Lenovo ThinkPad X100e details get leaked
The ThinkPad “netbook” actually isn’t a netbook at all – and now we know what powers it.
Remember that post I wrote reporting about some photos found for what looked to be an upcoming ThinkPad netbook? Well this is an update to that post – a whole bunch of details about this machine have just been leaked onto the web. It turns out the ThinkPad X100e isn’t a netbook at all; more like Lenovo’s answer to the rapidly growing low-cost “consumer” ultraportable laptop market, and if the company doesn’t mess up, this new ThinkPad could be a big success.
This is definitely not an ordinary ThinkPad, however. Probably the most odd thing about the X100e is its CPU – a single-core AMD Athlon Neo MV-40 clocked at 1.6Ghz. Isn’t this the first time AMD hardware has been used in a ThinkPad laptop? Also interesting is the chiclet keyboard and additional colour options (red and white) besides the traditional black. Those AMD parts aren’t a bad thing though – that Athlon Neo easily outperforms the Atom processor and you get ATI Radeon HD3200 graphics built-in, certainly a much better option over Intel’s lethargic GMA4500MHD graphics that ship with most cheap ultraportables.
Anyway, most of the specs this machine supposedly has look quite appealing for a student in high school or college. Being a ThinkPad, it should have really good build quality, and you have a better chance of not losing all your files if you drop it – the 320GB hard drive is equipped with Lenovo’s APS (Active Protection System) technology (it parks the drive if the laptop is falling or is bumped violently.) The 11.6″ screen has a 1366×768-pixel resolution, on par with most other ultraportables, and you get 802.11n WiFi, GPS capabilities (yes really,) and optional 3G mobile broadband as well. 5.1 hour runtime with the six-cell battery isn’t too bad either, and you get both a TrackPoint (the red nub) and a multi-gesture trackpad.
In the end, this looks to be a very nice machine, and something that would be almost ideal for school (While the price isn’t known yet, I have a feeling that this machine will sell for less than $600 when it comes out.) If any other news about the X100e comes up, I’ll let you all know. You can see the rest of the leaked slides below.
