This machine works with a 180-degree open angle on its display, allowing users to work with the keyboard and/or the touchscreen and Windows 8 in a variety of ways. This notebook works with 3rd generation Intel Core processor options and up to 8GB of memory. Also under the hood users will be able to keep 500GB of files, this allowing for students and entertainment users to store media to their content.

Lenovo appears to be moving toward a cross between small business users and budget thinkers this week with the ThinkPad S431. This release marks the first time that a Lenovo ThinkPad notebook is offered at a price point under a thousand dollars. Starting on the 21st of May, this machine will also be the first ThinkPad to be offered under nine hundred dollars and eight hundred dollars as well, coming in at a cool six hundred and ninty-nine dollars MSRP.

This machine will join its cousins in the ThinkPad line revealed earlier this year at CES and between then and the release of Windows 8. Have a peek at the timeline below to see additional insight on the Lenovo path from here into the future. Things are getting bendy, touchy, and ready for Windows 8, that’s for certain.

In the UK, meanwhile, the T431s will start at £1,119; it’s unclear why there’s such a significant price disparity between US and UK pricing, but one possibility is that Lenovo won’t offer the more entry-level spec variants in every country. Either way, the core specs are the same: up to 12GB of memory, a choice of HDD or SSD storage, and a 1600 x 900 display with useful anti-glare finish.

Connectivity includes two USB 3.0 ports and a docking port, for dropping the ThinkPad into one of Lenovo’s desktop hubs. There’s also a 720p HD webcam, optional integrated WWAN with mobile hotspot feature, and Bluetooth 4.0, together with up to 9hrs of battery life.

However, it’s in the general design that the notebook has seen the most departure from ThinkPads of before. Lenovo says the refreshed aesthetic – which features a “streamlined” keyboard, thinner display bezel, and larger, smoother trackpad – are the result of thousands of hours of customer research spread over nine months.

Inside the ThinkPad T431s you’ll find a third-generation Intel Core i7 processor (with options for other i-family architecture if you wish, i5 if you’re feeling like you’d like less than the top amount of power to back you up). You’ll be working with Windows 7 right out of the box (with option for Windows 8 if you wish), and you’ll have Intel HD Graphics as well as Dolby Home Theater v4 for boosted graphics performance and improved video and audio performance top to bottom.

With this machine you’ll have the option of booting up 40% faster with Lenovo RapidBoot 2.0, you’ll have USB 3.0 ports galore for your 10x faster than USB 2.0, and you’ve got your very own built-in Fingerprint Reader that can be used to turn on the machine and log in with just one swipe. Inside you’ll have self-encrypting drives for protecting data in case of theft or loss. This protection comes as part of the Hardware Password Manager suite in the machine for full-fledged “security at your finger tips.”

This machine has Lenovo Mobile Access with WWAN support, always-on USB port for powering up your mobile devices without needing to power up the laptop itself, and Mobile Hotspot for sharing your wifi, WWAN, or ethernet wirelessly. Up front you’ve also got a 720 HD camera with Face tracking, Polycom Ready for voice clarity and video communication, and a full build meeting Mil-SPEC 8 standards for ruggedness, durability, and high quality hardware.

This machine will be out soon and we’ll have pricing information real soon – stick around for the full push!

Hardware and Design

At first glance you could easily mistake the new Tablet 2 for just another Windows tablet, but its whats at the core that separates this from the others. Running on Intel silicon it is powered by a 1.8GHz Intel Atom Z2760 processor, 2GB of RAM, and has 64GB of storage under the hood all enjoying the full Windows 8 Pro experience. No arm-based processor here, yet not the full Core i5 of the Surface Pro.

Everything about this slate that doubles as a PC is perfectly in line with the traditional Lenovo design. Right down to the ThinkPad soft touch matte black rubber, red accents (on the stylus and optional keyboard) and a simplistic yet elegant design. The usual “ThinkPad” logo with a glowing red i is present, and the optional Bluetooth keyboard has the all too familiar red Lenovo trackpoint. More on the keyboard below. While this helps with Windows 8, you’ll be swiping and using the touch sensitive display most of the time, then if you opt for the stylus supported Tablet 2 that option is also available.

Now lets talk look and feel. Of course this looks like a Lenovo and it even feels like one. Add in the fact that they managed to squeeze an Intel Atom inside, an 8 megapixel camera, 64GB of storage, stylus, 3G/4G connectivity and more yet deliver something lighter than the original — we were happy to say the least. Weighing just 1.3 lbs this is lighter than the original, and certainly lighter than the Surface Pro coming in at just under 2 lbs. Daily use as far as a “tablet” goes was extremely comfortable here. The soft touch design, rounded edges and more all made for a ergonomic design that was complimented by the light weight yet durable build quality. There’s still a little flex in the rear using softer materials, but nothing worth docking points for.

We have the 30 pin port down on bottom accompanied by a mini HDMI-out option for streaming and screen sharing. The right side employes the screen rotate lock, volume up/down, and the 3.5mm headphone jack. Wrap around to the top left and you have the power/wake button follow by a door accessing the micro-SD slot for extra storage (which will be needed) and the optional 3G/4G SIM slot for those paying extra for connectivity. Then there’s the stylus, and the left bezel happily has a full-sized USB 2.0 port as well as micro-USB. The back has two small stereo speakers that get relatively loud, but are in odd places and not uniform, then you’ll enjoy an 8 megapixel camera with flash, but results were average at best. More on that below. Check out the video below for an idea of the hardware we’ll be working with.

In the end the hardware is a toss up in terms of comfort, design, and quality. The lightweight plastic makes it easy to hold, comfortable, and lightweight compared to the Surface Pro, yet obviously doesn’t feel as durable. In the end any previous Lenovo or ThinkPad owner will find it a joy to use.

Specs and Options

The ThinkPad Tablet 2 comes to market with an entry level price of $579, then from there the options are fully customizable. Ranging from 32 and 64GB of storage, stylus support, 3G/4G LTE connectivity and more. Then their mediocre bluetooth keyboard will run you $120 which was great, but is only a keyboard and offers no extension to battery life. You’ll enjoy a 10-inch 1366 x 768 HD resolution display, the next gen Intel Atom 1.8 GHz processor but it only comes with 2GB of RAM as a top option. Full size chart is 10.1” x 6.9” x 0.34” and it weighs in at just 1.25 lbs.

One thing you might want to consider is if you opt for the Stylus and digitizer model with 3G/4G support it will increase to 1.3 lbs, and you’ll also lose NFC which is available on the WiFi model. A fair trade off for business professionals needing the best of both worlds. This option runs you $679 instead, but is well worth it. The rest includes an 8 megapixel rear camera with flash, 1080p video support, 2 megapixel front camera for video conferences, full-size USB 2.0, micro-USB, and HDMI out as mentioned above. You’ll enjoy 10 hours of battery life according to Lenovo.

Display, Keyboard and Stylus

The Tablet 2 rocks some impressive specs, but we’d love a higher resolution display. Offering 10-inches with a 768p resolution it’s still HD, but we’d enjoy seeing 1080p these days. Lenovo’s equipped it with a beautiful IPS panel with wide viewing angles, inky blacks, and vivid colors that really enhances the beautiful tiles in Windows 8. The screen glare was minimal, but there’s no anti-glare option available either.

Now with a 5-point multitouch display you’ll be gesturing and enjoying Windows with ease, but they also offer the stylus for those opting to pay $50 more. While the experience didn’t seem as fluid or polished as the Surface Pro, it was enjoyable. The stylus is pressure sensitive but was a little hit and miss for us. It offers a unique experience some other Windows 8 tablets can’t provide, has shortcuts for screen capture and snippets, but is it worth it? In the end the feature is here, and great for those who need it, but personally we’d go without.

The optional keyboard dock from Lenovo is actually pretty nice, although it doesn’t enhance battery life in any ways. Being built of cheap plastic you’ll lack that premium feel, but it’s the usability that makes it worth the $120 price. This makes it a real ThinkPad — in a sense. Using Bluetooth you’ll be paired in seconds, enjoying the trackpoint for a full Windows Mouse-like experience, and the chicklet style layout is actually extremely comfortable. Cramming all those keys and 6 rows on a 10-inch slate size space we were worried, but this is one of the better ones we’ve tried as of late.

Their layout and ease of use replicates many of their previous laptops, even though they are obviously saving space. I managed to miss the backspace button often due to the smaller than usual size, but all the top keys for shortcuts sure are nice. Overall the keyboard has a familiar and comfortable feel, and should handle daily abuse with ease. Our only complaint would be the lack of angles, as well as it simply resting in place. Be careful while moving from the couch to your desk as it could fall out with ease. We’d love a magnetic latch, or even a Transformer-like option to extend battery life. For now this is just an expensive Bluetooth keyboard that gives it that Lenovo look and feel we know many love.

Windows 8 and Performance

Running the full version of Windows 8 Pro here you’ll be able to enjoy all those Windows 8 app store apps, as well as the full array of programs we’re used to. That aside, the Tablet 2 is essentially just another Windows PC — which there’s nothing wrong with — so feel free to check out our in-depth Windows 8 Review. The tile-based UI is a breeze with the touchscreen, and using the stylus was quite pleasant as well.

Running on the Intel Atom things certainly were speedy, but not quite Surface Pro speed since it rocks the Core i5. Prime example: installing Google Chrome (which we did immediately) took about 4-5 minutes on this machine. Flipping through pages of apps from the store, flowing over tiles and more was all extremely smooth and buttery. The multi-tasking worked like a charm and in general there was no noticeable slowdown. We did have a hiccup or two while using the front facing camera, but that was a one time event. Coming with 64GB of flash storage things were quick, but then you’ll only get around 33 GB or so left out of the box due to some bloatware.

Lenovo didn’t go Acer crazy, but we still have all those Lenovo companion apps and bundles. Lenovo apps, Norton Anti-virus trial (please opt for something else) Kindle, Skitch, Evernote, as well as Accuweather and Skype for video conferences. Overall they weren’t too bad on bloatware, so we give them a thumbs up for that.

We gave it a thorough rundown over the past few weeks, enjoyed some casual games from the Xbox list, did a Skype video call or two, and the usual daily activities all without a hitch. While we didn’t get into anything extremely processor intensive any hard video or photo editing might prove to be a big task for the Atom under the hood. However, for the average user this should suffice. Being a hybrid many other devices run on the same Intel Atom Z2760 CPU, so the performance should already be known for most. Here’s a quick Geekbench test.

