Toshiba launches 3 tablet PCs

The touch screen craze expanded further today with three new tablet PCs from Toshiba.

As part of the Portégé series, the laptops feature a 12.1-inch backlit LCD WXGA display. The lower-end M750-7211 supports Digital Pen, while the M750-7212 and M750-7213 support both Digital Pen and touch. The models differ in CPU speed and a few other specifications, but they all run on Intel’s Core Duo 2 processors, include 2 GB of DDR2 SDRAM and contain a 160 GB SATA hard disk drive.

The M750-7211 costs $1,279 and includes a 2.1 GHz processor, an eSATA/USB combo port with Sleep and Charge and a bridge reader. The M750-7212 sells for $1,699, has a 2.4 GHz processor and adds a built-in web camera and Bluetooth to its feature list. Finally, the M750-7213 has a 2.53 GHz processor and a 7,200 rpm hard drive, compared to 5,400 for the other two models.

All three computers include Toshiba’s EasyGuard technology, which protects the most important parts of the computer during falls or other physical stress and offers various security features, such as a fingerprint reader. PC Health Monitor checks system settings and sends alerts when the computer needs tuning.

In its press release, Toshiba’s main pitch is the proliferation of options within the Portégé line for prospective Tablet laptop users. The company already faces stiff competition from HP, Lenovo and Fujitsu, and with Asus gearing up for a touch screen Eee PC, the year of the tablet could truly be at hand.