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Toshiba's system concentrates on good ergonomic design, which is why it's got a good keyboard and trackpad built inside a sturdy frame. That will help this system excel as a work laptop, and the Core i5 processor will help with general office software, too, even if it lacks the grunt to take on more demanding applications.
In other departments, though, this system disappoints. The screen quality is poor, battery life is middling, and its all-black chassis doesn't exactly set the pulse racing.
We liked
Toshiba knows the business market, so it's no surprise that it's concentrated on the practical aspects of the R50's design. Build quality is consistently good, and the keyboard and trackpad both have the quality required to get serious work done.
The R50 is slim and light, too, although it's design isn't much cop – this isn't a laptop for turning heads, and both of its rivals are better-looking.
Performance isn't anything to shout about, either, but the Core i5 processor provides enough grunt to get modest jobs done.
We disliked
The R50's modest budget means this is a dull-looking laptop, but that's not the only area that's suffered.
The screen lacks the colour accuracy, contrast and resolution for any sort of serious work, which means that the Dell is the easy winner in this category. Battery life is fine but no outstanding, and the Core i5 processor is only capable of handling mid-range work tasks – for anything more demanding the Dell Inspiron 15 7000's Core i7 would be a better bet.
Final verdict
The Toshiba's good ergonomics, reasonable build quality and Core i5 processor make it a solid business notebook, but the R50 does little to stand out. The display is poor, battery life is average, and that Core i5 chip won't handle applications in the same way as the Dell's Core i7. That Dell is a better option if you've got more cash to spend, and the HP Envy 15 x360 is better-looking. Only buy the R50 if you need a mid-range machine and you're content without it turning heads.