Overall using Windows 8 Pro on a full fledged device was a nice change of pace compared to some of the others. While regular PC programs struggled on occasion to grasp the touchscreen and stylus uses, it’s something you’ll need to get use to that’s for sure. While we’d love a Core i5 here, in the end the Lenovo Tablet 2 handles the majority of Windows 8 with ease, and was quite pleasant for day to day tasks.

Camera and Sound

Lenovo equipped this slate with a mediocre 8 megapixel rear camera with LED flash, it’s capable of 1080p video as you’d expect but was stuttered and blurry at times. Essentially it was on-par with other tablets with a camera of this caliber, and their 2 megapixel front shooter worked great for Skype calls. Again we have an odd glitch or two of freezing in Skype the first few tries, but that eventually went away. As far as regular camera shots the low light performance was terrible and grainy, and the shutter speed was a bit too fast. Usually we like a fast shutter, but it was hard getting clear images without some noticeable grain.

The device is a tablet, so sound will only be as good as the little speakers, but here the stereo speaker output was quite decent. Obviously not as loud as we’d like, but on par with most tablets. We’d love to see front facing speakers like the Galaxy Tab 10 from Samsung, but no other tablets have been taking that route quite yet. It got loud enough for a YouTube video or a small conference room, but with any talking or things going on the audio will be overwhelmed in most circumstances.

Battery Life

Lenovo quotes this Atom-powered Windows 8 PC tablet as having roughly 10 hours of battery life, and they were dead on. Most manufacturers are a little generous on their suggestions, but we averaged over 9 hours on a seriously heavy day of almost continues use and looping video. However, using the Tablet 2 occasionally throughout the weekend I’ve not put it on the charger once in 3 days and I’m still sitting with about 36% remaining.

For those that may be doing some light photo editing or even downloading a few torrents (Linux distros of course) while streaming video or the full experience to a larger screen and playing Netflix the results may differ. It’s safe to say this had some of the best battery life of all the Windows 8 tablets we’ve tested as of late.

Wrap-Up

The Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 starts at $579 with the Atom processor, 32GB of storage, and no stylus but is probably sold out in most places like Lenovo’s online store. Then the 64GB model bumps up to $679 but you also get that stylus, and lastly you’ll be entering the $900 range for 3G/4G connectivity — something we feel should be much cheaper to integrate.

With the 128GB iPad available, a 64 and 128GB Microsoft Surface Pro, and many other Windows 8 tablets on the scene the choice might not be clear. Previously we haven’t been too happy with many of the Atom-powered Windows 8 machines, but this time Lenovo delivers an all around solid and usable product. The Samsung ATIV Smart PC comes with AT&T connectivity out of the gate and similar specs, so you could venture that route for $750. We still would rather go with the 64GB Tablet 2 for the stylus support and elegant yet simple design. In the end the Lenovo Tablet 2 is obviously geared at business professionals with the stylus and 3G connectivity, but we’d go as far as to suggest this to anyone looking for a Windows 8 slate.

For those comfortable with Windows 8 who needs the full PC experience without compromise, yet still in a sleek and lightweight portable option the Tablet 2 should be near the top of the list. Add the usual ThinkPad elegance and this is aimed to please. If you were looking for a good alternative to the Surface Pro, this certainly is it. Get it today and enjoy the rest of the photos below.

Specifics as to what’s under the hood are unavailable, but Lenovo confirms that the ThinkPad X131e Chromebook uses an Intel processor, rather than the ARM chip Samsung used in its Series 3 Chromebook. The laptop will have a 1366 x 768 antiglare display, as well as a webcam and three USB ports.

The 3.92-pound notebook won’t, seemingly, be targeted at individual users, however, but rather at schools themselves. Lenovo will offer multiple customizations of the Chromebook – exact details are unknown at this stage – from February 26.

Lenovo’s entrance of the Chromebook market follows Google’s own moves to push Chrome OS in education settings. The search giant announced a $99 Chromebook for Schools project late last year, and it appears that the two companies may well work together to offer the X131e Chromebook as part of that scheme.

“Lenovo has a great reputation in schools for making durable and reliable laptops,” Caesar Sengupta, director of Chrome OS product management, said of the new model, “so we’re excited to partner with them to introduce the ThinkPad X131e Chromebook.”

The new Lenovo Chromebook will be priced from $429 with volume pricing.

[via ZDNet]

OneLink is essentially Lenovo’s way to cut down on wires and cords in the immediate vicinity of your ThinkPad Edge. By using the OneLink cable to connect your ThinkPad Edge to the OneLink dock, you’ll not only begin charging your computer, but you’ll also gain access to the USB and HDMI ports on the front and backside of the dock. Here you can connect all of your peripherals while only dealing with one cable in your immediate work area.

Both ThinkPad Edge computers can be powerhouses too, should you so choose. Lenovo will let you go all the way up to the third-gen Intel Core i7, along with an impressive 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage space. Be warned though: at 14-inches for the E431 and 15.6-inches for the E531, these bad boys aren’t exactly small. They both come in right around the 5 pound mark as well, which is certainly quite a bit heavier than the other Lenovo products I had a look at today.

If don’t mind the relatively hefty size, though, then you probably won’t have any problem loving these new ThinkPads, which are running Windows 8. Couple Microsoft’s newest operating system with Lenovo’s new five-button ClickPad – which was specifically designed for making Windows 8 navigation a breeze – and you’ve got one laptop that’s definitely worthy of consideration. Keep it right here at SlashGear for much more from CES 2013!

What we’ve seen on this strange beast is a surprisingly thin machine overall (believe it or not) combined with a full notebook ride. While we’ve not had an extended time to see the way it’ll be working in the wild – in our laps, of course – but here at CES 2013 it seems like a rather realistically styled offering. The “Rip and Flip” experience isn’t half bad, either.

What you do is push down the button on the lower left of the display, pull it out, use it as a tablet, and replace it backwards in its keyboard dock home. With this ability you’re able to treat the machine as not just a notebook and a tablet, but as a stand-up touch PC as well. This is the newest of several ways you can work with a touch-capable Lenovo machine these days, folks, what will they bring on next?

Have a peek at the full Lenovo ThinkPad Helix details as they appeared earlier today here on SlashGear and let us know what you think – and get pumped for the full release later this year, too! Also hit up our full CES portal for more hands-on and up to the second updates all week long!

ThinkPad Helix

With the ThinkPad Helix you’ll be working with a high performance Ultrabook with a detachable 11.6-inch tablet creating what Lenovo assures is “the thinnest full-function Intel 3rd generation Core tablet with vPro” on the market today. This machine weighs in at just 835 grams and works with “Stand Mode” unique to any sort of device in this class – in this case it means that you’ve got the device connected to its keyboard dock like normal, looking like a laptop, then you “Rip and Flip”. This means you detach the tablet from the base, turn it around, and attach it with the keyboard facing its back, standing it up like a pro, still able to use the ports along the keyboard dock’s sides.

This machine also has a five button clickpad – 20 percent more than any ThinkPad that’s come before it – as well as the brightest display in ThinkPad brand history. The ThinkPad Helix has a 1080p IPS display and works with optional 4G LTE connectivity, meaning your favorite mobile brands COULD be carrying it soon – we shall see! This unit also works with NFC – tap in! The ThinkPad Helix will be starting at $1,499 USD and will be available starting in late February 2013.

IdeaPad Yoga 11S

The IdeaPad Yoga 11S works with an 11.6-inch HD IPS display with 10-finger multi-touch capabilities as well as many abilities that’ve previously been available only on the larger Yoga 13. This machine has Motion Control abilities like a hand-swipe in front of its webcam to move through photos, videos, and documents. Using Lenovo Transition you can automatically open applications in full-screen mode when the device is in one of its three non-notebook modes.

These three modes outside the standard notebook mode are called tent, stand, or tablet – that’s flat with the touchscreen out, folded up like a tent with the touchscreen out, and backward with the touchscreen out as well. The IdeaPad Yoga 11S comes with the same exterior build (casing-wise) as the Yoga 13, but now pushing forth with fabulous new color combinations including Cotton Candy Pink, Silver Grey, and Clementine Orange. The IdeaPad Yoga 11S will be available starting at $799 USD beginning in June 2013.

Lenovo’s new IdeaPad U310 and U410 Ultrabooks are just 18mm thin and boast a wake-up time of just one second, thanks to Lenovo’s own Instant Resume technology. The new Ultrabooks come packing with up to a 3rd-generation Intel Core i7 processor and NVIDIA GeForce graphics with DirectX 11. The U310 will be available in March starting at $779, while the U410 will release in April starting at $850.

Lenovo also has shown off the new IdeaPad Z400 and Z500 laptops and are the latest additions to the company’s Z series. These machines are optimized for Windows 8’s touch-based UI, supporting 10-finger touch at any given point. Both laptops come with a 3rd -generation Intel Core i7 processor and NVIDIA GeForce graphics. The Z400 will come with a 14-inch display and will be available starting in March at $699, while the Z500 will feature a 15.6-inch display and will be released in April starting at $699 as well.

Lastly, Lenovo announced the ThinkPad Edge E431 and E531 (also pictured at the top of this article). They’re the first ThinkPad laptops to include the company’s all-new OneLink technology, which allows users to connect to various external devices through a single cable connection, thus eliminating cable clutter without compromising performance. The ThinkPad Edge E431 and E531 laptops also feature improved graphics and higher-resolution displays, as well as a five-button ClickPad that will let users control various Windows 8 features from the keyboard. Both models will be available in May starting at $499.

Mobile Internet Digital Home’s Senior Vice President Liu Jun will be at the healm of the Lenovo Business Group, while the Think Business Group will be headed by Dr. Peter Hortensius. These changes won’t take effect until April 1, when the separate business groups are put in place. Lenovo Group has four market regions: North American, Chinese, EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa), and Asian/Latin American.

Lenovo’s Chairman and CEO Yang Yuanqing sent out an email informing those within the company of the upcoming change. In the email, he states: “[Lenovo] is both large enough and able to devote sufficient resources to industry specialization in various fields. Therefore, we would like to once again revolutionize our organizational structure to ensure continued growth and to achieve higher goals. I am announcing a restructuring plan with the establishment of two new end-to-end business groups. The plan will come into effect on April 1.”

He then goes on to detail the purpose of each group. The Lenovo Business Group will focus on desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones, while the Think Business Group will be tasked with global commercial business leadership, high-end consumer brand creation, and commercial business. In addition, the TBG will also gain workstation and enterprise teams.

