Toshiba unveiled new laptops and convertible notebooks in five product lines with an array of screen sizes to help students stay productive. What sets Toshiba's new notebooks apart is that they'll launch with a dedicated key to access Cortana, Microsoft's digital voice assistant that makes searching easier on Windows 10.
To complement the focus on Cortana, Toshiba will also equip these notebooks with TruTalk dual-array microphones, which will improve voice recognition and quality when using Cortana or chatting with Skype. These notebooks will ship with Windows 8.1 and will be upgradable to Windows 10 when Microsoft ships the operating system starting July 29. Windows 10 will be a free upgrade to Toshiba customers.
Radius' 4K screen will make you spin
Toshiba's new Satellite Radius brings a visual punch with its 4K display, the first on a convertible notebook. The Satellite Radius comes in several models, but the star of the line is the 15.6-inch Satellite Radius 15 4K Ultra HD Edition, which packs a high resolution 4K display, besting the 2K and QHD panels found on many high-end Ultrabooks today.
The 4K edition features a 282ppi display with 3,840 x 2,160 pixels. Toshiba has also enhanced audio quality with built-in Harman Kardon speakers, DTS tuning and Slipstream port technology to reduce distortion and deliver rich audio quality even at the highest volume. Toshiba did not disclose pricing or availability of the Ultra HD Edition Radius 15.
Other models in the series include a 14-inch Satellite Radius 14 ($584, £370, AU$757) and a standard 15.6-inch Satellite Radius 15 ($842, £533, AU$1,092). All models feature a two-axis hinge that allows the screen to be rotated 360 degrees to convert between notebook and tablet modes.
The Radius 14 has a brushed resin black matte cover and metal palm rest, and comes with either Intel processor or AMD APU. The Radius 15 features a brushed metal case and comes with Intel's fifth generation Core processor.
Both models come with two USB 3.0 ports, single USB 2.0, fast 802.11ac Wi-Fi and SD card slot. The Radius 14 and Radius 15 will be available at Best Buy on June 21.
S is for 'screen' on Satellite S series
Toshiba's refresh of its premium Satellite S series brings more power for better performance when gaming, working with media and multitasking. Available in either 15.6-inch ($719, £455, AU$933) or 17.3-inch ($874, £554, AU$1,134) touchscreen, users can choose from a full HD display, HD+ resolution with 1,600 x 1,900 pixels or 4K UHD option.
The Satellite S weighs less than five pounds (2.27kg) and the sculpted aluminum frame keeps things slim, with a thickness less than one-inch (2.54cm). Students will appreciate the backlit keyboard, and the laptop comes with a buttonless trackpad. Multimedia users can enjoy enhanced audio with Harman Kardon speakers, DTS tuning and Slipstream technology to reduce distortion.
Configuration options vary based on your budget and power requirements, with options for dual- or quad-core Intel fifth generation processors, optional discrete Nvidia GPU, up to 2TB storage in a single hard drive bay or a 1TB hard drive with 128GB solid state configuration, optical drive, up to 16GB memory for robust multitasking and three USB 3.0 ports with the larger 17.3-inch model adding two more USB 2.0 ports.
The Satellite S series will be available July 29.
Satellite Fusion adds hybrid twist
For users who want the versatility of a convertible notebook that's less costly than the Radius, the Satellite Fusion ($649, £411, AU$842) comes with a large screen and two-axis hinge that allows the screen to rotate 360 degrees to convert from laptop mode to tablet mode. With Windows 10, the Continuum feature will bring tablet optimizations to the user experience once the notebook is converted to a slate form factor.
The Satellite Fusion comes with a 15.6-inch touchscreen display, but unfortunately 1080p is an optional upgrade. Students in dorm rooms looking to replace their TVs with a laptop can enjoy video and multimedia content with the built-in Onkyo speakers with tuning by Skullcandy and enhancements from DTS.
The notebook features plenty of power with Intel's fifth generation Core processor, HDMI port with 4K output, memory card reader, two USB 3.0 and single USB 2.0 ports, up to 12GB of RAM and storage capacities up to 1TB for a hard drive or 128GB for SSD.
The Satellite Fusion is shipping now from Toshiba and major retailers.
Satellite L packs the sound punch
The highlight of the mainstream Satellite L series is its audio quality, with tuning by Skullcandy and DTS. Available in two screen sizes – 15.6-inch ($529, £335, AU$686) and 17.3-inch ($569, £360, AU$738) – the Satellite L comes with Intel or AMD processors, up to 16GB RAM for fast multitasking, 802.11bgn or faster 802.11ac Wi-Fi for surfing the internet in your dorm room and up to 1TB of storage for your files, photos and videos.
The larger model has a stated 5 hours 45 minutes battery life, while the smaller model can reach up to seven hours on a single charge.
Toshiba says that the 15.6-inch Satellite L will be available starting June 21, while the larger 17.3-inch version will be available on July 29.
Value-packed Satellite C
The Satellite C ($349, £221, AU$427) is Toshiba's entry-level notebook, packing in options for 15.6- or 17.3-inch displays, AMD or Intel processors and up 1TB of storage and 8GB RAM. The Satellite C comes with multiple USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports for connectivity, HDMI output to connect a monitor, SuperMulti drive and an SD card slot. Users can connect wirelessly with integrated Wi-Fi 802.11n and Bluetooth.
The Satellite C will be available June 21.
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