Lenovo 3000 budget computer series debuts

As expected, Lenovo has unveiled its new line of budget computers, starting with the Lenovo 3000 laptop and desktop series. The line includes the 6.2 pound C100, which has a 15-inch widescreen display, 1.5 GHz Celeron, CD-RW,  and is available now from Lenovo's web site starting at $599. Also available now is the J series line of desktops, which starts at $349 with a 1.8GHz AMD Sempron, 256 MB RAM, an 80GB drive and a CD-ROM drive. The laptops come in ThinkPad black, though the keyboards lack that model's most distinctive trait, the red pointer stick. Lenovo is targeting small businesses with the new line, and has priced the models well below similarly equipped ThinkPad and ThinkCentre models.

[Ben @ Feb 23rd 2006 5:40PM]

l just wanna correct something in that article:

The 15" widescreen doesn't come out until march; the model that just debuted is a 15" XGA.

[Jnetty @ Feb 23rd 2006 6:23PM]

I feel a little rip off for getting the Thinkpad Z60m just about three weeks ago for $803-100 rebate.

But thats the way technology comes and goes.

[Daniel @ Feb 23rd 2006 7:27PM]

Another correction: the 3000 series laptops are not completely Thinkpad black; the lid is silver.

[will @ Feb 23rd 2006 8:58PM]

Well, these are Lenovo computers, not affiliated with the IBM (Lenovo) Thinkpad line.

[Jeff @ Feb 24th 2006 12:36AM]

"I feel a little rip off for getting the Thinkpad Z60m just about three weeks ago for $803-100 rebate. "

You shouldn't. And I honestly think it's a little disingenuous that everybody's reporting on these as if they're cheap ThinkPads. They're not. They're cheap Lenovo machines; the same junk they've been putting out in China for years. Now they've just got the infrastructure here to be able to sell them.

This is why a lot of people were worried about Lenovo's takeover of the ThinkPad. Eventually, I can foresee a day when Lenovo's entire line carries that name, including bottom-feeder crap like this. Go to the web site and just look at the pictures. They look like cheap Gateway models. They're utterly generic and appear to be made of that thin, brittle plastic that all of the cheapest notebooks are. I mean, you just can't sell a laptop for $600 before rebates without cutting a few corners.

ThinkPads have a few traits that set them above other laptops, most notably their superior build quality and fit/finish. You've got no reason to feel ripped off buying one for $700 after rebate, that's for sure. (Though that price makes me worried that Lenovo's already started fudging construction on ThinkPads - IBM never used to sell them that cheap unless they were utterly stripped to the bone.)

[Laura @ Jan 12th 2007 6:53PM]

I just bought a Lenovo 3000. Yup, it ain't so pretty as the Dell Inspiron I bought earlier. But the Dell never actually did any real work for me: internet fun ok, but successfully run Corel Draw, or attach PDF files and e mail 'em? it never did. Don't know why, don't much care. My Lenovo works just fine thanx, and i will take function over style any day. I am happy. Actually my Dell desktop isn't all that great either.

[Bidera @ Feb 24th 2006 3:58AM]

I must have just fallen off a rock, since when did Lenovo (whoever they are) are taking over Thinkpad line? Is this something like Lexmark IBM split a long time ago? Or is it more like Benq taking over Siemens mobiles?

Now, 99% of all notebooks are made in China, so let's not hold grand illusions on the Thinkpad's superiority, but TP was a bit nicer than generics.

Still seems people tend to overvalue their Thinkpads, just like this guy at my site:
http://www.bidera.com/cgi-bin/us/emaximarket.cgi?action=item&item=24360

Personally, I can't stand the pointing devices on Thinkpads and much prefer touchpads.

[Alex K. @ Feb 24th 2006 6:44AM]

no pointing stick, no purchase.

[toast @ Feb 26th 2006 7:26AM]

LOL, my friend has a DELL 6000 Inspiron and it is fully spec'd with a 2.26 Mobile CPU and 2BG memory, onboard wireless everything and it is AUD$3,000 (australia). He compared it to a Lenovo laptop T43 with half the memory, no onboard wireless, smaller slower HDD and it was almost AUD$6,000 LOL!!!!

And they think they can compete with DELL? Not yet, not like this. I was laughing pretty hard at their arrogance.

[Marilynn @ Nov 13th 2007 3:27AM]

the previous email addresses were wrong this is correct. [e-mail]