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Lenovo ThinkPad X41 Review

The Gold Standard in Ultralight Laptops

June 17, 2005
By Gerry Blackwell

The Gold Standard in Ultralight Laptops

Fri 6/17/05 -- If you're shopping for an ultraportable notebook for business travel, Lenovo's ThinkPad X41 -- not to be confused with the new owner of the old IBM PC division's X41 Convertible Tablet PC -- should be a strong candidate, although it'll feel heavier in your wallet than it does in your briefcase.

This polished, PCI Express-based successor to the ThinkPad X40 measures 8.3 by 10.5 by 0.8 inches and weighs just 3.3 pounds, but provides a 12.1-inch-diagonal XGA display, Pentium M 758 (1.5GHz) low-voltage processor, 512MB of DDR-2/533 memory, a 40GB hard disk, and Intel's Pro/Wireless 2915ABG tri-mode wireless network adapter. That adds up to enough performance to get you through any workday tasks, unless your workday involves crunching massive financial models or editing video.

Prices start at $1,899, though a couple of options pushed our test unit close to $2,300: The X41 doesn't have a built-in optical drive, but you can snap the optional ThinkPad X4 UltraBase ($199) onto the bottom and put a DVD-ROM/CD-RW combo drive ($159) or DVD±RW drive ($279) into the base's drive bay -- which can also accommodate a long-life lithium-polymer battery ($119) or second hard disk. You can travel with the UltraBase as well, but with an optical drive inserted, it pushes the system weight over 5 pounds and out of the ultralight class.

If you like to watch DVDs on the plane or burn CDs in your hotel room, you'd probably be better off buying a slightly heavier notebook with a built-in optical drive. Dell's Inspiron 700M, for example, weighs 4.1 pounds, but offers a DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive, slightly faster Pentium M 725 (1.6GHz) processor, and the same-size screen for under $1,300.

That's quite a price difference. So why would you pay an extra grand for the ThinkPad, apart from its slightly lighter load on the road? Think legendary quality, topnotch after-sale support, and renowned attention to detail.

Features At Your Fingertips

One feature that differentiates the X41 from most laptops is the integrated fingerprint reader, positioned just below the TrackPoint mouse substitute's buttons. You swipe a finger over the glass-topped reader to identify yourself, using preloaded software to save two or more fingerprints for use in lieu of a username and password to log into Windows or onto the office network or favorite Web sites. The advantages are fairly obvious: quicker logons, no need to memorize passwords, and protection from anyone else accessing your system.

The little laptop also lives up to IBM's and now Lenovo's reputation for outstanding keyboards and pointing devices. The keyboard is one of the best we've tried on an ultralight, from the desktop-class spacing, layout, and feel of the keys to the wedge-shaped design of the lower half of the unit. The latter gives the keyboard a slight tilt for superior ergonomics.

Instead of a touchpad, the X41 features a TrackPoint pointing device, a rubbery nubbin or mini-joystick at the intersection of the G, H, and B keys. When it was first introduced years ago, we thought it was the best mouse substitute going -- maybe even better than a mouse because it meant your fingers never had to leave the touch typing position. But in some recent models, the TrackPoint stuck up a little too far and got in the way when typing. The X41 eliminates this problem.

The controller's top surface is larger and rougher and therefore "stickier" than earlier versions, and is set lower in relation to the key tops -- it's still easy to reach and manipulate, but doesn't get in the way of typing. You can also now configure the device so that tapping on the TrackPoint performs a left mouse click.

The TrackPoint buttons located south of the keyboard also seem better situated than on older ThinkPads we've tried. And the middle key, though not new with the X41, is an important innovation. Pressing the key with your thumb while nudging the TrackPoint up or down with your index finger scrolls the page up and down, eliminating the desktop mouse's monopoly on scroll wheels (though not matching the newest Microsoft and Logitech mice's ability to scroll horizontally as well as vertically).

Backed by the Intel chipset's Graphics Media Accelerator 900 controller, the ThinkPad's 1,024 by 768-pixel display is superior to most we've seen. Text is crisp and clear, and we were impressed by its readability even in full sunlight.

Quality in the Details

The X41's value proposition tends to be an accumulation of such small things. The wireless adapter, as another example, all three current WiFi standards. This means you can use your laptop on an 802.11a network at the office, on your 802.11g network at home, and on the 802.11b WLANs found in many hotspots.

A network-configuration utility lets you set up profiles for different places you use the computer. You can easily switch between profiles and optionally turn off the WiFi radio when you move to a profile that uses the wired Ethernet link -- a good security precaution.

Other standard features are equally impressive, such as the as-seen-on-TV Active Protection System, which senses sudden movement or acceleration -- including a fall from your desk or table -- and instantly parks the hard drive to avoid damage or data loss. The system can also learn to ignore the pattern of shocks consistent with riding in a car or train.

One final example of ThinkPad attention to detail is the ThinkLight, a tiny lamp for dimly illuminating the keyboard in dark rooms or airplanes. Mounted on the lid above the display, it's switched on and off by holding the Fn key while tapping the PgUp key.

Overall, the ThinkPad X41 is an outstanding mini notebook that combines solid performance with a lot of nifty little conveniences. We're just not sure the latter warrant Lenovo's substantial price premium over similarly configured, if slightly heavier or less lavishly equipped, competitors' products.

Adapted from SmallBusinessComputing.com.