Measuring 2.1 inches thick, the Qosmio G35-AV660 is one chunky laptop, even for a desktop replacement. And though its 11.6-inch depth is average for a machine with this size display, it's much wider at 16 inches than the Pavilion dv9000t, which also features a 17-inch wide-screen display. That said, the Qosmio G35 is quite attractive; its matte finish isn't as eye-catching as the previous model's glossy "piano finish," but the new case should be less likely to collect finger smudges. Not that you'll be carrying it around much, but the Qosmio G35-AV660 weighs 10.3 pounds, or 11.9 pounds with its big AC adapter.
Given the extrawide case, it's all the more surprising that the Qosmio's keyboard is a bit cramped, and it lacks a 10-key number pad, as found on the Pavilion dv9000t. Those who use keyboard shortcuts should also be warned that Toshiba has moved some keys--most notably the Windows key--from their standard locations. Above the keyboard resides a complete set of system and A/V controls; highlights include dedicated controls for display brightness (a rarity on laptops), video signal in and out, and Dolby Home Theater sound. The Qosmio G35-AV660's touch pad, while small, accommodates embedded, configurable quick-launch buttons, as well as a volume control. We still wish there was an external touch pad on/off button--one of our favorite features for a desktop replacement. A fingerprint reader rounds out the features on the keyboard deck.
Like its predecessors, the Qosmio G35-AV660 offers a complete array of multimedia features and connections for audio (an external volume control wheel, headphone and microphone jacks, S/PDIF jack, and HDMI output), video (S-Video input and output, VGA out, coaxial input for connecting to a TV signal cable), and data (four USB 2.0 ports, one four-pin FireWire port). Networking connections include Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and modem. You also get a PC Card and an ExpressCard slot, plus a 5-in-1 flash card reader. Most notably, though, the Qosmio G35-AV660's tray-loading optical drive, awkwardly located along the front edge of the laptop, lets you view HD-DVDs, as well as burn CDs and DVDs.
To display HD content, Toshiba has bumped up the resolution on the Qosmio G35's 17-inch wide-aspect display, resulting in one of the best-looking screens we've seen on a laptop. Its 1,920x1,200 native resolution is as sharp as it gets, displaying HD content beautifully and affording more screen real estate than the HP Pavilion dv9000t.
When it comes to audio performance, the Qosmio G35-AV660 combines a 1-bit digital amplifier, Dolby Home Theatre, and Harman Kardon stereo speakers to deliver extremely loud, crisp, and full sound. Still, the speakers' positioning, below the display, makes for muffled sound when the lid is shut--other laptops with front-edge speakers, such as the Dell XPS M1710, sound good even with the lid closed.
As with previous models, Toshiba stuffed the Qosmio G35-AV660 full of high-end components to support its multimedia aspirations. For the astronomical $3,499 price, you get a 2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor; 2GB of swift, 667MHz RAM; two massive 120GB hard drives spinning at 5,400rpm; and Nvidia's GeForce Go 7600 GPU with 256MB of dedicated video memory. On CNET Labs' benchmarks, the Qosmio G35-AV660 couldn't keep up with Dell's $3,659 XPS M1710, but it wasn't exactly a fair fight: the Dell was stocked with a faster processor and hard drive and had twice as much VRAM. On our iTunes encoding test, the Qosmio G35-AV660 trailed behind the HP Pavilion dv9000t, likely due to the HP's slightly faster processor; the Qosmio pulled ahead on our Photoshop test, though, likely because it has more RAM and more VRAM than the HP. The Qosmio is not explicitly marketed as a gaming machine, but in our anecdotal Quake 4 gameplay, image rendering was fluid, though the dim screen made it difficult to see where we were going.
Toshiba backs its laptops with an industry-standard one-year limited parts-and-labor warranty and 24/7 toll-free phone support during the warranty period--not the life of the product. Toshiba's support Web site is full of useful information, including driver downloads, tech support, warranty and service, and interactive support--presented in a very well-organized manner. In addition, Toshiba preloads the Qosmio's hard drive with a whole bunch of service and support utilities, and the system comes with both a helpful orientation flyer and a complete, but not overwhelming, printed resource guide.
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iTunes 6.0.4.2 AAC-to-MP3 conversion (seconds) | |
Photoshop CS2 performance (seconds) |
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BAPCo MobileMark2005 battery life in minutes |
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BAPCo MobileMark2005 performance |
Find out more about how we test Windows laptops.
System configurations:
Dell XPS M1710 Core 2 Duo
Windows XP Media Center; 2.33GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7600; 2GB DDR2 SDRAM PC5300 666MHz; Nvidia GeForce Go 7900 GTX 512MB; Hitachi Travelstar 7K100 100GB 7,200rpm
HP Pavilion dv9000t
Windows XP Pro; 2.16GHz Core 2 Duo T7400; 1GB PC2 5300 DDR2 SDRAM 666MHz; Nvidia GeForce Go 7600 256MB; Fujitsu MHV2100BH 5,400rpm
Toshiba Qosmio G35-AV660
Windows XP Media Center; 2GHz Core 2 Duo T7200; 2GB PC2 5300 DDR2 SDRAM 666MHz; Nvidia GeForce Go 7600 256MB; Toshiba MK1234GSX 120GB (2) 5,400rpm
Product Specifications:
Product Description:
Toshiba Qosmio G35-AV660 - Core 2 Duo T7200 2 GHz - 17 in TFT active matrix
Dimensions (WxDxH):
16 in x 11.6 in x 2.1 in
Weight:
10.1 lbs
Localization:
United States
Platform Technology:
Intel Centrino Duo
Windows Vista Certification:
Windows Vista Capable
System Type:
Notebook
Built-in Devices:
Stereo speakers
,
Bluetooth antenna
,
Wireless LAN antenna
Embedded Security:
Fingerprint reader
Processor:
Intel Core 2 Duo T7200 / 2 GHz ( Dual-Core )
Cache Memory:
4 MB - L2 cache
RAM:
2 GB (installed) / 4 GB (max) - DDR2 SDRAM ( 2 x 1 GB )
Card Reader:
5 in 1 card reader
Floppy Drive:
None
Hard Drive:
120 GB - Serial ATA-150 - 5400 rpm
Hard Drive (2nd):
120 GB - Serial ATA-150 - 5400 rpm
Optical Storage:
DVD±RW (±R DL) / DVD-RAM / HD DVD-ROM
Optical Storage (2nd):
None
Storage Removable:
None
Display:
17 in TFT active matrix 1920 x 1200 ( WUXGA ) - 24-bit (16.7 million colors)
Graphics Controller:
NVIDIA GeForce Go 7600 - 256 MB
Audio Output:
Sound card
Telecom:
Fax / modem - 56 Kbps
Networking:
Network adapter - Ethernet
,
- IEEE 802.11a
,
- IEEE 802.11b
,
- IEEE 802.11g
,
- Fast Ethernet
,
- Gigabit Ethernet
,
- Bluetooth 2.0 EDR
Wireless NIC:
Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG
Input Device:
Keyboard
,
Touchpad
,
Multimedia control panel
Voltage Required:
AC 120/230 V
Battery:
Lithium ion
Run Time (Up To):
2.5 hour(s)
OS Provided:
Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005
Manufacturer Warranty:
1 year warranty
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