Lenovo has announced brand new products to their consumer line-up, letting out a fresh batch of notebooks, all-in-one systems, and a lone nettop.

New Notebooks

First up is the new Z series of notebooks which brings together media rich capabilities will keeping a competitive price. The notebooks will feature 16:9 screens on 13″ and 15″ models, optional Blu-Ray, and Dolby Advanced Audio for decent listening experience. The new IdeaPad Z360 (likely 13.3″) and Z560 (likely 15.4″) will feature Intel Core processors and NVIDIA graphics. My speculation is that the Z360 and Z560 will not feature Optimus as the press release did not mention anything to extended battery life on the Z series (Optimus would be worth highlighting if it were a product feature). The IdeaPad Z565 will feature AMD Phenom II CPUs with ATI Mobility Radeon graphics.

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The IdeaPad Z560

Also introduced are the Z460 and Z465 models, but there are no details on those SKUs just yet, but will likely be a 14.1″ model if Lenovo’s product naming is consistent with their other products.

Ultra-portables are also on the menu with new U160, U460, and U460s. The U460 and U460s are 14.1″ units that are less than 1 inch thick and 3.8 lbs, and come with Intel Core i7 CPUs. The U460s and U160 are ultra-low voltage models for better battery life. The U160 is an update to the U150 11.6″ notebook and is a scant 2.9 lbs and 0.9 inches at its tapered end.

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IdeaPad U160 and U460.

Getting Touchy – New A700 and B305 All-in-Ones

For the first time, Lenovo is adding touch-based screens to an All-in-One. The A700 and B305 will feature NaturalTouch technology and an associated suite of applications that support it. The A700 will use Surface Acoustic Wave touch screen technology which is a touch technology used in industrial interfaces, but has not seen much usage in the consumer space. Lenovo claims it is more accurate than current touch options.

The IdeaCentre A700 is a 23″ 1920×1080 unit with support for Intel Core i7, JBL speakers, HDMI input and output, and an optional 3-in-1 mouse that can be used on a surface, in the air, and as a motion controller. The A700 can also be upgraded to 8GB DDR3 and 2 TB of HDD.

The IdeaCentre B305 is an AMD alternative with a 21.5″ screen, Athlon II X4 Quad-Core CPU, 1920×1080 resolution, and features an enhanced LED panel. It comes with a wireless mouse and keyboard. (Note: the Lenovo Press Release specs the B305 at 21.5″ while the Lenovo product page states 23″).

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The Invisible Nettop

The IdeaCentre Q150 is a small nettop PC featuring optional NVIDIA ION for superior HD handling capability, and HDMI output. There is also a VESA bracket that allows the Q150 to be mounted behind a display, but this will only work if your display isn’t already using the VESA mount for hanging on a wall.

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Availability and Pricing

  • Z360, Z560, Z565: Beginning of June, starting at $649
  • U160, U460, U460s: Beginning of June, starting at $699
  • IdeaCentre A700: End of June, starting at $999
  • IdeaCentre B305: Beginning of June, starting at $699
  • IdeaCentre Q150: End of June, starting at $249.