2. Lots Of Quality Features

The Toshiba Qosmio family includes three members: the F25, the G15, and the G25; this review concentrates on the top-of-the-line G25 offering. This sizable laptop is endowed with an amazing case - love those blue LEDs! - as well as a Pentium M 760 2.0 GHz CPU, 1 GB of DDR2 PC4200 memory, and a 533 MHz FSB. It also includes two 2.5" 60 GB SATA drives, DVD±RW/CD-RW drive with double-layer support, graphics circuitry built around the NVIDIA 6600 architecture, internal Harmon/Kardon loudspeakers, and a capable TV tuner card with personal video recorder (PVR) capabilities. These features are, of course, in keeping with Media Center PC requirements, but nearly all of them are at least one notch better than the minimum necessary to do the job.

The Qosmio G25 also offers some very nice features. We've worked with many Media Center PCs since that platform was introduced in 2003, but no other has been as easy to use and set up as this one. As a bit of a torture test, we tossed in an Audio DVD (a source of trouble for some Media Center PCs). The unit responded simply by asking us if we wanted to play it; we did, and it did. The unit makes a marvelous personal entertainment center, where the 17" display does a surprisingly good job of playback, and its tiny Harmon/Kardon speakers put out darn good sound (the unit sounds great with a good pair of headphones, too). The Qosmio G25 makes the transition to the big screen and the entertainment center with aplomb as well, and was happy to handle either a conventional picture tube TV or a digital LCD HD-capable television set. For a pretty good price, the Qosmio also delivers better-than-average Media Center PC functionality.

Upper left and right: Harmon/Karden speakers
Upper middle: DVD controls
Round silver knob: Volume control
Front left: DVD RW drive