Toshiba HD DVD 17" Laptop $3000 with HDMI

[neocell]

I don't know if this has been posted already but sounds like it could be quite a nice computer. I'll have to find the site with the actual specs.
News Release

Looks like this could be one kickass home media laptop. TV tuner, remote control HDMI support. I'd love to see a Mac with these specs, a writing HD-DVD or BluRay drive and of course OSX

Specifications
Processor Type : Core Duo
Processor Number : T2500
Processor Speed : 2.0GHz
Operating System : Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005
Memory Size : 1024MB
Display Size : 17.0"
Display Type : Widescreen UXGA with Ultimate TruBrite Technology
Display Resolution : 1920x1200
Graphics Chipset : GeForceâ„¢ Go 7600
Graphics Memory : 256MB GDDR3
Hard Drive Size : 200GB: 100GB HDD+100GB HDD
Hard Drive Speed : 5400rpm
Optical Drive : HD DVD-ROM and DVD-SuperMulti (+R double layer) drive (in one optical drive)
Wireless LAN : Intel® PRO/Wireless 3945ABG (802.11a/b/g)
Bluetooth : Bluetooth V2.0 + EDR
Input Devices : 85 key US keyboard, Hot Key Functions, Windows Key Function, Dual Mode Pad
Security : Finger Print Reader, Security Cable Lock Slot
Modem : V.92 Modem
LAN : 10/100/1000
Audio : harman/kardon Bass Reflex speakers, 1-bit Digital Amplifier, Dolby Home Theatre Digital audio enhancements, Built-in microphone
AC Adapter : 120W (15V 8.0A) Auto-sensing, 100-240V / 50-60Hz input
Battery Type : Li-Ion (9-cell, 7050mAh)
Battery Life : Up to 2.5 hours
PC Card Slots : 1-Type II PC Card Slot
PC Express Slot : 1-ExpressCardâ„¢ Slot
Media Port : 5-in-1 Bridge Media Adapter
USB Slots : 4-USB (2.0)
iLINK : i.LINK IEEE-1394
S-Video : TV-out (S Video)
Fast Infrared : Infrared for Consumer Remote only
Software : InterVideo WinDVD Creator 2 Platinum, Microsoft Office OneNote, Microsoft Works, Sonic Solutions RecordNow! Basic , Sonic PrimeTime, Quicken New User Edition 2005, InterVideo® WinDVD® 5
Color : Titanium Silver
Warranty : 1-Yr Parts and Labor (Home Service), 1-Year Battery

Link

 

[calebjohnston]

I wouldn't pay 3,000 dollars for a Windows-based computer. They just don't last long enough to justify that much money.

EDIT: Especially Toshiba. My little brother has a Toshiba laptop and that things fan is on 100% of the time from startup to shutdown, and it's incredibly slow.

Interesting tidbit... the fan/exhaust is on the BOTTOM of the computer. What a great idea . That way, no matter where it is, it overheats like a mofo!

 

[neocell]

Actually toshibas have been the best (of a bad lot) for me. Still no comparison to Macs, but hopefully this pushes Apple a bit to make a somewhat "better" laptop with a few more features. I mean look just at the screens:
Toshiba = 1920 x 1200
MBP 17" = 1680 x 1050 (not even enough for 1080i)

Interesting tidbit... the fan/exhaust is on the BOTTOM of the computer. What a great idea . That way, no matter where it is, it overheats like a mofo!

Well they fixed that one imperfection on this one, but who knows about the others...

 

[milo]

Actually toshibas have been the best (of a bad lot) for me. Still no comparison to Macs, but hopefully this pushes Apple a bit to make a somewhat "better" laptop with a few more features. I mean look just at the screens:
Toshiba = 1920 x 1200
MBP 17" = 1680 x 1050 (not even enough for 1080i)

For 1080i, they'd have to go to almost the resolution of the toshiba. I'd love to see it as an option, but until they implement interface resolution independence, that would make the user interface pretty tiny. Some users would be OK with it, but it would be too small for many people.

 

[neocell]

For 1080i, they'd have to go to almost the resolution of the toshiba. I'd love to see it as an option, but until they implement interface resolution independence, that would make the user interface pretty tiny. Some users would be OK with it, but it would be too small for many people.

That would be cool to implement the resolution independence, but can't you do pretty much this already with the finder options (icon size text size) and application options?

Anyway, with the Toshiba you still get two hard drives as well, though the battery life looks a bit iffy.

Not saying that the Toshiba is a better product, but some of the options are tempting.

And even with the first HiDef DVD drive, it's still cheaper than the MBP

 

[mmmcheese]

...except it's a Toshiba...I've sworn I will never buy another one of their products as long as I live...long story...

