Lenovo prepping business-oriented ThinkPad SL series

The details keep coming in on those new ThinkPads we caught wind of earlier this month -- this time it's the SL series, which Lenovo has confirmed is on track for release in the next few weeks. Although the company didn't nail down specs on the business-oriented laptops, it did say that pricing will run from $699 to $1,199, and the machines will be bundled with online backup services and Absolute Software's LoJack theft-protection software. To hit that price point, Lenovo stripped some of the features found on higher-end ThinkPads, like the proprietary docking ports, but users will get a freshened case design that takes cues from the consumer-level IdeaPad line. That's great, guys -- now how about some specs and pictures?

[Frankie @ Jun 24th 2008 1:03AM]

I think i just fell in love.

[Ethyriel @ Jun 24th 2008 1:04AM]

No roll cage, lots of gloss, lots of consumer features... I don't understand why Lenovo is obsessed with a more consumer oriented Thinkpad (see the ill-fated Z series.) Especially now that they're making a bigger play with the Ideapads, they shouldn't take these kinds of risks with the Thinkpad name.

[phanbouy @ Jun 24th 2008 1:57AM]

roll cage? what, are you doing hard cornering with it?

i keed i keed

[sr1329 @ Jun 24th 2008 2:18AM]

Agreed.

[BigD145 @ Jun 24th 2008 1:06AM]

Lenovo already has perfectly fine ThinkPad's around those price points (see contractor discount). I don't really see the need for another series when security could just be an option on ordering existing stock.

[Ethyriel @ Jun 24th 2008 1:09AM]

No roll cage, lots of gloss, lots of consumer features... I don't understand why Lenovo is obsessed with a more consumer oriented Thinkpad (see the ill-fated Z series.) Especially now that they're making a bigger play with the Ideapads, they shouldn't take these kinds of risks with the Thinkpad name.

Comments problems? Sorry if this is a double post...

[Ethyriel @ Jun 24th 2008 1:10AM]

Damn... don't know what was happening there...

[phanbouy @ Jun 24th 2008 1:46AM]

it's the bloating comment system

[phanbouy @ Jun 24th 2008 1:46AM]

it's the bloating comment system

[Isindil @ Jun 24th 2008 1:13AM]

I'll be considering this when buying a laptop during/after summer.

[phanbouy @ Jun 24th 2008 1:48AM]

keep us updated on what you're considering during/after fall. i'm especially curious if you think about considering getting it closer to the equinox, or more half way to the next solstice.

[Pochi @ Jun 24th 2008 1:53AM]

Fascinating.

[Ethyriel @ Jun 24th 2008 1:14AM]

I'm not sure what to think about that...

Holy s***, what kind of girl would f*** clak?

or

Damn, you sure are proud of her materialism. You're well suited to each other.

[Striker @ Jun 24th 2008 1:42AM]

Oh God, you're back.

[phanbouy @ Jun 24th 2008 1:45AM]

dude.. you've already used that one before, and it still sounds fraudulent

[Pochi @ Jun 24th 2008 1:51AM]

This was negative funny the first time. It's even worse the second time.

...is it even a joke, really...? I'm not sure how to classify it...

God, Clak... so much hatred for you, and right before bed too. Why do you do this to everyone?

[phanbouy @ Jun 24th 2008 1:59AM]

srsly... it's like lim x->∞ funny(x) / x

[Vincent @ Jun 24th 2008 2:01AM]

ugh... i don't know. it still looks the same as any other lenovo. if they made their compies look nicer maby people would buy them

[Anders @ Jun 24th 2008 2:28AM]

They're meant for people who actually like to articulate their sentences properly and care about their computers (or as you call them, compies) working rather than looking pretty.

[Vincent @ Jun 24th 2008 2:31AM]

all i'm saying is, is that, well i know i'm gonna get totaly BASHED for this and called a fanboy. buy my mac is pretty and works just fine. its older than my dads new COMPIE and it looks nicer and runs faster.

[Ethyriel @ Jun 24th 2008 2:56AM]

"i know i'm gonna get totaly BASHED for this"

Nah, I think we'll just korn shell you, instead.

sorry, I had to

[kccboy2004 @ Jun 24th 2008 3:11AM]

@Vincent,

You make an interesting point. I am not sure though that you are basing your comment on sound facts.

I KNOW that the waiting list for an X300 is many many weeks. These machines are in incrediable demand.

People do buy these things. But of course they could always do better.

[kccboy2004 @ Jun 24th 2008 2:28AM]

You guys are too hard on clak.

I for one, only read this article to see if clak had "contributed". Life has been so boring recently without Apple "Hatred".

Even clak, as you point out, could not come out with anything novel and "innovative".

I even went back and corrected my punctuation and spelling.....

We need another feeding frenzy. Comeon Engadget, for God's sake...

....START CHUMMING THE WATER !!! Get some blood in there.

[MIKE @ Jun 24th 2008 2:38AM]

how can one girl prevent you from getting laid ever again?

oh... right...

;)

[feffrey @ Jun 24th 2008 2:48AM]

something that would be awesome, is if someone post's get continually voted down, they would eventually be auto banned for a week, 2nd offense would be a month, and 3rd offense banned.
maybe about 50+ comments being voted down for the ban hammer to hit
this sound good to deal with the idiots we have?

