Thinkpad X1 Carbon 2012

You forgot to add..."little paduan"

Wrt Apple product availability, yes, but I am not talking as to when it will be available in the West, rath that I do not see any kind of proper launch, also in the East, just these strange "non-leaks" and now the show and the pricing at a HK retailer. I'd not be mentioning it, if they had done a proper launch in Taiwan, but this is just weird. They show their new top machine at a trade show, let users interact with it(as can be seen with the one put in the wall, make a raffle(a clear thing to stir up some hype) and then no announcement in English or Taiwanese/Chinese? Looks a tad uncoordinated.

Never mind, I hope to hold mine in my hands by mid Sep, the less hype, the better

(I thinks it's a really ugly bad machine, looks and farts like a cow, screen has 160nits and no viewing angle, just perpendicular, don't buy it, wait for the T430u )

 

What machine are you referring to?

 

I think he's joking about the X1C being that way so he isn't tempted.

 

Rather trying to get all you guys to wait for the T430u and not order a X1C in order to have mine faster delivered

 

Good luck with that. Just for that, I am ordering two.

 

So now it comes to late August + delivery and demand => mid September. There will be MB Pro 13 Retina around the corner.

 

Mid September? Most notebooks I'm seeing to purchase from Lenovo take about 6 days to ship out estimated.

 

That is, if they have them in stock. With the recent T430s release, some ppl waited 3 weeks for the i7 versions to be shipped to the US. (check the T430s owners thread).

We'll see.

If anyone knows a good US Lenovo retailer that ships internationally, please ping me, would love to buy from US as I need a US layouted keyboard.

 

Oh I see. Well I hope the same doesn't happen again. :/

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B&H Photo Video Digital Cameras, Photography, Camcorders

They ship Internationally and I've had good experiences with them.

 

Is anyone getting an extended warranty with their X1C?

I read somewhere in this thread that the 3-year warranty covers battery replacements. Would it be good to have?
I've never bothered about extended warranties before but seems like a number of parts in the X1C are proprietary or not removable.

My 4-yr old W500 is still running despite travel, drops, etc. though battery life is not what it used to be but that is easily replaceable.

 

I've always purchased the max term 3-4 years of protection from them for all the random things that can go wrong with it. So it would cover accidental damage (drops, spills, etc). It has been very convenient.

But all in all, the replacemnts of my lenovo's have been smooth. and replaced withhout issue (and very fast). I've had bad fans, to fauly hard drives, to GPU issues. All fixed in a timely manner. I you're like me and you're looking for a machine to get you through the next couple years, then I would say go all out for the complete warranty

EDIT: for the specific remark about the ~$180 warranty for the battery. It's probably worth it (assuming it's 3years?) A brand new batter is going to cost you about that much anyway (and these won't be serviceable by the customer). Also, can you replace it more than once?

 

Any word on 4G LTE support? It seems a little unclear in the release PPT below.

http://www.notteb.com/html/pds_update/2012_new_tp_x_series.pptx

 

Not sure about 4G but this ppt is cool. it does state IPS in top 5 features of X1C: 350 nit IPS wide-viewing panel. lovely.
edit: nope. document is self-conflicting. Says 300nit for x1c on one page and 350 ips on other. looks like very early draft.

WWAN modules are usually easy replaceable unless they soldered it on board. You may want to review Russian review video to confirm what's on board.

 

Lenovo has officially stated 3G support. If there was 4G support, I'm certain they would have stated that during the same time.

 

Yeah, slide 27 specifically says that 4G options are on X230 only

 

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 (2nd Gen)
$1,299
Q2 2012
Core i5-3427U (1.8GHZ)
4GB
128GB
18.85mm
1.4 kg
3.094 LB
45 whr
6.5 hours
14" (Matte)
1600x900
14" in 13" chassis, Backlit KB, WWAN

Lenovo Thinkpad T430u
$749
Q3 2012
Core i3-ULV
4 GB
128 GB SSD or upto 1TB HDD
21mm
1.84 kg
4.05 LB

6 hours
14" (Matte)
1366×768

Looks like they're targeting the MBA pricing.

 

Comparison for those interested:

 

I would not mark Samsung 9 13" screen as downgrade as it should be better quality as most on the market.
They also put 8GB RAM for 13" summy which is not correct unless they have some unofficial info.
Purely on specs MBA and Samsung are better choices but X1C is a win when comes to build, keyboard and professional features like fingerprint reader.

 

This presentation seems quite unreliable. On page 18 it says the original X1 had an IPS panel!

