Toshiba Portege Z30T
The Toshiba Portege Z30t had a minor specs
refresh with an exterior that’s largely the same as its predecessor. The Z30t
is also the only 13.3-inch model in our shootout compared to the 14-inch
displays on the rest of the competition. While this puts it at a slight
disadvantage in terms of screen real estate, it does make it more portable.
The
Toshiba Portege Z30-A1301 offers a solid business ultrabook that's light enough
to take anywhere, long-lasting enough to take you through a full workday (plus
overtime), and offers all of the ports and connectors you might want.
The display has good viewing angles and
vivid colors, and the smaller screen still boasts a Full HD resolution, which
actually gives it a higher pixel-per-inch count, if sharpness is what you’re
looking for. If portability is the most important factor for you, the Z30t will
surely stand out, tipping the scales at just 1.2kg. It is so light that we
could have easily mistaken it for a dummy model. The smaller dimensions and
lighter body also means that the Z30t will fit inside slimmer bags, something a
lady user will certainly appreciate.
Under the hood, it packs a decent fourth
generation Intel Core i7 processor, 8GB of RAM, Intel HD Graphics 4400 and
256GB SSD storage. It houses an outstanding 52Wh Lithium Ion battery promising
extended battery life, with Toshiba claiming up to 10 hours.
The
Z series will also have the latest Intel Haswell processors, ranging from Core
i3 to Core i7 specifications, and up to 16GB of RAM for a huge boost in speed
and performance power.
The Portege Z30t comes with a decently
spaced Chiclet-style keyboard with a blue pointing stick residing among the
square keys. The keyboard provides good feedback and the layout is pretty
similar to the others, except for the dedicated PrtSc button.
Like the Dell Latitude E7440, there are
left and right click buttons immediately below the spacebar to facilitate easy
navigation using the pointing stick. There are two raised lines on the trackpad
that guide you to the clicking areas at the bottom. South of the trackpad is a
horizontal silver piece housing the fingerprint reader and three indicator
lights - battery/charging, power on/off and read/write. We feel that the
indicator lights are at an odd position as, instead of residing near the screen
where users will look most often, they are near your chest, and might even be
obstructed from view if you are a lefty.
The Best Business Ultrabook Is
LENOVO X1 CARBON TOUCH There isn’t really a clear winner at first glance, but the Lenovo
X1 Carbon won us over with its superior display, slim proportions and overall
solid performance. Its WQHD display gives it a high pixel-per-inch count that
is great for both reading documents and maximizing screen real estate, with
excellent viewing angles for group meetings and presentations.
Optimized
for Windows 8, lightweight X1 Carbon Touch starts at 3.4 lbs, yet is forged
from carbon fiber for ultra-durability and strength. Fluid and intuitive
navigation enables browsing, scrolling, using apps—even gaming—with a simple
swipe of the vibrant HD+ touchscreen, as well as the glass touchpad.
Its setup also minimizes your need for an
extra dongle or adapter; when required to project to a larger screen, it has
both a Mini DisplayPort and HDMI slot, and you can also insert a microSIM card
for 4G connectivity. But all these features come at a cost of battery life. On
the plus side, Lenovo RapidCharge technology can bring it back to 80% in just
an hour.
TOSHIBA PORTEGE Z30T Even though the Portege Z30t is priced at least a few hundred
dollars below the rest of the competition (and the only one below $3,000), its
specs are comparable and we like the portability of this machine. It may be
more compact in a 13.3-inch body, but it provides a good pixel-per-inch count
twith a Full HD display. It is also the lightest among the competition and
almost as slim as the Lenovo X1 Carbon. It touts a unique ‘Magnesium Silver’ fi
nish (we think it leans more towards gold) and keeps a low profile with the
branding located at the bottom corner. It has no lack of ports as well, with
three USB 3.0 ports accommodating a mouse, an external hard drive and flash
drive comfortably. Its battery life is not too bad either, and at $800 lower
than our winner, its value is hard to beat.
