Finally some fierce competition from Lenovo, I wonder how long it will be until HP and Dell start having these awesome processors in their computers.

The said passive venting system.. does that mean no fan?... I love how it looks (maybe its the mac pro like dots) but what really kills it is how all the components aren't flush with the surface.

Passive cooling = Ton O Holes.

when I read the article it says without the use of high speed fans. I assume the fans will not run unless needed, that means for most of your day to day it would probably be passive, then hit photoshop, AutoCAD, etc, and you will get some fans running. The price is right, I wouldn't mind having one, though I did just order a Dell XPS 720...

My eyes! The goggles, they do nothing!

Seriously, why is (non-Mac) PC industrial design still stuck in the 80s?

Did some design school graduate ACTUALLY come up with this and say "Yeah, I think this looks awesome!" ???

Wait, the S10 has a QX processor yet the system itself is going to be under $1200? Don't QX chips cost up to $1,100 just by themselves? What exactly does a Lenovo Thinkstation come with in terms of software? I assume it isn't meant to be used as a home desktop? Passive cooling, if even for light tasks, is a nice touch. A nice way to utilize the benefits of shrinking the Core 2 architecture.

As for the design: I like it. It has a very industrial, serious, look. Plus, it seems as though it will be easy to open and add/remove things as needed. Sorry Wabbit-Wabbit but I think for the most part people who buy this will be more concerned with the fact that this design allows passive cooling (holes), easy upgrades, and performance. As far as desktops go I'm more concerned with what the stuff inside can do than by what the case can do (which is to say, a case can do nothing but sit there and look pretty).

Just read the press release.. the S10 can be fitted w/ the QX9650 but it will also run the good ol' Core 2 Duo chips. I imagine the $1,199 price tag reflects the baseline config which wouldn't have the QX9650 processor.

Some more interesting things about these WORKSTATIONS, all taken from the linked press release: (I've put the nice stuff in bold)

"The workstations feature 80 percent efficient power supplies. Additionally, they contain more than 50 percent recycled plastics content.

The workstations also incorporate usability along with their cutting-edge performance. Lenovo's user-centric design includes a removable top handle for moving the workstation easily in a variety of work environments as well as a side cover latch for easy access to the system. The workstations also include illuminated front I/O ports to help users work in multiple system and low light conditions. For a cool and quiet experience, Lenovo's unique thermal design provides workstation performance with the acoustics of a standard Lenovo desktop PC."

So the design may not be as svelte as a Mac but it still gets gold stars in other areas.

It's not so bad, really.

-maybe all it needs is a little love...

I think it looks really good, myself. I like the industrial, matte black, "I'm not fucking around" look of it. Plus, it's got some nice specs and a not too shabby price tag. This might just be my next computer.

It looks like a rack mount server, which is nice in an industrial design sort of way. If they can avoid gouging people for the high end Extreme processor and other parts, I think I will buy one.

I mean sure the Chinese Government probably installs listening devices in every PC Lenovo sells, but as long as they don't charge an arm and a leg for the listening device

Yorkfield, y'all. I do dig the early 90's mini-server look.