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After years of targeting business users with its conservative, black ThinkPad laptops, the personal-computer company is going after everyday consumers with a flashy new notebook line called IdeaPad.

The product line, which includes red aluminum-alloy cases, beefed-up gaming features and halo lighting, is part of a major strategic shift for Lenovo, as it tries to compete head-on with the likes of Hewlett-Packard Co. and Apple Inc. in selling PCs directly to consumers in the U.S and other developed countries.

The IdeaPad will debut in three versions: the Y510, a 17-inch desktop replacement; the Y710, a 15.4-inch mainstream notebook; and the U110, an 11-inch ultraportable. The Y510 will be the gamers’ laptop, with discrete ATI graphics, CPU overclocking and an optional Blu-ray optical drive.

The Y510 will be the mainstream notebook for those seeking a balance between performance and affordability, and the U110 will be a 2.3-pound notebook configurable with solid state drives. All will be based on Intel’s processors and come pre-loaded with VeriFace, a face recognition technology that uses the embedded webcam for a secure login.

The sound system includes four speakers on the top of the machine — front, top, and each side — and a subwoofer underneath. The systems also include Lenovo’s Multimedia Control Center software, which the company claims makes it easy to play movies, listen to music, and view photos. The notebooks also have touch-sensitive controls for choosing multimedia files and for setting volume and the built-in equalizer.