The laptop we played with was still technically pre-release, but the official release is in early August so the hardware must be pretty final. This includes some powerful innards, befitting the £1300 ($2100) price tag: an Intel Core i7 processor, Nvidia Geforce GT540M graphics, "distortion-free" Harmon Kardon speakers, a BDXL drive, plus a USB 3.0 port and two of the USB 2.0 variety. HDMI and VGA outputs were also in attendance, along with an input for a co-axial aerial, which we were told would be "capped off" in the final European model. You'll find complete specs in the PR below.
The software was less production-ready, and we were only able to watch a few 3D video clips that Toshiba had loaded on there. It would have been great to see how an off-the-shelf 3D Blu-ray disc performed, and try our hand at a few 3D games, but alas that will have to wait until we do a full review. Also, we were unable to the see the simultaneous 2D/3D in action, for example by running a 3D movie in one window while browsing 2D content in another window. Nevertheless, the videos we saw were pretty mouthwatering -- at least once our eyes and brain adjusted to the 3D effect.
The eye-tracking system was remarkably quick and refused to be fooled by the sharp movements and embarrassing head-bops we threw at it. However, the adjustment of the 3D effect was slower to catch up. Even a relatively small head movement caused the 3D effect to falter momentarily before settling again. However, we think the system could cope with normal movements while watching a movie, and gaming tends to have the user transfixed in a single spot anyway -- and it was infinitely better than what we saw in the concept model. It's important to note that the system can only cater for one viewer at a time -- this is the major downside of the glasses-free tech employed here. You won't be able to watch a 3D movie with your buddy on a flight, for example, but that's the price you pay for not having to wear funny specs. [Source: EnGadget.com]
