Lenovo ThinkPad X300 First Thoughts Review

I really don't understand the comments like I can get an SZ and a 1330 for almost the same price as the X300. Thats like saying I can get 2 tahoes for the same price as a porsche 911. This isn't meant to be a mainstream notebook like the SZ and the 1330. What many people don't seem to understand is that one of the main reason why the X300 cost $3k is because of the 64GB SSD drive. When you equip ANY notebook, even budget ones with a 64GB of SSD, you're going to add $1k to $1.5k of premium on top of it due to the high cost of SSD.

This is a very niche product marketed towards a very select crowd that sees the need for it.

Likewise, the Panasonic Toughbook CF series are still sold with only a Core Duo 1.66GHz cpu, 512MB of RAM and only 80GB of 5400rpm drive with a low res screen and no optical drive for about $3k. These specs are almost laughable by today's standards, but thats not the selling point of these toughbooks, its what they can withstand and the material build that makes them some of the most expensive ones out there. Some people are so overly concered with raw housepower that they can't comprehend or understand that not every product out there is marketed because of raw performance alone.

SUVs aren't marketed for its agility and speed. Sports cars aren't marketed for its roominess and luggage space. See where I'm going with this?

 

It's a matte screen.

 

Thank you.

 

According to a blog posting in Wired Magazine, a HDD version is scheduled to arrival this spring for the X300. Its rumored to be the new 1.8" 5400rpm drives that are featured in some of the new Dells.

 

It's matte/anti-glare...

Link to Thinkpads.com forum

 

64SSD is 1.8 or 2.5 anyone know its size?

 

I was wondering about that. Last I heard Intel is supposed to announce Montevina in June, presumably along with a lot of new Montevina models from manufacturers. Heck 45nm Penryn is already trickling out on many current models.

As you said it would be great to have one of the forthcoming 45nm Small Form Factor CPUs with faster speed. Also the Montevina platform should integrate the WiMAX on the chipset (freeing up the space currently used on a separate module), add the (supposedly 3x) faster X4500 integrated graphics, etc.

But with the X300 initial launch window being Feb-Mar, I don't think we'll see a refresh so soon in June. I'm not even optimistic to see a refresh by late summer/early fall??

 

1.8 I believe.

 

It is 1.8"

 

Looks like a great little laptop the x300. Certainly better than the frankly massively form over function MacBook Air.

If I do have one criticism of both these laptops, are either of them ultraportables? The Vaio TZ with basically the same spec as the X300 is definitely an ultraportable. Are we seeing a new category springing up of ultra subnotebooks?

The performance of the x300 is also a bit of a disappointment. If only it had a 1.8 or 2.0 ghz it would be the near perfect small laptop.

1440x900 on a 13" is pretty good as well.

 

If you want a good small notebook look at the X61. Lighter, smaller, much faster. You can have a 7200rpm 2.5" drive, T7500 2.2ghz processor, etc etc.

You just dont get the super thin package or 13.3" screen.

 

More pics comparing the X300 to the Air.

 

OT: Any ideas when Dell's Latitude E series will launch -- will it be on the Montevina platform? Also will any of the models have a trackpoint stick?

I seem to recall that the Latitude E will have DisplayPort and eSATA connectors, as well as PCMCIA/ExpressCard, flash reader, etc.

 

It also has a trackpad which some people (like me) want.
I would have bought an X61s awhile back, but I am one of the few that can't do trackpoint.

You are correct.
A more fair comparison would be a comparable M1330 configuration with 64GB SSD, but then both the Dell and the X300 have features that the other one does not have. Comparably equipped, and depending on what Dell "sale" you happen to hit, the price is not that different.

Also, the X300 comes with the newer SSD which the Dell does not. Dell is talking about going to the new faster SSD's very soon.

Very good point. They are not true ultraportables. Basically, with both the MBA and X300 some weight and thickness has been removed, while leaving the larger screen and room for a full-sized keyboard.

A better term might be a "thinner and lighter"!

Andrew

 

I just can't think of anything else to call them. They go beyond thin and light, and I don't think ultrathin would work since a thin and light or ultraportable could technically be just as thin. I tend to think 12" and these very thin and quite light 13" machines should be called ultraportables, and especially tiny 12" and the smaller 11.1" and 10.6" machines should be called subnotebooks.

