Forecasters predict that the laptop market will reach a value of US$ 86670 million by 2026 growing at a rate of 0.3% per annum. These small gains are a representation of how widespread laptops already are, rather than their undesirability.
Are you one of the few people who
doesn't have one of these indispensable machines yet, or are you looking for a
new one? If so, you've likely come across Lenovo laptops in your search.
Before you join the millions of
people who already own one of these bestsellers, here's what you need to know
about them.
1.
Lenovo Is Over 30 Years Old
Lenovo originated in China on
November 1, 1984. It wasn't started by a tech billionaire, but rather by an
ordinary engineer working at the Chinese Academy of Sciences,
Liu Chuanzhi.
Liu came up with the idea of
starting a computer company to help the academy generate funds. His employer
arranged a $20,000 loan from the government and assigned 10 engineers to the
project to assist him.
The company started in a 20
square-yard room in Beijing and failed dismally at their first few projects.
However, they continued their research into magnetic storage technology for
computers, hoping to discover commercial applications for their designs.
As they went along they developed a
Chinese character set for computers along with technology that could recognize
these characters.
Initially, they made ends meet by
distributing imported computers and peripherals but gained permission to brand
and sell their PCs in 1990.
Despite their lack of experience,
the team soldiered on, facing up to top competition from established US brands
as the Chinese markets opened up.
Yet, thanks to their low production
costs, and the patent on their Chinese character set, they soon overtook these
giants in China, becoming the nation's best-selling brand by 1996.
Liu maintained their position by
constantly refining its offering with innovations, like the Pentium II
processor introduced in 1990, further cementing the company's foothold in
China.
2. It
Wasn't Always Called Lenovo
At the initial meeting with the
Chinese government, where Liu and his team outlined their business plan, they
introduced their company as, New Technology Developer, Inc.
They kept this name for a few years
before changing it to Legend. In 2003, the new CEO, Yang Yuanqing decided
to change the business's name yet again, to Lenovo.
In line with its growing
international fame, the company spent $3 billion re-branding itself. The
campaign involved placing enormous billboards in strategic global locations for
eight weeks straight.
The ads contained a blue sky
backdrop with the company name emblazoned on it along with the
words, “Transcendence depends on how you think”.
Are you wondering what Lenovo means?
It's made up of the letters 'Le' from the original name plus the Latin word for
new, i.e. 'novo'. So, it simply means, 'the new Legend.'
3. Lenovo
Is the World's Best Selling Laptop
Over the years, the brand's gone
from strength to strength.
An agreement with Microsoft in 1997,
propelled Lenovo onto the international stage, and it bought IBM's PC
division in 2005 to become the third-largest computer company worldwide.
They made IBM's technology their
own, growing to number one in the world, but soon realized that mobile was the
next big tech innovation.
To keep pace with these changing
times, Lenovo bought Motorola Mobility from Google in 2014, to become the
world's third-largest smartphone manufacturer worldwide.
Today, Lenovo sells more laptops
than any other brand, recording sales exceeding 19,000 units
during the slow third quarter of 2021, outpacing HP by over 1,000
machines.
4.
Lenovo Laptops Deliver More Bang For Your Buck
Thanks to the relatively cheap labor
and production costs in China, Lenovo can sell their laptops for less than
brands made in other countries.
That means you get a lot more
features at a lower price. For instance, the Lenovo Chromebook features a
price tag lower than many of the top tablets.
Yet it features the best features of
both a tablet and a laptop plus an astonishing 22-hour battery life once you
unplug your Lenovo laptop charger.
The trend continues throughout
Lenovo's extensive range, with each laptop offering features common to its more
expensive peers on offer from other top brands.
5.
Lenovo Offers Great Tech Variety
The Lenovo brand understands
that its customers have different preferences when it comes to computing.
Despite a longstanding relationship with Intel, it also offers laptops with
Ryzen processors.
The Lenovo Legion 7i features the
latest Core i9 -10980HK processor from Intel, while the Lenovo Legion
Slim 7 and the Lenovo Yoga Slim pro both have the
top-of-the-range Ryzen 9 5900HX processor.
