while i agree the specs aren't great, one key thing about the carbon x1 is that it offers all this at 3.4 lbs. i haven't found any others with comparable specs at this weight. dell's xps 14 is nearly 1.25 lbs more. so there's going to be some tradeoffs.
Actually, this device does not compute, mainly due to its price. Its instructive to compare it against its most likely competitor in this field at that price which is not the Macbook Air, but the 13.3" retina pro:
Macbook Pro 13-inch: 2.5GHz Core i5 Vs Lenovo Carbon X1 with Retina display 2.5GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 1.8GHz dual-core Core i5 Turbo Boost up to 3.1GHz Turbo Boost up to 2.1GHz 8GB 1600MHz DDR3L-1333 4GB 1333MHz DDR3L-1333 128GB SSD 180GB SSD Intel HD Graphics 4000 Intel HD 4000 Graphics 13.3 LED-backlit IPS @ 2560-by-1600 14" LED-backlit @ 1600x900 multi-touch trackpad multi-touch display 2xUSB3 + 2x Thunderbolt (mini DP) + HDMI 1xUSB2,1xUSB3 + Mini DP 3.57 lbs 3.44 lbs Aluminium Unibody chassis Carbon fibre/plastic chassis $1499 $1556
While it comes down to personal preference between OS X and Windows 8, the jury is still out on whether a vertical touchscreen on a laptop is the way to go.
I think its way overpriced considering that in most specs, the Mac beats it (flogs it in display) and costs less. And I still don't get why PC makers have separate USB2 and 3 rails, surely if Apple can afford 2 USB3 ports, then so can Lenovo.
It maybe just me, but while I like the design, I agree the OP, this should be at least $200 less.
Yes indeed., the MBP destroys lenovo in this example, though I'd take off $200 from lenovo's MSRP as I've never payed full price for a ThinkPad. Also, when mentioning the touch verison, you should write "X1 Carbon Touch". There is a significant difference in the touch vs nontouch usability and vs. the MBP. Nonetheless, Apple's offerings will dominate that thin and light market so long as lenovo fails to use high-quality carbon fiber in their chassis. We're already seeing high quality-"feeling" phones such as the HTC One gain mass consideration simply due to build quality, laptops are next.
This. And Lenovo's upgrades are more expensive than Apple's. Of course, Windows8 on the MBPr isn't quite as good as it is in on native PC laptops but still.
Yes the comparison to the MacBook retina is devastating. Unless one considers that the 13" retina is a bit of a flawed piece by itself, annoyingly obviously lacking the power to support its awesome display. M.
The Ivy Bridge IGP can totally support that 13" rMBP display on the desktop. Haswell will be even better given that its IGP performance is around double that of Ivy Bridge's
1600*900 is a joke, Lenovo went out when I bought my Zenbook last year just because of that. Think the 13 inch one I looked at then, had a laughable 1024x768 res.. My two year old phone has 960x540 for crying out loud.
The Asus Zenbooks are a lot more bang for the buck here.
The QS77 chipset natively has 4 USB 3.0 ports and 10 USB 2.0 ports. It really makes no sense as to why they wire up USB 2.0 ports when they haven't even used up all 4 USB 3.0 ports offered by the chipset.
not to mention the vizio thin and light that retails as low as $600. Based on the Anandtech review of the 15" model, the screen is superior, you get 2 USB3.0, aluminum body with rubberized bottom. I got the 15" for office (audit) use and I can't be happier. Having two spreadsheets side-by-side on a less than 4lb package, priceless!
But Sony (for example with the Z series) showed that the only tradeoff need to be the price tag. The Z11 series had much higher specs (bar touch screen) but managed to weigh less
It's a Thinkpad. It has a clitoris and a great keyboard. Comparison to other brands is irrelevant. Specs are only relevant if you are feeling that your current Thinkpad is slow :). Unless someone else starts making good keyboards and a practical implementation of the trackpoint(Toshiba and HP ones are rubbish) there will continue to be only one brand for laptops.
I don't see a blue enter key--what "great keyboard?" Lenovo threw away the main thing that made Thinkpads awesome to jump on the Apple-Sony chiclet train.
I don't get it. This really just doesn't compute to me. Am I just going to start having to carry a full-size mechanical switch keyboard around with me wherever I go just so I can have a decent typing experience on a laptop?
Nah I'll just use my old X200 until it quits working.
Why do laptop makers keep putting the Ctrl and Fn keys backwards? That is one of the top reasons I purchased a Dell XPS 13 over a MacBook Air 13. Craziness.
I wondered the same before purchasing a Lenovo W520. Fortunately, you can easily switch Fn and Ctrl in BIOS. It takes 5 minutes to memorize the change and I've had zero issues with it since.
There is no "layout that is supposed to be". However there is historical precedent and Apple and Lenovo are breaking it, for what that's worth.
Apple may not give you the built-in option to switch but there are free and easy to use apps that allow you to reconfigure the keyboard on OS X. Within 10 minutes of getting my rMBP I had downloaded and installed such an app and used it to switch the Ctrl and Fn keys and then popped the key caps off of the keyboard and switched them.
I should point out that you can't switch the key caps on the Lenovo since they are different sized keys. However on the Mac they are identically sized and so they can be switched with no issue.
Also may I point out that back in the day when Sun worstations were de rigeur in software development, we used to remap the Control and Caps Lock keys, which on Sun keyboards were for some bizarre reason switched from where they are on a normal PC keyboard.
Bizarre? The UNIX world always had Control located where PC keyboards have CapsLock. Control is used much more frequently and it's a more natural location. Especially if you are an emacs user.
Those of use from that world struggle with modern keyboards and xkb mappings. Luckily I still have my Type 4 and a USB adapter. :-)
I'm an emacs user and I find control in the bottom left to be very usable. The "pinky pull down" to hit the control key is easy to do. However playing with my keyboard for a few moments I can see where Control where caps lock would be wouldn't even require moving the pinky finger. So I guess it's better, except that pulling the pinky down to hit control is so effortless as to make the point fairly moot.
Yep... as a long-term and current ThinkPad owner, considering the areas that Lenovo is "modernizing" the ThinkPad line... it would be great if THEY would correct the fn/Ctrl keys! In BIOS you can change it... and I guess with a tiny tool, you can simply pop the keys off.
Its still a great keyboard... I doubt as good as the CLASSIC keys from last year and beyond, but they have the added advantage of LIGHTING UP.
Should have posted about this here instead of in my post above, anyway, you can't swap the physical key caps on the Lenovo since the Fn and Ctrl keys are different size.
