﻿ Toshiba introduces five new business laptops, introducing its first mobile workstation | ZDNet

Toshiba introduces five new business laptops, introducing its first mobile workstation

Summary: Most of the notebooks weigh less than 4 pounds apiece, though only the Portégé Z30 qualifies as an Ultrabook.


With consumer laptops taking a hit from the popularity of tablets, Toshiba may have made a wise decision to turn its attention to business notebooks.

On Monday, the company has announced five new portables designed to appeal to enterprise buyers, including its first mobile workstation.

The Tecra W50 (shown above) joins other new mobile workstations like the HP ZBook 14 and 15 and the Dell Precision M3800. However, it's not an ultrabook, like the ZBook 14, or offering a super-high-resolution display option, like the ZBook 15 and Precision M3800. It does include an Intel Haswell Core i7 processor, Nvidia Quadro graphics, and color-calibrated 1,920 x 1,080 15.6-inch screen.

It's also fairly portable, weighing in at under six pounds, and won't totally break the bank at its starting price of $1,999 when it becomes available on October 18.

If you want a business-class Ultrabook, the 13.3-inch Portégé Z30 tips the scales at a mere 2.6 pounds, while being just 0.7 inches thick. It uses Haswell ultra-low-voltage processors and comes with either a 128GB or 256GB solid-state drive. It likewise will go on sale on the 18th, with a starting price of $1,279.

Though it doesn't qualify as an Ultrabook, the Portege R30 sure resembles one: one-inch thin, 3.2 pounds, magnesium alloy chassis. But the R30 uses full-voltage Haswell processors and comes with an increasing rarity in PCs: an optical drive. It can also handle up to 16GB of RAM and either a 750GB hard drive or 512GB solid-state drive.

The R30 is due next month, but Toshiba has not yet disclosed pricing for the laptop.

Finally, Toshiba has added the mainstream 14-inch Tecra Z40 and 15.6-inch Z50 to its lineup. Like the R30 (and Z30), they are crafted from magnesium alloy and make use of AirFlow II cooling technology. And like the Z30, they make use of Haswell ultra-low-voltage Core i5 and i7 processors, but offer hard drive options along with solid-state storage.

They can be equipped with optional Nvidia GeForce 730M graphics, yet remain fairly light at 3.2 pounds (Z40) and 3.9 pounds (Z50), respectively. Both systems have a starting price of $1,229, though the Z40 will be ready to order on October 18 and the Z50 will not be available until November.

Topics: Laptops, Mobility, Toshiba



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  • All I want for Christmas

    Alas, Toshiba does not have it. I want a hybrid and not a clam shell so I can use it as a tablet. I want a high resolution display greater than 1920X1080. I would like a 15" display but might settle for anything larger than 13". I want digitizing (Wacom) touch. And of course the usual stuff like Haswell i5 and i7 with 512GB drive.

    All the parts are there on different models by different manufactures but no one has put it all together yet. Sony has a Flip coming but who knows when. I sure others will be around next year but I want it for Christmas.
  • Apple Wins Wins and Wins Again Simply Because

    Toshiba, Microsoft, and Intel keep screwing up one after another. Smart people making strange decisions and keep doing over and over again.
    You are driving the rest of customers into Apple's arms. Until further progress, it is a safe bet on Apple to buy their products or stocks.
    • Re: Intel and Apple....

      Sorry but you are incorrect. Were you not aware that the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro. and iMac are almost entirely Intel based.
  • Imagine this..

    A lady and her 2 young children standing in a middle of the mall. They are shopping for Christmas and the rest of 2014. Beautiful Microsoft's store is on their right hand side. Stylist Sony is on the left hand side. Apple store is 10 more steps ahead.
    Who will these important customers spending their happy dollars with at the end?
    • All three, to be sure.

      You make it sound like it's some sort of absolute, that all customers have to choose the same store to be able to shop.

      Everyone is different, and so's their shopping. Those wanting what MS offers will shop there, as will those looking apple, and tose looking sony.

      Oh, and sony stores sell more then just computer products, as does MS.
    • That's unfair for Apple

      Because chances are they will just go for Xbox One or PS4...
  • Do Not Knock Toshiba

    My 1st was a Libretto CT110 and since bough 2 Satellites for the business, a 17" XP load and a 17" Vista loaded, since updated to Win7. They did an admirable job with Vista integration. The Libretto was retired some 8 years later but still works and the others have outlasted Compaqs, HP, Leovos and Dells with similar hours on each. The only complaint and a minor one is the keyboards while feeling good tend to be a bit touchy to work on. Not sure about their service as never had to use it. HP Canada has been great with service while Apple and Lenovo all but required a lawsuit before first honoring their warraties and later out of warranty work.
  • Start that Z30 at $799 and it would be the best seller of all time

    It's like an X1 Carbon but a year late to the party. We don't pay $1300 for a year late.
    Johnny Vegas