Toshiba probably doesn't appreciate us calling its new 11-inch laptop a netbook. But it's the same size as a netbook, and with an MSRP of $380, it's priced like one too. Heck, the Satellite NB15t, as it's called, even follows the same naming convention as the netbooks Toshiba sold back in 2010. The nice thing about netbooks in the Windows 8 era, though, is that for the money, you also get a touchscreen. And in this case, 802.11ac WiFi. Yep, that's right: though we can't vouch for how fast a machine this will be, it does at least carry a touch panel and the latest wireless standard, two things we wouldn't normally expect to find on a low-end system.
Rounding out the list, you get a Celeron processor, 500GB of storage and 4GB of RAM -- not bad considering other cheapie touchscreen machines like the Pavilion TouchSmart 11 start with 320 gigs and still cost more. The only problem is that you'll have to wait until the holiday shopping season is half over until you can buy one: Toshiba says the NB15t won't actually ship until November. Fortunately for you, though, we've already had a few minutes of hands-on time.
Gallery: Toshiba NB15t hands-on | 7 Photos
Gallery: Toshiba NB15t hands-on | 7 Photos
Gallery: Toshiba NB15t | 4 Photos
Gallery: Toshiba NB15t | 4 Photos
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The NB15t might be more powerful than a netbook, what with its Celeron processor, but it certainly looks like one. From top to bottom, the device is fashioned out of rough plastic, with a scratchy texture on the lid, palm rest and even touchpad. The keyboard is a tad cramped, just as you'd expect on an 11-inch machine. Don't be put off by the presence of some undersized keys, however: we had no problem pecking away on the demo machine we handled. In fact, you'll almost certainly enjoy more travel here (along with a sturdier underlying panel) than you would on a keyboard accessory meant for tablets. Also, though Windows touchpads have earned themselves a bad rap, this one handled single-finger tracking with aplomb. It was even nice to have dedicated left and right click buttons, though the tradeoff, of course, is that you then have less room on the touchpad itself.
As for the display, we should tell you that the model on hand here at Toshiba's IFA booth doesn't actually have a working touch screen (weird, we know). So we can't speak to that feature of the product, though we did notice right away that the colors looked washed out when you're not looking at the screen head-on. Then again, this is a $380 laptop we're talking about. Hope nobody's shocked that the display is of the lowest acceptable quality.
TOSHIBA INTRODUCES THE COMPACT, TOUCH-ENABLED SATELLITE NB15T LAPTOP
Ideal for Home, Travel and School, the Satellite NB15t Offers Portable Convenience in a 'Clutch- sized' Design, Starting at Just $379 MSRP
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
- Easy-to-carry compact design with an 11.6-inch touch-enabled display optimized for Windows® 8.
- Ideal for daily use, the NB15t is powered by the latest Intel® Celeron® N2810 dual-core processor
and equipped with 500GB storage.
- Slim and stylish design, that's also light (3.3 pounds).
IRVINE, Calif. – Sept. 5, 2013 – Toshiba's Digital Products Division (DPD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., today announced a new value-driven laptop, the Satellite® NB15t. Featuring a compact design for greater portability, the Satellite NB15t offers families, students and frequent travelers a fully-powered, stylish touch-enabled PC for a starting price of $379.99 MSRP.
"The Satellite NB15t is a classy little 11.6-inch touchscreen PC that covers all the basics without breaking the bank," said Carl Pinto, vice president of marketing, Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., Digital Products Division. "Our customers are always looking for more ways to be mobile without sacrificing the performance and features of a bigger-sized laptop, so we built the Satellite NB15t with that in mind. Clean design, solid performance, with a slim and lightweight style is what this device is all about."
Featuring an 11.6-inch diagonal HD TruBrite® touch-enabled display2, the Satellite NB15t is optimized for Windows 8 and is ideal for both entertainment and productivity, offering plenty of screen real estate to watch, play or work. Powered by the latest generation Intel® Celeron® processor3, the Satellite NB15t delivers a combination of quality, reliability and performance for everyday tasks, plus a long battery life rating. Equipped with a 500GB hard drive4, it provides plenty of storage space for media content, while delivering other laptop essentials such as 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi®, Ethernet, USB 3.05 and HDMI® ports as well as an HD webcam. On-board stereo speakers enhanced with DTS® audio deliver rich, natural sound for music, movies and games. Dressed in a stylish textured silver finish, the Satellite NB15t stands slimly at under an inch and weighs just 3.3 pounds6.
"Our latest Celeron processor offers solid performance and great battery life, while consuming less power," said Navin Shenoy, vice president and general manager of the PC Client Group at Intel Corporation. "Toshiba's new Satellite NB15t is a great example of how the Bay Trail platform enables a new generation of highly portable and affordable devices."
Pricing and Availability
The Satellite NB15t will be available in November 2013 at major retailers, e-tailers and direct from Toshiba at ToshibaDirect.com, starting at $379.99 MSRP.
