Lenovo's Entire New ThinkPad Line Leaked, X300 Gets Siblings

Gizmodo Link: HERE

Edit: The fine print at the top of the article mentions "Unconfirmed". Sounds plausible and quite tasty though (IMO).

A few months back, we broke news on Lenovo's ultra-thin, ultra-functional X300 laptop. Now we've gotten an update on what the company's been up to during the interim. All of their lines are seeing a major refresh, but the biggest news is that starting this September, the famous X300 will have a family.

Soon joined by the 12-inch X200, the 14.1-inch X400 and the 15.4-inch X500 (all armed with 45nm Penryn processors), customers will be able to pick the precise display size of their choice on one of the most lust-worthy laptops on the market. The X-Series will also feature HSDPA and EVDO, 25% improved battery life, beefy 6MB L2 cache and lots of fanboy drool.

Here's the rest on Lenovo's new ThinkPad line-up:

R-Series (refreshed)
This line will continue representing the entry level. We're light on specs, but we know it will include the R400 (5.1lbs) and R500 (6.4lbs). Expect these to be refreshed in July 2008.

T-Series (refreshed)
This line will continue to represent the mid-range, featuring 256 or 512MB ATI HD3650 discreet graphics that can be turned off to conserve battery life. We don't have sizes, but the T400 will weight 4.3lbs and the T500 will clock in at 5.8lbs. Shipping starts June 3rd, 2008.

W-Series (brand new)
The W-Series is a completely new line. Where the "W" used to stand for "Widescreen," now it stands for "workstation replacement." Described to us as less bulky than similar machines from Dell, the 15-inch W900 will feature the same discreet graphics as the T-Series. A 17-inch version is in the works for the future.

And here's the good stuff:

Many or All Models Will Have:
• 6MB of L2 cache
• Turbo Memory option (think Ready Boost, up to 2GB)
• Blu-ray drive option
• Two PCI Express Slots
• 1.6GHz DDR3 RAM
• LED Backlighting (excludes R Series)
• HSDPA and EVDO (Lenovo claims to have no deals with Sprint)
• 9 cell batteries (same form factor as former 6-cell, 25% more life)
• GPS, WiMAX, and wireless USB are scattered through models
• The x300's solid state hard drive option (excludes W)

Lenovo is starting new ThinkPad manufacturing in May so that there are plenty of units to fuel demand. And from the sound of it, some of the X300's most appealing features are making their way to the entire ThinkPad line. We're just wondering what the pricing will look like between the X200 and X300. Will we be paying a premium for size or for screen space?

 

Sounds like they have been listening to the consumers. Discreet and integrated graphics is a great idea taken from the pages of sony. A little dissapointed that I saw the that dreaded word "ATI" in the article, but will have to wait and see what happens. Sounds like I could be buying my second Lenovo in the same year. Wondering now on the interface options.

 

dang...I just place an order for the X61 with Penryn T8300 2.4Ghz CPU for $1061 US today with all the bells and whistles (except Turbo memory). This is giving me some doubt on whether I made the right move or not. I can wait for the new X200 but I don't want to spend more than $1000+/ $100. If the X300 is any indicator, I think the X200 will be in the $1500 range without a SSD. Keeping my fingers crossed that I made the right choice.

 

buyers remorse. dont even sweat it. in this business no matter what you buy there is always something better around the corner. its a never ending circle of technology. almost an addiction if you ask me.

 

Yea I know..but this is only at most 2-3 months away. But I think the new X200 will be at least $1500 considering the price of the X300.

 

I'm cancelling my order. I'll just wait til June I guess.

 

Anyone know if the x200 has a full size backspace key? I wish my x61 had one.

 

The X61 is still a fine choice and will be usable for many years. It's a good purchase.

I've seen several articles confuse discreet and discrete.

Discreet is being prudent or careful, discrete means a separate unit..

Wonder why Lenovo keeps switching back and forth between ATI and NVIDIA.

 

Don't sweat it. You got a great setup for a great price. As Techboydino said there is always something newer coming out but prices at least initially will be considerably higher. The X61 you are getting will serve you well for the next 2 years and more.

 

Nice specs.

 

It would be nice if I could wait for it...

 

Man that sounds sweet... too bad I don't have the money to get one of these. I'm very happy with my T61 though.

 

i'm not sure if i should go ahead and order a t61p now.. or wait. ugh

 

Guys remember the prices for t61 and x61 last spring. I won't pay a premium for a new model in the first 6 months. The t61p i just paid $1400 for was $2300 last july.

 

I wonder if these babies come with the LED screens like in the X300. That'll be awesome... too bad that 1) I've ordered by T61p CTO already for dirt cheap and 2) I probably can't afford the new stuff ...

