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Lenovo's X300 vs. Apple's MacBook Air

Introduction

When Apple launched its MacBook Air, it was rumored that Lenovo would follow up with a 13" ultra-portable laptop. Lenovo did just that in February when it launched its X300. We focus on the X300, but include comparisons with the MacBook Air.

Lenovo X300

Lenovo’s high-end portable PC is comparable with the MacBook Air in two ways: its price, which is well over $2,500, and its 13.3" size. But that is where the comparison between the two systems ends as the X300 clearly targets a different market than Apple’s machine does. That being said, it still didn’t seem unreasonable for us to compare the two.

Our article focuses on the technical aspects of the X300, a later article on Tom’s Guide will concentrate more on ergonomics and the machine’s operating system.

A professional demographic

The X300 targets a different crowd than the one that the MacBook Air does. While Apple’s machine is more geared for the general public (it is based on Apple’s classic style), Lenovo’s laptop was designed more with professionals in mind. The X300’s design is sober and much less in-your-face than Apple’s is. Some of the X300’s features also indicate that the machine wasn’t designed for the general public but for users with work-related application needs. Still, the X300 should appeal to non-professional users as well, with its 13.3" screen and light weight of 3.5 lb. The X300 puts its Intel Core Duo 2 processor to use for power savings and offers an abundance of features.

Lenovo X300

Lenovo X300


Talkback


anonymous x 30/04/2008 10:46
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anonymous x
I would say its better than the macbook air.
The air is so limiting (you can't even change the battery- its an ultraportable without flexible battery options!
CptnVortex 30/04/2008 10:55
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CptnVortex
Did you forget about the 3 year Lenovo Warranty? And the optional 6 Cell main battery? The X300 is an amazing laptop, got one myself! $2550 CAD. Also, mine came with a single 2GB module installed, so I upgraded to 4GB for $39!!
CptnVortex 30/04/2008 10:57
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CptnVortex
What about the 3 year Warranty the Lenovo comes with? Also, the one I ordered and recieved came with a single 2gb module isntalled, so $39 CAD and I was at 4GB! A great deal for such an AWESOME and rigid notebook. Dont forget there is also an optional 6 Cell Main battery available too
kalpesh 30/04/2008 11:00
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kalpesh
Mac Great show of your money and style
huafi 01/05/2008 12:14
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huafi
Have you mixed up some of your data? For instance, the article says that "The time it takes for Photoshop CS3 to load up is comparable on both machines, even if the Windows version is faster", but the data shows that the MBA launched Photoshop in 8 seconds, vs 46 seconds for Windows. That makes the Mac nearly 6 times as fast! And if you're going to show the data for the MBA with mechanical drive, you should note more clearly that that model is much, much cheaper than either SSD machine.

Don't get me wrong; I think the X300 is a fantastic machine. It's a bummer that they didn't give it a good screen, and I hope that some of the quality issues with recent Lenovos don't manifest with this one, because it's an amazing engineering accomplishment. It has several features (especially WWAN and much better expandability/connectivity) that I really wish the MBA hadn't compromised on. Then again, aesthetically there's no comparing the two; the MBA is simply an amazingly desirable object, where the X300 just comes across as...competent. Whether that matters to you or not is purely personal.

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