The Toshiba Satellite Pro U400 is the business version of the more consumer oriented Toshiba Satellite U405. This 13.3" notebook gives business users or standard consumers another notebook option if they really like the size and features of the Satellite U405, but don't want the "Look at Me!" glossy finish.Read on to see what we think of this business counterpart to the consumer Satellite U405.
Toshiba Pro U400 has the following specifications:
- Windows XP Professional (SP2)
- Intel T8100 Penryn (2.1GHz) Processor
- 13.3" WXGA 1280x800 TruBrite Display (Glossy)
- Intel X3100 Integrated Graphics
- Intel Pro 3945ABG (802.11a/b/g) and Bluetooth V2.1 +EDR
- 1GB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM (maximum capacity 4GB)
- 160GB 5400rpm Toshiba Hard Drive
- DVD SuperMulti (+/-R double layer) drive
- 1.3 megapixel webcam
- Stereo speakers
- Fingerprint reader
- Dimensions (WxDxH Front/H Rear): 12.4" x 9.02" x 1.08" /1.38" with feet
- Weight: 4.61lbs with six-cell battery
- 75W (19V x 3.95A) 100-240V AC Adapter
- 6-cell (4800mAh) Lithium Ion battery
- 1-Year Standard Limited Warranty
Build and Design
The Toshiba Satelite ProU400's stylish design features a 2-tone color scheme of matte silver on black. Many of the traditionally-square notebook features have been softened with round edges. The overall style is carried onto the keyboard and touchpad areas with both reflecting the shape of the notebook itself. Once the factory stickers are removed from the palmrest areas, the notebook's design blends into a cohesive whole. The plastic case of the notebook is fairly durable, with no squeaks or creaks when carrying it around.
Some flex is present on vast open areas like the screen cover or palmrest, but it is pretty minor unless you always find yourself giving your notebook a death grip. The left edge of the palmrest above the ExpressCard slot is probably the worst point of flex on the entire notebook, since it has no bracing unless a card is inserted.
Keyboard and Touchpad
The keyboard found on the Toshiba Satellite Pro U400 was very good for a notebook of this size. The keyboard stayed in place while typing, even under heavy pressure. Very little sagging was present during our testing, although the left side did have a smidgen more movement than the right side.
Display
The 13.3" WXGA screen found on the Toshiba Satellite Pro U400 rates average, and came with no problems or defects. The screen was dead/stuck pixel free during our review period, and was sealed well enough to prevent any major backlight leakage. The screen backlight was powerful enough to allow comfortable viewing in an office setting with as low as 40-50% backlight brightness level.
Audio
Speaker performance on the little Toshiba Satellite Pro U400 is rather weak, with really dinky speakers located in front of the screen hinges. They work well for mild music listening or system notifications, but lack all low and midrange audio. The better alternative choice is using a nice pair of headphones and the headphone jack. That way you can listen to music or movies as loud as you want, while not annoying those around you too much (singing excluded). The Toshiba Satellite U400 gives business users a solid feature list and moderate performance, but did not do as well as the nearly identical configured Toshiba Satellite U405 we previously reviewed using Vista instead of XP. Performance across the board was less in every test we performed, with the only configuration difference between increased RAM on the Vista model. The other downside to this configuration is the paint finish which doesn't hold up as well as the Fusion finish on the consumer line, evident by the scuff marks already found on our review sample. If you were looking to purchase this notebook, I might direct you to a Vista configuration of the business Satellite ProU400, or the consumer Satellite U405 entirely for the better Fusion finish.