Toshiba adds HD DVD to laptops in Asia
At $1,775, this version of the Satelllite A200 may possibly be the cheapest portable to include a next-gen optical standard in the market.
Blu-ray and HD DVD used to be exclusive to high-end and expensive desktop replacements. Sony put Blu-ray in its VGN-AR series, while Toshiba responded by inserting an HD DVD in its Qosmio laptops.
The first next-generation optical drive to appear in a 15.4-inch portable was with the Sony VGN-FZ notebook in July. However, this option bumped up the cost of the unit to more than $3,000. Today, Toshiba announced that it's putting the HD DVD into the midsize Satellite A200 laptop, with the basic configuration starting at $1,775. This may possibly be the cheapest portable to include a next-gen optical standard in the market. Do note that the drive in the Satellite A200 can only read HD DVD discs, though it can write to almost any flavor of DVD and CD.
Besides the HD DVD, the Satellite A200 includes such components as a Core 2 Duo processor and ATI Mobility Radeon HD 2600 graphics engine. Going forward, Toshiba has revealed that it intends to offer HD DVD drives in all its consumer laptops (Qosmio and Satellite) but did not specify any time frame.
The new Satellite A200 with HD-DVD will be available in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines by mid-November.
(Source: Crave Asia)