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Going all-in with a Windows 8 touch-screen desktop

Last week I reviewed Lenovo's IdeaCentre A720, a Windows 7-based all-in-one desktop with a 27-inch touch screen. 27-inch displays are relatively new for Windows all-in-ones, but as the largest screens for the category they represent the ideal scenario for using Windows 8's touch (nee Metro) interface via desktop. As a follow-up to that review, here are my impressions of the Windows 8 desktop touch experience, facilitated by that Lenovo all-in-one and the Windows 8 Release Preview Build 8400 (you can also check out our review of a newer build, Windows 8 RTM, released today).

Disclaimer: The frustrations of … Read more

Lenovo IdeaCentre A720 joins march of the 27-inch all-in-ones

LAS VEGAS--HP was first, then came Vizio. Now Lenovo has a 27-inch all-in-one with its new IdeaCentre A720.

Beyond the large screen, Lenovo has also taken inspiration from HP and Samsung, offering a unique hinge that lets you use the A720's display in full horizontal mode.

Other than the hinge, the design of the A720 will of course look familiar to Apple fans. The edge-to-edge glass and CNC-tooled aluminum chassis borrow egregiously from current-generation iMacs. Lenovo even went so far as to ape the default Apple wallpaper.

Whether you demand originality in your all-in-ones, it's hard to … Read more

Gaming PCs not dead yet, says Lenovo

LAS VEGAS--"Although the discussion currently is centered on mobility, thin and light notebooks, and all-in-ones, the traditional desktop still hasn't entirely lost its relevance."

That quote comes from Lenovo's media brief for its new IdeaCentre K430 gaming desktop. While hard-core PC gamers likely never looked up long enough from Skyrim to question the health of their hobby, this system and HP's Phoenix desktop come as a surprise amid the anticipated parade of ultrabooks.… Read more

New Lenovo all-in-ones out unannounced Nvidia chip

LAS VEGAS--Lenovo's pair of attractive, updated IdeaCentre B-Series all-in-ones add some welcome features. The bigger news is the as-yet unannounced Nvidia graphics chip listed among their specs.

Lenovo lists two systems in this B-Series update, the 23-inch B540 and the 21.5-inch B340. Both feature more streamlined designs than Lenovo's preceding B520 and B320, having lost the overly stylized trim for a clean-looking frameless display.… Read more

CES: Lenovo's affordable all-in-one C205 aims at budget desktop market

LAS VEGAS--The 18.5-inch wide-screen C205 is Lenovo's answer to the budget desktop computer, and Lenovo hopes that families will look to its all-in-one as the central data hub that can truly do it all. Powered by an AMD dual-core E-350 processor, up to 8GB of DDR3 memory, and up to 500GB of hard disk storage space, the C205 is well-equipped to handle light-duty functionality, streaming video, and most of the common processes that we expect in the modern household.

Unlike its full-featured sibling, the Lenovo IdeaCentre A320, the C205 comes with an integrated optical DVD drive and a … Read more

CES: Lenovo IdeaCentre A320 adds HD LED display to all-in-one functionality

LAS VEGAS--Lenovo displayed a flair for design with last year's unique all-in-one IdeaCentre A300 40181OU, which we gave positive marks for its competent Web video capabilities, HDMI input, and plentiful connectivity options, so we're anxious to see how the IdeaCentre A320 holds up to the competition.

The update gets the HD treatment with a 21.5-inch, 16:9 widescreen LED display supported by the familiar horizontally situated base unit. This time around, you also get additional benefits by way of Intel's second-generation Core i5 processor, double the memory (up to 8GB), 750GB of hard-disk storage, an integrated … Read more

Lenovo's summer desktop lineup brims with IdeaCentres

In anticipation of the summer/back-to-school shopping season, Lenovo brought three new desktops out of hiding Monday. The configurable IdeaCentre A700 and B305 all-in-ones, and the IdeaCentre Q150 Nettop all at least start at less than $1,000. The B305 hits the market first at the beginning of June, followed by the A700 and the Q150 a few weeks later.

Starting with the most expensive system, the IdeaCentre A700 features a 23-inch touch-screen display and the most powerful components of the three new systems. The starting $999 configuration nets you an Intel Core i3 CPU, a DVD burner, integrated Intel … Read more

Lenovo announces slim, trim all-in-one PC

Update: Lenovo informs us that the A300 will start at $699 in its lowest-end configuration, and it's scheduled to hit retail on February 22.

We've always been relatively cool to Lenovo's desktop efforts, but the utterly unique IdeaCentre A300, announced Monday, got our attention.

Between its pared-down base, off-center display support, and thin, non-touch-screen, 21.5-inch LCD, the IdeaCentre A300 sheds most of the iMac-inspired conventions of all-in-one design. The CPU, RAM, and hard drive all live in the base (where options include Intel Dual Core Pentium and Core 2 Duo chips, and up to a 500GB hard drive and 4GB of RAM), and, as you might expect, the screen swivels around on its post.

More details after the jump.… Read more