Lenovo ThinkPad X300 Laptop
Price range:
$1,889.00
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$1,889.00
Specs:
Intel Core 2 Duo (1.2 GHz), 1.2 GHz, 1 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 3.2 lbs, 13.3 in TFT active matrix, EPEAT Gold, RoHS, Microsoft Windows Vista Business
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Review Source: CNET.com
Editor's rating:
8.5
Good:
Extremely thin and light; sleekest ThinkPad yet; built-in DVD burner, plus WWAN, GPS, and wireless USB.
Bad:
Solid-state drive comes at a high premium; touch pad's location makes it easy to accidentally graze while typing.
Bottom line:
The ThinkPad X300 breaks new ground by packing a broad display, full-size keyboard, and nearly every feature a mobile user needs into a sleek, lightweight case.
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User Opinions |
Average rating: 6.3 out of 10 Add your own opinion at CNET Reviews |
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Summary: caveat emptor! by jmizgala - December 26, 2008 Pros: thin and light Cons: WiFi capability that did not work and terrible customer service |
User Rating 1 out of 10 |
Actually, it is difficult to rate the laptop since Lenovo never gave us a chance. WiFi capability did not work despite heroic efforts by tech crew and a replacement card. When we said we wanted to exchange, we got a huge run-around, including a 21-day deadline (despite the fact we had been trying to work on the problem with them well before this deadline) and the dreaded 15% restocking fee -- for a defective product no less. Lenovo may make excellent laptops, but we did not get one, and were treated poorly for being the recipients of a piece of equipment that was defective.
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Summary: Outstanding mobility with fast response... by BuzzD - December 9, 2008 Pros: I carry my laptop room to room all day long. This machine's light weight, stiff construction, and thin form factor are perfect for my needs. Software speed is several times faster than my prior HP TC4200. Built in DVD is a plus. Cons: An SD card slot would be helpful. |
User Rating 10 out of 10 |
This is my 12th PC laptop in the last 12 years. I am very hard on these, so I generally keep an identical machine ready to go, switching out the drive if something breaks. The ergonomics of the X300 are outstanding, competitive with the Mac Air my wife uses. The Mac is noticeably quicker on start up, has a much more impressive screen, and is bullet proof with its aluminum shell. The X300 is a lot closer in performance than I thought possible with a Microsoft OS. The solid state drive must help a lot; I've always spent extra for performance, but have never been satisfied until now.
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Summary: Fan Noise VERY loud and bad service by ksorci - November 24, 2008 Pros: Size, Weight Cons: Fan Service Pre-Installed Software |
User Rating 1 out of 10 |
I had my x300 for 5 days and the fan started being very VERY loud. Lenovo said I could return for a 15% restocking fee or I could send to service for a week or two turn-a-round. Neither were very good options since it was less than a week old but seeing how bad their service was I figured I just needed to be rid of Lenovo.
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Summary: Don't buy crappy product-repairs will cost you by steaming_fumes - November 15, 2008 Pros: Can't say anything, used it couple of hours before it broke Cons: Lenovo, Lenovo and again...Lenovo. |
User Rating 1 out of 10 |
Well, where do I begin? I posted my whole story on Lenovo's forum if any of you interested... Bottom line is, the keyboard broke while typing after 2 hours and Lenovo says it my fault...so not covered. Save yourself the trouble of dealing with these incompetent people and buy something else. Used my old thinkpad for so many years, still typing on it now...What happened to IBM? If I was alone I could think I was very unlucky, but only looking at keyboard problems, (and not any of the numerous problems not covered by Lenovo posted by others) I found a couple of other people that owned their computer very briefly before needing to replace the (300$) keyboard because a key popped off while typing. Very frustrating... And since it's been on the market for less than a year, I'm sure many more bad reviews will "pop up". Lenovo warranty is a joke, nothing is covered and you can't get service. Never buying from them again.
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Summary: DO NOT BUY THIS GARBAGE PRODUCT by ldmac - November 7, 2008 Pros: It makes a good door stopper Cons: Keyboard flex SSD drive memory failure Speakers No hard drive space Optical drive failure Motherboard failure |
User Rating 1 out of 10 |
I had purchased this junk a year ago only to have it in the shop ever since for the aforementioned reasons. Had this been an Apple product, they would have replaced it.
