12. Toshiba Qosmio G35-AV600: A Windows Media Center Edition Standout

Reviewers: Ed Tittel, Toby Digby and Barry Gerber

In a standalone review of a predecessor to the G35-AV600 we described that machine as a "beautiful monster" not only because of its immense size and hefty weight, but also because of its multimedia handling capabilities. As the winner of our recent Windows Media Center Edition 2005 Roundup, this unit stood out, impressively playing both visual and sonic media in many forms.

Toshiba's Qosmio G35-AV600 17" Windows MCE notebook

Though it was neither as fast nor as powerful as some of the other candidates in the MCE notebook comparison, the G35-AV600 shone in a number of key areas. Its display never failed to please. The display has the depth of color, uniformity of brightness and contrast necessary to deliver the visual goods. It also offers excellent integration with a home theater system, in particular because it includes a component video hook-up for viewing quality images on a high definition TV set.

The Qosmio worked very well as well a standalone DVD and music player. Unlike other MCE notebooks we looked at, you don't have to run the G35-AV600 at full volume to get quality sound that is easy to hear through the unit's built-in speakers.

At $2,400 and up, it'll cost you to put one of these babies in some dad's hands - but boy, will everyone involved be impressed. If you're interested in this model, you might also want to check out Toshiba's latest Qosmio, the G35-AV650, which we've not yet reviewed. As far as we know, it's the first multi-media notebook to come equipped with an HD-DVD drive, ready to play at least one type of the latest in high-definition DVDs.