Toshiba mini notebook NB305 Netbook

The Toshiba Mini NB305-N310 is the slightly lower-end version of Toshiba's Mini NB305-N410 netbook, but design differences and the NB305-N310's ability to run Windows XP make this Mini a better choice than the NB305-N410.

Our review model, priced at $349, features a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processor with integrated GMA3150 graphics processor, a 160GB hard drive, and 1GB of RAM. It also has a built in Webcam-and-mic combination, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi (but no Bluetooth), and a one-year limited warranty.

The netbook has the same weight and physical dimensions as the NB305-N410: 2.9 pounds (including battery), and 10.5 inches wide by 7.6 inches tall by 1.4 inches thick. It comes with a six-cell lithium ion battery that managed about 9.5 hours of battery life in PCWorld's tests. The battery, which sits beneath the chassis, is fairly discreet--though it does make the back of the netbook a bit thicker than the front.

Whereas the NB305-N410 comes in blue, brown, or white, the NB305-N310 comes in only one color: black onyx. The cover and the trackpad are shiny and faintly patterned, while the interior surfaces are a slick, slightly sparkly black; and overall, its color choices make the NB305-N310 look more professional and more expensive. The netbook features three USB 2.0 ports (including a "sleep and charge" port that you can use to charge USB devices even while the computer is in sleep mode), an ethernet port, an SD Card slot, a VGA-out port, and microphone and headphone jacks.

Unlike the higher-end version's keyboard, with its tiny, oddly shaped Chiclet-style keys, the NB305-N310's keyboard has a comfortable, regular keyboard. Its flat, black keys are all more than full-size, the Space bar is reasonably wide, the Shift keys are respectably large, and the Tab key--though small--is easy to hit (on the NB305-N410's keyboard, I missed the Tab key every time I tried to use it. The Function buttons at the top are tiny, but the extra attention given to the letter keys more than makes up for that.

The NB305-N310's trackpad is bigger than the ones on most netbooks, and comes with two large, easy-to-press mouse buttons. The trackpad is smoother and, therefore, easier to use than the higher-end model's trackpad, and it supports multitouch gestures such as pinching to zoom and two fingers for scrolling.

The new Mini has a 10.1-inch glossy LED-backlit widescreen with a native resolution of 1024 by 600 pixels. If you can get past the low-resolution, this is actually a great screen--the colors are bright and crisp, the images are sharp and easy to see, even in bright sunlight. If you move too much to the left or the right, there's a bit of reflection--especially on pages with dark backgrounds.

Though this netbook offers stereo sound, the speakers are located underneath the chassis, which makes them a bit hard to hear, especially when the unit is on your lap. Video playback is pretty good if you're viewing at standard definition and not at full screen, but the Atom N450 processor lacks the power to deliver high-definition, full-screen video. A standard-definition episode of House on Hulu in flew by without problems, but when I switched to full screen or high def, I immediately encountered significant stuttering. If you're looking for a netbook that can play full-screen Flash video, this is not the model for you.

The NB305-N310 comes with Windows XP, Skype, and Microsoft Works 9.0 preinstalled, along with trialware versions of Microsoft Office 2007 and N

I bought this because I'm commuting to college this semester, and didn't want to bring my 17 in Dell laptop. Since I'm using this mostly to type papers, I chose it for the full sized keyboard. Extra features like the sleep and charge port also helped my decision. However, the sleep and charge port doesn't work with my ipod. Apparently its a common problem, but I didn't find that out until it was too late. Not a huge deal, but maybe somebody reading this can avoid my disappointment.

