First Look: Toshiba R500 Notebook at XYZ Computing

[Jason]

So what is so special about the R500? For starters, it is the slimmest notebook ever to have an optical drive. That's right- this 12", 2.4 pound, 0.77" thick notebook has a DVD drive on board. The drive is a 7mm thick tray model (instead of a slot loader) that is downright impressive. With so many ultraportables, even those that outweigh the R500 by a pound, ditching their optical drive this is going to be a major selling point for some buyers. Aside from the size and weight, both of which are impressive, other high points include a Core 2 Duo U7600 processor, transreflective LED backlit display, and a spill-resistant keyboard.