25 ms·

ThinkPad X1 Carbon

299 points by fiji-flo 10y ago

stuaxo 10y ago
Now need to wait until Linux is installable on it.
- joatmon-snoo 10y ago
  Thinkpads are designed to support both Windows and Linux. Dunno what you're saying.
  - berdario 10y ago
    Thinkpads are not better than other laptops when it comes to Linux support. Just look at the broadcom wifi chipsets: if you mistakenly buy a thinkpad with one directly from their website (and they obviously don't advertise it as such when configuring the hardware), and then ask their support to get it fixed/changed (even on your own dime) they'll just stonewall you. Once they got money out of your pocket, you mean nothing for them. The only solution is to buy a supported (intel chipset, for the wifi) FRU aftermarket (and good luck finding it, since Lenovo's support won't tell you that information). At least, with a Dell or a Chromebook I have a recurse if the hardware they sold me has incompatibilities with the Linux version they shipped it with Moreover: I won't support a company with such an horrible and embarrassing security track record as lenovo
    - joatmon-snoo 10y ago
      Ah. I guess personally this is less of an issue because I stick to after market laptops, not new ones, and I know where to look to replace stuff like the WiFi module (had no idea Broadcom chipsets didn't have Linux drivers). Can't justify the price. On the security point, SuperFish was on a different product line - Ideapads, Lenovo's consumer line (with quality that parallels Dell's consumer stuff) - and I would have no trouble believing that some idiot SVP in the chain of command who had nothing to do with Thinkpads made that decision. For me it's honestly the TrackPoint and the modularity of the laptops. There's just nothing else out there that comes close to what Lenovo figured out 10 years ago, unfortunately.
      - berdario 10y ago
        > had no idea Broadcom chipsets didn't have Linux drivers Actually, it was a Realtek chipset (I'm not currently using that laptop, so I remembered incorrectly). The driver was available, but it was severely unstable, dropping connections and packets, and even triggering kernel panics a few times (once it even happened during a coding interview!) > On the security point, SuperFish was on a different product line Unfortunately, SuperFish was not the only fiasco that Lenovo plagued its devices with: http://thehackernews.com/2015/09/lenovo-laptop-virus.html http://thehackernews.com/2015/09/lenovo-laptop-virus.html https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20150812/11395231925/lenovo-busted-stealthily-installing-crapware-via-bios-fresh-windows-installs.shtml https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20150812/11395231925/lenov...
wineisfine 10y ago
Looks solid. I like the Snapdragon included.
hbcondo714 10y ago
> WQHD IPS (2560 x 1440) 300 nits Is this their OLED screen?
- dstaley 10y ago
  No, IPS is a variant of LCD displays.
- colemickens 10y ago
  Smaller resolution that my 18 month old Chromebook Pixel in a larger size, and with fewer nits. It's a disappointment is what it is. I'm in love with the laptop otherwise, but I've had two X1s already and the screens were some of the worst I've ever used.
reustle 10y ago
As someone who is constantly on the road, having a built in sim card for connectivity is something I'm super excited about. This could be the 2016 MBP we wanted, but switching to windows still sounds difficult.
- gtaylor 10y ago
  These supposedly run Linux very well, as another option.
  - mverwijs 10y ago
    As a Linux user in the market for a new laptop: citation needed?
    - TheDong 10y ago
      Lenovo's laptops generally have some of the best supported components for linux. This has been true for quite a while now. Most office environments where developers run Linux are full of Thinkpad T4xx, X2xx, and X1s.
      - mverwijs 10y ago
        I'm typing this on a Lenovo x230, having owned an x210 and x220. However, when such a statement above is made I was hoping that, like Dell, Lenovo had started to officially support Linux. Hence the question. Furthermore, Lenovo has been in the news late 2016 for not allowing Linux to run on some of their (Microsoft certified) laptops. And when the t460's and x260's came out early 2016, the Linux distros available at the time had all kinds of issues. Black screens, no Wifi, iirc. So, again: is there any article that actually point to this laptop running Linux well? Or is it merely based on historical data and personal opinion?
        dom0 10y ago
        As far as I'm aware laptops of new generations practically never ran Linux well out of the box from day one. It always took some time to adjust stuff to the new chips of a new generation. Only after some time you can just stick Linux into it and it'll just all work.
jaymoorthi 10y ago
All it shows me when I try to view models or customize is a message saying no models are available at this time. https://www.dropbox.com/s/nymnxfm8xmdcl0s/Screenshot%202016-12-30%2011.18.45.png?dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/s/nymnxfm8xmdcl0s/Screenshot%202016-... I don't see a 5th-generation listing under Lenovo's products pages. Does anyone know what the release date will be? Edit: closest hit I can find is a rumored launch at CES in a few weeks -- http://www.trustedreviews.com/news/leaked-new-lenovo-thinkpad-x1-carbon-2017-coming-january http://www.trustedreviews.com/news/leaked-new-lenovo-thinkpa...
- gbrown_ 10y ago
  > Does anyone know what the release date will be? CES is next week, we'll likely get more details then, shipping products are still likely a few months out.
dgl 10y ago
They really should write that it has USB-C charging in bigger letters (see http://www3.lenovo.com/medias/ww-lenovo-laptop-thinkpad-x1-carbon5-gallery-5.png?context=bWFzdGVyfHJvb3R8MTc5Njd8aW1hZ2UvcG5nfGhlZS9oZDIvOTM1NzAyNzM3NzE4Mi5wbmd8ZTAyMDM1NTY4OGVmOGI1MjhiNGZjMTZjOTlkMTJkOWViZDVmODkwNWM0M2VjMjBhNzljNDRjODIwOWNhZWU2Zg http://www3.lenovo.com/medias/ww-lenovo-laptop-thinkpad-x1-c... for the evidence).
- imglorp 10y ago
  Is that USB-C fully compatible with the new MBP one?
  - BHSPitMonkey 10y ago
    It'll be grossly non-compliant with the USB spec if not, but the thing you have to take into consideration is the wattage. Apple likes to provide basically the weakest charger it can get away with based on how much power a particular Macbook model will draw while in use. I believe it's a 29W for the Air, 61W for the 13" MBP, and 87W for the 15" MBP. So while you can technically use any charger with any machine, if your machine draws more than the charger then it won't be able to keep up while you're working (plus, running the device at a charging deficit like this will wreak havoc on the battery).
- djcapelis 10y ago
  Oh! I was just considering getting an X1 4th gen. If this is true, I'd wait so I can have USB-C charging on it like I expect all of the rest of my machines to have soon. I wonder if the power adapters will play nice with other hardware.
- blinkingled 10y ago
  That's a better collection of ports! Hopefully the trackpad is big and precision per the latest Windows 10 requirement.
- ElijahLynn 10y ago
  I was just looking for this, all I saw was how awesome USB-C is, not that it charged with USB-C. Thanks!
piker 10y ago
Has anyone installed Linux on this machine? If so, how has your experience been with respect to driver support, etc.? Thanks in advance.
- SallySwanSmith 10y ago
  Given it's not even fully announced yet, yet alone released... that'd be a no.
  - piker 10y ago
    Ah, that makes sense. I got really excited by the site and didn't read for content.
- sparrish 10y ago
  I've got a 2016 model and things work pretty well with Ubuntu 16.10. Only gripe I have is bluetooth audio isn't working out-of-the-box.
  - ripberge 10y ago
    Same experience. Everything works great except for Bluetooth
  - DrScump 10y ago
    What about inexpensive USB plug-in Bluetooth adapters?
    - deleted 10y ago
      [deleted]
    - jmiserez 10y ago
      There are some that just show up as an audio USB device, which is pretty nice. I have this one, been using it with Ubuntu 14.04 on my W520 Thinkpad: https://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-BTD-500-Bluetooth-Dongle/dp/B007C4D6A8 https://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-BTD-500-Bluetooth-Dongle/d... It does voice too, but looking at the reviews it seems that some other people have headphone compatibility issues. Definitely try before you buy.
hughes 10y ago
Still running my 2012 x1 carbon... One thing that has kept it going is that it's very serviceable. I hope the new model is as friendly towards component replacement, as I've had to swap out the DC power harness and cooling assembly so far.
nfoz 10y ago
They didn't fully learn the lesson of the Superfish fiasco: "X1 Carbon is available with Microsoft Windows 10 Pro Signature Edition. No more trialware or unwanted apps. No more distractions—and easy provisioning for IT pros." So do that with every version, and stop feeding people "unwanted apps" altogether. You just admitted that nobody wants them, and this irresponsible attitude is exactly why you got bopped for pre-installing the Superfish MITM malware.
- mynameisvlad 10y ago
  "Signature Edition" is a Microsoft concept, not a Lenovo one. [0] And there will always be trialware and unwanted apps as long as the company gets money from including these. Because who doesn't want free money? [0]: https://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/cat/Signature-Edition-PCs/categoryID.69916600 https://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/cat/Signatu...
  - masklinn 10y ago
    You're missing the point. Yes Signature Edition is an unadulterated Windows install, nfoz is asking why they're selling anything else given "nobody wants them, and this irresponsible attitude is exactly why you got bopped for pre-installing the Superfish MITM malware"
    - mynameisvlad 10y ago
      Yes, to which I replied "Because who doesn't want free money?" Companies don't give a shit as to who wants them or who doesn't, because they get free money for each install that includes the bloatware, and that's all that they really care about; maximizing the profits. Microsoft's profits are probably negatively impacted by the bloatware in the form of a bad experience, and probably pays the OEM some amount to offset the removal (I don't work in sales, I have no idea how those deals are made or what they contain) so that users have a better experience with Windows. OEMs can choose to go that route, or not, and the reason why most computers are not is that they probably get more money from having the bloatware in there; otherwise, we'd see Signature Edition as the default.
Roritharr 10y ago
Only 16GB, no Quad-Core option (i'd take an underclocked one at this point :( )... i need more threads and ram on the go, why is that not an option outside of the alienware 13 monstrosity?
- tbrock 10y ago
  You must be trolling. Look at the size of it. The thermals for the quad core chip don't make sense and they can very likely only fit 16gb of ram. The T series is what you are looking for. Try find any laptop of that size with 32gb ram and quad core option. It doesn't exist.
  - deleted 10y ago
    [deleted]
  - Roritharr 10y ago
    Thats my point, it doesn't exist, but for arbitrary reasons. The RAM chips in an Alienware 13 aren't more or larger than in the X1 Carbon, its just that they opt-to not offering this. The Intel i7-7500U is capable of driving 32gb, so there's no limit there, even if I would have to compromise on the quadcore. But the Thermal Restrictions of the quadcore are imo manageable aswell, as they only have to dissipate about 20W of heat more at peak. The Alienware 13 mostly needs the additional cooling performance for its beefy graphics processor, which is not necessary for most dev use-cases. The smallest T-Series that would fit the bill is the 14 inch ThinkPad T470. For some reason i cannot fathom the T470s only supports up to 24gb of ram, as per their press release. The T470 is needlessly heavy, has more ports than I need and is larger than I want. 13 inch is my personal maximum, i'd rather have something between 10-12 inch. I'm lovin the dimensions of my Surface Pro 2, i just need something with a quad-core and more ram. I can compromise at the quadcore, but it boggles the mind that theres nothing below 14inch with 32gb. The Alienware 13 is the only machine that currently fits the bill, but that graphics chip and ridiculous chassis makes it unnecessary heavy.