 

Wow, I guess I'm lucky that my Thinkpad hasn't had those problems. The only thing I've ever had to deal with was my W500 arriving with the wrong multi-card reader. I only use SD cards and could've lived with it but Lenovo sent me a new machine with the correct reader right away. Then there was the issue of W500 keyboard flex popping up on various fora... I never noticed it but they sent me a replacement keyboard without any fuss and it remains in its box till this day :]

Yes, I expect the machine to last me a few years and going to "future proof" it as much as possible. I regret I skimped on upgrades before so I'm going to do it right this time! Throw in the warranty as well

 

Hello. This thread has been a great source of information, thank you guys. I wonder if we might speculate/fantasize for a moment about the ultimate X1 Carbon configuration and take a wild stab at a price bracket for it. I want the top configuration.. what would that be like

 

My guess is that the top configuration will be as follows:

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 (2nd Gen)
$1,699
Core i7-3667U (2.0GHZ)
8GB
256GB
18.85mm
1.4 kg
3.094 LB
45 whr
6.5 hours
14" (Matte)
1600x900
14" in 13" chassis, Backlit KB, WWAN

 

Reliable price for puchases in the West: unavailable till now, just wild speculation, I'd guess 400 USD more than the base model.
CPU: i7-3667U 2GHz-3.2GHz(turbo single core)
Ram: 8GB (maybe more)
HD: 256GB SSD

 

The Apple MacBook Air with that configuration is $1599 here in the USA. I'm not sure charging more than the Air is a smart strategic decision.

 

Not necessarily, I've gotten two OEM slice batteries for my W520 on eBay new in the box for $89 and $69 respectively. Being able to replace the battery on the X1C, though, that's a different issue.

 

Just being a stickler, I get 1699 when applying the CPU and RAM upgrade necessary to match the top spec X1C.

 

Same here. Also, I'd rather have the larger screen.

 

You are right. I had the MBA base cpu selected.

Fun to speculate. I hope we see concrete data soon.

 

Man, this one is difficult. I would probably rather have the X1 Carbon over the Series 9 because of the improved keyboard and trackpoint, but i leave for college on the 22nd... Do you all think it would be easy to get this laptop before too long after the release, or with back-orders and such is it almost guaranteed to be a mid September receive date?

 

Anyone has info from today's lenovo event? It supposed to be Aug 4th, right?

 

Searched a bit today but found nothing really new, just this pdf from the HK retailer with the specs for base model.

pdf

And some update from yesterday, an event program where they reiterated that one lucky person will win a X1C today.

But nothing like any official press release or so

@topsnus wrt release date, seriously, nobody knows right now. Their own pdf said release on the Aug 15th. Two independent queries with Lenovo Sales(US) were reported to state the week of the 20th. If you are the luckiest man alive, you'll get your machine 5 working days after ordering or so. Certainly not in time for your 22nd.

I am normally not lucky, plus I am in Europe. Thus, even if they release on the 20th, I do not expect to hold a machine in my hands any earlier than 10 days later. But quite honestly, nobody knows what they are doing. Maybe use the university's desktops for 3 weeks, by then you should have your X1C.

 

With Lenovo, there are no guarantees. Do you have a drop dead date for some special software you have to use for class?

 

Nah, but at some point the inconvenience of not having a laptop for several weeks outweighs the slight advantages the X1C has over the series 9. In addition to the fact that the X1C is not even guaranteed to be as great as we all think. It could have a terrible trackpad, or much worse, bad battery life. For instance, Lenovo claims 9.9 hours with the x230, while reviewers find closer to 7. If they only claim 6.6 on the X1C, its real life is likely to be closer to 4, far below the 6-7 you get with the Series 9.

 

Well I for one could not care less what an Apple computer costs. I simply want the best notebook PC available, at any cost. I use it professionally, and I am too dependent on Windows (sadly), the trackpoint and a good keyboard (in that order) to consider anything from Apple. However, I do hope that the competitive pressure for those on the fence forces Lenovo the make their best effort to really make the X1C a stellar computer that beats any Macbook in build quality and general desirability.

Having said that, if the X1C turns out to have the same display as the T430s I will probably go for that instead. The weight difference will probably not make up for the T430s' flexibility with removable battery (as a road warrior I do wear those out), upgradable SSD and memory.

As an X301 user I might miss the premium feel, though.

 

The only thing premium about the X301 is the price. The thinness and weight was unique in its day, but little else.

 

Hmm, looking at the specs they give for the base model (using the pdf from that HK retailer posted here), I'm not sure at all that the X1C is a better buy than the 15" Samsung Series 9: The only clear pro is the fingerprint reader (which the Samsung doesn't have), which may or may not be important. The screen, if it's an IPS screen, will be better, but that still seems to be somewhat speculative at this point. Even if that is the case, the Samsung's 400-nits screen is not bad, either, despite its limited viewing angles. The size may or may not be considered a plus: If you really like a somewhat larger screen, the 15" Sammy wins, but if space is at a premium and you feel that 14" is the sweet spot, then the X1C will beat everybody else.

