Lenovo is targeting business professionals with the release of several new enterprise -class ThinkPad laptops. The new lineup -- which promises to boost the multitasking capabilities of mobile enterprise workers -- includes the attractively priced ThinkPad X100e, which features chips from Advanced Micro Devices.

"Customers asked us for low cost and extreme portability without sacrificing usability or the manageability needed to run a business," noted Lenovo Vice President Sam Dusi. "By expanding the ultraportable ThinkPad X Series to reach prices under $500, the X100e delivers on all counts."

ThinkPad's AMD Options

With a starting price of $449, the X100e represents the first time Lenovo has offered AMD processors in its ThinkPads. The Athlon Neo single- and dual-core processors will be offered initially on the X100e, with the chipmaker's new Turion dual-core chips becoming available later in the first quarter.

The ultrathin X100e, which has a thickness ranging between 0.59 and 1.16 inches, offers full hardware  support for the professional edition of Microsoft  Windows  7 but also can be ordered with Windows XP. Lenovo envisions users "running typical office applications on the X100e, such as Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint," said company spokesperson Kristy Fair. "They would be creating presentations with photos and videos, as well as working on spreadsheets and Word documents/reports."

Weighing 1.36 kilograms and equipped with an 11.6-inch high-definition display, the X100e sports a spill-resistant keyboard with enlarged keys, together with a new multi-gesture touchpad. To gain the extra room for the full keyboard, Lenovo has removed rarely used function keys such as "system request" and the embedded number pad.

The new machine, which integrates a high-speed Wi-Fi (802.11n) radio and gigabit Ethernet, offers support for optional Bluetooth and 3G radios. Also on tap is a low-light-sensitive web camera, three USB ports, a four-in-one media card reader, and HD audio capability.

Battery life is two hours with the standard three-cell 2.2Ah battery, or up to five hours with the optional six-cell 2.6Ah unit, which increases the machine's overall weight to 1.5 kg. Users also will be able to choose from among 160GB, 250GB and 320GB hard-drive options.

Available beginning Tuesday in smooth midnight black and heatwave red finishes, the X100e includes AMD's VISION Pro Technology -- an advanced visual platform specifically optimized for Windows 7. Among other things, VISION Pro provides support for dual monitors as well as visual productivity applications that include 3-D graphics, slide animations, and embedded multimedia links.

Models With Intel Core Chips

Lenovo also unveiled four more business-oriented ThinkPad machines: The T410s, T410 and T510 laptops, and the W510 -- a mobile workstation squarely aimed at professionals working in data  and graphics-demanding fields such as computer-aided design and photography as well as oil and gas exploration.

All four machines run Intel Core processors, together with the chipmaker's advanced Core vPro and Turbo Boost technologies. Selected models also integrate advanced graphics chips from Nvidia. For example, the T410s ships with Nvidia's switchable graphics offering with 512MB of VRAM, while the W510 incorporates Nvidia's 1GB GPU.

A new nine-cell battery is available for the T410, T510 and W510 that is capable of delivering up to 22 hours of continuous operation from a single charge. Additionally, the three machines can be ordered with Qualcomm's Gobi 2000 module, which delivers a single solution for obtaining wireless broadband connectivity.

The four Lenovo machines are slated to become available beginning Thursday at starting prices ranging from $1,399 for the thin and light T410s to $999 for the T410 and T510. The W510 workstation, which runs Intel's new Core i7 processor and supports up to 16GB of 1333-MHz DDR3 memory, will have a starting price of $1,599.