New Thinkpad X1 Pics

[LenovoGringo]

Just saw this on an international website:



13.3" screen "HD" with 350 nits (compared to 300 nits on the X220 IPS), but there doesn't seem to be an IPS panel option (unlike the X220 on the same ad).
SSD is no surprise considering the thinness of the system
I'm very glad that they decided to include SD slots.
Odd that no dimensions are included considering that it is the main selling point.
The Chiclet keyboard ( 6 row instead of the traditional 7?) with nav/vol buttons on the side is easily visible as is the new buttonless trackpad.
Due to the new keyboard design, seems to me that will belong in the "Edge/X1xx/SMB" rather than the traditional Thinkpad system lineup.
A worthy X3xx successor? I don't know about that. It's almost like comparing apples to oranges. I now see why they went with X1 instead of X320.
A slightly larger pic is available on the link.

Original Link: http://www.thinkpadcenter.ch/index.php? ... &Itemid=70

EDIT: Found another pic.

[penartur]

Yes, it looks like X120e on steroids.
The key factors now are the weight and the price. It should be really light and relatively cheap to compensate weak (i believe non-replaceable) battery. Otherwise, i cannot see it competing with X220.
However, considering i5-2520M alone is $225, i doubt such X1 will be really cheap.

Well... another item in the list "You should consider looking at ThinkPads... except for Edge, L/SL, X100e/X120e and X1".

[Bloody Nokia Adept]

Well done, LenovoGringo!

It seems like you shared another scion in ThinkPad family with us: it is no so boxy as X/T/W series which could be treated as too squared nowadays, it is not too fancy as most of Edges are. As for me, Lenovo's design center makes another try to shift classic look-n-feel away from "corporate black box" as we knew for decades. This time it is not as radical as their experiments with Edge design but still it is different, a lot: hinges seems not to be metal, screen seems to be glossy, keyboard seems to be chicklet... but still -- it is a ThinkPad without any doubts! I'm sticking to X220 this time but I will look after this pretty beast

penartur, don't be so radical I'm totally agree with your point about ThinkPads line to be washed out by such sort of newcomers. Why not let Lenovo to experiment with the design? Still, there are X/T/W black boxes that keep bringing the spirit of ancient for us! You still have a choice, don't you?

[ssd_thinkpad]

I expect this in the 2.000 to 3.000 USD price range as the x300.

[LenovoGringo]

^^^ Probably right about that. The SDD is not going to help either.

They better try to lower the price though, with the X220 and 13" Edge being cheaper, much more versatile, (and lighter? and with IPS option?), not many people will buy the X1. It will suffer the same fate as the X300/301. Lenovo, do you know why the Macbook Air is a success? It's because it costs LESS than the starting Pro line (MBA = $1000 vs MBP = $1200) and features discreet graphics to boot (but its mainly the price point)! Let me reiterate that last point: The MBA is 20% cheaper while including a SDD!

To be frank (and fair) the X1 (with an SDD) should be cheaper than the X220 (with a standard HDD) if Lenovo follows Apple's pricing logic (the latter which still retains their original ultraportable platform as a testimony to their success). (Wow, that was a lot of parentheses!)

After all, the X1 is touted to be a MBA killer. If that's the case, if has to compete in a similar price point. No point in over-designing a 0.5" supercomputer that does your homework and answers Jeopordy questions and then say - "look at me - MBA killer!" - if it costs $5 million. The X300 offered way more options for the customer over the MBA that justified its high price point, but the X1 is basically the same (save for a trackpoint rather than a kick a$$ trackpad) as the MBA right down to the non-removable batt and chiclet keyboard. Now, who in the world would spend $1000 more just to add a trackpoint when you can get a MBA and run Windows and OS X? The MBA would probably beat the X1 in the graphics department as well as being thinner to boot. Trackpads apparently sell better than trackpoints anyways, so even if Lenovo decided to price the X1 at $1000 AND added discreet graphics, people will probably still go for the Mac. My point is that a $2000 price point will kill the X1 line in no time.

