Lenovo updates ThinkPad Edge notebooks for SMBs and enterprises

Lenovo has added two models to its Edge line of notebooks for SMBs, and introduced a new ThinkPad model for larger enterprises.

The 13.3in Edge notebooks weigh 1.63kg and have been redesigned with a thinner frame to improve portability.

Due later this month, the notebooks will ship with AMD Fusion or Intel Core processors as well as AMD's Radeon graphics platform. Other options include Rapid Boot, a system which uses flash storage hardware to speed up boot times.

The systems will also feature Lenovo's ThinkVantage Communications Utility suite designed for videoconferencing. The hardware and software bundle includes a low-light camera, and tools to reduce system noise and manage volume during video calls.

"We have crafted our latest ThinkPad Edge laptops to meet the needs of SMBs that want the compact size of an ultraportable without compromising the professional image and performance technologies they need to manage their business, wherever it takes them," said Luis Hernandez, Lenovo's ThinkPad Edge business unit executive director.

"These laptops prove that innovation, performance, style and design can go hand-in-hand with affordability, as we have models to fit almost any budget."

The ultraportable 11.1in X121e ThinkPad notebook, meanwhile, will offer many of the same hardware features of the Edge models but with additional security and management components.

Among the options will be anti-theft tools, self-encrypting hard drives and remote recovery software. The notebooks will also offer additional Windows 7 configurations for larger businesses.