Toshiba's multimedia netbook

Stephen Withers
Thursday, 20 January 2011 12:15

Your IT - Mobility

Toshiba is making a push for the multimedia market with its latest netbook. The company has also introduced a second model with a more conventional configuration.

Toshiba's new NB550D netbook features Harman/Kardon premium speakers (said to be a world first) with Dolby Advanced Audio, the performance needed to play HD video (and an HDMI interface to connect to a TV), and the ability to play music while the system is switched off.



Specs include an AMD C50 Fusion processor, 1GB RAM, 250GB hard drive, 10.1in widescreen, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, and the choice of orange, black, blue, lime green and copper brown finishes. The six-cell battery has a claimed life of up to eight hours.

"Toshiba's new NB550D netbook goes above and beyond the usual expectations of features on a netbook," said Justin White, product marketing manager with Toshiba Information Systems Division. "HDMI functionality for example means you can take it anywhere, plug it in and essentially use it as your own multimedia player."

If you don't need the multimedia features or want to spend less than the NB550D's $499 pricetag, there's also the NB500. Listing at $399, its basic specs are similar (though it uses an Atom N455 in place of the Fusion) and it has a black rubber casing and a fingerprint resistant palm rest.



Both models weigh approximately 1.3kg.