Digital Trends

Lenovo ThinkPad X200 August 11th, 2008 | by Nick Mokey

Size vs. Performance

Unlike the MacBook Air and other featherweights that must shave off every millimeter possible, the X200 makes few performance concessions in the name of size. While machines like the Air, X300 and Toshiba Portege adopt processors clocked all the way down to 1.2GHz to cut down on heat, the X200’s less space-constricted frame allows for a much faster Intel Core 2 Duo pushing 2.4GHz, and a standard 2.5-inch hard drive with capacity up to 250GB.

Lenovo did, however, sacrifice an optical drive. Depending on your usage, this can either turn into a complete deal-breaker, or a minor annoyance. We found that the inability to load discs was a huge pain while loading software, but much less so in day-to-day usage. Since thumb drives and the Internet have largely taken over for file transfer where CDs and DVDs once ruled, you may even forget about the X200’s missing disc drive until you want to watch a DVD on a plane or burn a CD for the car.

Intel Centrino 2

The X200 has the distinction of being one of the first laptops on the market using Intel’s new Centrino 2 platform, also known as Montevina. Besides the usual round of performance upgrades that come with a next-generation chip, Intel also tweaked the processor for power efficiency, and we noticed the results in testing the X200. Battery life improved notably from the X61, and the machine also stayed cooler under load.

New Real Estate

The old Lenovo ThinkPad X61 was the last notebook in Lenovo’s line-up still clinging to the old 4:3 screen ratio, and it went dead for good reason. The new 12.1-inch widescreen not only lends extra on-screen workspace, it also produces a longer form factor with all sorts of side benefits. Most significantly, it allows the keyboard to grow to the same size as the one of Lenovo’s full-size T-series laptops, doing away with the stubby backspace key and all the other frustrations of the X61’s shrunken board. For folks who do a lot of sitting with their laptops, the longer form also lends itself to a much comfortable base (no longer will grown men have to sit with knees knocked together to keep a laptop situated.) And although the thicker bezel around the widescreen doesn’t look quite as clean as the minimalist X61 bezel, it does leave room for an integrated webcam, which the old machine could never fit.

Still a Lightweight

Surprisingly, Lenovo managed to tack on the extra inches on without boosting weight. The X200 retains the same 2.95-pound weight as its predecessor (when equipped with a four-cell battery), making it one of the few laptops light enough to comfortably hold in one hand and operate with the other. You probably won’t want to type out a thesis paper or watch Titanic this way, but if you’ve ever had to tap out a quick e-mail at Starbucks when there aren’t any tables, or scrounge for Wi-Fi on the city streets, you’ll come to appreciate it quickly. And when it’s time to pack up and go, it nestles into almost any space.

Interface Options (or lack thereof)

One thing the X200 doesn’t pick up with the expanded form factor: a touchpad. While ThinkPad veterans probably won’t protest the missing interface much, newcomers may find Lenovo’s signature red TrackPoint mouse device (basically a red eraserhead that you mash with your finger) a little disorienting at first. Even as ThinkPad pros, we found the lack of a touchpad for scrolling slightly irritating during extended Web browsing sessions.

Image Courtesy of Lenovo

Build Quality

Build quality remains a highlight for ThinkPads, a quality Lenovo has succeeded in carrying over from the brand’s IBM days. While a three-pound featherweight will never come off as solid as the ten-pound bricks of yesterday, the X200 package feels tight and dense, the way a well-built piece of equipment should, and closes with a satisfying click. Lenovo even relocated the hard Wi-Fi switch from the front (where it could be easily switched by accident on the X61) to the side. Our only complaint would be the display hinges, which don’t have quite enough grip to keep the screen from drooping down on its own at certain angles.