Lenovo ThinkPad W520 Review
The Thinkpad W520 is Lenovo’s current offering in the mobile workstation market, competing against the Dell Precision and HP Elitebook lineups. While Lenovo use to offer a 17” workstation (W701), they have since dropped that display size and the W520 stands as Lenovo’s most powerful laptop today, with a starting price of $1,299. Like other ThinkPads, the W520 is all about business, sporting a strong build quality with an internal roll cage, sturdy metal hinges, an optional 1080p 95% color gamut display, optional built-in color calibrator (useful for photographers, graph designers, and the like), standard fingerprint scanner, and optional SmartCard reader. Of course, the W520 also sports the legendary Thinkpad keyboard many know and love. While not the flashiest laptop on sale, this Thinkpad emphasizes function over form, something I preferred in a laptop.
Reasons for Choosing
I chose the W520 over other laptops on the market due to the combination of serious computing power, good gaming capability, conservative styling, long battery life, and the Thinkpad keyboard (I dislike the new island-style keyboards with a passion). I wanted a laptop that would allow me to play my games at high detail and would not cause strange looks at important meetings (imagine a businessperson bringing a flashy Alienware to the office). As a computer engineering student, I also plan on running CAD software and other industry software that can take advantage of the drivers offered in a professional GPU. My particular W520 under review was purchased for $1,665 (before tax) using the Barnes and Noble discount, email promotion discount, and haggling over the phone with a Lenovo sales agent, with the following specs:
Processor: Intel Core i7-2720QM (2.2GHz, Quad-Core/8 Threads, 6MB L3 Cache)
Memory: 4GB DDR3, 1333MHz, 1DIMM (upgraded to 12GB of RAM after receiving the laptop)
Storage: 500GB, 7200RPM Seagate Momentus 7200.4 (replaced with an Intel 320 160GB SSD)
Screen: 15.6” FHD (1920*1080) matte display, 95% color gamut
Battery: 9-cell Li-Ion Battery
Wireless: Intel 6300 (802.1 b/g/n/BT3.0)
Graphics: Intel HD 3000 + nVidia Quadro 2000M (Optimus GPU switching)
Optical Drive: DVD Burner
Ports: Ethernet (RJ45), VGA, DisplayPort, Powered USB2.0 (x1), USB3.0 (x2), AC adapter connector, combination headphone/microphone jack, ExpressCard slot (34mm), SDHC reader, eSATA/USB 2.0, 1394
Built-in 720p webcam and microphone
Weight: 5.75lbs
Warranty: 3yr ThinkPad Protection + Onsite service
When ordering, I followed this piece of advice to reduce the price of my configuration from $2,167 to $1,665, a savings of a little over $500 or about 23.2% off retail. Considering the high-end hardware I ordered (especially the Quadro 2000M and 1080p display) and my above average experience with ordering over the phone with a Lenovo sales agent, I feel that I got a great deal on my W520 and I’m certainly happy with the purchase.
Lenovo ThinkPad T430u Ultrabook Announced
The Lenovo ThinkPad T430u ultrabook will arrive in the second half of 2012 and carry Intel’s new Ivy Bridge processor family along with nVidia graphics. Obviously this gives away the fact that the next “regular” (non-Ultrabook) ThinkPad T-series release will be the ThinkPad T430, Lenovo likes to attach letters to the end of their model series to denote a different design. For instance, the ThinkPad T420s represents a slim version of the currently sellingThinkPad T420.
But I digress, back to discussing the specs for the ThinkPad T430u. Here’s what we know so far for the T430u Ultrabook specs:
Processor: Intel Ivy Bridge class low voltage
Graphics: Nvidia discrete option or Intel integrated
Storage: SSD and HD options with up to 1TB HD
Screen Size: 14-inches, matte finish
Thickness: 0.8”
Weight: 3.8lbs
Keyboard and Touchpad: Chiclet style keyboard, integrated buttons on touchpad, trackpoint (red pointing stick)
Price: Starting at $849
The starting price of the T430u is surprising, the current consumer Ultrabook offering from Lenovo, the IdeaPad U300s, which starts at over $1,000. Lenovo did quote a lower starting price on the U300s before it actually came out, let’s hope that doesn’t happen and the price stays in the $800 range as that’s very good for this class of laptop.
