With its 2.8kg weight and 157-minute battery life, mobility is not the main focus. What you get instead is a large and vibrant screen and well-made keyboard, providing great usability for home office work and viewing both videos and photos.
Thanks to its Intel Core 2 Duo processor, performance is outstanding. Despite just 1024MB of memory, it is fast and responsive, even when multi-tasking. Unfortunately, graphics performance doesn't back it up. Powered by Intel's older GMA 950 integrated GPU, anything more than basic gaming is out of the question.
For easy playback of multimedia files, a bank of instant access keys is located above the keyboard. Built-in stereo speakers from respected audio manufacturer Harman Kardon also provide decent sound quality.
Unfortunately, the 80GB hard drive is limited, but it does run at a decent speed. While it provides enough storage for basic home use, it may be worth buying an external drive for long-term storage. However, the rewritable DVD drive can be used to store excess data.
Much more pleasing for multimedia users is the inclusion of four USB ports and a single mini-Firewire connection. Making it simple to connect multiple digital devices, you can easily extend usability with external peripherals.
Toshiba has included a large bundle of software to get you started. Tools for home office use, DVD playback and creation, and internet security are all provided. A range of proprietary Toshiba utilities are also installed to help with day-to-day system use and maintenance.
While its size means it's not the best choice for frequent travellers, the Toshiba Satellite A200 is nevertheless an impressive entry-level media centre. With strong performance and multimedia features at an affordable price, this could be your ideal family laptop.
