Toshiba Unveils KIRAbook – High-res, 13.3” Ultrabook

The KIRAbook will ship with the most advanced internal components used in notebooks today, including a 2560 x 1440 resolution display, the user’s choice of an Intel Core i5 or i7 processor, a 256GB Solid State Drive, and 8GB of RAM – in a notebook that weighs 2.6 pounds and is 0.7 inches at its thinnest point.

The KIRAbook will start at $1,599.99 without a touchscreen and ranges up to 1,999.99 fully-loaded. The KIRAbook will be available at Amazon, TigerDirect, the Microsoft Store, and B&H starting May 3rd.

With that pricing and those specifications, the Toshiba is pitting the KIRAbook squarely at Apple’s MacBook and MacBook Pro lines and even Google’s new Chromebook Pixel laptop which also features touch.

In terms of raw specifications the Toshiba KIRAbook is all about state-of-art components. KIRAbook includes a 13.3” display 2560 x 1440 resolution screen that Toshiba has dubbed, PixelPure. According to Toshiba, advances in screen technology mean that the KIRAbook’s display has 90% more pixels per inch than standard high-definition displays, hence the special branding.

Just as high-definition televisions need to be calibrated, so too does a display of this caliber. The display will be calibrated to its optimum levels by Toshiba, so that every user can get the highest quality picture that their KIRAbook is capable of without having to go through a setup process themselves, something that users may not ever do themselves.

The KIRAbook’s chassis is designed fashioned out of magnesium alloy, additionally the bottom of the notebook uses a magnesium alloy that’s been tested using techniques that originated in the aerospace industry. According to Toshiba, the result is a device with more “durability” and “rigidity”.Toshiba also used what it’s dubbing as AirFlow II technology to keep the laptop cool with multiple fan speeds and a hinge that that works to prevent the KIRAbook’s from moving unnecessarily when being opened or closed, a problem that’s become more apparent as manufacturers have begun shipping laptops with touchscreens following Windows 8’s launch last fall.

As the KIRAbook’s most expensive variant offers a touchscreen this could make all the difference for some users. That optional touchscreen does allow for 10 points of interaction. Both the touchscreen and non-touchscreen equipped versions of the KIRAbook will ship with the display covered in Corning’s Concore Glass for added durability.

The keyboard on the KIRAbook is backlight as well for those who have to type in in less than optimum locales.

As it’s an ultrabook, users will have to content with a non-removable internal battery, something that that is par for the course with ultrabooks but not necessarily common for other Windows-based machines built with raw power in mind.

Included in the device’s price tag is access to VIP level support from Toshiba. According to the company, Toshiba VIPs, have a two year warranty, faster repair times, access to 24-hour phone support and United States based call agents and no additional cost to the user.

Source: gottabemobile.com