ThinkPad E Series

Lenovo ThinkPad E Series

ThinkPad Edge E220s Notebook with penny for size comparison
Manufacturer Lenovo
Type Notebook
CPU Intel, AMD
Memory 2-4GB Standard (Upgradable to 8GB) DDR3
Display 11in. - 15.6in. (Diagonal) 16:9 Glossy HD Lcd (1366 × 768 Resolution)
Input Multitouch touchpad, Trackpoint, Stereo Microphone, Keyboard
Camera Optional 1.3mp Low-Light Camera (720p on later models)
Connectivity

WLAN 802.11/b/g/n

Ethernet 10/100/1000 Mbit/s
VGA
Bluetooth 2.0 (optional)
USB 2.0

3.5mm Microphone and Headphone jacks
Power 6-cell 2.2 Ah, 9-cell 2.8 Ah Li-Ion Battery

The ThinkPad E Series (formerly ThinkPad Edge) is a notebook computer series introduced in 2010 by Lenovo. It is marketed to small and medium-sized businesses.[1]

Launch and reviews

The Edge series of ThinkPad computers was introduced at the 2010 International CES in Las Vegas and became available for sale in April of the same year.[1][2]

For the Thinkpad Edge 13, a review on the Engadget web site said that even though, "it may not carry the premium features of [Lenovo Thinkpad] X301..., but for a budget ultraportable... [there is] little to complain about."[3] Engadget also tested the battery life of the Edge 13 and discovered that "Lenovo's battery life prediction of seven hours is pretty on the mark." The Edge 13's battery lasted 5 hours and 12 minutes.[3]

Laptop Magazine reviewed the Thinkpad Edge 14 and found it was "the most compelling 14-inch small business notebook on the market today."[4]

NotebookReview reviewed the Thinkpad Edge 15 and said that its "build quality seems to be a step down from the 13 and 14 inch."[5] The website also mentioned that the Edge series in general "feels under built...[and] the Edge 15 fares much worse.".[5]

Reviews of the latest E220s and E420s have been more positive, citing better build quality than other models in the Edge line.[6]

Features

The ThinkPad Edge series uses processors from both AMD and Intel.[7] AMD processors offered include the Athlon II dual-core, the Turion II Dual-Core, and Phenom II Triple-core. Intel processors used include the Core 2 Duo, Core i3, and Core i5.

Voice Over IP (VoIP) features including high resolution cameras and an HD LED screen are also included.[1] All four models offer a glossy LED back-lit 16:9 display capable of playing 720p video.[8] However the Edge 11 and 13 does not include an optical drive.[1] The laptops came in three colors: Midnight Black (Smooth), Midnight Black (Gloss), and Heatwave Red (Gloss).[8]

Design

Lenovo designed the laptops to "reflect a new progressive and strikingly clean appearance while retaining ThinkPad durability and reliability".[7] For example, along with the new Island-style keyboard, the Edge series had some keyboard design changes: uniform black keys and the removal of the embedded number pad. The Function keys were re-designed so users could use one finger to access functions such as multimedia keys.[7] Some keys which were rarely used like SysRq were removed.[7]

Models

Edge 11 (DER Special Edition)

A special edition laptop was provided for Australian Year 9 students as part of the Digital Education Revolution (DER) program in 2011.[9]

Edge 11

The ThinkPad Edge 11 laptop was not released in the United States, with the X100e serving as an 11-inch laptop solution in the US. The laptop was 1.1 inches thick and weighed 3.3 pounds.[10] Like other laptops in the series, the Edge 11 was made available in glossy black, matte black and glossy red. Despite the low starting price, the Edge 11 laptop included some of the traditional ThinkPad durability features, including solid metal hinges. The battery life was better than both the IdeaPad U160 and the ThinkPad X100e laptops.[10]

Specifications:

