The Lenovo IdeaCentre Q series are a line of nettop computers meant primarily for home and personal use.[1] The Q Series nettops are described by the manufacturer as being multimedia-oriented nettops.[1] Comparing the size to a typical paperback book, Lenovo describes the Q Series nettops as the smallest desktops in production.[1] The general features of the Q Series desktops are the small size, low energy requirements, ability to play HD video, and low noise levels.[1]
These nettops are designed to be extremely compact processing units. A nettop is a desktop computer that uses the same (or similar) components found in netbook PCs.[2] The first nettop in the IdeaCentre Q series was the Q100, launched in 2009.
2010
editThe only nettop released in 2010 in the IdeaCentre Q series was the Q150.
Q150
editReleased in 2010, the IdeaCentre Q150 was a nettop like its predecessors: the Q100 and the Q110. In its review of the nettop, SlashGear described it as “a great little media PC that serves up high definition content with minimal fuss.”[3]
The single core Intel Atom processor found in 2009's Q-series nettops was replaced by the Intel Atom D510 processor, with two cores at 1.66 GHz.[3] The nettop also included 2 GB DDR2 RAM, a 500 GB hard disk drive, and NVIDIA Nvidia Ion 2 graphics with support for DirectX 10.[3]
Unlike its predecessors, the Q150 also included Wi-Fi b/g/n.[3] Ports on the nettop were available for HDMI, VGA, two USB, Ethernet, and audio input and output.[3] A stand was provided to support the nettop, and a VESA mount was provided as an alternative, so the nettop could be kept behind a TV or a monitor.[3]
PCMag received the Q150 positively, calling it “one of the smallest full-featured PCs” and saying, “The Lenovo IdeaCentre Q150 is designed to be dropped on a desk or bolted behind an HDTV. It's one of the best web video/photo/music media consumption devices out there, once you've hooked up to a big screen.”[4] PCMag gave the nettop a rating of four out of five stars as well as an Editor's Choice award.[4]
2009
editThe IdeaCentre Q-series nettops released by Lenovo in 2009 were the Q100, Q110, and the Q700.
Q100
editThe Q100 nettop was slightly larger than a typical external hard disk drive, with a plastic stand to allow it to remain upright.[2] The nettop was equipped with a 1.6 GHz Intel Atom N230 processor, which was designed for low power consumption rather than processing power.[2] The nettop also included 1 GB of DDR2-667 RAM, and a 160 GB hard disk drive.[2] While the storage space was limited, PCWorld indicated that this was common in other, similar nettops, citing the Acer Aspire Revo 3610 and the MSI Wind Nettop CS120 as examples.[2] While the nettop had four USB ports and a Gigabit Ethernet port there was no optical drive, and a mouse and keyboard were not included in the price.[2] The Q100 could support a single VGA monitor.[2] In its review of the nettop, PCWorld gave the PC one of five stars and indicated that it made a netbook seem like a better option.[2]
Q110
editLike the Q100, the Q110 nettop was also 0.7 inches thin and featured the 1.6 GHz Intel Atom N230 processor.[5] Also like the Q100, a keyboard and mouse was not included.[5] The differences between the two nettops, however, were that the Q110 had 2 GB RAM, a 250 GB hard disk drive, NVIDIA Ion graphics, and a 1080p HDMI output.[5]
Q700
editLaunched in mid-2009, the Q700 was the Q series' third nettop from Lenovo released in that year. Unlike the Q100 and the Q110, the Q700 featured an Intel Pentium Dual Core E5700 processor, 4 GB RAM, and Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X4500 integrated graphics.[6] The Q700 measured 2.36 x 7.87 x 9.84 inches, and could be equipped with up to a 640 GB hard disk drive.[6] A HDMI output port was also present, as well as options for Wi-Fi b/g, a TV tuner, and different version of Windows Vista.[6] The front of the nettop included four USB 2.0 ports, a slot-loading DVD writer, a four-in-one media card reader, as well as headphone and microphone jacks.[7] The back of the nettop included an additional four USB 2.0 ports.[7]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "IdeaCentre Q Series". Retrieved 20 February 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g h David Murphy (21 December 2009). "Lenovo IdeaCentre Q100 Nettop PC". Retrieved 22 September 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f "Lenovo IdeaCentre Q150 Review". 28 July 2010. Retrieved 22 September 2011.
- ^ a b Joel Santo Domingo (19 October 2010). "Lenovo IdeaCentre Q150". PC Magazine. Retrieved 22 September 2011.
- ^ a b c Danny Allen (19 August 2009). "Lenovo's Sleek IdeaCentre Q110 Nettop Has Nvidia Ion Graphics". Retrieved 22 September 2011.
- ^ a b c Chris Davies (13 August 2009). "Lenovo IdeaCentre Q700 HTPC wants to slip under your HDTV". Retrieved 22 September 2011.
- ^ a b Danny Allen (19 August 2009). "Lenovo IdeaCentre Q700 Wants To Be Your Lounge Room's Black Box". Retrieved 22 September 2011.