Toshiba Satellite R845-S80

Toshiba Satellite R845-S80

The Toshiba Satellite R845-S80 ($649.99 at Staples) sports an attractive ribbed finish and a battery that will take you through a full workday. A second-generation Core i3 CPU and niceties such as USB 3.0 and WiDi 2.0 technology make this laptop a good value for budget-conscious shoppers, but there are better-performing notebooks to be had for around the same price. Design Weighing 4.4 pounds, the inch-thick R845-S80 is one of the lighter 14-inch notebooks around. In comparison, the Dell Inspiron i14RN4110-7616DBK ($649.99 list, 3 stars) weighs 5.2 pounds and the Asus U46E-BAL5 ($699.99 list, 4.5 stars) weighs 4.9 pounds. A polished chrome Toshiba logo adorns the lid, which is done up in a smudge-resistant dark blue magnesium alloy finish with a raised ribbed pattern. A pair of polished chrome hinges makes the notebook look more expensive than it is and gives it a solid, durable feel. Under the lid is a bright 14-inch screen with a maximum resolution of 1,366 by 768. The display has a glossy antiglare coating and delivers vibrant colors and inky blacks, but the screen darkens dramatically when viewed from a side angle. The two small speakers embedded above the keyboard are tinny and not very loud. The R845-S80 holds a full-size spill-resistant keyboard but lacks a dedicated number pad.