing I dislike about the laptop is the 6 cell battery sticks out the back about .85 inches.

As for colors, ALL of the NB205 have the silver keyboard, the color difference is only on the screen portion. I chose the Blue because I liked the color the best. The White I saw in store looked very close to the silver keyboard color.

I thought about waiting for the ION, but the screens will be almost 12" and the battery life will be worse. Also, the cost difference. I don't need a HDMI output either.Get more detail about Toshiba Mini NB205-N210 10.1-Inch Black Netbook - 9 Hour Battery Life.

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I absolutely love this netbook! The size is perfect and the quality is terrific! After an extensive research to find the best netbook to supplement my aging laptop, I was immediately sold on this one (which I am using to type this review). After reading every review I could possibly find, I rushed to my local Office Depot to play with this beauty. For me, the best quality is the keyboard. The keys are spaced perfectly and they are also the perfect size with a smooth texture to them. The power button also encompass a light that can be used as a "lamp" when using the netbook in the dark. The light allows you to see all the keys on the keyboard. The webcam is great. I haven't actually "used" it yet, but I have activated it to see how clear the reception is. The HDD's ability to capture and protect the hard drive from destruction if it is dropped or bumped too hard, is another amazing feature. More importantly, this baby fits right into my purse. In essence, I have only had this netbook for 5 days and haven't had any problems with it thus far. I am most definitely satisfied with this netbook!Get more detail about Toshiba Mini NB205-N210 10.1-Inch Black Netbook - 9 Hour Battery Life.

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Update: 26-Aug-2009 - I have this for about 2 months now. Overall a good netbook, but the speaker problem is ridiculous. Initially, I was only using it on the road/traveling, so always used a headset. The last few weeks I've been using it more indoors, and the necessity to always use a headset is very annoying. I installed the latest audio drivers, which offered no improvement in performance. If I could change my rating, I would drop it to 3 stars based on the speaker issue alone. Really inexcusable. If you will always be using a headset, this remains a 4 star netbook.

I purchased my NB205 based on Johnny Chan's and the Laptop Mag review. I am doing a three month project in Europe, and wanted a lightweight computer to take with me. Got it a few days before I left and have been using it for the last couple weeks.

I wanted a computer for:
1. Running MS Office, including being able to run some complex MS Access databases.
2. Being able to browse the web.
3. Being able to watch movies when traveling (at least 6 hours of battery time).
4. Something small that I could carry with me without getting aggravated.
5. Being able to use MS Remote Desktop Connection to remote into client sites.

First the negative:

1. The speaker (as noted by others) is insufficient. In addition, the headphone jack is also underpowered. On a plane, with all settings turned up to max, I was still unable to achieve my desired volume level.
2. When plugged in, I run at max power settings. I find the fan to be annoying as it turns on and off - it is also quite loud for a laptop fan.
3. The screen had a pretty narrow optimal viewing angle. I find myself adjusting the tilt quite a bit to try to get it looking 'right'.
4. Would have like an option to set a larger virtual desktop and then scroll off the edges of the screen. I was actually very surprised this isn't an option. Software included with my new camera won't run because the screen resolution can't be set high enough.

The positive:

1. Watched 2 iTunes movies on the flight over and still had battery remaining. FYI - I tried renting an HD movie from iTunes, but the playback was very choppy. SD movies work pretty well. Don't forget to decrease the hard drive vibration sensitivity when traveling on a plane - light turbulence will trigger it.
2. All MS Access databases I've tried so far work without any problems.
3. Attractive and well-built. Very lightweight.
4. Fits very well in Case Logic LNEO-10 Ultraportable Neoprene Notebook Sleeve (just wish it had a shoulder strap).
5. Used it with Cisco VPN software to remote into Window's servers without a problem.

Also using a Microsoft Bluetooth Notebook Mouse 5000 with no problems, and upgraded to 2 GB of memory with minimal effort (had to use a little force to pop the memory cover off, but didn't cause any damage).

Traveling by train this weekend - 10 hours each way, with a three day camping trip between. The Toshiba is going with me - if I notice anything during the trip, I'll update this review when I return.

Note: would have given it 4.5 stars, but that is not an available rating.

