Tech News and Reviews
Posts tagged Lenovo
Lenovo IdeaPad U160 review
Aug 4th
An 11.6-inch laptop with a Core i7 processor. Does the Lenovo IdeaPad U160 really need more of an introduction than that? Believe it or not, the ultrathin laptop you’re peering at above isn’t much larger than a 10-inch netbook, but instead of packing underpowered parts (ahem, Atom) its got one of Intel’s most powerful ultra-low voltage processors. For $1,149, the U160 is meant for highly mobile power users, but also those with a portable fan and a bag that can fit a few extra laptop batteries. We’ll explain it all in our full review after the break.
Lenovo’s multitouch IdeaCentre B305 all-in-one now shipping
Jul 15th
Looking for something a bit more basic (and less expensive) than Lenovo’s A300 series of all-in-one PCs? Then you might want to consider the company’s IdeaCentre B305, which is now finally shipping after making its debut back in May. It’ll set you back just $699, which will get you a 21.5-inch, 1920 x 1080 multitouch display, a 2.7GHz AMD Athlon II X2 235e AM3 processor, 2GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive, and a DVD burner, among other standard fare — higher-end configurations are also available, of course, and top out at $949.
Lenovo IdeaCentre A300 now on sale, offers less value for more money
May 27th
If you set your heart on the sexy, swiveling Lenovo IdeaCentre A300 desktop when you saw it at CES, the time has come to lay down your cash — the all-in-one PC is now available for order. It’s kind of a shame that it’ll take eighteen days to arrive on your doorstep after you write the check, and we’re not terribly jazzed that there are only two last-gen Core 2 Duo Mobile configurations on offer for hundreds of dollars more than Lenovo originally promised, but hey — form over function, right? Just make sure you opt for the $950 version if you plan to watch any LOST reruns on the glossy 21.5-inch screen, as Lenovo no longer includes a TV tuner in the base model. Yeah, what with the company calling it a “hi-def TV” and all, we’re as surprised by that omission as you.
Lenovo’s 15.6-inch IdeaPad Y560 laptop goes on sale
May 14th
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 adds touch to IdeaCentre A700 and B305 all-in-ones, vies for your desktop dollars with H320
May 12th
While keeping the overdesigned aesthetic of their IdeaCentre brandmates, the new A700 and B305 (above) all-in-ones from Lenovo are moving things forward with optional touchscreens and freshened up spec sheets. The A700 offers the full range of Intel’s Core 2010 laptop CPUs, but tops things off with the slightly older 45nm Core i7-820QM, which gives you four cores operating at a somewhat pedestrian 1.73GHz default speed that can be cranked up to 3.06GHz when circumstances demand it. Other specs include a 1080p 23-inch display, built-in 802.11a/b/g/n wireless, and a side-mounted Blu-ray drive. If you’re feeling extravagant, you can even cram in 8GB of DDR3 RAM, but don’t expect to be paying the $999 entry price for that package when these become available at the end of June.
Lenovo IdeaPad U Series updated with Core i3, i5, i7 ULV processors
May 12th
Well, thank you, Lenovo! Not only for updating the thin and light IdeaPad U Series laptops with new chiclet keyboards and ambient light sensors, but for finally giving us some details on Intel’s new Core i3, i5 and i7 ULV processors. That’s right, the new IdeaPad U lappies will be available at the beginning of June and will pack brand new Core 2010 ULV chips, which is in line with what we have heard about the release. Like the current U Series, the 11.6-inch U160, 13-inch U360,14-inch U460 and 15-inch U560 all measure less than an inch-thick and don’t weigh more than 3.8 pounds. And according to the spec sheets, all will be configurable with your pick of ultra-low-voltage Core i7 (1.6GHz Core i7-640UM, 1.06GHz Core i7-620UM), Core i5 (1.2GHz Core i5-540UM, 1.06GHz Core i5-520UM, 1.2GHz Core i5-430UM) and Core i3 (1.2GHz Core i3-330UM) processors. There’s no indication of discrete graphics options, but on the lower end there are also be Pentium and Celeron processor choices — we’re assuming the $679 starting SKU doesn’t get the Core 2010 ULV love. We don’t have any performance stats from Lenovo, but it does claim that the entire series continues to be all about portability and long battery life. Regardless, we’re still extremely excited about the entire group, though something about that 11.6-inch U160 and the ability to configure it with a Core i7 UM processor has us exceptionally giddy. We’re hoping to spend more time with these soon, but till then, be sure and check out the hands-on pics below.
Lenovo officially rolls out new IdeaPad Z Series
May 12th
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.
Lenovo’s eco-friendly ThinkPad L Series arrives cheaper and faster than expected
May 12th
Lenovo may not have had its ThinkPad L Series laptops out in time for Earth Day, but the company’s found an arguably even better incentive to help you help them save the environment: a nice fat upgrade and a small sale to commemorate their new availability. While we were originally told the $649 ThinkPad L412 would house a lowly Celeron P4500 inside its post-consumer-content housing, it appears Lenovo has decided against using that chip entirely — cue applause — in favor of the 2.13GHz Core i3-330. What’s more, both the 14-inch L412 and 15.6-inch L512 also come with double the memory (2GB in total) and are presently on sale for just $599. Not bad for a slab of recycled plastic, sand and assorted metals, eh?
Lenovo talks up LePhone, shows off app store ahead of May launch
Apr 22nd
Lenovo’s Android-based LePhone (not LePhono, sadly) may not be officially launching in China until next month, but the company did just hold a launch event of sorts in the country, in which it revealed a few new details and did a fair bit of boasting. According to The Wall Street Journal, Lenovo says that it’s aiming to sell “millions” of the phones in the next five years, and “tens of millions” after that — although not just involving this particular phone, obviously. Lenovo COO Rory Read also reportedly further added that the company is ready for a “tough fight” against Apple’s iPhone, and that Lenovo will have a “better brand position” that RIM, which hasn’t yet gained a significant foothold in China. That’s certainly plenty ambitious for a company new to the cellphone space, and should no doubt only further fuel those rumors of a certain acquisition. In other le news, Lenovo also apparently further demonstrated the tweaked version of Android that the handset will use (first seen at CES), and it has shown off its own app store for the first time, which can already be browsed at the site linked below.
Lenovo ThinkPad X100e review
Apr 1st
Ever since we first met Lenovo’s ThinkPad X100e at CES we’ve had it on a virtual pedestal as the perfect solution between a netbook and a larger 13- or 14-inch ULV ultraportable. That’s because in addition to carrying the renowned ThinkPad brand, its AMD Neo processor / ATI graphics combo promise more power than the typical Intel Atom N450-powered netbook, and with an 11.6-inch screen the chassis can accommodate a wider keyboard and touchpad. Sounds like the perfect mobile computer, right? Unfortunately, there are two things that hold the $549 X100e from being all we wanted it be. Thought we were going to give it up that easily? Pssh. Hit that read more link for the full review.
