Lenovo ThinkPad X120e review: Lenovo ThinkPad X120e

Editors' note: Originally scheduled for mid-February availability, the launch of this product has been delayed until March 8, 2011.

8.1

Lenovo ThinkPad X120e

The Good

AMD E-350 CPU offers long battery life; solid graphics; excellent keyboard; compact, professional ThinkPad design.

The Bad

Throwback rubberized trackpoint eats up valuable space; battery bulge; heavy chassis; more expensive than some other AMD Fusion systems.

The Bottom Line

The AMD Fusion-powered ThinkPad X120e is an 11-inch ultraportable that's better and more affordable than last year's model, making it an even better choice for small-business buyers.

A new wave of AMD Fusion processors aimed at 11.6-inch ultraportables is making its way into Netbook-size laptops, promising a new generation of tiny, well-powered budget super-Netbooks. Stick one into a ThinkPad design, and you have the ThinkPad X120e, an update to last year's ThinkPad X100e (which had AMD's Neo processor). We liked the compact feel and excellent keyboard, but the battery life back then was too short for everyday use.

The new ThinkPad X120e ranges in price from $399 to nearly $1,000; our version costs $579 and has a 1.6GHz AMD Fusion E-350 dual-core processor--the same one as in the HP Pavilion dm1, the first laptop we reviewed with an AMD Fusion processor.

The AMD Fusion upgrade amounts to a win for this ThinkPad. The X120e offers improved graphics and a markedly better battery life at a lower price than its predecessor, the X100e. Still, that price is significantly higher than a Netbook--or, for that matter, the HP Pavilion dm1, an 11.6-incher with the same AMD e-350 processor, which starts at $450 for a comparable build. A lot of 11.6-inchers will feature this new AMD Fusion platform, which means there will be a lot of choices for interested shoppers. Consider the ThinkPad X120e a pricier, but slightly more professional, spin on the competition. It's also the best ThinkPad budget ultraportable we've seen.