X1 Carbon Gen 2 (Haswell)

I'm getting about 8.5 hours of battery life using it for basic office stuff.

 

I had this problem with T440S - needed to load TPM modules or (fine with me) turn off TPM in bios.

 

Walt Mossberg, one of the most popular tech reviewers in the US just gave his take on the new X1

Lenovo Overhauls the Famous ThinkPad Keyboard, With Mixed Results

 

Lenovo is now blaming the lack of customizable models on the Chinese New Year. I am going to wait until the end of the week and then just order a MBP. Lenovo's handling of the Thinkpad line has been pretty abysmal.

 

Glad to see a real review of this, especially by Mossberg. His views carry a lot more weight than others.

I have mixed feelings about reviewing a laptop by way of voice and gesture controls, which are something that's pure software and really unrelated to the laptop itself. The only reason to include it is because the software is bundled with the system. I think it would be strange if a reviewer made a judgement based on if something only came with a trial version of Office, for example.

 

Do the "icons" on the keys actually change to f1-f12? If yes, could you make a picture about how this looks?
How hard is it to touch type these keys?

Thanks

 

Thanks, great tip! I actually found that hibernate works, so I'm just using that with the command pm-suspend -- no issue with that. It's quick to resume because of the SSD.

 

sross: Regarding the sleep and hibernate, check out this review of the X1 Carbon gen2 with Linux which comments on it:

Adventures in Open Source » Blog Archive » Review: Second Generation Lenovo Carbon X1 with Linux

and the originating G+ post that I found it from with discussion:
https://plus.google.com/u/1/+TarusBALOG/posts/44PX1jGrxLX

 

Duplicate - sorry

 

Yes the keys are displaying F1-F12. I don't really touch type with the function keys, so I can't comment on that. I touch type letters and basic keys, but I'm actually looking at the board for Fn keys. I'd rather have actual keys, but it's not a big thing for me.

Having trouble uploading a picture for some reason, but you can see what it looks like here:
Lenovo drops caps lock key in redesign of slim ThinkPad X1 Carbon - CES, Windows laptops, hardware systems, laptops, Lenovo - CIO

 

Thanks. Glad I didn't read that before I bought it! I've had only slight issues and they've been fix-able. The keyboard is a matter of taste and doesn't bother me. Haven't tried the fingerprint reader. Other than that, all the issues he mentioned are working fine for me and I'm really loving the machine. Different distros, so who knows.

 

Well if we have to wait for Lunar New Year it could be March before CTO Opens and April before we get them. More Lenovo Fail.

 

Well, the only "valid" critique is the thing about the clickpad, everything else is a bit well, naive, if you ask me. It's a brand new Laptop with a relatively new chipset, of course not everything will work out of the box and I don't think lenovo advertised the new X1 as completely compatible with linux. If your buying bleeding edge technology, you should expect some rough edges. That's the price an early adopter has to pay, besides the higher price tag for buying early of course.

But thanks for linking to the "review"

 

I bought the high resolution panel X1C and ended up returning it. I was ok with the adaptive keyboard - my fingers didn't have any issues finding the right keys, which I had hard-set to function only. Also, my brain adjusted just fine the location of home/end/backspace/delete/escape/backtick, which were my biggest concerns. I used the Trackpoint exclusively and it worked great for me, even without the buttons. I typed like the freaking wind on that keyboard, too. By far the best chiclet keyboard I've used, even with (or maybe because of) the reduced key travel. It's lovely.

My biggest issue was how Windows 8.1 handles high dpi screens. We don't have preassigned offices at work. Each desk/office has a 24" monitor, which we plug in as an extended desktop with our laptops. And while I could get the external monitor to look good (at the expense of the laptop's panel) or I could get the laptop's panel to look how I wanted it (at the expense of blurriness on the external monitor), I could not get both to look good at the same time. It's a real shame, too, because the panel itself is fantastic and I was able to get my apps to look good on it by itself. If Windows 8.1 just had a way to allow for manually setting the scaling on monitor to be different than the other, I'd have been set. Alas, it does not, and I can't abide blurry text when doing development.