Edge 13

The ThinkPad Edge 13 laptop was released on January 5, 2010.[11] It was 1.2 inches thick, weighed 3.5 pounds (1.6 kg), and fit into a backpack.[12] The Edge 13 laptop was capable of handling Windows 7 Professional with ease, with multiple applications like Firefox, Microsoft Word 2007, GIMP, TweetDeck, and iTunes at the same time.[13] It did not feature Intel’s Arrandale platform on release, and was launched with an older generation CULV processor.[14] The lack of processing speed, however, was compensated by a gain in battery life. The laptop delivered 6 hours and 58 minutes of battery life in MobileMark 2007 tests.[15]

Specifications:[8]

Edge 14 and 15

The ThinkPad Edge 14 and 15 laptops were both launched on March 22, 2010.[16] A web review noted build quality above average, yet not the same as professional grade ThinkPad laptops. One difference was smaller screen hinges which were plastic-faced instead of metal.[17] While the Edge 14 laptop did not have a roll cage, it was still durable, with no flex on the palm rest, keyboard and touchpad.[18]

The Edge 15 laptop was noted for having the same features as the smaller laptops in the series, with lower build quality.[19] The right side of the palm rest displayed flex under moderate pressure. The keyboard tray also displayed slight inward flexing at the optical drive area.[19] Some positive features included a keyboard that was noted as being very easy to type on.[20] The touchpad was also noticeably easy to use, with fast response time, no discernible lag, even without adjustments.[21] But also at the support forum of Lenovo lots of keyboard failures were reported. The price was viewed favorably, with user experience and feature set receiving praise.[22]

Specifications:[8]

Edge E220s, E420s

The ThinkPad Edge "island" keyboard design

The ThinkPad Edge E220s and E420s were released in Spring 2011, as an updated, "more premium" line of the ThinkPad Edge.[23] These newer series are significantly thinner, and include more of the traditional ThinkPad line of features such as the integrated 720p web-cam. Also notable is the return to use of metallic hinges versus the less durable plastic seen on earlier Edge models. Both the E220s and E420s can be configured with up to an Intel Core i7 processor, which offers a higher level of performance than other notebooks of this size category. The surfaces have been accented with a chrome finish around the exterior, and the addition of the "infinity glass" screen, which features edge-to-edge glass paneling on the display. Many design aspects of the E220s line have been seen in the recently unveiled ThinkPad X1, including the keyboard and trackpad design.

Edge E430

The E430 is powered by third generation Intel Core processors with integrated graphics. The E430 also includes a "hard disk drive performance booster" that Lenovo claims will generate a "184-percent increase in performance" over typical hard drives. The E430 makes use of Intel HD for fast graphics. Battery life is increased with the aid of nVidia's Optimus power management technology. Dedicated keys for controlling audio and video functions, Dolby Advanced Audio rated speakers, and an optional 720p camera were added to improve the experience for users of VOIP. The E430 makes use of USB 3.0 to improve data transfer speeds.[26]

Edge E545

The Edge E545 is a 15'6-inch laptop designed for home, study and work. It had a very low list price of $499.[27]

