The ThinkPad X13 will turn into an inseparable journey companion. I by no means hesitated to take this gentle and nimble machine with me throughout my evaluate interval. Its exemplary high quality evokes confidence, and I cherished that its lid opens rapidly one-handed.
(Credit score: Joseph Maldonado)
The keyboard is about 90% full-size, and whereas the keys look barely small, my fingers had no bother hitting my peak pace within the Monkeytype on-line typing take a look at on the primary attempt. Instinctive key spacing, ample key journey, and exact tactile snap make lengthy typing classes soften away. The white key backlighting is clear and practical, too.
Lenovo additionally nails the touchpad. Although top-hinged and mechanical moderately than haptic, it feels pure and clicks confidently. ThinkPad loyalists will respect the traditional TrackPoint “crimson nub” pointer and its devoted buttons, and Lenovo’s Vantage app additionally permits traditionalists to swap the Fn and Ctrl keys again to their time-honored positions.
The 1,920-by-1,200-pixel IPS display screen delivers ample workspace, the choice for contact enter, and an efficient antiglare coating. It presents brightness adequate for all the pieces wanting direct daylight and sufficient coloration to make your PowerPoints and the occasional film come to life. For leisure, the audio system flanking the keyboard work effectively—not like downward-firing audio system, this setup’s sound projection does not depend on a desk floor, which is kind of helpful for a laptop computer that can spend loads of time in your lap. Warmth and noise had been non-issues in on a regular basis use; the fan hardly ever made itself identified outdoors of heavy, stress-testing benchmarks.
The ThinkPad X13 faces in-house competitors from Lenovo’s personal ThinkPad X1 Carbon Aura Version. Although half an inch wider and just below half an inch deeper, it weighs almost the identical and presents sooner processors and an OLED panel, neither of which the X13 can match. However the X1 Carbon stays rather more costly, a number of hundred bucks above the X13’s entry level. For travel-first patrons, the X13 will be the better-balanced possibility.
