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How would you change Lenovo's IdeaPad U310?
Fussy about boot times, carry-weight or weak battery life? Then you probably gave Lenovo's IdeaPad U310 a wide berth. The thing is, aside from those flaws, it was otherwise a very solid Ultrabook for those whose wallets couldn't stretch to a premium model. We want to know, did you buy one? If so, what did you think of it, and let's imagine you were dreaming up a budget Ultrabook -- what would you change?
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 review
More Info Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 shipping this month for $1,099, ARM-powered Yoga 11 coming in December Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 review Microsoft Surface with Windows RT review Normally, when a company releases two laptops in different sizes (the MacBook Air, anyone?) we review just one: we assume you'll get the gist about the design and trackpad the first time, ya know? So it's funny, then, that we're taking a look at the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 after we've already tested the Yoga 13 and named it one of our favorite Windows 8 convertibles. They look alike, with an inventive hinge allowing you to fold the screen back like a book cover. The keyboards are the same too, though the 11-incher's is understandably a tad more crowded. They even have the same oddly shaped power port. Except, of course, they're totally different products. Whereas the Yoga 13 is a proper laptop, with a Core i5 processor and full Windows 8, the Yoga 11 runs Windows RT, and is powered by a Tegra 3 chip (yes, the same one you're used to seeing in Android tablets). That means a big dip in performance, but exponentially longer battery life. Legacy x86 apps are off-limits too, given that this is Windows RT and all. Now that we've set up that equation for you (weaker performance plus longer battery life minus standard Windows apps equals what?) let's meet up after the break to see if this is just as good a deal as its big brother.%Gallery-186960%
Lenovo to split into Lenovo Business Group and Think Business Group, effective in April
Lenovo's done pretty well since its acquisition of IBM's personal computer business in 2005, but in an internal e-mail earlier today, CEO Yang Yuanqing admitted that despite some attempt, the Lenovo brand is still only playing well in the mainstream and low-end markets; whereas the Think brand is his company's best asset in the high-end market, and that it is the only brand that can compete with Apple in the high-end market. For the sake of better brand positioning and better efficiency, Yang announced in the same e-mail that his company will split into two new groups: Lenovo Business Group (LBG) and Think Business Group (TBG). Effective from April 1st, LBG will be headed by Senior Vice President (Mobile Internet Digital Home) Liu Jun to focus on mainstream consumer and business desktops, laptops, and tablets, as well as smartphones and smart TVs. On the other side of the fence, TBG will be led by Senior Vice President (Product Group) Dr. Peter Hortensius to better establish the business-friendly Think brand in the consumer market, as well as continuing to stay ahead of the game in the global commercial business. Yang also pointed out that the recently created enterprise business team and workstation team will be part of TBG. It'll be a while before we see the fruit of Lenovo's restructure, but it'll sure be interesting to come back to this in a year's time. Alas, we're now further away from ever seeing a ThinkPhone.
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 review
Make no mistake: Lenovo is taking this Windows 8 thing very seriously. The company's first-generation of Win 8 devices includes everything from a laptop / tablet hybrid to a classic convertible laptop with a swiveling display. Then there's the Yoga. This, too, is a convertible, in the sense that it can be used as a tablet. But it's not like any convertible you used back in the Win 7 era: the screen folds 360 degrees back, turning this Ultrabook into a giant, 13-inch slate. Because of that special hinge, though, you can also bend it into Downward Dog, to use a Yoga term ("tent mode," if you're nasty) or fold the keyboard underneath so that only screen is exposed. It was one of the most memorable things unveiled at CES, and it remains the most striking Windows 8 design we've seen to date. But what's it like to actually use it? And how does it fare as, you know, a plain old $1,000 Ultrabook? Let's find out.%Gallery-170641%
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 shipping this month for $1,099, ARM-powered Yoga 11 coming in December
Lenovo is pulling back the curtain on several Windows 8 devices today, and among the bunch is a somewhat familiar face: the IdeaPad Yoga. We first got a look at the 13.3-inch device back at CES in January, where it stood out with a flip-and-fold design that lets it transform into a tablet from a notebook and vice versa. In addition to unveiling full spec and pricing information for the Yoga 13, Lenovo is announcing an 11-inch version. The IdeaPad Yoga 13 will go for $1,099 and up when it hits Best Buy and Lenovo's online store October 26th (Best Buy pre-orders will start Otober 12th.) The hybrid device will pack a Core i5 or Core i7 Ivy Bridge processor, up to 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of SSD storage. As we already knew from our preview earlier this year, the Yoga boasts a 1,600 x 900 IPS multi-touch display, and there's a 720p front-facing camera for video conferencing. At 0.67 inches thick and 3.4 pounds, this guy is a bit chunkier than some of the slimmest Ultrabooks, but it's certainly no hulk either. Connections include USB 2.0, USB 3.0, a media card reader and HDMI output. Lenovo rates the Yoga 13 for seven hours of battery life.
