Toshiba Kirabook 2014
Specifications
Price comparison
Average of 16 scores (from 18 reviews)
Reviews for the Toshiba Kirabook 2014
Source: V3.co.uk Archive.org version
The Toshiba Kira seems to have been designed to offer Windows users a surrogate for Apple's MacBook Air, with its thin and light wedge-shaped chassis, but offering a high resolution display similar to a MacBook Pro. It thus offers a stylish and lightweight laptop that is likely to appeal to many business users and consumers alike, with a surprisingly good battery life as well. However, business users should note the lack of vPro, its integrated battery and no support for a desktop dock. We would also have liked to have seen at least the option for mobile broadband in a system clearly designed for mobility.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 05/12/2014
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: Pocket Lint Archive.org version
The Kira ticks a lot of desirable boxes and, in casual use, does a good job. It's lightweight and easily portable enough for us to happily use it as a day-to-day Windows machine. But that price point would make us look elsewhere. A little more polish and refinement and the Kira could be a glittering example of a laptop. For now it lays the groundwork to what we suspect will be a great device in its second generation format. One to watch.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 05/09/2014
Rating: Total score: 70%
Source: T3 Archive.org version
There's a lot to like about the Kirabook. It's beautifully designed, super light, and the screen is a delight. The only real downer is the price. Toshiba should release a cheaper version, with a same resolution 11-inch screen and 128GB storage. But if money is no object, add on another star.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 05/09/2014
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: PC Pro Archive.org version
The Toshiba Kira-101 marks an excellent debut for the Kirabook range, and proof positive that Toshiba really does know how to build a luxurious consumer Ultrabook. It's the best Toshiba laptop we've seen for a very long time, and goes toe to toe with the finest Ultrabooks out there. Despite lacking the fancy hybrid features of the Dell XPS 12 and Yoga 2 Pro, the Kira-101 matches them blow for blow. Our only reservation is that slightly high £1,299 price tag.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 04/28/2014
Rating: Total score: 83% price: 83% performance: 100% features: 83% workmanship: 83%
Source: Notebookreview.com Archive.org version
With its intense resolution display and stellar speakers, the Toshiba KIRAbook makes an excellent portable media device, and can handle everyday work with ease as well. The sleek, compact design makes it a good option for on-the-go users who will find it good for traveling, and the solid build quality means it should survive trips for a long time to come. Despite a few minor flaws such as the frustrating trackpad responsiveness and the fact this ultrabook is a little bit pricey, the KIRAbook still makes a worthwhile addition to the ultrabook scene.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 04/23/2014
Rating: Total score: 79%
Source: Trusted Reviews Archive.org version
The Kira is fast, with a high-quality screen and superb battery life, but it just doesn’t have the all-round quality to justify its high price. The smart design doesn’t stand out nor have the attention to detail we demand from this level of system, the keyboard is flawed, and the fan is too noisy. We’d rather buy the cheaper Samsung or Sony machines, or the MacBook Air – even if it means waiting until Apple updates its ultraportable with a Retina screen.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 04/23/2014
Rating: Total score: 70% price: 60% performance: 90% features: 70% display: 90% mobility: 90% workmanship: 70% emissions: 50%
Source: Tech Advisor Archive.org version
The Toshiba Kira cannot approach the outstanding battery life of its Apple rivals. It does manages to combine good overall speed and a high-resolution display with a truly ultraportable design. That's a difficult trick to pull off, and it makes the Kira one of the most attractive Windows Ultrabooks currently available.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 04/17/2014
Rating: Total score: 80% price: 70% performance: 80% features: 80% workmanship: 90%
Source: PC World Archive.org version
The Kirabook is an impressive notebook, but it’s also very expensive. Lenovo’s Yoga 2 Pro and HP’s Spectre 13t are its closest competitors. The Yoga 2 Pro, with the same CPU and memory but an even higher-resolution display (3200 by 1800 pixels) and more storage (a 512GB SSD), goes for $1599. The Spectre 13t, with the same processor and same-resolution display, costs $1505. But neither Lenovo nor HP matches Toshiba’s white-glove service: 24/7 telephone support from U.S.-based technicians (with call pick-up within 45 seconds), setup assistance, annual tune-ups, and paid shipping both ways for repairs under warranty.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 03/20/2014
Rating: Total score: 70%
Source: CNet Archive.org version
The original Toshiba Kirabook was a well-intentioned attempt to capture some boutique-level mindshare from other high-end, high-design laptops. Despite excellent craftsmanship, it missed on enough levels, from oddball price/feature combos to disappointing battery life, to fall just short of a strong recommendation.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 03/05/2014