But then, we still have 12" machines which weight a solid pound more than this new breed of 13" machines, and those are definitely in the thin and light category. It just goes to show that things are very dynamic, and you can't say all 13" machines fit one category. I've often heard the 3lb mark cited as the cutoff for ultraportables, and with these machines hovering right at that mark I have absolutely no problem calling them that. I don't even see a need to relabel smaller notebooks, but maybe it will help placate those that seem to be losing sleep over the whole thing.

 

what version of wprime is that?

 

i'm so glad Lenovo decided to revert back to the old glory days of the Thinkpad 600E...it seems they've taken many design aspects from that timeless machine.

1. black hinges rather than those the bare metal that makes me cold just looking at them.
2. rubberized finish
3. 13.3 inch screen
4. briefcase style open latches.
5. decent speakers
6. good old red stripes
7. CENTERED SCREEN!!

i love that 600e...let's hope this lives up to our expectations

 

Maybe we should just call these new notebooks very-expensive-thin-and-light-but-not-quite-ultraportable-products-made-by-companies-so-they-look-cool-and-engineers-feel-proud-but-in-all-reality-they-won't-sell-many-because-they-cost-too-much laptops? Lol. I'd group the MacBook Air, Toshiba R500, ThinkPad X300, and maybe Panasonic Y7 into that group.

 

Wow. That's one sleek ultraportable. If I had the money to spend, I'd definitely get one as a second laptop, for my more-of-an-everyday usage [as opposed to my Vostro, which I use to game. lol].

For me, 13" is the smallest screen I can bear [which is why I call and categorize it as an ultraportable rather than a thin-and-light]. I got to use a VAIO TZ in a nearby Sony store and, maybe it's my eyesight, but I was squinting when I was using it the whole time! Don't get me wrong. The screen is gorgeous, but WXGA in that minuscule of a display makes reading a pain.

I visited the nearest Apple reseller here, but they still don't have the MBA on display. But really, 3 USB ports and an optical drive versus 1 USB port and no optical drive? I'll take those extra .5 inches thank you very much. I don't need to have the "thinnest notebook" in the world. Hopefully, the ThinkPad doesn't suffer from long charging times, as we've seen in the MBA. Geez, the MBA actually looked like an attractive proposition until, aside from the obvious lack of ports, more compromises showed up.

My 2 cents

EDIT: LOL at horizontal scrollbar. That's quite a mouthful of category...

 

Yeah, that's what I meant!

Andrew

 

The Macbook Air SSD and Lenovo ThinkPad X300 SSD are not the same drive. ThinkPad X300 SSD is the higher peformance SATA version. The Macbook Air is a Pata implementation. ThinkPad X300 with SATA SSD even at 1.2 Ghz will have better performance benchmark when tested.

 

I think this sums it up well. This is by far the most attractive ThinkPad offering in a long time, especially (imho) the LED backlight and form factor, but a few things dissuade me:

1. SLOW PROCESSOR
2. Price. No non-SSD option (at launch at least) - the price on these is dropping rapidly and the speed and capacity is on the rise; I'd rather add one when this technology is more mature and cheaper!
3. Supposed update in August (if sources are to be believed) which would hopefully address the first issue, adding Penryn/Monteniva. True something better is always about to come out - but when you buy a machine like this for roughly $3K chock full of networking options that barely even exist yet, it may actually be wise to wait - or if you can't, go with cheaper current technology.

Frankly I'd overlook the SSD price premium (if I had to) if the processor had a little more heart. It's fair to say you don't buy an "ultraportable" (meaning debated) for processing power, but this one comes off as gimped even by those standards.

 

I would also like to know about the quality of screen. I was considering Thinkpad notebooks until doing further research about the screen quality.

 

I've always loved thinkpads, its minimalistic styling, matte lid.. but the screen was always the deal breaker for me.. so I'm hoping those that are LED backlit will be an improvement over past ones (not expecting anything IPS of course but an improvement would be nice)

 

What version of wprime is that?
Newest version of wprime (1.6) gave me about 30 seconds extra...
Are all the machines on the table tested by the same version of wprime?

 

I would say PCI Express Micro Card very likely is correct. I have seen quite a few WWAN solutions which all use a single lane PCI Express bus and which are way smaller than a standard Mini PCI-card (like 10*50 mm). Remember although that "Micro card" is no standard, they just use a the standard PCI Express bus.

 

Do you refer to those cards from the article with H and G labels?

 

Those are mini-PCI express cards. Lenovo does also use a shorter length (probably half length) card for wireless USB in some of their other models. Possibly that is a micro card slot.

