ThinkPad SL Series – Is Lenovo going for the kill?

With the announcement from Lenovo that they are rolling out a new low-cost line of ThinkPad notebooks later this year, are they now making a move that will see them completely dominate the Laptop market?

The new ThinkPad SL will compete directly against the Dell Vostro range in the Small to Medium business sector and the announcement adds a real sense of drama to the industry.

Lenovo confirmed it will launch a the ThinkPad SL starting with the ThinkPad SL300 about the time that Intel plans to roll out its updated Centrino line. Intel announced it would push back its Centrino 2 launch until the summer, which forced makers like to delay the launch of new Laptops that will take advantage of the new chip set.

The fact that Lenovo is offering an alternative to the more corporate ThinkPad T61 is good news for companies that have to keep a close eye on IT budgets but still hanker after the superb ThinkPad build quality that large corporations love. Added to that, by releasing a ThinkPad branded business-class laptop to its range Lenovo have the Dell line of Vostro PCs and laptops firmly in its sites because the Vostro just does not carry the same kudos and brand recognition as the famous ThinkPad name.

This new ThinkPad SL range will include screens ranging from 13.3 inches to 15.4 inches and prices ranging from $699 on the low end to $1,199 at the top of the range.

Lenovo will surely now cease production of the 3000 line as it seems to be incorporating most some of the features into the more consumer oriented and award winning IdeaPad range. The IdeaPad was a smash hit at the 2008 CES expo in January.

The great news for the market place is that Lenovo, even as it figures out its overall branding strategy, is jumping in to the segment with a vengeance with the new ThinkPad SL range. The manufacturers that are already playing had better watch out. Lenovo will bring the legacy of the ThinkPad with it into the SMB space. It’s a very competitive sector but Lenovo is proving to be a formidable opponent.

Nobody would have believed that they could have taken on the ThinkPad range from IBM in 2005 and actually made it work, but they have. They took on Apple and won with the Lenovo X300, and intend to take a large slice of the consumer market with the IdeaPad range. Whilst Dell and Hewlett-Packard are still battling it out for the top spots, Lenovo are nipping very closely at their heels.

There is no doubt in our minds where Lenovo with its coveted ThinkPad brand and new IdeaPad brand has their sights set! Nothing but number one will suffice!