X300 vs Envy 133 vs MacBook Air... Fight!
By Thomas Ricker 
posted June 10th 2008 8:05AM
posted June 10th 2008 8:05AM
Suddenly the 13.3-inch ultra-portable market is looking a might bit crowded. At the same time, it's never looked better now that we have the choice of Lenovo's X300, Apple's MacBook Air, and Voodoo's just announced Envy 133. Decisions, decisions.
| ThinkPad X300 |
Envy 133 |
MacBook Air |
| 0.73 to 0.92-inches |
0.70-inches |
0.16 to 0.76-inches |
| 2.9 to 3.1-pounds* |
3.37-pounds | 3 pounds |
| 13.3-inch LED |
13.3-inch LED |
13.3-inch LED |
| 1,440 x 900 |
1,280 x 800 |
1,280 x 800 |
| Removable Battery |
Removable Battery | Not Removable |
| Ethernet | External | via USB adapter |
| 3x USB | 1x USB, 1x USB/eSATA | 1x USB |
| DVD | External | External |
| 1.2GHz Core 2 Duo | 1.8GHz Core 2 Duo | 1.8GHz Core 2 Duo |
| GMA X3100 | GMA X3100 | GMA X3100 |
| SSD only | HDD or SSD |
HDD or SSD |
| Vista | Vista | Vista or OS X |
| $2,700 to $3,000* | $2,099 starting | $1,800 to $3,100* |
| Business minded | Instant on Voodoo IOS | Cuts cake |
*Depending upon configuration
Viakenny is right, IBM doesn't make the ThinkPad anymore, so I hardly think its the IBM name you are paying for..
Dear posters:
1. Replace 'IBM name' with 'Apple.'
2. Scratch head.
3. Walk away with confusion.
In reality, when you take the base dell XPS and give it the same specs as my 2.4GHz 13.3" macbook, the Dell is more expensive. (and comes with vista)..
Even when you apply Apple's student discount ($100).... 1199
With dell's student discount($178)... 1279
Huh.
Be warned, Voodoo's service is pathetic. Even after HP bought the company, their service has not improved. This is not my experience alone. Unfortunately I bought a computer from them and have had no end of troubles since.
After sending it back for the third time in a year, I asked for my money back and was treated very rudely.
Oh, you forgot a column: Operating system
You're right, all three of them can run nearly any OS.
You're right, that row was there before I started making formatting edits. Re-added.
Thomas
The Envy really is the best of the three, but I don't understand why computer makers are trying to compete with the MBA by releasing comparably specced products. The general specs (physical and performance specs) of these products don't really fill a niche of any sort, so competing with Apple here seems pointless.
Make an 11" version that's 1" thick, and you'll have a machine with a similar internal volume, and actually fills a need.
Apple's not always right. Eff'em.
I think they DO fill a niche. Just because you can't see what it is doesn't mean its not there.
The niche is people who want a highly portable laptop, but actually want to, you know, use it without having to peer at some minute screen.
A thick 10" unit is harder (for me) to lug round than a thin 13" one. This one fits snuggly in my bag between files, the other would cause a hefty bump and some folding.
First of all this is a MacBook Air, not a MacBook Pro Air. Apple is targeting a different market, same concept but different market. It has the features need for the market they are targeting. Why does Apple have to cram EVERY feature in to make you happy. When will a student taking notes in class worry about their DVD drive, or extra USB ports. I think most campuses are covered with WiFI nowadays, so there's no need for ethernet. What about when the insurance adjuster come out to look at your wrecked car. Chances can be that he has a program on his machine or online that he uses to fill out the information and possibly upload some photos. again, no need for more USB, and no ethernet needed. Or what about a salesman who is provided a laptop linked the their companies CRM software, and doesn't need to run DOOM4 on the latest graphic card. Or maybe the Maytag guy that fixed my refrigerator. All he needed to do was print me an invoice and update his log in the system. Again, no need for more. Last time I checked most of the commuter trains are adding WiFi and NOT ethernet. This may also apply to McDonalds, Starbucks, and a few other places. I could be wrong.
SSD is a joke at the moment, it has no REAL differences to make it worth the cost. If you drop your computer, chances are your going to be SOL anyways. Apple included the option just so you will have one less thing to complain about (that worked ;) ).
