Apparently, the glossed up SL series was just the beginning – Lenovo has a lot more reimagining left to do on the matte black business machines it inherited from IBM. On Tuesday, the company officially took the wraps of a full new line of ThinkPads, including two new stylish models that barely resemble their ancestors.
The ThinkPad Edge will actually comprise its own subseries of “edgier” ThinkPads, similar to the SL series. While matte black remains the order of the day on the inside, the closed notebook has been trimmed all the way around in metallic grey and decked top and bottom with a smooth, glossy coat of either red or black. Inside, you’ll still get a trackpad and Lenovo’s signature red pointer, but the sacred ThinkPad keyboard has actually been changed to a chiclet-like design. Lenovo claims it should deliver up to 7.8 hours of battery life thanks to the Intel CULV processor within. Starting price will be $899.
The ThinkPad X100e, meanwhile, will join the existing line of ultra-slim X-series notebooks as the most affordable yet – just a netbookish $449. Although the price tag might put it in line with those miniature competitors, an 11.6-inch screen, full-size keyboard and Athlon Neo processors (with dual-core options on the way) will set it apart. And lest it be confused for yet another ThinkPad, Lenovo has given it the same bold outside color choices as the Edge.
Both models are available immediately through Lenovo. Other, tamer new ThinkPads include the T410, T410s, W510, and T510.
