Toshiba

Toshiba is looking to redefine desktop replacement notebooks in a a big, big way, and we’re the very first to bring you a hands-on with the groundbreaking Qosmio G55, which will go on sale next month for $1,549. This 18.4-inch beast isn’t notable just for its futuristic good looks (a combination of a slick black chassis, LED illumination, and metal highlights), but because it’s the first notebook to boast a dedicated Quad Core HD Processor (powered by the same Cell Processor that runs the PlayStation3). This enables gesture control, blazing fast video encoding, and more. Read on for our first impressions.

Hands-Free Media Control

Thanks to the dedicated Quad Core HD processor, the G55 is the first notebook that lets users control music and video playback (Toshiba’s DVD player and Media Center), as well as PowerPoint, using just their hands-no remote or keyboard required.

The webcam senses your movement from 3 to 10 feet away and the Quad Core HD processor interprets your hand motions in real time. This was, obviously, the most talked about feature when the Qosmio G55 arrived in the office. After getting some significant time with the control scheme, we can say that we’re quite impressed.

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This isn’t the ho-hum Toshiba Satellite you’re accustomed to seeing. Sporting a dazzling new design, the 4.6-pound Toshiba Satellite U405, the company’s successor to the U300 line, strikes a fine balance between sweet looks and portability.

Any discussion about this machine has to start with its stylish new digs. Measuring 12.4 x 9.0 x 1.0 inches and weighing 4.6 pounds, the U405 is roughly the same size and weight as the 12.2 x 8.9 x 1.3-inch, 5-pound U305. We love the new in-mold Fusion Finish design that serves up a glossy gotta-touch-it, black-and-gray gradient color scheme; it even extends across the face of the touchpad for a more unified look.

While the U405’s styling looks like it was taken straight from the HP school of design, Toshiba adds its own unique visual flair by embedding the power button, touch-sensitive multimedia keys, a section of the touchpad, and the Satellite logo on the base of the system with a cool-looking white LED light that radiates a futuristic feel. The keyboard is equally attractive with its super-glossy keys, but they were too spongy for our tastes. Still, we liked the small, but serviceable keyboard that offered enough room for users with large hands to touch type.
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Today, Toshiba announced two new additions to its notebook family, which are designed to give users a nice array of features for an even nicer price: The Toshiba Satellite A200 and L350 series.

The Toshiba Satellite A200 series offers a 15.4-inch TruBrite display, DVD SuperMulti (with Labelflash), Windows Vista Home Premium, and 802.11b/g Wi-Fi at a starting price of $599. Based on the model, you can get a chunky 3GB of RAM, a webcam, a choice of dual-core processors, and up to 250GB of storage space.

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