Toshiba NB305-10F review

This refreshed version of the Toshiba NB305 is almost identical to the one we reviewed back in July, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. At the time, we said it was one of the best netbooks around.

From the outside it’s difficult to notice any differences in this new model. The smart textured lid and silver case remain unchanged, as do the Chiclet-style keyboard and large touchpad. The keyboard is still comfortable to use, but minor issues such as the small tab key and relocated backslash are still annoyances. The overall design of the keyboard tray hasn’t changed, and as such looks slightly dated compared to the current netbook competition. The two individual touchpad buttons have excellent feedback, while the touchpad is just as responsive as the old model’s.

The 10.1in screen has a glossy coating but it was fine to use in well-lit areas and didn’t create distracting reflections. Although viewing angles weren’t fantastic, there was plenty of screen tilt for finding the perfect angle. Contrast was average, brightness wasn’t dazzling and colour reproduction was slightly inaccurate. White images had a slight yellow tinge, giving the overall picture a slightly washed-out look. The 1,024×600 resolution is the standard for this screen size, but everything looked sharp. Audio was disappointing: the downward facing speakers were both very quiet and poor quality.