14 DAY TRIAL // If there is anyone out there eager to have a computer that was easier to carry around than any laptop, Lenovo has what they need.
The IdeaCentre Q180 is a name that some may associate with big and imposing systems.
Turns out that the opposite is true of the new computer that Lenovo created, with 'computer' being used loosely.
Not that the item doesn't possess all the traits of a PC, but it just doesn't actually look like one, not when it measures just 155 x 192 x 22mm, about as much as a DVD case (6.1 x 7.5 x 0.8 inches).
The product page makes a point of listing all the traits, optional or otherwise, of this so-called smallest desktop.
Though so tiny, it has an Intel Atom CPU (central processing unit) of 2.13 GHz and discrete graphics up to AMD Radeon HD 6450A (512 MB).
To make those work smoothly, 4 GB of RAM (random access memory) are present as well.
Furthermore, customers can choose between a hard disk drive (HDD) of 500 GB or a solid state drive of 128 GB.
The former is for people who want to pay less for more storage but lower transfer speeds, while the latter brings all the read/write benefits of NAND Flash memory.
For really serious travelers, it is possible to have a 750 GB HDD instead.
Moving on, Q180 is not actually a mobile PC (it lacks the keyboard, touchpad and screen of a laptop), so it can't actually do much on the go, unless things like the USB Magic Touch Monitor are involved.
Fortunately, Lenovo threw in HDMI, VGA and 7.1 surround sound, plus several USB ports, not just USB 2.0 but even a USB 3.0 connector.
Finally, the device is Energy Star 5.0-rated and, thanks to the VESA mount, can be positioned several ways, even at the back of the monitor.