I personally have two laptops that are currently still in use. One is quite powerful with a fairly large screen and as a result, it is quite heavy. The other is smaller, but even then I wouldn’t want to carry it around to various events or meetings with any frequency. Netbooks are an alternative option with their minute size and extremely light design, however for a business user the tiny screen and average processing speeds just aren’t always practical.
One possible answer to this conundrum is the Toshiba Portege R700-15X Laptop, which is ultra mobile – yet keeps the fast computing power you require even for the most intense office application.
So let’s go through some of the highlights of this Toshiba product:
Design
I really love the look of this laptop. It is not often I admire a portable computer for its aesthetics especially when it’s a Windows laptop, however in this instance, the Toshiba R700 oozes appeal. Not only is it a light-weight solution to your travelling business requirements, but it also looks the part as well. You would be very proud to reveal this bit of technology from your carry case in front of a meeting full of potential clients and managerial folk.
The screen is a respectable 13.3″ TFT display with a 1366×768 resolution and is clear without any unnecessary reflections. This is an ideal size for running and working on your typical office applications without it expanding the entire size of the device for a much larger screen. The display is very thin, however by thin I don’t mean cheap feeling, it all actually feels very robust. The hinges for the screen are reflective, which in itself is quite catchy and then you quickly turn your attention to the rest of the case looks stunning. It is all very sleek and a pleasure to open up the black magnesium chassis with a brushed metallic finish and a black keyboard, even to check those hundreds of waiting emails. Another nice addition is the multi-touch touch pad below the keyboard, so just like certain smart-phones, you can use two fingers to stretch, effectively zooming in and out of web pages and other compatible software, also commonly known as pinch to zoom.
Hardware
Now of course this isn’t a laptop designed for the rigours of gaming, so the graphics capabilities although more than adequate for business applications and for running the 3D environment of Windows 7 Professional 32-bit, is going to struggle with the extreme polygon pushing titles. The real power comes from the Intel® Core i5 520M 2.4 GHz CPU that with the help of the Intel HD graphics powers applications and video performance to a very high level, which again remembering this is an extremely light laptop is pretty incredible.
Even with size restraints on the case, there are still plenty of ports including starting with on the left hand side a power port, a VGA port, eSATA (which also doubles as an extra USB 2.0 port), a USB 2.0 port and HDMI out. On the other side is a Gigabit Ethernet port, USB 2.0 port, microphone and headphone sockets, ExpressCard slot, DVD writer and SD card reader. Of course, there is also built-in wireless and bluetooth support.
With such a powerful processor at its heart, an equally impressive air channelling solution is required and Toshiba and Intel have co-operated on creating a technology named ‘Airflow Cooling Technology’. The performance is certainly there, although the noise can be a little loud from time to time when you are running the most demanding of applications. This is easily forgiveable when you are flicking from program to program at breakneck speed.
Protection & Security
For those who desire more than just the standard Windows login password can also dabble with other forms of entry. Using the built-in webcam, you can also use the face detection software to gain access to your work and if this isn’t impressive enough for your Hollywood-like sophistication, how about finger-print scanning. I kid thee not!
The laptop although thin and beautiful isn’t a weakling. Toshiba have gone to great lengths to provide a device that will protect your important documents and media. During my testing of the R700, I wandered from one room to another with it in my hands and a warning message appeared stating it had stopped the hard drive to prevent any data loss. Even the touchpad includes anti-spill protection, although even I am not brave enough to test that feature out on a loaned product.
Specification Highlights
CPU: Intel® Core i5 520M 2.4 GHz
Graphics: Intel HD Graphics Dynamic Video Memory Technology 5.0
Physical Dimensions: W x D x H : 31.6cm x 22.7cm x 2.6cm
Weight: 1.6 kg
Battery Life: 8.9 hours
Final Thoughts
The Toshiba Portege R700-15X Laptop achieves exactly what it sets out to do. It is a business laptop that is ultra mobile and lightweight without sacrificing raw processing speed. For those on the move who don’t wish to lose out on computing power and thought this impressive speed required a size of device that could weigh you down, the Toshiba Portege R700-15X Laptop is really deserving of your consideration as a light, sleek and practical business solution.
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James is a Freelance Journalist, Copywriter, Author, Blogger & Podcaster specialising in gaming, gadgets and technology, both retro and modern.
Ever since he experienced the first controllable pixel movement on the television screen, he has been entranced by the possibilities and rewarding entertainment value generated from these metal and plastic boxes of delight. Writing hundreds of articles, including commentary and reviews on various gaming platforms, whilst also interviewing well-known industry figures for popular online publications.
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I personally have two laptops that are currently still in use. One is quite powerful with a fairly large screen and as a result, it is quite heavy. The other is smaller, but even then I wouldn’t want to carry it around to various events or meetings with any frequency. Netbooks are an alternative option with their minute size and extremely light design, however for a business user the tiny screen and average processing speeds just aren’t always practical.
The screen is a respectable 13.3″ TFT display with a 1366×768 resolution and is clear without any unnecessary reflections. This is an ideal size for running and working on your typical office applications without it expanding the entire size of the device for a much larger screen. The display is very thin, however by thin I don’t mean cheap feeling, it all actually feels very robust. The hinges for the screen are reflective, which in itself is quite catchy and then you quickly turn your attention to the rest of the case looks stunning. It is all very sleek and a pleasure to open up the black magnesium chassis with a brushed metallic finish and a black keyboard, even to check those hundreds of waiting emails. Another nice addition is the multi-touch touch pad below the keyboard, so just like certain smart-phones, you can use two fingers to stretch, effectively zooming in and out of web pages and other compatible software, also commonly known as pinch to zoom.
For those who desire more than just the standard Windows login password can also dabble with other forms of entry. Using the built-in webcam, you can also use the face detection software to gain access to your work and if this isn’t impressive enough for your Hollywood-like sophistication, how about finger-print scanning. I kid thee not!
The Toshiba Portege R700-15X Laptop achieves exactly what it sets out to do. It is a business laptop that is ultra mobile and lightweight without sacrificing raw processing speed. For those on the move who don’t wish to lose out on computing power and thought this impressive speed required a size of device that could weigh you down, the Toshiba Portege R700-15X Laptop is really deserving of your consideration as a light, sleek and practical business solution.
