Lenovo Australia has revamped their best selling notebook, the ThinkPad X300, now being dubbed the X301. The X300 has been widely viewed as the world’s thinnest fully functioning laptop. Though the Macbook Air maybe slightly thinner, the lack USB ports, Ethernet socket and no built-in optical drive has seen many people dismiss it as only half finished.
The latest incarnation of ThinkPad will offer a choice of a 64G or 128GB hard drives compared to just the 64GB option of the previous generation. The notebook will allow a choice between an Intel Core 2 Duo U9300 Processor running at 1.2GHz, or the faster U9400 running at 1.4GHz. The new model will also now feature a DisplayPort output, an alternative for HDMI, and will be powered using ultra-low voltage (ULV).
The Lenovo ThinkPad X301 will be available to purchase online from October 2008.
Dell Australia have slashed 15% off the price of 500 units of their latest laptop, the Vostro 1500, plus you can add an extra 19inch monitor for an extra $99. If you think that sounds to good to be true, wait till you hear what’s under the hood!
It feature as powerful Core2Duo Intel Centrino T7300 processor with a massive 3Gb of RAM fitted as standard. The machine also has a huge 160Gb hard drive, 15.4inch anti glare Samsung screen to show off the crisp graphics created by the 256MB NVIDIA GeForce 8600M Graphics Card.
The optical drive features a DVD writer with a double layer capability, whilst every machine comes with 1 year full Pro support from Dell’s specialist team and an on-site next-business-day warranty. This machine is a dream for any businessman on the move. It’s super powered, has a great battery life and comes with Dell’s great back up, who only last year won a Highly Commended Award from PC Pro for reliability and support.
Lenovo computers latest ThinkPad, the X300, is bound to be compared to the Apple Mac Air, as both are lightweight, yet offer 13.3in displays and full size keyboards. But whilst Apple chose to make major changes to their tried and tested laptop components, Lenovo appear to have produced a far more well rounded machine.
The X300 is only 22m thick, whilst weighing in at only 1.45Kg. The LED backlit 13.3in widescreen display feature a 1,440 x 900 pixel perfect picture, delivering better contrast and colour with lower power consumption. The keyboard, as with most within the Thinkpad range, is almost full size, which is amazing on a laptop this size. The keyboard itself even features a drainages system design, incase any fluids enter the machine through spillage. The machine features both a trackpad and a trackpoint, whilst a fingerprint reading safety system should tick a few boxes for even the most security conscious consumer.
The X300 is fitted with a Core2Duo L7100 that runs at 1.2GHz. In terms of storage, Lenovo have fitted a 64GB solid state hard disk with 2GB of RAM fitted as standard. Lenovo have added three USB ports on the X300, along with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, plus a built in SIM module which allows 3G connectivity without having to use a dongle.
All in all, the X300’s lightweight slick design and usability is going to go a long way in the head to head challenge with the Macbook Air, but the fact it features a DVD writer may give it the edge.
The latest, lightest PC laptop, the Lenovo ThinkPad X300, is causing quite a stir within the portable computer market. I’m not sure whether the boys at Macintosh will be quaking in their boots, but I’m sure they will have to sit up and take notice to the machine being bandied around as the ‘Apple Air Killer’.(read our Apple Mac Air review here)
The spec of the X300 is very similar to that of the Air book, with a weight difference of only 0.03kg per unit, whilst Apple offer a 13.3inch LED flat screen compared to the Intel 12.1inch. The X300 is also powered by an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, which was specifically designed by the manufacturer for the Apple Air book, though it does run at the marginally faster speed of 1.83GHz.
For me though, the big difference is the X300 ThinkPad featuring an optical drive. I can understand Apple’s logic in using the Remote Disc software to ‘borrow’ another computers drive, but when you’re on the move and you need to burn a disc quickly, having your own DVD burner is vital. Also the Lenovo Thinkpad has a removable battery, meaning a spare can be carried, unlike the Mac Air’s built in power source. Plus, with the X300 having three USB ports to the Airbook’s one, the ThinkPad’s add on capability far outweigh that of the Mac.
Another major difference is the price, with the Apple Air costing $800 more than the X300. As an Apple user myself, I understand that you do expect to pay more for Macintosh hardware. The machines themselves are always amazing feats of innovative design, one of the main reasons Mac customers keep coming back for more. But, for a PC user this machine is one of the lightest on the market, practical, and comes with a reasonable price tag; surely covering all the bases when considering the purchase of a portable workstation.
Lenovo computers are set to augment their existing range of notebooks and desktops by reselling products, including hardware and management and multimedia software, from thin client giant Wyse Technology. This will enable customers to purchase a range of Wyse kit directly from Lenovo, including desktop and mobile thin client computers and software solutions like Wyse Thin OS, Wyse Device Manager and Wyse WSM.
Steve Petracca, senior vice president of software and peripherals at Lenovo was quoted as saying “adding solutions from Wyse Technology to our Lenovo ThinkPad notebook and ThinkCentre desktop portfolio will give our customers a complete, industry-leading technology solution all in one place. With customers in all industries, especially healthcare and finance utilising thin client technology, this partnership helps integrate a customer’s thin client and other PC requirements.”
Thin clients are seen by many as the way forward for IT and a report from the experts at Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute earlier this year suggested that the switch from PCs to thin clients could save companies millions in electricity overheads, in addition to slashing carbon emissions by some 485,000 tons a year. “Energy consumption when in operation was up to 50 per cent lower than for conventional PCs,” Dr Hartmut Pflaum, a Fraunhofer researcher, said earlier this year. “While PCs consume about 85 watts on average, thin clients including their server get by with 40 to 50 watts.”
Lenovo ThinkPad R61i - The All-Round Business Laptop
Lenovo (formerly IBM)Â ThinkPad’s have long been seen as the benchmark for rugged business laptops and the R61i continues this trend. With a weight of 2.91KG this doesn’t fall into the ultra-portable range of laptops but what you do get is a toughly built notebook with a comfortable keyboard - basically a laptop that is built for frequent and heavy use. (more…)
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