Mossblog

Super-Slim ThinkPad Sneak Peek

February 13, 2008 at 4:34 am PT

Only a month or so after Apple announced its MacBook Air laptop, which it calls the world’s thinnest laptop, Lenovo is about to spring its own super-skinny machine: the ThinkPad X300. Here’s a sneak peek. My full review will appear after I have fully tested this unusual new laptop, which I expect to be of great interest to road warriors.

Like the MacBook Air, this is a rare small laptop that is built around a full 13-inch-wide screen display and a full keyboard, rather than the little screens and cramped keyboards common in subnotebooks. And, like the Air, it offers a fast, rugged solid-state drive instead of a hard disk.

But, unlike the Apple, Lenovo’s new skinny ThinkPad comes with a hefty complement of ports and features, some of the very things critics complained Apple left out. It has a built-in DVD drive, removable battery, three USB ports, and a wired Ethernet networking jack. Inside, in addition to Wi-Fi, it can be ordered with a built-in cellphone modem and even GPS. It comes with either Windows Vista or Windows XP.

Sporting the traditional ThinkPad black slab design, the X300 isn’t as skinny or sexy as the Apple, but it’s still very slender and attractive, at under an inch thick. Also, unlike the Apple, most of the ThinkPad’s configurations are a bit heavier than the 3-pound weight that traditionally denotes a subnotebook. But it still feels very light to carry around, at 3.12 pounds with the standard battery and DVD drive.

The biggest downsides to the new ThinkPad X300 are price and limited storage capacity. Unlike the Apple, which can be ordered with a higher-capacity, lower-priced hard disk, the new ThinkPad will only be available with the expensive, limited capacity solid-state drive. So it will start at between $2,500 and $2,800–up to $1,000 more than the Apple’s base price–and will be limited to a paltry 64 gigabytes of storage.

Tagged with Apple, battery, cellphone, DVD, GPS, laptop, Lenovo, MacBook Air, subnotebook, ThinkPad X300, USB, Wi-Fi, world’s thinnest laptop, X300

comments so far. Add yours.

Ron Pettengill

one enormous difference. it runs windows. if you look hard enough you can almost see the OS suppuration.
Gilbert Montgomery

Why didn’t Apple compromise on its MacBook Air design so that it could have all the ports, DVD drive and removable battery of the new Lenovo Thin-Pad? Because Apple, I firmly believe, is about to introduce thinner and lighter models of its MacBook Pro line of high-end notebook computers. Expect a big announcement from Apple before the end of this month!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/richardlai Richard Lai

Looking forward to your full review, Mr. Mossberg!
Wei Jia

Actually the Macbook Air with a 64GB SSD drive is about $3100, quite a bit more than what the Thinkpad is.

According to many reviews and tests, there was little to no performance difference between the 5400RPM HD and the SSD in the Air. I guess it depends on how Lenovo implements the system but it seems they are making a mistake by not offering the option for a cheaper version with a regular hard drive. I am sure that would drive the price downwards by quite a bit.
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/technology/ Jack Schofield

> the 3-pound weight that traditionally denotes a subnotebook

Actually, what traditionally defines a subnotebook is that it’s physically smaller than a notebook PC, which is typically around A4 in size.

The Asus Eee PC is a subnotebook. The Air isn’t.

Also, while the X300 is in effect the same weight as the MacBook Air, while having the ports, DVD etc that the Air lacks, there are even lighter machines that also have the ports, DVD etc. An example is the Toshiba Portege R500 (weight starting at 779 grams) with a 12.1 inch screen.

A 12.1 inch screen is a bit smaller but, in my experience*, it is actually better if you’re sitting in an airline seat.

If you can afford to fly first class, of course, YMMV ;-)
Price Taylor

I agree with the comment that 64gb isn’t paltry. ESPECIALLY when you consider the availability (and cost!) of small, USB attached drives.

This looks like a winner.
Adrian Belu

Wide + optical = out for me Is that a touchpad I see ?

Can you remove the drive easly (like on the X3* if you don’t have the screw on) ? Can you stop battery charging ?
http://allthingsd.com/ Alan Sanders

Readers who compare the MacBook Air to other ultra portables solely on the basis of features or specs are missing the bigger picture entirely. Would anyone with half a brain compare a BMW to a Hyundai solely on the basis of wheelbase, horsepower and cargo capacity? Of course not! And if they did, no one with haf a brain would listen to them.

That being said, the biggest downside to the ThinkPad X300 imho is the Windows operating system that it’s tied to. As Steve Jobs says, Apple is a software company that also makes beautiful hardware. Regardless of form factor, the heart and soul of every Macintosh computer is OS X—which, as far as I can see, has no serious competition at the moment and is also morphing as we speak into a unique new mobile computing platform of considerable promise.

Personally, I think it’s great when Apple’s innovative risk-taking challenges the other players to create their own ground-breaking new products instead of cranking out basically the same old stuff year after year. It’s funny how most of them never manage to come up with anything new until Apple forces them to “think different.” But even if the best they can do is to imitate Apple, the industry as a whole slowly moves forward and everybody benefits.
Andrew Wagner

Alan, so you’re calling Macs the Hyundai of computers? I’m confused… One of the biggest downside of Macs is the Mac OS it is tied to. I look forward to the X300, as Thinkpads are truly the BMW of notebooks.
Allen Murdock

Suppuration. Good word, Ron Pettengill.