If there had been a FHD IPS option, I'd have leapt on it (or waited, in the case of CTO only). Instead, I've purchased a touch-screen 440s instead. I'm hoping I get the AUO panel with the touchscreen, as I've yet to read about anyone getting an LG panel on the touch model.

As an aside, I bought a 440p at the same time, and it has the LG IPS panel that everyone's apparently been complaining about (I didn't realize there were issues until I researched the 440s). I noticed the spotlighting/luminosity issue on my own before reading the threads, but honestly, the panel looks great. I can't speak for other others experiences, but the spotlighting on the one I have (and gave to another employee) isn't bad at all. I may have gotten lucky, of course.

hope this helps.

 

Another relevant Ubuntu + X1 Carbon G2 review - Linux on X1 Carbon Gen 2. < waves in the aether

He mostly talks about the suspend issue.

 

Did you try just changing the resolution of the X1 display to 1920x1080 while connected to your external monitor, then switching it back to QHD when you disconnect? That could be scripted to happen automatically, then you wouldn't have to worry about UI scaling. But I guess you'd want to have it scaled while at QHD and unscaled in FHD but probably that could be scripted too. In Linux it would be easy, not sure about Windows.

 

Windows 8.1 does let you set per display DPI scaling.

DPI Scaling Size - Change for Displays in Windows 8.1

 

If you have the WQHD (2560x1440) model and try to set the laptop to something lower (like 1920x1080 or 1600x900) so you don't have to do DPI scaling? I do a lot of RDP and remote control to both new and old 2003 servers and they will probably not scale well.

 

How is the display on the X1C QHD?

I know the resolution is great and all, but how are contrast levels? How black are blacks? How does it compare to the "alright" display of the FHD X1C? To the MacBook Pro 13 Inch? To the Sony Vaio Pro?

I'm trying to decide between the X1C and the Vaio Pro 13. Display quality matters to me more than resolution, as long as it's 1080p or above. Price really isn't an issue, but battery life is, and I wonder if the QHD display hurts battery life (13 hours with extended battery on Vaio, but only ~5 on non-QHD X1C models).

As it stands, from what I hear, I'm sort of leaning towards the Vaio. But with Vaio going out of business and all, I came upon this and now I'm not sure.

 

I like it but I'm not a connoisseur and I don't have a direct comparison with another QHD display. I think the actual display panels are probably the same, but Lenovo puts an overlay on the X1 to give it a matte appearrance. On the older version of the X1, that film created a "scren-door" effect, but on the newer one the resolution is so tight you don't see that effect. But when I first got it, it did appear slightly "mottled" because of that, but I don't notice it any more. Hopefully someone can comment who's seen both displays you're thinking of.

 

I know there were people on here who had machines and information before the X1 got released. Any idea on when the customizable options will be available? Lenovo customer reps seem to have no idea and the date keeps getting pushed back. I need to replace my machine, and am tired of waiting. I would get the i7 pre-configured model, but I really don't want the touch version, I want the non touch QHD.

 

I'm in a similar boat. Except I want the touch version with a 128gb SSD since I already have a 512gb drive to put into it.

 

im just waiting for the 512gb ssd option and possibly the larger battery life option that someone suggested may be available.

 

Well I gave up waiting and ordered the Touch model. I'll swap the drive when it arrives.

 

What is the battery life like on the X1C WQHD model?

I know Lenovo says 9 hours, but they said that for X1C Gen 1 and it had pretty average battery life.

 

I don't know about actual battery life -- I don't have one. But I did find out that all new X1C ship with the 8 cell battery. The 4 cell battery listed under the models available was apparently just a web site error and has been corrected. There has been a lot of confusion about that.

 

I could order a X1C from my university and they customized it a little bit:

i7-4600U, 2.1 / 3.3 GHz
8 GB
512 GB SSD
14'', 2560 x 1440, antiglare, non touch, IPS
Intel HD 4400

My actual question is: does it make a lot of sense to use this high res display with Windows 7? I would like to avoid win8 if possible... but from what i ve read here is that they improved high res compatibility...
Thanks!

 

Why avoid Windows 8? Windows 8.1 is amazing and fixes most of the problems of Windows 8.0.

Windows 8 is worth it for the under-the-hood changes alone! Way faster and more efficient than Windows 7.

Its like trying to downgrade to Windows XP from Windows 7 because you don't like a few UI changes.

