As the notebook segment’s decline has continued, PC manufacturers are now turning toward a handful of features that they hope will lure consumers away from popular bargain-priced tablets. One of these features is an ultra HD display, which could let users view and work with 4K content for a fraction of the price of current ultra HD TV sets.
At this week’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) Toshiba officially unveiled two new notebooks featuring ultra HD displays. The devices, called the Tecra W50 and the Satellite P50t, are being aimed at consumers who work with high-resolution imagery, such as 3D modelers, photographers, and graphic designers. Toshiba is claiming that its new notebooks are the first in the word to feature ultra HD displays.
“As a leader in ultra HD, we are leveraging our 4K TV expertise to deliver a display capable of four times the resolution of Full HD to provide smoother images with astounding details,” said Carl Pinto, VP of marketing and engineering for Digital Products at Toshiba America. “We have applied years of experience and engineering resources to bring ultra HD 4K technology into our premium laptops for consumers and businesses so they can usher in the next generation of content creation and consumption.”
The Tecra W50 is the higher-end of the two notebooks, sporting an Nvidia GPU with 2GB of video memory. The device has a 15.6-inch ultra HD display with a 3840 x 2160 resolution and a pixel density of 282 PPI.
The Satellite P50t is geared more toward those who might use the notebook as a mobile entertainment device. Its display is identical to the one seen in the Tecra W50, though the P50t features an edge-to-edge glass display that is also a touchscreen.
Both notebooks will be out sometime in “mid-2014.” Toshiba has not yet announced pricing for the devices.