We knew that the new 2011 ThinkPad W520 was going to be something special, but even we didn’t expect anything as good as this!

<— Click Here to build your own ThinkPad W520 Mobile Workstation

First of all we have the option to go all the way up to the new Sandy Bridge Intel Core i7-2920XM 2.50GHz ‘Extreme Processor’ with an 8MB L2 Cache, and on top of that, specify the NVIDIA® QUADRO 2000M with 2GB VRAM and 192 CUDA CORES

So in short you can specify a ThinkPad W520 with the near processing power of a portable super computer. Start with the Core i7-2920XM which is close to 42% faster than 1st generation XM’s including its own integrated HD 3000 graphics with 12 Execution Units. Combine that with NVIDIA® Fermi architecture QUADRO® 2000M with 2GB VRAM and 192 CUDA CORES, (Compute Unified Device Architecture), and specify the available 32GB of DDR3 memory and you have computing power of colossal proportions.

What exactly is the “Fermi” CUDA architecture and why is it important if you are into extreme graphically intensive applications?  FERMI is a highly developed Graphics Processing architecture with over three billion transistors and up to 512 CUDA cores (Compute Unified Device Architecture) so potentially it delivers super computer performance at a small percentage of the cost of traditional CPU workstations.

ThinkPad with Quadro Graphics

So the graphics engine in the new 2011 ThinkPad W520 is a faster, more accurate and less power hungry GPU than previous QUADRO chips. And also features NVIDIA Optimus™ technology to extend battery life by automatically adjusting power to the GPU when its needed and in the W520, use up to 3 displays, including the laptops own display using the ThinkPad Series 3 Mini Dock.

As with the previous model the ThinkPad W510 the W520 is Certified by numerous ISVs, such as Autodesk, Dassault, Siemens and Adobe, so if you are an engineers, industrial designer, animator or a film and video editor and you want to work out on the site without sacrificing performance then the ThinkPad W520 is the mobile workstation of choice.

With Lenovo Enhanced Experience 2.0 and Rapid Drive Technology for super fast boot times you are up and running with the minimum of delays and wait times, so you can get to work quickly.

Other innovative features include the optional Integrated Color Calibrator first seen in the ThinkPad W510, Lenovo Instant Resume mode which keeps your wireless and VPN access connected as you move from office to meeting and back.

If you’re going on Voice or Video calls to discuss a project, whether from on-site or from the boardroom, then the HD low light sensitive web camera and enhanced VIOP functionality is designed to give a superb voice and video conferencing experience with the same feature set built into the new ThinkPad T Series.

And of course if you are out and about with your new W520, it meets Military Specification (Milspec)  Standards for use in adverse field conditions!

For fast data transfer the W520 has 4 USB ports, 2 USB 3.0 for up to 10 times faster file transfer, 1 x USB/Sata, and a powered USB for charging your favorite accessories. Hard Drives start at 160GB and go up to 7200 rpm 500GB Hard Drives with optional RAID 0 for greater storage capacity  or RAID 1 to backup your vital data.

ThinkPad W520 Specifications

Processor – Intel® Core™ 2.50GHz i5-2520M to Intel® Core™ 2.50GHz i7-2920XM

Operating System – Windows 7 Home Basic 32-bit to Windows 7 Professional 64

Display Up FHD 15.6 inch 16:9, LED with Multi Touch Option

Memory Up to 32GB DDR3 (4 x 8GB)

Weight 5.95lbs with optical drive

Dimensions – 14.68in x 9.65in x 1.26in ? 1.41in

Ports, 2 USB 3.0 ports – 1 USB/eSATA Combo – 1 Powered USB

Multiburner Optical Drive

Multimedia Dual digital microphone

Graphics GPU NVIDIA® QUADRO® 1000M 2GB VRAM with 96 CUDA CORES or NVIDIA®

QUADRO® 2000M 2GB VRAM with 192 CUDA CORES

Slots 34mm ExpressCard and optional MMC Smart Card Reader plus ! full and 1 half Internal PCIe Slots

WiMAX/Wifi Intel® Centrino® Advanced-N + WiMAX 6250

WLAN, Intel® Centrino® Ultimate-N 6300 or Intel® Centrino® Ultimate-N 6300 – Intel® Centrino® Advanced-N 6205

WWAN, Gobi 3000 Sierra Wireless EV-DO/HSPA WWAN Minicard – Ericsson HSPA + WWAN Minicard – LeadCore TD-SCDMA WWAN Minicard – Huawei EV-DO WWAN Minicard

Hard Disk Drives, 160GB 7200RPM SATA HDD to 7200RPM 500GB SATA – RAID 0 or RAID 1 optional

SSD Drives, 80GB Intel® Micro SSD for Rapid Drive Option – 128GB SSD 160GB SSD

Webcam 720p HD

Battery Life, Up to 10.7 Hours with 9 Cell Battery Dual Core i5-2520M, 128GB SSD Drive, Quadro 1000M Graphics or Up to 8.9 Hours with 9 Cell Battery, Quad Core i7-2820QM 500GB 7200RPM Drive, Quadro 2000M Graphics

ThinkPad W520 Review- – the new Super Computer.

There is no doubt in our mind that with the 2011 ThinkPad W520 Lenovo has again raised the bar for mobile workstations. This notebook has staggering power. At a start price of $1529 this is not going to be cheap, and specced up it’s easily going to break $3000 + mark, but then the best always does come at a price.

The combination of Core i7-2920XM and NVIDIA® QUADRO 2000M Graphics are going to make the ThinkPad W520 difficult to beat, so it looks like Lenovo stays the King of the Hill in the mobile workstation market. If you’re looking for the best, this is it!

The ThinkPad Super Computer? ThinkPad W520 Review, beyond superlatives!ThinkPad T510 Review | ThinkPad T410 Review and Coupon Code | ThinkPad T410 Review and Coupon Code | The Latest ThinkPad Coupon Code

Are the ThinkPad W701 and W701ds mobile workstations the very best that money can buy? We give you the answer and tell you why you may want to spend close to $7000 to get your hands on one! There are not enough clichés to describe the power the ThinkPad W701 puts at your disposal.

<– Learn More about the ThinkPad W701 and ThinkPad W701ds. Check the latest ThinkPad W701 Coupon Codes Disclosure: Compensated Affiliate

First of all, it goes without saying that the i7 processors on the new ThinkPad W701 and W701ds are exceptionally fast, and even the word exceptional, as clichéd as it may sound doesn’t do the performance real justice.

ThinkPad W701 – unbounded clichés!

Even the base-level processor – a quad-core Intel Core i7 820QM – blows away most mid-level workstation desktop machines. At the top end of the spectrum, the ThinkPad W701 features the Intel Quad Core Extreme Processor i7-920XM. That, combined with the option of 16GB of RAM – yes, 16GB, in a laptop – means that this is the first mass-produced laptop capable of successfully creating a unified field theory. Well, we won’t go that far, but it will handle literally anything a serious professional can throw at it.

To complement all of the processing power, the Lenovo ThinkPad W701 and W701ds also feature Quadro FX-series graphics cards, which mean that whether you’re designing a road bridge or making the next movie in the Shrek series, you’ll rarely have to wait long for rendering and buffering.

Storage, Twin Drives or RAID

For data storage, the Lenovo ThinkPad W701 and the ThinkPad W701ds both come with a range of options, from a Primary 320 GB Hard Drive running at 5400rpm up to 500GB Drives running at 7200rpm. In addition you can opt for a 128GB SSD. On top of that you can choose the option of a further Secondary Hard drive with the same capacity range, which will either be a vanilla twin drive configuration or a RAID 0 or 1 configuration that is set up by Lenovo as a no charge option. Very nice!

That should be plenty to manage the majority of your software packages and essential data and with the RAID option configured give you peace of mind in the event of a primary HD failure.

The display on the W701 is a wonder to behold. The 17-inch WUXGA RGB LED widescreen display, especially when paired with the Quadro FX graphics card, produces flawless images and seamless video with great color, sharpness and resolution.

W701ds – Dual Screen

Where the machine will really shine is in the W701ds version; in case you hadn’t guessed, the “ds” stands for dual-screen. The W701ds is the first laptop to feature a dual-screen display that is both high-quality and affordable; unfortunately, companies have had a hard time providing one or the other in the past. The second screen comes in the form of a 10-inch panel that pulls extends from the primary display case and which retracts when not in use.

The ThinkPad W701 and W701ds feature an integrated Multi Recorder optical drive. For connecting to the world at large, there will also be an Ethernet port, a high-end Wireless card, Bluetooth 2.0, and Wi-Fi options up to the Intel Advanced-N + WIMAX 6250 chipset

Lenovo doesn’t stop its innovation with the amount of power packed into this behemoth; it’s also one of the first companies to incorporate USB 3.0 ports. Whereas USB 2.0 ports can theoretically sustain a transfer rate of 480Mbps, the USB 3.0 ports are designed to handle ten times that – 5Gbps. That may not seem like a lot, but consider this. At full capacity, a USB 2.0 port would transfer a single-layer DVD’s worth of data – 4.7GB – in 10 seconds. A USB 3.0 would do the same in less than one second.

What makes the W701 really unique is the option of the Wacom digitizer which is perfect for digital content creation and CAD/CAM applications. The ThinkPad W701 and ThinkPad W701ds offer a 120mm x 80mm Wacom® palm-rest digitizer and pen. You can configure the digitizer to map to the whole screen area or a just define the screen area you want to use. The Wacom digitizer is compatible with a wide range of applications, from Windows® Paint to Adobe® Photoshop®.

Of course the ThinkPad W701 is ISV Certified. The ISV testing and certification process verifies that the ThinkPad W501 and W701 Series workstations will run some of the most demanding, graphics-intensive workstation applications.

ThinkPad W701 – Earth shattering power

When you look at the ThinkPad W701 and ThinkPad W701ds in context, as a combination of earth shattering power,  (there go those clichés again!) functionality, design, build quality and ergonomics, it really is the only mobile workstation of choice for design, engineering and graphical professionals.

The ThinkPad W701 starts at a base price of $2599, and the ThinkPad W701ds starts at a wallet busting $3299, which is by no means inexpensive, option one of these monsters to the max and you’re closing on $7000!

However, when you’re creating the sort of work that the W701 is capable of, you’re going to want the best that money can buy. Well, you are, aren’t you? We have no doubt whatsoever that the ThinkPad W701 and W701ds deserve the title, ‘best mobile workstation that money can buy’ so, wallets out and head over to configure yours!

Learn More about the –>  ThinkPad W701 and –>  ThinkPad W701ds

Disclosure: ThinkPadToday is a Compensated Affiliate with a material relationship with Lenovo. ThinkpadToday has an Affiliate relationship with Lenovo and will be financially compensated should you purchase a product via this link. For full disclosure Statement please see our Disclosure Page.

Spend $7000? Cos it’s worth it! Lenovo Thinkpad W701 | W701ds ReviewThinkPad T510 Review | ThinkPad T410 Review and Coupon Code | ThinkPad T410 Review and Coupon Code | The Latest ThinkPad Coupon Code

When we first laid our hands on the new Lenovo ThinkPad W510 workstation, the thing  that impressed us most was the superb build quality, the excellent Multi-touch screen option and the sheer  power available.

<– Click Here to Review and Specify your ThinkPad W510

The Multi-touch option is only available with the 15.6” RG-ph LED (95% gamut 270  NIT) 1920 x 1080 screen. Choosing this option adds $200 to the base price of $1599,  but it is mouth wateringly awesome to look at! The 1920 x 1080 screen has to be the choice of photo, graphics and other visual editing pro’s.

And its the professional market that the ThinkPad W510 is clearly aimed at here  because there is absolutely no corner cutting, even with the base specifications. Start to throw in some of the higher end options and you have a mobile workstation of  incomparable power and versatility.

The base ThinkPad W510 comes with some pretty impressive standard features, starting with 7200 rpm hard drives and Quad Core i7 processors.

Base specification includes Quad Core i7-720QM at 1.6GHz, 1GB NVIDIA NVS 5100m, 1×2GB DDR3, 1.3 Webcam, DVDRW, 9-cell battery, 320GB 7200rpm HDD, Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 Wi-Fi, Win7 Pro, Bluetooth and interestingly. USB 3 in one of the 4 USB ports.

During a conversation with Sam Dusi, Head ThinkPad Engineer at the Lenovo Showcase at CES, Sam confirmed that Lenovo has managed to engineer a USB 3 port into the ThinkPad W510.

