Lenovo Reveals Portfolio of Idea PCs Primed for Windows 8

Press release:

Lenovo Reveals Portfolio of Idea PCs Primed for Windows 8

New IdeaPad Laptops and IdeaCentre Desktops Designed for Mobility and
Productivity in the PC-Plus Era

IFA 2012, Berlin– August 31, 2012: Today at the IFA consumer electronics show, Lenovo (HKSE: 0992) (ADR: LNVGY) introduced a comprehensive update of its Idea-branded consumer PCs, including a new IdeaPad® U Series Ultrabook, IdeaPadY and Z Series laptops, and IdeaCentre®A and B Series all-in-one (AIO) desktops. Powered by third generation Intel® Core™ processors or AMD A-Series processors, Lenovo’s new PCs offer consumers a variety of style, color and performance options, designed for the upcoming Windows 8 operating system.

 

“Our latest Idea-branded products offer more comfort, simplicity and responsiveness than ever before,” said Wei Jun, vice president, Idea Product Group, Lenovo. “Designed for an optimal Windows 8 experience, users can enjoy up to 10-finger multi-touch for versatile computing; Intelligent TouchPad for easy scrolling, zooming and rotating; Lenovo Cloud for media sharing between devices; and the Windows Store for access to thousands of entertaining and useful apps. These new Idea PCs embody our commitment to deliver products that reflect the style and energy of the user.”

 

IdeaPad U510 Ultrabook – Ultra Thin, Ultra Light

Following in the footsteps of its fashionable predecessors, the U310 and U410, the 15-inch IdeaPad U510 combines the best features of a traditional laptop with the sleek aesthetics and desirable qualities of a tablet. Measuring just 21mm thickand weighing under 2.2kg, the U510 combines high-performance technologies for ultra-responsive computing and instant-on system resume in just over a second, including up to a third generation Intel Core i7 processor, and as much as 1TB of HDD storage with an optional 32GB solid state drive cache, and a battery life of up to six hours. The U510 is also equipped with an integrated DVD reader/writer or Blu-ray Disc™ drive.

 

IdeaPad Y400 and Y500 – Multimedia Powerhouses

The latest offerings in Lenovo’s Y Series, the IdeaPad Y400 and Y500, are mobile gaming and multimedia powerhouses. Designed to perform, the Y400 and Y500 feature the unique UltraBay—an interchangeable bay that users can instantly swap out for dual graphics capability, increased storage space or an additional fan for cooling. Whether editing photos and videos or playing computer games, the laptops can handle almost any intensive task thrown at them. Each model is equipped with up to third generation Intel® Core i7 processors, NVIDIA® GeForce® GT655M 2GB dual graphics, up to 16GB DDR3 memory, and as much as 1TB of HDD storage. With looks to match, they also feature an eye-catching carbon fiber patterned cover, 14-inch and 15.6-inch LED backlit widescreen HD displays, and a dual-layer backlit AccuType keyboard with a large one-piece touchpad. The IdeaPad Y400 and Y500 also include JBL® speakers and Dolby® Home Theater® v4—a perfect audio complement when watching HD videos.

 

IdeaPad Z400 and Z500 – Slim, Powerful Laptops

The Z400 and Z500 are 25 percent slimmer than a standard laptop², without compromising on processor or graphic performance. Equipped with up to third generation standard voltage Intel Core i7 processors, instead of the low-voltage processors used on ultraportable notebooks, the Z400 and Z500 are available in a range of colors, including coral blue, dark chocolate, peony pink, and enamel white, have a soft-touch exterior and a 14-inch or 15.6-inch LED backlit HD widescreen display, respectively. Combined with the latest NVIDIA GeForce graphics technology, smart features like Intelligent Touchpad and access to Lenovo Cloud, the Z400 and Z500 laptops offer users a slim laptop with robust performance.

 

IdeaCentre A520 – Slim, Stunning and Space Saving 23-inch AIO PC

The stylish IdeaCentre A520 is cast from the same striking mold as its multi-award-winning predecessor, the IdeaCentre A720, but with a more compact 23-inch frameless 1080p full HD display that starts at US$999. The A520 supports 10-point multi-touch with a widely adjustable screen angle (from -5 to 90^o flat) and IPS LED with perfect picture at any angle, so users can watch movies, play touch-based games or enjoy video chat in any position. The A520 comes with up to 3^rd generation Intel Core i7 processors with  Intel HD Graphics 4000 and as much as 8GB DDR3 of memory with up to 1TB of HDD storage. Additional features include Dolby® certified speakers with Dolby® Home Theater® v4, optional Blu-ray Disc, and a range of touch-optimized multimedia applications and games.

