MacBook Air Vs ThinkPad X300
Apple's MacBook Air introduced the
world to the thinnest notebook to date. Released in
January of 2008, it is known as "ultrathin, ultraportable,
and ultra unlike anything else." With the recent
announcement of the new ThinkPad X300 from Lenovo,
analysts are predicting that the ThinkPad will give
Apple a run for it's money. The following is a brief
review of each.
MacBook Air
The new Apple
MacBook Aircomes in a bit thinner
than the Lenovo ThinkPad X300, measuring only 0.16
inches at its thinnest point. Steve Jobs actually
introduced the new laptop to a crowd of onlookers
at the Macworld Conference in San Francisco, by pulling
the ultra thin notebook out of an office envelope.
With a price tag of just under $2000, this notebook
is a bargain in a class of laptops that are usually
a bit more pricey.
Because the MacBook Air is so thin,
the battery must be built in. Early tests are reporting
about two to three hour battery life between charges.
Other drawbacks include no built in GPRS/Edge etc,
no optical drive, one USB port, and no choice of pointing
device. Though it was designed for an SSD flash drive,
it can also be purchased with an iPod drive, and Apple
is expected to upgrade the drive by the end of the
year. Despite some of these early drawbacks regarding
features, overall this is a beautiful looking and
very durable laptop, which Apple should improve upon
over the upcoming year.
ThinkPad X300
Though not as sexy as the MacBook
Air, the ThinkPad is built with the business user
in mind. While the MacBook air is a consumer machine,
this laptop is built more to be a business tool. The
ThinkPad has a replaceable battery, replaceable optical
drive, and three USB ports, compared to only one on
the MacBook Air. The ThinkPad keyboard includes both
Touchpoint and Touchpad pointing devices, a very durable
/ industrial strength built frame, a full set of management
tools, and a more advanced flash drive. The ThinkPad
also complies with EPEAT Gold, meaning it is one of
the most "green", eco-friendly laptops on
the market.
Which one is better?
Along with all of the executive
minded features of the ThinkPad, comes an executive
level price tag. The ThinkPad X300 will be initially
made available for around $2,799. So if cost if your
main bargaining point, then the sub $2000 MacBook
Air is your best bet. Otherwise, your decision should
be based on needs. The ThinkPad is designed for the
top executive that is always on the run. ThnkPads
have never really been known for being "sexy"
products, but they have always been thin, while still
being reliable. But if you are looking for something
ultra thin and ultra cool, at a great price, and you
don't need all of the high end business type features
of the ThinkPad, then the MacBook Air may be your
best bet.
Only time will tell which one comes
out on top, but these are both great, innovative products
that should spur the ultra thin laptop market for
years to come.
We hope our news, information
and articles will help you make an informed choice
when buying from the Apple
Store
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