We have talked about the advantages of the new Calpella micro architecture in our recent ThinkPad T510 Review, and nowhere is it more apparent than in the ThinkPad W510. Not only does the W510 carry an EPEAT Silver environmental rating, it is ENERGY STAR-compliant, excellent in itself for such a powerful notebook, but even more impressive is the up to 18 hours use with the 9 cell battery!

ThinkPad W510 options include the 2GHz i7-920XM Extreme processor, up to 16GB 1333 MHZ DDR3 Memory, NVIDIA Quadro FX 880m with up to 16 GB DDR3 graphics memory, 500 GB 7200 rpm HDD, 2 megapixel low light webcam and the aforementioned multi-touch 1920×1080 resolution display and Color calibrator.

Start to throw some of these extras into the checkout cart, and you’re going to end up with a hefty hit on your credit card, but presumably if your even reading this review, you’re a pro who needs the kind of power and performance that a fully optioned Lenovo ThinkPad W510 can offer.

One thing is for certain. When you start to build out your ThinkPad W510 with the available power options, you’re going to have a mobile workstation with the performance of an F22 Raptor on your hands! Handle with care!

–> Click Here to Review and Specify your Thinkpad W510 <–

Performance like an F22 Raptor! Lenovo Thinkpad W510 launch ReviewThinkPad T510 Review | ThinkPad T410 Review and Coupon Code | ThinkPad T410 Review and Coupon Code | The Latest ThinkPad Coupon Code

<– Redeem the Latest ThinkPad W500 Coupon Code and ‘Instant Off’ Discount

The new ThinkPad W500 comes standard with an Intel Core 2 Duo(2.26GHz) processor with 2GB of RAM, so you will have no problem running a full suite of office and online programs. The machine was built for use with Windows Vista and comes with that operating system, though you can also opt for the Windows XP Professional downgrade.

In the coming months, however, you should also be able to get the system with Windows 7 and Lenovo is currently offering a free Windows 7 upgrade if you buy between now and 31st January 2010.

The standard hard drive in the ThinkPad W500 is large enough – 160GB – for you to store all of your favorite media and important documents and files.

As we write this review however, a 250 GB Hard Disk Drive is available as a Free upgrade for a limited time

Superb keyboard

Sleek and efficient the ThinkPad W500 keyboard is strong, sensitive and comfortable enough for hours of typing. As is customary on ThinkPads, there is a TrackPoint center-mounted in the keyboard to allow for mouse-like navigation. There’s also a large TouchPad with ultra-sensitive control and large buttons for easy clicking.

The 15.4-inch 15.4″ WUXGA TFT is crisp and bright and allows for great viewing in any lighting situation. There’s even a ThinkLight so that you can type in the dark of an airplane or at home.

For connecting to the Internet and for keeping in touch with friends and colleagues, the ThinkPad W500, comes standard with a Gigabit Ethernet card so you can plug in for reliable connections. If it’s Wireless access you want, you can choose a WWAN card with GPS, WiMax and Ultra WideBand for high-impact radio communication. There’s even a Bluetooth chip for wireless peripherals.

Power on the Go

The ThinkPad W500 basic configuration comes equipped with a six-cell battery which provides nearly four-hours of moderate use and up to six-hours of light use on a single charge. If you want to enjoy a long flight or trip without recharging, opt for the nine-cell battery, which provides nearly six-hours of moderate-heavy use and up to eight-hours of light use.

ThinkPad W500, the Power Station

Designed for peripheral use and multimedia viewing and editing, the ThinkPad W500, which has an advanced graphics card, has three USB ports, a FireWire port, microphone input, headphone output, a VGA output, an optional DVI output, a 54/34mm slot, SmartCard, ExpressCard, PC Card, and a 7-in-1 multimedia card reader. The on-board optical drive can be configured with a DVD-R drive and/or Blu-Ray.

Rugged and durable with its magnesium alloy skeleton and wrapped in a durable and solid hard plastic shell, the ThinkPad W500 was designed to endure even the most rigorous travel situations. The keyboard is back-mounted with a metal plate, as well, so the keyboard will endure thousands of hours of use without a problem.

Green Machine

The ThinkPad W500 mobile workstations is Energy Star 5.0 rated, consuming less power, emitting less heat and noise, which makes the W500 a pleasure to use. The ThinkPad W500 is EPEAT Silver qualified, is one of the first PCs to achieve GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality certification.

ISV Certification

Your probably going to be running some pretty hefty applications with your Thinkpad W500 so its great to know that your backed by ISV Certification. ISV Certification is an extensive independent software vendor testing and certification process verifies that your ThinkPad W500 mobile workstation can run some of the most demanding, graphics-intensive workstation applications.

ThinkPad W500, the way to go?

The only real alternative to the Thinkpad W500 is the stunningly powerful and awsome W700, but if you want the best compromise of power with portability the W500 is the way to go.

One of the most powerful and beautifully engineered ThinkPads ever built, the W500 is a great machine for power users looking looking for a mobile workstation with the capability to handle graphic-intensive programs like Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator and Corel. The Thinkpad W500 is a must buy if you want the best 15.4″ notebook in the world

ThinkPad W500 Specifications

Weight/Dimensions: 13.2 x 9.4 x 1.1 – 4.7-6 LBS

Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo P8400(2.26GHz) – Core 2 Duo T9600(2.8GHz)

Memory: 2GB PC2-8500 1066MHz DDR3 (8GB Max)

Operating System: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic to Ultimate (32-bit or 64-bit); Windows XP Professional Downgrade

Display: 15.4” WSGA+ (1680×1050); WUXGA (1920×1200)

Hard Drive: 80GB, 160GB, 250GB, 320GB (5400rpm); 160GB, 200GB (7200rpm); 64GB Solid State Drive

Connectivity: Gigabit Ethernet; Integrated WWAN w/ GPS; Ultra WideBand; Bluetooth; WiMAX

Ports: 3 USB, FireWire, VGA, DVI, Microphone Input, Headphone Output; Standard ExpressCard 34/54mm, 7-in-1 Card Reader

Optical Drive: DVD-R; CD-RW/DVD-ROM; Blu-ray

Battery: 6-Cell (standard); 9-Cell

–> Redeem the Latest ThinkPad W500 Coupon Code and ‘Instant Off’ Discount <–

Lenovo Thinkpad W500 updated 2009 Review, plus latest ecouponThinkPad T510 Review | ThinkPad T410 Review and Coupon Code | ThinkPad T410 Review and Coupon Code | The Latest ThinkPad Coupon Code

In his Lenovo ThinkPad W700 versus the ThinkPad W500 review, Scott Hanselman, Microsoft Principle Program Manager, puts both the ThinkPad W500 and the ThinkPad W700 through their paces in a side by side shoot out.

For those of you that are comparing the ThinkPad W700 vs the ThinkPad W500 and want a full review and unbiased opinion, (OK, Scott’s not unbiased, he loves ThinkPads!), then you have to check out this review.

http://www.hanselman.com/blog/MyLenovoChoiceThinkPadW700VsThinkPadW500Review.aspx

It is the most detailed side by side comparison of the W700 versus the W500 we have read and comes to some really interesting conclusions. So, if your in the process of comparing the ThinkPad W700 to the ThinkPad W500 and you are in a quandary, this is the review for you.

Do you go for the awesome ThinkPad W700?

To quote Scott ..

‘This laptop has its own gravitational pull with netbooks and smaller laptops orbiting
around it. It’s truly awesome. It is a quad-proc machine with an amazing 1920×1200 17″ screen and
a second 1280×768 pull out side-car monitor. What’s that extra monitor for? Toolboxes,
the Solution Explorer, your Email, whatever. It’s brilliant, and don’t knock it until
you’ve tried it.

If you’re looking for a luggable, this is the pinnacle.’

And Scott’s quote on the ThinkPad W500 …

‘The W500 is EXACTLY like my T60p. But with more awesome. It basically fixes every
tiny thing that was wrong with the T60p, which was very little. It weighs the same and
looks exactly like the T60p. It adds an integrated webcam in the bezel, which means
one less thing to carry on trips.’

‘The screen on the W500 is amazing, running at 1920×1200, but the same size as the
T60p.’

So which ThinkPad W Series does Scott Hanselman choose? The Lenovo ThinkPad W500 or
the Lenovo ThinkPad W700? Well, to find out, you’ll have to read Scott’s ThinkPad W Series review.

