Toshiba Updates Qosmio Gaming Notebooks

Toshiba has announced new editions of its Qosmio gaming notebooks, rolling in big screens and even a Cell-based co-processor.

Toshiba has announced three new additions to its Qosmio notebook computer line, designed to satisfy users looking for the a serious multimedia, entertainment, and gaming system.

“The Qosmio has long been the standard of excellence in the multimedia laptop space, in both styling and entertainment capabilities,” said Toshiba America digital product division VP and general manager Jeff Barney, in a statement. “In an effort to take this standard to the next level for gamers and multimedia enthusiasts alike, the three new Qosmio models have been tailored specifically towards their personal interests, while staying true to the incredible user-experience that the Qosmio family is known for.”

The Qosmio G55 claims to be the first laptop to include a parallel media co-processor, in this case a separate unit based on the Cell processor found at the heart of Sony’s PlayStation 3 that Toshiba is dubbing the Quad Core HD processors. Toshiba claims the Cell-based processor can make certain multimedia tasks—like transcoding video—run up to ten times faster than on a system without the Quad Core HD processor. But the Qosmio G55’s talents don’t stop there: the system sports a mammoth 18.4-inch LCD display and supports up to 500 GB of hard drive storage.

Next up, the Qosmio X305 offers a 17.1-inch LCD display driven by an Nvidia GeForce 9800 GTZ graphics controller with up to 1 GB of dedicated video memory, along with dual hard drives combining for up to 400 GB of storage. The X305 also sports an “aggressively bold” red-flamed “Rogue” design with Toshiba’s Fusion finish.

Finally, the Qosmio F55 will offer a more traditional (and human-scaled) rig, with a 15.4-inch screen, an Nvidia GeForce 9700 GTS video controller, and a built-in GPS receiver along with Garmin mapping and navigation software.

All three new Qosmio systems will feature a flush-mounted trackpad, eSATA ports, Harmon Kardon bass reflex speakers with an integrated subwoofer.

Toshiba says the new Qosmios will be available this summer, although it didn’t release any pricing or configuration information. So, keep your eyes peeled.