<p>Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon releases late August 2012:
$1400
3rd Gen i5 @ 1.7GHz
4GB RAM
HD 4000 integrated graphics
14" LED 1600x900 matte TN panel
128GB SanDisk SSD
Tested ~5 hours battery life
3lbs
.74"x13x8.9</p>
<p>Wifi, webcam, SD card reader, USB 3 x1, USB 2 x1, Mini DisplayPort, backlit keyboard.</p>
<p>Pretty much exactly what I'm looking for in a laptop to tote around school: quality built light 14" ultrabook with 1600x900 matte screen ( ThinkPad</a> X1 Carbon Vs. Lenovo ThinkPad T430s Screen Comparison - YouTube ) and SSD. My favorite features are that it's made out of carbon fiber (hence the name) so it theoretically should be light and durable and has a 1600x900 matte screen. I think the battery life could be better, but really that's the only shortfall I see (and it does come with RapidCharge technology, where supposedly it charges from 0% to 70-80% in about 35 minutes time) - besides the price (I don't plan on playing games with it, so the HD graphics aren't a killer). I'll be a business major.</p>
<p>So anyone have comparison opinions? Is the $1400 price worth it compared to what else is out there and the fact that it should be Lenovo Thinkpad quality? Bear in mind that the $1400 price is the retail price and Lenovo is known to have a slightly lower online price often coupled with saver and coupon deals that drop most models by a couple hundred bucks. Within a few months of release I can see it more in the $1200 range.</p>
<p>In my opinion, the new Thinkpad X1 Carbon is well worth the hefty price tag. While It’s not exactly budget friendly, as you’ve mentioned by waiting a few months, purchasing online & taking advantage of deals & eCoupons, you could get a great deal. </p>
<p>Since I will be starting college this fall, I too was in the market for a new laptop. At first I thought of purchasing a Thinkpad T430 but realized that an ultrabook would best be suited for everyday commuting. I wanted the quality build & superior keyboard of a Thinkpad but also the lightweight footprint & speed of a Macbook Air. After reading a few brief reviews of the X1 Carbon, I feel that this one of very few ultrabooks in the market that rival the Macbook Air’s dominance. </p>
<p>With that in mind you should also consider looking at the budget friendly HP Folio, the Thinkpad T430S, the new Samsung Series 9 line, the Asus ultrabook line & of course the Macbook Air.</p>
<p>If there’s no discounts being applied, it’ll cost more than a Macbook Air of similar specs. So you’ll be paying Apple tax and then some.</p>
<p>Also, the palm rest area appears to be very short. This may affect your typing, so I wouldn’t jump on this one right away. Try it out in a store first.</p>
<p>ThinkPad X1 Carbon Laptop
Intel Core i5-3317U Processor (3M Cache, up to 2.60 GHz)
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium (64 bit)
14.0" Premium HD+ (1600x900) LED Backlit Display, 720p HD Camera, Mobile Broadband Enabled
Intel HD 4000 Graphics in Intel Core i5-3317U Processor with 4GB 1333MHz DDR3L On Board
4 GB PC3-10600 DDR3L SDRAM 1333MHz SODIMM Memory (1 DIMM)
TrackPoint with Fingerprint Reader and Clickpad - Type US
128GB Solid State Drive, SATA3
Battery
Bluetooth 4.0 with Antenna
Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205S (2x2 AGN)
Integrated Mobile Broadband (Ericsson H5321)
1 Year Depot/Express Warranty</p>
<p>Almost all ultrabooks and definitely all Apple products are over-priced. If that doesn’t matter, then they’re great. Why?</p>
<p>3rd-gen i5: You can find usually this on +$600 laptops
4GB RAM: You can find usually this on +$300 laptops
Intel HD 4000 Graphics: You can usually find this on +$400 laptops
128 GB SSD: You can self-upgrade to this with +$70</p>
<p>The benefits of an ultrabook would be its weight (which could be important), screen resolution (which you can’t upgrade), and appearance (which shouldn’t really be important).</p>