Thanks Scott for the insight and sharing this with the ThinkPad community

ThinkPad W700 vs the ThinkPad W500, the Scott Hanselman Shoot out!ThinkPad T510 Review | ThinkPad T410 Review and Coupon Code | ThinkPad T410 Review and Coupon Code | The Latest ThinkPad Coupon Code

The Lenovo ThinkPad W700 has become the Workstation of choice for Professional Photographers, Graphic Artists and Engineers since it’s introduction in the the middle of 2008.

When we wrote our first ThinkPad W700 Review back then it was difficult to comprehend the sheer power of ‘The Beast’ as its been nicknamed by Lenovo.

<— Click the ThinkPad W700 Image to go directly to Lenovo for Instant Savings and the latest ThinkPad W700 Coupon Code

There really are not enough superlatives to do this fabulous Notebook justice.

But not content to rest on their laurels, Lenovo surpassed themselves with the introduction of ThinkPad W700ds which offers a 10″ slide out screen to the right hand side of the main screen giving 39% more screen space to work with. The work area and Wacom Digitizer can both be configured to treat this extra screen real estate as either one or two separate work areas.

Rather than write another ThinkPad W700 Review just to cover the W700ds we thought that you would enjoy these new Lenovo Videos that feature a full ThinkPad W700 Video Review and also review the superb W700 Dual Screen capabilities, the integrated Wacom Digitizer and the W700 Pantone Color Calibration features.

ThinkPad W700 and W700ds Video Review

ThinkPad W700 Dual Screen Video Review

ThinkPad W700 Wacom Digitizer Video Review

ThinkPad W700 Pantone Color Calibration Video Review

Lenovo ThinkPad W700 and W700ds Gallery

svgallery=w_700_09

Lenovo ThinkPad W700 and W700ds Video Review and GalleryThinkPad T510 Review | ThinkPad T410 Review and Coupon Code | ThinkPad T410 Review and Coupon Code | The Latest ThinkPad Coupon Code

Win a ThinkPad W700! The Lenovo ThinkPad W700 and the W700 ds are incredibly powerful photographic workstations and have made their mark on professional and amateur photographers the world over.

Both the ThinkPad W700 and the newly announced W700ds have rightfully taken their place at the pinnacle of notebook workstation design for the professional photographer.

Last year Lenovo and Microsoft sponsored Microsoft Pro 08 Photo Summit and they showcased the ThinkPad W700 to a bevy of the worlds top photo pro’s.

This year Lenovo and Microsoft are sponsoring the ‘Name Your Dream Assignment’ contest to find the most creative, inspiring photo shoot idea. You don’t need a portfolio and you don’t need to be a big name pro like Bambi Cantrell, you just need a great idea for a photo shoot and you could win $50,000 so that you can actually bring your dream assignment to fruition and win a Lenovo ThinkPad W700 to help you process all those fabulous images you will shoot. Talk about a dream of a prize!

‘Name Your Dream Assignment’ Competition

Do you and your camera have a dream?

Would you love to take your lens to a far-off, exotic land? Do you dream of taking great pictures and posting them to a top-notch blog that will be seen by thousands?

Name your dream assignment and you can do all this, maybe more, and get your expenses paid to do it.

“Name Your Dream Assignment” invites you to submit your idea for a never-done-before photo shoot. Everyone will have a chance to vote on their favorite idea, and a panel of judges will select from the top 20 most creative and inspiring suggestions.

And it’s the idea that counts. You don’t need to be a pro photographer, or even to have a portfolio. All you need is a dream.

The winner will get a $50,000 cash award plus lots of goodies including a Lenovo ThinkPad W700 notebook computer with Windows Vista, specially designed for photographers.

So tell us your dream and it just might come true.”

See the full details of the competition at www.nameyourdreamassignment.com and become a fan on the Dream Assignment facebook page

Good luck with the competition!

Win a ThinkPad W700 in the Name Your Dream Assignment contestThinkPad T510 Review | ThinkPad T410 Review and Coupon Code | ThinkPad T410 Review and Coupon Code | The Latest ThinkPad Coupon Code

Lenovo ThinkPad W500 Review and current Coupon Code

The question on most of us asked when we first heard about the new ThinkPad W Series machines back in the summer was, ‘how will the W500 compare to the ThinkPad T61p’

The ThinkPad T61p has long been the standard Notebook ‘Workstation’ with its excellent performance and rugged build quality. So how does the ThinkPad W500 stack up?

