IEEE Spectrum November, 2008 - 16

a laptop on
steroids

the toshiba Qosmio is
more powerful than some
desktops-and heavier

T

oshiba's new Qosmio G55-802
notebook computer packs so
much power, it can peel the
paint off many of today's desktops.
Of course, at a hefty 4.9 kilograms,
it ought to.
The specs for the Qosmio
(pronounced "KOS-mi-o") look like
a desktop's-and then some. It uses
a new chip developed by Toshiba,
the Quad Core HD, which acts like
a video supercharger for an Intel
Core 2 Duo CPU with 4 gigabytes of
RAM. And with its 18.4-inch screen
and an Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT
graphics card, it makes a darn good
gaming computer-but, stresses
Toshiba product manager Mark
Lackey, "the G55-802 is designed
for multimedia enthusiasts."

The Qosmio is indeed a media
maven's dream, with its high-end
graphics card, enormous screen,
gigabit Ethernet, high-definition
multimedia-interface port, 802.11b/
g/n, and Wi-Fi. And did we mention
its Harmon/Kardon stereo speakers
(plus subwoofer) and Dolby Home
Theater compatibility?
The Quad Core HD is based on
the Cell Broadband Engine, jointly
developed by IBM, Sony, and Toshiba.
The Cell is famous as the backbone
of Sony's PlayStation
3, but so far it hasn't
been used much
for general-purpose
computing. The high end
of Cell-based systems
is the IBM-built
US $120 million
Roadrunner
supercomputer at
Los Alamos National
Laboratory, and Cell technology can also be found in products like
IBM's BladeCenter QS22. But
the Qosmio is the first PC-
desktop or notebook-to use
the Cell, says Lackey. The
company also plans to
incorporate the technology
in LCD televisions.
Lackey says the
Quad Core HD gives
the Qosmio a welcome
10-fold speed boost for
video-encoding tasks
like downloading from
an HD camcorder,
converting from
videotape,
and

Toshiba Qosmio G55 series
US $1299.99-$1549.99 and up
http://explore.toshiba.com/laptops/qosmio

26

NA * iEEE SPEctrum * NovEmBEr 2008

upscaling your DVDs from standard
to high definition. In addition, Toshiba
has written or tweaked some video
software for the new
processor. One program
helps users find and
select video frames that
include a specified
face. Another reads
hand gestures
made in front
of the Qosmio's
built-in webcam to
let you play, pause, or
fast-forward a DVD or CD
without touching a keyboard or a
remote controller.
The Quad Core HD processor
doesn't work automatically with
existing applications like Adobe
Photoshop, although they will
run just fine on the computer's
Intel processor. So far only a few
programs use it, including Toshiba's
webcam gesture-control software
and its Ulead video-editing software,
which come with the computer, and
Microsoft PowerPoint.
The Qosmio G55-802 lists for
$1549.99, as if adding that extra penny
might push potential buyers past
their price limit. The Qosmio G55-801,
omitting the Cell processor and some
other features, is $250 cheaper. If you
need to do serious video work, the
G55-802 currently stands alone in
its field. And if you don't mind
lugging it around, either machine
can act as a mobile media center for family trips. "It plays games
great," Lackey confesses. "I've used
it for Gears of War, Call of Duty, and
Dino Crisis."
-Daniel P. Dern
www.spectrum.ieee.org

toshibA (2)

gifts
http://explore.toshiba.com/laptops/qosmio http://www.spectrum.ieee.org
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Spectrum November, 2008
