Product Listing

Lenovo ThinkPad X300

By Aloysius Low - 14 Apr 2008

Great Expectations

Great Expectations

With great mobility, comes great costs it seems and we're not just talking about costs in the monetary aspect only of course. Performance compromises like a slightly slower processor and the integrated graphics all add up along with the actual monetary cost of the notebook. The 13.3-inch LED screen didn't live up to our expectations either, being somewhat splotchy and dim when we tested it though the 1440 x 900 resolution does count in its favor.

If you stop and think about it, the MacBook Air actually gives slightly more value per dollar spent (plus you get lots of attention) compared to the X300 once you factor in the peformance. The Air comes with a proper Core 2 Duo processor, not the low voltage power saving processor that the X300 is using and still runs longer than the X300 on its 3-cell battery.

What the X300 lacks in processing power however, it makes up with the slimmest DVD drive we have seen so far and more connectivity options compared to the Air, which does make X300 much easier to use. The included SSD does give the X300 the edge in our HDD tests, though the additional expense incurred (since you can't actually get a X300 with a normal HDD) evens it out somewhat.

With SSD prices probably falling in the near future (at a rate of around 40% to 50% per year) and Intel announcing that they will be entering the SSD market, it's safe to conclude that the lower prices are very likely to attract manufacturers into using SSD drives for future models of laptops, which will then negate the aforementioned advantage that the X300 has. Of course, lower SSD prices will hopefully lead to a more affordable X300.

As a direct competitor to the MacBook Air in the same ultra-portable category, the Lenovo ThinkPad X300 doesn't really live up to the high expectations that we had. While it is a superb piece of engineering and design, the somewhat low battery life of the 3-cell battery leaves us all but hard-pressed to justify the exorbitant $4,412 of the X300, which puts it out of the range of most casual users. To be fair, business road warriors who remain undaunted by its pricing will definitely appreciate the more comprehensive features that the X300 has over the Air, not to mention the still golden ThinkPad branding.

Without a doubt, the Lenovo ThinkPad X300 is a marvel of engineering, but its price might be just too costly for the casual consumer.

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