ThinkPad X300: The Pursuit of Perfection
The Lenovo design and engineering team has been working on this one for well over a year. It started out as a idea: let’s build the most advanced ThinkPad ever, in the thinnest and lightest package possible. What a great opportunity to exercise the world class technical capabilities of the Lenovo team. The best engineers and designers thrive on challenges like this. Who wouldn’t?
I was fortunate to have met Steve Hamm from BusinessWeek magazine early in the process and shared with him several design concepts that we were working on. Steve was so interested in the work we were doing that he asked to become a “fly on the wall” for the entire development cycle. Wow. A journalist integrated into the Lenovo inner workings was a totally new idea with lots potential reward, but also risk. After a few interesting discussions we decided to bring him into the fray.
Yesterday the article resulting from this endeavour went live on the BusinessWeek website. Steve tells the story much better there than I could ever do. I hope you enjoy the peek behind the curtain into the development of what I believe is the best ThinkPad we have ever made. We are one giant step closer to perfect.
David Hill
Lenovo Meet the Modder Dean Liou
Lenovo Meet the modder- Chris Blarsky Dairy 2
Lenovo Meet the modder- Chris Blarsky Dairy 1
Lenovo H320 desktop
February 15th, 2008 12:45 pm
For those who like the picture in the post, head to our Flickr account and you can find it there in high resolution glory.
February 15th, 2008 12:47 pm
The X300 is truly a great feat of engineering and carries forward the tradition of the Thinkpad series. A 3-lb Thinkpad with the best keyboard ever, multitude of ports and connectivity options, integrated DVD burner – ah, life couldn’t possibly get better! Now, if only it was available with a regular HDD option instead of SSD only
I can’t help but compare this to the MacBook Air, though! As a working professional that spends my time on the road instead of at the neighborhood Starbucks, the X300 is what you want by your side!
David, kudos to you and your team in NC and Japan for this wonderful new laptop! Go Team Lenovo!
February 15th, 2008 12:53 pm
Bravo With X300. Great Job.
Now to bring the LED back light to the rest of the Thinkpad line.
February 15th, 2008 1:11 pm
You finally officially confirm this thing.
Well it appears as if you put a lot of effort into this one, but the question is…what are you replacing with this, the T line or the X line?
(An 11 inch 1024×768 version would have been ace, but I’m not complaining.)
February 15th, 2008 1:31 pm
Wow! This looks really promising, Please use HIGH QUALITY screens with (high) resolution and don’t mess up on the actual production…
I will start to save on money for this “one’.
February 15th, 2008 2:22 pm
What will be the fastest CPU that the X300 can support?
February 15th, 2008 2:49 pm
The new Kodachi aka ThinkPad X300 looks very promising. – I’am glad to see, that David Hill and the whole Lenovo team have put in their efforts and hard work to develop a completely new and possibly more sophisticated ThinkPad model.
I followed the tracks of the Kodachi now for some time…
–> http://www.notebook-foren.de/b.....php?t=9958
…and can’t wait to see it in reality, in order to give it a serious working tryout.
It will also be interesting to see how the market adapts to it and of course, as Mark Hopkins already said at another place in the Lenovo forum, how the long term impressions with this new X300 will be.
February 15th, 2008 3:13 pm
If it had ThinkLight i would’ve bought it to replace my beloved T61 i guess ill wait for the T62 anyhow Thinkpad X300 is a great notebook i hope it will maintain Thinkpads legendary quality.
February 15th, 2008 5:11 pm
You put the stripes back!
Two words: Thank you!
-Jan
February 15th, 2008 6:31 pm
It’s nice to see a very thin, light laptop that was actually aimed at the business market about to hit the streets. Thanks for not wasting our time by providing both form and function, unlike the MacBook Air. I believe that the people who buy the X300 will be the people who avoided buying the Air, so I don’t think it matters that the Air came out first.
- Chris
February 15th, 2008 6:52 pm
The X300 has the brightest ThinkLight ever made. It works great.
February 15th, 2008 7:02 pm
I want one.
February 15th, 2008 7:09 pm
David,
Can you comment about the 3 cell battery? It seems like the X300 wouldn’t have a very good battery life compared to the current X61 with 8 cell. Was the battery life sacrificed in order to keep the X300 thin?
February 15th, 2008 7:21 pm
Any ideas on availability of Tablet variants?
Also, is this a X61 replacement or a different product range? Great work btw, this is what the Sony SZ should’ve been over a year ago, but it you guys to finish up on making the best of this form factor. I’m worried about the 1440×900 LCD being perhaps too dense, but hopefully the bright LED display will make up for that. Great work!
February 15th, 2008 7:59 pm
X300 looks actually good. But, where is a firewire port, for instance, or an expresscard slot? 3 usb’s quite enough, possibly, for such a slim device; but some your competitors, gents, succeeds in putting more technology in less space much more, imho (sony tz or panasonic w7, for instance)…
February 15th, 2008 7:59 pm
Of course the stripes are back, I promised this months ago. They look great.
February 15th, 2008 8:43 pm
I’m wondering what alternative options we have to replace the optical drive module? (If it is modular at all.)
February 15th, 2008 8:45 pm
Very nice. I, for one, welcome the addition of the solid state drive (even with its hefty price). Now there’s only two questions I have: what’s the fastest processor I can get with it? and when will a bigger SSD be available?
That said, this actually makes me want to buy a new laptop instead of just thinking about it…
February 15th, 2008 10:34 pm
While I know that perfection is individual and that there is always something, I drooled when I first saw the Macbook Air, and now there’s a Thinkpad with most of the compromises fixed, starting with the screen. I was considering an X in the summer and gave up in favour of T61p in the end because of the resolution. Well, this one – or its successor – is most likely my next notebook.
Now, if only one could order it without those #%”! Windows and Microsoft keys which make any real keyboard work painful… (I won’t even mention cover over touchpad. Not that that would bother me so much, if only the thing stayed dead after standby or hibernation.)
February 15th, 2008 10:58 pm
[...] at least the Lenovo folks have some design sense: the picture at the top of this blog post is worthy of Apple. The hi-res version is on their flickr [...]
February 15th, 2008 11:06 pm
It is good to see Lenovo with such a good piece of design.
Funny is that I was chatting later last night with a friend that owns a T61p (we are both new Lenovo users – I converted from an Macbook) and we both agreed that we would buy Lenovo again – even though in the beginning we used to think that the black “lunch box” design was a little strange
.
Personally now I think the black magnesium case “sexy” and would like it even better on a lighter and slimmer package.
Keep the good working going and hope to see the X300 in the shops soon!
February 16th, 2008 5:21 am
i need HDMI port
February 16th, 2008 6:52 am
I love the design of this Laptop, from what I see in photos, a lot of traditional ThinkPad design details are back (red stripes, less silver parts, etc).
It seems we will not see Z60/Titanium mistakes again, thank God!
Keep up the great work
February 16th, 2008 10:45 am
Great job guys at Lenovo, beautifully designed.
February 16th, 2008 10:59 am
[b]Kudos Mr. Hill[/b] but when can I buy it in Canada?
February 16th, 2008 4:34 pm
Great design. I hope that a regular hard drive version is offered so that it can be sold at a lower price point. A tablet version would be really great but I am guessing that a new version of the X61t is probably in the works.
February 16th, 2008 6:20 pm
I am _so_ excited about this. Finally a replacement for my 14″ T42!!
February 16th, 2008 6:20 pm
also.. I’m hoping it can be purchased without that pesky windows license, as I’d just be wiping it and putting Debian Lenny on it immediately upon arrival.
February 16th, 2008 6:39 pm
My T61 must be replaced with X300 soon after released!! Then, when can I buy in Japan??
February 17th, 2008 1:10 am
Beautiful design! The early pre-order listings on the internet seem to be of configurations with Windows XP Pro. Will configurations with Vista be released at the same time? I understand that the official release date for the X300 is February 26, 2008……when will they actually be available for purchase? Finally, the information circulating now suggests a Dual Core 2 with speed of 1.2……why such a slow chip especially since the Macbook Air offers 1.6 and 1.8 speed options.
February 17th, 2008 6:14 am
Great design!
Can’t wait to buy it as soon as you offer a standard hard drive!
Please include a DVI port as well!
Can’t believe you got the DVD player in there!
THANK YOU for the high res screen. I just can’t live with the standard res.
February 17th, 2008 6:18 am
“Hill’s other idea was to make the PC very small, less than 10 inches across and less than one inch thick. Yet he wanted it to have a full-size keyboard, so he dusted off a design from the mid-1990s: a keyboard that folded up when the laptop was closed and opened out to full size when the machine was opened. The “butterfly” keyboard had caused a sensation when it was first introduced on a ThinkPad in 1995. ”
Maybe one day we can expect one of those. A real ultra ultraportable.
“Thirteen-inch screens were becoming popular because they’re good for watching movies, so the engineers didn’t want to use Hill’s 10-inch version. Hill gave in.”
I really wish, I’m sure a lot of us really wished, that you didn’t give in.
Other than that wonderful article.
February 17th, 2008 7:11 am
your colleague linked to the podcast that accompanies this article: http://www.churbuck.com/wordpress/?p=1556
http://www.businessweek.com/me....._14_08.mp3
February 17th, 2008 12:24 pm
David,
Looks so sexy to me!!
But pls include a DVI port, pls!!
February 17th, 2008 1:54 pm
Nice design, with some further room for improvements:
The most important improvement would be a digital graphics port. While I understand that both HDMI as well as DVI have its issues (i.e. they are too expensive – even so I am not so sure, if that argument really counts, with the reported price range being quite elevated…), I do not understand why the display port hasn’t made it in both the X300 as well as its port-replicator. (At least that is what I have to assum from the pictures I saw…). If this is true, this is really very, very sad and extremely disappointing.
Not so dissappointing, but a bit a nuicance is the fact, that the ports on the back side of the notebook are quite cluttered, which makes it quite ugly to watch from that perspective. To me this shows a certain carelesseness – which does contrast “the pursuit of perfection” the design team claima.
Apart from these issues, the notebook as presented seems to be quite nice. Even so I do not really understand the advantages of a wireless port replicator/ docking station, as it probably isn’t able to power the laptop. Therefore a traditional docking station (with a digital graphics port) would have made much more sense to me…
February 17th, 2008 3:08 pm
Congrats, Mr. Hill! It’s nice to see the IBM legacy of quality and innovation alive and well in the X300.
February 17th, 2008 6:03 pm
THANK YOU! This represents everything that is good about Thinkpads condensed into a small, light and beautiful package.
Wishlist:
Trackpad delete option for a cleaner front end.
Ultrabay style removable CD drive for adding additional storage or battery (or just a cover for reducing weight further)
DVI / Displayport
Old school hinges!
All that said, great job guys!
February 17th, 2008 7:34 pm
I can’t wait to see this on sale at Lenovo.com!
February 18th, 2008 4:27 am
Now Thinkpad is ready to kick Apple out of the market!
February 18th, 2008 6:09 am
LENOVO/THINKPAD, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!
Mr Job, I will never wear a silver suit!
February 18th, 2008 6:31 am
just wondering will there be a x300 tablet version, a prefect engineered tablet please
February 18th, 2008 7:56 am
what a amazing
February 18th, 2008 8:43 am
Andy wrote “…While I understand that both HDMI as well as DVI have its issues (i.e. they are too expensive…”.
Too expensive? Well, even some of the cheapest notebooks on the market today already offer some sort of digital graphics port, be it DVI or HDMI. Some other soon to be announced notebooks from other brands will come out with a DisplayPort and some of them will also have things like a direct e-SATA port etc. – So if actually $999 notebooks can offer some of these things, I believe you can expect from a ~$3000 notebooks even something superior.
And yes I agree, that at least under such aspects, there is still some room for improvements on the pursuit of perfection.
February 18th, 2008 9:05 am
I sincerely hope the marketing campaign theme for the X300 is “Lighter Than Air” (targeting its obvious competitor…).
I also wish there was an X300 with a traditional hard disk, as the SSD-only model is very, very expensive.
Margins may be lower on a hard disk unit, but volume at a $1500 price point would more than make up the difference. I’d probably buy two.
February 18th, 2008 11:03 am
I believe the reason given for the VGA port is for compatibility with many projectors used in business. Hopefully as more projectors adopt digital interfaces, Lenovo will switch over to DVI / HDMI / Displayport.
February 18th, 2008 5:33 pm
One that is absolutely unnecessary – touch pad. Why play with this boring device, when you have the best in the world mouse – TrackPoint?
February 18th, 2008 6:08 pm
I, too, am curious about battery life. Also, when I read the lure of the butterfly keyboard, my heart skipped a beat — only to be dashed by the next sentence. My first Thinkpad was the butterfly keyboard — an amazing piece of technology for its time — and quite an attention getter.
Elaine
Norman, OK
February 18th, 2008 7:56 pm
Good to see Lenovo and Apple following the Japanese vendors…
Sony -1st with 13.3″ LED
Toshiba – 1st with 7mmm Optical & SSD
Reality here there is nothing really new here it’s been done in the 12.1″ category all Lenovo and Apple have done is chosen a 13.3″ screen and I would point out they get now where near the same battery life as the Panansonic’s and Fujitsu’s of this world.
3-Cell battery it too much of a trade off. Also can we use the current docking solutions.
Did’nt Dell have an X300……
February 18th, 2008 8:20 pm
It is indeed a very nice notebook pc. However, as it beats the macbook air handsdown I’m still having a hard time comparing it with the Toshiba RX1. That notebook I know is a ULV but has great specs as well and really good for people know needs a really portable notebook but dont lose too much. It is very light and still manages to have a 12.1 screen and optical drive. Now the decision is which one to get. Toshiba RX1 or X300?
February 18th, 2008 10:56 pm
excellent work, david! outside of lacking an on-board DVI port, i’m having a hard time finding fault in the design. i look forward to getting one soon.
regarding the above comment about sony having the first 13.3″ LED panel, let’s not forget that the X300 has 1440×900 resolution instead of sony’s 1280×800. the extra 160×100 pixels is a welcome improvement over any of the competition.
i hope lenovo’s trend of high-res LED panels continues into the T-series with improved 15.4″ panels resolving both 1680×1050 and 1920×1200 and the X-series with an 11.1″ panel resolving 1440×900.
February 19th, 2008 12:00 am
Great. Look forward to getting my X300.
Hope this time the IWS ( International Warranty Service ) is really world wide and not only for some countries.
February 19th, 2008 2:57 am
so cool! Really want to get one, when will it be available?
February 19th, 2008 10:48 am
HP with an 8.9 inch claiming it has a keyboard 95% the size of a regular keyboard, sounds like a challenge to me David: http://www.engadget.com/2008/0.....-revealed/
February 19th, 2008 4:06 pm
I may actually return a sony sz that is currently on its way over to buy this instead!
Leo – I read that the official release will be on the 26th.
Anyone savvy to Lenovo’s behavior with previous releases have any clues as to when I can expect to have this thing in hand if I were to place the order on the 26th?
February 20th, 2008 4:38 am
Hurry,I want it!!!!!!!!!!!!
February 20th, 2008 4:58 am
My wishlist for the X300:
*Option for regular HDD
*Real docking solution
*Option for a larger capacity battery (e.g. more than 6-cell which I have been reading at various websites)
*Option for a regular Penryn processor because I need a balance with power and portability, although I admit the T series would be a better choice for myself
just my 2 cents
February 20th, 2008 5:31 am
[...] Finally, Businessweek had a great write-up about the newest technology object of my desire, the Lenovo X300. [...]
February 20th, 2008 6:22 am
[...] Finally, Businessweek had a great write-up about the newest technology object of my desire, the Lenovo X300. [...]
February 20th, 2008 6:39 am
[...] Finally, Businessweek had a great write-up about the newest technology object of my desire, the Lenovo X300. [...]
February 20th, 2008 12:48 pm
Perfect, when can we get it?
February 20th, 2008 3:40 pm
Now if you guys could only do something concrete with Lenovo Canada product availability, ordering and delivery problems then we can talk business. As it stands, by the time the X300 or even the Penryn processor is available for configuration at Lenovo Canada, the rest of the world will be buying and using “X700″ machines. How sad. Or better yet, force Lenovo worldwide to adopt the current “IT infrastructure” that Lenovo Canada has and then at least everyone will be on an even keel.
February 20th, 2008 5:18 pm
Sounds like a great stuff. However the battery operation time will be (is) absolutely important as well as DC/AC travelling optons. Though I understand the OS selection resulted from the hardware limitations it is still lovely to hear that this one is offered only with XP so lots of people will not be frustrated with “Downgrade to XP” issues right away….
February 20th, 2008 9:33 pm
Can we expect a X300-based tablet PC next?
Any rumors?
February 21st, 2008 3:01 am
Finally, my dream of a worthy successor to the legendary 600 Series suitabe for the 21st century has come true! Now if only I could afford one…
February 21st, 2008 5:33 am
I really want this new “one”. It’s cool. please bring the price down, at least not like Mac Book Air.
February 21st, 2008 7:47 am
Certainly looks good but how does it perform ?
February 21st, 2008 9:05 am
One slightly critical remark:
I believe I saw the lenovo logo on the lid, however I can not find the picture back…
Make sure the logo is the right way round! This means up-side down, if you have the system closed in front of you.
I you have a x300 you know you have a lenovo. However the person who sees you giving a presentation, and which might be wondering what this sleek notebook is, will NOT be able to read the brand Unless it is upside down on the closed machine…
By the way, apple did the same mistake and changed it inbetween series…
cheers
r.
February 21st, 2008 10:51 am
Ralf – thats not a mistake but a reflection on the difference between the brands, the ThinkPad logo has always been the ‘wrong way round’.
The difference is one way (ThinkPad way) is better for the user of the system as the logo is correctly situated when you would look at it (screen closed, on a dock etc) the other (Apply way) is better for the company so you advertise to others but you will never see it while using the system.
February 21st, 2008 12:47 pm
[...] for nyligt i en større artikel med overskriften “Building the Perfect Laptop.” På denne Lenovo-blog fortælles, hvordan kontakten blev skabt, men hvad mon den overskrift er værd i [...]
February 21st, 2008 7:18 pm
Snife, Maybe Ralf wants to say that the “upside down” logo visible to others will eventually support owner’s ego: “Look, this sleek machine I owe is a Lenovo ThinpPad!”?
February 21st, 2008 8:26 pm
Looks great– I have a Z61t which has run great, but something smaller, lighter, and quieter would be welcome.
How well-supported is the X300 under current Linux distributions?
February 22nd, 2008 5:45 am
It is good that Lenovo has learn to provide reasonable display resolution because the super-low XGA used in X series was useless. LED backlight does not mean better quality at all. I no longer hope for non-TN crap panels but please use those with 500:1 and better contrast ratio to prevnet typical “washed” look.
The only exception in X series history whas the AFFS 12″ SXGA+ panel used in tablet versions. I wish I could have one in non-tablet X model !
What I really don’t like on X300 is the super thick display frame. It looks cheap. Compare it with beautiful design of X40/X60 series, that’s touch of class.
February 22nd, 2008 7:56 am
[...] Inside The Box dan Design Matters. Ah, makin mupeng aja ngelihatin Thinkpad, apalagi ngelihatin Thinkpad X300 yang mau keluar. Kapan ya ada yang mau ngasih barang kayak gini buat hadiah ulang tahun ?? [...]
February 22nd, 2008 12:18 pm
David Hill,
Will the LED Backlit be added to the Tablet series!!! I am holding back until I get one, but cant wait much longer..also still want long battery life. Please bring an update to the x60-61 series..
February 22nd, 2008 1:39 pm
I am curious about the quality of the LED backlit screen and the brightness level. I agree with the earlier comment from “Puppy” that LED backlit does not necessarily mean better quality. LED backlit should at the very least allow for a brighter screen, if properly done. How many nits of brightness for the new screen? How are the colors….vivid and crisp like the Macbook Air or washed out? Especially with a relatively small screen size and high resolution, it is essential that the screen quality be high on the X300.
February 22nd, 2008 2:28 pm
I am holding out for an ultra portable with a DVI-I port. The laptop may have the chance of being connected to a VGA projector up to 10 time a year. During the rest 355 days of the year, however, it will definitely be connected to my large LCD monitor.
I want to have the best display image possible with the DVI-port during those 355 days. When I do bring the laptop on the road, the DVI-to-VGA adapter will always stay in its own compartment in the laptop bag. There is no way I will forget to bring the laptop bag if I am going to bring the laptop.
It is 2008. When will I see the DVI-port? 2015? I won’t wait that long. Even a basic $950 MacBook comes with a DVI port, how come the $3000 “perfect laptop” still lacks the DVI port?
I prefer a thinkpad if it meets my requirements. Lenovo should at least follow the market trend by copying good ideas from Apple, even if Lenovo doesn’t want to be the leader in the PC market.
February 22nd, 2008 4:09 pm
I’m afraid I have to disagree. For me, the VGA port always comes first. The transition from VGA to DVI may disappoint quite a number of people. ThinkPads are designed mainly for business, therefore features such as data encryption/protection, rigid casing and long lasting batteries are more important than other factors such as screen quality etc. For home use, the dock(s) will satisfy all your other needs.
February 22nd, 2008 4:42 pm
regarding DVI ports, i sincerely hope lenovo gets past the IBM mindset that every buyer *must* be a business user and therefore *must* need a VGI port. it’s getting to be old hat.
lenovo should post a poll here on lenovoblogs asking about customers’ desire for digital display output ports (DVD/HDMI/displayport) versus VGA, just like they did with bringing back the red/blue bars on trackpoint buttons. i would love to see an aggregate of what people want.
February 22nd, 2008 5:10 pm
Great design. Congradulations to your team.
February 22nd, 2008 6:22 pm
Well, the most important parts for working a long day with a notebook a good input and output devices. The input devices on Thinkpads, namely their keyboards and trackpoints, are usually very good and famous for their higher quality and usability.
I wished, I could say the same about the Thinkpad output devices, but their TFT panels and video output signal ports are only average, if not to say often disappointing for such expensive business notebooks.
Related to LED panels I welcome those, even most of them are still TN-panel based, there are some specific LED panels available, which offer better viewing angles and resolutions than the usual mass production in this segment. – However, the important advantage of a LED panel are, that it is less power consuming by still offering good luminance values and also offers a slightly wider color spectrum (gamut). Bedside this, a LED panel also does weight less and should have a longer life time. So LED panels are predestinated for building smaller, less power consuming and more compact notebooks.
I wished Lenovo wouldn’t have missed the chance to be the first notebook vendor who uses a DisplayPort inside a notebook, now this fame will probably go instead to Dell. But somehow Lenovo still didn’t recognize that the VGA port is pretty outdated even in the business segment and that there are a bunch of adapters avilable which allow to connect a digital signal interface to that moribund analog video port. Beside that, every halfway modern projector and monitor has digital video interfaces.
February 22nd, 2008 6:52 pm
I’m glad that the X300 will soon be here in the Feb-Mar timeframe.
But does this mean that Lenovo won’t soon be refreshing the X300 with Intel’s new Montevina (SFF) platform when Intel launches it in early summer? I read that it will bring a faster X4500 graphics, integrated WiMAX (no need for separate module), etc.
I also heard that Intel will have more Penryn SFF (small form factor) processors with clock speeds higher than 1.2GHz?
February 22nd, 2008 7:04 pm
I want one, but only if/when it becomes available with a mechanical disk. The SSD is a nice option, but I need more than 64GB, and the cost is still so high (and the capacity so limited) that it is clearly a technology that is not ready for mainstream products.
February 22nd, 2008 7:08 pm
I forgot to ask, when will you offer a dual-layer DVD burner, or is it not available yet in the 7mm slim drive size?
Also, is the X300 fast enough to play Blu-ray movies (assuming we have a Blu-ray drive attached to it)?
February 22nd, 2008 11:29 pm
What about SSD HD speed?
February 23rd, 2008 3:00 am
There hasn’t been much talk here abou the second brand on the outside lid. Ugly. Get rid of it.
(For those of you who don’t know theres a new second brand on the lid…http://lenovoblogs.com/connections/?p=15)
February 23rd, 2008 10:27 am
Congratulations, Thinkpad team.
From all I’ve read until now, I feel it’s going to be a great laptop for road warriors. For me, too.
I wonder if the black latches are as strong as the shiny stainless steel ones on my x40.
When will the x300 get the Penryn processor, if ever? Or, at least, when will it be available with faster processors?
I would also like the port replicator or what it is to offer DVI. On the other hand, I couldn’t tell the difference between VGA and DVI on my large LCD at native resolution, when I tested with a desktop. Maybe it’s my eyes.
I would have preferred no trackpad and thus a smaller machine, but I suspect they added the optical drive and the size increased, so they added the trackpad as well.
I saw the additional Lenovo branding on the lid (in images on the Net), too. I’d prefer it wasn’t there, but since this is a “showoff” machine from Lenovo, they probably want people to associate the best “Thinkpad” with “Lenovo”, hence both stickers on the same lid.
All in all, I’m undecided:
- I would prefer the old x4 series small form factor, without optical drive or trackpad (x61s?) but with all the other x300 goodies (inexistent),
or
- what I secretly want is actually something light as the x40, with optical drive (Toshiba R500?), but reliable (back to Thinkpad), with optical drive (T series?), not as large as a T series, thus the x300. With Penryn (inexistent).
Will see x62s or x300+Penryn.
Oh and fellow Thinkpad users, thank you for your interesting questions which popped up or not in my mind as well, but please check your text for mistakes before posting. I try my best to do so myself.
February 23rd, 2008 6:28 pm
I believe there’s going to be a major competition between this machine and the Apple Air. My guess is, the ThinkPad will win by a mile. Much more versatility. Forget the higher ThinkPad price, there’s more for the money here. This is like a T60 that’s been to Jenny Craig. (I really like the T60 by the way!)
February 24th, 2008 6:35 am
An X300 with a faster CPU (1.6GHz or up) and a 5400rpm HDD will be my new ThinkPad.
February 25th, 2008 12:48 am
I currently own the dell lattitude ultraportable (built very well). I am very much tempted to purchase the x300…
February 25th, 2008 3:35 am
Hi!
I do not see the outlet that I can plug with projector? How can I do presentation? Maybe through a USB adapted outlet?
February 25th, 2008 3:05 pm
That X300 is absolutely beautiful, and its a great compromise between size, usability and features.
By far the sexiest Thinkpad in my opinion. And if its as rugged as you claim.. then god damn.
February 25th, 2008 7:04 pm
Are there any plans to offer a 4:3 screen option in future iterations? Widescreen is not preferable for many users, I had heard a while ago that we could expect normal form factor T61s back in the summer, but that never happened. Is it really completely dictated by the supplier? Where design really matters is in who has the final say, the designer, or the supplier.
I really like the X300, but I would choose a lightweight (T6x/8x) 4:3 option over it any day of the week. Not everyone watches films on the go, and not everyone reads documents side-by-side, but a lot of people browse the internet one page at a time.
February 25th, 2008 7:06 pm
X300 is great. But I hardly use the optical drive in my current thinkpad.
So I am REALLY looking forward to X200, with a C2D penryn CPU, 200 GB Hard drive, DVI port, in the less than 3lb package.
February 25th, 2008 8:07 pm
I must say, should Lenovo offer a 4:3 version of the machine, they would have to do some revisions to the internal arrangement and possibly shape of the board…which doesn’t sound like something they would change on a whim, as that would be naught on trouble.
I like the CD-drive/battery change option. I hope to see an expansion of the modulisation of portable computers to come up to the level of the desktop, with trade-out processors, graphics chips, I/O ports and cards…
Actually, a module to fit in the DVD-drive bay that offers ports such as the much asked DVI, SD card, etc would be nice.
As it is, I hear this toy is coming out tomorrow, on the 26th Feb. Can we get a confirm on that? Maybe a time? I want to have a party counting down its release…
February 25th, 2008 9:49 pm
I like the work that you have done on the new X300 and I can’t wait to get my hands on it to try out the new keyboard. As far as it being the ultimate in innovation, I wish it had a few other enhancements and additions as follows:
I wish I could simply put the machines into sleep mode to swap standard batteries (say not leaving the machine without a battery more than about a minute) instead of having to hibernate or turn off the machine to do so.
1) I wish these machines would once again be offered with a flexview display option.
2) I wish the touchpad was improved to be larger, and include scrollbar areas on its right and bottom sides like the touchpad on some other manufacture’s notebooks.
3) I wish the machines would have the ability of partially powering on to use them to playback MP3s, CDs (maybe even DVDs) with minimal battery drain and without having to boot them into an OS.
4) I wish the machines included external media control buttons to control the playback of media without having to open the display.
5) I wish there was an option to purchase the machines with a built in FM radio, satellite radio, and TV tuner options.
6) I wish the machines had the ability to broadcast audio over FM radio
7) I wish they could also broadcast video (regular display and DVD playbacks) over an HD digital TV signal to be picked up and displayed on HDTVs.
9) Provide the option to have an integrated multi megapixel camera in the display as some past models.
10) BOSE speakers.
Thank you much!
February 25th, 2008 9:56 pm
I forgot one more thing… I also wish I had the abillity of adding a second hot swappable hard drive!
February 26th, 2008 12:39 am
There is only one thing that i am dissappointed about. The X300 does not have a backlit keyboard. C’mon guys, for $3,000.00 include that beautiful feature. If mac can do it, why can’t IBM?????????
February 26th, 2008 1:56 am
Is the SSD removable, like all HDDs in the ThinkPad line?
February 26th, 2008 2:37 am
Gus:
2. Bigger TouchPad means bigger footprint.
3. Actually, that sounds like a very good idea, running it minimally in audio playback mode.
4. That would take away from the intrinsic beauty of the machine. Perhaps a wireless remote control?
5-7. I wish I could have a computer that plugged directly into my neural network. But to make a long story short, ain’t gonna happen.
8. That I believe is called warm swap. Do-able, with either a small battery or with a capacitor, I think, not an expert.
9. They do.
10. Simply put…WHAT?
Aaron: I’ll tell you why IBM cannot include backlit keyboards on their computers. Its because IBM does not produce personal computers any more. There is a reason why this site is called lenovoblogs and not ibmblogs. Other reasons include power consumption, and the fact that ThinkPads’ target market is different from the Mac’s target market. ThinkPads aim for business. The nerdy guy in Mac commercials, so to speak.
In other news, still waiting for the X300 release…one page refresh at a time.
February 26th, 2008 4:33 am
First post after its release, I must say.
Missing some datasheet/weight/dimentions/camera res info, as well as FRU DVD burner and battery, for those of us that can use a screwdriver… and I see no extra batteries? Or any assecories for that matter
February 26th, 2008 10:43 am
@Bob – the new tabook is up with X300 info at
ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/pc/.....tabook.pdf
@Matt – as everyone at TPF knows, Bill and I have had one now for a few days. Dunno about Bill, but I’m in love with it! Reminds me very much of the much-loved 600 series in look and feel, and I’m glad to see Lenovo reach back to bring those qualities forward.
February 26th, 2008 2:32 pm
I am the proud owner of a Z60t, and am glad you decided to bring back the “stripes” for the x300 like my older R50 had. Hopefully, later this year I can put an order in for one.
I also want to comment on the new “Thinkstations.” I think they are really neat looking. Very industrial, yet professional.
February 27th, 2008 12:00 am
I’m glad I didn’t wait for this and bought my Dell XPS M1330 last year. In value-for-money and configurability terms, the XPS wins hands-down. Plus it has FireWire and HDMI. I am a little envious of the screen-res but mine is plugged into a 20″ widescreen monitor 90% or more of the time, so its not a big issue.
February 27th, 2008 11:02 pm
I am not sure who do you expect to buy this? This is a truly badly designed laptop. What I mean is that it would be a nice design for a demo, but there are big problems with this product which make it useless as business ultra portable:
1. There is no dock
2. There is no DVI or HDMI output
3. There is no Airplane adapter
Try buying a laptop for a CXO and then explaining him that he cannot use it with a big monitor on his desk or in the plane. What are they thinking? And I am not talking about the top row buttons (power, volume control). They are just cheap. A job 80% finished is a job not done.
February 28th, 2008 4:54 am
If the T62 is already on the works or drawing board, I’ll really love it if they take their cues from the X300, particularly:
* hi resolution screens
* the red and blue stripes
* black magnesium hinges
Now if they’ll ditch the VGA port for a DVI port (it’s 2008, Lenovo!) that’ll be one very sweet machine to wait for. At present I still hold on to my trusted Thinkpad T42p, but it’s already showing its age as most of the stuff I need (mostly virtualization) wont run as fast as I want it to be.
Would at least the red and blue stripes make it into an FRU for the T61 before T62 launches?
February 28th, 2008 5:13 am
When can we expect the announcement of the HDD version of the X300?
There are a lot of rumors on the internet.
Toshiba and Samsung have high-speed 1.8″ HDDs with 120GB on sale. 5400rpm is just what was missing.
I am waiting to click the “Buy” button, but with a conventional (speak: non-esoteric SSD price) drive.
February 28th, 2008 9:35 am
Please put an (Mini-/Micro-)DVI-Port in there and I’ll order today. With DVI I can connect S-Video and VGA devices per adaptor which isn’t possible vice verca.
(BTW: Which century is that..?) Ah. and an option to exclude the touchpad would be nice. Since the top cover is removeable this shouldn’t be too hard. Just my 0,02 €.
Either way congrats for this new device.
February 28th, 2008 11:57 am
[...] (you can get a sense for the design approach from Lenovo’s chief designer David Hill’s latest blog entries). Lenovo product development teams then transformed the design for the ideal notebook in terms of [...]
February 28th, 2008 9:05 pm
[...] Inside the Box [...]
February 29th, 2008 5:31 am
Needs major revamp on the tactile interface, very Matrix looking. Is this a real computer or is your brain just telling you to think that. Either way its going to cost your $230 / mth.
February 29th, 2008 8:25 pm
It would be perfect if there is an ultrabay swappable design on this X. But it’s an X, and a T
Very very close to perfect, and I can imagine people are waiting for the coming larger and more reliable SSDs. Every Thinkpad fan is loving the effort put into the pursuits of excellence in the products
March 1st, 2008 10:51 am
I think that there is a whole different market that we, and the gadget makers are missing. I’ve used an iPhone and it’s kinda too small to be useful around the house for browsing and too big to use outside the house as a phone.
The Centro is about as small as you can go with a smart phone but probably an OK size.
I think there is something that fits between the centro and a laptop, but it wont be a laptop in form. More likely it will be a large iPhone like device.
How many people lie around their house and read this forum, or the newspaper, or check their email, maybe view a .doc or a .xls file, but are not actually working. Rather interacting and viewing.
So a tablet like device with a touch screen, and a popup keyboard when needed (like the iPhone) but with a much bigger screen say around 10 inches, with wifi/bluetooth and a decent battery life. I reckon that would be a winner.
It can’t be a dumb eBook reader, it must be a featured product.
It certainly could do all the things that the Foleo hoped to do, just in a different way.
March 3rd, 2008 12:07 am
Feedback to designer
My current notebook is the Thinkpad X61s
My formerx1 notebook was the Thinkpad X23
My formerx2 notebook was the Thinkpad 600E
My formerx3 notebook was the Thinkpad 600
My formerx4 notebook was the Thinkpad 560
I recommend thinkpads to my best friends.
I switched the X23 to the X61s because I needed more power as in CPU, GPU and Memory.
Experience:
* the x61s plastic is horrible.
the graphite or carbon fiber
material of the TP600/x23 is preferred.
* The low noise of the x23/600 is a dream.
I have to turn off the x61s when I go to sleep.
The x23 is bliss in comparison.
The noise of the x61s fan is horrible.
I wish it was not louder than the x23.
* The heat of the x61s is horrible.
* The paging buttons on the x61s keyboard
are annoying, and easy to hit by mistake.
Wish the arrow keys were free like the x23.
* I welcome the wide screen.
* I wish the form factor is not bigger than the
x23 and x61s.
* I wish that the trackpad is not present.
* I welcome the better sound.
* I welcome the 3 antennas for wireless 802.11n
* I wish the external interfaces were on the
back like the x23.
* I wish the buttons were all black with no
backlight.
* I wish there were no internal optical drive.
* I welcome the more environmental product.
* I welcome the lower power consumption,
and longer battery life because of it.
* I like the linux and freebsd compatibility.
* The trackpoint is a killer feature.
* multiple external vga or dvi would be nice.
* Price is not that important.
its a tool for life.
I got demand, can you supply?
I dream.
March 3rd, 2008 5:00 pm
I won’t 1 so bad bt i’m probley getting a notebook [lime green].
March 4th, 2008 4:37 pm
Brilliant design. I wish people would stop comparing this machine with the MBA. It’s in a different class, a class of its own. You guys really managed to shave a lot of extra laptop off while keeping all the functionality, features, and professional design you’d expect from a Thinkpad. Excellent work, Bravo. And now I continue waiting for the next-gen T.
March 5th, 2008 12:07 pm
David,
This machine is a dream come true but for three things: I can’t afford a solid state hard drive, 64 GB is not enough disk space, and a 1.2 GHz processor is not powerful enough for work I do everyday. I’m a student and frequent traveler, and my current ThinkPad is breaking my back when I carry it around. Can this tiny ThinkPad be adapted for more practical buyers?
March 6th, 2008 12:32 pm
I have been with X61 since Dec 07, but now…I am considering to buy X300 with better screen quality plus DVD burner. There should be option with lower price.
March 6th, 2008 5:27 pm
[...] The Pursuit of Perfection – Design Matters [...]
March 6th, 2008 7:33 pm
I think someone has to step up and defend the MacBook AIR so it might as well be me. I bought the IBM X61s after XMas and returned it recently for the MacBook Air. It also lacked a built-in DVD drive but I did not care as I wanted somethign light.
I have had the AIR for only a short while but am VERY impressed with it. This is my first Mac after being a Windows person for the last 20 years so I am not a crazed Apple fan. But the AIR has earned my respect. You have to accept the fact that the AIR is not designed to be a desktop replacement – but it is a wonderful ultralight. I travel alot as an attorney but only need limited functionality on a notebook – basically emails, web browsing and word processing. It handles these tasks and more with out a problem. The paper specs are deceiving – it is fast. And with Fusion I have Windows XP on it as well. And guess what – XP runs way faster than on my older generation Thinkpad. I don’t know what Apple did but the performance of the AIR is tweaked and respectable. The 13″ LED display is simply gorgeous! I can’t stop downloading HD movie trailers to watch. And the AIR is the sexiest and coolest notebook out there. It is sleek, stylish and minimal in intrusions and buttons. It is a work of industrial art. Even its box was down right impressive – there is a remarkable level of detail and attention to the finer points. For example, the magnetic power cord that magically attaches to the notebook and has a tiny status led – very elegent. The backlit keyboard with light sensor. The tiny built in camera. The vents for cooling. The completely solid bottom. The list goes on and on. It is also quite functional – the touch pad scrolling is fantastic – 2 fingers pulled across the pad scrolls the entire page while one finger scrolls the menus. Pinching movements zoom in and going in the other direction zooms out. Very nice indeed.
And the reality is that I can download alot of video content from iTunes or other web sites so I don’t need the portable DVD. All in all, the AIR is well thought out with calculated compromises that are acceptable to me.
Now my comments are not meant to bash IBM – only to hopefully enlighten people as to the virtues of having the AIR. I suspect that most people bashing the AIR have yet to see it in person.
March 6th, 2008 11:52 pm
[...] ThinkPad X300: The Pursuit of Perfection [...]
March 8th, 2008 11:10 am
hello greta job on the new computer how does it work? im a bit of a silly billy
March 9th, 2008 12:30 am
Thje X300 is gorgeous. Now if only Lenovo could get the marketing right – compare these two websites:
http://www.apple.com/macbookair/
Lenovo X300
What’s the deal with the X300 sitting on a lawn? Come on, where’s the sex appeal guys!?! Even the URLs above should tell you someting is wrong – look at the ridiculous Lenovo URL vs the MacBook Air URL – simple and to the point.
By the way, I love Thinkpads.
Admin: fixed link
March 9th, 2008 7:50 am
The colored stripes are back! And the buttons are no longer Grey! Great job! Hopefully future models would follow this design. Hopefully there could be a better processor in this.
March 9th, 2008 2:46 pm
WONDERFULL I have a t42p and will be upgrading this summer and the X300 is a definite or a Tseries is a new one materializes. I noticed that the 760 has a HDMI port and plays blue-ray. This would be a great addition. Also if possible a larger screen maybe 14″ would fit in the size as is. Might you also eliminate the touchpad like the X61’s. I use my IBM mouse all the time and it is convenient even for travel. Also seems that Apple forgot a few things in their unit. Looking forward to my new IBM unit. Your technical service is also excellent and would not change manufacturers. Another reason to stick to IBM.
March 9th, 2008 8:22 pm
Bill – thanks for your feedback on the X300 product page. Unfortunately our ecommerce system doesn’t allow for shorter URL’s like that, but you can reach the X300 page through the following URL:
http://lenovo.com/x300
March 17th, 2008 5:59 am
Excellent laptop and excellent BusinessWeek review!
It got me into very serious confusion though. I was going to buy a new laptop and was really into X61 Tablet – screen is a bit too small for me and is a bit too heavy, but a good compromise.
After the X300 release I cannot make a decision anymore and have to procrastinate and procrastinate
I love the screen size – my ideal specs were exactly for 13-inch display, I love the form factor and weight, but.. no Tablet version. Now I have to decide between light tablet and otherwise ideal X300 without a tablet functionality. I wish I knew whether there is going to be an X300 tablet sometime soon (e.g. Summer/early Autumn) – it would really help me make the decision.
Apparently the plans about X300 tablet are secret since nobody answers the tablet-related questions. Does anybody know where to sign up to newsletter, RSS or something to get the news about the new Lenovo tablets ASAP?
March 21st, 2008 5:56 pm
The X300 is very nice, but far from perfect. There is always room for improvement, with more as new technologies emerge.
Some things that might help in the future: (and might already be in the pipeline)
1) Modular Design – This, I think, was the concept behind the ultrabay type devices which would be swapped in and out as needed. The X300 has the swappable optical drive, but it could be made a bit easier to do and expanded to other areas of the notebook. Hot (or warm) swappable batteries, for instance, could be an intersting selling point.
2) Alternate Processors – The ability to have more than one type of processor will allow it to be more future proof and cater to parts of the market that need that more power (like running a tech demo on it). A common interface, with multiple processor options. Heat concerns may be a difficult problem.
3) Alternate Graphics – Some people need very little graphics power, some people need more. A standard interface with multiple graphics options offered would satisfy a broader range. MXM seems promising, but space and heat concerns may limit it. There is also some work done on hybrid solutions, with integrated and dedicated options together on the same board.
4) Ports and Media – Multiple USB is a must. An optical drive is very desirable, but making it a modular bay will satisfy those who don’t want it. A card reader is standard on virtually all notebooks, with SD being the most common. It is a common method of storage now and should be included. A firewire port is also pretty standard. For video output, even though all my monitors accept analog, digital is the way to go. Dell is already releasing DisplayPort notebooks(E4300), and that (with an adapter) would be the most future proof option. Having the ports in a smaller form factor with included adapters could help with size concerns.
5) Keyboard, Touchpad and TrackPoint – Both the touchpad and trackpoint are good, with different people preferring each one based on their needs. I would personally use both. The keyboard is always good, but there are varying opinions on the usefulness of the lighting around it. Lit utility buttons, backlighting on the keyboard and the thinklight each have a use. I do a lot of typing in the dark, and the thinklight on my X61 just isn’t bright enough, so I’d like backlighting. The option with the current ThinkVantage button to turn off the LED may satisfy those who don’t want a backlit keyboard or buttons. This would also appeal to a less business-oriented crowd, growing market share.
6) Storage – HDDs have a common interface (SATA) and form factor. Including only SSDs drives price up, but wins some marketing points. Having the option to swap in either SSDs or standard drives make it more versatile. If the modular optical bay idea is used, being able to add a second HDD there would be a benefit as well.
Adding a lot of options onto the notebook wouldn’t be a bad idea, especially with the price people are paying for them. Those that don’t want specific ones can turn them off (like backlighting), or swap them out for other options (like the optical drive).
March 24th, 2008 11:34 am
I was quite keen on getting one of these until I read a review (http://www.notebookreview.com/.....ewsID=4281) stating that Lenovo’s (unrealistic) stated battery life of 6.5 hr with a 6 cell battery is something more like 3.5 hrs.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but some of the major selling points of this device is that it uses several technologies aimed at conserving battery life:
1) a LV processor (which is inferior in processing speed to non-LV varients)
2) a back-lit LED display (welcomed feature)
3) an over-the-top pricey SSHD (which is far below conventional HDs in terms of capacity), albeit less noisy and more rugged.
Now all things considered the X300 is a laptop that, although state-of-the-art in many respects, is lacking some basic features that one would expect for its category (e.g. a multi-card reader, DVI/HDMI output, PCI expansion card). And bearing in mind the price, the battery lasts no longer than other ultra-portables that cost 1/3 of the price!
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not like some unrealistic people who are expecting every bell and whistle under the stars in a compact, lightweight device. I can accept the missing peripherals stated above, but offer me a laptop that will last the duration of a transatlantic flight and I will pay a premium for that. But if you take away features common to many of the competitors with a mediocre battery life, then offer me a price that is on par with the competition!
As an aside, perhaps someone can enlighten me on one more mystery of the X300. Why use 667 MHz RAM with a FSB of 800 MHz? Isn’t faster RAM available that will effectively utilise the greater FSB?
March 27th, 2008 1:05 pm
New for the X301, a Mobile Workstation variant? Hey, I can dream, can’t I? Mr. Hill, could you make it happen? Please?
March 27th, 2008 4:46 pm
cris – blame intel for the santa rosa chipset only using up to 667MHz RAM with an 800MHz FSB. there’s nothing lenovo or anyone else can do about this until the next architecture refresh.
battery life has always been a controversial topic as there is no set standard on how it’s rated. every manufacturer in the industry is guilty of over-advertising their battery life. the only thinkpad i have ever owned which lived up to its battery claims is my s30. it was claimed to last 5 hours with the standard battery and i have made it 4:45 under normal use before the critical timer kicked in and it had to shut down.
to make everyone happy i think an expresscard slot would be a welcome addition. i could care less about a multicard reader as i shoot compactflash exclusively. it doesn’t matter though–there’s no room for anything else in the X300 chassis including a multicard reader or expresscard port. faster processors and a displayport adapter (to replace VGA) are the only changes i foresee in the X300’s near future.
even with its shortcomings, i am extremely happy with my X300. it still needs a better display and displayport output but it is what it is. VGA output to my thinkvision L220x is actually quite respectable, making the wait for displayport less painful. i just wish it had the high contrast ratio and color fidelity of other LED-panel-equipped ultraportables.
March 27th, 2008 8:37 pm
my dad received x300 today, my initial comments would be x300 is the best ultraportable laptop with the worst quality of screen i’ve seen, dad said his dollars weren’t well spent on the laptop.
March 28th, 2008 10:21 pm
Being CAD3D user – and industrial designer (wow for the design team at Lenovo!) – what is the best video card one can get in this one!? nVidia 8800GT in miniature?? nVidia Quatro line?
