Defined as the best balance between weight and performance, the Portégé R700 is a revolutionary laptop, one that manages to squeeze in regular voltage processors and an optical drive into a tiny 0.88-inch width frame. How does it manage to do this? With an cooling technology it developed in conjunction with Intel, called Airflow Cooling Technology, which sucks air from outside, circulates it around before expelling it, greatly helping heat management.
Offering a 13.3-inch screen, 9.5mm optical drive, and a Core i3 or i5 processor, the Portégé R700 weighs just 1.39 kg and has a magnesium alloy body, apart from a super-strong honeycomb chassis that’s 24% stronger than its predecessor’s, the Portégé R600. The i3 version costs Rs. 65,000, while the i5 version costs Rs. 75,000. A Portégé R700 with a i7 processor can be built to order, and users will also have options for SSDs.
The Portégé R700 combines the best in “mobility, performance and features” by utilizing Toshiba’s latest advances in heat management, chassis construction, and memory chip deployment. The slim size makes the keyboard slightly smaller than a full-size one, but one that is still very easily useable, and should pose no problems.
The R700 laptop also comes with some pretty cool software pre-installed, including an HDD Protection technology with 3D motion sensor (which parks the HDD head if excess vibration is detected – note, its sensitivity is adjustable), Toshiba Eco Utility (power management), as well as the Toshiba DVD Player, which has the great new Resolution technology, that upconverts SD video to near HD quality.
We anticipate only one problem with the device, its operating temperature, as it pulls in air from outside. And, we were right, as it is between 5 and 35 degrees Celsius, seriously hampering if you work in a hot environment. On the whole however, we were very impressed with our short hands-on with the Portégé R700 laptop, and herald it as the first of its kind to bring in normal voltage processors in such slim form factors. The eSATA/USB combo Sleep-&-Charge port is also mighty useful. If you were wondering about a USB 3.0 port, it will be available on the dock, at an additional charge.
Find the full specifications below (and a short video about the device):
| Model Number | Portégé R700-I3530 | Portégé R700-X3530 |
| CPU | Intel Core i3-350M (2.26GHz, 3MB L3 Cache) | Intel Core i5-450M (2.4GHz with Turbo Boost up to 2.66 GHz, 3MB L3 Cache) |
| OS | Choice of Windows 7 Professional or Windows XP Professional | |
| Chipset | Mobile Intel HM55 Express Chipset | |
| RAM | 3GB DDR3 1066MHz RAM expandable up to 8GB DDR3 | |
| Display | 13.3-inch WXGA HD Clear SuperView LED backlit TFT display, 1366×768 pixels | |
| Graphics | Intel HD graphics with up to 729MB shared video RAM | |
| Hard Disk | 320GB SATA HDD with Shock Absorbers | 500GB SATA HDD with Shock Absorbers |
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| (DVD RW/RAM) | |
| Pointing Device | Touchpad with Gesture Support | |
| Communications | Bluetooth v2.1 with EDR, integrated WLAN 802.11 b/g/n, RJ45-10/100/1000Mbps Ethernet LAN | |
| Built-in Camera | Built-in webcam with Toshiba SmartFace technology | |
| Sound System | Stereo Speakers, 16-bit stereo, with Intel High-Definition support | |
| Interfaces | 2xUSB 2.0, 1xUSB/eSATA combo port (sleep and charge), RGB, HDMI, external mic, external headphone (stereo), SD card reader, docking connector | |
| Battery Type | 6-cell Lithium-ion | |
| Battery Life | 8 hours | |
| Physical Dimensions | 316 x 227 x 18.3/25.7mm | |
| Weight | 1.39kg | |
| Warranty | 3-year carry-in international limited warranty (parts & labour) | |
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