| Developer | IBM (2003—2005) Lenovo (2005—Present) |
|---|---|
| Release date | 2003 |
The ThinkCentre line of desktops was introduced in 2003 by IBM’s Personal Computing Division (PCD).[1] Following Lenovo's purchase of IBM PCD, Lenovo has continued to develop the ThinkCentre line of desktop products.
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The first three desktops in IBM’s redesigned line of PCs were the S50, the M50, and A50p.[2] All three desktops were equipped with Intel Pentium 4 processors.[2] The chassis was made of steel and designed for easy component access without the use of tools.[2] The hard disk was fixed in place by a ‘caddy’ without the use of screws.[2] The caddy had rubber bumpers to reduce vibration and operational noise.[2] Other changes to the desktops included air flow improvements and noise reduction.[2]
Additional updates to the desktops included greater use of ThinkVantage Technologies.[2] All desktop models were made available with ImageUltra.[2] The three desktop models also included an ‘Access IBM’ button, allowing access to onboard resources, diagnostic tools, automated solutions, and links to online updates and services.[2] Select models featured IBM’s Embedded Security Subsystem, with an integrated security chip and IBM Client Security Software.[2]
In 2004, an ultra-small version of the S50 was announced, the smallest desktop PC introduced until that time by IBM.[3] The ultra-small ThinkCentre S50 desktop weighed approximately the same as IBM’s first notebook (IBM 5450 PC Convertible).[3] The ultra-small desktop was roughly the size of a New York city phonebook, or a box of cereal.[3] The ultra-small desktop also featured a tool-free tool-less steel chassis and IBM ThinkVantage Technologies.[3]
In 2005, after completing its acquisition of IBM’s Personal Computing Division, Lenovo announced the ThinkCentre E Series desktops, designed specifically for small businesses.[4] The ThinkCentre E50 was made available in tower and small form factor, with a silver and black design.[4]
Also in 2005, Technology Business Research (TBR) observed an increase in customer satisfaction rate for ThinkCentre desktops.[5] According to TBR’s “Corporate IT Buying Behavior and Customer Satisfaction Study” published in the second quarter of 2005, Lenovo was the only one of four surveyed companies that displayed a substantial increase in ratings.[5]
In May 2005, the ThinkCentre M52 and A52 desktops were announced by Lenovo.[6] These desktops marked the first time the ThinkCentre line incorporated dual-core processing and 64-bit computing.[6] At the time of release, Lenovo also announced plans to incorporate Intel Active Management Technology (AMT) in future desktop releases.[6]
In August 2006 the ThinkCentre A60 desktop was announced.[7] It was the first ThinkCentre Desktop with AMD processors.[7]
In September 2006, Lenovo announced that its ThinkPad, ThinkCentre, and ThinkVision products received high ratings from EPEAT.[8] A total of 42 products were rated by EPEAT.[8] The ThinkCentre desktops received an overall rating of EPEAT silver.[8] This indicated that all criteria for environmentally-safe computing had been met – including the minimum requirements and additional optional implementations.[8] Some of the criteria met included reduced levels of cadmium, mercury, and lead, energy efficiency, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.[8]
In September 2006, Lenovo announced several desktops in the ThinkCentre line, including the M55p, M55, M55e, A55 and A53.[9]
In January 2007, the ThinkCentre A55 small form factor desktop was announced by Lenovo.[10] The A55 was approximately 64% smaller than Lenovo’s traditional tower desktops and 25% smaller than Lenovo’s traditional small desktops.[10] In September 2007, Lenovo announced the ultra-small form factor A61e.[11]
Also in September 2007, two new M Series desktops were announced: the M57 and M57p.[12]
In March 2008, the ultra-small M57 and M57p desktops were announced, dubbed ‘eco’.[13] This was because the M57 and M57p were the first desktops from any manufacturer to receive a GREENGUARD certification.[13] The desktops were also rated by EPEAT Gold and Energy Star 4.0, and were the first ThinkCentre desktops to feature post-consumer recycled content.[13] The noise levels of the desktops were also low – at 4.0bels or lower.[13]
In October 2008, the M58 and M58p desktops were announced.[14] One of the key features of the desktop was a ThinkVantage Technology called Power Manager, allowing users to remotely control the PC’s electricity use.[14] The desktops were available in tower, SFF, and USFF.[14]
In March 2009, two small, low cost desktops were announced by Lenovo: the ThinkCentre A58 and the ThinkCentre M58e.[15] The A58 desktop was designed for small and medium businesses, while the M58e was designed for mid-market and large enterprises.[15] The desktops were made available in both tower and SFF versions.[15]
The ThinkCentre desktops available from Lenovo are:
Some of the features of the ThinkCentre desktops are given below.
45 nm Intel Core microarchitecture with reduced electrical current leakage helps enhance performance and efficiency, as does the Intel 4 Series Express Chipset, which enables lower C3/C4 power states.
The M58/M58p Series is strong on security. For starters, PS/2 ports are available on all form factors (whether standard or as an option). This enables customers with special security concerns to disable all their USB ports, all but eliminating the possibility of unauthorized data transfer and minimizing virus risks from USB peripheral devices. The M58/M58p Series offers TPM (Trusted Platform Module) encryption, which ensures that stolen data cannot be read on any other computer. And all M58/M58p Series systems include Client Security Solution and Fingerprint Reader software, as well as a 30-day trial of McAfee VirusScan Plus. At the chip level, Intel vProTM technology delivers proactive security features for M58/M58p Series. The M58/M58p Series systems includes Hardware Password Manager to deploy and manage BIOS and hard drive passwords. This low-cost security solution goes beyond security software to enable managed full-drive encryption.
Among the expandability options are a PCI slot and up to 10 USB ports, as well as E-SATA, Serial, and PS/2 ports.
The motherboard and hard drive can be removed without the use of any tools.
DDR3 memory is supported on all M58/M58p Series systems. DDR3 delivers approximately 10% better performance and 25% lower power consumption when compared with DDR2, despite having the same physical dimensions. Not all M59 models run DDR3, depending on model number. DDR2 based M59 machines use PS/2 ports for the keyboard and mouse, whereas the DDR3 based models use USB only.
| Preceded by IBM NetVista |
IBM/Lenovo Personal Computers |
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