Toshiba are extending their mini notebook range with the NB255, an ultra-low cost 10.1 inch netbook based on the NB205 design from last year. At under $300 however, does the NB255 have enough going for it to make it a worthwhile purchase?
Toshiba normally build solid mobile computers, and even at this price point they manage to create a stylish and well-built machine. With a glossy black finish and slightly raised texture extending from the deck, the NB255 gives off a promising first impression. The screen is good as well, with a 10.1 inch LED display that provides a good resolution at 1024 x 600.
The viewing angles on the NB255 are nothing to write home about however, and the horizontal angles in particular will make watching movies difficult for more than one person. The sound is also rather inadequate, but at under $300 this is certainly not unexpected. The keyboard experience is OK overall, but a few of the keys are undersized and difficult to use.
The ports on offer are fairly standard netbook affair , with three USBs, Ethernet, a memory card slot, headphones, and a mic jack. And even though the included webcam is blurry and unresponsive, the very existence of a webcam on a sub $300 netbook is a bonus in my books.
The Toshiba NB255 features an Intel Atom processor, and with up to 2GB of RAM it manages well in a variety of tasks. In fact, the NB255 has tested better than most of its competition, including the ASUS Eee PC 1001P and Acer Aspire One 532h. Graphics performance is reasonable if not fantastic, and the hard drive comes in at either 160GB or 250GB in different configurations.
Battery life is a very important trait on any netbook computer, and at a little over 6 hours in moderate use, the NB255 does quite well. Expectations were high however, especially as its predecessor – the Toshiba NB205-N210 – had a monster battery life at almost 10 hours. The existence of other similarly priced netbooks with a longer battery life also doesn’t help the NB255.
While the battery life is slightly disappointing, the NB255 is still a great buy at under $300. There are three configurations on offer – the NB255-N240, the NB255-N250, and the NB355-N246, which differ in terms of battery, hard drive size, and the inclusion of a PC Health monitor.
Specifications
Intel Atom N455 1.67GHz
up to 2GB of RAM
up to 250GB SATA hard drive
10.1 inch screen
1024 x 600 resolution
Intel graphics media accelerator
802.11 b/g/n WiFi
3 x USB
3-1 card reader
Ethernet
