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Why You Can Trust CNET Toshiba Satellite 2400 review: Toshiba Satellite 2400
Toshiba Satellite 2400
Review summary
With the Satellite 2435 series, Toshiba expands its line of one-size-fits-all mainstream notebooks. Like the Satellite 2410 series, the large and hefty Satellite 2435 series offers plenty of power and a wide screen at an affordable price. Toshiba offsets its low prices, however, with a limited number of configuration options. Still, all models run on a 2.4GHz Pentium 4, include up to 512MB of 266MHz PC2100 DDR SDRAM, and use an Nvidia GeForce4 420 Go with 32MB of memory to power a 1,024x768 resolution. The model that CNET Labs tested costs $1,549, and it turned in excellent performance and battery-life scores. Although not designed for globetrotters, the Satellite 2435 series should appeal to anyone looking for a fast system to transport between the office and the home. With its shiny, blue-plastic lid and black-plastic base, the Satellite 2435 series measures 2 inches thick--or slightly more, depending on where you measure--and 13 inches wide by 11 inches deep. Beveled edges on the lid make the 7.3-pound slab comfortable to carry from room to room, though not much farther than that. With the AC adapter, it'll hit 8.6 pounds in your briefcase, while an extra battery ($149) hoists the travel weight to a luggable 10 pounds.
Because of its sloppy keyboard, the Satellite 2435 series delivers a somewhat inferior hands-on experience compared to that of the Satellite 2410 series and the Satellite 2455 series. Individual keys lack feedback and tilt as you type, and the keyboard sags as a whole. We do, however, like the keyboard's quiet touch, and all of the keys feel plenty big except for the spacebar, which is hemmed in by an ill-advised Insert key that could spell disaster for distracted typists. Under the touchpad sit the disconcertingly mushy right- and left-click buttons, while the disappointing Harman Kardon stereo speakers run along the sides near the front.
A row of buttons on the front edge let you play audio CDs after you power down the notebook, but even at their maximum volume, you can hardly hear the speakers. Despite a powerful video controller that could easily paint a 1,280x1,024 screen, Toshiba limits its expansive 15-inch LCD to a sparse 1,024x768 resolution. It seems wasteful to lug around a 15-inch screen on a seven-pound-plus notebook for such a small view of your documents.
Because it features only one removable DVD/CD-RW optical drive, the Satellite 2435 series resembles the Satellite 2455 desktop-replacement series more than it does the mainstream Satellite 2410 series. (The Satellite 2410 series has fixed optical and floppy drives.) If your backup plans require writable DVD, Toshiba sells a DVD-RW module for $499. However, few buyers will want to discard the optical drive that comes as standard equipment to make room for a writable DVD drive. Likewise, Toshiba sells the Satellite 2435 series with a standard 40GB hard drive. You can purchase a bigger hard drive, but you must throw away the one you already paid for to have space for the new one. You can, however, order the Satellite 2435 series with integrated 802.11b wireless networking for an extra $100. The built-in antenna and the external switch for turning wireless networking on and off come as standard equipment.
Other standard equipment includes an infrared port, three USB ports, four-pin iLink (IEEE 1394), two Type II (one Type III) PC card slots, and a Secure Digital flash-memory slot, along with the usual modem, Ethernet, and S-Video ports. Inside, the Satellite 2435 series comes with two 256MB memory modules, which fill both of its memory slots. The system can address up to 1GB, but you'll need to empty the slots to make room for two 512MB modules. The Satellite 2435 series runs on a 2.4GHz Pentium 4 with no option for a faster processor. The notebook ships with Windows XP Home or XP Professional edition, if you prefer, depending on the model you choose. Microsoft Works and Intuit Quicken Basic 2001 come as a standard bundle. With its 2.4GHz Pentium 4 processor, the Toshiba Satellite 2435-S255 scored just 12 points behind the slightly faster 2.53GHz Dell Inspiron 5100. Both systems, however, scored more than 70 points higher than the 2.2GHz HP Pavilion ze5000. For a system with a desktop chip, the Toshiba Satellite 2435-S255's high score in mobile performance is impressive.
Find out more about how we test notebooks.
System configurations:
Dell Inspiron 5100
Windows XP Professional; 2.53GHz Intel Pentium 4; 256MB DDR SDRAM 266MHz; ATI Mobility Radeon 7500 32MB; IBM Travelstar 40GN 40GB 5,400rpm
HP Pavilion ze5000
Windows XP Home; 2.2GHz Intel Pentium 4; 512MB DDR SDRAM 266MHz; ATI Mobility M6 32MB; IBM Travelstar 40GN 40GB 5,400rpm
Toshiba Satellite 2435-S255
Windows XP Home; 2.4GHz Intel Pentium 4; 512MB DDR SDRAM 266MHz; Nvidia GeForce4 420 Go 32MB; Toshiba MK6021GAS 40GB 4,200rpm Because desktop chips--such as the one inside the Toshiba Satellite 2435-S255--draw so much power, notebook manufacturers must pair them with equally powerful batteries. Toshiba does just that with this system, and the results speak for themselves. With the help of its power-charged 14.8V, 6,450mAh battery, the Toshiba Satellite 2435-S255 lasted longer than than three hours, taking first place in our roundup of mainstream systems by a hair. But while the Satellite 2435-S255 and the Dell Inspiron 5100 battled neck and neck for first place, the HP came in a distant third, 7 minutes shy of the two-hour mark.
