Today’s deal of the day brings you a 10% off coupon good on two of Lenovo’s ThinkPad Edge models, the 14-inch or 15-inch versions. Whichever you choose, the starting price for an AMD-powered system is $494 or $584 for an Intel chip.

In our review of the Edge 14, we liked it well enough. It had a full set of competitive features, decent performance with the Core i3 chip, a great keyboard, and offers an overall excellent value.

This deal expires September 3rd.

How to get the deal

1. Click here to choose your ThinkPad Edge 14 or 15
2. Apply coupon code in shopping cart w/no spaces before/after: USPLENOVOAUG

Intel’s new dual-core Atom processors may have been in the headlines for the past couple weeks, but it appears netbook manufacturers aren’t in a rush ship refreshed products just yet.

It appears the low cost computer market is in a bit of flux right now, with the tablet craze stirred up by Apple’s iPad. A variety of tablets running Google’s Android with either Qualcomm or NVIDIA chips inside are scheduled to hit the market this fall.

Many of the manufacturers that have popular netbook lineups, including Lenovo, also have tablet products in the pipeline. This conflict of interest is likely pushing back the availability of dual-core Atom products to later this year.

Another pressure in the low cost computer market is AMD’s refreshed low power platform, which is supposed to be a stronger competitor to Intel’s Atom and also planned to emerge later this year.

Source: [The Inquirer]

In honor of our review of Lenovo’s ThinkPad X201, today’s deal of the day is a 10% off coupon for the X201 that brings the starting price down to $989 with a Core i5 chip or only $899 with a Core i3. Lenovo sometimes offers a 15% off coupon for the X Series, and once or twice a year there is a 20% off coupon, but if you don’t have time to wait, then this is the deal for you.

You can choose from the X201i, with its lower cost Core i3 processor, or the regular X201 with the full gamut of configuration options between the two of them. You can also choose a “Quick Ship” model which is pre-built and ships within 4 days, compared to 15 days for a custom built model. The Quick Ship model is actually spec’d just like our review unit and prices out at $1340 after coupon.

Whichever model you end up with, you’ll definitely want to spring for the 6-cell or 9-cell battery. Runtime was sufficient with the 6-cell in our review unit and we wouldn’t have minded the extra weight and size of the 9-cell for 50% longer runtime.

This deal expires soon, so don’t wait long on this.

How to get the deal

1. Click here to configure your ThinkPad X201
2. Apply coupon code in shopping cart w/no spaces before/after: USPRETHINK

Pro’s: Powerful; low weight; great keyboard; runs cool

Con’s: Sub-par display; disappointing battery life

Check out the latest coupons & discounts on the ThinkPad X201

Design
Unlike several other ThinkPads this year, the X Series has not gotten a design refresh. The X201 doesn’t even get the new keyboard from the T400s that enlarges the Esc/Del keys. Accordingly, what you will get is the classic black rectangle design. The only change, which we will touch upon in more detail later, is the new option for a diminutive touchpad built into the palm rest.

The highly vaunted red stripes and blue dots are on the TrackPoint buttons and the sacred red pointing stick stands out in the middle of the keyboard. For ThinkPad purists, everything is right in the world. Others may prefer a more modern, “stylish” design, but such things are in the eye of the beholder.

Keyboard
While Lenovo changed things up a bit with the ThinkPad T400s keyboard, and the SL, L and Edge models have a non-ThinkPad 6-row design, the X201’s keyboard is untouched. The full 7 row design, which is less cramped compared to X6x models thanks to the widescreen, is there in all its glory.

I’m glad to report Lenovo didn’t feel the need to cost cut the X201 keyboard and the tactile feedback is top notch as always. I was able to type quickly and accurately with no issues or adjustment. Some might get hung up on the browser back/forward buttons that surround the arrow keys, though you can change the function of those keys.

Touchpad
The biggest news with the X201, aside from the new processors, is the optional touchpad. The ThinkPad X Series traditionally relied on the trackpoint as the sole pointing device, to avoid any compromise in the form factor or keyboard, making this a rather important update.

Lenovo of course made this change for the corporate world primarily: not having a touchpad can be an excluding factor when a company is researching vendors, so it is better to have than have not. This same story is why the T410 got four USB ports instead of the traditional three.

To avoid significant re-engineering, Lenovo opted to work in the constraints of the X201’s palm rest, aiming to modify only the palm rest to fit the touchpad. This simplifies things on their end and gives purists the option to have a completely touchpad-less ThinkPad X Series.

