Thinkpad x300 review

One of the first reviews:

http://ptech.allthingsd.com/20080221/price-may-be-steep-but-thin-thinkpad-has-abundant-features/

 

thx very much for that link,rep +1

 

hmm,I think 3000$ is too much for it....thx for link!

 

What about mba?3100$ w/o dvd and other stuff...???

 

both notebooks are overpriced!

 

This site has some pics of internals:

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_08/b4072042350389.htm

 

And he didn't say anything about the WXGA+ LED panel.

 

This was a very interesting article to read--especially if you're a big ThinkPad fan. After seeing reviews and specs of both the X300 and the MacBook Air I'm really impressed with what Lenovo came up with. The replaceable battery, 3 USB ports, and optical drive alone are big reasons to "go black".

Thanks for sharing!

 

Does he actually have the device? He doesn't even hold it up to show it in the video. The clip with the notebook is actually Lenovo's promotional clip.

 

Being a ThinkPad fan, I must say that is one sexy laptop. I think the 13.3" is perfect even for a road worrior. When I had the Sony TZ, it was one of the sexiest laptops out there, with a medium battery, it only weighed 2.5lbs, however, keep in mind that it was a 11.1 screen, vs. the 13.3. So even at 3lbs, with the DVD, I would still consider it an ultraportable. Plus you get the legendary keyboard which is leaps and bounds over Sony's.

However, given the nature of this laptop, the battery life is seriously lacking. What I don't understand is that its using a low voltage cpu, an SSD hard drive and LED screen. Why is the battery life so poor? It is one of THE MOST critical requirements of said road worriors right next to size and weight.

Lenovo already stated that this isn't going to be a massed produced product. It is only aimed at a nich market given its price point and a flagship product to build brand awareness. Regardless, if I had 3 Gs to burn, I'd seriously consider it.

 

hey guys, we'll one up Walt on his review. I'm broadcasting to the forums right now on a newly opened ThinkPad X300

Video, pictures and first thoughts to come.

 

great news andrew. looking forward for your review.

 

Andrew, if possible - put X300 next to 14'1'' T61 - just to show "the difference", please

 

Does it occur to anyone here that the Sony Vaio SZ competes with the ThinkPad X300 potentially? The SZ weighs 4 pounds with the standard battery, which should last for 4 or 5 hours under normal use. The X300, according to Mossberg's review, weighs 3.5 pounds with the full-size battery, which should last for 4 hours. So the X300 is still half a pound lighter. However, the SZ has the advantages of having a much, much more powerful CPU, a disgrete graphics card and a 2.5" HDD of up to 250GB! Maybe the X300 isn't so ground breaking after all.

 

Yes, that has occurred.

Here's a chart comparing the two:
http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w21/ryengineer/ee3b0454.jpg

 

Could you please let us know if it can play a 1080p resolution x.264 encoded videofile?

 

After watching Walt Mossberg's review of the X300 vs the Macbook Air, I'm inclined to think that the Macbook Air might be the better buy for lightweight travel for the following reasons...

1. The X300 does NOT off any significant battery life over the Air. I really thought this would be more significant.

2. My son has an Air and it's really a beauty and the build quality is excellent. So the Air gets the aesthetics nod.

3. Hey, it's a wireless world so why give the X300 any extra points for more ports. I've got a Macbook Pro and I don't use the ethernet port - I connect to our network wirelessly, I print wirelessly to a network printer, and I use a bluetooth wireless external mouse and keyboard. The only thing I need is a USB to DVI adapter for my 27" external monitor.

4. My experience with Apple products has been excellent. I hate all the Lenovo utilities that they load on their Thinkpads. With all the services they have running they slow down the system and just get in the way.

Andrew, great review for those of use trying to decide on the Air or the X300 for those trips when we don't want to haul around a full size laptop. Thanks.

 

The X300 can lose its optical drive and replace it with an UltraBay battery, which will add an hour or so to the battery life, putting it way ahead of the MBA in terms of battery life, even though the MBA doesn't even have an optical drive bay to begin with.

Aesthetics is a matter of opinion. I myself prefer rubberized palmrests and TrackPoint navigation as well as top quality keyboard all encased in a solid and durable chassis. I also prefer black over white.

Ethernet speeds surpass wireless speeds. At my college, I prefer to be plugged in and get 60,000 down as compared to a wireless 2,000 down. You have to give props to the X300 because USB ports are vital to the average user. You get tenfolds more possible USB usage and arrangements with three over a measly one USB port.

If you hate the slow factory image of a ThinkPad, you can always perform a clean install.

 

The Air is certainly beautiful, but what is its long-term viability. I have to think that its tolerances for everyday use are much "slimmer" than a more rugged laptop like the X300.

I also don't see buying a laptop with no USB ports, etc. How inconvenient will it e fore business travelers to be forced to pack a bunch of externals for things that should be present in any basic machine. The Air sacrificed too much to the altar of aesthetics and beauty, in my opinion.

Its funny that we haven't already heard rumors floating the projected prices for the X300 when regular HDD are available with it. Once that happens, sales should go through the roof. I can't wait for the day, though, when SSD is truly affordable for the masses.