Lenovo and HP showcase new desktop offerings

Two of the industry's biggest computing names have unveiled new offerings in the past few days aimed at maximising space and minimising complexity.

Lenovo today launched a small form factor desktop PC, no bigger than the size of a briefcase, to help free up valuable office space for IT managers and business decision makers.

While, last week, HP showcased two new faces in its thin-client computing line up.

Lenovo's ThinkCentre A55 Small Form Factor (SFF) machine measures up at almost two-thirds (64 per cent) smaller than Lenovo's traditional tower form factor.

But, despite its size, it doesn't scrimp on features and comes bundled with Intel Core 2 Duo processors and Microsoft's Windows Vista operating system (OS). It is also equipped with Lenovo ThinkVantage Technologies (TVTs), such as Rescue and Recovery and Client Security System, which enhance data recovery and password management cost effectively.

Lenovo is hoping its innovation, which comes with a starting price tag of £410, will be popular with organisations who are increasingly trying to strike a balance between the need for more space and the associated costs.

"We are seeing an increased adoption of small form factor desktops in settings such as healthcare, education, financial institutions and call-centres," said Tom Tobul, executive director of desktop marketing at Lenovo.

"Adding the ThinkCentre A55 Small Form Factor desktop PC to our ThinkCentre line gives small-to-medium business users access to the best engineered PCs in a small, full-featured design. These PCs give users the latest innovations like the new Windows Vista operating system and our innovative ThinkVantage Technologies in a compact form."

Meanwhile, the latest additions to HP's thin-client family, the entry-level HP Compaq t5135 and the HP Compaq t5530, were unveiled last week.

The former is aimed at users looking for low cost and ease of use, enabling them to switch the machine on and sit back while the client automatically adjusts its settings from the server. These settings are only retained for the duration of the usage session.

The latter machine, the HP Compaq t5530 is targeted at more mainstream business usage. It runs Windows CE and features an enhanced web browser, media player and terminal emulation. IT managers can use HP's ThinState tools to turn this machine into a master client to quickly and easily deploy images to other target clients residing on the network.

Both new thin clients come equipped with Altiris Deployment Solution and a free download of HP OpenView Client Configuration Manager basic edition in addition to a secure USB compartment specially designed for wireless connections. Network security is further enhanced through two-factor authentication and controlled user access.

The HP Compaq t5135 will be available in the US from Thursday this week starting at $199, while the HP Compaq t5530 will ship worldwide from March 1 with an initial price tag of $299.

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