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ThinkPad X1 Extreme review: Big on power and price
Full disclosure: I have something of a complicated relationship with ThinkPads. Once upon a time, I was what you might call a "fanboy." Over the course of my life, I've had five of them. In fact, I've never actually purchased any other brand of laptop. But about four years ago I bought an X1 Carbon, and the experience left a bad taste in my mouth. I had to send it back to Lenovo for repairs four times in the first two years. That included having both the motherboard and keyboard replaced. Now, the screen is literally falling off. So I'm coming into this review pretty skeptical of Lenovo's quality control. Obviously, I can't predict how it will hold up over time, but I will say this: The X1 Extreme makes one hell of a first impression. That impression is important, though. This is Lenovo trying to move into a new niche and trying to fill a glaring gap in the ThinkPad lineup. If you wanted desktop replacement-level power in a sleek, ultra-portable package, you'd have to look elsewhere. This is a market served primarily by the larger MacBook Pro and Dell XPS models. But if you haven't been swayed by Apple or Dell's offerings, Lenovo just might have the answer.
