For the last few years we have heard the term “desktop replacement” used to describe notebooks 15.4-inches and larger. Recently, most especially this year, we are finally starting to see notebooks that can be described as workstation replacements. These aren’t renamed gaming computers either–when companies like Lenovo and HP release portable workstations, they really mean it. In this article we’ll be checking out Lenovo’s ThinkPad W700, which is not only the largest ThinkPad ever (it’s their first 17-inch model ever) it is also the first ThinkPad to come with a quad-core processor. Those two features are just a start because the W700 significantly changes what we expect from a notebook, as well as a ThinkPad.

Build quality with the W700 is everything Lenovo is known for, with tight fitment all around and an impressively small measure of panel flex for a laptop this large. A bit of time hauling the W700 has confirmed initial impressions: while large notebooks rarely rival their smaller counterparts in terms of ruggedness, this is one heavily built, robust laptop in spite of its size.

Under the lid sits an eye-popping 17-inch display with 1920 x 1200-pixel resolution. Color reproduction and viewing angles on this screen are excellent, thanks to the use of wide gamut technology, which allows the panel to display 72 percent of the NTSC color gamut (most notebook screens display around 45 percent of the NTSC gamut). Above the display is a 1.3-megapixel webcam which uses Roxio’s Media Import application (included) to display and capture video and photos. The camera is adequate for video chats and e-mailing photos but its image quality was fairly grainy.

For users who require a consistent and reliable degree of color accuracy, the W700 contains a built-in color-calibration device. Using a small sensor embedded in the keyboard deck and Pantone’s huey Pro color-control software, the device scans the screen while the lid is closed and sounds three tones when the calibration process is complete. We calibrated the screen in just under a minute and immediately noticed a marked improvement. Colors appeared much bolder and the panel displayed much deeper black levels than before the calibration

It has a brilliant keyboard; its keys are full-sized, sturdy and produce crisp bounce-back. The only inconveniences are the Delete and Control keys, which aren’t positioned in the far corners of the keyboard but three and two keys further in, respectively.

The touchpad is Teflon-like in its slipperiness, offering no resistance to your finger as it pushes the pointer across the screen; its accuracy is impeccable. It doesn’t mistake single-clicks for double-clicks, for example. Its left and right buttons are also very soft and easy to press while navigating.

From the outside, the Lenovo Ideapad Y430 we right now have looks exactly like the Y510. It has the same weave-textured cover, sloping hinge design, edgy corners, and matte black color. Yet once you open the cover, you will immediately see the difference between the two. The most apparent is the location of the Dolbyenhanced built-in speakers as these are now located in front. In addition, the Y430 has no external battery level bar unlike on the Y510, which leaves you with the on-screen battery indicator and the power LED in front to know when it is time to charge.

The bezel on the Y430 that contains the thermal keys has a duller look compared to the one on the Y510. Monotonous looking or not, I still find this set of buttons handy for allowing immediate access to and playback of multimedia files. The volume control located on the right saves one from using the function button or dragging the cursor in order to control the sound levels, while the small button nearby switches the thermal keys between playback functions and preset audio enhancements.

It has 2GB of DDR2 RAM, which is enough to handle Windows Vista Home Premium and also facilitate multitasking, and you also get an NVIDIA GeForce 9300M GS graphics adapter. Its score of 1823 in 3DMark06 means it’s not good for playing many current games, but it will run a lot of older games.

After prolonged use, the bottom-left of he unit, where the CPU, chipset and memory reside, get warm, but not enough to be uncomfortable when using the unit on your lap. Nor is the laptop loud, thanks to its dynamic fan, which isn’t an annoyance even while it’s at its fastest setting.

While cheap netbooks are all the rage these days, just a few months ago the attention was being lavished on expensive, high-end thin and light notebooks.  Namely the 13.3″ screen Apple MacBook Air and Lenovo ThinkPad X300.  Fast forward several months and several hundred stock market points lower and expensive laptops don’t seem quite as appealing, which might be why the recent release of the Lenovo ThinkPad X301 was mostly a silent entrance on stage left.  Still, if you’re a CEO that happens to still have a job these days and you like to have the latest and greatest in ultra-mobile computing technology, cost not being a concern, the ThinkPad X301 could be a fit.

