Toshiba Tecra S4

Furthermore, Tecra S4 was the direct successor of Toshiba Tecra S3. Although it was not developed as a back-to-back product, in comparison with Tecra 500CDT, and Tecra 510CDT, the S4 was by far a stand-alone product, since Toshiba delivered the S4 notebooks three two different configurations, Tecra S4-126, and Tecra S4-127. The S4 was the forth product in line released in the forth alphabetic series Tecra series (after 2001). The Tecra S4 was succeed by its direct successor, Toshiba Tecra S5. Until a certain technological level, the Tecra S4 shares hardware and software features with several notebooks within the first third numeric Tecra series.

The Tecra S4 series included the main features of the Tecra notebook series, such as high performances when running business applications on a medium level notebook. However, hardware features, including the processor, the system memory, the display and even hard disk capacity, were strictly depending upon the configurations available within the Tecra S4 series. The S4 was conventionally linked by Toshiba with the statement Great system performance. Depending on the location the Tecra S4 series included two Tecra S4 notebook configurations, such as Tecra S4-126, and Tecra S4-127. Other Tecra S4 configurations were available on specific regions (North and South America, Europe, Middle East, South Africa, and Asia-Pacific region) and were not available worldwide.

Toshiba Tecra is Toshiba’s laptop series designed for business performances. Toshiba currently markets the Tecra series as performance laptops that mean serious business. Although the Satellite series and the Satellite Pro series feature several notebook models, the Tecra series currently includes three notebook models. However, the number of notebooks in the Tecra series is strictly dependent on the location, North and South America, Europe, Africa and South Africa region, Middle East or Asia-Pacific region.

Although the Tecra series has three different notebook models, all three have similar price ranges with mid-level and high-level configurations. The basic configuration is not available, since the Tecra series was developed for high performances when running business applications. The Tecra is the name of the series, considered to be a prefix for each notebook model in the series (in production or discontinued).

The Tecra S4 borrowed the mission started by Satellite 100CS, improving the balance between high performances (courtesy of the Intel processors, improved hard disk capacity than previous Tecra notebooks, integrated AC adapter, and ergonomic design) and entry-level prices. Although this balance was not the main reason why Toshiba created the Tecra series, it easily reached top priority due to the constant changing of the laptop market. Mainly because the S4 was part of the Tecra series, Toshiba embedded several features which included the S4 in the mid-level notebook range.

The first configuration Toshiba Tecra S4 featured the Intel Core 2 Duo processor T5500, 1.66 GHz clock speed, 667 MHz Front Side Bus, and 2 MB second level cache, 3945ABG network connection and Intel 945PM Express chipset (which provided high speed, true processing power to cope with even the most advanced software applications and GUIs), standard main memory of 512 MB DDR2 RAM (expandable to 4,096 MB – ensures optimal memory access speeds, giving highest performance possible, essential for attaining best performance with such high speed processors), the 80 GB hard drive (with maximum drive rotation of 5.400 rpm), and the 15″ XGA TFT display, with maximum internal resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels.

The second configuration Toshiba Tecra S4 featured the Intel Core 2 Duo processor T5500, 1.66 GHz clock speed, 667 MHz Front Side Bus, and 2 MB second level cache, 3945ABG network connection and Intel 945PM Express chipset (which provided high speed, true processing power to cope with even the most advanced software applications and GUIs), standard main memory of 512 MB DDR2 RAM (expandable to 4,096 MB – ensures optimal memory access speeds, giving highest performance possible, essential for attaining best performance with such high speed processors), the 100 GB hard drive (with maximum drive rotation of 5.400 rpm), and the 15.0″ SXGA+ TFT display, with maximum internal resolution of 1,400 x 1,050 pixels.

Toshiba included within the Tecra S4 series the DVD Super Multi drive (Double Layer) (compatibility : CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+R(DL), DVD+RW, DVD-RAM). With a width of 338 mm, length of 280 mm, and a varying height from the lowest 29.9 mm (front side) to the lowest 38.6 mm (back side), the Tecra S3 series had a standard starting weight of 2,85 kg depending on configuration (with integrated AC adapter). Because of the physical dimensions, Toshiba included within the Tecra S4 series the 86 keys keyboard, with one Windows keys, 8 number of cursor keys, inlaid numeric keypad, and 9 Hot Keys.

Toshiba delivered the Tecra S4 series with a medium range of connections: 2 x memory slots, 1 x PC Card slot for 1 Type II card, 1 x Express Card slot, 1 x connection to Advanced Port Replicator III plus (optional). Even more, Toshiba equipped the Tecra S4 with the following headphone, DC-in, external monitor, RJ-11, RJ-45, parallel port, serial port, TV-out (S-video), i.LINK (IEEE 1394), SD Card slot, external microphone, built-in microphone, 2 x built-in speaker, and 3 x USB 2.0. The built-in AC adapter eliminates additional bulky baggage and unnecessary extras, while the removable lithium-ion batteries provided up to 4 hours and 57 minutes of productivity. By using the 128 MB + up to 128 MB DDR2 Video RAM + DDR2 RAM (system memory) NVIDIA graphic adapter (16 x PCI Express), Toshiba enabled better external video resolutions, with a maximum external video resolution of 2,048 x 1,536 pixels, at 16.7 million colors, and non-interlaced resolution with max. refresh rate: 1,280 x 1,024. Furthermore, Toshiba embedded within the Tecra S4 24-bit stereo built-in stereo speakers. The Tecra notebooks released after 2001 featured several important upgrades within the wired communication and some within the wireless communication also.

Therefore, the Tecra S4 notebooks were shipped with 56 Kbps data international modem, Ethernet LAN 10BASE-T/100BASE-TX/1000BASE-T, 802.11a/b/g Wireless LAN, Bluetooth, and Fast InfraRed. Toshiba delivered the Tecra S4 series with Windows XP Professional Edition. Moreover, Toshiba included within the S3 laptop the following software applications: Toshiba Management Console, InterVideo WinDVD, Microsoft Office OneNote, InterVideo WinDVD Creator 2 Platinum, Norton Internet Security, Toshiba RAID utility, online user and modem manual.11

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