 

Yes, I was considering the T61 until the screen broke me *sigh*

 

Let me put this battle to a rest. I am a MacBook Air owner, just bought one last week. The day the x300 becomes available, I'm buying. Loving the Air too But it's not a ThinkPad.

 

I especially like the higher than usual screen resolution of X300. Though, optional SXGA of 12" X61 is even more impressive.

 

well seems they are now available on lenovo site, but what stinks is that i dont see where it says built in GPS and i dont have the option to have built in WWAN with either verizon or at&t.....

 

The screen on the x300 looks good. Much better than that on the T61. Don't think LED-backlit screens will anyday be competing with IPS screens, but they sure seem to be an improvement over what's currently on the T/X61. Nothing beats the 15" IPS goodness on my T60 though.

Although I'm not really a fan of widescreen LCDs at such low resolutions, one benefit is you get a full-width keyboard with proper sized Ctrl and Backspace keys. That in itself is a plus over the X61.

Review was okay. Have seen much more detailed reviews from Andrew in the past. Hope we will get his usual detailed review once the "honeymoon" period is over. I'm liking the inclusion of videos in the review. Just one criticism though, I thought the comparison video of boot up times was a bit unfair: both laptops should have been running XP or Vista, rather than the X61 running Vista and the X300 running XP. That would have been a fairer comparison. I suppose XP was run on the X300 to emphasize the difference in speed, but I feel that both machines should be set up similarly to compare boot times. No doubt that machine with the SSD will win, but... I've said enough.

 

I second that. Just announced today, Toshiba is mass producing the 1.8" SATA drives in April. Hopefully Lenovo will provide that option instead of the expensive SSD.

Toshiba 1.8" SATA

 

The hardware maintenance manual shows a rotating drive:

"120 GB, 5400 rpm, 8 mm high, MicroSATA interface"

Does the SSD come with a recovery partition by default? Removing it would give you an extra 4GB.

 

From PC Pro review:
"Clearly, for a lot of people that's not enough, and if you do need more space then hang on until April when Lenovo will be releasing a new batch of X300s with SATA hard disks inside."

For those wanting the cheaper SATA HDD option, you all will have to wait until April.

PC Pro review

 

I thought the WXGA+ resolution was actually relatively high for a 13.3" notebook, considering most other 13.3" notebooks (I'm thinking Dell and Apple) have WXGA resolution.

 

Because they still want to sell X61.
X300 is a light/small version of X61

 

Potentially Great Laptop Brought to You by a Horrible Company!

II just received a new X300 with larger battery, 2 meg Verizon wireless and GPS. The unit came in with the WiFi drivers screwed up. Every time I shut the computer down I would have to go back into the driver through the control panel to turn back on the wifi driver.

Lenovo would not help me with this since they stated it was a software problem and I would have to pay $99.00 to obtain software support. I explained to several people that the unit was only two hours old and was shipped to me with this problem. I had installed nothing on the system yet! After over two hours on the phone and being placed on indefinite hold when I asked for a supervisor I finally decided that Lenovo was not the company for me I am facing a $400+ restocking fee for returning to return a defective computer. On my fourth call I finally reached a tech rep who informed me, after he received a sample of my complete dissatisfaction with Lenovo’s policy, that my WiFi problem was a KNOWN problem. So, I guess the game is … let,s have the customer pay an additional $99 for fixing a bran new laptop with a known problem. What type of corporate logic creates a situation to disappoint a customer base willing to purchase its most expensive laptop? I can guarantee that my company will never purchase another Lenovo product. Guess what my new passion in life is?

 

Bought an X300 two months ago. The machine arrived with a defective screen. Sent it back to IBM/Lenovo for repairs. They had it for over a month because they didn't have the parts to fix it. After calling them about a 100 times they finally sent me the machine back un-repaired (and made it sound as though they were doing me a favor!). Now I have to wait another month to get a new one. Bottom line... IBM/Lenovo has the worst customer service and are absolutely incompetent. I learned my lesson the hard way... never dealing with them again.

 

I was about to order mine until i read your post !!! I think i will go with the Sony Z instead. Just curious how much did you pay for your x300?

 

Man, I'm still disappointed that this doesn't have a DOCKING PORT! ***!

If they are aiming at PROFESSIONAL types, they need to include this! Everyone in my company uses docking ports - professionals use this feature probably the most of anybody!!! Duh!