You can choose between the excellent
speed of a solid-state drive (SSD) or the superior storage of a hard disk drive
(HDD) plus a huge variety of screen sizes and resolutions to suit your needs.
There are web-based Chromebooks as
well as Windows operating systems to choose from, too.
6.
There's a Lenovo Laptop For Everyone
Finally, you'll find yourself with
no shortage of choices when it comes to this brand. There's an extensive
offering available to suit those who have very low laptop expectations, to the
most hard-core gamers.
These are some of Lenovo's
best-selling and most highly acclaimed laptops:
Everyday
Laptops
If your computing needs extend no
further than basic operations, and you aren't using any power-hungry programs,
a low-end laptop will do for daily use.
Lenovo's hybrid laptop, the Yoga 9i,
suits these requirements adequately. With no extra bells and whistles, these
affordable laptops cope perfectly well with basic tasks like:
- Browsing the internet
- Creating spreadsheets
- Email communication
- Streaming or watching videos
This laptop features everything you
could want for home use with a durable metal chassis that folds back for tablet
capabilities.
The Thunderbolt™ 4 USB connectors
ensure high-speed data transfer. Wi-Fi 6 will power your internet regardless of
what other users are up to on your home network.
A webcam privacy shutter
ensures privacy from hackers, and the garage pen charges in its port. The
best part is that this laptop can maintain its charge for up to 11 hours once
you've disconnected it from a power source.
According to this source,
the Yoga 9i also features the latest line of Intel Evo technology for premium
performance. The 9i is the top-of-the-range hybrid laptop produced by Lenovo,
but you can also opt for one of the cheaper versions for reliable Yoga
performance.
Business
Laptops
Once dubbed the 'best laptop ever', the Lenovo ThinkPad laptop fulfills all your
expectations when it comes to business.
The X1 Carbon is top of this range,
offering a huge variety of extras craved by business travelers. PC Mag rates
this laptop as the 'Business Laptop of the Year.'
It's ultra-thin and
lightweight, with a magnesium alloy chassis for supremely
durable portability. The extra-large battery keeps going for up to 17 hours
from a full charge and the wide touchpad and 16:10 display offer supreme
convenience.
It outpaces its nearest competition,
the Apple MacBook Air M1 with the following features:
- 2 Thunderbolt 4 ports
- HDMI and USB-A 3.2 ports
- An audio jack
- Security lock slot
- Optional 4G or 5G LTE
An
excellent 1,920-by-1,200-pixel screen completes the picture. Although it's
cheaper than Apple, this laptop has a hefty price tag, but you can opt for
a more affordable ThinkPad in hybrid and ultralight versions.
Gaming
Laptops
The Legend is the best-known Lenovo
gaming laptop for good reason. This high-end machine offers exceptional
performance when playing power-hungry games and an efficient cooling system to
help the laptop cope with these demands.
The Legion 5Pro tops the list of
these offerings with several features that make it ideal for serious gamers.
These include:
- AMD Ryzen 5 5600H or Ryzen 7 5800H processor
- Nvidia RTX GPU
- Up to 32 GB RAM
- 16-inch 165Hz IPS LCD
- Up to 1 TB storage
- an Ethernet jack
- 4 USB-A ports
- HDMI port
- USB-C power delivery port
- USB-C port
- Headphone jack
- Camera kill switch toggle.
The Legion offers smooth gameplay at
up to 165 frames per second, but it sacrifices portability for performance,
tipping the scales at over 5 lbs.
Finding
Your Ultimate Laptop
While you can't go wrong choosing
any of the above Lenovo laptops, finding the ideal tech for you is a highly
personal choice. Consider your needs and budget first, and remember, there's no
sense in paying for extras you don't need.
Rather focus on what's most
important for you, i.e. long battery life or portability, when making your
choice. Regardless of how good a deal you end up getting, a laptop is an
expensive investment that should last you at least five years.
So, you'll have to live with it
until then.
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