I was asked by a primary school to select for them a suitable small-office and student use laptop. Their requirement is to word process, basic Excel use, light graphics design and desktop publishing, and internet surfing.
I recommended to them the Toshiba Satellite Pro L450.
The specs I chose are the following:
- Intel Celeron 900
- 2GB RAM
- 250GB HDD SATA
- 15.6in TruBrite HD
- DVD
- LAN/ W-LAN
- Web Camera
- Win 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
At first I was unsure of the Celeron 900 but using it for 2 days now, I am quite impressed with the speed of the processing. I was running both the machines side by side with our older (but higher spec) laptop and it fairs good with it. The 64-bit OS really does the job.
I like the real estate of the screen, this is given to 15.6in laptops. The keypad is also good - not that noisy, clacky or resistive. It does not have the number pad unlike some 15-inchers. The track pad is fine, however, the buttons are a little hard and noisy. I resort to just tapping on the pad every time.
Well, 15.6in laptops are now the sort-of desktop replacements, so don't expect it to be lightweight if you plan to lug it for long walks or trips. Plus, the battery can last to more than a hour or less than two even if it is a 6-cell battery. But hey, this is not meant to compete with the Acer Timelines.
So there, the school got they want and they are happy with it, with only a small price to pay. The store where we bought it from offered a really good deal.