Andrew W., those who demean the Mac OS usually have little experience with it. Knowing Windows doesn’t make you an expert on computer operating systems.
Allen Murdock

BTW, the MacBook Air will run both OS X and Windows. Simultaneously. The Lenovo is stuck with Windows or Linux.

Nonetheless, this does look like a nice machine for road warriors.

I’ve seen conflicting reports on the specifications for the X300. Does anyone know what CPU it’s running?
http://allthingsd.com/ Alan Sanders

Andrew,

If you think the Mac is the “Hyundai” in this comparison, there’s nothing for us to talk about. It would be like discussing color theory with someone who’s color-blind. Apple makes elegant, well-built computers that blow most of the competition away. You must be confusing Apple with Dell. And OS X can kick Vista’s ass any day of the week with one hand tied behind its back, and that’s a fact. Not to mention that Apple hardware is quite happy running Windows for those who must. The X300 may look like a BMW, but there’s a Hugo engine under the hood.
Leon Li

People who prefer macs are usually focused on the “user experience” — the shiny colors, the 3d icons, and so on. Very few people with a deeper technical understanding — computer scientists, engineers, etc. — use apples. In fact, those who really THINK about User Experience rather than merely “rate” which GUI has the more liquid warping effects will realize that icons, desktops, trays, widgets, etc. are all entirely unnecessary — and these THINKERS will go with the operating system that allows the most customization — usually Windows XP or Linux. Apple is, will always be, the most rigid, least customizable GUI — and also BY FAR the slowest, based on response time. Maybe the “prettiest”, but I far more prefer a spartan GUI than unnecessary warp effects, and so on.

In short … very few thinkers use apple, very few people who seriously reflect on GUI stick with apple, very few innovators use apple.
Chris Waco

Leon Li is absolutely wrong and probably just trolling to annoy people.

I’ll criticize Apple when they deserve it, but the user experience of a Mac is much, much deeper than the eye candy. It’s consistency between applications. It’s not annoying the user. It’s doing the right thing instead of providing a trillion options that serve no real purpose. It’s stability and each upgrade gets faster rather than slower.

And many, many scientists use Macs these days. For some, it’s a nice version of unix that’s easy to maintain. Others like the ease of writing Cocoa front-ends with the free developer tools or that many tools come pre-installed, like Python and Perl. And others just have good taste in hardware.

The most customizable desktop system by-far is Linux and it has a tiny share of the desktop market because you have to be a computer expert to use it. (Yeah, Ubuntu doesn’t completely suck, but throw a DVD at your Mom & Dad and tell them to install it and see how far they get).

My 2 cents.
Andrew Wagner

I’ve got to agree with Leon Li. As an engineer, I could really care less about which one is prettier and has the fancy visual effects. I need it to run complex simulation software (even if not to simulate, but to view/analyze the results). Most of this software runs in *nix, but *nix lacks the versatility (interoperability in a Windows world). I need it to have standard video out for presentations. I need a NIC for areas without wireless. Not to mention the fact that I customize my operating system to have as much of a Windows 95 experience as possible. Simple, straight forward, and bland. It’s the most efficient.

As far as hardware goes, nothing beats a Thinkpad. Engineers and scientists around the world depend on their incredible toughness (physically) and durability that Macs just don’t have.

I have nothing against Macs. I think they’re pretty and give them props for agressive marketing, but I’ll stick with my black brick.
Ken Biba

I think this is even more of a miss than the MBA. Mostly for the reason that as a VERY high traveler … I really do not want to deal with two machines – too much work to synchronize all the data I need to work with or choose to carry with me.

And what I need is not more ports … I need STORAGE. Both hard drive options for the MBA are too small and this Lenovo is even smaller.

So I pay a premium for too little storage, a CD that I don’t use but once a month and ports that I have to port around the accessories to plug into?

Give me a break.

A loser machine. Pretty, but useless.

Lose the CD. Lose the ports. Give me a big hard drive.
Matthew Pringle

Its quite sad that Leon and Andrew Wagner seem stuck in a Windows shaped hole and cant see the light.

Engineers and scientists all over the world use OSX / unix. Institutions have built xserve super computers for such tasks. OSX has some unique scientific programs that are invaluable to scientists. Watch any (over exaggeration :-)) Discovery channel program and you will see Apple hardware in the background.

Before commenting on the uses of OSX you should have a look at it.

Sure its nice to look at, but is a 16x16px 32 colour icon (win) more productive that a full colour one?

OSX apart from the dock has a bland, grey, professional look and compared to Vista well

need I say more.

Any mac has a standard video out, and they usually come with the dongles or its $30 for the correct adaptor.

If you are doing presentation in Powerpoint you should have a look at keynote.

All macs are well built, maybe not compared to a specially designed touch notebook, but they are hardly flimsy.

If you dont like the warp effect (Genie) turn it off, use the scale effect.

Comments like those above show a lack of understanding about OSX and Apple as a whole.

People seems to think Macs have a limited market for such things as graphic design or for people to keep photos on.

In reality MACS / OSX is used in every environment Windows is, it usually performs as well if not better and the cost of managing are cheeper.
Brett Legree

Well, I’m an engineer. I work in the nuclear industry in Canada. I use Windows. I use Mac. I use Linux.

