Toshiba Satellite L745-S4210

Toshiba Satellite L745-S4210

The Toshiba Satellite L745-S4210 ($639.99 list, at Best Buy) is the kind of back to school laptop parents wouldn't mind buying for their kids, because it's practical and unpretentious. And by unpretentious, I mean it comes off a little bland and thick compared to its peers. But what it lacks in flare it makes up for with an up-to-date processor, great battery life, and affordable pricing. Students, though, would rather sink their teeth into something that'll impress on the outside and in. Toshiba employed the right materials on the cover, using a brushed aluminum finish with a navy blue tint. Anything attractive about its metallic top, however, is undone by its overly thick frame. It measures 1.3 inches thick, which is much bulkier than the HP Pavilion dm4-1265dx ($649.99, 4 stars) (1-inch thick) and even larger budget laptops like the 15-inch HP Pavilion dv6-6013cl ($649.99 list, 4.5 stars) and Acer Aspire AS5742-6811 ($699.99 list, 4 stars). Despite its bulk, the L745-S4210 4.5 pound frame is only a smidge heavier than HP dm4-1265dx (4.4 pounds). The 14-inch widescreen is large enough so that a user can multitask with two applications at a time. It is one size bigger than the 13-inch screens found in the Apple MacBook (Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz) ($999 direct, 3.5 stars) and HP Pavilion dm3t ($625 direct, 4 stars).