[via Sina]

Optimized for Windows 8, the touch-friendly ThinkPad ultrabook doesn’t have a lot of details to go along with it, but we do know it’ll be available at some point in December and it will run Windows 8. Then again, if the touch-enabled ThinkPad is anything like the non-touch version, we should see some of the same specs on the inside.

Lenovo claimed the non-touch ThinkPad X1 Carbon as the world’s lightest business-class 14-inch laptop, so we’re guessing the touch-enabled version will tout a similar claim. It weighs just under 3 pounds and measures 0.74 inches thick. It packs up to an Intel Core i7 processor, Intel HD Graphics 4000, up to 8GB of DDR3 memory, 128GB or 256GB SSD, and Dolby Home Theater v4 sound, with pricing starting at just over $1,100.

However, the X1 Carbon Touch will feature a 14-inch “HD+” (most likely 1600×900) display with 10-finger multi-touch support and also full support for Windows 8 touchpad gestures. Other than that, Lenovo just mentions that it’s “thin and light” and has a “carbon-fiber construction,” just like the original ThinkPad X1 Carbon ultrabook.

[via The Verge]

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13

This machine is what Lenovo is proud to claim as one of the world’s first multi-mode Ultrabooks. It’s got a 13.3-inch 1600 x 900 IPS LCD display with Intel HD 4000 graphics and up to Intel Core i7 processors inside. You’ve got the ability to work with up to Windows 8 Pro on this machine, and it ready to rock in several different display modes.

You can place it upright like a notebook, backwards like a tent, bend up and forward – inverted from its notebook mode, and flat like a tablet. The current MSRP for this device is $1099 USD and it’ll be out in stores relatively soon – exact date to be determined.

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11

The IdeaPad Yoga 11 is the more compact version of the unique idea the Yoga 13 presents with a 360-degree folding hinge for multiple modes of use. It also has a massively powerful display of 1366 x 768 pixels across an 11.6-inch HD panel and it works with Windows RT. This tablet-based operating system is powered here by the NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor we’ve seen many time before, and the whole unit is just 0.61 inches thick. This unit will be coming in at MSRP $799 USD.

We found both of the Yoga units to be surprisingly high quality for how seemingly dangerously exposed they are at first with the hinge innovation. But the actual execution of the hinge, in all its two-part glory, takes Lenovo’s assurance that they put their products through rigorous battle-testing and delivers. These units look really, really high quality.

Lenovo ideatab Lynx

The Lynx is a tablet that’s also a notebook – a Windows 8-toting oddity that’ll have you amazed that this is truly one of the first Windows 8 Atom-based machines on the market. Up front you’ve got an 11.6-inche IPS LCD display at 1366 x 768 pixel resolution – and it gets quite bright: 400 nit bright to be exact. This tablet works with a full detachable Lenovo Accutype keyboard and will be running with Intel Atom dual-core processors – that’s X2760 dual-core 1.8 GHz. The Lynx has a price of MSRP $599 for the tablet and $149 for the base as of this week.

The Lynx is going to be hitting a rather unique crowd, the same way the Twist will. With the Twist we’ve got the whole machine working with that single bar that allows the display to twist – a bit more fragile-seeming than we’d like to really comment on extensively at this point. The Lynx, on the other hand, appears to have the ThinkPad family in mind with its recognizable keyboard and a full Windows 8 experience ready to rock with Atom.

Lenovo ThinkPad Twist

The ThinkPad Twist has a 12.5-inch 12.5-inch IPS LCD display covered with Gorilla Glass, getting up to 350 nit bright and bringing on the HD with Intel Core i3, i5, or i7 to back it up. The full casing on this machine is 0.79-inches thick and it’ll be running full Windows 8 Pro when it hits shelves. The Twist will be appearing for MSRP $849 USD.

Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2

This lovely little beast is the ThinkPad Tablet 2, taking everything great about your everyday-awesome hardcore ThinkPad notebook and bringing it up in a tablet form that’s ready to attach to its own keyboard dock, multimedia dock, and lovely carrying case. The case is able to keep both the tablet and the keyboard base safe in itself at once, both the tablet and the base being essentially the same size, and thusly interchangeable on both sides. This unit has a 10.1-inch IPS LCD display, Gorilla Glass over the front, and Intel Atom inside. You’ve also got wi-fi and AT&T 4G LTE versions available in the very near future – the wi-fi version will be MSRP $649 USD.

Stay tuned for more awesome Lenovo action as Windows 8 and Windows RT takes over the world. Stay close to our Microsoft tag and our Windows 8 tag for the full lo-down as it all goes down over the next few weeks and months. The wave is coming in!

The event has been commented upon by Lenovo’s own David Hill, he presenting his book “ThinkPad Design: Spirit & Essence”, this originally shown at a MoMA Lenovo event for the ThinkPad earlier this year. In Hill’s comments you’ll find not just a set of words presented in brief, you’ll see his full book presented virtually for your viewing right out of the browser window.

“Today is the day we officially celebrate the anniversary of ThinkPad. This year, however, is no ordinary anniversary. This year is the 20th anniversary of what has become a design classic and an icon of the industry. I am very proud of ThinkPad and all the people who have helped make it special over the years. Rather than write a special blog posting on the topic, I decided to post a “virtual” copy of the book I wrote and designed for the MoMA event we hosted back in August.” – Hill

The presentation of the book is done through Zmags where you can read the entire publication – make it a full-screen adventure! The anniversary event hosted at the MoMA showed off a variety of ThinkPad designs, including the model that sits inside the halls of the museum on a regular basis: the ThinkPad 701c. This design works with a keyboard the slides out and expands in a butterfly configuration that’s lovely enough to be looked upon as design history – art.

Click for larger view.

Have a peek here at a timeline setup of all the ThinkPads that’ve popped up over the past 20 years and let us know – which ones have you owned? Which was your favorite? Lenovo has prepared a selection of 20th anniversary wallpapers for your ThinkPad here and here – that’s a couple of Flickr galleries, mind you. Also have a peek below at a collection of legacy ThinkPad images and advertisements as well – and remind yourself: the best is still on the way!

Note that the following gallery contains the few IBM computers that lead up to the ThinkPad as well – gigantic and terrifying as they were. The first ThinkPad changed the way computers were used, so to speak, with a compact design that allowed the user to actually consider computing in more than one place. Jump down the [Lenovo] rabbit hole here on SlashGear to continue your journey for many, many years to come!

Lenovo will be opening up a plant in North Carolina to manufacture some of its ThinkPad and ThinkCentre laptops, desktops, and tablets. The new facility will cost around $2 million and will employ 115 workers once it opens next year. The plant will be located in Whitsett, NC, which actually isn’t too far from Lenovo’s US headquarters in Raleigh.

However, don’t expect the company to start moving all their business to the US — a majority of their products will still be made in China and Mexico. The limited-capacity US plant will only allow Lenovo more flexibility to cater to its corporate clients. Then again, the new US plant still gives them a leg up on other computer manufacturers like Dell, HP, and Apple, who no longer make any computers in the United States whatsoever. The “made in the USA” moniker will certainly boost Lenovo’s reputation and make them a more favorable company than before.

It’s not known how this will affect prices for various Lenovo machines or what manufacturing processes will occur at the new plant, but North America President for Lenovo David Schmoock said that the new facility will be environmentally friendly and the company should receive a lot of value from its clients from that.

The brand new ThinkPad X1 Carbon might not be 20 years in the making, but it almost feels that way. Cramming all the top end specs possibly available into a super lightweight laptop that fits the “Ultrabook” standard, while still being similar to last years original X1. This is certainly an evolution of last years model only better in every way. It’s thinner, lighter, and faster yet still comes with a bigger display and more options. Take a peek at our unboxing video to get yourself started and acquainted, then we’ll dig in.

Hardware and Chassis

At first glance there will be no doubt in your mind this is a ThinkPad. With the original simplistic and minimal design, squared off edges, and flat matte black color scheme. Other than a few needed vents for breathing and speakers this is as simple as it gets, in its most elegant form. The ThinkPad line has always been catered for professionals that don’t want a loud and cluttered laptop, and this is no different. We don’t have crazy lights, bright colors, or odd speakers. Everything is clean — ThinkPad clean.

As far as hardware specs there’s multiple versions available. Today we’ll be looking at one of Lenovo’s highest options. We’ll go over the different models below but what we have here is their high-end Intel Ivy Bridge 3rd Gen Core-i7 dual-core version. All X1 Carbon’s come complete with a 14-inch LED display, with a matte finish to reduce glare, 2 USB ports (right side is 3.0), display port, 3.5 mm headphone jack that doubles for the microphone, and a 3G sim slot around back for 3G connectivity. Starting at $1,249 our model will run you $1,579 — and under the hood however is what’s important.

Our X1 Carbon comes complete with the Intel Core i7-3667U 1.8 GHz dual-core Ivy Bridge processor, 4GB of DDR3 666 MHz RAM, and a 128GB SSD. Other options include a 1.7 GHz Ivy Bridge, and even a lower i5. They’ve even got a 256GB SSD selection for those with extra cash and need the storage. As well as 8GB RAM models for the editing heavy user. Packing all of this into something only 2.99 lbs makes this the lightest ThinkPad ever.

As far as hardware the latch-free lid is easy to close, but wasn’t quite as easy to open for us. This you’ll simply just get use to so we can’t really complain. We also found the square charging port to be odd since most have adopted the easy to use round male pin. I actually tried inserting my USB drive into it once, but that’s another story. As usual with Lenovo the ThinkPad has a very durable construction. It feels great in the hand with the soft-touch matte finish, and being lightweight also makes it a breeze to carry.

The screen is 14-inches as mentioned above, but only offers 300 nits of brightness. Using this outdoors wasn’t the most ideal situation, but we’ve certainly seen and used worse. Overall the screen is rather impressive being 1600 x 900, although outdoors the grainy effect was more present.

Keyboard and Trackpad

Just like the X1, the Carbon has replaced the wide keys for Lenovo’s version of the chicklet style, and it works wonderfully. The keys are evenly spaced, comfortable, and have good feedback and response. The slight curve makes them instantly comfortable to use, you’ll just have to get used to the spacing if you’ve owned previous ThinkPads.

As mentioned in the video, the keys are backlit only the button the side toggles radios, not the keyboard lights. Simply press Fn and tap spacebar to scroll through the 3 brightness options. While we’d love additional brightness options 3 is better than most. So we’ll take it. Then in the usual ThinkPad fashion you can use the trackpad, or enjoy the pointing stick mouse dressed up in the familiar red. I personally only use this, but the trackpad is also exceptional for those times you need it. While we’d still like the smooth surface that MacBook’s offer, Lenovo did a great job with their smooth, resistance free trackpad.

