A worthy Ultrabook appears: the ThinkPad X1 Carbon reviewed

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2012/08/a-worthy-ultrabook-appears-the-thinkpad-x1-carbon-reviewed/

by Cieplak • 14 years ago

159 194 14 years ago

plg• 14 years ago

i can haz ubuntu?

nubela• 14 years ago

exactly what i was thinking. we linux users need a good laptop that looks good, perform well, and something that isn't apple!

rhizome• 14 years ago

And for the record, Linux and the Retina MBPs don't get along.

http://www.linuxinsider.com/story/Linux-and-Apple-Which-Is-t...

(FYI: the Phoronix post has an overlay ad)

dfc2• 14 years ago

I might be in the minority here but looks good is probably the last thing I'm looking for in a machine.

macco2• 14 years ago

Can anybody of your guys test with Ubuntu. The X1 is not out yet in Germany. The windows 7 version should work quite well with Ubuntu, since it's no dedicated graphics card there should not be any problems with Ubuntu.

brandon3• 14 years ago

I've got an X1 Carbon running 12.04 without any significant hardware issues besides battery life. I only get 3-4 hours on a charge, but I've also not done any intense tuning as of yet.

adamgray2• 14 years ago

Too bad it's limited to 8GB of RAM.

Torn• 14 years ago

Eh, I think 8GB RAM for a laptop is pretty damn good. It's an ultrabook, not a server replacement!

akkartik• 14 years ago

A recent article here elaborated on this: http://www.extremetech.com/computing/134760-pc-obsolescence-... (http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4412905)

adamgray2• 14 years ago

I would have a hard time going backwards from 16 on my workstation :|

Sometimes heap dumps can exceed 8GB.

rogerbinns5• 14 years ago

I have 16GB in my laptop (Lenovo T430s). The chipset can support 32GB.

apress• 14 years ago

Is the RAM user upgradable? Otherwise it's an unconscionable $250 to go from 4GB to 8GB and no option to go higher.

tokenizer• 14 years ago

I have Ubuntu with my X1 (less than a year old but not carbon). While it works great from a drivers standpoint, the trackpad is extremely messed up. My only dislike for the laptop is the poor trackpad. Other than that it's solid.

ajross• 14 years ago

Can you be more specific than "messed up"? I'm actually looking at this very device as my next Linux laptop. Do you mean it performs badly? That the hardware is bad? That the drivers don't support something you want to do?

evandena4• 14 years ago

Doesn't the trackpad differ between the original X1 and the Carbon? From his wording, it sounds like the drivers work well, but the physical trackpad is the limitation. I am also looking for a Linux laptop with a good trackpad.

daviddaviddavid2• 14 years ago

I have a Thinkpad X220. First thing I did when I got the machine was load Ubuntu onto it. There were a number of annoyances: the machine got really hot, the fan stayed on constantly, the battery drained way quicker than in Windows.

But the most annoying problem was definitely the damn trackpad. The main problem is that it's horribly jumpy and unpredictable. No matter how I tweaked the options for the device, it would hop erratically. Most annoyingly, the act of lifting my finger away from the trackpad would cause the cursor to move. So, for example, I would move the cursor over a 'close window' icon, lift my finger to do something else (e.g. press a button/whatever) and the cursor would no longer be over the icon. I'd then have to reposition the cursor. So frustrating that I just gave up on the trackpad for a while and started using the trackpoint (which, I tend to call "the nipple").

Eventually, due to all of the problems taken together, I just started using Windows 7 (which, to my surprise, I actually like) with Ubuntu running in VirtualBox. All problems seem to be gone. Trackpad is totally fine in the VM.

w1ntermute7• 14 years ago

His device is the X1. The X1 Carbon has a drastically better trackpad.

That said, you should try to use the TrackPoint, since it's a much more efficient pointing device once you get used to it.

s_kilk3• 14 years ago

damn, If the Carbon has the same trackpad problems then I'll be sorely disappointed. I've been researching potential ultrabooks for a Linux/Windows setup and so far nothing really stands out.

Johngibb• 14 years ago

Would MacBook Air help you? I'm really happy with how well windows runs and integrates on my MacBook Pro. Might be an option for you as they're nice machines.

andreer3• 14 years ago

I've said this before in another thread but I think it bears repeating here: You'll be happy to hear that the X1 Carbon has a new trackpad, which has been described by Notebookreview as "Oh my! Best touchpad surface ... ever!". The gizmodo reviewer: "Using the trackpad, was the first time I've ever done multitouch gestures on Windows and liked it." As both a Linux and Mac user, I'm happy a PC manufacturer finally seems to be getting it right.

dfc2• 14 years ago

Have you used a thinkpad trackpad before? I am asking because I'd like to know if your comment is compared to other thinkpads or a general comment on the thinkpad trackpad.

tcc619• 14 years ago

how's the battery life on ubuntu with your x1?

pkamb3• 14 years ago

The main reason to buy a ThinkPad is to use the TrackPoint!

nadahalli2• 14 years ago

Precisely. But controlling the trackpoint's responsiveness on the X1 (Ubuntu 12.04) is a little tricky.

cgag• 14 years ago

After using a T410 for a couple of years, I don't know if I would ever buy another laptop without a trackpoint.

brandon3• 14 years ago

The trackpad on the X1 Carbon works phenomenally well on my unit running 12.04.

AlisdairO2• 14 years ago

How well does multitouch work? Does two finger scrolling work properly? I have my mac set up to have a three finger swipe go back/forward in the browser history - would that sort of thing work properly?

I'm trying to keep in touch with the ultrabook scene, as I'd quite like my next computer to run linux. The trackpad not working super-well has been one of the things holding me back, as that's one of my favourite features on the mac.

w1ntermute7• 14 years ago

> My only dislike for the laptop is the poor trackpad.

The X1 Carbon's trackpad has been getting rave reviews.

prof_hobart• 14 years ago

My wife's got a Lenovo (can't remember the model) and this is her one complaint too.

The thing feels unbelievably cheap (which, given the fact that her previous machine was a bargain basement eMachine that had a far better trackpad), is far too touch-sensitive and the texture on it makes it uncomfortable to drag stuff around.

JohnsonB3• 14 years ago

Asus Zenbook Primes seem to be a very high quality Ultrabook series as well (be wary of the differences between 32VD/32A and 31 models)

Also, the Zenbook Primes mostly have 1920x1080 resolutions. While the X1 Carbon was upgraded from a pitiful 1366x768 to a 1600x900 resolution, it's a shame they are still a bit backwards on that. I'm wondering what people think on the 1600x900 vs. 1920x1080 issue and how much of a difference it makes.

T-R• 14 years ago

Why do you say to be wary of the 32VD? I was literally just about to buy one.

somesaba• 14 years ago

Same! I'm curious too

JohnsonB3• 14 years ago

The 32VD is bigger/thicker than the 31 models and has a hybrid HD(24GB flash) rather than full SSD. It's got a dedicated graphics so I guess it's just targeted towards a different market.

51Cards• 14 years ago

I don't have a true Ultrabook but I do have a Sony Vaio Z with a 13.3" 1920x1080 screen in it. I run it full resolution in Windows 7, with everything scaled down to standard size. Is everything very small? Yes. But when I'm sitting in front of it it's not much different than being a couple feet from a monitor and it truly gives me usable space. It's my travel machine as I am on the road a lot, and since I've had it coding in a hotel room is finally productive for me.

bhauer• 14 years ago

Am I missing it, or does that review fail to discuss if the screen is matte (usable) or glossy (I'll never buy another)?

Also, I look forward to the day when 1600x900 is no longer considered high resolution. That should be entry-level for a 13" screen.

It looks nice otherwise.

jemka2• 14 years ago

' Display (Premium) 13.3" (338mm) HD (1366x768) TFT color, anti-glare display with glossy inﬁnity Corning® Gorilla® Glass LED backlight, 350 nits, 16:9 aspect ratio, 300:1 contrast ratio

http://www.lenovo.com/shop/americas/content/pdf/system_data/...

JohnsonB3• 14 years ago

That's the original X1, the X1 carbon I believe switched to matt.

flurpitude• 14 years ago

From the Engadget review (http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/14/lenovo-thinkpad-x1-carbon...):

"Maximum brightness here is 300 nits, a figure that's a bit underwhelming. It's a fair bit dimmer than the Samsung Series 9, for example, which clocks in at 400, and outdoor visibility in bright sunlight is virtually impossible here. But, Lenovo kindly opted for a matte display, ditching the glossy Gorilla Glass found in the prior X1."

drewjoh• 14 years ago

The Verge has a nice video review of this unit: http://www.theverge.com/2012/8/13/3232132/lenovo-thinkpad-x1...

vhf• 14 years ago

Looks nice, but you would give me one I'd refuse it.

They removed the single feature that made me buy my current X200s : the full keyboard. A real keyboard, with real touch and real keys : http://bit.ly/P3NmYd A keyboard with Ins Hom PgUp Del End PgDn.

sequoia2• 14 years ago

How long have they been doing the mac-style fn-ctrl-meta-alt layout (rather than BIGctrl-fn-meta-alt like most other keyboards I've had, i.e. ctrl in lower left under shift)? This was one of my main issues with my brand new T530, along with the prn scn button BETWEEN the right ctrl & alt... I'd like to meet the genius who met this (who, presumably, takes in excess of 100 screen captures daily). Those complaints are followed by weight, general flimsiness, & ultra-shitty speakers. I know it's not a media center but they could have picked some speakers that are not subaudible and tinny. I planned to return the thing but Lenovo made clear that they were not cooperating and I gave up. Ubuntu runs pretty well & with Bumblebee the Nvidia doesn't eat up the battery so shrug

Anyway I'm glad to see someone's at least trying to make a decent PC laptop.

kpozin• 14 years ago

You can switch the Fn and Ctrl keys in the BIOS: http://www.geek.com/articles/chips/how-to-swap-the-fn-and-ct... (The only problem then is remembering to use the right key on the rare occasions when you actually look at the keyboard labels.)

Don't know of a nice solution for Print Screen, though.

jarek2• 14 years ago

> How long have they been doing the mac-style fn-ctrl-meta-alt layout?

Approximately forever. My X21, released around 2001, predates the spread of the meta key and has a fn-ctrl-alt layout.

No idea who came up with the ridiculous print screen key location though. And at the expense of a menu key, too! That's approaching Toshiba consumer laptop circa 2004 bad.

iNate2000• 14 years ago

I know I shouldn't feed the troll - but if you look, you'll see that insert, home, end, page-up, page-down, and delete are all still there.

Also, from what I've read the underlying key mechanism is the same. The caps have been made larger and they're curved and thoughtfully shaped.

I played with the new ThinkPad keyboard at a retailer and I think its better.

lallysingh2• 14 years ago

The biggest loss (and it's a biggie) is the double-high escape key. The rest is a smaller set of biases from a better-designed keyboard over 7 rows to a less well designed one in 6.

I've got a W520 (old keyboard) and my wife's got an X1 (not carbon). There's enough of a difference in the keyboards that I'm hoping they bring back the old one as an option. The keyswitches in both are pretty good, but the layout's actually a big deal for me.

ineedtosleep• 14 years ago

Meh. This complaint is widely overblown IMO. I came from a T61 and an R61 and recently switched to a W530 which has the same keyboard layout as the Carbon. I contemplated the upgrade for an extremely long time and finally jumped.

After a little more than a month of use:

For one, the "real keys" v. chiclet style keys issue is a non-issue for me at this point. They have the same keypress feel for me and there's part of me that prefers this keyboard more.

The Home-PgUp-Del-End-PgDn key issue is going to differ per person is a tricky one for me to elaborate. I hated this keyboard at first since the PgUp and PgDown replaced the forward and backward keys that I used HEAVILY. After cooling down my hatred, I'm completely fine with those keys and the top row of Home-End-Insert-Delete.

After getting used to those my only long-standing complaint is the god damned print screen button. Why in the hell it's next to Alt and Ctrl is beyond me. It's absolutely horrible positioning and I don't think I'd ever forgive Lenovo for this decision.

enduser2• 14 years ago

I also have been using a W530 for the past couple of months. I find the keyboard preferable to the T60 keyboard that was my previous ThinkPad baseline. Perhaps because I am a Linux/vim user, I rarely touch the top-row keys and don't miss them at all.

What many people griping about the changed layout miss is the improvements to the keyboard. The key switches have a better feel to them. While still not as good as the Topre switches on my HHKB, there is a definite improvement from the T60 to the W530. I also like the gently curved keys. It's hard to describe objectively, but my fingers "rest well" on the key caps.

If you're not a hardcore Windows IDE user (or whoever it is who uses Home-PgUp-Del-End-PgDn all the time...) then please ignore the Lenovo-bashing. Lenovo is doing great work putting out top-notch laptops for professionals.

astrodust2• 14 years ago

I really hope they have a "Pause" and "Scroll Lock" button on there, too, because...what the hell is a Print Screen button doing on a laptop keyboard in the first place?

pkamb3• 14 years ago

For the last couple years they've been using an optimized "big Delete key" keyboard layout on ThinkPads. They increased the size of common function keys like Delete and Escape for better usability.

I'm not a huge fan of the chiclet keyboard, but I can live with it. But I don't understand why they got rid of the awesome big Delete key changes.

pearle2• 14 years ago

I love the big Esc & Del keys on the X220. I also have last years X1 with the chiclet keyboard and I very much prefer the keyboard on the X220.

dkersten3• 14 years ago

A real keyboard, with real touch and real keys

I normally would agree with this, but in reality, when I'm at home or in the office (ie most of my computer use time), I use a DAS keyboard anyway and even the "real key" laptop keyboards just don't compare to mechanical cherry-mx keys anyway, so for the times I use my laptops when I'm away, I don't think it really matters to me if the keyboard has real keys or if its a chiclet keyboard or whatnot.

delllapssuck3• 14 years ago

Yep. I never use the laptop's keyboard. Always use a USB keyboard and have never had any problems (e.g. drivers).

Doing real typing on a tiny little laptop keyboard is for masochists. No shortage of them though. How many people are struggling with a touchscreen at this very moment? Suckers.

I have not used a mouse in over a decade. And I'm not about to start tapping and pinching a tiny little screen because Apple spends a few hundred million on marketing. The sacrafice (speed, ease of use, productivity, etc) is not worth it.

njharman3• 14 years ago

Ha! I use a laptop keyboard at my desktop. Hands never leave home row. I loves me some nipple mouse!

http://shop.lenovo.com/us/itemdetails/55Y9003/460/60AC6A0372...

sausagefeet2• 14 years ago

This could be my new machine if Apple continues destroying OS X for me.

evandena4• 14 years ago

That's what I'm thinking too. For the past year or so, I've been wanting to swap my MacBook Pro for an Air, but I'm becoming more hesitant now. I just feel like OS X is going down the road of iOS, and their lawsuits as of late are rubbing me the wrong way.

Maybe I'll give Linux on the laptop an honest try. I know for sure it won't be Windows.

krenel2• 14 years ago

Usually Lenovo laptops have a very good support for Linux. I have a x201 and everything works perfect under Debian/testing. I encourage you to give it a chance.

w1ntermute7• 14 years ago

> Maybe I'll give Linux on the laptop an honest try. I know for sure it won't be Windows.

Just install Ubuntu, it works very well with ThinkPads and it's made to be easy to use for end-users.

stcredzero• 14 years ago

The latest 10.8.1 update was a step in the right direction, for a change. I posted a review of this laptop last week, but no one cared. :(

rayiner3• 14 years ago

Upgraded to OS X 10.8. I'm not sure what's been destroyed about it?

sausagefeet2• 14 years ago

Since Snow Leopard there has been a steady decline in the quality of OS X in terms of usability. Mission Control is an absolute piece of crap.

to3m2• 14 years ago

The keyboard looks a bit strange. The massively wide right-hand set of keys (Backspace, \, Return, Shift) could be made a bit narrower, surely, and the navigation keys squeezed in next to them.

Judging by the keyboard layout, somebody reckons people still use PrtSc a lot! Well, with my suggestion, you could put PrtSc in this extra column, give us a right-hand Windows key where PrtSc is, AND you'd still have space left over for not just Pause/Break but also the vital Scroll Lock.

This would also make it difficult to put an inverted-L return key in, because it would be ridiculously thin. So they'd pretty much have to do the non-US version with the same layout for that section. So if you lived in a 102-key country you could finally get all the extra keys you know and love, AND a proper Return key. I would buy that.

But as it stands: meh. Odd keyboard, HD4000, max 8GB. Looks nice though...

sequoia2• 14 years ago

broken record: just bought a t530 and the prtsc key makes me crazy. Who thought this was a good idea?? That and switching the left ctrl & fn (so it's like a mac). I suppose these things are just not for programmers/power users; anyway it's a big PITA to switch from ctrl under shift bottom left (every other PC keyboard) to "ctrl somewhere else, you just dimmed the screen."

EDIT: Thank you for BIOS keyswap tip. It's still not as good as a properly placed, properly sized ctrl key but this helps!

to3m2• 14 years ago

So this is a standard Thinkpad thing, then?? How bizarre...

Still, at least it has 2 Ctrl keys. The Macbooks only have the one. Makes some sense for OS X (until you run emacs, anyway), but it's a real pain on Windows.

wbond• 14 years ago

You can switch the ctrl and fn keys in the bios.

andreer3• 14 years ago

I thought everyone remapped caps lock to control anyway, but maybe I'm in a vocal minority here? I can't stand it any other way, and it feels much more ergonomical. Do yourself the favor of trying it for a while.

swalsh4• 14 years ago

My Lenovo Brick... uh oh I mean T410S is still sitting on my desk. Within 2 months of getting it, the screen started having large white lines in it. Within 4 months the plastic started cracking, and within 7 months I got a fan error. I just won't trust a lenovo again.

twmb• 14 years ago

I am currently using a Lenovo T60p... a laptop from 2005. Lenovo is known to be a reliable business laptop.

jlgreco7• 14 years ago

The T60p's were absolutely fantastic machines. I used mine (got it early in 2007) fulltime until a couple of months ago when the fan died (for the second time. Made very loud grinding noises whenever it tried to spin up.) I still use it on occasion without the fan, making sure to suspend to ram as soon as I see the temperature go past 75C or so. I didn't bother fixing it this time since the price of a new fan/heatsink assembly and a new battery would have been more than the cheapest eeepc I could find on newegg, but I've wanted to get another thinkpad ever since.

swalsh4• 14 years ago

Some people in my office still have their T60's. Lenovo used to make some great products. I just had a really bad experience with them. My entire team got screwed with these T410s's and their support (despite having paid extra for better support) has been bad. They replaced my bosses screen 3 times. 2 months later, the LCD goes again.

infinitebeam• 14 years ago

I have a Lenovo Y 410 from 2007. Runs/works very well even in 2012 :)

agumonkey3• 14 years ago

You were very unlucky. I rarely see so many issues. I don't have recent models, but own a dozen from 2002 and 2009 which are all still in great working condition. I hope they serviced your warranty promptly though.

swalsh4• 14 years ago

My coworkers had the same issues.

Zak8• 14 years ago

I've been a Thinkpad fan for about a decade now. I bought a W500 to replace a stolen T60p a couple years ago. Aside from having a better GPU, it was not an upgrade.

* There's less metal in the frame, I assume to make it lighter. It also makes it less sturdy.

* The screen is 150px shorter, but only 80px wider. Net loss.

* The screen is much lower quality: TN vs IPS, lots of light leakage from the backlight, poor contrast.

* The keyboard is worse; it flexes more.

* The plastics aren't as durable.

* The audio ports are on the front. That means no sitting in a semi-reclined position with headphones plugged in. It's enough to make me wonder if the people who designed the thing have ever used a laptop away from a desk.

After about 18 months, I started having problems. First the keyboard died. Then the hinges started getting loose, and eventually broke entirely. The plastics cracked in several places. The internal screen stopped displaying video (not just the backlight - there's nothing). My girlfriend has a T400 and also had problems with plastics cracking.

Now I have another T60p, but with a T61p motherboard in it so I can have 8gb of RAM. It's the best laptop I've ever used.

hcarvalhoalves3• 14 years ago

I find it funny that you got downvoted by giving your consumer feedback. Fanboys everywhere.

Kylekramer• 14 years ago

One person's consumer feedback doesn't really add much to the dicussion.

AdamGibbins• 14 years ago

I downvoted because the OP is drawing conclusion from a ridiculously small sample size (1). This is equivalent to saying you're never buying a Seagate hard drive again, because once, one failed 5 years ago.

Disclaimer: I own, use and like my Macbook Air, no Lenovo "fanboy" here.

sciurus• 14 years ago

Here is the engadget review. It has comparisions to many more ultrabook models than the Ars Technica review does.

http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/14/lenovo-thinkpad-x1-carbon...

There are definitely some compelling Ultrabooks besides this Lenovo. What about the similarly priced Samsung Series 9, or if you have a tighter budger and can accept lower specs, the Toshiba Portege Z935?

http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/06/samsung-series-9-review-1...

http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/05/toshiba-portege-z935-z835...

sciwiz• 14 years ago

Don't overlook the 2nd gen Zenbook Primes from ASUS, 1920x1080 IPS screens on both 11.6" and 13" models.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/5843/asus-zenbook-prime-ux21a-...

ahmelsayed• 14 years ago

do you know of any issues with backlight bleeding? The Amazon reviews got me worried

hcarvalhoalves3• 14 years ago

Ouch. They still make notebooks with the "nipple" mouse? I actually thought it was a Thinkpad from the 90's on the first pic.

BTW, who invented the term "ultrabook"? It's cheesy as hell. Reminds me of the "laser disc" days.

squeed• 14 years ago

I love the nipple mouse. I find it much less irritating on my wrists than a trackpad. Plus, it allows for a rapid transition between keyboard and mouse.

pearle2• 14 years ago

I agree and I have disabled the trackpads in the bios settings for both of my Lenovo laptops. I just wish they could solve the slight movement drift you experience sometimes when using the ThinkPoint.

evandena4• 14 years ago

Intel. And the nipple is awesome. Much faster than swiping a finger across a trackpad.

awolf• 14 years ago

Ultrabook is easier to say then "Mac Book Air competitor".

skystorm• 14 years ago

I second the love for the "nipple" that others professed. In fact, I keep the touchpad on my Thinkpad disabled entirely...

But even if you don't use it personally, why does that make it "ouch"? Isn't it good to have the choice?

jlgreco7• 14 years ago

They never stopped making laptops with the trackpoint and frankly, I don't know why they would ever consider stopping. I have never met somebody who had a thinkpad and did not like it; the only people it seems to annoy are people who have not had one.

viraptor• 14 years ago

I'd be glad to pay extra to get rid of it.unfortunately they don't offer that. The only time when I use it is when I push it by accident along with one of the keys.

joezydeco3• 14 years ago

My Dell E6500 has one. I love it. You can still buy them on some of their higher-end machines.

jfb3• 14 years ago

Well, setting aside that laser discs actually were optical disks read by a laser, "Ultrabook" is an Intel coinage for parts assembling OEMs to use so that they don't have to fess up to the existence of the Macbook Air.

dkersten3• 14 years ago

Ouch. They still make notebooks with the "nipple" mouse? I actually thought it was a Thinkpad from the 90's on the first pic.

I don't get it - I quite like the "nipple" mouse - I find it much quicker to use than the touchpad, both in the "I don't need to reach away from the home row" sense and the fact that its pretty sensitive so I can move the mouse really quickly.

clebio• 14 years ago

Somewhat annoyed that their three comparison computers are all Macbook Airs. Ignoring the fact that you're comparing different OS and most people will choose based on that alone, there are several decent Windows-based ultra-portable computers out there. The Samsung Series 9 was the first 'Macbook Air killer' and is still solid. There's also the Asus Zenbooks (as mentioned already) and the Toshiba Porteges (Z set), among others.

juan_juarez• 14 years ago

I'm not entirely convinced that being a "Macbook Air killer" is even that important of a goal. It proves that you can do it & there's a bit of a halo effect but I've not seen enough people using MBAs to think that it's really a major market segment to chase.

john612• 14 years ago

No RJ45, No VGA? There is a lot of old hardware / circumstances requiring this in a professional setting. An adapter is not an option because I am going to loose it all the time.

thelema314• 14 years ago

VGA ports are too tall to fit in ultra-slim laptops. RJ45 is a bit smaller, but must also be sacrificed for slimness.

wumpwoast• 14 years ago

Some old PCMCIA cards used to have pop-out RJ45 connectors where the cable plugged vertically into a square open-ended socket. While making this design durable seems difficult, I'd still appreciate having an Ultrabook that didn't require a dongle.

jfb3• 14 years ago

Then you're not in the market these machines serve. I have been rocking the MBA since it came out, and the latest rev is I think the best computer ever made for me. When they go Retina (and use a discrete graphics card) I will be in hog heaven.

People occasionally ask me what laptop to buy, and I always admit that I know nothing about the Windows laptop market. Is Thinkpad still the only game in town?

john612• 14 years ago

I also know nothing about the Windows laptop market. But in Linux land Thinkpad is just working perfect.

tedunangst3• 14 years ago

Get the T430s. One pound heavier, a little bigger, ethernet and vga ports. And full voltage processor.

rogerbinns5• 14 years ago

Lenovo messed up on the default calibration of that panel. You have the same problem with the t430s which I own. I used a ColorHug to get the correct ICC profile at which point it looks a lot better. More details and the profile from G+ https://plus.google.com/110166527124367568225/posts/bLg18FtS...

(Lenovo do ship an ICC profile with Windows, but it was made in 2010 and is simply for a 60% gamut screen of that resolution and doesn't take into account the actual panel used.)

Screens have been the major area where Lenovo have been taking backwards steps, while everything else have been (sometimes debated) improvements. We now have low resolution and 16:9 instead of 16:10 losing vertical resolution. My laptop has over 5cm of wasted vertical space (just plastic) that would be better served by being pixels.

Zak8• 14 years ago

It's worse than you suggest, and the trend has been going on for years. Highest resolution available in a Thinkpad, by year:

2005: 2048x1536

2010: 1920x1200

2012: 1920x1080

And the old ones were IPS. I like the old keyboard lights better than the new backlit keyboards too. This is not arbitrary; they're useful for reading things other than the letters on the keyboard.

tedunangst3• 14 years ago

The new models still have the thinklight.

rogerbinns5• 14 years ago

It's even worse that the worse you suggest from my worse suggestion! Viewing angles on the new screens are pitiful, with very rapid colour representation as you move out of the small sweet spot. The only thing I have found any improvement on is that my 2012 screen is brighter than my 2007 screen - sufficiently bright that I can actually use it ourdoors.

The new keyboards are more subjective - unlike the screens which I can't imagine anyone defending. I got the backlit keyboard on my new system and am happy with it - the old thinklight is still present so I switch between the modes as suits my whims but mainly use the backlit mode. When you press Fn-Space it cycles between keyboard backlight low, high, then thinklight (with keyboard off) and finally all off.

On the 6 versus 7 rows, I am okay with the changes. But then I'm not that big of a Thinkpad keyboard snob.

enduser2• 14 years ago

Depending on who you ask, the "stiff hinges"--common to all ThinkPads--are a feature, not a bug. The hinges will still be in great shape several years down the road when other laptops will be floppy or unable to stay open. I can hold my hefty W530 by the screen bezel, open, and walk around with it without the base moving at all or stressing the case.

This is a case of being built to last rather than being built to feel buttery in the showroom.

vasco• 14 years ago

The laptops that I've so far had (acer, asus, fujitsu) could all be opened and a screw on each side could be tightened when they got too loose. So that's a tip you can use.

delllapssuck3• 14 years ago

Amen. This is why I'll never buy another inexpensive Dell laptop.

Stupid things like hinges or fans will fail and the way these laptops are contructed, it's more trouble than it's worth to try to repair them, even when you know te rest of the components are doing fine.

Disposable Computers.

Fail.

In the end, I'd rather have an older ThinkPad, say a T61, than a new Dell.

There's one great thing about older computers: there are fewer problems with non-Windows drivers. Lots of non-Windows OS's will run great on, say, a T61.

eckyptang2• 14 years ago

Spot on.

T61 user here. eBay is a veritable goldmine of bits for T61's. There's not a single bit you can't replace for trivial amounts of money. I've spent about 150GBP on this T61 since I got in a couple of years ago (and that included the purchase price!). All I did was chuck more RAM in it, buy a genuine mains adapter (after the shitty clone one zapped me) and a new key scissor after I bounced the TV remote off it by accident.

I'd also say that the T61 works better with Windows than some of the new machines as well. It has proper hardware and no corner cuts like shitty network interfaces, "odd" graphics devices and b-rate media devices.

Also screw mag-safe - this thing just bounces if the kids trip over the cable (much better engineering IMHO).

rorrr• 14 years ago

Same with Lenovo Ideapads. One hinge broke in mine 2 months after I got it. It got fixed under warranty, they replaced the whole section of the laptop, both hinges. Now 1.5 years later the other hinge broke, I will have to either live with it or eat the costs. The engineering is absolute garbage, and it's too bad, because the specs/price ratio for Ideapads is pretty much the best.

johnchristopher4• 14 years ago

I don't understand why two-finger scrolling works in some applications but not in every application...

Isn't two-finger scrolling basically a hw emulated wheel scrolling as far as the OS is concerned ?

andreer3• 14 years ago

I think the issue is with discrete (line-at-a-time) vs. smooth (pixel-at-a-time) scrolling. Two-finger scrolling typically sends the latter type of event, which is not yet widely supported in Windows and Linux software (although I have it working on my thinkpad X121e with the latest gtk3).

johnchristopher4• 14 years ago

I thought the "smoothing" was done entirely in software because my old genius mouse wheel behaviour changes according to firefox "smooth scrolling" setting.

It still seems weird to me that if the smooth (pixel-at-a-time) event is sent two-fingers scrolling fails while a mouse doesn't. The OS or the application is accepting pixel-at-a-time event and fails or succeeds regardless of the originating device (mouse, touchpad, wacom, etc.).

4bpp• 14 years ago

This is all fine and dandy, but I would have much preferred them to put the effort into producing a decent X* tablet again. Since the X201T, every upgrade they did, starting with the switch to an even flatter and wider resolution and most recently switching from having one of the few decent keyboards remaining in the market to yet another clone of that hybrid style between TV remote buttons and the metal anti-vandalism keys found on airport internet café terminals that Apple popularised, has been feeling like more of a downgrade.

ixacto• 14 years ago

How is the noise profile? My 4 year old t400 (upgraded to 8gbyte ram and a SSD) is still dead silent except when playing hd video.

Zak8• 14 years ago

I've read some comments on this machine at http://forum.thinkpads.com. The complaint I see a lot of there is that the screen is terrible. It's bright, and has what passes for a high resolution these days, but the color reproduction, contrast ratios and light leakage have all produced complaints.

Disclaimer: this is a forum where people hack together T61/T60 hybrids so they can have 8gb of RAM and a UXGA IPS panel, so they make have higher standards for their screens than most people.

Gussy• 14 years ago

I bought an original Thinkpad X1 at the start of the year and after using it since then I have to say the biggest problem it has is the battery. It's more like a large capacitor than a battery, something to keep itself powered while your run between power outlets. It is actually quite disappointing when the sole reason you buy an ultra-thin "ultraboook" is for mobility and portability, but you have to stay tethered to a power outlet.

It's great to see that they have addressed this issue in the X1 Carbon. Engadget suggests a 3:30 battery life for the original X1 which seems about right, so I trust their measured battery life of 5:07 to be pretty close. I presume real world usage will be even better than the extra 1:07 from the original X1, as moving to the matte screen should mean a lower display brightness, since you're not fighting the reflectiveness of the corning gorilla glass.

The second biggest issue I have had is one of quality. My first X1 was RMA'd for faulty mouse buttons and wireless antenna right after I opened the box, and the second one I received reported incorrect battery capacity, had dead pixels centre screen and some other hardware faults which escape me. Thankfully I was able to salvage a completely working X1 out of the two (original and replacement), returning to Lenovo a very broken, but brand new Thinkpad.

Despite the carbon fixing my number one issue of battery life, I'm still not sure if I would upgrade to it, given then chance. I originally bought this Thinkpad X1 because it was supposed to be a Thinkpad, something that was nearly bulletproof and would withstand the abuse of travel and the outdoors. Lenovo has lost my trust in Thinkpads for now, but hopefully this X1 Carbon is better than the original.

A worthy Ultrabook appears: the ThinkPad X1 Carbon reviewed

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