IBM unveils new line of value-priced notebooks in the Middle East

Designed for users who require a full-featured machine with occasional mobility, the ThinkPad G40 is ideally suited for small to medium sized businesses, schools, universities and government agencies.

The ThinkPad G40 addresses notebook users who rely more on AC power than battery power, often migrating from one AC outlet to the next. Some analysts estimate this usage pattern at up to 25 percent of notebooks in the enterprise.

"As more users in this region migrate from desktops to notebooks, the IBM ThinkPad G40 truly walks the line between the two. Until now, customers have had to make a tactical choice between power and portability. Our new line of G-Series ThinkPads provide the option of being portable without sacrificing the features desktop users require," said Sameh Farid, regional manager of personal computing division, IBM Middle East. "The ThinkPad G40 is perfect for a small business professional, for teachers who need to move their PC from classroom to home now and then, or for an accountant or insurance adjuster who occasionally travels around the region for on-site audits."

The ThinkPad G40 is available with several processor choices, including the 3.0 GHz (1) Intel Pentium 4 processor, one of the most powerful processors in any ThinkPad notebook, while still meeting the needs of mobile users with up to three-and-a-half hours of battery life (2). In addition to standard integrated modem and Ethernet, the ThinkPad G40 also offers the flexibility of dual-band 802.11a/b Wi-Fi (3) capabilities on select models.

The ThinkPad G40 also incorporates the design elements that ThinkPad users have come to expect. The ThinkPad G40 has three screen options that range from 14 to 15 inches with resolutions of up to SXGA+ (1400 x 1050), steel hinges and a reinforced edge around the panel, as well as ThinkPad's award-winning keyboard, which has been further enhanced with the innovative new inclined ComfortSlant design.

Other features on the ThinkPad G40 include four USB 2.0 ports and an Easy Pivot base under the back of the machine to allow for simple positioning, so users can smoothly adjust their notebook for a better viewing angle.

Value-Priced Notebook With Valuable ThinkVantage Technologies
The IBM ThinkPad G40 offers the new Access IBM button, a "portal to IBM support" that taps into a rich set of onboard resources, diagnostic tools, automated solutions, and links to updates and service online (4). Access IBM is joined on all new ThinkPad notebooks by RapidRestore PC, which provides a one-button backup and recovery solution and can restore previously saved data, settings and applications after a software failure. Both Access IBM and RapidRestore PC help limit downtime, maximizing productivity and helping reduce expensive support costs. The G series is additionally equipped to take advantage of ImageUltra, IBM's innovative, patented image management technology and services designed to lower costs by reducing the number of the software images managed by IT departments.

Wireless-enabled models of the ThinkPad G40 will be preloaded with the IBM Access Connections Version 2.6 location manager software utility, enabling users to manage the broad array of connections available and automatically sense a wired or wireless LAN connection and switch between them based on priority and speed.

IBM's ThinkPad G40 will also ship with three ergonomically designed variations of IBM's distinctive red TrackPoint cap, offering additional choice in the feel of the ThinkPad keyboard.