Toshiba like Sony is well known for designing slim and sexy laptops. However that seems to have been the last thing on their mind, when it comes to the G30. The G30 is without doubt the biggest bulkiest laptop we have ever reviewed. While it is a well-established fact, that desktop replacements compromise on size and weight to get more performance, the G30 takes this practice to a whole new level. Weighing in at an incredible 4.9 kg, its physical specifications of 406mm X 295mm X 44.7mm (WxHxD) makes it an imposing specimen. In fact we are willing to bet even money, that with such thickness and weight, this is probably the biggest consumer laptop that is currently available. Though physically the laptop maybe a monster, its finish and design are thankfully is of a more practical nature. The G30 comes in a typical silver and black finish, which contrasts well with the polished mirror look around the keyboard.
Underneath the lid is where things begin to get interesting. The G30 here is a very different beast. The areas around the keyboard and LCD panel, are done up in a beautiful matte finish. This is a well chosen color scheme, which helps by being unobtrusive as it does not distract the user from the LCD screen by being garish. The area above the keyboard sports a staggering amount of quick-access keys (in total 11), which allow you to access everything from the integrated TV tuner to the Dolby digital controls.
Thanks to the thickness of the G30, Toshiba has been able to easily fit in a proper sized keyboard. The keys are full-sized and offer great typing response. The only downside we found here was the fact that Toshiba for some unfathomable reason has chosen not to include a numeric keypad, keeping in mind that rivals like HP and Dell have now made it compulsory component of virtually all its desktop replacement laptops.




