Lenovo X300 ad takes the MacBook Air head-on

Pencil thin laptop? Check. Floating with drop shadow? Check. Catch phrase in Helvetica Light? You bet. "Thinnovation" may have become "The art of thin," but there's no mistaking the implication of this new Lenovo web ad for the ThinkPad X300. "No-compromise" and "Everything else is just hot air?" Them's fightin' words.

[Thanks, Amerist]

[fanman @ Mar 20th 2008 2:42PM]

Fighting words? Theres no fight here...

[Rafer @ Mar 20th 2008 2:44PM]

Drive > then no drive.

[Brian! @ Mar 20th 2008 2:50PM]

Yea, the X300 already beat the Apple Air, especially in a business setting.

Of course, Apple will sell tons of Air laptops through the Apple Hype machine. You have to hand it to Apple, their marketing over the years has been very effective. I meet more and more people who really believe the marketing propaganda - even the outright mis-truths.

Just yesterday I was standing in line at the grocery store and some guy was telling this other person that only macs come with built-in cameras on their laptop. heh.

[z @ Mar 20th 2008 2:58PM]

Who needs an optical drive, and 3 USB ports for a laptop business setting? What you need is a small form-factor machine, a good screen, wireless connectivity and a bunch of solid communication apps. Sounds like a few years ago when we where told we needed floppy drives in our laptops...

[anonymouspimp @ Mar 20th 2008 3:02PM]

Agreed. The Macbook Air hit the mat before the Round 1 bell even rung.

[Surur @ Mar 20th 2008 3:05PM]

@z

Yes, who wants to use a mouse, USB HSDPA modem and thumb memory drive at the same time. Those silly business men, trying to do real work instead of showing off. And heaven forbid they want to install software quickly and easily. I mean, looking for some-one to borrow you their CD-drive is just being sociable, isn't it.

[snife @ Mar 20th 2008 3:19PM]

erm..... who needs 3 USB ports and an optical drive? lots of people thats who, some of us dont like switching between multiple machines so for a system to be your main system it would have to have these things, its not the same as an FDD as mostly those were used for backups or actual technican tasks at the time - people use optical drives much more often.

Plus the X300 seems to meet all your needs - its small form factor, has more wireless options than the air (3G, UWB, GPS and WIFI) and has a better screen than the MBA (higher resolution)

[Z @ Mar 20th 2008 3:09PM]

@Surur
Do you seriously use a corded mouse, USB HSDPA, and a USB thumb drive at the same time while installing a CD / DVD ROM on your business ride?

[FreeRange @ Mar 20th 2008 3:12PM]

@z
Three of you is me asleep. "zzz"

[Chip @ Mar 20th 2008 3:13PM]

"Who needs an optical drive, and 3 USB ports for a laptop business setting?"
How do you charge your phone? Bluetooth earpiece? Use a mouse? External GPS? Charge DMP on the road? Use your UFD? Receipt scanner? Ya, one half obstructed USB should do.

[Surur @ Mar 20th 2008 3:15PM]

@Z

Perfectly simple scenario - You use the excellent Logitech Vx Nano mouse, and you need to e-mail out an attachment some-one gives you on a thumb drive. I did not know 3 USB ports was some kind of luxury.

No-one said anything about installing software at the same time.

[TRAFFICBLOWS @ Mar 20th 2008 3:17PM]

@Z... what are you smooooooooking

Anyone who needs a laptop in a business setting (or otherwise) is not going to be able to swap it out with a SFF computer & monitor. A SFF is a great replacement for a basic desktop but that's it.

And yes... my IBM T42 only has 2 USB ports and I'm constantly limited by the lack of more. God forbid I only had 1...

[TRAFFICBLOWS @ Mar 20th 2008 3:19PM]

lol.. three @Z's beat me as next reply before i even finished writing the comment

[dg @ Mar 20th 2008 3:22PM]

What business who's buying an ultra-portable laptop wants to carry around a wired mouse (or even an external mouse at all), a USB HSDPA card, and a USB thumb drive?

Solutions: TRACKPAD! -or- bluetooth mouse; Bluetooth tether HSDPA? and keep your thumb drive -or- bluetooth it to the memory card in your phone. Hahah. Hooray for Bluetooth!

