My mini X1 review (and why I'm probably returning it)

I've been using ThinkPads for the past 15 years so I've witnessed the changes (both good and pad) that progress usually brings.

I'm currently an X301 user and as many of you know, it's getting a bit tired. It still runs great but it's just not as snappy and "crisp" as more modern laptops. I tried upgrading to a T410s a few months back but the extra weight, poorer speakers and overall feel did not justify replacing my trusty X301.

Now the X1 came out and I jumped at the chance as I thought for sure this would be the ultimate X301 replacement. I thought all those users complaining about the screen were being just too picky. Here are my conclusions:

The screen
Users/critics were right; the loss of vertical real estate is just too much. I thought this was exaggerated in numerous blogs, but then I tried viewing Google/Bing maps and was surprised at how little real estate there was for viewing. I compared it to my X301 side by side and there was no comparison. Viewing maps on the X1 feels like looking out of a bunker. You just see of a slice of what the map is showing you.

The glare on the laptop was also too much to handle. I also play with a MacBook Air that has a glossy screen but the X1 seems to be even glossier than that. I believe the ads showing the X1 in outdoor/rugged use are deceptive. There is no way you can use the screen outdoors comfortably.

Weight and Size
I thought that the X1 would feel just like the X301 as far as weight and size go but the X1 feels huge. When I go back to the X301 it feels so much lighter and easier to move around. The X301 really does spoil you.

The good sides of the X1
Reviewers are right that the keyboard is the best one Lenovo has ever produced. There is not even a hint of flex or slop. Feels like the backplate is a piece of granite. Can type smoother and more accurately than on any other ThinkPad keyboard.

I do miss the traditional ThinkPad key layout but that may be a matter of just getting used to things. One thing that surprised me in a bad way is that the backlit keys are actually a distraction. Unless your eyes are directly over the keys, what you will see is light shining through all the key gaps. Quite distracting and I had to actually move my head directly over the keyboard to see what was backlit. I think the previous "ThinkLight" was a better solution.

Of course, the speed of the X1 is nice, but then again I think any i5/i7 keyboard with an SSD will feel fast.

For now, I think the best solution is for me to keep the X301. It's not that speedy anymore but it does the job and still feels best in the hand/lap. I just purchased a new Crucial SSD for the X301 but the X301 cannot see it for some reason. Too tired to work on it but maybe someone has a quick-fix.

Feel free to ask any questions.

 

should buy intel gen 2 160 gb ssd !

 

excellent review!

 

Can you give us any info on battery life?

I keep telling my-self that i shouldn't get one but i still want it.
Damn me and my curiosity.

 

My X1 arrived a week early but I'm on vacation in Hawaii. I should be gettting it tomorrow when I return home : )
So, Mr. bdoviack, your main concerns are the screen and the size of the x1??
Does anyone know a good matt screen film???

 

I didn't really test the battery life as I always try to be near an outlet. From what I could tell, the X1 was no better or worse than a regular ThinkPad notebook and appeared to have around a 3 hour range (with out the base add-on).

I still like the X1 and when I use it, I'm impressed with how speedy and responsive it is. They keyboard is a pleasure to use.

The X301 just feels better overall however. The screen size is larger, and it's better balanced and easier to move around. If I could put the X1 keyboard and processor in the X301, then I would have the perfect laptop.

 

You know I am looking for an X301 to add to the collection.

In all seriousness, what do you do with your laptop? The ULV Core 2 Duo processors should be fine for most office tasks, perhaps not compiling or running multiple VM's but that's not the primary purpose of the x301.

 

I have had an X301 since this January, when I got it at Microcenter for $700 or so. And I've loved it a ton, and its fast enough for basically everything I need it for. Its great for class, and it even can be convinced to do a decent job running MATLAB, as long as it isn't too serious. I would highly recommend one as well. I still get a sold 4 hours when my WiFi is off, if not more.

 

Hi MadzUser,

Yes, my primary issue is the screen size/resolution. Cover up the bottom 2 inches of your current display and you'll see how the X1 looks (not sure if 2 inches though are exact proportions to use but used it as an approximation).

This would be fine for watching movies but if you think that for the past few thousand years, we've had most of our written words in portrait format (books, posters, menus, even ancient scrolls!), it's enough to cause some frustration. Seems like such an obvious issue that you think laptop makers would see it themselves. Do realize though that the dollar trumps ergonomics. Hopefully someone can reverse the trend.

I'm actually writing this comment on the X1 and again, it's so nice to type on the keyboard. You actually look for an excuse to type.

Thought I should point out a few other minor annoyances (although not big enough to disqualify the laptop):

Minor fan noise
The fan does go on and and you can hear it and definitely more audible than the X301. If you prefer silence, the X301 is the way to go.

Left click doesn't always register
This may be specific to my particular laptop but sometimes left clicking doesn't always register. Seems that the sensor is in the middle of the button but the center of the button is quite far left (compared to other ThinkPads). Again, minor annoyance and probably fixable.

