The glossy, 13.3-inch LCD screen is a native 1366 by 768 pixels, and pretty bright. Unlike a lot of other glossy screens we've seen, side-to-side viewing angles are decent: Three people sitting together could easily watch a video with minimal loss of color and brightness. Colors seem to be a little faded and washed out in general, but text and images are crisp; though the screen is bright, it may not be quite enough for outside use on a sunny day.
The T235-S1345 supports 720p high-definition playback, and video looks great on the 13.3-inch screen. A 720p version of the Nip/Tuck TV show played nicely from a flash drive, with no artifacting or stuttering. The lack of an optical drive is unfortunate, however--how much streaming 720p video is there on the Internet, really?
Audio is not quite as nice as video. The speakers are on the underside of the chassis, which means that sitting the laptop on your, well, lap, will dampen the sound quite a bit. The audio itself is tinny and flat, and only gets more so as you turn it up. The speakers are fairly loud, but they really sound awful when at their highest level. You'll definitely want to stick to headphones for this computer, lest your 720p high-def video experience be ruined by toneless, tinny audio.
Software includes the requisite Norton Internet Security and Home & Student trialware (30 days and 60 days, respectively), as well as a full version of Microsoft Works and a number of Toshiba utilities. The latter are mostly small potatoes: a few extra games, face recognition software for the Webcam, PC diagnostics tools, and so on. Toshiba also includes a shortcut to its online backup and the Toshiba "bulletin board," from which you can access things like the security center and the "eco Utility" option (which puts the computer in an energy-saving mode).
If you're looking for an ultraportable for keeping in touch and perhaps watching a movie or two, the Toshiba T235-S1345 may be the light-but-sturdy high-definition-playing notebook for you. While the keyboard is not terribly comfortable for typing lengthy, well thought-out, and thoroughly researched laptop reviews, it certainly won't bother you if you're just firing off a few e-mails here and there. The Toshiba T235-S1345 is multimedia-ready, ultralight and portable, and great for anyone on the go.