Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Carbon Featues:Latest

Lenovo's made the most of the time since Intel defined the "ultrabook" last fall, releasing a number of different models designed for different users. By and large, the company's done good work, too: we called the ThinkPad U300s the best ultrabook on the market back in November, and the IdeaPad U310 delivers pretty solid value for $799.

But Lenovo saved its best for its latest, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon. The Carbon is the successor to last year's X1, and ticks all the ultrabook boxes, but it tries to go even further and outdo everyone: it's a 14-inch laptop that's barely bigger than a typical 13-inch model, and its carbon fiber body is less than three quarters of an inch thick and weighs all of three pounds. There's no shortage of power inside, either, thanks to a Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD in the base model. Solid specs and excellent design add up to Lenovo's most premium ultrabook to date and also its most expensive: it starts at $1,399 and you can easily pay $500 more.
On the one hand, the Carbon is undeniably a ThinkPad — Lenovo's understated black look with a few red accents isn't particularly exciting, but it's handsome in a very professional way. And when it's matched with the matte carbon fiber build of the X1 Carbon, it gets even better. The X1's wedge-shaped body is styled a lot like the MacBook Air, but Lenovo actually improves on the execution: every corner is rounded ever so slightly, and every edge tapers a bit toward the bottom. It gives the X1 a look that's still sharp and modern, but it doesn't dig into your palms and forearms like the Air does.