Thinkpad X1 Carbon 2012

Just out of curiosity, how does the X1C compare to the new Sony Vaio Z? Price aside, what are the major differences? I don't know a whole lot about the Vaio Z.

 

I guess that's a good point. There are some pros / cons between them though but they both apparently have a carbon fiber chassis.

X1C

-Larger screen
-Cheaper entry level
-Great spill-resistant keyboard

Vaio Z

-More vibrant, 1080P display
-8GB ram standard
-Noise canceling earbuds included
-Full powered Intel chipsets

I originally wanted the Vaio Z and was very impressed with it on the multiple occasions that I handled it. But I was drawn more towards the S9 and Zenbook Prime as they came out. Before, the entry cost for the Z was about $2k. Now it starts at $1600 which is still expensive, but more realistic.

For me personally, I get a better discount with Lenovo so I might go for the X1C. Unless there's some reason I shouldn't.

 

Vaio Z vs Vaio S Premium vs X1C

You customize the Z with 256 GB SSD and you are touching 2k.You customize the S Premium with 256 SSD, 2 GB NVIDIA Graphics and a 2/3 year warranty, you are at 1.8k.
X1C needs to be around 1.5k with an i7 ULV and 256GB SSD.

 

I don't know about everyone else but the Vaio S' screen falls on the weak side. But I've heard it's great in regards to other things though.

The configuration you mentioned will be $1849.00 minimum for the X1C.

 

Let's not forget though that you can't just compare hardware specs and prices like this - there are some clear differences between the Z and S.

The Z is 2.6 lbs and .66 inches tall.

The S is 3.8 lbs and .95 inches tall. It also has an optical drive.

I personally highly value lightweight and thin design, and I actively do not want an optical drive as I know I'll never use it and it just wastes space and money. So even if I can configure an S with better specs at a better price, I'd rather have the weight and design of the Z or X1C.

I tried the Z out in person and couldn't stand the keyboard. To me, it was by far the shallowest keyboard of all the new ultraportables (Zenbook, Series 9, etc) and the keys didn't feel solidly in place - they would tilt toward whatever side was being pushed. It was very difficult to know when I'd actually pressed a key.

The keyboard is the main reason I'm waiting for the X1C. I have to imagine it will be leaps and bounds ahead of the Z.

 

I found Sony Z in Micro Center two weeks and played with a little bit
and it looks like a decent machine except the key board sucks and has flex.

 

I don't remember the Vaio Z being that bad, but at the time I also didn't think to consider that as much because the screen looked more beautiful than anything else on the market. This was way way pre Zenbook Prime, Macbook Retina, Samsung Series 9 etc.

Probably the worst keyboard I have yet to use was the Asus Zenbook (non Prime, which they slightly improved on). I couldn't believe how easily keys weren't registered. I even asked someone else to use it and tell me if they noticed the same thing. It felt so shallow and keys literally registered about 80% of the time. I just don't understand how they released it like that.

In regards to the keyboard on the X1C, I have no doubt Lenovo will offer a good one since they hold so much pride in this area.

 

ZDNet are getting an X1C tomorrow. You can tweet questions about the machine to James Kendricks:

Twitter / jkendrick: Will have the ThinkPad X1 Carbon ...

 

Well, I think the most burning question on most people's mind is: WILL IT HAVE AN IPS PANEL OR NOT?!?

 

Awesome. I hope we get some good info.

It's not looking like it! But let's hope it's still a good panel.

 

If you look here:

×îÇá14Ó¢´ç ThinkPad X1 Carbon½âÎö(2)_±Ê¼Ç±¾_¿Æ¼¼Ê±´ú_ÐÂÀËÍø

there is what looks like an image from a presentation, which would translate to 0.5 hours = 6.5 hours. If this is 80% of the full charge, then the full charge should be around 8 hours, so there is some hope still...

