UPDATED 08:20 EDT / JANUARY 07 2013

NEWS

Lenovo Storms The Show With 8 New Devices at CES 2013

Apparently whoever said that interest in the CES was on the wane forgot to inform Lenovo – the Chinese manufacturer has just unleashed a deluge of new hardware to  demonstrate that the world’s largest consumer electronics show has lost none of its excitement, no matter what the detractors might say.

The likes of HP, Microsoft and Dell haven’t even bothered showing their faces at CES 2013, but one would find it hard to notice they’re missing given the bravado displayed by the world’s number one PC manufacturer with its never-ending line-up of new laptops, desktops, ultrabooks and displays. Tying all these together is one underlying theme – Windows 8, which seems to be the only platform as far as Lenovo is concerned.

From its new, hardcore gaming box to its warrior-like business machines, Lenovo has made sure that each and every device warranting a touchscreen packs its latest 10-point multi-touch controls. So without further ado, let’s take a look at Lenovo’s astonishing lineup of new products and devices at CES.

IdeaCentre Horizon Table PC

Top billing absolutely has to go to Lenovo’s awesome new, 27-INCH IdeaCentre Horizon Table PC, a device that the company bills as the world’s first inter-personal computer. The size of a small coffee table, this astonishing device can be used by up to four people at once and serves as both a tablet and a traditional PC.

At first glance, the IdeaCentre looks much like Apple’s old iMac all-in-one machine – a huge 27-inch screen with the innards of a Windows 8 PC built into it, capable of standing up on a table like a regular PC.

But where it really sets itself apart is that the device can be picked up off the table and laid out flat as a monstrous tablet computer – equivalent to eight iPads stuck together – absolutely HUGE in other words. Even better, it can be used by up to four people at the same time, with its touchscreen responsive to ten fingers touching it at the same time, allowing for games of monopoly and other classic board games. In addition, the machine comes packaged with plastic ‘strikers’ enabling a game of ‘air hocky’ and joysticks that can be attached to the screen for other games, such as the multiplayer shoot ‘em up Raiding Company.

Lenovo said that its “Table PC” will go on sale this summer, and is expected to be priced at $1,699.

Six New Laptops and Ultrabooks

Lenovo has also announced a deluge of new laptops, ultrabooks and ‘hybrids’ – no less than six devices to be exact, a sign that it clearly doesn’t intend to let up now that it’s finally claimed top spot as the world’s number one PC maker.

Among the new devices, Lenovo’s U series ultrabooks appear to be the standouts. These include the new U310 Touch, with a 13.3-inch 10-point multi-touch screen, weighing 3.85 pounds and measuring just 18mm thick, and the slightly larger U410 Touch, which features a 14-inch, 10-point multi-touch screen, weighs 4.4 pounds and measures 21mm thick. Both of these devices can be fitted with a range of Intel chips up to Core i7, come with a 1366×768 widescreen display, 8-hours of battery life and feature Lenovo’s “Intelligent Touchpad” that enables gesture controls for Windows 8. These models are expected to retail from $800 and upwards, depending on the spec.

For those looking for something more cost-efficient, Lenovo’s two new Z Series machines might appeal. The Z400 Touch and the Z500 Touch represent the latest in Lenovo’s entry-level range of Windows 8 devices. These consumer-orientated machines start at $699 and feature 10-point multi-touch displays, plus all the other essential Windows 8 gizmos.

Finally, Lenovo hasn’t forgotten about its beloved business users either, coming up with not one but two new ThinkPads – the formidable-looking E431 and E531, boasting 14-inch and 15.6-inch displays respectively, together with multi-touchscreen displays and ‘enhanced’ Windows 8 controls. In addition, both of the ThinkPads support Lenovo’s new OneLink connectivity system, funneling everything through a single cable to reduce clutter on the desk. The machines themselves look to be as rough and ready as one would expect from the ThinkPad line, measuring 1-inch thick, and weighing in at 4.7 pounds and 5.4 pounds respectively. In addition, they can pack a punch too – with both machines featuring Nvidia or Intel graphics, up to Core i7 processors, up to 16GB of memory and as much as 1TB of storage.

Erazer X700 Gaming PC

Lenovo also seems to be keen to do away with its business PC tag, offering up one of the most powerful gaming rigs yet seen in the form of its beastly new water-cooling Erazer X700 desktop.

The power behind the Erazer X700 is quite simply stunning – with an Intel Core i7 festooned within the water-cooling block that’s intended to support Lenovo’s “OneKey Overclocking” feature that allows users to bump up CPU frequency levels without needing to mess with the BIOS. Lenovo hasn’t said anything about the frequency settings yet, but what we do know is that it comes with an overwhelming array of graphics options, including a Nvidia GeForce GTX660 that runs two cards in SLI mode, or alternatively an AMD Radeon HD 8950, that also runs two cards using CrossFireX tech.

Other specs of the Erazer X700 include a whopping 4TB of storage, up to 16GB or DDR3 memory, and two swappable external drive bays – then of course, there’s the armor-plated packaging itself, reminiscent of something from Halo – doesn’t it look just awesome?


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