Ports

As mentioned above Lenovo outfitted this Ultrabook with only two USB ports, one of which is USB 3.0, or as they call it — Superspeed. You’d never know it but a small barely visible SS logo is near the right side USB port (see above image). The right side also contains the Kensington lock, display port, 3.5mm headphone/microphone, and the full size SD. Around to the left is the charging port, vents, and the regular USB location followed by a Bluetooth and WiFi radio toggle switch.

Performance and Sound

Now Lenovo offers multiple versions of the X1 Carbon, ours however has the Intel Core i7-3667U Processor (4M Cache, up to 3.20 GHz) running at 1.7 GHz. There is two additional i5 options for a lower price as well. Using Intel’s Ivy Bridge and the integrated HD-4000 this isn’t quite up to 3D and gaming performance par, but everything else was exceptional.

Running on Windows 7 64 bit Professional performance was butter smooth as always, and we ran a few Geekbench tests as we always do. After the third run there was a decent amount of heat coming out of the small vents, but the X1 Carbon stayed relatively quiet. Here’s the results:

Obviously the SSD was extremely fast, blowing away any regular HD option available, but sadly this price range only offers the 128GB choice. Overall the results weren’t chart topping but for the price, size, and specs this is a beast of a business-class machine.

Next up we wanted to talk about the speakers and sound quality. There’s no fancy Beats Audio here, but that’s a good thing. Whatever Lenovo did they did well. The speaker ports are located on the bottom sides near the front, and bounce off the desk giving users excellent sound quality. This machine was much louder than the recently reviewed HP ENVY 4, and sounded better in all categories too. While using this on my lap the sound gets aimed the wrong direction and wasn’t as loud or crisp, but desktop usage was perfect.

Battery Life

Now the battery life can be a bit personal, based on user needs and usage, but we found decent results. With continuous usage throughout an entire evening it lasted almost 6 hours straight — and that’s with multiple video clips and web browsing. Using the rapid charge technology detailed in our video we didn’t get 5 hours on a short charge, but was enough to get a job done in a bind. We’ve seen many Ultrabook’s last well past the 7 hour mark, so we’ll chalk this one up for average at best.

Wrap-Up

As far as business-class Ultrabooks the X1 Carbon doesn’t have too much competition. This thing is almost as good as it gets — if an Ultrabook is what you want. If you don’t need the Ultrabook lightweight design for roughly the same price the HP Spectre 14 [see our review] is another solid option. All in all the X1 Carbon is a massive step up over the original, and beats out anything from Lenovo’s past in this size range. Yes the display, battery life, and RAM options could all be better or higher, but in general this machine will be king of the office.

Add in the fact that it manages to be extremely thin, weigh less than 3 lbs, and still manages to have a 720p front camera (image sample below), and integrated HSPA+ 3G connectivity it sure is a great overall package. It might not be the cheapest around but this user friendly machine will be excellent for average users, and the business man. This portable Ultrabook should make you plenty happy, and keep you busy. Have a peek at previous reviews and all our images below, then decide if this is the Ultrabook for your business bag.

Inside there’s either various sizes of traditional spinning-platter drive up to 1TB, or a 128GB SSD for those who like their storage neither shaken nor stirred. Those wanting to use their ThinkPad for graphics processor (or, dare we suggest it of the suits, even a little post-work gaming) can pick an NVIDIA GeForce GT620M graphics chip with 1GB of its own memory.

Battery life is rated at around 7.1 hours of use, which isn’t exactly going to set the world on fire (or even the ultrabook segment). Still, this is a compromise machine – roughly half the price of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon, though still managing to be thin, light and have a reasonable turn of performance to it.

Interestingly, while the January announcement mentioned Thunderbolt, there’s now no sign of it on the T430u; instead, the notebook gets USB 3.0 and Mini DisplayPort, along with audio in/out and HDMI. Expect it to go on sale later this month from $779.

This notebook works with a lovely 14-inch HD+ display that’s Anti-glare at 1600×900 pixel resolution with brightness up to 300 nits. Memory on each different model is always 4 GB DDR 1333 MHz, you’ve got a battery inside that works with RapidCharge said to last 6.3 hours by Lenovo, and you’ve got a front-facing camera for video chat that works at 720p resolution. Each model will come with Windows 7 Professional right out of the box, and the whole beast weighs in at 2.998 pounds.

Several configurations exist, each of them costing you a few more dollar bills than the last. You’ll start with the $1399 model with Intel Core i5-3317U (1.7 GHz, 3MB L3, 1333MHz FSB) and 128GB SSD SATA 3. Next you’ll ramp up to the $1499 model with Intel Core i5-3427U (1.80 GHz, 3MB L3, 1333MHz FSB) VPRO and 128GB SSD SATA 3. There’s a model that’s quite similar to the second model with an 256GB SSD SATA 3 that’ll cost you $1649 as well. Finally there’s the king of the pack, a model with Intel Core i7-3667U (2.0 GHz, 4MB L3, 1333MHz FSB) VPRO and 256GB SSD SATA 3 for $1849 USD.

These models all come with a fabulous collection of slots and ports: (1) Mini DP, (1) Combo Audio, (1) USB 2.0, (1) USB 3.0, (1) 4-in-1 SD card reader, and Ethernet via USB dongle. They all measure in at the same height, width, and depth, at 13.03 x 8.9 x 0.74 inches. And they all come with a three year warrantee.

We’ll be checking this beast out here on SlashGear with a full review soon. For now, have a peek at the earlier posts about this device and get knowledgeable!

But enough about boring old courtroom drama, because today Apple and Samsung’s lawsuit was eclipsed by another event: NASA’s Curiosity rover touched down successfully on the surface of Mars today. It was a huge event, and we’ve got plenty of related posts for you to read through. If you missed the live stream, you can watch this video of the Curiosity team as they react to the rover’s landing. There are also a few images from the surface of Mars to check out: after sending back the first image from the landing, NASA received even more images from the surface of Mars. There was also this shot of the descent taken by NASA’s Mars orbiter, which we have to say is pretty awesome. Did you know that Curiosity will be leaving behind tags as it travels across Mars? It is, and it’s doing so in Morse code.

In other news, Samsung has announced that the Galaxy Note 10.1 will indeed be hitting shelves this month. That announcement was accompanied by a new promo video for the Galaxy Note 10.1, and after watching it, we wonder if Android users care more about functionality than they do about specs. We also caught a glimpse of what appears to be Samsung’s plan for Jelly Bean updates on various Galaxy devices, so you may want to give that a look. Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak gave some warnings about becoming too reliant on the cloud, and it turns out that Steve Jobs actually liked the idea of an iPad Mini. Speaking of Apple, it appears that the company’s entire mobile line is going to get new dock connectors, and YouTube has been banished from iOS 6, but we tell you why that may not necessarily be a bad thing.

Get ready ultrabook enthusiasts, because Lenovo’s new ThinkPad X1 Carbon will be launching by the end of the month. Demonoid has been shut down by Ukrainian authorities, much like MegaUpload was by the US earlier this year. Finally, the PS3 is getting a bunch of collections at the end of this month, with Sony announcing today that the God of War Saga and the inFamous Collection will be launching alongside the Ratchet & Clank Collection on August 28.

That about does it for the evening wrap-up, so now that you’re all caught up on the news from the day, head out and enjoy the rest of your Monday evening!

When we say that the ThinkPad X1 Carbon is super-thin, we mean it. The ultrabook comes in at just 18mm thick, and weighs around 3 pounds. That isn’t too shabby for an ultrabook that sports a 14-inch screen and an Intel Ivy Bridge processor. Lenovo is looking to go after tablet users with this iteration of the ThinkPad, and with those specs, it just might.

The ThinkPad X1 Carbon is intended to find a happy medium between size and power, just like a number of laptops the company puts out these days. As a nice little bonus, it’s made from carbon fiber (hence the name), so it should be able to take a few hits as well. That isn’t something you can often say about these light ultrabooks, and with 3G connectivity, Lenovo just got one step closer to releasing a laptop that can challenge the popularity of tablets.

Even better is the fact that Lenovo is planning to offer 3G service itself, so instead of going through a carrier, you can just get your 3G access right from the company. We wouldn’t be surprised to see many more people using the ThinkPad X1 Carbon’s 3G capabilities because of that, so if Lenovo plays its cards right, it could make quite a hefty chunk of change from 3G service. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon is definitely one to pay attention to if you’re an ultrabook enthusiast, so keep an ear to SlashGear for more information about its fast-approaching release date!

Japanese customers who purchase ThinkPads currently have to wait about 10 days for delivey. By moving some of the production to Japan, the company will be able to ensure faster delivery and convenience for their Japanese customers. The executive chairman of NEC Lenovo Holdings B.V. made it clear that the future of the project will heavily rely on the choices of NEC-Lenovo group partners and customers.

NEC and Lenovo launched the venture about a year ago focused on Japan with the goal to capture about a 30 percent domestic market share within three years. NEC and Lenovo’s main competitor, HP, made a similar move in 2011 to shift some production away from China and into Japan to make it more convenient for Japanese customers.

[via Verge]

Lenovo says that service is now embedded across select models in the ThinkPad product line that are immediately available in both the United States and nine different European countries. Users can purchase a Time Pass for $1.95 giving 30 minutes of access for quick checks of e-mail or other needs. For users needing more time a full-day pass for $8.95 is available.

Lenovo will also offer monthly plans giving 2 GB or 6 GB of data with the option for automatic monthly renewal. Lenovo doesn’t offer pricing for the monthly 2 GB or 6 GB options. I would expect the monthly plans to sell for roughly the same price as other offerings on the market putting them somewhere in the $20-$40 monthly range. Lenovo says that pricing will vary by country.

“To date, connectivity has been ‘off the rack’ and one-size fits all—too many mobile users are forced to squeeze into a mobile broadband contract that gives them either more or less connectivity than they need, or they go without entirely,” said Richard Schwartz, president and CEO, Macheen. “With service by Macheen, Lenovo Mobile Access lets users trade ill-fitting plans for tailored connectivity featuring pay-as-you-go rates and customized access for any device, application and user. Quite literally, it’s access to cloud-based content, services and applications that fits the way users work and live, meaning virtually all ThinkPad users can enjoy the value of true mobility.”