Update: Took my train trip last weekend. Mostly used the laptop to watch some iTunes movies. The battery seemed to run down a little faster. I got about 6.5 hours, but I probably could have tweaked the settings a little early on - kept the screen pretty bright for the initial movie. Just a reminder that if you want to get the 9+ hours of battery, you'll have to tweak settings. More problematic was the playback wasn't 100% smooth. A reboot helped, but since I'm not running many programs in general, I don't think I should be rebooting to watch a movie. I knock off the half star, and think 4 stars is a fair rating.Get more detail about Toshiba Mini NB205-N210 10.1-Inch Black Netbook - 9 Hour Battery Life.

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This is one awesome netbook. Not many netbooks on the market allow for a 2 GIG RAM capacity. A big PLUS !!!

Fit, finish and build quality top notch. Battery life was excellent. Watched two movies(netflix) and still had 67% battery left.
Bought the original one as a gift, now i am tempted to get one for myself !Get more detail about Toshiba Mini NB205-N210 10.1-Inch Black Netbook - 9 Hour Battery Life.

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I'm on my 2nd unit, the first one had a bad power switch. I thought maybe I was missing something but when I went to Best Buy and played with their demo unit I realized my unit's power switch couldn't be depressed so I sent it back and now I'm playing with the replacement unit.

First, you MUST turn the wireless function ON if you want to use it. It arrives with it turned off. This wasn't obvious to me and the quick start guide does not mention it at all. And, of course, there is no printed user's manual, so you have to find the pdf and search it for wireless. You have to press Fn+F8 to change the wireless mode (on/off and I think something else). Not sure why they do this but hopefully this will save someone else some time. Also it doesn't support WPA2 only WPA so I had to change my settings on my router. Otherwise it was simple to set up.

The screen is very glossy. IMO this is a bad trend that Apple started and now they are getting some bad feedback about this also. So be forewarned. The touchpad is ok but I would get a small mouse to use. The keyboard is kind of similar to my Apple Macbook Pro, not exactly great but functional.

Overall, so far it seems fine for my use. Obviously something larger is better for lots of work but we are buying a netbook for its small size and weight (otherwise I'd be carrying my MacBook Pro) and be able to do basic things when on the go.

It comes with some extra programs, like Norton, which I have to go around and uninstall. I have to admit that while I've been using PCs for a long time and only bought/used my first Apple in 2007 I forgot how annoying PCs can be (at home I have the MacBook Pro and a desktop that is dual bootable with Ubuntu Linux and Windows XP that I seldom use). I'll have to browse the net and download the various free virus/firewall programs.

My main reason for getting a netbook was to be able to travel and still do classwork for graduate classes I'm taking and this unit should be able to do that (i.e., connect to the internet, email, and basic Word/Excel/Powerpoint functions).
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Toshiba Mini NB205-N210 10.1-Inch Black Netbook - 9 Hour Battery Life

After researching for months I finally purchased my first netbook. I ended up going with the NB205-N210. Main models considered where the Asus100he / Samsung NC-10.

I must say I'm very impressed with this product. The market for 10" netbooks is crammed full of very similar offerings. I ended up going with the Toshiba for the following reasons.

1) Its one of the latest on the market. I did not want to purchase a netbook that has been out for months as the technology changes so rapidly. This is one of the few Netbooks that is using Intel's Atom N280 processor over the more commonplace N270. I'm sure the difference isn't too different, but I wanted the latest offering as far as processing power.

2) 9 Hour battery life for under $400!!! This is insane! I have just used it after its first charge out of the box and it lasted for right about 8:30 hours before I finally decided to charge it up again. This claim is for real. I'm on the road a lot and am going to love not having to run a power chord after one hour on this netbook vs my Dell laptop. Most other netbooks that I was comparing to did not have the 9 hour life. Most were in the 3-6 hour range.

3)Brand name/Style. I have really been a fan of Toshiba laptops over the past decade. I feel they offer a real solid product and the NB205 definitely has not let me down so far. As for the style..I think it really outclasses the other offerings out there. I was in a store and compared it to the Asus/ HP/ Gateway/ Dell etc and they all felt chintzy and cheap feeling compared to the Toshiba. Again being late to offer a Toshiba , they had time to really see what consumers want.

4) Full size keyboard. I can actually type just as well on NB205 as I can on my home computers. The keyboard size is perfect. I'm also very glad that the Trackpad and associated buttons are large in size! I actually have to type long emails for business and was very frustrated that other Netbooks had small keyboards and track pads. Rest assured that this keyboard is almost as large as my normal laptop and makes typing a breeze.



