Lenovo Enters U.S. Consumer Market

Lenovo took the first steps into the United States Thursday, introducing its first branded computers outside the Chinese market. The company held press conferences across the world, as well as in Torino, Italy where the 2006 Winter Olympics is underway. Lenovo says it is used the event to heighten brand recognition outside of China.

The new computers would signify a reentry into a market that IBM, the company it bought, had previously exited. Small businesses and consumers would be the targets for two new desktop lines and a new notebook computer line, Lenovo said.

IBM had left the consumer market in favor of focusing on its popular line of ThinkPad business laptops.

Shying away from the traditional black of the ThinkPad, the Lenovo consumer notebooks will be silver in color. Also, rather than relying solely on Intel for processors, the new computers will offer the consumer a choice of either AMD or Intel CPUs.

Lenovo's desktops will start at $350 USD, while the new laptops sell at $599 USD. All would be available Thursday through the Lenovo Web site and through business partners. Although Lenovo would not directly confirm, it is believed that the company will have some form of retail presence as well.

Analysts say the expansion is vital if the Chinese-owned company wants to become a worldwide brand, and applauded the move. They say a consumer line of desktops and notebooks are the way to go.

Lenovo is now the third largest computer manufacturer in the world since the IBM acquisition, following market-leading Dell and HP.