Dell Latitude X1 and IBM ThinkPad X41 Comparison (pics)

by Andrew Baxter, New York USA

There's just something about the letter "X" isn't there? It's always used in Algebra. In Star Wars it's the X-Wing fighter that saves the day. X-men? In the world of computers, manufacturers tend to use it in their model series names for products they think are a bit special, and ultraportable computers tend to get the "X" branding quite frequently. Witness the Sony VAIO X505, Dell Latitude X1 or IBM ThinkPad X41 ultra thin and ultra portable notebooks for instance. Today we have a quick comparison and picture overview of the latest "X" laptops on the market, the ThinkPad X41 and Latitude X1.

That's right, I'm lucky enough to have two of the coolest new ultraportables available sitting on my desk at the same time. Seeing as they're both so small, the Dell X1 being 2.5lbs and the ThinkPad X41 being 2.7lbs and both having 12.1" screens, there's plenty of room on the desk for two laptops. The more the merrier whether it be laptops or people!

IBM X41 and Dell X1 BasicSpecs and Configuration Options (text in blue indicates review unit configuration when there is a choiceavailable)

Feature	IBM ThinkPad X41	Dell Latitude X1
Screen	12.1" TFT XGA (1024 x 768)	12.1" TFT WXGA (1280 x 768)
Processor	Intel Pentium M LV 758 (1.50GHz, 90nm technology, 2MB L2 Cache, 400MHz FSB)	Intel Pentium M ULV Processor 733 (1.1GHz)
Dimensions	10.5" x 8.3" x 1.06" (Width x Depth x Height)	11.26" x 7.7" x 0.98" (Width x Depth x Height)
Weight	2.7lbs withstandard battery	2.5lbs with standard battery
Ports	2 USB 2.0 (also 1 IBM Powered USB 2.0), Infrared, expansion bus (for optional ThinkPad X4 Ultra Base Doc); external display; AC adapter; RJ-11 modem port;RJ-45 ethernet port; audio: headphone/line-out, external microphone	2 USB 2.0 (also 1 USB port used as Dell D/Bay connector), external display, AC adapter, RJ-11 modem port, RJ-45 ethernet port, audio: headphone/line-out, external microphone, IEEE 1394 FireWire
Hard Drive:	1.8" 20GB, 30GB, 40GB or60GB @ 4200RPM	1.8" 30GB or 60GB @ 4200RPM
OS:	Windows Home/Pro	Windows Home/Pro
Slots:	1 PCMCIA card slot, 1 SecureDigital card slot	1 SecureDigital card slot, 1 CompactFlash card slot
Memory:	256MB or 512MB/1536MB PC-4200 DDR-2 SDRAM	256 MB or 512MB, upgradable to 1.28GB maximum
Expansion:	ThinkPad X4 UltraBase dock (optional)	Dell D-Bay optical drive (optional)
Wireless:	Intel 2200BG 802.11 b/g (Intel 2916ABG alsooffered)	Intel 2200BG 802.11 b/g

Now, although these laptops are of a similar weight and havethe same screen size, there is a difference in dimensions of these laptops. When you're dealing with smallness it's pretty important to talk about where your size is coming from -- ashorter screen and less notebook depth can sometimesmake the difference as to whetheryou are/aren'tbumping the persons seat in front of you on the plane.

The Dell Latitude is actually a widescreen notebook, and so to accomodate this wider screen you get a wider body as can be seen in the followingimages:

IBM ThinkPad X41 on top of and flushed on the right side with the X1, you can see the X1 is wider as it sticks out on the left (view larger image)

The same picture from above, again you can see the X1 is wider than the X41 (view larger image)

IBM makes the X41 deeper than the Dell X1 though, this is very visible in the below image:

Dell X1 resting on top of IBM X41, now it is revealed the X41 has more depth and a taller screen(view larger image)

IBM X41 (left) and Dell X1 (right) back to back, notice the X41 has an extended life 8-cell battery sticking outin this image(view larger image)

IBM X41 (left) Dell X1 (right) keyboard comparison (view larger image)

From the above images we can see that the X41 has more depth andis taller with its screen up. The extra depthon the X41 has the advantage of providing us withmore keyboard real estate. IBM uses this extra space to give an excellent keyboard and typing experience. However, the fact that the X1 is slightly "shorter" and has less depth will mean you can easily tilt the screen back a little further if you're in cramped conditions on an airplane, something to consider unless you fly 1st class or business all the time.

