X1 Carbon Gen 2 (Haswell)

This has been an issue going back to the ThinkPad X300, released in 2008, and maybe even further. A few lucky customers might get theirs on time, but it is par for the Lenovo course not to expect a new release to be delivered by the estimated ship date.

 

Yup. I went through the same thing with the last few X1 Carbon models. On top of that, their tracking system isn't the most reliable either.

My new ship date is tomorrow, the 13th, but we'll see if that happens....

Anyway, I'm pretty excited to get this machine later this month. I really just hope the QC issues are non-existent this time.

 

I'm thinking about this as my next personal laptop. I know these are aimed at business users, so does anyone care to give reasons why this would not be a good choice as a personal/non-business intended laptop? Aside from the lack of certain ports, and the smaller SSD, I'm not really sure where the X1 lags behind consumer aimed ultrabooks.

 

Despite the nit-picking you'll hear on the forums/discussions, this looks like a great laptop. After researching numerous ultrabooks, this looks like the best one that will fit my needs. So I ordered it. Even if the SSD is smaller, this time around it can be upgraded unlike previous versions. The main drawbacks I've heard from users is that the keyboard isn't the traditional Lenovo style and the HD 4400 GPU is only offered right now (though there's some indication that the HD 5000 will be offered with the custom model). I feel your average user won't even tell the difference though and the HD 4400 will be sufficient for most day to day tasks.

I've watched a ton of videos on this machine already and I am really looking forward to receiving mine.

 

In my opinion, the new X1 Carbon is much more suitable as a home/personal laptop, especially if it is going to be your only computer. I can think of a bunch of reasons why it is not a good choice for business users, but like you said, there aren't really a lot of drawbacks if it is intended for personal use.

 

My biggest complaint is the lack of another 4-8 gb ram. I am a software engineer/consultant in a metro where I am packing my machine on metro and from cube to cube, conf room to conf room and back. Im not super happy with the fn keys, but I could deal with it. port selection is decent not perfect, if the trackpad is improved, they got a 512ssd, good screen regardless of touch and good battery life.

But I need to run VM's sometime more than one, mostly they sit idle or my host sits idle while I do defv in one, but I need more the 8gb to really be productive with it........smh even the T44S is limited to 12 lenovo!!! Devs want bad ultrabooks too!!!

Re: shipping, Id stomach it better under normal circumstances, but they freaking bullet pointed it in their CES manifesto.....arrrrgghhh that less forgiveable.

 

I didn't even think about the possibility of upgrading the SSD, thanks for mentioning that. Maybe I'm getting too used to Apple, as well as some other manufacturers, and the push towards non-upgradeable products. As for the 4400GPU, I'm not too concerned about that. It seems that most thin ultrabooks at this point are going with the 4400 or even 4000. The 5000 would be nice, but I've been reading that it comes at the tradeoff of slower processing speeds.

I think I'm pretty much convinced on this now. It's almost exactly what I've been looking for. Previously, I had been interested in the Asus UX301, but it seems hard to get a hold of; the Yoga 2 Pro, but it didn't have the build quality I was looking for; and Samsung ATIV Book Plus, but it was just a little short on speed with the 4200u.

Unless Asus or someone else makes a big reveal in the next week or so, or some glaring disadvantage for personal use compared to other ultrabooks get discovered in the X1, I think I'll be pulling the trigger on it soon. :thumbsup:

 

the UX301 isn't hard to find. the different models have been in stock on Amazon, NewEgg, B&H, etc. for a couple months now. if you're ok with a touchscreen, that's the computer to get for personal use.

Amazon.com: ASUS Zenbook UX301LA-DH71T 13.3-Inch Touchscreen Ultrabook (Blue): Computers & Accessories

Newegg.com - ASUS Zenbook UX301LA-DH71T Intel Core i7 8GB Memory 256GB SSD 13.3" Touchscreen Ultrabook Windows 8 (64bit)

Amazon.com: ASUS Zenbook UX301LA-DH51T 13.3-Inch Touchscreen Ultrabook (Blue): Computers & Accessories

 

Looks like a great laptop that's around the same price range as the new X1. Would you say it's better though? I feel like the X1 Carbon might still have a few benefits over the Asus unless I'm missing something. It has a slightly larger display, the keys look more tactile, has a carbon fiber frame, and the hard drive can apparently be swapped.

