Toshiba A600-14C

Glancing at its spec-sheet, Toshiba's Portégé A600-14C reads like any mobile business user's dream: a 12.1in laptop with integrated 3G/HSDPA that weighs less than a kilo and a half, all without breaking the bank. We're still rather impressed following Toshiba's awesome NB200-10Z netbook, so let's see if the A600-14C can uphold the imposing pedigree.


One thing you might notice about the A600-14C is that, despite its light weight, at 29.9mm it is rather thick - especially when compared to the svelte Toshiba Portégé R600. It's still a fairly nice-looking machine for its sector, but if you want a stylish 12.1in business laptop you're better off with the (admittedly more expensive) Dell Latitude E4200.

When closed, the A600 shows off the chromed and indented Toshiba logo on its lid, which complements the machine's overall semi-matte silver finish rather well. Thanks to its LED-backlit screen, the lid is very thin at less than half a centimetre. It is also slightly smaller than the laptop's base so that the backlit icons in the palm-rest are visible on the protruding base with the laptop closed.

Opening the lid, most will be pleased to hear the screen is surrounded by a matte black bezel, though there's a small glossy section for the webcam. Aside from a couple of chromed touches for the power button and around the touchpad , though, the A600 is substance over style, so you needn't worry about tiresome fingerprints or scratch-prone glossy plastics.