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Review Toshiba Satellite A200-1O6 Notebook

Consumer Market Notebook. The Toshiba Satellite A200 is one of the reasonable consumer notebooks. Equipped with moderate hardware, these focus on price-conscious customers. This notebook is optimized for typical office and Internet applications. Nonetheless, it has a appealing case, which looks good on every desk. Because it is equipped with an ATI Radeon HD 2400 video card you can also run non-demanding multimedia applications.

Toshiba Satellite A200 Logo

Note

The Satellite A200 series by Toshiba has the same case than the already reviewed Satellite A210 series (Satellite A210-12Z). The parts about case and workmanship and input devices are, therefore, the same. The same is true for the pictures of these parts.

Case

The current design by Toshiba looks good. Especially consumers seem to be still attracted by glossy surfaces and colored lids. Actually the Toshiba Satellite A200-106 is a prime example regarding this aspect. However, how about the other qualities of the case?

Though apparently all surfaces are made of plastics, the case is flexural rigid. Furthermore, it seems that it is rather insensible to applied forces. Even the lid seems to be rather robust.

The used shapes look nice. However, they do not only contribute to the appearance of the Satellite A200, also the user-friendliness profits by a beveled front edge next to the palm rest areas and the touch pad.

The display is attached to a single central hinge - a solution very similar to the one of the Macbook Pro. Because of the opening mechanism, whereas the display folds open down and to the back, the back side has to be free of ports. Additionally, the opening angle of the lid is constricted. Whether this annoys also depends on your preferences.

As a matter of fact, the hinges cannot prohibit a clear see-saw of the display. The display has a light clamshell design and fits exactly to the base unit if closed. The double hook holds the closed display absolutely tight. However, the slider at the display's front edge, makes opening cumbersome.

The interface equipment only provides the most necessary ports, i.e. USB, VGA, LAN, and  modem. A plus is the provided Firewire port, in case you demand such. Apparently a digital video out is still not standard in this price class. Regarding the order of the ports, it is noticeable that all of the 4 USB ports are right or left near the front. Depending on the use, this might lead to disturbing cable spaghetti.

Toshiba Satellite A200-1O6 Interfaces
Front Side: Audio Ports, Cardreader
Toshiba Satellite A200-1O6 Interfaces
Left Side: VGA, Fan, S-Video, LAN, 2xUSB, Firewire, ExpressCard
Toshiba Satellite A200-1O6 Interfaces
Back Side: No ports
Toshiba Satellite A200-1O6 Interfaces
Right Side: 2xUSB, Modem, DVD Drive, Power Connector, Kensington Lock

Input Devices

Because of the layout, whereas the F-keys are a little moved to the back and the cursor keys are a little separated from the other keys, the keyboard seems spacious and clearly structured.

The look of the keys, which appear to be a little edgy, matches the feel. They can be precisely hit. The key feedback can be characterized by an early point of pressure and a hard stop. The keyboard is tightly attached to the case and hardly yields.

Overall typing is user-friendly, if you do not prefer soft and springy keys. The typing noise is also alright, there are no annoying or odd noises.

The surface of the touch pad is user-friendly. Furthermore, its two buttons are spacious. At the right front part it provides scrolling regions, but, they are not marked in any way. Because the pad is a little lower than the case, you can easily hit your fingers at its edges.

Toshiba Satellite A200 Touch pad
Touch pad
Toshiba Satellite A200 Keyboard
Keyboard

Display

Display measurement
Color Diagram

Also the Toshiba Satellite A200-1O6 is equipped with a 1280x800 pixels WXGA display, which is often used today. It has a reflecting surface (Toshiba TruBrite) and has a moderate desktop size, which is appropriate for standard applications.

The brightness isn't very high too. In the center of the screen we measured a maximum of only 149.4 cd/m². At least indoors, we had the personal impression that the brightness is sufficient and the display alright. According to our measurements the luminance is 73.4%, which is below-average. The minimum representable brightness of 0.2 cd/m² (black value) gives together with the maximum brightness a brilliant maximum contrast ratio of 747:1.

131.9
cd/m²
144.8
cd/m²
131.6
cd/m²
131.6
cd/m²
149.4
cd/m²
138.4
cd/m²
120.6
cd/m²
109.6
cd/m²
124.8
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
Maximum: 149.4 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 131.4 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 73 %
Contrast: 747:1 (Black: 0.2 cd/m²)

The Toshiba A200-1O6 is not really fit for outdoor usage. First of all it heavily reflects, if the incidence of light is bad. Furthermore, its brightness is not sufficient to guarantee an adequate contrast.

