Lenovo has announced a new line of mobile workstations called ThinkBook dedicated to small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Launching with the S Series, the new ultra-slim ThinkBook 13s and 14s (a 13-inch and 14-inch model, respectively) are designed for businesses seeking security, reliability, support services, and modern-looking solutions that bring the smartphone experience to a workstation environment.
Lenovo has announced a new line of mobile workstations called ThinkBook dedicated to small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Launching with the S Series, the new ultra-slim ThinkBook 13s and 14s (a 13-inch and 14-inch model, respectively) are designed for businesses seeking security, reliability, support services, and modern-looking solutions that bring the smartphone experience to a workstation environment.
The new 13s and 14s combine style and consumer-oriented design elements like aluminum exteriors with business-grade features. This slim design allows the ThinkBook laptops to lay completely flat at 180° and features ultra-narrow bezels. The 13s and 14s are also enclosed in aluminum and magnesium metals in a “mineral grey” finish and weigh in at just 3.3lbs and 2.95lbs for the ThinkBook 14s and 13s, respectively.
Lenovo indicates the following features for their new sub-brand of consumer workstations:
- Single-step authentication and power-on with the touch fingerprint reader
- Discrete TPM 2.0 to enable Windows 10 security features and user data encryption
- Physical ThinkShutter camera cover for privacy control
- Hinges coated in Indium metal to reduce WiFi interference
- Loud and clear sound enabled by Dolby Audio through HARMAN speakers
- Premium FHD displays with Dolby Vision (on ThinkBook 13s) for rich, ultra-vivid visuals
- Spill-resistant keyboard designed to withstand up to 60cc of liquid
- Up to 11 hours of battery life and RapidCharge on ThinkBook 13s, up to 10 hours on ThinkBook 14s
Its focus on smartphone-like functionality is quite clear, as the Windows Modern Standby feature on the ThinkBook 13s allows users to download emails, receive Skype call alerts, and get Windows app updates when the lid is closed. It resumes from standby mode almost instantly via its Smart Power On button. Users can even use voice command in some cases, says Lenovo. The new S series also features dual-array microphones and HARMAN dual speakers for an effective and clear collaboration over VoIP calls, while its dedicated Skype Hot Keys allow for quick-and-easy answering and hanging up.
Processor-wise, the ThinkBook is powered by 8th Generation Intel Core processors, SSDs, and either an integrated Intel UHD 620 or the discrete AMD Radeon 540X. Lenovo’s RapidCharge technology also comes standard with the ThinkBook 13s, which will provide users with 80 percent battery capacity on one hour’s charge.
The ThinkBook line is supplemented by numerous business-grade services, such as Lenovo Premier Support, warranty extensions and upgrades, and International Warranty Service to minimize any downtime. Moreover, it comes bundled with built-in self-management features, including preloaded Lenovo Vantage software, which offers tools for preventive hardware diagnostics, personalized hardware settings and auto-install of critical updates.
Also announced is the new ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 2, which features several significant improvements over the previous generation. This newly updated advanced business-user workstation is highlighted by 9th Gen Intel Core i9 processors and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 GPU with Max-Q design as well as up to 4TB in storage, which is double the capacity of its predecessor.
ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 2
The new ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 2 is a thin and light Windows 10 laptop that focuses on both mobility and performance. It comes outfitted with improved entertainment features such as a brighter optional 4K OLED touch display with a Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos Speaker System. Typical use cases include those working with data-intensive workloads like video and photo editing, graphics rendering, and AR/VR applications.
ThinkCentre M90n-1 Nano and ThinkCentre M90n-1 Nano IoT
Dubbed the market’s smallest available form factor, Lenovo has announced the ThinkCentre M90n-1 Nano and ThinkCentre M90n-1 Nano IoT. The space-saving ThinkCentre M90n-1 Nano workstation can be conveniently powered by a compatible USB Type-C monitor or Type-C dock and features an energy-efficient, quiet fan-less design while the Nano IoT has a broader thermal range of 0-50 °C and is designed for higher vibration and thermal environments like manufacturing. The IoT model acts as a secure IoT gateway, providing processing and security for the IoT devices that require real-time responsiveness at the edge. Lenovo states that the Nano increases responsiveness and reliability, which enables the rapid relay of information between connected IoT peripherals, sensors and devices. Users can add legacy ports and peripherals with the expansion I/O Box to build out to user needs.
Component-wise, the Nanos feature up to an 8th Generation Intel Core i7 Processor, 16GB DDR4, 2 x 512GB PCIe SSDs, and is equipped with 3x USB 3.1, 2x USB Type-c, 1 DisplayPort 1.2, and 1x RJ45 ports.
Availability and Pricing
The ThinkBook 13s and 14s are slated for a release in late May 2019 with a starting price of $729 and $749, respectively.
The ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 2 will start at roughly $1,500 with an expected July 2019 release.
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