Lenovo has announced a new range of laptops designed for the student market, aiming to combine ruggedness with performance and affordability.

The new range will launch as the Lenovo ThinkPad 11e series of laptops and will consist of four different models. As expected, these models will come with different hardware specifications and features to cater to various budgets, preferences and requirements. The cheapest model in this lineup will cost $349.

As previously mentioned, the new Lenovo ThinkPad 11e range will bring ruggedness, as all laptops in this range will sport rubber bumpers, stronger hinges and reinforced points that aim to make them more durable than traditional laptops. The laptops will resist the daily wear and tear and will take some bumps and drops without a sweat.

The Lenovo ThinkPad 11e range will pack Intel processors and will launch this spring, but the company has not offered many details so far in terms of specifications. It did, however, tout the new laptops' durability.

"The ThinkPad 11e series provides students, educators and administrators with an intuitive, easy-to-manage rugged device. Sometimes kids drop their laptops. Sometimes kids throw their backpacks with their laptops in them. Features like rubber bumpers, reinforced points, and stronger hinges are included to protect the system from the hustle and bustle of the classroom," Lenovo explained in the press release.

"The 11.6-inch HD LED antiglare screen on the traditional laptop provides a clear display in any environment. The ThinkPad Yoga 11e devices have an IPS wide viewing angle touchscreen displays. Each device is powered by an Intel processor - fast boot times mean that classes can begin quickly without delay, and all day-long battery life allows students to breeze through classes without switching to alternative power. Top cover LEDs indicate wireless connectivity, laptop power or sleep mode to help teachers ensure consistent student activity."

"We have a proven track record of designing laptops and tablets built to last in education environments. With the new ThinkPad 11e devices, we're raising the bar with new form factors," added Jerry Paradise, executive director of product marketing, ThinkPad Product Group, Lenovo. "I'm very excited that Lenovo is able to offer a device that's not only rugged enough for the classroom but also flexible enough to adapt to the many ways technology can be incorporated into the overall learning experience."

Lenovo's new line of rugged laptops consists of the ThinkPad Yoga 11e and ThinkPad 11e models that start at $449, and the ThinkPad Yoga 11e Chromebook and ThinkPad 11e Chromebook that start at $349. The company did not offer an exact launch date, but said that it's new ThinkPad 11e series will be available this spring from Lenovo's website, as well as from Lenovo business partners. All models are designed to be rugged, but also light and thin for ultra portability, and they also provide more than eight hours of battery life, according to the company.

More details regarding the laptops' commercial availability will likely become available closer to launch. Stay tuned for more information as soon as it becomes available.