Toshiba Portégé R700 slides in with a thin design, Core power and an affordable pricetag
By Joanna Stern 
posted June 21st 2010 12:30AM
posted June 21st 2010 12:30AM
Toshiba Introduces World's Lightest 13.3-Inch Full-Performance Ultraportable Laptop With Integrated DVD Drive
25th Anniversary Edition Portégé R700 Features New Airflow Cooling Technology and Honeycomb Rib Structure, Allowing for Full-Voltage Processor Performance in Ultraportable Form Factor
IRVINE, Calif. – June 21, 2010 – Building on a long history of industry firsts and ultraportable laptop innovations, Toshiba's Digital Products Division (DPD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., today announced the Portégé® R700, the U.S version of the world's lightest 13.3-inch full-performance ultraportable laptop with an integrated DVD drive1. The Portégé R700 provides business users with unprecedented performance and durability in a highly mobile product with prices starting under $1,000.
With a starting weight of just three pounds2 and about one inch thin, the Portégé R700 is able to support the latest Intel® Core™ family of full-powered processors as a result of new Airflow Cooling Technology. This innovative new cooling system co-developed by Toshiba and Intel uses directed streams of fresh air to cool the heat-generating components so business users can get the performance, mobility and longer battery life they need to stay productive on the go.
The Portégé R700 also features a light, yet durable magnesium alloy casing reinforced with a new honeycomb rib design incorporated within the palm rests and base of the laptop. Similar to technology used in aerospace construction, this structural enhancement to the laptop provides increased rigidity and durability.
The laptop also features Toshiba's EasyGuard® Technology, which helps protect the laptop from jolts, spills and theft. This includes added protection around system components, a Hard Drive Impact Sensor and spill-resistant keyboard as well as a host of software that continuously checks the performance and functionality of the system.
"Portégé ultraportable laptops are not only a demonstration of Toshiba's superior engineering and craftsmanship, but our ability to innovate to meet the demands of businesses," said Carl Pinto, vice president of product development, Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., Digital Products Division. "The Portégé R700 delivers the ultimate mobile experience at breakthrough prices that businesses have been waiting for, providing both performance and battery life within an extremely thin and light, yet durable form factor without compromising key features such as an integrated DVD drive."
With an all-new sophisticated design that will turn heads in the boardroom, the Portégé R700 features a 13.3-inch diagonal HD widescreen LED-backlit display3, a premium raised tile keyboard and a wide TouchPad™ with customizable Multi-touch Control that makes typing and navigation easy and comfortable.
Equipped with Windows® 7 Professional, the laptops include a wealth of features and ports required by business users, including spacious hard drives, fast DDR3 RAM, the ability to dock to a port replicator, an ExpressCard™ slot, an eSATA/USB combo port with Sleep-and-Charge4, as well as a built-in DVD SuperMulti drive and Webcam. The Portégé R700 also features a high-capacity six-cell battery with a battery life rating of up to 8.5 hours5. An optional nine-cell battery that can remain on when docked will increase the battery life rating up to 12.5 hours.
A new High-Speed Port Replicator for the Portégé R700 (sold separately for $199.00 MSRP6) provides fast access to a desktop environment and eliminates the hassle of connecting multiple cables. The port replicator features a host of ports, including two ultrafast USB 3.0 ports, four USB 2.0 ports, Gigabit Ethernet as well as Line-In/Line-Out audio ports, HDMI, RGB and Serial connections.
"Business PC buyers want lighter, thinner notebook designs, but our research shows that they aren't willing to compromise on performance and features to get to those smaller sizes," said Bob O'Donnell, vice president, Clients and Displays research at IDC. "Integrating high-performance CPUs and an optical drive, while still maintaining a good price point, are key to making these lighter notebook designs more successful in the marketplace."
The laptop will be available in three configurations: the Portégé R700-S1310 features the Intel Core i3 processor7 and a 500GB8 hard drive for $999.00 MSRP. The Portégé R700-S1320 features the Intel Core i5-520M processor and a high-speed 320GB 7200RPM hard drive for $1,299.00 MSRP. The Portégé R700-S1330 features the powerful Intel Core i7-620M processor and a 128GB solid state drive9 for $1,599.00 MSRP. All three configurations come with 4GB DDR3 memory10 and a Standard Three-Year International Limited Warranty11.