The big downside is battery life, quoted at 6.3 hours for the base model, but probably coming in at something more like 6.0, at best, with 8GB RAM and the bigger SSD. The Samsung, on the other hand, has been shown to reach 10 hours under light load, with the LCD dimmed, and has no problem going 9 hours at standard screen settings. For the typical usage scenario of an UltraBook, this may be more relevant than the other points, so that's a real problem for the X1C.

 

Other benefits would be the RapidCharge and spill-resistant keyboard. I'm also torn between the Series 9 and the X1C and am holding out for the X1C almost exclusively for the keyboard though. I think it's almost assured that the X1C will have a better keyboard than the Series 9, which would be a huge pro.

Out of curiosity, why would the X1C's screen be better? I'm not an expert on screens by any means, but my understanding was that the Samsung's display was "PLS", which was Samsung's version of IPS. If that's the case, why is it a given that if the X1C's screen is IPS, it will be better than the Samsung's? I've not heard any reviewers complain about limited viewing angles on the Series 9 - actually, quite the opposite.

 

I think only the 13" has a PLS screen. He was comparing the 15" version which has a considerably inferior screen regarding colours and viewing angles from what I have seen at the stores.

I prefer the size and weight of the 13" Series 9 but the X1C will have a much better keyboard and I am hoping it may be cheaper as well for the same config.

 

That is possible, although I find the keyboard on my Series 9 quite good, but I must admit that I am not the most discerning keyboard user in the world...

The 13" Samsung has that PLS screen but, unfortunately, the 15" doesn't. As a consequence, vertical viewing angles are quite limited. If you're in the sweet spot, you are going to be fine, and if you don't have to do work that requires accurate colors across the entire screen (i.e., if you're not working in the graphical arts), there is probably nothing to complain about. The screen is extremely bright (usable outdoors), and nice and sharp, but it does not have the insensitivity to viewing angles you can see with an IPS (or PLS) display. Again, how important that is for you depends on your personal requirements. I was disappointed at first, but by now I find that in my typical use (meetings/conferences mostly, with the laptop still on some rigid surface (desk, podium) the screen works perfectly fine.

 

I've tried the Series 9 out several times in-store and have found no problems with it; I actually liked it quite a bit compared to its competitors. However, all the reviews have faulted the Series 9's keyboard for being too stiff/shallow. Since I've only been able to try it for a few minutes at a time, and these reviewers/bloggers have been able to get much more in-depth use out of it, I got worried about the Series 9 keyboard.

I've heard so much praise for the Thinkpad keyboard (never owned one though), that I wanted to at least give the X1C a try before going with the Series 9.

Got it, thanks for the info. I had no idea that the 13" and 15" Series 9 had different screen technologies. I've only been looking at the 13". As such, I'm not expecting there to be a big differentiator between the X1C and Series 9 as far as the screen's concerned (as long as they're both IPS), since they have the same resolution and are both matte.

 

I agree with the above comments regarding the S9 Vs X1C. Display is huge for me since I'm a graphic designer. I went from wanting the S9, to the Zenbook Prime, to the X1C. I'm pretty sure the Asus' screen is the best of the bunch but with the quality issues involved, it didn't seem ideal.

The Series 9 15" was out of the question as soon as I saw it. The blacks just looked grey, viewing angles were weak, and colors looked off. The build quality and design was great though. I currently use a Samsung QX410 and the story is the same. Great build quality but screen isn't up to par. Its very glossy and colors are really inaccurate. Its frustrating when doing my design work and then having to test my work on my BlackBerry Playbook 7" tablet with its IPS screen for accuracy. The 13" S9 however looks great all around. In reviews/testing, the display is not up to par with the Asus' IPS, but it still looks great. Considering the other factors about it, it might be the winner for me.

However, the X1C is now in the picture. It has a slightly larger screen than the others, just as good, if not better build quality. It probably has a superior, spill resistant keyboard since that's what Lenovo places their pride in. 8GB of ram is offered over the others. Dolby audio is included which should sound great but could be a gimmick. The touchpad may even be better being comprised of glass/magnesium. The frame is a high quality carbon fiber which is more durable than aluminum. As far as the display, it looks like it will be a high quality TN that comes close to at least the Samsung in viewing angles and color accuracy. There's some evidence that its an IPS but hard to tell who's accurate at the moment. It looks great in pictures and videos but I'll wait for more hands-on reviews and feedback.

With the quality issues of the Asus and poor display of the 15" S9, those are probably out of the question. Ultimately, the X1C is my first choice with the S9 13" following behind as the backup.

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Well I think its more like

S9 15" = TN
Asus Zenbook Prime = IPS
S9 13" = PLS
X1C = High quality TN (Possible IPS?)

