Results of the year. SSD + HDD, Ultrabooks and Tablets

The New Year is approaching, and with it is the next Consumer Electronics Show, which takes place every year in Las Vegas just on those days when the long-term weekend is just beginning in Russia. For Lenovo, this exhibition has traditionally become the reason for the announcement of many new models. I cannot disclose information about updates before the official announcement, and instead I would like to talk about the changes that have occurred with Lenovo mobile devices this year.

The annual update of the model range of mobile computers does not necessarily bring revolutionary changes. Sometimes it just replaces the line of processors with a new one. Added RAM and increases the amount of hard disk. But there are more serious innovations, which I will discuss in more detail. One of the most notable innovations in laptops in 2011 was the emergence of hybrid storage systems. You can not ignore and ultrabooks - thanks to their new forms and materials, as well as for an unusual cooling system. A separate item are tablets, and Lenovo came to this market quite recently, but seriously and for a long time. More about all this - under the cut.


SSD + HDD or Lenovo RapidBoot
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Lenovo was not the only manufacturer to offer a combination of a solid-state drive and a regular hard disk drive to increase system boot speed and improve overall performance. This combination, even in the smallest models, was made possible thanks to a mini-SSD of up to 80 GB installed in a free MiniPCI-E slot. This year, Lenovo introduced several models with this option, called the Lenovo RapidBoot. In particular, these are compact ThinkPad X220 and X1 laptops, as well as a 15-inch gaming laptop, the IdeaPad Y570.



The first two use an 80-gigabyte SSD, on which system files are stored. The hard drive is completely independent of it. The Y570 has a slightly different system. The built-in solid-state drive has a total size of 32 gigabytes, but thanks to clever software, it integrates with a 750-gigabyte hard drive into one partition. The system still remains on a relatively fast SSD. The result in both cases is the same: almost instant application launch and wake up from sleep. Full system load takes 10-15 seconds. There is a wonderful “demonstration” of this technology on our YouTube channel:



The most noteworthy notebook from the mentioned trio was the Y570 with an excellent price-performance ratio. If you choose a gaming laptop for your home, and are considering this model, I advise you to choose a modification with RapidBoot - this quickly pays off.

Ultrabooks

Thin and light, at the same time strong and productive. If you try to describe the concept of Ultrabook in a few words, I would choose these. Read more about the first ultrabook Lenovo IdeaPad U300s can be read here . What makes our ultrabook different from models from other manufacturers? In the first place - the design, which is recognized in the reviews of many media as the most interesting for a new class of devices. Lenovo decided not to use design tricks that make the laptop seem thinner than it actually is. The thickness of the U300s in any part of the body is about 15 millimeters, with a weight of 1.32 kg and a 13-inch display.



Another unique feature is the proprietary cooling system, developed in conjunction with Intel and is still used only in Lenovo models. Air is drawn in through a special moisture-proof membrane under the keyboard and is ejected through openings at the junction of the two halves of the laptop. Accordingly, there are simply no ventilation grilles on the side or even less, and the system works without problems under load. Moreover, the aluminum case in this case plays the role of an additional, and rather big radiator that dissipates heat.

So far, the only serious complaint about ultrabooks, including the U300s, is the high price. I am sure that if this problem can be solved in future models, this class of mobile computers will become very popular.

Tablets

As I said above, Lenovo has recently entered this market, and now offers three completely different models. This is a custom IdeaPad K1, a professional ThinkPad Tablet and a budget IdeaPad A1. I already told about ThinkPad Tablet in detail in two materials at once. I will dwell in more detail on the two remaining. The IdeaPad K1 offers a performance comparable to the ThinkPad Tablet (both based on the Nvidia Tegra 2), screen quality (10-inch IPS), but all this in a lighter and more compact package, as well as for less money. The model is available in Russia in several colors at prices ranging from 13 (32 GB WiFi) to 24 thousand rubles (64 GB 3G + leather insert on the back panel). All models have a microSD slot and a MiniHDMI connector for connecting to a TV.



Budget IdeaPad A1 is built on the basis of a gigahertz processor Cortex A8 and runs on Android 2.3. Alas, in the budget model there is no IPS display, but the first users reacted to the 7-inch screen with a resolution of 1024x600 quite favorably. The model should soon be available from us at a price of 8,500 rubles.



Sufficient battery life

Let's go back to the laptops. According to one of the main indicators - battery life - they are still losing tablets. Regular battery life has increased slightly, but the real time remains within 5-6 hours. However, if you do not really care about the weight, and you need a full-fledged laptop with a normal keyboard and other things, then Lenovo can offer for some models a lot of life options without an outlet. Perhaps, the ThinkPad X220 became the champion this year. This model comes with a 6-cell battery that provides up to 6 hours of work (real). If desired, you can purchase a 9-cell and get 10 hours.

And for quite extreme cases, there is a laptop stand that connects to the dock connector. Together with it and an extended battery, you get up to 20 (real!) Hours of work without an outlet. It should be noted that this is quite a niche solution. Not everyone needs such a long battery life. The fact that Lenovo produces such accessories also speaks of the desire not only to increase sales through mass products, but also to attract those who need specialized solutions.

Bonus Track: Entry Level Unkillable Notebook

Finally, I’ll tell you about the latest novelty for Lenovo this year, introduced in December. This is a model ThinkPad X130e, designed specifically for schoolchildren, and for everyone who needs an inexpensive and reliable mobile computer. This notebook has the familiar features of its predecessors - the X120e and X121e, but there are important changes. The models strengthened the strength of the case and added rubber inserts for greater reliability. More robust connectors for external devices were also used, and display loops guaranteed to withstand 30 thousand open-close cycles. The model will be based on AMD or Intel processors, and in the United States will be available for less than $ 500.



And what are the requirements for a dream laptop do you have? Should it be cheap enough and durable enough to withstand work in the most difficult conditions and so that “it was not a pity to lose”? Or on the contrary, is this laptop the most powerful and fastest? Is such a laptop must be playable? Tell us about your requirements in the comments. I promise to convey all the wishes of Lenovo employees, so your opinion may affect how exactly the notebooks of this company will change in the future.