Lenovo said today that it was updating its line of
ThinkPad laptops in 2017 to include newer processors, more
authentication features, and improved trackpads — something that has
been a point of weakness with previous iterations of ThinkPad laptops.
Several new laptops, including the ThinkPad X270, the
ThinkPad Yoga 370, four new ThinkPad T Ultrabook models, and the
less-expensive ThinkPad 13, will include support for Microsoft’s Windows
Precision Touchpad, a new-ish set of drivers and interface for
configuring touchpad gestures that was released with the launch of Windows 10.
ThinkPad trackpads for years have been iconic at best and awful at
their worst, with their little red TrackPoint buttons and
sometimes-jittery touchpads. The TrackPoint button still makes an
appearance on these newer laptops, but at least with the Precision
Touchpad support there’s the promise of a smooth, fluid trackpad.
The new ThinkPads will also run on Kaby Lake, the newest
architecture for Intel’s Core processor. And some will get updated
authentication features, like support for Windows Hello, a facial
recognition feature that utilizes an infrared camera; and biometric
matching on a fingerprint sensor, which includes onboard firmware for
fingerprint matching. This was added to newer machines partly to support
customers in Europe, Lenovo says, where there are more stringent
security requirements.
The new ThinkPads include: the 12-inch ThinkPad X270 with
a touch display option, starting at $909 and available next March; the
"bendy" ThinkPad Yoga 370 with a full HD 13.3-inch display, also
shipping in March, for $1,264; four new ThinkPad T Ultrabook models,
starting at $909, that come in a variety of customizations; the rugged
ThinkPad L 14-inch and 15-inch laptops, which start at $779 and $909,
respectively; a less-expensive ThinkPad 13, which is aimed at small
business owners or students and sells for $674; and an array of new
docks that support Thunderbolt 3 and USB Type-C. Some of the new
laptops, like the new Yoga 370, will come in silver in addition to
standard black, a first for ThinkPad computers.
Lenovo, which is the world’s largest PC maker by shipments, first acquired the ThinkPad business from IBM back in 2004,
and it’s by far the company's biggest business. However, an overall
contraction in the PC market hasn’t been good for any computer maker,
including Lenovo. In its most recent earnings report, Lenovo said its
personal computing and smart device business group shipped 14.5 million units for the quarter, down 3.3 percent from the previous year.
The ThinkPad announcement is coming just ahead of CES,
where it’s widely expected that Lenovo will have more news around its
consumer line of laptops and tablets.
Source : TheVerge
0 komentar:
Post a Comment