CES: Lenovo Goes All-In with Windows 8 Touch

Lenovo bolted from the gate at this week’s 2013 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas with a slew of new products, including new Windows 8 touch-enabled ultrabooks and SMB-targeted laptops, two convertible tablets, a souped-up gaming PC, two new all-in-one desktops, a mobile monitor with touch functionality and a big tablet it calls a tabletop PC. The PC maker now is all-in with Windows 8 and touch-screen technology—essentially a full-scale feast for Lenovo’s channel partners.

“People love touch,” said Peter Hortensius, Lenovo Product group president and senior vice president, in explaining the PC market shipment leader’s outlook.

Here’s what Lenovo unwrapped as CES kicked off:

ThinkPad Helix, a premium convertible for business professionals featuring a “rip and flip” design enabling the unit to function as an ultrabook and a tablet. Users can users flip the tablet 180° and snap it back into the base or fold the screen down to use it as a tablet while keeping the base connected for additional ports and connectivity. In tablet format, the device features an 11.6-inch high-definition 1080p IPS display. Options include LTE2 high speed wireless pairing NFC technology. The ThinkPad Helix is slated to be available in late February through retailers, channel partners and at Lenovo’s website starting at $1,499.

The IdeaPad Yoga 11S convertible ultrabook is equipped with an Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) i5 processor and Windows 8 in a 0.68-inch frame. It functions as a laptop, or users can flip the screen around to turn it into a tablet. The IdeaPad Yoga 11S features an 11.6-inch HD IPS display that supports 10-finger multitouch and comes with Motion Control that lets users swipe their hand in front of the webcam to advance photos, videos and other documents. The IdeaPad Yoga 11S is slated to be available starting in June through Lenovo channels and online priced at $799.

IdeaPad U310 and U410 ultrabooks equipped with 10-finger touch support. At 18 mm, the devices are ultra-thin, come with an i7 processor, Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) GeForce graphics with DirectX 11 and extended battery life. The IdeaPad U310 Touch is expected to be available in March priced at $779 and the IdeaPad U410 Touch is slated to be available in April priced at $850.

ThinkPad Edge E431 and E531 laptops, which feature Lenovo’s new OneLink docking technology with a single cable connection and a new interface. Lenovo has come out with a new ThinkPad OneLink Dock that supports the OneLink technology, featuring lag-free graphics and audio performance through native video with dedicated HDMI and audio ports. Lenovo plans to offer additional OneLink devices later this year. The ThinkPad Edge E431 and E531 should be available in May with pricing starting at $539. The OneLink Dock also is slated to be available in May for $99.

IdeaPad Z400 and Z500 laptops optimized for Windows 8 Touch come with i7 processors and include Nvidia GeForce graphics technology, equipped with 14-15.6-inch touchscreens and a backlit AccuType keyboard. The IdeaPad Z500 Touch is expected to be available in April at $699 and the IdeaPad Z400 Touch is slated for a March release, also priced at $699.

IdeaCentre A730 and C Series All-In-One desktops. The IdeaCentre A730 all-in-one (AIO) desktop combines an optional 27-inch Quad HD (2560 x 1440) or 27-inch full HD (1920 x 1080) frameless display with 10-point multitouch into a frame measuring less than an inch, with a widely adjustable screen angle from -5 degrees to 90 degrees for easy viewing. The A730 runs Windows 8 Pro, and features an i3 processor and storage up to 1TB. The C540 AIO with an optional touch screen is a 23- inch AIO for family entertainment, equipped with an i3 processor and Nvidia GeForce graphics. The IdeaCentre A730 are slated for a June availability priced at $1,499, while the IdeaCentre C540 will be available in February with non-touch models priced at $549. Touch models are expected to be available in June.

The Erazer X700 is aimed at gamers intending to run intensive multimedia applications. With AMD’s (NYSE: AMD) Eyefinity technology, users can connect as many as six monitors and add up to 4TB of storage without tools while the system is running. The unit comes with 32GB of memory, dual graphics support and the latest Intel Core family of processors. The Erazer X700 will be available in June priced at $1,499.

The ThinkVision LT1423p Mobile Monitor Touch is Lenovo’s next generation mobile monitor that offers extra screen real estate and touch functionality. The monitor will be available in wired or wireless editions and sports a thin design with a 13.3-inch 1600 x 900 AH-IPS panel with Gorilla Glass. It is slated to be available in Q2 priced at $449.

IdeaCentre Horizon Table PC, a multiuser, multitouch, multimode device running Windows 8 for the home that can lie flat on any surface, lets two or more people use the screen at the same time, supports interactive physical gaming accessories and is designed for touch-screen game-play among several players. The unit can transform into a 27-inch high-performance desktop. It is expected to be available in early summer through Lenovo’s business partners and online priced at $1,699.

Lenovo also showcased a larger 39-inch wide-screen Table PC, code-named “Gamma,” still in development.