The ThinkPad has long been looked upon as the standard of PC notebooks. Partly because the line has been a staple since 1992, but also because they’re just so damn good. The notebook line will hit the 60 million mark sometime this month. That’s impressive and an achievement that should be celebrated with a bit of booze and bonuses for everyone involved.

But Lenovo, the current owner of the brand after buying the rights from IBM in 2005, is keeping the line rolling towards the 100 million milestone with some nice updates. Hello, Nvidia Optimus.

Starting today, ThinkPad T410, T410s and T510 notebooks will be available with the Nivida Optimus technology. This platform allows the notebooks to seamlessly switch between high performance and energy saving modes. The result is 33% longer battery life, which Lenovo points out is about an extra hour of battery life. The refreshed notebooks are available starting today from Lenovo retailers with the T410 going for $1,299 and the $1,849 for the T410s.

It’s pretty great that people are just now realizing that Planet Earth isn’t some sort of static strip mall. There are volcanoes, and earthquakes, and hurricanes, and tornadoes, and tsunamis—objects from outer space regularly invade the atmosphere. This planet is alive, brother! So, idea: you know how certain laptop models, like ThinkPads and MacBooks, come with built-in accelerometers? They’re there in order to protect the hard drive from a devastating fall, but what it you could use said accelerometer to detect an earthquake before it happens?

It’s all part of the Quake-Catcher Network, a project put together by Stamford University students. The overarching idea is to string to together, via the Internet (whatever that is!), the world’s accelerometer-equipped laptops. Once hooked up, the laptops would then regularly record seismic activity—well, be on the lookout for seismic activity, since most of the consumer-class accelerometers out there can only detect the equivalent of a 4.0 (or higher) on the Richter Scale.

But, let’s say the laptop senses just such a movement. It would then notify other users in the Quake-Catcher Network: “Hello! Billy’s laptop has detected a possible earthquake. Best to find a safe spot if you live within a few miles of his location.”

The only problem is that, even in the best circumstances, you’re only looking at a few seconds’ warning. Like, maybe two to three seconds. Perhaps that’s enough to time duck under a table?

It’s a nice idea, at least.

The ThinkPad X100e is one of Lenovo‘s new ultra-portable line, running on either an AMD Neo or Turion CPU. It features a full size keyboard, ships with Windows 7, and is available in red or black. The X100e should be available now, starting at $449.

Additionally, Lenovo announced the release of the ThinkPad Edge, also available with the Turion or Neo chipset, and featuring a 13, 14, or 15 inch screen. The Edge system are said to be extremely energy efficient, and will reportedly run for up to 8 hours between charges. The 13-inch version is available now, with the larger screens coming out in 2Q1010.

Lenovo also made some changes to their ThinkPad T series. The T410 and T510 are the latest versions of their business line, and the only real news about these systems is their use of the new Intel CPUs, the Arrandale. These new systems will be available with the Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7 processors. The T410 and T510 will start at $999, and will be available starting on the 7th. We’ll see if we can get some more information out of Lenovo when we visit them at their booth.

There’s some hotter stuff (the tablet-y U1 for instance) but we’ll cover those separately as the week progresses.

Powered by Intel Core2 Duo processors, a 16:9 HD screen, HDMI and VGA outs are just some of the features. Lenovo also really hit the VoiP market hard with these. You’ve got WiFi, Ethernet, Bluetooth, and some models have 3G built in. The camera resolution is supposed to be better, but we didn’t get any specs for it, so who knows. The integrated microphone now has a dedicated mute button for when you need to cut the audio. These laptops are even EPEAT and Energy Star certified to be green. So you’ll know that you aren’t horribly destroying the planet when you buy one.

The SL series is the lowest of the ThinkPad’s but the new SL410 and SL510 are the only members to be certified under Lenovo’s Enhanced Experience program. I’m not really completely sure what that means. According to the press release, “certified PCs deliver a faster, richer and easier computing experience over identical configuration, non-optimized PCs.” So they have the same hardware, they just run better for some reason? Why not just optimize all of them?

