Today’s article is “Windows laptops competing to be the M2 MacBook Alternative,” and Lenovo today announced its Slim line of premium consumer laptops. The new batch includes the 14.5-inch Slim Pro 7i and the 14-inch Slim 7i, which I recommend most people to buy. There is also a slim Pro 9i with 14.5 and 16-inch options.
I don’t usually have any complaints about slim devices. These devices are not only some of the most well-built consumer devices, but they also have a lot to offer. Lenovo is pushing them this year to appeal to mobile creative professionals, who might otherwise opt for an M2 MacBook. They offer a variety of features and fancy names.
The new Slim Pro models include an updated version Lenovo’s “X Power” suite. Lenovo claims that this software will dramatically increase video editing speed. It has “drastically increased software preview, rendering and exports” as well as a 62.5 percent increase of thermal capacity over the previous generation. The release by Lenovo doesn’t give any details on how the software achieved such a significant increase.
The Slim Pros come with the new Premium Suite, which is — I am quoting directly — “a new set of new and upgraded hardware features designed to improve the user experience.”
The Slim Pro 9i, which Lenovo calls the “consummate maker”, comes with 13th Gen Intel Core processors, up to an Nvidia RTX4070 GPU, and a 3.2K, 165Hz LCD. The AMD Ryzen-powered Slim 7i, which targets “multitasking content creators”, comes with an RTX 3050 and a 3K 120Hz display. The Slim 7i, designed for “on-the go creators”, will continue to use Intel’s integrated graphics.
Both the Slim Pro 7i and Slim 7i will be available in North America starting at $1,199.99 each. The Slim Pro 9i will be available in May. The 14.5-inch models are priced at $1699.99 and the 16-inch models at $1,799.99.
There are also options to get an Intel Core i9-1395H, 64GB RAM and a Terabyte of storage. This is not as powerful as the MacBook Pro’s top configurations, but it does offer more storage.
All of this would look surprisingly small if it were housed in a bulky chassis. The Slim Pro 9i is, as you can see from its name, only 0.69 inches thick (or 0.67 in the LCD model).
The Slim Pro 9i has many ports that almost match the MacBook Pro. The Slim Pro 9i includes HDMI 2.1, Thunderbolt 4 and USB-C-3.2 Gen 1. There are also two USB-A-3.2 Gen 1 ports, a full-size SD Card slot, and a Headphone Jack.
The mini-LED model also features a 5-megapixel high-resolution webcam, while the LCD model offers a 1080p option. The Slim Pro 9i 16 inch model has six speakers, while the 14.5 inch version has four. Both sizes use a 75-watt-hour-rated battery.