Oh nevremind, they actually do!!! I should stop reading only every second line...

 

ATI video is disappointing.

 

I knew they would to this seeing the huge price cuts they did a month ago. I still do not regret buying my T61 at close to half regular price. The next laptop I buy will have those new features anyway... It's just a matter of time This T61 I have now is much much better than my previous laptop so it’s all relative: Always be cutting edge or upgrading with a technological lag but pay much less each time.

I would only cancel a current order if you really can't live without the new features. But even then, you have to expect to pay full premium price for the new models. I still think it is better to buy at the end of the life of a product... Look at the amount of problems that the DELL XPS 1330 and 1530 models have. These are still young products that will need to undergo a few refinements. That is the bad side of being an early adopter I guess.

I was also surprised by the switch from NVidia to ATI... That is a show stopper for me (ATI reputation regarding OpenGL support isn't that great). Although, having both integrated and discreet is a very big plus indeed. A switchable NVidia card would have been awesome.

 

The new AMD/ATI GPU tech is awesome.

All they need is some better coding for their drivers and that can happen.

I'm looking forward to ATI powered ThinkPads.

 

Finally, something to get excited about
This has been a rumour for awhile though
You guys can check the rest of the new series here

 

So, the new X-series in September, T-series in June, R series in July, and W series unknown? Add to that around 2 months shipping delay. And from what I can see, we can expect higher prices as well.

 

The main thing I like is the LED backlighting. But I don't like the ATi especially when it comes to Linux capability.

 

That hardware is useless to me personally because ATI's video drivers are so poor. I'd rather take Intel video in that case. I hope there is some Nvidia option later.

 

Think they will bring back the sexy titanium covers?

 

ok. so let me get this straight. so the T400 is the new T61? so that means that they are redoing the entire look of the laptop... ?

the T61 right now weighs 5lbs... and the T400 weighs 4.3? this is nice. (perhaps it's the LED display?)

i was thinking about buying a T61... but now that i hear about this T400... i'm very excited. i wanted a LED display, dedicated card, and a Penryn processor. i wonder the cost and how thin these guys will be?

 

I find that hard to believe.

Good to see Lenovo went back to ATI.

As long as they offer a Standard 14" LED display on the T400 i'm happy.

 

So all is true, seems a new T series with led screen, ati switchable video, 9 cell in 6 cell form, 25w processor should more than anything = huge battery life increase. nice.

 

I rather hope they will bring back the Flexview option, so those who are saying thinkpads have bad screens with shut their mouths.
And I assume that Nvidia GPU option will be available in the W (workstation) series.

Does anyone have any idea about what the "1.6GHz DDR3 RAM" means?

 

LED Backlighting on the T-Series? This sounds amazing, that will help with battery life as well. I just hope my current notebook can last until June..

 

Oh my... want! Too bad they're nothing but rumors. But hey, if we even see half of those new features at release, I'd be happy already.

 

Looks like a typo. According to Wikipedia Montevina will work with "only" 1066MHz rated DDR3s.
The rate 1.6 GHz is attributed there to the next-next generation called Calpella .

 

Am I the only one thinking that the X400 and X500 are rather unrealistic, especially considering the weight of the T400 has been brought down to 4.3lbs, and been given an LED screen? IMHO it seems rather unlikely that Lenovo are going to re-position the X series as the top-of-the-line range instead of its traditional portability being its focus. They might be able to shave off a couple of millimeters by replacing the 9.5mm ultrabay with the 7mm fixed bay, but I doubt its worth it, especially considering that the T series is already being slimmed down by the addition of LED screens. I think the proposed lineup minus the X400 and X500 will be what we will see in a couple of months time, I for one can't see the feasibility of an X series notebook with a screen larger than 13.3 inches.

 

Hmm what's the point of the W model if it uses the same gpu as the T model? The workstation models in the thinkpad line always used more powerful gpus than the rest of the models in the lineup.

 

Will T remain in a "beloved/hated" 4:3 format ?
And then W will naturally stand for widescreen...

 

If WiMax is successful, then it may be something they might consider. Even with that being the case, though, I highly doubt they will ever bring them back. They really don't need to because the current covers are fine the way they are. The rollcage does a great job at protecting the screen.

 

I don't see what WiMax has to do with titanium lids.

 

Very nice. Looks like Dell will have some competion with the 12 inch

 

Well if you read the OP then you will see that the 'W' stands for workstation replacement not widescreen. Also, the 15'' notebooks in the current T series are widescreen anyway, so it's nothing new.

 

Hmm I really do like many of those features, especially the option for an LED backlit screen and switchable on/off discrete GPU. ATI/Nvidia doesn't really matter to me, since ATI's performance with the latest HD3xxx GPUs has been pretty decent, at least on desktops. Besides, the HD3600 series is more powerful than the Quadro NVS 140 formerly available in the T series (except T61P) by default, so it should prove to be better for gaming and 3D work.

