The T235-S1345 has a shiny, patterned cover with a tapered edge, and comes in red or black. The keyboard and wristpad is silver; the keyboard has a matte finish; and the wristpad is mirrored and features a textured version of the pattern on the cover. The entire unit feels sturdy, with thick hinges and a solid plastic casing. However, the mirrored/textured wristpad looks a little cheap.

The right side of the notebook has an output port, an eSATA/USB 2.0 combination port (with sleep and charge, always a nice touch), and a multicard reader. The left side features headphone and microphone jacks, two USB 2.0 ports, a VGA output port, and an ethernet port. The T235-S1345 also has a built-in Webcam and microphone.

The T235-S1345 weighs a fairly light 3.8 pounds (4.4 pounds with accessories). It measures 12.6 inches wide by 8.8 inches high by 1.5 inches thick. While it's not quite down to netbook size, it's definitely ultraportable and sturdy.

The keyboard, smooth and silver, features chiclet-style keys. While the keys are widely spaced, they are a bit small. This, coupled with their smoothness, makes typing a little difficult. It's probably no issue if you plan on using the computer for nothing more than quick e-mails, but students and freelance writers alike will lament the inability to type quickly with accuracy.

The trackpad is smooth and flush with the textured wristpad. There are two smooth, mirrored buttons that slope downward with the edge of the computer. This makes the buttons a little hard to identify, but they're big and easy to press. The trackpad is wide and features smooth scrolling and multitouch gestures.