Lenovo says the IdeaPad Y650 is the thinnest, lightest 16-inch laptop
Really like copper accents? Try the Lenovo Y650.
Kicking off the first wave of CES laptop announcements (and beating the competition by about 24 hours), Lenovo is bolstering its consumer-targeted IdeaPad line with a few new models, highlighted by the 16-inch Y650.
The new Y series includes the 16-inch Y650, the 15-inch Y550, and the 14-inch Y450. All will share a similar design, with a black, "interlocked hexagon pattern," on the lid and a copper accent band around the edge.
The 16:9 displays on all three point towards multimedia use, as does the Dolby Home Theater Surround Sound-branded audio. Both audio and video settings can be accessed from a quick-launch button that launches a software app called the OneKey Theater (hey, we just write about this stuff, we don't come up with the names).
A touch-sensitive slide bar above the screen acts as an app-switcher, and the touch pad now supports some Mac-like multitouch gestures, including image zooming.
All three models have Intel Centrino 2 class CPUs, Nvidia graphics, and optional Blu-ray drives. Look for the 16-inch Y650 in February, and the Y550 and Y450 in March. They start at $1,199 for the IdeaPad Y650, $829 for the IdeaPad Y550 and Y450.
New York native Dan Ackerman, a former radio DJ turned journalist, has written about technology and music for publications including Spin, Blender, The Hollywood Reporter, and USA Today. He hosts the weekly Digital City podcast and the New York edition of Editors' Office Hours. Dan's new album, Tales Out of Night School, is available now. E-mail Dan.