I do like that the Asus has the HD 5100 on it and it looks sleek. Also, I've been more impressed with Asus' displays on their Zenbook line throughout the last few iterations. The X1 Carbon's haven't been as pleasing, though the new one looks to be a huge improvement. We'll see shortly though.

 

if you just need a personal computer like that guy and are ok with a touchscreen, both the UX301 and AB9+ would be better choices than rolling the dice with an inefficient experimental keyboard, questionable panel quality, boring dated design, and QC issues that Lenovo are known for.

 

It seems that HD5000 is not worth the wait, but if it's HD5200 it is quite another thing. Some tests AnandTech | GIGABYTE BRIX Pro: A First Look at the Intel i7-4770R with Iris Pro HD 5200

 

I would say you've nicely summed up the pros and cons. A colleague of mine has the first-gen Zenbook and it's a nice machine, no question about it, and the second is better by all accounts. For me I would still go with the X1 because of the trackpoint and the better keyboard (more travel), although I guess the keyboard depends partially on what you think of the new virtual Fn keys. Also the slightly larger screen, as you've pointed out. The Asus definitely looks a little slicker and more modern.

 

The trackpoint is the deal breaker with other notebooks for me, though I've heard the HP Elitebooks have a decent trackpoint equivalent. I bought a new Zenbook for one of my employees, and he loves it and it's a great machine -- just no trackpoint, which is what I'm looking for. Which, incidentally, is: trackpoint, SSD, 8GB RAM, beautiful 14"-15" IPS display (high density pixel preferred, but not required if the display rocks) with a good keyboard. Of course, I want it to weigh as little as possible, but on the other hand, I don't have a budget and am willing to pay, so surely there's something out there for me. If anyone has experience with HP notebooks, I'm willing to look.

Dell is out, just because every trackpoint equivalent I've ever tried with them was awful.

 

Can I come work for you??

 

Mine finally shipped today, supposedly.

 

Bobbysteel, what is the ETA of your system? Did you get the fully loaded X1 with touch QWHD?

I'm curious what your impressions are on the screen, keyboard and overall build quality and if the hard drive is user replaceable (and how hard it is to replace). I just got a T440s, and while I love the FHD Non-touch screen and the keyboard, the build quality leaves a lot to be desired, especially for a business machine. If the new X1 seems more solid, I may jump ship.

All info will be truly appreciated!

 

Does anyone know if the FHD screen is still an option? The WQHD I'm sure will be amazing but at $2100 I might need to forgo it to get this into my budget.

 

Yep I got the fully loaded model. Delivery date is 1/17 according to UPS (to Maryland) although I'm not going to be home to receive it until the 28th sadly!

 

My colleague ordered the $1,499 configured model the first day it was available, and I just heard from him that the shipment has arrived at his home. Unfortunately, he's away Thursday evening, so I don't think we're going to get a report until then.

 

Mine was also shipped today with an expected delivery date of Friday, 1/17. Much faster than the last ones.

 

Damn, you folks are getting the new x1c much faster than other models it seems, at least t440*
Hope you guys don't start having issues with the screen too...

 

Looks like it from the video. And there's a choice of just four "strips" which you can cycle through: Windows home, browser, skype, and F1-12. This approach is a lot more configurable:
http://www.siliconfarmers.com/image.axd?picture=P1000744.jpg

I don't quite follow this need to remove more and more keys - first the 7th row, now the 6th. I use the backspace key a lot (which says a lot about my typing skills) - I can imagine myself hitting "delete" all the time! Shame, as otherwise it looks a nice PC.