I use the right tool for the job. I don’t limit my options because of some silly preference.

At the end of the day, if it works for you, then use it.
Per Schröder

Please don’t forget to mention the footprint of the machine in your review. Especially if you are comparing it to the Mac Book Air.

I’m disappointed in the large footprint of the MBA. A small footprint is very desirable when using the machine on the small tables you get in aircrafts or trains.
Karl Krist

Chris Waco..

Your comment of, “Yeah, Ubuntu doesn’t completely suck, but throw a DVD at your Mom & Dad and tell them to install it and see how far they get” is completely wrong in my opinion.

Ubuntu is probably the EASIEST install of an operating system out there. Other than the hard-drive partition question, the rest is auto-pilot.

Then after install, you have a suite of programs available to use. And they will never ‘expire’. Downloading and installing new programs is a snap.

I do not use Ubuntu at home or at work- but I do install it on computers which I later donate to people/organizations. It is by far the easiest OS to work with. Too bad Adobe doesn’t support it, or I would use it all the time.
Justin Andrews

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this.
Dave Dorsett

I also agree with Leon Li. As the Director of Web Development for a 10,000+ employee corporation I see plenty of resumes for Apple web designers and plenty of resumes for PC or Linux based developers.

What I have found is that the OUTPUT and WORK done by PC based developers is always far superior and much more adaptable than anything their Apple counterparts have produced. Also the OUTPUT of Apple designers is far slower coming than that of their PC counterparts. In addition with the advent of Adobe CS3, I see no graphical advantage to use a mac.

I agreee that OSX makes things look “prettier” than XP, and Apple’s marketing campaign has been sure to point that out. But the platform is inherently limited. Scientifically Mac can never be as adaptable, and here is why. 5% of the world uses Apple, therefore there are far less developers coding software for Apple, therefore there are far less applications available for Apple, therefore Apple can perform far less tasks than PC.

That is, and will always be, the scientific reason why Apple, and their users, are inherently less capable than their PC counterparts.

Apple makes a great system for a beginner. Years ago I used one myself. But when I grew up I put away childish things. So as far as me and my department go, we don’t take many Apple loyalists seriously. We tend to regard them as “newbies” to the industry. Wide eyed college students who haven’t realized that to do a non-standard task you cant have a ultra-standardized machine.

From what I have seen of the industry, this is the feeling by industry leaders across the board.

So when apple says “Think Different” know that as long as you “Think Different” in the way that they tell you to, then you’ll love it. If what you are looking for is to “Think Freely” then I would stick with a PC because they allow you to do anything and everything.

Also if you are trying to “Think to get a job”, PC is also your best bet. Apple is scoffed at in IT departments across the world.
Steve Wright

Anyone else tired of the religious war that inevitably erupts whenever OS discussions start?

Brett Legree said it best: we’re talking about tools here – pick the tool you like, keep your choice to yourself and let the rest of us enjoy the article.
Brandon Tearse

I’m going to agree with Steve Wright here, the discussion is puerile and off-topic.

Being a software engineer who does a lot of traveling work, I find the most important part of my laptop to be the battery and the most important concept to the its portability. If you want a mobile desktop replacement, go buy a shuttle or a mac mini and a 13″ flatpanel screen and you can get a much more powerful/cheaper computer that is portable and only requires a minute or two to setup (something all you wired folks require for laptops anyway).

So, since batteries are one of my foci, I’m a little sad that there was no mention of their life. Having just looked up a few other reviews, I’m saddened that the X300 has only 4 hrs to Apple’s 5. At the same time, being able to swap in a fresh battery makes me a lot happier.

As far as portability is concerned, I believe that a laptop shouldn’t be something that you have to set up. I think wired ethernet, small batteries, and crappy touchpad/keyboards (requiring mouse/keyboard to be plugged in) are antithetical to the idea of portability. The X300 seems to have it right in all of these aspects (although I can’t speak for the touchpad.)

For the people complaining about the lack of an optical drive in the Air, how much do you actually want optical anything? After I install my apps, the only media I ever need is downloadable or on a thumb drive… I like the idea of having an optical drive in the X300, it’s nice… but I’d prefer to use that space for more batteries.

All in all, based on the reviews, I like the concept of this laptop. I’m glad that manufacturers are starting to produce (albeit after some prodding from Apple,) laptops that are actually portable and functional.
Steve Brecht

Couple of comments…

Brandon: Thinkpads typically use what is called an Ultrabay.. the optical drive is removable and you can plug in several other devices… including an additional hard drive or battery. Optical drive when you want it, dual battery the rest of the time. I don’t know if this one will or not.

I also have to weigh in on the Windows side of the balance. I develop software for both Macs and Windows systems and have all three of he mentioned platforms here in the office. While I’ve been around both Macs and PC since their inception in the early 80′s I still (personally) feel I have one hand tied behind my back when I have to work on a Mac too long. That however is not a slight against the Mac. For many users it is well suited to their needs and I compliment the Mac for producing a system that is nicely consistent and well rounded. You use what suits you best… but for me the Mac just isn’t flexible enough to be considered an every day platform.

And to the individual who still thinks Windows uses 16×16 32 colour icons… heh… those went out somewhere around 1995.
Etienne Goyer

I created my account on AllThingsD just for the sake of commenting on this post. I am really much looking forward to the X300, and to read the review of Mr Mossberg.

