Today, Lenovo announced the first of their 2011 lineup of their ThinkPad Edge series. These include machines running Intel’s new Core processors which were formally known as “Sandy Bridge”, but are now carrying the Core moniker. They have also announced an AMD Fusion-based ThinkPad, the ThinkPad X120e.
While they are oriented towards the small-to-medium business market, there will be consumers who are interested, and they will give an idea of what we will see further down the line.
The new Edge models are the ThinkPad Edge 12.5-inch E220s and the 14-inch E420s. Given that this site is about small laptops, I’m going to ignore the 14-inch E420s, but it is fairly small for its size. The 14-inch machine starts at $749 while the 12.5-inch E220s starts at $899 and both will be available in April.
E220s Specifications:
– 12.5-inch display
– Less than one inch thick
– Less than 3.5 pounds
– Spill-resistant keyboard
– “hidden” slot-loading DVD player/burner.
– Optional mobile broadband/4G/WiMAX
– HDMI port
Lenovo mentions a “Lenovo Enhanced Experience 2.0” which allows the boot time for Windows 7 to speed up by up to 30% on certain models with Solid State Drives (SSD). Both laptops also have “enhanced” video conferencing which features a high definition webcam, high performance/stereo microphones, and “noise-cancelling keyboard software”.
Read: Lenovo Press Release