Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon is an ultrabook that has been re-released three times by a well-known manufacturer: in 2012, 2013 and 2014. Why did he so fond of customers that he was so honored? What are the characteristics of this model? Read on, and we will take a closer look at all its pros and cons.
What is the difference between an ultrabook and a regular laptop?
What lies behind the new term? Ultrabooks are a relatively recent category of laptops that occupy a niche between lightweight laptops and tablets. Intel has made clear requirements for models that claim this title. The ultrabook should be very thin (less than 20 millimeters, or 0.8 inches), lightweight, work with powerful and low-power processors from the Sandy Bridge or Ivy Bridge family. It should guarantee a long battery life and fast charging.
This class of models is very different from netbooks. They offer more power in the form of faster processors and additional RAM, as well as more storage space for files, larger screen size and quality, and often premium design. These features make the best ultrabooks significantly more expensive than most netbooks.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Version 2012
This model was made in a strict classical combination of colors - black and dark gray, the case is made of carbon-fiber-friendly to the touch, which allowed to reduce its weight without compromising resistance to damage.
Among the advantages of an ultrabook, first of all, it is necessary to name a powerful processor (by the standards of 2012) - it could operate at a frequency of 1.8 to 2.7 GHz during heavy load, a large amount of hard drive memory - 256 GB and as much as 8 GB of RAM. All this guaranteed quick work with any tasks.
In addition, the battery was charged from 0 to 100% for 45 minutes and could boast a long battery life. Build quality, information protection functions - everything would be ideal in this ultrabook, if not for the screen and ports. The first was excessively bright, but at the same time slightly grainy, it was possible to consider individual pixels. And some important ports had to be abandoned, because they did not fit in a thin case. But overall it was a pretty successful and popular premium model.
A little later, in early 2013, a version with a touchscreen was released.
It does not make sense to consider Lenovo X1 Carbon laptops in more detail in 2012-2013 - they can no longer be found in the primary market, and the list of offers on the secondary market is quite limited. With their cost and characteristics, today they could not compete with other models, and they were replaced by a more advanced version of 2014, which will be discussed later.
New version: cost, target audience, appearance
The latest generation of the flagship Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Ultrabook was released in 2014. Its average price varies slightly depending on the dollar - from 90 to 95 thousand rubles. Add the necessary accessories here, and you will have to postpone a minimum of 100 thousand rubles for the purchase.
The 3rd generation Lenovo X1 Carbon is still focused on wealthy buyers, businessmen and top managers, and this is not only indicated by its cost.
The appearance of the device almost does not differ from its predecessors and follows a well-defined formula - laconic colors, neat shapes and edges, a material that leaves an impression of high cost.
Carbon fiber, aka carbon, on the upper part of the body and magnesium alloy on the bottom allow the ultrabook to remain surprisingly light (its weight is 1.27-1.43 kg), but durable. He successfully passed the MIL-SPEC tests - the US Department of Defense's Standards System - for resistance to work in conditions of high humidity, extreme temperatures, resistance to sand, high altitude, vibration and mechanical shock.
All surfaces of Lenovo Carbon X1 are opaque, pleasant to the touch, non-slip and not collecting fingerprints. Its dimensions: length - 331 mm, width - 227 mm, thickness, like weight, differs depending on whether the model has a touchscreen or not: 17.5-18.3 mm, which makes it a little thinner and lighter than the previous ones generations, but still it is not the thinnest or lightest on the market.
Specifications
What is hidden under a heavy-duty case? With an Intel Core i5-4200U processor, 8 GB of RAM and an Intel HD 4400 graphics card, the ultrabook more than worthy has shown itself in tests and in most standard tasks. But without a fly in the ointment, as usual, could not do. The volume of the hard drive varies - depending on the specific model - from 128 to 256 GB, which in any case is not very much. And the speed of its work is not high at all - in tests the model with 128 GB showed about 86 Mbit / s, which is much lower than that of competitors.
The video card allows you to comfortably watch movies in HD-quality, as well as play many games.
At the same time, the ultrabook, even under intense loads, is not subject to strong heating.
The list of available ports is somewhat damaged due to the small thickness of the case. There are two USB 3.0 connectors, HDMI, Mini-DisplayPort and a mini version of Ethernet (you will need an adapter to work with a standard Internet cable).
For wireless connection there is Bluetooth 4.0, NFC and Wi-Fi.
