The first Carbon X1 did the impossible by making business laptops cool. Now, the newest version of the 14-inch ThinkPad is even cooler, thanks to some minor improvements and the addition of an adaptive keyboard.
We got a peek at the new Carbon X1 first-hand, and the handy adaptive keyboard is probably the most notable addition to this sleek, slim machine. What is it? Instead of a bar at the back of the keyboard that has each of the regular functions each listed on a single key or a haptic strip with locked-in options, the X1 has a low-power touch screen that lets you toggle through them, as well as change the orientation and so forth. It saves space on the computer, doesn’t eat away at battery life, and basically just simplifies the configuration of the whole laptop.
Otherwise, the Intel i7 processor-packed machine is much lighter, weighing in at only 2.8 pounds (1.27kg), and retains the same sleek carbon fibre casing as its predecessor. It’s also upped the battery life to a healthy nine hours, coupled with Rapid Charge, that will bring the baby back up to 80 per cent juice in just 50 minutes. It has voice control support, the option of 4G LTE, Bluetooth 4.0 and NFC support too.
So if you need a new laptop for business purposes — or for “business” purposes — the Carbon X1 just might be your guy. US pricing is $US1300; we’ll update when we find out Australian availability and pricing.
