When you’re looking for a work laptop, you’ll probably consider the MacBook Pro and MacBook, with the aging MacBook Air. If you’re someone like me, looking for an anti-MacBook brand, Microsoft Surface Pro and Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon sits way high on the list.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon provides you with all the benefits of a slim and light Apple computer, and yet manages to have a superior battery life and user experience. It is a mashup of two of Lenovo’s top-selling brands, the ThinkPad and the Yoga.
THINKPAD X1 DESIGN
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga features a minimal design with the top of the display slanting towards the base to give a sharp look. The black carbon fiber is resistant to fingerprints, easy to hold and offers way-off-the-charts durability. The cushy surface makes for an excellent wrist rest, to help ease those long coding sessions. In addition, the laptop can hold up under vibrations, shocks and extreme temperatures.
Of course, it also sports Lenovo’s patented 360-degree hinge design. It works alright – one can push the lid back and forth, transforming the device between a laptop and a tablet.
The power button is on the right side of the device, so it is accessible even while in tablet form. There is also a fingerprint scanner sitting below the arrow keys on the notebook’s deck.
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 measures at 13.1 x 9 x 0.67-inches and weighs 3.2 pounds. The 14-inch convertible is pretty lightweight, even when you’re holding it with a single hand. There are other devices on the market that weigh less than ThinkPad X1, but the tradeoff is usually in smaller screens.
THINKPAD X1 CONNECTIVITY
On the right side you’ll see a Kensington lock slot, a Mini-RJ45 Ethernet connector, an HDMI connect, a 3.5mm audio jack, and a USB 3.0 port. On the left side you’ll find two USB Type-C ports along with to two additional USB 3.0 ports. There’s also a micro SIM and microSD card reader located right next to the hinge on the rear.
KEYBOARD AND TOUCHPAD
The keys on the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 are curved on the edges and feel glossy while you type. As a result, the typing experience feels pretty great as the keys are spongy enough to not make excessive noise. That being said, it’s a good idea to test it out first if there’s a Lenovo store near you.
The trackpad on ThinkPad X1 is solid. It is responsive and doesn’t have a ‘click.’ In addition, the Synaptic drivers perform impressively to each multi-finger gesture, swipe and click without delay.
By far, the stylus is comfortable and intuitive. If feels more like a pencil and does an excellent job capturing notes, doodles and more.
THINK X1 HARDWARE
Lenovo is offering a seventh-generation 2.6GHz Intel Core i5-7300U CPU, Intel HD Graphics 620, 265GB NVMe PCle SSD and 8GB of RAM. It offers quite a lot of upgrade options along with expandable RAM, memory as well as an Intel Core i7 CPU.
The 8GB variant is priced at $1,477, while the 2.8GHz Intel Core i7-6600U CPU, with 16GB of RAM, a 1TB NVMe PCIe SSD variant is priced at $2,114. At this price, it isn’t going to turn many heads, but at a budget of $1,400 or less, you certainly get a durable laptop with an excellent battery life and more finer points.
