Toshiba Tecra M10-11V review

Where its distant cousin, the Portégé M800-11J, values looks above practicality, the Tecra M10-11V is an altogether more sensible beast.

Indeed, the Tecra's staid, 2.59kg bulk is decidedly free from any stylish fripperies. Its chunky grey shell feels sturdy and exudes a business-like air. Tilt back the 14.1in display and its angular lines are almost enough to make you fire up Office and get to work right away.

That's no bad thing, as the Toshiba is a delight to use. The keyboard is great - bested here only by HP's 6730b - and boasts a light but positive key action and a sensible layout. The provision of a dual trackpad and trackpoint is welcome too.

The display isn't bad either. Despite its mere 14.1in diagonal, it packs in a 1,400 x 900 resolution, which makes for a spacious desktop - perfect for getting to grips with multiple apps.

Quality can't match up against the best models here, though. The matte anti-glare finish introduces a slight graininess and doesn't give the punch and contrast of glossy panels. Colour reproduction is just a touch dull too.

As you'd expect for a business laptop, security is to the fore. A fingerprint reader sits between the trackpad's buttons and is joined by a smart card slot.

There isn't much to complain about elsewhere. The 2.26GHz P8400 processor is nippy and is accompanied by 2GB of memory. The decision to use a single 2GB stick leaves one slot for future expansion and, despite the memory running in single-channel mode, the Tecra still managed 1.07 in our benchmarks.

Connectivity is generous. Four USB ports, FireWire, eSATA and a PC Card slot cover most eventualities, while Gigabit Ethernet, draft-n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth headline the Tecra's networking capabilities.

The package is rounded off with solid, if unremarkable, battery life. Light usage saw the Tecra survive just short of 4hrs 30mins, and heavy use left it expiring after 1hr 26mins.

If you're after a sturdy, business-like machine then the Toshiba is a solid, unfussy candidate. But set it against the best in the group and, moreover, the best in its class, and it fails to excite.

Author: Sasha Muller