    - jpalomaki 10y ago
      I believe T470s has one 8GB dimm soldered to mobo. Thats why 24GB is max.
Waterluvian 10y ago
I want to be excited by a good non-Apple laptop. But they're all just so terribly designed. They're always some sort of plastic, feel flimsy and bendy, have grills and screw holes and uneven surfaces and stickers everywhere. I had a T530 for a few years at my first job and just hated it. It had fantastic specs but it felt awful and unreliable and like I had to babysit it. I got a 2015 MBP to replace it after IT damaged it (broke off a bunch of plastic bits from two grills) and while it was a migraine getting Windows and Ubuntu to dual boot, I don't think twice when closing the lid and slipping it into my backpack to go home. Tossing my backpack into my trunk, or in the overhead carry-on. I would pay a fortune to have a solid chassis (not case) metal non-Apple laptop available.
- plexicle 10y ago
  Yoga 910? Spectre x360?
- farresito 10y ago
  I'm surprised you say it had fantastic specs. My case was the complete opposite: my Thinkpad had pretty terrible specs for the price I paid for it, but I'm yet to find a keyboard that comes close to it. I don't think the keyboard is incredible, but it's depressing most laptop's keyboards.
  - Waterluvian 10y ago
    I was given it on day one so I don't know it's history, but it was definitely maxed out specs. So fantastic for what I was used to? =) The keyboard was very nice. Though the trackpad was terrible. The #$*(# thing is a damn sticker. And I had to replace the sticker twice because it would wear smooth where I used it most.
  - user5994461 10y ago
    Thinkpads T have a huge range of specs. For any reference, there are hundreds of sub-references with different combinations of hardware.
    - 10y ago
ck__ 10y ago
will it bend?
- sparrish 10y ago
  If it's anything like the 2016 model I have, no. It's solid and can take abuse well.
  - ck__ 10y ago
    thx. i'm worried a little because this laptop is really thin. especially compared to lenovo book which is also thin but not as wide as carbon.
tbrock 10y ago
This looks like a very nice computer. I really applaud dell for trying to make the XPS 13 somewhat Linux friendly but they really do feel cheap. Lenovo thinkpads, while not having the quality they had during the IBM era, are still head and shoulders above Dell in this regard. This is the Linux laptop to get in 2017.
- mr337 10y ago
  Really, I have both of them (X1 2016) and I prefer the build of the XPS. The X1 has better keyboard, but not by much. The XPS has aluminum on the top and bottom making it more study and not plastic feeling. I don't baby the XPS as much as the X1 when traveling.
- tannhaeuser 10y ago
  When I bought my notebook back in february, I went to a shop (cyberport) that had both the (then current) X1 carbon and the XPS 13 on display, which I figured were the only ones acceptable for developers. The X1's keyboard was larger, had more key travel and all, but was subjectively somewhat less comfortable to type on (matter of get using to, I suppose, but still). The X1 had a much worse display, and was overall bulkier and clunkier, yet more expensive. Went with the Dell and didn't regret it. Edit: running Ubuntu on it
  - s_kilk 10y ago
    Any issues with Ubuntu? or did it all just work out of the box? I'm really interested in the XPS 13/15, but don't want to end up with a brick.
    - seanp2k2 10y ago
      XPS 15 9550 here. Got mine on eBay for ~$1k with no SSD. Mine has the i7-6700HQ, 4K IGZO touchscreen, bigger battery (which takes up the 2.5" SSD space, so M.2 SSD only which is fine by me), and GTX 960. Follow http://seb.mamessier.com/dell-xps-15-9550-ubuntu-16-04/ http://seb.mamessier.com/dell-xps-15-9550-ubuntu-16-04/ + http://malachisoord.com/2016/09/10/xps-15-9550-ubuntu-setup/ http://malachisoord.com/2016/09/10/xps-15-9550-ubuntu-setup/ and it's OK. Graphics switching doesn't work flawlessly. Powertop requires some messing about to get the fans to totally stop. Battery life is worse than under Windows. Palm detection on the touchpad is wonky and requires blacklisting a kernel mod to get working properly (the touchpad shows up as two devices). My keyboard had a cable under the spacebar not properly glued down, so I had to get a replacement KBD (~$15 on ebay, parts are readily available). Plextor M8Pe works fine but I had to mess with the BIOS a bit to get the UEFI boot stuff working correctly. Wifi works fine. Bluetooth works as well as it does on Windows, which is to say not that well, but I don't think it's the fault of the hardware or Ubuntu. Configuring X to play nice with the proprietary drivers + power settings + stupid Synaptic touchpad daemon + graphics switching + Arc theme took a few days to get more or less working. The screen is also terrific and very noticeably better than my work mid-2014 15" rMBP. I wouldn't have optioned the touchscreen if I had a choice, but the 4K IGZO is only available as a touchscreen. I actually use it sometimes, and the hinge is good enough that it doesn't flop around and it feels solid when tapping on it. I only really use that for casual browsing. My past few personal laptops have been Dell Latitudes since they're typically made from metal and have nicer parts (keyboard, hinges, touchpad, etc) than stuff like the Inspiron series. Parts are cheap and easy to find (e.g. an extra power adapter is $35 shipped in bulk packaging) and they're generally easy to repair, with repair guides, service manuals, and Dell's great service code look-up readily available. If it blows a motherboard or drains a battery tomorrow, I know that I can keep it running for relatively little money. Dell also has great business warranties if you can find a used one with a year or so of warranty left. TL;DR it's still a huge PITA to get even the latest Ubuntu working right with a top-of-the-line Windows laptop, and even then it's less nice and doesn't "just work" as well as a Mac, but I paid about 1/3rd of what a comparable MBP would cost, and since it's just a personal laptop for my side projects and electronics hobby stuff (microcontrollers, audio measurement, open source, etc) it's totally fine.
dangmurderparty 10y ago
Most three letter agencies have an outright ban on Lenovo hardware. It's a security deathwish to use one, imo.
n0us 10y ago
Anyone know if this will have precision touchpad?
smoyer 10y ago
I have a second generation X1 Carbon and I absolutely love this computer!
ge96 10y ago
These look nice, I'm only able to afford like the first generation but I look forward to buying that. If only they were fanless.
rcarmo 10y ago
I was assigned one of these (the 2015 model) as my office laptop, and I hate the thing for five reasons (two dealbreakers on top): - It is huge and unwieldy, like a cafeteria tray (and comes with a sizable power brick) - The touchscreen doesn't have an oleophobic coating, so it becomes a smudgy mess within hours (unlike my iPad, which looks pristine for weeks despite being even more heavily used) - The screen seems dim or washed out no matter what I try (then again, I have a retina MacBook at home...) - Battery life is poor(ish) on the i7 model. I can only partially blame all the corporate junk we have installed. - Wi-Fi seemed flakey at times (and you need a proprietary dongle for Ethernet) I've seen the 2016 models (which don't improve on the above) and they share the good bits: - Very decent (if somewhat mushy) keyboard, with lots of travel (perhaps a bit too much) - Relatively lightweight (considering the size) - Pretty decent touchpad (not on a par with a MacBook, but good enough for three-finger gestures, although maddeningly imprecise at times) - Despite the color/brightness issues, the HIDPI screen is sharp and readable under Windows 10 - The fingerprint sensor actually works (but doesn't hold a candle to TouchID) - DisplayPort or HDMI output (depending on model, mine has both, and I use my Apple dongle for DP->VGA) I disabled TrackPoint within a month due to RSI (I used original IBM laptops for years and it was a recurring issue for me). TrackPoint is much more precise than the trackpad for accurate positioning, but I'd rather carry a Bluetooth mouse and retain the use of my fingers (whereas I'm perfectly fine with the Mac trackpad for drawing diagrams and pixel-level positioning). Edit: Oh, and I run Linux on it through Hyper-V and Docker, since I need to run Windows 10. Had no trouble booting a couple of Ubuntu/Elementary Live USB drives for playing around, most of the hardware seemed to work.
- archon810 10y ago
  At 300 nits, the display is going to be mediocre at best. Even the P50 4K display which I think is supposed to be 350 nits is dim and really quite awful. HP and Dell have much nicer screens these days.
  - rcarmo 10y ago
    Good point. My trouble with the display isn't so much brightness but contrast and color range. I can attribute that partially to the touch layer, but, in all honesty, I just find it an eyesore in general. I use the same wallpapers on my Mac and Windows machines (a set of coloured trianglify patterns), and EVERYTHING looks so much nicer on the Mac that it's just sad.
lobster_johnson 10y ago
As someone who is considering moving from a MacBook Pro 2015 to a Linux laptop, the keyboard and, in particular, the trackpad on PC models are the biggest disappointments. Apple has spent so much effort on the tactility of their laptops, while PC manufacturers still seem to be stuck in an earlier decade. I was a little bit shocked to discover that Thinkpads still have that terrible little mouse nipple, which I hadn't seen in about 10 years. The laptop with the most promising keyboard/trackpad combo, that I have found, is the Dell XPS (it has physical trackpad buttons, but at least they're located at the bottom), which is probably not accidental; it looks a lot like a MacBook, too.
- bpye 10y ago
  The Surface Pro 4 type cover, and I'd assume the Surface Book, both have a comparable keyboard and I'd say the trackpad is definitely as good as the Macbooks I've used or better (haven't used the latest of any model, but some older Pros and Airs)
  - lobster_johnson 10y ago
    Does the Surface Pro series have a model that's comparable to the MacBook Pro 15''? From what I can tell, they max out at 12'', 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD? The "type cover" looks decent, but in the YouTube videos I find, it looks like it's less rigid/solid than a fully integrated keyboard. I see that some people prefer to detach it and use it flat on a solid surface for that reason.
    - my123 10y ago
      You're supposed to go to the Surface Book line. And there's a Pro 4 model with 16GB of RAM and an 1TB SSD.
      - lobster_johnson 10y ago
        I think neither the Book nor the Pro are comparable to a 15'' MBP. Book is 13.5'', Pro is 12.5'', too small for me. Both max out at a dual-core Core i7-6650U (it's hard to find out exactly, the specs don't say anywhere, but that's what reviews tell me), which is two cores less than my MBP. Both max out at 16GB RAM, same as MBP.
faragon 10y ago
It is almost perfect. I would love real 4 core i7 with 8MB L3 cache CPU for laptops, instead of the 2 core (4 threads) with 4MB. Edit: 6th generation of mobile Intel CPUs have models with 4 cores and 8MB of L3 cache (i7-6970HQ), using 45W [1]. However, in 7th generation there are only 2-core models [2]. [1] http://ark.intel.com/products/family/88392/6th-Generation-Intel-Core-i7-Processors#@Mobile http://ark.intel.com/products/family/88392/6th-Generation-In... [2] http://ark.intel.com/products/family/95544/7th-Generation-Intel-Core-i7-Processors#@Mobile http://ark.intel.com/products/family/95544/7th-Generation-In...
- my123 10y ago
  Using a higher wattage part needs more cooling...
- ylk 10y ago
  They'll have the 4C model in the T470p http://www.notebookcheck.net/Lenovo-Classic-ThinkPad-models-with-Kaby-Lake-announced-T470-T570-T470s-T470p-L470-L570.189047.0.html http://www.notebookcheck.net/Lenovo-Classic-ThinkPad-models-...
