Lenovo's 3000 K100 tower isn't so attractive
By Nilay Patel 
posted Oct 30th 2007 11:48AM
posted Oct 30th 2007 11:48AM
Lenovo's first US consumer-oriented laptops might have hit yesterday, but the company isn't about to ignore its core office users -- say hello to the Death Star prop-looking 3000 tower. The unit gets its distinctive mug from the integration of a couple nifty power-management features, including a "Power Dial" that allows users to adjust energy usage and system performance and a "Breathing" LED that changes color and brightness based on power usage. All models rock gigabit Ethernet and Intel X3100 graphics, but buyers can choose configs ranging from an E2140 Intel Core Duo with 2GB of RAM and a 320GB disk for $589 to a Q6600 Core 2 Quad with 3GB of RAM and a 500GB disk for $1,129. The systems are available now, for all you aspiring Star Wars set designers out there.[Thanks, James R.]
Dude, what do you mean 'not attractive'?
Thats hawt.
It's downright bulky, and it looks like it's a computer concept from 1990.
What is it with engadget critiques and aesthetics? Granted, this thing did make me double-take, but why do we always need to critique "the looks" of the darned thing in a 200x236 image before we even get to specs?
Honestly, I'd love to see the engadget editors' spouses. They must all be super models given the incredible weight placed on aesthetics in all of their reviews.
That's what I'm talking about.
I doubt engadget bloggers even have spouses.
this PC is telling me
"WE ARE BORG, resistance is futile"
Shame, there's only one model without the Intel graphics card, and that's not even dual core.
http://www.microcenter.com/search_results_e.phtml?web_group=pc_desktops&manufacturer_title=Lenovo
Also look at the return of the "Turbo Mode."
@kevinm,
Most of the kids here will have no idea what you are talking about.
Now to blow the dust off of my Hercules graphics adapter...
@getz76:
Sadly enough we still have a stockpile of computers with turbo mode in our back office.
I'm 17, and I miss Turbo Mode.
Even as someone who loves the Mac aesthetic, I kinda dig that.
WTF is that? It's the ugly duckling of the PC world.
I didn't realize the way the outside of the case looks suddenly started affecting how well the machine runs.
How about we talk about that for a fucking change?
I always liked the "breathing" standby light on the macs. Good to see a PC adopt the concept as well.
If the breathing light is new to PCs, what exactly HAVE I been staring at when my 2.5 year old Dell is in standby mode?
That's no moon
"...distinctive mug from the integration of a couple nifty power-management features, including"
I think there's something missing in there. Actually I'm sure it.
It looks fine to me. Because, see, it's a damn case for a computer, and I honestly don't give a damn what my desktop computer looks like.
Here's how it works: Catch a bass, remove the hook, and drop the bass - that's the whole bass - into the Super Bass-o-Matic '76. Now, adjust the control dial so that the bass is blended just the way you like it.
HAL 9000 anyone? This may be its baby brother or sister.
http://www.cineaste.com/hal9000.jpg
And I was so hoping that I would be the first one to make this reference. Oh well. I hope it opens the pod bay doors when the users ask.
What are you doing, Dave?
I thought it looked more like an AE-23 unit.
It looks like an old Nintendo console . . vertically.
Lol. That's what I was thinking. "It looks like an ... NES... ... ..."
Looks retro. Nice. But I rather wait to see Lenovo's take on a new ThinkCentre and NetVista.
"Death Star prop-looking"?
Try "HAL 9000 prototype looking".
I think its a transformer...
I think its a transformer...
Borg Qube
I like it.. the dial on the front glows red when in high performance mode. "Hello Dave"
These look a great deal better in person than in pictures.
Originally I thought it had a projector built in.
That's a pretty nice looking subwoofer... Why does it have that keyboard there next to it.... oh wait..
;)
250 watt power supply. You can't even throw a real graphics card in there for a cheap quad-core system.
If you want quad you still need to build. Dell doesn't offer them for under $3,000, and Gateway doesn't offer enough perks to go prebuilt instead of building your own. A shame, right now Dell is basically giving 20 inch widescreens away, and I could use a third monitor.
I am completely operational and all my circuits are functioning properly.
Never mind the packaging, the specs look OK!
Seriously, is IBMs #1 goal to make sure than anything they have a hand in is always the most terrible and cheap looking yet most expensive to date?
Fail.
No, SUCCEED!!! Haha! I guess it's all a matter of opinion, but I would simply challenge someone to send a link of a new model PC that is any less attractive than this one and even near the same price range. Man, if you get a decked out PC, why not have a pretty case? I dunno, maybe it's just me, but I would be embarrassed for any chick to see that PC in my house, and people in here were talking about Engadget Blogger's not having spouses. What kind of women do you people date (or are you married to) that would ever find this thing attractive? No No, I'm not arguing of course. I just think it's funny that someone's eyes see appeal here...
So it ISN'T a pencil sharpener?
It looks like what someone in the 1960's might've imagined what computers would look like today. I think it's pretty ugly, but I can see how it might appeal to some.
Perhaps the $799 price for the Quad-Core 3GB of RAM (Office Depot rebates) will help me get over the case. Oh wait, It's going inside a cabinet anyways.