So far, I am seriously looking to order the T61p – but keep returning to the x300 to rinse my eye…
The 390X was my first laptop, still using it here and there.. Best overall quality – and keyboard ever! This makes you to come back for more!
Welcome back to the future!
March 29th, 2008 10:59 pm
To me (as a IBM Thinkpad, Toshiba, Sony Vaio owner), the x300 is overpriced for its features. It probably weren’t if I’d live in the US, but in Switzerland, we always have to add about 30% to US retail prices. Mainly thanks to silly Swiss laws that grant exclusive import rights to companies like Lenovo. It’s a shame.
And now to something completely different: Things I’d love to see in future Lenovo Thinkpads:
* Get back to the nice 4:3 form factor for the screen. The 16:9 and 16:10 hypes were rubbish from the beginning. Most people prefer a nice 4:3 screen when on the plane, in the train, in a café or having the notebook on the lap (yes, that still happens from time to time).
* Get rid of those glossy screens in laptops and install LED backlit anti-glare screens. Glossy screens make absolutely no sense in a laptop and people only buy them because they’re so cheap.
* Replace the “last century” ThinkLight with an LED backlit keyboard and use the saved space to add an upgradeable/replaceable webcam (heck, did you even notice that business users like video conferencing nowadays? See the Macbooks, see the Vaios, see almost every notebook but Lenovo Thinkpads)
April 1st, 2008 6:02 pm
Sorry, my comment above wasn’t fair. I have to correct and clarify a couple of things:
1) I didn’t realize that the X300 is already equipped with a webcam. That’s nice, way to go, for the other Thinkpads too!
2) I have to clarify that AFAIK, none of the Thinkpad models are equipped with glossy displays, only the Lenovo consumer models. I do believe however, that Joe Average would also prefer an anti-glare display if consumer notebooks were equipped with anti-glare screens by default (instead of glossy screens). No matter what, I’m confident that in a couple of years, high-contrast anti-glare displays will be the default for notebooks again.
April 6th, 2008 10:56 pm
So wonderful, so little!
I like it.
April 9th, 2008 9:25 am
Oups, we are two Martin’s here, back to my slavic origins, under Martan
,.. a “Martian” in czech?
Hearing enough complains about after market services here, I am looking for best Lenovo suppliers in Canada, PQ, Montreal area – I am going for the T61p…
CAD: Strong enough for SolidWorks, Rhino…?
April 11th, 2008 2:39 am
Size and spec wise this is a great machine. I agree with Bill Wood though, the marketing is very poor when compared to the opposition.
And, Tim, to say that IBM’s e-commerce software doesn’t allow for shorter URLs!!! You’re IBM, aren’t you? (heck, am I on the right site?)
Anyway, I would buy one in a heartbeat if it came with OSX!
April 21st, 2008 7:43 am
??? ?? ???? ?????? ??? ??? ???????? ??????? ??? ??? ??????? ?????? ??? ??? ??????? ???? ??? ??? ??? ???????? ????? ?????? ???? ??????? ???????? ????? ??????? ????????
i love think pad and i hope the new x300 in same quality and the legend of think pad always in the front i like to buy this new model
tariq mohammed saudi arabia
April 21st, 2008 2:24 pm
The one thing that I would want to see is a 4:3 display. I know that they’ve become more expensive as this whole widescreen obsession has gripped the PC industry, but there are many users like myself whose primary use for the machine is productivity, not entertainment. 4:3 is superior for word processing and other productivity tasks, and given that the Thinkpads are targeted at business users I fail to see any reason why there shouldn’t be a 4:3 option offered as on the T61 (though that seems to have disappeared as well).
May 8th, 2008 5:19 am
David,
Although this is a bit late (I hope you still check this), congratulations to you, your design team, the engineers and everybody working on this project who helped for this, may I say, amazing ThinkPad to come to the market!
I love the overall design of the machine, it has pretty much all the features that turned the ThinkPad design into a legend. I especially welcome the come back of the red stripes and the volume/mute and power buttons (à la T2x, simply beautiful). And, although I cannot comment on the build quality because I haven’t yet handled one, I understand that it is on par with the design level.
I would have one comment though on the design of the X300: I think the natural, silvery white magnesium hinges are more appropriate than the black painted ones. I understand that the black hinges are closer to the traditional ThinkPad design (all-black square box), but don’t you think that the silvery white contrasts beautifully with the black finish of the machine. Also, that would draw attention to them letting people know instantly that these are serious magnesium hinges attesting to the high build quality of the machine.
I would love to hear your opinion on this.
Also, I find the red stripes too thin, too faint or at least they appear that way in the photos. But these are small potatoes… it’s better than no stripes at all!
Thank you for taking our opinion into account.
Now, we would love to see some of that great design features implemented in the rest of the ThinkPad line. I would buy in an instant a 4:3 display T62 (I really hope you will not ditch the 4:3 displays) with the X300 design and the black rubberized paint. Or even better a 4:3 X300 of course…
Once again, great work David! Keep it up!
Laur
May 15th, 2008 5:49 am
Hi all
Why in the world haven’t the X300 got af Xpress slot or at least a build-in Smart Card Reader?
This lak makes a lot og people not to choose the X300 ! !
Regards TN
June 19th, 2008 5:08 pm
Even in the PC Mag review, they recommned running XP on it, not Vista. Why isn’t it available with XP?
June 19th, 2008 8:13 pm
dave,
search online for vendors selling X300 models 6478-1TU and 6478-1VU. each are topseller models shipping preloaded with XP. the former model is WWAN upgradeable where the latter has verizon EV-DO and UWB cards.
blame microsoft–not lenovo–for XP’s unavailability. instead of microsoft embracing users’ lack of accepting vista, they’ve dropped XP from manufacturer sales in a sad attempt to shove vista down buyers’ throats.
even though i don’t use XP anymore, i’m all for buyers having a choice.
July 23rd, 2008 7:34 am
MAC IS BETTER
July 23rd, 2008 5:47 pm
Which mac MACFANATIC ??? lol, it’s funny….
July 25th, 2008 11:15 pm
Mac is defeat!
August 9th, 2008 10:03 am
1.2 GHz processor is not powerful enough for my needs. I’ve been a long term THink Pad user…please offer more processor choices and I am a buyer!!!!!!!
Great design otherwise!
March 25th, 2009 2:46 am
Some very interesting and insightful thoughts. I like this.
March 28th, 2009 5:48 pm
[...] Design Matters » Blog Archive » ThinkPad X300: The Pursuit of … [...]
April 14th, 2009 11:20 pm
I’ve had my x300 for 2 months now.
- Love the design
- Keyboard is outstanding
- Very light that you won’t even notice it.
- Powerfull enough for me not to complain
- Battery life OK.
- Vista sucks. I want to change to XP but worried about the lack of drivers.
Some weird things happen but not sure if they’re related to Vista or HW. Most ennoying when it just hangs.
Other than that… awesome
February 18th, 2010 11:47 am
Great Article! I really liked it! Thanks