Hardware

The X230 is part of a dying breed of full-power, small-sized machines. Its diminutive dimensions hide an upgraded Intel Ivy Bridge processor, in the case our review unit, a Core i5 3320m. It’s also got 4GB of RAM (with one DIMM slot free for easily adding more) and a 320GB traditional hard drive, with an integrated Intel HD 4000 GPU to match the third-generation processor. Like previous members of the X200 family, there’s no disc drive to help cut down on volume and weight. Refreshingly unlike some of the more slinky laptops out there, the hard drive and memory are user-accessible, as is the 6-cell standard battery.

Externally the biggest change for the updated model is the keyboard, which switches to the chicklet style seen on the majority of new laptops. Those who are worried about the legendary ThinkPad keyboard losing its muster needn’t bother: the keys are just as springy as other ThinkPads with plenty of travel and zero flex. In addition to the ThinkLight next to the 720p webcam, there’s an optional backlight for the keyboard, though it isn’t particularly bright.

The touchpad uses the newer style as well, and this is a shame. There’s very few PC laptops that have mastered the integrated mouse buttons (with the HP Envy 14 Spectre being the best that I’ve seen) and the X230 is not among them. Performing gestures and multi-finger clicks is a chore that isn’t aided by the trackpad’s small dimensions. Thankfully, the trademark TrackPoint “nub” and extra buttons remain, for those who’ve grown used to a stick-style pointer. An optional biometric scanner sits next to the trackpad on our review unit.

The 12.5-inch screen has its ups and downs. It’s an IPS panel that’s impressively bright, and the matte finish (an option that’s all too rare) helps keep away glare. That said, 1366×768 is a relatively low resolution that’s finally beginning to lose its hold on this form factor, and it’s too bad to see Lenovo stick to the more typical density. A higher-res screen would be a much-appreciated option, especially since Windows 7 always seems to over-use vertical space.

The hinge deserves some attention. Because it’s considerably stiff and the laptop is surprisingly light, it’s nearly impossible to open the laptop with a single hand without the base rising up. The screen stays where it’s put, but I’d much prefer a slightly looser hinge and an old-school latch mechanism, instead of the small lip that’s provided. The front of the laptop is bare, while the rear holds just the battery and power plug.

Moving to the left side, we’re greeted with two USB 3.0 ports (black instead of the usual blue), a Mini DisplayPort and VGA port for video-out, a WiFi switch and an ExpressCard slot – an addition that marks this as a business notebook first and foremost. On the right side you get a more media-friendly SD card slot, a combined headphone/microphone jack with Dolby certification, an Ethernet jack, a Kensington lock port and a USB 2.0 port. That yellow color isn’t just for show: it indicates that the port will continuously supply a charge even when the laptop is sleeping, a very useful feature in the age of smartphones.

Stylistically… well, it’s a ThinkPad. The same utilitarian design that the line has used for nearly two decades is just as functional as it was back in the 90s. While it won’t turn heads like a MacBook Air or innumerable Ultrabooks, it’s got a charm all its own for the right kind of buyer. It isn’t especially thin, but it is light, and just about as small as it could be while remaining comfortable to use for extended periods of time. It’s compact and light enough to slip into a backpack or briefcase and barely be noticeable.

Software

Lenovo keeps its business machines pretty clean when it comes to Windows – well, that’s traditionally the case, anyway. There’s a few programs here that I’d have installed anyway (Flash player, Google Chrome) and a lot that I wouldn’t (Adobe Air, Evernote, SugarSync, Google Toolbar and the obligatory Microsoft Office trial). Lenovo seems to have added quite a few pieces of software that aren’t necessary because they’re built into Windows – things like a second battery meter.

Lenovo’s ThinkVantage is appreciated, if only for its ability to extend the battery by turning off some of the more unnecessary features. But the App Shop, a full-screen interface for things like “Google Search” and “Twitter”, is not. There’s more commercial software as well, but nothing you couldn’t download through a standard browser. All of this wouldn’t be nearly as annoying if the installation media was included, but alas, I haven’t seen that in years. My standard tactic for a new machine is to download a Windows ISO and install it fresh with the license included on the machine, and for those with the know-how, I’d recommend the same here.

With all that said, Windows 7 and modern hardware are getting some impressive performance even with loads of extra software. The new Intel architecture shines, and through standard operations (in my case, dozens and dozens of Chrome tabs with various sync, graphics and chat programs running in the background) the X230 didn’t bat a metaphorical eye. Those who regularly run intensive programs for graphic design or the like will probably want more RAM, but as a small work machine, this little guy handles very well indeed.

Performance and Battery

The Ivy Bridge standard has been long-awaited, and it appears to have been worth it. In our standard Geekbench test we got a solid 20% higher score than similarly equipped laptops from the last generation. It’s not about to grind through video transcoding like a champ, but for pretty much everything a business user will need it’s more than capable. The expanded HD 4000 integrated GPU should be good enough for decent graphics on less intense 3D games, like Team Fortress 2 and World of Warcraft.

Even better, the efficiency of this improved hardware seems to have been noticeably boosted. Through regular browsing I got 6:43, 6:56 and 7:09 in three separate tests. For a laptop of this size that’s very respectable, and Lenovo has extended 9-cell batteries and a massive slice battery available for those who need to make it across an ocean on a single charge.

Value

It’s hard to deny that there are more stylish laptops in this category – ASUS’ Zenbook series, with its high-resolution screens and svelte profiles, comes to mind. And many of them will come in at considerably less than the X230’s starting price of $1249. For those two reasons alone, many will overlook Lenovo’s ultraportable, non-ultra-notebook.

It would be unwise to do so. Even without the bells and whistles (other optional upgrades include Bluetooth, 3G and SSD drives), the ThinkPad is a reliable machine that’s comfortable to operate for a long time – and capable of doing so, thanks to its battery life. It’s also tough as nails, at least if my personal experience with last year’s machines is anything to go by. For these reasons, the premium will be worth it for the business or professional user who isn’t overly concerned with looks.

Wrap-up

If you’re already a fan of the ThinkPad line, there’s nothing here to dissuade you, with the possible exception of the hinge and trackpad. And if you’re looking for a ton lot of processing power in a small and comfortable package with great battery life, the ThinkPad X230 should be on your shortlist, and will continue to be so as more Ivy bridge Machines hit the market.

If you’re looking for something to turn heads at the local coffee shop, keep looking (perhaps to the ThinkPad X1 Carbon, due later this summer). And if you want a high-resolution screen and enough graphical power to run Call of Duty 5, then this isn’t the machine for you. But if longevity, reliability and portability are high on your list of must-haves, the ThinkPad X230 deserves some serious consideration.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X230 will go on sale in early June, in both pre-built and configurable versions. You can check out our hands-on video below.

Calling ThinkPads “pretty” would be a massive overstatement, but I’ve always admired the way the line is steadfastly proud in its utilitarian ugliness. In this, the X230 makes a concession to Lenovo’s more consumer-oriented laptops and the ThinkPad Edge series with a chicklet keyboard. ThinkPad fans, put away your scythes and pitchforks: the legendary key travel appears to be unblemished, and the signature trackpoint “nub” is still present. The touchpad uses the same controversial “universal click” that was introduced last year, but you can still use the physical mouse buttons above the pad.

Another signature ThinkPad feature, the keyboard light, is intact, but shares space with an optional backlit keyboard. It comes in two stages, neither of which is very bright. The 12.5-inch screen is quite bright, on the other hand, and will likely retain the IPS option when the laptop ships. Unfortunately it’s stuck at a rather typical 1366×768 resolution – I’d much rather see a Zenbook-style 1600×900 panel in there.

Speaking of Ultrabooks, the ThinkPad ethos is definitely starting to show its age when compared with the latest crop of ultra-light, ultra-thin laptops. The X230 holds its own, but it just isn’t as slick as some of the latest competition – while crucially offering little to justify its extra bulk. Extras over ultrabook models include a removable battery and a docking port for an even larger one, as well as an ExpressCard slot.

The right side holds a standard USB slot (yellow colored to indicate that it can power portable devices even in sleep mode), a full-sized SD card slot, a Dolby-certified in/out audio jack, a Kensington lock port and the hard drive accessible with a standard Phillips head screwdriver. The left holds two USB 3 ports (annoyingly colored a non-standard black), the ExpressCard slot, an old-school VGA port and a newfangled MiniDVI port.  The rear has only the power port and the removable battery.

I can deal with the new keyboard and new-ish trackpad just fine, but the one thing that really bugs me in this small laptop is the stiffness of the hinge. Normally that’s a good thing, but with the light weight and latch-free design on the X230 you need a much better grip to raise the lid than the small notch can provide. Unless you’ve got nimble fingers, it’s very difficult to open the lid with one hand.

On the software side of things you get a choice of Windows 7 versions, with predictable options for hardware. Our review unit came with 4GB of RAM, a traditional 300GB hard drive, Bluetooth, and a a biometric fingerprint scanner. We’ll be testing out the X230 for a good while, since it doesn’t officially launch till early June in the $1200 range for the price model. (We won’t know the exact price of our configuration for a while, but I’d guess around $1350.) In the meantime, check out our hands-on video below for a good look at its features and comparisons with other current laptops:

Like the rest of the Lenovo notebooks revealed today, this one comes with 3rd Generation Intel Core options, Dolby Home Theater v4 for audio, and ThinkPad Enhanced Experience 3.0 software to keep you strong in the innards. You’ve got the ability to connect this notebook with Mobile Broadband 3G, vPro technology keeps you up to date on the latest enterprise manageability options, and you’ve got Rapid Charge as an option, this being the ability to charge your computer up to 80% in an amazing 30 minutes.

This new Ultrabook comes with a 720p front-facing camera with Face Tracking, comes with essentially every other awesome upgrade the rest of the ThinkPads have received this week, and has fabulous resilient strength to keep itself in-tact no matter what you toss at it in your day-to-day. This notebook is a beast – have a peek at the massive gallery of images we’ve got in press style and stay tuned for pricing and release information, coming up quick!

ThinkPad X230 and X230t

The X-series ThinkPad notebook has always been a high productivity set of tools made to work in non-traditional workspaces, made also for the mobile user who needs the added bump of Mil-Spec testing which the whole X-series has to feel fabulous about. The upgrade here with Ivy Bridge also includes 2 new SuperSpeed USB 3.0 ports, a brand new keyboard, a bump up to Dolby Advanced Audio, a new software suite you’ll know well as ThinkPad Enhanced Experience 3.0, and more. You’ll also get a brand new Mini-DisplayPort, a backlit keyboard option, an added set of dual vents for cooler and quieter processing, and Polycon as well as Face Tracking for video conferencing.