The redeeming factor of this review coming out 3 weeks before Haswell, is if there's a slick deal inventory liquidation or Lenovo outlet deal on these, we'll know it's a solid buy.
Thank you for the review. How badly does the glossy touchscreen collect fingerprints? Also, how stable is the laptop when pressing against the touchscreen; does the whole computer rock back if you don't put a hand behind the display?
Great review, and well argued. "It's a fantastic Ultrabook, but it's not enterprise." It iwould be interesting to know, which qualify for enterprise? Other parts of the ThinkPad lineup, HP, who? Thank you.
Other parts of the ThinkPad lineup, yes. Also HP Elitebook, Fujitsu Celsius, Dell Precision and the maybe the MSI GT line. Then there are a few enterprise boutiques, e.g. Schenker and Wortmann in Germany.
Then again, I'm not sure anybody has an Ultrabook that qualifies as an Enterprise device as such.
Although I have a dock for each of my laptops (except macbooks) I am looking forward to the "universal dock connector" that is surely coming. Thunderbolt/Mag connector or whatever. I want to plug ONE thing in max.
The X1 Carbon would have been interesting with a better higher resolution screen, removable better battery, an ethernet port and less outrageous price - notably in Europe where it is incredibly expensive. On the plus side kudos for the mini display port as well as 8GB RAM option (would have preferred 16GB though) and the battery fast charge. In addition there are many other interesting ultrabooks now (Samsung Series 7, Toshiba Kirabook) and even an Asus Zenbook Touch will compare favorably if you can do with 4GB RAM.
For those devoted to the mighty trackpoint I guess it will be an easy sell no matter what. Reviewers (both from Anandtech and others) often spend a fair amount of time describing the trackpad and keyboard. What they seem to overlook is all the people who couldn't care less about the size or quality of the trackpad as long as the pointing stick is working well. And in this the Thinkpad series have always excelled.
Still, I agree that 4GB is stingy this day and age, but paired with a quick SSD it will outlast the 3 years or so the laptop is supposed to be in use in a corporate setting. The only thing that worry me is if we see a huge shift in the use of virtualization, and the expected increase of memory that will follow. 8/16GB would increase the longevity of the laptop although, and so it's a bit sad a saving in the $50 range could cut several year from the expected lifetime of the laptop.
Anyway, I understand the position of the X1 well, it's a stylish Thinkpad. For those asking for extended battery life, a better display, more power or whatever Lenovo offer a huge range of different models to cater to those wishes.
Not going to buy Lenovo ever again after the disaster with the breaking displays on the X121e which Lenovo simply declared as a customer problem because you're according to Lenovo not supposed to carry a laptop just like that in a regular laptop bag. ThinkPad is just not a decent brand anymore as it used to be.
Folks should keep in mind that its only the ThinkPad T-Series that is considered their TOP-END. The X1 is not a work-horse, never designed to be one.
The ThinkPad T430s series is their thin serious computers (1" thick) but from experience, its still better to get the regular T-Series. its .5" thicker, far easier to service and about $200 less. And those we regular screens come with Windows7Pro by default.
The screen on my T520 sucks compared to the one on my X230...one is a corporate buy so its probably not the upgraded screen but still. Here's hoping the future is bright on screens and there are no more 768 pixel high screens anymore.
"The X1 Carbon is further evidence of the consumerization of the ThinkPad line; the chiclet keyboard may be the best you can find, but it's still a chiclet keyboard"
I don't understand this statement, what is the but for? I've used a variety of Thinkpad machines over the years and I find their current generation of chiclet keyboards both on their smaller and larger machines to be the best they've made. I find them comfortable to type on with better speed and accuracy than previous machines and users of the machines at work have made similar comments so I don't see how having a better keyboard is a 'but' regardless of whether you're an enterprise or home user. Yes, it may not be the classic Thinkpad keyboard but Lenovo have to move forwards.
I normally don't mind trackpads but their current one is horrible, I don't know what they were thinking as the button action doesn't work very well. I would have preferred they just left the trackpoint as with the older x200 as I end using the trackpoint anyway but with the trackpad there tend to default to it first then remember how bad it is and switch to the trackpoint.
Yeah I was VERY worried when the x230 came with a new keyboard, having used the old school keyboard for so many years. But after using it I realize the keyboard is GREAT! I hope they keep this in mind, if they mess up the keyboard it will be time to move to another manufacturer.
What makes it difficult to review this laptop is its name. This isn't real ThinkPad (same as ThinkPad Edge, better than majority of consumer-grade production but not quite there). No upgrades possible including battery, no docking station connector. But for an ultrabook, it's pretty solid machine. If you want ThinkPad, you buy X or T series. It's obvious from interview with Lenovo designers last year:
Otsuka: I'd like to make a successor to the X300.
That may have been Lenovo's goal with the original X1. But personally when I refer to a successor to the X300 I mean a conventional Classic series product with well-balanced attributes.
The X300 has a perfect balance of size and weight, despite providing expandability for the optical disk drive and battery. I'd like to make a product like that. I think that would be a product faithful to the Classic series pedigree.
In contrast, I'd compare the X1 Carbon to a Formula 1 car with leading-edge specs. It can't drive on public roads. I'd like to make the successor to the X300 a compact, all-round sports car that applies Formula 1 technology but can still drive on public roads.
The T4X0s and original X1 were actually products that utilized the technology in the X300. Now with the X1 Carbon we've moved up a step. We still have a lot of challenges ahead of us. (see http://blog.lenovo.com/design/developers-on-the-x1...
Hopefully this suggests there is X230 successor coming and it's going to be that ThinkPad we know and enjoy. Fingers crossed!
Hope Haswell really is improving things for this market. (been disappointed so many times before by Intel) These "Ultrabooks" are not good enogh products. Better battery, less emissions, more power and every little single technical detail must be perfect, then people may find "Wintel" products enyoyable again.
I saw the article, and was hoping that this might be a Haswell sneak peek. No? Darn. Kept reading. Came to this: "It's a 14" Ultrabook, but it hopefully heralds more of the kinds of designs we can look forward to in the 14" and up Ultrabook bracket." and was thinking, 'well, maybe it still has some redeeming qualities'. But then I saw the spec sheet. Shitty resolution, glossy display. Dead stop. No need to read any more. Jumped to the comments.
I will give them props for using a 5GHz wifi chip. $3 well spent in the BOM. Any 2013 laptop maker that doesn't include this must not want sales. Any 2013 laptop manufacturer that thinks a checkmark next to 'glossy screen' and 'touch screen' is a positive, is to be avoided at all costs. They should be forced to use their junk in perpetuity. I'm thinking this must be one of Dante's hell levels. Right?
Quite simply, cost. OEM's don't think they need to offer a more compelling display if it only a small percentage of customers care. I'd be willing to bet the bulk of Lenovo's X1 sales were through the enterprise IT channel. Those buyers are typically only focused on price.
It's only the likes of Apple, Asus, Sony (and now Toshiba) that continue to raise the collective display bar. It's shocking it still hasn't caught on, but it's getting better.
Any review of a big OEM's computers should include a list of spamware that is pre-installed. So everyone knows how much work it will be to uninstall the junk. Also a section on how easy it is to remove would be nice too. I know, in a previous job I had, we had a Dell lab computer that shipped with security software that needed to be patched to even be able to uninstall it. Since this system was one we used for testing, it was a real pain in the butt, since we were regularly re-setting it to the state it came from Dell.
I have to take issue with a number of items in this review. I certainly think the price on the X1 Carbon Touch is high, but it is being compared to other devices that aren't like for like. If you're going to compare the XPS 13 to an equivalent Lenovo product, then it should be compared to the X1 Carbon, not the touch version. The non-touch version weighs under 3.00 lb and seems to run about $130 USD less compared to similar configurations for the Touch models. I can understand that this review wasn't for the non-Touch version, but it still seems unethical to make such comparisons without at least adding some caveats regarding the disparate features of the products.
There is also a few comments regarding enterprise features that are lacking in the X1 Carbon Touch.
I don't understand why some of these things are being brought up. AnandTech has never really properly evaluated enterprise features of laptops. If you want to talk about Enterprise features, you probably need to start with listing what features you consider to be relevant to Enterprise usage. For me, this involves a number of items including: product lifecycle, global availability of the system, serviceability of parts, vPro support, support for BIOS changes via script or some other tool, Ethernet for OS deployment, and PXE boot support for OS deployment (either via USB Ethernet or wired Ethernet). You could even evaluate enterprise support provided for related utilities, like whether or not the vendor provides admin templates to manage utilities via Group Policy. The default warranty should not be considered an Enterprise issue. As long as the vendor provides warranty options that are well matched for the Enterprise, that is the only real factor. Beyond that, it's really a matter of pricing for the specific warranty options. Why is the chicklet keyboard being mentioned as a consumer feature? Both Dell and Lenovo are switching their enterprise products to this style of keyboard. It may be a trend that started in the consumer space, but there's no reason provided as to why this would be considered less well suited for Enterprise environments.
According to other reviews, the non-touch Carbon gets substantially better (~2 hours?) battery life and ways less than 3 lbs. I wonder if that model would do better in the above review?
Also, I wish it were smaller! I travel too much so an 11" machine is totally worthwhile.
I have been a huge Thinkpad fan, but if I were to buy an ultrabook, I'd definitely buy a Samsung Series 9 these days. Is there any chance of a 900X3E review one day? 1.1 kg!!!, 1920x1080 IPS screen, upgradable RAM and SSD (once you open up the machine).
The 15" Series 9 has upgradable RAM, but I think the 13" is soldered on. Both have upgradable drives though (mSATA on 13", not sure about 15" off the top of my head).
This computer is close to what I want. It has the right form factor and other features but it needs two things in my opinion. 1. IPS screen 2. Quad core - I'm hoping that Haswell will bring quad that will be suitable for these larger ultrabooks. I don't care if it throttles down to 1GHz as long as with proper air space/cooling/power it can throttle up. I'm hoping to see 25W quads with Haswell and 17W quads with Broadwell. Until then I think I'll just stick with my 2006 Dell 640m T7200.
If the Lenovo is the Widows equivalent of a Mac that's pretty bad. Lenovo makes cheap junk and supports it the same way. They do not deserve the Thinkpad name for those of us who owned real Thinkpad's in the past. Apple's laptops just destroy this one not least because they use a modern OS and have premium build quality, screen's service and support.
Something often overlooked (especially when the Mac fans get in on the fun) is that you could use this laptop as a Frisbee in the park on your lunch break and still use it for your afternoon hacking marathon. Most (if not all) of the ThinkPad line passes MIL-SPEC 810F certification for ruggedness. Also customer service for the ThinkPad line is excellent, as are the extra warranties they offer (multi-year accidental damage). Typical turn-around time for a repair is ~2-3 days. These features are huge pluses for the corporate or professional environment, which is why you still see a lot of ThinkPads in these places. Including the international space station and (former) space shuttle missions. As for the X1 Carbon specifically (I have a non-touch version with an i7), the ONLY complaint I have about it is that damned chicklet keyboard. It may be the best chicklet keyboard around, but it will never reach the 'Legendary' status of the classic ThinkPad keyboard.
Thank you for finally starting to call out the pathetic 4GB RAM manufactures are using in expensive machines! When a $800 laptop in 2009 had 4GB RAM there is no reason anything above $500 should come with just 4GB RAM.
Whenever I mention this I always get a bunch of deranged replies stating that there's no reason to have more than 4GB RAM.
Lenovo needs to fork their Thinkpad line into two, one for enterprise (what "Thinkpad" used to be) and one for consumer/prosumer. I thought the "Thinkpad Edge" branding would have been good for this. Taken as such, this should be called the "Thinkpad Edge X1."
If they want to keep using "Thinkpad" the way they have been the past few years, why not separate out a line called "Thinkpad Pro" for diehards like me? Give us an X series, a couple T series, and a workstation replacement W series. Give us the keyboard back, magnesium rollcage design, IPS displays, charge $1800 for it. Roll back the numbers a bit; I want mine to be called Thinkpad Pro T30s. It has Haswell.
Dustin, I have a suggestion. Anandtech is a general hardware site, so you don't have to review all laptops. How about just making it a rule that you unless special circumstances are in place simply won't review laptops with 1366x768 or lower resolution?
I purchased 2 of these for my company (about 3 months apart.) Normally I would never buy a non-upgradable & difficult to service laptop for the company, but what management wants . . .
The newer of the two laptops had its battery stop holding a charge after about 6 months of use. The older unit's battery stopped holding a charge 5 days after the 1yr warranty expired. Lenovo will not replace it and referred us to a local 3rd party service center (who wants ~$600).
I can't speak on the newer unit, but the older unit that just crapped out shows 84 cycles on the battery. The only good thing out of the whole mess: Management will stop arguing with me when I say no (for now at least). A T430S is close in weight and size, and lacks the repair / mid-cycle upgrade headaches that are sure to happen in any environment.
How they every marketed this to businesses is beyond me!
