Toshiba Portege A600 / A605 Expert Reviews

alaTest has collected and analyzed 65 reviews from magazines and websites. Reviewers really like the battery. The screen also impresses, but many are less positive about the performance.

Battery, Screen, Appearance

Performance, Price

Reviewers rate this product 81/100. We analyzed these ratings, the product age and more factors. Compared to other Netbooks (Mini Laptops), the Toshiba Portege A600 / A605 is awarded an overall alaScore™ of 95/100 = Excellent quality.

In our August 2009 ultraportable notebook roundup we fell hard for Toshiba's Portégé R600-the lightest, sleekest ultraportable notebook we'd ever tested. At $2,150, however, that notebook isn't cheap. This month we tested Toshiba's more affordable ...

In looks, the two machines are quite different. While the R600 wowed us with its silver, svelte stylishness, the A605 looks more commonplace. Inside and out, it's adorned with that shiny black plastic you see everywhere these days, which looks really ...

The netbook onslaught of the past 18 months has forced a sea change. No longer is small size alone enough of an excuse for a notebook to carry an exorbitantly high price. With some good performance levels and a great screen, plus light weight and ...

Great screen Solid battery life

Mono speaker, poor sound

This machine isn't for multimedia fiends or gamers. But if you need a small computer than can still handle a lot of office work and open programs at once, and if an optical drive is a necessity, then the A605 will serve you well, with outstanding ...

Toshiba has populated its ultraportable Portege line of notebooks with 12.1-inch models built on Intel Core 2 Duo mobile series processors. These ultralight notebooks range from $1299 to $2999 and differ in processor and HDD vs. SSD. The Portege R500 ...

Small size though not ultra thin. Good performance running most applications and has good gaming power for a machine in this class. Downgradeable to Windows XP. Good Wi-Fi range and good battery life.

Hard drive is too finicky about movement seems slow despite the SATA interface. The face recognition software doesn't work well. Display is just OK.

With the growing popularity of netbooks, casual laptop users who need to check their email and browser the Net will find the slower Atom processor machines running either Linux or Windows XP adequate for the job. But "full notebooks" are better for ...

The ultra-portable Toshiba Portege A600 isn't the lightest or thinnest laptop in its class, but good battery life and built-in HSDPA add to its portability credentials. It also has a built-in optical drive, which many of its rivals lack, and ...

Lightweight ; built-in HSDPA modem ; good value

Relatively slow processor and graphics ; poor viewing angles ; looks and feels plasticky

If you're after a truly portable laptop and don't want to mess around with external optical drives, the Toshiba Portege A600 will most definitely appeal. The built-in HSDPA is a real bonus and you get a lot for your money

An office ultraportable?

Battery life, light weight, small size

Poor performance, flimsy build

With a low weight and all-day battery life, this is an ideal tool for busy corporate users, but those needing a powerful machine to multi-task on should look elsewhere

Light, portable and with built-in 3G, the A600 is an appealing choice for business users on the move.

A lightweight laptop with a five-hour battery life

Lightweight ; battery life

Thin screen needs protecting when carried around ; pricey

The Portg A600 is ideal for people who are still not convinced by netbooks, but want a small highly portable notebook with a built-in optical drive, but it's not cheap

A lightweight laptop with a five-hour battery life

The Portégé A600-112 is a well specified ultraportable with particularly good wireless connectivity. However, the build quality seems a touch flimsy in places, including the keyboard.

Integrated mobile broadband, Matte screen, Integrated optical drive

Build quality is flimsy in places, On the bulky/heavy side for an ultraportable

At 28.6cm by 22.3cm by 2.99cm the A600 has a compact footprint, though its thickness makes it feel a little bulky. The system's 1.46kg weight is at the high end of the scale for today's ultraportables, but it's not unduly heavy. Build quality is ...