Toshiba Tecra M5

With the Tecra M5, Toshiba demonstrates yet again that it knows how to build a business-focused laptop at a good price. This 5.2-pound thin-and-light has every feature mobile pros might be looking for (save one), plus a host of built-in security and durability features. Nicely configured at $1,799, this notebook won’t break the budget.
 
Wrapped in an attractive silver metallic-flake chassis, the Tecra M5 isn’t too flashy. Lift the lid and you’ll find a bright 14.1-inch screen. The height of the 4:3 display might mean a tight fit on airplane tray tables, but the viewing-angle performance from above and side-to-side was good. We also appreciate the native 1024 x 768-pixel resolution, which made text and icons easily viewable. The Nvidia Quadro NVS 110M mobile GPU delivers a host of display options, including multimonitor support.
 
Above the keyboard is a button that launches presentation mode, which enables the VGA output and turns off sleep mode, a feature we think every business notebook should have. A second quick-access button launches Toshiba Assist. This suite of utilities helps you configure the Wi-Fi settings, run PC diagnostic and recovery tools, and more.
 
Intel’s Centrino Duo mobile platform runs the show; it delivers a 1.83-GHz dual-core processor and an 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi chipset, among other goodies. Performance from the Tecra M5 was right in line with other thin-and-light business laptops we’ve recently tested, such as Dell’s Latitude D620 and Lenovo’s ThinkPad T60.
 
The Tecra M5 scored 236 on MobileMark 2005, besting the HP Compaq nc6400’s score of 219 by about eight percent. This is on a par with other systems we’ve tested with this processor. Runtime from the Tecra M5’s standard six-cell battery hovered right around 3.5 hours with Wi-Fi on or off. That’s a little below average, but Toshiba sells a 12-cell power pack ($71.99) that should deliver all-day battery life. The 3DMark03 score of 3,340 is impressive for a business notebook this size, which means this system should be able to handle Windows Vista’s Aero graphics with ease, not to mention 3D games at lower resolutions.
 
Unlike many of its competitors, the Tecra M5 does not offer embedded wireless broadband, so buyers interested in that technology will need to purchase a PC Card solution. However, most every other feature business users crave is here.
 
On the security front, you’ll find TPM, as well as a built-in fingerprint reader. For durability, Toshiba has included an active protection system for the hard drive, a spill-resistant keyboard, and shock-absorbing materials throughout. In addition, the hard drive and display are housed within their own internal casings to better protect them from the rigors of the road.
 
The full-sized keyboard is comfortable and quiet, save for a couple of keys that got squeezed a little, and Toshiba had enough foresight to offer both a touchpad and pointing stick. Our test machine also included Toshiba’s versatile DVD Multidrive in the bay, letting you read and write all types of optical discs.
 
The full complement of ports includes VGA and S-Video out, FireWire, three USB 2.0 ports, and a serial port for legacy peripherals. The Tecra M5 accepts PC Card devices as well as a built-in SD Card reader.
 
The bundled third-party software selection is fairly decent for a business machine. For productivity chores you get Microsoft Works (it isn’t Office, but it’ll do in a pinch) and the Microsoft OneNote organizational software. The preloaded InterVideo WinDVD Creator 2 Platinum suite helps you create and burn DVDs, while Sonic Solutions’ RecordNow! Basic makes CDs.
 
If you had your heart set on embedded wireless broadband, the Tecra M5 is not for you. But if that’s not a deal-breaker, this system deserves a close look as you shop for a business-class portable.