PS: Only good thing about Lenovo (besides the T series) is they document the hell out of everything. Replacing the batt. will be a headache, but is doable. Anyone who's repaired a laptop shouldn't have to much difficulty, and the service manual tells you exactly what components to remove to get to it.
This is the kind of info I was looking for. Thanks.
I am still waiting for something that is closer to my T60 notebooks with the 4:3 SXGA+, nice keyboard, TrackPoint, and runs Linux, though some compromise seems necessary. Perhaps the next version of the Chromebook Pixel.
Nobody is making 4:3 screens. 16:10 was fine... but now its 16:9... it sucks. And when I'm ready for the next monitor upgrade... it will be 16:9 ugh... but it will be at least 2560x1400 res (I'd like for it to be 2560x1600 thou)... and be only 27" to get the higher dot pitch.
Yeah, it's really the price that kills this laptop. It's not a bad laptop per se, but for the money ... it's really hard to justify.
One huge advantage I suppose of getting this over the Mac is that laptops like these are more durable - Lenovo Thinkpads in general are well built (although their cooling solutions could be better). I think they do pass MIL-SPEC 810F (not 100% on this one).
Battery is just so, so. And for the price they ask, I expect a better LCD panel.
I wonder if they cheaped out on the battery - not able to hold a charge after only a handful of cycles. This is an example of saving a few dollars here and there for a laptop that costs over a thousand dollars.
8GBx1 DDR3 1600 RAM. A 256GB/240GB SSD. Wireless a/c 5Ghz. Then if they could fit a larger battery in it, 54Wh for instance, that would help a lot too.
For $1320 I expect better specs than these...
Not a bad system, just not suited well in the market; especially with Haswell right around the corner.
The Dell XPS 14 was mentioned but the screen is a washed out mess worthy of a laptop less than half its price. Its a poor TN panel with its one saving grace being the resolution of 1600x900. The XPS 12 and 13 in contrast have wonderful 1080P IPS panels. What were Dell thinking!
I love the x series. But why did they go for 16:9 format. I dont buy a labtop for watching movies. Please go back to screens with a more square layout e.g. 4:3 or at least 16:10
Yep... I miss the 16:10 screens like my current 5+ year old ThinkPads. To give you an idea of the height loss. a 14" 16:10 has the same height as the 15" 16:9 - I noticed this during their transition from the two aspect ratios. So we went with the older 14" model which results in a smaller and lighter notebook.
A major reason Lenovo went with 16:9 is that they still have to get their displays from a supplier. And because everything is 16:9, it costs LESS money. To go with the 16:10 could had $50~100 to the costs or more because of mass-production.
At least they still make screens that are NOT gloddy.
Hardware Enterprise vendors are in a difficult situation. Windows 8 is destroying their market. No business with any sense is going to buy the consumer mobile phone interface that Windows 8 is. This is great news because it probably means that we can switch back to Apple again like we did in the 80s. I cant wait!
What's the point of 5Ghz wifi anyway? You point it out as absurd that it's not included. But it doesn't offer more performance, and the range is atrocious.
I have a wifi router from Asus with both, and 5Ghz is 75% signal one room off, and doesn't even work down stairs. The 2.4G works out in the garage!
Christian. I just agree... Dawn`s storry is exceptional... I just got Acura since I been bringin in $8000 this-last/five weeks and over $10k this past-munth. this is definitely the nicest work I've had. I began this 3 months ago and almost straight away startad making at least $82.. p/h. I follow the instructions here, Bow6.comTAKE A LOOK
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EzioAs - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
Unless they charge it $200+ less, I don't see much value in this ultrabook. The specs aren't bad, but price is a total deal breaker.darckhart - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
while i agree the specs aren't great, one key thing about the carbon x1 is that it offers all this at 3.4 lbs. i haven't found any others with comparable specs at this weight. dell's xps 14 is nearly 1.25 lbs more. so there's going to be some tradeoffs.Nightdrake - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
The carbon x1 may not be heavy, but it still is a big 14" device. Most people needing light weight for traveling also need small size.lxgoldsmith - Friday, May 17, 2013 - link
actually, it's the 13.3 inch size with less bezel and more screenMohjo - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
Actually, this device does not compute, mainly due to its price. Its instructive to compare it against its most likely competitor in this field at that price which is not the Macbook Air, but the 13.3" retina pro:Macbook Pro 13-inch: 2.5GHz Core i5 Vs Lenovo Carbon X1
with Retina display
2.5GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 1.8GHz dual-core Core i5
Turbo Boost up to 3.1GHz Turbo Boost up to 2.1GHz
8GB 1600MHz DDR3L-1333 4GB 1333MHz DDR3L-1333
128GB SSD 180GB SSD
Intel HD Graphics 4000 Intel HD 4000 Graphics
13.3 LED-backlit IPS @ 2560-by-1600 14" LED-backlit @ 1600x900
multi-touch trackpad multi-touch display
2xUSB3 + 2x Thunderbolt (mini DP) + HDMI 1xUSB2,1xUSB3 + Mini DP
3.57 lbs 3.44 lbs
Aluminium Unibody chassis Carbon fibre/plastic chassis
$1499 $1556
While it comes down to personal preference between OS X and Windows 8, the jury is still out on whether a vertical touchscreen on a laptop is the way to go.
I think its way overpriced considering that in most specs, the Mac beats it (flogs it in display) and costs less. And I still don't get why PC makers have separate USB2 and 3 rails, surely if Apple can afford 2 USB3 ports, then so can Lenovo.
It maybe just me, but while I like the design, I agree the OP, this should be at least $200 less.
Mohjo - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
Sorry about the above table mess, didn't realise formatting wouldn't keep. Here it is more readable:retina Macbook Pro 13-inch
2.5GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 Turbo Boost up to 3.1GHz
8GB 1600MHz DDR3L
128GB SSD
Intel HD Graphics 4000
13.3 LED-backlit IPS @ 2560-by-1600
multi-touch trackpad
2xUSB3 + 2x Thunderbolt (mini DP) + HDMI
3.57 lbs
Aluminium Unibody chassis
$1499
Vs
Lenovo Carbon X1
1.8GHz dual-core Core i5 Turbo Boost up to 2.1GHz
4GB 1333MHz DDR3L-1333
180GB SSD
Intel HD 4000 Graphics
14" LED-backlit @ 1600x900
multi-touch display
1xUSB2,1xUSB3 + Mini DP
3.44 lbs
Carbon fibre/plastic chassis
$1556
w_km - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
Yes indeed., the MBP destroys lenovo in this example, though I'd take off $200 from lenovo's MSRP as I've never payed full price for a ThinkPad. Also, when mentioning the touch verison, you should write "X1 Carbon Touch". There is a significant difference in the touch vs nontouch usability and vs. the MBP. Nonetheless, Apple's offerings will dominate that thin and light market so long as lenovo fails to use high-quality carbon fiber in their chassis. We're already seeing high quality-"feeling" phones such as the HTC One gain mass consideration simply due to build quality, laptops are next.FATCamaro - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
This. And Lenovo's upgrades are more expensive than Apple's. Of course, Windows8 on the MBPr isn't quite as good as it is in on native PC laptops but still.mschira - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
Yes the comparison to the MacBook retina is devastating.Unless one considers that the 13" retina is a bit of a flawed piece by itself, annoyingly obviously lacking the power to support its awesome display.
