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Toshiba Refreshes Entire Line From Netbooks To Qosmio

Toshiba is planning a broad expansion of its Satellite portable computer offerings with new models being added to all its consumer categories at International CES this week.

In the netbook category Toshiba is introducing the NB305, said Carrie Cowan, Toshiba’s product marketing manager for consumer laptops.

The NB305 has Intel’s N450 Atom processor, a 10.1-inch LED backlit display, 250GB hard drive and a 3G wireless option.

Toshiba redesigned the battery so it now conforms to the shape of the chassis, and Cowan said it will deliver 11 hours of power. The netbook also incorporates Toshiba’s new Bulletin Board desktop-management system that allows users to keep track of their content in a bulletin board fashion, Cowan said, adding that this software is being implemented throughout the Toshiba portable computing line.

Other shared new technology includes Toshiba’s ReelTime and Media Controller applications and the ability to charge USB connected devices off the laptop’s USB port.

Reel Time is a simplified system for tracking files by tracking them as they are used; Media Controller is intended to improve the home networking experience.

The NB305 comes in Royal Blue, Java Brown and Frost White with a textured finish. Black Onyx is also available. Pricing runs from $349 to $399 depending upon configuration.

Cowan said netbooks now comprise about 13 percent of Toshiba’s portable computing business. Cowan does not expect Toshiba to expand this figure. This decision, in part, is because there is still consumer confusion regarding netbooks. Despite being positioned as a companion PC, many people are buying them expecting to have a full-computer experience and come away disappointed.

To accommodate people who want something extremely portable, like a netbook, but require a fully capable notebook, Toshiba has its ultra-thin category, Cowan said.

Toshiba has revamped its ultra-thin computing line with the two models in its T100 series. The T115 and T135 have 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch displays and weigh 3.5 and 3.9 pounds respectively.

For the first time, Toshiba is making available the AMD Athlon and Turion Neo processor with ATI Radeon HD3200 graphics. Other processor options include an Intel Pentium SU4100 processor.

Hard-drive capacity is 320GB and it has a hard-drive impact sensor to save data if the laptop is dropped. There is no internal optical drive.

Pricing ranges from $449 to $699, and the units are now available.

Another lightweight series is the U505. Priced between $649 to $949, it has a 13.3-inch display, Intel and AMD processors and weighs less than 5 pounds.

Toshiba’s newest mainstream Satellite offering is the L505. The 505 line has been upgraded to include two new color schemes, a gray exterior mated with a silver interior, and a new black-on-black look.

The L505 has a 15.6-inch display is available with Intel and AMD processors and, depending upon configuration, can have up to 320GB of storage, up to 8GB of memory, a DVD SuperMulti Drive and a Web cam featuring Toshiba’s face-recognition software.

Pricing ranges from $499 to $699.

The M505 has a slightly smaller 720p 14-inch display, AMD and Intel processors and weighs about 5 pounds. It is intended to combine high performance and mobility, said Cowan. Pricing ranges from $699 to $999.

Cowan said Toshiba will have a full line of larger screen size models for customers interested in an entertainment-centric unit.

The A505 has a 16-inch display. It has higher-end graphics with Nvidia GeForce GT330M with 1GB of DDR3 memory and the 310M version with 512MB DDR3 memory. The widescreen display has an edge-to-edge display option, Harmon/Kardon speakers, Dolby Surround Room audio, HDMI-CEC output and a Blu-ray option. Depending upon configuration, prices range from $769 to $1,249.

The L555 has a 17.3-inch display, DVD SuperMulti Drive and up to 8GB of memory. Pricing starts at $649.

The next step up is the P505. It features an 18.4-inch display, Blu-ray option and the same entertainment features as the A505. Pricing ranges from $769 to $1,249.

The top-of-the-line entertainment model again resided in Toshiba’s Qosmio line. The latest version is the X505.

It is powered by either an Intel Core i7 720QM or a Core i5 430M processor. It has an Nvidia GeForce GTS 360M graphics card with 1GB of DDR5 memory, and a 7,200 rpm 320GB hard drive with the option to add 64GB of solid-state storage.

Pricing goes from $1,199 to $1,899.

Toshiba is also adding a PC health application and a utility to display the unit’s power usage to all its notebooks.

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