Lenovo test drives 'roll cage' PC

Tougher than The Stig?

By James Sherwood • Get more from this author

23rd June 2009 11:17 GMT

A thin profile and lightweight design are often the preserve of netbooks and high-end Macs, so Lenovo’s bucked the trend with a 14.1in ThinkPad that, it claimed, offers both those qualities and more.

Lenovo's T400: with roll cage lid

The T400s was “inspired by” Lenovo’s skinny X300 laptop, the firm said, and so is a super-slim 21mm thick. It weighs in at under 1.8kg.

You shouldn’t have to worry about the T400s’ ability to cope with tough office conditions. Lenovo has fitted the machine with a “Top Roll Cover Cage” made from monocoque carbon reinforced fibre – the same material used in bicycle frames and on aeroplanes, apparently.

Under that hard-wearing shell you’ll find a 2.54GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and your choice of either a 128GB solid-state drive or 250GB HDD, Lenovo said.

The T400s’ 9.5mm DVD burner can be replaced with an optional Blu-ray Disc drive, and the machine can also be fitted with either an Express Card slot 34 or five-in-one memory card reader.

Choose between SSD or HDD storage

An Ethernet port and Wi-Fi connectivity come as standard on the T400s, but Lenovo can provide several connectivity upgrade options, including Bluetooth and ultrawideband support.

The T400s’ battery life will hold out for six hours, Lenovo added.

Lenovo’s T400s is available now at a starting price of £1760/$1599 (€2058). ®