M.
KoolAidMan1 - Wednesday, May 22, 2013 - link
The Ivy Bridge IGP can totally support that 13" rMBP display on the desktop. Haswell will be even better given that its IGP performance is around double that of Ivy Bridge'sShinobi_III - Sunday, May 19, 2013 - link
1600*900 is a joke, Lenovo went out when I bought my Zenbook last year just because of that.Think the 13 inch one I looked at then, had a laughable 1024x768 res.. My two year old phone has 960x540 for crying out loud.
The Asus Zenbooks are a lot more bang for the buck here.
peterfares - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
The QS77 chipset natively has 4 USB 3.0 ports and 10 USB 2.0 ports. It really makes no sense as to why they wire up USB 2.0 ports when they haven't even used up all 4 USB 3.0 ports offered by the chipset.jonup - Sunday, May 19, 2013 - link
not to mention the vizio thin and light that retails as low as $600. Based on the Anandtech review of the 15" model, the screen is superior, you get 2 USB3.0, aluminum body with rubberized bottom. I got the 15" for office (audit) use and I can't be happier. Having two spreadsheets side-by-side on a less than 4lb package, priceless!boe - Thursday, May 16, 2013 - link
My 3 year old Sony Z has an i7, weighs 3lbs and has a higher resolution screen and a much larger SSD drive.OCedHrt - Thursday, May 16, 2013 - link
I have a Z too, but it's not 14" ;)OCedHrt - Thursday, May 16, 2013 - link
The Samsung Series 9 15" is about the same weight with much better specs.imaginarynumber - Friday, May 17, 2013 - link
But Sony (for example with the Z series) showed that the only tradeoff need to be the price tag. The Z11 series had much higher specs (bar touch screen) but managed to weigh lessrailhan - Thursday, May 16, 2013 - link
It's a Thinkpad. It has a clitoris and a great keyboard. Comparison to other brands is irrelevant. Specs are only relevant if you are feeling that your current Thinkpad is slow :).Unless someone else starts making good keyboards and a practical implementation of the trackpoint(Toshiba and HP ones are rubbish) there will continue to be only one brand for laptops.
synaesthetic - Sunday, May 19, 2013 - link
I don't see a blue enter key--what "great keyboard?" Lenovo threw away the main thing that made Thinkpads awesome to jump on the Apple-Sony chiclet train.I don't get it. This really just doesn't compute to me. Am I just going to start having to carry a full-size mechanical switch keyboard around with me wherever I go just so I can have a decent typing experience on a laptop?
Nah I'll just use my old X200 until it quits working.
Evil_Sheep - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
1000000 points for making an obscure MaRo reference which only one person will get ;)Dustin Sklavos - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
Not true! Chris Heinonen plays, so there's at least two people. ;)Exodite - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
There are probably more of us than one might initially think. ;)IVIauricius - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
Why do laptop makers keep putting the Ctrl and Fn keys backwards? That is one of the top reasons I purchased a Dell XPS 13 over a MacBook Air 13. Craziness.Greenthum6 - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
I wondered the same before purchasing a Lenovo W520. Fortunately, you can easily switch Fn and Ctrl in BIOS. It takes 5 minutes to memorize the change and I've had zero issues with it since.chubbypanda - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
It's actually the opposite, this is the layout it suppose to be. If needed Lenovo, unlike Apple give you option to switch these two.bji - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
There is no "layout that is supposed to be". However there is historical precedent and Apple and Lenovo are breaking it, for what that's worth.Apple may not give you the built-in option to switch but there are free and easy to use apps that allow you to reconfigure the keyboard on OS X. Within 10 minutes of getting my rMBP I had downloaded and installed such an app and used it to switch the Ctrl and Fn keys and then popped the key caps off of the keyboard and switched them.
bji - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
I should point out that you can't switch the key caps on the Lenovo since they are different sized keys. However on the Mac they are identically sized and so they can be switched with no issue.bji - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
Also may I point out that back in the day when Sun worstations were de rigeur in software development, we used to remap the Control and Caps Lock keys, which on Sun keyboards were for some bizarre reason switched from where they are on a normal PC keyboard.Bob-o - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
Bizarre? The UNIX world always had Control located where PC keyboards have CapsLock. Control is used much more frequently and it's a more natural location. Especially if you are an emacs user.Those of use from that world struggle with modern keyboards and xkb mappings. Luckily I still have my Type 4 and a USB adapter. :-)
bji - Thursday, May 16, 2013 - link
I'm an emacs user and I find control in the bottom left to be very usable. The "pinky pull down" to hit the control key is easy to do. However playing with my keyboard for a few moments I can see where Control where caps lock would be wouldn't even require moving the pinky finger. So I guess it's better, except that pulling the pinky down to hit control is so effortless as to make the point fairly moot.Belard - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
Yep... as a long-term and current ThinkPad owner, considering the areas that Lenovo is "modernizing" the ThinkPad line... it would be great if THEY would correct the fn/Ctrl keys! In BIOS you can change it... and I guess with a tiny tool, you can simply pop the keys off.Its still a great keyboard... I doubt as good as the CLASSIC keys from last year and beyond, but they have the added advantage of LIGHTING UP.
bji - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
Should have posted about this here instead of in my post above, anyway, you can't swap the physical key caps on the Lenovo since the Fn and Ctrl keys are different size.Flunk - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
That's interesting, I always have the opposite problem with my Alienware m14x R2, to me the FN key should be on the far left.noeldillabough - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
I agree, I must have gotten used to laptops having the fn key to the far left because it seems "right" (lenovos for more years than I care to admit)I'd never buy a carbon though, ultrabook don't cut it for me, I want an x240 with a higher res screen and haswell cpu.
