Lenovo slaps Windows 7 onto ThinkPad SL410 and SL510
By Darren Murph 
posted Oct 21st 2009 11:00AM
posted Oct 21st 2009 11:00AM
Lenovo Boosts Digital Entertainment and Personal Productivity with Windows 7-Based PCs
Introduces New ThinkPad SL Laptops for Small to Medium Businesses
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC – October 22, 2009: Lenovo today announced that it is now offering a broad portfolio of Think and Idea-branded PCs running the new Windows 7 operating system. Lenovo is also introducing two new ThinkPad laptops geared for the way small to medium businesses (SMB) work.
Packed with performance and the little extras that make a big difference, the new ThinkPad SL410 and SL510 laptops feature crisp and clear 16:9 high definition screens, make voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) calls rich and seamless and sport a new look and feel with a matte-finish cover.
Lenovo has certified many of its Windows 7 PCs under the Lenovo Enhanced Experience program. This certification ensures the PCs provide powerful performance, rich multimedia and flexible ease of use. The combination of Windows 7 plus Lenovo's Enhanced Experience certification represents a significant advancement in digital entertainment and personal productivity for consumers, small-to-medium business (SMB) and large enterprise customers.
"For three years, Microsoft and Lenovo engineers have worked tirelessly together to jointly create a PC experience that is better, faster, more stable, and more secure," said Rory Read, president and chief operating officer, Lenovo. "This has been an unparalleled effort to integrate hardware and software from the ground up. As a result, we've created new innovations in touch technology, improved speed and performance across the board and developed a host of other enhancements that will make a meaningful difference to our customers worldwide."
PCs That Work Hard and Play Hard for SMBs The new ThinkPad SL laptops are the ideal technology companions for busy, on-the-go SMBs. Powered by Intel Core2Duo processors, these versatile laptops can power the next business meeting or help entertain off the clock. Along with their 16:9 screens, they support bright colors and reduced glare with VibrantView and Anti-glare technology. They also support HDMI and VGA output for high definition and standard external monitor displays. Using the two-finger multitouch touchpad, objects on the screen can be enlarged and minimized easily.
To stay connected 24/7 with business colleagues, family and friends, select models come with 3G connectivity. WiFi, Ethernet and optional Bluetooth technologies are also offered. For a strong VoIP experience, Lenovo increased the resolution of the cameras, added a microphone mute button and improved the digital microphone for clearer, crisper sounding conversations. The new laptops are also some of Lenovo's greenest. They are the first ThinkPad laptops to use post-consumer recycled materials, helping keep waste out of landfills, and are rated EPEAT Gold and Energy Star 5.0.
To keep connected, protected and productive, the laptops come with Lenovo ThinkVantage Technologies (TVTs) – a set of hardware and software tools that are particularly helpful for SMB users who often do not have a dedicated IT staff. These tools help make critical activities like connecting to the Internet, managing passwords, recovering data and updating the laptop easy. The laptops include a number of TVTs such as Access Connections, Client Security Solutions, Rescue and Recovery, Presentation Director and System Update. For times when IT help is required, Lenovo's SMB service offerings include Priority Support and Online Data Backup.
"Customers expect a great PC experience, and that's what Microsoft and Lenovo have worked together to deliver," said Steve Guggenheimer, corporate vice president, Original Equipment Manufacturer division, Microsoft Corp. "Our collaboration and joint innovations have resulted in faster and more reliable scenarios so customers can use their PCs in more new and exciting ways."
A Faster, Richer and Easier Experience
Lenovo Enhanced Experience certified PCs deliver a faster, richer and easier computing experience over identical configuration, non-optimized PCs. Business customers can choose from Think-branded PCs including the ThinkPad T400s, R400 and X200 laptops, X200 Tablet, ThinkCentre A58 and M58 desktops and ThinkStation S20 and D20 workstations. Consumers can choose a variety of Idea-branded PCs including the IdeaPad Y550, Y450, U450, 450p, U350 and IdeaCentre A600 all-in-one desktop.
Enhanced Experience certified PCs start-up significantly faster than identical configuration, non-optimized Lenovo PCs. For example, on select Think PCs, Windows 7 starts up to 56 percent faster compared to running Windows XP or Windows Vista, and shuts down in as little as five seconds.1 The PCs also include multimedia enhancements and easy system maintenance tools on Idea PCs, and performance-optimized ThinkVantage Technologies for advanced productivity and security on Think PCs. For example, Enhanced Experience certified PCs are giving customers a new way to reach out and touch technology with optional multitouch screens on the ThinkPad X200 Tablet and T400s laptop. Equipped with SimpleTap, users can easily manipulate hardware functions through the touch screen. More information on Enhanced Experience can be found here.
