Toshiba Qosmio G45-AV690

Toshiba's Qosmio line is known for high-end home-theater features (and high prices), and the massive Qosmio G45 is one of our favorite desktop replacements for movie and media consumption.

Toshiba rounds out the laptop's multimedia functions with the inclusion of an external CableCard TV tuner and a Media Center remote control. The external tuner lets you watch and record high-definition TV signals, but it's a cumbersome system and requires a CableCard from your cable TV provider and a visit from a cable company technician for installation. Our colleagues have had varying experiences with CableCard TV tuners--Rich Brown had a lot of trouble, while Matt Elliott's installation went smoothly--but in any event, this is not a feature you'll be able to use out of the box.

Even though the HD DVD drive is an albatross, at least the screen is up to the task of playing back hi-definition movies. The 17-inch LCD display offers a 1,920x1,200 native resolution, which is enough to display the full 1080p resolution of HD DVD discs.

The Toshiba Qosmio G45-AV690 is physically identical to its predecessor, sticking with the current Qosmio two-tone look, with a black lid offset against a white interior. The glossy plastic finish is attractive, even if we generally prefer the matte look, but it can be fingerprint-prone. A huge silver Qosmio logo sits on the back of the lid, broadcasting your brand preference to anyone nearby.

Toshiba includes an industry-standard one-year parts-and-labor warranty with the system, which includes onsite service. Upgrading to a three-year plan will cost an extra $134. Support is accessible through a 24-7 toll-free phone line, an online knowledge base and driver downloads.



Toshiba Qosmio G45-AV690 Laptop Spesification:

General

Platform Technology: Intel Centrino
System Type: Notebook
Built-in Devices: Subwoofer, Four speakers, Bluetooth antenna, Wireless LAN antenna
Embedded Security: Fingerprint reader
Width: 17.4 in
Depth: 11.8 in
Height: 1.8 in
Weight: 10.6 lbs
Color: Cosmic black
Localization: United States
Screen type: Wide-screen
Wireless capabilities: 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11 pre-N, Bluetooth

Processor

Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T9300 / 2.5 GHz
Multi-Core processor technology: Dual-Core
64-bit processor: Yes
Chipset type: Mobile Intel PM965 Express

Cache Memory

Type: L2 cache
Cache size: 6 MB

RAM

Installed Size: 3 GB / 4 GB (max)
Technology: DDR II SDRAM - 667 MHz
Memory specification compliance: PC2-5300


Storage

Floppy Drive: None
Hard Drive: 160 GB - Serial ATA-150 - 5400 rpm
Hard Drive (2nd): 160 GB - Serial ATA-150 - 5400 rpm
Storage Removable: None
Hard drive type: Portable

Optical Storage

Type: HD DVD-RW - Integrated
CD / DVD read speed: 24x (CD) / 8x (DVD) / 2.4x (HD DVD)
CD / DVD write speed: 24x (CD) / 4x (DVD±R) / 2x (DVD-R DL) / 2.4x (DVD+R DL)
CD / DVD rewrite speed: 10x (CD) / 4x (DVD±RW) / 3x (DVD-RAM)

Card Reader

Card reader type: 5 in 1 card reader
Supported flash memory cards: Memory Stick, MultiMediaCard, SD Memory Card, XD-Picture Card, Memory Stick Pro

Display

Display Type: 17 in TFT active matrix
Max Resolution: 1920 x 1200 ( WUXGA )
Widescreen Display: Yes
Features: Ultimate TruBrite

Video

Graphics Processor / Vendor: NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT TurboCache - PCI Express x16
Video Memory: DDR II SDRAM - 512 MB
Max Allocated RAM Size: 255 MB
Total Available Graphics Memory: 767

Audio

Audio Output Features
Harman/kardon stereo speakers

Notebook Camera

Camera Type: Integrated

Multimedia Functionality

TV Tuner Type: Digital TV

Input Device(s)

Input device type: Keyboard, Touchpad, Remote control
Keyboard localization and layout: US

Telecom

Modem: Fax / modem

Networking

Networking / Wireless LAN Supported: Yes
Networking standards: IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, Bluetooth 2.0, IEEE 802.11n (draft)

Expansion / Connectivity

Expansion Slots Total (Free): 2 Memory, 1 ( 1 ) x PC Card - Type II, 1 ( 1 ) x ExpressCard/54
Interfaces: 1 x Display / video - VGA - 15 pin HD D-Sub (HD-15), 1 x Display / video - S-video output, 1 x Audio / video - HDMI - 19 pin HDMI Type A, 1 x Audio - SPDIF output/headphones, 1 x Audio - Line-in, 1 x Microphone - Input - Mini-phone 3.5 mm, 1 x IEEE 1394 (FireWire) - 4 pin FireWire, 5 x Hi-Speed USB - 4 pin USB Type A, 1 x Remote control - Infrared

Miscellaneous

Features: Intel PRO/Wireless 4965AGN Wireless Lan, TV tuner, Remote, Camera, Bluetooth

Operating System / Software

OS Provided: Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate
Software: Google Picasa, Google Desktop, Google Toolbar, Toshiba ConfigFree, Microsoft Works 9.0, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Toshiba Disc Creator, Toshiba Game Console, Toshiba HD DVD Player, Toshiba Speech System, Toshiba Bluetooth Stack, Toshiba Value Added Package, Sun Java 2 Runtime Environment, Ulead DVD MovieFactory 5 for Toshiba, McAfee Internet Security Suite (30 days trial), Toshiba Extended Tiles for Windows Mobility Center, Microsoft Office 2007 Home and Student Edition (Trial)