Well for a kickoff this is typical ThinkPad, sleek, black and solid looking. The W500 exudes a real purposefulness and whilst it really isn’t much lighter than the T61p, the Lenovo Engineers have managed to shave a few ounces off the weight.

The W500 Difference

Where we really start to see the difference is in performance. Now the T61p was no slouch but the W500 really does make maximum use of the Montevina Platform offering the Intel Core 2 Duo processor T9600 running at 2.8GHz 1066MHz with 6MBL2 cache, Switchable Graphics, up to 8 GB of DDR3 memory and a 15.4″ WUXGA Display.

If you’re not familiar with the ‘Switchable Graphics’ concept, what this means is that you can switch back and forth between the Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD video chipset and the ATI™ Mobility FireGL™ V5700 Graphics Card. Use the Intel Graphics Chip when you don’t need full bore graphics and thus save on power and battery life.

Quickly and easily ‘hot’ switch up when you need the FireGl to kick in.

What’s interesting is that the FireGL V5700 graphics card is in fact a Mobility Radeon HD3650 with optimized drivers, which do show a considerable performance gain professional OpenGL based graphics applications.

Of course the ThinkPad W500 like its big brother the ThinkPad W700, is ISV Certified which is an extensive independent software vendor testing and certification process. This verifies that the ThinkPad W500 can run some of the most demanding, graphics-intensive workstation applications.

The base model W500 starts at $1739.00, but as of the time of writing this review, you can save $390 and bring that down to $1390. Further savings may also be available with stackable Lenovo Coupon Codes so keep your eye on our ThinkPad Coupon Code section for the latest offers.

The current Lenovo Discounts <— are coded into this link

As the base configuration only has 1 GB RAM really do need to bump that up to a least 3 GB which is going to stick another$110 on the ticket.

Maxing Out your W500

If you want to go the whole hog and go for the max 8 GB, first thing you have to do is bolt on Vista Business 64 which is a ‘no cost’ upgrade. The challenge here is 8 GB memory is not actually being offered as an upgrade for the W500 because of the shortage of 4 GB sticks. Lenovo’s current stock is being reserved for the W700.

If you max out your ThinkPad W500 spec and go for the Elite ThinkPad W500 15.4″ widescreen with discrete graphics you will end up paying around $2800, (a saving of $589.00 off the current price of $3462.00), but you’ll have yourself a superbly capable Mobile Workstation that will fly through anything that you can legitimately throw at it.

The full Elite specification with all the bells and whistles gets you the top Intel Core 2 Duo processor T9600 (2.8GHz 1066MHz 6MBL2) – 15.4″ WUXGA Screen – ATI Mobility FireGL V5700 with 512MB VRAM – 4 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM 1067MHz SODIMM Memory – UltraNav (TrackPoint and TouchPad) with Fingerprint Reader – 1.3 Megapixel Integrated Camera – 320 GB Hard Disk Drive running at 5400rpm – Intel® 2GB Turbo Memory hard drive cache – Blu-ray Recordable DVD in the Ultrabay – and Integrated AT&T Mobile Broadband (3G) and the 9 cell Li-Ion Battery.

The only other option we would ad is the extra hard drive caddy for the UltraBay and of course, an extra drive to fit in it.

Green Machine

The ThinkPad W500 is also impressive on the environmental front having received an EPEAT Silver Energy Star 4.0 qualification and a Climate Savers certification.

Pretty good for such a powerful notebook. The ThinkPad W500 consumes 25% less power when compared to previous ThinkPad Workstations. In addition, the ThinkPad W500 is one of the first in the industry to have a GREENGUARD Air Quality certification.

So all the Tree Huggers amongst us can sleep easy!

Overall this is a superb machine and a worthy successor to the legendary T61p.

Its beautifully built and very well engineered. And of course it has all the signature features we love on our ThinkPad’s, UltraNav, TrackPoint, ThinkLight and of course that wonderful ThinkPad keyboard.
Buy one and you’ll be future proof for a few years to come.

