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Topic: Lenovo

Lenovo introduces ThinkCentre Edge 62z all-in-one desktop: Is its 18.5-inch screen too small?

Summary: The $549 starting price tag is small enough, but is the workstation's LCD too tiny?

Sean Portnoy

By for Laptops & Desktops |

All-in-one enterprise desktop PCs make a lot of sense to save valuable space for packed-in employees. But everyone also agrees that bigger screen sizes make for better worker productivity. Those two trends are in conflict in the new Lenovo ThinkCentre Edge 62z, its latest all-in-one that bucks the trend for bigger desktop monitors.

lenovo-thinkcentre-edge-62z-all-in-one-desktop-pc
(Image: Lenovo)

That's because the 62z (a follow-up to its larger 92z sibling) squeezes in an 18.5-inch LCD, which Lenovo says yields a 65-percent saving in space over a 20-inch monitor. And in its defense, the company isn't marketing the PC as a traditional corporate machine, pitching it instead to schools and space-starved work areas, like nurse's stations.

Still, a sub-19-inch desktop screen in 2013 might be hard for some workers to deal with — unless they are so unlucky to have even smaller legacy screens. What no one can object to is the pricing, as the 62z starts at just $549. Notably, it offers Windows 7 Professional instead of Windows 8. You can get up to an Intel Core i3 Ivy Bridge processor, 8GB of RAM, and 1TB of hard drive, and you even get a DVD drive thrown in for good measure. 

Speaking of measure, is the 62z the right size for Lenovo's customers? We'll find out when it becomes available in May.

[Via Engadget] 

Topics: Lenovo, PCs

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26 comments
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  • What a Smart Company

    to offer W-7 instead of Windows 8 with those stupid Metro flashing tiles.........again a very smart company.
    Over and Out
    Reply 3 Votes

    • very smart indeed...

      Not adding those ugly tiles, those fast booting times, that upgraded user friendliness, that touch support, more cloud integration, better browsing experience, more snappiness, more updates, better and easier features to clean up the machines.. the list of these DISADVANTAGES just go on and on and on.... Very smart indeed.. We would throw our apple's, hp's, dell's, vizio's out of the window get a chunk of this awesomeness.. Because they are so smart...
      Zami90
      Reply 2 Votes

      • Metro

        Metro is fine for tablets. It sucks on the corporate desktop. While the OTHER features of Win8 are nice, the desktop experiences is damaged and becomes significantly less productive / intuitive with Metro. ZERO of our corporate customers want Win8 so, yes, it's a VERY smart move by Lenovo. They know their market. Do you REALLY know yours? Have you done Win8 on the desktop trials like we have? If so, has your customer feedback been positive? Ours hasn't been. Not even close. Not one customer preferred Win8 over 7.
        NixRocks
        Reply 1 Vote

      • really 7 is correct.

        1) Fast boot times? If it doesn't give errors. You have to turn off quick boot from last saved on close, if you are getting errors -- an yep, they do happen.
        2) Have no idea what you mean by upgraded user friendliness, as the user experience is one of shock, then disbelief as so many swipes and typing is needed compared to simple click or two with Win 7.
        3) The browsing experience is best on Firefox or Chrome with Ad Block Plus.
        4) Windows 7 is plenty snappy.
        5) I must agree the easy overwrite and restore to original is a great feature. When my two week old Dell imploded, I did just that, then returned it to Costco.
        BTW, TimeMachine for OS X is great, and they also have wipe clean disk before selling.
        mytake4this
        Reply Vote

  • It does have HDMI and VGA out

    So another monitor can be used with it, plus it's running Windows 7 that's a plus.

    Looks like a solid unit to me.
    toddbottom7
    Reply 5 Votes

    • Very true

      However I think that screen may be about as small as you dare go on a desktop computer these days. Lets be honest, any bigger and the price'd be ringing in a lot higher. Screen is the biggest individual cost n an all in one.

      But I think that's the point; as they say, they are going for an all in one for schools and similar. These are always built to budget machines, and it looks like it fits that requirement very nicely. When I left school apple gave schools emacs... They were all in ones!
      MarknWill
      Reply 1 Vote

      • I Agree

        I'm seeing more and more laptops being used in limited space environments and home offices, not because of any need for portability, but to reduce space requirements and cable clutter. If you stack this 18.5" unit against laptops in those situations along with its
        $549.00 price point, it looks like an attractive option. And it's certainly shouldn't be any more of a service problem than a laptop is.
        cHarley1200
        Reply Vote

        • Not a great price...