ThinkPad W530

This notebook is what Lenovo calls the “fastest mobile workstation under 6lbs. That’s a hefty claim, and it comes standard with RAID storage and gets bumped up in several places here in this Ivy Bridge upgrade. You’ve got a brains new precision keyboard, DisplayPort 1.2 readiness, and a whole new software experience which, once again, you’ll know as ThinkPad Enhanced Experience 3.0. This new version of the notebook comes with Dolby Home Theater v4 and rocks the Xrite Color Calibrator at 45% smaller than its past iteration with a palm rest option. You’ve got an option for a backlit keyboard, the newest in NVIDIA GPU options, 135w AC Adapter (dual core), and 3rd Generation Intel Core standard volt processors (with Turbo Boost+).

ThinkPad T430 / 530

This notebook is what Lenovo calls its most powerful T and its best-selling enterprise machine. In the newest versions of both the T430 and T530, you’ve got the new Precision Keyboard you’ve been hearing so much about, the whole notebook is much lighter than previous versions, and you’ve got ThinkPad Enhanced Experience 3.0 to boot. Dolby Advanced Audio will keep your sounds strong, there’s a brand new mini-DisplayPort with audio, you can get a backlit keyboard, and you’ve got a brand new 720p HD camera on the front with Face Tracking. All this with 3rd Generation Intel Core standard volt processors (with Turbo Boost+).

ThinkPad 430s

Very similar to the rest of the T-series, this 430s is Lenovo’s “leading no-compromise mobile enterprise 14-inch notebook” and what they call their lightest T with Powerful Performance and Mobility. The upgrade you see here comes with ThinkPad Enhanced Experience 3.0, brings Thunderbolt if you choose i7, has HD as well as HD+ display options, and has a Rapid Charge option. This Rapid Charge option brings you an amazing 80% charge to your notebook in just 30 minutes – fabulous! This upgrade has Dolby Home Theater v4, Mini-DisplayPort with audio, and a backlit keyboard option. You’ve got a 720p camera on the front with Face Tracking right out of the box, and of course you’ve got the ever so popular 3rd Generation Intel Core standard volt processors (with Turbo Boost+).

ThinkPad L430 / L530

Here Lenovo brings you “no sacrifice in performance for price” with the L-series which brings you “the right amount of features for productivity, mobility, and reliability.” The upgrade brings you USB 3.0 with mini-DisplayPort, Dolby Advanced Audio, and a software upgrade to ThinkPad Enhanced Experience 3.0. This upgrade has EPEAT GOLD, Energy Star, Low Halogen, and ULE additions for all the green feelings you can handle. You’ve also got SmartCard options via this upgrade’s 54mm ExpressCard as well as the ability to work with Switchable Discrete graphics up to 2GB. This upgrade has the new Precision Keyboard as well as physical upgrades which include new 180 degree metal hinges as well as HD+ panels.

Gallery

Enjoy a close-up look at all of the machines you see written about above and see how power looks when it comes from Lenovo! Pick all of these models up immediately if not soon!

This upgrade will begin in May, so says Lenovo, and three giant upgrades will come through as featured bits aside from the Ice Cream Sandwich features you should know well from our review of the tablet-based ICS a few weeks ago. This version comes first and foremost with a new and improved web browser. This new browser is said by Lenovo to allow you to jump to your favorite content a whole heck of a lot faster and save pages for offline browsing easier than ever.

Next there’s Voice Input for onscreen dictation. While you speak, the words appear on the screen, and your voice input engine underlines text it believes it heard but might be incorrectly translated. After you’ve finished speaking, all you’ve got to do is tap these words and suggestions for correct words will appear. This is available on the Galaxy Nexus currently as well – check out our review of Ice Cream Sandwich for smartphones back at the release of that gem.

Finally there’s Face Unlock, the same screen-unlock feature you see advertised by Samsung and Google as unbreakable by a 4 year old child with finger mustache. This unlock feature comes with Ice Cream Sandwich and, like most features, is able to be activated or de-activated by the manufacturer. Users will be able to see an Over the Air update on their ThinkPad tablet starting in May, again, and the update will roll out across the month.

The ThinkPad Tablet launched in July of last year without a lot of fanfare, despite its then-attractive price point of $479 and support for Android 3.1 Honeycomb. The device was marketed to business and enterprise customers, just like the ThinkPad brand of laptops. The market of business-oriented Android tablets is still incredibly niche, but with Ice Cream Sandwich compatibility, Lenovo will have a distinct competitive advantage.

As mentioned, Asus is paying the price for being an Ice Cream Sandwich guinea pig. The update file has caused handfuls of Transformer Prime tablets to lock up and crash, leaving developers scrambling to work on a permanent fix. ICS also proved problematic for the Nexus S phone, which halted its upgrade process after users experienced similar crashing symptoms. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Nexus, which has ICS pre-installed, has had no major issues.

[via PC World]

This laptop has a rubber bumper on the top cover, a 33% increased strength set of corners over previous models just incase you drop it on its side, and the strongest hinges Lenovo has on a laptop yet with up to 30,000 cycles. There’s also reinforced and recessed ports for USB and power action that’ll reduce the amount of “wear and tear” you experience, and the bezel around the display is 1.2mm thick to keep the screen intact. The whole unit also weighs in at less than four pounds so it’ll fit right in your backpack just fine.

The battery on this little beast will last you up to 8.5 hours, you’ll be running Windows 7 Professional right out of the box, and you’ve got an instant 1-year warrantee for all sorts of breaks and mishaps. There are two different models available for this laptop right this moment, the first being the entry level model at $429.00 USD, the second being a slightly more high performance model at $549.00 USD. The higher grade model features an Intel Core i3-2367M processor – so go grab it!

[via Lenovo]

The ThinkPad X1 Hybrid is an updated version of the super-skinny X1, reconfigured with an eye towards utility. Claiming double CPU performance and quadruple graphics from an integrated Intel chip, Lenovo is positioning the 13-inch X1 Hybrid as a business-class laptop with excellent media features. Those include a high-definition display (not detailed) with Corning Gorilla Glass, an HD webcam, Dolby Home Theater sound and both HDMI and Intel Wireless Display technology. To satisfy your IT admin you get an encrypted hard drive and remote system management, plus a fingerprint reader. Processor options will include Core i3, i5 and i7.

Lenovo has addressed battery issues with two features: a low-power Media Mode powered by a separate Qualcomm dual-core processor (hence the Hybrid name), and RapidCharge technology that allows it to fill 80% of its battery in 30 minutes. The Media Mode loads up a custom operating system that should sip battery while still giving users access to WiFi connections, Internet browsing and basic files. Think of it as a tablet that’s trapped inside a ThinkPad body. The X1 is factory rated for 10 hours of battery life, though the longevity of the Instant Media Mode was not disclosed.

On the lower end of Lenovo’s business scale is the ThinkPad T430u, which they’re calling an “Ultrabook that’s all business.” It would take a lot for an Ultrabook to match the power, utility and economy that the 14-inch T400 series has provided thus far, but they’re giving it their best with a choice of Intel Core processors and integrated or discrete Nvidia graphics, an SSD or massive 1TB traditional hard drive, six hours of battery life and a quick boot feature. The .8-inch laptop is downright svelte for a T-series, and it’s got a stylish aluminum lid that should look better than the typical ThinkPad soft-touch finish.

New entries into the ThinkPad Edge series of more conventional laptops were announced as well. The new S series gets its first entry in the Mocha Black S430, which Lenovo is advertising as less than an inch thick. The 14-inch laptop has optional Nvidia graphics, Dolby sound, USB 3.0 ports and a snazzy new Thunderbolt port. It comes with a choice of SSD or up to a terabyte hard drive. The S430 will be available in June starting at $749.

On the lower end the E series gets all-new versions in 14 and 15-inch bodies, named the ThinkPad Edge E430 and E530, respectively. Options include either Intel Core processors or AMD’s Fusion platform, with integrated or discrete graphics choices for both. The same solid state and 1TB hard drive choices are present with USB 3.0 and an HD webcam. The ThinkPad E130 and E330 are the 11.6 and 13.3-inch variants using Intel processors, while the E135 and E335 use AMD. All models should be available in April, starting at $549 in a range of black, red or blue colors.

The Lenovo B series also gets some love.  The unassuming affordable line has new 14-inch models called the B480 and B485, and 15-inch models labelled B580 and B585. Intel and AMD processor are split from the same as the E series above. Optional additions include 1TB hard drives, USB 3.0, HDMI and multi-card readers, with the base machines starting at a price of just $499. The new B series models will also be available in April.

More exacting details like specific resolutions and battery power weren’t provided, but you can bet the new models will be on display at Lenovo’s CES booth. Check in next week for some hands-on time with all of Lenovo’s latest offerings.

You’ll have options of 3 cell, 31.2 Whr or 6 cell, 62.4 Whr batteries, the latter providing you with the most magical massive set of hours without a plug-in. You’ll have the ability to load in as much as 8GB of RAM, a 500GB or 320GB harddrive, and the massive range of ports should keep you connected no matter what you’ve got in mind. You get an ethernet port, 3 USB 2.0 ports – one of them powered, a flash card reader, HDMI port, VGA port, and of course a port that connects to your everloving power cord as well. There’s also a VGA webcam with “low light sensitivity” so you can chat in the dusk.

There are several standard models, one of them with an Intel Core i3-2367M processor, the other two with AMD E-300 or AMD E-450 processor options. Education discounts non-withstanding, you’ll be able to pick up one of these little monsters for the low low price of $469 directly from Lenovo. Look like the option for you for your next school season? Perhaps a holiday present for the 2 semester superstar in your life? Your biggest choice here may well be between the black and the red cover, when it comes down to picking one up for your next season’s accessory matching, so keep that in mind!

This latest Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet sports 3G bands with support for GSM 850/1900, CDMA 850/1900, and WCDMA bands II, IV, and V. This will allow the tablet to be used with pretty much most wireless carriers in the US as well as abroad. Now if only it could support LTE as well, but nothing in the FCC filing suggests that capability.

The rest of the hardware should remain relatively the same as the WiFi-only model, which featured an NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, dual cameras, and a good number of ports including micro-USB and HDMI. The capacitive touchscreen can also be used with an optional digitizer pen. For more details, make sure to check out our hands-on.

[via Wireless Goodness]

The ThinkPad X1 Hybrid is expected to offer up to 10 hours of battery life for surfing the web and about 8 hours of battery life when it comes to watching videos. This is a big improvement from the slightly over 4 hours you get with the current ThinkPad X1. The ThinkPad X1 Hybrid is expected to arrive sometime this month.