Notice that IBM does not offer a touchpad solution, but rather a pointing stick (TrackPoint) and two mouse buttons plus a scroll button that you can hold in and then push the pointing-stick to scroll through a document. Some people will miss having a touchpad, others love this TrackPoint solution -- take your pick.

Instead of writing a long documentary on all the differences and similarities between the X41 and X1, I'm going to highlight in bullet format what I think are most important of these...there are more than what's listed and you can ask questions or research to find more of them, but this is a good start:

Key differences between X1 and X41

• The X41 has a 1.5GHz processor as opposed to the Dell X1 1.1GHz processor, this is a large speed difference
• The X1 is lighter by .2lbs, which translates to 7.4% lighter than the X41
• The X1 has a widescreen XGA format, the X41 is regular XGA format

Screen comparison, the X1 on the left has widescreen format whereas the X41 (right)is standard(view larger image)

• The 0.98" thick X1 is slightly thinner than the 1.04" thich X41 (according to the specs at least), but look at the image below and you can't tell the difference, and I certainly can't measure or feel it. Both are 1.0" thick in my book after rounding is done!

Looks about the same thickness to me (view larger image)

• The X41 has a PCMCIA card expansionslot for a whole slew of expansion options, the X1 does not offer this slot
• The X1 has a CompactFlash slot, the the X41 does not
• The X41 has latches for closing the lid down, the X1 relies on hinges to keep the lid closed
• The X41 has metal hinges, the X1 does too although they are encased in plastic and not quite as sturdy (but still very good)
• The Latitude X1 has a regular touchpad, the X41 uses a TrackPoint solution
• The X41 can be configured with a biometric fingerprint reader that can be used to substitute for Windows login, there is no such option on the X1
• The X1 keyboard has a Windows key, the X41 does not
• The X41 is built with titanium reinforced plastic for an extremely sturdy case, the X1 case is sturdy but not quite so
• The X1 is grey, the X41 is black (duh)
• The X1 has an ExpressCharge feature that assures that in an hour you can get 80% charge, X41 offers no such charge guarantee
• The X41 has better wireless performance because the wireless antenna is housed in the screen case area for better signalreception, the Latitude X1 antenna is in the main body.
• The X1 offers "Strike Zone" shock absorber for the hard drive, IBM X41 also has cushioning for hard drive protection and also Active Protection System software to detect falls and remove write/read head from the hard drive during a fall (this protects against data loss).
• The X1 starts at a price of $1,598 while the X41 starts at around $1,900
• The X1 has a FireWire port, the X41 does not
• The X1 must be purchased directly from Dell.com, the X41 can be purchased directly from IBM.com or other online resellers

Key Similarities between the ThinkPad X41 and Latitude X1

• Both have 3 USB 2.0 ports
• Both have modem, ethernet, video-out, AC, headphone, microphone ports
• Both have an SD card slot
• Both have a 1.8" size hard drive solution that tops out at 60GB 4200RPM as the highest offering
• Both have surprisingly good and easy to use keyboards for the size (although the edge does go to the ThinkPad in terms of sturdiness and ease of typing, but if you like the Windows key to be there then the Dell keyboard might win your heart)
• Neither have any type of built-in optical drive, you have to carry an extra external replicator or media bayto have a DVD/CD drive
• Both offer either Windows XP Home/Pro
• Both come with standard 3-year warranty with purchase direct from the company
• Both come withnice and brightscreens that are not glossy but of the matte form
• Both are really light and a breeze to carry around and a pleasure to use
• Both are Centrino machines
• Both use integrated graphics solution from Intel (although the IBM has the more recent and betterIntel solution)

I'm working on a full review of each of these laptops, but for now there might be some that would like to know which I recommend buying. Well the answer to that is simple,buy the one which has a model number that begins with an "X" and ends with a "1" of course! Not very helpful? Well, eachperson will find certain features they care about more than others andprice differences are more of a concern to some, so you decide which notebook fits you best. We have first thoughts on the Dell Latitude X1 posted and the ThinkPad X41 posted so take a look at those too and if you're debating between these two ultraportables then maybe the upcoming full reviews will be helpful.

