Posted on Sunday, June 29 2008 @ 1:40 CEST by Thomas De Maesschalck
Earlier this week
Lenovo unveiled its working on a new ThinkPad SL series for small and medium-sized businesses:
Priced from US$699 to $1,199, the laptops will come with online backup services and LoJack technology to track down stolen laptops. The machines will be aimed at businesses with up to 99 employees that can't afford an IT staff to troubleshoot their own laptop problems.
The online backup service will be a first for the entire ThinkPad line, said Charles Sune, worldwide segment manager for Thinkpad SL series. It will provide a way for businesses on a budget to back up data.
Also included is Absolute Software's LoJack technology, which can help track down stolen laptops. Additional security and support tools will be provided from Lenovo's ThinkVantage hardware and software line, including its Active Protection System, which protects data on a notebook's hard drive.
Lenovo has also pulled a page from its consumer-focused IdeaPad laptops in the SL series, sprucing up the ThinkPad design with a more stylish look and multimedia features such as a connector to display high-definition video and software for video creation. That's a shift away from the ThinkPad's traditional business focus, with the new look intended to make it more palatable for both personal and business use.
The Lenovo ThinkPad SL series should be available within a couple of weeks.
