Walt Mossberg of All Things Digital
is currently in possession of a hot new device that has sparked quite a bit of
interest from DailyTech readers: the Lenovo
ThinkPad X300.
Given the device's relatively lightweight and small frame, a 2.5" HDD
would have been too large and power-hungry to fit, so Lenovo opted for a
1.8" form-factor drive. Most 1.8" HDDs spin at a mediocre 4,200 RPM
resulting in subpar performance, so Lenovo opted to use a 1.8" solid-state
disk (SSD) for a performance boost.
In addition to the SSD, Mossberg points out the 13.3" ThinkPad X300's
three USB 2.0 ports, optical drive, built-in Ethernet port and optional
cellular modem support. Lenovo also made the wise decision to give customers
the choice of Windows XP or Windows Vista.
Mossberg goes on to note that the ThinkPad X300 weighs 3.12 pounds with a standard
battery and optical drive. A comparison is made to the MacBook Air's lighter 3
pound fighting weight, but Apple manages to leave out all the important stuff
to get to that figure.
Thanks to images from the thinkpads.com Support
Community, we've also been able to gather some additional information
on the ThinkPad X300. The notebook features a 1.2GHz Core 2 Duo processor (SL7100 LV) rated
at 12W using a Mobile Intel 965GS Express chipset -- the leaked specs which detailed a 2.0GHz Core 2 Duo processor were unfortunately wrong. Another feature not
previously discussed is the inclusion of Certified Wireless USB over UltraWide
Band.
The ThinkPad X300 uses rubber paint on the palm rest for increased comfort
and a new, longer-lasting paint for the keyboard (Lenovo says that it last 3-4
times longer than traditional paint). The keyboard is also illuminated via ThinkLight for use in
low-light situations.
Given that this is a Lenovo notebook, durability is a key feature. The
bottom cover and keyboard bezel are constructed with magnesium while the LCD
cover is comprised of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic.
According to Mossberg, the ThinkPad X300 will retail for between $2,500 to
$2,800 dollars when it launches. This price range backs up recent
leaks by Best Buy for Business concerning the ThinkPad X300's price.
Seeing as how Mossberg has a ThinkPad X300 in hand right now, Lenovo can't
be too far from making an official announcement.