Specifications:[28]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Lenovo Packs "More Thinking" into ThinkPad Edge Laptops & Worldwide Ad Campaign". News release. Lenovo. March 23, 2010. Retrieved May 31, 2011.
  2. ↑ article at Lenovo
  3. 1 2 Joanna Stern (September 28, 2010). Engadget Review "Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 11 review" Check |url= value (help). Engadget web site. Retrieved May 31, 2011.
  4. ↑ Avram Piltch (April 8, 2010). "Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 14 Review". Laptopmag.com online review. Retrieved June 1, 2011.
  5. 1 2 Kevin O'Brien (May 12, 2010). "Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 15 Review". Notebook Review.
  6. ↑ Kendrick, James (April 27, 2011). "Going hands-on with the ThinkPad Edge E220s notebook". Retrieved 1 August 2011.
  7. 1 2 3 4 article at Lenovo
  8. 1 2 3 4 "ThinkPad Edge 14" and 15"" (PDF). Specifications. Lenovo. April 15, 2010. Retrieved May 31, 2011.
  9. ↑ "Know your laptop". Teaching and Learning Exchange. Retrieved June 1, 2011.
  10. 1 2 Joanna Stern (September 28, 2010). "Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 11 announced with Intel and AMD options, denied US citizenship". Engadget.com web site. Retrieved June 3, 2011.
  11. ↑ "CNET".
  12. ↑ "Engadget". Though the 1.2-inch thick Edge isn't as thin as some other modern ultraportables, like the inch-thick ASUS UL30A and ThinkPad X200, at 3.5 pounds it feels extremely light in a hand and it slipped nicely into a backpack for a weekend trip.
  13. ↑ "Engadget". Performance-wise, we've got nothing to complain about, as the Edge compares favorably to other CULV laptops we've reviewed. With a 1.3GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 CPU, 4GB of RAM, and a 320GB hard drive our $899 version ran Windows 7 Professional without a hiccup and didn't lag when we had Firefox, Microsoft Word 20078, GIMP, TweetDeck and iTunes all open and running.
  14. ↑ Cheng, Cisco. "PCMag". PC Magazine. The Edge 13 is one of the few laptops that are not launching with Intel's latest "Arrandale" platform, which will have processor names like Core i7, Core i5, and Core i3. Instead, it uses a previous generation CULV platform, complete with an Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 (1.3 GHz), 4GB of RAM, and integrated graphics.
  15. ↑ Cheng, Cisco. "PCMag". PC Magazine. With CULV laptops, battery life is the biggest claim to fame. Although the Edge 13's 63WH (6-cell) scored almost 7 hours (6:58) in MobileMark 2007 tests, it came up well short against the ASUS UL30A-A1 (10:27) and ACER A3810T (8:39).
  16. ↑ "Laptop-Review". Yesterday Lenovo launched their two newest noteboosk for SMBs (small and medium sized businesses). They are called ThinkPad Edge 14 and 15, and as the names suggests, the displays measure 14 and 15.6 inches, respectively.
  17. ↑ "Notebook Review". Build quality is above average compared to consumer notebooks, but a step below business-grade ThinkPads. The screen hinges are noticeably smaller than what you might find on a standard ThinkPad; they are plastic-faced, not metal. ThinkPads have been known for strong screen hinges that last throughout the notebook's life without wearing out.
  18. ↑ "Notebook Review". Unlike more expensive ThinkPad models, the Edge 14 doesn't have an internal rollcage, but Lenovo still managed to keep the notebook pretty strong. The palmrest, touchpad and keyboard have no discernable flex under strong pressure and the frame doesn't flex if you carry it by the corner of the palmrest.
  19. 1 2 "Notebook Review". The Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 15 offers the same features as smaller Edge models, but falls short when it comes to build quality in the larger 15-inch chassis.
  20. ↑ "Notebook Review". What makes the keyboard unique is that it's the first Chiclet keyboard I have found that's very comfortable and easy to type on.
  21. ↑ "Notebook Review". Overall, the touchpad was pleasant to use, with a fast response time and no discernable lag. Sensitivity was excellent and no adjustment was needed out of the box.
  22. ↑ Cheng, Cisco. "PCMag". PC Magazine. The Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 15 has several things working in its favor. For one, it's a cheap small business laptop for those who are looking to buy several at a time. Second, the user experience and feature set are among the best in this category.
  23. ↑ http://www.laptopmag.com/review/laptops/lenovo-thinkpad-edge-e220s.aspx
  24. ↑ http://www.lenovo.com/shop/americas/content/pdf/system_data/e220s_tech_specs.pdf
  25. ↑ http://www.lenovo.com/shop/americas/content/pdf/system_data/e420s_tech_specs.pdf
  26. ↑ "Lenovo targets small businesses with new PCs". Business Mirror. 9 July 2012. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  27. ↑ "Amazon Product Listing". Tri State Camera on Amazon. Retrieved 2015-02-24.
  28. ↑ "Lenovo Thinkpad Edge E545". Gaming Laptop. Retrieved 2015-02-24.
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