... My boss sent me the spec of a Toshiba Portege M200 that he was considering as his, much older, laptop can not run the applications that he now needs - What did I think?
Specification
------------------
Firstly the Portege M200 is a convertible Notebook/Tablet. You can use it like a ... Read review
Advantages: fantastic screen Disadvantages: keyboard is a bit bouncy, usbs in wrong place as laptop
...me the spec of a Toshiba Portege M200 that he was considering as his, much older, laptop can not run the applications that he now needs - What did I think?
Specification
------------------
Firstly the Portege M200 is a convertible Notebook/Tablet. You can use it like a normal notebook or you can revolve the screen round 180degrees, close it flat and pull the stylus out. You then have the device in "slate mode" ... ...the laptop showing how proud Toshiba are of this. However this sticker is not on straight (and I can see its crooked - then its really crooked). There's just no call for messing things up like that - where's the build quality in fixing a sticker on a slope. I'm sure that pulling it off will leave a lovely sticky mark as well - so it was there annoying me until I gave the machine back to my boss.
Introduction ---------------- I have already reviewed our company standard laptop, the HP NC6120, well that standard just got replaced. My boss sent me the spec of a Toshiba Portege M200 that he was considering as his, much older, laptop can not run the applications that he now needs - What did I think?
Specification ------------------ Firstly the Portege M200 is a convertible Notebook/Tablet. You can use it like a normal notebook or you can revolve the screen round 180degrees, close it flat and pull the stylus out. You then have the device in "slate mode" where it is used without keyboard. There is a very good note on the machine about this, don't turn it too fast.
As a notebook, it's a bit smaller than average and a bit lighter however there is no CD or DVD drive of any sort. This is fairly normal with tablets and makes for a kinda sub-note book. When using a tablet as a writing slate, they don't work the same way as most PDA's, the screen is not actually touch sensitive and you can't write with your fingernail. There's some sort of hidden grid of wires that respond to the stylus and allow very accurate positioning. You can write and draw very precisely on the screen.
With that in mind, what's the spec like (key highlights only listed)?
Processor Intel® Centrino 2.0 GHz Operating system Windows® XP Tablet PC Edition System memory standard : 512 MB, Maximum 2048MB Hard disk capacity : 60 GB Display size : 12.1 " Graphics adaptor: NVIDIA® GeForce™ FX Go5200 30MB DDR Video RAM Internal video modes resolution : 1,400 x 1,050 Max External Video Modes Max Resolution : 2,048 x 1,536 1 x SD™ Card slot 2 x USB 2.0 1 x PC Card slot for 1 Type II card Wireless Technology : Wireless LAN (802.11a/b/g)
Physical dimensions W x D x H : 295 x 249 x 33.2/36.9 mm weight : 2.0kgs
Spec wise I said looks good but its not our company standard - well if you own half the company I guess that's not so important. Next day it arrived, here's a long list of software to install please…..
Whats it really like? -------------------------- Firstly there are a lot of processor variants around and it can be tricky to compare the number of GHz from one type with another. However 2.0 is the fastest Centrino (Pentium M) processor that I've heard of. I'm writing on a 1.1GHz Centrino and also have a 1.7GHz Centrino laptop, so a fast processor then.
I had to double take the resolution - this is a 12.1 inch screen with a resolution of 1400x1050 that's remarkably high. Well when the laptop turned up, it certainly is a high res display. You can fit a huge amount of information onto a small screen at that resolution; if you're like me you'll have your nose pressed up against it until you turn it down to something a bit more sensible. However a fantastic screen in both laptop mode and slate mode. The resolution also applies to pointer accuracy when using the stylus in slate mode.
The 2 USB ports are at the back behind the screen when in laptop mode, so to get to them you have to close the laptop - oh shutting the lid with the screen the conventional way hibernates the laptop. I found this really annoying - why did they put those there and default closing the lid to hibernate? The ports seem to be slightly angled as well.
The keyboard has been poorly implemented. Things that really annoy me about laptops is when they mess around with the back-slash key or don't make a good job of the trackpad. Firstly the keyboard is soft and bounces when you press any of the keys in the middle, secondly the back-slash is in an almost random position on the right hand side of the space bar - that's completely the wrong half of the keyboard - and the track pad doesn't have a separate vertical scroll region.
The machine has an NVIDIA graphics adapter which seems to work well enough and the name is good. There's even a little NVIDIA sticker on the laptop showing how proud Toshiba are of this. However this sticker is not on straight (and I can see its crooked - then its really crooked). There's just no call for messing things up like that - where's the build quality in fixing a sticker on a slope. I'm sure that pulling it off will leave a lovely sticky mark as well - so it was there annoying me until I gave the machine back to my boss.
