Remember those Lenovo laptops that leaked out just before CES? Well, some of them are coming to Australia. Sadly, not the really cool concept ones like the U1 though…
We’ll be getting Aussie versions of the Thinkpad EDGE series, as well as an Aussified Thinkpad X100e. The Thinkpad EDGE laptops will start at $999 for a 13 inch model,with 14 and 15 inch models to launch in April. The X100e will also cost $999 and is available now.
Lenovo Pushes ThinkPad Brand to the Edge
Lenovo Introduces First ThinkPad Laptops Featuring VISION Pro Technology from AMDSYDNEY, AUSTRALIA– January 14, 2010: Lenovo today announced a new ThinkPad laptop series designed to push ThinkPad design and innovation to the edge. Simply called “ThinkPad Edge,” the 13, 14 and 15 inch models are designed specifically for small to medium sized business (SMB) customers. The 13 inch model represents one of the first ThinkPad laptops to offer AMD’s VISION Pro Technology. In addition to performance, the new laptops are designed with style and affordability in mind for today’s budget-conscious customers. For example, they include new rich and vibrant colour choices and a new contemporary keyboard.
“Small to medium business customers tell us they want PCs with bold yet professional designs, uncompromising durability and reliability with the latest technologies that meet their budgets,” said Chris Kelly, Product and Marketing Director, Lenovo, Australia and New Zealand. “Our answer is the new ThinkPad Edge family of laptops. They deliver stunning technology and powerful performance at unprecedented value.”
Click here to watch a video introduction to the ThinkPad Edge laptops.
Sophisticated and Simple Design
The ThinkPad Edge Series laptops reflect a new progressive and strikingly clean appearance while retaining ThinkPad durability and reliability. For example, the laptops include spill-resistant keyboards and value-added ThinkVantage Technologies like the Active Protection System and Rescue and Recovery.However, the new laptops blend expressive design and ease of use in several new ways:
· Contemporary Keyboard – A new contemporary keyboard gives the laptop a clean and inviting look. Uniform black keys and removal of the embedded number pad also help create a modern design. The Function keys have even been re-designed so that users only need to use one finger to access multimedia functions and more. Other rarely used keys like System Request have been removed. Additionally, select models of the ThinkPad Edge 14 and 15 inch versions will come with illuminated keyboards for visibility in low light conditions while adding a touch of elegance to the keyboard.
· Expanded Touchpad – A large multitouch touchpad provides an oversized landing pad for fingers to pinch, zoom and scroll.
· Expressive, Colourful Palette – Midnight glossy or midnight soft black remain the traditional colour for business, but for those who want to make a statement, ThinkPad Edge laptops come in heatwave red too. Additionally, a sleek silver band frames the exterior of the laptop.SMB Performance Gets New Edge
Lenovo designed the ThinkPad Edge Series to give SMB customers stylish and eye-catching designs with high performance, reliability and the latest technologies including:· Great performance with choices of AMD Athlon Neo dual core processors or Intel Core 2 Duo ultra low voltage processors1
· Optimised for Windows 7 under Lenovo’s Enhanced Experience program
· Long battery life of up to eight hours2
· Wireless connectivity technologies including WiFi and optional Bluetooth and 3G
· Crisp and clear voice over Internet protocol with Skype™ software, high definition speakers, low light sensitivity cameras and microphone and camera mute keys
· Commitment to green technology. The laptops meet Energy Star 5.0 criteria. The Edge laptops contain no foam and use many materials which are derived from 100 percent recycled content, such as thermoplastic, sugarcane or sorghum“AMD energy efficient desktop PCs have proven successful for Lenovo in Australia. Now our partnership extends to a new level with AMD VISION Pro Technology in the Lenovo ThinkPad notebook range. These new products represent a great opportunity for both of our companies, especially with SMB, Education, and Government customers,” said Caleb Leung, Country Manager, AMD Australia. “By basing these laptops on VISION Pro Technology, Lenovo is enabling customers to gain a competitive advantage with performance you can see on today’s collaboration and visual productivity applications, unbeatable value at every price point and a means of eliminating IT headaches through open standards manageability and security features.”
Total Service and Support
Lenovo also offers a full suite of flexible service and support solutions for the new ThinkPad Edge Series. Lenovo-branded services give customers and business partners a single source solution that helps minimise risks and increases protection and productivity.These services include:
ThinkPad Protection to protect from unexpected repair costs in case of accidents or spills
Priority Support for 24/7 tech-to-tech support
Hard Disk Drive Retention that lets customers keep their failed or damaged hard drive to ensure data remains safely in their handsPricing and Availability3
The ThinkPad Edge 13 inch version will be available now with models starting at approximately $999.00 through Lenovo Business Partners and www.lenovo.com.au. The 14 and 15 inch versions will be available starting in mid April. All prices quoted include GST.
Lenovo Pioneers New Category for Business Computing with $1000 Ultraportable ThinkPad Laptop
Introduces VISION Pro Technology from AMD with ThinkPad X100eSYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – January 14, 2010: Lenovo today announced the ThinkPad X100e, the company’s first professional-grade ultraportable laptop starting below $1000. The introduction pioneers a new category of PCs for today’s business users that blends professional performance, usability and design with new colour options, such as heatwave red and arctic white, at an extremely affordable price. The X100e also represents the first time Lenovo and AMD have collaborated to offer AMD processors on ThinkPad laptops and to leverage AMD’s VISION Pro branding.
“By listening to our customers, we identified an opportunity to create a new type of ultraportable laptop for business users,” said Chris Kelly, Product and Marketing Director, Lenovo Australia and New Zealand. “Customers asked us for low cost and extreme portability without sacrificing the usability needed to run a business. By expanding the ultraportable ThinkPad X Series to reach prices under $1000, the X100e delivers on all counts.”
Click here to watch a video introduction to the ThinkPad X100e.
The ThinkPad X100e excels in the areas important to business users with professional-grade features, exceptional usability and outstanding mobility.
Professional-Grade Features – Equipped with choices of AMD Athlon Neo single and dual core processors and Turion dual core processors1, the X100e provides strong performance needed for multitasking and running typical office applications. It also has the performance needed to support corporate operating systems like Microsoft Windows 7 Professional. The X100e comes with Lenovo’s ThinkVantage Technologies, hardware-software tools that help customers deploy, manage and maintain their PCs. The laptop features global availability and technical support along with a variety of warranty options.
Exceptional Usability and Design – Lenovo designed the small and compact X100e to be incredibly comfortable to use. An 11.6 inch high definition display provides ample screen real estate, and an ISO full-size keyboard with a multitouch touchpad and Trackpoint make navigation easy. The new contemporary keyboard design features enlarged keys, removal of rarely used keys like System Request and the embedded number pad. The X100e also brings colour to ThinkPad with new choices of heatwave red and arctic white in addition to midnight black models.
Outstanding Mobility – The X100e maximises mobility with models starting under 1.4kilograms. For wireless connectivity on the go, the laptop comes with 802.11n WiFi and optional Bluetooth and 3G.Based on VISION Pro Technology from AMD, the X100e delivers outstanding value and performance on visual productivity applications vital to today’s business.
“The X100e delivers the full promise of VISION Pro Technology from AMD,” said Caleb Leung, country manager, AMD Australia. “It delivers the visual experience necessary to leverage most of today’s collaboration tools, strong battery life and unbeatable value, all in a sleek, durable ultrathin laptop. With out-of-the-box support for dual monitors to enable greater productivity, the ThinkPad X100e defines what an entry-level, commercial ultra-thin laptop should be and sets the bar for future products based on VISION Pro Technology from AMD.”
Business-Class Service and Support
Lenovo offers a full portfolio of service and support offerings to protect the ThinkPad X100e and the data on it and also to give IT departments the technical support they need. To keep business productivity high and to protect from unexpected repair costs, ThinkPad Protection cover repairs issues resulting from accidents, drops and spills. ThinkPlus Priority Support provides 24 x 7 business-class technical support for IT professionals responsible for maintaining these PCs. Lenovo Hard Disk Drive Retention lets customers keep their hard drive in case of damage or failure, ensuring that their data remains safely in their hands.Pricing and Availability2
The ThinkPad X100e will be available now through Lenovo business partners and www.lenovo.com.au with models starting at AUD$999.00. All prices quoted include GST.