New ThinkPad: behind the scenes

Although Habr today is clearly busy discussing a topic that is somewhat different from hardware, I will try to draw your attention to laptops :) The time is just the right thing: Lenovo ThinkPad notebooks announced in several stages have finally reached Russia. From January to March, we have formed almost the entire (well, almost :) model range of laptops for business. Among them is the ultra-portable ThinkPad X120e, the all-new X220 and X220t, the updated T420, T520 and similar models of the more affordable L-series, the radically redesigned slim ThinkPad T420s laptop. And, yes, I almost forgot the ThinkPad W520 Workstation! I would like to make this material interesting for those who are well acquainted with Lenovo technology, and for those who just want to meet. For the first, I will try to describe in detail all the changes in the new models. For the second, I will try to answer in italics what this or that model is for. I must say that the hottest novelty of the beginning of this year is the 12.5-inch thin, light and powerful ThinkPad X220.

By the way, please note that Lenovo and Intel now have a new competition in which 12 laptops are being played. Among them - 6 IdeaPad Y560p with 4-core processor. Details - on the page of the contest Vkontakte.


Why is the ThinkPad better? :)
')
I have been working for Lenovo for almost two years, and during this time, many of my acquaintances, friends and relatives have bought a laptop of this manufacturer for themselves - naturally, according to my recommendation. Why? It’s not at all that I personally had some kind of profit from it :) And not because Lenovo laptops are better than models from other manufacturers (although in fact they are at least not worse) or because they don’t break (any devices sometimes break, the question is how quickly they will fix it). The thing is that I myself buy and advise others such devices that:

a) Provide maximum quality, reliability and performance
b) Have a reasonable price tag
c) Convenient to use

Most often, I recommend buying exactly the ThinkPad series. Not because Lenovo IdeaPad or Essential is worse. Just ThinkPad - this is the most suitable device for work. Yes, they have a specific design and body most often - black (exceptions are only in the Edge series). But such a body looks decent even after a year or two of active use. Add here a very convenient keyboard, the branded TrackPoint is a joystick that complements the standard touchpad, securely fastens the display to the main body, protects the keyboard from liquid, and a host of other small solutions that generally increase reliability. And all this - in a wide model range of laptops with a price tag from 13 to 113 thousand rubles.

So, why do I recommend Lenovo to my friends, and most often ThinkPad? It is because I know that it will be convenient for them with such a laptop, and that it will most likely survive a random fall, work in harsh conditions and just a long active use. It is possible that with a laptop from another manufacturer my friends will also be comfortable and secure for a long time. But they turn to me for advice, and I am not well-informed about models from other manufacturers. Probably, some of you will not like this approach, but if we talk about laptops specifically for business, I do not see other manufacturers offering something that is obviously more modern, convenient and reliable than Lenovo. Therefore, I am ready to reasonably argue with you in the comments : offer me any model of a competitor, with specific characteristics and price. And I will try to prove that a similar model for Lenovo is better and more profitable :)

I will describe the novelties in order of price - from the most affordable to the most expensive models.

ThinkPad Edge Series

ThinkPad Edge laptops were introduced last year and became the most affordable models in the ThinkPad series. On sale now you can find 13 and 14-inch ThinkPad Edge laptops with a price tag of 13 thousand rubles - this is with an Intel Pentium Dual-Core or AMD Athlon processor and integrated graphics. There are also more productive models with Intel Core i3 processors and a discrete ATI video card (for 14 and 15-inch models). Unlike other ThinkPad, which uses only matte screens and enclosures, here and the one and the other can be both glossy and matte. Pay attention to the model ThinkPad Edge 11 - a compact laptop with a 11.6-inch display and a very attractive price. In general, the Edge series notebooks can be liked by those who dislike the design of the classic ThinkPad.

What's new?

The ThinkPad Edge E420s and E220s laptops were announced back in January, but were slightly delayed in entering the global market. We expect their appearance in Russia in mid-May.



The thin and light ThinkPad Edge E220s uses a 12.5-inch screen - the same as in the IdeaPad U260 and ThinkPad X220 laptops. Unlike the latter, the E220s use second-generation Intel Core processors with ultra-low power, which provides a decent seven hours of battery life on the built-in 4-cell battery. The weight of the laptop is 1.46 kg, the thickness is only 21 millimeter.



The 14-inch ThinkPad Edge E420s is essentially a thinner (5 mm) and light (260 grams) version of the regular Edge 14. Pay attention to the slot drive for optical discs. The classic ThinkPad Edge 14 uses Intel processors of the previous generation, here - the new Core i5, but the video card is only integrated. In general, the E420s is an analogue of the T410s / T420s, but more affordable. And in the "two hundred and twentieth", and in the E420s used metal elements - for the first time in the series.