[ssd_thinkpad]

The MBA can run Windows, but battery life time is much shorter than with OS X when the system is running idle.

The options we see in the screenshot as cpu, ssd, ram show us a model in the upper 1.500 USD price range at least.

[LenovoGringo]

^^^ I'm with you there. No arguments .

Everyone (esp PC enthus) seems to talk about the "Apple Tax," about how Apple products are not good "bang for the buck" type deals. I'm not trying to ignite a PC vs Apple war, but if that is the case, why can they provide better products at cheaper prices than Lenovo? The answer is obvious - they sell 10 -100 times more products. But still, you would expect that the "Lenovo tax" would be on par or cheaper than the "Apple Tax" right? Isn't that economics 101?

[sanjuro]

A MBA killer! Yes, the MBA is a killer. It will kill the thinkpad x1 and other MBA competitors.

[Q-Ball]

I can also see why they went with X1: it's nowhere near as functional or useful as the X30x series.
These are those differences:

1.) No DVD/CD drive. This is what makes the X30x series worth a look, if you need a super-slim laptop, because you don't need some bulky base because Lenovo doesn't want to chance some circuitry around to fit one. This laptop doesn't have it.

2.) 16:9. Not that I can really complain about this but the X30x series had better resolution than this laptop does (1440 x 900 vs 1366 x 768) all in a 13.3" frame.

3.) Keyboard. This is the issue that ensures that I will never buy this or suggest it to someone who wants a good keyboard. You do not mess with perfection. Good ThinkPad keyboards aren't in danger of running out of supply (unlike 4:3/16:10 screens) so why not use the perfect solution instead of the sub-par one? Let Macs appeal to the hipsters and let ThinkPads appeal to the people who want a solid laptop that does work and does it well.


They should call this computer the X120s. The s is for slim, speed, etc. (like the T420s, X200s, etc.).
They should do that so that people won't get the idea that this is a real ThinkPad.
I expect this computer to start in the $650 dollar range for an X1i (Core i3-2130M) and go up to around $1200 for the fully-loaded model.

I just don't see anyone getting this over a real sub-light like the X220. I just don't. This doesn't offer anything else and is a step backwards as far as useability is concerned. I can see this selling to those who want a faster X120 but anyone who wants to do actual work on one is going to step up to one with an actually good keyboard.

[penartur]

I expect this in the 2.000 to 3.000 USD price range as the x300.

It cannot compete with X300 because of:
1) Lack of ultrabay;
2) Supposedly non-replaceable battery;
3) Lower resolution;
4) Poorer keyboard;
5) Supposedly higher weight (X100e/X120e is about the same or even heavier than X300/X301, and this is supposedly larger brother of X120e).

Even if it is as light as X300, i doubt that someone will pay $2000-$3000 for this when they could get cute X220 with an IPS screen for $1000 or not-so-cute T420s for $1200.

Hell, is there something that X1 could offer over the $1000 MBA?

I guess that if it will ever be released, the price will be about $700.

Why not let Lenovo to experiment with the design?

They are free to experiment with the design, i'm only against them calling such experiments a thinkpads.

Still, there are X/T/W black boxes that keep bringing the spirit of ancient for us! You still have a choice, don't you?

I often recommend some people to look at thinkpads when they're in search of laptop. However, when giving such an advice i should warn them against the ever-growing list of non-thinkpads called thinkpads.

Good ThinkPad keyboards aren't in danger of running out of supply (unlike 4:3/16:10 screens) so why not use the perfect solution instead of the sub-par one?

Good thinkpad keyboards are rather thick. In order to kill MBA one should shove off every mm (keyboard, ultrabay, optical drive, HDD, rigid chassis...)