The styling looks a lot like the current ThinkPad X1 that Lenovo is selling. The X1 has received mixed reviews and feelings, many ThinkPad fans really like the series for its ease of upgradeability and room for tweaking, but with an Ultrabook there’s not much of a chance to do that. Furthermore Lenovo made the mistake of putting a glossy display on the ThinkPad X1, something the business and professional set generally hate. The ThinkPad T430u thankfully sticks to the more popular matte display.
Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait until Q3 2012 to see the final version of the T430u. Nine months is a long time to wait, and things change, but right now the T430u appears it will be a strong contender in the business ultrabook space.
Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E430 Specs Announced
The Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E430 will replace the Lenovo E420 in April 2012. The ThinkPad E430 will carry the new Intel Ivy Bridge processor family and the ThinkPad E435 will have the AMD Fusion processor and graphics chipset. The specs for the ThinkPad E430 will be as follows:
Screen: 14-inches 1366 x 768 resolution
Processor: Intel Ivy Bridge mobile processor Core i3 and Core i5
OS: Windows 7
Memory: 8GB RAM max
Storage: HD, up to 1TB
Weight: 4.7lbs
Dimensions: 13.35” x 9.21” x 1.13” (W x D x H)
Ports: USB 2.0 (1), USB 3.0 (3), Ethernet, Monitor out, HDMI
Wireless: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
Price: Starting at $549
Until Intel formally announces the Ivy Bridge class of processors there is no way of telling or even guessing the exact processor options, but suffice to say it will include the budget Core i3 and mid-range Core i5 as the E420 does now.
In terms of styling, the ThinkPad E430 looks a lot like the E420 as well, with a curved edge design but still all black finish typical of a ThinkPad. There will be an option for a red color lid if black just isn’t your style.
The E430 will be focused on small business buyers while the ThinkPad T430 will be aimed more at enterprise buyers. Since the pricing of around $500 is so good and you get a high quality ThinkPad build and keyboard at that price a lot of people will be interested in the E430 for personal purchase. At least, that’s what we saw with the E420. Check out the review we did of the E420 to get an idea of how the E430 will be in terms of build and design.
Lenovo ThinkPad E530 Specs Announced
The Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E530 will replace the Lenovo E520 in April 2012. The ThinkPad E530 will carry the new Intel Ivy Bridge processor family and the ThinkPad E535 will have the AMD Fusion processor and graphics chipset. The specs for the ThinkPad E530 will be as follows:
Screen: 15-inches 1366 x 768 resolution
Processor: Intel Ivy Bridge mobile processor Core i3 and Core i5
OS: Windows 7
Memory: 8GB RAM max
Storage: HD, up to 1TB
Weight: 5.4 lbs
Dimensions: 14.84” x 9.65” x 1.13” (W x D x H)
Ports: USB 2.0 (1), USB 3.0 (3), Ethernet, Monitor out, HDMI, Microphone
Wireless: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
Price: Starting at $549
Until Intel formally announces the Ivy Bridge class of processors there is no way of telling or even guessing the exact processor options, but suffice to say it will include the budget Core i3 and mid-range Core i5 as the E520 does now.
In terms of styling, the ThinkPad E530 looks a lot like the current E520 as well, with a curved edge design but still all black finish typical of a ThinkPad. There will be an option for a red color lid if black just isn’t your style.
The E530 will be focused on small business buyers while the ThinkPad T530 will be aimed more at enterprise buyers. Since the pricing of around $500 is so good and you get a high quality ThinkPad build and keyboard at that price a lot of people will be interested in the E530 for personal purchase. At least, that’s what we saw with the E520. See our existing review of the ThinkPad E520 to see how the build quality and design is for that laptop.
Lenovo ThinkPad S430 Specs Announced
The Lenovo ThinkPad Edge S430 looks to be the replacement for the existing ThinkPad E420s as it sports a 14” screen and is the thin-and-light cousin to the upcoming ThinkPad E430. However, the ThinkPad S430 definitely slims down on the already slim E420s as it measures a mere 0.87” thick. That’s closing in on Ultrabook style thinness, but it still manages to pack in an optical drive. Here are the full specs of the S430 that we know so far:
Screen: 14-inches 1366 x 768 resolution, matte and glossy options
Processor: Intel Ivy Bridge mobile processor Core i3 and Core i5
Graphics: Nvidia Optimus dedicated graphics optional
OS: Windows 7
Memory: 8GB RAM max
Storage: HD up to 1TB or SSD up to 128GB
Weight: 5.4 lbs
Dimensions: 14.84” x 9.65” x 1.13” (W x D x H)
Ports: USB 2.0 (1), USB 3.0 (3), ThunderBolt, Ethernet, Mini HDMI, Headphone
Wireless: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
Price: Starting at $749
Availability: June 2012
Until Intel formally announces the Ivy Bridge class of processors there is no way of telling or even guessing the exact processor options, but suffice to say it will include a range of Core i3 to Core i7 processors.
