Looking good and doing better

A NEW laptop computer designed with the small business in mind, the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s is slim and light and more affordable than Lenovo’s elite ThinkPad series but still powerful enough to handle business applications and handle everyday tasks.
Lenovo says the ThinkBook is a new sub-brand dedicated to small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). The ThinkBook 13s model I tested was powered by the 8th Generation Intel Core i7 8565U running at 1.80GHz and equipped with 16 gigabytes of DD4 working memory or RAM. 

The 13s comes with 512 GB SSD (Solid State Drive) storage. Its graphics power comes from integrated Intel UHD Graphics 620 and it boasts a 13.3-inch IPS display with Dolby Vision HDR technology. It has 1920x1080 pixel resolution and is very bright with 300 nits of brightness.
The ThinkBook 13s runs on Windows 10 Pro. During the test, I found the laptop started and shut down fast. It ran business applications, such as Microsoft Word very fast too. It also played HD video clips smoothly. Since the display supports the Dolby Vision HDR technology, the HDR YouTube clips looked really good. The laptop also played good sound quality thanks to Dolby Audio 
 with two Harman speakers driven by a two-watts amplifier each.
It uses Skype for Business certified dual-array microphones for clear audio, which enhances the collaboration experience over VoIP calls. Plus, the dedicated Skype Hot Keys simplify calling thanks to one key to answer and one key to hang up.
The ThinkBook 13s has fast wireless connection, using 802.11ac and it also has Bluetooth 5.2 connection. And its hinges are coated in indium metal to reduce Wi-Fi interference.
The laptop has all necessary ports. It has one HDMI 1.4b port on the left for connecting to your large screen TV. Also on the left side is a USB-C Gen 2 port that supports audio, video and data transfer. That port supports a USB-C Docking station that is sold separately. And there are two USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports on the right side. One port supports always-on technology that can be used to recharge your mobile device even when the laptop is turned off.
Lenovo says it designed the new ThinkBook sub-brand for SMBs following extensive customer research. The new laptop is aimed at SMBs that want cool yet cost-effective devices.

Lenovo added that it has conducted field research with 8,000 global respondents and found that the new workforce cares a lot about how their computing device looks, for example, colours and materials, but still prefers to choose from a curated list that the organisation provides.
 The new Lenovo ThinkBook 13s combines modern style and consumer-oriented design elements, such as aluminium exteriors with business-grade and built-in security features that consumers expect from the Think family PCs.
 The laptop has a premium feel, can lay flat at 180 degrees, and features ultra-narrow bezels to pack a larger display into a small portable package. Wrapped in aluminium and magnesium metals in a Mineral Grey finish, the ThinkBook 13s is about 15.9 mm thin and weighs just 1.34 kg, which makes it easy to carry around.
The 13s comes with several security features for business users. For example, it has single-step authentication and power-on with the touch fingerprint reader.
It also has discrete TPM 2.0 that enables Windows 10 security features and user data encryption.
ThinkBook is supported by a range of business-grade services including Lenovo Premier Support, warranty 
 extensions and upgrades, such as onsite next business day support and International Warranty Service to minimise any downtime.
It also comes with built-in self-management features, especially useful for smaller companies without dedicated onsite support teams. Among these, the preloaded Lenovo Vantage software offers tools for preventive hardware diagnostics, personalised hardware settings and auto-install of critical updates. 
Its keyboard is comfortable to type on and the keyboard is spill resistant and designed to withstand up to 60cc of liquid – though that’s no excuse to drop your coffee on it.
The laptop comes with Windows Modern Standby feature that allows it to download emails, receive Skype call alerts, and get Windows app updates – even with the lid closed. Moreover, it resumes from standby almost instantly with the Smart Power On button or voice command in some instances. These features make the laptop function like a smartphone.
The ThinkBook 13s has a good battery life of up to 11 hours. It also comes with RapidCharge technology that provides 80 per cent battery capacity on one hour’s charge.
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s has a starting price of Bt33,900.
  

Key specs:
OS: Windows 10 Processor
Processor: 8th Generation Intel Core i7 8565U (1.80GHz, up to 4.60GHz with Turbo Boost, 8MB Cache)
Display: 13.3inch FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS antiglare with Dolby Vision HDR (300 nits, 72% CG)
Graphics: Integrated Intel UHD Graphics 620
Memory: 16 GB DDR4 2400 MHz
Storage: 512 GB M.2 PCIe SSD
Camera: 1M, ultraslim
Wireless connectivity: 802.11AC (2 x 2), Bluetooth 5.2
Ports: USBC Gen 2 (Supports Audio, Video and Data Transfer), 2 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 (one always on), Headphone / mic combo, HDMI 1.4b
Battery: Up to 11 hours,  45Wh
Dimensions: 307.6 x 216.4 x 15.9 (mm)
Weight: 1.34 kg
Preloaded Software: Lenovo Migration Assistant, Lenovo Vantage, McAfee LiveSafe (30day trial), Microsoft Office (30day trial)
What's in the box: ThinkBook 13s, 65W AC adapter (Supports Rapid Charge), Quick start guide