LG Trims The Fat With US Introduction Of ’Gram’ Signature Edition Windows 10 Laptops
The U.S. laptop market welcomed a new player today. LG, which is well-known for its smartphones and (through its display division) PC monitors and TVs, is going after ultrabook users with its LG gram laptops. The systems are light and thin, resembling Apple’s MacBook Air.
Named “gram” for its lightweight design, LG’s new laptop weighs only 2.16 pounds. That’s lighter than the MacBook Air – as LG is quick to point out – though not by much: the Air weighs in at 2.38 pounds. But the weight gives LG bragging rights, which it’s going to need to break into a market as well-established as this one.
"LG has a long history of developing innovative consumer electronics products and has applied that expertise, along with its laptop success in other markets, to the LG gram series in the U.S.,” said David VanderWaal, vice president of marketing at LG Electronics USA. “LG delivers sound and display innovation in a sleek, lightweight device that brings to life some of the exciting new features in Windows 10, including Cortana and Microsoft Edge.”
LG is offering three models at the outset. One is the LG gram 13, which is a 13-inch laptop sporting an Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of memory, and 128GB of flash storage. That model has a price tag of $899, higher than you usually see in a PC maker’s least-expensive system. But, LG appears to be skipping the entry-level market entirely and aiming directly at a wealthier crowd that favors style and portability.
The other two gram models have 14-inch displays. One goes for just $100 more than the 13-inch gram and has much of the same hardware, including the processor, memory and flash storage. Bump up to the $1,399 model, and you’re working with a system that sports an Intel Core i7 and 256GB of storage. Interestingly, this model has 8GB of memory, just like its less-expensive siblings.
All three models are made from carbon-lithium and carbon-magnesium, which, LG says, makes for durable, lightweight bodies. And all three are Microsoft Signature Edition laptops, which is a nice touch. Signature Edition computers are “clean,” in that they don’t have bloatware, annoying toolbars, or other crud gunking up the system.
On paper, LG’s thin new laptops are intriguing. But can LG make a place for itself in the market? It has brand recognition going for it, but laptop buyers at this price point are often pretty savvy. The systems will probably have to offer killer performance to break in.
Named “gram” for its lightweight design, LG’s new laptop weighs only 2.16 pounds. That’s lighter than the MacBook Air – as LG is quick to point out – though not by much: the Air weighs in at 2.38 pounds. But the weight gives LG bragging rights, which it’s going to need to break into a market as well-established as this one.
"LG has a long history of developing innovative consumer electronics products and has applied that expertise, along with its laptop success in other markets, to the LG gram series in the U.S.,” said David VanderWaal, vice president of marketing at LG Electronics USA. “LG delivers sound and display innovation in a sleek, lightweight device that brings to life some of the exciting new features in Windows 10, including Cortana and Microsoft Edge.”
LG is offering three models at the outset. One is the LG gram 13, which is a 13-inch laptop sporting an Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of memory, and 128GB of flash storage. That model has a price tag of $899, higher than you usually see in a PC maker’s least-expensive system. But, LG appears to be skipping the entry-level market entirely and aiming directly at a wealthier crowd that favors style and portability.
The other two gram models have 14-inch displays. One goes for just $100 more than the 13-inch gram and has much of the same hardware, including the processor, memory and flash storage. Bump up to the $1,399 model, and you’re working with a system that sports an Intel Core i7 and 256GB of storage. Interestingly, this model has 8GB of memory, just like its less-expensive siblings.
All three models are made from carbon-lithium and carbon-magnesium, which, LG says, makes for durable, lightweight bodies. And all three are Microsoft Signature Edition laptops, which is a nice touch. Signature Edition computers are “clean,” in that they don’t have bloatware, annoying toolbars, or other crud gunking up the system.
On paper, LG’s thin new laptops are intriguing. But can LG make a place for itself in the market? It has brand recognition going for it, but laptop buyers at this price point are often pretty savvy. The systems will probably have to offer killer performance to break in.
