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Distro Issue 84: The inside story behind the Lenovo ThinkPad redesign
Back at Expand, the folks at Lenovo unveiled the ThinkPad T431s, a unit that embodies an overhaul of the outfit's iconic laptop. The latest issue of our weekly magazine goes inside the process of balancing customer preference, perception and tradition with forward-facing design in order to construct the final model. As far as reviews go, Ableton Push, Sonos Playbar and Dell Latitude 10 all get put through their respective paces to tally up some final grades on each. Moog occupies both Eyes-On and the Q&A, Hands-On speed tests T-Mobile's LTE network and IRL has three more items that we've used on the daily. All of that and much more is a download away on your go-to e-reading gadget. Distro Issue 84 PDF Distro in the iTunes App Store Distro in the Google Play Store Distro in the Windows Store Distro APK (for sideloading) Like Distro on Facebook Follow Distro on Twitter
Lenovo ThinkPad Helix slated for April release in the US
Lenovo's still being vague about a release date for its ThinkPad Helix, but it's at least narrowed down the retail window somewhat. Though the 11.6-inch, 1080p Ultrabook had already been officially delayed and marked for a Spring release, the company is now confirming via its Twitter account that consumers can look for it to launch sometime in April. That's specifically for the US market, as no other word on overseas availability has been announced. When it does finally go on sale stateside, look for the reversible Windows 8 device to carry a $1,499 price tag and potential AT&T-friendly LTE.
Lenovo bringing contactless payments to certain NFC-enabled ThinkPads in 2013
Select ThinkPad owners may be making online purchases simply by tapping a compatible credit card to an embedded NFC reader before 2013 is through. Lenovo reps confirmed that the tech would be coming to a yet-to-be-announced array of NFC-enabled ThinkPad tablets or Ultrabooks sometime this year -- processing partnerships are still in the works, so we don't have any details to share there, but if all goes to plan, you could be submitting your card details securely and with ease very soon. The company shared the news during today's Expand conference in San Francisco, shortly after unveiling two new ThinkPad models, including the T431s Ultrabook. Lenovo hasn't confirmed whether that model will offer tap-to-pay support, too, but we certainly wouldn't rule it out. We've seen contactless payments in plenty of smartphones, of course, but widespread tablet and laptop implementation has yet to arrive. Follow all of Engadget's Expand coverage live from San Francisco right here!
Lenovo's Corinna Proctor and Jason Parrish backstage at Expand (video)
We spent some time on stage with two of the Lenovo's honchos to talk about how the ThinkPad brand has braved the test of time and take a look at what's next. The firm's Senior Research Manager Corinna Proctor and its director of ThinkPad strategy and planning stopped by backstage to chat a bit longer. We asked if Lenovo believes the ThinkPad name is being diluted by the likes of Yoga IdeaPads and other transforming hardware, how much love they're giving Windows 8 and if their success is tied to that of Microsoft's OS. Head past the jump to catch the full interview on video. Follow all of Engadget's Expand coverage live from San Francisco right here!
Lenovo's war-torn ThinkPad Terminator edition hands-on: it's not for sale... yet
During my discussions with Lenovo's team about the research involved in reshaping the ThinkPad line, they clued me in on the beast you see above. That, friends, is cutely referred to as the ThinkPad Terminator edition within Lenovo's walls, and it's essentially a prototype T431s that's stripped of its retail garb. The lid's paint is torn back in order to expose the edges that enable wireless radio transmissions to be sent and received, while the bottom has been left in its rawest form. Think of this as the space shuttle before its paint job, or Mr. Schwarzenegger before his green room appearance. The goal here was to showcase the underlying rigidity of the machine, without the retail coat of paint covering up the magic within. Obviously, Lenovo has no immediate plans to actually ship this thing, but I can assure you I'm begging the team to reconsider. Looking to join the cause? Go ahead and give 'em an idea of the premium you'd pay in comments if these were released in limited quantities. Or, just enjoy the gallery below. Follow all of Engadget's Expand coverage live from San Francisco right here! %Gallery-183000%
The inside story of Lenovo's ThinkPad redesign
