Hope you didn't put away those Windows 7 party hats because, apparently, Lenovo waited a couple days longer to share its news: It has crafted "Enhanced Experience" PCs that are faster and Windows-ier than competitors. Lenovo worked closely with Microsoft on the optimizations, even going so far as to say that its products get the nod from Microsoft for the "Enhanced Experience" certification. Of course, we can't back up these claims with conclusive tests just yet (when some of these new rigs show up, we can give you a better idea where things stand)--but that isn't going to stop me from telling you the how's and the what's....
The Big Claims
Lenovo says that its machines boot 33 percent faster and shut down up to 50 percent quicker than comparable rigs.
Lenovo also highlights One-button data backup and recovery, AV, scanning and system repair tools. Basically, it is talking about the ThinkVantage software suite that we already love--plus extras. A couple other big data points for cautious computer users: OneKey Rescue System 7.0 backs up data twice as fast and includes more powerful antivirus scanning that can be run even before loading the operating system.
The last pillar: Taking multimedia more seriously. By adding better discrete GPUs and improving the audio solutions (the Y series IdeaPads get full depth speakers with rubber feet and Dolby Home Surround Sound; The U series gets reduced vibration design for speakers; and the G series get enlarged speaker chambers).
All that sounds pretty sweet. However, as I noted up top, seeing is believing. So stay tuned for more on that. As for the machines Lenovo is hot to trot out, these are the main ones.
IdeaPad Y550P (starts at $1399)
IdeaPad U150 (starts at $585)
IdeaPad U550 (starts at $650)
Obviously, this is just a quick peek at the machines. We'll be sure to give you a more complete picture of each of these laptops as review units show up in the office.