Consumer Model Also Available
Toshiba will also offer a consumer edition of the laptop, the Portégé R705. Sold exclusively at Best Buy for $889.99 MSRP, the laptop will feature a Magnesium Blue cover and will be powered by the Intel Core i3 processor, 4GB of DDR3 memory and a 500GB hard drive. In addition, the Portégé R705 will feature Intel Wireless Display for wirelessly connecting the laptop to a big screen HDTV. The Portégé R705 will not include ExpressCard or docking capabilities.
EPEAT Gold-rated Eco-conscious Design
The Portégé R700 is designed to be environmentally conscious with power-efficient, mercury-free LED backlit display, meets the rigorous requirements of the Energy Star® 5.0 standard and achieved industry-leading Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT®) Gold status. The laptop is also RoHS compatible, effectively reducing the environmental impact by restricting the use of lead, mercury, cadmium and certain other hazardous substances.
Availability
Portégé R700 business laptops will be available today through select Toshiba Preferred Partner Program resellers, e-tailers and directly at toshibadirect.com.
The Portégé R705 will be available at Best Buy stores nationwide on June 27, 2010.
Detailed specifications can be found at laptops.toshiba.com/laptops/portege/R700
Image Gallery: http://bit.ly/PortegeR700
Connect with Toshiba on Twitter at twitter.com/ToshibaLaptops and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ToshibaLaptopsUS.
About Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc. (TAIS)
Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., TAIS is comprised of four business units: Digital Products Division, Imaging Systems Division, Storage Device Division, and Telecommunication Systems Division. Together, these divisions provide mobile products and solutions, including industry leading portable computers; imaging products for the security, medical and manufacturing markets; storage products for automotive, computer and consumer electronics applications; and telephony equipment and associated applications.
TAIS provides sales, marketing and services for its wide range of information products in the United States and Latin America. TAIS is an independent operating company owned by Toshiba America, Inc., a subsidiary of Toshiba Corporation. Toshiba Corporation is a world leader and innovator in high technology, a diversified manufacturer and marketer of advanced electronic and electrical products. These products span from information & communications systems; digital consumer products; electronic devices and components; as well as power systems including nuclear energy; industrial and social infrastructure systems; and home appliances. Toshiba was founded in 1875, and today operates a global network of more than 740 companies, with 204,000 employees worldwide and annual sales surpassing $68 billion (6.3 Trillion Yen). For more information on Toshiba visit www.toshiba.com.
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© 2010 Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc. All product, service and company names are trademarks, registered trademarks or service marks of their respective owners. Information including without limitation product prices, specifications, availability, content of services, and contact information is subject to change without notice. All rights reserved.
1 As of June 21, 2010.
2 Weight. Weight may vary. See Weight Legal Footnote at www.info.toshiba.com
3 Display. Any small bright dots that may appear on your display are an intrinsic characteristic of the thin film transistors manufacturing technology. See Display Legal Footnote at www.info.toshiba.com
4 The "USB Sleep & Charge function" may not work with certain external devices even if they are compliant with the USB specification. In those cases, turn the power of the computer ON to charge the device.
5 Measured by MobileMark® Productivity 2007 for comparison purposes only. Actual battery life may vary. See Battery Life Rating Legal Footnote at www.info.toshiba.com
6 Price. Reseller prices may vary. MSRP means "Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price."
7 Processor. CPU performance may vary. See Processor Legal Footnote at www.info.toshiba.com
8 Hard Disk Drive Capacity. Hard drive capacity may vary. 1 Gigabyte (GB) means 109 = 1,000,000,000 bytes using powers of 10. See Hard Disk Drive Capacity Legal Footnote at www.info.toshiba.com
9 Solid State Drive Capacity. Drive capacity may vary. One Gigabyte (GB) means 109 = 1,000,000,000 bytes using powers of 10. See Solid State Drive Capacity Legal Footnote at www.info.toshiba.com
10 Memory. Memory size may vary. See Memory Legal Footnote at www.info.toshiba.com
11 Warranty. The terms and conditions of Toshiba's standard limited warranty, and extended warranty and service upgrade plans are available at www.warranty.toshiba.com.
