Toshiba claims lightest full-featured notebook ever
updated 10:25 am EDT, Mon June 21, 2010
Toshiba Portege R700 hits 3lbs with optical drive
Continuing on its notebook launches, Toshiba today rolled out wht it says is the lightest full notebook. The Portege R700 weighs just three pounds and measures under 0.7 inches thick but still has full notebook processors, up to and including the dual Core i7. In spite of its weight, it should last for up to 8.5 hours on its stock battery and 12.5 hours with a nine-cell extended pack.
Much of the weight reduction comes from a honeycomb shell that keeps the body strong without needing extra material. Cooling co-developed by Intel -- possibly Laminar Jet -- also helps by directing streams of air to reduce the amount of cooling needed for the higher-power mobile chips.
One primarily mainstream model will be available. A Best Buy-exclusive $889, R705 will have an unspecified Core i3, 4GB of RAM, a 500GB hard drive and Wireless Display support. More widely available but pro-oriented R700 models will start at $999 with similar details, but a $1,299 model will jump to a 2.4GHz Core i5 and a 320GB but 7,200RPM hard drive. A $1,599 range leader jumps to a 2.66GHz Core i7 and a 128GB solid-state drive.
The R700 is available online today, but the R705 will ship slightly later and reach Best Buy on June 27. An optional dock will be available with USB 3.0 ports and additional expansion, but it hasn't been priced.