To measure mobile application performance and battery life, CNET Labs uses BAPCo's MobileMark2002. MobileMark measures both application performance and battery life concurrently using a number of popular applications (Microsoft Word 2002, Microsoft Excel 2002, Microsoft PowerPoint 2002, Microsoft Outlook 2002, Netscape Communicator 6.0, WinZip Computing WinZip 8.0, McAfee VirusScan 5.13, Adobe Photoshop 6.0.1, and Macromedia Flash 5.0).
System configurations:
Dell Inspiron 5100
Windows XP Professional; 2.53GHz Intel Pentium 4; 256MB DDR SDRAM 266MHz; ATI Mobility Radeon 7500 32MB; IBM Travelstar 40GN 40GB 5,400rpm
HP Pavilion ze5000
Windows XP Home; 2.2GHz Intel Pentium 4; 512MB DDR SDRAM 266MHz; ATI Mobility M6 32MB; IBM Travelstar 40GN 40GB 5,400rpm
Toshiba Satellite 2435-S255
Windows XP Home; 2.4GHz Intel Pentium 4; 512MB DDR SDRAM 266MHz; Nvidia GeForce4 420 Go 32MB; Toshiba MK6021GAS 40GB 4,200rpm Toshiba covers the Satellite 2435 series with an adequate one-year warranty that includes free shipping for repairs and toll-free, 24/7 tech support. Toshiba provides exhaustive onscreen documentation, and its Web site offers FAQs, driver updates, manuals, a searchable knowledge base, and more. You might consider extending the warranty to three years for an additional $328, which includes onsite service. Also, the company has a stiff policy on defective LCDs: Your display must have between 10 and 18 dead or stuck pixels to be eligible for a replacement. We strongly recommend that you find a dealer that lets you check the LCD for defects before you buy the system.
With the Satellite 2435 series, Toshiba expands its line of one-size-fits-all mainstream notebooks. Like the Satellite 2410 series, the large and hefty Satellite 2435 series offers plenty of power and a wide screen at an affordable price. Toshiba offsets its low prices, however, with a limited number of configuration options. Still, all models run on a 2.4GHz Pentium 4, include up to 512MB of 266MHz PC2100 DDR SDRAM, and use an Nvidia GeForce4 420 Go with 32MB of memory to power a 1,024x768 resolution. The model that CNET Labs tested costs $1,549, and it turned in excellent performance and battery-life scores. Although not designed for globetrotters, the Satellite 2435 series should appeal to anyone looking for a fast system to transport between the office and the home. With its shiny, blue-plastic lid and black-plastic base, the Satellite 2435 series measures 2 inches thick--or slightly more, depending on where you measure--and 13 inches wide by 11 inches deep. Beveled edges on the lid make the 7.3-pound slab comfortable to carry from room to room, though not much farther than that. With the AC adapter, it'll hit 8.6 pounds in your briefcase, while an extra battery ($149) hoists the travel weight to a luggable 10 pounds.
| "="" --="">/sc/20783216-2-200-DT3.gif" width="200" height="150" alt="" /> |
| Buttons along the front edge let you play audio CDs even with the system turned off. |
| "="" --="">/sc/20783216-2-200-DT4.gif" width="200" height="150" alt="" /> |
| Serious typists may find the keyboard to be a drag. |
Because of its sloppy keyboard, the Satellite 2435 series delivers a somewhat inferior hands-on experience compared to that of the Satellite 2410 series and the Satellite 2455 series. Individual keys lack feedback and tilt as you type, and the keyboard sags as a whole. We do, however, like the keyboard's quiet touch, and all of the keys feel plenty big except for the spacebar, which is hemmed in by an ill-advised Insert key that could spell disaster for distracted typists. Under the touchpad sit the disconcertingly mushy right- and left-click buttons, while the disappointing Harman Kardon stereo speakers run along the sides near the front.
A row of buttons on the front edge let you play audio CDs after you power down the notebook, but even at their maximum volume, you can hardly hear the speakers. Despite a powerful video controller that could easily paint a 1,280x1,024 screen, Toshiba limits its expansive 15-inch LCD to a sparse 1,024x768 resolution. It seems wasteful to lug around a 15-inch screen on a seven-pound-plus notebook for such a small view of your documents.
| "="" --="">/sc/20783216-2-200-DT1.gif" width="200" height="150" alt="" /> |
| The Satellite 2435 series features one removable DVD/CD-RW optical drive. |
| "="" --="">/sc/20783216-2-200-DT5.gif" width="200" height="150" alt="" /> |
| If you choose the 802.11b wireless option, you can turn it on and off using the handy switch on the left side of the system. |
Because it features only one removable DVD/CD-RW optical drive, the Satellite 2435 series resembles the Satellite 2455 desktop-replacement series more than it does the mainstream Satellite 2410 series. (The Satellite 2410 series has fixed optical and floppy drives.) If your backup plans require writable DVD, Toshiba sells a DVD-RW module for $499. However, few buyers will want to discard the optical drive that comes as standard equipment to make room for a writable DVD drive. Likewise, Toshiba sells the Satellite 2435 series with a standard 40GB hard drive. You can purchase a bigger hard drive, but you must throw away the one you already paid for to have space for the new one. You can, however, order the Satellite 2435 series with integrated 802.11b wireless networking for an extra $100. The built-in antenna and the external switch for turning wireless networking on and off come as standard equipment.
