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Laptop PC review: Toshiba Tecra R10-112

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24th Apr 2009
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Technology correspondent Jon Wilcox takes Toshiba’s Tecra R10-112 laptop for a test run.

 

So called "netbooks" are increasingly becoming the rage amongst portable PC users, especially with a wave of of new models directly targeting the business market.

In the past week, laptop specialist Toshiba joined Asus and MSI in unveiling new "mini-notebooks" (or ultra mobile PCs) aimed towards business people on the move. But that doesn't mean Toshiba has left the more traditional notebook market behind. During the last few months, the Japanese electronics giant launched a new range of Tecra R10 laptops. IT Zone put one of the models, the R10-112, through its paces.

Like many of Toshiba's portable PCs, there’s very little not to like about the Tecra R10-112. The laptop has a distinctly sleek design that’s light (just under 2kg), yet reassuringly sturdy, instantly betraying the solid build quality that’s become increasingly expected from Toshiba.

Offering an Intel Core 2 Duo microprocessor running at 2.26GHz together with 2GB of RAM, the R10-112 is a fairly speedy system, even with the intensive requirements of Windows Vista. Although officially benchmarked at 5.5 hours, the R10-112’s battery life under real-world conditions was a couple of hours off this, and was closer to 3 hours.

The 14-inch widescreen monitor is crisp, clear, and well-balanced, with an optimum resolution size of 1,280 x 800 (rising to a maximum of 2,048 x 1,536.) The R10-112 includes a webcam, set above the monitor, and built-in microphone.

The keyboard of the R10-112 is comfortable and easy to use, and it didn't take long to get accustomed to it. Like many laptop keyboards however, random presses of the Caps Lock button occasionally occured, though extended use would no doubt overcome that.

Like many Toshiba laptops, the Tecra range features, with a small scanner neatly nestled between the two tracker pad buttons. The mechanism is easy to use and not only extra piece of mind, it makes logging in quicker too. The laptop also includes a sensor that protects the hard disk vibrations and shocks are picked up.

With a price tag of £899 exclusive of VAT, the 112 is the cheapest in the Tecra R10 range, but does fall short in several key areas compared to its bigger brothers in the series, the R10-114 and R10-10H.

The most important compromise is the lack of built-in 3G mobile broadband support, which is quickly becoming standard in business-end UMPCs. It’s certainly a disappointment that 3G functionality doesn’t feature straight out of the box, though the Tecra at least comes with both Bluetooth and 802.11a/g/draft n Wi-Fi support.

The latest wireless internet standard, 802.11n isn’t due to be fully approved until 2010, but will open up the possibility for faster speeds compared to the existing Wi-Fi standards. The fact that the laptop only comes with two USB connections is another, if less significant, area for disappointment.

Despite its shortcomings, the Tecra R10-112 remains a solid laptop. It’s not a trendsetter, and doesn’t blaze a trail for notebooks in the future. What the R10-112 is, however, is a machine that’s reliable, and one that offers nearly everything a business person needs in a portable PC.

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