Although the computer press is prone to focus on notebooks that stand out with their performance, size/weight or innovative technologies, common users are generally interested in less conspicuous models. Why? Because exceptional characteristics cost a lot of money but are not called for by every person. If you need a notebook for running office applications and watching movies and will not often take it with you on your business trips, paying extra for a 1-kilo sub-notebook or a desktop replacement with advanced CPU and graphics card doesn’t seem wise. You are likely to prefer a model with a reasonable weight and with performance appropriate for the intended applications and, accordingly, with a moderate price.

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There is nothing exciting about the notebook’s specs. Its dimensions and weight are the same as those of 13.3-inch models. Moreover, it employs an entry-level version of the Core 2 Duo processor with a 667MHz FSB.
Package and Accessories
The inexpensive packaging indicates the product category this notebook belongs to. The sides of the unremarkable cardboard box show the name of the manufacturing company and the series name.

Besides the notebook, the box contains a 6-cell 4800mAh battery, power adapter with cable, modem cable (RJ-11), documentation (user manuals, warranty, marketing materials), wired USB mouse, napkin to clean the LCD panel, bag to carry the notebook in, cable brace, and a set of discs that includes:

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The X80L employs the cheapest of Intel’s mobile CPUs based on the Merom core, the 2.0GHz Celeron M. It also has two 1GB memory modules. That’s quite a lot for this class but optimal for Windows Vista. Besides a Wi-Fi adapter which is available even in entry-level solutions, the X80L also features a Bluetooth module.

But the most unusual thing about the X80L is that it lacks a preinstalled OS. It only comes with FreeDOS. This may be okay for you if you are going to install some version of Linux or, for example, Windows XP rather than Windows Vista (the X80L03 version of the notebook comes with Vista Home Basic but costs considerably more).

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The Qosmio series combines high-performance multimedia solutions positioned as desktop PC replacements. The Qosmio F50-10K is a new representative of the series, based on the latest Centrino 2 platform that features 45nm Penryn processors with 1067MHz system bus. The multimedia aspect of this notebook comprises an advanced GeForce 9600M GT graphics card from Nvidia, an integrated TV-tuner, and a high-quality audio subsystem.

However, it is not the specifications and not even the extravagant design that are the most exciting thing about the Qosmio F50-10. It is one of the first mobile computers that, besides the traditional CPU and GPU, has a third processor, the so-called Toshiba Quad Core HD. In this review I will focus on this processor and the opportunities it opens before the user. I want to note it from the start that the high price of this notebook is not only due to this third processor. The exterior design and manufacturing quality contribute to it, too. Therefore, I suggest that we start out by looking at the notebook’s exterior.

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