Is This the Ultimate Multimedia Notebook?

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.akihabaranews.com/en/news_9468.html' target='_blank'>http://www.akihabaranews.com/en/news_9468.html</a><br /><br /></div>Toshiba's Qosmio line of notebooks is designed for multimedia use, so much so that it can be used as a DVD player without even booting into Windows. They've just released a refresh to the whole line, with four new notebooks, and the high end offering is impressive - and big!<br /><br /><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/1.jpg" /> <br /><br />It boasts a 17" WXSGA screen (1680 x 1050) with Clear SuperView (I imagine this is similar to Sony's Xbrite technology), a massive 160 GB hard drive, a 2MB cache Pentium M running at 1.6 Ghz, 512 MB of RAM (expandable up to 2 GB), a dual-layer DVD +/- burner, GeForce FX Go5700 with 64 MB of RAM, and 802.11g. It weighs in at a hefty 9.7 pounds. That's some kind of laptop! I'm surprised they didn't' go with a 2.13 Ghz Pentium M, to really be the king of the hill, but it's still a serious contender. At 9.7 pounds, this is the kind of laptop that you'll move from room to room, but likely not much more than that. It would be a powerful mobile workstation for video/audio live events though!

[aro]

Quite a big box with a big corresponding price tag.
I guess they will sell that fat boy over 3000$ CD.

And I am not impress with the basic specs.
- 1680 x 1050 " (WXSGA) res for a 17" screen? Not impressed!
- Pentium M running at 1.6 Ghz? Not impressed!
- 512 MB of RAM? This one is almost ridiculus. Not impressed at all.
- GeForce FX Go5700 with 64 MB of RAM? Not impressed at all!

A big fat (not that) new boy on the block.

aro

[Jason Dunn]

1680 x 1050 " (WXSGA) res for a 17" screen? Not impressed!

What resolution would you have preferred to see? I have WXSGA on the 17" widescreen laptop I'm typing this message on, and I have a hard time seeing a higher resolution...things are already pretty small. :-)

[aro]

1680 x 1050 " (WXSGA) res for a 17" screen? Not impressed!

What resolution would you have preferred to see? I have WXSGA on the 17" widescreen laptop I'm typing this message on, and I have a hard time seeing a higher resolution...things are already pretty small. :-)

Gee, I made a mistake on this specific spec; I was thinking of 1280x1024.
Oopz!

aro

[Jason Dunn]

Gee, I made a mistake on this specific spec; I was thinking of 1280x1024.

Don't feel bad - it took me almost 5 minutes of searching to confirm that WXSGA was the resolution I have on my laptop. I wish they'd drop the terms and use numbers instead - I can understand numbers, what I can't do is memory every possible combination of "*GA" that's out there...

[Deemo]

The reason I went with the HP DV1170 instead of this line was:
1. Big price tag, and
2. Big size....it's a back breaker. I was looking for something more portable.....not a desktop replacement.

.....did I mention the BIG pricetag?????

[Gary Sheynkman]

Some might disagree....but what is the purpose of this thing?

It is too big to carry around conviniently. For the money I can get a nice PPC with a keyboard and an uberpowerful desktop for home.

Can someone explain to me the purpose of behemoth laptops/

Much appreciated

:wink:

[klinux]

1680 x 1050 " (WXSGA) res for a 17" screen? Not impressed!

What resolution would you have preferred to see?

Not that I would prefer it but since aro started the spec-whoring :), Dell offer sa 1920x1200 on a 17' LCD. In addition, if Apple, who is notoriously a bad company to choose for gaming, offers 128MB graphic card for their 17" Powerbook, so should Tosh.

And if anyone asks, my laptop is a measly 700 Mhz. :lol: