X100e 1st impressions w/AMD Athlon Neo L335 Dual Core model

[underclocker]

My first impressions.

The X100e is a fine, well-equipped, travel or around-the-house small laptop or netbook. I'd say it straddles the netbook/sub-notebook category very well. When I'm using it, I'd say it's a logical evolutionary replacement for the X60s that it replaced. I've had X-series machines for nearly a decade, starting with the X22, moving to the X40, then to the X60s. I wouldn't go back to any, since each had additional features or more power, which I found useful.

So it certainly seems like a laptop when its open and in use. However, it certainly looks and feels like a netbook when closed. It is very small and compact.

I picked up the 3508-AAU because I wanted a model that included the Gobi 2000 carrier selectable WWAN adapter and the L335 CPU. The 3508-9EU is identical but also includes a Bluetooth 2.1 adpater. However, the price was considerably higher for the 9EU due to current promotions on the AAU. I did a little HMM research and figured that any Bluetooth 2.1 module from a T400/T500 or newer would work in the X100e, plus the X100e doesn't use a clearplate with icons, so all I'd need to do was install the adapter. That turned out to be true. I installed a BT adapter from a T500 and it works perfectly (FRU: 42T0969 - not listed in the X100e HMM).

Of late, there has been plenty of discussion on what is or isn't a "real" ThinkPad. I think "real" is a state of mind for each owner, but I'd say no, the X100e isn't a real ThinkPad in the sense that most people would not say "yes it is" if you placed it in there hands. Why not? Several little things;

-the keyboard, although excellent, doesn't have normal TP key mechanisms
-no ThinkLight (hard to believe Lenovo left this out!)
-no FingerPrint Reader option
-no blue ThinkVantage button
-the LCD cover feels and looks very inexpensive, even below R5x series grade plastic
-you can't disable the touchpad in the BIOS

Most of all, it's the feel, while the X22 through the X60s felt like $2,000 machines (and they may have been), this one feels like a $600 machine (which it is).

All that being said, it's still plenty ThinkPad like, with ThinkPad logos (that seem too big for the palmrest and cover), a ThinkPad boot splashscreen, ThinkPad BIOS, ThinkVantage tools including Active Protection System for the hard disk, a trackpoint and touchpad, ThinkPad color scheme of black with red and blue keyboard highlights, and it uses the same 20v AC adapters.

Performance
I have to admit, for basic computing tasks including using MS Office, I'd say it's as fast as the X60s it replaced. It certainly doesn't seem any slower. With an Intel X25-M SSD, it is extremely quick. In fact the Windows Experience rating for the disk is the highest I've personally seen at 7.5 (it is still high with the stock 250GB 5400rpm disk at 5.7). The X100e must use the full SATA-300 throughput, which the X60s did not.

LCD
I suppose 11.6" is about the perfect size for HD resolution (1366 x 768). I don't like giving up rows to width, but it's not my choice at this point. The LCD is very bright but I was initially disappointed with the picture, it looked washed out and it had very poor vertical viewing angles. Thankfully, I discovered that turning off the new ATI Vari-Bright feature fixed the viewing angle issue and scaling back the gamma from 1.0 to .80 corrected the saturation issue. Now the LCD is as good as any other typical LCD. Before the tweaks, it appeared at the low end of what I've seen. (Note: Vari-Bright apparently saves power.)

Feel, Features, Battery Life, Heat
As I mentioned above, the LCD cover finish doesn't measure up to my expectations for a ThinkPad. Other than that, the machine feels and appears quite solid, from the LCD bezel to the keyboard to the palmrest to the bottom cover (which is a great design, the entire bottom is removable, allowing access for any upgrade). It does not feel like it would be easily damaged, as the both the X40 and X60s did. It comes with a ThinkPad 65w AC adapter.

The features are outstanding. The 11.6" bright, widescreen LCD (about the smallest I'd like to use on any regular basis), a built-in webcam, BGN, ABGN or WiMax w/ABGN, Gobi 2000 WWAN, Bluetooth, 2.5" SATA drive, three efficient CPU choices, two memory slots, Ethernet port, microphone, mic/headphone port, SD memory slot, VGA port, 3 USB 2 ports and 3 or 6 cell battery options. It doesn't have any advanced ports like eSata, DVI, DisplayPort, USB3, but I knew that going in. The keyboard is big and has excellent feel. Basically, it is exactly what I was looking for in a travel machine.

Regarding battery life, I'm seeing over 4 hours with the six cell battery. This seems adequate. I've read reviews where the life was shorter or even with 4-5 hours it was seen as too little, but the machine is quite powerful and when I need more, I bring a second battery (or an AC adapter). I also think that perhaps recent BIOS updates, driver updates and/or the L335 CPU has helped improve battery life.

Weight is right at 3.3lbs. with the six cell and 3lbs. with the three cell. I'd love it to weigh less, but it's a reasonable weight.

Heat was my greatest fear about buying the X100e. Thankfully, it was mostly unfounded. I will state that my X100e runs warm, but not hot. And I've run HD trailers repeatedly to test it. Mine simply does not run hot. The fan will spool up and blow out hot air, but the machine is never hot to the touch. The fan which runs often on low speed, even at full bore, isn't loud, the design is very good. The fan exhaust port is very well located, on the upper left side, as far away from you as possible on a tiny machine. I am comparing the heat to other ThinkPads that I've owned which were hot. The bottom of the T41p, T42p, T43p get hot. The palmrest of an X60s gets hot. This X100e top or bottom doesn't get that hot. It gets and stays warm, but not hot.

Features most missed? The ThinkLight, fingerprint reader and a hard disk activity LED.

Best unexpected feature? The sound card!!! With all my past X-series machines I needed the Echo Indigo PC Card to listen to movies or music on airplanes because the volume output was so low, at 100% movie were barely audible. The X100e has very high headphone volume output. With the volume at only 50%, I can enjoy a movie on an airplane. This is huge, especially for a travel machine!

Bottom line, I think I'll keep it! At least for a while. It doesn't have the look, feel or performance of an X201 or X201s, but it wasn't $2000. For it's purpose, I'd say Lenovo hit the nail on the head with this one.

[codek]

good review. I was looking for a good review of the x100e on this site. I think most people agree with you. Good bang for the buck laptop.

[jvarszegi]

Good review. I don't miss the fingerprint reader, and don't think that it is a core Thinkpad feature, but we can agree to disagree there. I wish that the webcam were replaced with a Thinklight, that the top surface (back of the LCD cover) was perfectly flat and not curved, that the machine was covered in rubbery Thinkpad paint, and that they'd offered CULV options. The new Edge 11" is even closer to being perfect, except for the aluminum strip and the fact it won't initially be offered in the US. For what it is, for me-- a mobile typing and browsing machine-- I love my X100e and think that in many ways it's superior to the X201.

[Colonel O'Neill]

Indeed. I want an X201 styled X100. However, given the lower-grade consumer material they use in the X100e, the curvature is intentional so it can support more weight. The same arch was introduced in the T400 (some people believed it was a defect) but was later justified by Lenovo's engineering team somewhere on the Lenovo blogs.

I'd like the ThinkLight too; it can't be too hard to implement, can it? I like the keyboard keys, but I don't like the keyboard layout; I'd prefer some ingenious way of fitting the traditional keyboard layout (the chiclet mechanism is pretty good) into the 11.6" frame, but that would likely cost the touchpad. I'd still prefer the traditional layout and no touchpad.

My X100e runs fairly hot. I'll probably see if the thermal paste can be easily replaced.