We were pleasantly surprised to find that the X121e's battery lasted a lengthy seven hours and 44 minutes in our light usage web browsing test.
However, to achieve this you'll need to turn the screen's brightness down by 50% which is a problem since the display here is dim, even at full brightness when compared to other laptops. We suspect this is a side effect of the matte anti-glare finish there's very little glare, even when the screen is placed directly under fluorescent lighting, but brightness takes a hit as a result. Squeezing a resolution of 1,366x768 pixels into the 11.6in screen may be a step too far for some a few of us in the IT Pro office found this required a bit too much squinting, especially when combined with its dimness.
Unsurprisingly for a cheap laptop, none of the X121e's three USB ports are of the super fast USB3 variety all are limited to older USB2 periphrals. The hard disk is a bit on the small side at 320GB, but this should be enough for most work purposes. The BIOS doesn't have an abundance of security options, but it does support Absolute's Computrace remote tracking technology in case of theft or loss although you will need to subscribe to a service plan to use it.
Verdict
There's a lot to like about the Lenovo ThinkPad X121e from its low price and sturdy build to its lengthy battery life and built-in 3G. However, using it is a lackluster experience thanks to the dim screen, iffy pointing devices and compromised keyboard. This may be the price of getting an ultraportable laptop at a rock bottom price, but it also means that as soon as the working day is done you'll be putting it aside rather than continuing to use it for personal stuff.
Processor: Intel Core i3 2357M, 1.3GHz
Memory: 4GB 667MHz DDR3 RAM
Graphics: integrated Intel HD Graphics
Hard disk: 320GB hard disk
Display: 11.6in 1,366 x 768, LED-backlit screen
Features: 1.3 megapixel camera, microphone, stereo speakers
Connectivity: 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, 1x Gigabit Ethernet, HSPA 3G
Ports: 3 x USB2, 1 x VGA, 1 x HDMI, 3.5mm headphone and microphone combo audio socket
Dimensions: 290x212x33mm (WxDxH)
Weight: 1.56kg
Warranty: 1 year C&R or customer carry-in warranty
OS: Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
BENCHMARK RESULTS
Image editing 35
Video encoding 24
Multiple apps 25
Overall 27
Light usage battery life – 7h44m
POWER CONSUMPTION
Sleep 1W
Idle 12W
Active 41W
