CES 2013 isn’t even officially open just yet, but Lenovo has already gone out of the blocks with the announcement of its new line of touch-friendly laptops and all-in-ones (AIO). For the most part, the new laptops appear to just be refreshes of last year’s IdeaPads and ThinkPads, but updated with touchscreen panels.
Head on after the break for more.
For starters, Lenovo has updated the IdeaPad U310 and U410 ultrabooks with touchscreens, with the new ones creatively called the IdeaPad U310 Touch and U410 Touch. Inside, there appears to be no bump in specs, although the Ivy Bridge processors for both laptops were not specified. The screen resolution is also the same at 1366 x 768, and the U310 Touch and U410 Touch support up to 4GB and 8GB of RAM respectively. The U410 Touch will also sport an NVIDIA dedicated GPU, although that also has not been specified. The slim ultrabook profiles for both will still remain relatively unchanged despite the addition of touch panels, with the U310 Touch and U410 Touch measuring only 18mm and 21mm thick and weighing 1.75kg and 2kg. The U310 Touch will retail in March for $779 (around RM2400), while the U410 Touch will hit US stores in April for $850 (around RM2620).
The company has also refreshed its ThinkPad line of laptops with touchscreens, with the announcement of the ThinkPad Edge E431 and E531. Both ThinkPads will sport up to Core i7 processors, 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, in addition to “next-gen” NVIDIA GPUs with up to 2GB of VRAM. Besides that, the ThinkPad Edge E431 can be configured to feature a HD+ (1600 x 900) display, while the E531 will be available with a Full HD anti-glare screen. On the other hand, both laptops measure only one inch thick, and weigh 2.13kg (E431) and 2.45kg (E531). Finally, both ThinkPads will be available in May with a starting price of $539 (around RM1660).
Also, the cool IdeaPad Yoga hybrid has also been given a much-needed update. Previously, those who wanted an 11-inch Yoga would have to settle with a device running Windows RT, which isn’t able to run desktop apps. Now, Lenovo have responded and launched the IdeaPad Yoga 11S, which runs on the full version of Windows 8. Instead of an ARM processor, the Yoga 11S sports an Intel processor (up to a Core i7, no less). In addition, the Yoga 11S can also support up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD storage. Display options also include the standard 1366 x 768 and sharper 1600 x 900 HD+ touchscreens. The IdeaPad Yoga 11S will be available in June with prices starting from $799 (about RM2460).
On the other hand, Lenovo has also announce two new touch-enabled IdeaPads, the Z400 and Z500. The Z400 will feature a 14-inch 1600 x 900 screen while the Z500 will sport a 15.4-inch screen of similar resolution to the Z400. Both laptops can be configured with up to Intel Core i7 processors, 16GB of RAM and an unnamed NVIDIA GPU, with a starting price of $699 (around RM2150) and will be available in March (Z400) and April (Z500).
Finally, the company has also announced two new all-in-ones for in search of bigger screens. The first of the two is the entry-level C540 AIO, featuring a 23-inch Full HD multitouch display, an Intel Core i3 processor, 8GB of RAM and an NVIDIA GeForce 615 GPU.
On the other hand, the new IdeaCentre A730 has been launched to take on Apple’s dominance in the AIO segment with its iMac range. While the new generation iMac tapers to a super slim 5mm, the A730 is no hefty beast as it is only 1in thick all around. Inside, there is a Core i7 processor paired with 8GB of RAM, an NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M GPU, and a 1TB hybrid drive. The A730’s trump card, however, lies in the ability of the AIO to fold completely flat on a desk, making it a multi-touch surface. The 27-inch IdeaCentre A730 will be available from June at $1499 (around RM4620) for the Full HD version, while price for the super sharp 2560 x 1440 display edition has not been revealed.
Finally, Lenovo has announced a new mobile monitor called the ThinkVision Touch Mobile Monitor, featuring a 13.3-inch 1600 x 900 multitouch display. It comes bundled with a digitizer stylus with 256 degrees of pressure as well as a stand/cover combo that allows the display to be propped up on landscape or portrait modes. The Lenovo ThinkVision Touch Mobile Monitor will be available in two versions, one which connects via USB (retailing at $349 – roughly RM1075) and a wireless version which costs $449 (roughly RM1385). Both versions will be available in March.
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