Now Lenovo wants $3,000 to fix it, when it had been DOA on arrival.
DO NOT BUY!
Now Lenovo wants $3,000 to fix it, when it had been DOA on arrival.
DO NOT BUY!
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Summary: Greatest... Laptop... Ever... by seantor - October 13, 2008 Pros: Hyperbolic? OK, sorry. But, I love this machine. While definitely pricey, it delivers. Great screen, great performance. I added the solid state HD which makes a big difference. And, integrated 3G wireless changed my business travel experience. Cons: Pricey. And, I am not a TrackPoint (the red button Thinkpad mouse) guy, so I disabled it. |
User Rating 10 out of 10 |
I love it.
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Summary: Outstanding Design and Performance!!! by myocom63 - October 7, 2008 Pros: The X300 is a work of art in the arena of the ultra portables. The very durable Think Pad design is a great plus while traveling. Offers a near perfect balance between performance and portability. Really nice keyboard and display. Cons: A bit pricey but still worth it. |
User Rating 10 out of 10 |
The X300 is a work of art in the arena of the ultra portables. My main concerning before buying it was the small size CPU but the very fast SSD and 3 GB of RAM seem to make up for that and for an ultra portable it does very very well speed wise. The 64 GB SSD is kind of lean but the speed is worth it. I hope to upgrade to a larger one in the future.
The durable Think Pad design is a great plus in this ultra-portable that can be of great benefit for the on-the-go person. I can anticipate many hours of use from this machine both at home and while on the road.
The durable Think Pad design is a great plus in this ultra-portable that can be of great benefit for the on-the-go person. I can anticipate many hours of use from this machine both at home and while on the road.
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Summary: Nice laptop by peartree22 - September 30, 2008 Pros: It is a very light product with an excellent processing capacity. Cons: black and too dull in its appearance. |
User Rating 6 out of 10 |
Good value for money
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Summary: Good Design but...... by purple713 - September 29, 2008 Pros: The laptop is great and light weight Cons: The port replicator that comes with it was a poor designed. There is no way to power on the laptop without opening the lid. The Ethernet port is USB, so there is a problem with connectivity. |
User Rating 4 out of 10 |
Bottom Line:
Don't get the port replicator if you decide to purchase this laptop. Just plug the peripherals directly into the laptop. You are better off without the replicator.
Don't get the port replicator if you decide to purchase this laptop. Just plug the peripherals directly into the laptop. You are better off without the replicator.
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Summary: No more blistered palms! by Targeteer - September 14, 2008 Pros: The weight (or lack thereof), the DVD burner built in, the full-size key board and the cool palm-rest, in every sense Cons: The smaller on-screen font-size, the limited battery life, VISTA |
User Rating 8 out of 10 |
For those of us who are imprinted on the light-weight Thinkpad, this machine is pretty close to perfect. It's almost unbelievable that this much power and this many features--DVD burner, full-size key-board, 13 inch screen--could be packed in to just a little over 3 pounds of computer. Perhaps the best feature is the palm-rest: it has nice matte finish, but more to the point, it doesn't get hot enough to fry eggs, like previous X-series lightweight machines. In fact, due to the solid-state hard drive, it doesn't even get warm. I can toss all those bulky Belkin fan stands I bought for my previous machine! The screen clarity is very impressive. The sound is better than predecessors. Typing is easy on the full key-board, though my particular machine came with an annoying clack in the space bar--hope I can fix that short of a mail-in to Lenovo. There's a webcam, a fingerprint reader (I haven't enabled it--on my last machine it was dyslexic), the usual super IBM/Lenovo backup and recovery mechanism. And yes, as other reviews have noted, it's easy for us track-ball lovers to turn off the touch pad--it's one click on the control panel under Mouse (VISTA, by the way, stores such conveniences as Mouse, display, etc. under "Personalization"). .
