by CIO Staff

Toshiba Picks HD-DVD for Qosmio Laptop

News
May 10, 20062 mins
Data Center

Movie fans can watch high-definition video on their laptops using the Qosmio G35-AV650 computer launched Tuesday by Toshiba America Information Systems.

The computer acts as a full-featured notebook PC and as a digital entertainment center, with capabilities for movies, music, gaming and TV, said Jeff Barney, vice president of marketing for Toshiba’s Digital Products Division of Irvine, Calif. The G35-AV650 is the first notebook PC shipping in the United States to incorporate an HD-DVD drive, the company says.

To support high-resolution images, the computer uses an Intel Core Duo processor and Centrino mobile platform, running Microsoft’s Windows XP Media Center Edition. To handle data storage demands, it includes two 100GB hard drives and 1024MB of double data rate memory.

Armed with that powerful system, users can watch live cable or satellite TV with an integrated television tuner, then record those programs using a digital video recorder. The 10.1-pound (4.6 kilograms) computer has a 17-inch widescreen display and sells for US$2,999.99.

Toshiba Qosmio G35-AV650 (1)
Qosmio G35-AV650

At that price, Toshiba hopes to sell this high-end notebook to early adopters, said Samir Bhavnani, director of research at Current Analysis in San Diego.

Toshiba might not sell many of the machines, especially because the market has not settled on a winner between the competing technologies of HD-DVD and Blu-ray. But the G35-AV650 could act as a halo product, establishing Toshiba as a high-end brand and attracting many customers to its mainstream laptops.

Toshiba Qosmio G35-AV650 (2)
Qosmio G35-AV650

“This is significant; they are asserting themselves as a technology leader. This will help Toshiba sell a lot of satellite products—their $999 computers are where the real volume is,” Bhavnani said.

-Ben Ames, IDG News Service

For related news coverage, read Sony Delays First Blu-Ray Disc Titles and Panasonic to Launch Blu-Ray Disc Drive in June.

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