What’s interesting is that NEC and Lenovo hint at broadening the partnership at some point in the future, both with regard to products and target markets. NEC president Takasu says the two companies “will continue to discuss and assess new opportunities with this global partnership”, while Lenovo CEO Yuanqing is “determined to expand this strategic alliance beyond the PC business”.

Lenovo has reportedly paid NEC $175 million in company shares to get a foothold in Japan, the third biggest market for computer hardware in the world.

Commodore USA is now taking pre-orders for their modernized Commodore 64 keyboard PC; shipping dates are expected in mid-May or June. The base model comes with a 1.8 GHz Dual Core Intel Atom processor and 2GB of RAM, the Ultimate version gets 4GB of RAM with built-in WiFi and Blu-ray. While these aren’t the greatest for playing the latest games, it would be cool to own one and judge the reactions of people who see you use it.

Head over to Tom’s Hardware to get the rest of the specs.

If you give a senior citizen a fish, he’ll eat for a day. If you give a senior citizen a low-end Linux PC with big keyboard and a specially-designed UI, he’ll be able to forward you funny pictures he gets from his friends and read Drudge and Fox News.

This $499 PC includes Kiwi’s own version of Linux for the aged. While I’d normally be all gung-ho about the prospect of sharing open source love, considering you can get this Gateway for $449 and Ubuntu for free, I’m a bit concerned about the validity of this PC in the marketplace. However, as a person who once gave his father a Linux PC after he filled the Windows machine I gave him up with viruses, I wholeheartedly support anything that makes home tech support simpler and easier for our aging population.

Product Page

We reported back in August about how Japanese consumers reacted to the first 3D TVs Sony and Panasonic released this summer, and now the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA) has released the first detailed sales numbers.

According to the organization, shipments of 3D TVs in Japan came to 131,000 units between April and September this year- that’s 1.34% of all flat-panel displays sold in the country in that time frame. The JEITA says that among big-screen TVs (37 inches+), 3D models accounted for 4.12% (most 3D TVs fall into this category).

Sales include 3D TVs offered by Sony, Panasonic, Sharp and Toshiba (a CELL 3D TV Toshiba started selling in summer is pictured above).

On the 3D PC front, the JEITA investigated sales of NEC, Fujitsu, Toshiba and Onkyo and says that shipments reached 18,000 units from June to September (3D PCs weren’t available before June). This number stands for just about 0.5% of total PC shipments in Japan in that time frame.

Among Japan’s PC makers, NEC seems to be betting especially high on 3D. Following the 3D PC the company introduced in Japan earlier this summer, NEC today announced [JP] another three 3D desktop PCs for the Japanese market. Here are all the details.

All of these Windows 7 machines will hit Japanese stores within this month.

NEC Valuestar VW970/CS

Pictured on top of this post, this PC comes with Core i5-460M (2.53GHz) CPU, 4GB RAM, a 1.5TB HDD 1.5TB, GeForce GT 330M, a 3D Blu-ray Disc drive, a 23-inch 3D full HD screen, two TV tuners, a pair of 3D glasses, and an HDMI port.

The VW970/CS will cost $3,100.

NEC Valuestar VN790/CS

This model has the following features: Core i5-460M CPU (same as in the model above), 4GB RAM, a 1TB HDD 1TB, a non-3D Blu-ray drive, a 20-inch 3D screen with 1,600×900 resolution, a pair of 3D glasses, and one TV tuner.

The VN790/CS will cost $2,600.

NEC Valuestar VL750/CS

The VL750/CS is equipped with a Core i7-870 (2.93GHz) CPU, 8GB RAM, a 1TB HDD 1TB, a GeForce GT 330 video card, a non-3D Blu-ray Disc drive, a 23-inch full HD 120Hz 3D screen, an HDMI port, three USB 3.0 ports, and eight USB 2.0 ports.

It will cost $3,400.

Panasonic announced [JP] two new models from their TOUGHBOOK series of extra-sturdy and durable notebooks today. And both the CF31 from the TOUGHBOOK 31 series and the CF19 from the TOUGHBOOK 19 series boast some pretty impressive specs.

The CF31 comes with these features (it’s pictured above):

• 13.1-inch screen with XGA resolution (1,024×768) and LED backlight
• Core i5-520M (2.40GHz) CPU
• Intel QM57 Express chip set
• 2GB memory (6GB max.)
• 160GB HDD
• Gigabit Ethernet interface
• Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n
• Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
• four USB ports, HDMI port, SD card slot
• Windows 7 OS
• drop resistant up to 120cm
• dust resistant and waterproof (IP65)
• dimensions: 302×292×73.5mm (3.72kg)

The CF 31 (pictured above) has the following specs:

• 10.1-inch screen with XGA resolution (movable touch screen)
• Core i5-540UM (1.20GHz) CPU
• Intel QM57 Express chip set
• 2GB memory (6GB max.)
• 160GB HDD
• Gigabit Ethernet interface
• FireWire IEEE 1394
• IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
• two USB ports, SD card slot
• Windows 7
• drop resistant up to 90cm
• dust resistant and waterproof (IP65)
• dimensions: 271×216×49mm (2.3kg)

Panasonic will start selling bout Toughbooks in Japan tomorrow (prices: $5,400 for the CF31 and $3,680 for the CF19). No word yet regarding international sales.

It took a lot of time, but Toshiba is now ready to bring the Classmate tablet PC it created together with Intel to the Japanese market. Rebranded as “CM1″ [press release in English], the goal is to go after the nation’s educational sector. Both companies involved also announced they will launch initiatives to “foster ICT environments in schools” in order to boost IT literacy among Japanese schoolkids.

Spec-wise, the CM1 offers the following:

• 10.1-inch LCD touchscreen with 1,366×768 resolution and LED backlight
• Intel Atom N450 CPU (1.66 GHz)
• NM10 Express chipset
• 160GB HDD, 2GB RAM
• Ethernet, Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n
• 2 USB ports
• web cam, stereo speakers and microphone built-in
• stylus support
• Windows 7 Professional 32bit as the OS

Sized at 268×216×35.6〜57mm, the CM1 weighs about 1.8kg.

Toshiba plans to start marketing the tablet with an open price model in early August.

Teased last month, announced [JP] today: Fujitsu took the wraps off a 3D desktop PC that has a quite unique selling point: it comes with a camera that lets users shoot pictures and video in 3D. The ESPRIMO FMV FH550/3AM will not only display user-generated 3D content on its 20-inch screen but also 3D Blu-rays and 3D video from other sources.

Here are the specs:

• 20-inch 3D-capable screen with 1,600×900 resolution
• users can switch between 2D and 3D images
• 3D web camera
• Blu-ray player
• Intel Core i3-350M CPU (2.26GHz)
• 4GB RAM
• 1TB HDD
• Gigabit Ethernet
• IEEE 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi
• 5 USB 2.0 ports, SD/Memory Stick slot
• Two digital TV tuners
• Windows 7 Home Premium (32bit/64bit) as the OS
• size: 497×198×391mm, weight: 10.4kg

Fujitsu plans to start selling the 3D PC in Japan on June 17. Price: $2,180 (including a wireless mouse, a remote control and a pair of 3D glasses). No word on international distribution plans ye

Panasonic in Japan today announced [JP] the “Let’s Note CF-C1″, which the company says is among the world’s lightest convertible tablet PCs. The latest addition to Panasonic’s “Let’s Note” series of notebooks weighs just 1.46kg (including the battery, 1.67kg with two batteries). The company says it was able to push down the weight by choosing lighter materials and changing the display’s open-close and rotating mechanisms.

The CF-C1 features a 12.1-inch multi-touch screen that can rotate 180 degrees and comes with 1,280 x 800 resolution. Buyers will get an Intel Core i5-520M (2.40GHz), a 250GB HDD, 2GB memory (4GB max.), and Windows 7 Professional (32bit/64bit) as the OS. There are also three USB 2.0 slots, an SDXC slot, IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, WiMAX, and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR.

Panasonic plans to start selling the “Let’s Note CF-C1″ on June 25 for $2,170.

Valuestar N VN790/BS – that’s the name of the 3D PC that NEC today announced [JP] for the Japanese market. The company’s faster than expected: just last month, NEC teased such a machine in Tokyo, saying it’s likely to ship by October 2010. But Japan will get the PC as early as next month. And it appears to be a pretty cool machine.

Buyers will get a 20-inch 3D screen with 1,600×900 resolution and a Blu-ray drive to view content (images and video) stored in that format in 3D. NEC says for DVDs, users will be able to switch between 2D and 3D. Needless to say, the machine accepts 3D content in other forms, too (3D pictures from Fujifilm’s 3D camera, for camera).

Spec-wise, NEC throws in a Intel Mobile Core CPU (no details yet), 4GB RAM (8GB max.), a 1TB HDD, 3W×2ch speakers, and Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit as the OS. The main unit is sized at 490×362×169mm and weighs 8.6kg.

The PC also comes with a pair of glasses (an extra pair will set you back $67), a remote control, an integrated TV tuner, and a wireless keyboard.

NEC plans to start shipping the 3D set at the end of next month (price: $2,450). The company hasn’t said anything yet about international sales plans.

NEC has developed an eco-friendly cooling system for CPUs, claiming the technology [JP] uses uses 60% less energy than a water-cooling system and even 80% less than an air-cooling system. The core of the system is a liquid chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) substitute, which circulates around the CPU to draw away heat and has low greenhouse effects.

NEC says the refrigerant begins boiling at around 50C, changes into vapor that absorbs the heat coming from the CPU, then flows through a tube, and is cooled by a fan in a radiator before changing back into liquid. After that, the process in the closed loop starts again.

According to NEC, the cooling fan doesn’t have to work as much as under other cooling systems and needs less energy. The company also claims its system is around 70% cheaper to produce.

The system, which was jointly developed with Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization, will first be used by NEC internally. NEC plans to market it to data centers sometime next year, saying the system can cut their total power consumption as a whole by more than 40%.

The picture shows an older NEC cooling system (sorry, NEC hasn’t published any pictures of the new one yet).

We all know Japan is Gundam country (I’ll go cover the newly opened Gundam Cafe in Tokyo next week) and that Akihabara is heaven for PC geeks and modders. So what can you expect when you combine both things? Not one but two cool Gundam PC cases.

These special cases are based on this [JP] conventional one. Unfortunately, neither one of these is actually for sale.

Via Akiba Watch [JP] (Thanks, Akky!)

Virtually every Japanese tech company has made some 3D-related announcement in the past months, but one remained suspiciously quiet in that area: NEC. We covered their (apparently very cool) glasses-free 3D 12.1-incher last year (it’s yet to be commercialized), and today NEC made some initial announcements about a 3D desktop PC that’s supposed to hit Japanese stores by year-end.

To be more specific, NEC’s executive director Takatsuka said during a press conference in Tokyo the PC is likely to ship within the first half of the current fiscal year, meaning by October 2010 (fiscal 2010 in Japan ends at the end of March 2011).

Details about the PC itself are scarce, but here’s what Takatsuka mentioned:

• the PC will require users to wear polarized 3D glasses
• it will be based on NEC’s “Valuestar N” series [JP] of all-in-one desktop PCs
• content-wise, NEC will mainly count on 3D Blu-rays
• the PC will cost $150 to $200 more than a similar, conventional model without 3D capabilities (Takatsuka said NEC regards pricing a key factor)
• it will likely be the first 3D PC on the Japanese market

More information should be available within the next few weeks. We’ll keep you posted.

Via IT Media [JP]

By request from one of our readers (see, we listen!) I zipped over to Marvell’s booth to check out the Plug Computer and got the added bonus of a demonstration of EyeconTroller, an iPhone/iPod touch/computer app that manages media. You can drag and drop media files into various containers, which will play back those particular files on connected household devices – TVs, computers, consoles, etc. Pretty cool stuff.

Eyecon [Eyecontec.com]

Marvell Plug Computer [Marvell.com]

My gut reaction to seeing these all-in-one computers is that they might make a nice addition to a dorm room or an aging couple’s den. But then Gateway goes and says something like this:

“The powerful One ZC6800 Series is a no-compromise, high-performance configuration entirely suitable for serious gaming.” I roll my eyes and then look for the actual specs, to find…

• Windows 7 Home Premium
• 23-inch touchscreen LCD at 1920×1080 resolution
• Intel Core 2 Quad CPU at 2.33GHz
• Intel GM45 Express Chipset (ah ha! – that’s not for gaming!)
• ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4670 with 1GB DDR3 memory (whoa, curve ball – that’s for gaming)
• 8GB of DDR3 RAM – eight!
• 1TB SATA hard drive for data storage
• 64GB solid state drive for OS and programs
• DVD burner, card reader, 6 USB ports, eSATA port, HD webcam, Wi-Fi, Ethernet
• Hybrid TV tuner with remote control, wireless mouse and keyboard
• MSRP of $1400

That’s actually a pretty impressive list of features for $1400. Sure, it’s not exactly “no-compromise” and those of you interested in “serious gaming” would probably never be caught dead with an all-in-one computer but for anyone who likes the idea of an all-in-one but has to this point been underwhelmed, this configuration may be worth a closer look.

There will also be a more budget-friendly option in the One ZX4800, priced at $749. That one includes Windows 7 Home Premium, a 20-inch 1600×900 touchscreen, 2.1GHz dual-core Pentium CPU, Intel GMA X4500HD graphics, 4GB of DDR2 RAM, and a 750GB SATA hard drive. So no SSD, TV tuner, or ATI graphics, but a much more manageable price tag.

Various configurations will be available in late October/early November, with the loaded-up configuration referenced in the beginning of this post due out “later in Q4.”

Gateway Introduces New Gateway One ZX Series All-in-One PCs [Press Release]

In a move to offer inexpensive all-in-one computers to consumers, many companies are fitting Intel’s Atom processors into small form factor PCs and selling them for around $500 to $600. Averatec has adopted a similar approach with the D1133 but has instead bumped the CPU up to a dual-core 1.5GHz AMD chip along with ATI Radeon 3200 graphics and then priced the system to move at $599.

That extra CPU speed, satisfactory graphics chipset, and 2GB of RAM turn the D1133 from a netbook-on-your-desk into a decently-equipped home PC that can be used for more than just simple web surfing — all at a very nice price.

Features and Specs

• AMD Athlon X2 3250e CPU at 1.5GHz
• ATI Radeon 3200 graphics with 512MB built-in memory plus 512MB shared system RAM
• 2GB RAM (512MB shared with graphics card)
• 250GB SATA hard drive (5400RPM)
• 18.4-inch widescreen LCD at 1680×945 resolution
• DVD burner, Wi-Fi, built-in 1.3-megapixel web cam
• Four USB ports, headphone/microphone ports, DVI out, 4-in-1 memory card reader
• Weighs nine pounds, tilting LCD screen, entire unit is wall-mountable
• Windows Vista Home Premium
• MSRP of $599

Aesthetics

The D1133 is a nice-looking piece of equipment. When I first took it out of the box, it felt like a $1000+ machine. The screen is attached to the base by a shiny, adjustable neck and the plastic surrounding everything provides a smooth, reflective, elegant touch. The entire setup definitely looks like it’s worth more than $599.

The major detraction from the overall design is the use of a wired USB mouse and keyboard. They’re both colored to match the design of the computer but the plastics used are non-reflective and kind of cheap-feeling. They also result in a couple of cords coming out of the back of the machine, which makes everything look somewhat less appealing. The power cord can be pretty easily hidden but the keyboard and mouse cables can not.

This move was no doubt done in the interest of saving money, though, as a Bluetooth chip along with a wireless mouse and keyboard would have added perhaps an extra $50 to $100 to the bottom line.

LCD Screen

The D1133 features an 18.4-inch LCD screen with a 1680×945 resolution, which provides ample room for displaying full web pages along with a couple smaller programs or the Windows Sidebar taking up about 1/4th of the right-hand side of the desktop.

Unfortunately the screen suffers from some pretty aggressive reflections, especially when watching movies and TV shows with dark scenes. The LCD just doesn’t get bright enough to ward off reflections. Even at full brightness, you’ll still see your own reflection against darker backgrounds.

It’s not nearly as noticeable against lighter backgrounds, though, but it’s still something to consider.

Power

The D1133 certainly won’t replace your main gaming computer but it’ll run circles around any standard Atom-based machine. The Windows Experience Index score is a 3.0, dragged down by Aero performance, but I was able to watch 1080p and 720p video clips without any problems and simple gaming like an older version of Tiger Woods Golf (2006) and Sim City 3000 ran just fine.

The computer runs cool and quiet and is able to multitask quite well, even with several tabs open in Google Chrome, music playing, and TweetDeck updating constantly. Running Geekbench 2 on the machine returned a score of 1611 (full report here) which puts it in line with a PowerMac G5. So it’s not a huge beast when it comes to churning and burning, but it’s no slouch either. Vista actually ran really well, on the whole.

Other Features

The built-in web cam is decent, if unspectacular (see it in use here, that’s me in the upper right-hand corner). I was a bit disappointed that the mic doesn’t handle noise cancellation very well — I wasn’t ever able to carry out a Skype call without using a headset as people on the other end would always complain about being able to hear themselves.

The DVD Super Multi drive is a nice touch, as is the built-in card reader. And I thought the ability to wall-mount the entire computer was thoughtful, too. You basically fold the screen down against the body and there are VESA mounts on the underside of the computer. Very cool.

Note that the LCD screen can be positioned vertically but it doesn’t swivel horizontally — so up and down, yes; side to side, no.

The built-in 1.5-watt speakers are okay at low levels but actually popped and crackled at maximum volume during gaming, while listening to music, and while using Skype. So you’ll want to use headphones or hook up external speakers if you’re a stickler for volume. When set at about 50%, though, everything sounds fine (if a bit tinny).

Conclusion

If there’s a main sticking point to this machine, it’d be the reflective screen. Other than that, there aren’t any big enough problems to warrant a non-purchase. Those of you looking to use the machine in a bright, well-lit room to watch movies and TV shows may find yourselves dealing with reflections on a fairly regular basis, though.

Aside from that, the Averatec D1133 is a great option for budget-conscious shoppers looking for a nice-looking all-in-one computer. It handles just about every straightforward computing task with ease thanks to the CPU, RAM, and GPU combo while still maintaining an affordable price point.

Those looking for a second machine might find the D1133 to fit the bill as well. It’s powerful enough to handle most of what you’d do on your main computer and doesn’t take up much space at all. I used it far more often than I thought I would and enjoyed the experience as it proved to be a more-than-capable machine for checking RSS feeds and websites, playing games, and typing up posts while my main computer was busy doing stuff like rendering video.

Averatec D1133AH1-E1 [ShopAveratec.com]

You know those “have-a-penny/need-a-penny” jars you find at 7-Eleven and whatnot? Here’s a cool way to kill a few hours: go around your town collecting pennies. Then, with said pennies, buy a whole bunch of zombie PCs, then start your own botnet. You’ll be the coolest kid in the neighborhood.

What am I talking about? A California company, Finjan, has put together a report that lists the going rates for zombie PCs. You can buy 1,000 infected PCs for the paltry sum of $100—and cheaper deals aren’t hard to find.(You can buy 1,000 infected PCs in Asia for $5. That’s crazy.)

Why should you care? Well, to be honest, I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t care too much. Zombie PCs, botnets—let someone else worry about that, right? Sure, that’s one way to look at it, but the fact is, all those garbage PCs running around out there just make surfing the Internet all the more dangerous.

