Lenovo unveils ThinkPad Edge, ThinkPad X100e

MANILA, Philippines - Lenovo recently unveiled a new ThinkPad laptop series, simply called “ThinkPad Edge,” with 13-, 14- and 15-inch models designed specifically for the small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs).

The 13-inch model represents the first ThinkPad laptop to offer AMD dual-core processor technology and to be offered on 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. They also feature new rich and vibrant color 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 Vicky Agorrilla, country general manager of Lenovo Philippines.

“Our answer is the new ThinkPad Edge family of laptops. They deliver stunning technology and powerful performance at an unprecedented value,” she added.

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.

The new laptops blend expressive design and ease of use in several new ways. 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 redesigned 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.

A large multi-touch touchpad provides an oversized landing pad for fingers to pinch, zoom and scroll. On the color side, midnight glossy and midnight soft black remain the traditional colors for business, but for those who want to make a statement, ThinkPad Edge laptops come in heatwave red, too. A sleek silver band frames the exterior of the laptop.

On the performance side, Lenovo fitted the ThinkPad Edge Series with choices of AMD Turion and Athlon Neo dual-core processors or Intel Core 2 Duo ultra-low-voltage and standard dual-core processors.

They are optimized for Windows 7 under Lenovo’s Enhanced Experience program and boast long battery life of over eight hours. Wireless connectivity technologies include Wi-Fi and optional Bluetooth, 3G and WiMAX.

Other features include Skype software, high-definition speakers, high-resolution low-light sensitivity cameras, as well as microphone and camera mute keys.

The laptops carry a Gold rating from the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool and meet Energy Star 5.0 standards. The Edge laptops contain no foam and use many materials that are derived from 100-percent recycled content such as thermoplastic, sugarcane or sorghum.

“Expanding our relationship with Lenovo to include ThinkPad laptops represents a turning point for AMD’s commercial client business and creates enormous opportunity for both companies,” said Leslie Sobon, AMD vice president for product marketing.

“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,” Sobon added.

The ThinkPad Edge 13-inch model is now available starting at P36,990 through Lenovo business partners and at www.lenovo.com.

On the ultra-portable notebook side, Lenovo also unveiled the ThinkPad X100e, its first professional-grade ultra-portable laptop starting at P28,990.

The introduction pioneers a new category of PCs for today’s business users that blends professional performance, usability and design with new color options 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 and observing market trends, we identified an opportunity to create a new type of ultra-portable laptop for business users,” said Agorrilla.

“Customers asked us for low cost and extreme portability without sacrificing usability or the manageability needed to run a business. By expanding the ultra-portable ThinkPad X Series to reach prices of as low as P28,990, the X100e delivers on all counts,” she added.

Equipped with choices of AMD Athlon Neo single- and dual-core processors and Turion dual-core processors, the X100e provides strong performance needed for multi-tasking 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.

The X100e sports an 11.6-inch high-definition display as well as an ISO full-size keyboard with a multi-touch touchpad and Trackpoint. The new contemporary keyboard design features enlarged keys, removal of rarely used keys like System Request and the embedded number pad. It comes in heatwave red in addition to midnight black models.

The X100e maximizes mobility with models starting under three pounds. For wireless connectivity, it comes with 802.11n Wi-Fi and optional Bluetooth and 3G.

“The X100e delivers the full promise of VISION Pro Technology from AMD,” said Sobon.

“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 ultra-thin laptop. With out-of-the-box support for dual monitors to enable greater productivity, the ThinkPad X100e defines what a commercial ultra-thin laptop should be and sets the bar for future products based on VISION Pro Technology from AMD,” Sobon added.

Lenovo offers a full portfolio of service and support offerings to protect the ThinkPad X100e (and the ThinkPad Edge series) and their data and also to give IT departments the technical support they need.

To keep business productivity high and as protection from unexpected repair costs, ThinkPad Protection cover repairs 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, meanwhile, lets customers keep their hard drive in case of damage or failure, ensuring that their data remain safely in their hands.

The ThinkPad X100e is now available through Lenovo business partners and at www.lenovo.com with models starting at P28,990.