Toshiba Qosmio G50 - Laptop super strong

With a Core 2 Duo T9400 processor, clocked at 2.53 GHz and 4 GB RAM, the Qosmio G50 is the first choice for those who love the laptop with an 'extreme' configuration.

Compared to the new models from other companies such as Sony, Acer or HP, the Qosmio G50 can be considered as an older generation because there is no Blu-ray drive running high-quality HD video. However, in return it is cheaper (less than 3,000 USD) and integrates many special features, capable of meeting different needs.

This laptop is 50 mm thick. Photo: Trustedreviews .

In terms of size, the Qosmio G50 can surpass all competitors of the same category as the HP HDX18 or VAIO AW17 with a weight of nearly 5 kg, a thickness of 50 mm. The outer shell and glossy border make it seem luxurious and new. However, Toshiba retains the clamshell pattern on the body of the camera and the slightly curved edges as we still see in the Qosmio X300. This makes the Qosmio G50 look solid.

In addition, the keyboard has a large size and its own numbering keys are very specific to Toshiba models. The buttons are very responsive, easy to use, bring comfort to the user, though slightly concave in the middle. The top part of the keyboard is a row of buttons using touch technology to adjust the speakers and other entertainment facilities. Especially, the speaker adjustment buttons are arranged in a circle, not up and down like traditional computers. According to experts, this button is more sensitive and easy to use.

The Qosmio G50 is equipped with an 18.4-inch LCD screen, for a resolution of 1,920 x 1,200 pixels, suitable for 16: 9 aspect ratio and high-definition 1080p HD signals. Although there is no Blu-ray drive as usual in other models, there is an HD-DVD drive capable of encoding and decoding high-resolution signals.

18 inch screen. Photo: Trustedreviews .

The Intel Core 2 Duo P7350 2.0 GHz processor combined with Cell technology makes the Qosmio G50 equal to the PlayStation 3. Toshiba calls this processor a quad-core video processor 'Quad Core HD' .

In addition to supporting decoding and playing high-definition HD Video clips, the Qosmio G50 also has the ability to control the camera with gestures, gestures via Webcam and encode videos. These are two new features developed by Toshiba and are really useful for those who want to encode from high-definition HD video format to DVD format.

To do this, the Qosmio G50 uses the processor chip Toshiba calls the Quad Core HD (quad-core processor). This new processor is a great combination of Intel Core 2 Duo P7350 processor and Cell processor chip that is used in PlayStation 3 gaming machines (clocked at 1.5GHz). This is a joint study of IBM, Sony, and Toshiba.

Logo Qosmio pit. Photo: Trustedreviews .

Gesture control mode uses built-in Webcam to detect user's hand movement. This driver is extremely useful when users use media programs such as Windows Media Center or Toshiba's proprietary music software. You can sit 1 to 3 meters away from the computer and still be able to adjust the machine by raising your hands up, left, right.

Basically raise your hand high and the palm facing the screen will be able to boot or turn off the program. By moving the fist first the user can move the cursor on the screen, lift or lower the index finger to left-click any icon or window. This control system is more difficult to use and at least still in testing phase so there may be many shortcomings. If you still want to use this system, please switch to the rotary / gyro mouse like Logitech MX Air. However, this is still a very interesting feature and should be widely developed.

Large keyboard with touch-sensitive multimedia keys. Photo: Trustedreviews .

In addition, the Qosmio G50 also helps users easily encode and convert Video file formats. It also has a Windows toolbar that displays at the same time the operation of all 4 processors at the same task.

However, the application of this processor is in fact limited, especially when using Ulead MovieFactory software - copying to DVD format - users cannot use other popular software like Photoshop, Premiere , or QuickTime.

According to the test, G50's performance is not outstanding if not worse than other 18-inch screen laptops. The reason is that the Qosmio G50's Cell processor does not speed up video processing when using QuickTime faster.

It is worth noting that G50's configuration is very strong. It doesn't matter if you perform multiple tasks at the same time, such as surfing the web, typing text or listening to music. Compared to other models of the same size using other T-series processors, its speed is a bit slower but in fact users rarely find out.

Long battery life is another advantage of the Qosmio G50. In the video test, the Qosmio G50 was really impressive when it was able to run continuously for 3 hours and 7 minutes, quite long compared to such a large screen laptop. Meanwhile, in the same test with the Aspire 8920 with the same screen size, Acer laptop can only run for nearly 2 hours.

Pros Cons - Extremely powerful configuration
- 18.4-inch widescreen display
- Control by gestures
- Long battery - Large size