To truly drive progress you need to break the mold. That seems to be Toshiba’s philosophy with their newest Ultrabook, the U845W-S400. While it may not look like your normal Ultrabook (more on that later) this one is all about performance and entertainment. This Ultrabook is packing the 3rd generation Intel i5 processor, a 500GB hard drive (HDD), an extra 32GB solid-state drive (SSD) for extra fast booting, 6GB of DDR3 memory, Harman Kardon stereo speakers and a 14.4” cinematic ultra-widescreen display. The short story is this is anything but your typical Ultrabook.
Storage war
Most ultrabooks have a 128GB solid-state drive. While this means the startup time is significantly shortened, so is the amount of storage. Ultrabook users sometimes find themselves compromising on whether they should keep their work/school documents, or have all their music and movies at their fingertips. Toshiba rethought the typical Ultrabook formula by adding a 32GB SSD, to allow for a fast boot up, and a 500GB HDD to allow for maximum storage.
Breaking down the “geek talk”
Now I’ll translate that and tell you about the performance of this ultrabook. The keyword is speed. Intel processors come in several classes. The most common in laptops are i3, i5 and i7 (to use a car metaphor, V4, V6 and V8). This computer has an i5 processor (V6) allowing it to be ultra responsive and load programs fast. The 6GB of memory means multitasking is a breeze. You should be able to run your favorite music program while working on a word processor with an Internet browser up for research without slowing to a crawl.
Design
A prerequisite for an ultrabook is a sleek and slim design. U845W-S400 has a dual-tone aluminum casing it is incredibly lightweight and sturdy, measuring in at 0.8” by 14.5” by 7.9” and weighing only 4 pounds.
Screen
Watching movies on this screen is amazing! You get the true movie aspect ratio of 21:9 – no black bars on the top or bottom – at least for movies formatted that way. (Many movies are made in 16:9 ratio.) Because of the screen size, having multiple windows open while web browsing or working on projects takes some getting used to, and you may find yourself scrolling websites while reading more frequently. If you are willing to take a little time to get comfortable with the screen it will not be an issue.
Another advantage
A huge advantage over other Ultrabooks is the inclusion of quality Harman Kardon stereo speakers. Most computers have weak speakers. Jamboxes and external speakers improve the experience but are extra accessories to carry around. Toshiba knows space is important while traveling, so these speakers free up room and weight while allowing great music and cinematic experiences.
Bottom line
Toshiba has started some great Ultrabook trends, such as having a large hard drive without sacrificing boot up time or adding weight. Great internal parts that allow quick response times and fast multitasking while you work. Sound quality that blows away the competition and is great for listing to music while you work or watch your favorite movies. A screen that is perfect for watching movies or being productive at work or school. All in a lightweight, sleek and study design. This is an Ultrabook you should check out at your local Best Buy.
See the Toshiba U845W-S400 in action in The Beauty Inside, the new online film from Toshiba and Intel, or shop for it now at BestBuy.com.