Also, Windows 8 has far better support for higher resolutions and DPI.

 

I personally can't tolerate Metro (or Unity for that matter), but here's an article that shows you how to get an almost win-7 UI in win 8.1:
How to eradicate Metro from your Windows 8.1 PC | PCWorld

 

i'm looking for a BTO:
i7 4558U
512G SSD
14'', 2560 x 1440, antiglare, non touch, IPS (or if its touch, glossy + antiglare, well - whatever)

If they allow that as BTO.. i'm getting it right away. (with the non-qwerty keyboard of , mind you)


For Windows 8.1 just install "classic shell". that's all you have to do really. http://www.classicshell.net/downloads/latest

As for high rez with win7 it works perfectly fine. there's this misconception that it doesnt work well on win7. That's incorrect. metro on windows 8 is what doesn't work well with high rez.
boost font DPI on win7, and firefox or your browser's DPI and everything's fine in all apps. The very rare ones that don't are the ones with hardcoded sizes that wont work fine in win 8.1 either.

 

AFAIK this is very wrong. The Metro interface itself scales perfectly with DPI and resolution. Some apps might not work, but for me at least, Windows 8 has worked far better with DPI scaling etc. than Windows 7 ever did.

Windows 8 allows you to adjust the DPI of individual apps, along with the font size. Not sure if Windows 7 allows you to do that. But I might be wrong about Windows 7, in which case, I'm sorry!

Any word on battery life with the X1 Carbon with a WQHD display? Screen quality (in particular, black levels, colors, contrast)?

I know Lenovo says the screen is awesome and the battery is 9 hours, but they said that with the last version and it didn't turn out to be true. An honest post from someone on the forum about their own experience would be far more helpful.

 

Wrong. It "fixes" almost nothing. Which is why Microsoft is working overtime to get Windows 9 out the door in the spring of 2015. As well they should; they really need to try and make the world forget there ever was such an abomination as Windows 8.x.

That's a fairytale. There are no significant differences in either speed or "efficiency" (whatever that may mean) in Windows 8 compared to Windows 7. If you cripple the Windows 7 desktop the way Windows 8 does it, you'll find exactly zero difference.

No it does not, at all. The only difference is that you can have different DPI on different video output devices, but it turns out that this doesn't work well, either. Other than that, in a single-screen situation there is no difference whatsoever between Windows 7 and Windows 8.

Huh? Where did you get that idea? Or are you talking about Metro "apps"? Obviously, Windows 7 doesn't have those, thank god...

 

I'm going to customise my X1 order and am thinking of saving $100 and not getting the touch screen because I have no need for it.

I just wanted to know if the WQHD 2560*1440 non-touch screen is as good as the touch version? All reviews/comments I have seen are based on the touch version.

 

news for custom:
Lenovo japan offical website could custom new x1c, but ship date is 4 weeks.
seems all configs are available, including i7-4550u and 512G SSD.
新しい ThinkPad X1 Carbon - 最高の一台を目指して進化した14型Ultrabook™ | Lenovo 日本
click yellow button "custom"

 

My batter life on the touch screen is averaging 8.25 hours right now.

 

Am I better off going with the 4550U processor with the 5000 graphic card or the 4600U the 4400 graphic card? 95% of my work is using MS Office and using the web.

 

I cannot believe Lenovo hasn't still released the custom version yet.
It's been a month since they said it would come out "SOON"!

What a wrong company.

Plus they keep deleting bad reviews on thier website.
I cannot believe what this Chinese company is doing.

I now bought a samsung ATIV book 9 instead.

 

Anyone could make a comparison between the new WQHD and T440p/T440s FHD displays?

 

Hi there,
May I know which configuration are you having? i5 or i7? And how is the fan noise?

Thank you.

 

That's quite long. Can you give an indication of how you're using it to get the battery to last that long, and what your power settings are?

 

Hi all - below is my very brief initial impressions on using the new Haswell-based X1. For reference, in the past year, I've used a MacBook Pro Retina 15", a Dell XPS 15 Touch, the MacBook Pro Retina 13" and for the past week, the X1.

