Lenovo bolsters IdeaPad and Z-Series PC portfolio with new touchscreen devices

Lenovo has become the latest PC vendor to debut a series of new touchscreen Windows 8 devices designed for use by business and consumer users.

The Chinese PC maker announced the new additions to its product portfolio at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), which is taking place in Las Vegas this week.

It is introducing two new models to its IdeaPad range of Ultrabooks, the U310 and U410, which will be powered by a 3rd generation Intel Core i7 processor and come with the promise all day battery life.

The U310 is 18mm thick and features a 13-inch screen, while the U410 has a 14-inch screen and is slightly beefier at 21mm.

In addition to this, the firm plans to flesh out its Z-series line of laptops with the new consumer-focused Z400 and Z500 devices.

The laptops are both powered by an Intel i7 processor and boast either a 14- (Z400) or 15.6-inch (Z500) touchscreen, as well as backlit keyboards.

Lenovo is also expanding its range of all-in-one desktop devices with the release of its new IdeaCentre A730 PC, which will support up to Windows 8 Pro.

Users that plump for this device will be offered a choice of Intel Core processors, as well as an optional 27-inch Quad HD or Full HD frameless display that supports 10-point multi-touch.

The company is expected to use CES to demonstrate its OneLink technology, which will be making its debut on two forthcoming devices from Lenovo's ThinkPad laptop range.

OneLink is being billed by Lenovo as its answer to "cable clutter" and aims to provide PC users with a single cable system that connects devices to external ports, including HDMI and audio connections.

The IdeaPad and Z-Series devices are expected to drop in March and April, whereas the A730 should be available from June.