Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 Tiny System Review: Pint-Sized Power
by Dustin Sklavos on August 17, 2012 12:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Systems
- Lenovo
- Mini ITX
- Ivy Bridge
- Enterprise
Conclusion: Everything But the Price
The people responsible for engineering the Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 Tiny deserve at least a measure of respect for what they've accomplished. It's true that you could argue it's basically a notebook with the screen and battery stripped out, but they've made the most out of the space they have. The M92 Tiny is reasonably powerful, runs quietly, and can be easily tucked away somewhere. I'm still fond of Lenovo's black plastic aesthetic (inherited from IBM way back when), too, and I like the removable optical drive/VESA mount.
My issue with the M92 Tiny is that the default configuration feels skint for a system that costs $699; just 4GB of RAM, a slow 5400-RPM hard drive, and no wireless networking of any kind. It's true that Lenovo offers three year warranty coverage standard (per their enterprise roots), but maybe even more damning for something geared towards corporate customers is the fact that the system itself is virtually impossible for the end user to service. There's no reason to use rivets to seal the enclosure when screws would've done the job.
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I also can't help but feel like the ThinkCentre M92 Tiny is serving two masters. The build and aesthetic are clearly corporate, but there's enough software bloat on the system (primarily Lenovo's) to suggest a consumer grade system. Their SimpleTap feature opens up a touchscreen-intended interface with links to Flickr, Facebook, PayPal, Netflix, MTV, and so on...why is this here?
However, as much as I want to bag on Lenovo for overcharging and nickel-and-diming end users with the M92 Tiny, the fact remains that nobody else has anything like it. If you go the boutique route you can get some competitive hardware, but Dell and HP's smallest form factor systems still have nothing on the Tiny. For HP you have to go to their thin clients, which use anemic Intel Atom and VIA processors as opposed to the beefier Ivy Bridge chip on hand in the M92. Until another major vendor can produce something competitive with the M92 Tiny, Lenovo will be able to charge as much as they like. For what it's worth, the M92 Tiny is a pretty solid product by itself, competition or no.
Update: The ThinkCentre M92 Tiny is actually user serviceable; there's a single screw on the back, and then the front and top of the system slides off. Our review unit just happened to be unusually firm, but with enough force it did come off the way it was intended.
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randinspace - Friday, August 17, 2012 - link
I just saw this in a Lenovo promotional email and thought "I wonder if AT will review it" and here we are, so kudos on the quick review.Unfortunately, I just can't see any reason to buy one of these instead of a laptop, particularly since your average notebook (as opposed to ultrabook) is actually easier and cheaper to upgrade than one of these would be.
That said, I'm also hopeful that Lenovo dipping their toe into mini-ITX will help to bring the overall cost of the form factor (particularly the motherboards) down sooner rather than later.
Side question: who makes the mobo Lenovo uses for this anyway? I didn't just miss it in the review, did I?
yyrkoon - Friday, August 17, 2012 - link
My guess would be Asus for mobo manufacturer. Just a guess though.As this motherboard looks like a custom PCB. I am not sure if this would help us cost wise. Dell also had a Core2Duo mini system they sold a couple years back. However I think it was based on mobile components.
As for the reasoning of something like this versus a laptop. Well, *if* it were up-gradable. Then *if* you could add discrete graphics . . . For me, that would be all that was needed. Reasonable gaming performance with a small power footprint,. Granted . . . we'd need a decent low power discrete graphics solution too. Something akin to whats used in mobile systems, with the ability to switch between on board, and discrete.
ganeshts - Friday, August 17, 2012 - link
And it is probably miles ahead in expandability and more importantly, has HD 4000..But Lenovo is probably going to sell a ton of these as thin clients to SMBs...
Scannall - Friday, August 17, 2012 - link
So Apple's Mac Mini does more and costs less.http://store.apple.com/us/configure/MC815LL/A
$699 seems way overprices.
macuser2134 - Friday, August 17, 2012 - link
Hahahahaha. Too true. Dustin Sklavos you must have been taking crack whilst writing this review not to acknowledge that this product is positioned to compete directly with the Mac Mini. And make a fair comparison. Perhaps you were never aware of the existence of that particular product (the Mac Mini?). Or that it can run Windows 7 and do 100% everything else that this product can?But thank you Jarred. I began to laugh at this comment:
"However, as much as I want to bag on Lenovo for overcharging and nickel-and-diming end users with the M92 Tiny, the fact remains that nobody else has anything like it."
Jesus what a clanger. I mean really? What makes the Leveno so vastly different from the Mac Mini for you to say that?
Oh yeah its, probably this little gem:
"There's no reason to use rivets to seal the enclosure when screws would've done the job."
