Lenovo ThinkPad X230
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Average of 13 scores (from 20 reviews)
Reviews for the Lenovo ThinkPad X230
Upgraded Professionalism. The 2012 refresh of the X220 may look the same on the outside, but the X230 is the first in the 12.5-inch lineup to introduce both the an Ivy Bridge CPU and the new "Precision" Chiclet keyboard in place of the traditional beveled design. Has Lenovo hit a home run? Or is the backlash against the new keyboard design really warranted?
Source: PC Perspective Archive.org version
Portability is also excellent. The X230 is light, thin and easy to carry. It also last over eight hours under light load with nothing more than the six-cell battery. Users who want to be able to carry the laptop for an extended workday can opt for the 9-cell, which is only $50 more. The trade-off for all of this good stuff is aesthetics. The ugly-duck traits of the ThinkPad line are no easier to ignore than before. But I doubt anyone in the market for this class of laptop desires a flashy exterior.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 07/31/2012
Source: Computer Shopper Archive.org version
The Lenovo ThinkPad X230, as its model number implies, is an update or refresh of last year's ThinkPad X220 12.5-inch business ultraportable. Like the X220 before it, the compact ThinkPad X230 is a worthy heir to ThinkPads' black-suited, button-down business heritage. New competition from sleek ultrabooks (including Lenovo's), however, suddenly makes it look chunky.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 07/03/2012
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: Good Gear Guide Archive.org version
Overall, the Lenovo ThinkPad X230 is a small workhorse of a laptop. It has plenty of CPU grunt and lots of connectivity options considering its small size, and it's an absolute pleasure to use thanks to its excellent screen and keyboard. Its touchpad isn't great though, and we did notice some clicking in the bezel around the screen, but these are our only negatives.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 07/01/2012
Rating: Total score: 90%
Source: PC Mag Archive.org version
As a laptop for on-the-go productivity, the Lenovo ThinkPad X230 is an excellent performer, with the best productive capability we've seen in a business ultraportable. If your use scenarios don't demand high performance, you might benefit more from a business ultrabook like the HP Folio 13-1020us. But because of its processing power and its fine collection of features, the new Lenovo ThinkPad X230 replaces the X220 as our Editors' Choice for business ultraportables.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 06/27/2012
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: Techreview Source Archive.org version
The Lenovo ThinkPad X230 is a 12-inch ultraportable notebook which has a very portable design that includes enough power, especially since it takes advantage of Intel's third-generation CPUs. Its keyboard is also very comfortable and backlit but it is slightly heavier than some other 13-inch ultraportables.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 06/11/2012
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: Tech Advisor Archive.org version
ThinkPads have always been more than the sum of their parts, and the X230 is no exception. IT departments and fans will love the laptop and the vast array of support and warranty options that come with it. There's nothing here to disturb the continuity of the X line. For everyone else, this machine deserves some tire-kicking, especially with regard to the addictive keyboard. But its profile and appearance may not meet modern expectations.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 06/11/2012
Rating: Total score: 70%
Source: Hot Hardware Archive.org version
The ThinkPad X230T is a very interesting machine. It's not that we haven't seen convertible notebooks / tablets before, but honestly, we're living in an age where these kinds of machines are less necessary than ever before. How so? In just a few months, Windows 8 will be out. And with that will come a bevy of Windows 8 tablets -- not hybrid devices, but actual tablets.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 06/11/2012
Source: PC World Archive.org version
ThinkPads have always been more than the sum of their parts, and the X230 is no exception. IT departments and fans will love the laptop and the vast array of support and warranty options that come with it. There's nothing here to disturb the continuity of the X line. For everyone else, this machine deserves some tire-kicking, especially with regard to the addictive keyboard. But its profile and appearance may not meet modern expectations.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 06/08/2012
Rating: Total score: 70%
Source: Wired Magazine Archive.org version
None of this niggling is likely to matter much, as the X230 now finds itself in a difficult position where an ultrabook like the MacBook Air is more powerful, lighter, and packs in a bigger screen — all for just $50 more. Even Lenovo has its own ultra-sexy, ultra-slim X1 Carbon getting ready to reinvent this category this summer. On its merits, the X230 is far from a bad machine. It is, however, a laptop that suddenly finds itself without much of a market anymore.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 06/04/2012
Rating: Total score: 60%
Source: CNet Archive.org version
The time of year has finally come for Intel's latest Ivy Bridge processors to flood into mainstream laptops, after first appearing in high-end quad-core systems. There may not be a better full-fledged business ultraportable than the ThinkPad X230, but more efficient, less expensive, and thinner ultrabooks are the real future of this category.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 05/31/2012
Rating: Total score: 70%
Source: Engadget Archive.org version
Depending on who you ask -- a ThinkPad diehard or a notebook agnostic -- the X230 either has little wrong with it, or it has one inexcusable flaw. Starting with the good, it's fast, thanks to its spanking-new Ivy Bridge processor. It's thinner than its predecessor, but still lasts six-plus hours on a charge.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 05/31/2012
