Lenovo confirmed widespread speculation that its new competitor to the Apple MacBook Air is waiting in the wings. The ultraslim ThinkPad X1 embodies familiar ThinkPad styling and combines the Apple “innovation” of an integrated (not user replaceable) battery with remarkably fast charging. I wish Lenovo well, but if the X1 is as poorly executed as its X300 predecessor, it will be a nightmare.
The X300 debuted in February 2008 around the same time as the first generation MacBook Air. I was so excited about the Lenovo machine that I pre-ordered one as a gift for my daughter. Her X300 was one of the first produced. Alas, it was a lemon. My daughter, who is smarter than I, said “No, thanks, Dad” and returned the machine to me after suffering weeks of trouble with it.
The machine exhibited numerous symptoms. After six round-trips for Lenovo (IBM) service, including three (unnecessary) Windows reloads, one LCD replacement, and two planar/system board replacements, the X300 still crashed daily. Lenovo support personnel repeatedly ignored my assertions that the crashes correlated with wireless usage. After I bought a new Intel 4965AGN wireless board and installed it myself, the daily crashes were history.
The X300 still crashes randomly when I plug in a USB device. This is a known problem I can live with. Problems aside, I really like the machine.
Lessons learned: Unless you are a masochist, avoid buying serial number 00001 of the latest and greatest. And don’t make it a gift to a loved one.