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R705-P41 |
A showcase for Toshiba
The Portégé® line is a showcase for the latest design innovations by the giant Japanese electronics firm which spends billions on R&D. Portégés are backed by an exceptional three-year international warranty so the 2009 and 2010 R600 models and components will still be around for awhile, though the line is being phased out in favor of the R700 and R800 which offer tablet PC and touch screen technologies at about half the price.
Ultrathin, ultraportable
Fierce competition reigns among brands with size, weight, speed, storage capacity, overall performance, and security as key issues. This model is one of the smallest laptops on the market (11.1x8.5x1 inches) and ultrathin at only about 0.8 inches thick. It is ultraportable at 2.4 pounds. It qualifies as a ‘mini’ with its 12.1 inch screen, as a netbook for its high quality connectivity, and as a high end executive notebook with the power and performance to be a desktop replacement.
Inside its slim shell, it manages to tuck in a lot of power including an ultraslim multi-format DVD burner. Some of the other amenities include an LED backlit display and a 6-cell long-life battery giving an estimated 7.5 hours before recharge (though testers report closer to 4 to 6 hours of use). A built-in fingerprint scanner replaces passwords with a finger swipe to provide added security. These eco-conscious laptops are Energy Star Compliant and received the coveted EPEAT Gold™ status. Toshiba's exclusive EasyGuard® Technology and the Hard Drive Impact Sensor add a suite of safeguards against shocks, spills and drops.
A revolutionary solid state drive
May 2009 marked the advent of the 512GB solid state drive (SSD) in Toshiba’s showcase R600 series. Along with greater capacity, the hard drive gives much faster access to data and much more storage than other laptops. This is where price jumps up because the technology does not come cheaply. Solid state means no moving parts, therefore the laptop is less susceptible to damage from shock or vibration. This so-called ‘second-generation’ SSD features SATA standard and multilevel cell (MLC) NAND flash memory technology which helps increase the density, thus allowing more storage. 3GB RAM comes installed but can be upgraded to 5GB of DDR2 SDRAM (800 MHz). In comparison with a Macbook Pro (with a 320GB, 7200 RPM hard drive), tests showed the R600 performed file copying in 8 seconds while the Mac took a leisurely 35 seconds.
Thoughtfully designed, inside and out
Like its R500 predecessor, the stylish silhouette on the R600 is painted matte silver with a black screen surround. It has a plastic shell designed to be smudge-proof, part of a "shock absorbing design" complete with a full-sized spill resistant keyboard. Some users complain about the flexion of the lid and body as well as the feel of the plastic shell but Toshiba claims it bends rather than breaks in drop tests. Open it up and there is an aluminum-alloy chassis inside into which is slotted the 1.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SU9400 processor on an 800MHz frontside bus, linked to 3GB of DDR2 memory. From back to front there are multiple slots and ports for power, VGA, combo USB 2.0/eSATA and USB 2.0 , 3.5mm audio ports and a volume wheel on the left side. The right side houses a Gigabit Ethernet socket, a third USB port, wireless on/off switch, an ExpressCard 54 bay and an SDHC card slot. Networking and wireless connections are provided via integrated 802.11n Wi-Fi and network-unlocked 7.2Mb/s HSDPA 3G module. Unlike many ‘minis,’ it has Bluetooth built in. You can also plug in smart phones and other portable electronic devices to recharge as the USB Sleep-and-Charge operates even when the laptop is turned off.
Indoor / outdoor transreflective display
The display differs from most other laptops as well. Take it outdoors or work near a window -- a click of a button switches over to the unique ‘transreflective’ mode that effectively uses sunlight to enhance the picture with the added benefit of drawing less energy from the battery. Indoors, the widescreen WXGA LED Sidelight display with High Brightness gives rich color and clarity though some claim the screen seems a bit dim and angle of view is limited. Utilizing Intel’s Mobile Graphics Media Accelerator and Dynamic Video Memory Technology 5.0, the display resolution is 1280x800 with 128MB – 1024MB dynamically allocated shared graphics memory driven by Intel's latest integrated graphics core, the GMA 4500MHD, part of the GS45 chipset. While generally application processing was graded fast, testers report on both 3DMark06 and PCMark05's graphics tests, 3D imagery ran slower than might be expected so this is not the machine for gamers – for that look to the comparably priced Qosmio line.
Conclusion
A number of reviewers expressed gratitude for the pioneering of new technologies showcased by Toshiba in the Portégé line. The R600 competes well against other high-end ultraportable PCs like the Dell Adamo, the Sony TT, Lenovo’s ThinkPad X301, and Macbook Air, but is lighter and as fast or faster than almost all of them.
With its steep price tag, the Portégé R600 is a showcase model for Toshiba offering near state-of-the-art technologies for the executive who needs an ultrathin, ultraportable, ultra-capable laptop. It is even more costly than some of the branded lines like the Acer Ferrari 1100, though it costs less than the status-conscious Rock Extreme SL8 at $5000 or the Ego for Bentley selling for $20,000 which emulates a high fashion purse design and is made to match a Bentley car. The world record for the most expensive computer of 2010 goes to the Luvaglio ‘One Million Dollar Laptop’ which can be customized for you for a cool million.currently on sale at amazon
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