ThinkPad X120e



Ultraportable and inexpensive ThinkPad X120e I described in detail in the previous article . The model has already appeared on sale at a price of 12,000 rubles for the single-core version and from 16,000 for the dual-core version. It is cheaper than the X100e cost at the beginning of sales. This laptop is generally similar to the Edge 11, but there are some differences. The X120e has a very durable (tested) matte body and an equally matte display; new generation AMD processors are used. Compared to netbooks that are available at about the same cost, the X120e delivers more performance, especially when it comes to graphics. A more subtle technical process allowed to increase the battery life - up to six hours with a 6-cell battery. The X120e is very pleasant to use: it has a comfortable keyboard and a touchpad of sufficient size. Great inexpensive laptop for travel and constant carrying with you.

ThinkPad L420 and L520



The L-series notebooks were introduced last year as a replacement for ThinkPad R notebooks. They cost a little more than ThinkPad Edge models, but also offer more features. In contrast to the 14 and 15-inch Edge, the ThinkPad L uses only matte enclosures and screens, there is a connector for the docking station. The keyboard is not an island, with the classic design of the keys, but differs in layout from the ThinkPad T series. In particular, the Delete, Home, End, Page Up / Page Down keys are not separated into a separate block. In general, these are excellent workhorses, with a more classic design and more productive hardware than in the Edge.



What's new?
In new models, the weight decreased slightly - for L420 by 70 grams, for L520 - by 40. But the battery life increased, respectively, from 5 to 7 hours and from 4.9 to 6.6 hours. In many ways, this is the merit of a more efficient second-generation Intel Core. The rest - dimensions, display resolution, etc. - remained unchanged. Laptops are already on sale at a price of about 21 thousand rubles.

ThinkPad T420 and T520

The ThinkPad T Series is “those” ThinkPad, all the most advanced technical solutions are involved in them to the maximum. They provide the highest reliability, in this case - due to the body of reinforced plastic. Unlike ThinkPad Edge and L, T420 and T520 laptops offer more powerful configurations - with Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors of the second generation, solid-state drives and other things. For them there are much more accessories. For example, an optical drive can be replaced with a second hard drive, and in addition to a regular battery, you can use an additional one. It connects to the bottom of the docking station and, together with a 9-cell battery, provides a fantastic 30 hours of battery life. By the way, almost all laptops of the new series are equipped with modern webcams, providing video recording with a resolution of 720p.



What's new?
The ThinkPad T410 was a transitional model with a 16:10 aspect ratio, while the T510 already used 16: 9 displays. The new T-series uses only displays with a 16: 9 ratio, and three different screen resolutions are available. For the T420 it’s 1366x768 and 1600x900, for the T520 it’s 1366x768, 1600x900 and 1920x1080. The last option is an RGB LED matrix with excellent color rendering options. New Intel processors allowed to increase battery life. With a standard T420 battery, it can work up to 9 hours (6 cells) or up to 15 hours (9 cells). With an extra battery, you can get those same 30 hours, although it, of course, adds weight and dimensions. Both models are available in versions with integrated Intel graphics only, or with a discrete NVIDIA Quadro NVS4200M accelerator with a gigabyte of its own memory. Moreover, powerful graphics will only affect the price of a laptop, but not autonomy - the entire T-series supports NVIDIA Optimus technology and can automatically switch between NVIDIA graphics and Intel.

Laptops have already appeared on sale at a price of 33 thousand rubles.

ThinkPad X220 and X220t



So we got to the most delicious. The ThinkPad X220 is a descendant of the X201, but it has been completely reworked. The X220 is a very light (from 1.35 kg), but at the same time very powerful and long-playing (up to 13.8 hours) notebook. In terms of performance, it is no different from the most powerful modifications of the 14-inch T410, but at the same time you can always carry it with you. In fact, due to the fact that almost the entire body is made of magnesium alloy, the X220 weighs lighter than the more compact X120e! This is an uncompromising, very reliable machine that seriously stands out among other ThinkPad this year.



What's new?
A lot of new! So much so that it is better to paint all the changes on points.
Screen. Instead of 12.1-inch screen in the previous model uses a 12.5-inch display with an aspect ratio of 16: 9 and a resolution of 1366x768 pixels. The screen area has slightly increased, the contrast has increased - from 250: 1 to 300: 1. But the main thing is that in some versions of the X220 there is an IPS screen with increased brightness (300 nits vs. 200), contrast (500: 1) and huge viewing angles. Owners of "more tech" ThinkPad, such as the T60, for example, with an IPS screen, have long resented that Lenovo (like other manufacturers) has stopped using such matrices. Well, for most conventional TN-matrix displays, this is more than enough. But now IPS-displays as an option returned to the lineup of ThinkPad!

