Lenovo has announced its ThinkPad X61 ultra-mobile PC will be available, starting next month, in a new version, powered by Intel's 45-nanometer Core 2 Duo processor, codenamed "Penryn".

The Lenovo ThinkPad X61 series is made of ultra-mobile business laptops for the most sophisticated computing needs. Apart from its powerful system configuration, the notebook also features a full-size keyboard to provide extra comfort while typing. This is a great advantage, as the vast majority of UMPCs are crippled by the small size of the keyboard. The X61 model can be regarded as a 30 percent shrunk version of the ThinkPad T60.

The refreshed X61 series will still feature the same 12-inch LCD display, but the "old" Intel Core 2 Duo 2.0GHz T7300 will be replaced by the newer (and more powerful) Core 2 Duo "Penryn" T8100 at 2.1GHz or T8300 at 2.4GHz, depending on user's options. Both Penryn processors will feature 3MB of L2 cache.

The Penryn-based X61 ultra-mobile PCs are already on sale through Lenovo's select partners. For instance, MacMall sells a pre-configured version of the sub-notebook for as much as $1,549.99. The system includes the T8100 processor, 1GB of system memory, and a 120GB hard drive. The T8300 version is also available, but it comes with an 160GB of HDD and costs about $1,609.99.

As for the technical specifications, the notebook comes with a 12.1″ display to provide a 1024 x 768 resolution, the Intel GMA X3100 integrated graphics, support for 802.11a/b/g/n wireless networking, and Gigabit Ethernet LAN connection. Optionally, there are a wireless broadband module, Bluetooth, and a biometric security features with fingerprint reader. The ThinkPad X6 UltraBase docking station is sold separately and includes an optical drive.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X61 lets users choose between Windows Vista and Windows XP Professional operating systems.