Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon previewed

Laptop computers have come a long since the heady days of the early 80’s when carting around a “portable computer” could significantly increase your risk of developing a hernia. Thankfully, laptops these days are much thinner and lighter, making portable computing a much less physically strenuous activity. A perfect case in point is Lenovo’s upcoming ThinkPad X1 Carbon, a 14-inch Ultrabook that tips the scales at less than three pounds (1.3 kg).

Just like the 13.3-inch ThinkPad X1 released last year, the 14-inch ThinkPad X1 Carbon that was previewed at Lenovo’s Accelerate Channel Partner Conference in Las Vegas this week boasts a carbon fiber rollcage that provides strength and durability while minimizing weight. Lenovo claims the unit will be the lightest Ultrabook in the industry, outdoing any 14-inch models on offer from Samsung, HP or Toshiba.

Lenovo isn’t set to release the X1 Carbon for a few months yet, so is yet to provide more detailed specs of the unit. However it has revealed it will sport Intel vPro technology, so we’d assume Intel’s 3rd-Gen Core processors will be on board. The only other details provided are the option of embedded 3G connectivity and the inclusion of Lenovo’s RapidCharge that can charge the unit’s battery to 80 percent of capacity in 35 minutes.
For more detailed specs and pricing info, we’ll have to wait until closer to the August 2012 release date.