These should hit stores tomorrow, with a starting price of $529.

Lenovo is “exploring” the possibility of a ThankPad-branded netbook. Such a netbook would, one guesses, be the first specifically aimed at the business crowd. Does this mean that we’re beginning to see the blurring of the line between netbooks and notebooks? One can dream, friends. One can dream.

This all comes as a result of Lenovo’s netbooks doing pretty darn well for themselves. The IdeaPad, which was first released in 2008, isn’t too shabby: the gang over at Laptop Magazine gave it high(ish) marks; it so impressed Australian officials that 230,000 of them now are now circulating inside schools in New South Wales and Victoria.

The natural progression is, apparently, offering the same netbook benefits—low cost, small size, the ability to cheekily say to your friends that you own a “cool new netbook”—to the landed, business elite. But then you run into the problem of, well, if you really want a more powerful netbook, why not just buy a regular laptop?

Which is to say, when does a netbook cease to become a netbook? (Well, “problem.” Who cares, I say. It’s all silly, marketing nomenclature anyway.) Is screen size the deciding factor? Can we have a 12-inch netbook? (Remember: it wasn’t too long ago that Apple had its store shelves a 12-inch PowerBook.) What about a 14-inch netbook? Larger? Larger?!

In any event, the point of all this nonsensical banter (at best!) is that Lenovo has admitted to at least thinking about making a business-y, ThinkPad netbook.

And then peace will break out, surely.

Photo: Flickr

What could you get for $700? Well, you could get a busted, stained MacBook off Craigslist, you could get a brand new Samsung NC20, or you could get an honest-to-god convertible touchscreen laptop. Not the latest model (far from it) but buddy, it’s a swivel-screen tablet PC! For $649!

These systems can be quite expensive, but right now you can apparently take over $1000 off and get one for a pretty ridiculous price. Even with only a 12.1″ 1024×768 screen and a 1.6GHz Core 2 Duo, this is a sweet deal. I’d recommend upping that RAM, though.

[via TechReport]

Low Pressure – Tests operation at 15,000 feet
Humidity – Cycles 95 percent humidity through the environment
Vibration (operational and non-operational) – Jostles and jolts the laptops to make sure they can withstand shocks
High Temperature – Simulates high heat conditions by baking the laptop up to 140°F
Low Temperature – Tests operation at -4°F
Temperature Shock – Fluctuates between -4 and up to 140°F to test operation
Dust – Blows dust for an extended amount of time

Lenovo ThinkPad Laptops Pass the “Tough Test”: Meet Military Specifications for Semi-Rugged Computing

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC – February 24, 2009: Lenovo today announced that it is designating eight ThinkPad laptops for use in field and vehicle semi-ruggedized computing environments such as in public safety, utilities, construction and the military. The ThinkPad X200, X301, X200s, X200 Tablet, T400, T500, R400 and SL300 laptops meet a barrage of military specifications tests and are enhanced with uniquely-designed durability features such as an airbag-like protection system and a roll cage in select models. Because field computing requires excellent screen viewability, Lenovo is also adding a new optional 680-nit high brightness panel to its most popular laptop, the ThinkPad T400 laptop.

Military Spec Tested Against the Elements
Baked, battered, blistered and blown with sand, Lenovo put the lineup of eight ThinkPad laptops through the gauntlet to pass a significant number of specifications for military-grade computing.

The ThinkPad laptops met tests for:

Low Pressure – Tests operation at 15,000 feet
Humidity – Cycles 95 percent humidity through the environment
Vibration (operational and non-operational) – Jostles and jolts the laptops to make sure they can withstand shocks
High Temperature – Simulates high heat conditions by baking the laptop up to 140°F
Low Temperature – Tests operation at -4°F
Temperature Shock – Fluctuates between -4 and up to 140°F to test operation
Dust – Blows dust for an extended amount of time

The tests confirm the durability and reliability that many customers already rely on to battle the elements. Geophysicist, explorer and expedition leader Pasquale Scaturro travels to the far reaches of the planet with his ThinkPad laptop.

