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Lenovo takes aim at ‘digital lifestyle’ with ‘nettops,’ home server

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Note: The Skinny blog is written by Rick Smith, editor and co-founder of Local Tech Wire and business editor of WRAL.com.

MORRISVILLE, N.C. – Lenovo, the world’s No. 4 PC maker, is following through on a commitment made in 2008 to drive more sales globally by targeting consumers.

This week, the Morrisville-based company rolled out a series of new products targeting what a spokesperson calls the “digital lifestyle.”

Offerings include a home server PC and “nettops”,” which are ultra-thin, light, lower cost but feature-packed desktop PCs designed to deliver the capabilities or larger, more conventional models. Nettops, first introduced by Acer, follow PC makers’ dive into “netbooks,” which are smaller, thinner and less costly laptops.

Lenovo is also introducing a home server for the linking of entertainment and computer systems.

Charles Famer, a consumer products marketing manager for Lenovo, told PC Mag that the new products establish Lenovo as a “well-rounded partner” in the consumer space.

Better ideas?

The home server PC, the IdeaCentre Q700, retails for $499.

Lenovo’s description: “Lenovo’s DVD-like IdeaCentre home theater PC connects with multiple devices, including digital cameras, smartphones and more so consumers can watch videos in full HD resolution, view photos and listen to music all on their TV. They can also watch and record digital TV with the optional TV tuner and remote while seamlessly integrates multiple media sources into a single device. “

Some specs from Lenovo:

• Full High Definition: Supports 1920x1080 graphics and 7.1 digital surround sound
• Fast Intel Core™2 Duo Processors: Provides silent and smooth video playback
• Plenty of Storage: Stores up to 1 terabyte of content with eight USB ports and an eSATA port

The Windows Home Server box IdeaCentre D400 also costs $499.

Lenovo’s description: “Lenovo’s IdeaCentre D400 home server securely houses large amounts of data for professional and personal use, including videos, music and photos. Users can easily set up a home network to store and share files across different devices such as PCs and smartphones. They can also regularly back up PCs on the network to support a small office or home office.”

Key specs, as Lenovo notes::

• Plenty of Storage: Supports up to eight terabytes of total storage
• Expandable and Easy to Use: Mix and match different brands and capacities of hard drives and even add and remove them while the PC is running. Connect multiple external storage devices with five USB ports, including a front-mounted port with one-touch data copy function and an eSATA port for high-speed external data transfer
• Dependable and Secure: Duplicate important data on multiple hard disk drives for backup and security
• Access Anywhere: Remotely access files from anywhere with an Internet connection by connecting remotely to the hub via a secure web page4

Nettops include the Q100 and Q110 at $249 and $349.

Lenovo’s description: “The IdeaCentre Q100 completes the collection of new digital lifestyle devices and stand out with a stylish black patterned design. These tiny PCs measure 0.7 inches thin, making them the thinnest nettops yet1 at just the size of a small book. The nettops feature an Intel Atom processor, making them ideal for performing basic functions like web surfing, downloading content and producing Internet-based documents. The Q110 may be the smallest, most powerful nettop yet. Equipped with Nvidia ION graphics, the nettop supports HD video and can handle accelerated media conversion and other tasks consumers would expect from full size desktops.”

Specs, as noted by Lenovo:

• Ultra Slim and Small - At only 6 x 6.3 x 0.7 inches thin, the size of this tiny desktop makes it perfect for tight spaces. The nettop can even be mounted on the back of a monitor.
• Energy Efficient- The Q100 runs on just 14 watts when idle and 40 watts at full operation
• Enhanced Multimedia: The Q100 supports VGA output, while the Q110 supports 1080p high definition video with DirectX 10 graphics for crisp and vibrant content and 3G games and also enables smooth playback with Nvidia CUDA technology

Christmas gifts?

The home entertainment offensive comes in a year during which Lenovo has shuffled management, cut staff and said it would focus on China where the company was born and still does most of its business. However, these new products demonstrate the company also remains committed to growth outside of business sales. And in the most recent quarter it did increase global market share with new netbooks helping lead the way.

Will nettops, home servers and home theater PCs drive that share higher? We shall find out - just in time for the Christmas shopping season.

The Skinny

WRAL Local Tech Wire Publisher and Editor Rick Smith dishes out tidbits from the local technology sector. Read more articles…