IBM evolves ThinkPad line

IBM (IBM) has cut prices on its ThinkPad notebook PCs by as much as 33 percent as it started shipping two new high-end ThinkPads with the 166-MHz MMX Pentium processor.

IBM announced price discounts on the model 560 and 365 notebooks as well as the 760ED and 760E notebooks. The price of the 760E with 150-MHz Pentium was reduced from $4,999 to $4,199, a cut of 16 percent. The 760ED with 133-MHz Pentium and 6X CD-ROM had its price dropped from $5,399 to $4,599, a reduction of 15 percent.

IBM ThinkPad price cuts
Model	Pentium speed, extras	Old price	New price
365X	120 MHz, 4X CD-ROM	$2,099	$1,399
365X	133 MHz	$1,899	$1,599
560	133 MHz	$2,477	$2,212
760ED	133 MHz, 6X CD-ROM	$5,399	$4,599
760E	150 MHz	$4,999	$4,199

The ThinkPad 560 with 133-MHz Pentium and 11.3-inch dual-scan display was priced at $2,477 and is now priced at $2,212, a reduction of ten percent.

The entry-level 365 models got price cuts, too. The 365X with a 133-MHz Pentium, a 1.08GB hard disk drive and 11.3-inch dual-scan display was priced at $1,899 and is now priced at $1,599, or 15 percent less. The 365X with a 120-MHz Pentium, an 810MB hard drive, a 4X CD-ROM, and a 10.4-inch active-matrix display was priced at $2,099 and is now $1,399, a reduction of 33 percent. Other 365 models got similar price cuts.

The newest 760XD and 760XL ThinkPads, which were announced Monday, are the top-line offerings for users who want computers that are mobile but are powered like desktop PCs, according to IBM.

IBM says the cost of owning and operating the new notebooks will be decreased through incorporation of hardware and network management software. Also, the new 760 models are covered by the company's SystemCare program, which allows customers to buy, manage, and trade in their PCs and other "information technology" assets through resellers for a single, predetermined monthly payment.

IBM's new notebooks will feature a 166-MHz MMX Pentium processor and 12.1-inch active-matrix screen. The 760XD will come with a 3GB hard disk drive, 8X CD-ROM drive, and 32MB of memory. The 760XL will come with a 2.1GB hard disk drive and either 32MB or 16MB of memory. The prices for the new models will range from $4,999 for the 760XL to $6,499 for the 760XD.