“For over 180 days a year I can be found on the road traveling with my ThinkPad laptop -sweltering in the hot jungle terrain and surviving frigid arctic and mountain blasts, said Pasquale Scaturro, Exploration Specialists, Inc. “From bugs and humidity, to sand and dust, heat and cold, my ThinkPad laptop has been exposed to them all. I’ve logged more miles on my ThinkPad in the roughest and most extreme environments in the world than perhaps any person alive. From the heights of Mount Everest to the full length of the Nile, the world’s longest river, it’s been with me. The Active Protection System is a must in the rough environments I’ve taken this laptop into. Besides using my ThinkPad to help me navigate in my airplane when I’m flying in the African bush (it’s my real co-pilot) and send Internet dispatches to my website from Mt Everest, I depend on it to keep my geophysical business and my personal connections going. It has withstood every imaginable environment on Earth and is still performing without missing a beat.”

Click here to view photos of the ThinkPad laptops going through the torture tests. Additionally, the Lenovo ThinkPad laptops pass more military specifications compared to Dell’s ATG laptops and Panasonic’s business-rugged and semi-rugged laptops1.

Optimized for Outdoors
As the adoption of laptops increases and connectivity options continue to expand, users are spending more and more computing time outdoors. That makes screen visibility extremely important. For a crisp and easily readable experience, Lenovo is equipping the ThinkPad T400 laptop with an optional high brightness, wide angle screen, making it nearly four times brighter than previous ThinkPad laptop screens. The high contrast screen eliminates reflections with its anti-glare finish. And by using energy-efficient LED technology, the laptop maintains long battery life.

Police Departments like the Conover Police Department in North Carolina are using ThinkPad laptops to turn their patrol cars into mobile offices. Reduced time spent at the station writing reports gives officers extra time on patrol to protect their community. Officers are using ThinkPad T Series laptops to write and print incident reports, issue tickets and conduct criminal background checks from their cars. For IT Director, Chris Niver, Lenovo’s engineering made ThinkPad laptops the easy choice.

“Although not billed as a ‘ruggedized’ laptop at the time, the features offered far surpassed the other manufacturers. The fact that the ThinkPads came with a roll-cage design, shock resistant hard drive, built in security chip and the familiar red button as well as touchpad all as standard features really made my choice clear.”

Built Upon a Strong Foundation for Low Total Cost of Ownership
Lenovo engineers extra durability and reliability features into its ThinkPad laptops to help them survive all-weather conditions, lasting longer and outperforming competitors and leading to a low total cost of PC ownership.

Lenovo durability features include the:

Active Protection System – Temporarily parks the hard drive when the laptop detects a fall or sudden movement via an air-bag like system
Roll Cage – Serves as a protective frame around the internal components where the data resides and processing takes place with an extra top cover roll cage on the ThinkPad X301 laptop
Shock-Mounted Hard Drive – Offers extra protection around the hard drive to protect data
Spill-Resistant Keyboard – Withstands spills of up to two fluid ounces on select laptops allowing liquid to drain beneath the keyboard

In case of the unexpected, Lenovo offers Warranty and Accident Protection plans to help customers protect their PC investment. Lenovo also offers ThinkPlus Priority Support to give businesses around-the-clock technical telephone support, priority routing of calls and quick onsite repair. For an even faster response, ThinkPlus Priority 4 Support provides onsite repair within four hours after the original troubleshooting. Online Data Backup services are also available.

“ThinkPad is well known for quality, reliability and innovative security technologies for business computing,” said Tom Ribble, director, Worldwide ThinkPad Product Marketing, Lenovo. “We’ve always built tough laptops that can weather extreme conditions from hiking the rainforests of the Amazon to flying in space. You don’t need a PC that looks like a tank to excel in harsh environments, and unlike many of our competitors, we don’t put an extra charge on toughness.”