Vertically and horizontally the viewing angles are appropriate. Outside these  you'll face reflections respectively darkening and color changes vertically.

Performance

The A200-1O6 is equipped with an Intel Core 2 Duo CPU , in detail a T7100 with 1.8 GHz. Toshiba chose a video card by ATI, an ATI Radeon HD2400. Furthermore, there are 2GB RAM and a 160GB hard disk.

The ATI Radeon HD2400 is about as powerful as a Geforce 8400M, whose benchmark results are about the same. So, the A200-1O6 is optimized for office applications, but, it still has some reserve capacities for multimedia and video applications.

However, this laptop is not fit for current games, though some older games with less 3D-demands might run smoothly. 

Nonetheless, it is a good notebook for office applications, e.g, Word, Outlook, or Excel, Internet, music and DVD playback, for which it has adequate capacities. Especially 2 GB primary memory contribute to good office performance.

Benchmark Comparison 3DMark
Benchmark Comparison 3DMark
Windows Performance Index
Windows Performance Index
3DMark 2001SE Standard
8826 points
3DMark 03 Standard
3135 points
3DMark 05 Standard
2791 points
3DMark 06 1024x768 Score
1328 points
Help

» No benchmarks for this notebook found!

160 GB - 5400 rpm
Transfer Rate Minimum: 21.2 MB/s
Transfer Rate Maximum: 45 MB/s
Transfer Rate Average: 34.8 MB/s
Access Time: 17 ms
Burst Rate: 78.2 MB/s
CPU Usage: 2.3 %
Doom 3
 ResolutionSettingsValue
 1024x768Ultra, 0xAA, 0xAF26 fps
 800x600High, 0xAA, 0xAF42.8 fps
 640x480Medium, 0xAA, 0xAF61.4 fps
 640x480Low, 0xAA, 0xAF63.6 fps
F.E.A.R.
 ResolutionSettingsValue
 1024x768GPU: max, CPU: max, 0xAA, 0xAF7 fps
 800x600GPU medium, CPU medium, 0xAA, 0xAF30 fps
 640x480GPU min, CPU min, 0xAA, 0xAF204 fps

Emissions

Loudness

The fan of the Toshiba Satellite A200-1O6 runs all the time, even in idle mode or when running office applications. Though it is clearly audible, its noise is not really annoying.

Under load the laptop was even louder. The constantly changing speed was especially remarkable, because it caused a really annoying noise.

Temperature

The measured surface temperatures were at the top and at the bottom side very low. The maximum temperature at the bottom side was only 34.6°C.

Max. Load
Max. Load
 29.4 °C
85 F
29.5 °C
85 F
27.3 °C
81 F
 
 29.6 °C
85 F
29.4 °C
85 F
28.3 °C
83 F
 
 26.6 °C
80 F
30.9 °C
88 F
28.2 °C
83 F
 
Maximum: 30.9 °C = 88 F
Average: 28.8 °C = 84 F
31.7 °C
89 F
32.6 °C
91 F
32.4 °C
90 F
34.6 °C
94 F
33.7 °C
93 F
27.8 °C
82 F
32.9 °C
91 F
34.1 °C
93 F
29.6 °C
85 F
Maximum: 34.6 °C = 94 F
Average: 32.2 °C = 90 F
Room Temperature 21 °C = 70 F
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 28.8 °C / 84 F, compared to the average of 29.5 °C / 85 F for the devices in the class Office.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 30.9 °C / 88 F, compared to the average of 34.2 °C / 94 F, ranging from 21.2 to 62.5 °C for the class Office.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 34.6 °C / 94 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 28.8 °C / 84 F, compared to the average of 29.5 °C / 85 F for the devices in the class Office.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 30.9 °C / 88 F, compared to the average of 34.2 °C / 94 F, ranging from 21.2 to 62.5 °C for the class Office.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 34.6 °C / 94 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 30.9 °C / 87.6 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 27.7 °C / 81.9 F (-3.2 °C / -5.7 F).

Speakers

Though the maximum volume could be higher, the sound of the two speakers, which are located left and right above the keyboard, is alright. The output of the 3.5mm stereo out is alright, i.e. without noise.

Battery Runtime

The capacity of the 44.4Wh Li-Ion battery is just sufficient for a maximum of slightly above two hours unplugged work. Under load the runtime is just above one hour.

So, the mobility of this notebook is rather limited. Although, you can work a while in battery mode, the runtime is too short for traveling.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
2h 10min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 20min

Verdict

The Toshiba Satellite A200-1O6 is an office notebook, which also has some reserve capacities for multimedia applications. It can attract all those who do not want to spend too much money. Furthermore, the case looks nice and also scores points regarding stability.

