Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch Arrives with Windows 8

The ThinkPad X1 Carbon is even more attractive now that Lenovo put the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch up for sale with Windows 8.

This new version of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon that we loved includes a 14.1-inch touch screen and a 3G radio for on the go productivity anywhere there is a cell signal.

The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch marries Windows 8 with a touch screen for a better user experience. A touch screen isn’t mandatory for Windows 8, but it makes the experience many times better. The Carbon X1 doesn’t transform into a tablet like the Ultrabook Convertibles we’ve been reviewing at Gotta Be Mobile, but it does lay flat in a quasi-tablet mode for sharing the display with another user.

ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch 2

The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch adds a touch screen to the popular notebook.

The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch features a 14.1-inch display with a 1600 x 900 resolution, higher than what’s typically found on consumer and lower-end business notebooks. This makes it possible to run two apps side by side in the Modern User Interface of Windows 8 and to show more on-screen at once in the desktop mode of Windows 8.

The X1 Carbon Touch keeps the same ThinkPad Keyboard we loved on the original and the glass touchpad sitting below it adds support for Windows 8 gestures.

Read: ThinkPad X1 Carbon Review: Best Business Notebook (Editor’s Choice)

The touchscreen adds a little weight to the X1 Carbon Touch, which weighs in at 3.2 pounds compared to the 2.99 pounds on the original X1 Carbon. The notebook is still portable and measures in at 0.74″ thick.

ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch

The ThinkPad X1 Carbon touch lays flat for sharing the touch screen.

Lenovo claims the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch battery life lasts 8.2 hours, though we’ve seen Windows 8 notebooks fall short of battery life claims. The X1 Carbon Touch supports rapid charging for quick top-offs. Lenovo claims 35 minutes on the charger equals five hours of run time.

For connectivity and software, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch includes;

  • Dolby Home Theater v4 sound
  • Dual-array microphones
  • One USB 3.0 port
  • One USB 2.0 port
  • 4-in-1 card reader
  • Face tracking webcam optimized for Microsoft Lync

The ThinkPad X1 Carbon ouch is $150 more than the non-touch model, but with Windows 8’s focus on touch and gestures the upgrade is one that business users will appreciate and IT managers should spring for.

Shoppers can find the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch at Lenovo for $1,399.

Related Posts

Advertisement