Toshiba Tecra 9000

A powerful system with integrated wireless Lan adapters.

Price: £1999

Manufacturer: Toshiba

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Verdict

Pros:

Alloy casing; solid performance; integrated wireless Lan.
Cons: No floppy disk drive supplied as standard.
Overall The Tecra 9000 isn't a low-cost system, but it's saved from being overpriced by a combination of strength, not to mention the less visible advantages bestowed by the integrated wireless Lan adapters.

Dominic Bucknall, PC Magazine 29 Apr 2002

Toshiba has revamped its notebook PC line-up with the launch of a new range of Tecra and Portégé systems designed to provide a complete portable solution for business buyers.

The two models are intended to mix easily in the workplace, with a single port replicator option that fits both, and interchangeable drive modules which can be shared readily between users as the need arises.

The Tecra 9000 is very manageable, with a carrying weight of 2.45kg, or 2.1kg with a weight-saver in place of its optical drive. This is in spite of having both its lid and main casing manufactured from magnesium alloy, which provides excellent heat dissipation and a good protective envelope to guard against damage. Part of the reason for its relative lightness is its modest 310mm by 269mm footprint and fairly slim case.

It's based on Intel's 1GHz Pentium III Processor-M. It's also supplied with an 8-speed Toshiba DVDRom drive as standard, with the option of replacing it in the modular drive bay with a range of devices, including a DVD/CD-RW combination drive (£199.99 ex. VAT), second battery (£124.99 ex. VAT) or hard disk drive (£299.99 ex. VAT).

A floppy disk drive isn't supplied as standard, so you'll have to purchase the external-only USB drive as an extra for £59.99 (ex. VAT).

Conventional serial ports and PS/2 interfaces are retained, although it does have two USB ports as well. It's also fitted with a 4-pin IEEE 1394 port for fast connection to scanners and digital cameras, as well as a Secure Digital flash memory card slot. This will also accept Multi Media Cards, which are used by some PDAs and MP3 players.

A V.90 modem and 10/100 Base-T networking come as standard, as well as a Lucent Technologies' 802.11b wireless local area network (Lan) adapter. Selected models are also equipped with Bluetooth, which can be activated by a switch on the front edge of the case. Battery life is adequate, with BatteryMark 4.0.1 returning a rundown time of two hours and 51 minutes.

Contact: Toshiba 020 7242 7295
www.computers.toshiba.co.uk/

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