Introduction
I’ve always been a 15 inch laptop kind of guy. I’ve always liked having a discreet graphics card for editing and the occasional game., 15 inch laptops have bigger keyboards, screens, and I’ve just always had the opinion that they were for me. I’ve seen friends and strangers in the past use the smaller and more portable 12 inch computers such Powerbooks from a few years ago. The screens just never looked as good, and the keyboards were always a little smaller, my fingers would hit the wrong keys. With only a three inch difference in screen size, I doubted the difference in screen size would really bring the weight down. About a week ago, I started using the ThinkPad X201
I received the X201 in the mail and opened the box, and routinely slid it into my bag to use later, taking no notice of any of its features, size or anything. Halfway to the library, I stopped and did a double-take, did I put it in my bag? My bag felt empty. Unzipping my bag, it’s right there in front of me. The Lenovo X201 felt so light to me, I forgot it was there. Now when I reviewed the Sony X series which is extremely thin, I knew what I was getting into carrying a laptop around that I forgot I even had. The difference is that X201 is a full featured laptop that I would and have no problem carrying around all day.
Specs:
Intel i5-540m Processor
12.1 WXGA LED Panel
Intel HD Graphics
4 GB RAM
320 GB hard disk drive, 7200rpm
6 Cell Lithium-Ion
bluetooth 2.1
Intel centrino advanced-N 6200
Outside
Besides the fact that there is no ugly battery sticking out the back, the outside of the Lenovo ThinkPad X201 is identical to the T410, except of course that it is much smaller. It has the same hard rubber exterior of every ThinkPad that is not as sexy as comparable Macs and Sony’s, but will hold up to much more abuse. This material will not dent as easily, and comes in any color you want as long as the only color you want is black. The front has the usual clasp to hold this machine shut and the SDHC reader. The right side just has the audio in and out ports, one USB port, and the oh so useful 56k port (sarcasm intended). I’m happy Lenovo decided to opt out of having ports on the back, and just focused on keeping the battery flush against the X201.
The left side hosts the majority of the ports, DC in, VGA, Ethernet port, two USB ports including the always on USB port, which can charge devices like blackberries and iPhones while it is off. The large vent is on the left, I have not noticed any large heat change, just constant warm air when playing a video on hulu.com with full brightness. There is no optical drive built in, which is not important for most software is available online for download anyway, but the docking station can have a built in optical drive for when you need it at home or at the office.
Inside
Opening up the trademark heavy clasp, I was met with exactly what I have to come to expect from Lenovo: consistently. The keyboard layout and feel is identical to the T410 except for a couple of minor differences, and I’m being extremely picky here: the volume, delete, and esc buttons are little bigger on the T410, I doubt Steve Jobs would even be able to tell the difference between the two. This machine is virtually the T410 identical twin brother who is just a little smaller, I would read my review on the T410 to get a more in depth description on the keyboard layout, but I will go over my favorite parts. Next to the directional pad is what I call web keys that can quickly go back and forth between sites without having to press the back and forward buttons in whichever web browser you are using. The “ThinkVantage” button on the top left opens the Lenovo Toolbox which has diagnostic tools and status updates that make sure everything on your computer is working correctly, such as battery performance, antivirus software, and backup drives.
The actual keyboard is the traditional style (where the keys are essentially touching with little space between) which is against what companies such as Apple and Sony have been doing. Having worked with this keyboard for the last week, I have found that I am making less mistakes and that it is a better typing experience than that of the popular and cheaper keyboard to produce, the chiclet keyboard found on most laptops these days. Not only that, but after using the thumbstick for a few days, I have also found that I prefer it to Lenovo’s touchpad. While I really liked the T410’s touchpad, the X201’s is just too small. I can’t get across the screen in one motion which is just not ok. Having the thumbstick is a very nice alternative for those who do not prefer touchpads, but nothing really comes close to the touchpad of the Macbook line.
Performance
ThinkPad’s just work well, they always have. Lenovo has continued the ThinkPad legacy. My X201 came with an i5 and 4GB of RAM which I believe is now the business laptop standard. Every program or internet site has worked great on here, including all Microsoft office programs and video streaming sites such as Hulu. As far as programs that just depend on processor and RAM, this computer performs great. Graphics don’t look as good as the Lenovo IdeaPad Y460, but that machine has a very impressive graphics card. The ThinkVantage button works great. My favorite application that Lenovo included was the power saver application. It is extremely useful in showing how long the battery will last depending on how high the brightness setting is alon with othero options.
Recommendation
If you need a highly portable high-powered business notebook, the X201
For $200, you can buy the docking station which provides all the ports that are on the machine, including a few others such as a display port, and an optical drive(can also be replaced with a hard drive). I like it cause a CD drive is useful for when you need to install programs at work/home -wherever you decide to put the docking station-but CD drives just take up space when on the go. I would buy that, a display to hdmi adapter, and like a 23 inch Samsung display for use at home.
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