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Lenovo ThinkPad X230 review
Today is May 31, 2012, the day Intel finally revealed specifics on its dual-core Ivy Bridge processors. That means the month of June is going to be teeming with new laptops, many of them packing Intel's latest chips. Lenovo's 12-inch ThinkPad X230 will be one of them when it goes on sale June 5th, and it happens to be the first machine we've tested with one of Intel's dual-core-flavored CPUs. But make no mistake: the X230 brings more than just a speed bump. With this generation, Lenovo overhauled its signature keyboard, opting instead for an island-style layout with wider-spaced keys. Rounding out the list is a 300-nit IPS display, a battery rated for nine hours of runtime and, of course, that brand-new Core i5-3320M CPU. So how much better is the performance? Is it a good deal for $1,249? And what to make of that revamped keyboard? Find the answers to all those questions after the break.%Gallery-156456%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 review
For weeks now, Lenovo aficionados have been salivating. Thanks to a series of leaks, more than a few of you have been awaiting the ThinkPad X1, the skinny, girlfriend-proof follow-up to the company's vaunted X series. One problem: it didn't officially exist. Well, the jig is up, and the X1 is at last a real, whirring product, on sale tomorrow with a starting price of $1,349. As expected, it marries that iconic red nub and rock-solid construction with some flourishes you haven't yet seen on a ThinkPad, including a 13.3-inch Gorilla Glass display, integrated, fast-charging battery, and a buttonless trackpad. And, as you may have gathered from those leaked shots, it's the slimmest ThinkPad yet, measuring just 16.5mm (0.65 inches) at its thinnest point. Throw in Intel Core 2011 processor options and you'll see Lenovo has made one lofty promise: a svelte system that performs like a heavyweight and whose design is modern, but not too much of a departure from the classic ThinkPad uniform. So how close does the X1 come to living up to these towering claims? Let's find out. %Gallery-123448%
Lenovo ThinkCentre A70z review
The hallowed Think branding finally spread out to the land of AIOs earlier this year and we just had to wrap our paws around some of that signature matte black plastic to see what's what. The ThinkCentre A70z represents Lenovo's most direct assault on the eco-conscious office manager's checkbook, coming as it does with minimal packaging, built out of recycled and recyclable materials, and significant energy savings relative to orthodox desktops. In our time with it, we found the A70z to be a well built and capable little rig, but the question you most probably want answered is whether the premium branding we associate with the tank-like ThinkPads can be trusted to deliver a similar superiority in hardware and construction in the all-in-one arena. Click past the break for the answer.%Gallery-88173%
Lenovo's ThinkCentre M58 / M58p desktops keep the green scheme alive
Sheesh -- feels like just yesterday Lenovo was sounding the green alarm with its ThinkCentre M57 / M57P desktops, and now we're faced with the predictably named successors, the M58 / M58p. Hailed as the firm's "greenest, most secure and most manageable ThinkCentre desktop PC yet," both machines boast Power Manager, a "ThinkVantage technology that allows PC users to control their electricity consumption remotely. Said inclusion is being made available for the first time ever on a ThinkCentre PC, and the array of password / security features is sure to give you peace of mind while inducing migraine headaches. The new crew is available in three form factors -- tower, small form factor (SFF) and ultra small form factor -- and includes Intel's Core 2 Duo chips and a presumably average selection of RAM, HDD and optical drive. Catch all but the USFF rig right now for $499 and $899, respectively.
Lenovo intros Vista-equipped SFF A55 ThinkCentre desktop
With all this talk about small-form-factor PCs going on, not to mention the Vista-equipped computer bandwagon that's steaming through today, Lenovo apparently figured it might as well hop on. Rather than changing the model name completely, the A55 SFF simply sports a trio of extra letters, a 64-percent smaller enclosure than its larger counterpart, and a claim to be around 25-percent tinier than "the conventional small desktop." Moreover, this wee PC will pack a mysterious Intel Core 2 Duo processor, Windows Vista, DVD writer, an optional floppy drive (saywha?), and a whole smorgasbord of other not-yet-mentioned components within a case not much larger than "your average briefcase." Customers who pick this up will be graced with the outfit's ThinkVantage Technologies, such as Rescue and Recovery and Client Security System, and considering the relatively low starting price of $579, this unit might not be a bad fit for your overly cramped office when it lands next month.[Via 64-Bit-Computers]
Lenovo announces ThinkPad Z61p mobile workstation
Lenovo has just announced a new addition to its Z61 series of ThinkPad notebooks -- which currently consists of the Z61t and Z61m -- in the form of a "mobile workstation" called the Z61p. Like the other models in this lineup, the 15.4-inch Z61p offers consumers several Intel Core processor options (maxing out with the 2.0GHz Core Duo T2500), but improves upon the graphics setup by including a Mobility Fire GL V5200 chipset from ATI with 256MB of VRAM. Other features include 1GB of 667MHz DDR2 RAM (expandable to 3GB), up to 100GB of hard drive capacity (in either 5,400RPM or 7,200RPM varieties), a 1,920 x 1,200 pixel display, WiFi, Bluetooth, an ExpressCard slot, and the popular ThinkVantage suite -- though you're not getting the 3G WWAN or titanium case options found on the other Z61 models. While all the pricing details are not immediately clear, it looks like a well-configured system will be going for around $2,400 when these become available next week.[Via laptoping]
Lenovo 3000 J105 small business minitower reviewed
With a street price of under $500 you certainly can't expect to get the company's high-end jet pack and armor-plating features, but according to PC Mag's review, Lenovo still manages to pack some solid performance into their 3000 J105 small business-oriented desktop. The 3000 J105 is most noteworthy, however, for being Lenovo's first non-IBM branded minitower, although business-types will be pleased to learn that it retains a popular feature of the ThinkCentre line, the ThinkVantage help and recovery utility. Keeping in mind that this model is meant for crunching numbers and not fragging enemies, the 2.2GHz AMD Athlon 64 3200 , 80GB hard drive, and 512MB of RAM serve their purpose well, and there's enough software in the box to get some work done without shelling out too much more cash. Other nice touches include both PCI (but no PCIe) and AGP card slots for super-cheap graphics upgrades, a not-hideous-looking case, and the always-appreciated lack of Chinese spyware. Overall the J105 earns a three-and-a-half star "Good" rating, which is probably due mostly to its value, considering that it's able to throw down decent benchmark results that are within a stone's throw of machines twice the price.
