PC | Laptops

Lenovo Introduces New Touch PCs for Work and Play

Lenovo has just announced the availability of some new touch devices in Singapore. Some of these touch devices are already available, while others like the 27-inch IdeaCentre Horizon AIO, 11.6-inch IdeaPad Yoga 11S, and ThinkPad Helix will be available at the upcoming PC Show 2013.

By Leo Boon Yeow - 31 May 2013

Lenovo has just announced the availability of a wide variety of touch-enabled devices that are built for use at home or at work. Among the devices displayed at the event are some very interesting devices that we first saw at CES 2013 earlier in the year. The most prominent ones have to be the 27-inch Lenovo IdeaCentre Horizon, Lenovo ThinkPad Helix, and Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S. Read on to find out more.

Lenovo IdeaCentre Horizon

To recap, the massive Lenovo IdeaCentre Horizon (hands-on article here) is a 27-inch all-in-one (AiO) PC running Windows 8 that's designed to work as a desktop PC, as well as a new category termed 'tabletop PC' due to its large screen size. When placed parallel to the ground, the Horizon's Aura interface is activated, and users can use touch to interact with photos, videos, and apps. The Horizon also comes with an additional set of accessories, that when set on the glass display (while it's lying flat like a table top) allows for even more interaction methods with the PC. There's an e-dice, four joysticks, and four strikers for users to enjoy some specially-made multi-touch games on the Horizon.

The Horizon comes with some very interesting capacitive touch gaming peripherals like strikers, joysticks and dice.

While a tabletop PC is certainly a novelty (at the moment, at least), Lenovo has also made sure that the Horizon is powerful enough so that you can work and play with it without any problems. The Horizon is powered by an Intel Core i7 processor, and NVIDIA GeForce graphics. These enable the Horizon to serve capably both as a home entertainment system, as well as a great collaboration tool for the workplace. The Lenovo IdeaCentre Horizon will be available at Lenovo exclusive stores, all Courts outlets, and will be at PC Show 2013 which starts on June 6. Retail pricing starts from S$2,899.

Key Specs of the Lenovo Ideacentre Horizon - Starts at S$2,899

Processor: 3rd generation Intel Core i7-3537U
Memory: 8GB DDR3
Storage: 1TB HDD
Graphics: NVIDIA Geforce GT 620M
Display: 27-inch (1920 x 1080 pixels), multi-touch
Ports: 2 x USB 3.0, card reader, headphones, microphone, HDMI-in
Dimension: 690.5 x 430.5 x 29.8mm

Lenovo ThinkPad Helix

We first had contact with the ThinkPad Helix at CES, and even did a hands-on session with it. Like the Samsung Ativ Pro, it's a convertible Ultrabook that doubles as a tablet, and has a bundled keyboard dock. The key difference here is that the Helix has security features like vPro that make it suitable for the enterprise environment. In fact, Lenovo claims that it's the thinnest 3rd generation Intel Core tablet with vPro.

Like most of Lenovo's recent Windows 8 machines, the ThinkPad Helix is capable of transforming into several modes. Users are able to "rip and flip" the display, snap it back onto the base and have the display face backwards in "Stand" mode. This mode allows users to give presentations or just enjoy a movie with ease. The Helix will be in stores on June 6, and will also be retailing at the upcoming PC Show for S$2,199.

Key Specs of the Lenovo ThinkPad Helix - Starts at S$2,199

Processor: 3rd generation Intel Core i7-3667U
Memory: 8GB DDR3
Storage: 128GB SSD
Graphics: Intel HD 4000
Display: 11.6-inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) with pen input
Ports: Tablet: USB 2.0, SIM slot, mini DisplayPort; Dock: 2 x USB 3.0, mini DisplayPort
Battery: 42Wh (Tablet), 28Wh (Keyboard Dock)
Dimensions: 296.1 x 187.3 x 11.6mm

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S

The petite IdeaPad 11S uses a 1.4GHz Intel Core i3 processor.

When Lenovo introduced the IdeaPad Yoga 13 and Yoga 11 convertible Ultrabooks last year, the 11-inch Yoga was fitted with an ARM processor, which meant it was only able to run WIndows RT. With the introduction of the Yoga 11S, users are now able to have themselves a versatile little convertible Ultrabook running the full version of Windows 8, thanks to its Intel Core i3 processor which has very low power requirements.

In short, the 1.4GHz Intel Core i3 CPU allows the Yoga 11S to run all your traditional Windows programs, yet have a relatively long battery life. Like the Yoga 13 and 11 before it, the Yoga 11S is able to convert itself into two extra modes - Tent and Stand modes - beside the conventional tablet and notebook modes. If you're interested in getting yourself a Yoga 11S, it will be available - you guessed it - on June 6. You can find it at the PC Show. Retail price starts at S$1,399.

