Lenovo launches ThinkPad X300 with a dig at Apple

 

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Posted on 26 Feb 2008 at 14:00

Lenovo has taken a swipe at the MacBook Air at the official unveiling of its rival ultraportable, the ThinkPad X300.

Read PC Pro's verdict on the X300 in our exclusive review

"This is a new platform, a new form factor, a new class," David McQuarrie, executive director of Lenovo's EMEA notebook business, announced at the event in Paris.

"It is not the thinnest and lightest 13in notebook out there - there's another company that came out with a product in the last couple of months [that holds that distinction]," he added, without mentioning Apple's MacBook Air by name.

"But this is a unique and important distinction: all-day power. I spoke about a company that launched another 13.3in notebook... not all-day power."

The all-day power comes from a combination of the six-cell battery, which comes as standard with the UK version of the X300, and a slot-in battery that slips into the optical drive bay. Lenovo claims that combination offers ten hours of life.

Alternatively, users can get six hours of life from the standard six-cell battery and use the DVD writer - again a distinguishing characteristic compared to the Air.

"Who's it aimed at?" asked McQuarrie rhetorically. "Successful professionals - people who are on the move all the time. If you use as I do, until today, a ThinkPad X61, you get portability and the right amount of power, but you don't get the 13-inch screen. This is a step below [the X300] - or I'll say the X300 is a step above - thanks to that screen and the built-in DVD writer."

McQuarrie also focused on the X300's EPEAT Gold certification and the improved reliability that stems from the use of a solid-state-drive rather than a conventional hard disk.

The X300 is available today with list prices starting at £1,700 exc VAT.

Read PC Pro's verdict in our exclusive review

Life in the old PC

Lenovo also announced, with slightly less fanfare, a new ThinkCentre PC. According to Lenovo's own tests, the M57e uses 68% less electricity than its predecessor, the M52, when in idle mode.

Other improvements include improved security thanks to features such as CompuTrace, compliance with Energy Star 4.0 and support for quad-core processors.

The M57e is also available today. Look out for the PC Pro review by subscribing to our reviews RSS feed here.

Author: Tim Danton in Paris