Lenovo ThinkPad X300 Details Leaked?
January 20, 2008
On Friday, Gizmodo reported on what they claim is leaked information about a Lenovo ThinkPad X300, a new line from Lenovo that would be competing with the MacBook Air from Apple. One advantage it would have is that it has an integrated DVD writer (albeit you pay for the advantage with lowered battery life and increased weight). Some could make a good argument that an optical drive is becoming more and more unnecessary these days, and it appears this ThinkPad maybe like other ThinkPads, and allow you to replace the optical drive with an additional battery, increasing battery life substantially. It also comes with a new style of wide TouchPad.
Anyways, on with the specs (we are treating these as a rumor at this point):
CPU/Chipset: Intel Merom Core 2 Duo Low Voltage (LV) 2.0 Ghz, 4MB Cache, 12W, Intel Crestline GMS, 800MHz Frontside Bus
Front-side Bus: 880MHz
Memory: Up to 4GB Memory
Display/Graphics: Intel Crestline graphics, 13.3″ LED-backlit display, 1440×900 resolution
Storage: 64GB Solid State Drive (SSD)
Connectivity: WiMAX, Intel Kendron MIMO, WWAN, External USB Modem, 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet
Dimensions:
Width: 318mm (12.5 inches)
Depth: 231mm (9.1 inches)
Height: 18.6 - 23.4mm (0.73 - 0.92 inches)
Weight: 1.13kg (2.5 pounds) - 1.44kg (3.17 pounds) depending on options
ThinkPad X61 Tablet vs Current Competition
July 26, 2007
Earlier this week, over at The Student Tablet PC site, they posted part one of an interesting comparision, The X61t vs Everything Else. Part one covers the ThinkPad X61 Tablet versus the current generation “convertible” Tablets (convertible = can switch between a Tablet PC and laptop form factor).
It compares the following:
- Lenovo ThinkPad X61 Tablet
- HP Compaq 2710p
- Fujitsu LifeBook T4220
- Toshiba Portege M400
- ASUS R1F
Excerpt from the article:
Its hard to avoid the buzz generated by the Lenovo x61t. It’s constantly being talked about across all of the tablet PC blogs. Is it the ultimate tablet PC? Is it the best device for students? Is it the best choice for someone who is new to tablets? Is it a good notebook without taking the tablet function into account?
I’m going to look at these questions from a student’s perspective by making a number of comparisons to see if the Lenovo x61t can live up to its hype.
Part 1: The X61t vs Everything Else
Article: Finding Energy Efficient Laptops (PC Magazine)
July 21, 2007
An article by Melissa J. Perenson was posted yesterday on PC Magazine, How to Find the Most Energy-Efficient Laptop Available. It talks about the new Energy Star 4.0 qualification process, the fact at launch, there were 122 desktops and laptops on the list (including same models, but different subtypes). Out of those 122, the majority were laptops, and a not-so-surprising number were ultraportable laptops. This should be no surprise as many ultraportables use Ultra Low Voltage (ULV) CPUs.
They mention using the ENERGY STAR website run by the US government (List of ENERGY STAR-compliant computers here).
Excerpt from the article:
The Environmental Protection Agency today introduced its first complete refresh of its Energy Star specification for computers. The EPA estimates that over the next five years, the updated Energy Star computer spec will save American businesses and consumers $1.8 billion in energy costs, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to the emissions of 2.7 million cars.
The computer Energy Star spec, designed to help save the environment and save consumers money, was first introduced in 1992. Now in its fourth iteration, the spec has broadened its scope to encompass a wider breadth of computer usage. The EPA says that only the most energy-efficient computing products will qualify for the Energy Star label.
Just browsing through that list, I came across these ultraportables:
- Acer TravelMate 6292
- Gateway E-100M
- Gateway E-155C
- Lenovo ThinkPad Reserve
- Lenovo ThinkPad X61
- Lenovo ThinkPad X61 Tablet
- Lenovo ThinkPad X61s
- Toshiba Portege M600
- Toshiba Portege R500
- Toshiba Satellite U300 and Satellite U305
- Toshiba Tecra M8
Update: The Toshiba Portege M600 has some models that have been certified: PPM60U, PPM61U
The ThinkPad - 15 Years Old
July 19, 2007
Lest we forget, it was 15 years ago today that the first ThinkPad came out. Of course, it’s not the ThinkPad as we know it - more of a Tablet actually, the ThinkPad 700T, or model # 2521, sporting a then-high resolution 10″ touchscreen display (640×480). Even though the ThinkPad 700 and 700C were introduced first, it was the 2521/ThinkPad 700T that rolled out first.
Quoting Reg Hardware:
That honour goes to the IBM 2521 ThinkPad - known at the time as the ThinkPad - a pen-operated portable that Big Blue actually announced on 17 April 1992, but which didn’t ship until the following July - hence, according to Lenovo, today’s anniversary….
Amazingly in an era long before the current debate over the future of hard drive technology and the emergence of Flash-based alternatives, the 2521 incorporated a 20MB solid-state drive. The 2521 ran PenPoint, an tablet-oriented operating system from Go Corporation.
Come 5 October, IBM renamed the 2521 the ThinkPad 700T to bring its naming into line with the three new laptop models. It also tweaked the design slightly to make it more robust.
Technically speaking, as Reg Hardware points out, the ThinkPad design as we know it (clamshell display/keyboard) would not come around until the 300, 700, 700C ThinkPads rolled out.
Specifications:
Model: 2521-001 and 2521-002 (only difference: 4MB or 8MB memory)
CPU: 20MHz 386SX
Display: 10″ 640×480 Monochrome
Hard Drive: 20MB Solid State Drive
Connectivity: 2.4Kbps Modem, Serial/Parallel ports, external floppy, external keyboard
Articles:
- Reg Hardware - The IBM ThinkPad: 15 years old today
- ThinkWiki - 700T - thinkWiki.org
- ThinkPad 700T Tech Specs - pkhour.com
Photos: Wikimedia Commons and ThinkWiki
Update on Lenovo Xiang Olympic Notebook
July 18, 2007
A bit more information has come out - Crave (CNET)has leaked a few more details about the Lenovo Olympic Notebook, aka the “Lenovo Xiang“. It’s a promotional ultraportable for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Right now, as far as we know, it could be limited only to the Chinese market.
We already know that it has:
- 3x USB 2.0
- 1x IEEE 1394 Firewire port
- ExpressCard slot
- Flash media card slot
- VGA out, Microphone-in, Microphone-out
- No optical drive
The new information:
- 12.1″ widescreen
- A Low Voltage 1.66 GHz Core Duo processor from Intel.
The processor could very well be the Intel Core Duo LV L2400 which is a Low Voltage CPU clocking in at 1.66GHz. The display could be an LED-backlit display, because of its thinness.
It doesn’t appear to match the Lenovo ThinkPad X61 or X61s, although it is incredibly thin and would probably be very lightweight - the two laptops do not have optical drives, however the Lenovo Xiang has a different placement for the CPU fan/vent and video out than the ThinkPad X61/X61s.
The concept could very well be a limited edition ultraportable, similar to Lenovo’s ThinkPad Reserve.
For more pictures, see the AVING USA page about the Lenovo Xiang
Review: ThinkPad X61 Tablet (Student Tablet PC)
July 17, 2007
Tracy over at The Student Tablet PC has posted another review of the Lenovo ThinkPad X61 Tablet.
The ThinkPad X61 Tablet is Lenovo’s Santa Rosa-based 12.1″ (non-widescreen) tablet offering in the ultraportable “convertible” class (you can convert the ThinkPad between a traditional laptop format and a Tablet PC format).
Tracy is reviewing the MultiTouch/MultiView screen (has both an active and passive digitizer - two methods for inputing data through touch-based means). The active uses a special digitizer pen, the passive uses anything (fingertip, etc.). As such, Tracy talks about something that not many reviewers bring up (and thatmay answer many people’s questions on what display to buy):
When the digitizer pen is away from the screen, you can use your finger or stylus to navigate, but as soon as you put the digitizer pen near the screen, the passive touch turns off and you have no worries of your palm interfering with your writing.
Many have said the touch feature is nice, but unnecessary, but I’d say it adds about 20%-30% to my tablet pen/touch experience. In other words, I can do 20% more things with the touch feature that I couldn’t do with the pen alone. This includes things like:
* Scrolling with my free hand while holding the pen in the other
* Changing to the next song without searching for the pen
* Changing to the next song while driving
* Surfing the web
* Opening a program for someone while they’re holding my pen (think demos)
* Quick interaction with the screen while typing
To say that Tracy is pleased with the ThinkPad X61 Tablet would be an understatement.
Read the whole review here
Thanks to Tim and Eric for emailing this review this morning. By the way, speaking of ThinkPads and education, Lenovo is currently running a “back to school” special with a fairly substantial savings.
