ThinkPad X1

Price: Starting at $1400 AUD (i got it free from Lenovo ANZ as a gift or as an award)

Score: 8/10

Pros:

-Sleek design

-High tolerance in fit and finish

-Ultra Sturdy construction

-Backlit keyboard

-Rubberised palmrest

-High density rubber coating on the lid

-Extra tough lid construction

-Corning Gorilla Glass (for its added strength to the screen casing)

-The best Chiclet keyboard on the market

-The best trackpad implemented in Thinkpad so far

-eSATA, HDMI, USB 3.0 and mini-Display Port

-Power adapter connection light

-Full magnesium alloy construction

-Silent fan system

-Low heat output

-Expresscharge Lithium Polymer battery (80% in 30 mins with 1000 charge lifecycle)

-High quality psychoacoustic Dolby stereo speakers

Cons:

-only 1366×768 resolution (need HD+ 1600 x 900 LCD)

-trackpoint buttons are stiff

-only one ram slot (but Lenovo does offer the single 8 gigs ram stick at reduced price)

-non-removable card reader (the T4x0s machine had removable ones to give you access to the Expresscard slot)

-non removable integrated battery

-usb and headset cover is useless and is a hindrance

-6 rows keyboard have odd shortcut keys (but Macbook/Pro/Air users would feel right at home)

-Corning Gorilla Glass (for its added reflection under outdoor use)

Verdict: An awesome machine with high quality fit and finish, awesome speakers (need to be heard to be believed), tough as nails magnesium construction and fully rubberised external case coating. At the current retail price in Australia, it is a worthy contender to the current 13 inch Apple Macbook Pro (not quite in the Macbook Air territory).

 

Background (and disclaimer)

I was fortunate enough to get a free Thinkpad X1 from Lenovo ANZ, on which i would base my review on. Initially i wanted to get the ThinkPad X1 to replace the ThinkPad X301 that i had, but decided against it at the last minute and ordered the ThinkPad X220 instead. The reasons that i did not buy the ThinkPad X1 and bought the X220 instead were:

• I was not sure whether i would like the ThinkPad X1’s new Chiclet keyboard and its key feel.
• In my mind i just could not really get over the fact that the X1 had only one ram slot, which i thought would impart a huge loss of upgradability and speed, even though i know you could operate a laptop perfectly fine with just one ram stick, as i have had done so for so many times in the past.
• I am not sure how good the X1’s LCD with Corning Glorilla glass were as compared to the X220 with an IPS LCD, which something i was really excited about (i am a sucker for IPS LCD). Also, the fact that the X1 only had the 1366 x 768 HD LCD resolution option put me off a bit from ordering it.
• The integrated battery aspect also was a big mental barrier that i had to overcome, with ThinkPads i want my machine to have easily replaceable batteries that i could just take out and replace on the go. So i wasn’t really sure of how i would accept the concept of having a non user replaceable battery in a ThinkPad.
• Also the ultra thin design of the ThinkPad X1 made me worry about the structural rigidity of the laptop itself. Structural rigidity is what i love about all the Lenovo ThinkPads that i have had, so this was one of the top criteria that i look to when i buy a new ThinkPad. I would not buy a new ThinkPad if i was not sure about its structural stiffness.
• Lastly the X1 was not discounted as heavily as the X220 on the Lenovo EPP website.

I sort of laughed a bit at my uncertainties and apprehensions i have had with the ThinkPad X1 prior to receiving the free unit from Lenovo ANZ. For some reasons i think like an economist when it comes to purchasing ThinkPads, i would be fully rational in the decision making process and evaluate all the alternatives on their merit. While at the same time i would buy my Apple products like a pop star with too much money, i would just plonk down my money to buy a product with lot of flaws only to regret it down the line when the next refresh comes out. I guess what i was trying to say with all the waffling was the fact that i was perfectly content to live with the Chiclets keyboard, the 1280×800 LCD (with a glass surface) and the integrated battery on the Macbook Pro 13 that i had, yet somehow i would nit pick the ThinkPad X1 and dismiss these features as unacceptable flaws when it comes in a ThinkPad. So it was quite fortunate of me to have received the ThinkPad X1 from Lenovo ANZ, otherwise i would still carry many of the misconceptions and bias against this product model.

Read the main review from here