Pricing and Availability2
The ThinkPad SL410 and 510 laptops are available immediately through business partners and www.lenovo.com. Models start at approximately $529.
THINKPAD SL410 / SL510
Processors
• Intel® Core™2 Duo with 1066 MHz FSB (Dual Core Celeron also offered)
Preloaded Operating Systems
• Genuine Windows®7
• Genuine Windows® XP
Form Factor / Dimensions
SL410
• 2.32 kg / 5.11 lbs with 6 cell battery
• (32 - 36) mm x 344 mm x 233 mm
[i.e. (1.26" -1.42") x 13.54" x 9.17"]
SL510
• 2.56kg / 5.64 lbs with 6 cell battery
• (32 -36) mm x 380mm x 247mm
[i.e. (1.26" -1.42") x 14.96" x 9.72"]
Displays
• 14.0" HD VibrantView (16:9) (SL410)
• 15.6" HD VibrantView or Antiglare (16:9) (SL510)
• LED Backlit Displays
Contemporary ID
• ThinkPad Matte Black Cover
Graphics Card
• Integrated (Intel® X4500)
System Memory
• DDR3 1067MHz (Up to 8GB)
Hard Drives
• Up to 500 GB 5400 rpm or 320GB 7200 rpm with APS
Ports
• Video output – HDMI, VGA
• Lenovo Enhanced USB Port Replicator
Optical Drives (Fixed Bay)
• 12.7mm Rambo
Wireless Connectivity
• WWAN – Integrated Mobile Broadband
• WLAN – 802.11n draft
• WiMax
• Bluetooth®
• Gigabit Ethernet (10 / 100 / 1000)
Keyboard
• Spill Resistant Keyboard
• TrackPoint® and UltraNav™ Touchpad with multitouch
• Digital Microphone enhance VoIP experience
• Microphone mute button on keyboard
Additional Features
• Integrated 2 MP Camera (select models)
• Audio speaker 2W
• Multitouch TouchPad
Preloaded Software
• Third Party Software
• ThinkVantage® Technologies
Warranty
• 1 Year Depot with 3 Year upgrades
Security
• Integrated Fingerprint Reader
Battery
• 4, 6 or 9 Li-ion battery
Introduces New ThinkPad SL Laptops for Small to Medium Businesses
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC – October 22, 2009: Lenovo today announced that it is now offering a broad portfolio of Think and Idea-branded PCs running the new Windows 7 operating system. Lenovo is also introducing two new ThinkPad laptops geared for the way small to medium businesses (SMB) work.
Packed with performance and the little extras that make a big difference, the new ThinkPad SL410 and SL510 laptops feature crisp and clear 16:9 high definition screens, make voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) calls rich and seamless and sport a new look and feel with a matte-finish cover.
Lenovo has certified many of its Windows 7 PCs under the Lenovo Enhanced Experience program. This certification ensures the PCs provide powerful performance, rich multimedia and flexible ease of use. The combination of Windows 7 plus Lenovo's Enhanced Experience certification represents a significant advancement in digital entertainment and personal productivity for consumers, small-to-medium business (SMB) and large enterprise customers.
"For three years, Microsoft and Lenovo engineers have worked tirelessly together to jointly create a PC experience that is better, faster, more stable, and more secure," said Rory Read, president and chief operating officer, Lenovo. "This has been an unparalleled effort to integrate hardware and software from the ground up. As a result, we've created new innovations in touch technology, improved speed and performance across the board and developed a host of other enhancements that will make a meaningful difference to our customers worldwide."
PCs That Work Hard and Play Hard for SMBs The new ThinkPad SL laptops are the ideal technology companions for busy, on-the-go SMBs. Powered by Intel Core2Duo processors, these versatile laptops can power the next business meeting or help entertain off the clock. Along with their 16:9 screens, they support bright colors and reduced glare with VibrantView and Anti-glare technology. They also support HDMI and VGA output for high definition and standard external monitor displays. Using the two-finger multitouch touchpad, objects on the screen can be enlarged and minimized easily.
