Lenovo launches ultra-thin ThinkPad X300

[HEXUS]

Small, thin and light is all the rage these days and Lenovo's latest ultra-thin ThinkPad X300 takes the fight directly to Apple's MacBook Air.

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[Fraz]

Why do they carry on producing these laptops in the 1980s style black plastic angular case? My spectrum 48k could have given this laptop some style tips.

Regardless, I'd definitely choose this over a MacBook Air. No way I could work without Ethernet and a couple of USB ports.

[nichomach]

Parm needs his head examined ; the X300 is masses more usable for a fractional difference in thickness (2.6mm) and 90g extra weight. It's got all the stuff built-in that the Air makes you hoik around in a bag, loads more connectivity options, it'll run all day off a single battery, the screen's masses better and it's hitting near as dammit the same price-point as the Air's SSD variant (a fraction less, actually). Plus they'll be releasing SATA versions to follow. The X300's a certifiable work of genius. That said, they are targeted at different markets; the X300 at people who want to do stuff, and the Air at people who want to pose while not doing stuff...

edit: Fraz, the reason is that EVERYONE knows what a Thinkpad looks like - and that's something that Lenovo are keen to retain following the hive off from IBM; they're not the prettiest, but they retain a reputation of being rock solid and very reliable.

[Parm]

I do need my head examined ...but still! If you wanted a laptop that can do something, you could get something much more powerful for a fraction of the cost of the X300.

If you want to do stuff, get a proper laptop.

If you want to pose, get the MacBook Air.

If you're nichomach, get the X300.

[staffsMike]

The keyboards are always lovely to use on the IBM/lenovo. This I think I'm right in saying is the first 13.3" screen to get a higher resolution than 1280 x 800 which is great for a start (not that I don't like 1280 x 800 at that screen size).

I can't think of one reason to get the Air over the X300 and as for business users, they wouldn't look twice at the Air due to it's severe limitations where the X300 is ticking the many boxes that it left blank. You also look like a bit of an idiot with anything too flashy in meetings where the X300 will sink into the background quite nicely

[Funkstar]

Originally Posted by Fraz

Why do they carry on producing these laptops in the 1980s style black plastic angular case?

Because they look brilliant like that

[nichomach]

Originally Posted by staffsMike

The keyboards are always lovely to use on the IBM/lenovo. ...

QFT, and agreed in its entirety. The X300 will do everything that a larger laptop will do, and do it within a fraction of the weight. Yes, it's quite a bit more expensive, but unlike the Air, where you're paying all that cash for about, well, a third of a laptop, in terms of functionality, if you spend that on the X300, you actually get all of one .

[Parm]

Come on then, tell me why you'd go for a ThinkPad X300 instead of say... a Dell Vostro?

Now the Vostro clearly isn't as thin, or as light. But, it's a whole lot cheaper and whilst paying less, you'd get a 2GHz+ Core 2 Duo, more RAM, more hard disk space, a better graphics card and a 15.4" 1680x1050 screen if you wanted it.

Don't tell me it's cause the X300 has the nostalgia factor!

Saying the X300 is super-thin won't win me over either, the Air is super-thin-er.

[nichomach]

OK, a Vostro is huge and clunky by comparison; I have directors who barely tolerate carrying laptops at all and will happily fork out for ultralites. They value lightweight, easy to store, yet functional machines and will pay a premium for them.

They value build quality - which, with the Vostros is a sometime thing. They like having to take around a minimum of clutter. They like being able to run a presentation off the DVD drive that the Air hasn't got, plug in a network cable to the socket the Air doesn't have, while using their USB thumbdr...oh, I'm sorry, did you just run out of USB ports again...? WiFi's all very well, but they'd rather have HSDPA built-in in case it isn't available, which the X300 has and the Air doesn't (oh, neither does your Vostro).

Now, my guys might well wait for the SATA versions (which given that the SSD version is cheaper than the Air at launch, should be priced quite nicely), but they would definitely go for the X300. The X300 is super-thin. It's just super-thin and functional, whereas the Air is super-thin and pointless. Oh, and the X300's looks are superb for a boardroom.

edit: Seriously, Parm, I barely use a laptop at all, so I wouldn't buy one of these - I don't need an ultralite. If I did need an ultralite, a real ultralite, not a "just over 2.2kg" wannabe, and I was spending my own money, there's no way in hell I'd buy an Air, but I'd have the X300 in a heartbeat.

[Parm]

How about the Sony Vaio TZ series then?

I kid, I kid! You've made some mighty good points nichomach. I currently use an Inspiron laptop myself and don't have a personal need to go thinner or lighter (though, better battery life would be nice).

[nichomach]

Inspirons are good kit these days ; OK there're more solid machines, and the XPS series look much nicer, but they're well enough built, performance is good - I've recommended them to some guys here for home use and they've been fine. Our standard business machine's the Latitude D630, which is pretty solid; not ruggedised as such (though you can get ruggedised variants, and with SSDs), but with a good solid frame. We get slightly bigger machines for the guys in love with Gantt charts, and I've got one of


THESE on order for our in-house architects.

[Fraz]

Originally Posted by Funkstar

Because they look brilliant like that

Well, the last two Thinkpads I saw looked like crap. I know they are built well, and are nice to use, but you still won't persuade me that they don't look like crap.

My Macbook pro is built well, is nice to use, and looks a hell of a lot better.

Regardless though, as I've said before, I'd still have the X300 over an Air. The Air is just a bit too functionally challenged, no matter what Steve Jobs tells us.

[Tobeman]

I see it has a Windows key. Is this standard with IBM/Lenovos now?

Also, when can we expect the red nipple to be dropped? I mean seriously, who uses that?

[Fraz]

Originally Posted by Tobeman

Also, when can we expect the red nipple to be dropped? I mean seriously, who uses that?

Man - I would really like a keyboard with one of those things. I hate taking my hands away from the touch-typing position, but sometimes it's unavoidable. One of those would solve that problem.

[Tobeman]

Originally Posted by Fraz

Man - I would really like a keyboard with one of those things. I hate taking my hands away from the touch-typing position, but sometimes it's unavoidable. One of those would solve that problem.

Allow me to introduce AutoHotkey - AutoHotkey - Free Mouse and Keyboard Macro Program with Hotkeys and AutoText

Now please remove said nipple!

[malfunction]

Originally Posted by Tobeman

I see it has a Windows key. Is this standard with IBM/Lenovos now?

Also, when can we expect the red nipple to be dropped? I mean seriously, who uses that?

I can't say for all Lenovos but my T60p (work machine) does indeed have a windows key and one of my colleagues has the bigger (bloated!) T61p which also has a windows key... And I use the 'trackpoint' nipple thing - the pad is turned off all the time on my machine. I find it faster, more comfortable and immune to accidental / seemingly static charged pointer jumps all over the place.. In fact I even have a mini desktop keyboard with a nipple as a built in mouse.