Lenovo outs 15-inch IdeaPad U510 Ultrabook with Ivy Bridge CPU, optical drive: $679 and up (update: hands-on)
Lenovo's IFA itinerary is marathon-length. It unveiled no fewer than three tablets yesterday, not to mention three new IdeaPad S Series notebooks, and today it's serving up more laptops. Let's hit the high-profile guy first: Lenovo's IdeaPad Series lineup of Ultrabooks is getting its first 15-inch model, the Windows 8-running U510. The machine weighs 4.85 pounds (2.2kg) and measures 0.83 inches (21mm) thin, which is hefty for an Ultrabook but gives it enough room for a DVD burner or an optional Blu-ray drive. The 15.6-inch display's resolution is a ho-hum 1,366 x 768, which is exactly what you'll find on the IdeaPad U310. The laptop will be available with up to a Core i7 Ivy Bridge CPU, up to 8GB of RAM and a 500GB, 750GB or 1TB hard drive and optional 24/32GB SSD cache. Connections include USB 2.0, USB 3.0, VGA and HDMI, and there's an SD card reader as well. Lenovo rates the machine for six hours of battery life. The U510 will set you back $679 (for the entry-level configuration) when it goes on sale in September. For now, you can check out our hands-on photos below. %Gallery-163961% %Gallery-163899% Zach Honig contributed to this report.
Lenovo announces IdeaPad S300, S400 and S405 notebooks for $499 and up
Lenovo is expanding its IdeaPad line to include some new S Series ultraportables. Today the company announced the 13.3-inch S300, the 14-inch S400 and the (also 14-inch) S405. These models sport a metallic finish, with color options including crimson red, silver grey and cotton-candy pink. All three models measure 0.86 inches (21.9mm) and weigh 3.97 pounds (1.8kg), and, aside from screen size, the main difference between them is processor type. The S300 and S400 will be available with Core i3 or Core i5 CPUs, while the S405 will ship with an AMD chip (up to a quad-core A8 processor). Storage options include a 500GB, 750GB or 1TB hard drive, and the S400 and S405 are configurable with a 32GB SSD. Lenovo says you can expect up to five hours of battery life from these machines. They'll go on sale in August (aka now) for $499 and up. Though all models will ship with Windows 7, they'll be eligible for an upgrade to Windows 8. Check out our hands-on below. %Gallery-163813% %Gallery-163812% Zach Honig contributed to this report.
