Reprint PC Magazine Review 2006.
After a brief U.S. appearance in 1997, the Toshiba Libretto was pulled from the market. Consumers just didn't go for the mini-notebook (though the tiny machines have been consistently popular in Asia). Lately, however, miniature PCs—like the Sony VAIO VGN-U750P ($1,999) and the OQO ($1,999)—have sprung up, paving the way for a reappearance by Toshiba's little gem. This time around it's the 2.1-pound Libretto U100 ($1,999). The Libretto U100 is about the size of a small book (as its name in Italian translates) and measures a mere 8.3 by 5.7 by 1.2 inches. Inside you'll find a full-size version of the Microsoft Windows XP Professional operating system. Outside, there's a touch-typable QWERTY keyboard. It's a little larger than the Sony U-Series, which doesn't have a built-in keyboard, and it's nothing like the OQO, which looks more like a T-Mobile Sidekick II. The Libretto's is 73 percent as big as a full-size keyboard, with key spacing approximately 13 mm wide. The unit integrates a pointing stick instead of a touchpad, and though you often see it placed in the middle of the keyboard on most notebooks.
The Libretto's screen is by far the biggest in this crop of miniature PCs. It sports a 7.2-inch widescreen with Toshiba's TruBrite technology. It looks just as nice as the Sony U750P's XBrite screen. Its high resolution (1280-by-768) is great for DVD movies.
The fingerprint reader was a pleasant surprise, and the enrollment process was smooth and easy. The rest of the features read like those found on a typical-size notebook: two USB ports, a FireWire port, a 10/100 Mb Ethernet port, and a modem jack. It supports VGA-out capabilities using a dongle. It also has an SD slot and a PC Card slot for removable storage. The Libretto has built-in Atheros 802.11g wireless and a physical switch to turn wireless on and off. The hard drive is impressive at 60GB, much bigger than the 20GB offerings from OQO and Sony.
Whereas the Sony U-Series comes standard with a mini dock, Toshiba offers it as an option ($379.99). Unlike the Sony's, the Libretto's docking station has a built-in optical drive and, yes, it's a DVD±RW. The dock is perfect if you're watching DVDs on business trips. It even has player controls (Play/Pause, Stop, Rewind, and Fast Forward) for easy touch and play. The travel weight with the AC adapter and dock is about 3.8 pounds.
You'll be delighted that the Libretto scored almost 4 hours (3:57) on our BatteryMark tests. That's over an hour more than the Sony U-Series (2:50). The battery sticks out about an inch from the back, which is fine. SYSmark scores were satisfactory with the system's 1.2-GHz ULV Pentium M processor and 512MB RAM.
There are countless uses for this little wonder. In addition to watching movies while we traveled, we used it to take meeting notes, download e-mail on the fly, listen to MP3s, and create PowerPoint presentations.
If you just need something you can toss in your bag to keep you in touch and caught up while on the go, the Libretto should be your tiny notebook of choice.