I own and use daily a Thinkpad X30, vintage 2002, of which the X300 share a lot about the overall design (black slab, three pounds, one inch thick, etc). If it was not so underpowered by today’s standard, it would simply be the perfect laptop for my needs, which is why I am so crazy about the X300.

One thing I really wish Mr Mossberg will discuss in his upcoming review of the X300 is the built quality. Sturdiness top the list of feature I am looking for in a laptop. My X30 is a tank. The hinge are made of *stainless steel*, for crying out loud. Ho, sure, the surface is scratched and the corners show some wear, but considering the kind of abuse it is going through, it should be a hunk of scrap plastic by now. I sincerely hope the X300 will be just as durable. In comparison, the MBA look pretty flimsy (I would not want to sit on one by accident!), but I should really stop by an Apple store to get a hands-on opinion on the subject.

Next, the keyboard. Thinkpad just have the best keyboards I have ever used on laptop, period. The keyboard on my X30, despite being cramped, still manage to keep a very good key pitch, and the tactile feedback is great. I do not understand why Apple laptop owner are willing to put up with the “chiclet” style keyboards; they are both ugly and completely uncomfortable to type on. I guess people get used to worst. From what I can see on pictures of the X300 seen elsewhere, the keyboard look just as good as the one on my X30, except larger. Lovely!

Another great thing about the X300 is the presence of a trackpoint (the “eraserhead”). I do not understand why most laptop manufacturers have dropped these from their design; they take practically no real estate, and they probably do not add much to the cost. I know most people never got comfortable using these, but they are superior to trackpad in so many fashion it is not even funny. Better precision, can be used with a single hand (drag-and-drop, even), do not wrongly register brushes of the palm as click, you name it. It is a must-have of any laptop I buy: no trackpoint mean no sale to me.

As I use my laptop as a tool, I do no care much about outlandish design or making a fashion statement. Which is why I never cared for Apple laptop. Except for looking good (and even that is up to debate), they do not really stand out on anything I actually care about, which is why the MBA received a big “meh” from me. Yeah, it is kind of nifty-looking, but will it survive a month in my backpack? And I would be stuck carrying some stupid adapters (which would surely get lost in no time) just to be able to connect it to a projector? Sorry, I will pass on this one. If I am to drop three grands on a laptop, it better be full-featured and last me a *long* time …

And what is it with people complaining the X300 run Windows? At least, assume your bias and complain that it does not run MacOS X. And do not blame Lenovo for that; it’s what you get for being enamored with an OS that force you to source your hardware from a single supplier (and forbid you from virtualizing it).
http://www.heartinsanfrancisco.com/raa.htm Michael Mortimer

Dave Dorsett said it right. Apple fanboys can drink Apple’s Kool-Aid if they want and post deluded comments on the Net.

I too will admit that Apple’s products, including the MBA, always look cool. However, just like getting a new car, eventually the utility of the product is what matters, because looks and a cool GUI will eventually take a back seat to product performance.

In the real world [e.g., employment], Apple fanatics won’t be employed. They can stand in line at the unemployment office surfing the Net on their cool looking Apple notebooks while waiting their turn to collect a check.

I am in the legal industry. There are fewer than 1/100th of one percent of law offices that use MAC, if that. The reason: there are no programs for the MAC, while there are thousands for the PC.

Over the past 20 years I have seen ads for law office software. In all those ads they say at the bottom “Sorry, not MAC compatible” or “PC ONLY.” The most recent example was when we got BlackBerry Curve phones for everyone. There were some useful after-market applications we also purchased. One was an e-mail sync program that worked on our PCs, but not on a colleague’s MAC. So he had to do without the e-mail sync program our office was using.

When we have hired people out of law school, once in a great while someone says they have MAC experience only. We have always passed on hiring such applicants.

We don’t have time to teach them the ways of the PC, including how to use the Windows GUI; and in a busy litigation firm we don’t have the time to learn MAC’s GUI. [And why would we since no one in our industry uses it.]

To be sure, there are always software and hardware problems that arise. We know how to work on PCs, not MACs.

There are many reasons why I would not get an MBA. One of the most glaring flaws is that the battery is not removable. What is up with that? When the battery fails or wears out, what am I supposed to do to get a new battery, back up my notebook, erase the hard disk and send it in for a new battery.

There are blogs that say the battery can easily be replaced by store technicians, but why should the user have to do that.

Why would Apple make the MBA battery replacement such a hassle compared to what 99.9999% of other computers have, a removable battery. The fact is, most consumers are not tech savvy or mechanical, so expecting them to simply whip out the screw driver and replace a battery [that they had to order from someone online] is deal breaker for most. They will opt to get the Lenovo over the MBA.

Apple is staffed with fools who are still into control and keeping things secret or proprietary. That’s what caused their market share to decline to 5% and will keep them there.
Steve Brecht

Small comment to Etienne Goyer:

“single hand (drag-and-drop, even)”

You can click and drag and drop with a touch pad too with one finger ;) And you can scroll windows vertically and horizontally without having to hold down a scroll button ;)

Just had to stand up for the touchpad a little ;) I know the Trackpoints are quite popular with a lot of people though so it’s great that all Thinkpads carry both. I never use it myself, but even though it’s right in the middle of my keyboard I can’t remember the last time I ever hit it by accident. It can be just quietly ignored which is high praise for any piece of optional hardware.