In terms of styling, the ThinkPad S430 looks a lot like the current E420s, it has a curved edge design but still carries the all black finish typical of a ThinkPad. Build-wise the S430 will include a magnesium-alloy frame so this will be a highly durable laptop as you would expect from a ThinkPad.
Notable with the ThinkPad S430 is the fact that it has a ThunderBolt I/O port, one of the first Windows machines to do so. Apple is best known for having the ThunderBolt port in its MacBook Pro laptops. The S430 will also come with Nvidia dedicated graphics as an option so this might make for a good machine for designers that need a bit of extra 3D performance and the ability to connect to a high-end monitor but don’t want to spend the $3,000 it takes to buy a laptop workstation
Lenovo B480 Specs Announced
The Lenovo ThinkPad Edge B480 will be released in April 2012 as part of the updated Lenovo budget line of small business laptops. The B480 will start at around $399 and most likely carry the Intel Celeron lineup of budget mobile processors. Here are the specs on the B480 that are known so far:
Screen: 14-inches 1366 x 768 resolution
Processor: Intel Celeron
OS: Windows 7
Memory: 8GB RAM max
Storage: HD, up to 1TB
Weight: 4.7lbs
Dimensions: 13.39” x 9.24” x 1.32” (W x D x H)
Ports: USB 2.0 (1), USB 3.0 (3), Ethernet, Monitor out, HDMI
Wireless: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
Price: Starting at $549
Available: April 2012
Until Intel updates its 2012 lineup of mobile processors there is no way of telling or even guessing the exact processor options, most likely it will include the budget Celeron lineup as an option and possibly Core i3.
The B480 doesn’t try to be fancy in terms of style, it’s a simple black boxy looking design. At this price point you don’t get a trackpoint like the more expensive ThinkPad laptops do. The B480 will replace the existing Lenovo B470 in the budget lineup and keep much of the same styling.
The Lenovo U300e is yet another Ultrabook to be unveiled at CES 2012. The U300e is a budget version of the U300s, the price on the U300e will start at $799, here are the specs that are known so far on this “budget” ultrabook:
Processor: Intel Ivy Bridge
Screen: 13.3” 1366 x 768 screen
OS: Windows 7
Ports: One USB 2.0, one USB 3.0, external monitor (HDMI), Ethernet
Storage: 500GB HD and 32GB Flash storage
Build: Aluminum chassis
Memory: up to 8GB RAM
Battery Life: up to 8 hours
Availability: February 2012
Price: $799
The major difference between the U300s and U300e (aside from cheaper price) is that the U300e is slightly thicker and accommodates an Ethernet port as a result. Also, the storage comes in the form of a hard drive and flash drive. The hard drive will likely have the OS and system files while the flash drive will be used for a rapid wake up from hibernation or sleep. The U300e build is still a high quality and is not sacrificed due to the lower price, it will use an aluminum chassis and the popular U300s keyboard. According to Engadget the U300e will go on sale this month, though that’s hard to believe if this does contain the Intel Ivy Bridge platform, so either it will have Ivy Bridge and be available in April or come equipped with a Sandy Bridge processor.
