DailyTech - Lenovo Launches IdeaPad Notebooks for Consumers

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Gadgets Lenovo Launches IdeaPad Notebooks for Consumers
Brandon Hill (Blog) - January 3, 2008 12:53 AM

22 comment(s) - last by 91TTZ.. on Jan 6 at 1:33 PM

Lenovo IdeaPad Y710 (Source: Lenovo)

Lenovo IdeaPad U110 (Source: Lenovo)

Lenovo slots in a new family of notebooks below the venerable ThinkPad line

Yesterday, DailyTech reported that notebooks outsold desktops for the first time in the consumer market during 2007. Lenovo is taking that news to heart and has launched three new notebooks aimed at the heart of the consumer market.

The new IdeaPad notebooks are available in three models: the U110, the Y510 and the Y710. All three IdeaPad notebooks feature Centrino technology, frameless display screens, touch-sensitive control surfaces, facial recognition technology, Dolby Home Theatre surround sound and textured LCD lids.

"Our ThinkPad notebooks are well-known around the world as the best engineered computer for business -- for quality, reliability and thoughtful design," said Lenovo Consumer Business Group Senior Vice President Liu Jun. "We’re now bringing Lenovo’s expertise in design and engineering to consumers with our Idea-branded PCs. We are confident we will grow our consumer business by blending innovative technologies like facial recognition with stylish designs to enhance the way people use technology in their personal lives."

The IdeaPad U110 is the smallest member of the family and features an 11.1" widescreen display screen backed by a red, aluminum-alloy LCD lid. The notebook weighs just 2.3 pounds and is only 0.7 inches thick. Lenovo will make a solid-state disk (SSD) optional when the notebook launches in March.

The 6.4 lb, 15.4" widescreen Y510 is the middle-child and sports a textured black LCD lid. Lenovo includes a Core 2 Duo T5550 processor, 2GB of memory, a 250GB HDD, DVD+-RW drive and adds four speakers plus a subwoofer with the Y510. The Y510 will be available for purchase on January 6, 2008.

The top-of-the-line 7.9 lb, 17" Y710 features hot-swappable second hard drive bay. Also included is Game Zone functionality which provides larger directional keys for gaming and four user-defined buttons and a secondary display. The Y710 also supports overclocking of the Core 2 Duo T9300 processor and includes an ATI Mobility Radeon HD2600 GPU -- a Blu-ray drive is optional. Like the U110, the Y710 will be available in March.

Pricing begins at $799 USD for the Y510 and $1,199 USD for the Y710. Pricing has not yet been set for the U110.

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Ideapad?

By laok on 1/3/2008 8:17:05 AM , Rating: 2

I do not like this name.

RE: Ideapad?

By Master Kenobi

(blog) on 1/3/2008 8:21:56 AM , Rating: 3

It's just below the level of thinking, its only an idea :D

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RE: Ideapad?

By GaryJohnson on 1/3/2008 10:13:30 AM , Rating: 2

Next up is the Lostmytrainofthoughtpad

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RE: Ideapad?

By Sylar on 1/3/2008 12:58:53 PM , Rating: 2

Oh joy, can't wait for the MigrainePad.

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RE: Ideapad?

By Omega215D on 1/3/2008 4:14:32 PM , Rating: 2

MaxiPad?

We're supposed to be gay, not transexuals.

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RE: Ideapad?

By bodar on 1/3/2008 6:44:03 PM , Rating: 2

I vote for PersistentVegetativeStatePad, perfect for writing that book on Creationism. Zing!

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RE: Ideapad?

By TomZ on 1/3/08, Rating: 0

RE: Ideapad?

By fleshconsumed on 1/3/2008 9:48:10 AM , Rating: 2

Yeah, when I was reading the news piece it was hard not to read it as "IkeaPad". Kind of hilarious if you think about it.

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11.1" WIDESCREEN?

By Bremen7000 on 1/3/2008 2:03:26 AM , Rating: 2

I'm as big a fan of widescreen as the next guy, but why the hell would you waste all that vertical space on a tiny screen by making it widescreen..

A 4/3 11.1" screen is 8.88"x6.66". A 16/9 11.1" screen is 9.67"x5.4" -- seriously, the height of a 3x5" card?!

RE: 11.1" WIDESCREEN?

By logaldinho on 1/3/2008 3:13:28 AM , Rating: 2

how is it the height of a 3x5 card? iirc the length was 5 inches, and since the laptop with your figures has over three times the height of a index card with a height of 3 inches i dont get your math. but maybe its just late and im tired.

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RE: 11.1" WIDESCREEN?

By rdeegvainl on 1/3/2008 6:18:33 AM , Rating: 2

the dimensions are 3inches and 5 inches, but depending on the way you place it, the height is either 3 or 5. But making a comparison like that gets people to think of something for reference. It made me realise just how small that is.

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RE: 11.1" WIDESCREEN?

By dolcraith on 1/3/2008 9:26:58 AM , Rating: 2

It is 3 3x5 cards laid next to each other vertically in a horizontal line. [][][] like so but with 3x5 cards.

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RE: 11.1" WIDESCREEN?

By Bremen7000 on 1/3/2008 6:21:12 PM , Rating: 1

Sorry, since I was bitching about the height, I should've been more clear for those who aren't spatial enough to rotate a 3"x5" card:

The height of a 11.1" widescreen (5.4") is barely (.4") taller than a 3x5" card is wide. Take a 3x5 card in your hand, rotate it so that it's in "portrait mode" or "taller", and imagine using a screen slightly taller than that. Or, as the poster above me said, put 3 3x5 cards together: [][][] and you have the screensize (add .67"x.4" to be precise).

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quality..?

By SSJGohanMlm on 1/3/2008 1:43:49 AM , Rating: 2

will this be as great of a quality product as thinkpads?

RE: quality..?

By Some1ne on 1/3/2008 1:50:38 AM , Rating: 2

quote:
The Y710 also supports overclocking of the Core 2 Duo T9300 processor

I believe you have your answer.

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RE: quality..?

By 91TTZ on 1/6/2008 1:33:26 PM , Rating: 2

What does that have to do with quality?

It could be a flimsy piece of crap laptop that supports overclocking. The LCD hinge could be weak, the keyboard could feel horrible, etc.

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RE: quality..?

By SoCalBoomer on 1/3/2008 12:03:30 PM , Rating: 2

I don't know - but I'm already wary of that hinge.

That's one thing I don't like about the Mac laptops - the hinge hangs off the back so it's totally exposed to any fall that would impact the rear of the laptop while nearly all Windows laptops have had the hinge more sheltered, with simple hinges at the top, not hanging off the back. I have seen more Macs with broken hinges than really any other damage - and I think it's a design flaw (although it's pretty).

I really hope that Lenovo doesn't follow suit.

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Frameless?

By phattyboombatty on 1/3/2008 9:42:05 AM , Rating: 2

What do they mean by "frameless display screens"? Because, looking at the picture, it sure looks like the screen has a frame to me.

RE: Frameless?

By Souka on 1/3/2008 10:40:05 AM , Rating: 2

There isn't a plastic bezel that sticks out on the sides... the whole front of the LCD is smooth....

Personally I don't like the idea..as it may comprise the rigidity of the laptops LCD, or how the screen locks in with the chasis... still, I"m sure it'll be fine...

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U110

By Samus on 1/3/2008 12:29:21 PM , Rating: 2

This could be one of the least expensive ultra portables on the market if they introduce it under $1000, which they probably will. Kind of a 'cheap' ThinkPad X-series. I'm excited about it. The Y-series, not so much. Just look like a bunch of redesigned Lenovo 3000-series notebooks to me.