As with everything in this thread, it’s all personal preference.
http://www.heartinsanfrancisco.com/raa.htm Michael Mortimer

Etienne – good post. I too created an account just today so to start commenting on articles I saw in here.

I suspect the X300 will be far better than the MBA in terms of build quality.

Two weeks ago we bought two Lenovo Y510 IdeaPads because they were so inexpensive considering the specs [250GB HD, 2GB RAM, DVD-RW DL, 15.1 TFT, web cam, etc.] for U.S. $600 after rebates.

We still use our ThinkPad T40s.

All I can say is that the two new Lenovo notebooks [that retail for $800 to $900] are excellent in terms of quality and function.

If the Y510 is any indication, I suspect the X300 will not disappoint.

In comparison, the MBA while looking cool, appears to have many flaws. It looks to me to be a delicate machine that will be easily damaged over time.
Brandon Tearse

so Mr. Mortimer, your whole argument for this being a good appears to be that it’s not a mac… I applaud your conviction but that doesn’t make the X300 better than any other generic laptop out there.

In another vein, I’m curious about the cooling on the X300s and I’ve not been able to find any mention anywhere. Previous thinkpads I’ve messed with overheat and start blowing all their fans at full power when running only a marginal load. By comparison, my TiBook tends not to run into this issue and stays quiet most of the time. I assume the MBA and the X300, being smaller computers will have more heat issues and thus more fan activity (or even potentially overheat when left on in a backpack!) At the same time, they’re both less powerful than ‘standard’ laptops so it could go the other way ’round… I’d love to hear anyone’s experience on this aspect of these subnotebooks.
Etienne Goyer

@Steve Brecht: Right about the trackpad. I see why someone would prefer one over a trackpoint (it is easier to learn, for starter). I just wish more manufacturers would carry both. As I said, the trackpoint take practically no real estate, and probably do not add much to the manufacturing cost. But it’s just too bad; fortunately, Thinkpads still have them. I guess I am just nostalgic.

@Brandon Tearse: My X30, while not being silent by any mean, is pretty damn quiet. The fan only ever go out when pegging the CPU. And considering that this fan have over five years of wear and tear behind it, I think it is still doing pretty damn good acoustically. And the heat is very much manageable, even under sustained load (where it draw a mere 31W, mesured using a Kill-A-Watt). I think the heat output is really a factor of the CPU the laptop is being built around, and I do not know how well the one being used in the X300 does. Hopefully well!
Brett Legree

You say “tom-AY-to”, I say “tom-AH-to”… all are entitled to their own opinions blah blah blah

Anyway…

@ Michael Mortimer – one would think if you have been in the business since 1984, you might have noticed it is a “Mac”, not a “MAC”. But anyway… call it a “MAC” if you wish.

@ Dave Dorsett – when I was in my late 20′s, I learned not to assume that just because something was a certain way a few years ago, that it is still the same today. You would, of course, know that about the IT industry as “one of the most upwardly mobile IT employees in the state”, right? G4 Powerbooks were introduced in 2001, and the last revision was 2005. Surely nothing has changed in 3 years, right? Not in IT, progress in IT is glacial. :)

If I were to draw the same sort of conclusion, having used an IBM ThinkPad in my late-20′s, it was a dog and was running Windows 3.1 – therefore, all ThinkPads today must suck.

(Which they do not – they are very capable machines – just as are the current Macs.)

Right tool for the job. It also occurs to me that a current Mac can run XP or Vista, either on bare metal or in a VM.

No PC-based machine – not even a ThinkPad – can legally do this today.

Doesn’t seem particularly flexible, does it.

(Flame suit on, flame on brothers. I just couldn’t let Ben Kero burn on his own!)
Dave Dorsett

So what you’re saying, Brett. Is that Windows (the software) is versitile enough to run on a Mac and has enough drivers built in that it can be installed on a Mac, but the reverse isnt true. OSX is proprietery and not complete enough to run on anything but a system where all the hardware is controlled by the manufacturer.

Whose argument are you supporting?
Brett Legree

Dave -

I am not supporting either side. Remember, I stated that I use everything. Windows, Mac, Linux. Right tool for the job and all that.

I made an observation concerning the current state of affairs with hardware and operating systems. As a user, I don’t really care that Apple choose not to allow their OS to run on non-Apple hardware.

I merely observed that the Apple machine is more flexible, regardless of the reasoning. Thus, it could be argued that it is more powerful, if we ignore the business politics.

Observation of fact.

By the way, the facts also show that OS X can run on non-Apple hardware (see the OS x86 project). It is just not sanctioned by Apple.

Much like Microsoft initially chose to disallow running Vista Home in virtual machine software (I think this has changed).

Either could be done physically, but the parent companies disallowed it, as is their right.
Andrew Wagner

Brett, actually most Thinkpad users (and IBM/Lenovo especially) tout that little has “changed” in the last couple decades. They’re as rugged as ever, they use higher quality parts than most other companies, and they are engineered for toughness that no laptop manufacturer has ever been able to match repeatedly.
Andrew Wagner

@ Matthew Pringle: I’m sure there are plenty of great programs for Mac in the engineering field, but there are NONE for semiconductor devices/materials science. Most run on *nix with a front-end available of Windows. Silvaco, Cadence, Mentor Graphics, Solidworks, Ansys, etc, etc. They all run on Windows. They all run on *nix. None run (at least not without trouble) on Mac.