25th Anniversary Edition Portégé R700 Features New Airflow Cooling Technology and Honeycomb Rib Structure, Allowing for Full-Voltage Processor Performance in Ultraportable Form Factor
IRVINE, Calif. – June 21, 2010 – Building on a long history of industry firsts and ultraportable laptop innovations, Toshiba's Digital Products Division (DPD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., today announced the Portégé® R700, the U.S version of the world's lightest 13.3-inch full-performance ultraportable laptop with an integrated DVD drive1. The Portégé R700 provides business users with unprecedented performance and durability in a highly mobile product with prices starting under $1,000.
With a starting weight of just three pounds2 and about one inch thin, the Portégé R700 is able to support the latest Intel® Core™ family of full-powered processors as a result of new Airflow Cooling Technology. This innovative new cooling system co-developed by Toshiba and Intel uses directed streams of fresh air to cool the heat-generating components so business users can get the performance, mobility and longer battery life they need to stay productive on the go.
The Portégé R700 also features a light, yet durable magnesium alloy casing reinforced with a new honeycomb rib design incorporated within the palm rests and base of the laptop. Similar to technology used in aerospace construction, this structural enhancement to the laptop provides increased rigidity and durability.
The laptop also features Toshiba's EasyGuard® Technology, which helps protect the laptop from jolts, spills and theft. This includes added protection around system components, a Hard Drive Impact Sensor and spill-resistant keyboard as well as a host of software that continuously checks the performance and functionality of the system.
"Portégé ultraportable laptops are not only a demonstration of Toshiba's superior engineering and craftsmanship, but our ability to innovate to meet the demands of businesses," said Carl Pinto, vice president of product development, Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., Digital Products Division. "The Portégé R700 delivers the ultimate mobile experience at breakthrough prices that businesses have been waiting for, providing both performance and battery life within an extremely thin and light, yet durable form factor without compromising key features such as an integrated DVD drive."
With an all-new sophisticated design that will turn heads in the boardroom, the Portégé R700 features a 13.3-inch diagonal HD widescreen LED-backlit display3, a premium raised tile keyboard and a wide TouchPad™ with customizable Multi-touch Control that makes typing and navigation easy and comfortable.
Equipped with Windows® 7 Professional, the laptops include a wealth of features and ports required by business users, including spacious hard drives, fast DDR3 RAM, the ability to dock to a port replicator, an ExpressCard™ slot, an eSATA/USB combo port with Sleep-and-Charge4, as well as a built-in DVD SuperMulti drive and Webcam. The Portégé R700 also features a high-capacity six-cell battery with a battery life rating of up to 8.5 hours5. An optional nine-cell battery that can remain on when docked will increase the battery life rating up to 12.5 hours.
A new High-Speed Port Replicator for the Portégé R700 (sold separately for $199.00 MSRP6) provides fast access to a desktop environment and eliminates the hassle of connecting multiple cables. The port replicator features a host of ports, including two ultrafast USB 3.0 ports, four USB 2.0 ports, Gigabit Ethernet as well as Line-In/Line-Out audio ports, HDMI, RGB and Serial connections.
"Business PC buyers want lighter, thinner notebook designs, but our research shows that they aren't willing to compromise on performance and features to get to those smaller sizes," said Bob O'Donnell, vice president, Clients and Displays research at IDC. "Integrating high-performance CPUs and an optical drive, while still maintaining a good price point, are key to making these lighter notebook designs more successful in the marketplace."
The laptop will be available in three configurations: the Portégé R700-S1310 features the Intel Core i3 processor7 and a 500GB8 hard drive for $999.00 MSRP. The Portégé R700-S1320 features the Intel Core i5-520M processor and a high-speed 320GB 7200RPM hard drive for $1,299.00 MSRP. The Portégé R700-S1330 features the powerful Intel Core i7-620M processor and a 128GB solid state drive9 for $1,599.00 MSRP. All three configurations come with 4GB DDR3 memory10 and a Standard Three-Year International Limited Warranty11.
Consumer Model Also Available
Toshiba will also offer a consumer edition of the laptop, the Portégé R705. Sold exclusively at Best Buy for $889.99 MSRP, the laptop will feature a Magnesium Blue cover and will be powered by the Intel Core i3 processor, 4GB of DDR3 memory and a 500GB hard drive. In addition, the Portégé R705 will feature Intel Wireless Display for wirelessly connecting the laptop to a big screen HDTV. The Portégé R705 will not include ExpressCard or docking capabilities.
EPEAT Gold-rated Eco-conscious Design
The Portégé R700 is designed to be environmentally conscious with power-efficient, mercury-free LED backlit display, meets the rigorous requirements of the Energy Star® 5.0 standard and achieved industry-leading Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT®) Gold status. The laptop is also RoHS compatible, effectively reducing the environmental impact by restricting the use of lead, mercury, cadmium and certain other hazardous substances.
Availability
Portégé R700 business laptops will be available today through select Toshiba Preferred Partner Program resellers, e-tailers and directly at toshibadirect.com.
The Portégé R705 will be available at Best Buy stores nationwide on June 27, 2010.
Detailed specifications can be found at laptops.toshiba.com/laptops/portege/R700
Image Gallery: http://bit.ly/PortegeR700
Connect with Toshiba on Twitter at twitter.com/ToshibaLaptops and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ToshibaLaptopsUS.
About Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc. (TAIS)
Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., TAIS is comprised of four business units: Digital Products Division, Imaging Systems Division, Storage Device Division, and Telecommunication Systems Division. Together, these divisions provide mobile products and solutions, including industry leading portable computers; imaging products for the security, medical and manufacturing markets; storage products for automotive, computer and consumer electronics applications; and telephony equipment and associated applications.
TAIS provides sales, marketing and services for its wide range of information products in the United States and Latin America. TAIS is an independent operating company owned by Toshiba America, Inc., a subsidiary of Toshiba Corporation. Toshiba Corporation is a world leader and innovator in high technology, a diversified manufacturer and marketer of advanced electronic and electrical products. These products span from information & communications systems; digital consumer products; electronic devices and components; as well as power systems including nuclear energy; industrial and social infrastructure systems; and home appliances. Toshiba was founded in 1875, and today operates a global network of more than 740 companies, with 204,000 employees worldwide and annual sales surpassing $68 billion (6.3 Trillion Yen). For more information on Toshiba visit www.toshiba.com.
###
© 2010 Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc. All product, service and company names are trademarks, registered trademarks or service marks of their respective owners. Information including without limitation product prices, specifications, availability, content of services, and contact information is subject to change without notice. All rights reserved.
1 As of June 21, 2010.
2 Weight. Weight may vary. See Weight Legal Footnote at www.info.toshiba.com
3 Display. Any small bright dots that may appear on your display are an intrinsic characteristic of the thin film transistors manufacturing technology. See Display Legal Footnote at www.info.toshiba.com
4 The "USB Sleep & Charge function" may not work with certain external devices even if they are compliant with the USB specification. In those cases, turn the power of the computer ON to charge the device.
5 Measured by MobileMark® Productivity 2007 for comparison purposes only. Actual battery life may vary. See Battery Life Rating Legal Footnote at www.info.toshiba.com
6 Price. Reseller prices may vary. MSRP means "Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price."
7 Processor. CPU performance may vary. See Processor Legal Footnote at www.info.toshiba.com
8 Hard Disk Drive Capacity. Hard drive capacity may vary. 1 Gigabyte (GB) means 109 = 1,000,000,000 bytes using powers of 10. See Hard Disk Drive Capacity Legal Footnote at www.info.toshiba.com
9 Solid State Drive Capacity. Drive capacity may vary. One Gigabyte (GB) means 109 = 1,000,000,000 bytes using powers of 10. See Solid State Drive Capacity Legal Footnote at www.info.toshiba.com
10 Memory. Memory size may vary. See Memory Legal Footnote at www.info.toshiba.com
11 Warranty. The terms and conditions of Toshiba's standard limited warranty, and extended warranty and service upgrade plans are available at www.warranty.toshiba.com.
Well, I hope this has more than 768 horizontal pixels... otherwise it may as well be heavier than the Vaio Z because it cannot compete with a crappy screen... The missing details seems to indicate to me that they skimped on the resolution, as everyone seems to be doing now, BLEH.
@theawddone
Yeah I really don't like using anything with less than 1000 vertical pixels for any prolonged period.
...which is why Sony's 13.3" VAIO Z with the 1920x1080 display makes me drool. (See earlier Engadget post.)
@theawddone 768 vertical, not horizontal...
@Mike
This may be a stupid question but how do you run a smaller screen laptop in say a native resolution of 920x1080 without text, websites etc from being tiny.
@fais
i know its hard to believe but some people have really good eyes! sadly, i dont.
@fais
its not too hard to increase the text size in windows 7, just type "dpi" or "text" or "bigger" (etc) into the search bar in the start menu, its the top result ("Make text and other items larger or smaller"), and change it, its really straightforward actually =]
@theawddone Looks like my Vaio Z competitor.