It could be a cheap, gift to give someone, though. “Here, 1,000 zombie PCs. Happy birthday!”

Flickr

The 18.4-inch D1100 from Averatec showed up at my house recently and I thought, hey, lazy Saturday — let’s set it up. I had forgotten the specs, the price, and all the relevant details but when I had gotten everything together (a process which took less than ten minutes) I can tell you that I’m impressed by how nice the computer looks.

Especially since — surprise! — it only costs $599.

The body is a nice, shiny black color, with the 18.4-inch screen resting on a chrome neck that adjusts up and down in order to reach a comfortable viewing angle. The LCD panel can be laid flat and pushed down to rest atop the machine’s body should you need to move the computer to another room.

Unfortunately, the screen doesn’t swivel from side to side — just up and down. And the wired mouse and keyboard kind of detract from the whole all-in-one idea. They just kind of look out of place with their cords running to the back of the machine. Again, though, this thing barely costs as much as a high-end netbook.

Internally, you’ve got a 64-bit AMD dual-core 3250e CPU, 250GB hard drive, 2GB of RAM, DVD burner, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, built-in 1.3-megapixel camera and, of course, the 18.4-inch screen, which features a native resolution of 1680×945 (so no 1080p, sorry) and is powered by an ATI Radeon HD 3200-series GPU.

The machine comes preloaded with Windows Vista Home Premium, which returns an Experience Index score of 3.0 — the lowest subscore being in the graphics department. Everything seems relatively snappy so far, but I haven’t really loaded anything onto the computer yet, aside from replacing IE with Google Chrome and uninstalling Norton Antivirus because it asked too many questions and wouldn’t let me close out of it without resorting to the Task Manager.

And, of course, the question on everyone’s mind: How does Tiger Woods PGA Tour 06 (that’s right, 06) play on it? It plays wonderfully. The graphics only top out at 1024×768, but everything looks nice and fluid. The sound from the tiny speakers is pretty tinny, though. Tin-like, that is.

Full review coming up once I put this thing through the paces. Here are some photos:

Averatec D1100 Series [ShopAveratec.com]

It’s a Windows application that senses the proximity of your cell phone to your computer via Bluetooth, assuming your cell phone’s in your pocket most of the time. When you walk away from your computer, it automatically logs you out. When you come back, you’re logged back in. Simps, dude.

Free to download at PhoenixFreeze.com if you’re interested. Here’s a demo video:

http://blip.tv/play/_U__uz7bbg

[via Notebooks.com]

Lenovo announced two new smaller, cheaper desktop PCs today. The ThinkCentre M58e and A58 are built for the cost-conscious business consumer, with a starting price of $399. The PCs run cooler and quieter than previous ThinkCentres (as should be expected).

The A58 (pictured) will be marketed to small-to-medium-business customers as a low-cost desktop with a new design. The M58e meets Energy Star 5.0 and EPEAT (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool) Gold standards, making it a greener option for mid-market and large companies. Both desktops will be available at the beginning of April. Judging from personal experience, HP and Dell dominate the business market. Lenovo will have to do better than $399 to compete with them.

Lenovo Retools ThinkCentre Business Desktops for Smaller, Lower Cost Options

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC – March 10, 2009: Lenovo today announced that it is retooling its desktop PC portfolio to give customers two new, smaller, lower cost options. Lenovo’s new ThinkCentre A58 brings small-to-medium-business customers reliable, secure and affordable desktop technology in a new design, while the ThinkCentre M58e provides the technologies and green features that mid-market and large companies need to stay productive and efficient. With more customers demanding smaller desktop PCs today, the desktops come in tower and small form factor models.

“Customers are feeling the pinch of the challenging economic times, and are demanding PC products that give them the most value for their dollar,” said Dilip Bhatia, executive director, global desktop marketing, Lenovo. “We’ve crafted the latest Lenovo ThinkCentre desktops to give them the essential technologies they need to stay productive, reliability features and service plans to stretch their dollar further and security options to protect their business.”