My icons haven’t been 16×16 (32 color) since the days of what, Windows 95?

Most Mac’s may have standard video out. Those that don’t require a dongle. I don’t want to have to carry around all those accessories. I want a comprehensive laptop that can plug into any given projector in a room without worry.

Is Keynote compatible with Powerpoint? If not, it’s pretty much useless. The standard is PPT and I need to be able to send it to anyone without worry of compatibility.

Not only that, but as an engineer the 3-button trackpad available on Thinkpads has proven to be one of the most amazing laptop features I have come across. It saves me the trouble of always needed to carry around a mouse.
Brett Legree

What happened to “ready, aim, fire”, geez, it’s “fire, fire, fire”… :) everyone either forgot how to read or failed Debating 101.

@ Andrew – I do not dispute that the ThinkPad is a good machine today, and was years ago – rugged, well built etc.

I recommend them all the time. I have used them.

I have also used Mac laptops.

Right tool for the job (do you sense a theme here?)

What I did state was that if I were to base my opinion on a machine that was current 10 years ago, that my opinion might be “wow, this thing is heavy, has a short battery life, and gosh this Windows 3.1 really stinks – therefore ThinkPads in 2008 are garbage”.

I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS TO BE TRUE.

Just saying, “things change, don’t be so set in your ways”.

If this is the way that IT / IT related people in North America think today, the industry will be surpassed by other countries who are more flexible.
Brett Legree

@ Andrew Wagner – PowerPoint is available for OS X, and has been for many years.

Office 2008 went on sale a short while ago, in fact.

Point taken about the dongle. But I often carry a few cables in my laptop bag – power adaptors, ethernet cables in case there is no wireless etc. – so what’s one more piece of hardware?
Rob Wyatt

What I find so amusing about the Apple haters is their inability to see the direction in which the industry, in general, is moving. The computer is becoming an appliance and an appliance’s greatest strength is its ease of use and consistency of the user interface. I won’t argue that PCs are more customizable, but how many people out there really care? Nerds posting here, perhaps, but the average user just wants something that works. And this is where Apple excels.

The IT nerds can continue to bash Apple all they want, but again, who cares? Apple is one of the most successful companies in the world, sitting on over 16 billion in cash and no debt. In six months, they’ve become the number 2 smartphone manufacturer in the country. And they absolutely rule the portable media player market.

It’s pretty clear that today’s computer-buying consumer doesn’t want to spend all of his or her free time monkeying around with the machine. He wants to unpack it, plug it in, and use it. And he wants companion devices that integrate seamlessly. So, is it any surprise that Microsoft is, once again, following Apple’s by getting into the hardware business with Zune and the recent purchase of Danger? First a crap MP3 player and now I guess we can expect a weak iPhone rip-off in the near future.

Twenty years ago, the nerdy guy in his basement monkeying around with his PC was the “average” computer buyer. Today it’s someone completely different. And that person is less interested in how it all works, but rather that it just does. And that is why Apple’s sales are up and, shocker, Microsoft’s are down. Of course, Microsoft has a long way to fall, but that just means sky’s the limit for Apple.
Rob Wyatt

@Michael Mortimer: “Apple is staffed with fools who are still into control and keeping things secret or proprietary. That’s what caused their market share to decline to 5% and will keep them there.”

I think control is a good thing. It’s Apple’s greatest strength. It ensures a consistent user experience. And, as the computer becomes more of an appliance and less of a refuge for nerds, having a thoroughly integrated and well-tested system only benefits the consumer. There are plenty of studies that show lifetime cost of ownership for Apple computers is a fraction of PC cost of ownership. Consider the PC support industry. Why are so many people needed to support these machines if they’re so good? Why do businesses spend billions of dollars each year just *maintaining* their PCs? You don’t see this in the Apple world.

As for marketshare, you obviously haven’t done your homework. Sure, Windows still rules in marketshare. No argument there. But the Mac is climbing, not declining. Most analysts are projecting a 12%+ market share by 2012. And let’s not forget about portable media player marketshare and, in the past six months, smartphone marketshare. Apple is second only to RIM and they just launched the iPhone last summer. And they easily trounced Palm and Windows Mobile. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them blow past RIM in the coming months after third party apps become common place on the iPhone.

You may not like Apple, but try getting your facts straight.
Brett Legree

I will say this. I am just happy to be able to choose from a wide variety of high quality equipment and software.

This was not always the case.
Rob Wyatt

@Etienne Goyer: I never got accustomed to the little trackpoint. I always found that it jumped all over the screen. Of course, I probably didn’t give it enough of a chance…

That said, trackpads can do some cool stuff. For example, if I want a right click on my Mac, I drop a second finger and click. Still one button. This makes much more sense from an ease of use standpoint. Users who want to keep things simple don’t have to enable this feature. Place two fingers on the trackpad and I can scroll and and down, left and right. I can tap to click. I can drag and drop. And now with the new multitouch trackpad in the Air (and soon other Macbooks), I can rotate, scale, move, etc.

Since the trackpad can sense multiple points of contact, it becomes a very powerful interface. A little trackpoint, while saving some space, offers none of these advantages. And, best of all, if you want to keep it simple, turn off these options in preferences and you have a basic trackpad with a single button. Easy.
Rob Wyatt

@Dave Dorsett: “Apple makes a great system for a beginner. Years ago I used one myself. But when I grew up I put away childish things.”

