ThinkCentre M Series
Encyclopedia
The M Series desktops are part of Lenovo’s ThinkCentre
product line. Formerly an IBM
brand, Lenovo acquired the ThinkCentre desktop brand following its purchase of IBM’s Personal Computing Division (PCD) in 2005. Following its acquisition of IBM’s PCD, Lenovo has released M Series desktops in multiple form factors, ranging from traditional tower, to small form factor
, and all-in-ones (AIOs).
The M90 desktop received the “PCPro Recommended” award upon release, with an overall rating of five of six stars. The desktop was summarized as, “Expensive but, thanks to superb design and power, worth the cash for demanding business users”.
PCMag listed the pros of the desktop as the compact design, HD display, support for two monitors, simple multi-touch interface, good component mix, stand options, and easy servicing. The cons were listed as the dull colors on videos because of the matte screen, the lack of an eSATA port, and the need for an adapter when using external DVI.
Computer shopper summarized the capabilities of the M90z with the statement, “In our test configuration, the business-oriented M90z is overkill for most office tasks. Configuration options, however, can bring down the price while still delivering a peppy big-screen office PC.”
The desktop was EPEAT Gold rated and met Energy Star requirements. The M58e was also compatible with solar charger packs
. PC Mag summarized its review of the desktop by saying “The Lenovo ThinkCentre M58e is a middle-of-the-road business PC, both in performance and features, though it does have the added benefits of Intel vPro
and IT-friendly features. It's certainly worth a look if you need a PC environment that can grow with your business.”
The M57 desktop offered the following specifications:
The M57p eco desktop had the same specifications as the M57 eco.
The desktop offered the following specifications:
The M58p desktop offered the following specifications:
The pros of the system were listed by Desktop Review as the high-end configuration, the handle for easy movement, and the capacity for expansion. The cons were listed as being the price and the lack of DVI ports.
The desktop offered the following specifications:
Despite the fact that the desktop was capable of handling Windows Vista Business, it was preloaded with Windows XP. While the chassis was similar to previous ThinkCentre desktops, it was made smaller to fit better in office spaces.
It was described by About.com as being “a very solid system for business users” and a “general purpose PC” for consumers. However, both multimedia performance and storage space were criticized.
PCMag listed the pros as being the dual core processor, small form factor, enterprise-class hardware, ThinkVantage Technologies, and the three year on-site warranty. The price, the 90 day subscription to Symantec client security, and the lack of a DVD writer were listed as the cons of the desktop.
While the desktop was made available as a consumer PC, it was more suited to a corporate environment, with the limited storage and graphics capabilities.
ThinkCentre
The ThinkCentre line of desktops was introduced in 2003 by IBM’s Personal Computing Division . Following Lenovo's purchase of IBM PCD, Lenovo has continued to develop the ThinkCentre line of desktop products.-2003:...
product line. Formerly an IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
brand, Lenovo acquired the ThinkCentre desktop brand following its purchase of IBM’s Personal Computing Division (PCD) in 2005. Following its acquisition of IBM’s PCD, Lenovo has released M Series desktops in multiple form factors, ranging from traditional tower, to small form factor
Small form factor
A small form factor is a computer form factor designed to minimize the volume of a desktop computer. For comparison purposes, the size of an SFF case is usually measured in litres. SFFs are available in a variety of sizes and shapes, including shoeboxes, cubes, and book-sized PCs...
, and all-in-ones (AIOs).
2010
The ThinkCentre M Series desktops released by Lenovo in 2010 were the M70e, M90, and M90z.M70e
The M70e desktop was released by Lenovo in 2010 with the following specifications:- Processor: 3 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo E8400
- Chipset: Intel G41
- RAM: up to 4GB 1066 MHz DDR3DDR3 SDRAMIn computing, DDR3 SDRAM, an abbreviation for double data rate type three synchronous dynamic random access memory, is a modern kind of dynamic random access memory with a high bandwidth interface. It is one of several variants of DRAM and associated interface techniques used since the early 1970s...
- Storage: 500GB SATASataSata is a traditional dish from the Malaysian state of Terengganu, consisting of spiced fish meat wrapped in banana leaves and cooked on a grill.It is a type of Malaysian fish cake, or otak-otak...
- Graphics: Intel Graphics Media AcceleratorIntel GMAThe Intel Graphics Media Accelerator, or GMA, is a series of Intel integrated graphics processors built into various motherboard chipsets....
