Toshiba Computer Systems, a division of Toshiba Europe GmbH, today announces a touch-gesture enabled version of its ultra-portable Satellite U500. The compact, thin and light design-masterpiece now comes with a 33.8 cm (13.3”) touch-sensitive display that offers a new way of navigation through a touch of a finger. The Satellite U500 with a touch-screen will be available during the first quarter of 2010 in selected markets in Europe.
“Toshiba considers ease of use as one of the key criteria in the customer-centric design of its laptops,” says Thomas Teckentrup, General Manager, Product, Strategy and Development Division, Computer Systems Group EMEA. “The dual approach with support of conventional keyboard input and innovative touch-gesture control takes the usability concept of our ultra-portable laptop to the next level.”
The textured Luxe Brown 13.3’’ Satellite U500 with touch screen takes advantage of the benefits of Windows Touch available in Windows 7. Now users can choose if they want to operate the applications with the Touch Pad, an external mouse, with short-cuts on the keyboard, or by multi-touch gestures with their fingers on the screen. Almost any program that works with Windows 7 now responds to the touch of a fingertip. Users can scroll through a document or a webpage by dragging a finger up or down the screen and make a double-click by simply tapping their finger twice on the display. A right-click is easily done by a ‘press and hold’ action, and files can be tapped and dragged. By spreading two fingers on the screen users zoom into a photo or a document, by twirling one finger around the other they can rotate photos. In addition many more multi-touch gestures are supported.
The touch-screen input further increases the usability of the Toshiba LifeSpace productivity suite, which features the project organisation tool BulletinBoard and the file search application ReelTime.
As a responsible global corporate citizen, Toshiba ensures that all laptops are fully compliant with European WEEE and RoHS directives, effectively reducing the environmental impact by restricting the use of lead, mercury and certain other hazardous substances. Additionally the Toshiba Eco utility helps to reduce power consumption, and makes users aware of the power their laptop is using. The Satellite U500 is Energy Star 5.0 qualified.