Pricing and Availability

 

awesome comparison! these side-by-side reviews really help give a good feel for platform differences.

i believe the x1 does have metal hinges, dell typically conceals this with a layer of plastic:

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/LatX1/en/sm/display.htm#wp1001090

does the x1 hinge feel weak in comparison to the x41?

 

hey jh, upon further inspection you're right about the hinges. i'll update that.

the hinges aren't bad on the X1, not quite as sturdy as the X41, when I do the "push and see how much it sways" test the X1 is solid, stays in place and no bouncing back and forward. The X41 passes that with flying colors too of course.

the place the X1 hinge doesn't do such a good job is keeping the lid entirely closed (meaning no gap whatsoever), I prefer having the latch that the X41 has to keep the lid closed secure and tightly....if you put the X1 in a backpack or briefcase it is possible that you might have some random slim accessory slip between the screen and keyboard (it would have to be a paperlip or something slim, granted, or maybe just some papers...but it's a concern).

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another difference might be heat and noise. i would be very surprised if the x41 were fanless, whereas the x1 appears to only require passive cooling. do you see any fan ducts on the x41?

 

Great comparison!

Do you plan to do the the same on Toshiba R200 vs X41? That will be a good guide for people interested in ultraportalbes.

Note: I found from the picture of side view (the last image) that the X41 is thinner at the front than the X1. The thickness profile for X41 is about 0.8" - 1.06", and that of X1 is about 0.98" - ?". So definitely, there is tiny difference in the front thickness. But it is not a big deal for most people and we could round those figures to 1".

 

jherber, you are right, there are fans on the x41 as opposed to the x1 where it is passive cooling -- no fans. both are quiet though, obviously if you had say one was quieter than the other the x1 would win. the trade off with the x41 is you get a faster processor that actually needs a small fan.

art, i wish i could get access to an r200 for comparison right now, but i don't think that's going to happen Your take on the thickness is correct, the x41 is actually slimmer at the front and has a bit more of a slope.

fan


no fan




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How often does the fan on the X41 turn on?

 

very nice comparison ! that really helps ! (side by side pics)

but a comparison X41 vs X1 vs LIFEBOOK P7010 would be very very interessting too.
The P7010 has an integr. ODD, but a smaller formfactor !

can you compare these products ?

thx [ ]

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by mmeier

 

the traget group for P, X1, X41 are top managers. so these stylish ultra-portables are all aimed at CEO,.....

so why not compare these 3 ?

the P has the same weight like DELL or IBM, B U T with integr. ODD !![8)]

side by side comparison would be very interessting[^]

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by mmeier

 

Darth_Bagel, the build to order notebooks you're looking at on the IBM website are actually X40, you can't configure the X41 there yet...you have to get an Express Model, such as this one:

IBM X41 25286NU Express Model

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I love you.

To verify, the X41 has better battery life, yes? Do you have any actual numbers on battery life for either units (which I'm assuming are review units by now)?

edit: ok, so where are you getting a 1.5GHZ processor? I only see 1.4 listed on the IBM website.

[ our words to still their voice | our hands to break their worthles necks ]

 

Whoa, thanks. Need to start paying more attention.

edit: Dammit I need to learn to read. Apologies for my stupidity.

[ our words to still their voice | our hands to break their worthles necks ]

 

I also have some questions for you Andrew:

+ What about the quality of VGA-out? Is it possible to use it sensible at 1280*1024 or higer resultion?

+ Of course the real battery life like others asked too

+ What about the performance? Any Problems with waiting for applications to be loaded? How long does it take to boot up windows? Some benchmarks like prime or 3dmark01 might be useful.

+ Noiselevel: Of course there's no fan on the x1, but what about the HDD? Are there any background noise, unexpected or disrupting sounds?