  - faragon 10y ago
    Thank you! :-D
- pbz 10y ago
  The 4 core ones (HQ series) have not been released yet. They're supposed to be out Jan/Feb.
ElijahLynn 10y ago
What happened to the Carbon touch? This would be my next computer except it doesn't have touch. As a developer I use Chrome dev tools emulator with my Thinkpad W510 to perform touch testing. Plus it is fantastic for annotating presentations (Ubuntu, Compiz Annotate plugin).
- ElijahLynn 10y ago
  The XPS 13 developer edition looks nice and comes with Ubuntu 16.04 but doesn't have a pointer stick. I love the pointer stick, faster than trackpad.
- ElijahLynn 10y ago
  Ah, looks like I am waiting for the next gen X1 Yoga (touch). It would have USB-C charging then and be light, with a nice screen and my favorite, the touchstick!
- ElijahLynn 10y ago
  Okay, here we go, 5th generation Thinkpad X1 Carbon just announced at CES 2017. This is a dream machine. http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/thinkpad/x-series/x1-yoga http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/thinkpad/x-series/x1-yo... 16GB ram, 14" WQHD OLED Touchscreen (300 nit), 1TB SSD, Intel® Core™ i7 vPro, Trackpoint (touchstick), retractable keyboard in convertible mode, rechargeable & dockable pen, WWAN (Project Fi free data only sim), touch fingerprint (not the swipey kind), Thunderbolt 3, USB-C (docking is amazing now), WiGig docking. All starting at 3 lbs. (my W510 is 6 lbs w/extended battery). Mmmmmmmmm, now that is a sexy machine!!! Only thing better is if it would come with Ubuntu pre-installed and everything working out of the box. I am gonna get one of these and install Ubuntu or Apricity on it!
KaoruAoiShiho 10y ago
Why is the webdesign so amateurish. I really don't understand these companies that can't put proper priority on having webpages that look really good and luxurious. Spend millions on great industrial design but can't spend the thousands for a decent sales page.
- jmiserez 10y ago
  That was my first thought as well. The page just looks awful, even more so on mobile.
mrkoolaid 10y ago
... But if you drop it won't it still rattle loose?
vxxzy 10y ago
I have the 2016 model running Arch Linux. The machine is a great piece of engineering. Light as a feather, and feels durable. The carbon fiber body feels great in hand. Performance wise, I have the i7 model 16G RAM and 512GB NVMe SSD. The only slight negative would be battery life. I expected more, but it does last me a full 8hr day of work with screen dimmed. I'm looking forward to purchasing new in another year or so.
bluedino 10y ago
I owned a first generation X1 for a while. Eventually sold it because it only had 4GB of RAM, and there is not much of a source of the proprietary SSD. The battery was down to 3 hours, and I wasn't going to replace it if I couldn't put at least 8GB/512GB into it. I really liked the Lenovo X1. From 2012 to now I've went from the MacBook Pro to MacBook Air and now the MacBook Pro Retina. With the Lenovo, the touchpad wasn't quite as good, the power adapter wasn't quite as compact, the battery life wasn't quite as good (but all were good enough). The screen and keyboard were very good. The trackpoint is a nice addition. The Mini DisplayPort worked with my 27" Apple Cinema Display without issues in both Windows and Linux (Ubuntu worked perfectly BTW). Build quality on the machine was great. Didn't run hot or anything, had all the ports that my Mac did. Later on they sabotaged the function key row and ruined the touchpad. After a year of customer complaints they put it back, but the things were so expensive I just stuck with a Mac. If I needed a Windows/Linux machine however, they would be my first choice.
- aiur3la 10y ago
  The first gen X1 came with 8GB of RAM and standard SATA interface (is was quite bulky for that very reason). Maybe you are thinking of some other device?
  - bluedino 10y ago
    I was speaking of the X1 Carbon - which the article is talking about
deleted 10y ago
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rch 10y ago
> we managed to keep the 14″ display ... in a 13″ chassis. Now that’s innovation. Indeed. I'm not sure what they mean here.
- aaronmdjones 10y ago
  Probably 'a chassis comparable in size to other 13" laptops'. As in, a smaller screen bezel.
noobermin 10y ago
What do these usually go for? Does anyone know?
- joatmon-snoo 10y ago
  http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/thinkpad/x-series/x1-carbon/?menu-id=thinkpad_x1_carbon_gen_4 http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/thinkpad/x-series/x1-ca...
vacri 10y ago
I have an X1 gen 3, and it has a dongle for the ethernet port. Given the thickness of it, I don't see how this new gen machine can hold a 'native rj45'. Perhaps it's one of those hinged ones that opens out?
- faebser 10y ago
  That is a really good question and I don't fully understand what 'native' means in this context. did you manage to find out more about it?
- vbernat 10y ago
  It's native because it is not over USB. The "dongle" is only a cable to go from the "mini" RJ45 to the regular one.
  - vacri 10y ago
    Ah, thank you. Yes, it's mildly annoying having to carry a dongle around if I want ethernet, but I've survived so far :)
joecool1029 10y ago
A large chunk of the Thinkpad user community is pretty fed up with the ultrabook spec that Lenovo is shipping on its flagship models, namely the inability to effectively customize and modify to use. I keep an X201 alongside my late 2013 rMBP simply because I can use expresscard and a dock and ethernet without carrying around a stupid dongle. I understand they are trying to chase Apple's market, but expect them to fall flat with products like this. I can stand to have a few extra mm of thickness to actually have a usable product. 51nb (chinese forum) has been addressing the need for upgraded specs in the old chassis with things like their Thinkpad X62 https://imgur.com/a/As6On#uHTzOer https://imgur.com/a/As6On#uHTzOer (you can find the boards on ebay) There's no products that fit the old ultraportable form factor. The T5xx series is great but can't be lugged around easily.
- floatboth 10y ago
  X240/X250: dock, Ethernet, VGA, SD, optionally smartcard and mobile modem. No dongles required. In X260 they replaced VGA with HDMI, but everything else is still there. The X62 looks nice though :D
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
arcaster 10y ago
I absolutely adore my ThinkPad X201, if there was any way to purchase a pristine new-in-box X201 I would. However, I recently picked up a 3rd gen x1 carbon and absolutely love it compared to my rMBP '15. Sure, it's not quite as fast and the screen isn't quite as good, but I can run a true tiling window manager (not the garbage that is KWM on OSX) and have a unfettered dev platform. I run Fedora, I like it more than Ubuntu or Debian and like the fact that I don't have to worry about random underlying features breaking all the time when I update (which wasted a ton of my time when I was using Arch Linux).
- scott_karana 10y ago
  Can you not run Fedora on a MBP? And if you can/could, how would the comparison still stack up?
- Ar-Curunir 10y ago
  I'm sure you can run a decent Linux on MBP; I've been running Arch on my MBP for 2.5 yrs now, and it's been great, bar a couple of hiccups. In fact currently it works better than MacOS; MacOS refuses to wake up after shutting the lid.
schmichael 10y ago
Ubuntu on a ThinkPad X1 Carbon is my workstation. As a Go developer I only need Chrome, a terminal, and Go itself (which I install from the official tarball binaries). Now that I have Google Fi I'm kicking myself for not getting the cell radio builtin as Google will send you a data only SIM for free! I would never have to deal with another terrible airport or hotel captive portal again! My coworkers are all Macbook Pro users and ask why I don't get one too. I just don't see the point. I think MBP's build quality is nicer but otherwise I get twice the machine for the same price and get to develop on the same OS as my project primarily targets (Linux).
- mjolk 10y ago
  > Now that I have Google Fi I'm kicking myself for not getting the cell radio builtin as Google will send you a data only SIM for free! Oh, I forgot Fi would send us this, thanks! > I think MBP's build quality is nicer but otherwise I get twice the machine for the same price and get to develop on the same OS as my project primarily targets (Linux). I just looked at the X1 carbon specs and my 3 year old MacBook Air is faster than the base model carbon and I spent about the same amount of money. The build quality is huge for me as I spend 50+ hours a week directly-on or with peripherals cabled to my laptop. If I wanted, I could install a Linux on it, but really, OS X just works without having to fuss with it (e.g. trying to get the touchpad feel anywhere near as nice). As for writing Go, isn't cross-compilation pretty good? I spend most of my time writing in VHLLs (js, python, etc) and OS X is (still, even after some iOS-direction changes) quite good as a dev environment -- spinning up a VM for when I need to compile something lower-level and test on a target OS is trivial.
  - schmichael 10y ago
    > As for writing Go, isn't cross-compilation pretty good? Go's cross-compilation is near perfection unless you use cgo which needs to use a C compiler to link against native libraries. Then you need all of the normal tools and libraries for cross-compiling C; Go just puts a decent on it.
    - mjolk 10y ago
harry8 10y ago
Asus ZenBook working well for me with linux for the last 3 years. I've always had good linux support from thinkpads too. The Asus replaced an apple macbook pro, the model where apple shipped broken GPUs and didn't recall, so that one is a very expensive web-browser that constantly panics and reboots, giving me the opportunity to write a sentence to apple about how I feel about their miserable company that I'm sure nobody will ever read. "The Donald Trump of Computing Companies." Apple really are amazing though. Top comment is an apple fan boy desperate to continue to believe in apple and affronted by the existence of other laptops while other kool-aid drinkers up vote even though it's got stuff all to do with the ThinkPad X1 Carbon. Probably hasn't even got an apple logo shaved into his head!
- aiur3la 10y ago
  I love everything about the ASUS laptops expect one thing: the mushi keyboard. Press the keys in the middle of the laptop and the keyboard flex with as much as 4-5mm.
- aiur3la 10y ago
  > Top comment is an apple fan boy desperate to continue to believe in apple and affronted by the existence of other laptops ... Unfortunately this is becoming common on HN posts that praise or even merely discuss another company.
dchuk 10y ago
I desperately want exactly this in a Macbook Pro: "The X1 Carbon delivers up to 15.5 hours of battery life. And if you’re running low, the rapid charging feature provides 80% capacity in just an hour." Specifically the rapid charging. Hell I'd be fine with current battery life (6-10 hrs depending on usage) if it could recharge fast. Same goes for the phones.
- SomeHacker44 10y ago
  I just desperately want a full 88 key keyboard in a top spec MacBook Pro.
itaysk 10y ago
I have recently upgraded form 4 year old X1 Carbon to new X1 Yoga. Bottom line is I'd recommend the X1 Yoga over the Carbon. Here is my original X1 Carbon review: http://blog.itaysk.com/2013/05/04/lenovo-x1-carbon-touch-review http://blog.itaysk.com/2013/05/04/lenovo-x1-carbon-touch-rev... And here are my thoughts on the X1 Yoga: http://blog.itaysk.com/2016/12/30/from-lenovo-x1-carbon-to-lenovo-x1-yoga http://blog.itaysk.com/2016/12/30/from-lenovo-x1-carbon-to-l...
- aiur3la 10y ago
  High DPI is still half baked in Windows. I found this comment hilarious given who your employer is...
  - itaysk 10y ago
    Just to be clear - I do work for Microsoft, but have nothing to do with Windows, so I don't have any influence on it. I don't find any problem criticising what's wrong and commending what's right. I do that openly with "my employer" products, and the competition as well.
coin 10y ago
The trackpad is off center (to the left), what's up with that?
