Toshiba Launches CELL-embedded Qosmio G55 Laptop

[btarunr]

Toshiba launched the Qosmio G55-802, the first laptop available with a CELL-design based Co-Processor. The CELL developed jointly by Toshiba, Sony, and IBM comes in a 4-SPE avatar which Toshiba chooses to call Toshiba Quad-Core HD processor. The laptop features a Intel Core 2 Duo Processor P7350 at 2.00 GHz as the primary system processor, certain CPU-intensive tasks such as hardware HD video decode, transcode, etc., are performed by the CELL processor. It also features a NVIDIA GeForce 9600M graphics processor for smooth video playback and exceptional gaming performance. 4 GB of DDR2 800 memory is standard, with the GPU supporting TurboCache for additional video memory. A DVD-SuperMulti (+/-R double layer) with Labelflash (think of it as something similar to LightScribe) drive, 2x 250GB 5400rpm HDDs, and 802.11b/g/n supportive wireless network controller. The chassis features rugged yet stylish matte finish. It tips the scales at 5.4 kg (~ 10.8 lbs), rather heavy. It is priced at US $1549.99. An online brochure can be viewed here. For product details, please visit this page.



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[patton45]

looks nice and you cant beat the price i will definatly be considering one when i get a new laptop this fall

 

[ktr]

Damn, that thing is priced pretty good. I was suspecting that it would at least be $2k...

 

[burtram]

actually yea, that is a great deal. i might consider this instead of the hp i have been eye-balling

 

[cjoyce1980]

hang on here......

there using an intel processor to run the OS and the CELL to run intensive tasks... to me that just means that the CELL is not able to run windows.

So much for this mightly cell processor

 

[Wile E]

hang on here......

there using an intel processor to run the OS and the CELL to run intensive tasks... to me that just means that the CELL is not able to run windows.

So much for this mightly cell processor

Ummm, that's because Cell is an updated version of the Power PC architecture. Windows isn't written to run PPC, it will only run on X86 or x64. Windows not running on it has nothing to do with the Cell's power as a cpu. Try to do research before you post comments like that.

 

[cjoyce1980]

Ummm, that's because Cell is an updated version of the Power PC architecture. Windows isn't written to run PPC, it will only run on X86 or x64. Windows not running on it has nothing to do with the Cell's power as a cpu. Try to do research before you post comments like that.

ok fair enough, a retail copy wont work on the cell.... but what is the point of all this power, when you are only gonna be able to use specially created apps for the cell

pointless.... is one word for this

 

[Wile E]

ok fair enough, a retail copy wont work on the cell.... but what is the point of all this power, when you are only gonna be able to use specially created apps for the cell

pointless.... is one word for this

For a good many people, it may be pointless. This isn't for those people. This is for the people that can make use of it. Not only that, but the more popular it becomes, the more programs you'll have supporting it. It's the same idea as running programs on a GPU. Not everyone wants to run apps on their gpus, but a good many people do. That doesn't make it, or this, useless at all.

 

[Ripper3]

Isn't Windows Embedded able to run on PowerPC?
If so, you could technically run that on this, and use the CELL processor.
I'm most likely wrong, so I'll stop now...

This is great for people that can use it, but that's made obvious with the size and weight. People that need this sort of technology have a pretty powerful laptop to carry about now, while everyone else can still use it, it's specced nicely, and it's a good price.

 

[Triprift]

That is a really nice price for whats on offer.

 

[panchoman]

good idea but it sounds like a fail. the cell processor is crazy... but it cant run the os, since its based on ppc architecture. also, it needs xdr memory to function properly... ddr2 is a significant bottleneck to the cell, which im not sure how it will function without proper software. its a co processor, but will the c2d be able to pass the data on to the cell etc properly, without lagging or facing any other problems? because the cell proccessor will most likely not be able to communicate directly with the os or programs (unless its yellow dog linux or os x), and is only an assitant to the c2d, which is doing all the work.

 

[mdm-adph]

Couldn't the hardware HD video decode, transcode, etc., be handled by the 9600M for a lot cheaper?

 

[kwchang007]

Here's a little more info about the co-processor. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpursEngine. It's basically a scaled down version of the cell with a different architecture not using a ppc chip as it's like main cpu, that's what the core 2 is for. Also, about the fact that ddr2 would bottlneck it, it has xdr ram built in. And it's going to function through a driver.

I wonder if this will have a standby state or turn itself off when you don't need it, cause it's not always going to be used, although I'm sure this is aimed at people who do intensive video coding and editing, not your average consumer.

 

[newbielives]

There are programs that will take advantage of this very niche architecture?

 

[p_o_s_pc]

looks nice. I am going to be telling a few people i know that want to get a lappy about that one.

 

[kwchang007]

There are programs that will take advantage of this very niche architecture?

Basically any program that's running stuff with H.264 or mpeg-2 will benefit from this. Well that's what I'm getting from wiki. So if you're encoding into H.264 this will speed it up, or if your decoding. I also think it might help quality wise with those two formats but I'm not sure, I say might because on the toshiba pamphlet it was talking about how "standard def" should look better.