 

one would expect the X1 Carbon to have the true "road warrior" build quality that Lenovo/Thinkpad has always been known for, especially in their higher end models, which obviously, the X1 Carbon is a member of.

while the Sony Z is in a different category from the rest of the Sony Vaios, there's still the lingering concern to see if Sony will really care much about one single "super high end line" out of their vast array of essentially very pretty mediocre products. sure, of course, their RX100 is a superb pocket camera, but that's truly an exception rather than the rule. for every RX100, there are tons of mediocre run-of-the-mill Sony Bravia, typicaly BestBuy type of store stocked mid-level TV's. maybe Sony doesn't have the corporate energy to rise up to the occasion to service/care for, a line as high end as the Z line?

What are the thoughts of the good knowledgeable folks here?

Thx in advance.

 

Good enough evidence for me.

Hope it stays true.

 

No it will not have IPS, its 99% sure...

 

So you don't know for sure then...

 

In several reports I see that Lenovo has bragged that the carbon will have 3G connectivity. How can 3G now be considered a positive attribute?

 

Currently no other manufacturer provides a 3G service. Also, their business model for the service is innovative.

 

It's funny, if you look in the comments section of that article, it seems that people in China don't think too highly of it.

 

Probably similar to the whining we hear on this forum about no IPS screen, loss of the 7-row kb, etc.

Here's a stream of the X1 Carbon event in case anyone was interested.
ºÚÉ«Á¦Á¿ ThinkPad X1 CarbonÊ׿î̼Ï˳¬¼«±¾·¢²¼Ê¢µä--ÖйشåÔÚÏß

You need to install the Windows Media Player plug-in if you haven't. It's kinda poor quality. It's not much use unless you skip around to just look at the unit being displayed.

Good part starts at 24:00 with the commercial leading into Dilip entering the stage. (English) He goes into the benefits of carbon over magnesium and aluminum. He also clearly states the "over 8 hours of battery life" around the 31:00 mark.

 

Actually i think 6.5 hours, lets say under medium load, web browsing with wifi, music playing at background and some office documents isn't that bad. i can live without the IPS screen, especially since it does seem the screen is a big improvement compared to T420s, but i cannot accept under 5 hour battery life for normal usage. (i am averaging 3.5 to 4 hours with my T420s under light work load)

When the reviews are out and i know the battery life is over 5 hours, then it's very likely i will upgrade from my current T420s.

 

According to MaximumPC, the X1 Carbon will cost $1300 for the basic configuration.

Maximum PC | Lenovo to Launch Lighter ThinkPad Ultrabook Later This Month

 

Let's see what ZDNET says

 

Looks like we're getting closer. Before end of August according to Lenovo's tweet.

https://twitter.com/lenovo/status/232835253797007360/photo/1

 

Come on Lenovo send it out for review! I went into the Mac store today and picked up an Air.. Naah it would never look right in the Batmobile

 

LTE is current standard 3g is past technology..

 

I do not think that the base price will be over the Macbook Air..

 

Right.... from a technology perspective that makes sense. You have to consider the business impact. Lenovo has no method to support an LTE service at the moment... especially at the current pricing model.

 

Some more info on the Lenovo China site

http://appserver.lenovo.com.cn/Lenovo_Series_List.aspx?CategoryCode=A19B01C13

Make sure you translate it. They don't mention anything about IPS, they just say:

"The new configuration of 14 inches HD + HD anti-glare display (1600x900), super color reproduction."

Also, here is the full china line up, I didn't see any models with 8GB of ram

http://appserver.lenovo.com.cn/Leno...&rackcode=A19B01C13&gdsmst_rackcode=A19B01C13

 

Awesome thanks. The good news is we got official confirmation of the up to 8.2 hours battery on there.

 

Thanks a lot for the links. I have translated some of them and looks like there is no IPS. It is only 14" HD+ upgrade but may be the quality of the panel will be different from the one on the T430(s) though I suspect that but the pictures they posted show a great panel but I am sure the picture is different from reality.

The thing that made me excited and I think I can consider it official since it is Lenovo's China official website is that it comes with a dual-core i5-3320M and not the ULV CPU. The ULV would be killing it and if it comes with the i5-3320M, it would be super competitive. I am still translating more of the text but these were so important issues for me.

 

While the display likely isn't an IPS, it will be better than the T430s.

However, to my understanding, the 3320M is not offered on the X1C. It uses a ULV CPU. The options I've seen include

-i5-3317U
-i5-3427U
-i7-3667U

If this is a priority for you, the Sony Vaio Z might interest you more.

