Lenovo Thinkpad
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Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Hybrid first hands-on!
The Lenovo X1 Hybrid isn't your typical laptop refresh. Though it looks like the X1 we reviewed last spring, it represents a stark about-face in the company's approach to battery life: the Hybrid edition ($1,599 and up) packs a second, low-power processor made by Qualcomm, along with a custom, lightweight OS based on Android. Said differently, the laptop falls back on smartphone internals when longevity life is paramount. This operating system, dubbed Instant Media Mode (IMM), functions like any other instant-on environment: it boots in about two seconds, and once you're there you can do basic things like check email, surf the web, listen to music, watch movies and browse photos. In the case of the X1 Hybrid, though, that instant-on OS also promises to double the X1's (disappointing) battery life, bringing the runtime to a max of 10 hours. As it happens, yours truly got to see an early version of the X1 Hybrid behind closed doors two months back. But you know what they say: pics or it didn't happen! So here we are, giving your our first sanctioned look. If you've ever used one of Lenovo's Android-based tablets, those customizations should look familiar: that launcher you see up there is the same one we played with on the IdeaPad K1 and ThinkPad Tablet. So, the browser, etc. shouldn't be much of a surprise to those of you who have been following along. As you can see in the video past the break, loading the OS, moving into Windows 7 and launching apps within this Android-like environment is all fairly brisk, though not without a few pauses. What else can we say? It's Android! (Sort of!) Running on a ThinkPad! But don't take our word for it: meet us past the break for the full demo.
Lenovo's ThinkPad T430u Ultrabook hands-on
Ultrabooks are all the rage this year's CES, so it only makes sense that Lenovo would want to get in on the action and bring the new, slim form factor to its lauded ThinkPad line. We swung by the company's trailer to get some hands-on with the T430u -- the first such machine that we've seen packing discrete graphics from NVIDIA. At only 21mm thick and under four pounds, the first ThinkPad Ultrabook is certainly svelte and falls on the more portable end of the spectrum for 14-inch PCs. Sadly there weren't any working models on hand, but we were able to get a good idea of what the aluminum chassis (covered in a soft-touch rubberized paint, of course) will look and feel like. The iconic red nub and unparalleled keyboard are in tow, as well as a large click pad. The demo unit was sporting a glossy screen, but when it ships early in the second half of the year it'll be packing an anti-glare panel. We were also impressed with the incredibly clean bottom panel which, while incredibly difficult to photograph, does hide the required pile of stickers and licensed keys that usually pollute the laptop's exterior. Check out the gallery below to see HDMI and SIM card slots that hide around the back and the usual cadre of SD slots, USB 3.0 and Ethernet ports that populate the sides.
Lenovo's ThinkPad T430u Ultrabook targets the business set with discrete graphics and 1TB in storage, arrives in Q3 for $849
While plenty of companies will spend CES showing off their first Ultrabooks, Lenovo is already going back for seconds. The outfit just announced the ThinkPad T430u, a more business-focused follow-up to the IdeaPad U300s we reviewed back in November. More than anything, though, what has us intrigued is that it packs optional NVIDIA graphics, making this the first so-called Ultrabook we've seen with a dedicated GPU. Add in a 14-inch (1366 x 768) display, up to 1TB of hard drive storage and a modest six hours of rated battery life, and it sounds more like a full-fledged laptop than an Ultrabook. Semantics aside, with a starting price of $849 this could be a tempting deal for businesses looking to outfit their employees with something portable, well-performing and inexpensive. Not to mention, it might just be a worthy competitor to the HP Folio, our favorite business-centric Ultrabook at the moment. Just make sure IT can wait patiently -- the T430u isn't slated to go on sale until Q3 of this year.
