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If you're a student or fresh graduate looking for an affordable laptop solution, the Toshiba NB15t is definitely a keeper. For the price, you get the most you can out of an 11.6-inch laptop before moving up to more expensive 12-inch models.
Out of its competition, the NB15t lends itself as being a more powerful overall machine that's also a smidge larger than the rest, too. If battery power is more of a priority, the HP Pavilion TouchSmart 11 wins out with a slight lead.
We liked
All in all, the Toshiba NB15t is an attractive and spiffy little machine. The laptop does not look or feel like a budget machine. It's uniquely textured, faux aluminum shell really had us liking it.
While it's one of the biggest light laptop's I've handled, the Satellite is still something I would be comfortable with carrying around all day. With the Bay Trail processor, the NB15t was more than capable at handling all my daily tasks even when I threw in some light gaming.
We disliked
It's impossible to look away from the NB15t's underwhelming battery life. At just three hours under an intensive load, and roughly five hours on a regular workday, you'll want to keep the power cord close at all times. Still, users should be able to eke out up to a full hour of more juice by lowering the screen brightness and budgeting their multitasking.
Some other glaring quirks I can't ignore: namely, the overly bright screen. More importantly, the oddly arranged keyboard can range from awful to atrocious depending on the user. They're both things I eventually got used to, but the NB15t is clearly far from perfect on all fronts.
Final verdict
The Toshiba NB15t offers a lot for an affordable price. It sits easily within its 11-inch class as something more substantial than a web-reliant Chromebook with some of the power you'd expect from a larger laptop. Even against the Acer C720P Chromebook and HP Pavilion TouchSmart 11, the NB15t is the one of the most powerful machines we've handled in the light and portable space for less than $400.
With a touchscreen and no tradeoffs in power or cheap construction, the Toshiba is easily a laptop I'd easily use everyday. Need even more punch? Try a pricier option, like the Asus VivoBook S200. Regardless, buyers on a budget won't be disappointed with the Toshiba Satellite NB15t.