- rifung 10y ago
  It's centered relative to the keyboard (the middle of the trackpad is below the 'g' and 'h' keys)
walrus01 10y ago
Love the Thinkpad hardware. Hate Windows 10. If something like the current generation Thinkpad hardware (T or X series) could run OSX, it would be what the Macbook Pro used to be... Remember the first generation Intel macbook pro in 2006 which had a full complement of ports? Everything relevant and needed except RS232.
themihai 10y ago
The real issue with non-Apple hw is the OS. Linux is great for development but sucks on pro media/audio support.
rootme 10y ago
I have a gen 4 X1 carbon. top 16gb ram 1tb hard drive all in. Is the best machine from last year.
desireco42 10y ago
I think it is super important to have honest discussion between developers, with as little flame possible about machines we are using. I am using 5 yr old Macbook Air for development, it works well. I always imagined that I will use ThinkPad /w some Linux distribution in future. It is not trivial to use Linux on your laptop. While a lot of things will be faster, browser most likely will be slower and there will not be as many tools. What I would mostly miss is photography tools, Lightroom is essential for processing photos. I can't not do it. Let me add one more thing to this fairly random post :). I think X1 is better then Macbooks and Airs at the moment, docking station makes a lot of difference.
- aiur3la 10y ago
  Writing this from a Lenovo X1 running Linux... The keyboard is great so if you do a lot of writing (e.g. you are a developer) this is a very good machine. But if you are doing other stuff then maybe this is not the machine for you. With that said, checkout darktable (http://www.darktable.org/ http://www.darktable.org/ ) which was discussed a few days ago on HN.
  - desireco42 10y ago
    Thank you. It is good but can't replace Lightroom. However, there are ways to go around it and I am thinking it through. I can leave one Mac or do dual boot for Win for Lightroom and few games I can't have on Linux. Again, thank you for reference.
karpodiem 10y ago
It's not the sexiest laptop in the world, but my work Dell Latitude 7470 with an I7 6600U, 16GB DDR4 RAM, NVMe drive with a 1920x1080 screen is the best PC laptop I've used. Works great with the Dell dock, where I have two Ultrasharp 21.5 inch monitors in 1080p, with the laptop screen flipped open; three usable screens. I still (slightly) prefer my Mid-2014 13 inch Macbook Pro though, but it's very close.
imafish 10y ago
> Plus we managed to keep the 14" display in a 13" chassis. Now that’s innovation. Dell XPS put a 13" display in 12" a chassis and a 15" display in 14" a chassis.. But a 14" display in a 13" chassis. Now that’s innovation.
c2h5oh 10y ago
I wish HQ CPUs were an option (quad not dual core) - I work primarily with compiled languages. I wish they ditched SATA option for m.2 only and used the extra space for more battery (or cooling for HQ cpu)
therealdrag0 10y ago
I've had the X1 Carbon 3rd gen (Refurbished) for a few years now as my personal laptop. I don't do much heavy lifting with it, mostly League of Legends, Counter-strike, and some side programming. But it's my favorite laptop I've used. The 14" size is perfect for me and I like the feel of the rest of it. Performs well and didn't break the bank. (I've always owned windows PCs, though I've used MBP at work for 2 years now, and have had a MacBook Air that I resold because it was too small and didn't have a niche to fill after my ultrabook and my ipad.)
rzhikharevich 10y ago
Am I correct that "Signature Edition" means no Linux? Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/53ri0m/warning_microsoft_signature_pc_program_now/ https://www.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/53ri0m/warning_micro...
- colemickens 10y ago
  Read the top comment...
  - Aissen 10y ago
    Please do not reference "top comments" as comment order is usually in flux for a while.
    - colemickens 10y ago
      It's a three month old thread.
garrettheaver 10y ago
As someone looking to replace my 2013 13" MBP this is almost exactly what I want. Enough has already been written about the new MBPs and why many of us will no longer consider them. I've already tried the Kaby Lake Razor Blade Stealth but returned it due to shocking quality and support issues. I considered the Asus Zenbook but it has too few ports to be a serious contender and the HP offerings all have screens with a lower resolution than I want. I've always avoided Lenovo, party because Apple were building machines I wanted and partly because my experience of Lenovo to date has been low end cheaper models which suck. I'm willing to give them a chance at the upper end with this though. The sooner to market with this the better
sigil 10y ago
My Thinkpad X1 Carbon 2nd gen is still going strong 3 years later, but this 5th gen is pretty tempting. Main questions: - Are these "up to 15.5 hours of battery life" numbers purely theoretical? Even brand new, my 2nd gen only got about 6 hours of normal usage. I run Ubuntu so maybe these power saving tweaks are the result of closer hardware integration with Windows? - The mobile broadband option (Qualcomm Snapdragon X7) is intriguing, it would save me carrying around a separate hotspot. Has this worked for any Linux users? What carrier do you recommend? - Any reports of the Wigig Dock working on Linux? Pros that I can see: - Real function keys! The adaptive touchpad on my 2nd gen is awkward and silly -- can't believe Apple followed their lead on this. Good riddance. - That the 5th gen is even smaller and lighter boggles the mind. My 2nd gen is already ridiculously thin. After 5 years of hauling 5-8lb T4x models around NYC my back was killing me, and I was probably on the verge of permanent physical injury. The X1 was a godsend. - Same old Trackpoint I know and love. Not for everyone, but a mouse on the home row + vim is ergonomic heaven for me. Never change, Thinkpads! Cons that I can see: - Looks like almost the same display as my 2nd gen, a 2560x1440 WQHD IPS. A small bump up in nits but that's it. Viewing angles are better than on older laptops, but I still can't read my screen in bright environments, and it gets gummed up with debris and smudges way too easily. Apple continues to dominate in this dimension. - Matter of taste, but the Silver design feels like Lenovo is trying way too hard to look Apple-y.
- vbernat 10y ago
  I can't say anything about this specific Qualcomm, but I have used Qualcomm Gobi 2000 and Sierra EM7345 in previous generations of Thinkpad. They both work fine with Linux but their firmwares were buggy as hell. You have to upgrade them as soon as possible. All the problems I ever had were finally solved by upgrading those firmwares. This usually mean you need to keep Windows for that.
  - sigil 10y ago
    Good to know, thanks!
matt2000 10y ago
Does Lenovo's history with malware give anyone pause when considering this laptop? I'm just interested in general - I'm a Mac owner now, but used to be a happy thinkpad owner back in the day.
- aiur3la 10y ago
  X1 is business series, I think their "malware" was some analytics they installed on the cheap consumer laptops. (not that it makes it any better)
kylebenzle 10y ago
I spent a year waiting for the Yoga x260 thinking I had found the perfect machine, after 11 months I am getting ready to send it in for the 3rd time for a "freezing" trackpad, remedied only by plugging in an external mouse. Also, lack of Linux support is insane for a company selling a working man's machine like this, going back to Dell after this :(
daxorid 10y ago
354 comments for a constantly-refreshing 404 page( "Product 22TP2TXX15G does not exist" )? Is anyone actually following the link or just commenting on the title?
- wklock 10y ago
  try: http://www3.lenovo.com/ca/en/laptops/thinkpad/thinkpad-x/ThinkPad-X1-Carbon-4th-Gen/p/22TP2TXX14G http://www3.lenovo.com/ca/en/laptops/thinkpad/thinkpad-x/Thi...
  - slowmovintarget 10y ago
    That points to the 4th gen X1 Carbon, whereas the link for the story seems to be about a 5th gen X1 Carbon (which now returns a 404). Lenovo may have inadvertently leaked that page onto their site without intending for it to be reachable yet.
- skrause 10y ago
  Lenovo accidentally published the product page of the new X1 Carbon which actually hasn't been announced yet. They've since realized their mistake and taken it down again, but yesterday you could read everything about the new X1 Carbon. Here is a snapshot of the page: http://archive.is/L1o6h http://archive.is/L1o6h
joshuaNathaniel 10y ago
I'll stay back here while you're jerking it off.
- dang 10y ago
  We've banned this account for trolling. If you don't want to be banned on HN, you'd be welcome to email hn@ycombinator.com, but please read the following first and make sure you plan to use this site as intended: https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newswelcome.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newswelcome.html We detached this comment from https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13288486 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13288486 and marked it off-topic.
  - mSparks 10y ago
    please take your life somewhere else.
gaspoweredcat 10y ago
id upgrade to one of these in a heartbeat if i could afford to but right now thats not an option, thankfully my current gen2 x1 carbon is still an excellent machine that can handle most everything i throw at it
LinuxFreedom 10y ago
Please support the idea of building a better planet for our children and do not buy laptops where you can not replace the battery - managers in companies that build these kind of products have to learn that they are acting against human interests and need to change their way of thinking. Of course this applies to all Laptops where you can not change battery. Thanks and have a better 2017!
- grzm 10y ago
  Interesting. I hadn't heard of this before. Can you share some references about this?
  - LinuxFreedom 10y ago
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obsolescence https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obsolescence
    - grzm 10y ago
      Oh. I thought there was something particular about removable batteries. It wasn't clear to me at all that planned obsolescence is what you were referring to.
- jiqiren 10y ago
  Nonsense. If you dispose your ewaste properly (which is in general the law) a builtin battery will get recycled or disposed of just the same as one that is replaceable.
  - LinuxFreedom 10y ago
    You seem to believe that "ewaste" is something that can be "properly disposed" - you have no clue about reality or you are a marketing guy that wants to spread his lies. Maybe you are just naive and really believe the things big companies are telling you - a good follower!
- sprash 10y ago
fiji-flo 10y ago
Page is down :/ Here's an image of the page: http://imgur.com/szPrPuN http://imgur.com/szPrPuN
module0000 10y ago
I use a thinkpad every day, my current model I'm typing this on is a T460. It's entirely user-serviceable(all batteries, ram, hdd, etc) by anyone with a screw driver and the ability to read a manual. The frame is carbon fiber(according to lenovo), and the outside is matte plastic. It doesn't bend, creak, or otherwise make me think it's cheap. It doesn't feel as "solid" as the 15" MBP on my shelf, or the 15" MBP(with touch bar) on the shelf next to it. And before you ask - work buys all this kit, not me. So, in summary...I use one every day(the t460) and it doens't feel cheap. Compared to the 1st gen X1 carbon(also on my shelf, but not 2nd or 3rd gens), it feels significantly heavier, but not any more or less sturdy.
Friedduck 10y ago
I don't think I'm alone in saying I'm disappointed by the new MBPs, and also haven't found a reasonable alternative. I buy for a small office (<100 people) and it's a constant challenge to find decent quality and performance. In a city of 5mm I also can't find a brick & mortar store where I could even evaluate what's on offer. Any place selling laptops these days are all targeting home users, and sifting through online offerings isn't much better. Maybe my expectations are unrealistic, but I'm convinced we've taken a step backward in the last year or so.

