Toshiba unveils new Sandy Bridge ultraportable laptops

published 15 February 2011

Toshiba has announced its new R range of ultraportable laptops, all of which come equipped with Intel's new Sandy Bridge processors.

Ken Chan, Toshiba's senior product manager for laptops, wouldn't comment on which Sandy Bridge processors will come in the R series laptops. Given the approximate April release date, we suspect that at least some of them will use the still-unavailable dual-core Core i3 chips which weren't released alongside its Core i5 and i7 counterparts at CES back in January.

Toshiba prides itself on its passive cooling technology which, the company claims, allows it to use normal voltage, full speed Core processors instead of the slower, low voltage and ultra low voltage variant chips.

The highlight of the new range is the Portege R830, an updated version of last year's R700. Thanks to the Sandy Bridge chipset technology, it's one of the first ultraportable laptops we've seen to come with a USB3 port. This should be worth having since, in our tests, USB3 hard disks can be five times as fast as their USB2 counterparts.

The R830 otherwise looks and feels very similar to the R700. Despite weighing just 1.5kg, it has a built-in DVD writer which is unusual for an ultraportable laptop of this weight. The 13.3in display will be available in both glossy and matte, non-reflective versions.

The other standout model is the 15.6in Tecra R850/Satellite R850 which weighs just 2.4kg despite its large screen and integrated DVD writer. Although not really an ultraportable, it is lighter than other 15in laptops. Its magnesium alloy chassis looks very similar to the R830's and it too has a USB3 port. The wider chassis allows room for a numeric keypad which will please heavy Excel users. The Tecra version has the additional benefit of a touchstick, smartcard slot and other security features and compatibility with port replicators.

Disappointingly, the R850's 15.6in screen has the same 1,366x768 resolution as the smaller 13.3in R830. Chan claims this is due to the popularity of this resolution and stressed the continued popularity of the 15in laptop market approximately 60-70% of Toshiba's customers purchase 15in laptops.

Toshiba's new Sandy Bridge laptops should be available from April. Pricing has yet to be confirmed. We'll bring you full reviews as soon as we can.

Alan Lu