Security, Reliability and Efficiency

For two layers of protection, users can combine Lenovo’s Rescue and Recovery tool included with the desktops to help in recovering and restoring lost files along with Lenovo’s Online Data Backup service to keep data backed-up in a secure, off-site location. Preloaded on both desktops, customers can try the service free with up to 5 GB of storage for 90 days.

The new desktops provide the security businesses require with features such as a fingerprint reader on several optional Lenovo keyboards for easy password management, I/O port disablement to help protect against external threats and a chassis intrusion switch to help detect tampering in the PC.

With select EPEAT Gold-rated models and models that already meet the Energy Star 5.0 criteria, which take effect in July, the ThinkCentre M58e desktop helps large enterprise customers ensure their PC technology is among the most energy-efficient and environmentally responsible on the market. For companies with large fleets of PCs, the savings can quickly add up. A ThinkCentre M58e desktop combined with a ThinkVision L1940pW monitor can save organizations approximately $40 a year over previous Lenovo desktop and monitor solutions.¹ Additionally, both the ThinkCentre M58e and the ThinkCentre A58 desktops are GREENGUARD certified, meaning they have been tested for up to 2,000 different chemical emissions.

Value-Added Tools Help Manage PC Investment

Most businesses purchase PC technology as an investment to be managed over several years. However, Gartner reports that only 13 to 16 percent of the total cost of PC ownership over the lifecycle of the PC comes from initial hardware costs, and the rest are software and ongoing management costs.² The new ThinkCentre A58 and M58e desktops help organizations manage both upfront hardware costs and ongoing management costs in several ways.

Lenovo has engineered unique, ThinkVantage Technologies on the ThinkCentre M58e and Lenovo Care tools on the ThinkCentre A58 that are included in the cost of the PC. These tools help companies avoid IT costs and lost productivity associated with individual PC usage in SMB environments, such as data recovery, as well as issues IT managers in large corporations face such as IT help desk calls, password resets, asset management and more.

Lenovo includes a variety of tools on the desktops such as Rescue and Recovery to help recover and restore files and Power Manager to easily manage and remotely control a PC’s energy usage even when it is turned off. They also include Client Security Solution, Client Security Password Manager and more.

“All of our customers have different computing requirements, but with Lenovo’s ThinkVantage Technologies (TVTs) we have the tools to service their varying needs,” said Andrew Shannon, regional vice president of sales, MCPc. “We use the TVTs with almost every customer to help build and deploy images. We have over 40 customers that we’ve helped deploy TVTs in the last several months with an emphasis on ImageUltra, Rescue and Recovery, Access Connections (laptop only) and Power Manager. It continues to be our underlying goal to help them and us save time and money.”

IT administrators can deploy and manage Lenovo ThinkVantage Technologies across a fleet of PCs through purchasing LANDesk software. Additionally, the ThinkCentre M58e desktop offers platform stability of up to 15 months for corporate customers who may deploy technology over an extended period of time.

Essential Technologies

The desktops feature technologies including choices of:

• Intel Core2Quad and Core2Duo processors
• Onboard Direct X10 graphics support
• Support for up to 1TB of storage
• Up to 4 GB memory
• Blu-Ray or DVD burners

Ongoing Service and Support

Lenovo offers a variety of warranty options as well as its ThinkPlus Priority support service plans

which give customers 24×7 technical support and priority call routing, among a host of other features and tools. For those in-the-middle-of-the-night scenarios, ThinkPlus Priority support can help support critical business needs while helping businesses reduce or eliminate the need for around the clock IT staff, which can translate into significant cost savings.

For complete lifecycle management, Lenovo offers custom imaging and deployment, as well as Asset Recovery Services, a solution that provides for computer take-back, data destruction, refurbishment and recycling. Customers can also recover value from their old PCs which can then be used toward the purchase of new ones.

Pricing and Availability³

The ThinkCentre A58 and M58e desktops will be available at the beginning of April with models starting at $399. They will be available through business partners and www.lenovo.com.

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