Jul 15, 2008

Toshiba Qosmio World's First Laptop With Cell Processor Technology

Toshiba’s Digital Products Division (DPD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., today announced the world’s first laptop PC to feature Cell processor technology. This computing advancement, called the TOSHIBA Quad Core HD Processor¹, is available on Toshiba’s Qosmio® G55-Q802 laptop PC and delivers a revolutionary high-definition, multimedia user experience.

“In terms of the Qosmio laptop brand, innovation is the key ingredient,” said Jeff Barney, vice president and general manager, Digital Products Division, Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc. “The addition of the TOSHIBA Quad Core HD Processor marks a watershed moment in the multimedia and HD segments. Qosmio G55-Q802 laptop PC users now have the power and ability to control and manipulate their personal content with unmatched precision and speed while also enjoying their full DVD collections at resolutions up to 1080i.”

Toshiba Qosmio G55-Q802

The TOSHIBA Quad Core HD Processor was designed to better serve the creative process by alleviating the intense burden that’s placed on the CPU while handling a wide range of multimedia tasks, such as video transcoding. The complex task of transcoding and encoding a personal video project monopolizes a majority of the processing power of today’s advanced computer systems. Through the addition of the TOSHIBA Quad Core HD Processor, along with the combined strength of Intel’s latest Core™2 Duo processor¹ technology and the NVIDIA GeForce® 9600M² GT graphics card, tasks that once took hours to complete now are accomplished in a fraction of the time with Toshiba’s Qosmio® G55-Q802 laptop PC.

This revolutionary Cell processor technology was co-developed by Toshiba, Sony and IBM, and is best known for its use within the popular Sony PlayStation® 3 and various supercomputers. Branded the Toshiba Quad Core HD Processor it currently consists of four cutting-edge, distinctive proprietary features:

Upconvert/Upconversion — Through “Upconvert/Upconversion,” standard-definition video files, such as home videos and DVDs, are upscaled in real time to 720p high-definition. Combined with the use of the Qosmio’s HDMI-CEC port, users can output today’s standard DVDs in stunning clarity up to 1080i on an HDTV.

Transcoding — The included Ulead® DVD MovieFactory® 5 for TOSHIBA has been optimized to take advantage of the Toshiba Quad Core HD Processor to dramatically reduce the time needed in high-definition video editing. Transcoding video between high-definition formats or converting high-definition video into standard definition for burning to DVD can be completed up to 10 times³ faster on the Qosmio® G55-Q802 laptop PC.

Video Indexing — “Video Indexing” provides the power to catalog video clips based on an individual’s face in a scene. This unique technology enables quick and easy scene access by eliminating the need to manually search through hours of video content.

Gesture Control — Using a remote to control DVDs, CDs and PowerPoint is a thing of the past. Through the use of “Gesture Control” and the Qosmio’s Webcam, physical motions, such as extending an arm and simple hand gestures, users can control the play, pause, rewind and fast-forward functions of their movies, music and slides.

The Qosmio G55 series laptop is also available without the TOSHIBA Quad Core HD Processor, but the series was collectively designed to enhance the digital lifestyle by providing cutting-edge innovations that are built upon the backbone of sharp picture quality and pristine sound reproduction. In addition to the technological advancement of the TOSHIBA Quad Core HD Processor, the Qosmio is built around an expansive 18.4-inch diagonal widescreen TruBrite® high-definition display that sports a true 16:9 aspect ratio. Users can take advantage of more of the display and enjoy their widescreen movies with less of the black bar letterboxing, which frames a picture on other displays. To further enhance the visual experience, the Qosmio G55 laptop PC sports two premium Harman Kardon® stereo speakers, a sub-woofer and Dolby Sound Room technology, which allows users to experience their content in surround sound. The Qosmio can be seamlessly integrated into a user’s home theater system for a complete surround sound experience thanks to its REGZA LINK™ HDMI technology while empowering users with simultaneous instant device configuration and the ability to control REGZA LINK enabled devices, such as Toshiba’s REGZA™ HDTVs and a Qosmio laptop, with a single remote.

The Qosmio G55 laptop PC has several design features that magnify its cutting edge nature, such as its striking Fusion™ finish with Vibe design, white-LED FeatherTouch multimedia buttons and a flush-mounted Touchpad. These external features do much to enhance the overall quality and premium feel of the new Qosmio, which has a starting price of $1,299.99⁴.

