Walt's full review of the Lenovo Thinkpad
X300 is now available. As usual for the man, you also get the bonus (or burden) of a detailed comparison with Apple's competing product which in this case is the MacBook Air. For those of you who remember Walt's
MacBook Air review, that quote -- "I can recommend the X300 for road warriors without hesitation" -- stands in stark contrast to Mr. Mossberg's take on Apple's beautiful but compromised ultra-portable. As Walt points out, the biggest
differences between the two are the selection of ports, built-in DVD or second battery, and a removable main battery afforded by the X300's relatively thick chassis. Of course, the choice of OS is also a consideration since the X300
can't run OS X while the MBA
can run Vista. Walt does lament the fact that the X300 is only offered with an SSD. As such, it's limited to a maximum of 64GB of storage and contributes to the X300's relatively high price tag. It starts at $2,500 with a stripped-down, half-sized battery and no DVD -- $3,000 gets you the more popular full-sized battery and DVD config. Walt's aggressive, full-size battery tests resulted in "weaker battery life" at 3 hours and 5 minutes compared to the MBA's 3 hours and 29 minutes. That said, the Lenovo easily trumps the MBA with 5 hours and 15 minutes of juice when configured with both a full-sized and half-sized battery. The choice seems pretty clear at this point: form or function, which will it be sir?
[Thanks, Jacob L.]
posted February 21st 2008 3:41AM
All you have to do is put up with:
Slower processor
Higher cost
Bigger (thicker... in fact, almost as thick as normal laptops)
Vista (ugh)
Form (seriously, this thing is ugly)
Less HD space
But, hey, if you're that much of a PC fanboy to go with this, be my guest.
True, but the much better connectivity options cannot be discounted. It's also debatable whether it is ugly - while my computer is a MacBook Pro, and I do think it's a wonderful bit of engineering, I also don't find the X300. Perhaps it's a case of nostalgia because my first laptop was a ThinkPad but I honestly don't find IBM/Lenovo laptops to be ugly, just not glitzy.
Strange, low ranked for pointing out facts (save for the ugly and pc fanboy comments).
Anyway, it hasn't changed it's design in years. Not too many contemporary things have done that, and older laptops weren't too pretty (save for some of Apples).
As for connectivity, you can get a very cheap USB port replicator, and hook up a drive, ethernet, whatever you want.
For a lot of people who use this, wifi will be easier to come by than an ethernet jack.
"Strange, low ranked for pointing out facts (save for the ugly and pc fanboy comments)."
Oh yeah, because it's not possible that someone low ranked you just for the ugly and pc fanboy comments. If you had left those out, I'm sure no one would have low ranked you.
So the Lenvo doesn't have a slower processor? It's not thicker? It doesn't have less hd space?
Silly fanboys.
That's not what I said. Stop being a dick.
Instead of saying "since the X300 can't run OS X while the MBA can run Vista." why not say that OSX isn't compatible with a different architecture? or that it IS written specifically to run on a single platform? Why blame the machine? Why not the software?
simple logic.
Because it's a matter of hardware. One can run most mainstream OSs, the other cannot.
Greg: And this is Steve Job's fault, not Lenovo's. Yet somehow we're always hearing how they suck because they can't run OS X.
@Randall
It's kinda a pointless discussion. However anyone wants to spin it, the Lenovo does not run OS X and that for some people that will be a problem. In that respect it does suck, whatever the reason is for why it can't run OS X. Certainly I don't look at OS X in a worse light because of this and I'm not going to switch back to Windows because of it.
Not at all. Apple made their OS for their computer. You want their OS, go with that hardware. It's not Lenvo's "fault" but it is a comparison between the abilities of the two machines in question. It doesn't even matter who's "fault" it is, all that mattes is that one can run most mainstream OSs, one cannot.
Who the frack cares about 'blame'? That's for haters and fanboys. If you love OSX get a Mac. If you love Windows get a PC. WTF???
@Greg
Sorry, but you're playing semantic games here.
If I say "Mac laptop can run any OS and PC laptops can't," while strictly speaking correct, the implication is that there's something deficient about PC laptops, which isn't true. Technically, any PC laptop *could* run MacOS X - if the maker of MacOS X didn't actively try to cripple it on that platform.
So, of these two statements:
"Mac laptops can run any OS, while PC laptops can't"
and
"MacOS X is a crippled OS because it doesn't run on most PCs while Windows can,"
the latter is a more accurate statement.
Yes, it is because of the OS that PCs can't run Mac OS, but the wording isn't important. The fact is, to get Mac OS on a PC, you have to do some hacking, and it's illegal. The easiest platform for Mac OS, Windows, and Linux, is the Mac (it's the only one). Fact of the matter is, from a comparison point of view, one allows you to use Mac OS, one does not. If a consumer wants Mac OS, this little fact will be a deciding factor.
AHH, Mossberg speaks and the world listens.