ThinkPad X1 Carbon

299 points by fiji-flo 10y ago

stuaxo 10y ago

Now need to wait until Linux is installable on it.

joatmon-snoo 10y ago
Thinkpads are designed to support both Windows and Linux. Dunno what you're saying.
- berdario 10y ago
  Thinkpads are not better than other laptops when it comes to Linux support. Just look at the broadcom wifi chipsets: if you mistakenly buy a thinkpad with one directly from their website (and they obviously don't advertise it as such when configuring the hardware), and then ask their support to get it fixed/changed (even on your own dime) they'll just stonewall you. Once they got money out of your pocket, you mean nothing for them. The only solution is to buy a supported (intel chipset, for the wifi) FRU aftermarket (and good luck finding it, since Lenovo's support won't tell you that information). At least, with a Dell or a Chromebook I have a recurse if the hardware they sold me has incompatibilities with the Linux version they shipped it with Moreover: I won't support a company with such an horrible and embarrassing security track record as lenovo
  - joatmon-snoo 10y ago
    Ah. I guess personally this is less of an issue because I stick to after market laptops, not new ones, and I know where to look to replace stuff like the WiFi module (had no idea Broadcom chipsets didn't have Linux drivers). Can't justify the price. On the security point, SuperFish was on a different product line - Ideapads, Lenovo's consumer line (with quality that parallels Dell's consumer stuff) - and I would have no trouble believing that some idiot SVP in the chain of command who had nothing to do with Thinkpads made that decision. For me it's honestly the TrackPoint and the modularity of the laptops. There's just nothing else out there that comes close to what Lenovo figured out 10 years ago, unfortunately.
    - berdario 10y ago
      > had no idea Broadcom chipsets didn't have Linux drivers Actually, it was a Realtek chipset (I'm not currently using that laptop, so I remembered incorrectly). The driver was available, but it was severely unstable, dropping connections and packets, and even triggering kernel panics a few times (once it even happened during a coding interview!) > On the security point, SuperFish was on a different product line Unfortunately, SuperFish was not the only fiasco that Lenovo plagued its devices with: http://thehackernews.com/2015/09/lenovo-laptop-virus.html http://thehackernews.com/2015/09/lenovo-laptop-virus.html https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20150812/11395231925/lenovo-busted-stealthily-installing-crapware-via-bios-fresh-windows-installs.shtml https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20150812/11395231925/lenov...

wineisfine 10y ago

Looks solid. I like the Snapdragon included.

hbcondo714 10y ago

> WQHD IPS (2560 x 1440) 300 nits Is this their OLED screen?

dstaley 10y ago
No, IPS is a variant of LCD displays.
colemickens 10y ago
Smaller resolution that my 18 month old Chromebook Pixel in a larger size, and with fewer nits. It's a disappointment is what it is. I'm in love with the laptop otherwise, but I've had two X1s already and the screens were some of the worst I've ever used.

reustle 10y ago

As someone who is constantly on the road, having a built in sim card for connectivity is something I'm super excited about. This could be the 2016 MBP we wanted, but switching to windows still sounds difficult.

gtaylor 10y ago
These supposedly run Linux very well, as another option.
- mverwijs 10y ago
  As a Linux user in the market for a new laptop: citation needed?
  - TheDong 10y ago
    Lenovo's laptops generally have some of the best supported components for linux. This has been true for quite a while now. Most office environments where developers run Linux are full of Thinkpad T4xx, X2xx, and X1s.
    - mverwijs 10y ago
      I'm typing this on a Lenovo x230, having owned an x210 and x220. However, when such a statement above is made I was hoping that, like Dell, Lenovo had started to officially support Linux. Hence the question. Furthermore, Lenovo has been in the news late 2016 for not allowing Linux to run on some of their (Microsoft certified) laptops. And when the t460's and x260's came out early 2016, the Linux distros available at the time had all kinds of issues. Black screens, no Wifi, iirc. So, again: is there any article that actually point to this laptop running Linux well? Or is it merely based on historical data and personal opinion?
      - dom0 10y ago
        As far as I'm aware laptops of new generations practically never ran Linux well out of the box from day one. It always took some time to adjust stuff to the new chips of a new generation. Only after some time you can just stick Linux into it and it'll just all work.

jaymoorthi 10y ago

All it shows me when I try to view models or customize is a message saying no models are available at this time. https://www.dropbox.com/s/nymnxfm8xmdcl0s/Screenshot%202016-12-30%2011.18.45.png?dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/s/nymnxfm8xmdcl0s/Screenshot%202016-... I don't see a 5th-generation listing under Lenovo's products pages. Does anyone know what the release date will be? Edit: closest hit I can find is a rumored launch at CES in a few weeks -- http://www.trustedreviews.com/news/leaked-new-lenovo-thinkpad-x1-carbon-2017-coming-january http://www.trustedreviews.com/news/leaked-new-lenovo-thinkpa...

gbrown_ 10y ago
> Does anyone know what the release date will be? CES is next week, we'll likely get more details then, shipping products are still likely a few months out.

dgl 10y ago

They really should write that it has USB-C charging in bigger letters (see http://www3.lenovo.com/medias/ww-lenovo-laptop-thinkpad-x1-carbon5-gallery-5.png?context=bWFzdGVyfHJvb3R8MTc5Njd8aW1hZ2UvcG5nfGhlZS9oZDIvOTM1NzAyNzM3NzE4Mi5wbmd8ZTAyMDM1NTY4OGVmOGI1MjhiNGZjMTZjOTlkMTJkOWViZDVmODkwNWM0M2VjMjBhNzljNDRjODIwOWNhZWU2Zg http://www3.lenovo.com/medias/ww-lenovo-laptop-thinkpad-x1-c... for the evidence).

imglorp 10y ago
Is that USB-C fully compatible with the new MBP one?
- BHSPitMonkey 10y ago
  It'll be grossly non-compliant with the USB spec if not, but the thing you have to take into consideration is the wattage. Apple likes to provide basically the weakest charger it can get away with based on how much power a particular Macbook model will draw while in use. I believe it's a 29W for the Air, 61W for the 13" MBP, and 87W for the 15" MBP. So while you can technically use any charger with any machine, if your machine draws more than the charger then it won't be able to keep up while you're working (plus, running the device at a charging deficit like this will wreak havoc on the battery).
djcapelis 10y ago
Oh! I was just considering getting an X1 4th gen. If this is true, I'd wait so I can have USB-C charging on it like I expect all of the rest of my machines to have soon. I wonder if the power adapters will play nice with other hardware.
blinkingled 10y ago
That's a better collection of ports! Hopefully the trackpad is big and precision per the latest Windows 10 requirement.
ElijahLynn 10y ago
I was just looking for this, all I saw was how awesome USB-C is, not that it charged with USB-C. Thanks!

piker 10y ago

Has anyone installed Linux on this machine? If so, how has your experience been with respect to driver support, etc.? Thanks in advance.

SallySwanSmith 10y ago
Given it's not even fully announced yet, yet alone released... that'd be a no.
- piker 10y ago
  Ah, that makes sense. I got really excited by the site and didn't read for content.
sparrish 10y ago
I've got a 2016 model and things work pretty well with Ubuntu 16.10. Only gripe I have is bluetooth audio isn't working out-of-the-box.
- ripberge 10y ago
  Same experience. Everything works great except for Bluetooth
- DrScump 10y ago
  What about inexpensive USB plug-in Bluetooth adapters?
  - deleted 10y ago
    [deleted]
  - jmiserez 10y ago
    There are some that just show up as an audio USB device, which is pretty nice. I have this one, been using it with Ubuntu 14.04 on my W520 Thinkpad: https://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-BTD-500-Bluetooth-Dongle/dp/B007C4D6A8 https://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-BTD-500-Bluetooth-Dongle/d... It does voice too, but looking at the reviews it seems that some other people have headphone compatibility issues. Definitely try before you buy.

hughes 10y ago

Still running my 2012 x1 carbon... One thing that has kept it going is that it's very serviceable. I hope the new model is as friendly towards component replacement, as I've had to swap out the DC power harness and cooling assembly so far.

nfoz 10y ago

They didn't fully learn the lesson of the Superfish fiasco: "X1 Carbon is available with Microsoft Windows 10 Pro Signature Edition. No more trialware or unwanted apps. No more distractions—and easy provisioning for IT pros." So do that with every version, and stop feeding people "unwanted apps" altogether. You just admitted that nobody wants them, and this irresponsible attitude is exactly why you got bopped for pre-installing the Superfish MITM malware.

mynameisvlad 10y ago
"Signature Edition" is a Microsoft concept, not a Lenovo one. [0] And there will always be trialware and unwanted apps as long as the company gets money from including these. Because who doesn't want free money? [0]: https://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/cat/Signature-Edition-PCs/categoryID.69916600 https://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/cat/Signatu...
- masklinn 10y ago
  You're missing the point. Yes Signature Edition is an unadulterated Windows install, nfoz is asking why they're selling anything else given "nobody wants them, and this irresponsible attitude is exactly why you got bopped for pre-installing the Superfish MITM malware"
  - mynameisvlad 10y ago
    Yes, to which I replied "Because who doesn't want free money?" Companies don't give a shit as to who wants them or who doesn't, because they get free money for each install that includes the bloatware, and that's all that they really care about; maximizing the profits. Microsoft's profits are probably negatively impacted by the bloatware in the form of a bad experience, and probably pays the OEM some amount to offset the removal (I don't work in sales, I have no idea how those deals are made or what they contain) so that users have a better experience with Windows. OEMs can choose to go that route, or not, and the reason why most computers are not is that they probably get more money from having the bloatware in there; otherwise, we'd see Signature Edition as the default.

Roritharr 10y ago

Only 16GB, no Quad-Core option (i'd take an underclocked one at this point :( )... i need more threads and ram on the go, why is that not an option outside of the alienware 13 monstrosity?

tbrock 10y ago
You must be trolling. Look at the size of it. The thermals for the quad core chip don't make sense and they can very likely only fit 16gb of ram. The T series is what you are looking for. Try find any laptop of that size with 32gb ram and quad core option. It doesn't exist.
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
- Roritharr 10y ago
  Thats my point, it doesn't exist, but for arbitrary reasons. The RAM chips in an Alienware 13 aren't more or larger than in the X1 Carbon, its just that they opt-to not offering this. The Intel i7-7500U is capable of driving 32gb, so there's no limit there, even if I would have to compromise on the quadcore. But the Thermal Restrictions of the quadcore are imo manageable aswell, as they only have to dissipate about 20W of heat more at peak. The Alienware 13 mostly needs the additional cooling performance for its beefy graphics processor, which is not necessary for most dev use-cases. The smallest T-Series that would fit the bill is the 14 inch ThinkPad T470. For some reason i cannot fathom the T470s only supports up to 24gb of ram, as per their press release. The T470 is needlessly heavy, has more ports than I need and is larger than I want. 13 inch is my personal maximum, i'd rather have something between 10-12 inch. I'm lovin the dimensions of my Surface Pro 2, i just need something with a quad-core and more ram. I can compromise at the quadcore, but it boggles the mind that theres nothing below 14inch with 32gb. The Alienware 13 is the only machine that currently fits the bill, but that graphics chip and ridiculous chassis makes it unnecessary heavy.
  - jpalomaki 10y ago
    I believe T470s has one 8GB dimm soldered to mobo. Thats why 24GB is max.