 

It should be noted that the desktop version as benchmarked there is going to be significantly faster than the laptop version, but yes, the HD 5000 is not a huge jump over the HD 4400, hence the lack of the Iris moniker. I've seen some benchmarks where its actually slower. However, I think the HD 5000 may have slightly better battery life because it has more execution units at lower clock rates than the 4400 (which is why it can be slower in some cases, though it's usually faster).

 

Not exactly, HD5200 uses in laptops too, proof Review Schenker S413 (Clevo W740SU) Notebook - NotebookCheck.net Reviews (also known as Clevo W740SU / Galago UltraPro / Sager NP2740) but I don't think that X1 Gen2 will have HD5200 - too slim case.

 

So, does this laptop have HD4000, HD4400 or HD5000?
Also, any reviews of this out as yet?

 

Lenovo is now saying the end of the month to configure your own due to "production issues".

 

I can't seem to find this laptop on the website to purchase.... anyone got a link?

 

Here you go

New ThinkPad X1 Carbon Business Ultrabook | Lenovo (US)

 

I would like to know if the custom orders can be configured to a higher spec than the highest that is offered now. I'd prefer to buy now if waiting a few weeks won't change what I am likely to order.

 

In case anyone else is wondering about shipping, mine went from an estimated delivery of Friday the 17th, to a sooner Thursday the 16th. It's currently in transit through UPS. This makes me pretty happy.

 

Thank you very much! It is not listed on the Canadian Lenovo site!

I am also wondering this as well, I am in stuck inbetween a dilemma right now... Either the Asus Zenbook Infinity or this laptop..... I have been thru the same question 2 years back deciding which one should I buy... ended up with the zenbook!

I am actually in the market for a high resolution, high battery laptop for school that is decently light weight, and the only thing I dislike about the X1 is the red dot in the middle.... I know tons of people like it but I was never a fan of it.

 

The Lenovo Service Training for the New X1 Carbon: RTPW1240 ThinkPad New X1 Carbon with Adpative Keys Row

Very interesting. They explain the Adapative Keyboard in every aspect.

 

according to customers questions and answered by Lenovo staff (in Lenovo new ThinkPad X1 page), there will be 512GB SSD & i7 with HD5000 CPU.

 

You don't have to use it if you don't want to. It rarely gets in the way.

 

This sucks I have a 10% off that works on new carbon but will expire before the custom config I want is available.......

 

Received my X1 Carbon Gen 2!

I bought the i7 model with the 2560x screen.

Initial thoughts:

Screen is pretty nice but a lot of programs are really not ready for it. Particularly stupid is that Lenovo's own programs sometimes appear with miniscule icons when in 2560x. Screen is bright, it has a slight haziness due to the touch screen. Still, at least no screen-door effect.

The keyboard is a disaster. This adaptive row is driving me crazy. Firstly, it ships defaulting to controls rather than function keys, so things like brightness instead of F keys. You can switch between the different adaptive row layouts but you have to have minimum TWO (F keys + bright/vol/mic controls). They have some other ones like Internet Explorer control, too. .

The ESC key is gone from its usual spot. It's now next to 1. FN has replaced the ESC key.

Backspace is not the last key on the right edge of your keyboard now, DELETE is. Backspace is right next to that.

Double tap shift to caps lock works pretty nicely. I haven't really noticed the new location of the Home/End keys since I don't use them that often.

The feeling of the keyboard itself is good, actually feels a little better than my old X1 Carbon.

Touchpoint/pad. WHY. What was wrong with the original touchpoint buttons?

Nice bonus - comes with an ethernet dongle and a dedicated mini-proprietary port to plug it into.

All-in-all ... it's a nice laptop marred by very stupid design decisions on the keyboard. What the hell, Lenovo.

 

Thanks for the write-up. Overall, would you say it is an improvement over the previous gen? Obviously the X1 is faster and has a better display, but do the design changes make it worse off than before?

 

some photo of it

 

Awesome, congrats! Can you comment a bit more on the display/panel? Glad there's no more screen door effect, though I was never really bothered by it. I just didn't like theclortemperature and viewing angles weren't the best. Have they improved on these things? Also, what do you mean by haziness from the touchscreen?

