Lenovo Unveils ThinkPad X130e, Ruggedized For K-12 Students

Lenovo has officially unveiled its ThinkPad X130e , specially ruggedized for K-12 students.

The ThinkPad X130e isn't related to Intel's Classmate learning series of netbooks with which . Rather, Lenovo is putting its own spin on a PC for students, though these units will be available to everyday consumers, as opposed to just schools and governments.

Lenovo has ruggedized the ThinkPad X130e by strengthening the hinges, adding a bumper around the bezel, putting a rubberized cover on the lid to help absorb the shock from falls, and recessing the ports. It has an 11.6-inch widescreen display, measures 1.29 inches thick, and weighs 3.9 pounds, which is light enough to tote around comfortably. Above the display is a Webcam for video chatting. It can be configured with an Intel Core i3-2367M CPU, AMD Fusion E-300 APU, or E-450 APU, 320GB or 500GB spinning hard drives, and up to 8GB of RAM. Lenovo claims its 6-cell battery can last up to 8.5 hours on a full charge, which is more than enough power to get you through the day and then some.

Ports include VGA and HDMI video outputs, Gigabit Ethernet for jacking into the Internet, a headphone and microphone jack, three USB 2.0 ports (one of which allows you to power your smartphone or MP3 player while the computer is plugged in), and a 4-in-1 media card reader (SD/SDHC/SDXC/MMC). Wi-Fi and a Bluetooth radio are also installed to connect to the Internet and pair wireless peripherals.

The ThinkPad X130e comes with Lenovo's famous scalloped chiclet keys that provide one of the best typing experiences you can find on a laptop. It also comes with a pointing stick, a navigating solution with which older generations of ThinkPad users may be more familiar, and a touchpad.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X130e is slated for release on Dec. 20 for a base price of $469.