I've been looking for a smaller, high-res solution and the X1 seemed to fit the bill. I've previously owned an X61, X220 and X230.. loved all of them. These days, my work requires me to run in a high resolution and so all these new notebooks are a gift.

I like the new X1, but I really am having a hard time with all the touch sensitive items. Between the screen and the adaptive strip, I'm constantly touching something accidentally making my use of the notebook very tough. I'm a very sloppy with my typing so my fingers are all over the place. When in browsers, I'm always going into Source Code or Full-Screen mode (F11 or F12) etc.

Does anyone know how to disable the Adaptive keys on the X1?

I also find using the once beloved TrackPoint more difficult now with the new TrackPad setup. Without the click keys above the pad, it is hard to push the entire TouchPad down with accuracy, so I then find myself using the TouchPad. The TouchPad is not anywhere near as good as the MBPr.

The DPI issue in Windows 8 also kind of stinks. I understand it is generally and issue with the software running on Windows 8, but Lenovo didn't even update their own software to take advantage of the high-res screen. Not cool. I find the high-res setup on Mac's is more pleasant at this point in time.

Lastly, my unit also shipped with a bright pixel at the bottom left hand side of the screen.

Overall, the notebook is a beauty, but I really think Lenovo has made the input interfaces less productive than previous generations. Maybe they will come to their senses and offer a configuration option in the future. In the meantime, I will likely be sending this back and going back to the 13" MBPr.

 

I wrote about my experience with linux on the Carbon X1 here if anyone's interested:
curmudgery: Installing Ubuntu 13.10 on Gen 2 (Haswell) Lenovo X1 Carbon

 

I disabled the touchpad in the bios. Now the trackpoint works great as the touchpad serves as large buttons for the trackpoint. I hope this helps! (note: I did this for my T440s so this should work for your X1 as well).

 

The customizable model column on Lenovo's US page is gone entirely. Lenovo generally does a pretty sloppy job of making changes to its website. I wonder if this signals an imminent configurable option?

EDIT: apparently I don't know how to do links :/

 

Let's hope it doesn't mean the opposite. I can't even order the standard version here in Europe. Damn shame.

 

Yeah, nasty. Right after the Lenovo rep told me on Friday that the custom options were "coming soon".

 

for those who are still waiting for customized version, I just got reply from lenovo rep, here's the record:

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An agent will be with you in a moment. Thank you for your patience.
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You have been connected to ^Mohd Akbar Mohiuddin.
^Mohd Akbar Mohiuddin: Thank you for contacting Lenovo Sales Chat. My name is Akbar and my Rep ID is 2900713390. Happy to help you today.
^Mohd Akbar Mohiuddin: Hi, Bill.
Bill: hi, I got a question, do you know when the New ThinkPad X1 could be offered with customize version? Thanks!
^Mohd Akbar Mohiuddin: Bill, you will have the option to customize the X1 carbon by the end of Feb.
Bill: will it be offered with larger SSD or better graph card?
^Mohd Akbar Mohiuddin: The max it supports is 512GB SSD and Intel 4400 gpu.
Bill: so, the only difference between the current top version and the customized version is the larger SSD?
^Mohd Akbar Mohiuddin: Correct.
Bill: great, thanks for the information
^Mohd Akbar Mohiuddin: My pleasure!
Bill: have a nice day, thanks again
Your session has ended. You may now close this window.
//----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

basically, it will have a larger SSD, but other than that, no change. so no 5000 gpu!!

 

Unfortunately, I have zero faith in Lenovo's customer service reps. They either have no idea what's actually going on, or they've been told to provide customers misleading information. Regardless, they've been shown to be incorrect countless times on many products. Many other sources referenced earlier in this thread (including other customer reps, for what it's worth) have indicated that HD5000 will be available with configurable models.

Anyway, if the only advantage to the configurable model is a larger SSD, it wouldn't make any sense to wait, since you can just upgrade the SSD yourself, probably for cheaper than the upgrade will be.

 

Bingo, one of the German retailers lists this model (price with student discount). ThinkPad® University New X1 Carbon Ultrabook

Shame on Lenovo for providing so many bad infos on the battery, availability and models I want to buy it now

 

I highly agree with you!!

anyway, if HD5000 is for real, then it's worth to wait. we will see. and i will wait until it becomes available.