Lenovo ThinkPad X100e review

Lenovo's ThinkPad X100e fits somewhere between a netbook and a full laptop in size and capabilities, and is also one of the lowest priced ThinkPads available. This, combined with the traditional ThinkPad quality and attention to detail, should make it attractive as a business ultraportable or as a consumer purchase.

Announced in January and available now, the ThinkPad X100e has an 11.6in screen and weighs slightly less than 1.5kg, making it larger than a netbook and comparable with traditional ultraportable laptops.

However, while ultraportables typically carry a premium price tag, the entry-level X100e starts at £458.25, which is comparable with many mainstream laptops at the value end of the scale. Despite this, it looks stylish and feels solidly built, and offers many of the value-add features that Lenovo puts into its pricier ThinkPads.

At the time of writing, Lenovo's web site appears to list only Windows XP Home Edition for this system, but Windows 7 Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium and Professional are options. Our review unit came with Windows 7 Home Premium.

The X100e is available in four models with differing specifications. We looked at the entry version which ships in an eye-catching red casing, while the other models are black (as shown in the photos). This model also carries a similar specification to a netbook, with 1.6GHz processor, 1GB memory and 160GB hard drive, but no DVD or Blu-ray drive.

However, the X100e is based on AMD's ultra-thin platform, and runs an Athlon Neo MV-40 processor with ATI Radeon HD 3200 graphics functions embedded in the chipset. This befits its positioning between an underpowered netbook and a full laptop, as the Neo is essentially a full 64-bit Athlon processor while the Radeon HD 3200 is said to offer performance comparable with some discrete graphics chips.

This matches our perception of using the X100e, which seemed a little sluggish at times when we had multiple applications open, but this could be addressed by adding more memory.

In contrast, the system had no problems handling the full Aero graphics of Windows 7 and playing video content. In fact, with its 11.6in screen and 1,366 x 768 native display resolution, this system is much better suited for running full-blown applications than a typical netbook.

Performance as measured by Microsoft's Windows Experience Index gives the ThinkPad X100e an overall rating of 3.1, which is not bad for such a small system. The score is determined by the lowest performing subsystem, which in this case is the processor, while the graphics and hard disk both performed better.

Lenovo seems to have gone out of its way to lend a feel of quality to the X100e, from the solid build quality of the system to its styling, especially the keyboard with its large, well-spaced keys.

This style of keyboard is shared with Lenovo's ThinkPad Edge models, which were launched at the same time as the X100e, and makes for easy typing despite the relatively small dimensions of the system as a whole.

Our review unit was also surprisingly quiet, so much so that we assumed at first that it had a Flash drive fitted instead of a rotating hard drive. In fact, it uses a Hitachi low-profile 2.5in Sata drive.

Another feature the X100e shares with other ThinkPads is the Trackpoint mouse controller embedded in the middle of the keyboard, between the G, H and B keys. We approve of this, finding it much easier to steer the on-screen pointer than with the touchpad that is almost universal to laptops these days.

However, many people prefer a touchpad, so Lenovo also includes one of these below the keyboard. Either can be disabled via the mouse properties in the Windows Control Panel.

Compared with some other laptops, the I/O on this ThinkPad model is somewhat sparse. Two USB ports, an Ethernet port and a jack socket for a headset are on the left side, while the right has a third USB port, and a four-in-one reader slot for SD Card, MMC, Memory Stick and Memory Stick Pro Flash storage, plus a slot for attaching a security chain. A VGA output is positioned at the left hand end of the rear of the case.

On the underside of the ThinkPad X100e is a single large cover secured with seven screws. Removing this gains access to the system's hard disk, memory and wireless adapters, each sitting in a separate recess behind it. However, users should be cautious about looking under here, unless they know what they are doing.

The hard disk can simply be lifted out and replaced, if necessary, while our review unit's 1GB of DDR2 memory occupied just one of the two available Sodimm slots.

The wireless module on our model was a tiny Realtek mini card, alongside which was a vacant slot for a 3G mobile broadband module and a socket for the SIM card required by this.

Lenovo said that most models of the X100e are sold as 'Wireless WAN Ready', meaning that customers can add the mobile broadband module at a later date, while a few select configurations will come with the module ready fitted.

Unusually, Lenovo does not quote a battery life for the ThinkPad X100e, which ships with a six-cell 57Wh (5200mAh) lithium ion pack that sticks out from the rear of the case by almost 1in when fitted.

We found that the X100e lasted for just over three hours when tested with the Battery Eater Pro benchmark in its Classic mode, which keeps the system constantly busy. However, this was extended to six hours and three minutes in the Reader mode that simulates just reading a document.

Lenovo has also slightly customised the Windows 7 desktop, bringing to the fore some of its ThinkVantage tools. The taskbar on our review system had an icon linking to Access Connections, for example, Lenovo's tool to help users connect to networks and maintain connection profiles.

Next to this was the ThinkVantage Toolbox, a system diagnostic and information tool, plus Power Manager, which offers a wider range of options than the power management built into Windows.

Another nice touch is a pop-up on-screen notification if you press the caps lock key, which is handy for all of us whose touch typing skills are not quite as good as they would like to think.

Other ThinkVantage software provided includes Rescue and Recovery, Password Vault, a System Update tool to fetch updates for drivers and Lenovo's utilities, plus an Online Data Backup service, which is actually provided by Mozy.

Lenovo also includes the usual 60-day trial version of Microsoft Office, plus Symantec's Norton Internet Security 2009. A carrying pouch, like a small rucksack but with a single shoulder strap, was also included with our review unit.

Overall, we were impressed with the ThinkPad X100e, which is not much larger than a netbook, but feels more like a full-sized laptop that can be used for running real applications. It also feels like it is rugged enough to stand up to life on the road.

Some 13in laptops such as Toshiba's Satellite Pro T130 are available for a similar price, so the choice depends on whether buyers prefer a bigger screen or a more compact system.

1.6GHz AMD Athlon Neo processor with integrated ATI Radeon HD 3200 graphics, 1GB DDR2 memory (max 4GB), 160GB 2.5in Sata hard drive, 11.6in display with 1,366 x 768 resolution, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, Gigabit Ethernet, optional 3G modem.