LENOVO REFRESHES THINKPAD WITH CORE I7

Lenovo has taken the wraps off a quartet of new ThinkPad notebooks designed for a variety of business uses. Starting off the new line is the ThinkPad X201, a thin-and-light notebook that Lenovo claims is the industry's fastest ultra-portable. The system is available with a choice of full-fat 35W Intel "Arrandale" Core i5 and Core i7 processors, providing speeds of over 3GHz via Intel Turbo Boost. Weighing under 1.4kg, the system remains reasonably light and Lenovo reckons an optional nine-cell battery will provide up to 11 hours of battery life.

If portability edges ahead of performance in terms of value, you might prefer the new ThinkPad X201s - the new X201 derivative promises a slightly thinner shell, a weight of just over 1.1kg and it'll manager 12 hours of usage from the same nine-cell battery. Keeping with the X200-series line, Lenovo has also refreshed its tablet offering with the introduction of the X201t. The system is once again available with a choice of Intel's latest Core processors, but adds tablet functionality with a convertible 12.1in capacitive multi-touch display.

The tablet makes use of Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system to provide a finger-friendly interface, and comes bundled with Lenovo's trusty SimpleTap application. In addition to offering multi-touch finger input, the X201t also carries a built-in Wacom pen, ideal for note taking and handwriting input. The standard matte display boasts a 185° viewing angle, and road warriors can even order the system with an optional superbright outdoor-readable screen.

Last but not least, Lenovo's ThinkPad workstations also get a refresh - with the W701 and dual-screen W701ds (pictured) now available with Intel Core i7 processors and NVIDIA Quadro FX GPUs. Mobile professionals can also configure both systems with an optional built-in Wacom digitiser, and the W701 and W701ds are certified to run popular applications from independent software vendors including Dassault Systemes CATIA, SolidWorks, and PTC Pro/E. The ThinkPad X201, X201s and X201t will be available next month with prices starting at £849, £1,099 and £1,149 respectively. Lenovo's workstation-class W701 and W701ds, meanwhile, will arrive in April priced from £2,040 and £2,770 respectively.