As a result, the touchpad is a small one. The dimensions are roughly 2.4 inches (61mm) by 1.2 inches (30mm). This is a fair amount of room to do some casual mousing, but a hardcore touchpad user will be left wanting more space. At least the ‘pad’s performance is great, as are all ThinkPad touchpads.

While I am a die-hard TrackPoint user, there are times when it is nice to have a touchpad around. If I have been doing a lot of typing and mousing, it is nice to have an ergonomic change and mouse around without having to apply pressure to the red nubbin. Also, I find that if I am more consuming content than creating it, I prefer to more comfortably use the touchpad rather than have my hand more outstretched and engaged using the TrackPoint.

But, the real question is: would I pay the extra $20 for a touchpad? Indeed I would. It adds value for me, doesn’t compromise functionality and is reasonably priced. If you change your mind after the fact, a simple swap of the palm rest is all that is needed to change from one version to the other.

Display
Screens are typically the Achilles Heel of ThinkPads and unfortunately the X201 hasn’t made up any ground there. While the 12.1-inch WXGA (1280×800) 200 nit panel isn’t terrible, it is plainly unimpressive. The colors all seem muted and dull. Viewing angles are also nothing special, but at least you aren’t left constantly adjusting the display angle looking for the “sweet spot” of viewability.

The impossible-to-find X201s model has a WXGA+ (1440×900) screen that at least improves upon the barely sufficient resolution found on the X201, but as stated the X201s is a veritable ghost in North America. I’ve seen posts indicating it is available in other regions like Japan, where an even thinner, lighter laptop is in higher demand. In fact, the Japanese market is the reason the X60s was born in the first place.

Multimedia
Being a ThinkPad, the multimedia part of our review is rather short. The X200 series received dual speakers, up from the mono speaker found on the X6x models. While the speakers get reasonably loud, they won’t overpower any significant amount of background noise and lack the depth found in larger systems.

Also being an X Series, the optical drive is not integrated and only available with the optional X200 Ultrabase. The Ultrabase also gives you a DisplayPort output, which will now carry audio with it and can be converted to HDMI if you prefer. There is an ExpressCard/54 slot, so you can add additional functionality there if you prefer.

Features & Technology
One of the hallmarks of the traditional ThinkPad models (excluding the “new” ThinkPads like Edge, L and SL) is that they all share the same or very similar robust feature set. This is especially impressive in the ultraportable X Series, which truly offers nearly every feature of the larger T and W Series.

Not only do you have a full array of ports and an ExpressCard/54 slot for expansion, but the X201 uses the full-power Intel Core i5 and i7 processors. There are no ULV or needed here, this 12.1-incher has all the processing power of its big brothers.

Connectivity & Ports

Left side (front to back): ExpressCard 34/54 slot; WiFi switch; always-on USB 2.0 port; Ethernet; VGA output; USB 2.0 port; fan vent; AC plug

Right side (front to back): USB 2.0 port; headphone jack; microphone jack; modem; Kensington lock slot

Software Preload
Part of this text is lifted from the T410 review, as the X201 preload is not significantly different.

The ThinkPad X201’s preload is relatively free of junk and trialware, with the main eyesores being the Office 2007 trial and Norton Internet Security 90-day trial. There is the usual conglomerate of Lenovo utilities, which are hit or miss for real usability. The Power Manager and Access Connections programs are always handy, although Windows 7’s network management is plenty sufficient for most people. The Power Manager in particular makes controlling your system’s performance vs battery life trade-off quite easy.

Lenovo is thoughtful enough to include some DVD software from Corel, for both burning discs and doing at least basic video production to burn to a DVD disc. DVD playback is handled by the usual Intervideo software, which gets the job done, although is not my favorite.

Battery Life
While the X Series has always prided itself on mobility, that doesn’t necessarily mean over the top battery life. I remember back in the day a certain low end consumer notebook could get amazing runtime, thanks to a massive 12-cell beast strapped onto the back of it. Such a design would not fit into the ThinkPad ethos and compromise functionality, which is why the despised 9-cell battery of the T400 was phased out after only one generation.

When putting the X201 through our usual paces of heavy web browsing and extended Netflix watching, the 6-cell battery lasted about four hours. You might be able to stretch a bit more of runtime out of the 56Whr 6-cell, but the 84Whr 9-cell option would last 6 hours in the same circumstances. If you don’t mind the extra half inch protruding from the rear, the 9-cell is a great long life option.

