Toshiba

Target jumps on Blu-ray bandwagon

First Blockbuster, now Target's going Blu-only. Or at least that's what it appears from an AP report that was filed late yesterday. According to the story, "Target Corp., the nation's second-largest retailer, will start selling a Sony Blu-ray high-definition DVD player during the critical holiday shopping period and feature the player along with Blu-ray discs in store displays, dealing a potential blow to the rival HD DVD format."

The story goes on to say that the move will formally be announced Thursday and is designed to help cut through the confusion that's kept consumers … Read more

Toshiba Gigabeat U watered-down for U.S. market

Toshiba announced today they its latest version of the Gigabeat U, the U202, is now available in the United States through direct order. Crave reported on an earlier, Japan-only version of the Gigabeat U (the U201) back in March, when we marveled at its high-quality 1-bit DAC and built-in FM transmitter. This latest version of the Gigabeat U has an updated look, but it seems to have dropped the Gigabeat U201's nifty built-in ability to broadcast playback over FM. We're kinda bummed.

Sure, Toshiba was able to shave about $50 from the Gigabeat U's price, but the … Read more

Toshiba upgrades Qosmio laptop line with HD DVD recording

The oddly named Qosmio series of laptops from Toshiba has always been a favorite of high-end home theater types, combining big, bright screens with HD DVD drives and Harman Kardon speakers.

The latest update, the Qosmio G45-AV680, adds a recordable HD DVD drive (not as common as recordable Blu-ray drives) and keeps the line's built-in Dolby surround-sound technology and high-resolution 1,920x1,200 display. The G45 returns to Toshiba's glossy white "piano finish," unlike the recent G35's matte gray look, and has both a large, circular volume wheel and an AV control wheel.

Other highlights … Read more

Pie charts indicate Blu-ray victory over HD DVD assured

If a picture's worth a thousand words, a pie chart has to be worth at least 500. Well, Ken Pierce over at Pixel Perfect Productions has cooked up five pie charts' worth of data on why the HD DVD/Blu-ray war is over--and as James Carville would say, it's all about the content, stupid.

To give credit where credit is due, I first noticed this link in Bill Hunt's "My Two Cents" column on Digital Bits. (Sorry, the item was from a couple of days ago, but I've been on vacation). Says Hunt: "… Read more

Toshiba adds a boatload of new laptops

With all the excitement over the new color-coordinated Dell Inspiron laptops (and the groovy 13-inch XPS m1330) last week, the guys over at Toshiba must have been kicking themselves. Instead of just giving their laptop lineup a new paintjob and some upgraded processors, they've got a whole stack of new and revamped systems, emphasizing the company's commitment to the HD DVD format (which may or may not be the best long-term plan, but that's another story).

We've always liked the Qosimo line of high-end media center laptops, and the new 15.4-inch Qosimo F45 is no … Read more

Circuit City has the Toshiba Satellite A135-S2356 for $579.99, after a $100 savings.

Circut City has the Toshiba Satellite A135-S2356 for $579.99, after a $100 savings. >>Regular price $679. >>Deal price $579. >>Savings $100 >>Deal ends June 30, 2007 Click here for deal

Toshiba to market Skype on its laptops

Late this afternoon Skype announced a deal that puts the Internet calling software on select laptop models across Toshiba's four notebook lines (Qosmio, Tecra, Satellite, and Portege). According to the release, the Skype software will come preloaded on Toshiba laptops that include a built-in Webcam; the marketing agreement also includes a Skype logo on the laptops' display bezel and a desktop icon that links to a cobranded Skype/Toshiba landing page. The deal initially applies to four of Toshiba's notebooks: the Satellite X205, Tecra M8, Qosmio F45, and the just-announced, AMD-based Satellite A215 series.

While we find it … Read more

Toshiba launches AMD-powered notebooks

Toshiba launched Tuesday a new line of notebooks powered by chips from Advanced Micro Devices, marking the first time in seven years the computer maker has ended its exclusive arrangement with rival chip maker Intel.

The Toshiba Satellite A215 series will feature several versions of AMD's dual-core processors, such as AMD Turion 64 X2 Dual-Core Mobile Technology Gold Edition TL64 and the Turion 64 X2 Dual-Core Mobile Technology TL56 version.

Toshiba cited consumer and retailer demand as the reason for striking the deal with AMD. Two years ago, Toshiba and a number of other Japanese computer makers found themselves … Read more

Hot laptops you can't get yet

Not one, but two of the upcoming laptops we're most excited about made unexpected appearances on the Interwebs this morning.

The Dell XPS m1330--rumored, leaked, and then finally half-confirmed by Dell (in their infamous "23 Confessions")--showed up again today on Engadget, with several new photos and a rumored ship date (from a "trusted insider") of July 10.

This extra-thin 13-inch looks like a real step in the right direction for Dell in terms of laptop design; leaked images have been circulating online for a while.

Perhaps even more exciting was an Akihabara News story … Read more