Toshiba
The Toshiba Challenge
Earlier this year David Hempleman-Adams broke the FAI (Federation Aeronautique Internationale) world record by flying a small gas balloon no bigger than most people's front rooms from St. John's Newfoundland in Canada to Europe.
Flying at an altitude of between 6000 ft to 15,000 ft with the potential for temperatures to drop as low as minus 30 c, David's solo flight was unique compared to other transatlantic flights. No one had ever flown the Atlantic in such a small balloon.
Built by Bert Padelt in his factory in Bally, Pennsylvania the balloon measures only 4ft long, 4ft high and 4 ft wide with a small cat flap designed so David can put his legs outside.
The weight was critical. As David had not lost the two stone he promised Bert had to make a super lightweight basket and envelope to compensate. Throughout the flight it was important for David to receive air traffic control and weather information reports while at the same time producing a blog. To facilitate these requirements David used the new Toshiba laptop, the Port R500.
THE PORTEGE R500
The Port R500 is the world's lightest and thinnest dual spindle notebook PC which measures 19.5 mm in height, approximately the same as a mobile phone. It also has the world's longest battery life, lasting up to 8.5 hours. This notebook was perfect for David Hempleman-Adams in his bid to cross the Atlantic in a balloon. The Port R500 had tracking devices, meteorological data and ATC (Air Traffic Control) frequencies installed to help flight planning.
David said, "Weight on this solo flight is critical which makes the Port R500 my perfect travelling companion."It is even durable in the event of any crash landings.
THE GRAVITY FACTOR
Weighing just 779 grams, less than a bag of sugar, it is almost 100 grams less than other rivals yet it is still filled with world firsts, including the first 12.1 inch transflective LCD screen. This new screen technology means that whatever is on the screen, be it a dark film sequence or PowerPoint presentation, it is readable no matter what the external light conditions are. This was particularly useful for David when crossing the Atlantic in his balloon at night time.
SPECIAL FEATURES
Despite its small size, the Port R500 contains many security features to protect business data and personal information. The Port R500 also includes a spill resistant keyboard and in-built hard drive protection. If the notebook is dropped the hard disc drive can be locked to secure stored data.
Please email us at itfw@ogcbs.gsi.gov.uk if you have any feedback regarding this article.
Other Articles
Learn about the latest technology - An introduction to "perpendicular recording"
How will the new energy star rating affect you? - Making greener savings
How much time do you spend on procurement? - IT managers struggle to optimise their role due to inefficient purchasing processes
Understand how we benchmark our prices - How customers can be sure that Buying Solutions offers the best deals
Things to take into account when buying IT Hardware - Have you thought about the way you buy IT Hardware?
Your comments - emails and letters
The launch of the latest IT Great Deals - New IT Hardware Great Deals