Waterluvian 10y ago

I want to be excited by a good non-Apple laptop. But they're all just so terribly designed. They're always some sort of plastic, feel flimsy and bendy, have grills and screw holes and uneven surfaces and stickers everywhere. I had a T530 for a few years at my first job and just hated it. It had fantastic specs but it felt awful and unreliable and like I had to babysit it. I got a 2015 MBP to replace it after IT damaged it (broke off a bunch of plastic bits from two grills) and while it was a migraine getting Windows and Ubuntu to dual boot, I don't think twice when closing the lid and slipping it into my backpack to go home. Tossing my backpack into my trunk, or in the overhead carry-on. I would pay a fortune to have a solid chassis (not case) metal non-Apple laptop available.

plexicle 10y ago
Yoga 910? Spectre x360?
farresito 10y ago
I'm surprised you say it had fantastic specs. My case was the complete opposite: my Thinkpad had pretty terrible specs for the price I paid for it, but I'm yet to find a keyboard that comes close to it. I don't think the keyboard is incredible, but it's depressing most laptop's keyboards.
- Waterluvian 10y ago
  I was given it on day one so I don't know it's history, but it was definitely maxed out specs. So fantastic for what I was used to? =) The keyboard was very nice. Though the trackpad was terrible. The #$*(# thing is a damn sticker. And I had to replace the sticker twice because it would wear smooth where I used it most.
- user5994461 10y ago
  Thinkpads T have a huge range of specs. For any reference, there are hundreds of sub-references with different combinations of hardware.
  - 10y ago

ck__ 10y ago

will it bend?

sparrish 10y ago
If it's anything like the 2016 model I have, no. It's solid and can take abuse well.
- ck__ 10y ago
  thx. i'm worried a little because this laptop is really thin. especially compared to lenovo book which is also thin but not as wide as carbon.

tbrock 10y ago

This looks like a very nice computer. I really applaud dell for trying to make the XPS 13 somewhat Linux friendly but they really do feel cheap. Lenovo thinkpads, while not having the quality they had during the IBM era, are still head and shoulders above Dell in this regard. This is the Linux laptop to get in 2017.

mr337 10y ago
Really, I have both of them (X1 2016) and I prefer the build of the XPS. The X1 has better keyboard, but not by much. The XPS has aluminum on the top and bottom making it more study and not plastic feeling. I don't baby the XPS as much as the X1 when traveling.
tannhaeuser 10y ago
When I bought my notebook back in february, I went to a shop (cyberport) that had both the (then current) X1 carbon and the XPS 13 on display, which I figured were the only ones acceptable for developers. The X1's keyboard was larger, had more key travel and all, but was subjectively somewhat less comfortable to type on (matter of get using to, I suppose, but still). The X1 had a much worse display, and was overall bulkier and clunkier, yet more expensive. Went with the Dell and didn't regret it. Edit: running Ubuntu on it
- s_kilk 10y ago
  Any issues with Ubuntu? or did it all just work out of the box? I'm really interested in the XPS 13/15, but don't want to end up with a brick.
  - seanp2k2 10y ago
    XPS 15 9550 here. Got mine on eBay for ~$1k with no SSD. Mine has the i7-6700HQ, 4K IGZO touchscreen, bigger battery (which takes up the 2.5" SSD space, so M.2 SSD only which is fine by me), and GTX 960. Follow http://seb.mamessier.com/dell-xps-15-9550-ubuntu-16-04/ http://seb.mamessier.com/dell-xps-15-9550-ubuntu-16-04/ + http://malachisoord.com/2016/09/10/xps-15-9550-ubuntu-setup/ http://malachisoord.com/2016/09/10/xps-15-9550-ubuntu-setup/ and it's OK. Graphics switching doesn't work flawlessly. Powertop requires some messing about to get the fans to totally stop. Battery life is worse than under Windows. Palm detection on the touchpad is wonky and requires blacklisting a kernel mod to get working properly (the touchpad shows up as two devices). My keyboard had a cable under the spacebar not properly glued down, so I had to get a replacement KBD (~$15 on ebay, parts are readily available). Plextor M8Pe works fine but I had to mess with the BIOS a bit to get the UEFI boot stuff working correctly. Wifi works fine. Bluetooth works as well as it does on Windows, which is to say not that well, but I don't think it's the fault of the hardware or Ubuntu. Configuring X to play nice with the proprietary drivers + power settings + stupid Synaptic touchpad daemon + graphics switching + Arc theme took a few days to get more or less working. The screen is also terrific and very noticeably better than my work mid-2014 15" rMBP. I wouldn't have optioned the touchscreen if I had a choice, but the 4K IGZO is only available as a touchscreen. I actually use it sometimes, and the hinge is good enough that it doesn't flop around and it feels solid when tapping on it. I only really use that for casual browsing. My past few personal laptops have been Dell Latitudes since they're typically made from metal and have nicer parts (keyboard, hinges, touchpad, etc) than stuff like the Inspiron series. Parts are cheap and easy to find (e.g. an extra power adapter is $35 shipped in bulk packaging) and they're generally easy to repair, with repair guides, service manuals, and Dell's great service code look-up readily available. If it blows a motherboard or drains a battery tomorrow, I know that I can keep it running for relatively little money. Dell also has great business warranties if you can find a used one with a year or so of warranty left. TL;DR it's still a huge PITA to get even the latest Ubuntu working right with a top-of-the-line Windows laptop, and even then it's less nice and doesn't "just work" as well as a Mac, but I paid about 1/3rd of what a comparable MBP would cost, and since it's just a personal laptop for my side projects and electronics hobby stuff (microcontrollers, audio measurement, open source, etc) it's totally fine.

dangmurderparty 10y ago

Most three letter agencies have an outright ban on Lenovo hardware. It's a security deathwish to use one, imo.

n0us 10y ago

Anyone know if this will have precision touchpad?

smoyer 10y ago

I have a second generation X1 Carbon and I absolutely love this computer!

ge96 10y ago

These look nice, I'm only able to afford like the first generation but I look forward to buying that. If only they were fanless.

rcarmo 10y ago

I was assigned one of these (the 2015 model) as my office laptop, and I hate the thing for five reasons (two dealbreakers on top): - It is huge and unwieldy, like a cafeteria tray (and comes with a sizable power brick) - The touchscreen doesn't have an oleophobic coating, so it becomes a smudgy mess within hours (unlike my iPad, which looks pristine for weeks despite being even more heavily used) - The screen seems dim or washed out no matter what I try (then again, I have a retina MacBook at home...) - Battery life is poor(ish) on the i7 model. I can only partially blame all the corporate junk we have installed. - Wi-Fi seemed flakey at times (and you need a proprietary dongle for Ethernet) I've seen the 2016 models (which don't improve on the above) and they share the good bits: - Very decent (if somewhat mushy) keyboard, with lots of travel (perhaps a bit too much) - Relatively lightweight (considering the size) - Pretty decent touchpad (not on a par with a MacBook, but good enough for three-finger gestures, although maddeningly imprecise at times) - Despite the color/brightness issues, the HIDPI screen is sharp and readable under Windows 10 - The fingerprint sensor actually works (but doesn't hold a candle to TouchID) - DisplayPort or HDMI output (depending on model, mine has both, and I use my Apple dongle for DP->VGA) I disabled TrackPoint within a month due to RSI (I used original IBM laptops for years and it was a recurring issue for me). TrackPoint is much more precise than the trackpad for accurate positioning, but I'd rather carry a Bluetooth mouse and retain the use of my fingers (whereas I'm perfectly fine with the Mac trackpad for drawing diagrams and pixel-level positioning). Edit: Oh, and I run Linux on it through Hyper-V and Docker, since I need to run Windows 10. Had no trouble booting a couple of Ubuntu/Elementary Live USB drives for playing around, most of the hardware seemed to work.

archon810 10y ago
At 300 nits, the display is going to be mediocre at best. Even the P50 4K display which I think is supposed to be 350 nits is dim and really quite awful. HP and Dell have much nicer screens these days.
- rcarmo 10y ago
  Good point. My trouble with the display isn't so much brightness but contrast and color range. I can attribute that partially to the touch layer, but, in all honesty, I just find it an eyesore in general. I use the same wallpapers on my Mac and Windows machines (a set of coloured trianglify patterns), and EVERYTHING looks so much nicer on the Mac that it's just sad.

lobster_johnson 10y ago

As someone who is considering moving from a MacBook Pro 2015 to a Linux laptop, the keyboard and, in particular, the trackpad on PC models are the biggest disappointments. Apple has spent so much effort on the tactility of their laptops, while PC manufacturers still seem to be stuck in an earlier decade. I was a little bit shocked to discover that Thinkpads still have that terrible little mouse nipple, which I hadn't seen in about 10 years. The laptop with the most promising keyboard/trackpad combo, that I have found, is the Dell XPS (it has physical trackpad buttons, but at least they're located at the bottom), which is probably not accidental; it looks a lot like a MacBook, too.

bpye 10y ago
The Surface Pro 4 type cover, and I'd assume the Surface Book, both have a comparable keyboard and I'd say the trackpad is definitely as good as the Macbooks I've used or better (haven't used the latest of any model, but some older Pros and Airs)
- lobster_johnson 10y ago
  Does the Surface Pro series have a model that's comparable to the MacBook Pro 15''? From what I can tell, they max out at 12'', 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD? The "type cover" looks decent, but in the YouTube videos I find, it looks like it's less rigid/solid than a fully integrated keyboard. I see that some people prefer to detach it and use it flat on a solid surface for that reason.
  - my123 10y ago
    You're supposed to go to the Surface Book line. And there's a Pro 4 model with 16GB of RAM and an 1TB SSD.
    - lobster_johnson 10y ago
      I think neither the Book nor the Pro are comparable to a 15'' MBP. Book is 13.5'', Pro is 12.5'', too small for me. Both max out at a dual-core Core i7-6650U (it's hard to find out exactly, the specs don't say anywhere, but that's what reviews tell me), which is two cores less than my MBP. Both max out at 16GB RAM, same as MBP.

faragon 10y ago

It is almost perfect. I would love real 4 core i7 with 8MB L3 cache CPU for laptops, instead of the 2 core (4 threads) with 4MB. Edit: 6th generation of mobile Intel CPUs have models with 4 cores and 8MB of L3 cache (i7-6970HQ), using 45W [1]. However, in 7th generation there are only 2-core models [2]. [1] http://ark.intel.com/products/family/88392/6th-Generation-Intel-Core-i7-Processors#@Mobile http://ark.intel.com/products/family/88392/6th-Generation-In... [2] http://ark.intel.com/products/family/95544/7th-Generation-Intel-Core-i7-Processors#@Mobile http://ark.intel.com/products/family/95544/7th-Generation-In...

my123 10y ago
Using a higher wattage part needs more cooling...
ylk 10y ago
They'll have the 4C model in the T470p http://www.notebookcheck.net/Lenovo-Classic-ThinkPad-models-with-Kaby-Lake-announced-T470-T570-T470s-T470p-L470-L570.189047.0.html http://www.notebookcheck.net/Lenovo-Classic-ThinkPad-models-...
- faragon 10y ago
  Thank you! :-D
pbz 10y ago
The 4 core ones (HQ series) have not been released yet. They're supposed to be out Jan/Feb.

