Lenovo ThinkPad X1

Many of us lamented the discontinuation of the , a fantastic 13-inch business ultraportable that was unwillingly thrown into the ring with the original Apple MacBook Air because they shared similar dimensions and debuted around the same time. Now, Lenovo brings the ThinkPad X1 ($1,399.99 direct), another business ultraportable that builds on the X300's legacy and pushes the boundaries of what's acceptable in the enterprise space.

The ThinkPad X1 is somewhat of a departure from the X300, taking on characteristics that appeal to the masses, not just business professionals. They're the same characteristics that put ultraportables like the ($1,299 direct, 4 stars) and ($1,650 list, 4 stars) on the map. A backlit keyboard, edge-to-edge gorilla glass screen, the infamous click touchpad, and high-fidelity Dolby sound are features you'd find in some of the hottest consumer laptops. In addition, the ThinkPad X1's processing chops are every bit as impressive as those of its ThinkPad siblings. Underwhelming battery life (from the sealed-in battery) and a heavier-than-anticipated frame are two of my main quibbles, though. More importantly, it seems like Lenovo is using the X1 to feel out the market, to see if professionals are indeed ready dig out of their conservative hole.

Design
The ThinkPad X1's appearance won't be mistaken for anything other than a ThinkPad: The matte black chassis is consistent with the design of past and current ThinkPad models. It uses hardened magnesium in its metal construction, which seems sturdier than the Lenovo X220's chassis after I gave it the old palm-press-on-the-lid test. At 0.84 inches, it's thicker than the Apple Air 13-inch (0.68 inches) and Series 9 (0.64 inches). But its edges are sharp, as the bottom half tapers away from the sides like a plate, giving the impression that it's thinner than it really is. The ThinkPad X1 weighs 3.7 pounds, which isn't as light as the Air 13-inch (2.9 pounds) and the Samsung Series 9 (2.9 pounds), though. It's heavier than the 3.3-pound Lenovo X300, which shipped with a built-in optical drive. With the extended battery attachment, which you'll need, the weight goes up to 4.5 pounds.

Some of this extra weight can be attributed to the ThinkPad X1's gorilla glass screen, which, short of calling it unbreakable, guarantees that it won't get scratched or damaged easily. The glass is applied from one edge of the screen to the other. Keep in mind, though, that almost every other ThinkPad screen uses a matte finish, which professionals prefer over the glossy kind because it minimizes glare. The 13.3-inch widescreen is one size bigger than that of the Lenovo X220 (12.5 inches) and matches that of the Samsung Series 9, Apple Air 13-inch, and Lenovo X300. Unfortunately, the screen resolution tops out at 1,366-by-768. In contrast, the Lenovo X300 had a 1,440-by-900 option (WXGA+), which simply looks better on a 13-inch screen.

Instead of the classic ThinkPad keyboard, the Lenovo X1 moves to an island-style keyboard. The keys aren't flat-topped like those of the Samsung Series 9 and Apple Air 13-inch. Rather, they're scalloped so they wrap around your fingers when you type on them. Let's put it this way, you won't miss the old ThinkPad keyboard. Furthermore, the keys are backlit, a rare but welcome sight on a ThinkPad and one of the reasons why the Samsung Series 9 and ($3,800 direct, 4 stars) are held in such high regard. The ThinkPad X1 includes the signature pointing stick—the best in the business—although the touchpad went through some dramatic changes. It's now a click touchpad, the kind that has the mouse buttons built-in. For lifelong ThinkPad users, there might be a period of adjustment. It'll seem weird (at first) not having a pair of dedicated mouse buttons below the touchpad, and occasionally the scroll gesture (the touchpad incorporates multitouch gestures) kicks in inadvertently, but I've seen worse clickpad implementations; this one is actually pretty good.

Features
The ThinkPadX1 purged the optical drive that was in the Lenovo X300, taking the same approach as the Air 13-inch and Series 9. Frankly, I'm a big fan of laptops without an optical drive, and this approach has worked for the Lenovo X220 and many of its competitors. If one is absolutely essential, the ($850 list, 4 stars), Sony Z1390X, and HP EliteBook 2560p have it built-in. The lack of side ports took getting used to. Alright, let me rephrase that: The only two ports on the left side—a USB 2.0 and headphone jack—are nestled behind a port cover, which I found to be a nuisance. Most of the ports are in the back, including one for USB 3.0, ESATA (USB combo), HDMI, Mini-DisplayPort, Gigabit Ethernet, and a SIM card slot. Lenovo got rid of VGA, although HDMI and mini-DisplayPort will ably handle your video-out connections and multi-monitor hookups.

Its slightly thickened frame allowed for a 2.5-inch spinning hard drive—a 320GB, 7200rpm capacity, in this case. This brings down the cost of the laptop significantly; the solid-state drives found in the Air 13-inch and Series 9 are the primary reasons why they're so much more expensive. The Lenovo X1 is equipped with practically every wireless antenna available, much like the Lenovo X300 when it first launched, including embedded 3G, WiMAX, 802.11n Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. The speaker system and its sound quality, thanks to some help from Dolby, turn the ThinkPad X1 into an entertainment system outside of the workplace.

Performance
The ThinkPad X1 is powered by a 2.5GHz Intel Core i5-2520M processor. Unlike the Air 13-inch, Series 9, and Lenovo X300, which use low-voltage processors, the X1 runs on a standard voltage CPU. That means that the ThinkPad X1 will hold performance enthusiasts enthralled by its sheer power and speed (it's the same processor found in the Lenovo X220). It finished the Handbrake tests in 2 minutes 25 seconds, which is almost half the time as the Air 13-inch (4:28) and Series 9 (4:45). Cinebench 11.5 (2.85) and Photoshop CS5 (4:15) tests were clearly in the Lenovo X1's favor. It performed as well as the Lenovo X220, since they share the same parts, like the 4GB of DDR3 memory and Intel's integrated graphics.

All this speed, however, didn't bode well for the battery. Unlike the Lenovo X220, the X1 sealed in its 40WH battery to keep its svelte dimensions. This battery is also smaller, a lot smaller, than the one found in the Lenovo X220 (63WH). Thus, its 3 hours 20 minutes on MobileMark 2007 fell below expectations for a single battery. Lenovo offers an 36WH extended battery slice (a $149 option) that raises the profile of the X1 at the bottom (toward the back) and increases its weight to 4.5 pounds, making it as heavy as a 14-inch ThinkPad. Although the 6:40 that the laptop got with the battery slice added was impressive, the battery combo still didn't score as well as the Lenovo X220's single battery (8:40). Because of their low-powered processors, the Air 13-inch (5:35) and Series 9 (6:04) had also had better battery life. And to reiterate, the extended battery slice ($149) comes highly recommended.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 is a compilation of some of the boldest moves I've seen made to a business line that has withstood the test of time longer than any other. A Gorilla glass screen, backlit keyboard, Dolby sound, and click touchpad are items you would find in a high-end consumer laptop. To have so many unprecedented features on a ThinkPad means that perhaps we'll see some of them in its flagship ThinkPads, like the ThinkPad X220. In the meantime, the X1 is one of the most powerful business ultraportable available, but I can't get over the fact that two batteries are required to get the kind of battery life needed by a road warrior. I would go with the ThinkPad X220 instead.

BENCHMARK TEST RESULTS

COMPARISON TABLE

More laptop reviews: