The Toshiba Satellite Pro S300 does not really look like a notebook of the Satellite series. Instead its appearance is very similar to the Tecra A10, but it comes with a glare-type screen instead of a matte one. The design is rather angular without trendy curves or even high-gloss surfaces.

So, this notebook looks, much to the delight of conservative users, a little bit old-fashioned. However, it is refreshing that shiny and easily stained surfaces are missing. Despite of a generally angular case,  ergonomics was apparently considered important by the designers. The front edges are smooth and allow a comfortable work.

Obviously, it was not intended to delight the user with this minimalistic design. It is also a waste of time to look for ornaments. Even the two hot-keys beside the power button are inconspicuously integrated into the silver surface. So, you could conclude, that practical purposes were considered more important than the look. However, given the small touchpad, this does not hold absolutely true.

What we liked was the good workmanship of this Toshiba laptop and, so, we think, it is not exaggerated to call it 'PRO' in this aspect. However, the workmanship is not flawless. The battery is somewhat loose and could wobble in the one or other rare situation.
The second weakness can be found at the hinges, whose covers have uneven gaps. On the left side the gap was inwards bigger and on the right side outwards.

The hinges work perfectly. Once the opening angle is adjusted, you can be sure, that the screen will not unintentionally move. The hinges are sufficiently stiff and, so, they hold the display luffing-free in each position.

Although the case is made of plastic, it does in general neither give nor creak. Only at the optical drive this notebook does, alike many others, have a weak point in this aspect.

Compared to notebooks of the competition (Dell and HP), which have a more sophisticated design, the Toshiba S300 looks apparently considerably bulky and heavy. However, this impression is deceptive. Including battery this notebook weighs  just 2.86 kilogramme.

The tested notebook was equipped with a Toshiba 15.4” WXGA (1280x800 pixel) screen. Although the Satellite Pro S300 was designed for business use,  it is equipped with a glare-type display.

In our opinion the technical parameters of the display proved to be hardly acceptable. The brightness of the screen is with an average maximum of almost 180cd/m² satisfactory. And the maximum contrast is with just 199:1 not really good too.

System noise

Toshiba Satellite Pro S300 proved to be very quiet during operation. Although a faint constant hum of the fan is audible, it is absolutely not obtrusive. This kind of behavior is undoubtedly better than a buzz that only starts after applying load, but, is considerably louder then.

Temperature

Even after many hours of work the chassis remains pleasantly cool. The maximum temperatures measured in a stress test lasting a few  hours with room temperature are rather low. On the top side the temperature peaked at 32.5°C, while at the bottom of the base unit the highest value was 36°C.