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Qosmio

CES: Toshiba's glasses-free 3D laptop, hands-on

LAS VEGAS--3D was a megatrend across consumer electronics in 2010, but its biggest hindrance to acceptance still lies in those awkward plastic glasses. The truth is, nobody really wants to wear them.

There is hope: the Nintendo 3DS will introduce glasses-free 3D gaming, and glasses-free 3D TV is on its way. But could glasses-free laptops be far behind?

We got an advance look at glasses-free 3D laptop technology in a custom-built Toshiba Qosmio laptop, and though the technology has its limitations, it's an impressive proof of concept that's surprising to behold.

The effects worked, but they weren't … Read more

Toshiba revamps Qosmio line with Core i7 X505

We've always liked Toshiba's high-end Qosmio systems, which are inventive desktop replacement laptops that experimented with add-ons such as Webcam-enabled gesture controls. Toshiba has wisely thinned the lineup down to one model, the new Qosmio X505, which features Intel's new mobile Core i7 processor.

Here are some specs for the Qosmio X505-Q850, which will have an 18.4-inch display, and come in a dark finish called Fusion Omega black. The high-end configurations will cost more, but the X505 should start at around $1,500, and will be available on October 22, along with Windows 7.

Intel Core … Read more

Toshiba releases new Qosmio X305-Q725

One of the many laptops being announced at CES this week is the Toshiba Qosmio X305-Q725. It will offer the same bells and whistles of recent X305s, except that its primary drive will consist of a 64GB solid state drive, while the secondary drive will be the standard spindle-based 320GB SATA hard disk drive. This hybrid solution will not only boost performance on an already beast of a machine but will also help with its typically lackluster battery life--as with most gaming laptops--not by much, but it's something.

Here's a quick look at the specifications:

Intel Core 2 … Read more

Toshiba stuffs three GPUs into Qosmio X305

We've seen laptops with dual SLI graphics, such as the Alienware Area-51 m17x. We've seen laptops with switchable discrete and integrated graphics, such as the new MacBook Pro. But on Thursday, Toshiba announced two new versions of its Qosmio X305 gaming laptop that incorporate three GPUs: two Nvidia GeForce 9800M GTS cards in a scalable link interface and one integrated GeForce 9400M.

Nvidia is calling the new triple-card solution "Hybrid SLI." Like other laptops with hybrid graphics, the Qosmio X305 can switch from discrete to integrated graphics, with the former offering better gaming performance and the … Read more

Will MacBook chip end Intel graphics franchise?

Will Apple's decision to use Nividia chips in its new MacBooks be a catalyst for change?

With all the hoopla surrounding Apple's choice of Nvidia graphics in its new MacBooks fading, it remains to be seen if Nvidia's GeForce 9400M has legs.

Intel has a successful integrated graphics franchise and is the leader in laptop graphics. Before I get slammed, let me be clear that I'm not talking about performance. I'm referring to market share. Many laptop suppliers--particularly in the low-cost and ultraportable segments--default to Intel graphics because it offers adequate performance, reasonable power efficiency, … Read more

Toshiba laptop touts 'quad-core' processor

Toshiba's 18.4-inch Qosmio G55 laptop uses a quad-core processor--but not the Intel or AMD variety.

The "Quad-Core HD Processor" used in the Qosmio G55--due mid-July--is based on the SpursEngine which is derived from the Cell Broadband Engine, a multicore chip architecture jointly developed by IBM, Sony, and Toshiba. The Cell architecture, in turn, is derived from IBM's Power Architecture. Today, IBM uses the Cell processor in a line of blade servers.

The four processing elements inside the chip have a clock frequency of 1.5GHz, while boasting a relatively low power envelope of 10 to … Read more

Toshiba rolls out a trio of Qosmio laptops

Toshiba revamped its Qosmio line today, which had been whittled down to one model, the G45. The company's high-end laptops now comprise three series, the 18.4-inch Qosmio G50, the 17.1-inch X305, and the 15.4-inch F50. All models will begin shipping in mid-July; pricing details are unknown.

Most notable of the new introductions is the Qosmio G50 series. Not only is it Toshiba's first 18-inch laptop, but it will also feature the SpursEngine processor, which is based on the Cell processor found inside the PlayStation 3. Toshiba is branding it the Quad Core HD Processor here … Read more

Toshiba to revive Qosmio as gaming brand

We were just wondering whatever happened to Toshiba's Qosmio brand, which included a number of high-end, Editors' Choice-winning entertainment laptops. It's been a while since we reviewed the Qosmio G45, and since then the line had almost disappeared from Toshiba's Web site, with just one model listed on the product page.

Looks like we have our answer, thanks to a post on LogicTV.com that details the rumored Toshiba Qosmio X305. The flame-lidded desktop replacement will reportedly incorporate 1GB Nvidia GeForce GTX graphics, a 3GHz dual-core Intel processor (perhaps the next iteration of the Core 2 Extreme?), … Read more

Toshiba breaks out the pinstripes for new Satellites

With a lineup of perfectly serviceable, but not exactly standout mainstream laptops, Toshiba's Satellite line has long played second-fiddle to the company's excellent Qosmio multimedia laptops.

Aiming to correct this, Toshiba today unveiled an entirely redesigned Satellite line, with what is being called a new "Horizon" pattern in a "Fusion" finish. Toshiba describes it as, "gray pinstripes set upon a field of black." We checked these out in person a few weeks ago, and they had a distinct metallic sheen, quite different from the current black-and-red flamed look.

The new models are … Read more