News

This kind of came out of nowhere. We all knew that ThinkPads had a reputation for being tougher than a lot of other laptops/notebooks in the market.

Lenovo has now announced that the following eight ThinkPads have been designated by Lenovo for use in semi-rugged environments, as well as various field conditions:
– Lenovo ThinkPad X200
– Lenovo ThinkPad X200s
– Lenovo ThinkPad X200 Tablet
– Lenovo ThinkPad X301
– Lenovo ThinkPad T400
– Lenovo ThinkPad T500
– Lenovo ThinkPad R400
– Lenovo ThinkPad SL300

The X200 series is Lenovo’s first widescreen 12″ ultraportables in the ThinkPad X series line; the X301 is a 13.3-inch widescreen, as is the SL300. The T400 and R400 are 14″ laptops, and the T500 is a 15″ laptop.

This is surprising in that usually when laptop manufacturers try to meet certain military or field specifications (utility work, construction sites, law enforcement), they offer a special model/version, with various changes from their normal line. As the press release points out however, these ThinkPads come with protection for the hard drive, as well as a sturdier chassis and display than some.

Via: SlashGear

Press Release:

Lenovo Puts ThinkPad Laptops to the “Tough Test”: Meets Military Specs for Semi-Rugged Computing

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC – February 24, 2009: Lenovo today announced that it is designating eight ThinkPad laptops for use in field and vehicle semi-ruggedized computing environments such as in public safety, utilities, construction and the military. The ThinkPad X200, X301, X200s, X200 Tablet, T400, T500, R400 and SL300 laptops meet a barrage of military specifications tests and are enhanced with specially-designed durability features such as an air-bag like protection system and a roll cage in select models. Because field computing requires excellent screen viewability, Lenovo is also adding a new optional 680-nit high brightness panel to its most popular laptop, the ThinkPad T400 laptop.

“ThinkPad is well known for quality, reliability and innovative security technologies for business computing,” said Tom Ribble, executive director, Worldwide ThinkPad Product Marketing, Lenovo. “The truth is we’ve always built tough laptops that can weather extreme conditions from hiking the rainforests of the Amazon to flying in space. You don’t need a PC that looks like a tank to excel in harsh environments, and unlike many of our competitors, we don’t put an extra charge on toughness.”

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