Event Coverage

Lenovo's Sandy Bridge Refresh - Two By Two We Go

By Andy Sim - 14 Apr 2011

Thoughts And Ideas 2.0

Experiencing Lenovo

Held within the relaxed confines of RedDot Brewhouse, Lenovo officially unveiled a total of nine notebooks plus two desktop PCs branded under their Think and Idea series today. The media event was mostly an occasion of "twos", for the new fleet will be equipped with Intel's latest 2nd generation Core processors (dubbed as Sandy Bridge), as well as Lenovo's Enhanced Experience 2.0 certification, which boasts of improved startup and shutdown performances on Windows 7. According to Mr Lee Chown How, Country General Manager of Lenovo Singapore, the company will be targeting three major market segments - Enterprise, SMEs and Consumer - with their latest ThinkPad, ThinkPad Edge, IdeaPad and IdeaCenter line-up. 

Members of the media were told to build a notebook from scratch whilst the Lenovo folks looked on. Jests aside, the new Enhanced Experience 2.0 impressed most of us with its perky 10-second boot up and 4-second shutdown performance.

 

Enterprise Range

The 14-inch ThinkPad T420 will lead Lenovo's corporate charge with its slim aesthetics and supposed 30-hour battery life when paired with a 9-cell and Slice battery pack. If you're looking for a mobile workstation, the 15-inch W520 should fill those shoes with its NVIDIA Quadro discrete graphics, coupled with NVIDIA's Optimus features capable of powering up to three displays. The ultra-portable X220 will appeal to business users keen on a compact yet efficient 12-inch notebook. New highlights of the ThinkPad X-series laptop include an extensive 23-hour battery life and a seamless touchpad design.

Buyers of the ThinkPad T420 have the pleasure of choosing between SSD or HDD solutions. Combined with Lenovo's RapidDrive technology, users can anticipate speedier boot up sequences as well as more responsive applications. The T420 is currently available for retail, and is priced at S$2,200 onwards.

What's notable about the X220 is its seamless touchpad which does not incorporate any hardware buttons. The TrackPoint is still present for those who fancy it. The notebook's 9-cell battery is supposed to last up to 15 hours, while the external pack can last up to 23 hours. The X220 begins with a starting price of S$1,999.

 

Small-Medium Enterprise Range

Lenovo's ThinkPad Edge series, with its silver accents and softer looks, is a sweet breakaway from the original ThinkPad's formal dress code. Classified under the SME segment are the 12.5-inch E220s, 14-inch E420s, as well as the refreshed E420. Like most of the notebooks featured, the E420s will be powered by Intel's new generation of Core processors, although the smaller E220s will carry a lesser ULV workhorse. The slightly heavier E420 will also be offered in various configurations, including alternatives in the form of discrete AMD Radeon graphics. 

The E420 will be available from April 19th onwards at a starting price of S$1,299. The ThinkPad Edge model will also feature a 14-inch LED backlit display as well as an optional WWAN module. While the E420 might offer consumer-friendly looks, it still bears many hallmarks of the original ThinkPad design such as enforced hinges and a roll-cage hidden beneath its wrist-rest area.

 

Consumer Range

Fans of Lenovo's entertainment suite should be familiar with the IdeaPad Y, Z and G series. The 14-inch Y470 laptop comes packed with an optional NVIDIA GT 550M GPU, as well as Lenovo's One Key Theater II feature which conveniently optimizes the notebook's display and audio for an enhanced movie experience. For a more personalized feel, the Z470 offers a myriad of transparent colors as well as an optional Blu-ray optical drive. Priced at S$999, the G470 is probably the most affordable of the lot although it's no slouch in the hardware department. Apart from an industrious Core i7 processor, the 14-inch G470 also touts an AMD Radeon HD 6370M GPU and HDMI outlet.

Sound buffs will relish the IdeaPad Y470 for its SRS Premium Sound enhancements and JBL speakers. Weighing in at 2.2kg, the 14-inch entertainment model also supports switchable graphics and an optional discrete NVIDIA GeForce 550M GPU. Look for it at the tail end of May. 

This entry-level consumer machine is priced deliciously from S$999 onwards. Apart from its powerful Core i7 processor, the G470 has other tricks up its sleeve such as Lenovo's DirectShare feature which allows you to synchronize files with another notebook without relying on the Internet.

With a choice of four fancy colors, the IdeaPad Z470 was bred for mobile warriors who prefer a more personalized touch. Like the rest of its siblings, the Z470 will carry a 2nd-gen Core processor with massive storage capabilities of up to 1TB. It'll hit shelves from mid-April onwards with a minimum tag of S$1,149.

At the desktop front, you can look forward to two AIO (All-In-One) PC solutions in the form of the IdeaCentre 23-inch B520 and 21.5-inch B320.  The flagship B520 boasts of a capacitive touch screen and optional NVIDIA 3D Vision kit, while the smaller B320 should attract telly buffs with its integrated TV tuner and One Key TV perk (transforms the B320 into a HD TV at the push of a button). Both models will be available from end-May 2011 onwards; priced at S$1,999 and S$999 respectively. 

 The IdeaCentre B320 is a perfect fit for those hunting for a TV/PC combo to grace their humble pads. Fitted with an integrated TV tuner, multi-touch screen and AMD graphics, the 21.5-inch B320 has just given you another reason to remain as a room hermit.

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