Smallest ThinkPad

    The ultra-portable ThinkPad X100e laptop was officially presented to the press last week and is already available for sale at a price of 16 to 20 thousand rubles. This price tag makes it the most affordable ThinkPad laptop. It differs from the classic notebooks of the series, such as the ThinkPad X200, with an updated appearance and a new keyboard design. And perhaps the most important change: for the first time, the ThinkPad is built on the AMD platform, not Intel.

    However, the main features of ThinkPad laptops are preserved in the x100e. The keyboard is full-sized and comfortable, and the new design uses the same key design as the classic notebooks in the series. The case is sturdy, with reliable metal mounts for the "halves" of the laptop. The screen is matte, and I think many will like it. Corporate software is also in place, starting from a utility for power management and ending with a complete backup system. And, of course, the laptop has a proprietary red trackpoint, without which the ThinkPad is no longer a ThinkPad!




    The ThinkPad X100e is not the only laptop with an updated design, except for it the ThinkPad Edge line of laptops was introduced this year. These models were designed specifically for small businesses, hence the affordable price. Classic ThinkPad notebooks with a conservative design, decent price and a casing made of tricky metal alloys will not go anywhere. By the way, the ThinkPad X201 line of light and powerful laptops, built on the basis of Intel Core i5 and i7 processors, has recently been updated.

    Appearance



    The new design of the ThinkPad X100e as a whole preserves the familiar approach: the appearance is strict, there is not a single glossy detail. However, the ThinkPad is now available in a bolder red color.



    The keyboard has undergone the most noticeable changes: the buttons are separated from each other, approximately the same as in modern laptops from other manufacturers. But there are differences. The keys have a slight tilt "towards the user" and slightly concave. Rarely used buttons disappeared: the SysRq key and the context menu button in Windows.



    The up and down keys are adjacent to each other. The Page Up and Page Down buttons are recessed into the housing. This is convenient: they are always at hand, but you cannot accidentally press them.



    Fn and Ctrl buttons. The new ThinkPad, including the X100e, has a BIOS setting that allows you to swap these keys - this will be convenient for those who are used to the location of the Ctrl key to the left of Fn.



    The classic trackpoint is complemented by a multi-touch touchpad. At the disposal of the owner of the laptop is a double set of mouse buttons. After a month of using the laptop, I came to the conclusion that the trackpoint is more convenient than the touchpad if the laptop is used on the go. The touchpad is recessed into the case, and the buttons are located on the very edge. On the one hand, this is not very convenient - you can accidentally press a button with your hand or elbow. On the other hand, the touchpad keys are instantly blind.



    A notable innovation was the reduction in the number of indicators to a minimum. The power button is highlighted in the laptop, two indicators (battery + sleep mode) are located on the front end, another LED indicates the inclusion of a webcam.



    The ThinkPad X100e has the following specifications:
    Processor : AMD Athlon Neo MV-40 1.6 GHz
    RAM : 2 GB DDR2 (up to 4 GB)
    Hard disk : 250 GB 5400 RPM
    Display : 11.6 inches, 1366x768 pixels, built-in webcam
    Operating system : Windows 7 Starter, Home Premium or Professional
    Connectors : 3xUSB, VGA, SD / SDHC card reader, Gigabit Ethernet, combined headphone and microphone jack
    Wireless modules : WiFi 802.11b / g / n, Bluetooth 2.1, optional 3G- modem
    Battery : 3-cell (up to 2 hours of battery life) or 6-cell (up to 5 hours)
    Dimensions : 282x189x29.5 mm with a 3-cell battery
    Weight : 1.33 kg with a 3-cell battery, 1.5 kg with a 6-cell battery

    I will note a few interesting points. Firstly, the laptop can be purchased with the corporate version of Windows 7 Professional, which is not available in less productive netbooks. Secondly, all ThinkPad X100e are prepared to install a 3G modem. The tested model was equipped with such a modem, which is also equipped with a GPS receiver. I will tell about him in a separate material - the device is very interesting. The laptop, like other ThinkPad, is equipped with an Active Protection System - a motion sensor that protects the hard drive in case of a fall. Finally, the ThinkPad X100e is equipped with a Broadcom WiFi module with support for 802.11n standard.

    Performance

    The capabilities of the X100e in various synthetic tests and real programs have already been sufficiently explored in several online publications. I won’t repeat myself, I’ll just give the links:

    Overview on Retera.ru
    Overview on Hi-Tech.mail.ru
    Overview on Mobi.ru

    In short, the AMD Athlon Neo processor is about 30% more efficient than Atom solutions. In addition, the laptop is equipped with an integrated ATI Radeon HD3200 graphics card with DirectX 10 support. The video chip supports hardware acceleration of high-definition video and even allows you to play games. Not in Crysis, of course, but my favorites Far Cry (first) and Half-Life 2 work well with minimal settings and at native screen resolution. Such a nice addition for a business laptop.

    Display

    The screen in the X100e is matte, it practically does not reflect the light of lamps in office conditions, which allows
    you to set the minimum brightness values. The resolution (1366x768) is high enough for a diagonal of 11.6 inches, as a result - the image is very smooth. At maximum brightness, text can be read even in bright sunlight.

    Stand-alone operation

    Six-notebook ThinkPad X100e battery provides up to five hours without charging. In practice, battery life depends on how you use your laptop. In a typical run-time test, when playing a standard-definition video, the X100e lasted 2 hours 32 minutes. With the included wireless module and active networking, the laptop worked for 2 hours 38 minutes.

    You can achieve maximum battery savings using the proprietary Power Manager utility. If you reduce the brightness of the display and turn off the wireless modules, as well as set the "minimum" mode of processor power, the battery life will increase significantly. In this mode, the laptop worked for 4 hours 33 minutes.

    On sale, the laptop is available complete with a three-cell battery, which does not protrude from the case. It makes sense to buy such a modification if you need the lightest laptop possible. The battery life in this case is only two hours, with a serious load - a little more than an hour. The 6-cell battery provides a minimum of two hours of battery life in any mode.

    Software

    Media reviews pay less attention to proprietary software in reviews, but in vain. The set of programs that come with the ThinkPad X100e is the same as the "adult" ThinkPad. For example:

    Power Manager 3

    It is difficult to find a more convenient power manager. It integrates into the Windows taskbar, so you always know how much time is left before the battery runs out. The “predictions” are fairly accurate: after changing the power settings, the program takes about a minute to correctly assess the changing conditions.



    In Power Manager, absolutely all power settings are available: for the processor (four different modes), screen brightness, and more. The special Battery Stretch mode allows you to add several minutes of battery life due to total power savings: switching to a simple design theme in Windows, turning off the sound and turning off the display after 30 seconds of waiting.



    You can also see detailed information about the installed battery in the program: estimated and current capacity, temperature, number of charge-discharge cycles (I got 26 per month). By the way, the laptop quickly (in about two hours) charges the battery to 97-98%, after which charging stops. This prevents overcharging the battery in case of heating and, accordingly, extends the battery life.

    System Update 4

    This program automatically downloads updated drivers and firmware versions from Lenovo website. It can also be used to install drivers and utilities that are missing from the system.



    Rescue and Recovery 4.3

    Ready-made backup solution - it is not necessary to buy and install additional software. The backup copy can be saved on the laptop’s hard drive or on external media, and scheduled backups can be configured.



    On the laptop’s hard drive there is an additional section with a “factory” copy of the operating system and programs. The image of the system can be recorded using the built-in software on 3 DVD-ROMs or, much more conveniently, on a USB flash drive, from which you can later boot for recovery.

    Conclusions

    It so happened that for a month the ThinkPad X100e was my main laptop, and during that time I had already met enough to share my impressions of real use, and not the "official point of view of the company." For me, the X100e was the most affordable laptop with a full-sized keyboard. This is one of my main requirements for a mobile computer, and from this point of view the ThinkPad X100e is one of the best in its price and weight categories.



    The next most important selection criterion is performance. Most of the time, office programs, a browser and Skype work on a laptop. There are no problems with this kit. Listening to music in the background - please. It was necessary to carry out more complex tasks on a laptop: convert audio, process photos in the lightroom. This is not to say that the x100e copes with such tasks quickly, but in the “field conditions” when there is no more powerful computer at hand, it can also be used for this.

    The ThinkPad X100e fits nicely in the niche between netbooks and 13-inch thin laptops. Paying a fairly small amount compared to 10-inch netbooks, you get a full keyboard, high-resolution screen and better performance. And, importantly, you will receive a proprietary level of support for ThinkPad laptops: a large set of additional programs, the availability of drivers for Windows XP, Vista and 7, and all the software and drivers, as well as the BIOS, are regularly updated.

    Also popular now: