New Toshiba Satellite M60 17" Notebook

Toshiba released a new 17" screen notebook today, it seems like it's a budget desktop replacement type of machine. As usual Toshiba has crippled it by giving it no chance of good graphics performance, worse than a poor dedicated video card, they've given it no dedicated graphics processor...just Intel integrated, for a 17" notebook touted as a desktop replacment and with a similar price to the Dell Inspiron 9300 that can be configured with a kick butt graphics processor, I don't get what Toshiba is doing to compete here. Here's the press release:


Toshiba Announces Portable and Stylish 17-Inch Diagonal Widescreen Consumer Notebook

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 14, 2005--
Available in Select Colors, Satellite(R) M60 Notebook Series Starts at 7.3 Pounds(1), Offering Portable Desktop Power and Multimedia Performance





Toshiba's Digital Products Division, a division of Toshiba America Information Systems Inc. and provider of industry-leading portable computers, projectors and other mobile-related services and products celebrating Toshiba's 20th anniversary of the first mass-marketed laptop computer, today announced the Satellite(R) M60 series, a 17-inch diagonal widescreen notebook PC that starts at 7.3 pounds(1) and is designed for students and other consumers who want desktop computing power and multimedia performance in a mobile form factor.

The Satellite M60 series is available from ToshibaDirect.com in a choice of three attractive colors -- sunlight copper, peacock blue and mist gray. Select models are also available at major consumer electronics and computer stores nationwide.

The Satellite M60 series notebook features:

-- a 17-inch diagonal widescreen WXGA display with optional TruBrite(TM) technology;

-- a choice of DVD SuperMulti Double Layer drive compatible with current DVD formats that nearly doubles a recordable DVD's storage capacity in DVD+R format, or a CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive;

-- 40GB to 100GB 5400 rpm hard drive(2) for faster access to stored files;

-- a full-sized keyboard including numeric keypad;

-- and built-in harman/kardon(R) stereo speakers and SRS(R) TruSurround XT(TM) technology for a rich audio experience.

The Satellite M60 notebook series is available from ToshibaDirect.com in configurations ranging from Intel(R) Celeron(R) M 360 to Intel Pentium(R) M 780 processors(3), expandable hard drives(2) from 40GB to 100GB, and from 256MB to 2048MB memory(4). Some models feature the 5-in-1 bridge media adapter and Express Media Player for one-touch CD/DVD playback. Models feature Microsoft(R) Windows(R) XP Home Edition or Microsoft(R) Windows(R) XP Pro. Estimated single unit prices start at $1,349(6).

"The Satellite M60 notebook series produces brilliant images, crystal-clear sound and impressive power that adds up to a premium entertainment experience that you can take with you," said Taro Hiyama, vice president of marketing, Digital Products Division, Toshiba America Information Systems. "It is an ideal notebook for anyone who wants affordable desktop power and a stunning 17-inch diagonal widescreen that's also mobile."

The Satellite M60 series includes integrated 802.11b/g wireless(7) and Toshiba ConfigFree(R), an intuitive graphic connectivity management utility designed to simplify the connectivity experience when using both wired and wireless Internet.

Included Microsoft(TM) Office OneNote(TM) 2003 software enables users to better capture, organize, find and share notes gathered from e-mail, meetings, presentations, classes, the Web and other sources. OneNote captures virtually any type of information -- ranging from typed notes to audio -- in a single convenient place.

The Satellite M60 series notebooks come with one-year limited warranties with Toshiba's premier global service for the mobile computing user. Customers can choose from several service options, including extended limited warranties, carry-in support at Authorized Service Providers throughout the country for same-day or next-day service, or utilizing any of more than 3,000 UPS Stores for packaging and delivery of the product to a centralized Depot for 24-hour service turnaround.

A 30-day free trial of MyConnect(TM) Internet Access Service (www.toshibamyconnect.com) is included, providing notebook computer users unlimited Internet access in hotels, airports, restaurants, bookstores, etc. via Wi-Fi(R), broadband cable or dial-up connection.

A 30-day complimentary trial of McAfee VirusScan 2005 and McAfee SecurityCenter, as well as trial offers of Napster(R) Digital Music Service and Microsoft Office, are also included.

Accessories for the Satellite M60 series are available from ToshibaDirect.com and include the Toshiba Primary High Capacity Li Ion 12-cell battery pack, Toshiba Executive SlimLine carrying case and USB Ultra-Mini Retractable Scroller Mouse.

The new Satellite M60 notebooks series is currently available from ToshibaDirect (www.toshibadirect.com) and in select configurations from major consumer electronics and computer stores nationwide. The Satellite M60 notebooks available through ToshibaDirect are build-to-order models, allowing users to choose their configurations accordingly. The following are the minimum and maximum specifications for the Satellite M60 series available through Toshiba Direct:

Satellite M60 Series Product Specification Ranges

Processor: Intel(R) Celeron(R) M 360 Processor(3) (1.4GHz,
1MB L2, 400MHz FSB) to Intel Pentium(R) 760
Processor(3) (2.00GHz, 2MB L2, 533MHz FSB)
Display: 17-inch diagonal widescreen TFT active-matrix LCD
display or 17-inch diagonal widescreen TFT
active-matrix LCD WXGA with TruBrite(TM)
technology
Graphics Controller: Intel Graphics(5) Media Accelerator 900,
8MB-128MB shared memory
Memory: 256MB (minimum)/2048MB (maximum) PC4200 DDR2
533MHz SDRAM memory(4)
Hard Drive: 40GB (minimum)/100GB (maximum) (SATA/5400 rpm)
HDD(2)
Optical Drive: CD-RW/DVD-ROM or DVD SuperMulti Double Layer
drive
Wireless: Atheros(R) 802.11b/g wireless(7)
Ports: RGB (monitor port), TV-out (S-Video), i.LINK(TM)
IEEE-1394, 3 USB ports (v2.0), external
microphone jack, headphone jack (stereo), RJ-45
LAN port, RJ-11 modem port, Fast Infrared
(4Mbps) (lrDA 1.1) port
Battery: 8-cell Lithium ion battery (4300 mAh)
Operating System: Microsoft(R) Windows(R) XP Home
Dimensions: 15.51" x 11.02" x 1.17"/1.46" (WxDxH Front/Rear)
Weight: Starting at 7.3 lbs.(1)
Warranty: Standard one-year limited warranty
ESUP: Starting at $1,349(6)


About Toshiba America Information Systems Inc. (TAIS)

With headquarters in Irvine, TAIS is comprised of three divisions: Digital Products, Digital Solutions and Storage Device. Together, the three divisions provide mobile products and solutions, Internet access plans, communications, storage, and imaging products and services. Products include industry-leading portable computers, projectors, telephony products, digital imaging systems, wireless solutions and services, and DVD/CD recordable products and hard disk drives for computers.

TAIS provides sales, marketing and services for its wide range of information products in the United States and Latin America. TAIS is an independently operated company owned by Toshiba America Inc., a subsidiary of Toshiba Corp., a world leader in high technology and integrated manufacturing of electrical and electronic components, products and systems. Toshiba has global sales of over $52 billion and more than 300 subsidiaries and affiliates worldwide. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.toshiba.com.

(1) Weight. Weight may vary. See Weight Legal Footnote at
www.info.toshiba.com
(2) Hard Disk Drive Capacity. Hard drive capacity may vary. 1 Gigabyte
(GB) means 1000 x 1000 x 1000 = 1,000,000,000 bytes using powers
of 10. See Hard Disk Drive Capacity Legal Footnote at
www.info.toshiba.com
(3) Processor. CPU performance may vary. See Processor Legal Footnote
at www.info.toshiba.com
(4) Memory. Memory size may vary. See Memory Legal Footnote at
www.info.toshiba.com
(5) Graphics. GPU performance may vary. See Graphics Legal Footnote
at www.info.toshiba.com
(6) Reseller prices may vary. ESUP means "Estimated Single Unit
Price."
(7) Wireless. May require purchase of additional software, external
hardware, or services. Transmission speeds may vary. See Wireless
Legal Footnote at www.info.toshiba.com


Note to Editors: (C)2005 Toshiba America Information Systems Inc. (TAIS). All rights reserved. ConfigFree and Satellite are registered trademarks of Toshiba America Information Systems Inc. and/or Toshiba Corp. Intel, Intel Celeron, Centrino and Pentium are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corp. or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. Microsoft and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries. All other products, services and company names are trademarks, registered trademarks or service marks of their respective owners. While Toshiba has made every effort at the time of publication to ensure the accuracy of the information provided herein, product specifications, configurations, prices, system/component/options availability are all subject to change without notice.



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I see that the Canadian version comes with 128MB Geforce 6600 video. Yay! On the otherhand, we only have the WXGA+ screen (1440x900) and it's a bit pricey at $2399CDN or about $1900US. Boo!

In the US, you can configure a system with a WSXGA+ (1680x1050) screen. Yay! But the best graphics option you can specify is the X600. Boo!

Note to Toshiba: people who want the WSXGA+ screen probably want the 6600 graphics and vice versa.... and they probably live in both the US and Canada, not to mention the rest of the world. It's not that hard to figure out!!! Unless, of course, you're just a marketing person with no knowledge of notebooks (and they're the ones that probably make these decisions).

 

I just saw the specs for the Canadian version of the M60...not an improvement over my M40-YP3 at all...

same CPU, same RAM, bigger but slower HDD, same video and sound, bigger display but weighs another 1.3 pounds.

if it had a 2GHz CPU, DDR2 RAM, 5400rpm 100GB, WSXGA+ LCD, and maybe a bit beter video card - it'd be a winner [ ]



The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that is has never tried to contact us.

 

i'd actually consider getting the M50 if they put the nvidia 6600 in there instead of the intel extreme graphics 2 and if the HD is 5400RPM...i wouldn't mind going for a lesser storage but faster spinning HD

but only if....

that thing is pretty sweet if they got those in there and weighing just less than 5lb!

 

This laptop doesn't seem like a bad option for me...

I was considering getting an asus w3v ..(1899.00)

but for the same price i can configure this M60 with a:
1)bigger screen (17 vs 14.1)
2)more powerful CPU (2Ghz Sonoma vs 1.86Ghz Sonoma)
3)get a 128MB X600 vs 64MB X600

The only big tradoff is the weight. Asus kills it in the style department (they kill everyone in this department though)..but this is still a pretty stylish notebook.

I have some serious thinking to do. And by the way...is a Go 6600 more powerful than a ATI X600 ATI card?

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by Hell Raiser
The only big tradoff is the weight. Asus kills it in the style department (they kill everyone in this department though)..but this is still a pretty stylish notebook.<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'></font id='quote'></blockquote id='quote'>

I tend to focus on the screen []

 

Hmm, well the chipset is the 915G which has the Intel Graphics Accelerator 900 and not the Intel Extreme Graphics 2 (so says my laptop). Not sure why the toshiba site says IEG2 since the Intel chipset has the IGA900 built in.

BTW, just picked the M50 up today and it's an awesome piece of machinery...

 

It's nice to see some people ignore some of the unfounded rumors and get a machine based off of the reviews and stuff they've seen. I mean who knows where the rumors got started could be from a competitor or something. Just let us know what you think of the machine so that some of the talk of Toshiba quality going down hill can be verified.
Though I think it's fairly safe to buy stuff from a big brand like Dell or Toshiba since there is always someone for you to complaint to or sue. Though you probably won't get the great build quality of a business notebook if you're buying from their consumer lines.

 

I don't know. I have a M60 with Dothan 750, Go 6600, 1 Gig, 100 Gig, and it is by no means crippled. Just proof-reading, review is on the way. Lets' just say that the i9300 now has to face a new kid on the block. :centrino:

 

pics would be nice too

 

For what it's worth, I saw the M60 in person at Futureshop a couple of days ago. Very nice... except the screen. There was MAJOR light leakage from three corners. Normally, to test light leakage, you'd probably go to an black background, but with this particular M60, it was obvious even with a 'regular' background. And compared to my current Fujitsu n6010, I don't think it was quite as bright. Hopefully, this is just a bad unit. Although having said all that stuff about the screen, I'd still consider getting it (the other aspects of the screen - colours, sharpness, etc - seemed to be good).