On the downside: The default font sizes are quite small. Some can be changed--you can zoom in Explorer, lower the resolution a bit, and change some of the fonts in Outlook, but others you are stuck with. The 6-cell battery costs extra and still you get short of four hours time (on simpler ThinkPads I got up to 6 with a new long-life battery), though there is the option of an additional 3-cell bay battery that can replace the DVD burner. And there is no option to downgrade to XP, so you are stuck with VISTA--it's change-for-change's-sake alterations, so you have to learn how to do the same things differently; pale on-screen colors (some of which can be changed, others not); and the need to buy new versions of some software and, in my case, a VISTA-worthy printer. I still haven't figured out how to connect to my VPN. VISTA makes everything more complicated.
But these annoyances aside: this is the one you want if you cannot imagine life without ThinkPad, and if you are tired of your Mac-owning spouse looking down his nose at your screen and special features.
On the downside: The default font sizes are quite small. Some can be changed--you can zoom in Explorer, lower the resolution a bit, and change some of the fonts in Outlook, but others you are stuck with. The 6-cell battery costs extra and still you get short of four hours time (on simpler ThinkPads I got up to 6 with a new long-life battery), though there is the option of an additional 3-cell bay battery that can replace the DVD burner. And there is no option to downgrade to XP, so you are stuck with VISTA--it's change-for-change's-sake alterations, so you have to learn how to do the same things differently; pale on-screen colors (some of which can be changed, others not); and the need to buy new versions of some software and, in my case, a VISTA-worthy printer. I still haven't figured out how to connect to my VPN. VISTA makes everything more complicated.
But these annoyances aside: this is the one you want if you cannot imagine life without ThinkPad, and if you are tired of your Mac-owning spouse looking down his nose at your screen and special features.
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Summary: Poor Value for the Price by vrames - September 11, 2008 Pros: Small, lightweight Cons: Poor quality DVD player, keyboard failed after two months, Lenovo does not have parts in warehouse. |
User Rating 4 out of 10 |
The CD player sounds like a dying dog when new software is inserted. The volume for DVDs is extremely low. The keyboard failed after two months and Lenovo did not have replacement parts anywhere in North America. Took more than 3 weeks to repair. Spend your money elsewhere.
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Summary: Lenovo conflicts with Vista and Verizon Network Conf. by mavedano - August 14, 2008 Pros: Great computer when it works Cons: Customer & Technical Support staff are stressed and not helpful |
User Rating 3 out of 10 |
Customer & Technical Support staff are stressed and not helpful. When I started to describe my network problems, I was interupted and abrubtly told "We don't support software, we only support hardware issues" We we could not get the PC on our company network and we couldn't get the Verizon wireless card to work. I wanted to return the laptop since I wasn't getting the support I needed and was told that I could only return the laptop if the Tech team approved the return and in addition I would be charged a 15% restocking fee. Wow, we just spent $3,000 on a laptop we can't use over our network and from a company that has absolutely no customer service to help you. Today after my third day of working on this computer and talking to Lenovo, I was told they would replace the mother board and key board that wasn't working. But would not assist with any software issues their hardware was creating. I warn you, never buy a Thinkpad from Lenovo. Comp USA sells the Lenovo Thinkpads and have a better warranty and a "lemon" policy. Which this computer certainly is a lemon, you shouldn't have to spend 3 days on the phone with Lenovo to try and get it to work right out of the box. I would never buy from Lenovo again and suggest you don't either. If you want the laptop, get it from CompUsa.
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Summary: Amazing, but with one major drawback by threecman - August 11, 2008 Pros: Portable, SSD HD, bright LED display, durable Cons: No docking station |
User Rating 6 out of 10 |
Amazing ultra-portable, but with one major drawback: no docking station. The recommended IBM USB port replicator does not solve the problem of plugging in multiple cables. If you want to use a monitor with 1680x1050 resolution even with the USB replicator you will end up with too many separate cables: power, monitor, printer (if you need parallel), LAN, usb. This is a major deficiency for corporate users. Hopefully Lenovo designers take a note of this for future products.
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Summary: nice lookin machine by daniel hobbs - August 11, 2008 Pros: good size for a laptop Cons: more than i'd like to spend |
User Rating 6 out of 10 |
many would find quite interesting
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Summary: Save yourself a headache, don't deal with IBM/Lenovo by abelov - August 1, 2008 Pros: size, features Cons: IBM/Lenovo incompetence |
User Rating 3 out of 10 |
Bought an X300 two months ago. The machine arrived with a defective screen. Sent it back to IBM/Lenovo for repairs. They had it for over a month because they didn't have the parts to fix it. After calling them about a 100 times they finally sent me the machine back un-repaired (and made it sound as though they were doing me a favor!). Now I have to wait another month to get a new one. Bottom line... IBM/Lenovo has the worst customer service and are absolutely incompetent. I learned my lesson the hard way... never dealing with them again.
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Summary: Excellent product by Eduard Mika - July 12, 2008 Pros: Keyboard, display, features Cons: Missing SD Card slot |
User Rating 10 out of 10 |
The best notebook I have ever had.
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Summary: Beware defective touchpad by ann o - June 23, 2008 Pros: Lightweight, DVD Player, SSD Cons: Touchpad tap doesn't work correctly. |
User Rating 4 out of 10 |
Unlike some reviewers, I actually own one. I eagerly waited 6 weeks for it, and started playing with it right away.
Dimensions are good, large enough for a good keyboard. Light-ish with the DVD and the 6 cells pack. Very silent due to the SSD drive.
BUT I'm a touchpad user (and don't try to convert me, I won't try to convert you).
There's a sensitivity problem with the touchpad I wish I knew before buying. It's way harder to get the pad to register a tap on the X300 than on any previous thinkpad/mac I've owned before. It seems to be a general problem with the X300. This is unacceptable for a 3000$+ laptop, no matter how low the $ has sunk.
http://forums.lenovo.com/lnv/board/message?board.id=X_Series_Thinkpads&message.id=1154
I'm surprised CNET didn't find that problem during their review.
Dimensions are good, large enough for a good keyboard. Light-ish with the DVD and the 6 cells pack. Very silent due to the SSD drive.
BUT I'm a touchpad user (and don't try to convert me, I won't try to convert you).
There's a sensitivity problem with the touchpad I wish I knew before buying. It's way harder to get the pad to register a tap on the X300 than on any previous thinkpad/mac I've owned before. It seems to be a general problem with the X300. This is unacceptable for a 3000$+ laptop, no matter how low the $ has sunk.
http://forums.lenovo.com/lnv/board/message?board.id=X_Series_Thinkpads&message.id=1154
I'm surprised CNET didn't find that problem during their review.
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Summary: The perfect laptop computer by ljmiii - June 19, 2008 Pros: Quality, Quality, Quality. DVD-RW in a 3lb package Cons: Price (really nothing else, thus 10 out of 10) |
User Rating 10 out of 10 |
I am thrilled with this laptop! I am a looooongtime Thinkpad user (every 2-3 years since 1996) and this is not only the first Lenovo Thinkpad that was as good as the IBMs...it is even better!
Everything about it is just done right. The keyboard and display are superb, the performance is more than adequate for anything but graphics intensive activities, and the DVD burner makes backing up easy.
Everything about it is just done right. The keyboard and display are superb, the performance is more than adequate for anything but graphics intensive activities, and the DVD burner makes backing up easy.
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Summary: Keyboard is a real problem by tangible - May 20, 2008 Pros: Thin, with a webcam Cons: Mushy, flexing keyboard |
User Rating 6 out of 10 |
After reading the official reviewer's comments about the great keyboard, I was surprised to find that mine flexes noticeably under firm typing, providing the sensation of typing on a pillow. Certain that something was wrong with my unit, I went through several attempts to get it repaired. (I will spare you the details.) I've finally been told by IBM (which still does service for Lenovo) that Lenovo says this is a design issue that cannot and will not be fixed. I've owned Thinkpads for many years, and this model just doesn't live up to the Best Keyboard reputation. Some people may not be bothered by this, but do try before you buy.
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Summary: If you don't own an X300, don't write a review for one! by Jace888 - May 3, 2008 Pros: Feature set, size, and mobility Cons: Expensive and I wish they was a slightly faster processor |
User Rating 9 out of 10 |
It really annoys me when people leave reviews for something they don't even own or use. Or Mac fans who leave one line reviews saying... lenovo sucks. What is the point of that?
I personally own an X300 and I have to say it is amazing. It has every possibly connectivity option you can think, a full sized keyboard, and a 1440 x 900 resolution in a 13.3in notebook!! The SSD hard drive makes the machine very fast, and because it is a thinkpad it doesn't feel flimsy at all. The only complaint I have is that I wish there were faster processor options, but for everyday tasks it is perfectly acceptable. While the X300 is slightly expensive, you are definitely getting what you pay for.
Yea yea yea the Macbook air is thinner and weighs less, but who in the world can survive with one USB?!?! No matter what reasons you come up with... one USB is just not practical, period. Or how about if you're on a plane and your battery dies... with the Air you're basically stuck. Plus, batteries that go through normally usage, usually need to be replaced in 2-3 years. I can't wait to see how much apple is going to charge people when they need to send their Air in and have them replace the battery. The X300 may weigh half a pound more than the Air, but in that half a pound you gain so many more features. With the X300 you really get the whole kitchen sink and then some.
I personally own an X300 and I have to say it is amazing. It has every possibly connectivity option you can think, a full sized keyboard, and a 1440 x 900 resolution in a 13.3in notebook!! The SSD hard drive makes the machine very fast, and because it is a thinkpad it doesn't feel flimsy at all. The only complaint I have is that I wish there were faster processor options, but for everyday tasks it is perfectly acceptable. While the X300 is slightly expensive, you are definitely getting what you pay for.
Yea yea yea the Macbook air is thinner and weighs less, but who in the world can survive with one USB?!?! No matter what reasons you come up with... one USB is just not practical, period. Or how about if you're on a plane and your battery dies... with the Air you're basically stuck. Plus, batteries that go through normally usage, usually need to be replaced in 2-3 years. I can't wait to see how much apple is going to charge people when they need to send their Air in and have them replace the battery. The X300 may weigh half a pound more than the Air, but in that half a pound you gain so many more features. With the X300 you really get the whole kitchen sink and then some.
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Summary: I'm not gonna say that I don't miss my X60s, but this is a valient replacement. by M2Scout - April 13, 2008 Pros: Weight, size, brightness controls, speakers, battery life considering reduciton in battery size Cons: battery life consider I could squeeze 8-10 hours out of an x-60s. A little sluggish, but that could just be Vista. |
User Rating 9 out of 10 |
Okay, so I destroyed my beloved X-60s in the line of duty... okay, it caught the business end of a glass of soda, my bad. Anyway, I only get new gear so often so i wanted something that can weather the ages fairly well, and I figured I couldn't go wrong with another Lenovo top-o-the line piece of hardware.
To preface, this is the first system I've owned that runs Vista, which has been on the market long enough for me to feel comfortable using it. Granted people are switching back, but I don't plan on having compatibility issues using this laptop for solely school. That said, as a student I am out and about most of the day, so I'm very please with how well the battery lasts especially while in sleep. Granted, my x-60s would make it through two or more days without needing a charge, great for when i literally get in so late that i have only enough energy to drop my bag and flop in bed. So a little more maintainance is required on that part, but not a big deal. The OS feels sluggish but i think that's just windows. Videos run well and i just like the feel of the laptop. Good Old thinkpad quality keyboard and relatively sturdy build. I was worried about stretching into wide-screen making the thin form more flimsy, but it has not been an issue yet.
Overall, I'm very pleased with the product, but I probably would not have opted to pay full price for it (saved $1100 because my mom works for IBM). But for $2500, fully loaded, it definitely gets the nod.
To preface, this is the first system I've owned that runs Vista, which has been on the market long enough for me to feel comfortable using it. Granted people are switching back, but I don't plan on having compatibility issues using this laptop for solely school. That said, as a student I am out and about most of the day, so I'm very please with how well the battery lasts especially while in sleep. Granted, my x-60s would make it through two or more days without needing a charge, great for when i literally get in so late that i have only enough energy to drop my bag and flop in bed. So a little more maintainance is required on that part, but not a big deal. The OS feels sluggish but i think that's just windows. Videos run well and i just like the feel of the laptop. Good Old thinkpad quality keyboard and relatively sturdy build. I was worried about stretching into wide-screen making the thin form more flimsy, but it has not been an issue yet.
Overall, I'm very pleased with the product, but I probably would not have opted to pay full price for it (saved $1100 because my mom works for IBM). But for $2500, fully loaded, it definitely gets the nod.
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Summary: Amazing, SSD is crazy fast by sheppardk - April 11, 2008 Pros: High res screen, very fast with SSD Cons: Price, battery life with the standard battery |
User Rating 9 out of 10 |
I buy a new notebook every 6 months or so and this is the best I have ever had. I replaces a decked out Dell XPS 1330. In every day use the x300 feels much faster. Startup time is amazing. I pulled the AT&T WWAN card out of my T60 and it works great.
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Summary: 1 Big Problem by Wingates - March 29, 2008 Pros: Lots of features Cons: Just plain ugly |
User Rating 4 out of 10 |
Some wrote, "Apple needs to take some notes.." of course they were referring to the lack of usb ports, ethernet, optical drive, etc. While I agree (except the part of the optical drive) I think Wintel PC manufacturers need to take notes from Apple: "Make it look nicer!". Seriously, looking and holding this laptop makes me feel like I'm back in 1990. It's just plain ugly. But the worst of all, (feedback to the Prizefight v/s MacBook Air) it runs one of the worst operating systems of all time. Windows. 'Nuff said.
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Summary: The perfect Ultra-portable ... ALMOST by samhobbs - March 26, 2008 Pros: Thin profile, solid state HDD, Vista not required, good battery life, ideal keyboard and cursor options Cons: Non-standard AC power input; no PC/Express slot, larger footprint than any prior X models, limited built out options |
User Rating 9 out of 10 |
I have had 8 Thinkpad notebooks over the years, including X20,X21,X23,X31,X40 and Z61T. I was really supprised when the X300 arrived and its footprint was like the Z61T, not small like the prior X-models. The X300 is about as thin as the prior X-models without the ultra-base, yet it includes a DVD drive (if you so order).
All around, my XP X300 booted up amazingly fast (because no hard drive), and loading it up to place in service was fast. I charged the battery fully before starting, and then disconnected it from the wall before booting up. I ran solely on battery for the setup, much of which involved loading Office and other software from the DVDs, and transferring files via gigabit Ethernet. When I shut it down for the night after 3.9 hrs, it still registered 33 minutes on the power meter.
The X300 quickly found our wifi, asked for the key, and connected. My unit has 3gb of memory. Surfing, file transfer and setup all seemed much faster than any X or Z model prior. I did not buy WWAN because Verizon will not let you purchase unlimited access, and requires a $175 disconnect fee if you don't pay for a year contract. I felt safer to plan on a Cingular tether GPRS, or Sprint USB WWAN device, because of their plans (including unlimited from Sprint).
I was deeply disappointed that after owning 8 X&Z models, the "Lenovo Standard" A/C plug was missing: The X300 power tip is new and incompatable with any other tip by any manufacturer. This means no free extra power supplies, unless you can find a suitable tip from Targus or iGo.
As I was checking out through the Lenovo web purchasing site, I was offered a rechargeable pcmcia mouse as an option. I bought it, only to realize when it arrived that the X300 has NO PCMCIA or ExpressCard slot. Ugh!
I covet the small form factor of the earlier X models, but the X300's large screen and spacious keyboard may be a plus for some. The X300 is about 3 lbs with optical drive (excluding power supply).
After I had given my credit-card data to Lenovo to check out, a message popped up stating that it would take 3-4 weeks for delivery. I was really irritated because I omitted all the options that included warnings that they would delay shipping. NEVERTHELESS, my X300 arrived in 6 business days, shipped to a small town in the South. Go figure.
I decided to get the X300 after eliminating the Toshiba R500 (bad reviews, 1.75 lb model is discontinued) and the Sony VAIO. I have had prior Sony PCG notebooks that were great (major objection was that the touch pad is your thumb-rest, leading to inadvertent cursor placement while typing), but the Lenovo Keyboard and joystick pointer tipped the scale in favor of the X300. While Lenovo got it mostly right, I am still awaiting the perfect notebook: large on the inside, small on the outside, with standard A/C and PCMCIA interfaces. Now that they have shown a DVD drive in a computer the thickness of the X-31, I hope Lenovo produces a true X-70? with the small footprint of x-40, same thin-ness, and standard A/C and PCMCIA as from the old X series.
All around, my XP X300 booted up amazingly fast (because no hard drive), and loading it up to place in service was fast. I charged the battery fully before starting, and then disconnected it from the wall before booting up. I ran solely on battery for the setup, much of which involved loading Office and other software from the DVDs, and transferring files via gigabit Ethernet. When I shut it down for the night after 3.9 hrs, it still registered 33 minutes on the power meter.
The X300 quickly found our wifi, asked for the key, and connected. My unit has 3gb of memory. Surfing, file transfer and setup all seemed much faster than any X or Z model prior. I did not buy WWAN because Verizon will not let you purchase unlimited access, and requires a $175 disconnect fee if you don't pay for a year contract. I felt safer to plan on a Cingular tether GPRS, or Sprint USB WWAN device, because of their plans (including unlimited from Sprint).
I was deeply disappointed that after owning 8 X&Z models, the "Lenovo Standard" A/C plug was missing: The X300 power tip is new and incompatable with any other tip by any manufacturer. This means no free extra power supplies, unless you can find a suitable tip from Targus or iGo.
As I was checking out through the Lenovo web purchasing site, I was offered a rechargeable pcmcia mouse as an option. I bought it, only to realize when it arrived that the X300 has NO PCMCIA or ExpressCard slot. Ugh!
I covet the small form factor of the earlier X models, but the X300's large screen and spacious keyboard may be a plus for some. The X300 is about 3 lbs with optical drive (excluding power supply).
After I had given my credit-card data to Lenovo to check out, a message popped up stating that it would take 3-4 weeks for delivery. I was really irritated because I omitted all the options that included warnings that they would delay shipping. NEVERTHELESS, my X300 arrived in 6 business days, shipped to a small town in the South. Go figure.
I decided to get the X300 after eliminating the Toshiba R500 (bad reviews, 1.75 lb model is discontinued) and the Sony VAIO. I have had prior Sony PCG notebooks that were great (major objection was that the touch pad is your thumb-rest, leading to inadvertent cursor placement while typing), but the Lenovo Keyboard and joystick pointer tipped the scale in favor of the X300. While Lenovo got it mostly right, I am still awaiting the perfect notebook: large on the inside, small on the outside, with standard A/C and PCMCIA interfaces. Now that they have shown a DVD drive in a computer the thickness of the X-31, I hope Lenovo produces a true X-70? with the small footprint of x-40, same thin-ness, and standard A/C and PCMCIA as from the old X series.
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Summary: Great start for an UltraPortable ssd system by rctech1 - March 4, 2008 Pros: Lenovo Thinkpad evolution still innovative Cons: docking, sd, expresscard |
User Rating 9 out of 10 |
This is great evolutionary ssd technology. So if you wanna be one of the first on the block, expect to pay for it. IMHO price not too outrageous.
A swappable battery is absolutly necessary.
Thinkpads are not typically multimedia beasts, and this gives nice tradeoff features. Good speakers, optional webcam, etc.
In notebooks, there is always a tradeoff in performance vs power consumption. 25% reduction in power is awesome green. For 95% typical business use, dual core 1.2 is not stellar; but more than adequate for stuff like Word, Excel, Powerpoint, casual browsing, DVD watching, etc.
Vista is available on the x300 if you try to configure one.
Internal DVD is great, as a swappable device makes it even better. I havn't found out if burner is DVD DL (more a curiosity than a need for me).
Beauty is relative. I support both PCs and Macs. As Macs age, the "Apple white" shows more discolorations, scuffs, scratches, and especially gross hairs, crumbs, and derma in the keyboard :-P. Personally, I like black better.
Business thinkpads NEED a good docking solution. All I see available is a USB dock, which IMHO are slow, unreliable, and still require a second connector (for power). Expresscard support would be nice for some of these concerns and additional expansion.
SD card support would be nice, as in their other Xnn models.
Looking at the support site, Lenovo does list an internal 120GB 8mm Micro-SATA hard drive FRU part number. coming soon to a base model?
The docs on that site says they were last updated on 2007-10-06, so this has obviously been in the works for a while, and not just a quick response to the airbook.
After perusing the Lenovo support site on the x300, I'm very hopeful that follow-on models in the works will address many of the reasonable concerns.
rich
A swappable battery is absolutly necessary.
Thinkpads are not typically multimedia beasts, and this gives nice tradeoff features. Good speakers, optional webcam, etc.
In notebooks, there is always a tradeoff in performance vs power consumption. 25% reduction in power is awesome green. For 95% typical business use, dual core 1.2 is not stellar; but more than adequate for stuff like Word, Excel, Powerpoint, casual browsing, DVD watching, etc.
Vista is available on the x300 if you try to configure one.
Internal DVD is great, as a swappable device makes it even better. I havn't found out if burner is DVD DL (more a curiosity than a need for me).
Beauty is relative. I support both PCs and Macs. As Macs age, the "Apple white" shows more discolorations, scuffs, scratches, and especially gross hairs, crumbs, and derma in the keyboard :-P. Personally, I like black better.
Business thinkpads NEED a good docking solution. All I see available is a USB dock, which IMHO are slow, unreliable, and still require a second connector (for power). Expresscard support would be nice for some of these concerns and additional expansion.
SD card support would be nice, as in their other Xnn models.
Looking at the support site, Lenovo does list an internal 120GB 8mm Micro-SATA hard drive FRU part number. coming soon to a base model?
The docs on that site says they were last updated on 2007-10-06, so this has obviously been in the works for a while, and not just a quick response to the airbook.
After perusing the Lenovo support site on the x300, I'm very hopeful that follow-on models in the works will address many of the reasonable concerns.
rich
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Summary: Perfect, Unbelievable, BUY!!! by karl_shen - March 3, 2008 Pros: everything a notebook can be worth Cons: can't think of any |
User Rating 10 out of 10 |
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Summary: 1440x900 is a TOY, Not a Business Machine by crispincowan - March 3, 2008 Pros: Lighter is better Cons: 1440x900 is a TOY, Not a Business Machine |
User Rating 3 out of 10 |
My #1, and basically ONLY criteria in preferring a subnotebook is screen resolution. At 1440x900, this X300 is a step DOWN from my current X61T which has 1400x1050.
NOTE: Vertical resolution matters MORE in business. The vertical resolution determines how easy it is to read a full page of a document.
The x300 sacrifices vertical resolution, and gives instead slightly more useless horizontal resolution.
I'll pass, thanks. I would rather buy another X61T than this silly ass machine.
NOTE: Vertical resolution matters MORE in business. The vertical resolution determines how easy it is to read a full page of a document.
The x300 sacrifices vertical resolution, and gives instead slightly more useless horizontal resolution.
I'll pass, thanks. I would rather buy another X61T than this silly ass machine.
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Summary: A spectacular machine! by yezhou_wang - March 1, 2008 Pros: Everyone know Cons: Without a normal HD option |
User Rating 9 out of 10 |
If X300 would ship with a normal HD, say 160G 5400rpm (no 4200rpm please), I will get one immediately!
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Summary: Tips for Thinkpad Software by ThomasThinking - February 29, 2008 Pros: The most powerful and useful laptop software Cons: It costs a little system resource |
User Rating 10 out of 10 |
Try thinkpad's PM, System Update, Access Connection, and so on. You will find your system works very well and easy to manage.
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Summary: X300, more expensive, slower, uglier. Hmmmm by eldernorm - February 27, 2008 Pros: More plugins and drive built in Cons: slower, uglier, stuck with windows, lacks new features in track pad |
User Rating 3 out of 10 |
While it does give an option to an MacBook Air, its slower, the same old black rectangle, the same old interface (compared to Apples new multi-touch trackpad) the same old windows..... etc. And you get stuck with an expensive SSD vs the regular hard drive.
Sorry, but there is NO INNOVATION here. ONly a shrinking of the same old -- same old.
Sorry, but there is NO INNOVATION here. ONly a shrinking of the same old -- same old.
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