I'll give the battery issue to you. I don't understand that.
OK I'll make this simple for the small minded. Just because it doesn't suit your needs, DOES NOT MAKE IT JUNK.
Actually many computer manufacturers do make certain models for certain niches (see how many models HP, Dell, Sony etc. actually sell), Apple is rather the exception than the norm (with only MacBook, Pro and Air).
By the way, if you want a rugged device then you'd get a Panasonic Toughbook. They're quite expensive though, and not powerful.
Ha i like the missing OS column comment. Just can't beat OSX.
However, i think instead of getting an 'ultra-portable' you could just either get 1. An Eee PC, or more appropriately
2. A MacBook - same size, tiny bit thicker and the extra weight will help with those nerdy broomstick arms :P
Plus i was looking at mine today from across the room and the thing looks pretty small (also much faster than the 3 above contenders)
sure you can. i can't use any autodesk product on it, so OSX is worthless to me.
I would like to see you use an autodesk product on any of these computers. AutoCAD or Inventor would bring them to their knees.
I didn't enjoy using the keyboard on the Air, and the Lenovo isn't pretty enough, so it's the Envy for me.
Thomas,
It'd be great if you can also add the advertised battery times to the chart.
How about updating the chart, since it's almost definitely not $2100 for a 64GB SSD.
looks like if you need it and you got the $ the x300 has got it... except the fact you have to run windows. Lenvos makes a good product though and they back it up. i had/have one before my mbp, and I would say they make the best windows based laptops hands down
treat them bad (drop them to the floor, spill liquids on them, etc.) and you'll see who wins.
x300, of course.
It's funny to compare this stuff because the real question is 'are you sick of Windows or do you hate OS X?'
Macs are faster on slower hardware, which again makes these comparisons difficult.
I'd take the Lenovo over the HP because I had an HP and it blew up, had a thinkpad and it was fantastic.
I'd take the Air over both because windows is so archaic and I'm too in love with the tricks in OS X (spaces, expose, quick look, etc.)
3xusb and dvd is a big PLUS but 1.2GHz Core 2 Duo will screw all other specs.
cuts cakes should also have an asterisk by it.
Vista? XD
Which one runs a real OS? Only the MacBook Air.
Because technically, Vista is a joke.
Actually, technically, Microsoft was quite serious about Vista. No joke.
Or you could just run Ubuntu or something like that... now that's a real OS right? =)
Linux from scratch is the only real OS.
clearly the Mac Book Air's ability to cut cake, as HP demonstrated for us, makes it the superior machine. All hail Steve Jobs and his snob like products that will forever haunt the electronics market due to their unnaturally good ability to market useless and frivolous products to morons.
The winner is the sony vaio TZ. It was released way back in august 2007 for crying out loud.
Sony Vaio TZ
- 1 inch
- 2.7 pounds
- 11.1-inch LED
- 1366×768
- Removable Battery
- Ethernet
- 2x USB, 1X i.link
- DVD or HDD
- 1.06, 1.2 or 1.33GHz Core 2 Duo
- GMA 950
- HDD or SSD
- Vista
- $1000 to $3,000*
- Twice as much battery life as the X300 and MBA wich just standard battery life. Design surpasses everything
*depends on configuration and cashback offers
It beats everything on the market.
Glad you mentioned the battery life... a laptop without any battery charge is, well, a brick (or a cake-cutter). Instead of a really thin laptop I'd rather have one that is a bit thicker, but has far longer battery life.
Forgot to mention it has more hidden features like a card reader for every format and an expresscard slot. Wich the lenovo X300 have neither.
You could just pop in an external videocard in the expresscard slot and hook up a huge screen and do some serious gaming. Or you could pop in a GPS card and track your laptop everywhere it goes in the world in case it gets stolen. Slide in a high quality soundcard. The options are endless.
I'd take an i.link port over an usb port anyday. Its just a shame that usb has become the standard in the computer world. The i.link is in practise much much better then usb.
Oh btw I'd also have to defend vista. I recently switched from XP to Vista and I have to say vista runs really nice and smooth. If you got the hardware vista really runs like a dream. Its the most secure OS according to Ballmer and it never failed on me since I made the switch. It runs nice and smooth so far
It's runs dreamlike and smooth, too. ;)
The Mac is the cheapest?
Whoda thunk it?
MBA wins hands down
but i was falling out of my chair luaghing at the cuts cake
that is funny
HP is useless for everything other than world class gaming pcs and great moments in apples history
Is there actually an option to purchase a MBA with Vista? On the chart it lists it's OS options as "Vista or OSX". I know there are more than a few ways to get Vista running on Mac platforms but by that logic then there are literally dozens of OS's that could also be listed under the OS options for all three contenders.
I think the Envy does look mighty sexy though, if I had piles of cash that I needed to spend and a desire for a new laptop I'd be looking to buy one of those.
Hi Guys,
Why do you think so important of the SSD? Since when do you care so much about the disk performance of an untra portable notebook? If you worry about the battery time, I doubt how many minutes the SSD can save you. X300 is obviously the winner, it has everything ready, which is so important because it is the only one ready to work for you. For the others, you should not focus on the machine itself. think about all the peripherals. They would make the notebook not thin and ultra portable at all.
Well, just to throw in my 2 (Euro) cents, I think the Envy is a very nice looking PC, and I'd certainly give it serious consideration if I was in the market for a Windows-based PC.
@ outlander
there is no such thing as an out-of-the-box ready PC
im not exacly an apple fanboy(litterally boy but anywho) Windows can take an hour to start
especially on a 1.2 GHz proc
i admit the X300 has better specs but they can not be utilized to their full potential on a 1.2 GHz proc-its impossible
if they put that custom MBA C2D in there, it would blow the other 2 away, but since it doesnt, it is a win for the air because of its multible uses and ways to waste 2k+
the other dont have that:-)
An hour ? I think you need to open msconfig and clean out your startup !
Hi guys,
I currently use a (now creaking) Sony X505 to carry around all the time as it can cope with looking at photos, email, documents, etc and isn't heavy or large.
I am looking at replacing it at the moment but I can't overstate how great it being small and light is. This has to be the most important thing with ultraportables.
I don't use the portable DVDRW drive much - it stays at home to install things from DVD once in a blue moon. You don't need one in the computer in my opinon. So it's not an issue. This tilts against the Thinkpad as it makes it thicker (albeit not much) than it needs to be.
You do need as fast a processor as you can, so the computer lasts as long as it can! You don't want to drop $1,800 or $3000 on something that only lasts 12 months. This rules out the Thinkpad for me, especially on cost grounds.
I don't ever plug it into a projector or external monitor, so you don't need that plug. I only ever plug in a single USB thumb drive, or possibly my digital camera, so you only really need one USB port. Thus, the MBA isn't a problem.
The thing that bugs me about the MBA is the non-removable battery, though I have a spare battery for my X505 and haven't ever needed to swap it round as if away for a long time I tend to chuck in my AC adaptor.
So it comes down to price and SSDs: personally I think SSDs are currently too expensive so would go for the MBA with the 80Gb drive as it's $1800. If the prices came down, then I might change my mind, but that leaves only the MBA in the running from these three.
The only thing stopping me at the moment is that I am keeping an eye on the Eee PC 1000 as this is much cheaper and has either a 40Gb SSD or 80Gb HDD - both are around $650! What I am concerned with is the weight (about the same as these three) and size (unconfirmed at present).
Instead of ultra portable these laptops should be termed ultra expensive.
I think the Voodoo is the winner. Same inside as the MBA but with an extra USB, replaceable battery and a router built into the power brick.
Thats what i can innovation !
I love how all the iTards were going on and on about Apple's engineering genius that built the MBA, I guess the Envy proves that all that genius came from Intel, but hell they do design nice cases eh !
I think the 4200 rpm HDD speed relates to the fact that they use 1.8" drives.
@james
Probably battery life.
considering that you cant really tell the difference between a 1.5ghz single core and a 2ghz dual core a slower processor probably gives you a better ratio to power usage. Personally i think dual core in a laptop is a waste of power and processor. Being a programmer myself i know that dual core is just a sales term more then real tech improvement.
I'd never buy a ThinkPad simply because IBM or Lenovo see fit to swap the Ctrl key with the Fn key. Insanity. Toshiba also plays keyboard madness by placing the tilda key beside the spacebar on some of their models.
They should add to the Macbook Air "cuts cake, and decapitates," that's funny.