Right Idea: Cool New Notebooks And Desktops From Lenovo

Slim Idea

Lenovo unveiled a selection of new desktop and notebook products this week, starting with the IdeaCentre A700, the computer maker’s first consumer all-in-one desktop PC with Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) technology. This 23-inch touchscreen computer packs an Intel Core i7 processor, up to 8GB of DDR3 memory and up to 2TB of system storage.

Built as the ultimate all-in-one home entertainment device, the Lenovo IdeaCentre A700 features JBL-designed speakers with Dolby Home Theater, a Full HD widescreen and Direct X 11 graphics. And it’s very slim -- the aluminum casing measures just 0.8 inches at its thinnest and 2.5 inches at its thickest.

Starting Price: $999

Availability: June 2010

All-In-One Delivery

For less of a hit to the wallet, consumers might want to take a look at Lenovo’s new IdeaCentre B305. Like the A700, this all-in-one PC is touch-enabled with a 21.5-inch widescreen and packs a quad-core AMD Athlon II X4 processor under the hood.

Family entertainment is the name of the game with the IdeaCentre B305, which offers Full HD resolution video playback and optional DirectX 11 graphics. The B305 also features LED Panel Technology, providing greater dynamic contrast ratio compared with standard LED-backlit screens.

Starting Price: $699

Availability: June, 2010

The Eyes Have It

Lenovo’s H320 is the computer maker’s first slim tower desktop PC. Affordability is the key to this Intel-powered rig, which is part of Lenovo’s ’essential’ category of home computers, but for a few more dollars buyers can add up to 8MB of memory to the H320.

Lenovo has also built some interesting user safety technology into the H320, including the Lenovo Eye Distance System, which alerts you if you are too close to the screen, and Lenovo Dynamic Brightness, which protects your eyes by automatically adjusting screen brightness based on surrounding light conditions. These features require a compatible Lenovo monitor such as the L2361p.

Starting Price: $549

Availability: June 2010

Nettop Nirvana

The new IdeaCentre Q150 from Lenovo is an ultra-thin nettop that turns your HDTV into a PC. It’s just 0.82-inches wide and 6.7-inches high, but the IdeaCentre Q150 packs a surprising wallop connected to a TV or monitor, or even mounted behind those units with the VESA bracket to create a virtual all-in-one entertainment center.

Nvidia’s Ion GPU platform delivers the graphics goods for this nettop, which means you’re getting Full HD (1080p) video via the onboard HDMI output. And take a look at the optional multimedia remote with an integrated trackball mouse and mini keyboard that Lenovo is offering with the Q150 -- pretty cool.

Starting Price: $249

Availability: June 2010

We Love U

New additions to Lenovo’s IdeaPad U series start with the affordable IdeaPad U160, an ultra-portable, lightweight notebook that weighs just 2.9 pounds and is 0.9 inches at its thinnest point. The IdeaPad U160 utilizes a low-voltage CPU for extra-long battery life and a number of textured aluminum case designs are available to choose from.

Other features include integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, an Ambient Light Sensor, Active Protection System and data recovery tools.

Starting Price: $699

Availability: June 2010

Stylish Yet Strong

Lenovo’s new IdeaPad U460, pictured, features a standard volt processor, but its cousin, the IdeaPad U460s offers consumers a choice of going with a low-voltage CPU for extended battery life but less performance, or jacking up the possibilities of this thin and light laptop with a multi-core Intel Core i7 processor with Turbo Boost.

The U460 and U460s have 14-inch displays and weigh 3.8 pounds while measuring less than an inch thick. Like Lenovo’s other new IdeaPad U series unit, the U160, the IdeaPad U460 and U460s offer attractive and colorful options for designing your textured aluminum top cover.

Starting Price: $699

Availability: June 2010

Spin Me Right Round

The IdeaPad Z series is Lenovo’s new line of affordable, multimedia notebooks. Starting with the 13.3-inch IdeaPad Z360, pictured here, the new series offers up HD, 16:9 format widescreen viewing of video, with an optional Blu-ray Disc drive and Dolby Advanced Audio.

Lenovo has also built OneKey Theater II technology into the Z series, meaning users can optimize their audio-visual settings at the touch of a button on these notebooks’ distinctive chiclet keyboard. The IdeaPad Z360 is powered by an Intel Core processor and features Nvidia GeForce graphics.

Starting Price: $649

Availability: June 2010

Choose Wisely

A step up from the IdeaPad Z360 are the new Z560, pictured, and Z565 multimedia notebooks from Lenovo. These 15.6-inch notebooks offer consumers the choice of an Intel Core processor with Nvidia GeForce graphics (the IdeaPad Z560) or an AMD Phenom II CPU and ATI Mobility Radeon graphics (the IdeaPad Z565).

The Z560 and Z565 are encased in a modern hairline and metallic effect cover panel, and as with the smaller Z360, these notebooks are built for users to enjoy video and multimedia content.

Starting Price: $649

Availability: June 2010