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Lenovo goes back on its word and shows off an IdeaPad Windows 7 slate, we go hands-on
Remember when Lenovo said it wasn't going to do a Windows 7 slate product? We do too, but apparently the company has had a change of heart regarding Microsoft's operating system for tablets and has brought a 10.1-inch Windows 7 slate to CES. The IdeaPad tablet, which doesn't have a name right now, will be powered by Intel's forthcoming Oak Trail Atom processor and will run Windows 7 Home Premium with Lenovo's own application skin. We don't have any other real details on the tablet -- it isn't expected until May -- but we did get a chance to check out the touchscreen slab this morning. The build of the device was very similar to the Android Le Pad with a tapered plastic back and metal sides, but the 1280 x 800-resolution capacitive touchscreen has an active digitzer and comes with a stylus. Lenovo didn't have details on who was making that digitizer, but the battery-powered pen worked very nicely for doodling on screen and taking some test notes in WordPad. We could go on about the touch experience or we could just let you see for yourself in the video after the break. %Gallery-112534% Updated: This post now has the correct video.
Lenovo cranks out Y, V, and Z Series IdeaPads
Lenovo's flood of laptops continues with the Y, V, and Z Series IdeaPads with Intel's new Sandy Bridge CPUs. First on offer are the three Y Series laptops, the Y470, Y570 and Y570d. The Y470 is a 14-incher, while the Y570 and Y570d are nearly identically spec'd 15.6-inch (1366 x 768 resolution) LED paneled laptops. All three feature up to Intel Core i7 CPUs, a host of graphics options (including NVIDIA's GeForce 555M), up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM, an up to 1TB HDDs. All three also boast Blu-ray drives, JBL-designed speakers, plus Mini-PCle, a six-in-one card reader, optional TV-out, HDMI, RJ45, three USB 2.0 ports, and a 2 megapixel webcam. A six-cell battery comes standard on all models. The Y570d -- you may have guessed -- packs 3D, and comes with a pair of 3D glasses. Computing never looked cooler! The Y Series laptops will be available in May (yes, May) for a base price of $899.99. Find out about the rest after the break! %Gallery-112394%
Lenovo adds G and B Series IdeaPads to its cornucopia of laptop offerings
Lenovo has just announced about 20 new laptops, including the G and B series IdeaPads. First on offer, the G Series includes the G770, G570, G470, G575 and the G4575, ranging in size from 14, 15 and 17 inchers. All models boast up to Intel Core i7 CPUs with AMD Radeon HD 6370 graphics with up to 1GB of VRAM, up to 8GB of DDR3 memory, and an up to 750GB HDD. Other options include Blu-ray and a choice of Windows 7 operating systems. Each model features USB 2.0 inputs, Bluetooth, 802.11n WiFi, a 5-in-1 card reader, HDMI out and a 2 megapixel webcam. The G Series laptops weigh in at around 4 pounds. The B Series laptops -- the B470 and the B570 -- boast up to an Intel Core i5 CPU (the new second generation version) and 14- and 15.6-inch, 16:9 displays, respectively. They also pack up to 8GB of DDR3 SDRAM and an up to 1TB HDD. They also come with WiFi and 3G, DVD or Blu-ray options, and a 0.3 megapixel webcam. We don't have pricing or availability for the G Series IdeaPad as of now, but the B Series will be available starting in April with a base price of $499.99. Full press release is after the break. %Gallery-112396%
Lenovo busts out S Series netbooks just in time for CES
Lenovo has just made it rain laptops over here (literally -- we got hit in the head a few times) with the addition of 18 new IdeaPads to its lineup. First up, the S Series netbooks include the IdeaPad S205 and the S100. The S205 boasts up to and AMD dual-core E-350 CPU, an 11.6-inch (1366 x 768 resolution) 16:9 widescreen panel, up to 8GB of DDR3 SDRAM, and an up to 750GB HDD. It also packs Bluetooth and 802.11b/g/n WiFi, HDMI out, USB 2.0 and a 6-in-1 card reader, plus optional 3G. The smaller netbook on offer is the 10.1-inch IdeaPad S100. It has choice of processors up to a dual-core Intel Atom N570, Integrated Intel GMA 3150 graphics, up to 2GB of DDR3 memory, and an up to 320GB HDD. The S100 also boasts Bluetooth, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, USB 2.0 connectors, 2 megapixel webcam, and a 2-in-1 card reader. Both the IdeaPad S205 and S100 weigh in at about 2.2 pounds, and will be available starting in March for the base price of $329. Full press release is after the break. %Gallery-112379%
Lenovo launches IdeaPad Y460p and Y560p laptops, IdeaCentre K330 desktop
Lenovo's just announced two new laptops and a desktop, the IdeaPad Y460p, Y560p, and the IdeaCentre K330. First up, the Idea Pad Y460p and Y560p are 14- and 15.6-inches with 16:9 widescreen displays, and come with a range of processors up to the Intel Core i7, an up to 750 GB hard drive, and up to 8GB of DDR3 memory. The laptops also feature JBL speakers and Dolby Home Theater. The IdeaCentre K330 also features up to a Core i7 CPU, up to 16GB of DDR3 SDRAM, twin RAID0-configured hard disk drives, and up to 4TB of HDD storage, and DIrectX-11 graphics. It also has a host of optional add-ons, including an integrated DVD or Blu-ray player, TV tuner, and HD graphics support. The IdeaPads will be available on January 11, 2011 with an $849 starting price, while the IdeaCentre will start at $699 and should be available in early 2011. The full press release and another shot is after the break.
Lenovo IdeaPad U260 hands-on
The best looking Lenovo IdeaPad ever? Yep, that'd be the U260. Not since the IdeaPad U110 has Lenovo's consumer line been home to a really striking laptop, but the U260's leather-like palmrest, magnesium-aluminum alloy lid and bottom cover change all that. We got a chance to check out the new 12.5-inch laptop a few days ago, and came away seriously impressed with not only its contrasting black and brown aesthetic but its build quality. The entire .7-inch thick frame feels solid and the curved keys, which are similar to those on the U160, are especially delightful. Unfortunately, the model we got to see didn't have the glass trackpad that we've heard about, but our review unit should be here sometime soon. Until we get to put the system's Core i3-380UM processor and 4GB of RAM to the test, hit the gallery below for a few hands-on pictures of it and some crazy platinum, diamond-encrusted U160 that Lenovo brought along. %Gallery-107882%
Lenovo IdeaPad U260 and its 12.5-inch display head stateside for $899
Were you getting worried that Lenovo was going to pull another ThinkPad Edge 11 and forget to release that dapper IdeaPad U260 in the US of A? Well, set those worries aside -- we just received word (or you know, a press release) that spills all the US pricing and availability details. That's right, the world's first laptop with a 12.5-inch display will be available starting November 15 (that's this coming Monday) for a starting price of $899. But there's more to the .7-inch / 3-pound U260 than its unique screen size -- it's got a glass touchpad option, a "breathable" chiclet keyboard for cooling, and it's the company's first "single piece design made of magnesium-aluminum alloy materials." We don't have details on what you get for the sub-$900 starting price, but the system is available with Core i3-380UM and Core i5-470UM processors, up to 4GB of RAM, and a 320GB hard drive. We should be getting a closer look at this guy soon, but at least you have the weekend to peruse the pictures and press release below before deciding if you want to hit "Add To Cart" come Monday. %Gallery-107325%
Lenovo slips out 12.5-inch IdeaPad U260 ultraportable, hopes you'll notice
Well, what have we here? In the sea of me-too ultraportables, it looks as if Lenovo is doing its darnedest to mix things up with a somewhat unorthodox screen size. The leaked IdeaPad U260 hasn't been confirmed by the mother company, but word on the street has it rocking a 12.5-inch display, 0.71-inch thickness and a total weight of just 3.04 pounds. Naturally, it's living life sans an optical drive, and we're told that it'll ship with an Ultra Low Voltage Core i3 or Core i5 CPU. There's no ExpressCard slot, but you will spot a four-cell battery, Bluetooth 2.1, VGA / HDMI outputs, WiFi, 4GB of memory, a 320GB hard drive and a couple of semi-vivacious color options (Mocha Brown and Clementine Orange). Mum's the word on a price, but you can catch one more glimpse of the heretofore unannounced rig just after the break. Update: Ah, ha! Looks as if Lenovo has confirmed this one after all in a new PDF of its IdeaPad lineup. Still awaiting a product portal for purchasing, though. Thanks, Curtis!
