Toshiba Qosmio G55 features SpursEngine, visual gesture controls

Looks like Toshiba's not too far out from a new Qosmio called the G55, which LAPTOP says is on sale next month for $1,550. Listed among the specs are an 18.4-inch (1680 x 945) display, Centrino 2 CPU, GeForce 9600M GT, 4GB of RAM, dual drives, and the "Quad Core HD processor" (probably the commercial name for the Cell-based SpursEngine), which powers many of the media functions, including its camera-based visual gesture control system. LAPTOP calls the gesture system groundbreaking, but we're clearly two sides to the same coin: the demo they gave looks cumbersome, inaccurate, and incredibly frustrating. And besides the fact that it requires "steady hands" and "can't be used by people with wrist problems," even if the gesture controls were well done, holding your arm in the air for minutes at a time is nowhere near a practical for regular use. Is it sad that we still kind of want it, though?

[Malikye @ Jun 14th 2008 3:24AM]

Where is Jason? i guess it's not the 13th anymore

[MastrCake @ Jun 14th 2008 3:27AM]

You took the words right out of my mouth.

[l337virus @ Jun 14th 2008 3:55AM]

i was about to say the same thing and if u look at the other post (not all of them from today u can see more of jason)

[cranium @ Jun 15th 2008 12:43PM]

@Dan
You know those times when someone completely misses the point of something and makes a total fool of themself?

this is one of those times.

And you're one of those people.

[Dan @ Jun 14th 2008 12:04PM]

@ Hamidxa too

If you guys dont like whats posted then read some where else. Stop crying like little girly men. "Boo-hoo they didnt post what I wanted to read...wahh"

If you have other sites to get the news from then go there also. Not even the local news channel can post every single bit of news that happens around the world.

[MastrCake @ Jun 14th 2008 3:29AM]

Er... head. I meant head. Obviously I am not saying this, becuase my fingers are doing all of the talking.

Wait... does that mean that you took the words right out of my fingers? Or maybe keyboard?

[MastrCake @ Jun 14th 2008 4:19AM]

Dammit Engadget... Fix your comment system! This reply was meant for my reply to the first comment. What a mouthful...

[doudOSX @ Jun 14th 2008 2:03PM]

just for giving me a laugh 1+ for you may friend

[k @ Jun 14th 2008 3:38AM]

"Quad HD processor" - gotta get good Crysis frame rates :D

[Steveorevo @ Jun 14th 2008 3:58AM]

Well I'm here to comment again. Everytime Toshitty releases another Quasimotto, I'm here to remind you that this line continues to suck. Fire, system board failures, harddrive failure, dvd drive failures, -all probably caused by the weak fan that always fails on this line of Toshitties. I've all of that happen, in a clean room on a nice an cool steel desk (its the only thing that prevented the fire from spreading).

HP, Sony, Dell, all of them faired fine. I did have one Satellite thats still kicking despite the occassional overheating reboot -guess its system fan isn't so critical. But 4 out of 4 Qosimios I've had all bit the dust the first year. Its so unfortunate that I purchased the extended warranty which Toshitty processes through a third party company (ServiceNET). It cause more heartache and wasted hours then its worth.

Bottom line, JUST SAY NO! Go with anything, ANYTHING instead of a Qosimio!!!

[Eddie W @ Jun 14th 2008 3:17PM]

I've had a negative experience with my Toshiba laptop (and a couple of other devices) so I won't be buying from them again, but you could probably make the point without being quite so obnoxious about it.

To add to what you have said, I've had this old laptop running as a music server (headless, the monitor died). I've noticed that now that it's summer it's started crashing. I'm guessing it can't take the heat. It's only crashed when it's been hot. Before it was running rock solid on Debian for days on end.

[Edward Bixler @ Jun 14th 2008 4:56PM]

You took the words right out of my mouth. I have a Toshiba Qosmio G35 and it is the biggest piece of crap. It's just over a year and a half old and the motherboard failed four times already.

Skip Toshiba and buy something else!

[eggothewaffle @ Jun 14th 2008 4:03AM]

I'm getting tired of all the emphasis on user interface novelties by major tech corporations.

Whether it's Nintendo, Apple, Microsoft, or in this case, Toshiba, it's just been bothering me that instead of better features, stability, and usability...We're finger pinching on a big ass table (or on a small ass phone), waving a remote in front of our big ass televisions, or in this case, making crazy ass gestures in front of this ass laptop.

What's next? A new port of Linux that uses a web camera to interpret different moves from the Macarena as console commands?

[Haikibutsu @ Jun 14th 2008 5:05AM]

I'd rather not be in root.

Also, if they are going to make the Macarena, might as well do the Hare Hare Yukai version. You know, for otakus such as myself.

[Eddie W @ Jun 14th 2008 3:23PM]

Watch out what you suggest to Linux folks, they might start working on it... but don't worry, it's likely to be cross platform so Windows and Mac folks can join in too.

