LENOVO ThinkPad Edge 15
Lenovo’s latest offering targets the consumer with very pleasing results…
Many were surprised when business-centric Lenovo announced the more consumer-focused ThinkPad Edge, and this is a laptop just as suited to the everyday buyer as the business person.
The design is a far cry from the rest of the ThinkPad range. Instead of a plain-black-box approach, Lenovo has painted the lid an attractive shiny red and included silver trimming to the chassis, and the result is a very desirable laptop.
The machine is as durable as it is attractive and the solid plastics give it a robust feel with the strengthened metal lid hinges only adding to this.
Minimal reflections
The 15.6-inch screen features a detailed1366 x 768-pixel resolution and is ideal for creating word documents and spreadsheets. Like the Sony in this group, it isn’t particularly bright, but the lack of a shiny Super-TFT finish – the only machine to feature this here – means there are virtually no reflections to contend with. This is also the only laptop in the test to boast a lid which folds open 180 degrees, making it easy to get a comfortable viewing angle wherever you are sat.
This is the first Lenovo laptop to feature an isolation-style keyboard. It provides a fantastic typing experience and is equally as firm as the Sony, the only difference being the Lenovo’s keys travel a little further. If we had to choose between the two, we would opt for the Sony, however, as the lack of a dedicated numeric keypad here is a little disappointing.
The Intel Core i5 chip used here is the most powerful in this group and provides the best performance by far. This means those after uncompromised power for either work or play will find plenty to like here and you’ll have no problems running both office and multimedia applications.
The inclusion of an integrated graphics card means you’ll be able to play only the most basic of games, but older (and internet) games should run fine. Likewise, basic photo editing won’t be a problem.
Portability is the cornerstone of any business laptop and, although there are much lighter options available, the Lenovo’s 266-minute battery life is impressive – for the price at least.
A whole raft of Lenovo software is included to help you manage your power consumption and connect to available networks. The programs are intuitive, allowing you to connect to your router at home with ease, while balancing your battery life and performance requirements, for example.
Ultimately, the ThinkPad Edge impresses and the power and usability on offer make this is a great choice for both the business person and average consumer.
Specs Details
- Processor Intel 2.27GHz Core i5 430M
- Memory 4096MB DDR3 SDRAM
- Hard Drive 320GB (5400rpm)
- Optical Drive Tri-Format DVD DL
- Screen Resolution 1366 x 768 (WXGA)
- Graphics Cards Intel GMA HD
- Dimensions 380 x 248 x 40mm
- Weight 2.5kg
- Wireless LAN 802.11n
- Ethernet Gigabit
- USB Ports 4
- Firewire No
- Operating System Windows 7 Home Premium
- Standard Warranty 1 YR C&R P&L
- Price £597
Lenovo’s latest offering targets the consumer with very pleasing results…
Many were surprised when business-centric Lenovo announced the more consumer-focused ThinkPad Edge, and this is a laptop just as suited to the everyday buyer as the business person.
The design is a far cry from the rest of the ThinkPad range. Instead of a plain-black-box approach, Lenovo has painted the lid an attractive shiny red and included silver trimming to the chassis, and the result is a very desirable laptop.
The machine is as durable as it is attractive and the solid plastics give it a robust feel with the strengthened metal lid hinges only adding to this.
Minimal reflections
The 15.6-inch screen features a detailed1366 x 768-pixel resolution and is ideal for creating word documents and spreadsheets. Like the Sony in this group, it isn’t particularly bright, but the lack of a shiny Super-TFT finish – the only machine to feature this here – means there are virtually no reflections to contend with. This is also the only laptop in the test to boast a lid which folds open 180 degrees, making it easy to get a comfortable viewing angle wherever you are sat.
This is the first Lenovo laptop to feature an isolation-style keyboard. It provides a fantastic typing experience and is equally as firm as the Sony, the only difference being the Lenovo’s keys travel a little further. If we had to choose between the two, we would opt for the Sony, however, as the lack of a dedicated numeric keypad here is a little disappointing.
The Intel Core i5 chip used here is the most powerful in this group and provides the best performance by far. This means those after uncompromised power for either work or play will find plenty to like here and you’ll have no problems running both office and multimedia applications.
The inclusion of an integrated graphics card means you’ll be able to play only the most basic of games, but older (and internet) games should run fine. Likewise, basic photo editing won’t be a problem.
Portability is the cornerstone of any business laptop and, although there are much lighter options available, the Lenovo’s 266-minute battery life is impressive – for the price at least.
A whole raft of Lenovo software is included to help you manage your power consumption and connect to available networks. The programs are intuitive, allowing you to connect to your router at home with ease, while balancing your battery life and performance requirements, for example.
Ultimately, the ThinkPad Edge impresses and the power and usability on offer make this is a great choice for both the business person and average consumer.
Specs Details
- Processor Intel 2.27GHz Core i5 430M
- Memory 4096MB DDR3 SDRAM
- Hard Drive 320GB (5400rpm)
- Optical Drive Tri-Format DVD DL
- Screen Resolution 1366 x 768 (WXGA)
- Graphics Cards Intel GMA HD
- Dimensions 380 x 248 x 40mm
- Weight 2.5kg
- Wireless LAN 802.11n
- Ethernet Gigabit
- USB Ports 4
- Firewire No
- Operating System Windows 7 Home Premium
- Standard Warranty 1 YR C&R P&L
- Price £597