[Jared @ Jun 24th 2008 6:07AM]

It seems engadget forgot when they posted the leaked power point showing all the specs for the new Thinkpad range. The SL will have a LED backlit display but its going to be made of plastic and have no roll cage. No metal top and bottom kill it as a Thinkpad. It is just a Lenovo machine that went through the Thinkpad labeling department. It will probably sell and tarnish the Thinkpad name.

[bob @ Jun 24th 2008 7:39AM]

Bah, only computers I've ever used are ThinkPad/Stations or home made...

I feel as if Lenovo is slowly killing the brand. The 4:3 aspect ratio being killed, the increase in features not usually found on a subnotebook (for good reason), the change in the shape, number, style, and colour of the brandings, and now GLOSSY?! (I'll sorta let the last one slide cause the S30 was, too)

I want the replacement of my X61s to pretty much be the same machine, but squeeze out a little more time of its battery, slightly faster, and update the ports (see: 56k). I don't want a redesign. Especially if its going to look more and more like a mainstream notebook. ThinkPads are a niche market. Once Lenovo loses that, they loose the niche customers, and end up in perfect competition with other manufactures, instead of producing a unique product...

*sigh, I think I'll hold onto my current machine for a while...

[tekdroid @ Jun 24th 2008 7:57AM]

"Lenovo has also pulled a page from its consumer-focused IdeaPad laptops in the SL series, sprucing up the ThinkPad design with a more stylish look and multimedia features such as a connector to display high-definition video and software for video creation. That's a shift away from the ThinkPad's traditional business focus, with the new look intended to make it more palatable for both personal and business use. "
--------------
Personally, I think this is a great move.


"The SMB market is a fast-growing but price-sensitive segment, so Lenovo made some trade-offs in designing the laptops, Sune said. For example, the SL laptops will not come with the proprietary docking stations usually found on enterprise ThinkPads, but will include a USB-based port replication system."
------------
Price-sensitive is right. Most of us know you can market til you're blue in the face, most laptops are NOT unique in their capabilities to make them more suitable for this or that task over 'consumer' versions (sure there ARE differences, but they are not compelling, overall, especially given traditional ThinkPad pricing). Most of that is fluff market positioning, hoping you'll bite. Most, not all. Given how fast the industry changes, and how needs have changed (almost every notebook is suitable for 'business' these days), it makes sense they are moving away from the stuffy Biz approach.

IMO, they need NEW colours too. No doubt this will make traditional ThinkPad customers shake their heads, but I think it's necessary, to put it simply.

[Leo Qin @ Jun 24th 2008 8:53AM]

Believe it or not, the selling point for me and thinkpads are the generic look and the roll cage.

The generic look makes it unappealing to steal (a problem where i live), and the roll cage helps it survive all the falls that i subject it to. Add in Lenovo's active protection system and my x61 has survived a fall down a flight of stairs. A tumbling fall.

[Leo Qin @ Jun 24th 2008 8:53AM]

Believe it or not, the selling point for me and thinkpads are the generic look and the roll cage.

The generic look makes it unappealing to steal (a problem where i live), and the roll cage helps it survive all the falls that i subject it to. Add in Lenovo's active protection system and my x61 has survived a fall down a flight of stairs. A tumbling fall.

[Wormbolt @ Jun 24th 2008 9:10AM]

What kind of a dimwit quotes himself?

[snife @ Jun 24th 2008 9:47AM]

These are Lenovo 3000 2.0

Painting a system black and putting a ThinkPad logo on it does not make it a ThinkPad - this is very bad news. People are now going to have to choose between 2 'ThinkPads' with the same spec, they will buy the cheaper one and be very disappointed and never buy another ThinkPad - such a shame.

Lenovo marketing (only a marketing guy could be so idiotic) are very stupid and short sighted.

[Jon Acheson @ Jun 24th 2008 9:51AM]

No docking ports? Fail.

[Min @ Jun 25th 2008 1:00AM]

another 'budget' laptop. Levovo seem to be pushing these budget laptops out the door very fast.
You get what you paid for. So if you want a very good laptop stick with the T or X-series laptops they are made better than any other range. If they're made better, they'll work better for you.
simple.
i will still be interested to see how the new SL series rate though.
hope that helps any prospective buyer.

[Blackhold @ Jun 27th 2008 7:53AM]

So that thinkpad X62 won't exist? I were waiting for the next release of this model, wishing that will have wimax support.

I have an X61 and is a great computer, the next is X300 but there's no enough space into the disk.

[Blackhold @ Jun 27th 2008 9:00AM]

Sorry for the fast reply, I were waiting a lot of days the thinkpad x62, and now we could see a lenovo with thinkpad case... I wish that lenovo serves this laptop with linux included, I'm quite scared with the wimax card, will be the same card of wireless? I read something about x200 will have GPS?

One thing I see is that each time laptops comes with less usb ports, this is a mistake, 'cause each time more things comes with usb support (camera, cell phone, etc.)

I also have a lenovo 3000 v100 and don't have any problem, only is that battery (big one) only serves me 2 hours of life, this is not enough for me, I wish that 9,6hours with the 9cell battery (I wish included) will be really 9,6hours, or 8,5 at less.

[interested @ Aug 21st 2008 4:30PM]

Looks like they have a had a little bit of a price drop on these now . The cheapest one is now $639 which is really good price for a entry level thinkpad
http://shop.lenovo.com/us/notebooks/thinkpad/sl-series