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The optional battery slice – called the '39+' is a lithium ion cell 36wh design which is meant to double the battery life. It is rather tricky to get in the UK but can be ordered from partners on the Amazon store. It retails for around £230 inc vat, so it is a costly addition. It adds an extra 390g to the weight of the machine.
The standard internal battery of the ThinkPad X1 cannot be removed in the same way as a normal battery, this is why Lenovo opted for the slice style.
Inside, the battery is enclosed in a protective cover with a single page ‘manual' explaining how to fit the battery slice to the machine.
The battery itself is very long and also very thin. The fitting procedure is a little more complex than a standard battery.
Firstly, slide back a protective cover on the main body of the ThinkPad X1, this allows the battery slice to ‘join' the main body of the machine.
Check that the main lock and unlock icon is in the ‘unlock' position.
Slot the battery into two holding positions in the main laptop body, then push down until it clicks into place. Push the locking switch into ‘locked' mode and flatten on a clip mechanism on the other side. It adds a little bulk to the unit, but it is actually not that noticeable under real world conditions.
We read about problems with this battery slice on the official Lenovo forums, but we didn't experience any issues with the one we received for review, so hopefully it was isolated to an earlier batch, since rectified.
We will analyse battery performance later in the review.
That is seriously impressive. Its fairly expensive, but with all the work and materials involved I wouldnt mind paying it.
Surprised about the keyboard being that good, most laptop keyboards suck ass.
Fantastic. looks ideal for my business needs. No need to worry about a discrete card.
Great to see lenovo aiming a little higher. most of their machines are budget oriented
backlighted keyboard, I wish more manufacturers would use them. my mates mac has one and i love it.
Yeah thats what a call a good laptop. Tginkpad always had brilliant keyboards, good to see lenovo didnt cock it up
Whats milspec? Some kind of rugged standard?
We bought five of these for work and they are really good. Ideal for travelling as they can take a fair bit of abuse.
Battery slice is very costly however and needed for anything serious on the move.
Shame its not an ips screen. Some other thinkpads use those.
I know there were some battery issues with this initially, but I think a bios update has sorted it. This is a heck of a nice machine for most people (excluding gamers).
Such a shame they went for a single memory slot, and therefore single channel. Understandable for a netbook, but for a 1000+ machine? I know space is at a premium, but SODIMM slots can be stacked or placed beside each other, I cant see how this couldnt be done.
really looks cool! no doubt about it but im looking for a mid-high range laptop just like this
http://www.thinkpadtoday.com/thinkpad-x220-and-x220-tablet-review-the-new-benchmark-for-ultraportables.htm
which gives a little more kick! any suggestion?