When Lenovo launched the ThinkPad X300 earlier this year, we praised the system for its razor-thin design, excellent keyboard, and sturdy, yet lightweight, build. Its update, the ThinkPad X301, keeps everything we loved about its predecessor, adding Intel’s Centrino 2 platform (which is touted as offering 20 percent faster performance), DisplayPort, and a speedy 64GB solid state drive. You’ll pay a premium for the X301 (our configuration comes in at just under $3,000), but if a no-compromise business notebook is what you need, you won’t be disappointed. We just wish that it had an hour or two more of battery life.

Familiar, Sturdy Design

The plain, matte black, squared-off exterior of the X301 looks just about the same as all of the ThinkPads that have come before it, so you’ll find the design either classic or dull, depending on your perspective. As with the X300, the 12.5 x 9.1 x 0.9-inch chassis is slightly tapered on the sides, and weighs in at just 3.4 pounds with a six-cell battery and an 8X DVD burner. Like the X300, the X301 is svelte but with excellent construction. Credit Lenovo’s second-generation internal roll-cage design, and a carbon and glass fiber exterior (similar to what’s used in F-1 race cars and commercial airplanes), which the company claims is lighter and stronger than titanium.

A new rubberized soft-touch paint gives the keyboard deck and outer shell a comfortable feel and secure grip. Lenovo includes the usual ports and connectors: three USB 2.0, VGA, Ethernet, headphone and microphone jacks, and DisplayPort. Noticeably absent, however, is a memory card slot for quickly loading the machine with additional content.

Display and Speakers

The X301 employs an LED-backlit, 13.3-inch (1440 x 900-pixel resolution) display with a matte finish that prevents most glare. That high resolution certainly lets you see more of documents and Web pages, though the default text may be too small for some eyes. The backlit, low-reflectivity LED kept the display legible when we were outdoors. We enjoyed rich colors and wide viewing angles while watching our Dark City DVD. The stereo speakers lacked low-end punch, but due to their close proximity (they’re located in the palmrest), the volume was very clear and loud. Above the display is a 1.3-megapixel webcam that provided somewhat dark visuals when we engaged in video chats with friends using Meebo.