I do like pushing the envelope on touch screens and there's some interesting (and useful) applications that could be developed. I like Johny Chung Lee's wiimote board, for instance.

In this case, I don't get the gestures thing... this looks even less useful than the voice recognition on my old mid 90's powermac.

[xValentine @ Jun 14th 2008 4:29AM]

It was probably made by Popovich after they lost to the Lakers. :)

That G55 looks too good looking to be a Toshiba though.

[King Mook Mook @ Jun 14th 2008 4:31AM]

You are a spammer and have posted that (almost) same comment 5 other time. Please block.

[frauhottelmann @ Jun 14th 2008 4:35AM]

Pretty bad resolution for such a big display... my 15.4" has 1680x1050...

[Gorjan @ Jun 14th 2008 5:00AM]

18,4 inch?

Does that even count as a laptop? You can slay an elephant with that thing.

[Slicc @ Jun 14th 2008 6:17AM]

Wow, I am sure that gesture software took a lot of effort and very clever people to develop, but you've got to ask why??!?!? It is a very poor mouse replacement at best.

[Plothole @ Jun 14th 2008 10:01AM]

Presumably the idea is so that you can operate the computer while standing/sitting back.

[King Mook Mook @ Jun 14th 2008 7:02AM]

At least my posts are on different subjects and what is wrong with saying 'Inconcivable!', huh?

[Some Kid @ Jun 14th 2008 8:39AM]

not only is it a collasal screen, but it only has 1680x975 resolution
at least put full HD on that thing.
this is what trhey need to change.....
1-Full HD
2-BD+RW
3-minus hand guestures
4-thinner
5-im gonna asume the HDD is 250 GB, so im gonna say up it to 320 GB
6-TV tuner

[frauhottelmann @ Jun 14th 2008 9:10AM]

500 GB! I mean there has to be enough room for that!

[naz @ Jun 16th 2008 1:42PM]

True say frauhottelmann

they could probably stuff three hard drives into that badboy...lol

[RC @ Jun 14th 2008 9:25AM]

I'd really like to see someone else demo the gesture control. I want to know if maybe this guy is just doing it wrong. Are you supposed to be that far away while gesturing?

[Larry @ Jun 14th 2008 11:39AM]

This is not Toshiba's, but I think this is what Toshiba is ultimately trying to do:

http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/06/11/camspace-creates-a-wii-for-everyone-minus-the-nintendo-console/

[Hamidxa @ Jun 14th 2008 11:12AM]

MarkD,

Thanks again for the link, delivering news on what Engadget fails to mention due to an intrinsic Apple bias.

Nice to see Apple getting stomped by everyone and their cousins in the Laptop sector.

Only 4.6% of the laptop market, pathetic. :D

[Dan @ Jun 14th 2008 12:31PM]

If you guys dont like whats posted then read some where else. Stop crying like little girly men. "Boo-hoo they didnt post what I wanted to read...wahh"

If you have other sites to get the news from then go there also. Not even the local news channel can post every single bit of news that happens around the world.

[Dan @ Jun 14th 2008 11:55AM]

18 inch laptop??? What the hell....
If your strong enough to lugging a 18inch laptop all around then you might as well get yourself one of those portable lanparty pc/bookbags..

That thing is a joke and looks like that portable dell xps system thats a cross breed between a pc and laptop.

[Kurian @ Jun 14th 2008 12:41PM]

And its as fugly as Quasimodo.

[Raunak @ Jun 14th 2008 2:30PM]

...18.4 inch display....and 1680x945....wtf is that resolution...why...would that EVER be a resolution....or monitor size...

[loosely_coupled @ Jun 14th 2008 3:17PM]

What the hell is this? All the specs look great, especially if you can use the "Mini-Cell" as a co-processor, but an 1680 x 945 resolution on a 18" screen? WTF? This laptop would be an excellent with a standard 17" 1920x1200 screen.

[kicks @ Jun 14th 2008 4:23PM]

if you stick your middle finger at it, will it shut down?

[Paulmichael @ Jun 15th 2008 8:19AM]

We all secretly want visual gesture control, but only if it acts like the Bourne technology!

[cranium @ Jun 15th 2008 12:46PM]

the lack of a required E

[Harrison @ Jun 15th 2008 9:40PM]

It won't be long until Toshiba gets sued when some idiot punches someone while gesturing.

But with that said, I wonder what command "the finger" brings up?

[Wwhat @ Jun 16th 2008 8:46AM]

I can tell you that so far I have no - secret or otherwise - wish for gesture control, nor do I even remotely get the point of it.
Perhaps if you are a type that waves his hands around a lot it might be for you though, so there could be a market for it, although if you are such an animated person the system would get confused a lot one assumes.

Might be handy in some rare situations for remote operating via videolink at times when you can't use a keyboard, perhaps on the rim of a volcano or something, or as a gimmick to wave a special secret gesture for accesscontrol to the skulls-and-bones mainframe.