X4500 - Audio: Integrated HD audio
- Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional (64 bit)
M90
The M90 desktop was released by Lenovo in 2010 with the following specifications:- Processor: 3.33 GHz Intel Core i5
- RAM: up to 4GB DDR3
- Storage: up to 500GB 7200RPM SATA
- Optical drive: DVD reader/writer
- Graphics: Intel GMA X4500
- Form factor: Small form factorSmall form factorA small form factor is a computer form factor designed to minimize the volume of a desktop computer. For comparison purposes, the size of an SFF case is usually measured in litres. SFFs are available in a variety of sizes and shapes, including shoeboxes, cubes, and book-sized PCs...
(SFF) - Dimensions (inches): 10.78 x 9.37 x 3.07
The M90 desktop received the “PCPro Recommended” award upon release, with an overall rating of five of six stars. The desktop was summarized as, “Expensive but, thanks to superb design and power, worth the cash for demanding business users”.
M90z
Also released in 2010, the M90z was an all-in-one (AIO) desktop released by Lenovo. The AIO desktop offered the following specifications:- Processor: 3.2 GHz Intel Core i5-650
- RAM: 4 GB
- Storage: 500 GB
- Graphics Card: Intel GMA HD
- Optical Drive: Dual-Layer DVDDVDA DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
reader/writer - Display: 23 inch HD widescreen (maximum resolutions of 1920x1080)
- USB ports: 6 USB 2.0
PCMag listed the pros of the desktop as the compact design, HD display, support for two monitors, simple multi-touch interface, good component mix, stand options, and easy servicing. The cons were listed as the dull colors on videos because of the matte screen, the lack of an eSATA port, and the need for an adapter when using external DVI.
Computer shopper summarized the capabilities of the M90z with the statement, “In our test configuration, the business-oriented M90z is overkill for most office tasks. Configuration options, however, can bring down the price while still delivering a peppy big-screen office PC.”
M58e
Lenovo announced the ThinkCentre M58e desktop in March 2009. The desktop offered the following specifications:- Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 3 GHz
- RAM: up to 2GB
- Graphics: Intel GMA 4500MHD (integrated)
- Storage: 250GB
- Operating System: Microsoft Windows Vista Business
The desktop was EPEAT Gold rated and met Energy Star requirements. The M58e was also compatible with solar charger packs
Solar charger
thumb|right|150px|Solar charger integrated into a backpackSolar charger employs solar energy to supply electricity to devices or charge batteries. They are generally portable....
. PC Mag summarized its review of the desktop by saying “The Lenovo ThinkCentre M58e is a middle-of-the-road business PC, both in performance and features, though it does have the added benefits of Intel vPro
Intel vPro
Intel vPro technology is computer hardware technology to allow remote access to the PC independent of the state of the operating system or power state of the PC. It consists of a set of features built into a PC's motherboard and other hardware...
and IT-friendly features. It's certainly worth a look if you need a PC environment that can grow with your business.”
2008
The ThinkCentre M Series desktops released in 2008 were the M57 Eco, M57p Eco, M58, and M58p.M57 Eco and M57p Eco
The ThinkCentre M57 Eco and M57p Eco were announced by Lenovo in March 2008. These were eco-friendly versions of the M57 and M57p, which were released in 2007. The desktops were dubbed “eco” and had an ultra-small form factor with low power consumption. According to Desktop Review, the M57 used a fraction of the power needed by standard desktops, and a little more than that of an energy-saving notebook.The M57 desktop offered the following specifications:
- Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 3 GHz
- Graphics: Intel X3100 (integrated)
- RAM: up to 4GB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM
- Storage: 160GB 7200RPM
- Optical Drive: DVD Burner
- Operating System: Windows VistaWindows VistaWindows Vista is an operating system released in several variations developed by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, tablet PCs, and media center PCs...
Business (32-bit) - Dimensions (inches): 11.8 x 9.4 x 3.2
- Weight: 7 lbs
The M57p eco desktop had the same specifications as the M57 eco.
