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New IBM PCs, notebooks arrive

IBM announces new consumer PCs and ThinkPad notebooks.

Brooke Crothers Former CNET contributor
Brooke Crothers writes about mobile computer systems, including laptops, tablets, smartphones: how they define the computing experience and the hardware that makes them tick. He has served as an editor at large at CNET News and a contributing reporter to The New York Times' Bits and Technology sections. His interest in things small began when living in Tokyo in a very small apartment for a very long time.
Brooke Crothers
2 min read
IBM (IBM) today introduced new consumer PCs and ThinkPad notebooks.

The new machines come as IBM tries to rebuild its consumer sales

An Apple server
The new E series models will be the first with a Pentium II
channel. Last year, IBM predicted that consumers would be attracted by cutting-edge, "high-concept" computers and designed its Aptiva machines with an eye toward performance and design. Instead, the sub-$1,000 PC caught consumers' fancy. As a result, IBM's store sales slumped while those of rival Compaq took off.

The new Aptiva desktop model is the first of its E series of consumer PCs to be powered by an Intel Pentium II processor. To date, this series, generally lower-priced than other Aptiva models, has employed processors by rivals Cyrix and Advanced Micro Devices or earlier generation Pentium MMX processors.

The E series has been more widely marketed in Europe than the U.S. Domestically, many of the E series computers have been sold through limited retail agreements. Radio Shack and Office Max, for instance, have sold E series Aptivas that were not available elsewhere.

IBM also introduced two new ThinkPad models developed "specifically for distribution through consumer retail channels," according to the company, as well as a low-cost version of its popular 560 line of ultraportable notebooks that ships with a 12.1-inch dual-scan display and 200-MHz MMX Pentium processor for $2,499.

The ThinkPad 310ED and 385XD are targeted at the low to mid-range notebook markets. The 385XD will come with 233-MHz MMX Pentium, 12.1-inch dual-scan display, and 24X CD-ROM for $2,499. The 385XD comes with a 56-kbps PC card modem and active matrix display for $3,299.

IBM is also running a limited time rebate of $200 on the ThinkPad 310ED. With a 166-MHz MMX Pentium and 12.1-inch dual-scan display, the system is being offered for $1,599.

The new IBM Aptiva E76 desktop PC features a 300-MHz Intel Pentium II processor, 64MB of memory, an 8.0GB hard drive, a CD-ROM drive, and 56-kbps modem for $1,799.