Design of Lenovo ThinkPad X301 follows the same business philosophy that was established by IBM, although we would like to see some advances in that department. Chassis is made of magnesium alloy and in combination with roll-cage made of carbon-fiber results in notebooks rigidity and low weight. Unusual for this class, there is optical device and along with DisplayPort connector and later one is only external difference compared to ThinkPad X300 . There are not many monitors with DisplayPort connector but they will appear in the near future in larger numbers. There are also 3 USB ports (two on the left side and one on the back side). VGA and Ethernet connectors are placed at the back side along with WiFi/Bluetooth switch. On the front side are only speakers that produce clear and quality sound and they are much better than speakers on X200 model. For navigation you can use TouchPad or TrackPoint – combination that is common for Lenovo. Full sized keyboard is exceptional so typing is real pleasure with no noticeable bending.

Additional button that stands out is blue ThinkPad Vantage button and it calls preinstalled applications with lot of options from which most useful to us was option of connecting to Lenovo site and downloading and updating of drivers and software. One more very useful preinstalled application is Power Manager 2 that allows very fine power consumption tuning that has option for screen power off if “Windows Is Shutting Down” message is recognized.

The keyboard deck and outer shell utilize a new rubberized soft touch paint which helps provide a more secure grip and a more comfortable feel. The X301 has all the regular connectors and ports with three USB 2.0, Ethernet, microphone and headphone jacks, DisplayPort, and a VGA connector. Unfortunately, no memory card slot is included with this laptop, which means you’ll have to use a USB card reader device or adapter to read from memory cards.

The Q100 is impressively small with overall dimensions of 6.0″ x 6.8″ x 0.8″. In practical terms, it’s about the size of a slim external optical drive or a very slim CD wallet. The Lenovo website lists the Q100’s at $299, while its ION-powered brother, the Q110, costs $399. The slightly larger Q700, meant for the role of a HD HTPC, sports a dual core Pentium E5200 processor and GMA X4500 graphics for $499-$599 depending on the configuration.

All in all, the Q100’s small size doesn’t command a heavy price premium compared to the Eee Box or the recent DIY SFF PC we built using an Intel D945GSEJT mini-ITX Atom board and Morex T1610 case. Like the Morex build, the Q100 is fanless — as long as the hard drive isn’t substandard acoustically, it should be one of the quietest system you can get without a SSD. The Acer Aspire Revo seems like a bargain by comparison with a $200 price-tag and ION graphics, but we don’t really know about its acoustics.

IdeaCentre Q100

* Intel Atom 230 CPU
* 1GB DDR2 RAM
* 160Gb hard drive
* Intel Integrated Graphics
* Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi, VGA output

The Lenovo Y300 is a 13-inch widescreen thin-and-light system with slot-in optical drive and discrete Nvidia GeForce Go 7300 graphics card. Though it integrates a Webcam above the display like many other contemporary portables, it has one cool feature which uses the camera in a novel way. Forget about biometric fingerprint scanning. The Lenovo Y300 allows one to login just by looking into the Webcam. By taking the distance between the eyes and nose, as well as several high points in one’s facial features, the system can recognize authorized users and automatically logs in. Barring serious facial reconstruction, gaining a few pounds will not affect its accuracy.

The portable weighs 2.2kg, which is comparable with other 13-inch laptops like the MacBook. As a nod to its multimedia focus, a unique Lenovo Shuttle interface, which allows easy access to music and video files, with discrete playback controls makes it as easy to listen to your tunes as well as peek at your movies.

While it’s nowhere near as light and compact as a MacBook Air, the Y300/310 is nonetheless quite trim for a 13″ notebook. Made entirely of tacky plastic, the Y300/310 looks and feels like a toy. It’s many chrome buttons and those huge orange mulitimedia buttons hack right back to the 1960s and 70s. Sony VAIO this Lenovo is certainly NOT!

Despite it’s aesthetics the Y300/310 is still very well assembled together. You won’t find any panels that squeak or give way when pressed. The slot-in DVD writer does away the traditional CD trays and would probably last a bit longer. Don’t expect it to survive a fall though as the Y300/310 would quite possibly shatter like glass! There’s no rollcage like the Thinkpads do and the lack of water spillways means you’ll have to be extra cautious when drinking liquids around the notebook.