I think the 2010 Core iX processors are to blame for the decent, yet unimpressive battery life. I’ve got an X200 around here somewhere that seemed to last quite a bit more on the 6-cell battery, to say nothing of the 9-cell. Considering the anecdotal evidence of certain other Core i7 laptops running excessively warm and that the ONLY changes to the X201 were in the processors (and of course motherboard) and touchpad, I’m rather disappointed in the new Core chips’ power management.

Real World Usage
Lenovo has a consistent theme going with their traditional ThinkPads: high on features, low on heat & noise, and few compromises except the display. That really sums up using the X201, as it does most other ThinkPads. It is plenty fast and only lacks discrete graphics for performance. Despite having the same full power Core i5/i7 chips stuffed into it, it stays plenty cool and mostly quiet. The display is works and you won’t be fidgeting for that ideal viewing angle, but it doesn’t earn any accolades otherwise.

I am always wishing for more pixels when there are 1280×800 onboard, and I would have appreciated a bit more runtime on the battery, but otherwise the X201 is a joy to use on the go. The screen is understandably a bit small to serve as your sole display if its parked on a desk, but is appreciated when mobile, even if it’s on your couch.

Conclusion
If you are shopping for an ultraportable, you need to consider Lenovo’s ThinkPad X201. If you are shopping a $1K+ full size notebook, you need to consider the X201. The ThinkPad X201 can do nearly everything a full-size notebook can and will disappear into your bag without a second thought.

The X201 can do just about anything you need and manages to stay just above 3 lbs while doing so. The few people who need an optical drive on a daily basis won’t appreciate the 1.6 lb, 1-inch thick Ultrabase that also adds $200 to the price tag. However, at just over 4 lb and 1.8 – 2.4 inches thick, the X201 is at or below the size of most full size 14-15 inch notebooks and can drop its weight at any time.

While I can’t point out any one glaring deficit in the X201, it’s major downfall is just that it’s not as standout as the X Series once was. The chassis is very diminutive in your hands, but on paper is not terribly small. The performance for the size is great, but battery life pays that price. And let’s face it, not everyone loves a black rectangle as us ThinkPaderati.

Another point of concern is that the X201 design is getting long in the tooth. Lenovo is due to update it soon, so hopefully when Intel comes out with some more power-concious processors we’ll see a sleek new X Series with a trick chassis and properly long battery life. If you’re looking to max out an X201 now, you might consider the future proposition.

Lastly, when you are shopping an X201, don’t forget to watch for the 15-20% off coupons. With the Core i3-powered X201i starting at $999 normally, it is hard to argue against an $800-850 ThinkPad X Series.

Check out the latest coupons & discounts on the ThinkPad X201

It’s baaacckkkk: Lenovo’s IdeaPad Y560 Loaded to the gills with power has a whopping $600 taken off its price tag, making for a $999 beastly laptop.

The quad-core processor, ATI Radeon 1GB graphics, 8GB RAM and 7200rpm hard drive make for an immensely powerful laptop at this price point. The biggest caveat here is that battery life will be shorter than AMD’s dominance in the mobile CPU market.

This deal expires August 2nd or after 200 coupon redemptions.

• Core i7-720QM (1.6-2.8GHz); Win7 Home 64; 8GB DDR3 RAM
• ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5730 1GB; 15.6-inch HD LCD; DVD burner
• 500GB 7200rpm HDD; 6-cell battery; Intel WiFi; Bluetooth

How to get the deal

1. Click here to choose your IdeaPad Y560 model 06462BU (second from the right column)
2. Apply coupon code in shopping cart w/no spaces before/after: USPY52B824

Intel recently released their first dual-core Atom chip specifically for netbooks and Lenovo’s already putting it to use in their IdeaPad S10-3 netbook.

The new dual-core Atom N550 chip is clocked at 1.5GHz, sports dual 512KB L2 caches, and has a max power consumption of 8.5W. This isn’t the first dual-core Atom chip, as there have been dual-core variants used in nettops where power consumption isn’t as much a concern, but it is the first chip specifically for netbooks.

This chip was spotted in a new IdeaPad S10-3 configuration at a German reseller. The model 06475CM adds 1GB DDR3 RAM and a 250GB hard drive to the new dual core chip, along with the rest of the usual netbook specs, for a price of €493  (or ~$626 USD).

New IdeaPad models tend to take a little while to make their way across the continents to North America, but we should see these new models before long. It remains to be seen if this will be sold as an upgraded model, or if dual core will supplant the single core versions. I’m expecting the dual core chips to be offered in higher end configurations with a fatter price tag.

Maybe Intel has found a way to introduce a little more margin in the netbook market?

Source: [Netbooknews.de]

Lenovo’s first 3D notebook, the IdeaPad Y560d, announced back in June and our friends at LaptopMag recently spent some time with it.

They’ve got the full skinny on the Y560d, if you’re curious about the day-to-day aspects of it, but we of course were most interested in the 3D display.

The 3D system used on the IdeaPad is a passive design, using polarized glasses like in the nifty 3D movies. A more expensive system from NVIDIA is based on an active system with shutter glasses and should produce a more immersive experience, at a premium of several hundred dollars over the passive system.

We fired up Call of Duty, and were impressed by the greater depth added to gameplay; details such as blowing drifts of snow wafted across the screen in such a way that we could almost touch it. Blowing away bad guys proved tricky, though. Since the gun’s sight and the subject are no longer on the same plane, it took a bit more work to line up a target, especially if they were far away. So while the action felt more realistic, we felt as if we were at a slight disadvantage.

Hit the source link for the full reviews

Source: [LaptopMag]

Lenovo’s running a massive amount of discounts across many of their products, but don’t wait to take advance of this deal as it expires on August 25th. Without further ado, let’s get to it:

ThinkPad

20% off ThinkPad W701, W701ds | $2079 starting | Coupon: USPTHINKAUG

15% off ThinkPad W510, T410s | $1359 & $1189 starting | Coupon: USPTHINKAUG

10% off ThinkPad T510 | $845 starting | Coupon: USPTHINKAUG

IdeaPad & IdeaCentre

Visit the Back to School promotion page

15% off all-in-one IdeaCentre desktops A300, A310, A700, B500, B305, C315 | $594 starting | Coupon: USPLENOVOAIO819

Up to $270 off G Series | $479 starting | Coupon: USPLENOVO819

Up to $320 off IdeaPad U Series | $629 starting | Coupon: USPLENOVO819

Up to $550 off IdeaPad Y Series | $669 starting | Coupon: USPLENOVO819

Visit the Back to School promotion page

IdeaPad Z360 13.3-inch Core i3 w/WiMax $599 with coupon USPZ33819

With the full review of Lenovo’s ultraportable ThinkPad X201 coming soon, I thought our dedicated ThinkPad-erati would appreciate an early look at the biggest change the X201 brings: the touchpad.

The biggest news with the X201, aside from the new processors, is the optional touchpad. The ThinkPad X Series traditionally relied on the trackpoint as the sole pointing device, to avoid any compromise in the form factor or keyboard, making this a rather important update.

Lenovo of course made this change for the corporate world primarily: not having a touchpad can be an excluding factor when a company is considering vendors, so it is better to have than have not. This same story is why the T410 got four USB ports instead of the traditional three.

To avoid significant re-engineering, Lenovo opted to work in the constraints of the X201’s palm rest, aiming to modify only the palm rest to fit the touchpad. This simplifies things on their end and gives purists the option to have a completely touchpad-less ThinkPad X Series.

As a result, the touchpad is a small one. The dimensions are roughly 2.4 inches (61mm) by 1.2 inches (30mm). This is a fair amount of room to do some casual mousing, but a hardcore touchpad user will be left wanting more space. At least the ‘pad’s performance is great, as are all ThinkPad touchpads.

While I am a die-hard TrackPoint user, there are times when it is nice to have a touchpad around. If I have been doing a lot of typing and mousing, it is nice to have an ergonomic change and mouse around without having to apply pressure to the red nubbin. Also, I find that if I am more consuming content than creating it, I prefer to more comfortably use the touchpad rather than have my hand more outstretched and engaged using the TrackPoint.

But, the real question is: would I pay the extra $20 for a touchpad? Indeed I would. It adds value for me, doesn’t compromise functionality and is reasonably priced. If you change your mind after the fact, a simple swap of the palm rest is all that is needed to change from one version to the other.

Lenovo has published a net profit of $55 million for the quarter ending June 30th, although this stunning turnaround still failed to meet analyst expectations and their stock fell overnight.

This strong net profit, up from a $16 million loss last year, is buoyed mostly on the 50% rise of sales in China. Emerging markets like India, Brazil and Turkey, Lenovo’s second biggest desired market, came in at $821 million, or 16% of total revenue. The more boring mature markets like the U.S. and Europe still grew a surprising 38.5% to $1.8 billion in revenue.

Sources: [News & Observer], [Local Tech Wire]