+ Line out: There's only stereo, no optical connector, right? What about the quality and volume?

+ The wight: how much does it weigh? Real-life wight of optical device, x1, the "brick", etc.

Okay that's it so far. Thanks for your informations! I'm looking forward for the full review!
Thanks a lot.

 

Battery: I got 4 hours 41 mins on the X41 at level 6 brightness/Wi-Fi on/ Medium suage/ 8-cell battery. On the X1 I haven't done a proper test and i left the friggin charger back at home so i'll have to do that tomorrow.

HDD Noise: Definitely quiet with no unexpected noises, the loudest thing you'll get with the notebook is the sound of closing the lid...and even then there's rubber stoppers on the screen to pad this noise and cushion the contact between screen and keyboard area.

Line Out: No optical out, just regular stereo, I'm not an audiophile but I do listen to a lot of music and it's most certainly been fine for that...the sound quality will likely depend more on the headphones, try these Shure E3C Headphones

I'll definitely run benchmarks and include them in the full review, I've done some of these already but embarassingly the X1 has now run out of battery and I have no way to charge it at the current time [:I]

I haven't used VGA out on the X1, but I can't imagine that would be a problem, most notebooks can output by up to 1600 x 1200

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Thanks a lot for the fast answer.
Your informations sound good.

@vga-out:
yeah, that'S what i also know. Problem is, that the Notebooks are able to send 1600*1200 pixels - but often quality is not as good as it should be to work 8 or more hours a day at a LCD powered by such a signal. So it's important to have a good signal at VGA-out to be able to use the Notebook @home / @office [ ]
maybe you can test that. I would be glad about that.[ ]
Greetings

 

how often would one find coupons for the X1 seeing as how most Dell coupons are for their Inspiron lines...

given the big price advantage the X1 has.. I think that would be a factor in choosing between two good ultra portables.. the money one saves could be used to make the X1 even better or spent elsewhere

 

there's never really coupons for latitude notebooks, but quite often they have some good instant offs and rebates that help on price.

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I love the X1 which is a rebadged samsung but hate the way dell deals. Seems like every day the price and price for options change on their website, nevermind the discount coupons. Today, for example, the want $199 to upgrade the 30gb drive to a 60gb drive, give me a break.

To me the X1 is the winner here, smaller with a better screen. Can't say how the 1.1 mhz will perform but the onlt think missing is the pcmcia slot which seems to be totally useless these days. Besides a network card (which is built into every laptop sold today)there is no need for pcmcia--bout a useful as a serial port these days. Having one, on the other hand, creates a soft spot where the keyboard will sage because of the open space created by the empty pcmcia slot.

 

what about memory and harddrive upgrades for the X1?

What is the deal with the memory. Are there 2 slots accessable or only one, or can you even get to them withour cracking open the case?

Same for the harddrive?

 

Since some days I'm also a lucky owner of a X1, so I can answer some questions.
There is one memory module slot, 256MB are soldered onboard. That's why the max is 1.28GB. What is a big plus of the X1 is the built-in Bluetooth module, whcih supports BT 2.0 with EDR. At the moment it's simply not possible to buy a USB stick with that features (will be may be better in some weeks).
Is BT also available for the X41?
And another point: the X41 looks heavier, and according to IBM's web site the weight is 3.3lbs (may be a different battery?)
The passive cooling seems to work - during heavy compile sessions the CPU reaches a temperature of 70 to 72C (read via ACPI from System - I have Gentoo Linux installed). Intel allows 100C. But anyway this is not a normal usage (and my dual Opteron is helping via distcc).
Another thing to mention: unlike some other notebooks the CF slot is not a USB connected card reader, it's a real PCMCIA slot in mini format, connected via a card bridge. If there is a need for PC cards in rare cases then a usage of a adapter is possible, at least for 3.3V cards. Ok, its not a nice mecahnical solution, but possible.
So far I really like this little device.

 

Hey bughunter,

thanks for the additional information. Good to know this thing won't burn a hole in my desk during a stage 1 gentoo install

I'm curious though: Does ACPI suspend work for you under gentoo or do you have to use software suspend?

