ThinkPads' prices rethought

IBM (IBM) today announced price cuts of up to 18 percent on its ThinkPad 365 series of notebook computers.

The ThinkPad 365 series is IBM's entry-level notebook PC line which is sold through both business and consumer channels. The pricing move is intended to strengthen the company's position against such competitors as Toshiba and Compaq in the entry-level to mid-range notebook market.

The 365--with a 100-MHz Pentium processor, an 810 MB hard drive, a 10.4-inch dual scan display, and a 4X CD-ROM drive--dropped in price from $1,999 to $1,799, or ten percent.

A higher-end 365 with a 120-MHz Pentium processor, an 810 MB hard drive, 10.4-inch active-matrix display, and a 4X CD-ROM drive was selling for $2,499 and is now priced at $2,099, a reduction of 16 percent. A model that adds an 11.3-inch dual scan display and a 1.08 GB hard drive was selling for $2,299, and is now selling for $1,899, a reduction of almost 18 percent.

At the high end of the 365 line, IBM offers a model with a 133-MHz Pentium, an 11.3-inch dual scan display, and a 1.08 GB hard disk drive for $1,999, down from $2,299. A model that adds an active matrix display, a larger hard disk drive, and a 6X CD-ROM was selling for $3,499 but is now priced at $2,999, a 14 percent drop.