Toshiba Tecra M11 review

We review the Toshiba Tecra M11 to see what the machine can offer workers on the move.

Toshiba Tecra M11

At 38mm at its thickest point it's not the slimmest machine, but its build quality and 2.4kg weight mean that we'd have no hesitation tossing it into a bag.

The selection of ports and sockets is good, too. Three USB 2 ports sit beside an eSATA socket, card reader, physical wireless switch, two megapixel webcam, ExpressCard/34 slot and Mini DisplayPort output.

The ergonomics are more of a mixed bag. The keyboard is resolutely traditional, with a layout devoid of odd choices and no sign of Scrabble-tile keys. As befits the Tecra M11, there's no give in the base, and this makes for a solid and responsive typing action. Our only qualm is that the lightness of the keys results in an irritating clicking noise when typing.

The track pad is less impressive. The chrome-effect buttons - about the only sigh of extravagance on the machine - are stiff to press, and there's too much friction on the track pad to make it comfortable to use.

Luckily, Toshiba has borrowed from Lenovo's ThinkPad range and included a track point in the middle of the keyboard alongside a second pair of buttons, and both are easier to use: the track point is responsive and has a grippy, textured surface, and the buttons are far lighter.

Mike Jennings

 

Mike Jennings has worked as a technology journalist for more than a decade and has been fascinated by computers since childhood, when he spent far too long building terrible websites. He loves desktop PCs, components, laptops and anything to do with the latest hardware.

Mike worked as a staff writer at PC Pro magazine in London for seven years, and during that time wrote for a variety of other tech titles, including Custom PC, Micro Mart and Computer Shopper. Since 2013, he’s been a freelance tech writer, and writes regularly for titles like Wired, TechRadar, Stuff, TechSpot, IT Pro, TrustedReviews and TechAdvisor. He still loves tech and covers everything from the latest business hardware and software to high-end gaming gear, and you’ll find him on plenty of sites writing reviews, features and guides on a vast range of topics.

You can email Mike at mike@mike-jennings.net, or find him on Twitter at @mikejjennings