Built upon a strong foundation, Lenovo’s laptops offer the latest technologies with models including solid state drive storage for reliability, switchable graphics for longer battery life and the latest Intel® Centrino 2 processor technology for fast processing. They also come with choices of large hard drives, multimedia like Blu-Ray DVD players and a host of wireless connectivity options including WiMAX, mobile broadband, WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS. Lenovo has also collaborated with AT&T and Ericsson for price reductions on ThinkPad laptops with AT&T mobile broadband connectivity. Additionally, the ThinkPad X200 Tablet is the first Tablet to offer WiMAX connectivity.

Pricing and Availability2
The ThinkPad T400 laptop with the high brightness screen is available through Lenovo business partners beginning immediately. Pricing starts at approximately $1,350.

Sony’s new subnotebook Vaio P does look like a neat little machine but several official promo shots of the device triggered a wave of mockery in the blogosphere of its home country Japan.

The problem is that Sony thinks the Vaio P fits in the back pocket of your pants. But that’s not really the case.

The following pictures were made and put online by some Japanese anti-Sony geeks as an answer.

A Thinkpad doesn’t fit in a back pocket.

Neither does a Mac.

No chance at all with this Dell tower.

Hachimakikou [JP] via Asiajin

Lenovo recently announced the ThinkPad X301, the next in line for the X300 line. Surely you remember the X300, Lenovo’s answer to the MacBook Air. Well the X301 seems to be stuffed in the same less-than-three-pound shell, but the delicious candy inside has changed a little bit.

For starters, you can get the X301 with a 64GB or 128GB solid state drive (available in September). You’ll also get 20 percent better performance over the X300, according to Lenovo, thanks to “the latest DDR3 memory and the latest Intel Core 2 Duo ultra low volt processor.” Finally, there’s new support for the DisplayPort interface so you can hook your rig up to your home theater setup or what have you.

Pricing for the standard hard drive model starts at $2,599 and goes up from there based on your desired configuration. They’ll be available on August 26th.

Full release…

Lenovo Expands Ultra-Thin, Ultra-Light ThinkPad X300 Notebook PC Family

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC – August 18, 2008 – Lenovo today announced the ThinkPad X301 notebook PC, taking the thinnest and lightest full-function notebook in its class¹, to new heights in performance. Like its predecessor, the industry-acclaimed ThinkPad X300 notebook, the ThinkPad X301 notebook offers cutting-edge features and technologies in a thin and light form starting at less than three pounds and one-inch thin. The notebook offers even greater storage capacity with choices of either 64 GB or new 128 GB solid state drive storage available in September. The ThinkPad X301 notebook provides on average nearly 20 percent better performance over the ThinkPad X300 notebook due to the latest DDR3 memory and the latest Intel^® Core 2 Duo ultra low volt processor².

“Lenovo continues to push the technology envelope by giving road warriors the latest enhancements in solid state drive storage and digital display technologies with the new ThinkPad X301 notebook PC,” said Sam Dusi, vice president, worldwide notebook product marketing, Lenovo. “This announcement extends our commitment to blending ultraportability and functionality, and equipping today’s business users with the most advanced, highest-performing computing tools.”

New support for DisplayPort makes viewing high definition content easy and ideal for models with the ultra-thin DVD burner. With support for both DisplayPort and VGA, users can even watch high definition content on multiple displays. Designed for maximum options for wireless connectivity, the ThinkPad X301 notebook offers models with high-speed mobile broadband³ and WiFi³ to connect wirelessly to the Internet, and also with Bluetooth and Ultra-Wideband technology to connect wirelessly to other devices. Lenovo offers improved uplink performance by up to 250 percent for models with AT&T mobile broadband over previous ThinkPad notebooks with AT&T mobile broadband⁴. Models supporting WiMAX will be available later this year. Additionally, GPS on notebook models with high speed mobile broadband⁵ allow travelers to more easily navigate to the office or airport.

