ThinkPad X300 Information Leaks Out

Before you plunk down $2,000 on a MacBook Air notebook you might want to pay attention to information leaked out on the competing Lenovo ThinkPad X300. It's rumored to be as light as the MacBook Air but has more useful features such as a removable battery, built-in optical drive and three USB ports.

ThinkPad X300 image courtesy of Gizmodo (view large image)

The information leak for the ThinkPad X300 comes from Gizmodo and certainly looks to be real, the pictures and information come from a Lenovo internal powerpoint document. The notable specs on the X300 are as follows:

• Display: 13.3" widescreen WXGA+ (1440 x 900) display, LED backlit
• Processor Chipset: Intel Santa Rosa 2.0GHz LV
• Storage: 64GB SSD
• Wireless: Bluetooth, 802.11 a/b/g/n, Wireless USB, WWAN, WiMax, GPS
• Optical Drive: Ultrathin DVD Burner (7mm)
• Memory: up to 4G
• Dimensions: 12.5 in (width) 9 in (depth) x 0.73 in - 0.92 in (thickness)
• Ports: 3 USB ports, Mic in, Headphone out, VGA Adapter, built-in web camera, stereo speakers
• Input: ThinkPad keyboard with TrackPoint, touchpad
• Battery: 3-cell Lithium-Polymer

On paper the specs for the X300 are most impressive, and trump that of the MacBook Air for anyone looking for a serious business companion while on the road. The MacBook Air has a paltry one USB port, a sealed non-replaceable battery, no optical drive and no WWAN options. The ThinkPad X300 has three USB ports, a replaceable battery (important for those on long flights), built-in optical drive, every wireless option possible and a starting weight of 2.5lbs (we assume that weigh comes if you remove the optical drive and use a travel weight). To add to all that you get the SSD as a standard option, no slow 4200RPM that's the base option on the MacBook Air. The excellent screen resolution of 1440 x 900 on the X300 also outdoes the MacBoook Air's resolution of 1280 x 800. The advantage of the MacBook Air remains of course that it looks cooler (ThinkPad's are only ever available in rubbery black), it's thinner and has an innovative multi-touch touchpad.

Apple MacBook Air -- thinner than the X300 but less feature rich (view large image)

It's quite clear based on these specs that the ThinkPad X300 will be pushed by Lenovo as a cutting edge business tool for those on the go, and as such we can't expect a cheap price. Adding up the cost of the components alone means this has to be $2,000 or more. A release date and price are unclear, but time will reveal all.