 

No, it wouldn't, since it would kill battery life, and kick it out of the UltraBook category. That would make it essentially DOA in the market place. There's no way they are going to offer both ULV and non-ULV versions. Rest assured, it will be ULV processors only.

 

wow... no 8GB option? just when i was getting excited....

 

I don't know why the Chinese site isn't listing it, but the US site is showing it in the solutions center. But so far, I haven't seen any signs that it will be available in combination with the i7, only i5. Strange.

Another issue is that it's about a $1000 jump from 4GB to 8GB so it might be out of the question for me anyways.

 

Seems like the non-ULV was not for the X1 Carbon. Sorry, my mistake. Anyway, I am glad it does not have it because I would have to return my T530 and pay restocking fees to get it Now, I am glad I do not have the X1 Carbon as an option.

By the way, are the processors in the MBA 13" also ULVs?

 

Yeah, they're ULVs.

 

Now the first German shop offers the X1C, see E-Shop - Shop für Unternehmen, Gewerbetreibende, Freiberufler und Nichtverbraucher.

Specifications: I5-3427U, 256GB, 8GB
Price: 1855,79 € (incl. VAT)

 

I saw that! So pricey, and yet still no i7. Maybe that wasn't an error in early reports and it's true that i7 won't be offered with 8GB of ram. I don't know why, but maybe it's to keep costs down?

I don't understand why the ram is so expensive and yet Apple lets you upgrade to 8GB on the Air for $100. Strange.

I think I'll aim for an i5/256GB/4GB Ram or i7/256GB/4GB Ram. The 8GB might be outta the question for me if it's that steep.

 

This price includes a significant VAT. It won't be $1,980 (1,599 E) in the US for something comparably configured.

 

I'm not saying that's a direct relation to what we'll see in USD. I'm just saying it's a good indication. I'm hoping this won't be the final price, but this is the closest price we have to a similar configuration from Lenovo. That 8GB of ram adds a lot more than I thought to the price.



Side Note: @jkendrick:
"Embargo lifts on that special laptop tonight. Will answer all your questions then. I want one of these so bad."

I didn't even realize they were still being hush hush about it until now since they officially unveiled and apparently released it in China already. Hope we see some goodies soon.

 

I'm keen to know how this machine will work with Ubuntu. I want to run Linux on it but will I be using it to it's full potential by doing so, or crippling it?

 

The original X1 is certified for Ubuntu: Ubuntu on Lenovo X1 | Ubuntu

I will be getting this laptop and the first thing I'll be doing is wiping it clean and installing Ubuntu. The IBM thinkpad line has a great history of linux support, I anticipate the same from this machine.

 

I looks like Lenovo tries to abuse 8GB offer as none other 13" PC laptops offer that.
Those extra 4GB costs $50 max or $100 in their proprietary form.

With such a trend they might loose me to MBA or 13" MBP with Retina. Sad.

 

It has a name. Greed.

 

With 3M Black Carbon it will look nice in the batmobile. Here's mine.

 

Confirmation:

"Lenovo has upped its game with the ThinkPad X1 Carbon. This ultrathin laptop fits a 14-inch high-res IPS display into the chassis of a 13-inch MacBook Air. The SSD and Core i7 processor make this a powerful addition to the road warrior's travel bag."

See Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon notebook -- hands-on photos | ZDNet

 

hmmm, with IPS I may actually consider getting one of these this year rather than waiting for a potential thunderbolt port next year.

but that zdnet review still only mentions 4 gigs of ram which is disappointing. perhaps the configurator will allow for 8 gigs, otherwise i'll continue to wait til next year.

edit:

Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Carbon Ultrabook gets official: on sale August 21st for $1,399 and up -- Engadget

 

What?? I don't get it. Why isn't Lenovo saying that it's an IPS panel. Is it that much of a secret? I asked J Kendrick if he was sure.

Now the engadget post quotes Lenovo at up to 6.3hours of battery life.

So many inconsistencies...

 

This is a big surprise even to me, considering Chinese reviews and now this... Perhaps he made a mistake? Of course if true its nice addition. Lenovo should just release the actual key specs with rest of the press release...

 

i guess there really is only 4Gb