"When you talk to end users about ports, they'll tell you how much they need them. They'll talk about the vast number of USB devices that they have. It's easy to hear that and determine that you need five or more ports based on what these people report. When you watch these people work, however, and you're more overt in your methods -- you rarely see that happening. "Sometimes, there's a conflict between what someone reports they need and what they require." So begins the backstory of the latest ThinkPad overhaul as told by Corinna Proctor, the senior research manager at Lenovo's User Research Center. Clearly versed in the art of separating whimsical wishes from bona fide requirements, she spoke to me in a phone interview alongside two of her colleagues in the run-up to today's unveiling of the redesigned ThinkPad T431s Ultrabook. The machine itself is still very much a ThinkPad -- it's black, it's understated and it's tough as nails -- but those who appreciate the evolution of technology will no doubt recognize some changes. Changes that began as mere notions some 18 months ago. %Gallery-183000%
Lenovo ThinkPad T431s Ultrabook: refined exterior, widened trackpad, shipping in April for $949
Lenovo's taking the wraps off of its newest ThinkPad here at Engadget Expand, but in fact, the T431s represents more than just a minor spec bump. It's actually the first ThinkPad borne out of Lenovo's latest "clean sheet" development initiative -- an 18-month process that the company briefed me on here. Regarding the laptop at hand, the 14-incher boasts a slimmer, sexier and more understated design, all while remaining very much a ThinkPad. It's being classified as an Ultrabook, yet it still meets the Mil-SPEC 8 standard for rigidity and durability. In other words, the weight loss isn't coming at the expense of ruggedness. As for specs, it's rocking a 1,600 x 900 matte display with 250 nits of brightness, integrated Intel HD graphics, a 720p front-facing webcam, 4GB of RAM (with optional upgrades boosting it as high as 12GB), a 47WHr (three-cell) sealed battery, an optionally backlit keyboard, Bluetooth 4.0 and built-in support for both WiFi and WWAN connections. It measures in at 13.03 x 8.89 x 0.8 inches while weighing 3.6 pounds, and it's easily one of the sturdiest Ultrabooks we've had the pleasure of wrapping our paws around.
Lenovo teases next-generation ThinkPad X series at Expand
Lenovo didn't hold back on the unveils here at Expand, and as if the ThinkPad T431s wasn't enough, the company just teased a next-generation of the X series ThinkPad line. In essence, what we saw is the future 12-inch, SSD-infused variant of the X230, gussied up in the same kind of motif that'll be first showcased on the 14-inch T431s. In other words, we're looking at a slimmer, more streamlined machine that boasts the outfit's new widened trackpad, remapped Function keys and a thinner bezel. We weren't given a price or release date, but we'll be sure to update with more as we get it. Follow all of Engadget's Expand coverage live from San Francisco right here! %Gallery-183060%
Live from Expand: Lenovo ThinkPad: From Research to Design (video)
Lenovo's ThinkPad line is now 20 years old, and we're taking sometime to chat with Lenovo execs to discuss what's made the brand so popular among business-minded folks. In addition, we'll also take a look at how the outfit has kept the line relevant, and nab an exclusive glimpse of the outfit's future plans. March 17, 2013 1:45 PM EDT For a full list of Expand sessions, be sure to check out our event hub.
Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 review
Before we talk about the ThinkPad Tablet 2, Lenovo's new Windows 8 hybrid, we need to talk about the original ThinkPad Tablet, the one that came out in fall of 2011 to mixed reviews. It was an okay device, when push came to shove, with useful features like a full-size USB port, 1080p output and pen support -- a rarity on Android tablets. But the tablet itself was bulky, performance was sluggish, battery life was mediocre and there weren't even that many Android apps designed to be used with a pen. It was a concept that didn't totally work -- at least not with that OS -- and indeed, Lenovo's long since discontinued it. Fast-forward to the present, and the ThinkPad Tablet's been resurrected in the form of a 10.1-inch Windows 8 device, one that starts at $579 and can be used with an optional keyboard dock. It's a much lighter product, at 1.3 pounds (down from 1.58), and although it uses a heavier-duty Atom processor, battery life is said to top out at about 10 hours. (The original lasted eight in our usual test.) Like the OG version, it allows for pen input on select models, but of course, Windows comes ready-made with a larger selection of apps where a pen might actually be useful. So is the second time a charm? In a word, yes.