ArcadeDock converts Lenovo laptop into retro gaming machine (video)
Dean Liou, the same fellow responsible for the ToiletPC and LovePC, has just concocted what's likely his most splendorous mod yet. The ArcadeDock Laptop Dock is a half-height arcade machine, complete with a flame job from a dark corner of 1994, a full-on joystick + large button splay and a secret cabinet for a touchpad-equipped keyboard. Put simply, this rig is designed to hold an IdeaPad Y560, and when plugged in and connected via USB, the controls you're peering at above function exactly as you'd expect them to. Toss on a couple of your favorite ROMs (Street Fighter II, anyone?), grab a Go-Gurt and settle in -- a demonstrative video is after the break, and feel free to tap that Lenovo link below if you'd like to vote this mod up above the competition.
Lenovo's 3D IdeaPad Y560d reviewed: for three-dee fanatics only
If you had any doubts that the 3D bandwagon was taking no prisoners in an attempt to fill up and overflow, look no further than Lenovo's 3D IdeaPad Y560d. Yeah, a 3D laptop from Lenovo. The folks over at Hot Hardware were able to spend a bit of quality time with this beast, but unlike many of Lenovo's machines, this one wasn't exactly an easy sell. In fact, they firmly stated that it's only a surefire recommendation to those who will be utilizing the 3D panel with great frequency, noting that the decision to toss a power-hungry Core i7 into an otherwise portable machine led to subpar battery life that would frustrate frequent travelers. Gaming performance was found to be satisfactory, though, and while the overall performance seemed fine, the 7200RPM hard drive in their test unit is apparently unavailable in the shipping unit (which holds a 5400RPM drive). At any rate, they did state that other units in the Y560 line would be better options for more well-rounded consumers, so unless you plan on living with a set of 3D glasses on, you're probably better off passing over this one. Hit the source for the full skinny.
Lenovo launches AMD-packing IdeaPad U165 ultraportable in Czech Republic, nowhere else?
We weren't particularly impressed with the IdeaPad U160 when we recently reviewed it, giving it a score of five out of 10 thanks to disappointing battery life and a high price. Lenovo, it seems, looking to bridge that gap to a perfect score has announced the U165, which is apparently five more. It ditches the U160's Intel internals, going for AMD Athlon II processors and ATI Radeon HD 4225 graphics. Other specs remain similar, including the 11.6-inch, 1366 x 768 display, up to 4GB of DDR3 memory, 802.11n WiFi, and Bluetooth. The U165 is shipping now, but curiously it appears to be only available in the Czech Republic, where it's selling for 9990 CZK -- about $520. Compared to the $1,149 U160 that seems like a smoking deal to us.
Lenovo sees $54.9 million net profit in Q1 earnings, hits double digits in global market share
Look out, world -- Lenovo's on a serious tear, and it doesn't look to be stopping anytime soon. In the company's latest earnings report, it proudly announced its first-ever double digital market share of 10.2 percent. As if that milestone wasn't enough to make upper management grin, the outfit also nailed down just under $55 million in net income (a pre-tax income of $75 million) on sales of $5.1 billion. This quarter also marks the third in a row that it has been the fastest growing of the top five PC makers, and the fifth consecutive quarter that it outgrew the industry. Specifically, the outfit's PC shipments increased some 48.1 percent year-over-year, and consolidated sales for its fiscal Q1 saw an insane 49.6 percent uptick from last year. As of now, things are looking mighty rosy for Lenovo, and it just seems logical for the company to revive the Skylight in celebration. Who's with us?
