Toshiba intros 12.1-inch DynaBook NX with SSD

Toshiba on Monday announced it will soon launch the DynaBook NX notebook, which will be available either with a 128GB solid-state drive or conventional 160GB hard-disk. The 12.1-inch display is LED-backlit and combines with an onboard GMA 4500MHD graphics chipset to drive HD movie playback. Thanks in part to the use of Intel‘s newer 45nm, ultra-low voltage 1.2GHz Core 2 Duo processor, Toshiba rates the SSD-equipped dynabook‘s battery life at 11.5 hours, with the HDD model rated at 10.5 hours. Standard memory is set at 2GB but expandable to 3GB.

Available in pink, white or black, the dynabook NX weighs just over 3lbs and includes a DVD multi-drive. The notebook ships with Windows Vista Home Premium as the OS, and includes Microsoft Office Personal 2007 and PowerPoint 2007. Expandability comes by way of three USB ports that include an eSATA port, a VGA output and Type2 PC Card slot, while an SD card slot allows for quick downloads of files such as digital camera photos. Connections to networks and the Internet is facilitated via a Gigabit Ethernet connection or 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi module.

Due for a late October release in Japan, the DynaBook NX’s pricing will start at an equivalent of about $1,900 for the HDD model and top out at nearly $2,830 for the SSD version. An announcement of a similar model for the North American market, likely under the Portege name, is expected in the coming months.