Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Review (with battery slice 39+)

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 is without a doubt, one of best laptops I have ever reviewed. The appearance is very ‘businesslike', but Lenovo have been able to modernise the overall design to attract a much larger audience.

I will admit I am a huge fan of the Apple laptops, especially their 13 inch MacBook Air. I have used one now for many years and don't leave home without it under my arm. The size, quality of screen and decent keyboard mean it has remained my first choice for working on the go. I tend to use Windows systems on a more regular basis, but the Macbook Air is something special.

But the ThinkPad X1 is a better machine.

I never thought I would say that, especially as I didn't do much research before receiving this system for review. I had initially factored that it would be yet another, boring, run of the mill business system for 50 year old, overweight executives.

The ThinkPad X1 is without question a flagship system, built to last a long time, and the construction quality is exceptional. The keyboard is easily the finest I have used on a laptop and is almost worth the asking price alone. I always have to compromise when using a laptop, my typing speed normally drops from 120 wpm to 80 wpm and my large hands will sometimes press two keys at once.

The ThinkPad X1 keyboard has been clearly well thought out from the ground up and it is actually almost as good as the DAS desktop keyboard, with Cherry Blue switches, which I use all the time. I really can't think of a better compliment to give it. The fact that Lenovo have added two modes of backlighting and given it a liquid proof protection system with several special vents in the chassis to route accidental spillages, is icing on the cake.

The onboard audio is also extremely impressive, although as expected it does suffer with poor bass response. That said, the laptop was able to power the audiophile Audeze LCD2 headphones perfectly without a headphone amplifier. The quality of output via the headphone jack is exceptional, thanks in part to the sophisticated Home theatre Dolby software. It is capable of delivering a very reasonable level of output before distorting.

The X1 screen is in the top 10% we have tested at this size. It isn't going to win any awards, and is slightly ‘flat' with the out of the box settings. That said, as we mentioned earlier in the review, boosting the saturation level a little within the Intel HD driver panel helps improve the colour significantly. It is a very bright screen, and at the highest setting can be used during the day, outside. It is slightly reflective, and more so than the previous versions, but we appreciate the tough Corning Gorilla glass coating to help protect against scratches.

The onboard battery is reasonable, but the machine truly comes to life when connected with the optional battery slice. We achieved over 10 hours of life under modest conditions, which is exceptional. Both batteries could charge from flat to 80% within 30 minutes, which is, yet again a class leading result.

In regards to noise emissions, the system is often inaudible, but when pushed hard the fan has to spin high to remove the heat, this is acceptable, and understandable for such a diminutive design. By adding the battery slice, you are also ensuring that the heat is kept from your lap, as most of it is generated at the back, underside of the chassis.

The ThinkPad X1 has a full 3 year warranty, information on which is accessible from the dedicated software. All of the software can be updated via a single interface, including bios updates. No need to create bootable USB drives, the software handles all the messy aspects of updating and reboots automatically when finished.

The carbon fibre rollcage is MILSPEC certified, and feels reassuringly durable. It is equipped with USB 3.0 ports, HDMI out, and even has a Sata 6 Gbps port inside, even though it isn't listed as a selling point. We would advise a user to purchase a machine without the SSD and then add their own, higher specification model.

It is not an ideal machine for gamers, but for everyone else it should certainly be taken into consideration. In 2011 you thankfully don't need to be a businessman to appreciate the X1.

Pros:

• Chassis design is class leading.
• liquid ‘proof' keyboard.
• The best laptop keyboard we have used, and it offers backlighting.
• screen is very bright, working well in a variety of conditions.
• good overall system performance.
• Strong connectivity including USB 3.0, eSATA and HDMI out.
• onboard audio is surprisingly capable.
• over 10 hours battery life with the slice added.
• full 3 year warranty.
• fingerprint reader really works well.
• SATA 6Gbps port inside to support latest performance oriented SSD drives (not mentioned by Lenovo).
• opens out completely flat (180 degrees screen viewing).

Cons:

• single channel memory.
• battery slice is very expensive in the UK.
• not a gamers machine.
• slightly reflective screen.
• without the battery slice, the underside of the chassis can get warm.
• rubber cover on the side panel isn't really needed.

Kitguru says: This has replaced the Macbook Air as our favourite ‘on the move machine'.

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