Source: Laptop Mag Archive.org version
Like the X220 before it, the ThinkPad X230 packs a lot of power into its 12.5-inch frame while offering the promise of true all-day endurance when you buy the extended battery and slice. The island-style, backlit keyboard provides great tactile feedback, but users with large hands may prefer a notebook with a longer palm rest like the upcoming ThinkPad X1 Carbon. However, if you want the ultimate in business endurance, the X230 is a truly compelling choice.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 05/31/2012
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: Slashgear Archive.org version
If you’re looking for something to turn heads at the local coffee shop, keep looking (perhaps to the ThinkPad X1 Carbon, due later this summer). And if you want a high-resolution screen and enough graphical power to run Call of Duty 5, then this isn’t the machine for you. But if longevity, reliability and portability are high on your list of must-haves, the ThinkPad X230 deserves some serious consideration.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 05/31/2012
Source: Mobile Tech Review Archive.org version
Last year, the ThinkPad X220 won our Editor's Choice award, and it passes the crown on to the new ThinkPad X230. Yes, there are thinner and sexier looking ultraportables, but none pack the processing power, IPS display and that unbeatable keyboard. Certainly at a starting price just under $1,200 this is an extremely fast machine with excellent battery life and superb portability. If you're a road warrior who wants to travel light but you need a full mobile third gen Intel Core CPU and refreshingly strong integrated graphics, the Lenovo ThinkPad X230 is still the one to beat.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 05/31/2012
Rating: Total score: 90%
Source: Notebookreview.com Archive.org version
After everything is said and done the ThinkPad X230 is the best ultraportable business notebook currently on the market. It isn't completely perfect (see our comments about the hard drive and touchpad) but you won't find a better combination of portability, performance, durability, port selection and battery life at any price point.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 05/31/2012
Rating: Total score: 80% price: 80% performance: 80% features: 80% mobility: 80% ergonomy: 90%
Source: Digital Trends Archive.org version
Lenovo’s X series has always been unique. HP’s Elitebook line offers the only real competition, but we’ve favored the ThinkPad in the past. This new model gives us no reason to change our recommendation. The X230 is the perfect laptop for a road warrior.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 05/30/2012
Rating: Total score: 94%
Foreign Reviews
Source: Notebookjournal DE→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 08/28/2012
Rating: performance: 90% features: 50% display: 50% mobility: 70% workmanship: 70% ergonomy: 70%
Source: Zoom RU→EN Archive.org version
Positive: Powerful; Long battery life; fairly thin and light; standard size keyboard; Negative: Does not look trendy novelty.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 12/12/2012
Source: The Hikaku JA→EN Archive.org version
Positive: Easy-to-read LCD; comfortable track-point and keyboard; low noise; long battery life. Negative: Slightly heavy.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 01/30/2013
Source: The Hikaku JA→EN Archive.org version
Positive: Good battery life; Low noise. Negative: Heavy weight; The position of the LAN port; No HDMI port.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 06/24/2012
Comment
Intel HD Graphics 4000: Processor graphics card in the high end Ivy Bridge models. Offers a different clock speed in the different CPU models (ULV to desktop quad core) and therefore a different performance.
Non demanding games should be playable with these graphics cards.
» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.
3320M: Fast Ivy-Bridge-based dual-core, includes HD 4000 Graphics, core clock 2.6 - 3.3 GHz» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.
12.50":
This range of display format is largely the upper limit for tablets and the lower limit for subnotebooks.
The advantage of subnotebooks is that the entire laptop can be small in size and therefore easily portable. The tiny display has the added advantage of requiring little power, which further improves battery life and thus mobility. The disadvantage is that reading texts is exhausting for the eyes. High resolutions, which one is used to from a standard laptop, are almost not usable.
The same applies to tablets in this size range.
» To find out how fine a display is, see our DPI List.Lenovo: Lenovo ("Le" from English legend, novo (Latin) for new) was founded in 1984 as a Chinese computer trading company. As of 2004, the company was the largest laptop manufacturer in China and, after acquiring IBM's PC division in 2005, the fourth largest in the world. In addition to desktops and notebooks, the company manufactures monitors, projectors, servers, etc, and specializes in developing, manufacturing and marketing consumer electronics, personal computers, software, enterprise solutions and related services.
In 2016, the company ranked first in the world in computer sales. It still held it in 2023 with about 23% global market share. Important product lines are Thinkpad, Legion and Ideapad.
In 2011, it acquired a majority stake in Medion AG, a European computer hardware manufacturer. In 2014, Motorola Mobility was purchased, which gave Lenovo a boost in the smartphone market.
79.46%: This rating is not earth-shattering. This rating must actually be seen as average, since there are about as many devices with worse ratings as better ones. A purchase recommendation can only be seen with a lot of goodwill, unless it is about websites that generally rate strictly.
» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.