Design
The A11’s matte black lid is dimpled with a handsome pattern that doesn’t show fingerprints, and it continues on the deck; the bezel is also a matte black plastic, but lacks the fancy design. Overall, this a very understated look that will no doubt appeal to business users, but it lacks the panache of the HP ProBook series, which has a more elegant brushed aluminum lid.
Above the keyboard are buttons for launching Toshiba’s Eco utility, outputting the screen to a projector or larger display, and volume controls. These are handy to have, but we think they would be better put to use if they offered quick access to, say, PowerPoint or some other business-centric function.
Measuring 14.7 x 9.9 x 1.5 inches and weighing 5.8 pounds, the A11 is a bit too bulky to carry around; those who travel often should look elsewhere. This notebook is certainly portable enough to take to meetings, but you’ll need to keep an eye on that battery meter (more on that below).
Heat
The large chassis of the A11 kept the system relatively cool while streaming a Hulu video at full screen. After 15 minutes, the touchpad was 88 degrees Fahrenheit, the space between the G and H keys reached 90 degrees, and the middle of the underside was 92 degrees. Still, we could tell this notebook was working hard: the underside by the exhaust vent measured 110 degrees.
Keyboard and Touchpad
The A11’s deck is large enough to comfortably fit a full keyboard and number pad. The black matte keys are of the traditional variety, had a nice textured surface, and responded well when typing. We were up to our usual speed in no time.
The 3 x 1.6-inch touchpad is comfortably large, and its surface let us move around with ease. Below, the two mouse buttons (separated by a fingerprint reader) are made of a shiny metallic plastic, which makes them really stand out on the all-black deck. Despite picking up fingerprints, the buttons were large and responsive.
Secifications & Features:
Operating System
Genuine Windows XP Professional, SP3
Recovery media for Genuine Windows 7 Professional
Processor and Chipset
Intel Core i7-620M processor
2.66 GHz (3.33 GHz with Turbo Boost Technology), 4MB Cache
Mobile Intel QM57 Express Chipset
Graphics
NVIDIA NVS 2100M with 512MB DDR3 discrete graphics memory, plus up to 1228MB dynamically allocated shared graphics memory using NVIDIA TurboCache technology
Total Available Graphics memory 1740MB
Memory
Configured with 4GB DDR3 1066MHz (max 8GB)
2 main memory slots, both slots may be occupied
Storage Drive
320GB (7200 RPM) Serial ATA hard disk drive
Fixed Optical Disk Drive
DVD SuperMulti drive supporting 11 formats
Maximum speed and compatibility: CD-ROM (24x), CD-R (24x), CD-RW (24x), DVD-ROM (8x), DVD-R (Single Layer, (8x)), DVD-R (Double Layer, (6x)), DVD-RW (6x), DVD+R (Single Layer, (8x)), DVD+R (Double Layer, (6x)), DVD+RW (8x), DVDRAM (5x)
Display
15.6” diagonal widescreen TFT LED backlit display at 1600 x 900 native resolution (HD+)
Native support for 720p content
16:9 aspect ratio
Sound
Built-in stereo speakers
Input Devices
Standard US keyboard with 10-key numeric pad
TouchPad pointing device
TouchPad Enable/Disable
Media Control Buttons: TOSHIBA eco Utility button, Volume Down, Volume Up, Presentation button
Communications
Webcam and microphone
Modem
Intel 82577LC Gigabit Ethernet Connection (10/100/1000 Ethernet)
Intel 802.11a/g/n10
Bluetooth version 2.1 plus Enhanced Data Rate (EDR)
Expandability
ExpressCard slot (ExpressCard/34 and ExpressCard/54)
Memory Card Reader (Secure Digital, Secure Digital High Capacity, Mini SD Card, Micro SD Card, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, Multi Media Card [shared slot])
Ports
Video:
RGB (monitor) output
Mini DisplayPort
Audio:
Microphone input port
Headphone output port
Data:
Serial port
2 x USB v2.0
1 x USB v2.0 with Sleep and Charge (left side)
1 x eSATA/USB combo port with Sleep and Charge
RJ-45 LAN port
RJ-11 modem port
Docking connector
Security:
Fingerprint Reader
Slot for Security Lock
Physical Description
Textured Finish in Charcoal Black
Dimensions (W x D x H ): 14.7” x 9.86” x 1.31”/1.48”
Weight: Starting at 5.63 lbs., depending upon configuration
Battery
6 cell (55 Wh) Lithium Ion battery pack
Dimensions (W x H x D): 8.11” x 1.78” x 0.79”
Weight: starting at 0.72 lbs.
Battery Life Rating (measured by MobileMark Productivity 2007) Included 6 cell battery: 3 hours, 7 minutes
Power Supply
75W (15V x 5A) Auto-sensing 100-240V/50-60Hz AC Adapter
Dimensions (W x H x D): 4.96” x 1.18” x 1.97”
Weight: starting at 0.79 lbs.