Lenovo Releases ThinkPad X61, X61s and X61 Tablet PC (Video)

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Lenovo today officially announced the release of the ThinkPad X61, which is simply a Centrino Duo (Santa Rosa) update to the existing X60 series of ultraportable notebooks. The form factor of the X61 is the same as that of the X60, the only change here is in terms of speed -- but who's to argue against faster?

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Lenovo ThinkPad X61 specs

The ThinkPad X61 will use a regular clocked Core 2 Duo processor and is slightly thicker than the X61s version. The X61 will be offered with the following options

• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T7300 2.0GHz or T7100 1.83GHz processor
• 12.1&quot; XGA display (1024x768, 150 nit)
• Serial ATA Hard Drive 60, 80, 120, 160GB 5400RPM or 60, 100GB 7200RPM
• Memory up to 4GB PC2-5300/667MHz
• Intel X3100 Graphics
• 4-cell or 8-cell battery
• Dimensions: 268 x 211 x 20-35 mm (10.5 x 8.3 x 0.8-1.39“
• Weight: 4-cell cylindrical: 1.41 kg (3.11 lb), 8-cell cylindrical: 1.63 kg (3.56 lb)
• Ports: 3 USB 2.0, 1394; expansion bus (for optional ThinkPad X6 UltraBase or ThinkPad X60, Series Extended Life Battery); external display; AC adapter; RJ-11, RJ-45; audio: headphone/line-out, external microphone
• Connectivity: Modem; Gigabit Ethernet, ThinkPad® 11a/b/g Il10, Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG, Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AG, Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN, Bluetooth, Embedded WWAN

Lenovo ThinkPad X61s specs

ThinkPad X61s on the left, ThinkPad X61 Tablet PC on the right (view large image)

The ThinkPad X61s uses a low voltage Core 2 Duo processor and is thinner and lighter than the X61. The X61s is basically the ultraportable designed for the business traveler that wants the absolute lightest and thinnest ThinkPad there is.

• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo L7500 (1.6GHz, 4MB, 800MHz), Intel Core 2 Duo L7300 (1.4GHz, 4MB, 800MHz)
• 12.1&quot; XGA display (1024x768, 150 nit) or 12.1” UltraLight XGA (1024x768, 180 nit)
• Serial ATA Hard Drive 60, 80, 120, 160GB 5400RPM or 60, 100GB 7200RPM
• Memory up to 4GB PC2-5300/667MHz
• Intel X3100 Graphics
• 4-cell or 8-cell battery
• Dimensions: 268 x 211 x 20-28 mm (10.5 x 8.3 x 0.8-1.1&quot
• Weight:
  
  With 12.1” XGA: 4-cell prismatic: 1.32 kg (2.90 lb), 4-cell cylindrical: 1.36 kg (3.00 lb), 8-cell cylindrical: 1.58 kg (3.48 lb)

  With 12.1” UltraLight XGA:4-cell prismatic: 1.24 kg (2.73 lb), 4-cell cylindrical: 1.28 kg (2.83 lb), 8-cell cylindrical: 1.50 kg (3.30 lb)

• Ports: 3 USB 2.0, 1394; expansion bus (for optional ThinkPad X6 UltraBase or ThinkPad X60, Series Extended Life Battery); external display; AC adapter; RJ-11, RJ-45; audio: headphone/line-out, external microphone
• Connectivity: Modem; Gigabit Ethernet, ThinkPad® 11a/b/g Il10, Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG, Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AG, Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN, Bluetooth, Embedded WWAN

Below is some video giving a comparison of the ThinkPad X61s to the Lenovo V200:

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X61 Tablet Specs

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The ThinkPad X61 Tablet of course adds the capability of writing on the screen and using the Tablet PC features of Windows Vista. In terms of specs the X61 Tablet is much like the X61s, but of course weighs more and is larger due to the extra Tablet PC functionality.

• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo L7500 (1.6GHz, 4MB, 800MHz), Intel Core 2 Duo L7300 (1.4GHz, 4MB, 800MHz)
• 12.1&quot; Super-Wide Angle FFS XGA TFT (1024x768, 195nits), 12.1&quot; SuperView SXGA+ TFT (1400x1050, 190nits), 12.1&quot; MultiView/MultiTouch XGA TFT (1024x768, 150nits)
• Serial ATA Hard Drive 60, 80, 120, 160GB 5400RPM or 60, 100GB 7200RPM
• Memory up to 4GB PC2-5300/667MHz
• Intel X3100 Graphics
• 4-cell or 8-cell battery
• Dimensions: 4-cell: 274 x 241 x 27.4 - 33.1mm (10.8&quot; x 9.5&quot; x 1.1-1.3&quot, 8-cell: 274 x 267 x 27.4 - 33.1mm (10.8&quot; x 10.5&quot; x 1.1-1.3&quot
• Weight: with 4-cell: 1.71 kg (3.77 lb), with 8-cell: 1.93 kg (4.25 lb)
• Ports: 3 USB 2.0, 1394; expansion bus (for optional ThinkPad X6 UltraBase or ThinkPad X60, Series Extended Life Battery); external display; AC adapter; RJ-11, RJ-45; audio: headphone/line-out, external microphone
• Connectivity: Modem; Gigabit Ethernet, ThinkPad® 11a/b/g Il10, Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG, Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AG, Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN, Bluetooth, Embedded WWAN

 

Nice

Will be nice for those allways on-the-go people.

