Toshiba Intros Magnesium Portege R700 Discussion

Toshiba today introduced its thin-and-light Portege R700. It features a full voltage processor, integrated DVD drive, and magnesium alloy casing.

Read the full content of this Article: Toshiba Intros Magnesium Portege R700

Related Articles:

• Toshiba Tecra R10 Review
• Toshiba Intros New Satellite, Tecra, Qosmio Notebooks
• Toshiba Portege A605 Review

 

I kind of wish this was a 12in machine like the older R600, but unlike the R600 I hope this has a better quality matte display.

 

They managed to make it slightly thinner than the R600 and it only weighs about 0.7lbs more (3.2 vs. 2.5) despite the larger 13.3" display. The spec sheets show the display as a "TruBrite" LED, which is glossy in Toshiba-speak...questionable choice, at best???

The performance will also be greatly improved since it uses standard voltage Core i3/i5/i7 processors vs. the CULV C2Ds in the R600.

The most impressive feat, by far, is the price- starting at $999, which is less than half the base price of the R600!!!

 

Normally I don't get too excited over Toshiba laptops, but this one is enticing. Magnesium alloy case, good performance, good size, and supposed decent battery life (I highly doubt the 8.66 hour claim, however). The only questionable aspect is, I agree, the (likely) glossy screen. Glossy is so 2007 ...

It's kind of funny how Toshiba bills this notebook as thin yet doesn't list the dimensions.

 

I dunno, I guess I am hoping for a 12in laptop, like the Toshiba R600, but with a standard i Core cpu, better screen and price more comparable to the A600. This seems like could have been it, if it was in a 12in form factor, and if the screen is a pleasurable to view(like the Vaio TT or or even HP 2540).

 

Regarding the dimensions of the notebook, if you go to the Toshiba site and check the link for the product:

Toshiba Portégé® R700 Laptop Computers

you can find the dimensions listed at the bottom of the page I think....

For those who want more battery life there is a 9 cell battery for this machine also available from Toshiba too - 93 Wh as opposed to the 66 from the 6 cell that the machine comes with:

Toshiba Primary Extended Capacity 9-Cell Li-Ion Battery Pack from Toshiba

I agree that a 3 year warranty with the starting price of $1000 is nice! The $1000 preconfigured model comes with an i3 intel cpu.

This is a NICE looking machine!

 

I think that the $1000 is the business oriented model that comes in black and a port to connect to the dock. I think I read other placed that the model that comes in blue will be the more business oriented model with the same specs, but should be had for like $800 at Best Buy. I don't know what other difference there are, but I think the battery is also smaller? Either way it is a very nice machine for the price.

 

thinkpad l512: too expensive with moneysucking options.
toshiba tecra a11: worried about replacing trackpoint.
dell adamo: notoriously terrible warranty support. overpriced for dated performance. design flaws according to reviews: slight keyboard flex.
thinkpad t510: moneysucking. bulky. heavy. customization is an ordeal. website ...
macbook pro: generic design, a face in the crowd machine, dated features, commercials and selling gimmicks.
macbook air: terrible.
fujitsu s670: battery life not great, circular trackpad looks like a design nightmare for your right thumb area.
r700: heaven.

 

I totally agree. This one is very tempting...

12.5 x 8.9 x 1"

Nice.

 

The 1" is an average overall. It's wedge like so it's actually
12.44” x 8.94” x 0.66”(front height)/1.01”(back height) without feet.
I think I saw roughly 1.3 to .85 or something with feet.

The version at Bestbuy (705) is a slightly dumbed down version.
You can also get that version direct from Toshiba for $889 where the Bestbuy one is $799.

It looks like the differences for the cheaper model is:
no bluetooth
lesser wireless card
no expresscard slot
no docking port
win7 home premium instead of win7 professional with downgrade option
Only 1 year warranty instead of 3.

Other possible downgrades: (hard to tell from their website)
lesser lan card

Battery, Screen, Cpu, RAM all look to be the same.

I think I'd go with the $999 one from Toshiba myself.

I'm not sure if the screen is matte or glossy. No official word from Toshiba on this yet.
If anyone picks one up and can confirm either way I would appreciate it.
Also looking forward to real life battery numbers.

I just hope it's matte and wish it could have been 1280x800.

 

I saw it on BestBuy today. Very nice. Serves as a cost effective 3.2lb alternative to the Sony Z series. The only weakness for me is the keyboard. There seems to be some flex after moderate pressure but not much flex under normal pressure. Maybe someone can correct me on that.

My overall impression is still very positive.

 

I am going to have to drop by Best Buy and see if they stock these - thanks for posting your impressions. I usually only complain about flex if it interrupts typing; if there is some under moderate pressure that might be a cause for concern though.

Edit: I just went to Best Buy and checked it out. In short: VERY nice notebook for the money. At $799.99 it included a Core i3 CPU, 4GB RAM, 500GB hard drive, internal DVD burner, and Intel Wireless Display technology.
I thought the build quality was excellent; nearly zero chassis flex and the lid was stronger than most consumer 13" lids (still got some ripples on the screen when I pressed in on the back though). It is extraordinarily light and quite thin.
The keyboard was very good; it has basically no flex under normal usage; I could only get it to flex by using abnormal pressure. Despite being an island-style keyboard, it had good tactile feedback.
The screen also looked nice though I did not have my test images with me to judge.

It is definitely a notebook I would buy if I were in the market for a budget ultraportable.

 

I'd say that's very impressive, considering the price difference between the Toshiba and Sony Z. You could almost buy three R700s for the price of one Sony Z.

Now if Toshiba would offer a 1600x900 display, it would be perfect! I can dream, can't I?

 

I think it's impossible to compare to current core iX vaio z's, because the price difference, but what about comparing it to an old C2D vaio Z?