Lenovo ThinkPad X100e 11.6-inch Netbook PC

Feb 24 2010 - Lenovo's ThinkPad X100e is a nice change from the standard netbook market thanks to the AMD Athlon Neo processor and its improved integrated graphics. It makes the X100e a nice mobile 720p HD video platform. The excellent keyboard, trackpad and display are all a step up from the average netbook. The downside is that the battery life is not near what the Intel based models can achieve and it does cost more than a similarly equipped Intel netbook. It is certainly one of the nicer 11-inch netbook models available for general use but falls behind the NVIDIA Ion in terms of multimedia potential.

Feb 24 2010 -

Feb 24 2010 - Most of the netbooks on the market are based around the Intel Atom platform. Lenovo has decided to take a different route with the ThinkPad X100e by using the AMD Athlon Neo platform. This has certain implications both for the performance and the power consumption. In terms of performance, the Neo MV-40 processor works extremely well when the system is plugged in and running off full power. The same can't be said when the unit is not plugged in. The processor speed is scaled back to conserve power but it means that performs below most Atom based netbooks. This can be adjusted in the power profiles but it will reduce battery life.

Unlike the Intel based netbooks, the AMD netbook platform comes with a much more powerful ATI Radeon HD 3200 integrated graphics. This processor actually provides sufficient performance when combined with the Athlon Neo to actually handle high definition video streams. This is especially nice as the 11.6-inch screen has a higher 1366x768 resolution for handling 720p video streams. Viewing 1080p streams is a bit more difficult as the only external connector is VGA and not HDMI for use with HDTVs.

While on the subject of the display, Lenovo has decided to use an anti-glare filter on the panel rather than the more common glossy coating. This is a very welcome addition as it allows the ThinkPad X100e to be used in many more conditions as it is not as prone to glare or reflections of the average netbook.

The exterior of the ThinkPad X100e also carries this matte finish. This is actually a nice touch since the glossy plastics of many netbooks easily attract smudges and fingerprints. The keyboard and trackpad on the ThinkPad X100e are also some of the best around. Rather than using the traditional Thinkpad keyboard design, it uses an isolated island design that is quite comfortable and larger than most 10-inch netbook designs thanks to the larger size. The keyboard does feature the trackpoint device in addition to a well laid out trackpad.

One of the biggest drawbacks to the ThinkPad X100e is its battery life. Unlike the Intel Atom platform, the AMD Neo is not as well designed at managing power consumption. During my video streaming test, the system went into standby mode after only three hours and this was with the six-cell battery pack. This is well below the average Atom based netbook. Expect to have roughly four hours of more typical web usage.

The biggest problem facing the ThinkPad X100e is its price. With a price roughly around $450, it is one of the more expensive on the market. While it does have some nicer features that will attract business travelers, consumers tend to be heavily focused on price in the netbook segment. The price does include some nicer features but many will not be able to see beyond the price tag.