Laptop sales have been tanking as tablets surge. The new Windows 8 is off to a slow start with users. And the hybrid machines that claim to work as both tablets and laptops are still niche products. So whats a laptop maker to do?随着平板电脑销量的攀升，笔记本的销量大大遭到冲击。用户对微软公司新的操作系统Windows 8的反应沉闷。
而声称可以同时用于平板与笔记本的混合机型依然是小众。在这种情况下，笔记本厂商该怎么做？Well, most Windows laptop companies are promising to spend this year driving prices down, while continuing to experiment with better hybrid designs. But not Toshiba. The venerable Japanese firm has decided to go upscale, introducing an all-new brand of conventional 13-inch laptops that are positioned as premium products, with prices starting at $1,600.大多数Windows笔记本厂商都允诺不会在今年把价格降下来，同时之后探寻更佳的混合机型设计。但东芝(Toshiba)却没有这么做到。
这家老牌日本厂商要求回头高端路线，他们发售了一个定位顶级的13英寸笔记本全新品牌，售价自1,600美元(约合人民币9,888元)起。That over-$1,000 market has long been the territory of Apple. But Toshiba figures it can offer buyers with deep pockets the Windows equivalent of Apples popular and much-praised MacBook Air, with premium materials, strong specs and a good warranty. Its called the Kirabook, part of a new Toshiba brand called Kira.长期以来，1,000美元以上价位的笔记本市场都是苹果(Apple)的天下。但东芝却坚信，凭借着顶级的材质、强劲的性能与较好的品质，他们需要为那些财力雄厚的消费者获取一款Windows笔记本，它可以与苹果热卖又卖座的Macbook Air相提并论。
这就是东芝新品Kirabook，是东芝主打新的品牌Kira中的一员。Ive been testing a Kirabook for the past five days and I found it to be a good computer whose strongest feature is a brilliant, high-resolution screen. Its a speedy and reliable machine thats thin and light without feeling cheap.过去五天，我仍然在测试Kirabook。我指出这是一款出众的电脑，其最引人注目的特性就是那块耀眼的高清显示屏。Kirabook是一款运营简洁、性能可信的轻巧笔记本，几乎没廉价感觉。
But I consider it overpriced for what it offers. It actually costs more than a MacBook Air, but with much worse battery life, an older processor and a design that looks like a lot of other grayish, metallic laptops.但我还是实在，相对于性能来说，这款产品定价过低。Kirabook实际售价比Macbook Air还低，但电池续航性能却劣很多，而且配有的是上一代处理器，设计上也和诸多灰色金属材质的笔记本较为相似。There are three models. The top one, which costs $2,000, is distinguished mainly by its use of a very fast processor that average consumers wont need. The other two models are identical, except the entry-level offering, at $1,600, has a standard, non-touch screen. The middle model, at $1,800, which I tested, has a touch screen.Kirabook有三种配备。最低配上的售价2,000美元(约合人民币12,360元)，主要差异就是配有了一款十分很快的处理器，但一般消费者却并不需要。
其他两款差不多，只是售价1,600美元的入门款机型配有的是标准的非触摸屏。而我所测试的中端配备有触摸屏，售价1800美元(约合人民币11,124元)。The MacBook Air also has a non-touch screen, but thats because its operating system, Mac OS X Mountain Lion, isnt designed for touch screens. By contrast, Windows 8 is a touch-centric operating system, and I dont recommend consumers buying Windows 8 computers to opt for non-touch screens. So the least expensive Kirabook that works optimally with its operating system costs $1,800.Macbook Book用的也所谓触摸屏，但这是因为其操作系统Mac OS X山狮(Mountain Lion)并不是为触摸屏而设计的。相比之下，Windows 8是以触控为核心的操作系统，我不建议消费者出售Windows 8电脑时自由选择非触摸屏。
所以，用于优化操作系统的Kirabook，最低廉的也要1,800美元。How do those prices compare with Apples, which have traditionally been higher than those of most Windows PCs?这个价格怎么去和苹果电脑比起？苹果电脑仍然都比大多数Windows PC高端。Well, the base $1,600 Kirabook with the non-touch screen includes a generous 8 gigabytes of memory and a 256 GB solid-state drive. The base 13-inch MacBook Air, whose price was cut $100 just Monday, costs $1,099. But when configured with the same amount of memory and solid-state storage, it costs $1,399, still about $200 less than the non-touch Kirabook and $400 less than the touch-screen model.售价1,600美元的低于配上Kirabook用所谓触摸屏，内存8GB，256GB固态硬盘(SSD)。而13寸低于配上Macbook Air上周一刚降价100美元，现价1,099美元(约合人民币6,792元)。
