Lenovo has recently launched its super slim notebook known as the X300, and many people will automatically compare it to the Apple MacBook Air. Needless to say, Apple is still the king of style while Lenovo maintains its businesslike look and more. What’s more important are not the aesthetics (although they do play an important role in determining the appeal of a device), but the functions that are on offer. The ThinkPad X300 beats the MacBook Air in a few fair segments, especially the inclusion of a wide range of ports and connectivity options, a removable battery, and an integrated DVD drive. Unfortunately, you will still need to fork out a decent amount of dough for the X300 as it is more expensive than Apple’s offering.

The X300 tips the scales at 2.93 pounds, and has a thinnest point that measures 0.75″ thin, which is ironically the thickest point of the MacBook Air. If you include the full size battery and a DVD drive, the weight balloons to 3.5 pounds - not too shabby, but it can be quite a pain whenever you want to lug it around to conferences and shows. Alternatively, you can always opt for the stripped down version which comes with a half size battery, although that would translate to a rather miserable battery life. Other features include a full size keyboard, a 13.3″ LED backlit display, an Ethernet jack and a cellular phone modem.

Lenovo currently offers GPS location finding, wireless USB support, and potentially compatible with WiMax when that technology is widely adopted. The Intel 1.2GHz Core 2 Duo processor is 400MHz slower than the MacBook Air’s, but it ought to be more than enough to get the most basic work done without much hassle or fanfare. A pre-configured retail model will cost $2,799, while the stripped-down version dips below the $2,500 mark.

Source: Information Week