Additionally, the PDF revealed that Lenovo is planning to release super thin ThinkPad Ultrabooks by mid-2012 right around the time Intel will be releasing its next-gen Ivy Bridge chips. Lenovo will also be launching an 11.6-inch ThinkPad X130e as a sequel to its X120e notebook next month.

[via LaptopMag]

Hardware

To start with the hardware we have a quick video for you below, as well as our hands-on and unboxing post you can see here. What you get is an Android 3.1 Honeycomb tablet with a bright and vivid 10.1″ 1280 x 800 resolution IPS display. The IPS looks bright, vivid, clear, and has great contrast. Like most IPS displays the viewing angles are also quite excellent so that is another plus. Powered by the all to familiar NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core processor at 1.0 GHz, 1GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage (16 and 64GB versions also available). Coming in around 14.5mm thin and weighs 1.65 lbs. It may be heavier than most but it also has a wide array of ports for any users needs. More hardware specs and pics can be found after the video.

Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet hands-on

With all the ports you could ever need for full productivity and having stylus support this truly is a do-it-all tablet. Based on the buttons, ports, and labels on bottom we can assume Lenovo expects this to spend much of its time in portrait mode so I’ll go over the hardware as such. On bottom we have 4 dedicated buttons, something we don’t see often with Android Honeycomb tablets. While I’ve found them a bit useful at times, they get in the way more than they are helpful — just my honest opinion. They are a screen orientation toggle, a web browser launch button, then the standard Android back and home buttons. They also seem a bit hard to push needing the right angle since they click toward the display rather than going down so sometimes I feel i need to almost roll my finger to get it to recognize the input.

Along with the hardware buttons the bottom also features all those convenient ports we mentioned above. With a 3.5mm headphone jack, mini-HDMI, micro-USB, a 30 pin dock connector, then a door with a full sized SD card slot as well as SIM support for 3G connectivity.

Around to the left side (bottom for landscape) we have a full-sized USB port and a single speaker grill and that is about it. Very simple design and not a lot to it, but that doesn’t matter when you have tons of ports and are aimed at productivity right?

The on top and the right side we have the volume up/down rocker as well as the power button. The top (or bottom left in landscape view) has a dedicated cutout and hole for the included stylus. the stylus fits neatly away and is for the most part out of sight. If you happen to lose the stylus or forget it, the hole where it belongs gets very irritating and can actually bother you depending on how you hold the tablet so I’d recommend leaving it in place. It has a nice design and is easy to slide in and out so that shouldn’t be an issue.

Software

Enough about the hardware, lets talk about software and what you can do with the stylus. First off I’ll mention we have Android 3.1 Honeycomb — mostly stock with a few small changes and “enhancements” from Lenovo like an additional home launcher type widget for quick and easy launching of most used applications and more. User interface is clean, neat and performs as expected for an Android 3.1 Honeycomb tablet. Just like the IdeaPad K1 tablet from Lenovo the unlock screen has a good 1-3 second delay from when you hit the wake button, to when the screen will actually recognize your swipe to unlock the device on-screen. This isn’t a deal breaker but seems to slow down usage a bit as you have to wait for it when you shouldn’t need to.

Clearly a lot went into making this tablet near ready to go right out of the box. Lenovo has provided tons of application for both regular users and business professionals both. With stylus support and memo pad apps, to Documents to go and more. The pre-loaded applications are in no way bloatware and are almost all things most users would want, need, or download at some point. Below is a few screenshots of the included applications.

More of the many apps included straight out of the box are Netflix, and Angry Birds HD. Both of these many users will indeed use and how can anyone possibly call Angry Birds “bloatware” right? Lenovo also has what they call the Lenovo Launcher, and the Lenovo App Wheel — both right on the homescreen for quick and easy navigation to all your favorite or most used applications. Here are a few pictures of those as well as a hands-on video right from the Lenovo product announcement.

Lenovo Launcher and App Shop details

Performance

The performance of the NVIDIA dual-core processor is to be expected, performing right on par with most Honeycomb tablets thus far. Nothing is really any different here and just as we expected it seems stable, fast, and average in benchmarks. We won’t see anything too crazy until we get faster processors and quad-cores in our tablets. We’ve ran a few benchmarks as we always do — those being Quadrant Advanced, CF Bench, and Vellamo. Surprisingly the ThinkPad actually scored higher than any tablet I’ve tested thus far stock out of the box in the Vellamo tests.

Quadrant – 2011
CF Bench – 9332, 2399, 5172
Vellamo – 989

ThinkPad Pen

The ThinkPad Pen (aka Stylus) is actually quite convenient for daily use. Most of the time I’m perfectly happy with using my hands, especially on an OS designed for touch input but the stylus works extremely well for note taking and drawing applications. Equipped with a comfortable pressure sensitive pen you can feel free to doodle when bored, or note take during those important meetings.

We have a nice application pre-installed called Notes Mobile and after messing around with it, the features it provides are awesome for business users, or even students. While you can scribble away as much as you’d like (and as messy) you can also opt for the tablet to automatically convert your writing into not only a neat and readable font, but digital format that can be saved and emailed to others. The picture below will show a few different things. The first line being the automatically converted words into a neat font provided by Lenovo — I wrote it sloppy and it adjusted to be readable and look good both. The second line is the same thing wrote by myself with no changes from the software, just as the stylus allowed. Input is very smooth, accurate and fluid. The response is fast and I could see myself writing quick notes in class with ease here. The last line I attempted to show the pressure sensitivity. “Slash” is wrote with less pressure, and “Gear” I’m applying a bit more for a bolder ink look.

Everything is adjustable from font size, style, color, and we even have a bold option. One thing worth noting for all you lefties out there (myself included) is in settings Lenovo has provided a left hand options. The ThinkPad has something called “Palm Rejection” and when the stylus is active and you place your hand fully on the display it will only recognize the pen input. This was a little goofy at first until I found the left hand palm rejection option under settings.

While not activated on my tablet out of the box Lenovo provides a 3rd party keyboard that will enable users to quickly swap from touch input, to stylus input. Writing emails, and more can all be done with the stylus should you choose not to do the “hunt and peck” thing with the on-screen keyboard.

Security

I didn’t try these features myself but Lenovo has also added a few very neat security features for business users on the ThinkPad. We have Absolute Software recovery, and McAfee Mobile Security both installed. Absolute Software will allow security commands to take complete control of the ThinkPad tablet if lost or stolen — even if the thief wipes the device back to factory state. Included is data backup as well as full remote deletion of data for those important business documents. Absolute Software will also be able to trace the tablet using the included GPS and recover a stolen device, but this is nothing new, just an added benefit of buying Lenovo.

McAfee Mobile security also proved addition support and safety while browsing the web, and also features many of the same lost or stolen features mentioned above, including data backup/restore.

Camera

The Lenovo ThinkPad features a 5 megapixel camera around back (sadly with no LED flash) and a powerful 2 megapixel camera around front for video conference and chatting. Having a better camera on the front is one more reason the ThinkPad is geared toward business professionals that need the option to video conference. Here are a few example photos with the camera for an idea of its performance.

Then a quick shot with the 2 MP front facing camera

Battery Life

Powered by a 3250 mAh battery we have averaged pretty respectable battery life so far. While it doesn’t compare to the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and its 7100 mAh battery the ThinkPad has performed quite well. The image below isn’t fully accurate as far as what all I’ve ran because there should be plenty of games and benchmarks listed but it does give you an idea of what to expect. I used the ThinkPad tablet off and on throughout the day. Picking it up when needed, and leaving in standby when not in use and I’ve managed about 22 hours from a single charge with 10% remaining. For continuous use it wont last that long, and you can expect to see about 7-8 hours of straight up usage. One thing to note is the screen-dim feature where the tablet will automatically sleep the screen was set by default to 30 minutes — most tablets are 1 minute. First power up I left it alone for about 20 minutes and returned surprised it was still on. I’d turn that down first thing.

Wrap-Up

This tablet is pretty decent and should be great for business users and professionals. While the stylus works for full navigation everywhere the user needs from swiping through homescreens and choosing apps and more. Certain applications have no use for it, like Documents to Go — it has no doodle or stylus support so the stylus us useless here. We can expect to see more apps take full advantage of the pen in the future and the Lenovo App shop has a few that are confirmed to support it also.

While the ThinkPad tablet offers a great overall user experience for many users, the added features I just don’t see being all that useful unless you truly need them. I’ve enjoyed the time I’ve spent with it but would be equally happy with the Transformer. On a more business or student side of things this is a great tablet and has enough features to make it worth the added bulk and weight over other tablets on the market. This all comes down to personal needs and someone wanting a tablet will all the options and ports under the sun, that also has stylus input support as well as the latest Android 3.1 Honeycomb — this is the tablet for you.

The Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet is available now starting at just $499 by heading over to lenovo.com

This tablet broke cover way back in April then later in August we saw the first press images of the Lenovo produced tablet. Today I’ve gone ahead and unboxed this powerhouse tablet and we’ll start with the video to get you up to speed.

Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet hands-on

This isn’t the first time we’ve handled these tablets in our own hands and you can see even more coverage here. This Android 3.1 Honeycomb slate is powered along by a rocking NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage (16 and 64GB versions available), as well as a 10.1″ IPS display that is both bright and vibrant. Lenovo has provided a wide array of ports for all types of accessories, many specifically for business minded individuals. We have a 5MP camera on the rear and a 2MP up front for the video conference users.

Nicely featuring some dedicated Android buttons this is unlike most Honeycomb tablets to date as the OS is all touch friendly and doesn’t require the buttons. Like we mentioned, for power users we have a mini HDMI port, micro-USB, a 30 pin port for docks, keyboard accessories and more. Not only that but Lenovo went a step further and outfitted this tab with a SIM slot for 3G connectivity and then a full-sized SD slot for full storage options.

We wont get into the details too much here as that will come along shortly in our full detailed review next week. Before we let you wonder I do want to mention it has a great feel with the same soft coat matte style many Lenovo laptops have graced us with over the years. Then seen in the images below you’ll be happy to know a full sized USB port will allow users to connect a keyboard or mouse, and many other things should they find the need. It does happen to also come with a stylus for that added control and accuracy as well as for taking notes and things of that nature.

Feel free to look over a few quick photos below in the gallery and check back often as we’ll have the full review for you shortly

Before getting to the mobile monitor, it made sense to take a glance at a couple other products in the Lenovo line that will appeal to those wanting to make good use of their new ThinkVision LT1421. First we are quickly re-introduced to the Lenovo ThinkPad T420S 14-inch mainstream laptop. Next we get to see a member of the X series of laptops from Lenovo, a series we got to see in the ThinkPad X1 back in May and more recently had a peek at in the Lenovo X121e 11.60-inch notebook, both of them being ultraportable laptops. Then it was time for some mobile monitor action.