Now I don't know how practical the tethering is, but I'm just saying, for someone who's going to buy an Ultra-portable laptop, I think there are better ways to do stuff.

[FRZ @ Mar 20th 2008 3:34PM]

@ all the arguments against the MBA, what most of you guys don't realise is that the majority of business users don't install or do anything by themselves on their laptops. Most, if not all of their application installation is done at the office through their company. Most of these guys never really use anything outside those work applications that their companies give with the laptop. So what would you think they would prefer?

[Surur @ Mar 20th 2008 3:45PM]

@Frz

I bet they watch DVD's while flying though.

[John @ Mar 20th 2008 3:51PM]

@FRZ

I think the biggest problem about your argument is that the Air seems to be marketed more towards the general public rather than corporations. Yes, people may be using it for business but in those cases, chances are that they are using their own personal machines for business. $1800 is quite high compared to other business classed laptops. I doubt that many companies are willing to pay such a large premium for such a limited machine.

[Scott @ Mar 20th 2008 3:52PM]

I agree that the x300 wins because it is more functional: integrated DVD, 3 usb ports, and you can wipe your ass with it without worrying about damaging its assthetics.

[Kelmon @ Mar 20th 2008 4:00PM]

Well, from a business perspective the only issue that I see for the Air is that no one makes a decent Bluetooth mouse. Sort that issue out and only 1 USB port isn't much of an issue in business. If they can get around to distributing the OS on a flash memory stick then the loss of the optical drive is also no loss either. As it stands, wireless installations of the OS via a separate computer sounds a bit iffy to me.

[erik @ Mar 20th 2008 4:28PM]

I'm a college student and I have a macbook air and enjoy it, To each his own. I think alot of people get mad because a product doesn't fit their needs so instead of just ignoring that product they get personally offended and see it as horribly flawed.

Joker...."Why So Serious?

[Alan Strangis @ Mar 20th 2008 4:38PM]

@ FRZ: I've done a few small and mid size company upgrades (5-50 people in management roles) where they specifically wanted certain people to have laptops do double duty as their main computers at work.

They have flat panels, full sized keyboard etc at their desks, and they take the laptop when they're on the road.

People who think the MBA is a good solution for business/enterprise users really don't have a grasp of the varying needs of different clients, and running Windows through Boot Camp or Parallels is no option at all.

[snife @ Mar 20th 2008 4:41PM]

One of the X300 USB ports should not be required for a USB mouse, learn to use the TrackPoint properly and you will never require a mouse while out and about - only use a touchpad then the majority of people will need a mouse - the trackpoint is just so far superior to the touchpad if you can use it well.

[Andrew @ Mar 20th 2008 4:42PM]

@Scott: Nice summary.

@Kelmon: Tell me how often you actually install software on a Mac via optical drive. Maybe 1-3 times per year. For that you can do it over network, or the external drive. No big deal.

For watching movies on the plane.. Think iPhone/PSP (other such device) or get them on your MBA's hard drive. Nothing like a big screen and an optical drive to kill battery life.

[jeff @ Mar 20th 2008 4:50PM]

True the Air won back when they started making Vista.

Oh my god! I am so scared of digital files, please get my discs , my giant wall full of shitty plastic DVDS! im so scared of bluetooth! get me more wires hanging off than the back of a receiver!

[CBoss @ Mar 21st 2008 11:20AM]

Who wants a new Laptop with a DVD drive that is not Blu-ray? (There WAS a winner in that fight)

P.S. with all businesses running to wireless web 2.0/ server based applications, such as SAP there is no way that Lenovo wins this fight with just an old school CD/DVD drive, especially since Apple has demonstrated the willingness to license Exchange. Lets face it, the next generation of suits are college kids running around with iPods and iPhones glued, or wired to their heads.

