Aspire One 532h-2326 vs Satellite E205-S1904 – 2

…….. Aspire One 532h-2326 vs Satellite E205-S1904 Part 1 .

As part of the Blue Label program from Best Buy, the 14-inch Toshiba Satellite E205-S1904 is an exclusive offering from the retail store. It presents shoppers with good performance for mainstream tasks and a strong overall feature set that includes some exciting new technology. At $899.99, it is reasonably priced as well. The E205-S1904 comes with a lengthy two-year warranty, as well as 30 days of Geek Squad service from Best Buy.  Additional tech support is available via Toshiba’s website or their 24-7 toll-free line.

The Satellite E205-S1904′s fixed configuration is powered by a 2.53 GHz Intel Core i5-430M processor with 3 MB of L2 cache. This newer processor released in 2010 offers performance improvements over Core 2 Duo processors found in previous versions of the Satellite. You can expect plenty of speed as well as the ability to handle multitasking without a problem from the Core i5-430M.

To further help with multitasking and running several applications at once, you also get 4 MB of DDR3 SDRAM, which can be upgraded all the way up to 8 GB. The E205-S1904 is a great pick for those looking for an everyday laptop to perform common tasks like Internet browsing, checking email, composing documents, watching movies, listening to music, and more.

Unfortunately, the laptop does not have any dedicated gaming graphics, so video game fans will not be able to use it to play mainstream video game titles.  Graphics are instead supported by an Intel Graphics Media Accelerator HD card.  Plenty of storage space is available on the E205-S1904, thanks to its 500 GB hard drive. Battery life is quite good for a mainstream laptop, as you should see around six hours of usage on a full charge using the laptop’s included six-cell battery.

For the operating system, Windows 7 Home Premium Edition 64-bit is pre-installed.

Beyond its core components, the Satellite E205-S1904 offers many more attractive features, highlighted by the inclusion of Intel’s Wireless Display technology, also known as WiDi. The E205-S1904 is one of the first laptops to employ this technology. WiDi gives users a wireless method of streaming video and other content from their laptops directly to a high definition television.

Using the included Netgear adapter that acts as a bridge, connecting to an HDTV for improved viewing of content from your laptop is possible without the need for a bunch of messy wires. WiDi streams sound in addition to video. Unfortunately, it does not currently work with DVDs or Blu-ray discs.

Other features include 802.11n Wi-Fi so you can connect to the fastest available wireless networks. A slot-loading DVD drive is included so you can listen to and burn CDs as well as watch your favorite DVDs. The drive supports Labelflash technology that lets you create custom labels for CDs when you burn them.

An integrated web cam and microphone are included so you can keep in touch with friends via video chat through programs like Skype. There’s also a multi-format media reader that allows for quick transfers with digital devices such as cameras.  The reader supports formats such as SD cards, Memory Sticks, and more.

The Satellite E205-S1904 sports a sleek design that is easy on the eyes.  It is portable, measuring 13.7 inches wide by 9.6 inches tall by just 1.2 inches thick and weighs 5.1 pounds.  It has a bit of style added to its exterior with its Fusion finish in metallic blue that covers its lid, sides, and touch pad buttons.  Rounded edges help the laptop look even thinner than it actually is.

Opening the lid reveals the E205-S1904′s 14-inch LED-backlit LCD display with a high-definition resolution of 1,366×768. The display is surrounded by a glossy black bezel and produces sharp graphics. Unfortunately, its glossy finish will create some glare problems if you happen to be in a bright room. If you can bear the glare, movies and other video are enjoyable to watch. Audio is another story, as you will need headphones to hear clearly, since the integrated speakers on the E205-S1904 do not put out a lot of volume.

The keyboard on the E205-S1904 has a glossy black finish and large, flat keys that are responsive and easy to type with. The keyboard is backlit for easier use when in a dark room. To the right of the keyboard is a vertical strip of dedicated media keys that enable quick access when viewing video or listening to music. The touch pad supports multi-touch gestures and has a matte finish that provides a good grip. The matte finish continues to the  laptop’s wrist rests as well.

Connectivity with the Satellite E205-S1904 is pretty good.  On its right side is the slot-loading DVD drive, two USB ports, one of which is also an eSATA port, and an HDMI port. On the left side is a third USB port as well as microphone and headphone jacks.

The Toshiba Satellite E205-S1904 is a worthy choice as a mainstream laptop. It looks good and performs solidly, too. The inclusion of WiDi technology is another plus. Just make sure you do not buy the E205-S1904 for any gamers, as the lack of dedicated gaming graphics negates the luxury of being able to play mainstream games on it.

Category: Main Segmen