Lenovo unveils ThinkPad S531 Ultrabook

Lenovo is targeting its latest Windows 8 Ultrabook at small businesses in a fresh attempt to inject some consumer-grade style into a 'bring your own device' (BYOD) workhorse.

The ThinkPad S531, which succeeds the ThinkPad S431, features a 15.6-inch screen attached to the body using a single unified hinge, allowing it to lie flat at 180 degrees. The display lacks touch sensitivity, however, meaning users will have to make do interacting with the OS using the five-button glass click pad.

Inside, the S531 sports Intel's 3rd Generation Ivy Bridge processor. Despite missing out on the latest Haswell CPU, Lenovo claims the processor offers a 15% boost over previous offerings. It supports up to 10GB of memory and 500GB of storage space.

The company is touting the S531 as something of a road warrior, claiming up to nine hours' use from a standard four cell 62.8Wh battery.

Connectivity wise, the Ultrabook houses USB 3.0 ports for speedy file transfers. Users can also hook up a ThinkPad OneLink Dock, which provides dedicated video, more USB 3.0 ports, Gigabit Ethernet and audio, all while charging the device. Additionally, an optional finger print reader can be installed for extra security.

Spill resistant

The S531 features a six-row backlit keyboard with Windows 8-specific shortcut keys. It's also spill resistant, putting an end to the days when a toppled coffee would result in mass panic. Unfortunately, there's not much that can be done about the sticky keys.

The S531 is available now for £575 excluding VAT from Lenovo's partners and its website.

• Want something more ... agile? Check out the new ThinkPad Yoga.