New Satellite Pros Barely Top $1,000

Toshiba's expanded range of business-class notebooks weigh in especially light on the wallet, with even the desktop-replacement model running for $1099.

Refreshing its Satellite Pro line of business notebooks on Tuesday, Toshiba rolled out five new machines tailored to mobile professional. The latest releases include screen sizes between 13.3 and 17 inches, processors from both Intel and AMD, and plenty of options for customization.

In its sub-$1000 range, Toshiba added the Satellite Pro L300, L300D, and M300. Both L-series machines feature 15.4-inch displays and start at $699, making them the no-frills budget machines of the group. The L300 uses Intel Core 2 Duo processors, while the L300D uses AMD dual-core processors. The pricier $999 M300 knocks screen size down to a more compact 14.1 inches, along with adding options like a 1.3-megapixel webcam with built-in microphone.

The tiniest model, the U400, sports a 13.3-inch screen and weighs as little as 4.5 pounds. It also picks up a range of extra features, including built-in Bluetooth v2.1, a fingerprint reader, and a 3D accelerometer for hard driver protection in falls. Prices on the U400 start at $1,049.

The larger L350 serves as a desktop replacement, thanks to its 17-inch XGA+ screen and 10-key numeric pad, a rarity on laptops. Like many of the other Satellite Pros, it picks up a 1.3-megapixel webcam, but also options like a wireless 802.11n capability and a 160GB hard drive. It sells for $1,099.

All the new Satellite Pro machines are available immediately from Toshiba via Toshiba Direct.