KarateBob - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
The redeeming factor of this review coming out 3 weeks before Haswell, is if there's a slick deal inventory liquidation or Lenovo outlet deal on these, we'll know it's a solid buy.noblemo - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
Thank you for the review. How badly does the glossy touchscreen collect fingerprints? Also, how stable is the laptop when pressing against the touchscreen; does the whole computer rock back if you don't put a hand behind the display?Gadgety - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
Great review, and well argued. "It's a fantastic Ultrabook, but it's not enterprise." It iwould be interesting to know, which qualify for enterprise? Other parts of the ThinkPad lineup, HP, who? Thank you.ShieTar - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
Other parts of the ThinkPad lineup, yes. Also HP Elitebook, Fujitsu Celsius, Dell Precision and the maybe the MSI GT line. Then there are a few enterprise boutiques, e.g. Schenker and Wortmann in Germany.Then again, I'm not sure anybody has an Ultrabook that qualifies as an Enterprise device as such.
Dug - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
Usually things like - compatibility with docking stations, self encrypting drives, BIOS locks, asset tagging, specific deployment packages, etc.noeldillabough - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
Although I have a dock for each of my laptops (except macbooks) I am looking forward to the "universal dock connector" that is surely coming. Thunderbolt/Mag connector or whatever. I want to plug ONE thing in max.Silma - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
The X1 Carbon would have been interesting with a better higher resolution screen, removable better battery, an ethernet port and less outrageous price - notably in Europe where it is incredibly expensive.On the plus side kudos for the mini display port as well as 8GB RAM option (would have preferred 16GB though) and the battery fast charge.
In addition there are many other interesting ultrabooks now (Samsung Series 7, Toshiba Kirabook) and even an Asus Zenbook Touch will compare favorably if you can do with 4GB RAM.
zodiacfml - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
i thought the price was due to the carbon fiber and i thought it's going to have problems with regards to heat. it's pretty neat overall.Calista - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
For those devoted to the mighty trackpoint I guess it will be an easy sell no matter what. Reviewers (both from Anandtech and others) often spend a fair amount of time describing the trackpad and keyboard. What they seem to overlook is all the people who couldn't care less about the size or quality of the trackpad as long as the pointing stick is working well. And in this the Thinkpad series have always excelled.Still, I agree that 4GB is stingy this day and age, but paired with a quick SSD it will outlast the 3 years or so the laptop is supposed to be in use in a corporate setting. The only thing that worry me is if we see a huge shift in the use of virtualization, and the expected increase of memory that will follow. 8/16GB would increase the longevity of the laptop although, and so it's a bit sad a saving in the $50 range could cut several year from the expected lifetime of the laptop.
Anyway, I understand the position of the X1 well, it's a stylish Thinkpad. For those asking for extended battery life, a better display, more power or whatever Lenovo offer a huge range of different models to cater to those wishes.
CSMR - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
Lenovo has some great products but this is not one of them. Poor quality screen at a steep price.Daniel Egger - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
Not going to buy Lenovo ever again after the disaster with the breaking displays on the X121e which Lenovo simply declared as a customer problem because you're according to Lenovo not supposed to carry a laptop just like that in a regular laptop bag. ThinkPad is just not a decent brand anymore as it used to be.Belard - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
Still better than most... and when you call tech support, you're talking to someone who speaks ENGLISH.Belard - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
Folks should keep in mind that its only the ThinkPad T-Series that is considered their TOP-END. The X1 is not a work-horse, never designed to be one.The ThinkPad T430s series is their thin serious computers (1" thick) but from experience, its still better to get the regular T-Series. its .5" thicker, far easier to service and about $200 less. And those we regular screens come with Windows7Pro by default.
noeldillabough - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
The screen on my T520 sucks compared to the one on my X230...one is a corporate buy so its probably not the upgraded screen but still. Here's hoping the future is bright on screens and there are no more 768 pixel high screens anymore.Belard - Sunday, May 19, 2013 - link
The higher end screen looks better... none of them are as bright as the glossy screens. I'd take that over having the screen have the mirror look.Johnmcl7 - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
"The X1 Carbon is further evidence of the consumerization of the ThinkPad line; the chiclet keyboard may be the best you can find, but it's still a chiclet keyboard"I don't understand this statement, what is the but for? I've used a variety of Thinkpad machines over the years and I find their current generation of chiclet keyboards both on their smaller and larger machines to be the best they've made. I find them comfortable to type on with better speed and accuracy than previous machines and users of the machines at work have made similar comments so I don't see how having a better keyboard is a 'but' regardless of whether you're an enterprise or home user. Yes, it may not be the classic Thinkpad keyboard but Lenovo have to move forwards.
I normally don't mind trackpads but their current one is horrible, I don't know what they were thinking as the button action doesn't work very well. I would have preferred they just left the trackpoint as with the older x200 as I end using the trackpoint anyway but with the trackpad there tend to default to it first then remember how bad it is and switch to the trackpoint.
John
noeldillabough - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
Yeah I was VERY worried when the x230 came with a new keyboard, having used the old school keyboard for so many years. But after using it I realize the keyboard is GREAT! I hope they keep this in mind, if they mess up the keyboard it will be time to move to another manufacturer.chubbypanda - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
What makes it difficult to review this laptop is its name. This isn't real ThinkPad (same as ThinkPad Edge, better than majority of consumer-grade production but not quite there). No upgrades possible including battery, no docking station connector. But for an ultrabook, it's pretty solid machine. If you want ThinkPad, you buy X or T series. It's obvious from interview with Lenovo designers last year:Otsuka: I'd like to make a successor to the X300.
That may have been Lenovo's goal with the original X1. But personally when I refer to a successor to the X300 I mean a conventional Classic series product with well-balanced attributes.
The X300 has a perfect balance of size and weight, despite providing expandability for the optical disk drive and battery. I'd like to make a product like that. I think that would be a product faithful to the Classic series pedigree.
In contrast, I'd compare the X1 Carbon to a Formula 1 car with leading-edge specs. It can't drive on public roads. I'd like to make the successor to the X300 a compact, all-round sports car that applies Formula 1 technology but can still drive on public roads.
The T4X0s and original X1 were actually products that utilized the technology in the X300. Now with the X1 Carbon we've moved up a step. We still have a lot of challenges ahead of us.
(see http://blog.lenovo.com/design/developers-on-the-x1...
Hopefully this suggests there is X230 successor coming and it's going to be that ThinkPad we know and enjoy. Fingers crossed!
hasseb64 - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
Hope Haswell really is improving things for this market. (been disappointed so many times before by Intel)These "Ultrabooks" are not good enogh products.