Now I'm really unsure whether I should wait or buy now...I'm looking for a college laptop to take with me in the fall, and battery life/light weight are two of my main concerns. The current T series has everything I'm looking for, but the battery life seems a little subpar when the system is equipped with discrete graphics. The new T400 seems like the perfect system for me, but I am still trying to decide whether it's worth paying a $500-$1000 premium for the new features when they are released with the refresh in June.

 

I did And have been using T61p WS for a while...
I have sheerly been looking for other than those in OT explanations for T and W series to co-exist and only suggested that T series would exclusively be offered in 4:3 format and W in 16:10 one.

 

More 15.4'' options, I don't know what's gonna be the difference.
What is Lenovo trying to do here???

 

Cool stuff.

my next computer may well be a Lenovo...although their screens are not as nice as apple.

 

the T400 sounds really nice. i posted a question on yahoo answers the other day saying i wanted a laptop with:14 inch LED screen, penryn processor, really light, and a dedicated video... and the response was "this notebook doesnt exist". now with a T400, i think it might be a reality. 4.3 lbs with dedicated ATI and a fast processor? yesssss.

any idea of the cost? should i expect it to be around $500 more than the current T61? or are we thinking more? the bottom mentioned all of them having SSD's. if that's true... these things are all going to be $3,000+...haha. i wish june 3rd was sooner (pending that this was all true)

 

I hope there are better video out options - at least DVI please.

 

I'm not sure if we can still label the article as "unconfirmed." Lenovo Canada is having two consecutive fire sales, first with the "Spring Savings" event, now with the "Buy More, Save More", on top of the playoff shootout eCoupon. It seems to me that they are really trying hard to get rid of the older stocks, maybe fearing that the new stuff, being potentially much superior to the T61, will leave the older models in the dust.

 

I don't know, it seems to me if you can wait and would benifit from much increased battery life, wait. If not, these are really good prices right now and seem to present a real value. Just what kind of value the line is will be a question until it is realesed, shipping and proven to be built as well.

An LED screen is nice, but the real benifit is a bit less weight and longer battery life. The processors are availabale now, so no improvement unless you go to the top model, its just that the p-series will take less power to run and produce longer battery life. A switchable video card, nice, but again the real benifet, longer battery life in video card models. A nine cell in a 6 cell form, even longer battery life. Also, video port blu ray, wimax and gps and pc-800 dimm, but really, for so many not much performance improvment but no deneying that the new machines may see much much longer battery life.

So it will all come down to price and build quality. If we assume quality stays the same, (that is a big, but reasonable if), then what will the price be. I doubt the actual retail prices will increase much, they may even come down a but. But, lately we have seen 40 something % discounts on the current models.

So the question is, for a t61p retail at $2,000 that you can pick up now for around $1150, what will a w or t 500 sell for in june and will you be able to get it before september. If the answer is under $1500 and yes, then it seems like a good thing to wait for. Still 350.00 more, but for new vs old technology not a bad price to pay. But what if it is $500 more?

The problem is there is no way to know and everyones situation is different but I would not say that with everything considered it is a slam dunk to wait for a new one.

 

Last fall, when I tried to configure an X series tablet the price came out to well over $2000 with respectable options...with the current sales, it's possible to get one $1250 that's better equipped than the one I configured last year. I'm thinking Lenovo will bump up their prices to pre-sale levels, so probably around $1500-2000 for a middle of the line configuration T or X series.

 

This is my guess as well. That is why I went ahead and purchased a 2.4 Ghz Penryn T8300 X61 with all the bells and whistles for only $1061 2 days ago. This is the right price for me and I figure the current specs will last me for at least 4 years (I don't play games). I suspect when the new X series debut, the price will be back to >$1500 and no coupons can be used on it. I mean, look at the X300, it is starting at $2902. Granted, it has a 65GB SSD but even subtracting $800, it is still $2100. The X200 has even more bells and whistles. Do you really think it will be anywhere near the current price of the X61?

 

No, not for at least a year.

Additionally, the combination of higher fuel prices, a depreciating dollar, and higher labor and other costs in China may mean that the low prices for manufactured goods most Americans now expect may be coming to an end.

 

any idea if lenovo will make this official anytime soon?

 

Just face it, AMD/ATI is dying, it may get back to the table, if it is purchased by IBM or SUN, but that, at least, not gonna happen soon.
Vendors pick ATI because the much lower prices, not because the technology it could offer, take a look at the prices and benchmarks yourself.

I personally will never buy a ATI card laptop, I love my nvidia T61p. And I will never recommend anyone to buy the next gen TP if it has a ATI card in it.