How-to: install Pixel Qi's 3Qi display on your netbook (and why it's worth it)
It's hard to believe that it's been almost two and a half years since Pixel Qi spun off from OLPC and promised to bring its dual-mode, power efficient display to laptops, tablets, and e-readers. For those who haven't followed our small obsession with the 3Qi screen technology (shame on you!) it promises the best of both worlds: full-color graphics in a normal LCD mode, but also the ability to turn off the backlight to morph into a grayscale, e-paper like display. And while we've seen it demoed at tradeshows (and more tradeshows!), we haven't been able to get our own grubby hands on the much-lauded display. Until now, of course. No, the 3Qi display still isn't shipping in any commercially available products, but Pixel Qi is at long last offering a $275 10.1-inch screen replacement kit for netbooks through MakerShed. Needless to say, we jumped -- nay, leaped -- at the chance to finally get the display into our laboratories, roll up our sleeves and get to crankin'. That's right, we got out the screwdriver, wrangled up an old Lenovo IdeaPad S10-2 netbook and swapped in the 3Qi display for Lenovo's glossy panel. You're surely sitting on a metric ton of questions. Was it hard to swap out? Has the screen been everything we've ever fantasized about and more? Is it really 80 percent more power efficient than standard LCDs? We've got plenty of answers as well as a step-by-step how-to after the break.
Lenovo's 3D IdeaPad Y560d laptop now available for multi-dimensionists
Television may be rotting the brain of existing generations, but it's highly likely that 3D will indeed be the downfall of mankind. Or Double Stuff Oreo cookies, one. Either way, the former is finally joining the latter in terms of availability, with Lenovo's first 3D lappie up for order on the outfit's webstore. $1,499 nets you the IdeaPad Y560d, equipped with a 1.6GHz Core i7-720QM CPU, Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit), 4GB of DDR3 memory, a 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5730, 500GB hard drive (5,400rpm), a dual-layer DVD writer, 6-cell battery, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and copious amounts of bragging rights. Oh, and did we mention you'll need to pack along those 3D glasses in order to see the effect when soaring through your robust library of 3D games? We'll leave it to you -- we know you'll do the right thing.
Lenovo's Skylight and U1 Hybrid being revived with fresh Qualcomm silicon?
What's this? A new sliver of hope in a dark, lost world? Before you throw your hands up and shut your eyes, you should know that all of this is coming from Digitimes, so taking it all in with an unhealthy dose of salt is highly suggested. According to them, Lenovo is actually planning to eventually ship its Skylight and IdeaPad U1 Hybrid (yeah, the two machines that were kinda-sorta shelved a month ago), but with far different specifications. For starters, they'll rely on Qualcomm's recently announced dual-core processor line, and rather than using the now-nonexistent Skylight OS, they'll both rely on Google's Android. If all goes well, the official launch will occur before the dawn of 2011, but there's no solid word on when they'll actually ship. In related news, there's also word that Toshiba will be readying a smartbook in its long-standing Dynabook line, with NVIDIA's Tegra 250 under the hood, a 10.1-inch panel and Android running the show. Now, who's up for seeing if any of this actually comes to fruition?
Lenovo IdeaPad smartbook appears, powered by Freescale and Pegatron
When Lenovo decided to shelve the Skylight smartbook, there were many tears here at Engadget HQ, but it seems the company's ambitions continue in the smartphone-turned-netbook realm. Notebook Italia reports that a new Lenovo IdeaPad has surfaced at the Freescale Technology Forum this week, powered by a Freescale i.MX515 SoC with an 800MHz ARM Cortex A8 processor, smartphone-esque battery life, and a power management system reportedly robust enough that it doesn't even need to be cooled. If all this sounds rather familiar, it might be because you've seen it before -- it appears Lenovo simply tweaked the low-power Pegatron reference design that we wrote about early last year. Not that we're complaining or anything.
Lenovo's Core i3 / i5-based IdeaPad Z560 now available to order
We'd heard it was coming in June, and it looks like Lenovo's new Core i3 / i5-based IdeaPad Z560 is now already available to order directly from the company, with a promised ship date "within 13 days" (i.e. sometime in June, unless Lenovo really starts to move these out). Starting at just $739, the laptop packs a 15.6-inch 1366 x 768 LED-backlit display, along with your choice of integrated Intel HD or discrete NVIDIA GeForce 310M graphics, 3GB or 4GB of RAM, 320GB or 500GB hard drives, a DVD burner, a six-cell battery and, of course, your choice of Intel's latest and greatest ULV processors. Still undecided? Then perhaps our recent hands-on will help sway you one way or the other.