Cons:

1) The only thing that I do not like about the NB205 is how the battery sticks out the back. The computer is compact overall, but I was nervous about finding a 10" case to fit it. Rest assured the Case Logic LNE0-10 fits this computer perfect! I wrote a review as well about that case on here that you can look up. With the handles it makes carrying a breeze and it fits very snug. Overall, Ill deal with the batter sticking out because the battery life far outweighs the look.

2) Others have complained about loose batteries. Mine isn't loose, but you can feel it move every once in awhile when you place the computer in your lap or pull it in and out of its case. I guess time will tell how sturdy it is. I wish they would have made this more sturdy but honestly I'm nitpicking. It will stay in place and not fall out for those of you on the fence over this one particular subject. Again,Ill gladly deal with this due to the fact that I get a 9 hour battery life!

3) Speaker is not adequate at all. However, I knew this ahead of time. With netbooks there are compromises and this is one I didn't mind. I use my headset and find that adequate if I need to listen to something. Ill have to test if I can hear the headset on an airplane flight. Hopefully I can.

4) Little con but the battery life is displayed as percentage and I can't seem to find it expressed anywhere in time. So far I've just had to guess based off my watch on usage rate. Its a little bit annoying but I'm getting used to it.


Reasons why I got the lower model 210 over the 310:

Even though its only 50 dollars, I feel that having the fancy colors (which I didn't prefer), bluetooth and a slightly nicer keyboard didn't warrant the extra money. I was on a budget for under $400 dollars which I easily did and still feel that I got the best netbook out there. I'm sure some of you out there will use bluetooth a lot, but frankly I don't need this computer to have that luxury. I need a computer to access the web and be able to send emails with bottom line.

I will probably end up getting an external DVD drive in the future so I can watch movies. In the short term I plan to upgrade to 2GB ram as others have mentioned. With the price being so cheap, who can refuse?!


Overall if you get this Netbook you will be very pleased. I truly feel after heavy research that the reasons above set it apart from the others for the time being. I'm sure in under a year there will be a newer, greater model, but for now this reins King.

Side note, I ordered 1 day express delivery at 5pm eastern time and got my computer the next morning at 1230 Easter time all for under 22 dollars shipping. Total bill was $370.95. Gotta love Amazon..incredible service and the best bang for the buck. Had to wait one night..thats it! Unreal!Get more detail about Toshiba Mini NB205-N210 10.1-Inch Black Netbook - 9 Hour Battery Life.

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Toshiba Mini NB205-N210 10.1-Inch Black Netbook - 9 Hour Battery Life Review

I didn't see anyone else complaining about wireless network setup so hopefully my unit was the exception. When I tried to set up my network with a new d-link wireless router the NB205 could not detect my network or any of my friends networks. The symptom was as if there was a wireless network on/off switch like many laptops have but not the NB205. After beating my head against the wall trying to use either Windows network Wizard or the on board modem client and every other network configuration trick I could think of I gave up and called in my neighbor Vince a professional network consultant. After another hour of futility Vince finally found the problem. For some hair brained reason Toshiba has installed it's own network utility that supersedes any other network utilities called Connectivity Doctor. There was zero documentation with the NB205 on this (feature?). After playing with it for a while we found (surprise, surprise) a software wireless on/off switch. After more fiddling we got our secure network connection.
I am tempted to to give the laptop a 3 star rating but since it is so nice now that it is working I'll give it 4

I have already had one comment requesting help with this so I am pasting my reply below for anyone else who may need it.

Pressing the FN and F8 key together should toggle the switch. you may have to do it twice. If it works the orange wireless indicator on the front right edge of the keyboard should light up. This is vaguely documented on page 164 of the on board Toshiba Users Guide. ALL PROGRAMS -> TOSHIBA -> DOCUMENTATION. Good luck. I will monitor this to see how it goes.
JT
This actually brings up a little GUI box that you then use the FN and F8 keys to toggle it.Get more detail about Toshiba Mini NB205-N210 10.1-Inch Black Netbook - 9 Hour Battery Life.

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I've really grown to appreciate this little netbook since I bought it a few days ago. I think it's just the right size for a mini-laptop who's primary purpose is word processing, internet browsing, and an occasional movie watching (maybe even the occasional video game).

