Lenovo Launches New IdeaPads

[dietcokefiend]

Lenovo just announced a new consumer line of notebooks under the name IdeaPad. This line will include three series of notebooks; the Y710, Y510, and U110. New to this line of notebooks are Dolby Home Theatre Speaker Systems, touch-sensitive multimedia controls, and "Frameless" screens. All models will also include VeriFace facial biometrics security software, offering consumers an alternative to fingerprint scanners.

The IdeaPad Y710 is a 17” widescreen multimedia/entertainment notebook, offering an ATI HD2600 video card, optional Blu-Ray DVD, Halo screen bezel lighting, and a hot swap secondary drive. Another feature we are really curious about that is unique to the Y710 is a control area next to the keyboard with a LCD readout along with other media controls.

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Y710 Specifications

• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T5450 and T9300
• OS: Windows Vista Home Premium 32bit
• Screen: 17" widescreen WXGA VibrantView (1400x900)
• Video Card: ATI HD2600 256MB DDR2
• HD: 250GB 5400rpm or 500GB (250GBx2)
• RAM: 2x1GB (4GB max)
• Optical: DVD-Burner or Blu-Ray DVD
• Webcam: 1.3MP
• Sound: four speakers, 1 subwoofer
• Network: 10/100 Ethernet, Intel 4965AGN wireless
• Weight: 7.9lbs
• Size: 15.5 x 11.2 x 1.02-1.53”
• Warranty: 1 year system/1 year battery
• Battery: 6 Cell, up to 4 hrs
• Ports: four USB, HDMI, Firewire, VGA, S-Video, 6-in-1 Card reader, Expresscard, Mic/ Headphone jacks
• Availability: January 2008
• Starting price: $1,199

The Y510 is a 15" model, offering the same design as its larger brother, but with fewer multimedia options.

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Y510 Specifications

• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T2330, T5450, or T5550
• OS: Windows Vista Home Premium 32bit
• Screen: 15” widescreen WXGA VibrantView (1280x800)
• Video Card: Intel X3100 (up to 256MB shared)
• HD: 160GB or 250GB 5400rpm
• RAM: 2x1GB (4GB max)
• Optical: DVD-Burner
• Webcam: 1.3mp
• Sound: four speakers, one subwoofer
• Network: 10/100 Ethernet, Intel 4965AGN wireless
• Weight: 6.4lbs
• Size: 14.1 x 10.3 x 1.14-1.42”
• Warranty: 1 year system/1 year battery
• Battery: 6 Cell, up to 4 hrs
• Ports: three USB, Firewire, VGA, S-Video, 6-in-1 card reader, Expresscard, Mic/Headphone jacks
• Availability: January 2008
• Starting price: $799

The U110 is an ultraportable notebook, starting at 2.42lb and 18.4mm thick. It will offer touch sensitive controls similar to the larger models, as well as a solid state drive.

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U110 Specifications

• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo Low Voltage
• Screen: 11.1” Glossy widescreen WXGA ( 1366x768)
• Video Card: Intel X3100 (up to 256MB shared)
• HD: 160GB 1.8” or 32GB SSD
• Webcam: 1.3MP
• Sound: two speakers, 1.5W
• Network: 10/100 Ethernet, Intel 4965AGN wireless, Bluetooth
• Warranty: 1 year system/1 year battery
• Battery: up to 8 hours
• Availability: April 2008

Additional product information and pricing is available on the Lenovo website.  To find the Y510 in retail stores you can head to BestBuy.com, Micro Center, NewEgg.com, Office Depot or Tiger Direct.  The Y710 will initially be sold at TigerDirect.com.

[visiom88]

I'm not too pleased with Lenovo keep extending their business to non-business laptops. More they do so, it seems ThinkPads' build quality gets just worse.

[wuzertheloser]

the design seems to be okay. i wish they would just separate their business class and consumer class notebooks instead of try to blend them together.

[dietcokefiend]

the design seems to be okay. i wish they would just separate their business class and consumer class notebooks instead of try to blend them together.

They still are completely separate

[Knife]

Fn and Ctrl keys are swapped looking @ the pics on Lenovo's info pages. Very nice notebooks though. Hopefully there'll be some option for dedicated graphics on the 15" as well.

[Rahul]

Wow, a lot of notebooks to be announced this month and yay for another 11.1" ultraportable, my favorite form factor, but won't be out until March/April?

[Tailic]

Fn and Ctrl keys are swapped looking @ the pics on Lenovo's info pages. Very nice notebooks though. Hopefully there'll be some option for dedicated graphics on the 15" as well.

Theres nothing really wrong with it unless you're doing a lot of gaming. It's even a benefit since it lets you access function keys easier. I use the fn key far more often then the ctrl key on my laptop since I use the Thinkvantage software to control the powersettings and other laptop related stuff.

[Redline]

You know what having one of these says? It says "I was too poor to get a ThinkPad". And at the same price, the HP series is sooooooo much more alluring, really. If I wanted a computer that looks like a ThinkPad gone glossy, I'd get a ThinkPad and spray paint it. Or Colorware it. I dislike the idea (pun intended), its simply a marketing ploy designed to get the lower end Lenovo line to get more sales due to its "similarity" to the ThinkPad line. Or essentially, playing off the success of the ThinkPad line to get Lenovo more sales. Hmm, not really that great, methinks.

The ultraportable has a pretty good shot at being a cheaper alternative to the TZ if its priced properly. And gets paint that isn't PiNK. Really, that fact alone will end up alienating around 80% of the target market. Lets have that glossy blue from the Y710, or even black would be alright.

[Rahul]

According to this article, the U110's price will range from $1200 to $2000, too cheap if you ask me.

http://www.businessweek.com/technolo...012_518877.htm

The product pictures are so fake and cheaply done and there's no fingerprint reader? I think the screen is not LED backlit correct?

This is very interesting, looks like an ultraportable actually geared for the mainstream instead of business/corporate.

[chengdude]

Why do the 2 laptop views of the Y710 show a standard number pad while the keyboard view shows that digitalmedialcdtouchcontrolcenter thingy?