Rating: Total score: 85% performance: 80% mobility: 80%
Source: Digital Trends Archive.org version
The new revision of Toshiba’s Kirabook is in every way a better laptop than its predecessor, but the competition has also improved and high-resolution displays have become more common, detracting from the system’s main selling point. Indeed, we think this new model is rather late to the party. Ultrabooks running 4th-gen Intel processors have been out for about six months.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 02/26/2014
Rating: Total score: 60%
Source: Trusted Reviews Archive.org version
When it’s becoming increasingly more difficult to stand out from a congested ultrabook crowd, the Kira is a great looker and is fully equipped to take on everyday tasks. The screen is the real standout feature and should make it a great place to watch films or binge on a box set on Netflix. Price is obviously the stumbling block here, but with the features on show and the sleek design there’s a whole lot to love about Kira.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 01/07/2014
Source: Pocket Lint Archive.org version
Bar the sumptuous, clear and ultra-crisp screen, the other impressive part of the Kira is in its build quality. The case uses a magnesium aluminium alloy, which supplies stability while not sacrificing weight. It's 1.35kg in total and 19.8mm thick.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 01/06/2014
Foreign Reviews
Source: Cyberbloc DE→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 06/23/2014
Rating: Total score: 70%
Source: PC Welt DE→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 05/23/2014
Rating: Total score: 91% performance: 89% features: 83% display: 92% mobility: 89% ergonomy: 89% emissions: 85%
Source: Journal du Geek FR→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 04/24/2014
Rating: Total score: 70%
Source: Erenumerique FR→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 04/09/2014
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: CNet France FR→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 03/26/2014
Rating: Total score: 80%
Comment
Model:
Toshiba Kirabook 2014 Edition is a slim, lightweight and premium ultrabook with impressive screen resolution and upgraded battery life. The ultrabook is elegantly built from pressed magnesium alloy. It features a strong stabilizing hinge to support the beautiful touchscreen. The display is a 13.3 inch 2560 X 1440 pixels PixelPure panel that will stun most users with its clarity and accuracy.
At the heart of the ultrabook is a 1.8 GHz Intel Core i7 – 4500U processor, 8 GB DDR3 SDRAM at 1600 MHz and integrated Intel HD Graphics 4400 GPU. This enables the ultrabook to perform most tasks asked of it with relevant ease. There is also a model with an Intel i5 configuration available as a lower end option. The storage on board is a 256 GB SSD drive and excludes an optical drive which is common with newer ultrabooks.
It also comes with a backlit frameless keyboard, ultra fast 802.11ac Wi-Fi chipset and the ability to charge USB devices even when the Kirabook is off. The operating system is Windows 8.1 Pro (64-bit) and this takes advantage of the Kirabook’s touchscreen capabilities. Considered to be a bit pricey for the specifications, the Toshiba Kirabook is just another option with no distinct features to separate it from the rest.
Intel HD Graphics 4400:
ULV integrated GPU (GT2) with 20 EUs found on certain Haswell CPU models.
Non demanding games should be playable with these graphics cards.
» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.
4200U:
Haswell-based ULV dual-core processor clocked at 1.6 GHz with Turbo Boost support up to 2.6 GHz. Offers an integrated HD Graphics 4400 and a dual-channel DDR3 memory controller.
» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.13.30":
There are hardly any tablets in this display size range anymore. For subnotebooks, on the other hand, it is the standard format.
The advantage of subnotebooks is that the entire laptop can be small and therefore easily portable. The smaller display also has the advantage of requiring less power, which further improves battery life and thus mobility. The disadvantage is that reading texts is more strenuous on the eyes. High resolutions are more likely to be found in standard laptops.
» To find out how fine a display is, see our DPI List.Toshiba: Toshiba Corporation is a Japanese conglomerate or technology group. The company was established in 1939 and in 1978 Toshiba became the official company name. The company's products and services include power, industrial and social infrastructure systems, elevators and escalators, electronic components, semiconductors, hard drives, printers, batteries, lighting, logistics and information technology. Toshiba was one of the largest manufacturers of personal computers, consumer electronics, home appliances and medical equipment.
77.63%: This rating is not earth-shattering. This rating must actually be seen as average, since there are about as many devices with worse ratings as better ones. A purchase recommendation can only be seen with a lot of goodwill, unless it is about websites that generally rate strictly.
» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.