Toshiba launches Portégé M800 laptop at ‘Take a Closer Look’ press event
May 8th, 2008Toshiba has announced its official launch of its Portégé M800 laptop at it ‘Take a Closer Look’ publicity event in Paris on the 7th May. Its most notable feature is its white pearlescant material and glowing status indicator lights which seem to glow from within.
The Portégé M800 at first glance bears a surprising resemblance to the Apple MacBook with its shiny white surfaces and even the rather thick margin around the screen is similar, but the status indicators and quality keyboard set it apart from the Apple machines and from other machines in the Toshiba range.
The M800 was demonstrated to me by Tim Jaekel, Product Manager Mobile Devices B2C at Toshiba Europe. When challenged about similarities with certain Apple products, particularly the white pearlescant colouring Tim responded:
“(Unlike Apple) We don’t want to offer luxury — we want to offer availability. White is an important colour in Asia.”
Asked about any new hardware technology in the M800 Tim replied:
“There is no new technology — this is purely a styling exercise.”
In use the M800 feels well-made and has a good tactile response when using the keyboard. As Toshiba is pushing the ‘fashion’ aspect of their computer devices it isn’t surprising that the Portégé presents a quite distinctive visual presence.
Glowing areas of the device’s pearlescant surface highlight the following to the user:
- ‘Protégé badge’
- On/Off switch
- Media function keys
- Battery charging ststus
- HDD usage
- SD card inserted
A light bar also accompanies the touchpad but is purely decorative. The touchpad lacks the MultiTouch features of the Apple machine which Tim Jaekel described as:
“…a very interesting emerging technology.”
(!)
We’d like to thanks Jack and Lee from TalkToshiba for their kind invitation to join them in Paris for this event.
Here are the specs:
- Toshiba TruBrite WXGA display (1,1280 x 800)
- DVD Super Multi (Double Layer) drive
- Dolby Sound Room
- 2x USB Sleep’n Charge port
- USB/eSATA port
- HDMI-CEC (REGZA-Link) port
- Wireless LAN incl a/b/g/Draft-N
- Bluetooth 2.1
- 1.3 Megapixels Web Camera with microphone for Video/Voice over IP
- Toshiba Face Recognition
- Fingerprint Reader
Image gallery of the Portégé M800 from the ‘Take a closer look’ event
Here’s Toshiba’s press release:
Style meets substance: white pearl Toshiba Portégé M800 limited edition
Neuss, Germany, 7 May 2008 – Toshiba Computer Systems Division today unveiled the Portégé M800 in a striking white especially for design conscious consumers and professionals. With its pearl-white finish including a silver contrast and white LED outline, the 13.3 Portégé M800 continues to highlight Toshiba’s design statement.
The Portégé M800 will be available as limited edition in selected markets in Europe, the Middle East and Africa during the third quarter of 2008.
“At Toshiba we are constantly looking to marry the best of design with state of the art technology and features,” said Thomas Teckentrup, General Manager, Toshiba Computer Systems Division, Europe. “The Portégé M800 is further proof that lightweight, purist design and functionality do not exclude one another. At around two kilograms, the Portégé is truly ultra portable computer whilst still offering users a broad range of features”.
Combining modern design with leading technology the Portégé M800 features a white LED accented touch pad that fits seamlessly into the palm rest – with no raised edges. White illuminated feather-touch buttons provide intuitive control of multimedia entertainment. Its signature purist design featuring a latch-less lid, carefully rounded corners and edges and the light and slim form factor ensure the Portégé M800 stands out in the laptop market.
From a technical standpoint the Portégé M800 comes with a DVD SuperMulti drive, a 13.3 Toshiba TruBrite® widescreen and a 1.3 Megapixel web camera with microphone supporting videoconferencing and high-quality voice calls over IP networks. Toshiba Face Recognition Software and an optional available fingerprint reader provide easy log-on. Users can opt for the Vista Home Premium version or use Vista Business for professional usage.
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