Lenovo IdeaPad U310 review: a reasonably priced Ultrabook for the masses
More Info Lenovo IdeaPad U300s review Lenovo's IdeaPad U310 and U410 Ultrabooks start at an inexpensive $699, weigh a little more than the competition Lenovo U310 and U410 Ultrabooks now available worldwide starting at $749 For a while there, the march of Ultrabooks was comprised almost entirely of halo products: skinny, relatively expensive things designed to help Intel and its OEM partners make a good impression on the general laptop-buying public. But with 110-plus models in the pipeline, they can't all be expensive, right? By now, you may have noticed that Ultrabooks are starting to look a little less uniform: there have been larger ones, heavier ones, some with optical drives, some with discrete graphics. Next up: cheaper ones. Just in time for back-to-school shopping season, we're seeing a wave of more reasonably priced Ultrabooks, many of them with traditional spinning hard drives and slightly heavier frames. One of these is the Lenovo IdeaPad U310, a machine that brings Core i5, 4GB of RAM and hybrid storage for $799. Oh, and its design is pleasantly reminiscent of the IdeaPad U300s, a higher-end Ultrabook we reviewed late last year. No doubt, then, it'll be a tempting option for people who can't afford to spend $1,000-plus on a laptop. But is it worth it? Let's find out.%Gallery-160172%
Lenovo IdeaTab S2109 review: a budget-priced ICS slate with a few too many quirks
More Info Lenovo IdeaTab S2109 teased by FCC, launching with 9.7-inch display this month? Lenovo's IdeaTab S2109 unveiled on YouTube, shows off 8.9mm-thick unibody shell Lenovo IdeaTab S2109 makes a splash stateside, offers a lightweight slice of Android for $349 Lenovo got the memo: it's high time the company released a new tablet. With products from Acer, ASUS and Samsung keeping us plenty busy these last few months, Lenovo can hardly expect to stay relevant with the IdeaPad A1 and ThinkPad Tablet from 2011. So the IdeaTab S2109, a $350, 9.7-inch slate running Ice Cream Sandwich, comes in the nick of time. That's not to say we were surprised when the tablet launched in June. The S2109 made its grand debut at the FCC in March, and Lenovo teased its arrival with a YouTube video highlighting the 8.9mm-thick unibody shell and the 1,024 x 768 IPS LCD display. What the company wasn't so quick to point out, though, was that this device packs a TI OMAP 4430 CPU rather than the Tegra 3 processor that's quickly becoming the new tablet norm. So how does the performance stack up? Does this go toe to toe with all those other mid-range, 10-inch slates we've seen lately? Let's take a look.
Lenovo IdeaPad Y580 goes on sale melding quad-core Ivy Bridge and GeForce GTX 660M
The Y580 led the avalanche of Lenovo IdeaPads unveiled at CES; its dependence on both Intel Ivy Bridge processors and Kepler-based NVIDIA graphics kept it out of the spotlight for some time, but it's now ready to ship out. The finished 15.6-inch laptop skews very clearly to gamers and other performance mavens. The range starts off with a quad 2.3GHz Core i7, a GeForce GTX 660M and 8GB of RAM. Any heavier outlays of cash upgrade the display resolution, optical drive and storage to as much as a 1080p screen, a Blu-ray combo drive and a 1TB hard drive with a companion 32GB SSD for good measure. None of them will win a contest for sheer portability, but a tight official price spread between $1,299 and $1,549 ($1,039 and $1,239 on sale) guarantees that it won't be hard to get exactly the PC you need to play Spec Ops. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Sprint tries the subsidized netbook thing again with WiMAX-infused IdeaPad S205s
Note to everyone: subsidized netbooks aren't a relic. Not quite yet, anyway. In what has to be one of the more bizarre launches of the year, Sprint has seemingly decided it wise to launch a $199.99 netbook with a mandatory two-year data contract, and better still, the 4G module within favors WiMAX. Just weeks after Sprint affirmed that it was over WiMAX phones, in flies a WiMAX netbook. Brilliant. For those unfazed, the IdeaPad S205s offers up an 11.6-inch panel (1366 x 768), a 1.33GHz dual-core Intel U5600 processor, 2GB of DDR3 memory, a 250GB hard drive, 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi module and a six-cell (4400mAh) battery good for around five hours of life. And just so we're clear: it's a netbook, supporting WiMAX (read: not LTE), and it costs $200 with a two-year data contract. And now, you know.
Lenovo IdeaPad U310 and U410 undress for the FCC's czars
When Lenovo took the wraps off its IdeaPad U310 and U410 at CES, we were left feeling happy / sad. On the one hand, we were dismayed by the half-hearted inclusion of a memory card slot, but the company did earn high marks for sticking to that sleek Ultrabook form factor and pricing the duo at a $700 entry point. Now that luxurious-looking laptop pair's making another public appearance, stopping by the FCC for a step and repeat and splaying its guts and user manual in the process. While the filings reveal no surprise specs for these 13- and 14-inchers -- those internal goodies were divulged back in January -- this Commission pit stop is a solid indication that all systems are go for a planned May launch. Be sure to hit up the source below to trawl the RF reports if diagnostics get you hot under the collar.