Lenovo delays ThinkPad Helix, eyes a spring release
If you were biding your time until late February to pick up a ThinkPad Helix, we've got some bad news: Lenovo's revealed on Facebook that the convertible Ultrabook has been pushed back to a March or April release. For a refresher, the Helix packs an 11.6-inch 1080p Gorilla Glass display and carries a $1,499 price tag in its base configuration. Mum's the word on what's forced the flexible hardware closer to spring, but we've reached out to Lenovo for confirmation and more details. [Thanks, D]
ThinkPad T431s and X230s leak on Lenovo's site, mainly reveal design changes
Lenovo might not be ready to officially reveal the full 2013 ThinkPad range, but it's succeeded in sparking some early interest in the unannounced T431s and X230s by putting their manuals on its Chinese webpage. The documents don't tell us anything about what hardware will be found inside either machine, but as Laptop Reviews note, included diagrams do hint at what they might look like. Akin to the unreleased ThinkPad Helix and Edge notebooks, the traditional dedicated TrackPoint buttons below the keyboard have been done away with, in favor of integrating them into a larger trackpad. Something we also saw on the Helix that'll be carried through to the T431s and X230s is a slight alteration to the function keys -- they'll be the secondary use of hotkeys for brightness, volume and such, rather than the other way around. If the diagrams are accurate, another difference from the T430 and X230 2012 models will be the hinges, which'll sink part of the top panel behind the body, much like the X1 Carbon and Helix / Edge ThinkPads due later this year. Screen sizes, however, will remain unchanged: the X230s will have a 12.5-inch panel (1,366 x 768 res) and the T431s a 14-incher (1,600 x 900). While we're missing key hardware specs at the moment, at least potential buyers can start pondering whether they'll be down for the design revisions or not. We've linked the PDF manuals below, but if you're looking for more than illustrations, you'll either need to know Chinese or be prepared to get busy with a translator.
Lenovo adopts Chrome OS, intros ThinkPad X131e Chromebook for schools
The Chromebook world has really amounted to a two-horse town: you've had to like either Acer's designs or Samsung's if you've wanted Chrome OS on the move. Lenovo is at last pushing out the borders, however slightly, with the ThinkPad X131e Chromebook. As suggested by the name, it's a subtle adaptation of the existing X131e to Google's platform, where the only real hardware difference is AMD's removal from the options list. The software really is the point, though -- Lenovo sees the combination of a rugged, 11.6-inch laptop with web-only software as being perfect for schools that don't want headaches with damage, security or storage. Accordingly, the only ones buying as of the February 26th launch will be institutional customers making volume bids. The Lenovo Chromebook won't affect most grown-ups as a result, but it could shake up an OS ecosystem that has remained tiny for more than two years.
Lenovo intros the ThinkPad Edge E431 and E531 with new trackpad, charging connector (video)
It's CES, which means if a company is going to show up, it may as well go all out with the product announcements. Lenovo, for its part, is getting a head start. The show doesn't actually kick off for another two days, but the company has already unveiled a slew of desktops, laptops and Ultrabooks (and one travel monitor, to boot). Now it's rounding things out by introducing a couple notebooks for its small business customers. These include the ThinkPad Edge E431 and E531, both mainstream laptops with optical drives and optional touchscreens. More important than speeds and feeds, though, the company is ushering in a redesigned trackpad, one that gets rid of those secondary buttons meant to be used with the TrackPoint. (They're now built into the touchpad, clickpad-style.) Eventually this will become the standard across all ThinkPads -- a move that will probably cheese off ThinkPad diehards, but please newcomers who'd rather have a larger touchpad. Additionally, the company unveiled a proprietary new charging standard called OneLink, which uses a single cable for charging, video and data. To go with it, Lenovo also unveiled the OneLink dock, a peripheral with four USB ports, HDMI and an Ethernet jack. Lenovo says OneLink will also become standard for the ThinkPad line, so we're guessing more accessories like this aren't far off. Other than the difference in screen size (14 and 15 inches, respectively) the specs on those two laptops are largely the same: up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, eight hours of battery life and a Core i7 option at the high end. The screen resolution tops out at 1,600 x 900, and if you get the 14-inch version, you can choose between a glossy or matte finish (the 15-incher is matte only). They'll also be offered with a 1GB or 2GB NVIDIA GPU, though Lenovo hasn't said which one. As for the dock, it sports USB, Ethernet, HDMI, VGA and audio inputs. It also sounds like it's just the first in a series of OneLink accessories, so look out for more news on that front. For now, though, this first batch of products is scheduled to ship in May, with the laptops starting at $539 and the dock priced at $99. For now, check out some hands-on photos after the break along with a quick video highlighting the new trackpad and charging port. Follow all the latest CES 2013 news at our event hub.
