Frequent readers of this blog know that our preferred computer hardware vendor is HP.
From netbooks to desktops to servers to storage. Even the iPAQs are products we like, and consume, mostly on behalf of our customers.
One company we never engage with, on any level, is IBM*.
A while back, Lenovo purchased the PC manufacturing assets of IBM, and decided to give it a go in the US.
Prior to now, I had never considered Lenovo for anything, but a while back, I was challenged to try a Lenovo system, and see if it passed muster.
First off, I was sent the Lenovo ThinkCentre A63 deskside system with a couple of monitors. I was subsequently sent the Lenovo things A70z All-in-One, a system competing directly with our recommended system, the HP MS218 Pro.
(My review of the A63 follows shortly.)
The Lenovo A70z
The Lenovo A70z was a surprise. It is solidly built, and came with well equipped: large hard drive, built-in Wi-Fi, very bright screen.
It also came with something I am impressed with: the system was enclosed in a reusable shopping bag! In these days where there is greater concern about our damaging the environment, this was very welcome, and I confess, brought a smile to my face. It is ‘A Good Thing’!
As mentioned earlier, this system is solidly built, giving the user a feeling of confidence in the product. Furthermore, unlike other AIOs I have encountered, it has user-accessible parts! Removing a few screws gives access to the system, whereby a user could increase the amount of RAM in the system, and theoretically change the hard drive.
I fired it up.
Lenovo systems boot up quickly. I mean FAST!
Another thing, the Lenovo boot-up dashboard is what the late lamented Windows Vista™ Welcome Center should have been: a way to let the user decide what all he/she wants on their system, and at the same time, educating them on getting necessary to improve their experience with the computer. All this while making sure the money spigot has a direct line to Lenovo from vendors using it. This is something else Lenovo nails correctly with the A70z.
The Lenovo A70z in use.
I set up the A70z at my office in the O’Odua. It looked good, and blended in with the décor. Hey, aesthetics matter!
I installed the Logikworx Professional Business Desktop** on it, and proceeded to try being productive.
It worked.
I worked with the system using the Windows 7 Professional install it came with for a couple of weeks, and then I ejected that for a clean install using Windows 7 Ultimate Edition.
Why?
While I appreciate the initial software loaded on systems…NOT, I am not a fan of all the system state software and their multiple annoying notifications. Moreover, since what we buy at Logikworx for client installs are basically bare systems, I do not need that hand-holding, and I try to replicate the environment I think the systems would be installed into.
Again, this install was no fuss, no muss.
It ran all the software I threw at it without a hiccup.
Likes
- Sturdy build. I cannot say enough about this.
- Boot-up speed. I like this a lot
- Potential expandability
- Lenovo Control Center.
- Reusable shopping bag packaging. It’s our world, and we must take care of her.
Dislikes
- Cable management is non-existent. For a system that ships with a wired keyboard and mouse, the Lenovo designers fell down on this. The system rests on the platform it is placed on. You look at the keyboard and mouse cords, and wonder, “Just how did the Mensa that designed this system expect me to manage/hide these cables?”
- Fan noise. I mean, please! While generally unobtrusive, when it kicks in, like when I was transcoding some videos using Muvee Reveal 8 Business Edition, it was annoying.
- Max RAM of 2 GB. Self-explanatory. In this age of multi-gigabyte spreadsheets, too!
Conclusions 
At SmallBizWindows & Logikworx, we are sold on the all-in-one PC as a business desktop, as referenced by our recommendations of the HP TouchSmart 9100 Business PC and the HP MS218 Pro systems
The Lenovo ThinkCentre A70z is one sweet machine. Despite my few dislikes above, it is a very capable, fast – using an Intel CPU – and desirable system.
It is beautifully designed, with an attractive matt-black fascia, and is potentially expandable.
It feels solid, and ready to do the job.
Resultantly, it has garnered the SmallBizWindows Business Ready Award of Excellence from the editors here at SmallBizWindows.
HP had better look out!
To answer the question posed above: yes, Lenovo is certainly in the conversation.
Who knew?
Resources used:
- Lenovo ThinkCentre A63
- HP ProLiant ML 110 G5
- HP ProLiant ML 115 G5
- HP StorageWorks x510 Data Vault
- Verbatim PowerBay
- HP TouchSmart tx2 Tablet PC
- HP dv2
* Long story, but my dislike of IBM goes back to 1989, and my distrust of them goes back even further, to when they (IBM) decided to liquidate their assets in several African countries rather than to stop doing business with the apartheid regimes in South Africa and Rhodesia.
** The Logikworx Professional Business Desktop 2010:
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