Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon user reviews

Pros Looks like a great piece of hardware for all the obvious reasons.

Cons Seems to be essentially vaporware! Virtually nobody who has ordered from Lenovo has actually received their computer, but rather a continuing litany of later and later estimated shipping dates. Lenovo's credibility is declining rapidly.

Summary My order was placed on August 27 with (expedited) shipping expected on 9/4. After multiple slips to the shipping schedule, their site now claims 9/28 to ship and 10/4 for delivery. According to the single contact I've had with Lenovo, that won't even be the complete system - the hardware to connect to a wired network will be missing, to be shipped at an unknown later date.

I'm not exactly alone in my frustration & poor treatment; the NotebookReview.com forum has (today) 79 pages (!!) of comments from others with similar stories: http://forum.notebookreview.com/thinkpad-edge-x1-x100e-x120e-sl-l/684799-x1-carbon-shipping-thread-79.html

This is my first attempt at buying a Lenovo computer, and the way things are going it's looking like it will be my last. The ineptitude with which they've handled the X1-Carbon orders is shocking, and things are apparently still in free-fall. I'm very disappointed, because the *promise* of the computer looked very cool.

Updated on Oct 2, 2012

Update: 10/2/2012. Cancelled my order today after my "expected ship date" moved from the end of Sept out to Oct 14. I called to ask what the story was, and the rep on the phone gave an exact replay of what the rep had told me two weeks ago: things are all better, we'll be shipping real soon, etc etc. Claimed that if I ordered an X1C today, it would ship Oct 16 -- 2 days after my late August order would ship? Doubt it!

My take: Lenovo isn't giving people the truth, but a series of absurdly optimistic guesses dressed up to sound like reality.

Oh, and the rep 2 weeks ago? "Gave" me a 5% discount for the delay. But the discount never showed up, and the promised e-mail confirming it never showed up either. At some point, this all starts to look like, well, corporate dishonesty.

The X1 Carbon really is vaporware, and I'm not up for buying the "1.0" version of this when they can't actually produce it on anything slightly resembling a schedule. Too bad - had a lot of promise. But I'm done.

Pros - Carbon fiber chassis (<3 lbs)
- Keyboard
- Excellent Trackpad
- Backlit Keyboard (2 settings)
- Mini Display
- 17.6 boot time (cold boot to Login)
- 3G Capable
- 720p Camera
- Rapid charge (80% charge in 35 minutes)
- BT 4.0
- LED
- Loud Speakers

Cons - 1600x900 not 1080p
- 3G is AT&T only
- Isn't touchscreen
- Does not look like a Macbook Pro clone
- Is not free
- Costs money

Summary This is a beautiful device. It is simply magnificent. It comes in different flavors and does cost money, but if you are a price conscious consumer than an Ultrabook is not for you. CNET states it does not have a HDMI, while this is true, it does have a mini display port, capable of up to 2560x1600 (WQXGA). Thus it does not need a HDMI port.

You can buy a separate dock that plugs into the USB 3.0 port and supplies you with:

- 5 USB 3.0 ports
- 2 DVI inputs
- Ethernet port
- 3.5 mm headset jack

This is a very elegant Ultrabook, it demands to be titled as such to differentiate between laptops. Most Ultrabooks are just small laptops, this isn't the case.

From it's sleek matte design to it's smooth feel it shows the level of thought in designing the laptop. It's concave edges give a lightweight visual aesthetic. This is the MacBook pro of PCs. The design of other "Ultrabooks" look cheap in comparison and undeserving of such ostentatious prices. It visually looks deserving of the steep price.

Being a Thinkpad it was made for the business professional in mind so the matte flat black may not look visually appealing but personally in looking at Cnet's "Best ultrabooks and thin laptops" not only is it a shame they did not include this Ultrabook but it makes me appreciate it's unpretentious look. The non Apple ones look like imitation Macbooks from their keyboard to the design of their monitor hinge.

I can say after upgrading from a glossy Lenovo G570 I am genuinely glad about owning this Ultrabook. My only negative is wishing it was a touch screen to be "future-proof". From that small issue to the rest of the listed cons, you really have to nit-pick to find cons. I'd definitely would (and do) recommend this product, I also would add to not be cheap. Get the i7, 8GB RAM, 256 GB SSD, and the USB 3.0 Dock with the X1 Carbon to make this an elite package. Once again if this is too expensive for you, you don't need those upgrades, but do not skimp out on the RAM, it is soldered and you cannot upgrade later (unless you DIY).

If you are in the market for an Ultrabook, this is a must buy.

Pros The machine was beautiful.

Cons The machine could not work unplugged, and the customer service experience has been abysmal.

Summary Unlike the other posters who have been disappointed to never receive a machine, I did receive an X1 Carbon about two weeks after ordering on Sept. 2. Unfortunately, the machine that was delivered to me did not work without it being plugged in -- defeating the point of a laptop -- and so I followed customer service's instructions to send the laptop to their service center in Tennessee. I was told that I should get my machine back in 5-6 days.

The depot received the machine on Sept. 19. Ten days later, I had to call them to ask what the status of my machine was, since Lenovo did not send any updates. I was told that they needed a battery part to come in from China, and they would not have it until Oct. 2.