The notebook also includes Lenovo’s ThinkVantage Technologies, unique hardware-software tools designed to maximize user productivity. With Lenovo’s improved Access Connections tool, users can navigate a user-friendly interface to easily find and access Internet and network connections. Also, Lenovo’s improved Power Manager gives users more control over notebook functions to enable longer battery life.       

The ThinkPad X301 notebook also continues Lenovo’s focus on environmentally-responsible design. Its 13.3-inch LED backlit display, solid state drive storage and other energy-efficient technologies help make it rated Gold by the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool. This designation adds to Lenovo’s portfolio of Gold-rated ThinkPad notebook and ThinkCentre desktop PCs.

Pricing and Availability⁶

Pricing for models of the ThinkPad X301 notebook starts at approximately $2,599. The notebook will be available on August 26 through Lenovo Business Partners and www.lenovo.com.

The SL series also looks to loosen its necktie "with a more stylish look and multimedia features such as a connector to display high-definition video and software for video creation" but the relatively low price brings tradeoffs that might alienate certain would-be business buyers, most notably, "the SL laptops will not come with the proprietary docking stations usually found on enterprise ThinkPads, but will include a USB-based port replication system."

The Chinese notebook enthusiast forum, 51nb, has the new Lenovo X200 all spec’d out and it looks very, very good. And these are just the baseline specs.

Based on Centrino 2 + VPro technology platform
45-nanometer Core 2 Duo CPU, the highest clock up to 2.4 GHz
DDR2 (667MHz) or DDR3 (1067MHz) Memory
12-inch WXGA LCD screen
64GB SSD or the maximum capacity of 7200 to 200 GB hard drive or transferred to a maximum capacity of 5,400 to 320 GB hard drive
T-series size keyboard
Optional 1.3-megapixel camera built-in
USB X 3, Express Card X 1,3 in 1 card reader
Magnesium alloy roof, the chassis
9-cell battery, with the largest life time up to 9.6 hours
To support the latest communication features, such as WiMax, GPS
Starting from 1.32 kg weight (X61 1.42 kg)

What do you think?

Release

Walt Mossberg took an early look at the Lenovo ThinkPad X300 about a week ago and promised a full review later. Later is now. He likes the MacBook Air competitor despite its limited storage options and high price tag, saying…

“I can recommend the X300 for road warriors without hesitation, provided they can live with its two biggest downsides: a relatively paltry file-storage capacity and a hefty price tag. This ThinkPad starts at $2,476 for a stripped-down model and at $2,799 for a preconfigured retail version with a half-size battery. The configuration I expect to be the most popular, with a full-size battery and DVD drive, is about $3,000.”

That seems mighty expensive for a notebook. What’s more, it doesn’t fall under three pounds until you remove the DVD drive and the full-size battery.

After testing the X300, Mossberg found that it was slower than the MacBook Air and had worse battery life than the MacBook Air, despite being more expensive. It does, however, have the built-in drive, Ethernet jack, removable battery, and higher resolution screen.

Price May Be Steep, But Thin ThinkPad Has Abundant Features [AllThingsD]

What it lacks in the not-as-thin-as-the-new-MacBook department it more than makes up for in the actually-comes-with-useful-stuff department, with a built-in optical drive, removable battery, three USB ports, Ethernet jack, and optional integrated high-speed cellular modem and/or GPS chips.

Says Walt Mossberg, who got a sneak peek at the X300…

Like the MacBook Air, this is a rare small laptop that is built around a full 13-inch-wide screen display and a full keyboard, rather than the little screens and cramped keyboards common in subnotebooks. And, like the Air, it offers a fast, rugged solid-state drive instead of a hard disk.

