Skip to main content

Lenovo reveals slew of new laptops ahead of Tech World

Lenovo is excited about the company’s annual Tech World event in Beijing, and has spilled the beans early on a few of the new offerings that will be available soon. Among the offerings are two new media workstations, the Z41 and Z51, and a new budget laptop, the IdeaPad 100.

With a base price of $499, there’s some really solid value to be had from the Lenovo Z41 and Z51. Both systems are available with 5th generation Intel Core i7 processors and Windows 8.1, with the capacity for up to 16GB of RAM. You have a wide array of storage options, with up to one terabyte in either mechanical or solid state drives.

Recommended Videos

The main difference between the Z41 and Z51 is the display size, with the Z41 sporting a 14-inch display, and the Z51 offering an extra inch. Both displays have a native resolution of 1,920 x 1,080. The Z51 also can power the display with an upgrade to an AMD R9-M375, while the Z41 tops out at the R7-M360.

Other than small display differences, both laptops carry the same connectivity options, with 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0. You can also upgrade the webcam on either system to an Intel RealSense 3D camera. This advanced webcam uses two sensors to recognize spatial differences, and is able to track hand and face movement.

For more budget-minded users, the Lenovo IdeaPad 100 is a great option that starts at only $249, and includes a choice of Intel BayTrail-M processors and solid state storage. The IdeaPad 100 is offered in two screen sizes, 14-inch and 15-inch, both with a 1,366 x 768 display, but otherwise carry the same internal specs.

“We’ve created the new Lenovo Z41, Z51 and ideapad 100 laptops specifically for customers who want simple and functional design,” said Mr. BAI Peng, vice president and general manager, Lenovo Notebook Business Unit, PC Group. “But because our customers are diverse, so our products are not ‘one size fits all’ either. Our three new laptops offer customers the choice to select the one that’s right for them – two specialized for multimedia and one all-rounder.”

All three updated systems will hit shelves, and Lenovo’s online store, in June of this year, with prices starting at $499 for the Z41, $599 for the Z51, and $249 for the IdeaPad 100.

Brad Bourque
Brad Bourque is a native Portlander, devout nerd, and craft beer enthusiast. He studied creative writing at Willamette…
Lenovo’s new laptops have an Intel superpower
A Yoga Slim 7i on a red table.

Lenovo has announced two new laptops in partnership with Intel. Yes, they feature the new Core Ultra Series 2 chips, but it’s really the software that makes these laptops interesting. The laptops themselves are the ThinkPad X1 Carbon and Yoga Slim 7i, but they’re both tagged with an additional name: Aura Edition Imagined with Intel. I’m not sure what the name is supposed to connote, but laptops under this new line include a host of software features that were developed by Lenovo in partnership with Intel.

The most exciting of these is Smart Share, which allows for quick photo sharing between your phone and laptop with nothing more than a tap. Bumping the side of the laptop lid with your iPhone or Android phone will automatically bring up a smart share window displaying the photos in your mobile device.

Read more
This new Lenovo laptop opens and contorts itself with a voice command
The Lenovo Twisting Auto PC with the display halfway twisted.

You've never seen a laptop like this -- I guarantee it.

At IFA 2024, Lenovo showed off what might be the most fascinating laptop of the year so far -- the Lenovo Auto Twist PC. It's just a proof of concept, but it introduces some really fun ideas into the world of laptops.

Read more
I saw Lenovo’s futuristic transparent laptop, and it absolutely stunned me
Thinkbook Project Crystal proof-of-concept transparent laptop

A major theme for this year already appears to be transparency, with staple brands such as Samsung and LG showcasing their see-through products -- the transparent micro-LED display and the Signature OLED T transparent TV, respectively -- at CES 2024 last month.

Now, Lenovo is giving the industry a look at its Lenovo ThinkBook Transparent Display laptop, a proof of concept that is a highlight of its presentation at Mobile World Congress 2024 (MWC) 2024 in Barcelona, Spain, this week. The company is calling the ThinkBook Transparent Display laptop the "concept car of laptops." I got to check out the laptop before the conference and was blown away upon seeing the product in person.

Read more