OzHub, the Macquarie Telecom-led cloud computing alliance, has come down firmly on the side of Optus over the copyright controversy surrounding Optus TV Now, warning that any moves to change the law "risk branding Australia a global luddite state."
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Anthony Caruana
Sunday, 29 August 2010 22:20
Having recently celebrated the 25th anniversary of the laptop, Toshiba has delivered a clutch of new notebooks to the market. The Portégé name has long been recognised as one of the premiere small notebooks on the market. We took their latest model, the R700, out for a spin.
Once we’d made our way through the initial set-up process, the 1.1KG R700’s 13.3-inch screen was resplendent with the usual array of icons spread across the 1366 by 768 display. The matte finish mightn’t look as bright as some of the Portégé’s competitors but it meant that the display was easier to read in uneven light and there aren’t any annoying reflections. We’ve used some systems that could have doubled duty as a mirror.
In a break from tradition, Toshiba has broken away from their traditional aluminium finish for the Portégé. The new R700 has a brushed matte black finish that looks elegant. Although we didn’t put the R700 through a tough roadtest, it was obvious that the finish wouldn’t scratch easily and could take being carried in a backpack without having to worry about superficial damage.
The ins and outs are well covered. The R700 has a pair or USB 2.0 ports. Conveniently, one is placed on either side of the unit so so that one side of the device doesn’t get too cluttered if multiple devices are connected. Toshiba’s USB drivers allow for USB ports to be used for device charging when the computer is in either “sleep” or “stand-by” modes. Each time a USB device is inserted, a dialog pops up so you can choose whether or not enable this mode. That way, the Portégé’s 5800mAh battery isn’t totally discharged inadvertently while traveling.
Although two USB ports is a little skinny, Toshiba endeavours to compensate by including an eSATA port for connecting external drives and both D-SUB and HDMI output for connecting to projectors, monitors and televisions. The HDMI port is a standard size so you won’t need to mess around, looking for some sort of adapter to connect it to a plasma or LCD when you’re in a hurry in the boardroom.
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