This monitor is 14-inches large, weighs less than 2 pounds, and is less than one centimeter at its thinnest point. Its intended uses include flipping around just your extra display for viewing by coworkers, making presentations to small groups in schools, and just plain having fun or gaining some extra effective extra space for your ThinkPad notebook computer.

All you’ve got to do once you’ve got it out of the box is connect it to your laptop via USB, prop it up with its built-in photo frame stand, and you’re good to go! Of course you’ll also want to consider tilting the unit up or down, this made possible by its back-facing adjustable bar and slot-catching tray. This display matches the ThinkPad series of notebooks and its tray doubles as a screen cover for travel.

Have a look at Miller’s hands-on demonstration of this mobile monitor as well as a couple of well-working ThinkPad notebooks and let us know what you think! Then also have a peek at the rest of our hands-on videos from the event in our Pepcom Holiday Spectacular 2011 portal!

The Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet sports a 10.1-inch WXGA 1280×800 16:10 IPS panel display covered with Gorilla Glass. It runs on the NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core 1GHz processor with 1GB of RAM and has a storage capacity of up to 64GB. It has USB 2.0 and micro-USB ports along with HDMI-out and SD card slot. It delivers a professional multimedia and entertainment experience and fully supports Adobe Flash.

But it’s main differentiators are in its optional digital stylus and its enterprise security features. It offers network passwords, full device and SD card encryption, as well as lost-device disablement and anti-theft software. The 16GB WiFi-only model is listed at $499, the 32GB WiFi/3G model is $569, and the 64GB WiFi/3G model is $669. They are all available to order now and estimated to ship by August 29.

[via Lenovo]

The FCC filing includes a line drawing of the ThinkPad’s backside, but reveals nothing about the tablet that we don’t already know. We’ve seen plenty of leaked press shots previously that show both the front and back sides of the tablet in great detail. Plus, we’ve also gotten our hands-on videos demonstrating the tablets unique interface.

The ThinkPad tablet will be sporting an NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, dual cameras, and plenty of ports including micro-USB and HDMI. An optional digitizer pen for the capacitive touchscreen will also be available, but at an additional cost. The tablet is priced from $499 for the 16GB model and from $529 for the 16GB model plus the stylus.

[via Android Community]

Lenovo IdeaPad K1 Tablet

The IdeaPad K1 isn’t quite as new as Lenovo might have you believe. On sale as the LePad in China for several months now, and tracing its inception back – in one form or another – to the U1 Hybrid of CES 2010, it’s the more mainstream of the two new tablets. Up front is a decent 10.1-inch 1280 x 800 touchscreen with 10-point multitouch and reasonable viewing angles, while inside are the usual 1GB of RAM, choice of 16, 32 or 64GB of flash memory and WiFi b/g/n. Lenovo will offer 3G on certain models.

Like the TouchPad, there’s a sense that Lenovo signed off on the K1′s design when the first-gen iPad was around. In comparison to the iPad 2, it’s a chunkier slate; 13.3mm thick versus, say, the Galaxy Tab 10.1′s slimline 8.6mm. Lenovo does at least use that space to accommodate a range of ports, with a micro HDMI output requiring only the right sized cable rather than, as on the Apple and Samsung tablets, adapter dongles.

Performance from the dual-core Tegra 2 is par for the course, with Honeycomb’s animations normally slick but occasionally hiccupping; whether that’s the relatively young OS or the chipset itself remains to be seen. On top, Lenovo loads its own Social Touch interface, for easy access to Twitter and Facebook – though to be honest we’d prefer native Honeycomb apps from both networks – as well as its own music and movie players with DRM support. The company is keen to point out that the IdeaPad K1 and the ThinkPad Tablet are both the first slates to be Netflix-certified for digital streaming, though obviously you’ll need a subscription if you want to use that.

Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet

The ThinkPad Tablet is far more in keeping with Lenovo’s heritage, endearingly blunt-edged and with distinctive physical buttons on the fascia. It’s much as you’d expect should you break off the display section of a convertible Lenovo notebook PC, slightly thicker than the K1 (at 14mm) but lighter, at 715g (for the WiFi-only models; the optional 3G modem adds a further 15g).

It also offers a digital pen for more precise control and input, again like those Lenovo convertibles. The stylus – which is topped by a TrackPoint-red end cap – supports not only handwritten text entry but also document mark-up and drawing. This isn’t a cheap pseudo-finger stylus, either; it supports pressure sensitivity, too. In practice, it’s still lacks the precision we’ve seen Windows-based tablets manage, but we like to have the option of either finger or pen input. To be clear, the pen is certainly not necessary – Lenovo’s $499 entry-level ThinkPad Tablet doesn’t include it; you’ll pay $30 more if you want the stylus – but it goes a long way in differentiating the slate.

ASUS’ Eee Pad Transformer showed us how well a keyboard dock could fit with a Honeycomb tablet, and Lenovo offers something similar in the shape of the ThinkPad Tablet Keyboard Folio. Unlike the ASUS, it lacks an integrated battery to extend the tablet’s runtime, but you do get a full keyboard – with decent travel and feel, better than the Eee Pad’s – along with a TrackPoint nubbin for navigation.

It works well, and while a regular ThinkPad notebook would probably be a more useful all-rounder, it’s worth remembering that the ThinkPad Tablet plus the $99 keyboard dock and stylus comes to just half the price of Lenovo’s mainstream X Series tablets. What we’d like to see is more custom software to use with the stylus; HTC has demonstrated, with the Flyer, the benefits of integrating apps like Evernote with a digital pen, and Lenovo could certainly better differentiate the ThinkPad Tablet by following a similar strategy.

Lenovo Android App Shop

That may well happen, of course, thanks to the new Lenovo App Shop. Co-existing on both slates alongside the official Android Market, the App Shop offers selected titles that Lenovo has hand-picked, checked over for compatibility and approved for use on the K1 and ThinkPad Tablet. At the moment it’s being positioned as a way for Lenovo customers to get a more polished experience with third-party software – having an Apple App Store style approvals process should cut down on app disappointment – but we can envisage a time when Lenovo uses the App Shop to push out its own exclusive software too.

Wrap-Up

Of the two, it’s the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet that we’re most interested in: the stylus and the styling add up to a distinctive slate that doesn’t merely attempt to ape Apple’s iPad. The IdeaPad K1, meanwhile, may struggle some: Lenovo’s custom UI isn’t extensive or comprehensive enough to act as a real differentiator for most users, while the design is chunky and none of the specifications really stand out. We’ll reserve final judgment on both models until review units drop, however, so until then enjoy our hands-on videos!

Lenovo IdeaPad Tablet K1

The 1.6lb K1 – which we’ve seen before as the Chinese Lenovo LePad - has a 10.1-inch 1280 x 800 display, 1GB of RAM and up to 64GB of storage. Connectivity includes WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth, optional WCDMA/EVDO and a Micro HDMI port, along with microSD, audio out and an integrated microphone and twin 0.5W speakers.

There are two cameras – 5-megapixels on the back, and 2-megapixels on the front – along with a battery which Lenovo reckons is good for up to 10hrs runtime. At 13.3mm thick it’s not the slimmest Android slate we’ve seen, but it does offer an external keyboard dock, the KD101, with independent charging and various hotkeys.

Lenovo is also using the K1 to launch the Lenovo App Shop, a curated Android Market experience which basically gives the guarantee that the company’s software engineers have approved each app for use on the slate. Pre-orders of the IdeaPad Tablet K1 will begin on July 20, priced from $399 with 16GB of storage, with deliveries beginning from August in the US and globally in Q3 2011.

Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet

If the IdeaPad K1 is Lenovo’s consumer slate, the ThinkPad Tablet is most definitely the company’s business model. Built around the same Tegra 2 chipset, display, RAM, dual cameras and port options, along with offering optional 3G, the ThinkPad model weighs from 715g and is 14mm thick. However, it also includes support for an optional digitizer pen, which can be used to annotate documents, make handwritten notes and sketch pictures, all with pressure sensitivity.

In addition, there are enterprise-friendly features such as Cisco VPN and encrypted SD card support, along with the potential to make custom OS images. A full-sized USB port supports external drives. Lenovo will offer the ThinkPad Tablet Dock, with micro USB, HDMI, stereo out, microphone input and a USB 2.0 port, together with the ThinkPad Keyboard Folio, a case which opens out to reveal a QWERTY keyboard and the distinctive Lenovo trackpoint nub. Battery life is tipped at up to 8.7hrs for the WiFi-only model.

As with the K1, the ThinkPad Tablet will come preloaded with the Lenovo App Shop. It too will go up for pre-order from July 20, priced from $499 for the 16GB model and from $529 for the 16GB model with the digitizer pen; they’ll ship from August. The keyboard case will be $99 and available at the same time, while shortly after launch the 3G variants will go on sale.

Lenovo IdeaPad Tablet P1

Lenovo’s final tablet runs Windows 7, rather than Android, and uses an Intel processor rather than NVIDIA’s ARM-based chip. It has up to 2GB of RAM and either 32GB or 64GB of SSD storage, along with the same 10.1-inch 1280 x 800 display with support for an optional capacitive stylus. Connectivity includes WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth, along with optional 3G, while there’s a 2-megapixel front-facing webcam though no rear camera.

The P1 measures 14.5mm thick and weighs 810g, and there’s a USB 2.0 port, microSD card slot, docking port, microphone and headphone port. Sound is courtesy of a single 1.5W speaker, and battery life is up to 6hrs.

Lenovo is yet to confirm pricing for the IdeaPad P1, which will go on sale in Q3 2011.

According to previous leaks, the IdeaPad K1 will feature a 10.1-inch 1280 x 800 capacitive 10-point multi-touch display, an NVIDIA Tegra 2 1GHz dual-core processor, 32GB internal memory expandable with microSD card slot, a 2-megapixel front-facing camera, and a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera. Connectivity will include HDMI-out, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and also a SIM card slot.

The ThinkPad Tablet should have similar specs but will be tailored for enterprise users. Not many details have surfaced on the ThinkPad except that its touchscreen display should work with a digital stylus and it will have a keyboard accessory to turn it into a notebook hybrid, which are all confirmed by these leaked press shots.

We will be having full hands-on reviews of the two tablets coming up soon, so make sure to check back. In the meantime enjoy the gallery of press shots and let us know if you like what you see so far.

[via NetbookNews]