A shame that the PC-card (pcmcia) slot is still there. They could have saved a gram and a dollar by choosing for Expresscardslot.

 

I look at my colleague Z61t and the screen is dim and lots of light leakage at the bottom and the task bar is glowing white.

190 nits on this is not exactly bright right?

 

Wow, looks like you have a lot of toys to play with in the background ^_^

The new x61 series looks great!

 

would be all over it if it was widescreen

 

Yeah, I need my widescreen.

 

Wish SXGA+ was an option for the regular X61...

 

What's widescreen done for me lately?


Seriously though:
What's "superview"?

 

it will not be.

 

I look forward to reading a full review. I am especially interested in how the GMA X3100 compares with the GMA 950.

 

Are there no plans on adding higher resolution screens? XGA is kind of a low resolution

 

NO, actually there aren't any plans from Lenovo to offer a higher SXGA+ like resolution for the X61s/X61 models. AFAI heard yesterday at an LenovoLive 2007 event, they also don't plan to offer widescreens in the next year (2008) for the X-Series. - But maybe they will be forced sooner as they thought by the market itself (who knows? we will have to wait and see).

So if you actually want a SXGA+ resolution in a X61-series notebook, you will have to go with the X61Tablet PC instead.

 

Why aren't these available in Canada? Argg

 

I notice that the UltraLight screen is both brighter and weighs less. Is it an LED backlight (although I think that would be even brighter), or how is it so much lighter?

 

I'm glad they chose not to go the widescreen, glossy route. I have to spend the majority of my day in front of a computer either reading long cases or writing papers. A glossy screen (like the one found on the Mac8ook I bought for my mother) would be horrible for this. Also, I've noticed that wide screens these days are generally only wxga+ in 14 inchers or wsxga+ in 15 inchers - both lower resolution alternatives to the sxga+ and uxga screens we used to get on normal-aspect screens of such sizes. Be thankful that Lenovo hasn't abandoned the high resolution screen on the x-series tablets in favor of widescreens, like it did with the T-series computers when the 14 incher went to wxga+ from the superior sxga+ format.

Two other observations:
1) 512mb is the standard configuration for RAM and you have to pay ~$50 to get 1gb, which is the ONLY way to have Robson-cache as an option (and at that, you have to pay another $50 for it). Wasn't 1gb standard on the old x series, or at least a VERY common promotion? I distinctly remember only having to consider whether or not to pay an extra $10 for the 1gb to be a single stick...

2) Why is there a hump on the tablet's screen? I thought they were going with a magnesium frame and plastic covering in order to get rid of the WWAN hump and allow an internal antenna? Is this still the case for the regular x-series?

 

That really sucks! A higher resolution screen would make this the perfect portable laptop. Shame on Lenovo.
Did they say why they are not planning on upgrading the screen. I prefer 4:3.

I don't think I would like the table. It is also a bit larger.

Thanks for the info, though.

 

I also noticed that they have moved the fingerprint reader...it's next to the trackpoint buttons rather than below them.

 

I've asked one Lenovo guy, if they might have reworked the X61-Series for the right palm rest area according to the heat issues many people reported for the X60-Series. According to him, Lenovo changed the thermal heat flow under the new X61-Series palm rest. - However, I don't know for sure if things under the palm rest got reworked exactly in this direction, but at least one Lenovo rep said so. - Let's wait and see.

 

How about the battery life (especially the 4cell one)?

 

The bulge is what you get when you add the WAN (Wide Area Network) option. If you don't get the T61 tablet with that then there will be no bulge.

The 4-cell should get 2.5 - 3 hours, while the 8-cell provides about 5.5 hours. Very good if you ask me.

Speaking of the X61 . . . I purchased an X61 Tablet this weekend. I canceled my Fujitsu T4220 order after finding out that I could not get the screen I wanted.
Here's what I ordered . . .

I bought 4GB of RAM for it from eWiz.com for about $190. The machine itself is supposed to ship on July 11th. Can't wait.

 

I ordered the multitouch screen even though I like higher resolution because I heard that it is brighter than the others. On the specs, how come does it say the multitouch is only 150 nits compared to the other SXGA+ that has 190 nits? Which screen is more sharp and brighter?

 

4GB for $190???? That's a hot deal...

 

I'm not sure which is brighter and for what reason, you should check the Lenovo forum for that (preferable check the tabletpcreview.com forums). I can tell you that the SXGA+ is going to appear sharper though because of the higher resolution. I went for the SXGA+ because I needed the space.

Yes it is:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=121363