Key Specs of the 11-inch Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S - Starts at S$1,399

Processor: 3rd generation Intel Core i3-3229Y
Memory: 4GB DDR3
Storage: 128GB SSD
Graphics: Intel HD 4000
Display: 11.6-inch (1366 x 768 pixels), multi-touch
Ports: USB 3.0, USB 2.0, card reader, audio combo jack, HDMI port
Battery: About 6 hours
Dimension: 298 x 204 x 17.2mm

Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E431

The ThinkPad Edge E431 has non-touch and touchscreen options.

Of the four products announced, only the Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E431 notebook - targeted at business users - has a rather conventional form-factor. However, don't let that fool you. The ThinkPad Edge E431 comes with an optional touch-enabled display, which gives small and medium business users the ability to fully experience Windows 8. Another new feature compared to older E-Series models, is that the E431 has a large clickable trackpad (rarely seen on budget enterprise notebooks), which is similar to the ones typically found on Ultrabooks.

This redesign gives users much more room for navigation, which makes using it a breeze. And because it's built for enterprise use, it also has some of Lenovo's proprietary technologies built in. One of them is the proprietary charging standard labelled OneLink, which uses a single cable for charging, video, and data. Consumers who purchase a ThinkPad Edge E431 can also purchase an additional OneLink Dock, which has an additional four USB ports, a HDMI port, and an Ethernet jack. The E431 is already available in stores for S$1,199, but take note that this is the non-touch version. The variant with a touch display will be coming in mid-July, with prices starting from S$1,499.

Key Specs of the Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E431 - Starts at S$1,199

Processor: 3rd generation Intel Core i3-2348M / i3-3130M / i5-3230M / i7-3632QM
Memory: Up to 16GB DDR3
Storage: 1TB (5400 RPM) HDD, 320GB, 500GB (7200 RPM), SSD: 128GB, MICRO: 24 GB NGFF Memory for Win8
Graphics: Intel HD 4000
Display: 14-inch (1366 x 768)
Ports: 2 x USB 3.0, 1 x Always on USB 2.0, card reader, mini DisplayPort with audio, VGA, HDMI, audio combo jack
Dimension: 344 x 239 x 25mm

Models Refreshed with Touch

The rest of the notebook PCs that Lenovo displayed were models that have been refreshed with touch capabilities. There's the premium business notebook, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch, the budget Ultrabooks, Lenovo IdeaPad U310 Touch, and U410 Touch, as well as the budget multimedia notebooks, the IdeaPad Z400 Touch and S400 Touch.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch - Starts at S$2,999

Processor: 3rd generation Intel Core i5-3427U / i7-3667U
Memory: 4GB DDR3
Storage: 128GB SSD / 256GB SSD
Graphics: Intel HD 4000
Display: 14-inch (1600 x 900 pixels)
Ports: USB 2.0, USB 3.0, card reader, mini DisplayPort, audio combo port
Battery: Up to 8.2 hours
Dimensions: 331 x 226 x 20.85mm

Lenovo IdeaPad U310 Touch (Graphite Grey Only) - Starts at S$1,199

Processor: 3rd generation Intel Core i3-3227U / i5-3337U / i7-3537U
Memory: 4GB DDR3
Storage: 500GB HDD
Graphics: Intel HD 4000
Display: 13.3-inch (1366 x 768 pixels)
Ports: 2 x USB 2.0, USB 3.0, HDMI, headphone and mic jack, card reader
Battery: Up to 8.2 hours
Dimensions: 333 x 225 x 18 mm

Lenovo IdeaPad U410 Touch (Graphite Grey Only) - Starts at S$1,299

Processor: 3rd generation Intel Core i5-3337U / i7-3537U
Memory: 6GB / 8GB DDR3
Storage: 320GB / 500GB / 750GB / 1TB HDD
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GL710M 2GB
Display: 14-inch (1366 x 768)
Ports: 2 x USB 2.0, 2 x USB 3.0, HDMI, headphone and mic jack, card reader, HDMI
Battery: Up to 8 hours
Dimensions: 344 x 235 x 21mm

Lenovo IdeaPad Z400 Touch - Starts at S$1,199

Processor: 3rd generation Intel Core i3-3120M / i5-3230M / i7-3520M / i7-3632QM
Memory: 4GB / 8GB DDR3
Storage: 128GB SSD / 256GB SSD
Graphics: Intel HD 4000
Display: 14-inch (1600 x 900 pixels)
Ports: 2 x USB 2.0, 1 x USB 3.0, card reader, audio combo jack, VGA, HDMI, RJ45
Battery: Up to 6 hours
Dimensions: 345 x 244 x 29.15 mm

Lenovo IdeaPad S400 Touch - Starts at S$1,099

Processor: 3rd generation Intel Core i3 / i5
Memory: 4GB DDR3
Storage: 320GB, 500GB (5400 rpm) HDD, 320GB, 500GB (7200 rpm) HDD, 32GB SSD (optional)
Graphics: Intel HD 4000
Display: 14-inch (1366 x 768)
Ports: 2 x USB 2.0, USB 3.0, HDMI, RJ45, card reader
Battery: Up to 5 hours, 4 cell battery
Dimensions: 336.6 x 241.2 x 21.0mm

Our articles may contain affiliate links. If you buy through these links, we may earn a small commission.