More on the keyboard in a minute, but speaking of ultrabooks, they’re a class of competitors that the ThinkPad X220 and other ultraportables didn’t face a year ago. Most are a little lighter and cost a little less than the compact but chunky (1.1x12x8.1-inch) ThinkPad X230, which weighs 3.4 pounds and sells for $ 1,164 in our test configuration at Lenovo’s site. Most have slightly larger screens—13.3 inches to the X230′s 12.5 inches. So why would anyone opt for the X230 over a slimmer, sleeker ultrabook?
Two reasons: performance and construction. The Lenovo has a 35-watt, 2.6GHz Intel Core i5-3320M processor instead of the low-voltage, 17-watt CPUs found in ultrabooks, so it crunches through demanding tasks faster. And though it’s not a drop-defying rugged laptop like some Panasonic Toughbooks, it’s absolutely free of flex or wobble, with a rigid magnesium-alloy chassis covered with soft-touch paint for the trademark black ‘n’ boxy ThinkPad look. Stuff it into a bag, toss it into a briefcase, grab it with one hand and dash to a meeting down the hall—the X230 will keep up with you.
The ultraportable also offers more connectivity than most ultrabooks, complete with an old-school ExpressCard/54 slot on the left side. (A Smart Card reader for the slot is optional.) Also on the left are two USB 3.0 ports, VGA and Mini DisplayPort video outputs, and a Wi-Fi on/off switch. There’s no HDMI port for connecting the laptop to an HDTV set, but Intel’s Wireless Display (WiDi) is present for beaming video and audio to one equipped with a Belkin or Netgear adapter. Other wireless functionality includes Bluetooth and 802.11n Wi-Fi.
An always-on USB 2.0 port (suitable for recharging handheld gadgets) is on the system’s right side, along with an SD/MultiMediaCard flash-memory slot and Ethernet and headphone/microphone jacks. Docking options include a $ 220 desktop base with a slim modular bay for an optical drive or a second hard drive, and a battery slice that Lenovo claims provides up to 24 hours of unplugged use.
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