By
Darius Chang
09/11/2006
URL:
http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/notebooks/0,39050495,61965858,00.htm
At Singapore's Raffles Hotel today, Toshiba said ti was dropping its Choose Freedom tagline and rebranding with a new motto--Beyond Freedom--and backing this up with a refreshed notebook line.
"How will you notebook next?", that is a question which Toshiba hopes to answer at the joint presentation with Microsoft and Intel representatives. According to Tay Choon Song, marketing & e-Business manager of Toshiba's Computer Systems Division: "Beyond Freedom recognizes that mobility alone, even with its positive sense of liberation, is insufficient in today’s fast-evolving society. The new Toshiba slogan communicates the need to go beyond mobility and address each individual lifestyle of every customer". In other words, the Japanese company has a complete line of mobility products to suit every profession. The rebranding campaign, which was first launched in Hong Kong, will take off later this month in Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Pakistan and Thailand.
In addition to the new slogan, Toshiba is also taking a more personal approach by adopting an imaginary character--Pala-chan--which will front the Qosmio F20 and F30 notebooks and eventually be associated with the company's line of mobile peripherals and accessories. Its physical avatar takes the form of a 1GB MP3 player, which will retail for
S$179 as part of Toshiba's campaign.
Toshiba EasyGuard technology protects your system from damage and data theft. |  |
|
Its notebooks are split in two distinct categories, with two lines in each making a total of four model names. The Qosmio and Satellite series target the consumer segment, while corporate needs are handled with the Tecra and Portege products.
The Qosmio series is Toshiba's flagship model, which incorporates high-end multimedia features to function as a replacement for home entertainment. The Satellite models are budget-friendly offerings which combine some multimedia functions from the Qosmio line with security tools such as fingerprint sensor and Trusted Platform Module (TPM) chip.
The Tecra and Portege notebooks are business-oriented offerings which provide more connectivity and security tools via Toshiba's EasyGuard Technology. It combines physical protection such as harddisk shock absorbers and spill-proof keyboards with security features that protect your data in the event of theft or viral attack. It also has an interface which gives easy access to wireless networks and an optimization function that allows for quick presentations and even screen rotation.
A total of three consumer notebooks and five business laptops with the Core 2 Duo processors are already available in stores from today.
| Model
name |
In a nutshell |
| Wow
factor: The flagship model of Toshiba's A/V notebook line combines high-end multimedia features for home entertainment needs. But it comes with a hefty price tag.
Other
notable frills:
Core 2 Duo processor
Excellent high-definition 17-inch widescreen display
Nvidia GeForce Go 7600 graphics card
Complete set of A/V buttons including a remote control
Next-generation HD-DVD optical drive
Expected: Available now
Price: S$5,299
|
|
Wow factor: It's range of metallic color options is sure to attract attention. At the same time, the Satellite A100 also offers strong security features.
Other notable frills:
Core 2 Duo processor
15.4-inch widescreen display
ATI Mobility Radeon X1400 graphics card
Metallic color options
Fingerprint sensor and TPM security chip
Innovative dual-mode touchpad
Expected: Available now
Price: From S$2,999 |
|
Wow factor: A smaller version of the Satellite A100, it offers a similar feature set in a 14.1-inch form factor.
Other notable frills:
Core 2 Duo processor
14.1-inch widescreen display
ATI Mobility Radeon X1400 graphics card
Metallic color options
Fingerprint sensor and TPM security chip
Innovative dual-mode touchpad
Expected: Available now
Price: From S$2,399 |
| Model
name |
In a nutshell |
|
Wow factor: The Tecra A6 incorporates biometric and hardware security features with added protection from physical damage.
Other notable frills:
Core 2 Duo processor
14.1-inch widescreen display
Integrated graphics card
Toshiba EasyGuard technology
Fingerprint sensor and TPM security chip
Spill-proof keyboard and harddisk shock absorbers
Expected: Available now
Price: From S$2,799 |
|
Wow factor: A larger version of the Tecra A6 with a similar feature set.
Other notable frills:
Core 2 Duo processor
15.4-inch widescreen display
Integrated graphics card
Toshiba EasyGuard technology
Fingerprint sensor and TPM security chip
Spill-proof keyboard and harddisk shock absorbers
Expected: Available now
Price: From S$2,099 |
|
Wow factor: The Tecra M5 ramps up graphics performance with its Nvidia Quadro NVS video card.
Other notable frills:
Core 2 Duo processor
14.1-inch widescreen display
Nvidia Quadro NVS graphics card
Toshiba EasyGuard technology
Fingerprint sensor and TPM security chip
Spill-proof keyboard and harddisk shock absorbers
Expected: Available now
Price: From S$3,299 |
|
Wow factor: The Portege series offers Toshiba's EasyGuard technology in a more portable package than the Tecra lineup.
Other notable frills:
Core 2 Duo processor
12.1-inch widescreen display
Integrated graphics card
Toshiba EasyGuard technology
Fingerprint sensor and TPM security chip
Spill-proof keyboard and harddisk shock absorbers
Expected: Available now
Price: From S$2,799 |
|
Wow factor: The Portege M400 is a tablet PC in Toshiba's stable which is built to be hardy.
Other notable frills:
Core 2 Duo processor
12.1-inch widescreen display
Integrated graphics card
Toshiba EasyGuard technology
Fingerprint sensor and TPM security chip
Spill-proof keyboard and harddisk shock absorbers
Expected: Available now
Price: From S$3,999 |
)
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