Toshiba’s Protégé X20W-D Business Ultrabook Is Tough And Reliable

The keyboard itself is well designed for easy typing, except with its slightly sunken position issue that I mentioned earlier. It’s worth noting that this laptop does not have the protective ridge in front of the spacebar that I’ve found on other ultrabooks that seriously interfere with the keyboard. Its slightly depressed position in the case is something you can get used to.

The full 1920 x 1080 HD display is very clear and easy to read with LED backlighting that is very bright. The Protégé has a surprisingly good set of speakers that belie their tiny size.

Watching music videos or a movie is a comfortable experience with this device. The pictures are clear with excellence definition and range of brightness. Still photos and drawings are likewise clear.

Toshiba Protégé X20W-D

As is the case with some other 2–in–1 laptops, the one thing that suffers is the number and type of ports. With the Protégé you get two. One of them is a USB 3.0 port, and the other is a USB Type C port that supports Thunderbolt 3 and video. If you need more than this, you’ll need to order Toshiba’s Thunderbolt 3 expansion dock.

Toshiba includes a USB type C to HDMI adapter with this laptop. One thing to keep in mind is that the laptop draws its power through the USB type C port, so you can’t use the adapter and also the power. Fortunately, Toshiba says the battery will last for 16 hours.

The Thunderbolt 3 docking station from Toshiba has an MSRP of $299 and it provides a wealth of ports, and it provides power to the Protégé via the USB Type C port. With the docking station you get three more USB 3.0 ports, Ethernet, two HDMI ports and two Display Ports, one regular sized and one that’s a Mini Display Port. On the front of the docking station are two USB type C ports and another USB 3.0 port and a headphone jack.

While the Protégé in this test is an expensive laptop, so are the others with which it competes. Part of the reason it’s expensive is that it’s packed with high-end components. The other reason is because it’s built to very high standards that should give this computer an exceptionally long life, even when it has to spend its time being tossed into the overhead luggage compartment, dragged through streets and occasionally dropped.

This is an excellent choice for a business laptop. It’s well designed and comfortable to use. The Toshiba Protégé X20W-D is a 2–in–1 laptop that you can be confident will come through the tough times on the road while working reliably in the office.

Originally published on eWeek