Lenovo Rolls Out 2012 ThinkPad T, L, W, X with Ivy Bridge, Precision Keyboards

The 2012 ThinkPad refresh is now official. Lenovo has rolled out this week the updated ThinkPad T, L, W, and X series with the Intel Ivy Bridge processors and the new Precision keyboards instead of the classic ones as the most important changes.

The 3rd Generation Core CPUs are a positive change for sure, but there’s a debate if the isle style keyboards are appropriate replacements for the well known and praised old-school ones. However, Precision provides backlighting on almost all new models, which is a feature that lacked on the previous ThinkPads.

Lenovo ThinkPad Precision Keyboard

Other notable updates are Lenovo Enhanced Experience 3.0 (EE 3.0) technology which provides faster system boot-ups, RapidCharge for faster battery recharges, optional 4G mobile broadband on select models, USB 3.0, and Dolby-certified audio.

The mainstream ThinkPad T-line includes the 14″ T430, a slimmer version called the T430s, and the 15.6″ T530. The notebooks will optionally come with the Nvidia dedicated video cards and the T530 will provide a full HD 95% color gamut display option. The T430 and T430s will start at $879 and $1,399, respectively, but there is no info on pricing for the T530.

Lenovo says in their press release that the ThinkPad L430 and L530 are budget 14″ and 15″ laptops, but the starting price is also $879.

The W530 is a mobile workstation with a 15.6″ full HD, 270-nit wide-viewing angle IPS display. Its screen has 95% color gamut, too. The W530 is equipped with the Nvidia Quadro graphics, and comes with a built-in color calibrator, which is an important feature for designers and photographers. The starting price is $1,529.

The ThinkPad X230 and X230t are 12.5-inch ultraportables, with touch-screen display on the 230t. The standard version weighs less than tree pounds and you can expect that the tablet won’t be much heavier. The basic prices are $1,179 and $1,479, respectively.

Lenovo ThinkPad X230

All of the announced laptops will become available early next month.

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