Travel Technology - Review: Toshiba Protege M200

http://www.csd.toshiba.com/cgi-bin/tais/pc/pc_tabletPcDetail.jsp?comm=CS

Since we don't have a review section, here is a start...

Just got one of these to replace a heavier brick of a notebook. This is my first tablet PC that I will use day in day out (vs, just having a test unit hanging around)

Highlights
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- Centrino (Pentium M 1.5GHz + Intel WLAN)
- Nice screen 1400x1050. Has a nice clouded coating on it that ensure NO marks will stay as you use it in tablet mode.
- 4.5Lbs Weight
- Screen rotates to a landscape mode, sw catches this and switches the video driver mode instantly
- 512MB memory
- 60GB drive
- NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 w/32 MB memory. Supports upto 2048x1536 on the external VGA connector. The external connector and internal can run either in clone mode or as seperate displays. Either can be in landscape or portrait.
- Upto 4 hr battery. I'm seeing 2hr 30 with DVD use.
- Bluetooth integrated in (works well)
- Integrated 10/100 Intel adapter
- Integrated soft modem
- 2 USB 2.0 ports
- SD Card reader
- 1 Type II/I PC Card/Carbus slot
- Has support for a dock unit


Downsides
- Toshiba included shortcut pen software prevents right mouse drags. I uninstalled it as you couldn't easily disable it on/off
- CD/DVD Drive is NOT internal. Mine came with a small external CDRW/DVD-ROM. If you DIVX/RIP your legit owned films then this is not a big deal for you! (for CD checking games, go to errrr, errrrr, errrr, websites that prevent the CD from being checked for)
- No firewire (not a big deal if you can use USB 2.0)

The tablet support is via Windows Journal (blah) or OneNote. OneNote is new to MS Office 2003. Pretty good way to mix typed info and pen notes.

You can use the M200 as a standard notebook and never use the tablet functions unless you REALLY need to as well.

In General I would give this a 8.5. I've dinged 1.5 points off for no firewire and no internal CD/DVD.

Stability seems good. Toshiba didn't go as nuts as Gateway or Dell on the bundled useless junk (except for the pen shortuc tool)

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by NickP 1K:
In General I would give this a 8.5. I've dinged 1.5 points off for no firewire and no internal CD/DVD.
</font>

I use a previous version of the Portege, it was my company's first entry into the lightweight laptops and I love it. They were backordered when the most recent batch were needed, so now we buy Dells version, but I'm not ready to give up my Protege.

It's unfair to ding points for not having the internal drives, when one of their main selling points is the weight and you can't have both. You can carry it when you need it but aren't saddled with that weight at all times. Personally, I gladly give up the CD/DVD for the benefit of less weight whenever I'm on the road.

I dont think it is unfair to ding for not having internal drives. There are Panasonic, Fujitsu and Sonys that are lighter and have internal drives. The lack of internal drives has kept me from buying a tablet PC. My Powerbook is about this weight and has an internal DVD burner. My notebook without an internal drive is a lot lighter than 4.5 pounds. I cant imagine buying a computer without an internal drive unless it was under 3 pounds, maybe closer to 2 pounds.

[This message has been edited by GadgetFreak (edited Jan 07, 2004).]

I'm very happy with my new M100 non-tablet.

QL

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by GadgetFreak:
I dont think it is unfair to ding for not having internal drives. There are Panasonic, Fujitsu and Sonys that are lighter and have internal drives. ... My notebook without an internal drive is a lot lighter than 4.5 pounds. I cant imagine buying a computer without an internal drive unless it was under 3 pounds, maybe closer to 2 pounds.</font>

I didn't realize how many options are out there for the lightweight notebooks at this point. I agree if there are so many alternatives, that you can ding for no internal drive.

Personally, if I can reduce the weight further by leaving it behind, I'm all for it. I take a thumb drive with me if I need to load/unload any files to another PC but other than that, it's what is on the drive or gets downloaded and that is it for me.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by GoingAway:

Personally, if I can reduce the weight further by leaving it behind, I'm all for it. I take a thumb drive with me if I need to load/unload any files to another PC but other than that, it's what is on the drive or gets downloaded and that is it for me. </font>

Thumb drives are the greatest thing since sliced bread http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/wink.gif. I know some people have complained about Sonys, I like them, They have as I recall, 12 inch monitors on notebooks weighing 1.7 pounds. That is a bit extreme, but people here have really liked the Fujitsu Lifebook 5000 with is very small and lightweight with a internal drive. I currently use a Powerbook and am deciding what to get next for a PC notebook. I would love to see either a 3-4 pound tablet with internal drive or a sub 3 pound tablet without.

Yeah, thumb drives have killed floppies and using CD-R's to move info from one system to another, but a DVD-ROM drive is still nice to have on a thin and light notebook.