The input devices, keyboard and touch pad, are user-friendly. So, the notebook is really fit for intensive typing and office applications.

The display of Satellite A200-1O6 is moderately, that is below-average, bright. The displayed picture is due to a brilliant contrast ratio still good. However, the panel is not really fit for outdoor usage, because its surface is glossy. Still, indoors it is alright.

The performance is adequate for Office, Outlook, Internet, and also music and DVD playback. Equipped with a dedicated video card, also multimedia applications are possible to some extent, e.g., also older computer games. However, it is not fit for current games with high 3D demands.

Although, the fan runs all the time, the noise level is alright when running office applications. Under load the Satellite A200 is as loud that some might already be annoyed. Anyway, the notebook is considered for office applications.

The battery runtime is rather poor. A maximum of 2 hours does not allow to stay a long time away from a power plug.

Toshiba Satellite A200-1O6
Toshiba Satellite A200-1O6

 

Many thanks to the company MediaMarkt Wels, which kindly provided us with the reviewed notebook. You can also buy the notebook there.

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Toshiba Satellite A200-1O6
Reviewed: Toshiba Satellite A200-1O6

Specifications

Toshiba Satellite A200-1O6 (Satellite A200 Series)
Graphics adapter
Memory
2048 MB 
, DDR2 PC5300 667 MHz, 2x1024MB, max. 4096MB
Display
15.40 inch 16:10, 1280 x 800 pixel, TruBrite WXGA TFT, glossy: yes
Mainboard
Intel PM965
Storage
160 GB - 5400 rpm, 160 GB 
, 5400 rpm, Hitachi HTS541616J9SA00
Soundcard
Realtek HD Audio
Connections
1 Express Card 54mm, 4 USB 2.0, 1 Firewire, 1 VGA, 1 S-Video, V.92 Modem, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: Headphones, Microphone, Card Reader: 6in1 (SD Card, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, MultiMedia Card, xD-Picture Card, SD IO)
Networking
100BASE-TX, 10BASE-T (10/100MBit/s), 802.11a/b/g (a/b/g/)
Optical drive
Pioneer DVD-RW DVR-K17A ATA
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 34 x 268 x 362 ( = 1.34 x 10.55 x 14.25 in)
Battery
44 Wh Lithium-Ion
Operating System
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 32 Bit
Additional features
InterVideo WinDVD, Ulead DVD MovieWriter, , 24 Months Warranty
Weight
2.73 kg ( = 96.3 oz / 6.02 pounds), Power Supply: 0 g ( = 0 oz / 0 pounds)
Price
900 Euro

 

Toshiba Satellite A200 Image
The Toshiba Satellite A200-1O6 follows today's trend,...
Toshiba Satellite A200 Image
The built-in speakers are appropriate for music.
Toshiba Satellite A200 Image
...and the surface temperatures stay low.
Toshiba Satellite A200 Image
So, the noise level is alright...
Toshiba Satellite A200 Image
...office and Internet applications.
Toshiba Satellite A200 Image
The hardware is sufficiently powerful for...
Toshiba Satellite A200 Image
The reflecting WXGA display has a good contrast ratio.
Toshiba Satellite A200 Image
Keyboard and touch pad are user-friendly.
Toshiba Satellite A200 Image
Standard interfaces are provided, but, the order is not necessarily ideal.
Toshiba Satellite A200 Image
the Satellite A200 also convinces by a robust and stable case and good pressure resistance.
Toshiba Satellite A200 Image
Besides a good design...
Toshiba Satellite A200 Image
We especially liked the used shapes.
Toshiba Satellite A200 Image
...glossy surfaces and a colored lid.
Toshiba Satellite A200 Image
The battery runtime ranges from 1.5h to 3h.

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Pros

+Elegant Case
+Good workmanship and robust case
+User-friendly keyboard and touch pad
+Good performance for office applications
+Low temperature emissions
 

Cons

-Not really bright display, can be used only indoors
-Moderate noise emissions
-Short battery runtime

Rating

Toshiba Satellite A200-1O6 - 10/25/2007
J. Simon Leitner

Chassis
88%
Keyboard
90%
Pointing Device
86%
Connectivity
84%
Weight
79%
Battery
60%
Display
84%
Games Performance
68%
Application Performance
90%
Temperature
88%
Noise
76%
Add Points
84%
Average
81%
83%
Office - Weighted Average
J. Simon Leitner, 2008-01-17 (Update: 2012-05-26)