IBM Thinkpad
Originally made by IBM, the ThinkPad is now manufactured by Lenovo, a Chinese company that bough IBM’s mobile computer division in 2005. Since then, the ThinkPad line has continued to adhere to its reputation as being solidly built, innovative, and dependable.

There are four series of ThinkPads currently being offered by Lenovo – the Z, R, T, and X. As each can be outfitted with up to an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, which as a dual core chipset is one of the most powerful processors available, the main difference between the models is the size. Both the R series and the X series as lower priced models have a smaller, square display, while the Z and T series models have large, wide screens. The X series, which is the smallest ThinkPad, has a 12.1 inch screen, which is standard among laptops that are focused on mobility. It is its weight that really makes the X series shine, as it weighs in at a meager 2.7 pounds. This is one of the lightest full featured laptops in existence today, as only the handheld PCs like Sony’s VAIO UX series can compete with this weight. The other models are between 4.5 and 5.4 pounds which is also very light for high-end laptops, since with other brands this weight range is represented by their lightest, least powerful models.

The add-ons with the new Lenovo ThinkPads are advanced as well, as all four models contain an integrated wireless wide area network adapter, and the ability to add a DVD burner to each one. In addition, advanced graphics cards are available for these models as well, with up to 256 megabytes of video RAM in the Z and T series.

And for a few extra hundred dollars, you can purchase the X series as a tablet PC, complete with a touch screen display for easy data input. The screen actually swivels around so that it rests on top of the keyboard, face up. That way, you can hold it like a book, and use the touch screen in lieu of the mouse and keyboard. With some applications it is more effective to work like that, so if this is a priority, the ThinkPad has got you covered.

In summary, even though the ThinkPad division changed hands from IBM to Lenovo in 2005, this storied line of laptops has not missed a beat when it comes to the brand’s record of reliability and innovation, and it should continue to produce better laptops in the years to come.