Better battery, less emissions, more power and every little single technical detail must be perfect, then people may find "Wintel" products enyoyable again.
deeps6x - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
I saw the article, and was hoping that this might be a Haswell sneak peek. No? Darn. Kept reading. Came to this: "It's a 14" Ultrabook, but it hopefully heralds more of the kinds of designs we can look forward to in the 14" and up Ultrabook bracket." and was thinking, 'well, maybe it still has some redeeming qualities'. But then I saw the spec sheet. Shitty resolution, glossy display. Dead stop. No need to read any more. Jumped to the comments.I will give them props for using a 5GHz wifi chip. $3 well spent in the BOM. Any 2013 laptop maker that doesn't include this must not want sales. Any 2013 laptop manufacturer that thinks a checkmark next to 'glossy screen' and 'touch screen' is a positive, is to be avoided at all costs. They should be forced to use their junk in perpetuity. I'm thinking this must be one of Dante's hell levels. Right?
nportelli - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
Why do all 14in laptops only have 900p display tops? Yet smaller 13in ones have 1080p? Seems silly. And only 4gb? For that price?Sm0kes - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
Quite simply, cost. OEM's don't think they need to offer a more compelling display if it only a small percentage of customers care. I'd be willing to bet the bulk of Lenovo's X1 sales were through the enterprise IT channel. Those buyers are typically only focused on price.It's only the likes of Apple, Asus, Sony (and now Toshiba) that continue to raise the collective display bar. It's shocking it still hasn't caught on, but it's getting better.
danjw - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
Any review of a big OEM's computers should include a list of spamware that is pre-installed. So everyone knows how much work it will be to uninstall the junk. Also a section on how easy it is to remove would be nice too. I know, in a previous job I had, we had a Dell lab computer that shipped with security software that needed to be patched to even be able to uninstall it. Since this system was one we used for testing, it was a real pain in the butt, since we were regularly re-setting it to the state it came from Dell.Kornfeld - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
I have to take issue with a number of items in this review. I certainly think the price on the X1 Carbon Touch is high, but it is being compared to other devices that aren't like for like. If you're going to compare the XPS 13 to an equivalent Lenovo product, then it should be compared to the X1 Carbon, not the touch version. The non-touch version weighs under 3.00 lb and seems to run about $130 USD less compared to similar configurations for the Touch models. I can understand that this review wasn't for the non-Touch version, but it still seems unethical to make such comparisons without at least adding some caveats regarding the disparate features of the products.There is also a few comments regarding enterprise features that are lacking in the X1 Carbon Touch.
I don't understand why some of these things are being brought up. AnandTech has never really properly evaluated enterprise features of laptops. If you want to talk about Enterprise features, you probably need to start with listing what features you consider to be relevant to Enterprise usage. For me, this involves a number of items including: product lifecycle, global availability of the system, serviceability of parts, vPro support, support for BIOS changes via script or some other tool, Ethernet for OS deployment, and PXE boot support for OS deployment (either via USB Ethernet or wired Ethernet). You could even evaluate enterprise support provided for related utilities, like whether or not the vendor provides admin templates to manage utilities via Group Policy. The default warranty should not be considered an Enterprise issue. As long as the vendor provides warranty options that are well matched for the Enterprise, that is the only real factor. Beyond that, it's really a matter of pricing for the specific warranty options. Why is the chicklet keyboard being mentioned as a consumer feature? Both Dell and Lenovo are switching their enterprise products to this style of keyboard. It may be a trend that started in the consumer space, but there's no reason provided as to why this would be considered less well suited for Enterprise environments.
herzigma - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
According to other reviews, the non-touch Carbon gets substantially better (~2 hours?) battery life and ways less than 3 lbs. I wonder if that model would do better in the above review?Also, I wish it were smaller! I travel too much so an 11" machine is totally worthwhile.
zsero - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
I have been a huge Thinkpad fan, but if I were to buy an ultrabook, I'd definitely buy a Samsung Series 9 these days. Is there any chance of a 900X3E review one day? 1.1 kg!!!, 1920x1080 IPS screen, upgradable RAM and SSD (once you open up the machine).Bob-o - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
The 15" Series 9 has upgradable RAM, but I think the 13" is soldered on. Both have upgradable drives though (mSATA on 13", not sure about 15" off the top of my head).zsero - Thursday, May 16, 2013 - link
The 13 inch has a free RAM slot as well!Gunbuster - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
"In and Around the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon"Can you please not call it in and around if you are not going to show any of the "in"
Hulk - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
This computer is close to what I want. It has the right form factor and other features but it needs two things in my opinion.1. IPS screen
2. Quad core - I'm hoping that Haswell will bring quad that will be suitable for these larger ultrabooks. I don't care if it throttles down to 1GHz as long as with proper air space/cooling/power it can throttle up. I'm hoping to see 25W quads with Haswell and 17W quads with Broadwell. Until then I think I'll just stick with my 2006 Dell 640m T7200.
landerf - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
I thought this was a mouse pad or something going by the picture.darwinosx - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
If the Lenovo is the Widows equivalent of a Mac that's pretty bad. Lenovo makes cheap junk and supports it the same way. They do not deserve the Thinkpad name for those of us who owned real Thinkpad's in the past. Apple's laptops just destroy this one not least because they use a modern OS and have premium build quality, screen's service and support.dave_the_nerd - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
This ultrabook is making my pants fit funny.underpass - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
Something often overlooked (especially when the Mac fans get in on the fun) is that you could use this laptop as a Frisbee in the park on your lunch break and still use it for your afternoon hacking marathon. Most (if not all) of the ThinkPad line passes MIL-SPEC 810F certification for ruggedness. Also customer service for the ThinkPad line is excellent, as are the extra warranties they offer (multi-year accidental damage). Typical turn-around time for a repair is ~2-3 days. These features are huge pluses for the corporate or professional environment, which is why you still see a lot of ThinkPads in these places. Including the international space station and (former) space shuttle missions. As for the X1 Carbon specifically (I have a non-touch version with an i7), the ONLY complaint I have about it is that damned chicklet keyboard. It may be the best chicklet keyboard around, but it will never reach the 'Legendary' status of the classic ThinkPad keyboard.underpass - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
PS. The battery life isn't great, but it charges insanely fast. I think Anandtech should have a 'charge-off' between the popular ultrabooks.peterfares - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
Thank you for finally starting to call out the pathetic 4GB RAM manufactures are using in expensive machines! When a $800 laptop in 2009 had 4GB RAM there is no reason anything above $500 should come with just 4GB RAM.Whenever I mention this I always get a bunch of deranged replies stating that there's no reason to have more than 4GB RAM.
gobaers - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
Lenovo needs to fork their Thinkpad line into two, one for enterprise (what "Thinkpad" used to be) and one for consumer/prosumer. I thought the "Thinkpad Edge" branding would have been good for this. Taken as such, this should be called the "Thinkpad Edge X1."If they want to keep using "Thinkpad" the way they have been the past few years, why not separate out a line called "Thinkpad Pro" for diehards like me? Give us an X series, a couple T series, and a workstation replacement W series. Give us the keyboard back, magnesium rollcage design, IPS displays, charge $1800 for it. Roll back the numbers a bit; I want mine to be called Thinkpad Pro T30s. It has Haswell.
