Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon | US$tba | www.lenovo.com
long before personal laptop started going the anorexic route, business machine like the ThinkPad has always been the privileged machine to sport the latest technology in a compact and lightweight form factor. well, that was until personal laptop started to play the catchup game and overtook the once sleek black business machine. however, the upcoming Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon is about set the playing field between personal and business machine leveled once again. the X1 Carbon, as the name implies, is a 14-inch Ultrabook that features a carbon fiber rollcage that offers both the strength and durability while cutting back on its weight. it tip the scale at less than 1.3 kilograms (3 lbs) and sports feature such as a high resolution 1600 x 900 display, a 720p webcam, spill resistant backlit keyboard, a pair of USB 3.0 and 2.0 ports, a Mini DisplayPort socket, an SD card slot, a smooth trackpad along with ThinkPad’s trademark eraserhead pointer and a RapidCharge system that is said to recharge the battery up to 80 per cent in just 35 minutes. further technical details are scant but one of its highlight would be the embedded 3G connectivity that allows for constant connection with a mobile broadband pay-as-you-go option. the latter is a feature we thought was long overdue in mobile computing, let alone in a business machine. who wants to be hunting for wireless networks or tether through our phone these days? seriously, that makes the men in black look totally incomplete and unprofessional. the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon is expected to hit the market this Summer with pricing yet to be available.