Our Take: After the initial rush to get UMPCs (Ultra-Mobile PC) users began to realize an 8.9" display is too small for everyday use and that in today's world it is still difficult to live without an optical drive. Moreover, as benchmarks have shown, an ATOM processor is not necessarily "faster" than the older Pentium-M variants. If you co not believe us there is an article about it <click here> and <click here>. After the hype, it maybe time to take a 2nd look at the old reliable Pentium-M. discover why it is one of the CoolTOYZ favorite laptops.

Enhance your mobile lifestyle and express yourself with the attractive 2.2Kg Portégé A100. Designed for the most mobile business users, students and individuals, the Portégé A100 delivers exceptional on-the-road performance with a 12inch Clear SuperView / full color display, built-in wireless networking, plus integrated CDRW/DVD Combo drive, and a Full set of expansion ports. The Toshiba Portege A100 is a smart choice if you want the style and portability of the iBook without the limitations and premium price of the Mac platform.

With its pearl-white casing and clean lines, the Toshiba Portege A100 looks unmistakably like an iBook - – note the white, reinforced, A4- sized body, 12-inch screen and svelte dimensions. If not for the Centrino sticker on the palm rest and Toshiba label, most people will easily mistake the A100 for an Apple machine. The Lid is an attractive pearl white clear coat / glossy white finish. Open up the A100 and you'll see a white bezel surrounding the screen and a white keyboard centred in a matt silver chassis. Apple clone or not, the Portege A100 looks good.<click here>



Beyond the stylish exterior, the A100 carries the full Centrino certification which means that there's an Intel Pentium M CPU inside, as well as an Intel wireless networking card. Looking at the Intel Pentium M CPU first, you'll find a 1.4GHz chip, which is more than powerful enough for a notebook like this. The Intel Pentium M CPU is based on the new micro architecture optimized for mobile PCs which is more efficient, consumes less energy and runs longer with the batteries as compared to standard modern systems. It's equipped with the low-voltage 400MHz system bus, 1MB L2 cache that disables blocks unused, and special functions for reducing platform's power consumption. The CPU supports the advanced Intel® SpeedStep® technology with several frequencies and voltage values. Benchmarks tests shows it to be equivalent to an Intel Penitum4 2.6Ghz Processor. The processor is supported by 512MB of PC2100 DDR SDRAM (expandable to 1GB), and a 40GB hard disk.

The 12.1in. TFT screen with a 1024x768 resolution is superb. It is enhanced with Toshiba's Clear SuperView technology - the latest in LCD screen technology commonly known in the industry as anti-reflective. This technology has one much praise for its high-gloss, sharp contrast, anti-reflective finish. This new anti-reflective technology has sharp contrast ratios (the difference between the deepest black and lightest white pixels), produces clearer and more colorful images, absorbs most external ambient light and has wider viewing angles than traditional notebook screens. It is not only superb for playing DVD and computer games, but also good for presentation to client and deskwork, giving users excellent experience on both digital entertainment and productivity. Once you have seen this technology for yourself, you won’t believe your eyes.The display's Graphics is provided by Intel's 855GM Graphics Controller comes with 64MB of shared memory.



The integrated CD-WRITER/DVD Combo drive allows writing CDs and reading of DVDs at maximum speed. You also get a good set of connectivity options. Connectivity include Intel's Pro Wireless Network Connection 802.11b (802.11g optional), a V.90 modem, 10/100Base-T, four USB 2.0 ports, one SD slot, composite TV-out, FireWire and two PC Card slots. The removable Lithium-ion battery is tested to power the system for up to an impressive 2.5 hours.



For a thin-and-light portable, the A100 is predictably lightweight. Even with the onboard optical drive and battery, it weighs just 2.14kg. The total carry weight, which includes the bundled AC adapter, is less than 2.5kg. The Toshiba Portégé A100 is a lovely little notebook computer, with the added advantage of a built-in optical drive. The design is stylish and clean, and the build quality is solid. If you're looking for a slim at stylish notebook and a stunning price, this is it. <click here>