Toshiba NB200 Netbook

Toshiba’s latest netbook, the NB200 is a follow up to its largely anonymous NB100 8.9″ netbook released earlier this year. I say largely anonymous because I did not see many of these netbooks in the local Malaysian market. Neither did I see a lot of coverage about the NB100 in the online blogs and websites. Unfortunately, the same appears to hold true for the NB200 - but at least this time, I’m seeing more of them in various shops in Plaza LowYat during my last visit.

The NB200 is a 10″ netbook, meant to compete with the other 10″ netbooks in a very crowded market. Unfortunately, it doesn’t really have any unique characteristics to truly stand out, and its expensive price (recommended retail price of RM 1,799) doesn’t do it justice. The thing I like about the NB200 though was its chiclet keyboard - found on newer netbook models such as the Asus 1000HE, for example. Chiclet keyboards are different because each key sits on its own, separated from other keys, making touch typing a real joy. I love chiclet keyboards, and I think all new netbooks should come with them! The other thing I liked about the keyboard was its colour - it’s silver-ish, and looks really classy. I prefer silver chiclets to the black chiclets typically found on other netbooks.

The NB200’s specifications are:

Model No	NB200-A101
Part No	PLL20L-00L002
CPU Technology	Intel® Atom™ Processor N280 (1.66GHz, 512KB L2 Cache, 667MHz FSB)
Operating System	Genuine Windows® XP Home Edition
Chipset	Mobile Intel® GM945GSE Express Chipset
System Memory	1024MB DDR2 SDRAM
Display	10.1″ WSVGA Clear SuperView LED Backlit TFT display, resolution 1,024 x 600
Graphics	Intel® GMA 950, up to 224MB total available graphics memory with 1GB system memory
Hard Disk	160GB (SATA) with shock absorbers
Pointing Device	TouchPad
Communications	Bluetooth V2.1 w/ Enhanced Data Rate , Integrated 802.11bg , 10/100Mbps Ethernet LAN
Built-in Camera	Built-in Web Camera
Sound System	Built-in Speaker (Single), 16-bit Stereo with Intel® High definition Audio Support
Interfaces	2 x USB 2.0 , 1 x USB 2.0 Sleep n Charge, RGB, External Mic (stereo), External Headphone (stereo), 2-in-1 Card Reader (supports SD™ Card, Multimedia Card™)
Battery Type	3-Cell Lithium Ion
AC Adapter	30W Universal AC Adaptor , 3-pin AC cable
Security and Protection	HDD Protection (3D Accelerometer), Cable Lock, Main Battery Pack (sliding lock), HDD and memory (by screw only), User Power on Password, Supervisor Password, Screen Saver (by software)
Physical Dimensions	263 x 192.3 x 25.4/32.25mm
Weight	1.18kg
Warranty	1-year carry-in ^Regional Limited Warranty (parts & labor), 1-year battery (carry-in)
Bundled Software	Microsoft® Office Professional 60-days Trial Version, Norton Internet Security™ 2007 (90 days trial), Toshiba ConfigFree™ Connectivity Doctor, Toshiba Zooming Utility, Toshiba Power Saver Utility, Adobe Reader V8.0, Toshiba Camera Assistant Software, Toshiba Disc Creator, HDD Recovery