 

[dejo]

Wouldn't it make more sense to have the display resolution be 1920x1080 if it's gonna have HD-DVD?

 

[neocell]

Wouldn't it make more sense to have the display resolution be 1920x1080 if it's gonna have HD-DVD?

That is a funky ratio (1920x1200 ratio of 1.6). I though HD was supposed to be 16 x 9 not 16 x 10
Oh well, still more screen real estate

 

[FF_productions]

Did anyone mention it runs windows?

Yeah toshiba laptops get really hot, I almost burned my finger when I was working with my friends laptop to get some viruses off of it.

 

[Sutekidane]

My boyfriends crappy 2004 toshiba overheats all the time...

Anyway, I guess this would be cool if toshiba didn't design such big, ugly, boring laptops.

 

[Gelfin]

That is a funky ratio (1920x1200 ratio of 1.6). I though HD was supposed to be 16 x 9 not 16 x 10
Oh well, still more screen real estate

1920x1200 is used because it's a good compromise. 4x3 high-resolution screens are generally 1600x1200. HDTV is 1920x1080. A 1920x1200 screen can comfortably accomodate either resolution by letterboxing along the appropriate axis.

 

[neocell]

1920x1200 is used because it's a good compromise. 4x3 high-resolution screens are generally 1600x1200. HDTV is 1920x1080. A 1920x1200 screen can comfortably accomodate either resolution by letterboxing along the appropriate axis.

Ahhhhh, it all makes sense now. Thanks

 

[GoCubsGo]

I love the trackpad!
Also, I miss laptops that have decent sound...Apple's don't.

 

[Policar]

16:10 is the normal ratio for widescreen computer monitors. The Apple Cinema Displays and 15'' MacBook Pro run at 16:10.

In fact, I'm using two 16:10 monitors now, one on my MacBook Pro, one on my Dell 2405 monitor. It's a nice aspect ratio....

By the way, this thing weighs 10.1 pounds or more. Anyone who's okay with that can get one, but that's totally ridiculous. The 17'' MBP is like 6.8 pounds or something, by comparison. Also, 1920X1200 means tiny text and makes it impossible to play games at native resolutions, and HDTV looks fine scaled down to 1440X900 (or 1600X1050 or whatever) so it's not a huge problem. If you need 1920X1200, you don't want a laptop.

 

[Anonymous Freak]

1920x1200 is used because it's a good compromise. 4x3 high-resolution screens are generally 1600x1200. HDTV is 1920x1080. A 1920x1200 screen can comfortably accomodate either resolution by letterboxing along the appropriate axis.

And, all of Apple's widescreens are the same 16:10 ratio. (The 23" HD Cinema Display is 1920x1200.) The only oddball was the 15" PowerBook, which was always 3:2. That's why the 15" MBP 'lost' resolution, to make it 16:10 like every other Apple widescreen. It's also why the 17" MBP didn't lose resolution, because the 17" PB was already 16:10. The original 17" PowerBook was the same resolution that the 15" MBP is now, it was just when they increased resolutions in the last generation of PBs that the oddball 1440x960 was introduced for the 'improved' 15"er.

Here's a list of recent Apple resolutions and their aspect ratios:
1024x768 (12" PB, iBook, 15" iMac G4): 4:3
1152x768 (original 15" PowerBook G4): 3:2
1280x854 (DVI 15" PowerBook G4 through next-to-last 15" PowerBook G4)
1280x960 (eMac): 4:3
1280x1024 (17" Studio Display LCD): Oddball 5:4 ratio. At least it uses square pixels on LCDs. When you use this resolution on a CRT, you end up with non-square pixels, unless you purposely leave black bars on the left and right.)
1440x900 (17" iMac, original 17" PowerBook G4, 15" MacBook Pro): 16:10
1440x960 (last 15" PowerBook G4): 3:2
1600x1024 (22" Cinema Display): Slightly off 16:10 (nobody ever made a 1600x1000 panel)
1680x1050 (20" Cinema Display, last 17" PowerBook G4, 17" MacBook Pro): True 16:10
1920x1200 (23" Cinema HD Display): 16:10
1920x1080 (HD 1080 resolution, no Apple product uses this): 16:9
2560x1600 (30" Cinema HD Display): 16:10
3840x2400 (heh. Not Apple's, but made by IBM and ViewSonic. I like it because it can display every HD resolution 'correctly' with integer pixel multipliers, so no 'stretching' any pixels, just doubling, tripling, or quintupling): 16:10

These are the aspect ratios in order from 'squarest' to 'widest': 5:4, 4:3, 3:2, 16:10, 16:9 ('real' HD, not used on any Apple products.)