ElijahLynn 10y ago

What happened to the Carbon touch? This would be my next computer except it doesn't have touch. As a developer I use Chrome dev tools emulator with my Thinkpad W510 to perform touch testing. Plus it is fantastic for annotating presentations (Ubuntu, Compiz Annotate plugin).

ElijahLynn 10y ago
The XPS 13 developer edition looks nice and comes with Ubuntu 16.04 but doesn't have a pointer stick. I love the pointer stick, faster than trackpad.
ElijahLynn 10y ago
Ah, looks like I am waiting for the next gen X1 Yoga (touch). It would have USB-C charging then and be light, with a nice screen and my favorite, the touchstick!
ElijahLynn 10y ago
Okay, here we go, 5th generation Thinkpad X1 Carbon just announced at CES 2017. This is a dream machine. http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/thinkpad/x-series/x1-yoga http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/thinkpad/x-series/x1-yo... 16GB ram, 14" WQHD OLED Touchscreen (300 nit), 1TB SSD, Intel® Core™ i7 vPro, Trackpoint (touchstick), retractable keyboard in convertible mode, rechargeable & dockable pen, WWAN (Project Fi free data only sim), touch fingerprint (not the swipey kind), Thunderbolt 3, USB-C (docking is amazing now), WiGig docking. All starting at 3 lbs. (my W510 is 6 lbs w/extended battery). Mmmmmmmmm, now that is a sexy machine!!! Only thing better is if it would come with Ubuntu pre-installed and everything working out of the box. I am gonna get one of these and install Ubuntu or Apricity on it!

KaoruAoiShiho 10y ago

Why is the webdesign so amateurish. I really don't understand these companies that can't put proper priority on having webpages that look really good and luxurious. Spend millions on great industrial design but can't spend the thousands for a decent sales page.

jmiserez 10y ago
That was my first thought as well. The page just looks awful, even more so on mobile.

mrkoolaid 10y ago

... But if you drop it won't it still rattle loose?

vxxzy 10y ago

I have the 2016 model running Arch Linux. The machine is a great piece of engineering. Light as a feather, and feels durable. The carbon fiber body feels great in hand. Performance wise, I have the i7 model 16G RAM and 512GB NVMe SSD. The only slight negative would be battery life. I expected more, but it does last me a full 8hr day of work with screen dimmed. I'm looking forward to purchasing new in another year or so.

bluedino 10y ago

I owned a first generation X1 for a while. Eventually sold it because it only had 4GB of RAM, and there is not much of a source of the proprietary SSD. The battery was down to 3 hours, and I wasn't going to replace it if I couldn't put at least 8GB/512GB into it. I really liked the Lenovo X1. From 2012 to now I've went from the MacBook Pro to MacBook Air and now the MacBook Pro Retina. With the Lenovo, the touchpad wasn't quite as good, the power adapter wasn't quite as compact, the battery life wasn't quite as good (but all were good enough). The screen and keyboard were very good. The trackpoint is a nice addition. The Mini DisplayPort worked with my 27" Apple Cinema Display without issues in both Windows and Linux (Ubuntu worked perfectly BTW). Build quality on the machine was great. Didn't run hot or anything, had all the ports that my Mac did. Later on they sabotaged the function key row and ruined the touchpad. After a year of customer complaints they put it back, but the things were so expensive I just stuck with a Mac. If I needed a Windows/Linux machine however, they would be my first choice.

aiur3la 10y ago
The first gen X1 came with 8GB of RAM and standard SATA interface (is was quite bulky for that very reason). Maybe you are thinking of some other device?
- bluedino 10y ago
  I was speaking of the X1 Carbon - which the article is talking about

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]

rch 10y ago

> we managed to keep the 14″ display ... in a 13″ chassis. Now that’s innovation. Indeed. I'm not sure what they mean here.

aaronmdjones 10y ago
Probably 'a chassis comparable in size to other 13" laptops'. As in, a smaller screen bezel.

noobermin 10y ago

What do these usually go for? Does anyone know?

joatmon-snoo 10y ago
http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/thinkpad/x-series/x1-carbon/?menu-id=thinkpad_x1_carbon_gen_4 http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/thinkpad/x-series/x1-ca...

vacri 10y ago

I have an X1 gen 3, and it has a dongle for the ethernet port. Given the thickness of it, I don't see how this new gen machine can hold a 'native rj45'. Perhaps it's one of those hinged ones that opens out?

faebser 10y ago
That is a really good question and I don't fully understand what 'native' means in this context. did you manage to find out more about it?
vbernat 10y ago
It's native because it is not over USB. The "dongle" is only a cable to go from the "mini" RJ45 to the regular one.
- vacri 10y ago
  Ah, thank you. Yes, it's mildly annoying having to carry a dongle around if I want ethernet, but I've survived so far :)

joecool1029 10y ago

A large chunk of the Thinkpad user community is pretty fed up with the ultrabook spec that Lenovo is shipping on its flagship models, namely the inability to effectively customize and modify to use. I keep an X201 alongside my late 2013 rMBP simply because I can use expresscard and a dock and ethernet without carrying around a stupid dongle. I understand they are trying to chase Apple's market, but expect them to fall flat with products like this. I can stand to have a few extra mm of thickness to actually have a usable product. 51nb (chinese forum) has been addressing the need for upgraded specs in the old chassis with things like their Thinkpad X62 https://imgur.com/a/As6On#uHTzOer https://imgur.com/a/As6On#uHTzOer (you can find the boards on ebay) There's no products that fit the old ultraportable form factor. The T5xx series is great but can't be lugged around easily.

floatboth 10y ago
X240/X250: dock, Ethernet, VGA, SD, optionally smartcard and mobile modem. No dongles required. In X260 they replaced VGA with HDMI, but everything else is still there. The X62 looks nice though :D
deleted 10y ago
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arcaster 10y ago

I absolutely adore my ThinkPad X201, if there was any way to purchase a pristine new-in-box X201 I would. However, I recently picked up a 3rd gen x1 carbon and absolutely love it compared to my rMBP '15. Sure, it's not quite as fast and the screen isn't quite as good, but I can run a true tiling window manager (not the garbage that is KWM on OSX) and have a unfettered dev platform. I run Fedora, I like it more than Ubuntu or Debian and like the fact that I don't have to worry about random underlying features breaking all the time when I update (which wasted a ton of my time when I was using Arch Linux).

scott_karana 10y ago
Can you not run Fedora on a MBP? And if you can/could, how would the comparison still stack up?
Ar-Curunir 10y ago
I'm sure you can run a decent Linux on MBP; I've been running Arch on my MBP for 2.5 yrs now, and it's been great, bar a couple of hiccups. In fact currently it works better than MacOS; MacOS refuses to wake up after shutting the lid.

schmichael 10y ago

Ubuntu on a ThinkPad X1 Carbon is my workstation. As a Go developer I only need Chrome, a terminal, and Go itself (which I install from the official tarball binaries). Now that I have Google Fi I'm kicking myself for not getting the cell radio builtin as Google will send you a data only SIM for free! I would never have to deal with another terrible airport or hotel captive portal again! My coworkers are all Macbook Pro users and ask why I don't get one too. I just don't see the point. I think MBP's build quality is nicer but otherwise I get twice the machine for the same price and get to develop on the same OS as my project primarily targets (Linux).

mjolk 10y ago
> Now that I have Google Fi I'm kicking myself for not getting the cell radio builtin as Google will send you a data only SIM for free! Oh, I forgot Fi would send us this, thanks! > I think MBP's build quality is nicer but otherwise I get twice the machine for the same price and get to develop on the same OS as my project primarily targets (Linux). I just looked at the X1 carbon specs and my 3 year old MacBook Air is faster than the base model carbon and I spent about the same amount of money. The build quality is huge for me as I spend 50+ hours a week directly-on or with peripherals cabled to my laptop. If I wanted, I could install a Linux on it, but really, OS X just works without having to fuss with it (e.g. trying to get the touchpad feel anywhere near as nice). As for writing Go, isn't cross-compilation pretty good? I spend most of my time writing in VHLLs (js, python, etc) and OS X is (still, even after some iOS-direction changes) quite good as a dev environment -- spinning up a VM for when I need to compile something lower-level and test on a target OS is trivial.
- schmichael 10y ago
  > As for writing Go, isn't cross-compilation pretty good? Go's cross-compilation is near perfection unless you use cgo which needs to use a C compiler to link against native libraries. Then you need all of the normal tools and libraries for cross-compiling C; Go just puts a decent on it.
  - mjolk 10y ago

harry8 10y ago

Asus ZenBook working well for me with linux for the last 3 years. I've always had good linux support from thinkpads too. The Asus replaced an apple macbook pro, the model where apple shipped broken GPUs and didn't recall, so that one is a very expensive web-browser that constantly panics and reboots, giving me the opportunity to write a sentence to apple about how I feel about their miserable company that I'm sure nobody will ever read. "The Donald Trump of Computing Companies." Apple really are amazing though. Top comment is an apple fan boy desperate to continue to believe in apple and affronted by the existence of other laptops while other kool-aid drinkers up vote even though it's got stuff all to do with the ThinkPad X1 Carbon. Probably hasn't even got an apple logo shaved into his head!

aiur3la 10y ago
I love everything about the ASUS laptops expect one thing: the mushi keyboard. Press the keys in the middle of the laptop and the keyboard flex with as much as 4-5mm.
aiur3la 10y ago
> Top comment is an apple fan boy desperate to continue to believe in apple and affronted by the existence of other laptops ... Unfortunately this is becoming common on HN posts that praise or even merely discuss another company.

dchuk 10y ago

I desperately want exactly this in a Macbook Pro: "The X1 Carbon delivers up to 15.5 hours of battery life. And if you’re running low, the rapid charging feature provides 80% capacity in just an hour." Specifically the rapid charging. Hell I'd be fine with current battery life (6-10 hrs depending on usage) if it could recharge fast. Same goes for the phones.