But, unlike the Apple, Lenovo’s new skinny ThinkPad comes with a hefty complement of ports and features, some of the very things critics complained Apple left out. It has a built-in DVD drive, removable battery, three USB ports, and a wired Ethernet networking jack. Inside, in addition to Wi-Fi, it can be ordered with a built-in cellphone modem and even GPS. It comes with either Windows Vista or Windows XP.

It’s not as thin as the Air but it still falls in at under an inch thick and at roughly the same weight (3.12 pounds). Also — and here’s some fodder for flaming, should you choose to accept it — the X300 will only come with a solid-state drive, so it’s hugely expensive right out of the gate. Mossberg says “it will start at between $2,500 and $2,800″ and it’ll sit staunchly at 64-gigabytes of hard drive space.

Super-Slim ThinkPad Sneak Peek [AllThingsD]

Those looking for a PeeCee version of Apple’s MacBook Air might want to start poking around to find details about the rumored Lenovo ThinkPad X300. Word is it’ll clock in with a similar 13.3-inch screen, weight just 2.5 pounds, and also feature a 64GB SSD HD. Unlike the Air, it has an interated DVD burner and optional WiMAX for about $2750.

Now we’ve got confirmation from Electronista that BestBuy, among others, has a pre-order page up. Tasty indeed!

Lenovo ThinkPad X300 preorders surface, show details [Electronista]

The ThinkPad T61p raises the bar on performance with Lenovo’s Ultra Connect II wireless design helping improve WWAN and WLAN 802.11n performance, new NVIDIA® Quadro FX 57OM graphics certified to the open GL graphics GPU standard, Intel® Centrino® Pro mobile technology and long battery life with more control via Battery Stretch. Users can even opt for next-generation wireless capabilities with Ultra-Wideband. With Lenovo’s new cooling system, the notebook runs three decibels quieter over previous models and up to 10 percent cooler even under the most intensive tasks. Tops for security, the notebook offers optional port disablement, 32-byte password protection, an integrated fingerprint reader and full disk encryption.

Certified to run applications of more than 20 independent software vendors, the workstation is also certified to run the Novell® SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 operating system and is supported by Lenovo’s Help Center for hardware issues. The notebook is also certified to run Red Hat and Turbo Linux operating systems.

No final word on battery life but expect that Lenovo might be able to put up some impressive numbers. They claim a “70 percent improvement in efficiency over previous generation notebooks with power management features providing customers maximum energy savings up to 47 percent greater than before.” So if it uses a standard 4-cell battery similar to the T61′s battery, you should see a jump from 2.5 hours to 4.25 hours if that 70% figure is accurate – all the while using about half as much energy to charge it.

The ThinkPad T61p will start at $1814 and will be available through Lenovo’s Business Partners division starting this month.

Lenovo ThinkPad T Series

Finally my hatred of cows and love for technology have come together in the form of a leather-bound Thinkpad. This bovine beauty is actually a stock X61 with a leather jacket which can remain attached while the laptop is in use.

It has a decent hardware lineup with a low-voltage 1.6GHz Core 2 Duo, 2GB of RAM and 160GB hard drive. An 80GB external HDD is also included for backups. The true selling point, according to Lenovo, is the extra support. Yes, we too remain unimpressed.

If you ever have a problem with the Reserve — and you’re in a major city — Lenovo will fly technicians to you within 4 hours. The invite-only laptop also comes with 24/7 tech support, though you’ll have to decide if all this is worth the $5,000 price.

Lenovo Reveals Thinkpad Reserve [Electronista]

I recently found myself in this situation and, even in my position, it was an incredibly difficult situation. But given the process, I was able to note and demo several possibilities for all types of road warriors:

ThinkPad T60 Widescreen with ABGN Wireless

Had this system been available a couple of months ago, I might have gotten it over my MacBook Pro. As the the header denotes, the system includes an integrated a/b/g/n antenna which will be quite useful very soon. In my tests of Draft-N, distance and speed were greatly increased, making it a standard with a good deal of potential as soon as it is, in fact, standardized.

