The netbook camp is largely divided into two groups — the people who like them due to their small size, and those who like them being so darn cheap. There’s actually a third group that sits on both sides of that fence. Toshiba knows that members of the “cheap” group are not necessarily fond of the super-portable netbooks, and it has released the Satellite L355 for just $348. What sets this cheap notebook apart from the crowd is what the low price gets you — Laptop Magazine finds that “you’d be hard pressed to find a budget notebook that gives you better specs and performance punch for your dollar.”
So what does $348 get you? A big 17-inch notebook with decent screen resolution (1440×900) and a DVD drive. It also has 3 GB of RAM and a 250 GB hard drive, so it’s not totally stripped down. The processor is not the latest and greatest from Intel, but you can’t expect a top-notch CPU in a notebook costing less than 350 bucks. Overall, Laptop Magazine found the L355 to be a decent notebook that is far cheaper than most other 17-inch laptops. Heck, it’s actually $51 less expensive than the netbook Kevin bought recently, so if size is not your main concern, it’s worth a look.

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