Lenovo launches Home Server and Media Center PCs

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Posted on 19 Aug 2009 at 11:47

Lenovo is making a push for the consumer entertainment market with a new Media Center PC and Windows Home Server products.

The IdeaCentre Q700 looks like a nettop PC, but has a Pentium Dual Core processor.

It's about the same size as a DVD player and comes with 4GB of RAM, built-in Wi-Fi and has a choice of a 320GB, 500GB or 640GB hard disk. Only the top model has a TV tuner and remote control.

The box certainly looks impressive, but there are some disappointments. For starters, there's no Blu-ray drive, so you can't play HD movies on disc. Due to the small size of the Q700's case, upgrading to a Blu-ray drive will be difficult and expensive, as you'll need a slot-loading notebook-sized model.

The Q700 is currently available in the US, with prices starting at $500 (around £305). We'll bring you more news on its UK release.

Lenovo is hoping that you'll combine its Media Center with its Windows Home Server, the D400. Available in capacities of 1TB or 2TB, all models are powered by an Atom 230 processor and 1GB of RAM. Prices start from $500 (around £305) and we'll bring you more details of its UK launch when available.

The NAS certainly looks interesting, but so far consumers have resisted paying extra for Windows Home Server, which adds significantly to the price. This is especially true, when you can buy the Western Digital My Book World Edition 1TB NAS for just £138.

Author: David Ludlow

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