          Right now Dell is selling the Inspiron 17 (17" display) starting at $400. Plus you can pick up a notebook and take it with you. I've used the Inspiron 17 for many years along with two 23" external monitors. Love it.
          nfordzdn
          Reply Vote

  • Yes

    It should have been 22-24" at least, but these all-in-one's tend to get obsolete in one way or the other quicker than normal configs. They should have packaged it as a mini cpu/drive package that fits on the back of most standard monitors with wall mounts, maybe something like a repackaged Intel NUC.
    JustCallMeBC
    Reply 1 Vote

  • Vista background

    Does it also come with that Vista era background?
    PB_z
    Reply 4 Votes

    • why not

      Windows 98? That didn't have live tiles either and had the start button... I wouldn't be surprised to see a Chinese company developing a machine with 98 or millennium :D
      Zami90
      Reply Vote

    • JustCallMeBC ... haha, yep

      .. but it ain't got Aero

      ;P
      thx-1138_
      Reply Vote

      • ??

        OD'd already on marshmallow Peeps?
        JustCallMeBC
        Reply Vote

  • desk space

    Is it really so difficult to mount a ZBox on the back of a flat screen monitor? That makes more sense to me than any all-in-one because the components are separate. Fry the ZBox or the monitor, and the other component still works.

    Tangent: to me nothing is a UGLY as the tripod footprint of so many Windows all-in-ones. Well, maybe the pseudohandles on HP Pavilions are even uglier. Pedestal mounts are much better.
    hrlngrv 
    Reply 1 Vote

    • No, but it's more expensive

      We've been mounting micro PC's on the back of monitors for YEARS. The issue however is that it's more expensive. When you add the price of a micro form factor PC (from a major reputable manufacturer of BUSINESS PC's) to the cost of a monitor, it's going to be more expensive than this Lenovo model.

      You also have two power cables instead of one, and a monitor cable to deal with.

      To be honest, this unit looks good and I can see a fit for it for a number of our clients. Not all certainly, but some. I would have preferred a stand that allowed height adjustment and tilt / swivel. It's an ergonomic issue.
      NixRocks
      Reply Vote

      • business PC

        I've used what I suppose are nonbusiness micro PCs at home and in churches. Few problems. Specifically, Zotac boxes, which are usually used for home theaters, but work fairly well as general purpose PCs.

        A single power cord is overrated since cables can be tied together with plastic straps or even electrical or duct tape. Monitor cables are NBD because there's less than 8" between monitor's out port and the mounted mini PC's in port. You coil the excess cable, and it's hidden behind the monitor, just like the mini PC.

        Still, there's the possibility that one component failing could knock out the whole system.

        As for the stand, pedestal stand designs can accommodate height and tilt adjustment easier than tripod designs, so I suppose my aesthetic preference for the former over the latter also has a practical, ergonomic aspect.
        hrlngrv 
        Reply Vote

        • home use

          This unit isn't designed for home use. In the business world, we want manageability - features like AMT are Very Very nice to have and reduce truck rolls, support costs. I would never - EVER use a machine NOT specifically designed for business except in the most rare cases - and with the customer being very aware of that fact and all the caveats that go with it.

          All the comments about what people do for home shlepping together random no-name bits and pieces they picked up on Amazon / Newegg / Ebay are really moot here. Mildly amusing to hear what people have come up with, but certainly nothing we would EVER support in a business environment. Time is money, frequently the customer's money.

          Remember: this is a unit designed for business to be used by business to be supported by business.

          Thinking about this unit more, I really only see it's utility in situations where we are already using thin clients which are even less expensive. Perhaps the market for it isn't really there. Kind of reminds me of the old NEC Z1 all in one which never took off either, but at least had a better mount (it tilted, google for images.)
          NixRocks
          Reply Vote

  • i dont' know if I'd call it ugly but homely it is.....

    Pagan jim
    James Quinn
    Reply Vote

  • I love that Vista background.

    Unfortunately, I'd like to have a large screen monitor. Think 32" like I use at Lively Technical Center.
    Grayson Peddie
    Reply 1 Vote

  • Not For Everyone

    this would be Nice for Small Business Due it Lacking all New Bells and Whistles
    We Are moving to touch World and I think New Computers Should Be Mult Touch and Windows 8 . I use a 18.5 Display on Desktop No it Not Touch Cause Computer Came With Windows 7 But it run Windows 8 Pro right Now . I have so many Windows 8 Touch Computers and it so amazing and that what a Windows 8 computer should feel like . But it also works wonderful with Keyboard and mouse . I feel this computer is bit of Step Backwards it many of Ways . Microsoft soon will put out date saying After this Date Windows 7 Can't Be Installed on computer we got move Forward and Backwards
    dansfuzzypaws
    Reply 1 Vote
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