Toshiba Satellite T135 Review

The 13-inch Toshiba Satellite T135 is an Intel CULV-powered ultraportable boasting long battery life, a thin chassis, and a very low weight. Powered by the 1.3GHz SU4100 and Intel X4500 integrated graphics this notebook is a big step above netbooks but still offers many similar features that are attractive to people who don't want to lug around a full-size notebook. In this review we see how well the Toshiba Satellite T135 performs in our tests, and if it is really worth the price premium over a standard netbook.

Toshiba Satellite T135 Specifications:

• 1.3GHz Intel Pentium Dual Core(2MB Cache, 800MHz FSB)
• 4GB PC3-8500 DDR3 (2 x 2GB)
• Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit
• 13.3" WXGA HD TruBrite LED Backlit display (1366x768)
• 320GB 5400RPM Toshiba SATA Hard Drive
• Intel X4500M Integrated Graphics
• Realtek 802.11b/g/n, Atheros 10/100 LAN
• 6-in-1 card reader
• 6-Cell Li-ion 61WH battery (70Wh reported), 65W Power Supply
• Dimensions: (W x L x H) 12.7" x 8.78" x 0.87"/1.35"
• Weight: 3lbs 12.9oz (with 6-cell battery)
• Price as configured: $709.99

Build and Design
The Toshiba Satellite T135 is a stylish ultraportable that looks like a standard notebook from up top, but is much thinner when you see its side profile. Toshiba keeps the profile only a fraction of an inch thicker than the ports on the side of the notebook, though this is done in large part by cutting out things like an ExpressCard slot and optical drive. For the average user this notebook has all the advantages of a standard computer--a 13.3" display and full-size keyboard--but none of the bulk. The color scheme looks nice, although the red is more of a slight purple or pink than what a deep red should look like. Toshiba offers multiple color schemes for this notebook, so if the red doesn't tickle your fancy there are other options like white or black to choose from as well.

Build quality is very nice despite the very thin chassis. Flex and squeaks are kept to a minimum on the lower half of the body, and a metal plate over the hard drive helps keep the vital components safe. The screen cover feels durable as well, although it has just a hair of flex near the section next to the screen hinges which creaked if you gripped it over that spot. If you don't have a death grip over the notebook, it shouldn't present any sort of problems. The glossy finish on the body holds up very well to scratches, which is a must since you will probably be wiping it down frequently to keep it clean of fingerprints and smudges. The pattern does a good job of hiding small prints, but it will eventually hit a critical mass that will need a microfiber rub-down.

Users looking to upgrade internal components shouldn't have any problem getting to the system memory or hard drive as long as they have a good set of precision screwdrivers. The Toshiba Satellite T135 is unique in that it uses Torx screws for the hard drive plate ... which aren't always kept in the average person's arsenal of tools. The memory slot cover used standard Phillips screws, so that can be opened even with very common tools. No warranty void if removed stickers were found anywhere, so it should be safe to swap out components without risking your support contract.

Screen and Speakers
The 13.3" LED-backlit screen rates about average compared to other similarly sized screens. Color saturation appears to be above average, but the weaker contrast ratio doesn't help with really deep black backgrounds. Viewing angles rate slightly below average, with colors quickly inverting both vertically and horizontally. Vertical viewing angles start to show color inversion about 15 degrees forward or back. Horizontal viewing angles start to show color distortion at about 45 degrees, mostly in the darker colors. Viewing brightness is adequate for viewing in bright conditions, but outdoor visibility is limited from the amount of reflections off the panel surface.

Speaker quality seemed below average, with a very low peak volume level. Even with the system volume and application volume maxed, it didn't sound much louder than most systems at 50-60%. My best guess as to the reason behind this is the super small speaker drivers and location underneath the palmrest. Sound quality was average for a notebook of this size, with weak bass and midrange audio. Headphones should be a required accessory for this notebook.

Keyboard and Touchpad
The full-size keyboard is comfortable to type on and offers excellent support even under very strong pressure. I found the palmrest size to be just perfect to rest my wrists without causing any stress points while typing. The individual keys had a reasonable springy action and, while not as stiff as other keyboard, is still very responsive. Each key had a non-cupped flat surface, similar to a Chiclet-style keyboard but without the sharp drop-off between each key. Typing noise was minimal, with very little sound emitted when each key was triggered. Consumers who are thinking about buying this notebook for typing long documents should have no problems whatsoever.

The Synaptics touchpad was a slight disappointment in that it had a very slow refresh rate. Compared to other touchpads where you can draw circles quick enough to the point where the cursor starts to test the refresh rate of the panel, this particular version reminded us of those old mouse trails. Replacing the drivers with the latest ones offered on the Synaptics website was of no use, since it exhibited the same problem with those as well. The good news though is with the drivers uninstalled, the slow refresh speeds were gone, meaning that it is entirely a driver problem. Going without the drivers isn't the best option for most uses though, since you lose helpful features like scrolling, and corrective features that equalize movement on the X and Y axis. Not counting the driver problems, the touchpad wasn't that bad to use with a great surface texture that allowed you to glide your fingertip effortlessly across the surface. The touchpad buttons could have been improved, as they are part of a single span that pivots at the center. If you normally center your finger by feel alone, you might accidentally click on the middle (which doesn't move) or click on the wrong side.

