Lenovo launches 11.6-inch ThinkPad x121e for Europe, the Japanese market

It's a curious thing about consumer electronics: they often disappear as fast as they hit shelves. That's kind of what happened with Lenovo's ThinkPad x120e: months after our glowing review, it vanished from the company's online store, never to return. (You can still find it through Amazon and other retailers.) And though it remains MIA, Lenovo did just unveil the 11.6-inch ThinkPad x121e for Europe and the Japanese market -- a clear preview of what's on the horizon for us Yanks. This time around, it packs an Intel Core i3-2357 CPU, an AMD Fusion E-350 chip, or a Fusion C-50 APU. Other specs include a 1366 x 768 panel, up to 320GB in HDD storage (or a 128GB solid-state drive), HDMI and VGA out, three USB 2.0 ports (one of them powered), a 4-in-1 memory card reader, and, in some configurations, a WiMAX radio. Depending on the model, it comes with a three- or six-cell battery, the latter of which promises a max of eight-plus hours of battery life if you pair it with an Intel-based system. It's on sale now for Japanese business customers with general availability coming at the end of this month, and it's also listed on various European sites. Lenovo's US division told us it doesn't yet have a timetable to share, so for now you'll just have hit the source links and settle for a vicarious thrill.