MacBook Air Vs ThinkPad X300

By Mike T Martin

Apple's MacBook Air introduced the world to the thinnest notebook to date. Released in January of 2008, it is known as "ultrathin, ultraportable, and ultra unlike anything else." With the recent announcement of the new ThinkPad X300 from Lenovo, analysts are predicting that the ThinkPad will give Apple a run for it's money. The following is a brief review of each.

MacBook Air

The new Apple MacBook Air comes in a bit thinner than the Lenovo ThinkPad X300, measuring only 0.16 inches at its thinnest point. Steve Jobs actually introduced the new laptop to a crowd of onlookers at the Macworld Conference in San Francisco, by pulling the ultra thin notebook out of an office envelope. With a price tag of just under $2000, this notebook is a bargain in a class of laptops that are usually a bit more pricey.

Because the MacBook Air is so thin, the battery must be built in. Early tests are reporting about two to three hour battery life between charges. Other drawbacks include no built in GPRS/Edge etc, no optical drive, one USB port, and no choice of pointing device. Though it was designed for an SSD flash drive, it can also be purchased with an iPod drive, and Apple is expected to upgrade the drive by the end of the year. Despite some of these early drawbacks regarding features, overall this is a beautiful looking and very durable laptop, which Apple should improve upon over the upcoming year.

ThinkPad X300

Though not as sexy as the MacBook Air, the ThinkPad is built with the business user in mind. While the MacBook air is a consumer machine, this laptop is built more to be a business tool. The ThinkPad has a replaceable battery, replaceable optical drive, and three USB ports, compared to only one on the MacBook Air. The ThinkPad keyboard includes both Touchpoint and Touchpad pointing devices, a very durable / industrial strength built frame, a full set of management tools, and a more advanced flash drive. The ThinkPad also complies with EPEAT Gold, meaning it is one of the most "green", eco-friendly laptops on the market.

Which one is better?

Along with all of the executive minded features of the ThinkPad, comes an executive level price tag. The ThinkPad X300 will be initially made available for around $2,799. So if cost if your main bargaining point, then the sub $2000 MacBook Air is your best bet. Otherwise, your decision should be based on needs. The ThinkPad is designed for the top executive that is always on the run. ThnkPads have never really been known for being "sexy" products, but they have always been thin, while still being reliable. But if you are looking for something ultra thin and ultra cool, at a great price, and you don't need all of the high end business type features of the ThinkPad, then the MacBook Air may be your best bet.

Only time will tell which one comes out on top, but these are both great, innovative products that should spur the ultra thin laptop market for years to come.

Mike Martin is a computer programmer and website designer. http://www.flatlaptops.com Purchase discount laptops, including the MacBook Air and new ThinkPad X300.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_T_Martin

Discover Breakthrough Technology in the Top 5 Wireless Laptop Adapter Cards

By Terry Price
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Laptop adapter cards are becoming much more critical for mobile workers when it comes to taking advantage of Wi-Fi Internet access in airports, hotels, train stations and other hot spots.
Face it, working on the road is sometimes not a lot of fun, especially when connectivity problems are your main issue. If you're struggling with connectivity issues or you are simply looking for purchase information, here are the top 5 wireless laptop adapter cards.

The Linksys WPC54G Wireless-G Notebook Adapter is compatible with all versions of Windows and comes with a one-year warranty. This exceptional wireless adapter can work with both B and G networks and will give you the best connectivity option available. You will pay between $45 and $100 and get a simple way to add or upgrade wireless connectivity in your notebook computer. All you do is slide it into your notebook's PC card slot to enjoy high-speed wireless network access and still retain the freedom of your true mobility. You’ll enjoy the way this unit overlays the signals of two wireless GE compatible radios, the multiple in and the multiple out technology. It will effectively double your data rate. It actually uses these reflections to increase the range and reduce dead spots in your coverage area.

Adaptable to Windows 98 and more recent operating systems, the D-Link DWL-G650 Air Plus Xtreme G Wireless Card Bus Adapter comes with a user-friendly setup guide and software.
Complete with a three-year warranty and 24/7 toll-free customer support, this adapter comes at a nice affordable price range between $25 and $65. This adapter delivers lightning fast performance, up to 15 times faster than 802.11b. Excellent and consistent data rate delivery will allow you to operate at the highest possible speed, especially when it comes to seamless access to the wireless network in a homogenous environment.

The easy to install Proxim Orinoco 11a/b/g ComboCard Gold comes with a three-year warranty. You will be able to connect to any wireless network you may encounter when traveling and work up to a distance of 200 feet in wireless G mode. In addition to lightning access, it delivers proven high performance for a broad range of applications and host computer systems. Quick simple connection provides for easy installation. You'll pay between $50 and $75.

If you're a mobile Mac user, you are going to enjoy the wireless connectivity benefits that the Airport extreme card can provide. It operates on the 802.11 G standard and is backward compatible with the 802.11 G. You will be able to do data transfer rates of up to 54 Mb per second and it's a snap to exchange files or play multi-user games. Prices range from $50-$100.

The fifth one is the SMC SMC2835W EZ Connect G. also compatible with old wireless GE. With these standards this laptop adapter card can handle bandwidth intensive applications such as Web conferencing. It comes with an easy to setup CD, which installs the software automatically.

According to the manufacturer, it will operate up to 1155 feet and will support both WEP encryption and Wi-Fi Protected Access(WPA). It's possible that with this exceptional product, you will enjoy 50% higher performance than what you’re achieving now. The smart router automatically detects and configures your cable or DSL Internet connection, which can be very handy. Expect to pay between 50 and $100.

As a mobile user and one who demands the fastest and best connectivity possible, you're advised to consider one of the above products to deliver what you're looking for when you want it!

Terry A. Price is a regular contributing author to the expert author community and is committed to bringing quality useable content that you can take to the bank now. Discover more amazing breakthroughs in laptop technology on his website at: http://www.laptopdestination.com/