E3 2008: Toshiba is a lonely hardware vendor
As one of the only PC hardware vendors at this year's stripped-down E3 video game trade show, Toshiba at least hasn't had to compete with bigger names such as Alienware and Voodoo for attention.
The company is here at the Los Angeles Convention Center to show off some of its latest laptops, including the just-announced gamer-friendly Qosmio X305-Q701--a 17-inch Best Buy exclusive. (Matt Elliott has previously blogged about Toshiba's direct-sale version of the redesigned X305).
It's not exactly cutting edge, with an Nvidia GeForce 9700M graphics card and an Intel Core 2 Duo P7350 CPU, but at around $1,500, it's a decent deal on a dual-purpose gaming and multimedia rig. Gateway has had a lot of success recently with similar midrange gaming systems designed for retail shoppers.
We've always liked the Qosmio line for its attractive designs and excellent build quality, and Toshiba has recently expanded the line to include its gaming laptops (now decked out in a fiery red chassis), which previously were part of the more pedestrian Satellite line. Stay tuned for a full review of this new X305, which we expect in the CNET Labs shortly.
New York native Dan Ackerman, a former radio DJ turned journalist, has written about technology and music for publications including Spin, Blender, The Hollywood Reporter, and USA Today. He hosts the weekly Digital City podcast and the New York edition of Editors' Office Hours. Dan's new album, Tales Out of Night School, is available now. E-mail Dan. 
