The Toshiba NB100-NR netbook is one of the last major entries into the some-what crowded netbook market. Toshiba has played on the cautious side and stuck to a compact design simialr to the Dell Inspiron Mini 9 or the Acer Aspire One netbooks.
To this end, you’ll find a 8.9-inch screen with a compact but highly usable 1024 x 600-pixel resolution. The fact the Toshiba NB100-11R weighs in at just 1.1kg, makes this a great device for use on the move, something we did with our review unit.
The design is small and compact with the black and silver finish being touch and great to the touch but the overall look is rather businesslike rather than funky and fresh. The screen is good for viewing documents on and with the addition of 802.11g inside you’ll find that webpages look fine. Though, you will need to scroll slightly to view the full page.
This smaller screen size does mean the keyboard is compromised and you’ll find the keys cramped together a little more than most people will like. Obviously, this smaller netbook size means you’ll be able to slip it into any carry case. We found we could easily get three hours form the rather bulky battery pack. This isn’t ideal but it’s very much inline with similarly sized netbooks.
What we really like about this netbook is the use of a Linux interface, which allows for an instant bootup function far quicker than we’ve seen on the Acer Aspire One, for instance. That said it isn’t as easy to get to grips with as Linux on the Asus Eee PC. If you don’t like the idea of Liux, then you’ll find a Windows XP version is also on offer.
In terms of performance, the Toshiba NB100-11R packs in pretty much what we’ve come to expect. So, you’ll find the Intel Atom N270 processor, 1024MB of memory and 80GB hard drive.
In daily use we found this netbook awkward and a little confusing to get to grips with. The Ubuntu interface works well, once you’re accustomed too it, but we feel that many people will initially be put off by the interface.
Verdict
The Toshiba NB100-11R isn’t about to take the netbook market by storm but as a first attempt it’s a reasonable and practical device.
Best features
Quick bootup
Nice interface
Not so good
Tiny keyboard
Awkward design
Closest rivals
Acer Aspire One A110
This 8.9-inch netbook uses Linux for a quick boot-up and easy to understand interface. It’s slim and light and makes a great choice for those with smaller hands
Advent 4211c Netbook
The screen and keyboard are the same size as the Samsung NC10, make this a smashing, and cheaper alternative, but it can’t quite match the battery life
Asus Eee PC 900 12GB
Packing everything you’ll need into this 8.9-inch netbook hasn’t been easy but Asus has managed it, and delivers on the battery life front too
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