Ports and Features
Port selection is fairly good when compared to ultraportable notebooks, but without an ExpressCard slot it is lacking compared to regular notebooks. The T135 includes three USB ports, VGA and HDMI-out, LAN, audio jacks, and a Kensington lock slot. Expansion slots include just the 6-in-1 SDHC-compatible card reader.

Front: Indicator lights

Rear: Battery

Left: Kensington lock slot, VGA, HDMI, one USB

Right: 6-in-1 card slot, audio jacks, two USB, LAN, AC power

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Performance and Benchmarks
System performance with the CULV processor and chipset from Intel was a step up from netbooks, but still behind more powerful standard notebooks. With that said, we found this ultra-portable to be perfectly capable in day-to-day activities. Startup time to an idle state in Windows 7 ranged between 50-55 seconds, with shutdown times as quick as 9 seconds. Coming out of standby was nearly instantaneous, with no discernable lag after you pressed the power button. Inside the Windows environment, application load times were quick, although more intensive applications like iTunes might be delayed compared to a more powerful notebook. HD video playback for both 720P and 1080P content was flawless, showing no signs of lag or stutter in our tests. Peak CPU usage during the 1080P test stayed at or below 50%, leaving plenty of room for overhead work. Besides trying to use 3D intensive applications, this ultra-portable is perfectly capable of running everything what the average user might throw at it.

wPrime processor comparison results (lower scores mean better performance):

PCMark05 measures overall system performance (higher scores mean better performance):

3DMark06 measures overall graphics performance for gaming (higher scores mean better performance):

HDTune storage drive performance test:

Heat and Noise
Noise levels were great for normal daily use. The default fan speed was off, keeping the notebook completely silent during low activity. If you started to stress the system the fan would turn on, but stay at a low speed that was whisper quiet. The quiet fan did have a downside though, with higher than normal case temperatures when the notebook had been on for a long time and mildly stressed. The most pronounced areas were the left side of the palmrest, and bottom right corner of the underside.

Battery Life
Battery life was excellent on the Satellite T135; perfect for handling an entire day's work at school or just killing time at a coffee shop. In our battery test with the screen brightness set to 70%, wireless active, and Windows 7 set to the balanced profile the system managed 8 hours and 18 minutes before turning off. Power consumption during the test stayed between 7 to 7.5 watts. Turning the brightness down to 20-30%, which was still readable in a darker setting, increased the estimated battery life to 10+ hours with power consumption averaging between 5.6 to 6.5 watts.

Conclusion
The Toshiba Satellite T135 performed well in our tests, being very lightweight and portable, while still providing excellent battery life. With battery life lasting over 8 hours, this ultra-portable has what it takes to stay working over a long flight or during a day of classes. The design was very attractive, and offered in multiple color schemes to best match your personality. Build quality was very good, with only one area that flexed and creaked when pressed. The only real downsides to this notebook are its laggy touchpad which seems to be driver related, and the hard drive bay secured with Torx screws. Priced just above $700 retail, this notebook provides plenty of value for users looking for something a step above a netbook without the added bulk of a full-size notebook.

Pros:

• Excellent battery life
• Thin and lightweight
• Solid keyboard

Cons:

• Torx screws on the hard drive bay cover
• Super glossy plastics

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• Toshiba Satellite U505 Review
• Toshiba Satellite E105 Review

 

I actually like the sporty look of this color on the T135, sort of a burgundy red. The Asus UL30 has a distinct performance advantage over this for about $100 more. Which would you choose between this and the Asus UL30a Kevin?

 

I would probably lean towards the UL30 for the performance advantage and cool aluminum trim. It also didnt show any problems with its touchpad, which is a sticking point for me since they tend to drive me insane.

 

Nice review! Thanks!
I wonder how that compares to these soon-to-be-launched multi-touch laptops

 

nice looking notebook. i'd probably get a culv notebook soon for those coffee shop meetings

 

I don't much like this laptop actually. You can get an Acer timeline for $450-$600, which can be 13.3"-15.6" with an internal optical drive on the larger ones. Those offer similar battery life too. And if those aren't good enough then Acer & Gateway have some 11.6" netbooks running with Core 2 Solo's ULV processors for a mere $450. So that means that this one is prices out of it's league, in my mind. It also does not have anything very unique about it, aside from it's thin (kinda) chassis.

The Gigantic battery sticking out of the bottom of the computer turns me off, a lot. It nearly doubles the thickness of the bottom half of the system, which is a lot...

 

Seriously, who does Toshiba think they are pricing their products like this? The only time I've ever seen a Toshiba on sale (which really means it's in line with the prices of comparative laptops from other brands) is really late in the product cycle and only for the low-end ones to boot. It's not as if they are known for using the best materials or having the best quality like Lenovo, and it's not like they are manufactured in Japan like Fujitsu. Toshiba is about the same as HP and Dell. They are expensive with little to show for it.

 

Agreed... $700 is a bit too much for this kind of laptop.

 

what did you use to estimate batterylife?

 

I'm really pissed off with this laptop for the touchpad problem and this problem:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=469957