Computer maker Lenovo today announced its; first Lenovo-branded Core 2 Duo-equipped notebook computers in the form of the Lenovo N100, targeting the small business market with a combination of functionality, processing power, and price-consciousness the company hopes will win them more fans.
“The new Lenovo N100 offers small business customers better, faster connectivity and performance while delivering the reliability, ease of use and value our customers expect,” said Marc Godin, Leovo’s VP of worldwide notebook marketing, in a statement. “With the increased performance of Intel’s latest processors, better wireless connectivity and Vista upgradeability, the new N100 combines great value and the latest features to give our customers a worry-free computing experience.”
The N!00 notebooks feature so-called “pre-N” high-speed MIMO Wi-Fi technology based on forthcoming 802.11n standards. Although final 802.11n Wi-Fi specifications aren’t expected to be completed for some time, the Wi-Fi Alliance recently announced it will begin certifying interoperability of pre-N gear, enabling manufacturers to begin moving forward with higher-speed wieless solutions while the 802.11n specification is being completed. The N100’s also include Intel Core 2 Duo processors (at 1.6 or 2 GHz—a Celeron-based model is also available), 512 MB to 1 GB of RAM (some models are capped at 1 GB; others can expand to 1.5 GB), 80 to 100 GB hard drives, DVD and combo drive options, optional fingerprint readers, and Bluetooth. The 15.4-inch widescreen edition also offers the Nvidia GeForce 7300 graphics controller with either 64 or 128 MB of video memory.
Lenovo says the N100 is available now in more than 60 countries with a starting price of just $799, but their online store puts a base Core 2 Duo configuration at just $599 after rebate. All the N100 systems are Vista capable, and select models will be ready for Vista Premium.