 

IdeaCentre B340, B345 and B545 AIOs – The Home Entertainment Hub

Lenovo B Series all-in-one desktop PCs come packed with fun entertainment features right out of the box. Multimedia entertainment comes alive on the 21.5-inch (B340 and B345) and 23-inch (B545) with full HD widescreen frameless displays that support state-of-the-art 3D vision—with two pairs of glasses included—and 10-point multi-touch technologies. The B Series all-in-ones use more powerful processors and components designed for desktop tower PCs. Available with up to 3^rd generation Intel Core i7 or AMD quad core processors and cutting-edge NVIDIA® GeForce® 615 2GB (B340) or AMD Radeon™ HD7470A 1GB (B345 and B545) graphics, users can also enjoy a great gaming experience. VESA mount compatibility gives users flexibility on where to situate their all-in-one in the home, while optional TV tuner provides great access to HDTV.

 

Pricing and Availability¹

The IdeaPad U510 will be available September 2012 starting at US$679.

 

The IdeaPad Y400 and Y500 will be available October 2012 starting at US$649.

 

The IdeaPad Z400 will be available November 2012 starting at US$549.

 

The IdeaPad Z500 will be available September 2012 starting at US$549.

 

The Lenovo IdeaCentre A520 will be available October 2012 starting at US$999.

 

The IdeaCentre B340 and B345 will be available October 2012 starting at US$599.

 

The IdeaCentre B545 was available in April starting at US$699.

 

For the latest Lenovo news, subscribe to Lenovo RSS feeds or follow Lenovo on Twitter, Facebookand Youtube.

 

About Lenovo
Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) is a $US30 billion personal technology company serving customers in more than 160 countries, and the world’s second-largest PC vendor. Dedicated to building exceptionally engineered PCs and mobile internet devices, Lenovo’s business is built on product innovation, a highly-efficient global supply chain and strong strategic execution. Formed by Lenovo Group’s acquisition of the former IBM Personal Computing Division, the company develops, manufactures and markets reliable, high-quality, secure and easy-to-use technology products and services. Its product lines include legendary Think-branded commercial PCs and Idea-branded consumer PCs, as well as servers, workstations, and a family of mobile internet devices, including tablets and smart phones. Lenovo has major research centers in Yamato, Japan; Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, China; and Raleigh, North Carolina. For more information, see www.lenovo.com.

 

¹Prices do not include tax or shipping and are subject to change without notice and is tied to specific terms and conditions. Reseller prices may vary. Price does not include all advertised features. All offers subject to availability. Lenovo reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications at any time without notice.

 

²The phrase “standard laptop” refers to products such as Lenovo G470/570/480/580, IdeaPad Y470/570/480/580, Z470/570/480/580 which have maximum thickness ranging from 32-35mm.

 

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Lenovo Ushers in New Affordable, Thin and Light S Series Laptops

Press release from Lenovo:

Lenovo Ushers in New Affordable, Thin and Light S Series Laptops

 Full-featured laptops tout ultraportable design withmainstream performance and price

IFA 2012, Berlin – August 30, 2012: Today at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin, Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) announced the expansion its ultraportable IdeaPad® product line with the IdeaPad S300, S400, and S405 laptops. These affordable thin and light laptops strike a balance between portability and performance for consumers who want more computing power than a netbook and longer battery life than a traditional laptop, without the premium price of an Ultrabook™.

Measuring just 21.9mm thin (less than one inch) and weighing 1.8kg (less than four lbs), the S Series features a sleek exterior design with a stylish metallic finish powered by either 3rd generation Intel® Core™ or AMD A-Series processors. The S Series laptops combine comfort, simplicity and responsiveness to give consumers an inexpensive PC with quality construction and solid performance.

“As a global leader in the PC market, Lenovo’s success rests on our ability to deliver consumer-centric innovations in products that deliver a blend of mobility, performance and price,” said Bai Peng, vice president and general manager, IdeaPad Business Unit, Lenovo. “Customers don’t just want a functional product, though; they also want one that speaks to their sense of style and individuality. The new Lenovo IdeaPad S Series laptops give everyday consumers exactly what they need by matching small size and light weight with the power needed for everything from Web browsing to productivity tasks, all in an affordable package.”  

Powerful and intelligent

Equipped with the latest technology, the Lenovo IdeaPad S300 and S400 laptops are available with Intel’s 3rd generation Core™ i3 or i5 processors, while the IdeaPad S405 is packed with up to AMD A8 quad core processors. Up to 500GB hard disk storage capacity (up to 1TB HDD in the S405) offers plenty of space to store music, movies and documents, and an optional 32GB solid state drive on the S400 and S405 can help speed boot time and application responsiveness. In addition, intelligent energy management features not only increase time spent between charges—up to 5 hours—but also protect the long-term durability of the battery.

All of the new S Series laptops offer Microsoft Windows 7 Home Professional and will be eligible for the Microsoft Windows 8 upgrade program. Designed for Windows 8, the updated S Series’ intelligent touchpad gives users a more controlled experience when scrolling and zooming, while the AccuType keyboard with individual rounded keys provides a platform for comfortable and accurate typing.

Users can also take advantage of innovative ease-of-use features such as Lenovo Quick Start “instant on” functionality to get online in seconds. Even data protection is made easy with Lenovo’s OneKey™ Rescue System, which offers an amazingly simple and quick way to back up and restore data, recover corrupted system files and run a complete virus scan.

Slim and stylish multimedia companion

Less than an inch at their thickest point and weighing under four pounds, Lenovo’s new consumer laptops feature a contemporary design with a tactile metallic finish available in a variety of colors including, crimson red, silver grey and cotton-candy pink. With up to a 14-inch HD widescreen display, HDMI output, stereo speakers and Dolby® Advanced Audio™ v2 certification, the new S Series laptops offer premium features for immersive entertainment and multimedia activities. 

Pricing and Availability¹

The Lenovo IdeaPad S300, S400, and S405 will be available starting today through Lenovo sales representatives and business partners in the US starting at $499.  

For the latest Lenovo news, subscribe to Lenovo RSS feeds or follow Lenovo on Twitter , Facebook andYoutube.

About Lenovo
Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) is a $US30 billion personal technology company serving customers in more than 160 countries, and the world’s second-largest PC vendor. Dedicated to building exceptionally engineered PCs and mobile internet devices, Lenovo’s business is built on product innovation, a highly-efficient global supply chain and strong strategic execution. Formed by Lenovo Group’s acquisition of the former IBM Personal Computing Division, the company develops, manufactures and markets reliable, high-quality, secure and easy-to-use technology products and services. Its product lines include legendary Think-branded commercial PCs and Idea-branded consumer PCs, as well as servers, workstations, and a family of mobile internet devices, including tablets and smart phones. Lenovo has major research centers in Yamato, Japan; Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, China; and Raleigh, North Carolina. For more information, see www.lenovo.com

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¹Prices do not include tax or shipping and are subject to change without notice and is tied to specific terms and conditions. Reseller prices may vary. Price does not include all advertised features. All offers subject to availability. Lenovo reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications at any time without notice.

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Computers Become More Phone-Like

Excerpt from an article in

The New York Times

Thursday, March 01, 2012

Apple and Microsoft Unwrap Products That Resemble Phone Apps

By JENNA WORTHAM and NICK WINGFIELD

BARCELONA, Spain — These days much of the action in the world of gadgets is happening in smartphones — like their sophisticated design and the apps that run on them. That has left desktop and laptop computers looking a little dull in comparison.

So computers are suddenly getting more phonelike.

Microsoft and Apple are leading the charge in this area. On Wednesday, Microsoft took the wraps off its latest operating system for computers and tablets, Windows 8, which mimics the look and feel of the company’s new software for phones. And Apple recently offered a preview of its next operating system for Macs, incorporating familiar elements from the iPhone and iPad.

“All of the major innovation for PCs is coming from the mobile phone,” said Tim Coulling, an analyst at the research firm Canalys.

The companies hope this strategy will give them added leverage in the market for tablets and smartphones, which is growing to rival the market for personal computers. And it could also help them sell more computers or, in Microsoft’s case, software for computers.

People who buy an iPad or iPhone, for example, might be more inclined to also buy a Mac computer if they work together seamlessly and have features that operate the same way on both devices. For Apple, which still has only a small share of the computer business, that could be a big advantage.

In Microsoft’s case, it needs to defend its traditional dominance of the PC operating system business with software that is versatile enough to also run on tablet computers.

This idea of a “continuum of computing” across various devices has long been “a promise of the future,” said Carolina Milanesi, a research analyst who covers the mobile industry for Gartner. “But now it is critical for success among consumers.”