It’s going to be a while before you reach the computing limits of what the ThinkPad W500 is capable of. For maximum savings buy your ThinkPad W500 direct from Lenovo. The current Lenovo Discounts <— are coded into this link

Lenovo ThinkPad W500 Review and Lenovo CouponThinkPad T510 Review | ThinkPad T410 Review and Coupon Code | ThinkPad T410 Review and Coupon Code | The Latest ThinkPad Coupon Code

The ThinkPad W700 has had an amazing effect on the Pro Photographers who have seen this superb laptop in action. With its Quad Core Computing power, built in Redundancy, Wacom Digitizer, Auto Colour Calibration and superb build quality, its set to become the de facto standard for the Professional Photographer.

In fact, the ThinkPad W700, along with its smaller sibling the ThinkPad W500, looks set  to become the ‘industry standard’ mobile workstation for professional number crunchers and computer artists of all persuasions.

Last week we featured a Lenovo ThinkPad W700 Video review with some of the world’s best pro photographers putting the ThinkPad W700 through its paces. The video was shot at the Microsoft Pro 08 Photo Summit, with photographic luminaries such as Bambi Cantrell and Mathew Jordan Smith.

Bambi Cantrell, has in fact taken it up herself to comment on the post, heaping more praise on the W700.

But we want to know what you think. If you are a professional photographer, Graphic or 3D Artist, Engineer or CAD professional, and you own and are using a ThinkPad W700, then please let us know what you think and let us have your thoughts and comments!

Lenovo ThinkPad W700 Review, the Photo Pro’s heap the praiseThinkPad T510 Review | ThinkPad T410 Review and Coupon Code | ThinkPad T410 Review and Coupon Code | The Latest ThinkPad Coupon Code

There is absolutely no doubt that the ThinkPad W700 is the master of the universe in terms of power and features.

I know we often wax lyrical about the standard of engineering that Lenovo achieves, but the W700 surpasses anything we have ever seen. We covered all the technical stuff in our recent ThinkPad W700 review, but really wanted to revisit the ThinkPad W700 again because we are still amazed by the sheer audacity Lenovo has displayed in producing such a machine.

It stretches the limits  of computing power way beyond a mere desktop replacement. All the clichés have already been worn out ,like “enough computational power to flatten a small village”, “enough Gigahertz to burn down a large forest” etc, etc. But the ThinkPad W700 goes way beyond power, it’s the elegance with which that raw power has been harnessed and combined with a stack of features and options that make the W700 the single best Laptop that money can buy.

And if you want to buy one, it’s plenty of money you’re going to need!

The real question here is, should you buy one? Do your really need all the power and features that the ThinkPad W700 has to offer? Well the answer is yes is if you are an Engineer, an Architect, a Graphic designer (Macbook eat your heart out! Sorry Steve, couldn’t resist that one!) or you work with CAD.

Any other mortal should stick with the ThinkPad W500 or even the T500 and leave yourself a few grand in the bank. Unless of course you just must have one because it way out on the bleeding edge and that’s who you are.

Where the ThinklPad W700 really stands out though is as a creative tool for the Professional Photographer and the Photographic Artist.

Take a look at this Photo Shoot at the Microsoft Pro 08 Photo Summit. Hosted by Wes Williams of Lenovo and Josh Weisberg of Microsoft, this is a real eye opener to the creative power of the ThinkPad W700.  Running the W700 through its paces were such photographic geniuses as Bambi Cantrell, Mathew Jordan Smith and Dennis Reggie. Oh and there were a couple of really gorgeous models as well!

So, should you buy a ThinkPad W700? The answer is simple, providing you have the funds and as we said above you should buy if you are an Engineer, an Architect a Graphic designer, 3D Artist, Games Developer, Mathematician or Scientist with really heavy number crunching applications . The ISV Certified W700 will eat them.

If however you are a serious, creative professional photographer who aspires to the level of  Bambi Cantrell and Mathew Jordan Smith then you need to take a serious look at the ThinkPad W700 from Lenovo. If you want the best mobile digital photo studio on planet Earth, then you need to sell your Macbook Pro, and your Granny and anything else you can lay your hands on and buy a ThinkPad W700. The great thing is that as we write this, there are some Thinkpad W700 coupon codes available and you could just save yourself a few hundred dollars.

Enjoy the video.

Lenovo ThinkPad W700 Video review – why and if you should buy one!ThinkPad T510 Review | ThinkPad T410 Review and Coupon Code | ThinkPad T410 Review and Coupon Code | The Latest ThinkPad Coupon Code