A guy can dream...
Mumrik - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
Dustin, I have a suggestion.Anandtech is a general hardware site, so you don't have to review all laptops. How about just making it a rule that you unless special circumstances are in place simply won't review laptops with 1366x768 or lower resolution?
JFish222 - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
Stay Away!I purchased 2 of these for my company (about 3 months apart.)
Normally I would never buy a non-upgradable & difficult to service laptop for the company, but what management wants . . .
The newer of the two laptops had its battery stop holding a charge after about 6 months of use. The older unit's battery stopped holding a charge 5 days after the 1yr warranty expired. Lenovo will not replace it and referred us to a local 3rd party service center (who wants ~$600).
I can't speak on the newer unit, but the older unit that just crapped out shows 84 cycles on the battery. The only good thing out of the whole mess: Management will stop arguing with me when I say no (for now at least). A T430S is close in weight and size, and lacks the repair / mid-cycle upgrade headaches that are sure to happen in any environment.
How they every marketed this to businesses is beyond me!
PS: Only good thing about Lenovo (besides the T series) is they document the hell out of everything. Replacing the batt. will be a headache, but is doable. Anyone who's repaired a laptop shouldn't have to much difficulty, and the service manual tells you exactly what components to remove to get to it.
some_guy - Thursday, May 16, 2013 - link
This is the kind of info I was looking for. Thanks.I am still waiting for something that is closer to my T60 notebooks with the 4:3 SXGA+, nice keyboard, TrackPoint, and runs Linux, though some compromise seems necessary. Perhaps the next version of the Chromebook Pixel.
Belard - Sunday, May 19, 2013 - link
Nobody is making 4:3 screens. 16:10 was fine... but now its 16:9... it sucks. And when I'm ready for the next monitor upgrade... it will be 16:9 ugh... but it will be at least 2560x1400 res (I'd like for it to be 2560x1600 thou)... and be only 27" to get the higher dot pitch.jmsb - Saturday, May 18, 2013 - link
"stopped holding a charge 5 days after the 1yr warranty expired"The x1 carbon has only been out since August 2012 - 9 months at best.
Belard - Sunday, May 19, 2013 - link
There are other Carbon series notebooks.eviljav - Thursday, May 16, 2013 - link
The keyboard layout is terrible. The should put page up and page down back in the top right corner, in a block with delete, home, & end.CrazyElf - Thursday, May 16, 2013 - link
Yeah, it's really the price that kills this laptop. It's not a bad laptop per se, but for the money ... it's really hard to justify.One huge advantage I suppose of getting this over the Mac is that laptops like these are more durable - Lenovo Thinkpads in general are well built (although their cooling solutions could be better). I think they do pass MIL-SPEC 810F (not 100% on this one).
Battery is just so, so. And for the price they ask, I expect a better LCD panel.
CrazyElf - Thursday, May 16, 2013 - link
I wonder if they cheaped out on the battery - not able to hold a charge after only a handful of cycles. This is an example of saving a few dollars here and there for a laptop that costs over a thousand dollars.Hrel - Thursday, May 16, 2013 - link
At 1200 bucks I would expect AT LEAST:8GBx1 DDR3 1600 RAM. A 256GB/240GB SSD. Wireless a/c 5Ghz. Then if they could fit a larger battery in it, 54Wh for instance, that would help a lot too.
For $1320 I expect better specs than these...
Not a bad system, just not suited well in the market; especially with Haswell right around the corner.
boe - Thursday, May 16, 2013 - link
If this thing was about 1lb lighter and had a higher resolution screen, I'd be interestedsmilingcrow - Thursday, May 16, 2013 - link
The Dell XPS 14 was mentioned but the screen is a washed out mess worthy of a laptop less than half its price. Its a poor TN panel with its one saving grace being the resolution of 1600x900.The XPS 12 and 13 in contrast have wonderful 1080P IPS panels. What were Dell thinking!
relativityboy - Thursday, May 16, 2013 - link
In your review you said "High resolution" that's HILARIOUS!WTH? Did someone pay you to say that?
frakkel - Friday, May 17, 2013 - link
I love the x series. But why did they go for 16:9 format. I dont buy a labtop for watching movies. Please go back to screens with a more square layout e.g. 4:3 or at least 16:10Belard - Sunday, May 19, 2013 - link
Yep... I miss the 16:10 screens like my current 5+ year old ThinkPads. To give you an idea of the height loss. a 14" 16:10 has the same height as the 15" 16:9 - I noticed this during their transition from the two aspect ratios. So we went with the older 14" model which results in a smaller and lighter notebook.A major reason Lenovo went with 16:9 is that they still have to get their displays from a supplier. And because everything is 16:9, it costs LESS money. To go with the 16:10 could had $50~100 to the costs or more because of mass-production.
At least they still make screens that are NOT gloddy.
crispbp04 - Friday, May 17, 2013 - link
The use of the term "kit" to refer to hardware is driving me, in the words of Gwen Stefani, B-A-N-A-N-A-S.coastwalker - Saturday, May 18, 2013 - link
Hardware Enterprise vendors are in a difficult situation. Windows 8 is destroying their market. No business with any sense is going to buy the consumer mobile phone interface that Windows 8 is. This is great news because it probably means that we can switch back to Apple again like we did in the 80s. I cant wait!Shinobi_III - Sunday, May 19, 2013 - link
What's the point of 5Ghz wifi anyway? You point it out as absurd that it's not included.But it doesn't offer more performance, and the range is atrocious.
I have a wifi router from Asus with both, and 5Ghz is 75% signal one room off, and doesn't even work down stairs. The 2.4G works out in the garage!
RoslynWan12 - Wednesday, May 22, 2013 - link
Christian. I just agree... Dawn`s storry is exceptional... I just got Acura since I been bringin in $8000 this-last/five weeks and over $10k this past-munth. this is definitely the nicest work I've had. I began this 3 months ago and almost straight away startad making at least $82.. p/h. I follow the instructions here, Bow6.comTAKE A LOOKVespussi - Tuesday, October 1, 2013 - link
love this laptop. I acquired this laptop from work as an upgrade from a HP elitebook 8440p, and what a difference in mobility.