The ThinkPad design is something of an icon in the notebook market, everyone recognise a ThinkPad from a mile away, but it seems like Lenovo has grown tired of the IBM legacy and the ThinkPad Edge is taking things into a new direction for SMB's.

The ThinkPad design is often considered dated by those that don't understand the business notebook market, but in this case it really is a matter of "if it ain't broke, why fix it". However, with the ThinkPad Edge Lenovo is going after a different kind of target audience as Lenovo want to appeal to the small and medium business market. In our opinion it does look like the ThinkPad Edge is more likely to appeal to the small and home office market, but let's wait and see.

Beyond the design the ThinkPad Edge also has some rather unusual hardware options for Lenovo, as it will be available in both AMD and Intel configurations. The AMD platform uses the AMD 780G chipset and will have either an AMD Turion X2 L625 processor or an Athlon Neo X2 L325 processor. The Intel models are based on the CULV platform and as such rely on the GS45 chipset. The CPU choices in this case include the Pentium SU4100 or the Core 2 Duo SU7300.

Other features include a 13.3-inch display, up to 4GB of RAM and 500GB of hard drive space, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth, an HDMI port, D-sub connector, a card reader and a low-light webcam, as well as three USB 2.0 ports of which one provides extra power for the optional optical drive. Options for built in 3G and WiMAX connectivity as well as a GPS receiver are also available.

Judging by the picture, the ThinkPad Edge has a chicklet type keyboard, although as you can see from the picture, Lenovo claims it has the standard ThinkPad keyboard that so many ThinkPad users love. The ThinkPad Edge also has a multi-touch trackpad with gesture support as well as a trackpoint, so no matter which you prefer, Lenovo have you covered. Battery options include 4- and 6-cell units.

The ThinkPad Edge is said to measure 332x228x32mm (WxHxD) and weighs in at 1.64kg with the 4-cell battery. Price wise the ThinkPad Edge is said to start at $549 (€369) and it will ship with Windows 7 Home premium. It will be available in matte black, glossy black and glossy red with the latter two models having silver trim.

More here (in German)