Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon: Conclusion

Conclusion

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon takes almost everything that was great about last year's ThinkPad X1 and combines it with the latest Ultrabook technology to deliver an outstanding business Ultrabook. While most professionals looking for a thin and light laptop will probably be happier with the ThinkPad X230, the X1 Carbon softens those rough ThinkPad edges and provides a more refined, stylish PC for salespeople and executives who don't want a boxy business laptop.

If you only pay attention to one thing in this review then make sure it's the section about the new touchpad. The glass touchpad surface on the X1 Carbon is better than anything else on the market. We're saying it's better than the touchpad on a MacBook Pro and better than every notebook PC touchpad we've used to date.

Battery life is good but the X1 Carbon loses the optional slice battery from the old X1 so there's no way to extend your battery run time on long trips. Also, while the X1 Carbon is thin and light we found the bottom of this Ultrabook gets pretty hot if you're doing serious work like video editing.

Despite a few minor complaints the ThinkPad X1 Carbon is the best business-oriented Ultrabook we've seen to date. If you want a sexy laptop that is built to business standards then the X1 Carbon is probably your best option.

Pros:

• Oh my! Best touchpad surface ... ever!
• Matte display!
• Solid construction
• Good overall performance

Cons:

• Gets pretty hot
• No more slice battery option
• 1600x900 is good ... 1080p would be better

Individual Ratings: *

Software & Support 
Upgrade Capabilities 
Usability 
Design 
Performance 
Features 
Price/Value Rating 
* Ratings averaged to produce final score