[Nipponese @ Mar 20th 2008 5:16PM]

I never warmed up to the mouse, besides, it gave me wrist pains. On my desktop machines, I only use trackballs and a pen tablet when I do graphics. Besides, I can photoshop better with my trackpad than a mouse any day. I have purchased a MacBook Air as well but it was to be my machine on the go and not my main. I don't think I would have considered it if I was looking for my main computer but the funny thing is, I have been using it as my main machine since I have purchased it. All the counterpoints that people have been making have never been issue for me. I can connect my v3xx via bluetooth to connect to the 3g network anywhere and the only time I need the USB port is when I connect my thumbdrive. I don't even remember the last time I bought a movie on a physical media either, they all live on my harddrive. You guys are also forgetting that the x300 is a very expensive machine too. It doesn't have the option for a harddrive, so you have no choice but to pay for the premium of a SSD.

[Bloobie @ Mar 20th 2008 7:05PM]

Brian: Marketing hype would imply that they actually said something to that effect in their marketing material(s). I, for one, have never seen a piece of Apple marketing material stating that only their portable computers have built-in cameras. Clearly they cannot state so today. So place the blame on this one person's ignorance rather than Apple's rather successful marketing techniques. People buy things that are flaunted in their face and advertised heavily, which explains the highly successful market share commanded by the iPod. Other manufacturers are where they are for the most part because they do not advertise or market their products properly.

[Leo @ Mar 20th 2008 5:44PM]

no fight eh? they may as well have said "Two laptops enter, one laptop leave"

[DvS @ Mar 20th 2008 6:11PM]

Starting at $2,799.99...yeah right. I'll take the air with SSD for a little more.

[Kelmon @ Mar 20th 2008 6:16PM]

@Andrew

Apologies, you misunderstand my comment. I am not bothered about the loss of the optical drive with the single exception of when it comes to installing the OS. While it is apparently possible to do this over a network via a shared DVD drive, I'm honestly not that comfortable with the idea and would rather that it could be done via a flash memory stick. They're cheap enough these days and would be a heck of a lot faster.

[DvS @ Mar 20th 2008 6:23PM]

It's okay, most of these posters are still stuck in the 80's mindset; optical discs, drives with moving parts, needing to plug in 5+ peripherals. We can enjoy cutting edge technology while they bang away on their bricks.

[wookee88 @ Mar 20th 2008 7:10PM]

@DvS

why'd you take the air with a little more when it has a lot less?

[krings @ Mar 20th 2008 10:30PM]

that was hilarious !!!

[nikster @ Mar 20th 2008 10:59PM]

@erik - thanks for being the only one here to make sense. The two machines are not very comparable. Different things for different uses. I'd buy the MBA if I didn't need tons of USB ports and a DVD. I would buy the MBA if I needed CPU horsepower. I would buy the MBA for its good looks. And for the DVI port which is missing on the X300.
I would buy the X300 if I needed the DVD drive or the other ports.

But frankly, most of the omissions in the Air simply need some getting used to: I have a USB EV-DO card which would not fit in the USB - except it came with a very small USB expander cable which makes it fit. I have a USB mouse but I could use a BT mouse.

Neither the X300 or Air would be for me as I need a big, high-res screen. But the whining about the Air's omissions is getting really old. I think it's mostly people who want an Air but need 3 USB ports, and people who are just scared to drop nearly 2 grand only to find out that they actually do need 2 USB ports of whatever.

[Kieth Vienn @ Mar 20th 2008 11:42PM]

I seriously think hat guy asking who needed this stuff was being sarcastic. He meant the complete opposite.

[Masasuka @ Mar 21st 2008 2:14AM]

@Alan Strangis

WOW someone who understands business needs
A lot of business 'people' have a couple peripherals they use at work, me for example, I use a laptop, I have it plugged into a 22 inch screen, this allows me to work on our servers much more effectively, Also, I have a separate Keyboard and mouse, sure I may not use them on the road, but I'd rather not have to sync data between 2 different machines every day.
I'm an IT guy for my company, and the ammount of people who use Ethernet at work cause it's faster than the wireless N that we have here is quite high. Plus, unlike the mac's preference, not all of our employees want to conform to the same standards/options that the mac laptops put forth with their limited usability.
While it's not a 'bad' laptop, it has a lot of improving to do before it becomes a 'good' laptop.

And yes, that is an objective opinion. Some people may love the macbook air, I can just imagine how nice it would be for students who only have one computer, and may not need to do much more than type assignments, surf the net, get email, and, on the odd occasion, plug in a usb printer to print something.
However, that market is rather small, and, in it's current form, the macbook air is useless for most businesses, except those in real estate.

[Jon Doe. @ Mar 21st 2008 10:20AM]

Z you are full of shit. Do you even work in a business environment? I mean a real one....not one in your imagination where everyone is on WIFI everywhere on the planet and no one ships multiGB dbases or software to you on DVD. Oh and how's that battery lasting you halfway through the day when you need to find an outlet because you can't swap shit.

[Zachary Hinchliffe @ Mar 22nd 2008 10:13AM]

as a MacBook Air owner, I agree that the Air is not for everyone. certainly not for business-class users. It's only for people willing to make a sacrifice for a thin, light machine with good design.

that said, I have no problem using an air as my machine. on the road I only use the USB port for my 3G modem (hooked up through a cheapo $5 USB extender). I watch movies by ripping them using HandBrake beforehand. at home I hook it up to a cheap USB hub with my Wacom tablet, my DVD drive, and an external hard drive, as well as a 24" display. that's right, I use the Air as my primary machine, and it works fine for me. all the whining about the air's missing features is simply a matter of getting used to the features. the only thing wrong with the air is the price.

[Chris @ Mar 28th 2008 12:03AM]

What? Nobody here has heard of wireless mice and keyboards? Or bluetooth cell phone syncing? I mean, the MBA is very limited, but you don't really need wires for everything...

[Captainpie @ May 1st 2008 8:56AM]

@ Chris:
"What? Nobody here has heard of wireless mice and keyboards? Or bluetooth cell phone syncing? I mean, the MBA is very limited, but you don't really need wires for everything..."

I imagine we.ve all heard of wireless keyboards/mice, its just we prefer not to have to plug in to re-charge the battery every couple of hours :/

it needs to be portable yet usable, and if you need to do external keyboards and phone sync then wired is still the best way on both speed and battery drainage factors

[Patriks7 @ Mar 20th 2008 2:42PM]

rofl thats quite funny :')

[superfresh @ Mar 20th 2008 4:18PM]

The read link is only a jpeg? I can't click buy now!?! Engadget conspiracy!!!!

[Jeremy K. @ Mar 20th 2008 2:42PM]

pwnt.

[Brendan Sheehan @ Mar 20th 2008 4:15PM]

I'll tell you what my pwnt is! :P

[jeff @ Mar 20th 2008 4:53PM]

Pwnt by Microsoft into buying Vista and a shitty Dell, you should tattoo that on yourself right next to your picture of BIll Gates face.

[some1 @ Mar 20th 2008 2:43PM]

3, 2, 1 Fight!

[Chebwa @ Mar 20th 2008 3:14PM]

Retaliation coming soon.

"Hi, I'm a Mac."
"And I'm a Lenovo."

[derek @ Mar 20th 2008 4:18PM]

Ah, the good old Apple commercials with a new spin. Interesting.

Emo boy: I'm a Mac.
Fat, nerdy business guy: I'm a PC. (I think he's supposed to be a Dell...)

Emo boy: I'm a Mac Air.
Cute, slender geek girl: I'm a Lenovo x300.

Emo boy: I fit in an envelope.
Cute, slender geek girl: (watching DVD) Sorry, what was that? I wasn't listening.


To be honest, I _really_ like the iBook G3 (non-toiletseat edition) I picked up for $80 two weeks ago. I do not, however, like Apple's marketing tactics.

[Jason @ Mar 22nd 2008 11:48PM]

If the x300 and Air could talk...

Air: Hi, I'm a Mac!
x300: Hi Mac, I'm a PC...let's hang out and surf the web a little bit, shall we?

Air: Wifi?
x300: Oh..thats right, you don't have internal HSDPA, I'm sure we can find you some interwebs...

Air: Fine, I'll just an external one.
x300: Sorry Mac, your single USB was poorly designed to the point of non functionality, you can't fit an external HSDPA card.

Air: Oh...
x300: Don't worry about it, here, let's just install some new software together.

Air: Hold on I just have to find my extern....
x300: Anyday now Mac....

And then the slogan:

At Lenovo, we just assumed you wanted your laptop to actually do something.

:)

[krings @ Mar 20th 2008 10:31PM]

that was hilarious !!!