Toshiba really outdid itself when it released the Toshiba mini NB305-N600 priced at $390. While following suit with an Atom processor, it differed from the rest in several ways. First off, it has an Intel Atom N550 processor that has two cores that are capable of multi-threading. That is tantamount to four logical cores working together.

There is no doubt that a 10-inch netbook is the best thing to have with you at all times. The NB305-N410, weighing at a staggering 2.8 pounds, is one of the lightest available. While design is usually the last thing that is spent valuable resources on, Toshiba made sure the NB305-N600 was not neglected. It features an aluminum brushed top that is perfectly accented by the Navy Blue color.

Being a 10-inch netbook, it is unavoidable that manufacturers would pick a 1024×600 resolution. As such, there will be times when you need to scroll down to fully appreciate a web page, document or image. It is too bad that Toshiba didn’t force it to have a 1366×768 resolution like that of other 10-inch screens. You can’t blame them too because that is the standard for 11-inch screens.

Like its predecessor, the NB305-N410, the device still has a full-size keyboard which is a huge plus. Any user would feel quite at home when typing. The experience is made even better by the big touchpad and buttons. Toshiba certainly kept end-user contentment in mind when designing this netbook.

As mentioned earlier, one eye-catching feature of the NB305-N600 is its dual-core processor. This is a significant improvement as there are already tons of single-core netbooks out there to compete with. Upgrading its processor has helped the netbook gain some ground over the competition. It would have been better though if more RAM was added. Its current 1GB capacity merely equals standard for netbooks.

The basic features are the same as with other netbooks. It seems obvious that there an HDMI port is out of the question since the display cannot handle 720p anyway. The operating system is also a measly Windows 7 Starter Edition. Besides that, it still has the basic 3 USB ports, one SD slot, RJ45 port and an integrated webcam.

Lastly, it is disheartening to find out that the NB305-N410’s 63Wh battery was neither maintained nor improved. Instead, the battery was downgraded to a 48Wh one that offers a battery life of 6 hours and 40 minutes. This value is certainly acceptable but its predecessor did better at 8 hours and 42 minutes.