A Snapdragon in a ThinkPad: Lenovo unveils the X13s
- Reference: 1646054474
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2022/02/28/lenovo_x13s/
- Source link:
The ThinkPad X13s is built on the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 compute platform, and will give those with deep enough pockets a silent (the design is fanless) always-on, always-connected laptop, replete with 28 hours of battery life (depending on use cases), and up to 32GB of RAM.
It's undoubtedly a neat bit of kit. Users will welcome a 5MP camera with AI auto-framing as well as connectivity to 5G (or 4G) networks and Wi-Fi 6 (or 6E). You can also ramp up the storage of the 1kg machine to 1TB if needed and the 13.3-inch display can be specified with touch.
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Click to enlarge
Sitting atop all that hardware is, however, Windows on Arm (and Microsoft's Pluton security tech), which might not be quite so appealing despite Redmond finally dragging its productivity applications kicking and screaming into something a bit more native. Windows 11 does provide x64 emulation, but do too much that isn't native and users can expect both battery life and performance to suffer.
Still, a premium Windows-on-Snapdragon experience demonstrates that there remains life away from Wintel world, even if that €1,399/ $1,099 starting price (hardware is available from May) might make some wince. After all, a 13-inch Mac Book Pro with Apple Silicon starts at £1,299. We have asked Lenovo for UK pricing.
[4]Lenovo's data center business finally makes a profit
[5]For those worried about Microsoft's Pluton TPM chip: Lenovo won't even switch it on by default in latest ThinkPads
[6]Lenovo ThinkPad T14s: Impressively average, which is how corporate buyers like it
[7]Close but no cigar: Lenovo infrastructure group narrowly falls short of a profit
More traditional hardware comes in the form of a refresh of the company's IdeaPad Chromebooks (which can be powered by a variety of chips up to a 12th-generation Intel Core CPU), the 360-degree hinge of the IdeaPad Flex 5 2-in-1 series and the detachable Bluetooth keyboard of the tablet-esque Duet 5i. The keyboard for the Flex is thankfully bundled (although Lenovo highlights Windows 11's "tablet-centric features"). The Active Pen is an optional extra.
Away from PCs, Lenovo also has Android 12 tablets on offer in the shape of the third-generation M10 Plus, with up to 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. The 10-inch units will also be powered by an octa-core processor. The tablet also starts at a relatively reasonable €249.
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Finally, the X1 Extreme has hit its fifth generation with 12th-gen Intel Core i9 silicon and up to 64GB of DDR5 memory and a potential 8TB of SSD storage. The workhorse ThinkPad T Series has similarly received some silicon updates, although the welcome arrival of 14 and 16-inch 16:10 displays (4K, although a 2.8K OLED option is available on the T14s) with slim bezels will appeal without frightening the corporate horses.
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And then there is the portable ThinkVision M14d second screen. [10]We looked at the original M14 in 2019 and liked what we saw. While Lenovo hasn't addressed all of our complaints (there is still no touch support and the lack of a battery will annoy road warriors), there is now a 16:10 aspect ratio and the 2.2K IPS display makes for a bit more viewing space. ®
Get our [11]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.lenovo.com/gb/en/events/mwc
[2] https://regmedia.co.uk/2022/02/28/thinkpadx13s1.jpg
[3] https://regmedia.co.uk/2022/02/28/thinkpadx13s2.jpg
[4] https://www.theregister.com/2022/02/23/lenovo_q3_2022/
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2022/01/20/microsoft_amd_pluton_lenovo/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2021/11/24/lenovo_t14s/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2021/11/05/lenovo_q2_21_22/
[8] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2Yhz-t1HwC4--SI3HSv7AUQAAAAA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[9] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Yhz-t1HwC4--SI3HSv7AUQAAAAA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2019/10/07/lenovo_thinkvision_m14/
[11] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Microsoft Pluton
Can't help feel this is just another attack vector with built-in-obsolescence if, and when, Microsoft decide to stop updating the firmware. Going by Windows 11's latest timeline, this could be 3-4 years for hardware.
