Big box retailer Best Buy used the Consumer Electronics Show this week to announce the launch of a line of notebooks, called Blue Label 2.0, which allows consumers to wirelessly stream video and pictures from their notebooks to their flat panel televisions. Blue Label 2.0 notebooks were manufactured in partnership with Toshiba, Dell and Sony, and are the third in a series of customer-inspired “You Spoke, We Listened”product lines originating at Best Buy. The Toshiba 14-inch notebook, the Dell 15.6-inch notebook and the Sony 13-inch notebook will be available at all Best Buy stores in the United States and Canada, and on the company’s Website on Jan. 17, with prices starting at $899.99.
Each of the Blue Label 2.0 notebooks includes Intel Wireless Display technology with push button streaming, the new Intel i5 processor with turbo boost technology, 4GB of memory and a 500GB hard drive. They also offer a two-year extended manufacturer’s limited warranty, 30 days of Best Buy’s Geek Squad technical support and 12 months of Anti-Virus protection. Included in the package is the Netgear Push2TV adapter that connects to the HDMI port on the television.
“Our customers are expressing a real desire for connectivity because they’re more reliant than ever on their computers, and they want to be able to easily move content from these machines to other hardware in their homes,” said Jason Bonfig, vice president of computers at Best Buy. “With Blue Label 2.0, now they can wirelessly send personal content like digital images or Hulu and Netflix shows from their laptops directly to their TVs – in up to 720p resolution.”
Bonfig explained the company’s initial iterations focused on creating thin, lightweight laptops with backlit keyboards and prolonged battery life because those are features customers said were important to them. “We learn something new every day from consumers, and because of the scope of our retail operations, we’re fortunate to be able to engage with many of them directly as they’re interacting with technology in our stores,” he said.
The Toshiba Satellite E205, which retails for $999.99, is encased in a metallic blue case and features a 14-inch diagonal widescreen LED Backlit display, an LED backlit keyboard, TouchPad with Multi-touch Control and an integrated slot-loading DVD drive. However, Toshiba and Best Buy are drawing the most attention to the Wireless Display feature.
“Now, -wireless’ doesn’t just mean Internet access. With this laptop, consumers can experience a new world of seamlessly enjoying their media with their friends and family on their HDTVs without having to deal with cables or crowding around a screen meant for one,” said Ron Smith, vice president of marketing for Toshiba America Information Systems’ digital products division. “Together, with help from Best Buy’s customer base, we have created a high-quality laptop with functionality we believe people will want, and one that will really stand out on shelves.”