So having decided that I don't like this machine in laptop mode, what's it like in slate mode? Well its OK - at 2KG you can just about take the weight in your left hand whilst writing with your right (or vice versa for a lefty). The screen has a reversible clip so it will stay shut to the laptop body either way round. Toshiba supply the machine with Microsoft OneNote - the de-facto tablet application (this deserves its own review sometime). Toshiba also install a separate gesture application - this was really neat, you can choose actions to go with specific pen gestures - such as a big N written the correct way to start a new document and so on. The pen stores neatly in the side of the laptop.
Conclusion ---------------- This is a good specification convertible notebook - faster than most normal notebooks and with an awesome screen however it's let down by a poorly designed keyboard.
Price ------- Its available for around £1000 + VAT, either tablets have come down in price or this is a great deal
Advantages: Long battery life, eaasy to use in tablet mode, quick Disadvantages: Needs a spare pen, keyboard layout.
General
I have been using this tablet for two years now, both at home and work, and I'm so impressed with it that it has become my main computer, replacing both my work and home desktop. By connecting an external USB keyboard and mouse, the tablet can be propped up in the portrait configuration, which is great for writing documents, and is cheaper than buying the docking station! This also takes advantage of the USB ports being on the rear of the ... ...The tablet is very light, and has a battery life of over 4 hours. This makes it ideal for walking around making notes in my work environment, as well as taking to meetings where its always a talking point. I've had no problems with the handwriting recognition, though a spare tablet pen would be nice! The keyboard feels oddly set out - it is robust enough, but after using a "normal" keyboard, I find it tricky to type on the tablet. The screen is very ...
schwana 29.03.2008
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Toshiba Portege M200
Advantages: Overall quality, specification. Disadvantages: I cant think of any.
...is great layout, through practice toshiba have nailed it pretty well.
the battery life is impressive, toshiba have their own battery management software, you can let it do its job or tinker.
it changes amount of battery consumption compared to amount of batery left.
for example when you take out the adapter it will stop/slow down the fans and slow down the CPU.
so if you are a non intensive user it will last for quite a while but if you are a ... ...is a softwar app that toshiba bundles with it, 'symbol commander', when in tablet mode, or even laptop for that matter just hold down right mouse button, or the button on the pen and draw a symbol and it will run the program associated with it, cool, no?
you can designate which program you want or other stuff for it to do like maximise or minimise and close. it can type specific text for you aswell.
toshiba also bundle audio effect, a program that ...
mudmank 24.02.2006
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Toshiba Portege M200
Toshiba produced one of the best convertible tablets last year, and now, after a long wait, it has has released its improved successor, the Portégé M200 Tablet PC. This new convertible includes Intel Centrino technology, enhanced wireless connectivity, a unique docking station and a twist-and-fold screen.
Portégé M200: a feature-rich convertible Tablet PC, costing £1,599 (ex. VAT).
The 2kg Portégé M200 is one of the best-looking and most feature-rich ... ...processor, 32MB Nvidia GeForce FX Go5200 graphics, integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, dual-band-ready 802.11a/b antennae, a 60GB hard drive, a 12.1in. screen, and a Secure Digital media slot.
The tablet also has an optional docking station that supports swappable optical drives or a second hard drive. As with Toshiba's previous model, the screen twists around on a sturdy, fabulously designed central hinge and folds over the keyboard, turning the system ...
fishnetsandmalice 13.02.2006
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: not helpful Review of Toshiba Portege M200
Speed
Look & Feel
Comfort & Portability
Robustness & Durability
Value For Money
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Advantages: easy to use and great for traveling Disadvantages: expensive
The "ToshibaPortegeM200" is a state of the art laptop which provide the user with not only the usual laptop features but also allows the user to twist the screen 180 degrees and fold it down into a tablet and wirte on it as if it were a piece of a paper with the pen provided. You can also lasoo any work and change it into text format or print it off in the form of your own handwriting.
In using this laptop i have found it very easy to use and great for doing coursework on and using to write my notes on in my lessons as i am currently studying at college and it prevents me from loosing any of my work. It is also easy to carry around and because it is light it does not become annoying to carry around.
Style. 5/5
The laptop is thin and light. It comes in a stlyish silver colour so it appears as modern as it is. The pen slots into ...
I have used this laptop now for quite some time and have come over hardly any difficulties with it! For its size its a very good and fast little tablet! With its own sensitive screen you can use the tablet pen to be your mouse and turn it into 'tablet mode'. The screen is very sensitive and the pixels very easily get damaged. Their is no cd/dvd at all supplied with it but then again, its got so much to offer!
Here are its specifications ....
Product Description: ToshibaPortegeM200 - Pentium M 745 1.8 GHz - 12.1" TFT
Dimensions (WxDxH): 29.5 cm x 24.9 cm x 3.7 cm
Weight: 2 kg
Localisation: English / United Kingdom
Mobile Technology: Intel Centrino
System Type: Tablet PC - convertible
Built-in Devices: Speaker, wireless LAN aerial, Bluetooth aerial
Processor: Intel Pentium M 745 1.8 GHz
Cache Memory: 2 MB - L2 ...
Advantages: Price, Build quality, Features Disadvantages: Quite old now, Not fast compared to newer laptops, No CD drive
, so you can put it on your legs without getting them burnt.
The only disadvantages are that it doesn't have a internal CD drive, and that the Toshiba external CD drives are quite expensive. However other brand external CD drives can be much more reasonable. The laptop is quite old now, so it obviously isn't going to be as fast as the cutting edge laptops around, however it preforms very well for its age and is more than capable at taking everything I can throw at it. ( moderate usage, word processing, internet, drawing etc.)
I don't think there are many computer shops selling these laptops anymore, ebay is probably the best place to look. I purchased mine for a very reasonable £300 two years ago on ebay, and I have recently sold it on ebay for £160.
I would highly recommend this laptop to anyone looking for a reasonably price ...
Enhanced SpeedStep technology, power-optimized processor system bus
Chipset Type
Intel 855PM
Cache memory
Type
L2 Cache
Installed Size
2 MB
Ram
Installed Size
512 MB / 2 GB (max)
Technology
DDR SDRAM
Storage controller
Type
IDE
Storage
Hard Drive
60 GB
Card reader
Type
Card reader
Supported Flash Memory Cards
SD Memory Card
Display
Display Type
12.1" TFT
Max Resolution
1400 x 1050 ( SXGA+ )
Widescreen Display
No
Colour support
24-bit (16.7 million colours)
Video
Graphics Processor / Vendor
NVIDIA GeForce FX Go5200 AGP 8x
Video Memory
DDR SDRAM - 32 MB
Audio
Audio Output
Sound card
Audio Codec
AD1981B
Compliant Standards
DirectSound, DirectSound3D, DirectMusic
Audio Input
Microphone
Input device(s)
Type
Keyboard, touchpad, Tablet Pen
Telecom
Modem
Fax / Modem
Max Transfer Rate
56 Kbps
Protocols & Specifications
ITU V.90, ITU V.17
Networking
Networking
Network adapter
Wireless LAN Supported
Yes
Wireless NIC
Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG
Data Link Protocol
Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g
Compliant Standards
IEEE 802.11b, Bluetooth 1.1, IEEE 802.11g
Expansion / connectivity
Expansion Slots Total (Free)
2 ( 1 ) x memory
1 ( 1 ) x CardBus - type I/II
1 ( 1 ) x SD Memory Card
Interfaces
1 x display / video - VGA - 15 pin HD D-Sub (HD-15)
2 x Hi-Speed USB - 4 PIN USB Type A
1 x network - Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX - RJ-45
1 x modem - phone line - RJ-11
1 x docking / port replicator - 240 PIN docking
1 x infrared - IrDA
1 x microphone - input - mini-phone 3.5mm
1 x headphones - output - mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm
Miscellaneous
Features
Security lock slot (cable lock sold separately), hard drive password, power-on password, keyboard lock
Compliant Standards
Plug and Play, APM 1.2, ACPI 1.0b, DDC-2B, VESA DPMS
Power
Power Device
External
Voltage Required
AC 120/230 V ( 50/60 Hz )
Battery
Technology
Lithium Ion
Installed Qty
1
Run Time (Up To)
4.5 hour(s)
Capacity
4400 mAh
Operating system / software
OS Provided
Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition
Software
Drivers & Utilities, Drivers & Utilities, Microsoft Office OneNote
Manufacturer warranty
Service & Support
3 years warranty
Service & Support Details
Limited warranty - 3 years
Environmental parameters
Min Operating Temperature
5 °C
Max Operating Temperature
35 °C
Humidity Range Operating
20 - 80%
Manufacturer's product description
Like two computers in one, the Portégé M200 provides full notebook functionality plus the added benefits of a Tablet PC! Add hand-written notes or diagrams to any document during a presentation or meeting. The Portégé M200 Series offers the powerful Intel processor, and NVIDIA GeForce FX graphics. Its large 12.1" SXGA+ display, digital ink technology, and integrated full-width keyboard provide comfort in PC mode. Tablet users can easily rotate the screen for landscape or portrait orientation with adjustment to different height levels for maximum productivity.
