Lenovo unveils touchscreen ThinkPad S431, ships ThinkPad Edge E431 and E531

Lenovo is giving fans of professional laptop chic a treat today: in addition to shipping the ThinkPad Edge E431 and E531, it's unveiling one more model, the ThinkPad S431. The new Ivy Bridge-powered system is closer to the Edge S430 in spirit, carrying a similar 0.8 inches thick chassis, an aluminum lid and a thin-bezel design that stuffs a 14-inch touchscreen into a small body. It does carry the newer Edge line's unifying OneLink connector and gesture-friendly touchpad, although the svelter profile also involves some sacrifices -- the S431 tops out at 8GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive, or about half what its peers can manage. The slimmer, touch-enabled design will also boost the asking price to $699 when the S431 ships in June, although the cost conscious can spring for the E431 and E531 today for a distinctly cheaper $599.

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Lenovo ThinkPad Laptop Delivers High Style and Performance to Image-Conscious Small Businesses

ThinkPad S431 features sleek floating design without sacrificing performance

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. – April 30, 2013: Lenovo(HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) today announced its new ThinkPad S431, a premium laptop PC featuring an elegant floating design and touchscreen display. Optimized for Windows 8, the ThinkPad S431 offers enhanced performance and 15 percent faster processor speed than previous generations. The laptop is ideal for professionals who want a combination of style and substance. It is also a fit for small businesses that need a laptop to do it all – great performance for work tasks and an excellent experience for personal computing.

"The progressive design of our ThinkPad S431 will help small businesses impress their customers. We pack a punch behind that style, however, as we are committed to delivering genuine substance," said Jerry Paradise, executive director, Think Business Group. "The ThinkPad S431 offers an intuitive Windows 8 experience with the power needed to accelerate productivity."

The S431 is one of the first ThinkPads to feature Lenovo OneLink technology, which allows users to connect to the ThinkPad OneLink Dock with a single cable for dedicated video, additional USB 3.0 ports and gigabit Ethernet, all while powering the system.

Chic, stylish design

Featuring an ultra-thin bezel, the ThinkPad S431 is able to fit a 14-inch LCD screen in a 13-inch frame. The aesthetic exterior includes bevelled edges on the front and side, giving the illusion that the PC is floating and making the 20.5 mm frame look even thinner. A real aluminum LCD cover, available in fashion-forward silver or graphite black, is sand blasted and anodized, making it smooth to the touch for a premium feel.

The ThinkPad S431 also boasts a simplified interior with a five-button clickpad with glass surface to eliminate clutter, adding to the overall clean look of the laptop.

Easy, interactive experience

The ThinkPad S431 comes with a multi-finger touchscreen that makes swiping, selecting apps and resizing images a breeze – allowing Windows 8 to be used as intended. The display features 180-degree open angle that lets users interact with the laptop in a number of usage modes and improves the overall touch experience.

The ThinkPad S431 has a six-row backlit keyboard that includes Windows 8 optimized shortcut keys. Additionally, the large, responsive touchpad supports Windows 8 gestures, providing users with a powerful and intuitive way to be more productive and interactive with their laptop.

Power for performance

The ThinkPad S431 is powered by Intel 3rd generation Core™ processors, making it 15 percent faster than its predecessor with up to nine hours of battery life. With up to 8 GB of memory and 500 GB of storage, users don't have to sacrifice responsiveness for performance. The S431 can store up to 150,000 MP3s or 250 full-length feature films. The laptop features two USB 3.0 ports for fast data transfer.

Mainstream laptops designed for performance

First announced at CES, the mainstream ThinkPad Edge E431 and E531 are now available for purchase. For small businesses on a budget, the E431 and E531 laptops also include Lenovo OneLink technology for new docking capabilities. In addition to touch functionality, the slim ThinkPad Edge E431 and E531 laptops feature improved graphics options for more vivid content on their displays, up to full HD, and a five-button touchpad lets users control Windows 8 features from the keyboard.

Pricing and availability

The ThinkPad S431 is available beginning June 2013 from business partners and on www.lenovo.com. Pricing for the ThinkPad S431 starts at $699. The ThinkPad OneLink Dock is available beginning May 21.

The ThinkPad Edge E431 and E531 are available beginning April 30 from business partners and on www.lenovo.com. Pricing for the ThinkPad Edge E431 and E531 starts at $599.