The T60 also has a ton of upgrade options. The screen comes stock at a 15.4-inch WSXGA TFT (1440×900), but it can be upped to WSXGA+ (1680×1050) for just $75. It also comes standard with a 1.83GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, but it can be raised all the way to 2.33GHz with a 4MB cache (only a $575 upgrade *cough*). And the system can come equipped with an ATI Mobility Radeon X1400 with 128MB of dedicated memory for discrete graphics (a greatly recommended upgrade).

If you’re so inclined, it can also have built-in WWAN for about $50 extra. I don’t recommend it here though as the only options are through Cingular and Verizon — Sprint is definitely the way to go. Fortunately, it has an ExpressCard slot, so getting an after market card is not a problem at all.

The T60 Widescreen with ABGN Wireless starts at $1,073 and can be made about as expensive as you could possibly want it to be.

MacBook Black

This appears to be the most popular travel system. Through my travels, I’ve seen more people using the MacBook Black than any other system. I don’t have sales numbers or anything, but judging from what I’ve witnessed, I assume the system must be outselling every laptop out there.

Small and versatile, the system includes a 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor. It can be made significantly better through about $300 of upgrades. Doubling the ram to 2GB and upping the hard drive to 160GB are absolute necessities.

My main problem with this system is its lack of an ExpressCard slot. This prevents you from using ExpressCard WWAN. You can use a USB dongle, but I resist those for some reason. If future versions will continue not to have an expansion slot, I suggest Apple build WWAN directly into the system. That addition would make this the best traveling system by far.

The MacBook Black is available now for $1,499 stock and $1,774 as spec’ed.

MacBook Pro 15-inch

After much deliberation, I finally settled upon a 15-inch MacBook Pro and I’m pleased to say that I’m really happy with this system. It still bugs me that the system can only be equipped with a 5400rpm hard drive, but I’m told this is because of heat issues. The 17-inch model can be made with a 100GB 7200rpm option, so if you don’t mind something that gigantic, it might be right for you.

Otherwise, the MacBook Pro comes stock with everything I’d recommend. Its appealing size coupled with a fast 2.33GHz Intel Core 2 Duo and an ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 with 256MB SDRAM sets it apart from most competitors.

I just took mine on its first big cross country adventure and it performed like a champ. Being able to use WWAN completely changed traveling for me and I’m forced to wonder how we ever managed without it.

The MacBook Pro ain’t cheap though. The 2.33GHz model costs $2,499 and will jump to over $2,700 after taxes. Is the performance worth that? I’m hesitant to say. It’s definitely the best Mac I’ve owned, but the price of that ThinkPad is definitely more compelling.

Alienware Area-51 m5790 Special Edition

This is the most beastly laptop I’ve ever laid eyes on. It’s also the biggest. So big, in fact, that the name “laptop” might be a bit inappropriate. Maybe “notebook” is better, but that still seems off. I think we need a new name for systems like these.

Anyway, if you’re in need of desktop-like performance on the road, then this is your best option. It can be equipped with virtually everything. Need Blu-ray? No problem. What about an ultra fast ATI Mobility Radeon X1900? Yea, you can get that too. It can even be spec’ed with an Intel Core 2 Duo overclocked to 2.66GHz — making it the fastest notebook-thing currently available.

Now I don’t expect people to get this system for running around with, but it fulfills a very important place for travelers. What it accomplishes flawlessly is meshing desktop-like performance out of one package. It is essentially a mobile workstation.

The 17-inch display comes stock at WXGA+, but can be upped to WUXGA+ (1920 x 1200). It’s a sight to be held. It also includes a full keyboard with number pad and all.

Its speed an performance never ceased to amaze me. It’s actually faster than my current desktop, which made me feel a bit insecure. I could see getting something like this as my next system and just plugging a monitor and peripherals into it.

The m5790 Special Edition starts at $1,299, but lets be honest, no one is going to get the stock version — the upgrades are just too good.

This article is part of our series on Travel for Geeks.