Toshiba Tecra A11-S3540 Review
Design & Build Quality
One of the things we immediately noticed about the Tecra A11-S3540 was its textured finish in charcoal black. Considering this notebook primarily targets business users, we think this finish was a wise choice on Toshiba's part—Business users who want an understated design will definitely appreciate the finish on the A11. In addition, this finish doesn't tend to attract fingerprints like other high gloss finishes we've seen on some of Toshiba's Satellite models such as the Toshiba Satellite T135D-S1324.
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On the front edge of the system, you'll find speakers, various system indicator lights, a memory card reader, wireless antenna on/off switch, and a wireless indicator light. The back side of the notebook has the notebook's security lock slot, RGB (monitor) port, a serial port, AC adapter jack, modem port, and a network port.
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You'll find the A11's optical drive (pull-out tray type), two USB ports, and the headphone and microphone jacks on the right side of the machine. The left side has a USB Sleep-and-Charge port, an eSATA/USB Sleep-and-Charge Combo port, cooling vent, mini display port, and ExpressCard slot.
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Upon opening the lid, you'll see the same textured finish as on the outside of the notebook. With the exception of a couple of stickers, it's a pretty clean slate. Near the power button, you'll notice the following Media Control buttons: TOSHIBA eco Utility, Presentation, and Volume Down/Up controls.
The TouchPad has a smooth finish with a defined edge and two silver buttons beneath. Between these mouse buttons, you'll find the A11's fingerprint sensor. The keyboard is nice and roomy with a pretty standard layout and matte keys that won't attract fingerprints. Anyone who regularly uses his laptop for data entry will also appreciate the roomy 10-key numeric keypad.
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The 15.6-inch widescreen LED backlit display has a matte finish which helps to eliminate glare. The screen supports 720p content and has a native resolution of 1600 x 900. The notebook opens and closes smoothly, though the hinges offer enough resistance that the notebook often lifted slightly from the desk if you attempt to open it with one hand. Above the display, you’ll find the system’s webcam.