Lenovo IdeaPad Y480 and Y580 Specs Announced
The popular Lenovo IdeaPad Y470 and Y570 laptops have replacements coming in the form of the Y480 and Y580. The Y480 update will have a 14-inch screen with up to Intel Core i7 Ivy Bridge family processor, Nvidia GeForce 650M dedicated graphics. Here are the full specs for the Lenovo Y480:
Processor: Up to Intel Core i7 Ivy Bridge
Screen: 15-inch HD (1920 x 1080)
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 660M
Memory: up to 8GB DDR3 SDRAM
Storage: up to 1TB HD, mSATA SSD options
Weight: 5.95 pounds
Webcam: 1 Megapixel
Wireless: 802.11 a/b/g/n, WiDi, Bluetooth
Dimensions: 15.16 inches x 10.04 inches x 1.41 inches
Ports: 2 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3.0, Ethernet, HDMI, headphone, microphone
Battery Life: up to 5 hours
Speakers: JBL branded
Keyboard: Chiclet style
Price: $899
Availability: April 2012
The Y580 will have a more powerful graphics card and thankfully (finally) a higher resolution 1080p screen. With the Nvidia GTX 660m, Intel Core i7 Ivy Bridge and 8GB of RAM the Y580 should be a formidable gaming machine. The release is slated for April 2012 and pricing will start at around $899.
Lenovo U310 and U410 Ultrabook Specs Announced
Lenovo has seemingly updated their U300s ultrabook already with a cheaper and slightly larger alternative. The IdeaPad U310 and U410 are respectively 13” and 14” screen ultrabooks that will come equipped with the new Intel Ivy Bridge processor platform. The release date of these laptops is set for May 2012, meaning they’ll be available in time for the back to school shopping season for any students that were hoping for a thin and light laptop with a reasonable price.
Here are the specs for the Lenovo U310 ultrabook:
Processor: Intel Ivy Bridge platform Core i3/i5 options
Screen: 13.3” screen 1366 x 768
Graphics: Intel HD3000
Storage: 500GB HD or 64GB SSD
OS: Windows 7
Weight: 3.74lbs
Thickness: 0.7”
Battery Life: up to 8 hours
Colors: Aqua Blue, Cherry Blossom, Graphite Gray, Ruby Red, Sapphire Blue, Spearmint
Availability: May 2012
Price: $699
And the specs for the Lenovo U410 larger sized 14” screen laptop are:
Processor: Intel Ivy Bridge platform Core i3/i5 options
Screen: 14” screen 1366 x 768
Graphics: Nvidia 610m
Storage: 500GB HD or 64GB SSD
OS: Windows 7
Weight: 4.2lbs
Thickness: 0.83”
Battery Life: up to 8 hours
Colors: Aqua Blue, Cherry Blossom, Graphite Gray, Ruby Red, Sapphire Blue, Spearmint
Availability: May 2012
Price: $699
While Lenovo is calling these ultrabooks you’ll notice that their weights are well beyond the 3.2lbs that Intel defined as the threshold for an ultrabook laptop. The U310 and U410 are still thin at least. The U310 at 0.7” of thickness is actually well within the expected thinness for an ultrabook. The design is not an all aluminum finish like the U300s, but rather uses a plastic-glass fiber composite that is still very rigid and durable. The major benefit for these releases over the U300s is the incredibly good starting price of $699 and also the fact you get an SD card reader, a slot missing on the IdeaPad U300s. The release date for the U310 and U410 will be around the May 2012 time frame.
The Thinkpad W520 is Lenovo’s current offering in the mobile workstation market, competing against the Dell Precision and HP Elitebook lineups. While Lenovo use to offer a 17” workstation (W701), they have since dropped that display size and the W520 stands as Lenovo’s most powerful laptop today, with a starting price of $1,299. Like other ThinkPads, the W520 is all about business, sporting a strong build quality with an internal roll cage, sturdy metal hinges, an optional 1080p 95% color gamut display, optional built-in color calibrator (useful for photographers, graph designers, and the like), standard fingerprint scanner, and optional SmartCard reader. Of course, the W520 also sports the legendary Thinkpad keyboard many know and love. While not the flashiest laptop on sale, this Thinkpad emphasizes function over form, something I preferred in a laptop.