Speakers:
The speakers on the X1 don't sound (to me) as crisp as the X301. This may be because the speakers are at the bottom of the unit while the X301's are right on the top facing you. The X301 sounds clearer and more precise; the X1 just sounds loud (if that makes sense).

Speed:
Once again the X1 is much "snappier" than the X301. When you enter a website, it pops up instantly. The X301 has a slight delay loading everything but still more than enough for average use.

In summary, the X301 will do almost anything you need to do. I'm on my laptop perhaps 8 hours a day managing servers, databases, running Crystal Reports and other random tasks. It has enough power for 90% of what you will ever need to do.

A similar analogy is that you have a nice car that runs well, is paid for and does all that you need it to, yet whenever you drive by the dealership, that new car is always getting your attention. In theory, most of us never need more than 200hp in a car, yet people keep buying cars with more and more hp. Guess that's human nature to always want more.

 

Really interesting, i will upgrade my x301 with 8gb ddr3 , bay batteries and windows 7 pro 64 bit along with a c300 1.8 which is very smooth .

 

Hi INCVN,

Keep us posted on your upgrade goes. I also bought some new parts for my X301 but one thing I could not get to work was the Crucial 256GB SSD. Spent a whole day trying to get it to work. If you use the Crucial.com configuration tool, you will see he drive that is recommended along with a reviewer that had the same issue as me.

For now, I'm back to the original Samsung SSD that the X301 came with. May try it again if another user has success with the Crucial SSD.

 

I installed c300 in my x301 without any dificulty, pls check your x301 bios, doest it set sata to achi or try another setting, i hope that it may work

 

For my C300 drive, I tried both ACHI and compatibility mode and both would not be recognized during the Windows 7 64 bit installation. Did not know what else to try. Maybe the drive is bad? Not sure if it's worth upgrading or just sticking with the Samsung SSD the X301 came with.

Can you tell me what your Windows Experience Index with the drive is (or any other HD tests if available)? My Index score the Samsung SSD is 6.3 so not sure how much better the C300 would be.

 

Thank a lot for the detailed review Mr. bdoviack!!!
I should be getting my X1 today, and I got it with i7 2620 and gobi 3000 so I'm a little concerned about heat & noise issue as well. As a matter of fact ups just delivered it, I will let you know how I feel about the x1 : )

 

yes, i think your c300 may have some problems. my ssd c300's score is 7.7 windows 7 32bit pro !, but you can try with an intel ssd gen 2 1.8 , i recommend that you should buy an old one with 80gb instead of buying 160gb intel g2 ! it is very good one i have tried !

 

The X1 we have in the lab runs quiet and cool.

 

There is a bios Upddate at the Lenovo thinkpad x series community forum that addresses the problem some users have been having with the fan noise. I only noticed the fan spinning when was using my x1 to stream a video to the tv. Installing the updated bios, I have noticed that the fan does not come as soon on or spin as fast. The X1 is running cool and quiet.
Bios link:
http://download.lenovo.com/ibmdl/pub/pc/pccbbs/mobiles/8muj05us.exe

 

I upgraded the bios and indeed it runs cool and pretty silent. I also set the power option to max performance with screen brightness at 10, and did the upgrades which took more than 20 restart and I got 3 1/2 hours on the first battery charge. I took it to work today and the battery showed more than 5 1/2 with some tweaking in the power option. I got no complaints about the battery life, I know more could be useful but what x1 has is plenty for me.
I think those reports about x1 getting 1h battery life is non sense.
My complaints about the x1 are the screen, trackpad, and the screen bezel only at this moment. I think they could fit a larger screen in the x1 and be fine since the gorilla glass. Luckily, my left arrow works just fine : )
I don't get why there are so much hate on x1, since x1 is priced pretty competitively for what it features. I also think the build quality is better than the T series.

 

I agree with your comments madSZuser, My X1 continues to do everything I ask of it. I am coming from an acer laptop that had an inferior screen to the X1 so in my eyes, the screen is a strong upgrade from my acer. I have not tweaked my system to extend the battery life but probably will since I have to go on the road next week. This machine feels very solid, I am hoping the Intel 320 bug does not bite me as that is the SSD I installed on my X1!

Have a good weekend

 

On my x301 8GB, I'm running W7 x64 with 256GB C300 with index score at 5.9.

 

Just re-ran it and got 7.7.

 

If you have used the X301 i don't think you would enjoy the X1 that much with that different style of screen (and screen resolution), keyboard, trackpoint and trackpad. My friend whom uses MBP seems to be right at home with the X1, while i have adjustment issues with the X1 when i do lot of typing works.

But the X1 does run very cool and the fan is very quite even at full blast.

In the end Lenovo didn't really target the X1 at the X301 users. X301 is definitely the holy grail of the X series.

A point to note is that the screen casing on the X1 is definitely lot stronger than the X30x with its use of magnesium alloy top casing and gorilla glass screen.