Lenovo Thinkpad X301 Review
Lenovo’s X301 is the successor to its X300 which was launched at the beginning of this year. The X30 retains its predecessor’s light weight, slim design, excellent keyboard and sturdy build quality. What the new model brings to the table is an Intel Centrino 2 platform and a very quick 64 GB solid state drive. This laptop is not cheap at around $3000 (depending on the configuration you choose) but if you are looking for a business notebook with no compromises that looks great wherever you take it, this may be the one for you.
The 12.5 x 9.1 x 0.9 inch chassis is made with Lenovo’s new roll cage design and a carbon fiber case that the company says is stronger than titanium. With these slim dimensions and a weight (with a 6 cell battery) of 3.4 pounds, it is easy to carry with you. The soft touch rubber paint used on the body shell and the keyboard give a comfortable non slip feel.
The X301 has 3 USB 2.0 ports, headphone and microphone jacks, VGA and Ethernet. What is surprisingly left out of the configuration is a memory card slot. The laptop comes with and LED backlit 13.3 inch screen with a 1440 x 900 pixel resolution that makes viewing small text easy, even when used outdoors. The speakers are clear with a more than adequate maximum volume. The 1.3 megapixel webcam mounted above the display is adequate for chatting.
The Wi-Fi is one area of great improvement with average speeds of over 19 MBps as compared to the X300’s 16.5 MBps. Integrated mobile broadband (3G) connections from AT&T and Verizon are available. The X301 is WiMAX and Ultra Wide Band ready as and when these technologies are made commercially available on the market.
Pre installed software includes Access Connection 5, Roxio Creator Business Edition, Lenovo Camera Center, Adobe Acrobat Reader and a 60 day trial version of Microsoft Office. Users who store confidential data on their laptops will be happy with the many data security options the X301offers, including a fingerprint reader, full disc encryption, remote lockdown and more.
Performance wise, the X301 is no laggard with speeds that can meet the demands of even the most heavy duty business users and well as after work gamers. Without going into a lot of details, we can say that the Solid State Drive is very fast with quick boot and data transfer times.
The X301, at about $3000, including 12 month warranty (extendable by 4 more years) and 24/7 customer support is not a low cost laptop. But it offers all the features an executive on the move needs coupled with the great looks that make it a competitor to the MacBook Air. The main problem with the X301 is the short battery life and heavy users will be well advised to spend the extra need to fit it with a nine cell battery that should give it all day performance capabilities.
If the cost seems unreasonable, you could look at the Sony VAIO VGN-Z530N series which, while not quite up to the X301’s class, should meet the requirements of users who may not need all the features the X301 offers.