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It appears that Apple is not the only company that is releasing 13-incher ultralight laptop – Lenovo is apparently working on its ultralight laptops called ThinkPad X300.
According to the leaked specs, X300 features 13.3” LED backlight WXGA+, which display resolution of 1440 x 900 and integrated webcam. It will use Dual Core hybrid LV (Merom based) and Solid State Drive (64GB).
Unlike MacBook Air, Lenovo X300 comes with internal ultrathin DVD burner (7mm). The machine supports up to 4GB PC2-5300 SO-DIMM memory. As for ports and slots, the X300 sports 3 USB, VGA output, and PCexpress Card 34 slot.
As many of its current laptops, Lenovo provides optional integrated broadband with the X300 series, such as WiMax, Cingular HSDPA 3.6, Row : Vodafone/KDDI, and Verizon EV-DO.
Ultralight Lenovo X300 Series Thinkpad Leaked [giz]
There’s no doubt the specs look great! However, at the risk of sounding like a total apple fanboy, it doesn’t call out to me…doesn’t give me that hair raising feeling like — damn it, I gotta have it — like the Macbook Air.
OMG, it looks like the designer fell asleep in the middle of the design process! Oh yes, once you go “mac” you don’t go “back”.
It’s still just an ugly black brick…
It has absolutely no sexapeal… the air has… ;-)
Vincent, you’re a pathetic Apple fan boy. There is nothing about the crippled overpriced MacBook Air that screams you have to have it either. Go back to your mommy.
Business users / uber geeks will love this machine. It’s firkin Land Rover Defender with the weight of Lotus Elise.
I don’t think Lenovo is giving these away cheap either. It probably costs as much as the Air. And true enough, Lenovo’s machines seem to have a standard 1990’s design. I guess they haven’t had a designer on payroll since then. Take a cue from Sony or Apple. Dell (and others) did.
@J.O.
This is business laptop ment for ppl. that are happy with superb product with conservative look. This laptop is meant for work not for flush “i am so cool w/ my sexy new .. toy”.
Every real muscle work car is butt ugly. Take Mercedes G, Humvee or LR Dicscovery, true ThinkPads are not rugged laptops but are heavy use. I can not think of owning anything else than ThinkPad brand, they are so reliable that any other brand would seem second grade.
Dont judge book by its cover! ThinkPad is build like a tank even though it is not a rugged laptop
Yup your’e a fan boy!
If you factor in the dollars per sexy ratio, you will also find that your’e a Techno John.
Not that I care what you do as long as you pay the girl and don’t hurt anyone.
I suspect it will not be in basic black, if so it will fail.
The Mac Air if it sells will because it has a cool factor that some consider when buying a high end laptop that all has compromises.
I’m an Apple fan, but I am seriously upset that Lenovo seems to have delivered a faster machine that is lighter, narrower in both width and depth with just a shade more in thickeness, has more ports, has a DVD drive internal.
What did Apple do wrong? How could they be so outclassed? Assume the Lenovo will be pricey, but this is shameful.
Thank god the Lenovo still looks like crap…
I used to be one of the uneducated masses that wanted looks over performance. Then I was convinced to try a Thinkpad T42. It blew me away! There is 100% truth to the “Best keyboard in a laptop” expression for Thinkpads. The Flexview monitor was the icing on the cake. Then suddenly they dropped the Flexviews due to inability to supply the demand and I thought, “well, that’s it for Thinkpads”. But with this new backlit LED screen for the X300, I’m excited again! This means the T series will be back on my shopping list in the future!!!
Apple users who bash the Thinkpad line just because they say it’s ugly have no clue. Thinkpads are built to last, and they do. I’ve been praying for my T42 to die on me so that I can get a new laptop…but it still runs as reliable as ever. I’ve never had any problems with it for the 4 years that I’ve owned it and don’t really expect to have any in the near future.
It is clear that the X300 is coming soon given the sale prices on exisiting Thinkpads. My concern is that I have not seen one word about an x300 tablet. Any rumors out there about a new tablet?
So far no indication it will be tablet :(
I purchased a used Thinkpad for my wife a few months ago and was quite surprised with its performance as well but why do they have to be so ugly. I’m no Apple fan in any way but if this is supposed to be a new laptop, why don’t they shine it up a bit and smooth off the sharp edges. It looks like a smaller version of the same old Thinkpads they’ve been making for ages. Again, kudo’s for performance but they would probably appeal to a bigger audience if they actually worked on the design at some point and I don’t mean making it pink or silver. Sony and HP have both done a pretty good job with design without going too crazy and even the business models have some appeal and still remain conversative.
If this comes out at a competative price, there really won’t be a reason to own the Macbook Air. Anybody that says otherwise probably shouldn’t be using a computer.
I have to say I bought a Mac Book Air, and I admit it’s an irrational decision. I like my windows machines even though they are buggy, just because I am familiar with them. I bought a iMac for my wife’s office last year because she wanted to rid herself of the wire mess most PC’s have, and I liked the look and rep of the unit. That said, I am still not convinced the Mac OS is best since I am so used to Windows. Still, I bought the Macbook Air for one reason more than any other: I loved the way it looks. I bought a 63 Split Window Corvette for the same reason, even though I had never driven one. Since I use my laptop almost exclusively as a couch bound internet surfing appliance, it will suit my needs great. The current 12″ avertec I bought 3 years ago for this purpose has served (and is still serving me well. I never use it’s DVD drive, have never used ethernet with it (since I have wireless and it’s at every hotel I stay at these days), and have no need for 3 USB ports,etc. etc. For that reason I disagree with James Bond’s comments, although I do think the X300 sounds great on paper (which is all it is at this point). Even if it comes out meeting the specs released it’s no guarantee it will perform to the standard expected, and I have a feeling it will either be far more delicate than the other Thinkpads and the Air, or will cost a considerable amount more than people are guessing. I have seen $1500-2000 estimates from other posters on forums, and I think that unless this computer is coming out 9 months to a year from now when SSD and other component costs have dropped, I will wager it will be more like $2700-3200 if released this spring. Still, that will not be a bad value, but it will put it in another league when comparing it to a $1800 base macbook air. I bought the Macook air because of the looks, so sue me.
The reason Thinkpad looks like this because most businessmen wear Black suit!!!!!!!!!!!
My boss would laugh at me if I bought a girly laptop like apple!
I am a business student and we get issued a Lenovo T series laptop when we start our program, and while they are shinny like the apples, or other (the new hp’s come to mind) they are probably the most reliable machine I have ever owned. I also work as an apple tech and the macbook air are (and will always be) a pain to work on. To change the battery you must remove 20 screws and a very delicate cable. Also the absence of an optical drive sucks. Installing software over the USB Superdrive is slow but using their wireless “option” is even worse. So in short if I was looking for a ultra-mobile laptop (and I will be after graduation) there is not a chance I would purchase the Macbook Air, the x300 on the other hand…. maybe.
i heard that its going to retail for about £1800 which is about $3500, im not sure how much it would cost in the US.
The Thinkpad is designed and marketed to business users. By business users I mean the IT department who is going to buy 400 of the same laptop for employees. It doesnt look pretty? Who cares, Thinkpads are built like tanks and take a serious beating. The less time the IT department has to spend tending to a broken laptop, the cheaper they are.
Though, the X300 would be silly for a large scale delpoyment, a T6x is more likely. When you’ve already ordered a couple hundred T61s, you might as well tack on a couple x300s for the lucky few. Here at work, we have a few different brands of laptops floating around. Lenovo, Apple, Fujitsu, and Toshiba are the most popular. Know which ones never need to be serviced by our IT team? Yeah, the Thinkpad.
Lenovo doesnt market the Thinkpad line to individuals. If you want fluff in a Lenovo laptop, look at the IdeaPad or 3000 series.
Critisizing a Thinkpad for its looks is about as dumb as the people who think the Macbook Air is overpriced. Newsflash: the Air is a good deal in the ultraportable market, and will cost less than the x300.
I currently use a T42. It has never had a single problem. The only people that talk down on a Thinkpad have never used one. The x300 will probably be about $2700 and worth every single penny.
/Rant
what about x300’s performance? i am computer science student, not sure about x300 able to handle visual studio & sql2005 and also java programming tools, so i am still confusing on t61p and x300, anyone got suggestion? :)