Lenovo’s new E540/E550 and L450 serve ThinkPad durability at affordable prices

By Matthew S. Smith January 4, 2015

The ThinkPad line remains the go-to for professionals who want a functional, durable and quick Windows PC, but price is often an issue. Fast processors and rugged design don’t come cheap. Still, Lenovo is attempting to blend budget with business in its latest E-series and L-series notebooks.

The E540/E550 have 14-inch and 15-inch screens, respectively, with very similar features. Both can be purchased with an HD or full HD anti-glare display, an Intel Core processor and optional discrete graphics. A wide variety of mechanical, hybrid and solid-state storage options are available and each supports up to 16GB of RAM.

Connectivity is robust for the E-series. 802.11n Wi-Fi is standard, but can be upgraded to 802.11ac, and Bluetooth 4.0 is always included. Each also has Ethernet, three USB ports (two of them 3.0) and HDMI. The larger 15-inch model can also do VGA and will also be available with a RealSense 3D camera.

The E-series starts at a surprisingly affordable $599. The low price is achieved by forgoing the pursuit of thinness; they’re both around nine-tenths of an inch thick. The E550 weighs just over five pounds and the E540 weighs four pounds.

Lenovo ThinkPad E550 — Lenovo ThinkPad E550 Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you’re looking to spend an extra Benjamin you can snag the L450 instead. This 14-inch model has a standard HD display with optional Full HD but, unlike the E-series, its 1080p panel uses IPS technology, which promises better colors and a wider viewing angle.

The L450 also trades the E-series’ USB 2.0 port for another USB 3.0, tosses HDMI in favor of Mini-DisplayPort and boasts three battery choices, the largest of which is rated at 72 watt-hours (about twice a typical notebook). On the downside, this model is barely less than an inch thick and weighs four and a quarter pounds despite its small display. Pricing starts at $699.

You won’t have to wait long if any of these laptops pique your interest. All three are slated for release in February.

Thinking about buying a Lenovo? To help you pick the right one for your needs, check out our ThinkPad buying guide to the various options available and why they might make a great choice for your next laptop.

Topics

Matthew S. Smith

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Matthew S. Smith is the former Lead Editor, Reviews at Digital Trends. He previously guided the Products Team, which dives…

Computing

Power up your tech game this summer with Dell’s top deals: Upgrade for a bargain

Dell Techfest and best tech on sale featured.

One of the best times to upgrade your tech stack, be it your desktop, a new laptop, or some high-resolution monitors, is when great deals are to be had. Well, I'm here to share that thanks to Dell's top deals, you can power up your tech game and have most of the summer to make it happen. Maybe you're happy with your current system or setup. That's excellent, but you're likely considering upgrading somewhere, and that's precisely what these deals are all about. Dell has a smorgasbord of deals on laptops, desktops, gaming desktops, monitors, accessories, and so much more. We'll call out a few of our favorite deals below, but for now, know that you should be shopping this sale if you're interested in anything tech-related.

What summer tech should you buy in Dell's top deals?

Computing

I love the MacBook Pro, but this Windows laptop came surprisingly close

Apple MacBook Pro 16 downward view showing keyboard and speaker.

There are some great machines in the 15-inch laptop category, which has recently been stretched to include the more common 16-inch laptop. The best among them is the Apple MacBook Pro 16, which offers fast performance for tasks like video editing and the longest battery life.

The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 is aimed not only at other 16-inch Windows laptops but also at the MacBook Pro 16. It offers many of the same benefits but at a lower price. Can it take a place at the top?
Specs and configurations

Computing

How to set an ‘Out of Office’ message in Microsoft Teams

Person using Windows 11 laptop on their lap by the window.

Many people use Microsoft Teams regularly to communicate with colleagues both inside of the office and remotely. It is considered one of the most efficient ways to ensure you can stay in contact with the people on your team, but what if you need to let people know you’re not readily available? Microsoft Teams has a method for you to set up an "Out of Office" status for your profile to let staff members know when you’ll be gone for the afternoon, for several days on vacation, or for an extended period.
Where do I go to set up my ‘Out of Office’ status for Teams?
It is important to note that your Microsoft Teams and Outlook calendars are synced. This includes your out-of-office status and automatic replies. So, whatever you set up in Microsoft Teams will reflect in Outlook. Similarly, you can set up your out-of-office status in Outlook, and it will be reflected in Teams; however, the former has a more straightforward instruction.

First, you can click on your profile icon in Teams and go directly to Schedule an out of office, as a shortcut. This will take you to the settings area where you can proceed. You can also click the three-dot icon next to your profile icon, then go to Settings > General, then scroll down to the bottom of the page. There, you'll find out-of-office settings and click Schedule.