There's Something in the Air: Lenovo's ThinkPad X300

Lenovo has just announced its ethereal ThinkPad X300 ultra-portable notebook. The newest addition to the ThinkPad series is as thin as Apple's MacBook Air, but at the same time, it comes with a whole new bunch of features that the Air can't even dream of.

The X300 is the first competitor that attempts to take MacBook Air's crown. Lenovo's idea of mobility has a 13-inch widescreen display, a fully-fledged keyboard (unlike the cheap Linux-based ultra-mobile PCs) and comes with a 64 GB solid-state drive by default. Strange enough, these features were the main attractions to Apple's MacBook Air notebook.

However, Apple's notebook lacks some vital functionalities, such as a built-in DVD drive or a fixed battery that cannot be replaced unless you go to a specialized service. The connectivity options are also limited, given the fact that it offers a single USB port. Of course, you can use an USB hub, but this would cost some premium, and you have already paid some $3000.

The ThinkPad X300 comes to fix all the aspects Apple overlooked in their state-of-the-art laptop. It comes with a built-in DVD drive, a removable battery, three USB ports, and an Ethernet networking jack. Moreover, the user can choose between Windows XP and Windows Vista as operating systems.

The only aspect that makes the difference between the Mac and the X300 is weight. The Thinkpad X300 could is a little bit heavier than the three-pound weight that is the traditional limit for a sub-notebook. However, its 3.12 pounds allow the user to carry it as comfortable as a MacBook Air.

However, IDC's Doug Bell said that the two products cannot compete with each other, given the fact that they address to different markets. While Lenovo is pitching the ThinkPad at the enterprise market, Apple's MacBook Air is more consumer-oriented.

Moreover, Lenovo's device is priced a little too high ($2,500-2,800), which is a major drawback. The price easily exceeds the average price for this kind of computing systems.