Lenovo ThinkPad X130e delayed until February, early-adopting school districts to blame
We'll be honest: when Lenovo said it would ship the new student-friendly ThinkPad X130e starting on December 20th, we didn't actually program an alert in our calendars, reminding us to place our orders on the very first day it became available. But it looks like at least a few you did just that, and were quite taken with this durable 11.6-inch laptop. As it turns out, though, you'll have to wait a little longer to get yours -- Lenovo's product page is now saying it won't be available for individual purchase until February. Apparently, it's because the X130e's rubber bumper, recessed ports, reinforced hinge and Core i3 / Fusion innards were just too irresistible to educators: a Lenovo rep told us all the early units have been scooped up by hungry school districts, meaning individual students and other fans of inexpensive, ruggedized laptops will have to wait for a later batch.[Thanks, Markus]
Lenovo's rugged ThinkPad X130e targets students, arrives December 20 for $469
When we first spotted leaked photos of Lenovo's ThinkPad X130e, we just kind of assumed it was the next-gen successor to the X120e, which we reviewed almost a year ago. Well, you know what happens when you A-S-S-U-M-E, right? Turns out, there is indeed an X130e, but it's intended specifically for students. The company just made its official announcement, and explained that that rugged design we've been hearing about isn't meant to protect it from careless baggage handlers at the airport so much as freewheeling six year-olds. Though Lenovo's already had a hand in Intel's Classmate project, this is the first time it's released a classroom-ready laptop under the ThinkPad brand, red pointing stick and all. Of all the kid-proof touches, the more obvious ones include a rubber bumper ringing the plastic lid, along with a thicker bezel shielded by 1.2mm of plastic. It also has recessed, reinforced ports, an accelerometer to protect the hard drive and a hinge rated for 30,000 cycles. Of course, the result of all this ruggedizing is that the X130e is fairly heavy for an 11-incher, at 3.9 pounds (1.78kg). Otherwise, though, its specs are pretty much what you'd expect in an 11.6-inch laptop. For starters, it's offered with an Intel Core i3-2367M processor, as well as AMD Fusion E-300 and E-450 APUs. It comes with 2GB of RAM (upgradeable to 8GB), up to 500GB in storage, Bluetooth 3.0 and a 6-cell battery rated for 8.5 hours of battery life. Lenovo's also added its RapidBoot technology, promising a sub-20-second startup time. It also has three USB 2.0 sockets, HDMI, VGA, Ethernet, a combined headphone / mic port and a 4-in-1 memory card reader. And, because Lenovo is also selling these to schools, it'll customize the laptops by tweaking the BIOS and tricking out the lid in assorted colors. It'll go on sale on Lenovo's site starting December 20th for $469 and up. Until then, we've got some candy-colored press photos below. %Gallery-140929%
Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet gets probed by the FCC, will play nicely with all the networks
Mr. & Mrs. Lenovo packed young ThinkPad Tablet on its big trip to Washington, smiling all the while. When it arrived, it was dragged into the FCC's underground bunker and subjected to horrifying experiments by our boys in blue lab coats. Turns out they were looking to see what kind of gear it was packing. They stumbled upon a Qualcomm Gobi 3000, which will happily connect to AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile's 3G internet (nothing faster, though). To show there were no hard feelings, the FCC approved the Tablet and handed it a carton of juice before sending it on its way.
Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet review
Lenovo adds ThinkPad X1 to laptop comparison guide, outs IPS screen, USB 3.0, and optional SSD Turkish company builds 65-inch Android 'tablet' with Honeycomb, 1080p support (video) Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet gets probed by the FCC, will play nicely with all the networks When Lenovo announced a pair of Android tablets this summer, we didn't even pretend it was the IdeaPad K1 we were most jazzed about. Sure, it was exciting to see Lenovo enter the Android tablet market on any terms, but it was the ThinkPad Tablet that set our curious minds rolling. There was the design, for one -- an obvious homage to those black, red-nubbed laptops with the same name. It has personality, one that's inextricably tied to Lenovo's laptop know-how. It offers a full-sized USB port, an SD slot, 1080p output, a 3G SIM and a slew of accessories that includes a dock, pen and keyboard folio case. It's the kind of tablet we don't review all that often: one that might actually make for some painless productivity on the road. As you can imagine, we've been waiting months to learn more, and if your tweets, comments and emails are any indication, so have you. Well, wait no more, friends. We've been spending almost a week with one and have oh-so much to say. So what are you waiting for? Meet us past the break, won't you? %Gallery-134930%
Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet now available for order, priced at $500 and up
It's been a while coming, but Lenovo's ThinkPad tablet has finally made its way to market. As expected, the line of Honeycomb slates is now available for order on the company's product page, with the 16GB, WiFi-only model priced at $500 and 3G-enabled versions going for $570 (32GB) and $670 (64GB). The 10.1-inch, NVIDIA Tegra 2-powered tablets are expected to begin shipping on August 29th, but you can order one now, at the source link below. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet gets an August 23rd release
Lenovo had a bit of an issue saving the date for its summer tablet launch, but no longer. Confirmed via a product page on the company's site, its Honeycomb-flavored ThinkPad Tablet will finally hit retailers' shelves on August 23rd. If you're not into waiting that long, you can always snag the IdeaPad K1 -- we hear Lisa Stansfield recommends it. [Thanks, Jeff]
Lenovo launches 11.6-inch ThinkPad x121e for Europe, the Japanese market
It's a curious thing about consumer electronics: they often disappear as fast as they hit shelves. That's kind of what happened with Lenovo's ThinkPad x120e: months after our glowing review, it vanished from the company's online store, never to return. (You can still find it through Amazon and other retailers.) And though it remains MIA, Lenovo did just unveil the 11.6-inch ThinkPad x121e for Europe and the Japanese market -- a clear preview of what's on the horizon for us Yanks. This time around, it packs an Intel Core i3-2357 CPU, an AMD Fusion E-350 chip, or a Fusion C-50 APU. Other specs include a 1366 x 768 panel, up to 320GB in HDD storage (or a 128GB solid-state drive), HDMI and VGA out, three USB 2.0 ports (one of them powered), a 4-in-1 memory card reader, and, in some configurations, a WiMAX radio. Depending on the model, it comes with a three- or six-cell battery, the latter of which promises a max of eight-plus hours of battery life if you pair it with an Intel-based system. It's on sale now for Japanese business customers with general availability coming at the end of this month, and it's also listed on various European sites. Lenovo's US division told us it doesn't yet have a timetable to share, so for now you'll just have hit the source links and settle for a vicarious thrill. %Gallery-127749%
Lenovo ThinkPad, IdeaPad tablets coming later this month?
Well, what do we have here? From the looks of it, we've got ourselves launch dates for a slate of new Lenovo tablets. A little note from the outfit's Affiliate Program, pictured above, shows the Android-packing IdeaPad K1 will, unsurprisingly, debut in late June or July, with a June 28th arrival being pegged for its rumored ThinkPad tablet. What's more, we could see a refresh of the company's IdeaCentre nettop coming our way August 30th. Looks like this summer could be a hot one for Lenovo, but we'll just have to wait and see how things pan out. Update: We just heard from the folks at Lenovo, and they're saying the dates here are "no longer valid." Unfortunately, that sounds like an unwanted delay to us, but we'll keep you posted as we hear more.
Some Lenovo ThinkPad X220 owners report downthrottling, reduced performance
No matter how much time we spend with a laptop while we review it, there are some things that are just harder to gauge -- namely, what happens once you've owned the thing for a while and the Sandy Bridge-fueled honeymoon comes to an end. That couldn't be more true of the Lenovo ThinkPad X220, one of our favorite ultraportables at the moment. We're seeing assorted reports from folks whose machines keep downthrottling to 800MHz, even when they're plugged in, set to the maximum performance profile, and not overheating. The result, they say, is slower HDD and SSD performance and reduced random read / write speeds, among other pernicious side effects. Worse, the only reliable solution so far seems to be shutting down the system and performing a cold boot. (For some -- but not all -- disabling Intel Speedstep and / or CPU Power Management in the BIOS works, too.) Judging by the threads in Lenovo's user forum, the company is definitely aware of the problem, though it's unclear if it's found a fix yet. We've pinged Lenovo for comment and will let you know what we hear. In the meantime, how's your X220 treating you?
