Toshiba Mini NB205 review – best matte 10 inch netbook

I for one always complained about how few options of completely matte netbooks there are on the market right now. Unlike most, i really hate glossy finishes as they are fingerprints and scratches magnets, so I looked for quite a while for a decent 10 inch matte device. Finally, i found it in this Toshiba Nb205.

Most people might not consider it that beautiful as it lacks the glossy finish seen on other devices from Asus, Acer or Samsung. But as soon as they understand how convenient a matte case is, they’ll learn to love it.

The Toshiba NB205 offers good hardware and enough performance for every kind of standard applications. The screen has 10.1 inches and is somewhere between matte and glossy, so you can easily still use it outside or in other medium to strong light conditions. Still, a perfectly matte one would have been better. Connectivity is good, although there are no options for Wi-Fi Draft N or 3G.

It’s true this Toshiba is not the smallest or lightest: weights 2.9 pounds and is up to 1.3 inches thick. But since the standard 10″ devices are somehow similar and only 0.2 pounds lighter, i doubt that’s a big inconvenient.

As for battery life, the NB205 offers around 8 hours tested autonomy (9 on paper). It’s true some Asus devices offer more, but that’s still enough for me.

Pros:

• matte case and mattish (somewhere between glossy and matte) screen, visible in strong light conditions
• overall good looking and solid built
• 10 inch display and 1024 x 600 px
• the up to 8 hours tested battery life should be enough for every user
• good hardware specs: N280 CPU, 1 GB of RAM, 160 GB hard drive
• some versions come with a chiclet type keyboard
• available in 4 different colors

Cons:

• some might consider the non-glossy finish a little bit dull
• it’s just a tad heavier and thicker than the standard netbooks
• no Wi-fi Draft N or 3G
• webcam has only 0.3 Mpx
• speaker is only mono, so you’ll have to use it with headphones
• some versions are a little bit pricey

The common versions of the Toshiba NB205

There are a couple of  separate versions of this device on the market:

• Toshiba NB205-N210: it’s the cheaper poorer equipped black version of the netbook. It comes with a classic keyboard and no Bluetooth. This model can be found for $349 in stores.
• Toshiba NB205-N3xx series (with the N310, N311 and N313 versions): these are all the same, the only difference being the color of the chassis: pink, white or brown. However, they come with Bluetooth 2.1+ and a chiclet type keyboard. And they cost more, around $399.

Conclusion:

I for one like this Toshiba NB205 netbook a lot, mostly because of its matte finish. But it’s also solid built and powerful enough for everyday use and has most of the features i would need (i don’t care about speakers or webcam). The good battery life and comfortable chiclet keyboard are also pluses.

Of course, it has its lacks and the top version is quite expensive. You could buy better equipped netbooks in this class from other producers, but heck, they won’t be matte.

So, if you’re a glossy “hater” like me and look for a decent 10 inch netbook that could meet almost all your requirements, you shouldn’t mind the extra bucks you’ll have to pay and go for a Toshiba NB205.

Where to buy:

Like i told you before, the poorer equipped Toshiba NB205-n210 retails for around $349, while the better equipped versions can go up to $399 . And that’s on our most affordable source, Amazon, cause it can go a lot more expensive on a local store. So, just have a look here for more details, pictures, reviews from users or the option to buy.