Lenovo ThinkPad X220 Review

The ThinkPad X220 is one of the most impressive 12 inch business style notebooks on the market. Lenovo have been able to advance the IBM tradition by releasing a range of machines with bullet proof build quality and high specification internal components.

The ThinkPad machines stand out mainly because of their highly durable chassis designs, which you know will take some abuse on the move. Ideal when in the hands of an active businessman who is more concerned with getting the job done, rather than pampering the machine to ensure it won't fall apart. For instance, while we love the high cost Sony Z Series they definitely need to be delicately handled when out and about.

The ThinkPad X220 has been carefully thought out and is equipped with a great keyboard, trackpad and plenty of ports to cater for a business user on the move. The IPS screen is splendid with very wide viewing angles and fantastic colour rendition and consistent edge to edge backlighting. Even the onboard audio is clear, with substantial volume for company presentations in a small room.

The biggest challenger in my opinion comes from the ThinkPad X1, which ticks more boxes for me. This keyboard is in a class of its own, equaling the best desktop keyboards on the market. If you have never used the keyboard on the X1 laptop, then you really don't know what you are missing … it really is the benchmark to judge all other laptop computers. The X1 keyboard is also liquid proof and offers two levels of backlighting.

Sadly the X220 does away with these features and merely offers a little light on the top of the screen, to create a ‘glow' over the keyboard. It isn't remarkable and a backlit keyboard would work much better.

The ThinkPad X1 chassis is also slightly more rigid and more comfortable to use long term, thanks to the added space for wrist support. With the optional battery slice the X1 will last for around 9-10 hours and can recharge to full in under 40 minutes. The X220 certainly has the edge in regards to the IPS screen and battery life, but in all other regards, the X1 gets my vote. The X1 also has the Corning Gorilla Glass protection system, whereas the X220 doesn't.

If you want a Solid State Drive we don't recommend you pay Lenovo £403 for a 160 GB last generation Intel drive. Buy the cheapest mechanical option, then get a faster SSD from an etailer and do the changeover yourself.

You can compare and buy the machines, with various specifications from Lenovo over here.

Pros:

• Built like a tank.
• appealing looks.
• great screen.
• good keyboard.
• High specification possibilities
• massive battery life.

Cons:

• no backlit keyboard.
• SSD pricing is way out.
• not designed for gaming.
• ThinkPad X1 is more feature rich and we feel a better overall machine.

Kitguru says: A great superportable business machine and built to last. I prefer the X1 however.

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