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Toshiba unveils HD DVD-RW writer for laptops
Toshiba Qosmio fans have reason to celebrate with the unveiling of Tosh's skinny SD-L912A HD DVD-RW writer for laptops, a world's first to support rewritable HD DVD media. Unfortunately, we're only talking 1x read/write speeds here, or about 2 hours to fill a 30GB dual-layer disc -- but it's a start. The drives is also capable of writing to HD DVD-R DL and all the DVD and CDROM formats you can throw at it. The 12.7-mm thin drive will be shipping in sample quantities to OEMs in July as they spin up to production capacity in the months that follow. That would make it available as an option in the Qosmio G40 sometime near the end of summer.[Via Impress]
Toshiba Qosmio F40W does Santa Rosa and DX10
Although you're probably still focused on how ashamed Toshiba should be of itself for hyping up this so-called SED TV for ages only to delay things once again, checkin' out the Qosmio F40W isn't a half bad way to get distracted. The 15.4-inch multimedia-centric machine sports a 1,280 x 800 resolution, Intel's Core 2 Duo T7300 (2GHz) CPU, up to 4GB of RAM, 120GB of hard drive space, a dual-layer LabelFlash-enabled DVD writer, built-in terrestrial digital TV tuner, and NVIDIA's new 128MB GeForce 8400M GS to handle the DirectX 10 action. Additionally, you'll find four USB 2.0 ports, a 4-pin FireWire connector, ExpressCard slot, a multicard reader that handles SD, SDHC, MMC, xD, and MSPro, 802.11a/b/g, Ethernet, VGA / S-Video / HDMI outputs, S/PDIF audio output, and a Li-ion cell that purportedly lasts a paltry 1.3-hours. Of course, no word of an American release, but those over in Japan should be able to snag one within the next week or so for ¥259,800 ($2,136).[Via Impress]
Toshiba intros Tecra A9, M9, and Qosmio G45, updates Satellite P205, A205
While it may pale in comparison to the slew of laptops that HP just dropped on us, Toshiba's batch of just-announced systems is certainly respectable enough, including a pair of new Tecras, some updated Satellites, and the desktop-replacin' Qosmio G45. Up first, the Tecra A9 and M9 are aimed squarely at the business set, with each boasting similar unassuming designs and both based on Intel's Centrino Pro platform (otherwise known as Santa Rosa). Opting for the A9 will get you a 15.4-inch widescreen display, along with a T7100 Core 2 Duo processor, 1GB of RAM, an 80GB hard drive, a DVD super multi drive, built-in Bluetooth, and integrated 802.11a/b/g WiFi. The M9, on the other hand, packs a slightly smaller 14.1-inch display but ups the processor to a T7500, along with the same 1GB of RAM, a 120GB hard drive, NVIDIA Quadro NVS 130 graphics, and built-in 802.11a/g/n WiFi. Look for it to set you back $1,799, while the A9's somewhat lighter on your bank account, demanding just $1,159. While they're pretty light on details, Toshiba has also announced that its updating its Satellite P205 and A205 to the Centrino Duo platform, and it's teasing us with its do-it-all Qosmio G45 laptop, which we expect won't be too different from already-announced Q40. There's no word on pricing or availability for any of those, unfortunately, although Toshiba is promising to say more about that in the third quarter of this year.Read - Tecra A9Read - Tecra M9Read - Satellite P205, A205, Qosmio G45
Toshiba's fancy new Qosmio G40 desktop replacement
Toshiba has finally shed the frumpy aesthetics of its Qosmio GXX line of desktop replacements and co-opted the clean white lines of the R400 for the brand new Qosmio G40. There's the "usual" 17-inch 1920 x 1200 screen, dual 200GB hard drives, T7300P Core 2 Duo processor (Santa Rosa), 2GB of RAM and other basic necessities like that, but things get extra interesting with the 512MB GeForce 8600M GT graphics, an HD DVD-R drive and HDMI 1.3. The laptop should be come to at least Europe in June, with an asking price of around 3000 euros (about $4004 US).[Via Electronista]
Toshiba's Qosmio F30W refreshed for Vista