[pianowizard]

The X1 uses a very different naming system than the X***. Do any of you know whether this means Lenovo is going to discontinue the X*** lines in the near future, and replace them with this new X Series? I hope not, because there is nothing about this X1 that I like.

[erik]

The X1 uses a very different naming system than the X***. Do any of you know whether this means Lenovo is going to discontinue the X*** lines in the near future, and replace them with this new X Series? I hope not, because there is nothing about this X1 that I like.

the X1 is in addition to, not in replacement of, the current X-series format.

[sanjuro]

Instead of reviving X300/301 platform as a so called Macbook Air killer, I think that Lenovo is going with X100 platform because of cost consideration. X300/301 was priced $2K+, making it uncompetitive against MBA without a heavy discount. WIth a heavy discount, Lenovo probably wasn't making much money.

By pitching a modified X100 as X1 and a MBA competitor, Lenovo is likely figuring that it will have a greater profit margin and potential over reviving X300/1. This is a bad move since there really isn't much difference between X100 and other comparable notebooks. So it will likely get lost in the shuffle unless as a volume seller in some developing country with a huge population.

[LenovoGringo]

Lenovo seems to be following now instead of leading. You are not going to sell projects very well that way. Apple's innovation has allowed them to sell boatloads without even having a diverse product lineup, they focus on user interaction more than anything else (bright great screens, innovative touch input, slim/simple products). When people are browsing a store, it is user interaction that they focus on. The X3xx had horrible screens that was never recitifed and was probably the thing that put most people (like me) off.

Thinkpads are functional. That's why they sell, that's why there's a cult. IMHO, the X300/301 was the perfect laptop, save for the screen, which was a huge dissapointment. It really didn't a "full" redesign. A tablet version would have been killer and a dream at a 12.1" size (but price would have been an issue). Speaking of price, I pretty sure that a X320 would be much cheaper relatively today. SSDs have come a LONG way in price and performance since the X300 era and using a low mobile processor and graphics (similar to the lower X220 platforms) would result in a price premium of $300-$500 at most (compared to X220/MBA). I think it would sell since it offers way more in an ultraportable (ultrabay/multiple I/Os, lower weight, etc) than the competition. In that regard the X300 was too far ahead of its time.

We'll just have to wait and see how the X1 stacks up.

EDIT: Maybe I should put up a poll or something, but is there any interest on a "proper" X320? The community rallied for IPS for awhile and at least we know someone at Lenovo listens!

[Roger99]

EDIT: Maybe I should put up a poll or something, but is there any interest on a "proper" X320? The community rallied for IPS for awhile and at least we know someone at Lenovo listens!

That's EXACTLY what I want. An X300 update with the same case and same keyboard, but with a better screen and the Sandy Bridge processor. I have $$$ waiting!

[Q-Ball]

+1 to an X320.

It should be more possible now:
-They've evidently got a supplier for IPS screens so that won't be a problem
-There exist mSATA SSDs now, and Lenovo's got a good supply of the 80 GB model, so no need for a hard drive (could exist as an option)
-Sandy Bridge processors are more powerful and emit less heat, and have decent graphics capabilities as well
-Battery life with Sandy Bridge is greatly improved vs. Core 2 Duo and Core iX (Arrandale) processors for the same amount of cells
-Slice battery also feasible

It does need to be cheaper than it was, though: maybe 100 to 200 more than a T420s/X220?
Then, when it's perfect, release a tablet version of it, and when methods are perfected replace the X2xx line since X3xx would have more functionality than an X2xx for around the same cost to manufacture (come on... we don't want to tote a dock around for the X220).

[LenovoGringo]

Yeah, I wish there was a tablet version of the X30x series. I know that many others agree with that assessment. A super thin, robust, multifunctional convertible Thinkpad tablet! Now that's leading, not following.

EDIT: Kind of off topic, but does anyone know anything about the status of the main blog page? It hasn't been updated in a LONG time. It's also usually the (my) source/link to Lenovo product polls....