The good: Extremely portable design; excellent keyboard; fingerprint reader; integrated WWAN radio; great performance; incredibly long battery life when configured with high-capacity battery.

The bad: More expensive than comparable models; lacks built-in optical drive; lacks built-in support for ExpressCards.

The bottom line: The first ultraportable to accommodate Intel's Core Duo processor, the ThinkPad X60s combines blazing performance and incredible battery life with a full feature set and a compact case. We like it.

Read full review of the ThinkPad X60 »

By Michelle Thatcher
Mar 23, 2006

The latest model in the ThinkPad X series, the ultraportable X60s is almost imperceptibly lighter and thinner than its predecessor, the ThinkPad X41. Though the X60s improves upon the previous generation by adding a few more features, including built-in WWAN connectivity and the latest Intel Core Duo processors, it still lacks the built-in optical drive found in smaller, lighter competitors, such as the Sony Vaio VGN-TX17GP and the Fujitsu LifeBook P7120. And yet the ThinkPad X60s is as costly as the Sony and more expensive than the Fujitsu--our loaded test configuration cost S$3,235.05 (US$2,344.24). Still, the ThinkPad's keyboard is larger than those laptops', making it the better choice if comfortable typing is more valuable to you than viewing CDs and DVDs. In general, if you can do without a built-in optical drive, we think the ThinkPad X60s delivers a best-in-class balance of comfort, performance, battery life, and portability.

Design
Measuring 268 x 211 x 35mm, the ThinkPad X60s is nearly identical to its predecessor, the ThinkPad X41. The base X60s configuration weighs a spritely 1.43kg, though our test unit, which included an eight-cell battery, weighed 1.59kg (the battery also adds 25.4mm of depth and 10.2mm to the thickness at the back). The laptop's diminutive AC adapter adds 0.32kg to its total weight. The Vaio VGN-TX17GP and the LifeBook P7120 are smaller and lighter and yet manage to incorporate an optical drive, though they also have smaller displays.

	Though slightly larger than the LifeBook P7120 and Vaio VGN-TX17GP, the optical drive is not present in this ultraportable.

The ThinkPad X60s's 12.1-inch display has a 1,024 x 768-pixel native resolution that provides just enough screen real estate for basic business tasks and Web surfing; the Fujitsu's and Sony's smaller displays have slightly finer resolutions. Though most ultraportables sacrifice key size to fit a smaller case, the X60s's keys are large and very comfortable for extended typing. Our only complaint is that the right side Alt and Ctrl keys are a bit narrow--annoying if you're accustomed to using shortcuts. As with all ThinkPads, the X60s includes a red TrackPoint pointing stick; beneath the keyboard are three mouse buttons (the center acts as a scroll button) and a fingerprint reader for security. Otherwise, you get just volume controls and a long, blue ThinkVantage button that launches system maintenance, connectivity, and other utilities. Tucked into the lid is a nifty light that illuminates the keyboard in dim environments.

Features
Business travelers will find all the ports they need on the ThinkPad X60s: VGA, four-pin FireWire, and three USB 2.0 ports, as well as headphone and microphone jacks. The laptop also includes slots for Type II PC Cards and Secure Digital cards, though ExpressCards require an adapter (not included). Aside from the aforementioned missing optical drive, the ThinkPad X60s's connections match up well with those of both the Vaio VGN-TX17GP and the LifeBook P7120. Our review model included the X6 Ultrabase docking station (S$417.90 (US$302.83) if you buy it as an option), which features a DVD/CD-RW drive in addition to a number of other ports and connections.

Like the Sony Vaio VGN-TX17GP, the ThinkPad X60s offers the maximum degree of connectivity, with modem, Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi, and an integrated cellular radio (on select models, including our review unit) that connects to Verizon's EV-DO data network. This feature, however, is not present in Asia Pacific retail units.

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