For the first time, Toshiba will offer users the option of configuring their laptop to run either a 32-bit or 64-bit⁵ version of Windows Vista, depending on a user’s preference and intended computer use.

Transcoding — The included Ulead® DVD MovieFactory® 5 for TOSHIBA has been optimized to take advantage of the Toshiba Quad Core HD Processor to dramatically reduce the time needed in high-definition video editing.

The Qosmio G55 laptop PC is available from a variety of major consumer electronic and computer stores nationwide or directly from Toshiba at www.toshibadirect.com. Detailed product information is available at www.explore.toshiba.com/G55.

The Qosmio G55 series is available in the following configurations:

Qosmio G55-Q802 Unique Specifications (MSRP $1,549.99⁴)

OS selection at first boot:

Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium (SP1, 64-bit⁵ version)(default)
Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium (SP1, 32-bit version)

Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T7350¹

2.0 GHz, 3MB L2 Cache, 1066MHz FSB

TOSHIBA Quad Core HD Processor¹
4096MB PC2-6400 DDR2 800MHz SDRAM memory⁶
500GB using two 5400 RPM Serial ATA hard disk drives⁷
DVD SuperMulti (+/- double layer) drive with Labelflash™ supporting 11 formats
NVIDIA® GeForce™ 9600M GT with 512MB GDDR2 discrete graphics² memory
Atheros® 802.11 b/g/n wireless-LAN⁸

Qosmio G55-Q801 Unique Specifications (MSRP $1,299.99⁴)

OS selection at first boot:

Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium (SP1, 64-bit⁵ version)(default)
Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium (SP1, 32-bit version)

Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T7350¹

2.0 GHz, 3MB L2 Cache, 1066MHz FSB

4096MB PC2-6400 DDR2 800MHz SDRAM memory⁶
320GB (5400 RPM) Serial ATA hard disk drive⁷
DVD SuperMulti (+/- double layer) drive with Labelflash™ supporting 11 formats
NVIDIA® GeForce™ 9200M GS with 256MB GDDR2 discrete graphics² memory
Atheros® 802.11 b/g/n wireless-LAN⁸

The Qosmio G55 series is available with a one-year standard limited warranty⁹, which includes carry-in support at Authorized Service Providers throughout the country or packaging and delivery of the product to a centralized depot for prompt turnaround service from any of the 4,460 UPS Stores and Mail Boxes Etc. locations nationwide. Customers can also choose to upgrade the notebook’s service plans, including up to four years of extended warranty coverage.

All new Toshiba laptops are RoHS-compatible¹⁰, effectively reducing the environmental impact by restricting the use of lead, mercury and certain other hazardous substances. Toshiba also offers a computer trade-in and recycling program to reduce environmental impact and promote efficient utilization of resources. During the third quarter of 2008, Toshiba will offer a computer trade-in and recycling program for all manufacturer’s PCs to reduce environmental impact and promote efficient utilization of resources. To learn more about this free PC recycling program or to find out how to recycle other consumer electronic products, please visit: www.toshiba.com/recycle

1. Processor. CPU performance may vary.

2. Graphics. GPU performance may vary.

3. 10Xfaster. Up to 10X faster claim is based on comparison between a Toshiba notebook with and without TOSHIBA Quad Core HD Processor. Performance may vary depending on product model, configuration, video content/format/settings as well as the performance variations of individual hardware components. Results were achieved on select models and configurations tested by Toshiba at the time of publication.

4. Price. Reseller prices may vary. MSRP means “Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price.”

5. 64-Bit Computing.

6. Memory. Memory size may vary.

7. Hard Disk Drive Capacity. Hard drive capacity may vary. 1 Gigabyte (GB) means 1000 x 1000 x 1000 = 1,000,000,000 bytes using powers of 10.

8. Wireless. May require purchase of additional software, external hardware or services. Transmission speeds may vary.

9. Warranty. The terms and conditions of Toshiba’s standard limited warranty, and extended warranty and service upgrade plans are available at www.warranty.toshiba.com.

10. RoHS. This product is compatible with European Union Directive 2002/95/EC.

Print this article