Lenovo T420s and W520 notebooks hit the streets, one with Quadro Optimus graphics
You knew they were coming, but today it's time to choose -- will you withstand the temptation of a tricked-out ThinkPad W520 workstation or T420s thin-and-light with Sandy Bridge CPUs? Yes, Lenovo's rolling out the red eraserheads this month for Intel's new chips as fast as it possibly can, with these latest two models hot on the heels of the ThinkPad T420 and T520 and ThinkPad Edge E420s. The $1,199 14-inch T420s distinguishes itself with slightly slimmer construction, a 1600 x 900 resolution and a 2.5GHz Core i5-2520M CPU in a package that weighs less than four pounds -- strangely, there's no Core i7 or discrete graphics here -- while the $1,449 W520 workstation comes standard with a 2.7GHz Core i7-2620M chip and an NVIDIA Quadro 1000M GPU with Optimus graphics-switching tech. Of course, the W520 base configuration comes with only a 15.6-inch, 1366 x 768 screen, but don't you fret -- an additional cash infusion can get you a 1600 x 900 or even a full 1080p display to render your video with. Go ahead, spec them out to your heart's content, while we wait for an even more groundbreaking rig to drop from the ThinkPad heavens.
The dual-core Sandy Bridge laptops have arrived! Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Sony start shipping systems
If your eyes have been glued to Engadget this week, you've noticed that there have been quite a few new laptops unveiled. Sure, Samsung's rail-thin Series 9 stole a lot of the glory, but Dell and ASUS also rolled out a few new Intel Sandy Bridge systems. But something else big happened this week in the portable computer world -- a good number of the dual-core Sandy Bridge systems finally started shipping to you laptop-loving people. Wait, but didn't that happen back at CES? Not quite: while Intel announced the availability of Sandy Bridge back in January, it only started to ship its quad-core chips -- now all the dual-core Core i3, i5, and i7s are ready and so are the systems that house 'em. We've gathered a list of the rigs that are now up for order or hitting retailers. Hit that read more link for a breakdown, and start deciding if you need some fresh dual-core power in your life.
Lenovo ThinkPad X220 and X220 convertible tablet official, 24 hours of battery life promised
Come on, you knew this one was coming! Yep, that leaked Lenovo ThinkPad X220 with all its SSD and display options is now the real deal, and it's one heck of an ultraportable. Just as we saw from that spec sheet, the new 12.5-inch (up from the 12.1-inch X201) laptop is configurable with that 1366x768-resolution IPS display, your choice of standard voltage Sandy Bridge Core i3, i5, and i7 processors, and up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM. There are no discrete graphics options, but you can opt to configure this one with USB 3.0 and a selection SSDs, including Intel's 80GB and 160GB offerings. The 720p webcam, dual digital microphones for noise cancellation, and the new buttonless touchpad (aka ClickPad) come standard. However, the real story Lenovo's trying to tell here is in battery life -- with the nine-cell battery the system is rated for 15 hours of endurance, but snap on the $179 ThinkPad external pack and it shoots on up to 24 hours. Thought Lenovo was going to leave the X Series tablet out in the cold without a refresh? Of course not, the X220T also sips from that same fresh Sandy Bridge well, though it doesn't claim that same 24 hour battery life feat -- the four-pound convertible is rated for 16 hours of run time when paired with the external pack. Oh, and did we mention that the multitouch screen is now available with Gorilla Glass? The X220 and the X220T start at $899 and $1,199, respectively, but won't actually be available until April. That said, our Core i5-2520M X220 and its extended battery just arrived in our "lab" so stay tuned for a full review with lots of endurance testing. Until then, hit the break for the full PR and the gallery below from some images. %Gallery-118550%
Lenovo trots out new ThinkPad T, L, and W series laptops
It feels like just yesterday that Lenovo unleashed a serious amount of Sandy Bridge laptops at CES, but left out of the bunch were the more traditional ThinkPad T, L and W models. Well, Lenovo's got those on its mind right now, and each is being refreshed with Intel's latest Core 2011 processors, NVIDIA Optimus or ATI discrete graphics, and improved VoIP features. One even promises 30 hours of battery life! Yep, there are a few key updates coming to each series, so hit the break for a short breakdown of each of those, and don't forget to peruse the glossy press shots below. %Gallery-117243% %Gallery-117242%
Lenovo ThinkPad X120e won't ship until March 8th
We really hate to be the bearer of bad news, but unfortunately, that's exactly what we're about to do. Yep, you read that extremely disappointing headline correctly -- while the 11.6-inch Lenovo ThinkPad X120e, which we just recently reviewed and liked quite a bit, was supposed to start shipping on February 15th (that's tomorrow), the ship date has just slipped to March 6th. Lenovo wouldn't give us a reason for the delay or confirm whether it had to do with some of the slight video playback / graphics issues we had, but we do know that those lusting after a ThinkPad sprinkled with some fresh AMD Fusion Zacate will have to wait a few more weeks. Again, our deep apologies for having to tell you this news, but we promise to make it up to you someday, somehow.