Other standard equipment includes an infrared port, three USB ports, four-pin iLink (IEEE 1394), two Type II (one Type III) PC card slots, and a Secure Digital flash-memory slot, along with the usual modem, Ethernet, and S-Video ports. Inside, the Satellite 2435 series comes with two 256MB memory modules, which fill both of its memory slots. The system can address up to 1GB, but you'll need to empty the slots to make room for two 512MB modules. The Satellite 2435 series runs on a 2.4GHz Pentium 4 with no option for a faster processor. The notebook ships with Windows XP Home or XP Professional edition, if you prefer, depending on the model you choose. Microsoft Works and Intuit Quicken Basic 2001 come as a standard bundle. With its 2.4GHz Pentium 4 processor, the Toshiba Satellite 2435-S255 scored just 12 points behind the slightly faster 2.53GHz Dell Inspiron 5100. Both systems, however, scored more than 70 points higher than the 2.2GHz HP Pavilion ze5000. For a system with a desktop chip, the Toshiba Satellite 2435-S255's high score in mobile performance is impressive.
Mobile application performance (Longer bars indicate faster performance)
| ||||||
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Find out more about how we test notebooks.
System configurations:
Dell Inspiron 5100
Windows XP Professional; 2.53GHz Intel Pentium 4; 256MB DDR SDRAM 266MHz; ATI Mobility Radeon 7500 32MB; IBM Travelstar 40GN 40GB 5,400rpm
HP Pavilion ze5000
Windows XP Home; 2.2GHz Intel Pentium 4; 512MB DDR SDRAM 266MHz; ATI Mobility M6 32MB; IBM Travelstar 40GN 40GB 5,400rpm
Toshiba Satellite 2435-S255
Windows XP Home; 2.4GHz Intel Pentium 4; 512MB DDR SDRAM 266MHz; Nvidia GeForce4 420 Go 32MB; Toshiba MK6021GAS 40GB 4,200rpm Because desktop chips--such as the one inside the Toshiba Satellite 2435-S255--draw so much power, notebook manufacturers must pair them with equally powerful batteries. Toshiba does just that with this system, and the results speak for themselves. With the help of its power-charged 14.8V, 6,450mAh battery, the Toshiba Satellite 2435-S255 lasted longer than than three hours, taking first place in our roundup of mainstream systems by a hair. But while the Satellite 2435-S255 and the Dell Inspiron 5100 battled neck and neck for first place, the HP came in a distant third, 7 minutes shy of the two-hour mark.
Battery life (Longer bars indicate longer battery life)
| ||||||
|
To measure mobile application performance and battery life, CNET Labs uses BAPCo's MobileMark2002. MobileMark measures both application performance and battery life concurrently using a number of popular applications (Microsoft Word 2002, Microsoft Excel 2002, Microsoft PowerPoint 2002, Microsoft Outlook 2002, Netscape Communicator 6.0, WinZip Computing WinZip 8.0, McAfee VirusScan 5.13, Adobe Photoshop 6.0.1, and Macromedia Flash 5.0).
System configurations:
Dell Inspiron 5100
Windows XP Professional; 2.53GHz Intel Pentium 4; 256MB DDR SDRAM 266MHz; ATI Mobility Radeon 7500 32MB; IBM Travelstar 40GN 40GB 5,400rpm
HP Pavilion ze5000
Windows XP Home; 2.2GHz Intel Pentium 4; 512MB DDR SDRAM 266MHz; ATI Mobility M6 32MB; IBM Travelstar 40GN 40GB 5,400rpm
Toshiba Satellite 2435-S255
Windows XP Home; 2.4GHz Intel Pentium 4; 512MB DDR SDRAM 266MHz; Nvidia GeForce4 420 Go 32MB; Toshiba MK6021GAS 40GB 4,200rpm Toshiba covers the Satellite 2435 series with an adequate one-year warranty that includes free shipping for repairs and toll-free, 24/7 tech support. Toshiba provides exhaustive onscreen documentation, and its Web site offers FAQs, driver updates, manuals, a searchable knowledge base, and more. You might consider extending the warranty to three years for an additional $328, which includes onsite service. Also, the company has a stiff policy on defective LCDs: Your display must have between 10 and 18 dead or stuck pixels to be eligible for a replacement. We strongly recommend that you find a dealer that lets you check the LCD for defects before you buy the system.
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