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 ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch review: one of our favorite Ultrabooks gets a touchscreen
When Lenovo came out with the ThinkPad X1 Carbon, it seemed like precisely the sort of thing ThinkPad fans had been waiting for: an ultraportable with fast performance, a crisp 1,600 x 900 screen and, of course, one well-engineered keyboard. In fact, we deemed it one of our favorite Ultrabooks -- not just for businesspeople, but for everyone. The thing is, it arrived just before Windows 8 went on sale, which means four months after its release it's already a bit outdated. Enter the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch: it's more or less the X1 Carbon you know and love, except it has a touchscreen allowing for finger input. (Don't worry, that signature red pointing stick hasn't gone anywhere.) So is this basically just an even better version of the original X1 Carbon? And is it worth that steep $1,499 starting price (a $250 premium over the non-touch version)? Let's find out.
Lenovo announces the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch, available now for $1,399 and up
We can't say we're surprised by this news, seeing as how Lenovo leaked it on its own site three weeks ago. Still, it's nice to get official confirmation, isn't it? Like we told you, Lenovo is releasing a touchscreen version of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Ultrabook, appropriately called the X1 Carbon Touch. And, as expected, it's on sale this month. Today, actually, starting at $1,399 -- a $150 premium over the non-touch model. Like the regular X1 Carbon, it has a 14-inch, 1,600 x 900 screen, a carbon fiber chassis, an Ivy Bridge chipset, built-in 3G and a backlit ThinkPad keyboard, complete with that signature red pointing stick. The main difference is that the touchscreen makes this a bit thicker and heavier (20.8mm and "less than" 3.5 pounds, versus three pounds and 18mm thick for the non-touch model). Even then, 3.4 pounds is still lighter than some 13-inch Ultrabooks we've seen. In fact, Lenovo is billing it as the world's lightest 14-inch Ultrabook, though we all know how short-lived such distinctions are. As for battery life, Lenovo rates this for 8.2 hours of runtime. If true, that would be very good news indeed, given that we've yet to test a touchscreen Ultrabook with decent battery life.
Lenovo ThinkPad tab revisits FCC packing 3G radio, no LTE
Though it still lacks an official moniker, Lenovo's so-called Thinkpad tablet (aka the TP00043AEF) is racking up copious frequent flyer miles with yet another journey past the FCC's prying eyes. This time, the Windows 8 slate is packing WCDMA II and V radios, the 3G bands supported by AT&T in the US and Canada's Bell Mobility, but with a notable lack of an LTE band. All that rules out Europe as a possible destination for this particular flavor of the tab, meaning it's likely to end up in Asia or North and South America for mobile data customers who don't need gobs of hustle. As far as we know, it's still the same 10.1-inch tablet with a 1,366 x 768 display, some form of Intel Clover Trail CPU and an 8MP camera, but we've still no idea as to delivery or price. Hopefully we'll have more info soon, but meanwhile, if another of the legion Windows 8 tablets out there doesn't suit you, check the source for all the radiographic minutiae.
Has Lenovo's IdeaTab Lynx just been spotted on the FCC's holodeck?
As you can see from the picture, somewhere, deep within the FCC's subterranean Washington bunker is a Holodeck. Down there, brave scientists seem to be examining a Lenovo-branded Windows tablet that shares some stylings with the company's Transformer-esque IdeaTab Lynx. Given that the holiday season is nearly upon us, and FCC certification is normally a sign of impending availability, perhaps we won't have long to wait before we learn the truth.
Lenovo ThinkPad Twist review: an old form factor gets new life with Windows 8
It used to be that "convertible PC" could mean only one thing: a laptop whose display swiveled around, folding down into tablet mode. Now that Windows 8 is here, though, the category has become a bit muddied. How else to describe our recent collection of reviews? In just the past few weeks alone, we've tested a laptop whose screen folds all the way back, an Ultrabook whose display flips inside the hinge and yet another with a slide-out keyboard. Anything goes -- at least until consumers decide which form factor they like best. But when Lenovo calls its new ThinkPad Twist a convertible, you can rest assured it's using the old-school definition. As the name implies, it has a rotating screen that allows it to be used as a 12-inch slate. And, like all the business-friendly ThinkPads that came before it, it sports a well-engineered keyboard, a secondary set of touch buttons and, of course, that signature red pointing stick. Now, though, it runs a much more finger-friendly OS, and has a touchpad that can support all the new gestures in Windows 8. It's one of several new touch-capable notebooks from Lenovo, but it's the only one geared toward business users. So is this worth the upgrade from an older ThinkPad? And is it a better buy than Lenovo's other Win 8 convertible, the IdeaPad Yoga 13? Read on to find out.%Gallery-171580%