I went out and bought a 2gb stick of memory because I knew I was going to be upgrading to windows 7 and figured I needed it. I originally installed Win 7 with only the 1 gb of memory that it came with, but the thing that surprised me was that it ran flawlessly with only 1 gb of RAM. I then installed the 2nd of ram and I noticed no difference in performance. If I were you, I wouldn't worry about upgrading to 2 GB of ram unless you plan on installing Vista (because Vista definitely benefits from 2 GB's).

I am a writer and college student and I already have a 15.4" HP DV5. So why did I buy this netbook if I already had a notebook? Because I wanted to have something light and small that I could carry around with me everywhere I went (you never know when you're going to feel the spark to write!), plus I wanted to have something lighter that I could take to class and take notes on. This laptop fits the bill perfectly, especially with its long battery life.

I still use my Dv5 for virtually all of my non-writing needs such as playing video games, watching HD movies, and most of my internet surfing. I use this netbook for all my writing needs. It has all of my most up to date documents on it. It can be kind of tricky having two computers because sometimes you're not sure which file you put the most up to date file on... etc. I solved this problem by making the netbook the only computer I keep my writing up to date on. Otherwise it'll be a pain trying to figure out which file is most up to date and suffering the chance that you could lose some of your work.

The speaker really is the worst I've ever seen on any laptop. Period. Okay. It's not THAT bad. You can hear it in a quiet room, but realistically, you have to expect to use headphones or external speakers when you're dealing with a netbook anyway. The keyboard on this netbook is the best one on the market in my opinion, which was the reason I decided to go with the Toshiba - otherwise I would have gone with a netbook with a higher resolution. The trackpad is okay. I find that when the computer is working hard the pointer gets laggy and skips. I noticed that the pointer works a lot smoother in Win7 than in XP. One thing I miss having in Win 7 is the side scroll feature. Apparently there isn't a driver for Win 7 yet, or at least I haven't found it yet.

I also tried gaming on this little guy. It can play the original Counter-Strike 1.6 well with around 25 FPS. It also played Max Payne really well 30+ FPS constant. I tried Guild Wars, but it was too choppy to be playable even at the lowest resolution and lowest settings. It got maybe 10 FPS in GW. It might even be able to play KOTOR or some other great classics from a few years ago. :)

As far as Windows 7, everything runs outstanding. Programs load just about the same speed. When I close the lid, it goes to sleep flawlessly and wakes up instantly when I go turn it back on. Aero is smooth, even Flip 3D. I'm pretty sure I can still get the 9 hours of battery life if I turned the brightness down to the lowest possible and turn off Wifi and bluetooth. I get closer to 6.5-7 hours with the brightness up and wifi on.

I've been able to play all of the youtube videos without a problem, even HQ vids. You can't play HD videos though. Netflix videos play smooth when ran in Mozilla but not in I.E. 8. Some hulu videos play smoooth some don't. I believe Mozilla is also the best browser for Hulu as well. I also managed to get Amazon videos to play perfectly smooth. If a video isn't playing smooth, I noticed it helped if you made the video window a little smaller so the video taxed the processor less since it is rendered over less pixels.

Anyway... here's how I rate the NB205:

Design - 9/10 - Nice looking, barely more than 1" thick, just the right size for the ultimate travel netbook
Features - 8/10 - Pretty average internal components
Performance - 7/10 - I appreciated the 1000HE's ability to overclock the cpu
Ease of use 10/10 - Best keyboard, great battery life, decent track pad

Overall 9/10 - Great value, highly recommended as secondary laptop or primary laptop if you don't have high end multimedia needs.Get more detail about Toshiba Mini NB205-N210 10.1-Inch Black Netbook - 9 Hour Battery Life.

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I was unable to connect to the internet because the internet cable jack on the 1st computer I received was defective. Amazon rushed me I no-hassle replacement, received today, and it works fine.

This Windows XP mini is way more user friendly than my $3,000 dual-core piece of frustrating VISTA trash.

I also bot the 2 gig memory upgrade. I shut down, removed the one screw and opened the small bottom panel. The 1 Gig card easily popped out and the 2 Gig in. Computer immediately registered 2 Gig memory.

I also ordered a USB DVD player and immediately downloaded VLC because the windows media player failed to play my movie (about as useful as VISTA). VLC played it perfectly.

