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Toshiba Satellite R25-S3503A value-priced convertible that delivers smooth Tablet functionality. Price:
$1,299
by Jeffrey L. Wilson 
Toshiba's Satellite R25-S3503 is a feature-rich Tablet PC that will appeal to students or businesspeople who want a keyboard and the option to jot down digital notes on a big screen. This versatile notebook packs in features that any buyer would appreciate: a dual-core processor, a spacious hard drive, and a DVD burner. However, a few design issues and a short battery life keep this convertible from being a top pick.
The 5.9-pound R25-S3503 offers a comfortable typing environment. The responsive keys provide just the right amount of tactile feedback; they're neither too spongy nor too stiff. The same can't be said of the F keys, as they don't look or feel nearly as durable. In fact, while we were typing, the F4 key unhinged and fell out of its socket. Multimedia keys line the left side of the keyboard for playing CDs and DVDs without booting Windows, but there isn't a way to access photos and music stored on your hard drive using this Express Media feature—a shame given the 100GB hard drive. On the front bezel are the easily accessible headphone and microphone jacks, a Wi-Fi on/off button, and a volume wheel. For the security-minded, a fingerprint reader is also included. At the heart of the Toshiba Satellite R25-S3503 is its Tablet functionality. A small arrow at the base of the 14.1-inch display shows which direction to swivel the screen. When the system is in Tablet form, the arrow reverses, showing the proper direction in which to return it to notebook mode. On the downside, the overly sensitive latch that locks the Tablet into place sprang open with the slightest pressure. Buttons for launching Outlook, Internet Explorer, and Windows Task Manager are to the right of the display in Tablet mode (in notebook mode the buttons are on the bottom left), and beneath them is a small thumbstick that lets you swiftly scroll through pages. This stick also serves as an Enter button when pressed. Stylus input requires the use of the included Tablet PC Pen. Navigation was smooth, and we had no problems moving the cursor by gliding the pen just above the display. We found the 14.1-inch widescreen display extremely sharp and colorful but with a noticeable sheen that we quickly adjusted to after a few minutes. DVDs looked great, and we enjoyed a wide viewing angle, perfect for sharing a flick or a PowerPoint presentation. The viewing angle in Tablet mode was much tighter from the right side, however; the image nearly blacked out when we held the R25 at an angle. Performance-wise, the 1.6-GHz Intel Core Duo T2050 held up under the demands of running a DVD and a virus scan simultaneously. The Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 processor, with 128MB of memory, managed an understandably meager score of 1,418 on our 3DMark03 tests. Unfortunately, you won't be able to work or play for very long while unplugged. The R25-S3503 lasted 2 hours and 17 minutes on battery power; that's over an hour less than what we've come to expect from an average thin-and-light notebook and nearly two hours less than the Gateway M285-E. The Toshiba Satellite R25-S3503 comes with StickyNotes, Microsoft OneNote 2003, and Windows Journal. We found the writing to be as natural as using a pen and paper. If you're looking for a quality big-screen Tablet at a decent price, the Toshiba Satellite R25-S3503 is worth a look—as long as you don't mind keeping that charger handy. Compare Prices | Toshiba Satellite R25-S3503 Specifications
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