Toshiba Satellite U500-178 – 13.3in Notebook

Toshiba can be used to regularly update its range of phones, like the U500-178 before us today is proof. This is the company’s most recent take on 13.3IN laptops, following the footsteps of the U400-189 we reviewed back in May As always there is much competition in this particular market segment, particularly as the tastes of the Q320 Samsung, Dell Studio XPS M1340 and the Acer Aspire 3935, which all offer excellent packages, but with different strengths and weaknesses .

This makes the U500 a machine much more useful and enjoyable to use, if not necessarily a marvel of design. It is difficult to pinpoint what it is, but the combination of colors and textures do not all hang together as coherent as some of his contemporaries. It’s still a tidy looking machine, though, and one that is more easygoing than his predecessor. Coupled with a 64-bit Install of Windows 7, the U500-178 absolutely flies, showing a clean pair of heels to many previously examined the systems of PCMark Vantage. Gaming performance is not too bad, either – we managed 31.8fps in transition Trackmania Nations on high detail settings. Therefore you could play the older titles such as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Half-Life 2 (and episodes related) and casual games like Spore with no real problems.

There are plenty of other reasons to cheer, too. This version has constantly sought backlit keyboard, and a smart slot-loading DVD. Wireless-N Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR and Gigabit Ethernet connectivity to ensure complete network, while the presence of a motion-sensing technology Toshiba hard drive protection is another bonus few (if any) offer similar phones . Wired connectivity is also particularly strong. Staples such as VGA and HDMI for video, a memory card reader, audio jacks (one headphone / SPDIF, microphone) and a trio of USB ports are all present, but one of those USB ports is also eSATA and powering mobile devices when the laptop is off. There is also a 54mm ExpressCard slot, but we wonder how many people actually use them to this day and age. [via trustedreviews]

Leave a Reply