Toshiba are to launch the world’s first
laptop with a write-once HD DVD-R optical disc format. The
notebook will go on sale in
Japan in late February and is an upgrade of Toshiba’s Qosmio G30 entertainment laptop. Whilst some
laptops already have an
HD DVD reader, the G30/97A will be the first to offer a rewritable HD
DVD capacity.
The laptop is powered by an
Intel Corp. 2 GHz Core 2 Duo processor and has a 17 inch widescreen with 1,920 by 1,280 pixel resolution. The
PC will operate on
Windows Vista Home Premium and also has a 320GB
hard drive, a high definition multimedia interface output, a digital
TV tuner, and weighs just 10.6 lbs.
Toshiba have yet to reveal the cost of the laptop, nor have they announced its international launch plans. As part of the launch of the laptop, Hitachi Maxell Ltd. Will begin selling DVD-R media, with a single sided 15GB disc available for just $12 from late January.
A rival PC manufacturer, meanwhile, are to launch a laptop with blue laser disc compatibility in the form of
Blu-ray Disc support. The LaVie C will also run on Windows Vista Home Premium and is to go on sale in February. The machine will cost roughly $2,570, whilst the LaVie L will cost slightly less.