I uninstalled Norton (it immediately makes it's annoying presence known). I installed my anti-virus software. Then downloaded Malwarebytes Antimalware. It immediately found and destroyed 7 viruses.

It takes a Norton-Removal-Tool (probably available on google search) to pry all the Norton pieces off (or they conflict with other virus programs, allowing the bad stuff on).

I downloaded Open Office for the first time rather than try to hassle getting my old Word for Windows installed and then have it not handle all the new DOCX and other new Microtrash file formats. I WAS UP AND RUNNING WITH OPEN OFFICE IN MINUTES. IT READS IN ALL MY OLD DOC, EXE, AND POWERPOINT FILES AND SEEMS TO HANDLE THE NEW FORMATS, TOO. I think I'm done with Microsoft Word. And as soon as Google gets the new Chrome operating system up and running I'm very much looking forward to leaving Microsoft Windows and the piece of Vista trash far behind. Surely the world is waiting for an answer to Vista (other than Apple)!

I have noticed the screen is small for reading my news sites, but the computer seems as fast as my big Vista and as fast as my top of the line Fujitsu laptop.

So, I can leave the important stuff at home and travel with this little beauty and a 1.5 Terabyte USB drive. If it just had a GForce graphics card, I think it might replace my high end machines.

I'm looking forward to the day we get a transparent operating system that will simply let me run my applications. Google Chrome may be it.

This Toshiba seems like a real value for my buck.

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Toshiba Mini NB205-N210 10.1-Inch Black Netbook - 9 Hour Battery Life Immediately

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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Toshiba Mini NB205-N210 10.1-Inch Black Netbook - 9 Hour Battery Life Best Quality

I bought this Netbook a couple weeks ago. I've been using it almost daily.

Pros:
Full Size Island Style (keys are raised up) Keyboard and touchpad
L-O-N-G battery life, the longest of any netbook
It's upgradable to 2GB Ram
160 GB hard drive
Toshiba Exclusive "Sleep & Charge" USB port 4 your iPod, phone, etc.

Cons
The internal speaker produces low and tinty audio
the web camera is very low res

First, please don't think these new "netbooks" are simply "inexpensive laptops" - they should be bought with specific purposes. The true selling feature of netbooks is their small size and portability. However, remember that there are many compromises/sacrifices you'll have to make with a netbook as opposed to a laptop. These use a slower processor than laptops, are comprised of more inexpensive components than laptops, have smaller screens, don't come with a CD/DVD drive, etc. So make sure a netbook will be powerful enough to do what you want to do with it.

I researched and compaired every available netbook before settling on this one. I bought it to serve three functions: To transfer my Flip Videos off the Flip while on long vacations, To store my Itunes library so I can download/sync my iPod on the go, and to travel with (light & easy to carry on the plane!)so I can watch movies on the plane.

The biggest feature I liked was the powerful 6 cell battery which lasts about 9 hours (yes, in real life it lasts too, not just in "review-land"). This will last longer than any other gadget I can bring on a plane. PLEASE NOTE: The size of the laptop in the pictures in the description is deceptive: It does not show it with the battery installed! The battery "butt" sticks out the back about 3/4 of an inch, and adds to the overall weight of the machine.

I would suggest you go to Best Buy first and play around with the netbooks, paying close attention to the keyboard. Most other netbooks have really small and scrunched together kepboards with some of the keys (like the shift key) in "weird" spots on the keybord. This keyboard has all the keys where they are supposed to be. Most also have small trackpads - this one does not, it's the same size as the one on my laptop. There are special "hot zones" in the touchpad that cause things to happen, for example, if you run your finger along the top edge to the left, it's the same thing as pressing the "back" button of the internet.

Pick up the other netbooks - This one feels substantial - not cheap and flimsy like a lot of the other ones (of course, they are the less expensive ones). They keys are metal, not plastic.

I like the cover that doesn't show any fingerprints too!

All in all, this is the best netbook available -- As long as you're not going to be using the web camera for much, and plan on using headphones for any audio.

Although some other people said that they had trouble connecting this to their wireless network at home, I DID NOT. However, it's worth mentioning that the WIRELESS AND BLUETOOTH SETTINGS ARE SET TO OFF INITIALLY! YOU HAVE TO HIT FN-F8 to turn them on. Setup was a breeze and I was online in 10 min. I have a Linksys router.