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Just some counterpoints (I am also trying to decide between the two):
The Dolby audio will most likely make no real difference, and even if it does, the audio will overall still be ultrabook quality and therefore require headphones for any kind of extended listening. As for the trackpad, I have used the Series 9 trackpad in stores and been very impressed with it. I highly doubt Lenovo will be able to top it (which they don't really have to since they have the trackpoint in addition). Finally, as for build quality , while Lenovos are very durable, they usually have alot of plastic on them. what this means is that while they may survive a fall, they will often end up with cracked plastic from said fall. So while the carbon fiber in the Lenoro will ultimately be more durable than the aluminum in the Series 9 in extreme scenarios, in small falls, where the Series 9 would be unaffected, you may end up with damage on the Lenovo.

 

You must not have read the pdf floating around then, as they used a type of Carbon Fiber material that is stronger than that used on aircraft/formula 1 cars (the entire body is made out of it, no plastic here!). Also, there's simply no debate on the keyboard. Lenovo > Samsung.

For those who cannot wait, an alternative option would be the L430, which offers an upgrade to a 1600 x 900 screen. The only thing working against it is the integrated CD/DVD drive, which makes it thicker than an ultrabook. However, if you need a notebook right now, that one or the T430 is the next best thing.

 

I agree about the trackpad. Lenovo has yet to deliver a trackpad experience anywhere close to the Macs and the ELAN pad on the SS9.

I don't agree about the speculation on durability and fall survival. But I look forward to your YouTube drop test videos.

 

Just being a stickler again...

You statement only make sense if you imply that the Samsung will not survive the fall, otherwise it is a non sequitur. So the Lenovo has a crack, the Samsung ist broken.

You start this statement with a "So...", implying that the following will logically follow from the aforementioned, which, it doesn't. Plastic nearly always is more flexible than metal, which is, why we eg use it in all car bumpers. Metal deforms much easier than plastic.


Shall everybody buy whatever they want, I don't think there is a single best machine for all use cases. Eg I would have never bought my X301, if I had had dire need of CPU power, eg for compiling code etc.

With regards to build quality, we are extrapolating from the past and I could raise a couple of build quality issues with eg my X301 and many previous models. I have the X301 in 3 times with broekne plastic in a specific part of the bezel, a clear design weakness. This will only be settled after 2 years of hard everyday usage.

I think that there is only one thing we can all agree on is, that the Thinkpad keyboards are superior to those of any other brand. This may be very important for some, while not for others.

 

My first statement makes perfect sense without assuming the Samsung does not survive the fall. A laptop does not always have to break in a fall. My point was that there are some falls that will cause the plastic on the typical Lenovo to break (without breaking the internals) that would not break an aluminum laptop. Keep I mind I wrote this assuming that the x1 would not be entirely carbon but instead have a carbon roll cage covered in plastic.

Also we do not use plastic in car bumpers to make them stronger. It is cheaper lighter and weaker, therefore safer hen hitting people.

Finally, what are peoples experiences here with the quality control at Lenovo? I have always heard that they are great and remember them being awesome back when they were IBM, but the last few that have been purchased in my family have been really disappointing. Failed motherboards, fans, keyboards, screens. All this on an x201 and t410, which are supposed to be their higher quality lines? Just bad luck or have others noticed a decline?

 

Is there carbon fiber anywhere else besides the lid?

 

Right, I realize that about the Dolby audio. That's why I said it could just be a gimmick. I don't mean to put it in front of the others just for that name, but it's possible.

As for the trackpad, I just had my girlfriend translate a small overview of someone Chinese that had a hands-on with it, and if she's not mistaken, they said it could be better than the Macbook Air and S9. But she's Taiwanese and she said her translation may not have been perfect. I personally used the S9 and was also impressed with it. My Samsung QX410 is great too in that area.

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Lastly, with the Carbon vs. Aluminum discussion, here is Lenovo's stance on it. Obviously, he wants to argue for the carbon fiber side but I tend to believe it.

Lenovo X1 Carbon Ultrabook Interview - YouTube (around the 4:00 point)

As a big time F1 / car fanatic, I can say that the highest end cars are built with carbon fiber over aluminum. The Acura NSX, a car I adore, made a big statement in the 90s because it was the first car to ever be built with all aluminum. But it was under 100k. These days, the 2-300k cars and multi-million dollar cars at the peak performance are typically made of carbon fiber. While it's more expensive, it's typically lighter and more durable.

I have a Samsung QX410 which is made of aluminum and can really appreciate the material over plastic. My previous plastic laptops may be more flexible but they could also crack and easily showed light scratches. I've seen some durability testing with the Vaio Z, made with carbon, and it was pretty impressive.

I don't mean to say one is better than the other, but I wouldn't dismiss carbon fiber so easily.

YES. The whole frame is built with it apparently.

 

Source? (Sorry if I missed it)