Lenovo's Refreshed Thinkpads: Return Of The TrackPoint Buttons

Lenovo is beginning 2015 with not one, not two but a total of six Thinkpad notebooks that launched at CES today. The models start at a low price of $449 for the ThinkPad E450, and they go up to $1249 or higher for the Lenovo X1 Carbon (depending on selected options).

Most notably, Lenovo brought back the beloved Track Point buttons on all of its refreshed ThinkPads, including the new X1 Carbon. Lenovo told us that its customers were instrumental in convincing the company to undo the new (now old) larger touchpad design with integrated buttons.

The top of the line item, the renewed Lenovo X1 Carbon, which is part of a series that has been receiving high praise since it launched two years ago, brings the latest Intel Broadwell-Y processor, a very thin and light body, a 14" touchscreen with a 2560 x 1440 resolution, option of 256 GB and 512 GB fast PCIe SSD drives, LTE support (optional) and 3-button touchpad. 

The next in line is the Lenovo ThinkPad X250, an enterprise-ready machine that comes with Intel Broadwell, long battery life with Power Bridge technology (small internal battery that keeps the laptop charged while you replace the big battery with another one), a 12.5" screen with a rather low 1366 x 768 resolution (Full HD optional), and a full range of storage and security options. The model will start at $749.

The ThinkPad T450s is another ultrabook targeted at business customers, but it comes with a larger 14" screen and Broadwell "Core" processor, and it has a range of connection options from VGA and mini-Display Port to USB and SD card reader. The display comes with an HD+ (1600 x 1900) resolution by default, but there's an option for touch Full HD screen as well. The laptop weighs 3.5 lbs. The pricing will start at $999, so it can go higher depending on the options you choose. It will also be available in January, this year.

The Lenovo ThinkPad T450 is a less premium version of the previous model, so it starts at only $799. It also comes with a Full HD screen, integrated or discrete graphics, optional docking, long battery life, and weighs 4 lbs. There's a larger 15" model as well, called the ThinkPad T550, which also has Full HD and 3K resolution options. Both devices come with Intel "Core" Broadwell.

The L450 is one of the more affordable ThinkPads, starting at $699, depending on the selected options. Speaking of options, you can buy it with a Full HD IPS panel instead of a TN one if you're willing to spend a little extra. Just like all the new ThinkPads launched today, it also comes with Broadwell, although the lower-end Core M version. The L450 is built to be environmentally friendly, having received multiple environmental certifications as well as military specification compliance.

Finally, Lenovo's most affordable ThinkPads, the E450 (14") and E550 (15.6") come with Intel Broadwell along with discrete AMD graphics. The two models start with the 1366 x 768 resolution, but will have an option for Full HD screen. Both will have 720p webcams, while the E550 will also have a choice of a RealSense 3D camera.

All the new ThinkPad models will be available by the end of February this year.

One intriguing new Think series device that must not be overlooked is the ThinkVision X24 monitor. It's only a 23.8-inch display, but it has the "Neo Blade" construction, which is a sort of metal stamp. Lenovo sealed a metal "stamp" to the panel, which resulted in an absurdly thin chassis. (It's not, fundamentally, even a chassis.) The resolution is just Full HD, and there are no VGA ports -- only HDMI and DisplayPort -- but in person, the device stands out. It begs to be touched and looked at. The ThinkVision X24 will cost $249.99 when it launches in April. 

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