IN BRIEF: Toshiba moves towards multimedia convergence, with a 4-in-1 system

With a reputation for providing a wide range of laptops to all sectors of the market, Toshiba represents a strong force in the mobile computing field, backed by a list of past achievements impressive enough to raise hopes high for its latest creation – the Toshiba Qosmio E10 (£1499 inc. VAT).

CHASSIS DESIGN

With the name Qosmio meaning “My Personal Universe,” it’s no secret that Toshiba is taking another leap into the burgeoning convergence market with their new machine – designing the Qosmio E10 as a 4-in-1 system that incorporates TV, audio, DVD and PC technology into one smart box. Although coming pre-installed with Windows XP Media Center Edition, one of the key selling points of the Qosmio E10 is the use of an independent media player environment based around the Linux kernel. This allows the user to operate the TV, CD and DVD facilities of the Qosmio within seconds, without the need to call for Windows XP assistance.

Built around an Intel 1.7 GHz Pentium M processor, with 512MB DDR RAM and an ample 80GB hard drive providing plenty of storage space for high-capacity file types such as music and video, the Qosmio E10 has lots of power, on paper, for all but the most resource-consuming tasks. Unfortunately, with a MobileMark 2002 score of 128 achieved during benchmarking tests, performance proved far lower than we would have hoped for. Even basic day-to-day tasks, such as word processing and Internet browsing, tended to operate slowly and below what the spec-sheet would indicate.

More pleasing was the Qosmio’s graphical performance, although again, this fell short of the level that many would have expected from a touted ‘multimedia’ machine such as this. While not the most powerful graphics adapter currently available, the addition of the GeForce FX Go5200 enabled the Qosmio to achieve an acceptable 3DMark 2001 score of 6968 – ensuring compatibility with most of the latest gaming titles. However, a score nearer 10000 would have been preferable, if it were to further guarantee high-gaming performance.

The most noticeable features of the Qosmio, however, are the screen and the built-in TV tuner. Using an ultra-bright, Clear Super View (CSV) LCD display, two lamps sidelight the screen, resulting in a brightness – when powered from the mains – doubling that of most laptops on the market. With stunning brightness and clarity, the 15-inch, anti-glare display gives a wide, 90-degree viewing angle, helping to achieve a high level of viewing quality in many conditions.

Inevitably, such a level of brightness comes at a price, and in the case of the Qosmio, the penalty is a low battery life of 137 minutes; almost half the life of some other laptops on the market and only enough to last mobile workers for fairly short journeys. Additionally, due to these power considerations, the brightness is cut down by roughly 35 percent when powered by battery – still brighter than most competitors, but not the impressive levels achieved via mains power.

The addition of a built-in TV tuner, however, is a step up from the predecessor of the Qosmio E10 – the Satellite P20. Whereas the P20 offered the choice of a TV tuner or a battery pack, the Qosmio E10 allows both concurrently, pushing the Toshiba closer to its portable/convergence goals. With a strong, user-friendly interface provided by a well designed keyboard and tracking pad, a good disc format compatibility in the shape of a built-in Matshita DVD-RAM optical drive, the Qosmio E10 manages to overcome most of its minor missteps, taking Toshiba onestep nearer to multimedia convergence. Offering ease of use, well-balanced quality across a range of media, and a noteworthy screen display, the Qosmio E10 has enough to make it a good choice for those with a long list of requirements.

PRICE £1275/£1499 (EX/INC. VAT)
PROCESSOR Intel Pentium M 1.7GHz
MEMORY 512MB DDR SDRAM
HARD DRIVE Toshiba 80GB
SCREEN SIZE AND TYPE 15-inch TFT
DISPLAY RESOLUTION 1024 x 768 pixels
GRAPHICS CARD nVidia GeForce Go 5200
DIMENSIONS 335 x 280 x 45mm
WEIGHT 3.6kg
PC CARDS (TYPE II/III) 1/0
WIRELESS LAN 802.11g
ETHERNET Yes
MODEM Yes
USB PORT 4
FIREWIRE 1
STANDARD WARRANTY 1 yr RTB
WARRANTY UPGRADE None supplied
CONTACT
www.toshiba.co.uk  

VALUE FOR MONEY 7
PERFORMANCE 5
FEATURES 8
MOBILITY 6
BUILD QUALITY 8
OVERALL 7

BATTERY LIFE 137 mins
MOBILEMARK 2002 128
3DMARK 2001 6968