The ThinkCentre family is an affordable line of desktop PCs designed for business. The ThinkCentre family includes the A Series Tower & Small Form Factor (SFF) PCs, the M Series Tower/All-In-One, SFF and Ultra Small Form Factor (USFF) PCs and the A Series All-in-one PC. For this review we have a ThinkCentre M90z All-in-one desktop PC.

Features:

All-business PCs at mainstream prices
Space-saving, simple set up and clutter-free
Easy access for quick HD and memory upgrades
Simple maintenance to extend PC lifecycle
Built-in PC management tools for lower IT costs
High-end components for high-quality performance
Reliable PCs for enhanced productivity
23" displays with desk, table or wall mounting options
Progressive design when style is your brand identity
Green PCs—good for the environment and your budget 

Setup & Installation

The ThinkCentre M90z comes delivered in a 26" by 9.5" by 22" inch box, which is larger than the A70z All-In-One but still quite manageable. The fact that we are dealing with an all-in-one system makes setup a snap. Interestingly, the computer itself comes wrapped in a white reusable bag, that actually comes in handy when moving the system from place to place. The system weighs no more than 10-12 pounds, it is very easy to move. Also, the all-in-one system has a convienient handle on the back side which makes carrying the system around easy. Setting up the system consists of plugging in the USB keyboard and mouse (or wireless receiver for the optional wireless desktop set), and plugging the power cord. The power button is located on the lower front, right corner of the PC. It's about as simple as setting up a PC can get. After a few steps to create a username and password, you're at the Windows desktop. This model came with Windows 7 Professional 32-bit edition, however you can opt for the 64-bit edition when customizing.

Design

Design is what all-in-one computers are all about. The convience of having everything in a single, space-saving form factor is tremendously appealing to many computer users, especially in cramped business environments. This computer is really space saving! The machine's dimensions are 22 inches wide, 23 inch diagonal screen, and it is about 15.5" tall. With the support fully extended, the computer only takes 9.5 inches deep of space on the desk - not much at all. The M90z also gave me the added convenience of having the DVD drive and USB connections easily within reach, and included many of them - see the picture. Unlike the A70z, which has the ports on the left, the M90z has a DVD-RW drive on the rightside of the screen, along with two USB ports (this is in addition to the four in the back), headphone and mic jacks are still on the right side.  Ports on the back side of the machine consist of four USB connections, a power connection, a gigabit network connection and a VGA port. The stand is adjustable to accomodate different viewing angles, with clear rubber guards on the bottom so it does not scratch any furniture, etc.. On the front side of the machine you have the power button, and beside it is the hard drive activity indicator. Running along the bottom of the machine are the speakers, and on top of the screen is a webcam and mic, and a switch to close off the webcam. The software integration of the camera is nice, as well. There is also a small latch in the back where you can open up the case. The machine is very sturdy and runs quietly considering it's proximity to the user.  Still, in addition to the desktop stand, you can add a wall mount or adjustable desk arm to the M90z, making the already compact design even more space saving.

Performance & USe

The ThinkCentre M90z came with Windows 7 Professional 32-bit edition preinstalled. This unit came with 4GB of RAM, with 4GB being the max, and the Intel Core i5 650 3.20 GHz CPU I feel races along. Refreshingly, there wasn't a ton of preinstalled applications and other trial software to wade through upon first use. The system booted to the desktop with a custom background and a ThinkCentre toolbar on the taskbar. I actually liked a lot of the ThinkCentre toolbox tools preinstalled on the system. Lenovo included some very handy system/diagnostic tools (see pictures below), that I think everyone should use. It made getting started quite a bit easier than having to uninstall much unwanted trial software. The M90z comes with a 19 inch wide 16:10 display at 1440 x 900 resolution. The display is very crisp and bright. Overall, performance was very good, was not sluggish, and the Multi Touch operated smoothly. There are some nice software enhancements they have added to support Multi Touch. Some people have preferred to order this system with the 64-bit Windows 7 OS to gain additional performance. The Windows Experience Index for this machine is 4.3.

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Final Comments

Unlike the a70z reviewer, I am not too big of a fan of all-in-ones, but the M90z has really won be over. That's not to say the system is without flaws. Inherent in all-in-one systems, there is a limited amount of customization and upgrades you are able to do to the system. The 23" monitor can't be beat, and if you need the extra monitor size, as well as added performance, choose this over the A70z. But ultimately, I think the pros outweigh the cons and the Lenovo M90z ThinkCentre All-In-One is a great system. I've continued to be impressed by Lenovo.