Reasons for Choosing
I chose the W520 over other laptops on the market due to the combination of serious computing power, good gaming capability, conservative styling, long battery life, and the Thinkpad keyboard (I dislike the new island-style keyboards with a passion). I wanted a laptop that would allow me to play my games at high detail and would not cause strange looks at important meetings (imagine a businessperson bringing a flashy Alienware to the office). As a computer engineering student, I also plan on running CAD software and other industry software that can take advantage of the drivers offered in a professional GPU. My particular W520 under review was purchased for $1,665 (before tax) using the Barnes and Noble discount, email promotion discount, and haggling over the phone with a Lenovo sales agent, with the following specs:
Processor: Intel Core i7-2720QM (2.2GHz, Quad-Core/8 Threads, 6MB L3 Cache)
Memory: 4GB DDR3, 1333MHz, 1DIMM (upgraded to 12GB of RAM after receiving the laptop)
Storage: 500GB, 7200RPM Seagate Momentus 7200.4 (replaced with an Intel 320 160GB SSD)
Screen: 15.6” FHD (1920*1080) matte display, 95% color gamut
Battery: 9-cell Li-Ion Battery
Wireless: Intel 6300 (802.1 b/g/n/BT3.0)
Graphics: Intel HD 3000 + nVidia Quadro 2000M (Optimus GPU switching)
Optical Drive: DVD Burner
Ports: Ethernet (RJ45), VGA, DisplayPort, Powered USB2.0 (x1), USB3.0 (x2), AC adapter connector, combination headphone/microphone jack, ExpressCard slot (34mm), SDHC reader, eSATA/USB 2.0, 1394
Built-in 720p webcam and microphone
Weight: 5.75lbs
Warranty: 3yr ThinkPad Protection + Onsite service
When ordering, I followed this piece of advice to reduce the price of my configuration from $2,167 to $1,665, a savings of a little over $500 or about 23.2% off retail. Considering the high-end hardware I ordered (especially the Quadro 2000M and 1080p display) and my above average experience with ordering over the phone with a Lenovo sales agent, I feel that I got a great deal on my W520 and I’m certainly happy with the purchase.
Lenovo ThinkPad T430u Ultrabook Announced
But I digress, back to discussing the specs for the ThinkPad T430u. Here’s what we know so far for the T430u Ultrabook specs:
Processor: Intel Ivy Bridge class low voltage
Graphics: Nvidia discrete option or Intel integrated
Storage: SSD and HD options with up to 1TB HD
Screen Size: 14-inches, matte finish
Thickness: 0.8”
Weight: 3.8lbs
Keyboard and Touchpad: Chiclet style keyboard, integrated buttons on touchpad, trackpoint (red pointing stick)
Price: Starting at $849
The starting price of the T430u is surprising, the current consumer Ultrabook offering from Lenovo, the IdeaPad U300s, which starts at over $1,000. Lenovo did quote a lower starting price on the U300s before it actually came out, let’s hope that doesn’t happen and the price stays in the $800 range as that’s very good for this class of laptop.
The styling looks a lot like the current ThinkPad X1 that Lenovo is selling. The X1 has received mixed reviews and feelings, many ThinkPad fans really like the series for its ease of upgradeability and room for tweaking, but with an Ultrabook there’s not much of a chance to do that. Furthermore Lenovo made the mistake of putting a glossy display on the ThinkPad X1, something the business and professional set generally hate. The ThinkPad T430u thankfully sticks to the more popular matte display.
Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait until Q3 2012 to see the final version of the T430u. Nine months is a long time to wait, and things change, but right now the T430u appears it will be a strong contender in the business ultrabook space.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E430 will replace the Lenovo E420 in April 2012. The ThinkPad E430 will carry the new Intel Ivy Bridge processor family and the ThinkPad E435 will have the AMD Fusion processor and graphics chipset. The specs for the ThinkPad E430 will be as follows:
Screen: 14-inches 1366 x 768 resolution
Processor: Intel Ivy Bridge mobile processor Core i3 and Core i5
OS: Windows 7
Memory: 8GB RAM max
Storage: HD, up to 1TB
Weight: 4.7lbs
Dimensions: 13.35” x 9.21” x 1.13” (W x D x H)
Ports: USB 2.0 (1), USB 3.0 (3), Ethernet, Monitor out, HDMI
Wireless: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
Price: Starting at $549
Until Intel formally announces the Ivy Bridge class of processors there is no way of telling or even guessing the exact processor options, but suffice to say it will include the budget Core i3 and mid-range Core i5 as the E420 does now.
In terms of styling, the ThinkPad E430 looks a lot like the E420 as well, with a curved edge design but still all black finish typical of a ThinkPad. There will be an option for a red color lid if black just isn’t your style.
The E430 will be focused on small business buyers while the ThinkPad T430 will be aimed more at enterprise buyers. Since the pricing of around $500 is so good and you get a high quality ThinkPad build and keyboard at that price a lot of people will be interested in the E430 for personal purchase. At least, that’s what we saw with the E420. Check out the review we did of the E420 to get an idea of how the E430 will be in terms of build and design.
