Lenovo announced three new Windows 7-powered IdeaPad laptops today – the U150, U550, and Y550P. The first two emphasize portability and long life, but the Y550P’s focus is power. Sporting Intel’s new Core i7 processor (which includes Turbo Boost technology), up to 8GB of RAM, and an NVIDIA GeForce 240M graphics card, the Y550P is looking to capture the hearts of gamers and multimedia mavens. Lenovo claims that this is the most powerful laptop with Core i7 inside.
The 15.6-inch system incorporates a 1366x768 HD display and the option for including a Blu-ray drive. Though we often find laptop speakers lacking, the promise of an integrated sub-woofer is intriguing, as is the automatic theater quality audio/video optimization.
The 6.1 pound, 15.2 x 10.0 x 1.5 inch system is similar in style to the aesthetically impressive IdeaPad Y450. The keyboard and touchpad look unchanged, though there is one addition to the deck: a touch-sensitive slide bar. SlideNav is designed to help users navigate programs, documents and shortcuts, unobtrusively blending into the deck when not in use. Lenovo has often emphasized good design in their consumer laptops, and we’re happy to see this trend continue.
The Y550P will come with Windows 7 Home Premium which also includes the Lenovo Enhanced Experience. Lenovo and Microsoft worked together to bring a set of features, tools and optimizations to Windows 7 that promises to make selected IdeaPad laptops boot and shut down faster, make maintenance easy, and deliver richer entertainment and graphics. Faster boot times are always welcome, and we’re definitely eager to hear the claimed difference in audio.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Y550P will likely retail for around $1399 and should be available to consumers in mid-November.
