Toshiba Launches New Portege R500 and Tecra M8

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Toshiba's Digital Products Division today announced the Portégé R500 Series ultraportable notebook computer ... the thinnest notebook with an integrated optical disk drive. Toshiba's Portégé R500 Series is the world's first notebook to include a 7mm optical drive, and if that weren't enough it comes with the world's first widescreen 12.1-inch indoor/outdoor transreflective backlit LED screen and impressive battery life.

Toshiba Portege R500 front view

The integrated 7mm DVD-SuperMulti drive packed into a system measuring as thin as 0.77-inches and weighing 2.4-pounds makes this ultraportable attractive to anyone wanting to eliminate the bulk and inconvenience of carrying external drives and cables. Combine this with what Toshiba claims is &quot;the world's longest battery life on a widescreen 12.1-inch notebook&quot; and you may have found the ultraportable on everyone's Christmas list this year.

Toshiba Portege R500 lid view

The Portégé R500 Series incorporates Toshiba's third generation EasyGuard Technology for improved durability including HDD protection and a spill-resistant keyboard

Priced at $2,149, the Portege R500-S5002 is available with:

• Genuine Windows Vista Business (32-bit version)
• Intel Core 2 Duo Processor U7600
• 1.20GHz, 2MB L2, 533MHz FSB with 64-bit
• 1024MB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM memory
• One memory slot available
• 120GB (5400 RPM); Serial-ATA hard disk drive
• 7mm, 8xDVD-SuperMulti (+/-R Single Layer) drive supporting 9 formats
• 12.1-inch diagonal widescreen highbrightness display
• 1280 x 800 (WXGA) - Transreflective backlit LED
• Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 with 64MB
• Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN (802.11a/g/n)
• Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR

Additionally, the Portege R500-S5001X ($1,999) is available with:

• Genuine Windows XP Professional
• Intel Core 2 Duo Processor U7600
• 1.2GHz, 2MB L2, 533MHz FSB with 64-bit
• 1024MB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM memory
• One memory slot occupied
• 120GB (5400 RPM) Serial-ATA (SATA) hard disk drive
• 7mm, 8xDVD-SuperMulti (+/-R Single Layer) drive supporting 9 formats
• 12.1-inch diagonal widescreen highbrightness display
• 1280x800 (WXGA) Transreflective backlit LED
• Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950
• Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN (802.11a/g/n)
• Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR

In the third quarter of 2007, Toshiba plans to further reduce the weight of the Portégé R500 Series to 1.72 pounds by including a 64GB solid state drive, effectively creating the world's lightest widescreen 12.1-inch notebook.

For those who don't have a budget for a $2,000 notebook, Toshiba has also announced the Tecra M8 starting at only $1,399.

The Tecra M8-S8011, Toshiba's new 13.3-inch diagonal widescreen notebook incorporates an Intel Centrino Duo processor, optical disk drive and integrated webcam.

Toshiba Tecra M8

Starting at 4.5 pounds, the Tecra M8 integrates a built-in DVD SuperMulti drive enabling mobile users to read and write a wide variety of CD and DVD media formats. The Tecra M8 also includes a 1.3 megapixel webcam and microphone built into the LCD bezel, perfect for video conferencing or staying in touch with colleagues and family members.

Optimized for Windows Vista, the Tecra M8 will also include solid graphics performance through the Intel Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator X3100 packed in a silver-metalic case. Thanks to Intel Turbo Memory, the Tecra M8 can boot its Windows Vista Business operating system quickly while improving battery life.

The Tecra M8-S8011 ($1,399) is available with the following specifications:

• Genuine Windows Vista Business (32-bit version)
• Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T7100
• 1.8GHz, 2MB L2, 800MHz FSB with 64-bit
• 1024MB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM memory
• 120GB (5400 RPM) Serial-ATA (SATA) hard disk drive
• DVD SuperMulti (+/-R double layer) drive supporting 11 formats
• 13.3-inch diagonal widescreen TruBrite TFT LCD display
• 1280x800 native resolution (WXGA)
• Mobile Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100 with 8MB (251MB dynamically allocated shared graphics memory)
• Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN (802.11a/g/n)
• Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR
• Embedded 1.3 megapixel webcam with built-in microphone

Complete product specifications for all models within the Portégé R500 Series are available at www.toshiba.com/R500 and specifications for all the Tecra M8 models are available at www.toshibadirect.com.

 

Completely overshadowed by today's MBP announcement.

1.7lbs for a 12" notebook is outstandingly small, especially one with an optical drive! Its a bit on the pricey side though; I might want an Asus U1 instead of this for the smaller footprint.

btw, new Admin?

 

Yeah, I spotted him yesterday.
Welcome Jerry

 

If both use Santa Rosa chipset, why the GMA 950?

 

Wait, so this only has one memory slot entirely, no soldered on ram, just one whole slot for all the system's ram?

 

No, it has 2. The expensive config has 1x1GB, the cheaper config has 2x512MB.
Thats what I understand, anyways.

 

When is the M8 go on sale? I didnt see on Toshiba website.

 

@ xtyfyb, they are only 12.1". As for the 13.3", dunno. Cost?

I like the styling of those ultra-portables, though they are only press shots

Welcome Jerry... I'm the one who takes the # out of the mod team

 

Argn, widescreen and no pointing stick? This is not a tecra.

 

Vivek, the 1.7-pound model is the one that will be offered in the fall with the SSD. It has no optical drive and a three-cell battery. The standard model is 2.4 pounds, which is still less than the new 2.6 lb. Sony TZ.

 

And don't you just love how they say NOTHING about battery life. Not in the press release. Not on their web site. Not even in the 'detailed product specs' pdf available at their web site.

Must be hiding something...

Sounds like Sony may have something on them with the new TZ when it is finally available here state-side...

 

It's actually on the site now

http://www.toshibadirect.com/td/b2c/cmod.to?coid=-33777

but no option to buy it, sent an email to Toshiba asking when that might be but no response, I would imagine pretty soon here though.

edit: It's available from a bunch of places apparently:

http://www.google.com/products?q=To...official&hs=ImL&um=1&sa=X&oi=froogle&ct=title

 

Following the Toshiba link, it appears from the detail specs PDF that there's one on-board and one slot. So either 512M + slot or 1GB + slot (and max 1GB in the open slot).

 

Hmm. I think the smaller one is still using the GM945 chipset, hence the GMA950 graphics.

They haven't released the Santa Rosa ULV chips yet, as far as I know. Thats why the TZ is still on the 945 chipset as well.

 

If I buy the Portege R500 as it is right now, with optical drive and normal harddrive, will I be able to upgrade to a 64GB SSD later ?

 

@ Hedwig: I hope so.

Is there any review of the Portege r500 yet?

 

Nope. I only see specs provided here and there but no review.

I bought the U1F anyways, my notebook hunt is over.
I should have it by friday

 

The R500 is awfully expensive. I actually noticed it up on Toshiba Direct a few days ago. Its an interesting looking machine.