Lenovo ThinkPad XI Review
Lenovo bins the XI as the thinnest ThinkPad yet. At around 23rnm, it’s still a little chunky compared to other ultraportables. It’s built for speed and durability, and the Windows 7 Professional operating system reveals Lenovo’s intended business audience.
Two processor options are on the table, with the XI available with either a 2.1GHz Intel Core 13-2310M or 2,5GHz Core i5-252OM, We tested the latter, with 4GB of memory and a 320GB hard drive. Our sample aliso included an optional strap-on battery that clips to the underside.
Using the built-in battery, the ThinkPad XI tasted for 4 hours 6 minutes in MobileMark 2007; with the extra 36Wh pack, it managed 3 hrs 11 mins.
The overall speed is good, and almost as fast as a 13in MacBook Air, The Lenovo scored 120 points in WoridBench 6 against the Apple’s 122. This laptop trails because of its slow storage – a 2.5in hard disk in the face of Apple’s solid-state drive (SSD). You can find the XI with a 160GB SSD if you pay extra.
The build quality is sturdy, with a rubbery matt black coating that aids grip. At 1.76kg the XI is reasonably light, rising to 2,1kg with the extra battery pack.
Lenovo’s specs describe the ThinkPad X1 as having a 16mm chassis. We’re not sure where that piece of marketing mendacity came from; at the front (its thinnest point) the XI is 18,5mm thick, rising to 23mm at the back. Slap on the extra battery and you’re instead looking at a 38mm wedge.
The 13.3in screen is aiso tough, featuring the Gorilla Glass that’s often favoured for modern smartphones. We question its value here, however. Laptops never experience the abuse of keys and pocket change rubbing against their screens, and placing a pane of glass in front of the LCD reduces screen legibility with its mirror-fike sheen.
Behind the glass, the 1366×768 resolution is weff-judged for a 13.3in panel. But a 16:9 letterbox ratio is less attractive to business users than it might be to consumers watching films. The LCD itself is very bright, but has a strange patina of fine grid lines when viewed closely.
Graphics integrated to the processor power the onscreen action, in our Fear game test, we saw 13fps at ‘Maximum’ detail.
Two USB ports are available -a USB 2.0 behind a plastic flap that seems ready to tear off on the left, and a USB 3,0 at the rear. Also here is an eSATA/USB 2.0 combo port, plus HDMI, Mini DisplayPort and gigabit ethernet. Another flap conceals an opening for a SIM card, while an SD slot is found at the side.
With the lid open, we’re in familiar Lenovo territory – a great tactile keyboard with dished keys, a trackpoint steerer in the centre and, new to Lenovor a buttonless touchpad. It loses the traditional left/right-click buttons, leaving you to click in either corner for mechanical clicks.
Verdict
For corporate customers, the spill-resistant keyboard, fingerprint reader and integrated 3G may be useful. And ThinkPad old-timers may value the trackpoint mouse steerer. Against the best of the competition, though, the XI falls short in size, weight, longevity and build quality.
Lenovo bins the XI as the thinnest ThinkPad yet. At around 23rnm, it’s still a little chunky compared to other ultraportables. It’s built for speed and durability, and the Windows 7 Professional operating system reveals Lenovo’s intended business audience.
Two processor options are on the table, with the XI available with either a 2.1GHz Intel Core 13-2310M or 2,5GHz Core i5-252OM, We tested the latter, with 4GB of memory and a 320GB hard drive. Our sample aliso included an optional strap-on battery that clips to the underside.
Using the built-in battery, the ThinkPad XI tasted for 4 hours 6 minutes in MobileMark 2007; with the extra 36Wh pack, it managed 3 hrs 11 mins.
The overall speed is good, and almost as fast as a 13in MacBook Air, The Lenovo scored 120 points in WoridBench 6 against the Apple’s 122. This laptop trails because of its slow storage – a 2.5in hard disk in the face of Apple’s solid-state drive (SSD). You can find the XI with a 160GB SSD if you pay extra.
The build quality is sturdy, with a rubbery matt black coating that aids grip. At 1.76kg the XI is reasonably light, rising to 2,1kg with the extra battery pack.
Lenovo’s specs describe the ThinkPad X1 as having a 16mm chassis. We’re not sure where that piece of marketing mendacity came from; at the front (its thinnest point) the XI is 18,5mm thick, rising to 23mm at the back. Slap on the extra battery and you’re instead looking at a 38mm wedge.
The 13.3in screen is aiso tough, featuring the Gorilla Glass that’s often favoured for modern smartphones. We question its value here, however. Laptops never experience the abuse of keys and pocket change rubbing against their screens, and placing a pane of glass in front of the LCD reduces screen legibility with its mirror-fike sheen.
Behind the glass, the 1366×768 resolution is weff-judged for a 13.3in panel. But a 16:9 letterbox ratio is less attractive to business users than it might be to consumers watching films. The LCD itself is very bright, but has a strange patina of fine grid lines when viewed closely.
Graphics integrated to the processor power the onscreen action, in our Fear game test, we saw 13fps at ‘Maximum’ detail.
Two USB ports are available -a USB 2.0 behind a plastic flap that seems ready to tear off on the left, and a USB 3,0 at the rear. Also here is an eSATA/USB 2.0 combo port, plus HDMI, Mini DisplayPort and gigabit ethernet. Another flap conceals an opening for a SIM card, while an SD slot is found at the side.
With the lid open, we’re in familiar Lenovo territory – a great tactile keyboard with dished keys, a trackpoint steerer in the centre and, new to Lenovor a buttonless touchpad. It loses the traditional left/right-click buttons, leaving you to click in either corner for mechanical clicks.
Verdict
For corporate customers, the spill-resistant keyboard, fingerprint reader and integrated 3G may be useful. And ThinkPad old-timers may value the trackpoint mouse steerer. Against the best of the competition, though, the XI falls short in size, weight, longevity and build quality.