@plenaghan88
Yeah I know but you still have to zoom into web pages every time you open the browser. I ask more for my sister she just got a 1080p sony and complains about the trade off between tiny text or fuzzy non native resolutions.
@krishansy With Intel integrated graphics, I don't think R700 is a "vaio z competitor"
@fais
I'm running a 12" at 1400x1050 just fine with the DPI set to 96. I'm sure when my eyes get worse I'll be setting the DPI slightly higher (I would do so on a 1920x1080 13.3" screen) but nothing beats the crispness high pixel density offers.
Looks Awesome, but you have to wonder what the battery life will be like.
WoW. This gives the Vaio Z a run for its money.
@Jukah They're completely different machines at completely different price points..
This gives the Sony Z a run for its money as much as the MyTouch gives the Evo4G a run for its money.
@Broderbund
No, they're actually quite the same. Both are around 13" (the discrepancy by .2" is because of the different aspect ratios), super light weight, have SSD and Core i5/i7 options, internal optical drives. This seems to do it all for a lot cheaper. Besides the price, in what way are they completely different? They are both in the ultraportable category of laptops, so you are wrong.
@Jukah
Dedicated graphics maybe?
@Jukah
Someone also links below that the resolution is only 1366x768. :(
Isnt this the one thats supposed to be produced with that new battery technology also?
hello thinkpad
This is pretty cool. I'm gonna check it out!
I hate it when manufacturers put fans on the bottom of the machine - it makes it uncomfortable to use on the lap or on the bed. The design looks nice though. Hopefully the screen won't ripple and flex like many other slim laptops.
This is impressive. I've seen a bunch of lower priced full capability notebooks, it would be nice to see a comparison article for the ones who want the best bang for their buck to help choose which compromises to make.
Sexy! Most of the newer toshiba designs are too gaudy for my tastes, but this one has the thinkpad look going on in a sleek package.
I take it this is using the Intel HD gpu, and won't offer a nvidia based gpu, like the GT310?
I am kind of disappointed that this is a 13in model vs the R600 compact 12in size.
Wow, it has everything I want! Too bad, I had got my new laptop...
Hey I work at Best Buy and we're only carrying the i3/4gb/500gb version at the moment. I didn't see the exact weight listed here but its 3.3 pounds from our price tag and it was shown for $799 but I'd have to double check that at work. If anyone wanted to buy it I have two warnings, 1. We only had 3 in stock so other stores might be limited as well, 2. All of them had Geek-Squad working on them with Pre-Setup(I know, I hate that shit myself) which is $69.99 on top of laptop price so I wouldn't be surprised if other stores were doing the same.
@dgamer90 I saw one of these Friday night (named the R705) at the San Francisco best buy for your reported $799, though I believe the weight was listed at 3.2 LBs. The tag, I believe, reported "up to 8" hours of battery life and the graphics were integrated intel with dedicated 64Mb.
The guy I talked to claimed that they had gotten 6 in on thursday and they were all sold out.
@simonsez112 I forgot to mention that I tried streaming fullscreen youtube HD video and it played without any lag (save the shoddy internet they had @ bestbuy), and it looked great. I believe the screen was a matte (as opposed to glossy), which was awesome.
Lack of dedicated graphics is a huge let down.
Toshiba almost got me as a customer.
I love the color choices! Black and kinda-black.
Now make an 11.6" without the optical drive please.
I think this post may have screwed with the RSS feed. My feed reader wont pull it down and when I ran it through a validator it through an error on the accented 'e'
In the title, it's Protégé, not PoRtégé!
@MetroKnight I realize now that it's actually Portégé, but one of the picture links has it as Protégé.
I'm a huge fan of Protege series. I went from R100 to R200 to R500.
Unfortunately according to the specs below the screen res will be limited to 1366x768. http://www.toshibadirect.com/td/b2c/pdet.to?poid=478874
Toshiba used to have a brilliant 12" (1400*1050)... dunno why they dropped it in favor of these widescreen displays which have far less pixels. I don't really understand the purpose of all these new 14-16" displays with 1366x768 when I used to have a 1600x1200 on a Sony notebook back in 2003. It can't cost that much more to manufacture... it's been almost 10 years and affordable LCD screens went from 16" to 60" and bigger.