To stay connected 24/7 with business colleagues, family and friends, select models come with 3G connectivity. WiFi, Ethernet and optional Bluetooth technologies are also offered. For a strong VoIP experience, Lenovo increased the resolution of the cameras, added a microphone mute button and improved the digital microphone for clearer, crisper sounding conversations. The new laptops are also some of Lenovo's greenest. They are the first ThinkPad laptops to use post-consumer recycled materials, helping keep waste out of landfills, and are rated EPEAT Gold and Energy Star 5.0.
To keep connected, protected and productive, the laptops come with Lenovo ThinkVantage Technologies (TVTs) – a set of hardware and software tools that are particularly helpful for SMB users who often do not have a dedicated IT staff. These tools help make critical activities like connecting to the Internet, managing passwords, recovering data and updating the laptop easy. The laptops include a number of TVTs such as Access Connections, Client Security Solutions, Rescue and Recovery, Presentation Director and System Update. For times when IT help is required, Lenovo's SMB service offerings include Priority Support and Online Data Backup.
"Customers expect a great PC experience, and that's what Microsoft and Lenovo have worked together to deliver," said Steve Guggenheimer, corporate vice president, Original Equipment Manufacturer division, Microsoft Corp. "Our collaboration and joint innovations have resulted in faster and more reliable scenarios so customers can use their PCs in more new and exciting ways."
A Faster, Richer and Easier Experience
Lenovo Enhanced Experience certified PCs deliver a faster, richer and easier computing experience over identical configuration, non-optimized PCs. Business customers can choose from Think-branded PCs including the ThinkPad T400s, R400 and X200 laptops, X200 Tablet, ThinkCentre A58 and M58 desktops and ThinkStation S20 and D20 workstations. Consumers can choose a variety of Idea-branded PCs including the IdeaPad Y550, Y450, U450, 450p, U350 and IdeaCentre A600 all-in-one desktop.
Enhanced Experience certified PCs start-up significantly faster than identical configuration, non-optimized Lenovo PCs. For example, on select Think PCs, Windows 7 starts up to 56 percent faster compared to running Windows XP or Windows Vista, and shuts down in as little as five seconds.1 The PCs also include multimedia enhancements and easy system maintenance tools on Idea PCs, and performance-optimized ThinkVantage Technologies for advanced productivity and security on Think PCs. For example, Enhanced Experience certified PCs are giving customers a new way to reach out and touch technology with optional multitouch screens on the ThinkPad X200 Tablet and T400s laptop. Equipped with SimpleTap, users can easily manipulate hardware functions through the touch screen. More information on Enhanced Experience can be found here.
Pricing and Availability2
The ThinkPad SL410 and 510 laptops are available immediately through business partners and www.lenovo.com. Models start at approximately $529.
THINKPAD SL410 / SL510
Processors
• Intel® Core™2 Duo with 1066 MHz FSB (Dual Core Celeron also offered)
Preloaded Operating Systems
• Genuine Windows®7
• Genuine Windows® XP
Form Factor / Dimensions
SL410
• 2.32 kg / 5.11 lbs with 6 cell battery
• (32 - 36) mm x 344 mm x 233 mm
[i.e. (1.26" -1.42") x 13.54" x 9.17"]
SL510
• 2.56kg / 5.64 lbs with 6 cell battery
• (32 -36) mm x 380mm x 247mm
[i.e. (1.26" -1.42") x 14.96" x 9.72"]
Displays
• 14.0" HD VibrantView (16:9) (SL410)
• 15.6" HD VibrantView or Antiglare (16:9) (SL510)
• LED Backlit Displays
Contemporary ID
• ThinkPad Matte Black Cover
Graphics Card
• Integrated (Intel® X4500)
System Memory
• DDR3 1067MHz (Up to 8GB)
Hard Drives
• Up to 500 GB 5400 rpm or 320GB 7200 rpm with APS
Ports
• Video output – HDMI, VGA
• Lenovo Enhanced USB Port Replicator
Optical Drives (Fixed Bay)
• 12.7mm Rambo
Wireless Connectivity
• WWAN – Integrated Mobile Broadband
• WLAN – 802.11n draft
• WiMax
• Bluetooth®
• Gigabit Ethernet (10 / 100 / 1000)
Keyboard
• Spill Resistant Keyboard
• TrackPoint® and UltraNav™ Touchpad with multitouch
• Digital Microphone enhance VoIP experience
• Microphone mute button on keyboard
Additional Features
• Integrated 2 MP Camera (select models)
• Audio speaker 2W
• Multitouch TouchPad
Preloaded Software
• Third Party Software
• ThinkVantage® Technologies
Warranty
• 1 Year Depot with 3 Year upgrades
Security
• Integrated Fingerprint Reader
Battery
• 4, 6 or 9 Li-ion battery
Woo-hoo!