Lenovo's 14-inch IdeaPad Y470p launches with Radeon HD 7690M GPU
Who knew a "p" packed so much punch? Just weeks after Lenovo cut loose with a boatload of new machines, the outfit has quietly slipped out an even newer model tailored for gamers. The 14-inch IdeaPad Y470p looks just about like the existing Y470, but swaps out the middling NVIDIA GeForce GT 520M for a far more potent Radeon HD 7690M. (For those wondering -- yep, that's the same chip in HP's new Envy 15.) There's also a 2.2GHz quad-core Core i7 processor, 8GB of RAM, an optional 1TB HDD, JBL speakers and a native 1,366 x 768 screen resolution. The unit tips the scales at 4.85 pounds with a six-cell battery, which is supposedly good for up to four hours of usage (in presumably ideal conditions). Other specs include a Blu-ray Disc drive, a two-megapixel webcam, HDMI out and USB 3.0. For now, at least, it looks as if eager beavers can get one headed their way for as low as $799, but the more specced-out models are reaching well over $1,200.
CES 2012: tablet roundup
Couldn't keep up with the 600+ posts we wrote covering CES 2012 in Las Vegas? We're here to help sift the wheat from the chaff, and if you're hoping to see the best of what CES had to offer in the world of tablets, you've come to the right place. As you can imagine, finding the best slate is much easier said than done, since it seemed as though nearly every major company brought a tablet in some shape, form or color. Head past the break to see our personal favorites from the show.
Lenovo IdeaPad S2 7 with integrated WHDI mirroring hands-on (video)
With inconvenient HDMI cables and half-baked wireless solutions, HD streaming from a tablet or laptop to an HDTV has been clunky, at best. And while WHDI has improved the experience drastically by minimizing lag and providing a standard platform, dongles went out of style long before the first slim tablet made its debut several years ago. A near-perfect solution may be on the horizon, however. Amimon has teamed up with Lenovo to integrate WHDI technology in the new IdeaPad S2 7, enabling wireless streaming without the need for an external transmitter -- you'll still need to attach a receiver to your TV for now. We had a chance to go hands-on with the tablet and TV at the company's suite at CES, and were quite impressed with how it performed. Because all of the necessary hardware is integrated, there's not much to speak of on that front, though it's worth noting that adding WHDI functionality doesn't translate into a larger footprint. It's also very efficient, using "a few hundred milliwatts" of power to mirror the tablet's display to an HDTV, according to the company. There was no noticeable lag, and the picture appeared very sharp and consistent, both when playing back video and while mirroring apps and the interface to the connected Sony TV. Unfortunately, Amimon reps were unable to confirm that the technology will be included with upcoming Lenovo tablets -- or those from other manufacturers -- but judging by what we saw today, we wouldn't be surprised to see WHDI making its way to a variety of devices in the not-so-distant future. Jump past the break to see it in action.
Intel demos Lenovo-made Medfield IdeaPad K2110 tablet running Ice Cream Sandwich (eyes-on)
Intel's smartphone reference design wasn't the only Medfield-based device on display here at CES. Wandering around Chipzilla's sprawling demo area, we also spotted an unnamed, 10-inch tablet made by Lenovo. And unlike that handset, this is a product that will ship in more or less the form we're seeing it today. Unfortunately, though, we were strictly forbidden from actually touching the thing. For now, at least, we know what lies beneath that 1366 x 768 display. In addition to a 32nm low-power Atom processor, it has NFC, WiFi (natch) and a battery rated for 10 hours of active use and 30 days of standby. As with the smartphone, Intel is really keen on talking up Medfield's graphics muscle, and we were once again treated to a series of gaming and application demonstrations. Watch the video for yourself, but we couldn't for the life of us see any stutter in that app walk-through: both 3D rendering and gestures like pinch to zoom seemed silky smooth from where we were sitting. So, what say you? Impressed?
Lenovo quietly outs the IdeaPad U300e, a $799 Ultrabook with a hybrid hard drive
We thought we'd seen everything Lenovo had to show here at CES. We thought wrong. In a tour of the company's showroom / trailer today, we spotted that gray laptop up there, hiding amid the X1 Hybrid, T430u Ultrabook and S200 netbook. That, friends, is the IdeaPad U300e, a cheaper, lesser-specced version of the U300s we reviewed last fall. Check our gallery below: it has the same aluminum chassis, comfortable keyboard and sprawling trackpad, though the ports appear to have played musical chairs. The only differences? For one, we're seeing the U300e (top, above the U300s) adds an Ethernet jack, something the U300s is missing. More importantly, though, the U300e costs $799, not $1,200, and instead of an SSD it sports a hybrid drive pairing a 500GB HDD with 32GB of flash storage -- essentially, the same setup you'll find in the $800 Acer Aspire S3. We're also told it'll run "next-generation" Intel processors, though Lenovo's stopping short of calling it Ivy Bridge, which Intel has yet to reveal. Not a bad deal, though we might still prefer the new U310, which has the all-important SD slot the U300s was missing, but still costs a hundred bucks less than this here U300e. Disagree with us? The U300e is expected to go on sale this month.
