Toshiba rolls out a trio of Qosmio laptops
(Credit: Toshiba)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 and trumpets its ability to "control and create personal movie projects with unmatched speed and efficiency." Toshiba boasts that you'll be able to transcode video up to 10 times faster than a nondescript Toshiba laptop using a CPU other than the Quad Core HD chip. You can bet CNET Labs is anxious to get a G50 unit in for testing. Other specs include Nvidia GeForce 9600M GR graphics (with 512MB of DDR3 memory), up to 500GB of hard-drive space, and 2.1 Harman Kardon speakers. The 18.4-inch screen supplies a movie-friendly 16:9 aspect ratio, and the laptop features the Fusion finish introduced with the latest round of Satellites.
The previously leaked Qosmio X305 takes aim at gamers with a 1GB Nvidia GeForce 9800M GTX graphics card, a dual-core Intel Core 2 Extreme CPU, and a red flaming lid. This 17.1-inch laptop finds room for 5.1 Harman Kardon speakers and a pair of 200GB hard drives.
The Qosmio F50 series is the most portable of the bunch, with a 15.4-inch display and a built-in GPS receiver and Garmin software. It will feature Nvidia GeForce 9700 GTS graphics and Harman Kardon speakers with a subwoofer.
All three models feature an HDMI port with Toshiba's Regza Link technology (control codes designed to better integrate TV and AV sources using a single remote control), an eSATA port, and feathertouch multimedia buttons. Conspicuously absent are details regarding the type of optical drive these new Qosmios will offer. Is it still too soon for Toshiba, which helped lead the HD DVD charge, to begin outfitting its laptops with Blu-ray drives?
