Lenovo add Thunderbolt to new Thinkpad range

Lenovo have announced today that they will be producing new Thinkpad laptops with upcoming third generation Intel Core processors and the new lightning quick Thunderbolt interconnect, currently found primarily on Apple Macbook machines.

The new machines – the ThinkPad X1 Hybrid and the Thinkpad S430 will include Thunderbolt. Lenovo claim the X1 Hybrid is their thinnest laptop to date, which is sure to attract a large audience who love the build quality of these business oriented machines. These laptops are among the first to be announced with Intel's upcoming third generation processors which have not even been officially announced yet by Intel themselves. We know that Ivy Bridge processors will be available in the first half of this year, and are said to offer better battery life and stronger graphics for the mobile platform.

The 1.8 kilogram X1 Hybrid is said to be showcased at CES in Las Vegas in the coming weeks. Lenovo have said the price will be $1,599 and should be available in some countries in Q2. Battery life is said to be around 10 hours from a single charge. There is also an ‘Instant Media Mode' allowing the machine to switch from Windows to an open source operating system, reducing power and utilising a Qualcomm processor for maximum battery life.

The S430 machine is 14 inches and costs a more modest $749, availability has yet to be announced.

Kitguru says: Lenovo are also set to target the Sony Z series, with the new Thinkpad T430U ultrabook, which should be available in June, weighing 4 pounds and supporting Core i7 processors, Nvidia graphics and up to 1TB of storage. Hopefully they use a high quality IPS screen for this machine.

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