It must be that in your review you neglected to mention that this little device was made in the 1950's. That explains it then. Must be doubling up as a battleship or transformers or something.
Priceless comedy god. That made my day. Actually rivets are great, aren't they? Thats absolutely hilarious though. I genuinely have to thank you for writing that. You can't put a price on making people smile.
Of course, for many people its rather sad and still a real shame that none of these manufacturers (and Leveno can definitely be added to that list now). They cannot to produce a product to be seriously considered a worthy competitor to the Mac Mini. That is the unvarnished truth. Its even been re-iterated here on Anandtech (by Anandtech staff) when reviewing similar HTPC products.
Personally I'm not bothered. Because the Mac Mini is so great a product. It seems to be going okay out there on its own. Remaining good value to consumers, even without the competition you would normally expect to drive that. Muahahah Leveno and AsRock eat your face out. Doesn't matter what you write Jarred. Just stop smoking that crack hmm? Its bad for your health man. Its making us worry about you.
macuser2134 - Friday, August 17, 2012 - link
Sorry I meant Dustin, not Jarred.Dustin Sklavos - Friday, August 17, 2012 - link
I don't compare it to the Mac Mini because the Mac Mini isn't servicing the same market this is. Generally speaking if someone wants to buy a Mac, they're going to buy a Mac. Someone named "macuser2134" should be able to grok that well enough. The M92 Tiny is not for Mac users, it's for Windows users, and it's for enterprise and kiosk usage. Those last two markets are places nobody in their right mind is going to buy a Mac for.The Mac Mini never enters the equation because even though the form factor and hardware may be similar, the use cases are wildly, WILDLY different.
You know, we have actual Mac coverage so you don't have to wander in to troll non-Apple articles. You know that, right?
cjs150 - Friday, August 17, 2012 - link
Dustin: there is no need to get upset with macuser2134, he/she is obviously an apple fanboy.Anyhow I just fail to see the point of Lenovo (except maybe for kiosk use). Business can buy cheaper than this and have a case that you can get into to replace damaged parts. Actually a cheap laptop would probably be more useful.
If business wants a complete non-upgradeable closed system where if something breaks it has to be sent back to the manufacturer, then Mac mini is probably a better choice although, outside of media, not many businesses are willing to consider Apple. The only benefit of the Lenovo over the Mac mini is that it would come pre-loaded with Windows and ready to use whereas the Mac would no doubt need to be loaded up with windows - not really a problem for most IT depts but might be too much for a small business to deal with.
Lack of an SSD, poor connection choices, this is just a bad product at the wrong price
macuser2134 - Friday, August 17, 2012 - link
Allright, lets say "fair enough" that maybe that was a bit harsh. I apologise for the condescending - sounding tones. Didn't mean to give the impression that the rest of your review was rubbish or anything like that. It was very enjoyable to read about this Leveno product and they are an interesting company.What seemed really odd to me from a pure reporting and journalistic standpoint the dissmissal of the Mac Mini from the picture here. A kind of biased reporting. There just doesn't seem enough justification or weight behind those market segment arguments to put this product in such a sharply defined seperate category like that. Or rather to exclude the Mini, and put the Mini in a separate category from these other PC products.
Most times that's fair to do because Macs are often a lot more expensive. However not so in this instance.
And in the review it actually says that you don't really know who the Leveno is being aimed at. Because of the "SimpleTap feature" with "Flickr, Facebook, PayPal, Netflix, MTV". So your retort about it being a kiosk only or enterprise only product seems to be inconsistent with that previously expressed viewpoint.
I love the accusation of me being a Mac fanboy but you really know very little about me. I used to have a PC for many years. That is a big reason why I still love to read about these PC reviews and remain interested in the PC market. Nothing really against PCs. When I bought a Mini it was because of merits of the product itself - the Mini. I just couldn't find or make my own PC that was anywhere near as good as that. And there are many other Mac Mini owners just like myself who wanted to get another PC but just couldn't do it anymore. Its a shame but life goes on and maybe one day I can own a PC again.
I was kindda guessing that you would prefer not to have to answer hard questions about your review. Hence the comedy, the jokes. Lighten up a bit maybe? I see now I was wrong because you sound so serious about defending absolutely everything in your article. But without that kind of constructive criticism how are you going to improve your standards of journalistic reporting? It wasn't meant to be mean, I'm sorry if you took it that way. Just really funny. A bit of a clanger but oh well life goes on. No-one got shot did they? No need to take it personally or anything.
ananduser - Friday, August 17, 2012 - link
A mac mini requires an additional cost, the windows license. And it prevents you from installing backup win images(like acronis). Bootcamp only takes the install .iso. So no, the mac mini is not the best option nor it can ever be.