Review: Lenovo's A600 Blurs the Line Between Consumer,Business PCs
Lenovo's all-in-one IdeaCentre A600 PC combines substance, style and functionality to meet the needs of business - but it would also be at home on any consumer's desk.
Tue, July 07, 2009
Computerworld — Lenovo is not known for product aesthetics. Instead, the company has focused on straightforward designs that get the job done, for the most part leaving flash and style to competitors like Apple, Dell and Hewlett-Packard. But with the A600, Lenovo is sauntering down the style runway with a new take on what a desktop PC should be.
What is it? Lenovo's IdeaCentre A600 PC is an all-in-one desktop PC, which means the PC and monitor are melded into one unit. While the concept of all-in-one is not new -- just take a look at any desktop replacement notebook -- Lenovo has added a few twists that refresh the idea and look cool at the same time.
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The most notable feature of the A600 is the 21.5-inch frameless screen that dominates the unit. The display has a 16:9 aspect ratio and a native resolution of 1920 ? 1080, making it 1080p compatible and ideal for high-definition content -- which works nicely with the optional integrated digital TV tuner that supports HD-TV and a Blu-ray drive.
Standard features include integrated sound -- with high-quality speakers and a sub-woofer -- gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi b/g (upgradable to the Intel WiFi Link 5100 Series a/b/g/Draft-N), 6-in-1 card reader, six USB 2.0 ports and two FireWire ports.
The basic configuration of the A600 (SKU A600-3011-2AU) retails for under $700 and features an Intel T4200 CPU (2GHz), 2 GB of RAM, GMA graphics, a 320GB hard drive and DVD +/- RW optical drive. (By way of comparison, Apple's iMac, a leader in the all-in-one market, starts at $1,200 for a 20-inch model with roughly similar specifications.)
Loading the unit with options and top-of-the-line components increases the retail price to $1,399 (SKU A600-3011-4BU). That unit -- which was the unit I received for testing -- comes with an Intel P7450 2.13GHz CPU, 4GB of RAM, a 1 Terabyte hard drive, an ATI Radeon HD 3650 graphics card, a Blu-ray optical drive, 4-in-1 remote control, a wireless mouse/keyboard and Bluetooth wireless support.
What's cool about it? Just look at it -- who wouldn't want this sleek 1-inch-thick PC sitting on their desk?
Beyond aesthetics, the A600 offers some interesting features, like the 4-in-1 remote, which can double as a wireless VoIP handset as well as work as a motion-sensitive controller. The screen's clarity and brightness are excellent, thanks in part to a piece of glass that covers the screen and provides an anti-glare coating.
