Toshiba Unveils Company's First Widescreen Tablet PC

June 27, 2006 — Toshiba’s Digital Products Division, a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., today unveiled the company’s first widescreen Tablet PC with the launch of the Tecra® M7. Toshiba’s sixth-generation convertible Tablet PC is designed for maximum flexibility and performance by uniquely blending the productivity of a notebook computer with the performance of a desktop computer and the convenience of a notepad to deliver one of the industry’s most robust mobile computing solutions.

The Terca M7 is the world’s first Tablet PC to incorporate a 14.1-inch diagonal widescreen WXGA+ (1440 x 900) display with Tablet PC support. This large display with increased resolution provides users with a greater amount of screen real estate to maximize the digital ink capabilities. Users can use the digital ink function to transform documents, spreadsheets and presentations into digital paper and use their own hand writing to enter data. In large or individual settings, such as meetings and lectures the Tecra can be used as a mobile whiteboard. The rotating function of the display makes it easy to collect data and share information with an audience.

Less than six pounds, the Tecra M7 may be comfortably carried to meetings or classrooms, taken on a plane or on the road. Toshiba outfitted the Tecra M7 with the latest cutting edge components and software, including Intel® Centrino® Duo Mobile Technology, Microsoft® Windows® XP Tablet PC Edition 2005 operating system and Toshiba’s exclusive EasyGuard™ technology to ensure this new business-class Tablet PC answers the demand for increased productivity. Demonstrating the advantage of Tablet PC computing, the Tecra M7 delivers up to four hours of battery life affording users with plenty of time to complete projects before needing to charge.

“Toshiba is driving the growing adoption of Tablet PCs into mainstream business environments with the release of the Tecra M7,” said Jeff Barney, vice president of marketing, Digital Products Division, Toshiba America Information Systems. “We have experienced unparalleled success in the education, SMB and healthcare markets as a result of Toshiba’s commitment to developing convertible Tablet PCs with a focus on productivity. The Tecra M7 is a powerful mobile computing solution that delivers quality, reliability and security in a highly functional and flexible mobile computing solution.”

The Tecra M7 incorporates Toshiba’s exclusive EasyGuard™ technology—a series of hardware and software enhancements designed to boost mobile security, system and data integrity, network connectivity and overall ease-of-use. Toshiba categorizes EasyGuard technology into four components:

Protect & Fix

Utilizing a multi-level approach to data protection, this convertible Tablet PC incorporates specially made shock-absorbing materials to help safeguard critical components such as the hard drive and LCD display. Internally, the hard drive and display are housed within their own casings for better isolation against shock and impact. The sleek industrial design integrates impact bumpers on the four corners of the Tablet PC to establish protection zones to separate internal components from the outer enclosure.

The Toshiba Hard Disk Drive Protection System helps safeguard the Tablet PC’s hard drive against possible damage resulting from accidental dropping, turbulence, impact or vibration. Through the integration of a 3D accelerometer, the Toshiba HDD Protection System detects when the Tecra M7 experiences unsafe, sudden “acceleration” in any direction. Once danger is detected, the hard drive immediately places itself into a protected mode and parks the hard drive head until the system determines it is safe to resume normal operation.

The Tecra M7 also features an enhanced spill resistant keyboard that affords users time to save work and shut down the system. If an accident should occur, this feature will help prevent the loss of data.

Secure

The Tecra M7 employs a multi-pronged approach to security in order to help defend itself against unauthorized access, data theft and virtual attacks. The root of Toshiba’s security design is the Trusted Platform Module an embedded security chipset that stores encryption keys, passwords and user credentials to ensure that data cannot be accessed or seen by anyone but an authorized user.

Further building on its security infrastructure is an integrated biometric fingerprint reader with single sign-on functionality. This added security feature associates the user’s passwords for the BIOS, hard drive and operating system with one’s fingerprint. By assigning passwords to three critical components of the Tablet PC presents unauthorized users with three unique password challenges just to launch the system’s operating system. Large and small businesses will appreciate the ability to implement complex password schemes to maintain the integrity of secured data and applications. On an individual basis, users can benefit from the simplicity of password management for quick and easy access to the system and data.

Connect

To simplify wired and wireless connectivity, the new Tecra M7 is outfitted with a complete suite of communication technologies including Gigabit Ethernet, and V.92 modem and the Intel® PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection (802.11 a/b/g) as part of the notebook’s standard configuration. Additionally, the Tecra M7 can be configured with optional Bluetooth® v.2.0+EDR technology to connect with the growing number of Bluetooth® devices.

The Tecra M7 features proprietary technologies such as Toshiba’s recently upgraded ConfigFree® and the company’s patented Diversity Antenna. ConfigFree is Toshiba’s intuitive graphic connectivity management utility created to simplify the connectivity experience when using wired and wireless Ethernet or Bluetooth®. Toshiba’s Diversity Antenna design delivers superior wireless signal reception through the integration of strategically placed Bluetooth® technology and dual-band Wi-Fi® antennas in the system’s display.

Optimize

The fourth element, Optimize, is a series of proprietary software enhancements, enabling users to customize system settings for maximum system performance and battery life based on individual needs and preferences. Features include Toshiba Power Saver to maximize battery life and breeze through a meeting fully connected, Toshiba’s Presentation button, a one-touch button to display the screen’s image onto an LCD projector or external monitor easily and instantaneously and a wireless on/off switch enabling and disabling the integrated wireless LAN and Bluetooth®.

Service and Support

The Tecra M7 is available with either a one- or three-year standard, limited warranty, which includes carry-in support at Authorized Service Providers throughout the country or customers may utilize any of the more than 3,000 UPS Stores® and Mail Boxes Etc.® locations for packaging and delivery of the product to a centralized depot for prompt service turnaround. Customers can also choose to upgrade the Tablet PC’s service plans, including up to four years of extended warranty coverage.

As part of the company’s support program, Toshiba offers Ask Iris® Online, an instant response information service that can alert users to security software patches or provide other information regarding their product from Toshiba engineers and technical support staff.

Toshiba offers two recommended configurations for the Tecra M7, in addition to allowing business and individual users to configure the Tablet PC to best meet their own unique mobile computing needs. Toshiba’s new Tablet PC is now available through Toshiba Direct, mail order and the company’s Reseller Partners with prices starting at $1,599.

For more information visit the company’s Web site at www.toshiba.com.

SOURCE Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc. (TAIS)

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