Toshiba Satellite NB100 netbook hands-on suggests cramped controls

Toshiba's NB100 netbook (aka the NB105) may not step outside the box with its spec sheet, but that won't stop buyers being drawn to the reliable brand name.  TechRadar had a brief hands-on with the NB100 recently, and found that while the 120GB available hard-drive space is capacious and the Ubuntu OS smooth with its 512MB of RAM, the keyboard was smaller than on rival machines. 

That's not necessarily a hanging offence if the netbook overall is more compact, but the Toshiba has wasted space around the edges that could've been used to accommodate a larger 'board.  The trackpad, too, is a little on the small side, with the buttons particularly thin; at least, though, they're underneath the 'pad rather than on either side of it.

Both Windows XP and Ubuntu Linux versions will be on offer, the latter only in gloss black while the former will have silver and gold casings as options.  Battery life is suggested as four hours, but that's so-far untested; TechRadar do say that those familiar with Toshiba laptops will be quickly at home on the NB100, which could mean a lot if you're looking to replace your older machine with something cheap and more portable, and want to get up to speed without delay.  The cramped keyboard is a big black mark, however, and could be the Toshiba's undoing compared to rivals such as the Samsung N10.

[via GottaBeMobile]