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Toshiba Mini NB205-N210 10.1-Inch Black Netbook - 9 Hour Battery Life Get it now!

Got my NB 205 yesterday. Spent hours trying to make it access my wireless router. I gave up. A friend fixed problem and told me "driver" was not installed. Whatever it means.
I find battery too heavy and bulky. Because most of the time I will be using this computer to project power point presentations (in other word, it will need to be connected to power) i would gladly accept a battery with less time but less weight and less bulk. Anyone know if they are available?
Other than these points, great product.I am pleased.Get more detail about Toshiba Mini NB205-N210 10.1-Inch Black Netbook - 9 Hour Battery Life.

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Toshiba Mini NB205-N210 10.1-Inch Black Netbook - 9 Hour Battery Life Buy Now

After weeks of research and loads of anticipation my Toshiba arrived today. I've been so excited to get my hands on this machine. It looks beautiful, however after following all the basic set up procedures and calling my local Toshiba dealer the power button refuses to function. That's it, no going further and I'm off for my 5 week journey abroad soon which is the main reason I purchased it now. I'll report back again, however it's been a real anti climax and such a disappointment. Perhaps someone has experienced the same thing or maybe I'm just missing something here, is there a function other than the simple start up button that I might have missed??? I still award this a 3 star even though it's not working because of it's fine looks.

Ok, it Sunday and a two days later I've managed to get the mini to work by pressing down on either side of the button, however it simply has been switching off and on with the slightest movement....perplexed and confused and assuming my hard drive could be the problem I popped into my local and very accommodating Toshiba dealer. Within 5 minutes they had removed the cover surrounding the on/off switch and found the problem, a piece of plastic stuck between the on/off cover and the switch. So finally creditability as been restored and I uploaded and set up my mini notebook and if I had to rate it now I'll give it 5 stars. I do believe this was a once off problem.Buy one you won't be disappointed......make sure to order a bag that accommodates the extra battery though. I'm lucky my family is in the business so my case logic is been modified to fit the battery at no extra cost.Get more detail about Toshiba Mini NB205-N210 10.1-Inch Black Netbook - 9 Hour Battery Life.

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Toshiba Mini NB205-N210 10.1-Inch Black Netbook - 9 Hour Battery Life Order Now

I don't understand who gave this product the name netbook, because the internet sucks so bad that it becomes a joke to buy this...I bought this NB205/311 from Best buy the other day and got it connected with the internet and it cannot even open gmail, facebook, orkut, and many other websites...sometimes it cannot even load the homepage and sometimes it is working fine and suddenly disconnects and shows me problem with loading page, whereas the icon on the right hand bottom shows the internet connected. Now first I assumed that the problem might be with my internet connection, but all my roomates' laptops are working just perfect and in fact they are pretty happy with the internet speed..just today one of my roomates downloaded a 2 hour movie from torrents in just 1 hour. Juts for info,we recently started using cable internet and have 6 Megs speed, which according to the geeks is not so bad. Also, the most amazing thing is that my earlier laptop which has a 512 Mb RAM and a celeron processor works faster than this stupid netbook. I am planning to return this netbook and see if I can get some other one. The only reason I got this one was because of its features and thinking that Toshiba is trusted brand, but I am highly disappointed. I hate going through this return process, so I might talk to Toshiba tomorrow to see what they have to say about this..Anyways hope u guys don't face this problem..So be careful!!!

Do read my last post on this one..to get the whole picture!!!Get more detail about Toshiba Mini NB205-N210 10.1-Inch Black Netbook - 9 Hour Battery Life.

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Toshiba Mini NB205-N210 10.1-Inch Black Netbook - 9 Hour Battery Life Decide Now

I picked up the Toshiba NB205 over the weekend. I plan to use it primarily for Gmail, Facebook, blogging, and some light web design work.

This is the first netbook that I can actually type on and actually use the trackpad. Most netbook keyboards feel so cramped that I can't type, however that's not the case here.

As soon as I got the netbook home, I created a bootable USB flash drive to install the Windows 7 RC. Toshiba has drivers for Windows 7, so I was able to get the key components installed without any trouble. The only hiccup was they don't have a Windows 7 driver for the ALPS touchpad on the NB205. This was a MAJOR PROBLEM for me because without that driver, I couldn't disable the 'tap to click' feature of the touchpad. My palms frequently brush against the touchpad as I'm typing sending the cursor all over the place, so without a driver, I wasn't going to be able to run Windows 7 RC.