Maybe it's just me, but does anyone else think that IBM/Lenovo's keyboard and touchpad layout is due for a redesign? It looks like it hasn't changed in ages.
I think the whole image of the line needs a redesign. Sure they serve their purpose great. But in a world that longs for a clean and beautiful design, these things are ugly, even if they are some of the best machines on the market.
Perfection doesn't need a "redesign".
They updated the keyboard and touchpad for the new T400s in July. The T510 and T410 will very likely inherit the design.
Aside from evolutionary changes to keep pace with technology and use cases, Lenovo doesn;t really need to alter the Thinkpad for visual design fads. That s what the Ideapad line is for.
If you ever used a thinkpad keyboard/ trackpoint you wouldn't be making that comment.
Thinkpads are all about function over form.
Chiclets look nice, but dont give the same feedback from a "proper" keyboard
I have, and it didn't feel any different than any other one. And bear in mind, I'm not knocking it. It just seems to me it seemed like an unusual decision to keep the design static for so long.
@ Oli D: Couldn't agree more. The round-edged square "chicklet" key style on the MacBook keyboard was clearly designed by someone who doesn't do much typing. The keyboaords on ThinkPads (and most older HP notebooks) have a recessed design that somehow magically makes your palms feel like they belong where they're resting.
The keyboards in the SL series are not the same as other ThinkPad keyboards, though. They don't feel the same, and SL owners have taken their computers apart (one holdover from the IBM days is that you are actually *encouraged* to do your own major system maintenance; it doesn't void the warranty) and discovered that the suppliers for the keyboards are now mixed, but all of them are the same suppliers for most cheap junk laptops.
I had an older IBM ThinkPad and now I have a cursed SL500, and there is no comparison in the keyboards between them.
Supposedly, even the higher-end models now have unpredictable keyboard suppliers - they seem to just use whatever they have around. But some people are still getting lucky and getting the NMB keyboards, which are the good ones.
Anyone who has used the recent thinkpads...how's the build quality on these things? Flex?
On my x200 - much less flex than the T42, not quite as solid as the 600x but as it weighs half that of the 600x, it doesn't need to be. Built quality is somewhere between the T42 and 600x. Very solid machine. Cool to the touch, quiet, and peppy too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3GaZ3B7hXM
so it still has an integrated graphics card and is going to do hd? so much for multitasking...
I watch HD video and regularly have about 10 other apps running in the background on my SL500 with integrated video.
The GMA4500 is a pretty good GPU for an integrated GPU.
How is this a story? Every manufacturer will add Windows 7 to their products eventually. Show me a manufacturer that refuses to offer Windows 7 and perhaps that would be halfway interesting...
I think it's less "Oh look, Lenovo has Windows 7!" and more "Oh look, Lenovo is bringing us the SL410 and SL510 with Windows 7!"
Dams, that is a sexy piece of hardware.
Wow, that's ugly.
It's a Thinkpad. Unlike a MacBook, it's not supposed to sit there and look sexy; it's supposed to get shit done.
The MacBook gets the s*** done while still looking sexy and without BSODs nor getting infected by viruses.
As for this IBM's... ahem, Lenovo's laptop, its design is looking too mid 90's. Hey if Sony can make their laptops look super cool and futuristic, there's no reason why Lenovo could at least try. Unless of course, you're the kind of person that has a fear for aesthetics.
I like how ThinkPads look personally, and I don't have to buy them with hundreds of dollars worth of bundled software. Can I do that on a Mac? No.
I'm a Mac user. I bought a ThinkPad because, while oddly dated looking, they're the best performing, best feeling, best working laptops I've owned. Did I put OS X on there? Heck yeah. So, no. I don't get the viruses or the spyware AND I get the best freaking customer service and warranty support around today.
I have had the sl410 at best buy for a few days. It's 699, has a core 2 due 5870 or something like that. 4gb of ram, spill resistant keyboard, 6 cell, and Windows 7 Pro.
Man i love thinkpads my first was a t20 : ) 800mhz 256mb ram and that was top of the line back then lol.
People in the market ought to save up a couple extra hundred dollars and just get the real thing: The T400 or T500. The SL line is just a regular laptop without the classic Thinkpad ruggedness.
Exactly. The SL line is basically a ThinkPad *styled* laptop.
