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New ThinkPad X300 launched

by on27 February 2008

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A competitor for the Macbook Air


Lenovo has launched its new ultraportable to complete with the Mac Air, which is called the ThinkPad X300. Since the launch of the Mac Air, PC owners have now been clamoring for a no compromises Windows notebook that will rival the Mac Air in design.

The Thinkpad X300 checks in at an amazing 2.93 lbs with a 13.3-inch widescreen and it is only .73 inches thick. The X300 does offer an integrated DVD burner, which perhaps is the biggest feature that the X300 can deliver to the ultraportable market segment, as most notebooks in this market space have not offered a built-in optical drive in the past.

Using the Intel Core 2 SL7100 processor, the X300 is clocked at a respectable 1.2GHz with 4MB of on-board cache running on an 800MHz front-side bus. The 13.3” LED backlit display features graphics powered by the Intel Graphics Media Adapter X3100. The X300 uses a 64GB SSD (solid state drive), rather than a hard drive for better performance and battery life, and in a surprise move it is standard.

The X300 will be expandable to 4GB of RAM using DDR2 SODIMM modules operating at 667MHz. The X300 will offer an option for a built-in camera that will be available in the higher-end configurations. The X300 will be using Windows XP which might come as some surprise to many, but the corporate market where this unit is targeted has yet to embrace Windows Vista.

The X300 will offer both built-in Bluetooth and Intel powered WiFi wireless to keep users connected while on the go. Learning from the shortcomings of the Mac Air, the X300 will feature a built-in Ethernet port, as well as three USB ports.

As with most other Thinkpad models, the X300 will include the standard array of Thinkpad features, including a full size keyboard with TrackPoint and Ultranav. The standard ThinkLight and high quality stereo speakers will be included as part of the X300 package. Lenovo is claiming that the X300 will yield battery life in the range of up to 10 hours in the best power consumption mode.

The Thinkpad X300 will start at just over $2,500, depending on your selected configuration, and will start shipping in 2 to 3 weeks. It will be interesting to see what kind of interest Lenovo will be able to generate for the X300, but from what we can tell, it does appear to hit the mark in many areas where ultraportables are typically lacking.

Last modified on 27 February 2008
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