 

Sorry, this is my first notebook and I've not yet tried suspend. I spend some time to get distcc working, because my 64bit Gentoo box have to compile valid 32bit binaries for the X1. Now this is working.
According to http://freshrpms.net/docs/x1/ swsusp2 is working.

 

Ah, thanks anyway. I just noticed that EmperorLinux sells the X1 with Linux preinstalled and advertises it with a working acpi hibernation, so it *should* work somehow.

 

I just got my dell x1 a couple of days ago. A couple of comments:

The screen is really quite good. I also have a sony vaio tr1a with the xbrite screen and even though the dell has a matte finish, its just as bright as the sony. The viewing angle of the sony is better though. So its not quite as good as the sony, but its still very nice.

When I run super pi to 2million, I got 2 min 42 secs. Decent..

The dell uses the intel 915 graphics chip, just like the x41 so they are equivalent in that respect.

I debated between the ibm and the dell, but in the end the wide screen and higher resolution won me over.

Overall I really like this notebook.

Dave

 

How does the X1 seem durability wise? One thing I like about the Thinkpad series is the outside is very durable..it stands up great to normal wear and tear type activies. I don't have any experience with the X1 to get a feel for how easy it will scratch etc.

Spec wise the X1 is very tempting...the price Dell gave me for it is actually about the same as the X41 (taking into account a MC / Visa discout from IBM).

I am curious to see the full review...especially the speed comparison between the 1.1ghz in the X1 and the 1.5 in the X41.

 

Btw...Bluetooth is available on the X41 although it only comes installed on a few of the models. However, all X4x series ship with the anntenna installed in the machine allready (you can install an antenna yourself, however, it requires disassembly of almost the entire machine to run the wire) so it is quite easy to pop the keyboard off and exchange the modem card..the cost for the part is only about $60 from IBM. I think the BT on the X41 is version 1.1 (or 1.2?)

 

I'm confused as hell. IBM X41? IBM T43 (different league, but felt one of these at work and it didn't feel anywhere near 5 lbs as listed - and only 1" thick)? Dell X1? Toshiba R200?

At some show, they took an ibm laptop by the screen, and was waving the keyboard up and down, enough said.

Still waiting on notebookreview's full X41 review....

-ELmO

 

Does the heat bother anyone? Sounds like the laptop's internal components are ok with it, but as a human, the heat seems to get close to my threshold of comfort, and I don't know if some of my "cheap" table furniture laminates can withstand it...I know, prop it up with something. But if I am using my lap as a table (hence laptop), the heat can be very uncomfortable, especially on a hot short pants day!

 

I have just ordered the Dell X1, but I can't stop thinking about the IBM X40. I have never liked the touch pad interface, but thought it would be easy enough to get comfortable with it. Any comment on the ease of use of the touch-pad?

I know you have reviewed/contrasted the X41 vs X1, but I assume the keyboards are the same on the IBM models. Can you please comment on each of the keyboards?

The fanless system and ULV appeal to me, but I have read the heat generated is significant from the X1. Does the fan in the X40/41 bother anyone?

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by synaptech

 

Excellent compare/contrast review!

Dell Inspiron 700m
Pentium M, 1.8 Ghz
1024 mb ram
80 gb HD
Dell Axim x50v
iPod 3G 20 GB

 

as posted on another thread, I have 2 of these machines left as of today, I sold the others on ebay.

I bought many of these for my office, I have the extras listed here

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6779286371&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&rd=1

 

Great comparaison

Thanks

I ordered a IBM X40 from a friend's store, I have a better price than with the dell so I decided to go for the IBM because of keyboard and 1.5 ghz processor even though I wanted the DELL for FW and Widescreen...

Oh well I'll see when I'll get it.

Pat

 

Who knows, if it is possible in principle to replace ULV processor in X1 with a normal PM like 1.6GHz
and then undervolt and underclock the latter for the regular use but still having a possibility to use 1.6GH computing power temporarily for some short processor demanding tasks, when it is needed (so that it will not overheat)?

 

No ivar, that would be a disaster. Even if you could do it, which you can't, the lack of fan would be bad news for your machine.