New models avoid the el cheapo tag, and it's probably a good thing if you're planning on running Vista.
How cheap is too cheap when it comes to notebooks?
Despite interest in cheap notebooks like the $499 EeePC, it looks as though at least one big name vendor isn’t rushing to jump on the ultra-cheap bandwagon.
Toshiba today updated its notebook lineup, with the cheapest A200 Satellite starting at $1,099, or $999 if you take advantage of a $100 cashback offer.
Toshiba’s lowest A200 prices have hovered around the $1,000 mark for a long while, and the company confirmed it doesn’t plan on altering this strategy.
“Toshiba is not playing in the sub-1000 market because they are not willing to make compromises on performance,” said product marketing manager Anthony Geronimo.
The notebook market has seen some drastically cheap prices recently, including an Acer with a Celeron M CPU currently on sale for $568 after cashback at Harvey Norman. With the introduction of the EeePC Linux notebook last year, prices dropped below $500.
With some cheap machines crippled by Celeron processors and 512MB RAM, we think Toshiba’s stance is a better one for Windows Vista users.
The A200 is not the best deal on the market, but the entry model at least gives you gives you Intel’s Core Duo Pentium (1.73GHz),160GB SATA HDD, 1GB RAM, Intel X3100 onboard graphics and a 1.3Megapixel webcam.
Interestingly the option of “rolling back” to Windows XP is still available for Satellite A200 buyers, though there’s a catch. Rollback is available for Vista Business machines, but not for Vista Home Premium or Ultimate.
So what about the rest of the lineup? Another highlight is the appearance of Toshiba’s first AMD notebook in Australia, the A210. The 15.4-inch machine includes AMD’s Turion chip and starts at $1,499 and comes with a $100 cashback offer.
Gamers also get the option of high-end graphics, with SLI now added to the Satellite X200. The machine comes with 2x256MB of video memory, two Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT cards, 5.1 audio, and an HD-DVD drive.
Here are the official spec highlights from Toshiba:
Satellite X200: 17-inch gaming ($3,999)
- Available with Intel Core2 Duo
- 17-inch TruBrite WUXGA+ Widescreen (1680 x 1050)
- 400GB HDD 2 x 200 GB / 2GB RAM
- Premium 5 x Harman/kardon speakers with sub woofer technology
- Flair Carmine Gloss lid
- HDMI out, Digital Connectivity
Satellite A200: 15.4-inch desktop replacement (from $1,199 - $2,599 RRP)
- Available in five models with Intel Core2 Duo
- 15.4-inch TruBrite WXGA Widescreen
- 160GB, 320GB or 400GB HDD / 1GB or 2GB memory RAM
- Available with Genuine Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium/ Vista Business (with XP roll back)/ Genuine Windows Vista Ultimate
Satellite A210: 15.4-inch entry-level notebook ($1499 RRP)
- Available with AMD Turion mobile technology
- 15.4-inch TruBrite WXGA Widescreen
- 160GB HHD / 1GB or 2GB RAM
- Available with $100 cash back
Satellite M200: 14.1-inch compact, lightweight ($1,299 - $1799 RRP)
- Available in two models with Intel Core2 Duo
- 14.1-inch TruBrite WSXGA Widescreen
- 160GB or 200GB HDD / 1GB or 2GB RAM
- Intel X3100 or 128MB ATI Radeon HD 2400
- Available with Genuine Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium/ Vista Business
Satellite U300: 13.3-inch ultra-portable ($2,199 RRP)
- Available with Intel Core2 Duo
- 13.3-inch TruBrite WSXGA Widescreen
- 250GB HDD / 2GB memory
- 2.0kg weight
- Multimedia control panel
- Stereo speakers
- 3 x Hi-Speed USB 2.0 ports
Satellite P200: 17-inch high-end entertainment ($2,999 RRP)
- Available with Intel Core2 Duo
- 17-inch TruBrite WSXGA+ Widescreen (1440 x 900)
- 400GB HDD / 2GB memory
- Integrated numeric keypad
- Genuine Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate