Ultra-Low Voltage notebooks are popping up everywhere. They're thin, light, inexpensive, and getting stronger by the day. Does the powerful range of processor options, high RAM capacity, and sleek design of the Toshiba T135 help it stand out from the rest? Read on and we'll answer those questions for you.
Look and Feel
At first glance, the ‘Nova Red Fusion Finish’ is pleasing to the eye. The T135 is also shaped well, and is lightweight. On a show-room floor, this would certainly stand out, and in the ULV category, this can be important as performance isn’t expected to vary too much from one make to the next. There was next to no keyboard flex observed during usage, which seems a bit surprising considered how thin the T135 is. The high gloss cover for the lid isn’t as difficult to keep clean with the deep coloring. The largest disappointment would probably be the single mouse key for the track pad. Given, it’s wide enough to easily distinguish left from fight clicking, but it still doesn’t seem like a feature that helps the design.
The T135 also lacks secondary touch pad options, reserving any brightness, volume, and peripheral control through function keys. While this may not be a design flaw, there is some extra space above the keyboard that could've filled that function.
Performance
With a good processor and ample RAM for a notebook of its class, the T135 can perform very well for the price tag. When used for word processing and browsing with its robust Wi-Fi setup, the mobility offered with its size and weight prove to be excellent factors when considering its bargain potential. However, lacking an optical drive is certainly a weakness that can’t be overlooked. Other notebooks in this class have DVD drives, and while the main medium used will probably be digital, it doesn’t hurt to have a simple DVD writer.
The vibration detector for the hard drive, while useful, activates frequently. Simply repositioning the notebook has a very good chance of setting off the warning window, and even an accidental kick on the table the notebook is sitting on could set it off. This seems excessive, but simply turning it off defeats the purpose.
The audio is also disturbingly low in volume. The quality of something as sound may not be the most important feature of a notebook, but you shouldn't have to strain your ears while browsing and watching video. Were the volume not so dismally low for the entire system, it wouldn’t worth mentioning.
Conclusion
Possessing the power that the system does, the T135 is a good value if you're in the market for a light, mobile platform for word processing, e-mail, and browsing. The wireless functions are far reaching and strong, and the notebook’s design is slim with a long battery life. Lacking an optical drive is a disappointment, and the low output speakers diminishes some of the T135’s uses. The exterior design is pleasing, and with Windows 7 64-bit as the stock OS, the entire laptop is built for looks, it seems. As one of their first entries into the smaller ULV category, Toshiba delivers a mostly qualified choice at an affordable price.