Screen: 15-inches 1366 x 768 resolution
Processor: Intel Ivy Bridge mobile processor Core i3 and Core i5
OS: Windows 7
Memory: 8GB RAM max
Storage: HD, up to 1TB
Weight: 5.4 lbs
Dimensions: 14.84” x 9.65” x 1.13” (W x D x H)
Ports: USB 2.0 (1), USB 3.0 (3), Ethernet, Monitor out, HDMI, Microphone
Wireless: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
Price: Starting at $549
Until Intel formally announces the Ivy Bridge class of processors there is no way of telling or even guessing the exact processor options, but suffice to say it will include the budget Core i3 and mid-range Core i5 as the E520 does now.
In terms of styling, the ThinkPad E530 looks a lot like the current E520 as well, with a curved edge design but still all black finish typical of a ThinkPad. There will be an option for a red color lid if black just isn’t your style.
The E530 will be focused on small business buyers while the ThinkPad T530 will be aimed more at enterprise buyers. Since the pricing of around $500 is so good and you get a high quality ThinkPad build and keyboard at that price a lot of people will be interested in the E530 for personal purchase. At least, that’s what we saw with the E520. See our existing review of the ThinkPad E520 to see how the build quality and design is for that laptop.
Screen: 14-inches 1366 x 768 resolution, matte and glossy options
Processor: Intel Ivy Bridge mobile processor Core i3 and Core i5
Graphics: Nvidia Optimus dedicated graphics optional
OS: Windows 7
Memory: 8GB RAM max
Storage: HD up to 1TB or SSD up to 128GB
Weight: 5.4 lbs
Dimensions: 14.84” x 9.65” x 1.13” (W x D x H)
Ports: USB 2.0 (1), USB 3.0 (3), ThunderBolt, Ethernet, Mini HDMI, Headphone
Wireless: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
Price: Starting at $749
Availability: June 2012
Until Intel formally announces the Ivy Bridge class of processors there is no way of telling or even guessing the exact processor options, but suffice to say it will include a range of Core i3 to Core i7 processors.
In terms of styling, the ThinkPad S430 looks a lot like the current E420s, it has a curved edge design but still carries the all black finish typical of a ThinkPad. Build-wise the S430 will include a magnesium-alloy frame so this will be a highly durable laptop as you would expect from a ThinkPad.
Notable with the ThinkPad S430 is the fact that it has a ThunderBolt I/O port, one of the first Windows machines to do so. Apple is best known for having the ThunderBolt port in its MacBook Pro laptops. The S430 will also come with Nvidia dedicated graphics as an option so this might make for a good machine for designers that need a bit of extra 3D performance and the ability to connect to a high-end monitor but don’t want to spend the $3,000 it takes to buy a laptop workstation
Screen: 14-inches 1366 x 768 resolution
Processor: Intel Celeron
OS: Windows 7
Memory: 8GB RAM max
Storage: HD, up to 1TB
Weight: 4.7lbs
Dimensions: 13.39” x 9.24” x 1.32” (W x D x H)
Ports: USB 2.0 (1), USB 3.0 (3), Ethernet, Monitor out, HDMI
Wireless: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
Price: Starting at $549
Available: April 2012
Until Intel updates its 2012 lineup of mobile processors there is no way of telling or even guessing the exact processor options, most likely it will include the budget Celeron lineup as an option and possibly Core i3.
The B480 doesn’t try to be fancy in terms of style, it’s a simple black boxy looking design. At this price point you don’t get a trackpoint like the more expensive ThinkPad laptops do. The B480 will replace the existing Lenovo B470 in the budget lineup and keep much of the same styling.