Lenovo unveils six mainstream consumer laptops (and one desktop replacement)
Not content to stop at a netbook and a pair of Ultrabooks, Lenovo just a slew of mainstream laptops (and even a desktop replacement) to fill out its consumer IdeaPad line. Starting at the high end, the Y480 and Y580 are both multimedia machines with brushed metal lids and palm rests, JBL speakers, an optional Blu-ray burner and Intel's Wireless Display technology. With either model, you can get up to 8GB of RAM and a Core i7 processor, though the two start to look a lot different when you take screen resolution and graphics muscle into account. While the 14-inch Y480 has a 1366 x 768 panel and NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M graphics, the 15.6-inch Y580 steps up to a 1080p pixel count and a 2GB GTX660M card with DirectX 11. Look for these in April, starting at $899. Give up that metal design and high-res screen, and you're left with the mid-range Z series. The IdeaPad Z380 (pictured), Z480 and Z580 are also available with a Core i7 processor, optional Blu-ray player, WiDi, up to 8GB of RAM and up to 1TB in storage. Whether you choose the 13.3-, 14- or 15.6-inch version, the pixel count is fixed at 1366 x 768, though you at least don't have to settle for Intel GMA graphics: NVIDIA's 2GB GeForce GT640M card is also an option. Expect these to hit shelves in April for $599 and up. Even at the supposed low end the specs aren't too shabby: the G480, G580 and G780 will also be offered with up to 1TB of storage, up to 8GB of RAM and an optional Blu-ray drive, along with a 2GB NVIDIA GeForce GT630M card in tricked-out models. These will go on sale in June for $399-plus. Sean Cooper contributed to this post
Lenovo's IdeaPad S200 / S206 netbook gives a choice of Intel and AMD innards, arrives in June for $349 and up
While we don't expect to see that many netbooks announced in two thousand twelve, we're not surprised to see some of the usual suspects releasing a few token models. Lenovo just introduced the IdeaPad S200 and S206 -- the same 11.6-inch mini, essentially, except the S200 comes with an Intel Atom N2800 Cedar Trail CPU, while the S206 packs an AMD C60 dual-core chip. Either way, this 2.9-pound laptop has 2GB of RAM, USB 2.0 and 3.0, HDMI, an SD / MMC reader and a two-cell battery promising a relatively modest four-plus hours of juice. Both can be configured with a 500GB hard drive as fast as 7,200RPM, though for whatever reason the Intel model in particular is also offered with a 32GB SSD. Whichever chip maker ends up winning your dollar, you'll have to wait until June, when the two are expected to go on sale for $349 and up. Sean Cooper contributed to this post
IBM's Samuel J. Palmisano: we sold PC business due to lack of innovative opportunities
Departing IBM head honcho Samuel J. Palmisano has been known to say some outlandish things, but there's nothing comical about the information divulged in a new piece surrounding his legacy in The New York Times. Outside of looking into the details of how IBM become one of the world's most boring, highly profitable outfits, there's plenty of fascinating nuggets to be had. For one, he focused intently on getting out of "low-margin businesses that were fading," and not surprisingly, the outfit's personal computer business was first on the chopping block. Reportedly, he saw a lack of opportunity for innovation (at least "in the corporate market"), and felt that the "hub of innovation would shift to services and software." As if a prophet, just about everything he expected has come to pass. The article explains that the jarring sale of its PC business was no easy thing to decide upon, and he even affirms that he "deflected overtures from Dell and private equity firms, preferring the sale to a company in China for strategic reasons." As the story goes, China wants its corporations to have global reach, and by helping with that, IBM "enhanced its stature in the lucrative Chinese market, where the government still steers business." Trust us -- there's far more where this came from in the source link below. [Thanks, Theo]
