Consumer Priority Service Reviews the Toshiba Portege R830

If all goes according to Intel’s plan, the world is about to be lush with Ultrabooks boasting remarkable performance specs comparable to those of the MacBook Air – but at a much lower cost. Until then, however, there are a couple of choices for those who would like to get as close as they can to a MacBook, without dishing out the dollars. One of those choices is the Toshiba Portege R830. The Portege is an elite model – it is a business-class, super portable machine sporting a sleekness that parallels its power and functionality.

The R830 is 13.3”, just like its forerunner the Series 9, but with a processor that is leaps more lavish – a 2.7GHz Core i7-2620M (compared to a 1.4GHz Core i5-2537M). The machine also sports a DVD burner, USB 3.0 and External Serial Advanced Technology (eSATA), which provides scorching-fast data-transfer speed for external storage devices. What’s more, the R830 doesn’t cost a dollar more than the Series 9, and despite its hefty bling, still only measures a bit more than an inch at its thickest.

The added GHz to the R830’s CPU has resulted in processing performance results that supersede that of even Quake III (42% better) and Main Concept (112% better!). Furthermore, in tests against last year’s HP 2540p, another ultra-portable notebook, the R830 proved superior. An SSD adds an impressive boost to the machine as well, as the sold-state drive’s strength aids in compensating for the device’s huge 128GB storage capacity.

There’s hardly a lighter, more powerful laptop on the market today than Toshiba’s Portege R830 – and until Intel releases its gaggle of MacBook doppelgangers, it’s certainly the closest you can get to one without the ridiculous cost.

No matter what your pleasure, though – Ultra- or MacBook, you’ll want to sift through CPS warranties for the very best warranty for your device.