M58
The M58 and M58p were announced by Lenovo in October 2008. The M58 desktop was well received by PC Pro, with the reviewer stating that “Lenovo, already in a rich vein of form, has struck gold once again: the M58 comes warmly recommended.”The desktop offered the following specifications:
- Processor: 2.33 GHz Intel Core 2 Quad
- Storage: up to 500GB hard disk drive
- RAM: 2GB RAM
- Optical drive: DVD writer
- Graphics: Intel GMA 4500
- Audio: Intel HD audio
- USB ports: eight USB ports
- Operating System: Microsoft Windows Vista
M58p
The M58p was received by Desktop Review in a manner similar to the M58, with the reviewer stating, “The M58p is designed to meet all the stringent requirements commercial organizations have while still providing that Lenovo touch through OEM software, warranties and support.”The M58p desktop offered the following specifications:
- Processor: 3.16 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo E8500
- RAM: 2 GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM
- Storage: 250GB 7200RPM SATA
- Audio: integrated HD audio
- Speakers: integrated speakers
- Graphics: ATI Radeon HD3470
- Operating System: Windows Vista Home Premium
The pros of the system were listed by Desktop Review as the high-end configuration, the handle for easy movement, and the capacity for expansion. The cons were listed as being the price and the lack of DVI ports.
M57 and M57p
The ThinkCentre M57 and M57p desktops were announced in September 2007 by Lenovo. These were the first desktops from a manufacturer to receive a GREENGUARD certification. In addition, both desktops were EPEAT Gold and Energy Star 4.0 rated. They were also the first ThinkCentre desktops to incorporate recycled material from consumer plastics. The desktops were equipped with up to Intel Core 2 Duo processors, up to 2GB DDR2 RAM, integrated graphics, and up to 160GB hard disk drive.M55
The ThinkCentre M55 received a positive review from PC World, with the reviewer stating that “The Lenovo ThinkCentre M55 9BM is a compact and quiet business PC that keeps maintenance simple and makes upgrades easy. Its design and functions are well-suited to an office environment and we think it's a good choice for any business searching for a uniformed PC roll-out.”The desktop offered the following specifications:
- Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 1.86 GHz
- RAM: 1GB of DDR2
- Storage: 80GB
Despite the fact that the desktop was capable of handling Windows Vista Business, it was preloaded with Windows XP. While the chassis was similar to previous ThinkCentre desktops, it was made smaller to fit better in office spaces.
M55p
The ThinkCentre M55p desktop offered the following specifications:- Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E6600
- RAM: 1GB PC2-5300 DDR2
- Storage: 160GB 7200rpm SATA
- Graphics: Intel GMA 3000 Integrated Graphics (256MB shared video RAM)
- Audio: Intel HD Audio
- Optical drive: 16x Dual Layer DVD reader/writer
- USB ports: ten USB 2.0 ports
- Operating System: Windows XP Professional
It was described by About.com as being “a very solid system for business users” and a “general purpose PC” for consumers. However, both multimedia performance and storage space were criticized.
M55e
The ThinkCentre M55e desktop was equipped with:- Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 1.86 GHz
- RAM: 2GB
- Graphics: Intel GMA 3000 (integrated)
- Storage: 250GB hard disk drive
- Operating System: Microsoft Windows Vista Business
- Display: 22 inch LED widescreen
PCMag listed the pros as being the dual core processor, small form factor, enterprise-class hardware, ThinkVantage Technologies, and the three year on-site warranty. The price, the 90 day subscription to Symantec client security, and the lack of a DVD writer were listed as the cons of the desktop.
2005
The ThinkCentre desktop released by Lenovo in 2005, following its acquisition of IBM’s PCD was the M52.M52
The ThinkCentre M52 desktop was announced in May 2005 following Lenovo’s acquisition of IBM’s Personal Computing Division. PC World called the M52 desktop, “A corporate machine for the security conscious business user looking for stability and reliability”. The M52 desktop was equipped with a 3 GHz Pentium 4 processors, an 80GB hard disk drive, up to 4GB of RAM, eight USB 2.0 ports, two serial ports, a Gigabit Ethernet connection, VGA output, and a chassis that did not require tools to open − a toolless chassis.2003
In 2003, IBM redesigned and re-launched their ThinkCentre product line. The first desktop released was an M Series desktop – the M50.M50
The first desktop in IBM’s redesigned ThinkCentre line was the M50, announced in 2003. The desktop offered the following specifications:- Processor: Intel Pentium 4 3.0 GHz
- RAM: 256MB PC2700 DDR
- Storage: 40GB 7200 RPM
- Graphics: Intel Extreme 2 (integrated, 64MB of shared video RAM)
- Optical drive: 48x CD-ROM
- Audio: SoundMAX Cadenza audio without speakers
- Operating system: Microsoft Windows XP Professional
- USB ports: eight USB 2.0 Ports
While the desktop was made available as a consumer PC, it was more suited to a corporate environment, with the limited storage and graphics capabilities.