Description:
The Basics:
As the midlevel model in Toshiba's powerful, multimedia-friendly A75 roster of portable computers, the Satellite A75-S226 Notebook PC provides a good compromise between price and performance. Featuring a 15.4-inch widescreen display perfect for DVD viewing, an extremely potent Intel Pentium 4 processor and all the connectivity you'll need for the latest digital camcorders and cameras, the Satellite A75-S226 is a fast machine ready for most any remote or home application. Processor:
At the heart of any computer lies the CPU (or processor), a massive collection of miniature transistors that governs the speed and power of the entire unit. Some of today's notebooks are equipped with high-end CPU's on par with those found in top-of-the-line desktop PCs, though these machines are usually noticeably larger and more power hungry than their less powerful counterparts. For the Satellite A75-S226, Toshiba has selected a super-fast 3.06 GHz Pentium 4 532. This CPU is part of the new second-generation of Intel's potent Pentium 4 series, offering improved power efficiency, extra "Level 2 cache" for quicker access to recently viewed data, and "Hyper-Threading" (a technology that allows a single-CPU system to behave at times like a two-CPU system). Running at 3.02 GHz, this is a very powerful CPU that'll handle virtually anything you can throw its way. Memory:
Computers typically store information on their hard drive, but they keep frequently and recently accessed data in Random Access Memory (RAM). More RAM means faster computing, superior multitasking and less strain on your hard drive. The Satellite A75-S226 includes 512 MB of RAM, an allotment that's considered quite adequate even if you perform lots of multitasking. The system also allows you to expand to a whopping 1.5 GB of RAM, more than enough for any situation you'll ever come across. Video:
CPUs are usually so busy doing basic calculations that they need help translating visual output to the viewing screen. This is the duty of the graphics card (or graphics controller). This system's graphics controller is an ATI Mobility Radeon 9000 IGP with 128 MB of shared video memory. Though dedicated video memory would be ideal, the truth is that 128 MB is an impressive amount, even when shared. As such, the Satellite A75-S226 will smoothly and accurately display all 2D and most 3D applications. You may need to upgrade this video controller if you plan to operate super high-end games and 3D animation packages, but the system is otherwise a video powerhouse. Display:
At 15.4 inches and featuring a widescreen format suitable for displaying DVD movies, the unit's WXGA TFT active matrix display is great for multimedia enthusiasts. The screen's highest supported resolution of 1280 by 800 is superior to the genre's average 1024 by 768, delivering crisp images and lots of fine detail. Hard Disk:
The Satellite A75-S226 features a solid 60 GB of hard disk space. This is an average size for today's notebooks, offering enough room for general applications and files and a small library of music or multimedia files too. Optical Drive:
An optical drive is essential in today's computing environment. A "CD-ROM" drive allows you to install CD-based applications and play music CDs. A "CD-RW" drive adds CD "burning", so you can also backup your important files to long-lasting discs and create personalized music CDs. With a DVD-ROM drive you can watch DVD movies. And with a DVD-RW drive, you can "write" home movies to durable discs and archive files to DVD (DVDs boast more than seven times the storage capacity of a CD). Some drives allow you to do a combination or all of these tasks. This particular system features an extremely versatile "SuperMulti" drive that supports that supports all of the above in every currently available CD or DVD format. Audio:
The system features an integrated audio processor that mimics the spatial awareness of surround sound through its two stereo speakers. Keyboard and Controls:
You'll control your notebook via an 85-key keyboard with 12 function keys and a TouchPad pointing device. CD control functions include play/pause, stop/eject, previous, and skip/next. Connectivity and Expansion:
The Satellite A75-S226 offers a wide variety of ways to keep in touch, including a 56K modem for low-speed dial-up Internet and email access, an RJ-45 Ethernet port for high-speed wired network and Internet, and integrated wireless LAN for cordless e-communication at home, at the office or on the road via a local public hotspot. Other key amenities include three high-speed USB 2.0 ports for fast interaction with plug and play devices such as external drives and digital cameras, and an IEEE 1394 FireWire port (commonly used for quick data uploads from digital camcorders). Operating System and Software:
Toshiba has fitted the system with today's most widely accepted operating system, Microsoft's Windows XP Home Edition. Dimensions and Weight:
Notebook computers are manufactured in a wide variety of sizes and weights. Many of today's most powerful notebooks are also the largest, weighing ten or twelve lbs or more and therefore too big and cumbersome for extensive, continuous traveling. These are often referred to as "desktop replacements". On the other extreme are "thin and lights" or "ultra-portables", super-miniaturized units that typically aren't as powerful as their larger brethren but weigh as little as two lbs and will often fit comfortably inside a large purse. The Satellite A75-S206 is considered quite slim by today's standards, at just 1.1 inches thick. Otherwise, it is of average size at 14.4 by 10.8 inches and 7.7 lbs. Power:
The system is equipped with a 12-cell Lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery. Though you won't experience the long battery life of today's ultra-light notebooks (often powered by super-efficient but less powerful Intel "Pentium M" processors), the Satellite A75-S226 will deliver in excess of 2 hours between charges, an impressive duration considering its level of power.
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