Toshiba’s new PORTÉGÉ R500 as the world’s lightest at 799 grams

TOSHIBA stands as having the world’s lightest notebook PC with 64GB Solid State Drive.
Building on Toshiba’s commitment to lead industry innovation, the PORTÉGÉ R500 has been designed to take mobile computing to the next level by defining a new category of super lightweight notebook PCs.
It built on the previous design credentials of the PORTÉGÉ range by giving business users a stylish and practical choice to work with, while also securing business data and personal information.
"When looking at a truly mobile device, the initial focus of the design has to be the weight and size. Reducing weight is the easy bit, putting more functionality in and still keeping the weight down – now that’s a challenge," said Juno Limjap of Tricom Dynamics Inc., exclusive distributor of Toshiba in the Phils.
"If you’re moving to the next level of mobile computing then it’s got to be about having the whole user wish list in one portable device. The PORTÉGÉ R500 might be incredibly thin and light, but it also has all the functionality that would be found in PCs twice its size."
The PORTÉGÉ R500 weighs in at a tiny 799 grams – almost 100 grams less than previous industry bests for a single spindle configuration – but is still filled with world’s firsts, including the first 12.1 inch transflective LCD screen.
The new screen technology ensures that whatever is on the screen – be it a dark film sequence or bright PowerPoint presentation – is readable no matter what the external light conditions are. Users can switch the backlight on or off depending on whether they are indoors or outdoors to ensure the best possible picture.
At weight of 799 grams, the system also incorporates the world’s first 64GB Solid State Drive that offers faster boot-up and read/write speeds than traditional mechanical hard disk drive (HDD). With no moving parts, the SSD is also more reliable in conditions of extreme temperatures, humidity, vibration and shock. With minimal power requirements, the SSD is more power efficient.
The dual spindle configuration of the PORTÉGÉ R500 includes the world’s first¹ 7mm optical disc drive and is both the world’s lightest and thinnest notebook in its category, with a weight of 1.09kg and a height of 19.5mm.
The PORTÉGÉ R500 measures just 19.5 mm in height – roughly the same as a typical mobile phone – but with a full size screen and keyboard it is a viable alternative to other larger notebooks. This also gives a considerable advantage over Ultra Mobile PCs, which typically do not feature the luxury of disc drives or full size screens and keyboards. The notebook also addresses user demand for longer battery life from portable designs, with up to 14 hours of battery life, which beats the previous industry best by over 1.5 hours.
According to Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association, the PORTÉGÉ R500 has the world’s longest battery life with the dual spindle configuration using a six-cell battery to give 14 hours battery time.