Screen
Lenovo Carbon X1 comes in two versions, which differ in the type of 14-inch display. The first has a regular TN-screen with a resolution of QHD - 1600 x 900 pixels, and the second has an ultra-modern IPS-touchscreen, with 10 touch points and a resolution of WQHD, which is 2560 x 1440 pixels. Both versions have very good color reproduction, brightness, which will allow you to work with the device even in the sun, and wide viewing angles.
The touchscreen is very sensitive, if desired, in Paint you can draw with all 10 fingers.
Of course, releasing this ultrabook, Lenovo took into account the shortcomings of previous versions and gave the new generation a flawless screen.
Sound and webcam
The model has two speakers that are located on the front of the case. Typically, the sound in portable devices leaves much to be desired, but you can’t say the same about the ultrabook Lenovo Carbon X1. It is clear, without distortion at high volume levels and even with small bass. A significant role in improving the quality of work of the physical components of the audio complex is played by Dolby Home Theater software version 4. Without it, the sound of the speakers is noticeably worse.
A 3 megapixel HD webcam allows you to conveniently chat with friends and business partners on Skype - the picture quality is quite high, with the correct color rendering.
Keyboard
On the new Lenovo Carbon X1, the manufacturer made radical changes to its traditional ThinkPad keyboard, both in terms of the layout of the keys and their functions. These innovations are not only the addition of bright contrasting red elements.
A new row of buttons with adaptive functions is located at the top of the keyboard, replacing the standard row of function keys. The latter was present on all previous versions of the ThinkPad, as well as on any other laptop. Instead of the usual buttons, the manufacturer made capacitive touch keys that show different characters and perform different functions depending on which program you are currently using or which of the 4 operating modes you are in. You can switch them manually using the button on the left of the keyboard. For example, the standard mode offers settings for brightness, volume, a list of all programs, the Scissors tool, a menu for managing voice and gestures. When you use Chrome, IE, or another browser, the functions change, and the keys show the forward, backward, and update buttons.
The changes affected the standard layout. So, the Caps Lock button has been replaced with the Home and End buttons, and its function is now double-pressed by Shift. Backspace has become half as much and is located right next to the Delete key.
Compared to other models in the ThinkPad line, the Lenovo X1 Carbon laptop cannot boast the most comfortable keyboard. The response of the buttons is not so fast and clear, they seem less deep and more tight. But three backlight modes allow you to conveniently work with the keyboard in any lighting conditions.
Other management methods
Of course, this Lenovo Ultrabook is equipped with a ThinkPad corporate touchpad. It is quite large - 10 x 7.5 cm, which allows you to comfortably work on it. There are no right or left click buttons, the latter can be done by clicking anywhere on the touchpad, and the first only in the lower right corner. In addition, the Lenovo Carbon X1 still has the TrackPoint pointing device - a large rubberized red button in the center of the keyboard that works quite accurately, especially when you need to select small text or click on a small element on the screen.
But this is not all that the manufacturer has prepared. If you are tired of using the keyboard or touchpad, then you can try to wave a pen or talk to Lenovo Carbon X1. The manufacturer equipped it with its own gesture control software and Dragon Assistant, a voice control software.
In order for Lenovo ultrabook to “see” your commands, the webcam turns on when you work in an environment where such commands are possible. For example, you can flick through pictures with a gesture in the image gallery or stop / continue playing a video. And Dragon Assistant will be able to select a contact from the general list and send him the email you dictated; post on social networks or manage a media player.
But if the gesture management program can work in the background, then the voice assistant needs to be called again each time. And his abilities are very limited, he loses a lot to the similar "assistant" Siri from iOS.
Battery
Portability is extremely important for an ultrabook, and the Lenovo Carbon X1 will not only disappoint the buyer in this respect, but it will not be very happy either. The battery capacity is only 2940 mA / h, but the battery life of its 8-cell lithium-polymer battery can be estimated at about 8-9 hours of working with a browser, documents, or about 6 hours of watching high-quality movies. Full charge takes 2 hours.
With such parameters, this model cannot boast of the greatest "endurance", many competitors in this price category will last 1-3 hours longer.
To summarize
Lenovo Carbon X1 is an ultrabook that is impeccable in appearance, dimensions and build quality. It has a very good screen and high performance. But the hard drive leaves much to be desired, as well as controversial decisions to improve the keyboard. Battery life is also not the most impressive. By and large, its advantages outweigh the disadvantages, but we must not forget about another important factor - the high price. But if you are willing to pay for quality, then this ultrabook justifies itself.