Toshiba launches new ultra-port​able R800 series notebooks

Toshiba has now joined the Intel Sandy Bridge processor bandwagon, after it fell by the wayside for a while due to Intel’s little chipset boo-boo earlier this year. The new R800 series is an update to both the ultra-portable Portege series, and the thin and light Tecra series business class notebooks. While business class machines are usually only available direct, or through business to business resellers, and tend to cost a little more, you do get much better machines. The build quality is designed to take a few more knocks, and the components are designed to last a little longer, since many businesses have their often careless employees use the same notebook for many years. Both the new Portege and Tecra’s feature Toshiba’s EasyGuard technology, which incorporates spill-resistant keyboards and more durable design. They also come with a 3 year warranty out of the box, which is an added bonus, since most notebooks come with a standard 1 year.

The first new model is the Portege R830, which is an ultra-slim 13.3” LED screen notebook that still features an optical drive, and full performance Intel processors, in a 18.3mm (0.72”) slim chassis. It is available with a 2nd generation i3, i5 or i7 processor, up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM, USB 3.0, and a 128GB SSD drive. Sadly the only graphics card option is the Intel HD 3000, which isn’t quite powerful enough for any serious gaming, but that is a given for most ultra-portable. Pricing starts at $949, but for a well-equipped model with an i7 and SSD you are looking at $1749. More information about the different versions of the R830 can be found here.

The Tecra R840 and R850 are similar models, one with a 14” LED display, and one a 15”. Like the Portege they can also be configured with a 2nd gen i3, i5 or i7 CPU, 8GB of RAM, a 128GB SSD, and have USB 3.0. However unlike the R830 you can also get a configuration with an AMD Radeon HD6450M graphics card, which will play most games you can throw at it. Of course the trade-off for this additional horsepower is a little more bulk, but even then the Tecra is only a few mm thicker than the Portege. The Tecra R840 and R850 both start at $1199, but a well-equipped R850 with all the toys is $1899. More information about the Tecra R840 & R850 can be found here.

You can check out some pictures of the notebooks, and the official press release below.

We are also hoping to get a loaner Portege R830 soon, so check back for our full review later this month.

Toshiba raises the bar with new high performance, ultra-portable R800 series

Portégé R830, Tecra R840 and Tecra R850 notebooks boast attractive blend of mobility, power, battery life, durability and price for unparalleled mobile computing experience

Markham, ON (March 30, 2011) – Toshiba’s Digital Products Group, a division of Toshiba of Canada Ltd., announced today the release of the R800 series, a new range of ultra-portable and high-performance notebooks, to the Canadian market.

Featuring a heat management system that allows seamless integration of Intel’s high performance technology within incredibly slim and light casings, this spec rich series offers consumers enhanced processing power, reduced system downtime and sleek design, all at an affordable price.

“With the new R800 series, Toshiba offers consumers what they want; exquisite, fully-featured and powerful notebooks that are also exceptionally slim and lightweight,” said Toshiba commercial notebook product manager, Ken Lam. “Significant technological advances were made to achieve the perfect balance between performance and ultra-portability.”

The new R800 line-up includes a range of models designed to the specific needs and budget parameters of today’s discerning notebook consumers. All units come equipped with HD LED displays, a high speed USB 3.0 port for rapid data transfer, the latest 2nd generation Intel® Core processors, Genuine Windows® 7 Professional and Toshiba’s exclusive Panel Open – Power On technology, which allows the unit to power up faster by turning on as soon as the display is opened, even if the machine is in a shutdown state.

Featuring fast wireless interfaces (WLAN 802.11 n, Bluetooth 3.0 and Integrated Ethernet LAN) optional HDMI or Display port, and up to 14 hours of battery life, this sophisticated series meets the needs of the connected, modern lifestyle. The R800 line-up is available in either a highly resistant alloy casing (R830) or new High Stiffness Resign casing (R840 and R850). Despite their slim design, all R800 units include an optical disc drive.

Trusted Performance in a Thin Package
Toshiba’s R800 notebooks are designed to take the shocks and spills that inevitably accompany mobile life. Starting at just 3.2 pounds and measuring about 1-inch thin, the R800 series is made for easy portability.

Toshiba EasyGuard™
Lightweight and fast; rugged and tough; secure and reliable. All of the ultra-light R800 notebooks offer Toshiba’s exclusive EasyGuard™ technology. Incorporating spill-resistant keyboards, shock absorbent and durable design and extensive security features EasyGuard offers consumers what matters most; peace of mind.

The R800 series notebooks also come with a three year limited international warranty.

Solid State Drive Technology (SSD)
All of today’s new releases are available with solid state drives for an enriched level of reliability, durability and system responsiveness.

Series Details:

Portégé R830 Series – starting at $949
In order to pack such a powerful punch into such a slim casing, the Toshiba R830 makes use of significant advances in cooling solutions and chassis construction. An ‘Airflow Cooling’ system, co-developed by Intel® and Toshiba, allows the R830 to integrate the latest Intel® Core™ processors in the device’s slim casing while keeping the fan noise to a minimum.

The R830’s thin and lightweight design doesn’t compromise on durability. The casing’s honeycomb structure makes the R830 highly resistant against flexing.

Includes: 13.3-inch HD LED display, 2nd Generation Intel® Core™ i7, Core™ i5 or Core™ i3 processor, up to 8 GB DDR3, 320 GB Hard Disk Drive with HDD impact sensor or 128 GB Solid State Drive.

Tecra R840 Series- starting at $1199
Includes: 14-inch HD LED display, 2nd Generation Intel® Core™ i7, Core™ i5 or Core™ i3 processor, up to 8 GB DDR3, 320 GB Hard Disk Drive with HDD impact sensor or 128 GB Solid State Drive.

Tecra R850 Series- starting at $1199
Includes: 15.6-inch HD LED display, 2nd Generation Intel® Core™ i7, Core™ i5 or Core™ i3 processor, up to 8 GB DDR3, 320 GB Hard Disk Drive with HDD impact sensor or 128 GB Solid State Drive.

Intel® Technology
The new R800 series feature advanced Intel® technology:

· Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0- provides solid performance for everyday applications and boosts speed automatically when faced with demanding tasks.

· Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology- allows for several applications to run simultaneously and ensures system responsiveness by using the processor’s resources more efficently.

· Intel® Virtualization Technology- consolidates multiple IT environments for a single server or workstation for improved efficiency. It reduces risk from down time and lowers costs that would otherwise be required for utilization of the notebook.

Eco-conscious Design
Continuing Toshiba’s commitment to help consumers and businesses reduce their carbon footprint, all R800 series notebooks launched today meet the rigorous requirements of the EnergyStar® 5.0 standard and industry-leading Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT®) Gold status. They are also RoHS compatible, effectively reducing the environmental impact by restricting the use of lead, mercury, cadmium and certain other hazardous substances.

Toshiba of Canada
Toshiba of Canada Limited is a subsidiary of Toshiba Corporation, one of the world’s largest integrated manufacturers of electronic products and semiconductors. Headquartered in Markham, Ontario, Toshiba of Canada is a digital technology leader with a wide range of Audio Visual Personal Computers, notebook computers, high definition televisions, DVD players and Blu-ray players. Throughout its history, Toshiba’s commitment to technological and environmental innovations has distinguished the corporation from its competitors. In 2010, Toshiba of Canada was recognized with an ENERGY STAR® Market Transformation Award for its leadership in a wide range of energy-efficient products, technologies and services.