Lenovo IdeaCentre returns to home desktops

After having left the market for several years, Lenovo today returned to home desktops and launched the IdeaCentre K210. The mini-tower is a parallel to the IdeaPad notebooks and borrows design elements from the portables, including face detection security when paired with a BrightEye add-on webcam that clips to most LCDs. The image recognition system also dynamically adjusts brightness based on proximity to the screen.

Unusually, the desktop is also said to protect against both real-world and digital viruses with both an anti-microbial keyboard and a one-button feature on the keyboard that will automatically scan and clean out malware, even when the system has been brought down because of an infection. The feature also lets users recover the system in the event of a more conventional hard crash.

A stock system officially starts at $379 with a 2GHz Pentium dual-core, 1GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive, and integrated graphics; better configurations scale up to a Core 2 Quad processor, 3GB of stock memory, 500GB of hard drive space, and a Radeon HD 2600 XT for much faster dedicated graphics. A Blu-ray/HD DVD combo drive is available for users turning the K210 into a home theater PC.

The system is designed to be easily expandable with modular bays and should be available today; unlike most Lenovo systems, the IdeaCentre isn't available directly from the company but instead is being sold at J&R, Newegg, and similar online stores. Matching 19- and 22-inch LCDs can also be bought separately for $229 and $299 respectively.

Filed under: computers
Other story tags: Intel, blu-ray, Core 2, HD DVD, Radeon, Lenovo, Pentium, IdeaCentre