Buying a solid laptop that won’t die after two years of use usually means buying an Apple laptop. The gap between Apple laptops and other laptops tends to be a big one. While not quite on par with the latest MacBook Air, the Toshiba Portege R835-P70 is a good alternative to those seeking a laptop that’s less than $1000. Presently, the Portege retails for around $750.

There are a few things that set the Portege apart from other laptops in its class. Appearance-wise, Toshiba’s offering is slick, thin enough to carry, and plenty good-looking to appease most laptop users. The Portege is also a bit of a workhorse, so you can opt for this laptop if you use a laptop on a regular basis. Check out the additional specs below for further information about the Portege.

Battery Life

Battery life is a big deal when it comes to any device. Whether you’re talking about a smartphone or a laptop, it’s important to have a battery that can make it through the day. After all, attempting to work on a laptop that dies after an hour or so of use is annoying, frustrating, and pretty much defeats the purpose of a laptop.

Toshiba equipped the Portege with a battery that can last all-day (as Toshiba puts it). Essentially, this means that the Portege won’t give up after a few hours of use. As with any laptop though, the Portege might begin losing battery effectiveness after you’ve had this laptop for awhile, but this is something that’s hard to avoid with any laptop purchase.

The Guts

So, what’s inside of the Portege that makes this laptop so much better than the other $600+ offerings? I’m not saying that the Portege is better than the MacBook Air – it isn’t. But, it is a laptop that has gained plenty of review attention. In fact, it was one of the first laptops to include Intel’s Sandy Bridge processor.

When Intel’s Core i5 CPU came out, it was the processor to be reckoned with. Now that most other laptops include Sandy Bridge, it’s fair to assume that the Toshiba Portege is no longer at the top of its class, but this is a false assumption.

The Portege still commands attention with a slick design, long battery life, and general excellence. Sure, Toshiba isn’t know as being one of the top laptop companies out there, but this is one laptop that you certainly shouldn’t overlook.

Other Offerings

Really, there aren’t a lot of other offerings in the Portege’s class. If you dip well under the $700 range, you can find some decent laptops, but these don’t compare. As mentioned, the MacBook Pro line is difficult to compete with, but you’ll have to shell out more than $1000 for Apple’s prized laptop. If you aren’t convinced that the Portege is for you, there is an HP on the market that might pique your interest.

The HP Mini 5103 is priced around $650. This laptop does have Sandy Bridge, but it’s not quite as nice as the Toshiba Portege. If you have a chance to compare the two laptops, take both for a spin. You’ll quickly see that the Portege is a much better option, though if you can cough up the extra $300 for a MacBook Pro, this is the way to go.