Windows on Arm fledgling, is still very much up in the air, it could still go to the wall, like Windows Phone, and sooner rather than later.
Truth is if you're betting on Windows on Arm, better to test the water by buying an M1 mac running Parallels, at least the alternative M1 macOS platform is here to stay, even if Windows on Arm gets dropped.
As a platform, it's probably got 12 Months max to find its feet. Think 3D Paint, Activity History Timeline and all the others that have fallen to the wayside, before it.
I mean, did anyone ask for Pluton? By Microsoft of all people, too. It really doesn't shout "Reassurance".
Re: Microsoft Pluton
Pluton is not the (only) problem. The CPU is from Qualcomm. I expect support to disappear in the same amount of time it takes Qualcomm to end support of Android phone CPUs.
Seduced and abandoned by yet another attempt at a non-x86 Windows?
> Windows on Arm fledgling, is still very much up in the air
My first thought was "Oh, like Windows RT all over again". And remember how they dropped that- and its users- like a hot potato when they got bored of it?
How many attempts at a non-x86 version of Windows has MS made? And how many times have they ditched them when they didn't take off and abandoned anyone trusting enough to have invested in it? (*)
Regardless, it's obvious at this stage that you'd have to be a mug to invest in anything based on a non-x86 version of Windows.
I wouldn't put money on this one being a success either- if it is, we can buy it once it's proven itself. Of course, if everyone follows that reasoning, it'll fail for sure.
Too bad, not our problem; let MS reap what they've sown.
(*) This is MS's modus operandi in general, throw the mud at the wall, expect everyone to go along with it- a la Silverlight- then ditch it when it fails, abandoning everyone invested in it, for the next failed attempt at whatever nonsense. Throw into this unholy mix MS's confusing marketing- using the same name for different things, different names for the same thing, similar names for different things (e.g.) .NET having been .NET Core, which "obviously" isn't the same as the .Net framework) and it makes using any non-established MS technology a minefield.
Re: Seduced and abandoned by yet another attempt at a non-x86 Windows?
I remember Windows on MIPS, Alpha, Itanium and a few other processor platforms, heck they even allegedly had a fully working Windows NT 4 for PowerPC, back in the day.
I really like Windows on Alpha, but there were never really any native apps for it.
Re: Seduced and abandoned by yet another attempt at a non-x86 Windows?
They was indeed a PowerPC build of Windows NT4 Workstation (for devices conforming to the PowerPC Reference Platform, so it won’t work on Apple hardware). I worked for Motorola at the time, and NT was one of the options available with its “PowerStack” PPC workstations..
Is this price tag correct ?
WoW WTF ? Is this chopped down little brat the same price as the old bugger of a MACBook Pro of the same screen size ? Well again I have to say WTF ?
Go for it muppets..........
Gob agape........
ALF
Pricing
Still, a premium Windows-on-Snapdragon experience demonstrates that there remains life away from Wintel world, even if that €1,399/ $1,099 starting price (hardware is available from May) might make some wince. After all, a 13-inch Mac Book Pro with Apple Silicon starts at £1,299.
It always makes me laugh when people criticise Apple kit for being extortionate. They're normally earlier to the party (compare M1 vs Windows ARM-based offerings), better built (ThinkPads have never been the same since the Lenovo takeover) and cheaper, like-for-like.
fscking hell i'll stick with my t440p with full hd screen and upgraded touchpad running xp
Presumably, I'll want Pluton ...
... because of Microsoft's impeccable record on security.
28hrs of playing local video.
That statistic is so intentionally misleading. I'm guessing it has a dedicated decoder. I don't trust Qualcomm at all, and they've done a horrible job at being competitive. Too hot and too slow. It has hurt Android massively because the hardware just isn't competitive. Otherwise it is nice to see the ram and lenovo styling, but at the current rate of M1 Linux work and prices it would be foolish to buy this Lenovo. Qualcomm is so bad for the ARM ecosystem as a whole. Plus, it looks like in the US the cell capabilities tie it to being sold with a phone plan? No thanks.
2 hours of Slack
ok ok 2.5 hours