Toshiba Satellite A665 and M645 debut: Optimus, Core i7 and 3D

Toshiba have announced a vast bounty of new notebooks, and we're kicking off with the Toshiba Satellite A665 and the Satellite M645.  The 15.6-inch A665 maxes out with an Intel Core i7-740QM processor, 4GB of DDR3 memory and NVIDIA GeForce GTS 350MB Optimus graphics, while 14-inch M645 gets its choice of Core i3, i5 and i7 chips or the new AMD Phenom II quadcore CPUs, optional GeForce 310M and GT330M with Optimus, and DDR3 memory.

The A665 3D Edition also gets a 640GB HDD, WiFi b/g/n, gigabit ethernet and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, along with a Blu-ray burner, NVIDIA 3D Vision kit, 12-cell battery and a webcam with face-recognition.  Ports include HDMI and a combo eSATA/USB, as well as three regular USB 2.0. The Satellite A665 range starts at $799.99, though you're looking at $1,599.99 for the maxed-out A665 3D Edition.

As for the Satellite M645, that's slightly more affordable kicking off at $729.99.  Options include speedy hard-drives and lashings of DDR3 memory, together with slot-loading DVD and Blu-ray burners.

Press Release:

Toshiba Rolls out 2010 Models of Feature-Packed Laptops Designed for Entertainment and Style

Built for HD Entertainment, Satellite A665 and Satellite M645 Series Entertainment Laptops Deliver Premium Performance with In-Demand Technologies, Superior Audio and All-New Style

IRVINE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Toshiba's Digital Products Division (DPD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., today announced its feature-packed entertainment laptops, the Satellite® A665 and Satellite M645. The laptops seamlessly blend style with multimedia performance, incorporating an all-new stylishly durable finish, the latest performance-class components and cutting-edge technologies designed to boost high-def entertainment, productivity and creativity.

"NVIDIA Optimus technology solves a key issue for consumers looking for high-performance laptops – the tradeoff between great graphics performance and battery life"

Strikingly crafted in an all-new Fusion® X2 finish, which blends a durable textured surface over the cover and palm rests with a glossy trim, Satellite A665 and M645 series laptops offer premium raised-tile keyboards and wide multi-touch touchpads to make typing and navigating comfortable and easy. The laptops feature vivid TruBrite® HD widescreen displays1 with LED backlighting – the Satellite A665 with a 16-inch diagonal display and the Satellite M645 with a 14-inch diagonal display.

"These laptops are ideal for people who want to get the most out of their multimedia and entertainment – whether it's HD videos and photos, gaming or music," said Carl Pinto, vice president of product development, Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., Digital Products Division. "After 25 years in the laptop business, we are still pushing the boundaries of what a laptop can do by inventing new technologies so our customers can experience content in ways they've only dreamed."

New Exclusive Features

Building on the success of Toshiba's convenience-driven smart applications and features, including Toshiba USB Sleep-and-Charge2, ReelTime™ and Bulletin Board, the Satellite A665 and Satellite M645 series laptops include new practical innovations that enhance the entertainment experience.

Toshiba Sleep-and-Music: Users can now take advantage of the laptop's premium speakers even when the laptop is powered down. Simply connect an MP3 player into the Mic jack, hit play and enjoy.

Resolution+™ DVD Upconversion: Built into the Toshiba DVD Player software, Resolution+ technology upconverts standard-definition movies and instantly improves sharpness and color for a picture that looks and feels more like HD.

New High-Performance Technology Options and Features

The Satellite A665 and Satellite M645 series laptops feature high-performance multi-core processor technologies to deliver enough power for demanding everyday multimedia tasks. Equipped with the latest processors from Intel®, including the Core™ i3, Core i5 and Core i7 and the new AMD Phenom™ II Quad Core processors3, Satellite A645 and Satellite M645 series laptops also feature fast DDR3 memory and optional 7200RPM hard drive configurations.

In addition, select models featuring the NVIDIA® GeForce® 310M and GeForce GT330M graphics processors4 also include NVIDIA Optimus™ technology, which intelligently optimizes the laptop to provide outstanding graphics performance when needed and extended battery life for longer enjoyment.

"NVIDIA Optimus technology solves a key issue for consumers looking for high-performance laptops – the tradeoff between great graphics performance and battery life," said Rene Hass, general manager of notebook products at NVIDIA. "Now they can have both in a system that automatically directs the workload to the most efficient processor. This is switchable graphics done right."

Continuing Toshiba's legacy of providing superior audio, the laptops are equipped with booming harman/kardon® stereo speakers that provide stunning sound for music, movies and games. In addition, Dolby Advanced Audio™ technology brings together a suite of technologies designed to provide a stunning audio experience from any pair of speakers or any set of headphones. Adding a new level of realism to movies, music, and games, this is the quality audio customers have been missing from their PCs.

Intel Wireless Display5, Gigabit Ethernet, WiMAX™6, Slot-loading DVD drives and Blu-ray Disc™ drives7 will be available on select configurations.

Detailed specifications and configurations on the Satellite A665 can be found at laptops.toshiba.com/satellite/A660.

Detailed specifications and configurations on the Satellite M645 can be found at laptops.toshiba.com/satellite/M640.

Availability

The new Toshiba Satellite A665 (starting at $799.99 MSRP8) and Satellite M645 laptops (starting at $729.99 MSRP) will be available on June 20, 2010 at major retailers, e-tailers and direct from Toshiba on toshibadirect.com.

Press Release:

Toshiba Satellite A665 3D-Ready Laptop Brings New Dimension to Entertainment

Laptop Delivers Immersive Entertainment Experience Powered by NVIDIA 3D Vision Technology

IRVINE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Toshiba's Digital Products Division (DPD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., today announced the introduction of its first 3D-ready laptop for the U.S. market.

"3D technology has captured a tremendous amount of mindshare in the display industry. Flat panel makers and graphics chip makers are developing next-generation technology to provide consumers with a rewarding 3D experience"

The Satellite® A665 3D Edition laptop features a 15.6-inch diagonal TruBrite® widescreen LCD display1 with LED backlighting and a 120Hz refresh rate. NVIDIA® 3D Vision™ software and hardware technologies2 drive the stereoscopic 3D experience, delivering out-of-the-box compatibility with hundreds of PC games, as well as videos and photos. Equipped with a rewriteable Blu-ray Disc™ drive3, the A665 is also ready to support content playback in the Blu-ray 3D format as it becomes available in the marketplace4.

Encased in the all-new Fusion® X2 finish in Charcoal, the Satellite A665 laptop delivers enthusiast-class performance and features with the processing power of the Intel® Core™ i7 quad-core processor5 with TurboBoost technology, plus the NVIDIA® GeForce® GTS 350M graphics processing unit6 (GPU) with 1GB of GDDR3 video memory7. The NVIDIA 3D Vision kit, which comes standard with the Satellite A665, includes software, a pair of wireless active shutter glasses and an emitter, enables users to get in the action quickly with easy set-up and intuitive conversion of supported content for stereoscopic 3D viewing.

"With this active shutter 3D technology, we are able to provide consumers with dynamic, high-quality stereoscopic images right from the laptop screen," said Carl Pinto, vice president of product development, Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., Digital Products Division. "We designed this system to support functionality that will become available in new drivers and software enhancements, so early adopters of 3D technology will be able to take advantage of new capabilities such as the ability to play Blu-ray 3D content and more."

"3D Vision technology is for more than just PC gamers," said Phil Eisler, general manager of 3D Vision technology at NVIDIA. "We are working closely with our partners to ensure a wealth of 3D content, including games, photos, movies and even the Internet can be fully enjoyed on a 3D laptop."

The Satellite A665 is also packed with premium multimedia features. Built-in harman/kardon® speakers deliver impressive sound while Dolby Advanced Audio™ further optimizes audio quality so games, movies and music sound more vivid and true to life. Toshiba's unique new Sleep-and-Music technology is also included, enabling users to play music from their MP3 players through the laptop's speakers – even while the laptop is powered down. For movie lovers, the laptop includes Toshiba's Resolution+™ DVD upconversion technology, which improves the quality of standard definition DVD content by boosting contrast, sharpness and saturation to near high-definition quality.

Rounding out the list of premium features is an LED backlit keyboard that provides convenience in low-light conditions, while raised-tile style keys deliver a comfortable typing experience. A wide TouchPad™ also offers multi-touch control for easier navigation, allowing users to pinch, swipe or zoom through files, applications and webpages.

"3D technology has captured a tremendous amount of mindshare in the display industry. Flat panel makers and graphics chip makers are developing next-generation technology to provide consumers with a rewarding 3D experience," said John Jacobs, director of notebook market research at DisplaySearch. "While much of the discussion has centered on the TV market, the notebook PC stands to become the next major platform for consuming 3D content. Toshiba's new Satellite puts them at the forefront of the 3D adoption curve."

Features available on the Toshiba Satellite A665 3D Edition include:

15.6-inch diagonal HD TruBrite™ LED Backlit widescreen display with 120Hz scan rate1

Intel® Core™ i7-740QM quad core processor5 with TurboBoost technology

NVIDIA® GeForce® GTS 350M with 1GB DDR3 discrete graphics memory6

NVIDIA 3D Vision™ kit with active shutter 3D glasses and emitter

Blu-ray Disc™ Rewriteable (RE) and DVD SuperMulti drive with LabelFlash3

Premium audio with harman/kardon® stereo speakers and Dolby Advanced Audio™

Windows® 7 Home Premium operating system

4GB DDR3 RAM7

640GB hard drive8

802.11b/g/n wireless9 and 10/100/1000 Ethernet

Bluetooth® V2.1 + EDR10

Toshiba Hard Drive Impact Sensor

TouchPad™ with Multi-touch Control

12-cell battery

One eSATA/USB combo port with Toshiba USB Sleep-and-Charge11 and three USB 2.0 ports

HDMI port

Built-in Webcam with Toshiba Face Recognition

Microphone input port with Toshiba Sleep-and-Music

5-in-1 Memory Card Reader and ExpressCard slots

Pricing and Availability

The Toshiba Satellite A665 3D Edition laptop will be available on June 20, 2010 at select retailers, e-tailers and directly from Toshiba (www.toshibadirect.com) with a starting price of $1,599.99 MSRP12.