Sourced from Stuff.
With an 8th generation Intel Core i5-8250U processor and 8 gigabytes of onboard RAM, the Portégé will fly swiftly through whatever office work you may put in front of it. The massive 8 gigs of memory, a huge figure for a machine as small as the portégé, will keep the laptop running smoothly as long as you don’t load it with countless unnecessary brands of antivirus software.
A robust 512GB SSD ensures enough space for the working professional’s documents, and maybe even an extra folder or two of whatever you may need. The Dynabook’s power is only complemented by its compact size. Small enough to fit it into a handbag comfortably, and comes in a designer black, with pale grey hairline.
The Dynabook is frontloaded with Windows 10 Pro, recommended for business.
Very light and running immaculately – the laptop has the kind of performance that just makes everything in your life better. The screen, an impressive 13.3” display with an internal resolution of 1920 x 1080, reproduces gorgeous and vibrant colours in high definition – running on an Intel UHD Graphics 620 card.
Another highlight is its capable battery – running several tabs on Chrome, and working on multiple documents throughout the day on bright screen usage will eat away the battery very slowly. You will only really need to charge up at the end of the day, and only once. That may not sound too impressive, but combined with the performance, and crystal clear display it is quite a feat for such a nifty little laptop.
However, the machine’s size could be a drawback for someone who yearns for something more sturdy in hand, or on the move, as the device can feel fragile. Its black tile keyboard, the worst feature on the device, seems cheap. Like a wrong button press could tear the whole thing free.
The device’s second-largest drawback is its niche nature – the laptop is a beast for what it is made for. Its limited graphics card would eventually become a problem for professionals in the art world, working with computer-generated graphics or even design – for example, 3D Studio Max would take hours to render scenes – and its 8 gigs of RAM will eventually run its course after a few years of sustained use. A video-gaming rig the Dynabook is not, but that’s not what it wants to be either.
Verdict
The bestial Portégé is a quintessential business laptop. Office work will be buttery smooth, and its portability is of a life-saving quality. No more massive, rectangular and unwieldy laptops crawling to life. The Dynabook will get you to work before all of your colleagues can even get into the Password screen.
For the business professional who has to slog through spreadsheets and emails on the daily, this machine might be the only laptop you’ll ever need. As long as you can ignore the lacklustre keyboard.
But for any other uses, consider a machine with a bit more firepower.
The Dynabook Portégé A30-E-18W offers a hell of a lot of performance for a relatively good price. Retailing at around $1141 (R20,000).
