IBM on Monday will release a new family of ThinkPads that feature dual-band wireless, enhanced management software, and, for the first time, fashion choices when it comes to the navigational stick on the keyboard.
The ThinkPad R40 family, targeted at small and medium-sized businesses, is IBM's first foray into what will likely be a busy year for notebooks. Laptop shipments grew by 17.6 percent in 2002, much faster than desktops, according to preliminary figures from research firm Gartner. The trend likely will continue with the greater proliferation of wireless networks and energy-efficient technologies such as Intel's Pentium-M processor, formerly code-named Banias.
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