Lenovo Group, one of the world's largest makers of PCs, has introduced its first two business-class ThinkPad notebooks powered by Intel's next-generation Core i 3000-series "Ivy Bridge" chips, a premium one and a relatively low-cost model that will carry "ultrabook" branding and will likely utilize Windows 8 OS. The most advanced one - the ThinkPad X1 Hybrid - features two operating systems along with plethora of leading-edge technologies by the company.

Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Hybrid comes with two operating systems: one is Microsoft Windows 7 for everyday work and another will be a custom-made Linux operating system designed for Instant Media Mode (that allows to watch videos, view photos, listen to music and browse the web) feature with dedicated 16GB of storage space. Lenovo promises up to five hours battery life when operating in Windows environment and up to ten when using Linux with cut-down capabilities. The ThinkPad X1 Hybrid carries two microprocessors: one Intel Core i-series "Ivy Bridge" and another is ARM-powered dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon. According to Lenovo, to switch to IMM from Windows, users simply click on an icon on the laptop’s home screen.

The ThinkPad X1 Hybrid remains a business-class laptop first with features like optional mobile broadband, a 13.3" display that includes Corning Gorilla glass (but probably retains rather poor 1366*768 resolution of the original X1) and an HD web camera and microphones for video and voice calling. The laptop features Dolby Home Theater v4 sound, an HDMI port and Intel Wireless Display technology to connect and stream 1080p video wirelessly to a TV or projector. The X1 Hybrid also has robust security layered with Intel vPro3 technology, encrypted hard drives with remote management support and a fingerprint reader.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Hybrid laptop is only 0.6" (1.52cm) thick and weighs less than 4 pounds (1.81 kilograms). It includes Rapid Charge technology that charges the battery up to 80% in just 30 minutes. The ThinkPad X1 Hybrid laptop will be available starting in Q2 2012 at a price starting approximately $1599.

Separately, Lenovo introduced its new 14" ThinkPad T430u "ultrabook" for business users. The novelty will be powered by Intel Core i-series "Ivy Bridge" microprocessors and will be able to pack in a discrete graphics chip by Nvidia, up to 1TB solid-state drive. The laptop is projected to be up to 0.8" thick (2cm) and weigh less than four pounds (1.8 kilograms). Lenovo promises up to six hours of battery life, quick resume and fast boot up as well as ThinkPad’s "new modern and minimalist island-style keyboard". ThinkPad T430u ultrabook will be available in Q3 2012 starting at $849, which implies that the novelty will use Microsoft Windows 8.

Tags: Lenovo, ThinkPad, Ivy Bridge, Intel Core, Windows, Windows 8