Too funny. You’re right. The Mac is a great machine for beginners. It’s also a great machine for people who don’t really care to learn much about how they computer works, people who just want to get to work, not obsess over the tech. And these are the people who are buying computers these days. Thankfully the PC still exists for the nerds who’d rather spend their weekends loaded on Jolt, dreaming about getting laid one day. :-)

How can you call the Mac a “childish thing” when it’s based on Unix, runs Windows simultaneously, supports X11, etc., etc., etc? It seems you don’t know much about the Mac at all…
Rob Wyatt

@Michael Mortimer: “In comparison, the MBA while looking cool, appears to have many flaws. It looks to me to be a delicate machine that will be easily damaged over time.”

Evidence???
Ian Ferguson

@ Dave Dorsett “Scientifically Mac can never be as adaptable, and here is why. 5% of the world uses Apple, therefore there are far less developers coding software for Apple, therefore there are far less applications available for Apple, therefore Apple can perform far less tasks than PC. / That is, and will always be, the scientific reason why Apple, and their users, are inherently less capable than their PC counterparts.”

Remember that little bit about Apple switching to Intel processors, back in 2005/2006? Not only can I now run my operating system of choice, but I now have three options for running more widely adopted operating systems, such as Windows (virtualization through Parallels, Fusion, and dual-booting through Boot Camp).

> “Apple makes a great system for a beginner. Years ago I used one myself. But when I grew up I put away childish things. So as far as me and my department go, we don’t take many Apple loyalists seriously. We tend to regard them as “newbies” to the industry. Wide eyed college students who haven’t realized that to do a non-standard task you cant have a ultra-standardized machine.”

Childish things? Maybe they were childish “years ago,” but today Mac OS X is fully UNIX compliant. How exactly are Macs “ultra-standardized”? What “non-standard” tasks are impossible on a machine that allows you to simultaneously run Mac, *nix, and Windows applications side-by-side? Sure, Cygwin allows me run my POSIX compatible applications in Windows, but what about my OS X interface and applications? To be fair, though, I’m not in the IT industry, so maybe there is something I’m missing…

> “So when apple says “Think Different” know that as long as you “Think Different” in the way that they tell you to, then you’ll love it. If what you are looking for is to “Think Freely” then I would stick with a PC because they allow you to do anything and everything.”

Again, I’m not sure what my Mac is not allowing me to do. Seeing that it can (legally) run more operating systems than non-Macs. Unless you’re referring to the inability of OS X to be installed legally on PCs, but the hardware lock-in is what allows Apple to provide such a high-level of hardware support in their operating system (I used an out-of-the-box X60 tablet that started with almost 90 processes on initial boot, compared to XP’s default of about 20-30 processes… don’t tell me those tablet features take up 60 extra processes).

> “Also if you are trying to “Think to get a job”, PC is also your best bet. Apple is scoffed at in IT departments across the world.”

I can’t argue with you here. Again, I don’t work in IT.
Brett Legree

“Who buys a laptop for aesthetics? They’re THE SAME SPECS for more money.”

Yes, you could ask that question. Just like you might have two different cars, with roughly the same specs – but one is a BMW M3, and one is a Ford Mustang GT (just two random cars for comparison).

Some people do prefer one over the other, and yes, some people might just want one of them for aesthetic reasons. Personally, I’ll take the BMW, but what do I know? I’m getting ripped off, because I could have bought the Mustang GT for a lot less.

Heck, sometimes the nicer looking car/house/whatever might even have lower specs. That same Mustang GT would blow away many cars twice the price.

But what if you think the Mustang is ugly?

(Actually, I think it looks kind of cool, but anyway…)

If logic dictated that you should only buy that which offers the greatest function for a certain amount of money, how boring and utilitarian things would be.

We’d all wear grey coloured clothing. Nope, no one in his or her right mind would *ever* buy anything because of aesthetics.

No sir.

In our free market, there is room for premium branding.
http://www.heartinsanfrancisco.com/raa.htm Michael Mortimer

Rob… no need to treat this like a courtroom. For example, on market share, in 2007 Macworld site said “According to two market research firms, Apple’s computer market share has surpassed 5 percent.”

And I have seen many a Site mention the 5% figure. So my citing that percentage is with foundation.

In any event, I did not say that Apple was declining from the 5%.

So you should get your facts straight before telling others to “try getting your facts straight.”
http://www.heartinsanfrancisco.com/raa.htm Michael Mortimer

Rob, I said that the MBA “appears” to have flaws, including that it looks delicate compared to other notebooks.

I read a lot of reviews and comments about the MBA before making my conclusive statement. But inasmuch as I have not used one, nor even looked at it, that is why I used the word “appears.”

Also, I opined as a consumer and business user the flaws it appeared to have, to me. To be sure, opinions vary from user to user, what is important to him or her.

What made the MBA a deal breaker for me were a number “specs” I read, including:

- Non-removable battery. See above. This is really bad IMHO. Batteries sometimes fail early, and even if it does not, what is one supposed to do when the battery does wear out, send it in for a new battery? And at what cost for a battery, including shipping to and from?

- No DVD/CD drive. We use DVDs to archive documents and we reference the DVDs frequently. Having to use an external DVD drive reminds me of the old days when using small Sony Vaio sub notebooks. Did not like it then, don’t like it now.

