Lenovo targets business users with widescreen notebook
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(InfoWorld) - Making an effort toÂ compete with DellÂ for business users, Lenovo Group has launched a widescreen version of its ThinkPad line of notebook PCs. The ThinkPad T60 will use a 15.4-inch widescreen, yet hold its weight down to 5.1 pounds, lighter than any comparable notebook from the top five PC vendors, Lenovo said Tuesday. The company also hopes that adding this feature will regain consumers' confidence after Lenovo was forced in September toÂ recall the batteries from 526,000 ThinkPad modelsÂ -- including the T60. Like notebooks sold by competing vendors Dell, Apple Computer, and Toshiba, those computers used lithium-ion batteriesÂ manufactured by Sony, whose faulty design could lead to overheating and fire. Lenovo already sells widescreen notebooks in other product lines, such as the Z-series and 3000-series for small businesses, but this is the first widescreen model for corporate users, said Rajat Aggarwal, product marketing manager for the T-Series at Lenovo. Those customers can already chose a T60 notebook with 14- or 15-inch screen, but have recently been asking for the full widescreen version, allowing them to display more columns on an Excel spreadsheet, show multiple windows and fit better onto airplane tray tables, Aggarwal said. In another nod to high-end users, the notebook will be capable of running Microsoft's new Vista OS, with a dual-core Core 2 Duo processor from Intel and graphics card from ATI. Despite this package, Lenovo is lagging behind its rival PC vendors in delivering widescreen notebooks to the business market, analysts said. "Lenovo is playing catch-up in the widescreen game," said Samir Bhavnani, research director at Current Analysis. "Lenovo is a little late to the game because Dell's entire lineup of corporate systems is available in widescreen right now. Dell just identified a market shift before Lenovo did." Still, the product should be popular with Lenovo's core audience, the corporate user, Bhavnani said. Since acquiring IBM's notebook PC division in 2005, Lenovo has succeeded at preserving the ThinkPad brand's history of innovation, rolling out features such as the tablet PC and integrated wireless broadband. Lenovo is selling the ThinkPad T60 notebook with 15.4-inch display for $1,399 in the base model. Users can upgrade to a version that works as a laptop workstation for faster numeric computation or to run the Vista Premium OS.ADVERTISEMENTNEW IT SERVICES FROM IBM: EASIER TO BUY AND IMPLEMENTDiscover a simpler, more cost-effective way to get the solutions your company needs to grow more flexible and efficient.
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Well-designed notebook lets you play movies and music sans Windows.
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Notebook PCs coming out this year will likely include more colorful screens thanks to LED (light emitting diode) backlights and Blu-ray Disc optical drives this year, an executive from&#160;Micro-Star International (MSI)&#160;says, as well as more environmentally friendly attributes.But other technologies such as WiMax and SSDs (solid-state discs) probably won&#39;t see as much widespread use, said Sam Chen, director of notebook PC sales at MSI.There are a number of new technologies people are likely to find more readily available on notebook PCs this year. For one, the size of the standard screen is likely to expand to 15.6-inches from the current mainstream standard, 15.4-inches, as users snap up notebooks with bigger screens, said Chem. And colors on those screens will probably be better due to the use of LED backlights, which are coming down in price.LED backlights not only help create a better picture, they save power compared to current mainstream backlighting technology, CCFLs (Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamps).More laptop PCs will launch with Blu-ray Disc optical drives inside this year as well, Chem predicted. Blu-ray Disc, the high definition optical disc in line to replace DVDs, gained a march over rival format HD DVD earlier this year when Hollywood studio&#160;Warner Bros. announced it would shift from producing in both formats to just Blu-ray&#160;alone. The decision means five of the seven major Hollywood studios now back Blu-ray Disc exclusively, while the HD DVD camp has just two, Paramount and Universal.On Monday, market researcher Gartner said that it expects Blu-ray Disc will be the winning format in the consumer market by the end of this year.Currently, MSI makes laptops with either HD DVD drives or Blu-ray Disc drives inside. Chem suggested that in future, the company will likely only use Blu-ray Disc.A few other technologies people may find in greater use in laptops this year is digital TV and better, 2-megapixel Web cams. Digital TV is growing, Chem said, and people are likely to demand it on more than just mobile phones.WiMax, the wireless technology in line to replace Wi-Fi for wireless Internet use may be a function included in a lot of notebook PCs, but it probably won&#39;t drive sales because the technology is still to early, said Chem. Outside of some major cities, there are few WiMax networks being built globally, he said.Energy savings will be one of the biggest trends this year, as companies vie to offer laptop PCs with better battery performance and more environmentally friendly materials inside. &quot;This is an important trend. Al Gore&#39;s film &#39;An Inconvenient Truth&#39; really pushed environmental issues to the fore, he said.
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When it comes to laptops in business meetings, itâs not all etiquette, passing electronic notes and Web surfing.
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There are smart moves, and there are stupid moves. For some reason, IBM is selling ThinkPad, the best business notebook brand name, to some Far East discount outfit. That can't be a smart move. As a nonsmart counter-move, I figured I'd better break down and buy one of the darn things before none were left. So I did.ADVERTISEMENTWhite paper: Solutions to Address IT Control RequirementsLearn how BMC Software Solutions address requirements such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404 in this 20 page whitepaper!
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HP introduced a multimedia notebook packed with high-definition features, including a screen that allows users to watch full HDTV movies.
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PC maker competes with Sony and Toshiba on hi-def video on notebooks.
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This miniature budget notebook may not be preloaded with Windows, but it ably serves most on-the-go computing needs.
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Palm on Wednesday introduced a compact  portable computer aimed at helping business travelers better  manage their e-mail and documents on the go without the bulk of  carrying a laptop PC.
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IBM hopes to ease the minds of roving execs by adding yet another layer of security to its ThinkPad notebooks. Mirroring Microsoft&#39;s &quot;biometrics for the desktop&quot; move, IBM has added fingerprint readers to
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Lenovo IdeaPad line of low-price consumer laptops is designed for gamers and home users.
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Lenovo today announced that its line of ThinkPad notebooks, ThinkCentre desktops and ThinkVision monitors have received high ratings from EPEAT, a procurement tool funded by the Environmental Protection Agency to help purchasers evaluate PCs based on environmental attributes.
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Lenovo Group Limited, a Personal Computer brand in China and across Asia has announced a definitive agreement under which Lenovo will acquire IBM&#39;s Personal Computing Division to form the world&#39;s third-largest PC business, bringing IBM&#39;s enterprise-class
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IBM announced on Monday the launch of a new line of ThinkPad notebooks designed to provide an extra layer of data protection through advanced fingerprint technology.
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Palm  on Wednesday introduced  a compact portable computer aimed at helping business travelers  better manage their e-mail and documents on the go without the  bulk of carrying a laptop PC.
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Two new displays from Envision and Lenovo offer good-quality video for desktops that can't handle larger monitors.
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Ziff Davis - IBM's decision to sell its PC business to Chinese computer maker Lenovo Group Ltd. is offering lessons both in how to expand into emerging markets and how federal regulators will view such deals.