There's no better way to wash away the depressive filth of winter's scorn than beneath the glow of a swank new laptop right? So let's put digits to palm and golf clap at the introduction of the latest Qosmio and Satellite laptops from Toshiba. The Qosmio F30W (F30/87AW) laptop is their AV focused model sporting a terrestrial digital TV tuner and bright 490 cd/m2, 15.4-inch 1280 x 800 pixel LCD. For ¥247,800 (about $2,047) you'll be one the... uh, privileged to hoist your own 4-kg (8.8-pound) / 52.1-mm (2.05-inch) thick slab. The F30W packs a 2GHz T7200 Core 2 Duo proc, 2GB of PC2-4200 DDR2 memory, 128MB of nVidia GeForce Go 7300 graphics, ±R DL DVD super multi-drive, 2.7-hour lithium-ion battery, 802.11a/b/g WiFi, harmon/kardon's bass reflex speaker system, and Vista Home Premium loaded up on a 120GB 5400rpm SATA disk. It also brings plenty of expansion with 4x USB 2.0, Firewire, multi-format memory card reader and S/PDIF, D-Sub 15, S-Video, and Japanese D-terminal outputs. Sorry, no HD DVD drive here folks. For that you'll have to check the 10.6-pound Qosmio G30... if you can Alice. Also "announced" are the Satellite TXW and CXW followups to their AW6 and CW2. Thing is, other than a model number change and a Vista pre-load, there's nothing new to report. Nice try Tosh. Get your orders in starting Monday, you know, if you live in Japan.[Via Impress] Read -- F30/87AW Read -- Dynabook Satellite TXW Read -- Dynabook Satellite CXW
Toshiba's Qosmio G30 is first laptop with HD DVD-R
Seeing how HD DVD burners are still quite a new idea for the desktop set, you can imagine our delight at discovering Toshiba's new Qosmio G30 laptop, which sports the elusive drive within its portable frame. Well, almost portable. At 10.6 pounds, we're not sure any mortal lap -- not to mention tray table -- could support this thing, but we really expected nothing less the first time around. The 17-inch display rocks it True HD style at 1920 x 1200, plus if you get bored with your selection of HD DVDs, there's always the analog and digital TV tuners to keep you entertained. Other specs on the G30/97A include a 2GHz Core 2 Duo T7200 processor, 1GB of RAM, dual 160GB HDDs, NVIDIA GeForce Go 7600 graphics with 256MB of RAM, and just about every kind of connectivity you could think of -- USB 2.0, Firewire, PCMCIA, ExpressCard/54, multi-card reader, 802.11a/b/g, gigabit Ethernet, modem, VGA, S-video, S/PDIF and HDMI. Of course, in light of the G30/97A's 400,000 yen pricetag ($3,320 US), you might be interested in its G30/95A sibling, which for 280,000 yen ($2,324 US) drops the HD DVD for a DVD burner, swaps HDMI for DVI and skimps on a few other specs like a 1440 x 900 display resolution. If that's too much bulk, but you'd still like Toshiba to keep you in the medias, Toshiba is also announcing its Qosmio F30 laptops, which still include frills like digital tuners and S/PDIF, but drop those ExpressCard slots, along with pulling the display size down to a manageable 15.4-inches, at a 1280 x 800 resolution. Prices start at 200,000 yen ($1,660 US), and all of these new laptops feature Windows Vista Home Premium.[Via Impress]
Toshiba's Qosmio G35-AV660 gets Core 2 Duo
It's not a whole huge production outfitting today's (or shall we say yesterday's) laptops with Core 2 Duo processors, which are for the most part compatible with previous Core Duo systems. Still, between the easy upgrade path and the marginal performance increase and power savings, that doesn't mean we're not stoked to report the Qosmio series now features the G35-AV660, the first laptop we've seen with an HD DVD drive paired up with a Core 2 Duo T7200 (perhaps they mean T2700?) processor. Which is good, too, because you're going to need all the horsepower you can get when you're pumping 1080p content on that 17-inch 1920 x 1200 Ultimate TruBrite display; otherwise you can expect a 256MB GeForce Go 7600 graphics adapter, 240GB SATA RAID, 802.11a/b/g, Bluetooth 2.0+ EDR, gigabit Ethernet, finger print reader, four USB 2.0 ports, ExpressCard, PC card, 1394, S-Video in and out, 5-in-1 media adapter, and best of all, a tiny, completely affordable $3500 price tag. Yes, we're being sarcastic, but for the same price you've got your Blu-ray equivalent, so take your pick. More pics after the break.[Thanks, El_Matarife]
Toshiba announces spec bumps for Qosmio, Dynabook laptops
Toshiba's introduced a whole raft of revisions to its Qosmio and Dynabook lines of laptops adding, on the Qosmio at least, terrestrial digital TV tuner capabilities. Leading the pack is the Qosmio F30, available in black or white, and loaded with a 1.66HGz Core Duo T2300 CPU, 128MB GeForce Go 7300 graphics card, 1GB RAM (maximum 2GB), 160GB hard drive, terrestrial digital/analog TV tuner, and 802.11b/g WiFi. It'll set you back a full ¥260,000 (about $2,260 US). On the Dynabook side of things, the AX, TX, CX, and SS MX models all get spec bumps, ranging from 1.46GHz Celeron M 410 to 1.66GHz Core Duo T2300 processors, and with prices coming in at ¥160,000 ($1,400 US) on the low end up to ¥200,000 ($1,740 US) for Dynabook SS MX, which also happens to be the smallest and lightest laptop of the lot. They all should be available in mid-to-late August.[Via Impress]
Security flaw allows HD flicks to be copied with screencaps
With all of the time and money that Hollywood and the consumer electronics industry have poured into copy-protecting high definition content, we were amused to learn that both formats can already be duplicated by the simplest of means: the trusty Print Screen button on your keyboard. UK-based Heise Security is reporting that the special OEM version of Intervideo's WinDVD software bundled with both Sony's first Blu-ray Vaio and Toshiba's first HD DVD Qosmio contains a security hole that allows users to capture video frames at their full resolution by simply triggering that Print Screen option -- which in and of itself is little more than a curiosity, but opens up the possibility of running a script that advances a given film one frame at a time and automates the whole screencap process, which would allow pirates to create high def copies by compiling the pictures and dubbing in the audio. Toshiba is already aware of the "problem" and claims that an impending software update will provide the fix, but as one HDBeat commenter astutely pointed out, as long as you can see a picture on your monitor or hear sound through your speakers, there will always be a way to capture that data.[Via HDBeat]
Blu-ray and HD DVD copy protection defeated by...print screen?
After all the debate over AACS, ICT, BD+ and all the rest, both Blu-ray and HD DVD's copy protection system has already been hacked, if you can even call it a hack. In the oddest way to sidestep DRM since the infamous shift-key to disable AutoRun incident, German mag C't has discovered you can record protected high-def flicks in full resolution via automating the print screen function of the provided Intervideo WinDVD software. Both Sony's Vaio and Toshiba's Qosmio laptops with Blu-ray and HD DVD drives respectively come bundled with the software, and are vulnerable to the hack. Quite simply, it can be used to capture the movies frame-by-frame, and then reassembled to create the entire movie. Not the most elegant solution, but they claim it works.Toshiba has already confirmed the problem, and has announced updates for the software and drivers that disable the print screen function. Interestingly, if you have the software it does not appear to violate AACS and would potentially not face being locked out by a future AACS key update. Expect a pirate run on all remaining non-upgraded laptops and to see the aforementioned WinDVD OEM software floating around your local file sharing network any time now. All those delays, and all those licensing fees, defeated by a button thats been around as long as we can remember. The article detailing their find will be published Monday July 10, unless the DMCA ninjas get to it first.
