Toshiba: Accessories Are the Future of Laptop Business

Toshiba showcases its line-up of external storage, docking stations, protective carrying notebook cases and other PC accessories the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin this week. Marco Perino, general manager for PC Options, Peripherals and Services Division at Toshiba Europe says the showcased products are more than a set of optional extras.

“It’s a strategy he refers to as ‘the future success of this business’ for supplementing the configuration of low-end notebooks,” IT Pro reports.

“I’m not just pushing this for Toshiba; I’d like to see us have €150 notebooks and consumers buy the extras they want rather than having to pay more initially. The statistics say you only use 20 per cent of a notebook but you pay for 100 per cent,” Perino says.

Among introduced accessories for laptops and desktops are the world’s first external slimline HD DVD-writer and a HD DVD Super Multi drive, both measuring 128mm by 126mm by 12.7mm and weighing in at 165g (0.36 pounds). There are also Toshiba’s drop-resistant laptop carrying cases, ruggedized external hard drives, as well as three versions of Toshiba’s Dynadock USB docking station, offering VGA, DVI or HDMI ports, and USB, Ethernet, eSATA, headphone, microphone and speaker connections. The Wireless UWB (Ultra Wide Band) Port Replicator for the Portege R400 Tablet PCs, which is already available in the United States, has not been launched in Europe yet, because the EU UWB specification is still a draft version.

hmm, sounds like they want to turn the laptop into what the amiga at one point was, a series of boxes connected together.

i dont kind, if it means i can get a cheaper laptop initially :)