Toshiba Launches Fleet of Satellites

Toshiba has updated several members of its Satellite notebook family, offering a mix of HD DVD-capable entertainment systems and affordable productivity.

Toshiba has launched a major refresh of its Satellite notebook computer lineup, offering a new mix of entertainment and affordable productivity options for on-the-go computer users. And, as you might expect from the developer of the HD DVD high-definition disc format, HD DVD drives are appearing in more notebook computer configurations.

First up, the new Satellite P205s sport HD DVD drives, Intel Core 2 Duo processors, and 17-inch 1,440 by 900 pixel WXGA+ displays. The notebooks also offer Dolby Sound Room technology to pump high-quality sound though either speakers or headphones even in the absence of surround sound systems. The P205s sport HDMI output, and two P205 models come with Harmon Kardon speakers and subwoofers. Otherwise, the P205s start with 2 GB of RAM, 200 GB hard drives, and either Intel integrated graphics or a ATI Mobility Radeon HS 2600 graphics controller (with 256 MB of video RAM), For a limited time, purchase of any HD DVD-equipped P205 qualifies the buyer to receive five free HD DVD titles (from a list of 15) via mail order. Prices start at $1,249.99.

The new Satellite A205 is also gaining an HD DVD drive, albeit with a 15.4-inch 1,280 by 800 pixel LCD display. The A205 also features an Intel Core 2 Duo T2310 or T5250 processor, a 160 to 200 GB hard disk drive, Intel integrated graphics, 2 GB of RAM, a built-in Web cam, and 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi wireless networking. The A205s start at just $879.99 with a DVD±R drive; with an HD DVD drive, the price bumps up to $1,149.99 (but buyers are eligible for the five-title HD DVD promotion).

Next, the new Satellite M205 systems want to be both powerful and portable, weighing just over 5 pounds with a 14.1-inch 1,280 by 800-pixel LCD display (with a Web cam and microphone integrated right into the bezel). The M205s start out with 1 GB of RAM, a 160 GB hard drive, Intel integrated graphics, 802.11/a/b/g Wi-Fi networking, and a 1.5 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5250 processor. The M205s sport an ONyx Blue lid with a gloss silver palm rest, and prices start at $949.99.

Finally, Toshiba ups the power a bit with the Satellite U305 notebooks computers weigh in at just 4.6 pounds, and offer a 13.3-inch LCD 1,280 by 800-pixel LCD display with Intel Core 2 Duo processors ranging from 1.46 to 2 GHz. All the systems offer 2 GB of RAM, sport an integrated microphone and Web cam, and carry 802.11a/b/n Wi-Fi networking along with Bluetooth 2.0+EDR capability. The top two models also sport a fingerprint reader to keep those security-conscious IT folks happy. The Satellite U305s start at $949 (without 802.11n Wi-FI) and worth their way up to base prices of $1,299.99 with a 2 GHz processor.