Lenovo has unveiled its ThinkPad T431 Ultrabook, a thin, sleek machine intended for use in the workplace. At 0.82-inches, Lenovo calls it its thinnest machine ever in the T series line. 

It features a 14-inch (1,600 x 900) matte display, 720p front-facing camera, 4GB of RAM (with options up to 12GB), optional backlit keyboard, Bluetooth 4.0, up to 9 hours of battery life, and weighs in at 3.6lbs. There are several storage options, including up to a 1TB hard drive or 256GB SSD. 

ThinkPad machines have always had a bland look to them, there’s no denying that, but the selling point seems to be its ease of use and ability to get the job done. The company said it spent nine months researching how people use laptops and came up with the T431’s “26 design changes”. A new graphite black is available, not varying too much from Lenovo's typical design. 

The ThinkPad T431 ships with either Windows 7 or Windows 8. In the past months, as Windows 8 marketing and adoption has risen, the availability of choice has quickly diminished, without the payment of an extra fee for customers wanting Windows 7.

Lastly, Lenovo has taken an out of character move by doing away with click buttons and opting for 20 gestures that will work with Windows 8. 

The Lenovo ThinkPad T431 will be available in retail stores for $949 (£627) in April. UK pricing and availability has yet to be detailed.