On Oct. 9, customer service calls me to tell me they have no idea when they will get the battery in and will try to get me a replacement from one of their retail partners. On Oct. 11 they say that they cannot find a ready replacement and that they can order me a new one if I wait for it to be built. Before doing so, they ask what the problem was, and I tell them that the machine could not work unplugged. The customer service rep tells me that "there is nothing wrong" with my machine and that he thinks I can solve the issue myself using a paperclip and prepares to send it back to me. I refuse, telling him that if Lenovo's engineers cannot solve the issue, I certainly do not think I am the person to do it. He says he'll be candid: their Tennessee service center personnel are contractors and they don't know really understand their laptops. He promises to have the machine overnighted to him so he can get an engineer at the service center take a look and will be able to get back to me the next day, Friday, or at latest, Monday. That way, he says, I won't have to wait for a new machine.

No one calls me. I call him on Wednesday to ask for an update, and he tells me that the machine hasn't been sent, but he'll overnight it and call me on Thursday. No one calls me.

It's now Oct. 19. I have basically given Lenovo a $1400 interest-free loan for a month and a half without a laptop, and wasted my time and patience trusting in a company that has enjoyed a reputation for making laptops of dependable quality, and more importantly, exceptional customer service. It's clear to me now that my trust was misguided.

tl;dr: Based on my experience and the experience of other customers who have ordered the X1 Carbon, I strongly recommend that you do not buy the X1. And considering this laptop is supposed to be top of the line, I shudder to think how their other products fare. But most importantly, their customer service is remarkable in their lack of responsiveness and respect for their customers' time and patience.

Pros 1. Well-built machine... uh, I think
2. Light and thin and stiff (no flex) as advertised
3. 14" screen for an ultrabook is generous compared with typical 13"
4. Fingerprint reader works well... so far

Cons 1. Awful customer support
2. Did I say that customer support is non-existent?
3. No VGA port and no Ethernet port. Much use USB port adapters.
4. Only 2 USB ports
4. Battery is not easily replaceable. Case is semi-sealed w/o battery compartment

Summary I should have read c/net reviews before I purchased. I think the machine is potentially quite good (see Pros above), but I can't really tell because even though I purchased pre-loaded MS Office for an additional $199, Lenovo did not send me the card with my activation code for Office. So no Word, Excel, Powerpoint or Outlook for me. As a business machine, it's been a big paperweight. Here's my saga as a warning for those who are thinking of buying Lenovo.

A. Ordered on-line (lenovo.com) on 2/8/2013
B. Delivered by UPS on 3/1/2013 (one week ahead of schedule, but original estimate of 5 weeks for delivery?? In this day and age?)
C. Upon opening box, noticed no activation code info for MS Office. Called Lenovo post-sales customer service (in India of course) and was told to open the battery compartment, remove the battery and look for the sticker underneath that would have the code. Informed Lenovo rep that there is no battery compartment in an X1. Heard dead silence. After recovery, he found out that that there has been a shortage of activation code cards at their manufacturing site in China (of course) and that these would be dropped shipped to me from their warehouse in North Carolina no later than 3/11/2013, but hopefully sooner. I was told there is nothing else I can do but to wait and check back.
D. Called back Lenovo customer service in India on 3/4/2013 to check the status and was told same as above. But informed that I would be placed on a "priority list" to receive the activation code cards. Was told that the code could not be provided to me over the phone or by email. Snail-mail is the only means of distribution. Was told I would receive an email acknowledging above.
E. Called Lenovo in India on 3/5/2013 to say that I received no email confirmation. Was told again that the cards would be sent out no later than 3/11/2013 and that I am on a priority list for receipt. This time, I did receive a confirmatory email from Sriram Kannath. Again, told to wait.
F. Called Lenovo in India on 3/11/2013 to confirm that the cards were being shipped out. Told yes and that I should wait 3-4 days for it to arrive by snail mail.
G. Called Lenovo in India on 3/15/2013 to ask why I had not received my activation code. Now told that I should wait until 3/18 for shipment and that it should arrive by 3/21. I asked to be given a refund for the $199 that I paid for MS Office and that I could go out to Costco and buy the program and have it the same day. Was told they cannot and will not process that refund and that I would have to return the entire laptop. I told them that no one (including me) can get to the Office software without the activation code (duh), so what is the point of returning the entire laptop. Was told that is Lenovo's policy and I have no choice. I asked to speak to a supervisor. Supervisor (or so I am told) confirmed all of the above. When I pressed him, he admitted that he cannot guarantee when activation codes would be shipped out and that my only option is to wait. I asked until when. He could not say.
H. I also wrote a letter of complaint on 3/6/2013 to Mr. Gerry Smith who is Lenovo's President of North America (based on North Carolina) and Senior VP of the Global Supply Chain to document my saga and seek help. I guess Gerry must not read snail mail, because I have received no response.

So what have I learned from all of this?
1. Don't buy from Lenovo.com
2. Their customer service is pitiful.
3. As a global company, they don't communicate well. They manufacture their laptops (at least X1) in China. They have customer service centers in India. The key people who oversee things are in North Carolina, but not apparently accessible by email, phone (yes, I tried), nor snail mail.
4. They might actually make a good laptop, but I can't really tell.