Lenovo ThinkPad X200 clone takes us back, way back
Back in 2008, Lenovo's ThinkPad X200 was getting folks all hot and bothered, and it seems some people never cooled down. If you're one of the few looking to reignite the flames sparked when your first laid eyes on the laptop, take a look at this impressively rendered knockoff. Despite the absence of a Lenovo logo and slightly off dimensions, it really does look like the X200, -- that is, until you look under the hood. The original sports a 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo processor, while the knockoff's got a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450; the real deal has SSDs up to 64GB, while the fake doesn't even have the option; and finally, the impostor lacks 4GB RAM upgradability. According to M.I.C. Gadget, the ThinkPad clone rings in at 1900 Chinese yuan (about $286), and can be purchased online, though we couldn't tell you where. Anyway, you weren't seriously considering it ... were you?
Sixty million ThinkPads sold to date, Lenovo updates the T Series with NVIDIA Optimus in celebration
Boy, have we covered scores of ThinkPad laptops in the last few years -- everything from the introduction of the X300 to the first dualscreen W700 workstation to the older R50e that left unforgettable burn marks in a mattress have graced our internet pages. We apologize for getting all nostalgic, but hearing that sales of ThinkPad laptops will surpass 60 million this month just gets us all sappy. Actually, Lenovo's estimating that 14 ThinkPad laptops are sold every 60 seconds -- it's certainly impressive, but obviously the history of the company's business laptops must go onward and upward. And the updated T Series is a step in that direction. Starting today, the T410, T410s and T510 will have an NVIDIA NVS 3100M GPU option and rely on Optimus to take care of the dynamically switching between the integrated and discrete graphics. While we're a bit bummed they're not using the newest 400M Series, the rigs are the first with Optimus to be able to dock and then drive four simultaneous displays. All T Series models are available with Core i5 CPU options and a selection of hard drives / SSD options -- the T410 / T510 will start at $1,299 and the thinner T410s at $1,849. We guess this is where we raise our coffee mugs and say, "Here's to the next 60 mil, Lenovo!" %Gallery-104219% Update: Hot Hardware is reporting that Lenovo's tinkered with the Optimus implementation a bit so that both the integrated and discrete GPUs can run at the same time. Hit the more coverage link for some more information.
Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 11 announced with Intel and AMD options, denied US citizenship
Well, isn't this a pleasant surprise! Lenovo's expanding its ThinkPad Edge family once again, and this time it's adding the 11.6-inch Edge 11. Just like the X100e, the "notbook" -- our word for an ultraportable that looks like a netbook but isn't as slow and weak -- is available with AMD's single and dual-core Nile platform, and also Intel Core i3 / i5 processor options. Certainly you're thinking it sounds and looks like a nice laptop, but Lenovo's not planning to release it stateside anytime soon. Apparently, the X100e will continue to be the 11-inch option in the US, while the Edge 11 will be spreading its wings overseas -- the AMD version will start at $450 and the Intel version at around $550. Of course, we could keep telling you about what the machine is available with and without, or we could just point you in the direction of our piping hot review. Although, before you jump over to a new tab you may also want to check out the full press release after the break or peruse some of the glossy press shots below. How's that for options? %Gallery-103397%