Engadget Podcast 196 - 05.14.2010
What's up, yo? Oh, sorry, we meant, what's up, FroYo? The Engadget Podcasteers dig deep on the new version of the Android Cellular Telephone And Other Connected Devices Operating System as the line between telephone and computer becomes less and less important. And Joanna Stern, Supreme Laptop Knowledge Warrior Princess, becomes the first and last female to ever be on a technology podcast in the Great Tech Journalist Civil Rights Movement of May 14-15th, 2010.Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Nilay Patel, Paul MillerSpecial guest: Joanna SternProducer: Trent WolbeMusic: Never Gonna Give You UpHear the podcast02:57 - Android 2.2 'Froyo' and Flash run like butter on Nexus One (update)07:22 - Android 2.2 'Froyo' to include USB tethering, WiFi hotspot functionality10:28 - Sprint selling HTC EVO 4G on June 4 for $19911:35 - Sprint's HTC EVO 4G put through its bandwidth-sucking paces21:55 - NPD: Android ousts iPhone OS for second place in US smartphone market28:45 - HTC files patent complaint against Apple, asks for ban on iPhone, iPad, and iPod29:22 - HTC's complaint against Apple examined38:00 - AMD promises better battery life and thermals with new Neo CPUs, more power with Phenom II platform42:15 - Lenovo officially rolls out new IdeaPad Z Series43:14 - HP unleashes seven new ProBooks, cuddles up with AMD44:10 - HP Envy 14 and 17 officially official, Envy 13 slowly waves goodbye46:25 - Sony VAIO P Series gets an accelerometer, touchpad (Updated: starts at $799)49:45 - Archos 7 Home Tablet reviewSubscribe to the podcast[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC).[RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically.[RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator.[Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune MarketplaceDownload the podcastLISTEN (MP3)LISTEN (AAC)LISTEN (OGG)Contact the podcast1-888-ENGADGET or podcast (at) engadget (dot) com.Twitter: @joshuatopolsky @futurepaul @reckless @engadget
Lenovo's 15.6-inch IdeaPad Y560 laptop goes on sale
Slowly but surely, each of Lenovo's CES introductions are popping up for sale. With nary a moment to spare, the 15.6-inch IdeaPad Y560 has finally surfaced at the company's website, offering up Core i3, i5 and i7 options, up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM, ATI's 1GB Mobility Radeon HD 5730 GPU, Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) and a 1,366 x 768 native resolution panel. Plenty of options are tweakable should you not find the base configurations suitable for your needs, but you'll be hard pressed to secure one for under $949. Well, unless you've got the patience of Job.
Lenovo officially rolls out new IdeaPad Z Series
Typical loose-lipped Lenovo had a bit of a hard time keeping its new IdeaPad Z Series a secret, but at least now we can see why. First off, the new line of laptops ditches the glossy, fingerprint-loving covers for ones with a "metallic effect," and even better, the entire line sports chiclet keyboards that are similar to that on the S10-3. If you haven't noticed, we really have a major thing for Lenovo keyboards lately. And while the laptops may come in at under 1.2-inches thick, the 13.3-inch Z360 and the 15.6-inch Z560 have onboard optical drives, and both pack standard-voltage Intel Core i3, i5 and i7 processor options. Oddly, Lenovo doesn't seem to be announcing the 14-inch Z460 we had seen a few weeks back, but we assume that one will be up for grabs in other markets. Though the lowest end $649 config won't have NVIDIA GeForce 315M graphics or Blu-ray, it should pack enough power to handle watching that cute girl cry over Justin Bieber on YouTube and those other necessary productivity tasks. Sneaking into the new family is also the 15.6-inch Z565, which differs from its new-born brothers with a glossy black cover and AMD internals. Like the HP ProBooks and Dell Inspiron M501R, the Z565 can be configured with AMD's newest quad-core Phenom II X4, as well as with other new Phenom II, Turion II, Athlon II and V Series processors. We'd imagine there will be good deals popping up all over the place, but unfortunately all of the systems won't be available until June. In the meantime, you've always got the gallery and press release below to cheer you up. %Gallery-92603%
