The usage of notebook as a main office PC in recent time gains all greater popularity, if it's needed you can simply change working place, also it's certainly more convenient to use the same machine both at home and at office. However the optimum notebook for alike using differs a bit from usual portable PC.
Toshiba Tecra A8 (PTA83E-04L032RU)
Processor
Intel Core 2 Duo T7200 (2,0 GHz)
Operative memory 512 MB
Chipset Intel 945GM
Screen 15,4" WXGA (1280×800)
Screen brightness, max/min
130–15 cd/m²
Hard drive 100 GB
Optical drive DVD±RW
External connectors
USB 2.0 (3), PCMCIA, D-sub, RJ-45, RJ-11, COM, S-Video-îut
Network possibilities
Ethernet 1000Base-T, ěîäĺě 56K, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
Battery nickel-magnesium, 4400 ěŔ•h (10,8 V)
Battery time working, reading mode/full loading 1,1/2,8 h
Mass 2,9 kg (with a battery)
Size (W×T×H)
368×268×37 mm
Approximate price 9713 ukr
Warranty 36 months
Good ergonomics in case of desk model using; productive CPU
Small RAM volume; integrated graphic accelerator; high price
Not bad office notebook but not with optimal correlation of price/equipment
With concepts of DTR-devices our readers have already got well acquainted - we many times published reviews and testing of mobile PCs, oriented on the desktop system change. But all of them, basically, are equipped with a display of 17" diagonal and targeted mostly on multimedia applications. But office notebook of "desktop change" class with such a mass and size is just uncomfortable. To carry with yourself a bulky and heavy device is a doubtful pleasure. The optimal variant is a default mobile PC with screen 15", optimized under the desk model. With one of rather rare representatives of alike laptops from Toshiba we'll get acquainted closer.
Tecra A8 is especially a desk product. Certainly, with a desire you may use it as a usual notebook but the limits of its transportability in fact are limited only by the distance between tables in one office. It doesn't depend even on size and mass (for devices with such a type of matrix they are wholly acceptable) as on a scheme of the connectors location: all of them are located on backboard. The exceptions have been done only for audio ports, volume controller and moving network adapter cut out - they are located on the front panel. PCMCIA slot and card reader (on the left) and DVD RW drive (on the right) remained on the lateral sides. Strictly speaking, there is nothing more to add - the notebook is obviously calculated on that all connections of peripheries will be executed not more often than one-twice a day. Also a connectors set is enough modest - three USB 2.0 ports, network and modem wall-plugs, S-Video-output, D-sub and COM-port. The last can be useful nowadays only in some specific events - a broadly wide-spread domestic peripheries with such an interface hasn't existed long ago.
In external decor of the model the gray and black colours are used with a full absence of any designer features. As for worker of the instrument - it's the most suitable. Nothing distracts and on the office table the notebook looks wholly appropriately. There aren't any claims to control systems: touchpad and keyboard are well made, the only offer for an improvement is a width of the body which without a doubt allows to mark also a separate digital block, quite often more claiming.
The quality of display is a bit lower than average - there are enough possibilities in it for a work with the documents and Web, but if there is need in regular photo- and videomaterials it's better to buy the separate monitor. The equipment of a model is a bit disbalanced - a Core 2 Duo T7200 (2,0 GHz) processor is complemented with only 512 MB RAM, integrated videoadapter and not the fastest hard disk. There is an evident advantage of CPU which capacity in office applications is obviously surplus. Complectation traditionally for Toshiba is minimum - the notebook itself, power supply unit and software set.
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To sum it up, it's possible to suppose: considering the high price of Tecra A8, it's not worth reckoning on its observable market success. A potential buyer of like notebook must be very a great admirer of Toshiba brand in order to give the go by considerable amount of more tempting offers in this class of the other producers, as with the same expenses is possible to get as a minimum twice more RAM, excellent discrete video accelerator and complectation much richer.