Iron. The X220 uses new Intel Core processors, and for the first time in the series there is no division into models with standard and ultra-low-power processors. If earlier in the X201 put the "ordinary" Intel Core, and in the X201s "economical", now they put only the usual. What is logical: the battery life and so it turns out decent: up to 9.2 hours with a 6-cell battery and up to 13.8 with a 9-cell. In addition, in versions with an Intel Core i7 processor (and only in them), one of the three USB ports will have version 3.0. For the first time in the X-series, a DisplayPort connector appeared, which allows you to connect a laptop to an external monitor "digitally."

Finally, another important change: the installation of a hard disk with a height of 7 millimeters is provided for in the X220. The forums about this innovation have already broken a lot of copies - after all, most modern notebook hard drives have a height of 9.5 mm. Well, Lenovo in this case is betting on a certain development of technology and assumes that the majority of new hard drives and SSDs will be just 7 mm. In the meantime, you need to keep in mind that insert a terabyte screw in a laptop will not work.

The keyboard design in the X220 is similar to that used in the T420 and T520 laptops - this is a classic ThinkPad keyboard with larger Escape and Delete keys. The touchpad has also changed: now it is “buttonless”: the left and right keys are hidden under the touchpad, which increased its area. However, the trackpoint buttons, like himself, remained in place. Another important change: the lock is missing, protecting the laptop from accidental disclosure. Instead, the design of the screen hinges has been changed so that they actually replace the retainer familiar from other ThinkPad models.

External battery When developing the ThinkPad X220, Lenovo provided compatibility with docking stations: before, the ThinkPad X201 required its own dock, and now you can use one from the T-series. But that's not all. An external battery was developed for the X220, which adds about a centimeter of thickness to the laptop and 10 hours of battery life! The total time of working with such a battery can reach 24 hours, in real tests for video playback, it turns out 20 hours.

In conclusion, I will talk about the ThinkPad X220t tablet. It has not yet appeared on sale, but in general, its characteristics coincide with those of the X220. There are unique properties. The touch screen is covered with GorillaGlass glass and works with both fingers and a stylus. And only IPS matrices will be installed on this model.

ThinkPad X220 is already on sale at a price of 33 thousand rubles. You also have the opportunity to buy the most classic of all ThinkPad on modern hardware - the X201 model. Prices for it have become very tasty - from 26 thousand rubles.

ThinkPad T420s



The ThinkPad T420s is a 14-inch business class notebook, thinner and much lighter than the “simple” T420. If the latter is regarded as a workhorse, then the T420s is more like a mobile computer for a manager. All the rest is unchanged: the processors are the same (up to the Core i7 of the second generation), the video card is Intel or a discrete NVIDIA Quadro NVS 4200M. The screen is 14-inch with a resolution of 1600x900 pixels, if you wish, you can order a version with a touch screen. This laptop provides less autonomy (5.5 or 9.3 hours with an additional battery) than the T420, but it is much lighter - 1.67 against 2.2 kg.

What's new?
Traditionally, the T420s updated the processor and graphics card, and the screen resolution has grown from 1440x900 to 1600x900. In addition, the 1.8-inch hard drive is no longer installed in this model. Instead, a 2.5-inch HDD or SSD height of 7 mm. In the future, there will be modifications of the T420s with RapidBoot technology: an additional SSD mSata will be installed in such a laptop, thanks to which the speed of work and loading (within 10 seconds) and system shutdown will be significantly accelerated.

Laptops ThinkPad T420s have already appeared on sale at a price of 53,000 rubles.

ThinkPad W520



Separate material in the Lenovo blog will be devoted to mobile workstations, but in the meantime I will briefly go through the main changes. The W520 is the most productive notebook of the series, it uses 4-core Intel processors of the second generation, powerful NVIDIA Quadro 1000M graphics or 2000M with two gigabytes of its own memory. In addition, the W520 can be equipped with 4 RAM modules with a total volume of up to 16 gigabytes, and instead of an optical drive you can install a hard disk and create a RAID 0 or 1 array. In the new model, using the Optimus technology, the battery life has increased; so seriously losing the t-series. With a 9-cell battery, the laptop will last up to 10.8 hours, with add. battery - up to 21.6 hours. The laptop will be available in Russia in the near future.