Intel Core Solo processor surfaces in Toshiba Tablet PC

Toshiba today launched its new Portege M400, which is one of the first computers announced to integrate Intel’s single-core Core processor.

The M400 extends Toshiba’s lineup of Tablet PCs, which are still is aimed mostly at productivity tool for businesses and not the mainstream notebook market. Besides a swappable slim bay, which allows users to exchange an optical drive for a second hard drive for onboard data backup, it is the processor that makes the Portege interesting.

It is one of the first notebooks available with a "Core Solo" processor, the single-core version of Intel’s Yonah core, which was introduced in the first week of January as dual-core "Core Duo." The M400 integrates a Core Solo T1300 (1.66 GHz) processor, Intel’s 945GM chipset with the 950GMA graphics extension.

Other features include a 12.1" display, 512 MB of memory, an 80 GB SATA hard drive, as well as the common range of wireless connectivity technologies, including Wi-Fi (a/b/g) and Bluetooth 2.0. Pricing for the Portege M400 starts at $1700 and tops out at about $3700 for a notebook with a Core Duo chip, a higher-resolution screen, more memory and a larger hard drive.