Lenovo B580 Specs Announced
The Lenovo ThinkPad Edge B580 will be released in April 2012 as part of the updated Lenovo budget line of small business laptops. The B580 will start at around $399 and most likely carry the Intel Celeron lineup of budget mobile processors. Here are the specs on the B580 that are known so far:
Screen: 15.6-inches 1366 x 768 resolution
Processor: Intel Celeron , Intel Core i3
OS: Windows 7
Memory: 8GB RAM max
Storage: HD, up to 1TB
Weight: 5.2lbs
Dimensions: 13.39” x 9.24” x 1.32” (W x D x H)
Ports: USB 2.0 (2), USB 3.0 (2), Ethernet, Monitor out, HDMI
Wireless: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
Price: Starting at $399
Available: April 2012
Until Intel updates its 2012 lineup of mobile processors there is no way of telling or even guessing the exact processor options, most likely it will include the budget Celeron lineup as an option and possibly Core i3. The B580 doesn’t try to be fancy in terms of style, it’s a simple black boxy looking design. At this price point you don’t get a trackpoint like the more expensive ThinkPad laptops do. You also won’t get the same magnesium alloy rigid frame skeleton, but you can’t expect it all at this low of a price point.
The B580 will replace the existing Lenovo B570 in the budget lineup and keep much of the same styling, look for more information and reviews when it is released this Spring.
Lenovo U300e Ultrabook Specs Revealed
The Lenovo ThinkPad Edge B580 will be released in April 2012 as part of the updated Lenovo budget line of small business laptops. The B580 will start at around $399 and most likely carry the Intel Celeron lineup of budget mobile processors. Here are the specs on the B580 that are known so far:
Screen: 15.6-inches 1366 x 768 resolution
Processor: Intel Celeron , Intel Core i3
OS: Windows 7
Memory: 8GB RAM max
Storage: HD, up to 1TB
Weight: 5.2lbs
Dimensions: 13.39” x 9.24” x 1.32” (W x D x H)
Ports: USB 2.0 (2), USB 3.0 (2), Ethernet, Monitor out, HDMI
Wireless: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
Price: Starting at $399
Available: April 2012
Until Intel updates its 2012 lineup of mobile processors there is no way of telling or even guessing the exact processor options, most likely it will include the budget Celeron lineup as an option and possibly Core i3. The B580 doesn’t try to be fancy in terms of style, it’s a simple black boxy looking design. At this price point you don’t get a trackpoint like the more expensive ThinkPad laptops do. You also won’t get the same magnesium alloy rigid frame skeleton, but you can’t expect it all at this low of a price point.
The B580 will replace the existing Lenovo B570 in the budget lineup and keep much of the same styling, look for more information and reviews when it is released this Spring.
Lenovo U300e Ultrabook Specs Revealed
The Lenovo U300e is yet another Ultrabook to be unveiled at CES 2012. The U300e is a budget version of the U300s, the price on the U300e will start at $799, here are the specs that are known so far on this “budget” ultrabook:
Processor: Intel Ivy Bridge
Screen: 13.3” 1366 x 768 screen
OS: Windows 7
Ports: One USB 2.0, one USB 3.0, external monitor (HDMI), Ethernet
Storage: 500GB HD and 32GB Flash storage
Build: Aluminum chassis
Memory: up to 8GB RAM
Battery Life: up to 8 hours
Availability: February 2012
Price: $799
The major difference between the U300s and U300e (aside from cheaper price) is that the U300e is slightly thicker and accommodates an Ethernet port as a result. Also, the storage comes in the form of a hard drive and flash drive. The hard drive will likely have the OS and system files while the flash drive will be used for a rapid wake up from hibernation or sleep. The U300e build is still a high quality and is not sacrificed due to the lower price, it will use an aluminum chassis and the popular U300s keyboard. According to Engadget the U300e will go on sale this month, though that’s hard to believe if this does contain the Intel Ivy Bridge platform, so either it will have Ivy Bridge and be available in April or come equipped with a Sandy Bridge processor.
Lenovo IdeaPad Y480 and Y580 Specs Announced
The popular Lenovo IdeaPad Y470 and Y570 laptops have replacements coming in the form of the Y480 and Y580. The Y480 update will have a 14-inch screen with up to Intel Core i7 Ivy Bridge family processor, Nvidia GeForce 650M dedicated graphics. Here are the full specs for the Lenovo Y480:
Processor: Up to Intel Core i7 Ivy BridgeScreen: 14-inch HD (1366 x 768)
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce 650M
Memory: up to 8GB DDR3 SDRAM
Storage: up to 1TB HD, mSATA SSD options
Weight: 4.85 pounds
Webcam: 1 Megapixel
Wireless: 802.11 a/b/g/n, WiDi, Bluetooth
Dimensions: 13.58 inches x 9.41 inches x 1.29 inches
Ports: 2 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3.0, Ethernet, HDMI, headphone, microphone
Battery Life: up to 5 hours
Speakers: JBL branded
Keyboard: Chiclet style
Price: $899
Availability: April 2012
There is no specific word on whether there will be a higher resolution screen available such as a 1600 x 900 screen, many owners of the Y470 wanted a higher resolution screen but alas, it was never offered. We have a review of the IdeaPad Y470 that details how to install and use an mSATA SSD. The Lenovo Y480 will offer this same mSATA SSD option in which you can easily put in a mini SSD that can hold the OS for fast bootup while placing the rest of your larger files such as music and video onto the larger capacity hard drive.
The Y480 will look similar in design to the earlier Y470, the major difference will of course be in terms of performance. The Y480 will have the latest Intel Ivy Bridge processor platform, up to the Core i7. The Nvidia 650M is an unbenchmarked card at the moment, but we can only assume it’s an update to the Nvidia 550M that’s in the current Y470. This will mean the Y480 will be a gaming capable 14-inch laptop and can be had at a reasonable starting price of $899 (before coupons), so the popularity will likely carry over.
The Y580 specs are very similar to the Y480, the main difference being the larger screen and more powerful graphics:
Processor: Up to Intel Core i7 Ivy Bridge
Screen: 15-inch HD (1920 x 1080)
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 660MMemory: up to 8GB DDR3 SDRAM
Storage: up to 1TB HD, mSATA SSD options
Weight: 5.95 pounds
Webcam: 1 Megapixel
Wireless: 802.11 a/b/g/n, WiDi, Bluetooth
Dimensions: 15.16 inches x 10.04 inches x 1.41 inches
Ports: 2 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3.0, Ethernet, HDMI, headphone, microphone
Battery Life: up to 5 hours
Speakers: JBL branded
Keyboard: Chiclet style
Price: $899
Availability: April 2012
The Y580 will have a more powerful graphics card and thankfully (finally) a higher resolution 1080p screen. With the Nvidia GTX 660m, Intel Core i7 Ivy Bridge and 8GB of RAM the Y580 should be a formidable gaming machine. The release is slated for April 2012 and pricing will start at around $899.
Lenovo U310 and U410 Ultrabook Specs Announced
Lenovo has seemingly updated their U300s ultrabook already with a cheaper and slightly larger alternative. The IdeaPad U310 and U410 are respectively 13” and 14” screen ultrabooks that will come equipped with the new Intel Ivy Bridge processor platform. The release date of these laptops is set for May 2012, meaning they’ll be available in time for the back to school shopping season for any students that were hoping for a thin and light laptop with a reasonable price.
Here are the specs for the Lenovo U310 ultrabook:
Processor: Intel Ivy Bridge platform Core i3/i5 options
Screen: 13.3” screen 1366 x 768
Graphics: Intel HD3000
Storage: 500GB HD or 64GB SSD
OS: Windows 7
Weight: 3.74lbs
Thickness: 0.7”
Battery Life: up to 8 hours
Colors: Aqua Blue, Cherry Blossom, Graphite Gray, Ruby Red, Sapphire Blue, Spearmint
Availability: May 2012
Price: $699
And the specs for the Lenovo U410 larger sized 14” screen laptop are:
Processor: Intel Ivy Bridge platform Core i3/i5 options
Screen: 14” screen 1366 x 768
Graphics: Nvidia 610m
Storage: 500GB HD or 64GB SSD
OS: Windows 7
Weight: 4.2lbs
Thickness: 0.83”
Battery Life: up to 8 hours
Colors: Aqua Blue, Cherry Blossom, Graphite Gray, Ruby Red, Sapphire Blue, Spearmint
Availability: May 2012
Price: $699
While Lenovo is calling these ultrabooks you’ll notice that their weights are well beyond the 3.2lbs that Intel defined as the threshold for an ultrabook laptop. The U310 and U410 are still thin at least. The U310 at 0.7” of thickness is actually well within the expected thinness for an ultrabook. The design is not an all aluminum finish like the U300s, but rather uses a plastic-glass fiber composite that is still very rigid and durable. The major benefit for these releases over the U300s is the incredibly good starting price of $699 and also the fact you get an SD card reader, a slot missing on the IdeaPad U300s. The release date for the U310 and U410 will be around the May 2012 time frame.
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