SomeHacker44 10y ago
I just desperately want a full 88 key keyboard in a top spec MacBook Pro.

itaysk 10y ago

I have recently upgraded form 4 year old X1 Carbon to new X1 Yoga. Bottom line is I'd recommend the X1 Yoga over the Carbon. Here is my original X1 Carbon review: http://blog.itaysk.com/2013/05/04/lenovo-x1-carbon-touch-review http://blog.itaysk.com/2013/05/04/lenovo-x1-carbon-touch-rev... And here are my thoughts on the X1 Yoga: http://blog.itaysk.com/2016/12/30/from-lenovo-x1-carbon-to-lenovo-x1-yoga http://blog.itaysk.com/2016/12/30/from-lenovo-x1-carbon-to-l...

aiur3la 10y ago
High DPI is still half baked in Windows. I found this comment hilarious given who your employer is...
- itaysk 10y ago
  Just to be clear - I do work for Microsoft, but have nothing to do with Windows, so I don't have any influence on it. I don't find any problem criticising what's wrong and commending what's right. I do that openly with "my employer" products, and the competition as well.

coin 10y ago

The trackpad is off center (to the left), what's up with that?

rifung 10y ago
It's centered relative to the keyboard (the middle of the trackpad is below the 'g' and 'h' keys)

walrus01 10y ago

Love the Thinkpad hardware. Hate Windows 10. If something like the current generation Thinkpad hardware (T or X series) could run OSX, it would be what the Macbook Pro used to be... Remember the first generation Intel macbook pro in 2006 which had a full complement of ports? Everything relevant and needed except RS232.

themihai 10y ago

The real issue with non-Apple hw is the OS. Linux is great for development but sucks on pro media/audio support.

rootme 10y ago

I have a gen 4 X1 carbon. top 16gb ram 1tb hard drive all in. Is the best machine from last year.

desireco42 10y ago

I think it is super important to have honest discussion between developers, with as little flame possible about machines we are using. I am using 5 yr old Macbook Air for development, it works well. I always imagined that I will use ThinkPad /w some Linux distribution in future. It is not trivial to use Linux on your laptop. While a lot of things will be faster, browser most likely will be slower and there will not be as many tools. What I would mostly miss is photography tools, Lightroom is essential for processing photos. I can't not do it. Let me add one more thing to this fairly random post :). I think X1 is better then Macbooks and Airs at the moment, docking station makes a lot of difference.

aiur3la 10y ago
Writing this from a Lenovo X1 running Linux... The keyboard is great so if you do a lot of writing (e.g. you are a developer) this is a very good machine. But if you are doing other stuff then maybe this is not the machine for you. With that said, checkout darktable (http://www.darktable.org/ http://www.darktable.org/ ) which was discussed a few days ago on HN.
- desireco42 10y ago
  Thank you. It is good but can't replace Lightroom. However, there are ways to go around it and I am thinking it through. I can leave one Mac or do dual boot for Win for Lightroom and few games I can't have on Linux. Again, thank you for reference.

karpodiem 10y ago

It's not the sexiest laptop in the world, but my work Dell Latitude 7470 with an I7 6600U, 16GB DDR4 RAM, NVMe drive with a 1920x1080 screen is the best PC laptop I've used. Works great with the Dell dock, where I have two Ultrasharp 21.5 inch monitors in 1080p, with the laptop screen flipped open; three usable screens. I still (slightly) prefer my Mid-2014 13 inch Macbook Pro though, but it's very close.

imafish 10y ago

> Plus we managed to keep the 14" display in a 13" chassis. Now that’s innovation. Dell XPS put a 13" display in 12" a chassis and a 15" display in 14" a chassis.. But a 14" display in a 13" chassis. Now that’s innovation.

c2h5oh 10y ago

I wish HQ CPUs were an option (quad not dual core) - I work primarily with compiled languages. I wish they ditched SATA option for m.2 only and used the extra space for more battery (or cooling for HQ cpu)

therealdrag0 10y ago

I've had the X1 Carbon 3rd gen (Refurbished) for a few years now as my personal laptop. I don't do much heavy lifting with it, mostly League of Legends, Counter-strike, and some side programming. But it's my favorite laptop I've used. The 14" size is perfect for me and I like the feel of the rest of it. Performs well and didn't break the bank. (I've always owned windows PCs, though I've used MBP at work for 2 years now, and have had a MacBook Air that I resold because it was too small and didn't have a niche to fill after my ultrabook and my ipad.)

rzhikharevich 10y ago

Am I correct that "Signature Edition" means no Linux? Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/53ri0m/warning_microsoft_signature_pc_program_now/ https://www.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/53ri0m/warning_micro...

colemickens 10y ago
Read the top comment...
- Aissen 10y ago
  Please do not reference "top comments" as comment order is usually in flux for a while.
  - colemickens 10y ago
    It's a three month old thread.

garrettheaver 10y ago

As someone looking to replace my 2013 13" MBP this is almost exactly what I want. Enough has already been written about the new MBPs and why many of us will no longer consider them. I've already tried the Kaby Lake Razor Blade Stealth but returned it due to shocking quality and support issues. I considered the Asus Zenbook but it has too few ports to be a serious contender and the HP offerings all have screens with a lower resolution than I want. I've always avoided Lenovo, party because Apple were building machines I wanted and partly because my experience of Lenovo to date has been low end cheaper models which suck. I'm willing to give them a chance at the upper end with this though. The sooner to market with this the better

sigil 10y ago

My Thinkpad X1 Carbon 2nd gen is still going strong 3 years later, but this 5th gen is pretty tempting. Main questions: - Are these "up to 15.5 hours of battery life" numbers purely theoretical? Even brand new, my 2nd gen only got about 6 hours of normal usage. I run Ubuntu so maybe these power saving tweaks are the result of closer hardware integration with Windows? - The mobile broadband option (Qualcomm Snapdragon X7) is intriguing, it would save me carrying around a separate hotspot. Has this worked for any Linux users? What carrier do you recommend? - Any reports of the Wigig Dock working on Linux? Pros that I can see: - Real function keys! The adaptive touchpad on my 2nd gen is awkward and silly -- can't believe Apple followed their lead on this. Good riddance. - That the 5th gen is even smaller and lighter boggles the mind. My 2nd gen is already ridiculously thin. After 5 years of hauling 5-8lb T4x models around NYC my back was killing me, and I was probably on the verge of permanent physical injury. The X1 was a godsend. - Same old Trackpoint I know and love. Not for everyone, but a mouse on the home row + vim is ergonomic heaven for me. Never change, Thinkpads! Cons that I can see: - Looks like almost the same display as my 2nd gen, a 2560x1440 WQHD IPS. A small bump up in nits but that's it. Viewing angles are better than on older laptops, but I still can't read my screen in bright environments, and it gets gummed up with debris and smudges way too easily. Apple continues to dominate in this dimension. - Matter of taste, but the Silver design feels like Lenovo is trying way too hard to look Apple-y.

vbernat 10y ago
I can't say anything about this specific Qualcomm, but I have used Qualcomm Gobi 2000 and Sierra EM7345 in previous generations of Thinkpad. They both work fine with Linux but their firmwares were buggy as hell. You have to upgrade them as soon as possible. All the problems I ever had were finally solved by upgrading those firmwares. This usually mean you need to keep Windows for that.
- sigil 10y ago
  Good to know, thanks!

matt2000 10y ago

Does Lenovo's history with malware give anyone pause when considering this laptop? I'm just interested in general - I'm a Mac owner now, but used to be a happy thinkpad owner back in the day.

aiur3la 10y ago
X1 is business series, I think their "malware" was some analytics they installed on the cheap consumer laptops. (not that it makes it any better)

kylebenzle 10y ago

I spent a year waiting for the Yoga x260 thinking I had found the perfect machine, after 11 months I am getting ready to send it in for the 3rd time for a "freezing" trackpad, remedied only by plugging in an external mouse. Also, lack of Linux support is insane for a company selling a working man's machine like this, going back to Dell after this :(

daxorid 10y ago

354 comments for a constantly-refreshing 404 page( "Product 22TP2TXX15G does not exist" )? Is anyone actually following the link or just commenting on the title?

wklock 10y ago
try: http://www3.lenovo.com/ca/en/laptops/thinkpad/thinkpad-x/ThinkPad-X1-Carbon-4th-Gen/p/22TP2TXX14G http://www3.lenovo.com/ca/en/laptops/thinkpad/thinkpad-x/Thi...
- slowmovintarget 10y ago
  That points to the 4th gen X1 Carbon, whereas the link for the story seems to be about a 5th gen X1 Carbon (which now returns a 404). Lenovo may have inadvertently leaked that page onto their site without intending for it to be reachable yet.
skrause 10y ago
Lenovo accidentally published the product page of the new X1 Carbon which actually hasn't been announced yet. They've since realized their mistake and taken it down again, but yesterday you could read everything about the new X1 Carbon. Here is a snapshot of the page: http://archive.is/L1o6h http://archive.is/L1o6h

joshuaNathaniel 10y ago

I'll stay back here while you're jerking it off.

dang 10y ago
We've banned this account for trolling. If you don't want to be banned on HN, you'd be welcome to email hn@ycombinator.com, but please read the following first and make sure you plan to use this site as intended: https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newswelcome.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newswelcome.html We detached this comment from https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13288486 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13288486 and marked it off-topic.
- mSparks 10y ago
  please take your life somewhere else.

gaspoweredcat 10y ago

id upgrade to one of these in a heartbeat if i could afford to but right now thats not an option, thankfully my current gen2 x1 carbon is still an excellent machine that can handle most everything i throw at it

LinuxFreedom 10y ago

Please support the idea of building a better planet for our children and do not buy laptops where you can not replace the battery - managers in companies that build these kind of products have to learn that they are acting against human interests and need to change their way of thinking. Of course this applies to all Laptops where you can not change battery. Thanks and have a better 2017!

grzm 10y ago
Interesting. I hadn't heard of this before. Can you share some references about this?
- LinuxFreedom 10y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obsolescence https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obsolescence
  - grzm 10y ago
    Oh. I thought there was something particular about removable batteries. It wasn't clear to me at all that planned obsolescence is what you were referring to.
jiqiren 10y ago
Nonsense. If you dispose your ewaste properly (which is in general the law) a builtin battery will get recycled or disposed of just the same as one that is replaceable.
- LinuxFreedom 10y ago
  You seem to believe that "ewaste" is something that can be "properly disposed" - you have no clue about reality or you are a marketing guy that wants to spread his lies. Maybe you are just naive and really believe the things big companies are telling you - a good follower!
sprash 10y ago

fiji-flo 10y ago

Page is down :/ Here's an image of the page: http://imgur.com/szPrPuN http://imgur.com/szPrPuN

module0000 10y ago

I use a thinkpad every day, my current model I'm typing this on is a T460. It's entirely user-serviceable(all batteries, ram, hdd, etc) by anyone with a screw driver and the ability to read a manual. The frame is carbon fiber(according to lenovo), and the outside is matte plastic. It doesn't bend, creak, or otherwise make me think it's cheap. It doesn't feel as "solid" as the 15" MBP on my shelf, or the 15" MBP(with touch bar) on the shelf next to it. And before you ask - work buys all this kit, not me. So, in summary...I use one every day(the t460) and it doens't feel cheap. Compared to the 1st gen X1 carbon(also on my shelf, but not 2nd or 3rd gens), it feels significantly heavier, but not any more or less sturdy.

Friedduck 10y ago

I don't think I'm alone in saying I'm disappointed by the new MBPs, and also haven't found a reasonable alternative. I buy for a small office (<100 people) and it's a constant challenge to find decent quality and performance. In a city of 5mm I also can't find a brick & mortar store where I could even evaluate what's on offer. Any place selling laptops these days are all targeting home users, and sifting through online offerings isn't much better. Maybe my expectations are unrealistic, but I'm convinced we've taken a step backward in the last year or so.