Go to Lenovo site and they will "keep you informed". Go to the Apple site and you can order your computer and have it in a day-or just pick one up at an Apple store.
The processor on the X300 is a compromise as is Vista.
I will stick with the Air, thank you
Why would anybody prefer a polished completly useles turd like the MBA over something that is actully good, like the x300?
Operating System.
design. processor. operating system. immediate availability.
plus the x300 just can't match the "woah, that's neato" factor.
Stupid question, but have you used the Air? Or, for that matter, the X300? I think it's a bit of a stretch to call the MacBook Air a "turd". While the MBA isn't for everyone (much like the X300, although it has less restrictions), it's hardly a bad machine and has been well received by a number of reviewers (even Mossberg). Anyway, to point out the patently obvious, if you want a light-weight Mac laptop then you'll choose a MBA.
Well, if function is so important, the MBA wins. Since it runs OS X, it will function better not running running Vista. So, form and function are what make mac users.
Trolls are so totally into spam. Hey, whatever floats your boat: 17news@gmail.com
The MBA is about being sleek and thin, which it accomplishes with all the lust of any Apple product. The Lenovo is about getting things done while being as thin and light as possible, not sacrificing just for the sake of thinness.
Hence the incredibly huge, showstopping .2" of difference in thickness. Personally, that won't make much of a difference to me in the laptop bag.
Of course, the price will make a difference, of both the MBA and x300. I'll stick with my 1.2" thick 12" LCD notebook that cost all of $1000 and runs a full-power CPU, 2gb RAM, DVDRW, and 120gb HD.
I'll try to deal with the shame of not fitting it inside an envelope, although the envelope may contain the $800-$2,000 I saved from not buying the hype of either machine.
Good lord, people. If you're an OSX fan, then there is no question which you will choose.
If you're a fan of or ambivalent towards Windows, then you have a nice choice.
And for people who feel that there is *only one choice* for an computer operating system, whether that singular choice is OSX or Windows: Get over yourself.
For me, the X300 is the clear choice. I'm not an OSX fan (don't dislike it, but don't need it). I *love* the DVD drive for traveling -- I own dozens of DVD's that I want to choose from when I travel. I also don't want to worry about having an external drive when I need it. A replaceable battery isn't an option for me, it's a necessity. It's "thin and light enough." It's clearly not as good as the MBA, but it's big improvement over everything else. The screen resolution on the X300 is a "nice to have" but not essential. I don't think the speed of the processors in either is going to make a huge difference. I also don't think the multiple USB's is a big help 90% of the time.
Again, *for me*, the MBA represents a great 2nd, couch or coffee shop laptop. But the X300 is easily what I want as my dedicated laptop. Let my wife have an MBA.
If Mossberg chooses the Lenovo over the Apple, then that's his choice. It suits him better.
sorry, ron, that wasn't meant to be a direct reply to you, just to the story.
I think just saying form versus function is an oversimplification. I have owned a Powerbook G4 (aluminum) for almost 3 years now. Every time I sit down in front of it I still feel inspired by its looks. It is a work of art. That small boost of inspiration I feel makes me more creative in my working. I owned a Thinkpad back in 1999. A fine laptop. But not inspiring.
I am not in the market for a MBA, will replace my Powerbook with a MBP eventually, but I think sitting at a desk in front of a MBA would be a helluva lot more inspiring than sitting in front of a X300.
This inspiration may not be needed by every type of person. A sense of the aesthetic might not be needed by every type of person. But for the type of person that does feel inspiration from it, Apple machines just have a look that makes me feel I am using a pretty tool, not a glowing, beeping, rough hewn utilitarian computer.
In regards to the argument "PC's can't run on OS X", I've always adhered to the opinion that it is OS X that can't run on the majority of hardware. Windows on the other hand (bugs/3rd party apps unfortunately included) can run on just about any hardware configuration. It should be a strike against OS X that it's limited to one hardware vendor, and a positive mark for Windows that it is not. However, people have turned it around to say that "PC's" (like there's only one manufacturer) can't run OS X. Well they can't, but not because the technology in OS X eludes them.
Not technically true. OS X itself doesn't have any restrictions (aside from the need for EFI, I think) that prevent it from running on non-Apple computers but Apple doesn't provide the support for the hardware (i.e. no drivers). That's just business because Apple doesn't want you not buying its hardware. Call it a black mark against Apple but not the OS as that is quite capable of running on a wide gamut of computers much like Windows. At the end of the day, however, this isn't an argument that needs to be considered when buying a computer - I won't feel more inclined to buy a Windows computer because OS X won't run on it and therefore OS X is somehow more inferior.
I cant stand watching Mossberg's reviews.
There is always such a huge slant toward apple products.
For one.. He keeps saying how the "Lenovo is heavier", and if you can "put up with the heavier Thinkpad", etc.
Heavier???? He makes it like ull be lugging around some weights in your bag!
The laptop is freakin .17 lbs heavier. In any NORMAL user's book that equals 0% heavier.