Realizing that most Windows Vista drivers work in Windows 7, I searched the Toshiba site for an ALPS driver from another laptop for Windows Vista. I checked a few of their other laptops, and quickly found a driver that I was able to successfully load on Windows 7. Once installed, all of the touchpad settings became available under the Advanced tab of the Mouse control panel, and I was able to disable tap to click.

The other Windows 7 related hiccup was that whenever I booted up the NB205, my Netgear N Wireless Router (WRN2000) would reset/reboot multiple times. Eventually the wireless router would stop rebooting and everything would work, but then eventually it would start rebooting again randomly. To fix this issue, I downloaded and installed Toshiba's Windows 7 Configfree driver. Using that utility to configure my wireless settings, instead of doing it manually though Windows 7's built in feature, everything works and the router no longer reboots. I have absolutely no idea what the difference is, but I'm just happy it's working.

Those issues were Windows 7 related, so don't let them scare you. I only share my experiences in case anyone else wants to try Windows 7 and needs to know how I resolved them. Also remember that Windows 7 hasn't "officially" been released yet. I'm hopeful that since Toshiba has beta Windows 7 drivers available already for the NB205, that they'll resolve these issues with better drivers once Windows 7 is officially released.

As for the netbook itself, here's my pros and cons:

PROS
* Usable keyboard!
* Usable trackpad!
* Bright/readable display (I run it at 30% brightness without any issues)
* Descent performance for a netbook. It runs Windows 7 just fine.
* The battery lasts forever. Even with installing several apps and rebooting a few times tonight, I'm still on pace for 8 hours before needing to charge!
* Extremely lightweight.
* Bluetooth works great connected to my Blackberry for mobile broadband internet access.

CONS
* It gets warm after awhile. Not the scalding 2nd degree burn you'll get from some laptop, but still it's warm.
* It's a netbook... performance isn't as good as similarly priced laptops. That's the trade-off getting a netbook vs. a regular laptop.
* Can't play HD video from Youtube. (Although regular video is completely fine.)
* The vertical resolution of 600 pixels cuts off some larger dialog boxes that can't be resized, so you can't easily see or click on the SAVE/OK/CANCEL buttons.
* No free upgrade to Windows 7, which really isn't Toshiba's fault because Microsoft's free upgrade program requires a $499 minimum purchase. Still, if you want Windows 7 when it's officially released later this fall, you'll have to pay for it if you buy the NB205.

Overall, I'm very happy I purchased the Toshiba NB205. Hopefully I stay happy with it over time, and so far so good.

**********
UPDATE:
Turns out the issue with my wireless router rebooting wasn't caused by Windows 7 after all. Apparently it was a compatibility issue between the wireless card in the Toshiba and the Netgear router. Last week I picked up a Linksys WRT110 N Wireless router and no longer have any issues whatsoever.

I also installed the RTM version of Windows 7 Ultimate 32-bit that came out last week. I don't see any major improvements in performance on the unit compared to the RC version of Windows 7, but I'm not seeing any new problems either, so that's good news.

Finally I noticed that some people are complaining about the ALPS trackpad in the NB205 not working well. I have experienced some slight hiccups or jitters in the cursor movement if the unit is under high CPU load. Although it's nothing that hinders my work. (I didn't buy a netbook for top-notch precision mousing.) Also my trackpad works fine all the way to all of its edges. No part of the trackpad is unresponsive, and scrolling works fine too. Perhaps loading the ALPS Vista driver has helped? Regardless, when I'm sitting at a desk or table, I pull out my Logitech VX Nano mouse. Even when I'm using my $2000 HP Elitebook laptop from work, I still pull out my Logitech mouse because it's better. So yes, an external mouse will work better. You might have an occassional stutter on the trackpad under heavy use, but unless you need to have 100% precision cursor control at all times, I don't see any major issues here. (My 2 cents anyways...)

I still like the unit. On a recent weekend trip out-of-state, it was awesome to pack a laptop so lightly, and have an ultra-portable unit to get Internet access in the van from the Blackberry!Get more detail about Toshiba Mini NB205-N210 10.1-Inch Black Netbook - 9 Hour Battery Life.

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