Lenovo today became the latest in a growing list of laptop vendors slotting an ultrathin product between their low-cost netbook and conventional notebook lines. Pitched as an extension of their popular X-Series, the new ThinkPad X100e is built on AMD's Athlon Neo platform and should retail for under $500.


According to leaked information obtained by NetbookNews, the 3-pound X100e will have an 11.6-inch, 1366 x 768 resolution display along with up to 4GB of RAM and a 320GB hard drive. The unit will be available with a choice of a 3-cell or a 6-cell battery pack, with the latter rated for over 5 hours of use thanks to the system's ultra low voltage MV40 processor (1.6GHz, 15W TDP) and RS780 chipset. Other specs include 3 USB 2.0 ports, VGA out, a 4 in 1 card reader, built in 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and optional Bluetooth and UMTS.

Unfortunately, an exact release date isn't yet known, but previous rumors suggest it will launch at CES in January.