The keyboard is easy to type on, although the keys have to be pressed fairly hard. The screen is nice and clear. I used an SD card with Window 7's ReadyBoost feature, and that made a big difference in speed. Its slower than my other laptop, but I expected that. It works fine for basic tasks like browsing the web, typing documents, etc. The mouse and buttons are great. Very easy to use. I love the portability. I don't feel the weight in my backpack at all.
A few negative points. Everything you read about the speaker's quiet volume is true. I thought people were exaggerating, but believe me they're not. If audio is one of your priorities, you will be sorely disappointed. I can't even listen to music in an empty room without reaching for the headphones. Also, I only get around 4 hours of battery life with the screen turned up to a decent brightness. Maybe its because I bought mine used, but that's my experience.
Mine came with Windows 7 Starter. Honestly, the only thing I miss from the full version is the sticky notes on my desktop. I use those all the time, and they aren't available in the starter version. It seems silly to upgrade just for sticky notes, so for now I'm happy with starter edition.

So, to recap.

The Good
Keyboard is full sized, except the outer row of keys and space bar. Mouse and buttons are nice. Screen is clear. Battery life is decent, but not outstanding. Slower than a normal laptop, but not painfully so. Upgrading RAM or using ReadyBoost helps.

The Bad
Speakers are so quiet they might as well not be there. Battery life isn't quite what is advertised. Sleep and Charge port not compatible with ipod.

I haven't used other netbooks, so I can't really compare. The only computer with a full sized keyboard I could find was a Samsung 11.6" one that was $700. I paid about $200 for my Toshiba, so it seems like a good deal.

This is an outstanding little netbook. If you are considering buying a overpriced, over-hyped tablet, stop. Buy this instead. It has more computing power, 10X the memory, a full keyboard, 3 USB ports, VGA output, does nearly everything a regular laptop and stands on its own without having to hold it for thing like video chatting.

Oh, and all that for 1/3 the price of a friggin iPad. Half the price of a Android tablet. I mean, the first thing you are gonna buy for your tablet is a keyboard anyway and turn it into a laptop, so why not save a bundle and get a better one to start with?

No, it is not powerful enough to play the latest PC FPS game online with it, but if you want it for the other 99.9% of the things we use a computer/tablet for, it is outstanding. Video chatting is awesome, especially since you do not have to spend 20 minutes holding your stupid tablet in front of your face. Just set it on the table and chat away. Same with typing. Do not be one of those schmucks who has to hold the tablet with one hand and type with the other.

There are only two things you will need to buy for it right away.

1. A 2GB ram chip to replace the 1GB it comes with. It is about $25 online and takes about 3 minutes to install. It is about the same difficulty as replacing the battery on your phone. Remove cover, pop out old card. Insert new card. Replace cover. Seriously, it is so easy even the Apple-sheeple could probably do it with minimal help.

2. One of those little retractable micro mouses (mice? mices?). Found one for $5 at 5-Below, but they are everywhere, dirt cheap.

That is it. For less than $300 you have tiny, light portable lap top that is about the same size as a 10 inch tablet for a fraction of the cost and functions much MUCH better.

If I had to look for something to complain about on this netbook it would be the speakers. Really quiet and tinny and kinda what you would expect from a tiny little laptop like this. I would recommend getting one of those little rechargeable speakers that looks like a black golf ball. Works great for me.

There you have it.

Toshiba is a brand to trust in innovation and quality. Love this netbook which was handy overseas. Just the right size for traveling. Traveled with a 16" notebook last year which I found cumbersome going through security. The smaller sized netbook is perfect for traveling. Very reliable. Keyboard is very nice. Battery time is super compared to a regular notebook which uses up so much more battery charge because of all the power being drained from other programs on the notebook.

This netbook is by far the most stylish of its competitors. It's slim design has all the hardware necessary to watch Netflix and Youtube. Either if your looking to store your music or simply get instant wifi, this is the most sylish choice. The reason I gave it a 4/5 is because it DOES NOT have bluetooth and its a bit overpriced. Nevertheless, I don't regret my purchase. My netbook stands out from the crowd, in looks and performance. It makes the Asus Eee look like a 3 year-old's toy and the HP look like a joke. I love the chrome keyboard and blue cover. Expandable 2GB Memory and 250GB hardrive is unbeatable. I have an HP laptop and I like it, but this Toshiba netbook nearly reaches my Hp DV4's performance. I paid exactly $309.00 for it. Don't overpay those sellers!