This Toshiba notebook got our juices stirring when we first saw it: The sweeping curves of the pearl blue shell are reminiscent of race-modified Japanese cars.
The Satellite 5000-A540 has the specs to match its mean looks: A fast 1.1GHz processor, huge 15-inch screen at an eye-popping 1600x1200 pixel resolution, slots for both an SD card and Smartmedia.
The full complement of AV functions (including beefed up Harmon-Kardon speakers and, optical digital output for AC3 surround-sound, FireWire and TV-out) should please mobile multimedia masters.
Sturdy Construction
We've never had to complain about Toshiba's manufacturing and our experience with the Satellite 5000 hasn't changed our view. Even though it arrived at ZDNet after being in many hands, everything was still in place and nothing rattled. As an example of the build-quality, it has were solid spring doors protecting the PC card slot, instead of fragile weight-saving shims. The covers protecting the ports swung on solid hinges and latched securely.
For reasons we can't fathom, the Satellite 5000-A540 uses a standard Pentium III processor, not the mobile version (the Pentium III-M), nor the Ultra Low Voltage version, both of which are becoming more popular now.
Among the probable knock-on effects is a slight decrease in battery life due to the presence of a cooling fan -- our performance data supports the prediction. Fans are more common among notebooks that use powerful graphics chips like the nVidia2Go used in the Satellite 5000.
At 3.5 kg, this machine is far from being thin and light, but then again, thin-and-lights with screens as big as this, such as the Toshiba Tecra 9000 or the HP Omnibook 6100 cost upwards of AU$8,500, almost twice the price of the this Satellite.
AV to the Max
Aimed at kings of content who want a desktop replacement, the Satellite 5000-A540 is packed to the gills with inputs, outputs and other multimedia hardware, including two flash memory slots. In fact, it beats our recent Editor's Choice winner, the IBM A30p, handily -- and the Toshiba's AU$800 cheaper to boot.
Like the IBM A30p, the Satellite 5000-A540 has a 15-inch LCD running at a native resolution of 1600 by 1200 pixels. Though the precise pixels made Web pages readable, we felt more comfortable bringing the resolution down to 1024x768; luckily, without much loss of image sharpness.
Watching DVD movies on the 9000 was a pleasure. Playback was silky smooth and its sound quality was among the best we've heard on a notebook, thanks to the use of high-quality Harmon-Kardon speakers and tuned bass ports.
We especially liked the mini-LCD panel below the touchpad that displays CD and DVD tracks and battery life. It provides quick access to DVD/CD controls and even lets you play CDs without booting up the notebook.
Keyboard quirks
Toshiba keyboard layouts can lean toward the eccentric, but we were pleased to find that the Satellite 5000-A540 boasts a full-sized unit that feels good to the typist's fingers. The only oddity we could spot was the placement of the Delete at the right of the spacebar and the Windows key in the top row.
At the end of the day...
While we really like the Satellite 5000-A540, it's not perfect. If you need wireless access, a PC card is the only way to go; there's no option for having it built-in. Also, the optical drive, though a very good DVD/CD-RW combo, is fixed and not swappable for a floppy drive or another battery.
Our performance tests showed that battery life was average, due to the large screen and fan. The Sysmark 2001 and Quake III test results were also less than stellar, which we attributed to Windows XP.
To get a cheaper multimedia desktop replacement than the Satellite 5000-A540, you'll have to look at toward the Dell Inspiron 8100, which has lower specifications and fewer ports. With this in mind we're giving the Satellite 5000-A540 as special commendation, for features, sturdy build and reasonable price.
Toshiba Satellite 5000-A540
Company: Toshiba Australia
Price: AU$5,500
Distributor: Toshiba Information Systems Division
Phone: : 1800 021 100
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