Lenovo Ideapad 100 laptop takes on Chromebook; 10-inch ThinkPad 10 (2nd generation) Windows 10 tablet rivals Surface 3
Last week, at the Lenovo Tech World, the company's first global technology conference held in Beijing, Lenovo introduced the Ideapad 100, a $249 laptop that could give Google's Chromebook a run for its money and the 10-inch ThinkPad 10 (2nd generation) Windows 10 tablet to take on Microsoft's Surface 3.
Similar to the Google Chromebook, Lenovo's Ideapad 100 is targeted at users interested in basic computer tasks like web surfing and simple content creation, but runs a full version of Windows 8.1. Available in 14- and 15-inch screen sizes, the Ideapad 100 is powered by an Intel BayTrail-M N3540 processor, paired with Intel integrated graphics, 8GB of memory, a 500GB hard disk, or an optional 128GB solid state drive. Both the 14-inch model weighing just over 4 pounds and the 15-inch version at 5 about pounds come with a single USB 3.0 port, one USB 2.0 port and an HDMI out port, with a battery life of around four hours.
Lenovo's 10-inch ThinkPad 10 (2nd generation) Windows 10 tablet along with all its accessories delivers "a full PC experience" to take on the Microsoft Surface 3. The ThinkPad 10 features a 1,920 x 1,200 IPS touch screen and is powered by an Intel Atom quad-core CPU paired with 4GB RAM. Lenovo's new Windows 10 tablet sports a 5-megapixel camera and a ThinkPad Pen Pro stylus, and offers LTE connectivity with 10 hours of battery life. The ThinkPad 10 is priced at $549, which is $50 higher than the price of a base Surface 3, and has various available accessories such as folio keyboard ($110), ultrabook keyboard ($119), tablet dock ($129) and 4-way privacy film ($70).
But what really stole the show among Lenovo's new launches was the 15-inch Lenovo Z51 laptop sporting Intel's RealSense 3D camera as an optional extra that allows users to control the device using hand gestures, or even scan objects for 3D printing. RealSense uses conventional camera, an infrared camera, and an infrared laser that can be used for scanning, gaming or gesture control. The 14-inch version of Lenovo Z51 starts at $499, while the 15-inch version with the 3D Sense camera costs an additional $100.