- SSD. Both the X300 and MBA have these. I don’t like the low capacity. I need a large drive. On my new Lenovo Y510 there is a 250GB hard disk. Of that, 20GB is used with just basic programs and Vista Premium.

IMHO the trade-off in size, solid state, speed, and power savings [both of which may not be much according to what I have read]is not worth the extra $800 to $1000 add-on for the SSD.

And on toughness, the MBA appears to be a delicate machine. It may be tough as nails, but it does not look like such to me. But I have nothing to go on since I have not seen it.

-
Leon Li

I think its clear enough, judging by the responses here (and sorry to pull an Anne Coulter):

Apple users hate computers.

What they want is, basically, to dwell in the suburban home that Apple has built them, out of idiotic physical metaphors “time machine”, “coverflow” and not to at all think about the more advanced data structures that the computer brings into presence, and which, if you thought about them, would help you reorganize your life.

No, billing us as “nerds”, they don’t want to learn about the most important invention in the last 30 years and instead chose to stick with juvenile physicalist metaphors. Apple is great for beginners, because they basically want to remain beginners.

It is almost maddening reading some of these responses. It is ALWAYS on the side of LESS THINKING, LESS KNOWLEDGE — it borders on anti-intellectualism.
Rob Wyatt

@Michael Mortimer, it’s not about treating this like a courtroom.

What I don’t understand, frankly, is the need to bag on Apple. I mean, were it not for Apple, there’d be no GUI on the desktop. Apple made that happen. And Microsoft borrowed heavily. Who put the first 3.5″ floppy drive in a computer? The first CD-ROM? The first USB port? NEXTSTEP had visual email, voice annotations, and a fully object-oriented development environment before Windows 3.1 even existed. Microsoft Office was a Mac product before Windows 1.0. Gates tried to convince Jobs to license the MacOS before cooking up Windows. Etc. Etc. Etc.

It’s fine to not like something. It’s fine to prefer one tool over another. Yeah, the Apple fanboys are annoying, but not nearly as annoying as the PC zealots who refuse to give Apple credit for anything. Simply put, the platform they enjoy today wouldn’t even exist were it not for Apple. Apple has always been the lead innovator in the tech world. Microsoft is good for mass-production, the Walmart of operating systems, but hardly for creative thought. Oh yeah, I forgot about Bob…

The primary reason for Apple’s success, not only financially, but also in terms of driving the industry forward, is its closed architecture. Again, I can understand why some people don’t like this. Personally, I don’t care. I’ve never once found myself wishing I had a PC because it could do X and my Mac couldn’t. And there are millions and millions of other Mac users out there who feel the same way, who get work done, and who appreciate the the attention to detail and seamless integration of hardware and software. That is why we buy Macs, not because they are “childish” or whatever other insult someone wants to sling, but because they speak to our needs.

Until you actually *see* and *hold* a MacBook Air, I think it’s lame of you to call it delicate and suggest that it is poorly made. Yeah, Apple ranks so high in consumer satisfaction because their hardware is crap, right? Come on. At least check out the machine before you bag on it. As for your reasons for not buying one, fair enough. Personally, your reasons don’t resonate with me at all.

The non-removable battery thing is a bit weak, agreed. But in the many years I’ve owned a laptop, I’ve never once owned a second battery. And I think a lot of people are like this. I can’t imagine Apple just decided on a whim to make it non-removable. I’m sure they looked at how many customers buy extra batteries and evaluated the benefits of an integrated versus removable one. I’m sure integrating it helped make the Air so incredibly slim. I mean, .16″ at its thinnest point is insane.

No DVD/CD drive. Fine with me. Apple was the first to recognize the value of a CD-ROM and make it a standard feature. And Jobs recognized the value of optical storage long before that at NeXT with the first read/write optical drive in a desktop. Yes, it was slow, but while PC users were swapping their 5.25″ floppies, NeXT users were storing nearly 100MB on an erasable optical disc. Pretty darn cool.

And now Apple is the first to recognize that removable media is going away. Not today. Not next week. Not next year. But with hard drive prices plummeting and capacity going through the roof, why bother with something as slow and clunky as a CD or DVD? I’ve moved my entire audio and video collection to a Drobo in my closet. Not to mention all of my old files on CD, stock photos, etc. No more ugly CD binders full of poorly labeled discs. No more wasted wall space housing my 2,000+ audio CDs and DVDs. Now everything is stored inside something smaller than a shoebox – and I reach it all through my network.

If you need a built-in DVD drive, buy another machine. The Air is not meant to be a primary computer, but rather a secondary device, a machine to complement your primary computer. Borrow your desktop’s DVD drive to install software or transfer files. Wirelessly. Easily. I mean, that’s pretty sweet. And a very good idea. Let’s see, would I rather fumble with a DVD on a plane or just double-click an MP4 file? Hmmm, I wonder.

SSD is also the future. It just makes more sense for so many reasons. Yes, 64GB is too small for a primary computer, but hardly too small for a secondary machine designed to sync up with your desktop and pull data off a network. That’s the vision, not lugging around a big brick with all your stuff on it.

So, once again, Apple drives the industry forward. And PC zealots won’t give them an ounce of credit for anything. Lame.

Super-Slim ThinkPad Sneak Peek

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