IBM Expands ThinkPad Notebook PC Business
Work/Life Balancing Act Cited as Key Issue Driving Retail Market
SOMERS, NY (March 03, 1998) – IBM today announced an aggressive expansion of its ThinkPad notebook PC business, taking a cue from research study findings that demonstrate how mobile technology is changing the lives of consumers and professionals in the workplace and the home. Debuting four new ThinkPads with leading mobile PC technology at affordable prices — as low as $1,599* — the new models are well suited for students, small business owners and consumers who increasingly rely on mobile technology to achieve a balance in their personal and professional lives. The newest ThinkPads offer powerful Intel processors and large 12.1-inch screens.
IBM’s customer-focused approach to product development — incorporating customer input, findings from a research study, The Present and Promise of Mobile Technology, and other innovative feedback mechanisms — is reflected in the four newest models in the ThinkPad notebook computer family.
ThinkPad Models For Consumer, Business Markets
The new ThinkPad 385XD and ThinkPad 380XD models are powerful additions to IBM’s popular ThinkPad 380-series of notebooks. These new systems are designed for mobile professionals who demand the power and flexibility of a desktop PC in an all-in-one, portable package. The new notebooks offer an impressive price/performance ratio, bundling Intel’s Pentiumâ 266MHz or 233 MHz processor with MMXä technology(1), stereo speakers with a sub-woofer, 32MB of standard memory, 12.1-inch TFT or HPA (High-Performance Addressing) display with a 50:1 contrast ratio, 2MB of VRAM, and an integrated floppy, hard disk and 24X-10X CD-ROM drive(2). A 56K PC Card modem(3) is standard on the ThinkPad 385XD and available as an option on the ThinkPad 380XD.
The flexibility of the new ThinkPad IBM 380 and 385 series notebooks allows users to easily expand capabilities, through a customer-upgradable hard disk drive, Universal Serial Bus port and an optional enhanced port replicator. The port replicator provides additional PCMCIA slots, cable management for convenient connection to desktop peripherals and input/output ports.
The new ThinkPad 380XD is available through authorized IBM resellers; the ThinkPad 385X is available through retail outlets. Pricing for the new units begins at just $2,499*
ThinkPad 310ED Affordable Performance and ThinkPad Quality Beginning at $1,599*
Available through retail outlets starting at just $1,599, the new ThinkPad 310ED is a full-featured, affordable mobile solution for small and home office professionals, families and students. Even faster than its popular predecessor, the new ThinkPad 310ED incorporates a Pentium 166MHz processor with MMX technology and L2 cache, 32 MB of standard memory (user-upgradable to 64MB), a 2.1GB(4) customer-upgradable hard disk drive, large 12.1-inch DSTN screen and a 20X-8X CD-ROM drive. The multimedia-ready 310ED features integrated stereo speakers, SoundBlaster Pro-compatible audio and MPEG-1 video playback and Zoomed Video port support. A high-speed ActionTec 56K PC Card modem(5) included with the system provides speedy Internet access.
ThinkPad 560X High-Performance With Value In Small Form Factor
The ThinkPad 560X is the latest addition to IBM’s award-winning ThinkPad 560-series of ultraportable notebook computers. The super-thin notebook is packed with high-performance features, including an Intel Pentium 200 MHz processor with MMX technology, a bright 12.1-inch HPA screen for crisp, clear images, with 32MB of standard memory and a 2.1GB hard disk drive.
Starting at just $2,499*, the ThinkPad 560X is designed for mobile professionals who need a lightweight, powerful notebook computer in an ultraportable form factor at an affordable price. The ThinkPad 560X will be available through authorized IBM resellers.
In addition, all of the new ThinkPad models are preloaded with Lotus SmartSuite 97(6), offering advanced personal productivity, including word processing, spreadsheet, presentation graphics, organization/scheduling and database applications.
IBM Study Confirms Market Requirements
The Present and the Promise of Mobile Technology, one of several research studies commissioned by IBM, was conducted by Yankelovich Partners to study the ways business users and consumers employ mobile technology. Among the findings:
60% of the respondents surveyed mentioned that the ability to use their mobile systems to work at home when either family or job demands required it was one of the most appealing aspects of the technology. Key advantages of mobile technology cited by respondents included the ability to telecommute, keep up with their jobs while they’re on the road, and communicate with anyone at virtually any time.
While most time spent using notebooks is job related, home is the place where notebooks are most likely to be used — cited by three-quarters of users. Fewer than half report using a notebook at the office and only one-third while traveling. However, the proportion using notebooks while traveling is expected to increase to over four in ten in the next 12 months.
Notebook users — as well as cellular phone users — were much more likely than the average U.S. adult to be owners of a business or self-employed.Proprietors and business owners were more likely than users overall to view as appealing the ability to work at their job anywhere.
Among heavy users of notebooks, forty-four percent employ them for e-mail and Internet access. Among all notebook users, the figure is thirty-eight percent.
Notebooks are used a median of about six hours per week. Nearly sixty percent of that time is spent on job-related activity, one-fifth for personal use and another one-fifth for school related activity.
When asked which notebook computer applications were used most on notebook PCs, respondents mentioned word processing (79%), spreadsheets (44%), and E-mail and the Internet (38%).
Among users who purchased their own notebook, 77% spent under $3,000, while 59% paid less than $2,000.
Summarizing the results of the study, Steve Ward, general manager, IBM ThinkPad, said,
“Consumers are just beginning to glimpse the new freedom, flexibility and spontaneity made possible through mobile technology. The virtual workplace of tomorrow is where self-reliance and creativity are core values; where home and job, work and play, are integrated; and where participation and communication are key to society.”
Information on The Present and the Promise of Mobile Technology study is available at http://www.ibm.com/pc/us/thinkpad.
IBM’s ongoing efforts to develop ThinkPads based on customer input have been noted by Gartner Group, Inc., a leading industry research firm. A Gartner report citing IBM’s efforts to elicit feedback on its ThinkPad line is available at http://www.gartner.com/reprints/ibm/mbsm420334.html.
“By listening closely to our customers, IBM has become the top-selling manufacturer of high-performance notebooks for large businesses,” he added. “Now we’re bringing the same commitment to small businesses, entrepreneurs and consumers, who are telling us through this research they’re relying more on mobile technology to balance the demands of work and home. We’ve responded by offering a wide variety of ThinkPads that are fully-featured, affordable and powerful.”
Source: IBM