Lenovo Adds New Security, Fast-Boot Features To Windows 7 PCs

Perhaps the biggest improvement seen with EE3-certified products is faster boot times. Lenovo said ThinkPads and IdeaPads bearing the new EE3 brand can boot up 40 percent faster than non-certified Windows 7 devices. The jump can be attributed to Lenovo’s RapidBoot technology, which enables a PC to boot up, on average, in 24 seconds. Non-certified Windows 7 PCs take approximately 41 seconds, Lenovo said.

EE3 ThinkPads also come equipped with the company’s new BootShield technology, which ensures optimal boot times over the course of a PC’s lifetime, regardless of how many apps are added to the system. According to Lenovo, BootShield can check the availability of a ThinkPad’s resources during the boot-up process and selectively "pause" the launch of additional software or apps until resources are freed up. As a result, boot-up time is cut down.

[Related: Lenovo Unveils Three ThinkStations ]

"Time is precious, and when it comes to your PC, we want to make sure that every second counts, and reduce the wait time it takes to get your PC up and running," said Mark Cohen, engineer and vice president of ecosystems at Lenovo, in a statement. "The EE3 optimizations we’ve made on our consumer and business PCs mean customers will spend less time waiting and more time doing what they want to do, with faster boot time performance and quicker resume times for a more instant-on experience."

Lenovo said its EE3-certified IdeaPads will host a series of audio and video enhancements as well, including new round chamber speakers that eliminate unwanted vibrations and Dolby-certified sound quality. A 720-pixel webcam is also included for clearer video conferencing.

As for its ThinkPad series, the EE3-certified products will tout new security features, such as self-encrypting hard drives, a fingerprint reader so that authorized users can power up the device with the swipe of a finger, and a new USB blocker that prohibits the use of specific, user-defined USB ports.

In addition to the ThinkPad and IdeaPad PCs already on the market today, Lenovo’s upcoming IdeaPad U310 and U410 Ultrabooks and IdeaCentre A720 all-in-one desktop will be EE3-certified. The PC maker said devices bearing the EE3 brand started shipping in early April.