Also, are you surprised by the keyboard? Or did you do research and already know beforehand what you were getting yourself into? I hope that didn't come off rude.

Thanks!

 

For comparison, I also have this year's Macbook Pro Retina 13". The screen is similar but the Macbook Pro seems marginally brighter and with slightly better contrast. I have never had a touchscreen on my laptop before so I wonder how much of a difference the touchscreen overlay makes. I normally calibrate my screens so colour temperature is not too much of an issue. What is a bigger issue is poor contrast, which is usually a lot more eyestrain for me because I will crank up brightness to brighten the whites which increases legibility for me. The haziness is a slightly grainy look, I'll see if I can get a photo to explain. It's not that bad, I'm a stickler for screens that's all.

Compared the the last 1600x900 panel on the X1 Carbon, it's definitely an improvement BUT it really depends on if your eyes can handle that 2560x. It's definitely a bit too small for me at 100-125% scaling.

Not rude at all, it's an important question. I have used Thinkpads for ten years starting with the T23. I was ok with the major chiclet change but this new layout really takes the . I had seen all the notes about the adaptive strip, etc but I overlooked ESC has moved, which has been one of the more difficult changes for me to deal with. The actual feel of the keys when typing remains good and arguably the best out there.

What I would like to know is if the 1600x900 option is the same as the old X1 Carbon?

 

Spec-wise it's better than before. It does feel marginally better built, the hinges are different from last gens and seemingly stronger.

Question is whether the keyboard kills it for you. This with the old layout keyboard and physical trackpad buttons would have been great.

 

Thanks for the feedback. I'm a little worried about the contrast ratio though. I really wanted to be wowed by the display. Hazy doesn't sound good either.

I'm glad the build quality seems good. No loose pieces or anything right? Also, I think you mentioned having the old X1 Carbon. How did it hold up after some time? I'm curious about longevity.

 

I personally cannot wait until the next generation X1 (Broadwell).

On the heels of it's newly released Haswell X1 notebook, Lenovo boldly confirmed rumors that future generations of the X1 will house a flat capacitive glass sheet, replacing the keyboard and touchpad. Lenovo has stated: "Professionals and Business users are clearly aware of finger placement for expected laptop function; our research shows that physical buttons are simply a reminder of the past, and deemed no longer necessary." Lenovo continues, "We've been training users for a no-finger-feedback notebook since the Haswell X1." This move also expected to increase Lenovo's bottom line on it's latest upcoming ultra-glass-book, stating "..buttons simply became too expensive, and an obstacle to our standing goal of creating notebooks that are .5mm thinner than the competition."

 

@mattgeek,
sorry, your post is just nonsense. Broadwell X1 Carbon won´t be any different from the current X1 Carbon with Haswell, it will be a refresh.

There won´t be a Touch keyboard in the forseeable future. The leaked prototypes of the ThinkPad 9 Slim (as a future ThinkPad concept) also have a normal mechanical keyboard with the Adaptive keys...

 

@ibmthink - i guess he was beeing sarcastic ;-)

 

I think mattgeek was joking.

 

While i am also quite sure mattgeek was being sarcastic, his 'vision' might not be too far off. For the last generations lenovo changed the keyboard a lot. From 7 to 6 to 5 rows, from 5 button ultranav to no-real-buttons touchpad with tracking-stick (that is also not clickable anymore). The dedicated wifi off slider is also long gone. Extrapolating that trend leads to a microsoft surface touch-cover like interface as primary input device.

 

Apologies- the satire ran a little thick this morning.

 

I am really happy they decided to put a proper panel into the x1 this time. However, could somebody please explain something to me?
The new IPS screen has a reported resolution of 2.560 x 1.440 pixels. I am currently working on a 14" laptop with a 1600 x 900 resolution and the text is already pretty small. Am I going to need magnifying glasses to read anything on a 14" 2.560 x 1440 display? Thank you.

 

Many thanks for the feedback. And are the speakers any good?