Toshiba's Qosmio G30/695LS
Toshiba's rolling out a new version of their Qosmio G30, the G30/695LS, but it's not quite accurate to call it an upgrade; on the one hand, you're getting some pretty solid audio thanks to the addition of a 1bit amplifier, but on the other hand, they decided not to include the HD DVD drive that had made these models so attractive in the first place. Besides these two changes, the specs remain identical to other iterations of the G30, which include a 1.66GHz Core Duo T2300 processor, NVIDIA GeForce 7600 graphics,1GB of RAM, and a hefty 200GB of hard drive space, but only a 1440 x 900 resolution (other versions sport 1920 x 1200). We haven't heard anything regarding price or availability, but it's safe to assume that these will go for significantly less than their $4,000 cousins, and that you probably won't see them at you local Best Buy anytime soon.[Via PC Watch]
Qosmio HD DVD-equipped laptop shipping this week
If you can't find an HD DVD player because they're all sold out you'll soon have another option. Toshiba is shipping the Qosmio G35 AV650 laptop this week. It also features a 2Ghz Core Duo processor, two 100GB hard drives in a RAID setup, 1 GB of RAM, NVIDIA GeForce Go 7600 videocard and HDMI output. All that plus Windows Media Center Edition adds up to 10 lbs of weight and $3000 lighter in the pocket. [Via Engadget]
Toshiba Qosmio G35 with HD DVD to launch this week for $3K
After showing it off for close to six months, Toshiba is finally ready to drop the Qosmio G35, the company's first laptop with a built-in HD DVD drive. Toshiba is expected to show off the box at E3 today, and will begin selling it on its web site later this week for about $3,000. In addition to its HD DVD player, the G35 includes a 2GHz Core Duo processor, two 100GB drives, 1GB RAM and an Nvidia GeForce Go 7600 with 256MB. The 10-pound portable features a 17-inch display, and comes with Windows XP Media Center Edition.
Toshiba's Qosmio F30 and Dynabook SS MX, CX, TX, and AX laptops
Toshiba blasted us with a heap of new additions to their Dynabook and Qosmio line-up of laptops today. Let's start with the Qosmio F30/695LS Core Duo T2300 (1.66GHz) which features a bright 15.4-inch, 1280 x 800 (WXGA) LCD to check the teevee pumped out those integrated analog and digital terrestrial TV tuners. The F30 also features 160GB of storage for TV recording fun, up to 2GB RAM, nVIDIA GeForce Go 7600 graphics, 802.11a/b/g WiFi, fingerprint scanner, shock protection, and harmon/kardon's bass reflex speaker system already spotted on the G35. Next up is the new 1.9-kg Dynabook SS MX/395LS which also packs a Core Duo T2300 but delivers on a 12.1-inch WXGA LCD with 80GB disk, a dual-layer DVD burner, 512MB RAM, and 802.11a/b/g WiFi and goes 5.2-hours on a single charge. The compact, 2.5-kg Dynabook CX/875LS offers a 14.1-inch WXGA display and Core Duo T2300, harmon/kardon's speakers, and dual-layer DVD burner we've seen before. Rounding things out are the "high-grade standard" TX/880LS and budget AX/40LS which both offer 15.4-inch displays with the TX going Core Duo T2300 and 120GB disk while the AX manages to slip-in Celeron M 370 and dual-layer DVD burner on the cheap. Looks like all the models will be shipping no later than the 28th of this month. Big snaps of the SS MX and F30 after the break.[Via Akihabara News]
Qosmio G30 coming to Japan in May, with HDMI output
Yes, it's another Japan-only shipping announcement from Toshiba (thanks a lot guys; what are we, chopped liver?). This time, the company is boasting that the Qosmio G30, the first HD DVD-equipped laptop, will hit the domestic market next month, for a retail price of about ¥400,000 (about $3,400). Specs are still the same as we've seen before, with the biggest addition being word that the laptop will support HDMI output. That fills in at least one missing piece of the G30 puzzle, namely, if you're going to hand over more than $3K for a laptop just because it has an HD DVD drive, you had darn well better be able to use that drive to pump out some HD onto a bigger screen than the laptop's 17-inch display. (Not that it matters to us, since we have absolutely no idea when we'll see one of these in the US.)
Acer Aspire 9800 to be next HD DVD-equipped laptop
Toshiba's Qosmio G30 may be the first laptop to launch with a built-in HD DVD drive, but it certainly won't be the last. And as of now, it looks like Acer will be next to market with the Aspire 9800, a media-centric semi-portable due to hit Europe next month. The Acer laptop, in addition to its HD drive, will feature a mammoth 20-inch 1680x1050 display, NVIDIA GeForce Go 7600, digital/analog hybrid tuner, 1.3 megapixel webcam, DVI-D out and up to 240GB of storage. No official pricing yet, but word on the street puts this baby at over $2,600. Oh, one more thing. Acer has three asterisks next to its claim that the box will include HD DVD, leading to a footnote indicating the drive will be an option "when available." So, depending on whether or not the drivemaker (which may well be Acer itself) gets the units in on time, this may arrive next month sans HD DVD.[Via Stuff]