And Mossberg supposedly reviews products for the normal user, so im not sure as to why he keeps referring to the fact that it's heavier.
And even if he wants to say its heavier (since in reality it is), at least have the decency to give the full facts... THAT IT'S .17 LBS HEAVIER!!!
I don't know where Walt gets his info from. The X300 has the option of using bigger, disc-based hard drives.
Yes, you get low ranked around here if you so much as hint at actually liking an Apple product OR if you so much as hint at pointing out the downsides of anything that isn't made by Apple. Because obviously only Apple products have downsides. And they complain about Apple fanboys? Oh, the hypocrisy!
In any case, doesn't anybody else find it ironic that the X300 only has better battery life than the MBA if it uses two batteries which forces you to forego the internal optical drive? And wasn't the lack of an internal optical drive the big reason fanbois here were pooping all over the MBA? Weren't all the PC fanbois crying about how the lack of an optical drive on the MBA made it useless?
Hey, I support removable batteries, that's a nice feature if you go on a long trip and you want to watch some movies or whatnot. I just enjoy watching the PC fanbois scramble to change their stance on how necessary an internal optical drive is on a "subnotebook" when it turns out that if you just replace it with a battery it beats the MBA in battery life.
I dislike seeing the two being compared.
The MBA is a consumer-level device, and the X300 can be corporate and/or consumer.
Thinkpads are damn near indestructible and easy to deploy in large numbers. ThinkVantage recovery, spillproof keyboards, magnesium + plastic shell, rollcage, active harddrive protection, Access Connections, etc, all got my back, nevermind the best keyboard in the business.
I'm hopelessly hooked on Thinkpads, and the X300 has pretty much everything I want, 13.3" form factor, LCD backlit screen, ThinkLight, THAT KEYBOARD, and they're pretty sexy. I'll hold out for the T400/500 just to make sure all my options are worthy, but yeah. Fanboyism go home.
I've never thought Engadget was too heavily Apple-biased.
I have thought that those who fight tooth and nail to prove that function is more important than form likely in real life find that they themselves are more function than form.
I'll take both. I think the X300 looks waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better.
err, just want to say that i own a lenovo thinkpad running windows xp, not x300, but a much larger model which is supposed to be powerful. however, this thinkpad is very unstable; it turns blue screen very frequently, often in the middle of a simple web browsing, without showing any signs that the system is about to break down.
and another huge complain i have is about the nub and the trackpad. i do prefer the trackpad, but nub is fine for me. however, lenovo has squeezed BOTH the nub and the trackpad onto their thinkpad. apparently lenovo tried to keep their traditions while introducing the more popular trackpad, which is utterly unnecessary and very, very inconvenient. the size of the trackpad is squeezed because of that, which means u have to move ur fingers back and forth a lot; and if u want to use the nub? ur wrist/thumb will inevitably touch the trackpad which results in miss clicking.
in short, lenovo thinkpad has been the most irritating thinkpad i've ever used. lenovo is not innovative at all. i dont expect u guys to have the same opinion, but plz at least try the redundant nub+trackpad combo, and compare it with the huge trackpad that's available to MBA before u buy!!
btw i used 2 IBM thinkpads before and i loved them. lenovo seems to be doing more destruction than good.
Sounds like you may have a bad memory chip, if you're getting a lot of random blue screens.
Silly comparison. One machine is for wannabe-fashionistas, the other is business people and others who just want a solid computing platform that is also small and light. Different markets.
Contrary to the implication, people do use Macs for business. I do all my work on a MacBook Pro, for example. Given this I think that the MBA and X300 are competing for exactly the same markets. The problem that the MBA has is that since it is not running Windows and therefore won't be considered by companies who operate Windows-dominated networks. Should Apple ever make much penetration of that market (not much chance since depending on a single vendor for computers is not a good idea) then there's not much to choose between these 2 systems.
Kelmon, even if the Air ran Windows, I am sure that very few businesses would consider it as a company standard laptop, since it has no dedicated LAN port, not enough USB ports, no docking station, and an non-removable battery. I have no doubt that the Air can be used in a business environment, but no medium or large business would invest in it for the reasons above.
function please, MBA's non-removable battery just bugs the hell out of me, that full battery life is truly sexy as well
Let's not be too harsh against Walter, he actually mentions Thinkpad, Lenovo or X300 in 22 sentences while Apple or MBA in only 15 so I think it's wrong to call him biased..
I watched his review on the Air. I thought it as going to be different for a change...damn, from the moment he said "Subnotebook" and "Thinnest", he lost me.
I kind of feel that the Thinkpad is no longer the Thinkpad you think it is. This is Lenovo thinkpad, which does not deserve any bit of the fame it inherited from IBM thinkpad. I am very surprised that a high-tech company with so little innovation such as Lenovo can survive. Just look at the three damn buttons above the trackpad! Believe me after you tried the multi-touch pad on a MBA you'll never want to look at the awkward mouse design on x300 again.