Lenovo ThinkPad T431s ultrabook sports sharp updated look but no touchscreen

Lenovo ThinkPad T431s ultrabook sports sharp updated look but no touchscreen Lenovo’s ThinkPad range are renowned for their austere, no-nonsense looks, and their latest ultrabook, the Lenovo ThinkPad T431s, sees the company sticking with the formula while adding a modernising touch or two. lenovo-thinkpad-t431s-2

Their new machine packs a tough carbon fibre and magnesium case, and sports a 14 inch, 1600 x 900 pixel matte display that can open up a full 180 degrees. Also on board are 2x USB 3.0 ports, full-sized Ethernet and SD card slots, 720p webcam, and a built-in 47Whr battery offering up to eight hours use. lenovo-thinkpad-t431s   The keyboard is a chiclet style affair,  while Lenovo’s love-it-or-hate-it pointing stick remains in the centre of the keyboard. A new touchpad below offers integrated touch areas instead of the old-style distinct buttons.

The ThinkPad is offered in both Windows 7 and Windows 8 flavours (we’d recommend W7, given the lack of a touchscreen). lenovo-thinkpad-t431s-1 Ready to ship in April, the baseline configuration of the Lenovo ThinkPad X431s retails for $949 and comes with  a Core i5 Ivy Bridge processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 320GB hard drive.

Upgrade options include a Core i7 chip and up to 12GB of RAM, hybrid and SSD-only options, plus an optional HSPA+ WWAN module, all fitting in the ThinkPad’s slender 3.03″ x 8.89″ x 0.80″ (331 mm x 226 mm x 20.6 mm) dimensions.

It all looks pretty nice to us, but the lack of a touchscreen means it won’t be going on our shopping list any time soon, unless the price gets very competitive.

[Lenovo ThinkPad X431s]