Lenovo’s LaVie Z notebook is lightweight with heavy-duty specs

By Jon Martindale Published May 1, 2015

lenovo laviez launch lavie4 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

As one of the world’s biggest PC makers, Lenovo has a pretty broad range of products already. However, its strategy of offering something for everyone continues apace, with the launch of a new notebook called the LaVie Z, which combines high-speed hardware with a lightweight design that even the frailest computer user would have no problem carrying around.

Initially shown off at CES earlier this year, the LaVie Z won a number of awards and drew a lot of attention for being the lightest 13.3″ laptop in the world. It has more going for it than just that though, as it comes with a QHD (2560×1440) display, powered by an Intel i7-5500U CPU with on board HD Graphics 5500, 8GB of 1600MHz LPDDR3 memory, and a 256GB SSD for storage.

The standard OS of choice is Windows 8.1

Related: Lenovo Yoga 3 review

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This version of the new notebook is priced at $1,500 before you add any additional software. If you don’t mind spending a little more, you can take it up to $1,700 for the LaVie Z 360, which has the same internal hardware, but adds a full 360-degree hinge system that, with a quick fold, lets you turn your new notebook into a tablet. It is however a little heavier, coming in at a positively hefty 2.04 lbs.

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It’s worth bearing in mind that those prices are “sale” prices, with retail list pricing stated as being eight to twelve percent higher.

Regardless of which version you opt for, you will get twin USB 3.0 ports, a single HDMI output, and a built-in SD card reader. Audio is handled by a pair of Yamaha AudioEngine speakers, and you can expect the battery in both versions to last for up to nine hours of video playback. Wireless standards like WiFi 802.11 a/c are supported, along with Bluetooth 4.0, and there’s a built-in webcam that can handle up 720P if you don’t have an external solution already.

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Jon Martindale is a freelance evergreen writer and occasional section coordinator, covering how to guides, best-of lists, and…

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