I'm sure I sound like a broken record in these threads, but there are still a lot of people out there who don't realize this and I would hate for one of them to buy one of these things thinking they're going to get real ThinkPad quality and features. I fell into that trap myself and would have returned my machine immediately if Lenovo's return policy on CTO machines wasn't so ridiculously awful. (There basically is no return policy on CTO. They'll fix it, but they won't take it back.)
I guess I should not have expected classic TP quality for $560... but then I didn't expect Lenovo to basically falsely advertise these machines by calling them ThinkPads when they're not either.
They make nice laptops, I think if you put OSX on a thinkpad it's almost too much sexy hitting too much functional design and results in 5lb's of dark awesome. I'll test my theory at work (I run the LHC on the weekends), well, after I get done throwing soda cans and boots in there...
Where do I start?
I miss IBM, it sounded way more old school.
gross, 16:9 display
Awesome keyboard, trackpoint (nipple), and durability. As for aesthetics, I like to think of Thinkpads as the classic look.
16:9 display is the new standard. All HDTV manufacturers are doing it and it's easier for everyone to go by the same ratios.
Can someone help me? I've never understood the appeal of the thinkpad. They are so ugly. What's the benefit?
The benefit of *this* ThinkPad is basically nil, except that cosmetically you don't look like an utter tool like you do carrying around a lot of other modern laptops. ThinkPads are for people who are less interested in looking like a metrosexual and more interested in doing real work.
The benefit of *most* ThinkPads, or at least *some* ThinkPads since Lenovo took over, is that they are ridiculously rugged, they never break, they're not overloaded with junk software, they (still) come with a matte screen *standard*, they have a roll cage, they have a keyboard light, they have the most wondrous keyboards ever on a laptop (not so much anymore, but this is traditionally a reason people buy ThinkPads), they have TrackPoint (which yes, some people really like), and they are fully user-maintainable - almost nothing voids the warranty short of repeatedly smashing your ThinkPad on a cement sidewalk or running it over with your car. When you call them because you're having a problem, they will actually *tell* you to take your machine apart.
Lenovo in their infinite wisdom has been gradually erasing most of those benefits, but some of them still exist, and in a few models, most of them still exist.
As for them being "ugly", some of us think function over form is a beautiful thing.
(whoops ignore the previous post clicked on the wrong person I was replying to.....) Awesome keyboard, trackpoint (nipple), and durability. As for aesthetics, I like to think of Thinkpads as the classic look.
@ Jeff
"The benefit of *this* ThinkPad is basically nil, except that cosmetically you don't look like an utter tool like you do carrying around a lot of other modern laptops. ThinkPads are for people who are less interested in looking like a metrosexual and more interested in doing real work."
Dude, that was the most blatant, closet-homo statement I've ever seen in Engadget.
By the way, we live in 2009, it's OK to own computing products that get the work done and look great at the same time. Like, you know, Sony Vaios, MacBook Pros, iPhones, etc)
"By the way, we live in 2009, it's OK to own computing products that get the work done and look great at the same time."
So, did get you get the 20" spinners mounted on your Civic yet?
I miss my THinkpad......they are the best designed and most durable laptops I have ever owned.....
hmmmm......maybe i need to purchase one of these.
just one question: why this tiny tiny trackpad ...
Why have a trackpad at all? I turned mine off on my W500 and I wish it were possible to order it without one.
I just bought this laptop today at BestBuy for $700 after originally going there to get a Sony CW-series model ($800). Just to be clear, if you get it at BestBuy, the SL410 has a glossy screen, 4500MHD video, and no fingerprint reader. It has Windows 7 Professional, which is nice if you want the ease of using the built-in file encryption Home Premium doesn't have. I know I could have customized it through the Lenovo web site, but I wanted to get something today. The pre-loaded trial software isn't too annoying and doesn't seem to reduce boot time much at all that I noticed (still going to remove it). Intel graphics might be bad, but I don't play any modern games anyway. This video card actually plays full-screen Hulu movies in high-res and full-screen youtube HD content without skipping or dropping frames, something my HP "media laptop" (DV7-1135NR) couldn't do. Don't think you'll be able to play any game from the last couple years with it, but if you like the classic ibm/lenovo 1980s look and want a businessy feel and the ability to handle HD video playback/streaming (it wont play graphics-intensive games well, don't think you might be able to tweak it), it's a refreshing change from the (purely my opinion) boring HP/Toshiba/Sony/Apple laptops. The keyboard is nice (haven't used a "classic" ibm laptop, but it's much better than the HP) and it runs fairly cool too.