但如果要超过与Kirabook完全相同的内存与硬盘配备的话，Macbook Air售价必须1,399美元(约合人民币8,646元)，依然比非触摸屏的Kirabook较低200美元，比触摸屏版Kirabook较低400美元。The two machines each weigh a hair under 3 pounds and are roughly 0.7-inch thick, though the Toshiba is a bit thicker. It also has a smaller footprint. The Kirabook has a magnesium alloy body that Toshiba claims is 100% stronger than the aluminum used for the body of the Air.这两款笔记本重量都略低于3磅(约合1.36千克)，厚度在0.7英寸(约合1.78厘米)左右，但东芝那款要略薄一些。Kirabook的面积略为小，东芝回应，这款产品机身用于的镁合金材质要比Air所用于的铝合金牢固一倍。
The Kirabooks biggest advantage is its hi-res screen. It is almost as sharp as the one on Apples higher-end 13-inch laptop, the MacBook Pro with Retina display. That MacBook starts at $1,499 and is $1,699 when configured with the same memory and storage as the Kirabook. The Kirabooks screen resolution is so high that text can get uncomfortably small. I was forced to use a built-in Toshiba utility to actually lower the resolution a bit for this reason.Kirabook仅次于的优势是那块高清显示屏，完全和苹果更高端的13寸带上Retina显示屏的笔记本Macbook Pro(售价1,499美元)一样锋利，后者与Kirabook内存和硬盘完全相同配备的售价是1,699美元(约合人民币10,500元)。Kirabook显示屏的分辨率如此之低，以至于表明的文字过于小时，不会看上去不难受。因此我被迫通过东芝内置的工具，把分辨率实际减少一些。
The Kirabook has three USB ports to the Airs two, and Toshiba throws in a two-year warranty, while Apples standard warranty is just one year. The Kirabook also has an HDMI port, for easy connection to a TV, which the Apple lacks.Kirabook有三个USB模块，而Air只有两个。东芝获取了两年售后服务，而苹果一般来说的保修期限只有一年。
Kirabook还有个HDMI模块，便利相连到电视上，这是苹果所没的。In addition to its high price, the biggest downsides of the Kirabook are Windows 8, whose two very different user interfaces can be confusing; mediocre battery life; and the fact it uses older processors. By contrast, as of Monday, the MacBook Air uses the latest Intel processors, just out, which promise huge increases in battery life and better graphics. The Kirabooks arent due to be upgraded to these new chips till the fourth quarter.除了价格低，Kirabook仅次于的劣势是Windows 8；这个操作系统有两个几乎有所不同的用户界面，令人深感疑惑。Kirabook的电池续航时间也很肤浅，还配有了较老款的处理器。相比之下，上周一刚公布的新款Macbook Air用于的是近期英特尔(Intel)处理器，据信需要明显提升电池巡弋时间和获取更佳的图形处理能力。
而在第四季度之前，Kirabook都会改版到英特尔的新芯片。These new processors and battery life are closely linked. Apple claimed this week that, with the new chips, the 13-inch MacBook Air can get up to 12 hours of battery life between charges. That isnt a typo. (Stay tuned for a review of this revamped Air.)这些新的处理器和电池续航时间具有密切关联。
苹果本周回应，配有新的处理器的13寸Macbook Air一次电池可以获取最少12小时的电池续航时间。对，你没有看错。（请求注目新版Air的评测。
）However, even with the same, older Intel chips, the MacBook Air handily beat the Kirabook in battery life. In my tough battery test, where I turn off power-saving features, keep the Wi-Fi on to collect email and play music until the battery dies, the Kirabook lasted four hours and 27 minutes. The MacBook Air rates over six hours on the same test.不过即便是配有值得注意的英特尔处理器，Macbook Air也可以在电池续航时间上精彩压过Kirabook。在我严苛的电池测试中，即重开省电设置，维持Wi-Fi相连以拒绝接受邮件，持续播出音乐，以后电池消耗，Kirabook不能坚决4小时27分钟，而Macbook Air在完全相同测试下的电池展现出多达了6个小时。Overall, the Toshiba Kirabook is a very nicely built PC, but for its premium price, it ought to have the latest components, more distinctive design and better battery life.总的来说，东芝Kirabook是一款十分出众的PC，但考虑到其高昂售价，这款笔记本就应当享有近期的部件、更加古朴的设计、更加强大的电池续航时间。
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