Another year, another CES, and another pre-production laptop to test and enjoy.  This year it’s a high-spec X280.  The below is not a review – more of a quick survey of specifications and a look at the usual things that I find of interest.  But first:

From time to time  Lenovo sends me a gadget. They’re handy to have around – both for my own use and when trying to help out in the Lenovo forums. I do some testing and writing as well. Beyond the use of the laptop, I’m not otherwise compensated.

Professional images are Lenovo’s.  Amateur snapshots are mine.  Opinions are exclusively mine.  I do not work for, represent, or speak for Lenovo.

Introduction

This X280 is the successor to the X270. I haven’t had any keyboard time with the earlier x270 but looking over its specs and documentation I’d call it a compact “conventional” laptop.  The X280 moves more into the ultrabook range (non-removable battery, proprietary small Ethernet port…).  Specifications and major differences between the ‘270 and ‘280 are called out below.

Lenovo Gallery

Please see the ThinkPad X280: Images thread for Lenovo images of the X280.

Specifications

Note: all specifications here are based on currently available documentation and the evaluation X280 as delivered.  I’ve done my best to check them – but this is preliminary.  Please do not make a purchase decision based on what you read here without verifying yourself.

 Lenovo Data Sheet

My unit’s major specifications

• CPU: Quad Core Intel i7-8550U @ 1.80GHz – 1.99GHz
• RAM: 16GB DDR4 @ 2400 MHz (soldered)
• SSD: 512GB Lenovo-branded PCIe
• Graphics: Intel UHD 620
• Display FHD IPS Touch – 10 touch points
• Camera: 720p HD with privacy shutter
• WLAN: Intel 8265 AC
• WWAN: none

X280 / X270 specification major differences

• CPU: up to 8th gen i7 quad core /  up to 6th or 7th gen i7 dual core
• RAM: up to 16GB DDR4 soldered / up to 16GB DDR4 single socket
• Storage: PCIe SSD / 7mm HDD or SSD, m.2 PCIe SSD
• Graphics: Intel UHD 620 / Intel 520 or 620
• Display: HD TN, FHD IPS, FHD IPS Touch / HD TN, FHD IPS, FHD IPS, Touch
• Camera: 720p HD Camera with ThinkShutter or IR Camera without ThinkShutter / 720p HD
• LAN: proprietary GigE port + RJ45 Dongle / GigE standard RJ45
• WLAN: Intel (2 x 2) AC, Bluetooth 4.2 / Various including WiGig
• WWAN: (optional?) LTE-A L850-GL and Fibocom L830-EB / Various
• Ports: 2 x USB 3.0, 1 x USB Type-C, 1 Thunderbolt™ 3, 1 x HDMI, 1 proprietary Ethernet with RJ45 dongle,  1 x headphone and microphone combo jack / Two USB 3.1 Gen 1 (USB 3.0, one Always On), USB 3.1 Type-C Gen 1, HDMI 1.4b, Ethernet (RJ-45), Dock connector
• Docking: Side Dock using USB-C and Ethernet connectors / bottom port
• Card reader: combo SIM + uSD carrier on back, (optional?) Smart Card reader / 4-in-1 reader (MMC, SD, SDHC, SDXC), (optional) Smart Card reader
• Battery: fixed internal / removable external + (optional) fixed internal
• Power: charge via either USB-C port / charge via Slim Tip or USB-C port
• Dimensions: mm: 307.7 x 209.8 x 17.4-17.8 inches: 12.11 x 8.25 x 0.68-0.70 / mm: 305.5 x 208.5 x 20.3 inches: 12.03 x 8.21 x 0.80
• Weight: 1.16 kg/2.56 lbs – 1.30 kg/2.87 lbs / 1.27 kg/2.7 lbs – 1.52 kg/3.33 lbs

Among the welcome enhancements to the new model are a quad-core i7 CPU option (linked above) and a camera privacy shutter.

Privacy shutter open and closed

Front/Rear/Side Views and Ports

Front

Rear with SIM/uSD Tray

Left – USB-C, Thunderbolt, Proprietary Ethernet, USB 3.0, HDMI, Audio Combo

Right – Smart Card, USB 3.0, Lock

Assorted Information

The Lenovo-branded PCIe SSD is fast.  Wireless AC hooks up with my AC 1900 router at 867mbps.  SSD partitioning is as expected for a machine running a Push-Button Reset preload.  (The ADATA in Disk Management is a flash drive … I forgot to unplug…)

SSD Model, Partitioning, and Performance, Thunderbolt Details, WLAN Details

Virtualization

Intel VT-x was turned on by default in the test laptop’s BIOS.  In my working life I did some *nix driver development and support.  VMs were handy when coding and for occasional use of tools that weren’t available in windows (less of an issue now with Ubuntu & Bash on Windows).  This i7 16GB laptop had no problems at all running multiple VMs.

Linux

I don’t often run Linux as a bare-metal install these days unless I’m testing a device driver (usually on a desktop).  There are times when it’s useful to run a live distro for forensics and/or recovery  – and there are lots of folks who simply prefer Linux on their daily driver.

Testing with a live Ubuntu 16.10 and 17.04 produced mixed results.  (I’m staying away from 17.10 until the dust settles on the UEFI “corruption” problem.  There seems to be a fixed kernel now, and it doesn’t seem to be an issue for ThinkPads – but better safe than bricked.)

A serious problem was lack of UltraNav input once booted to Ubuntu.  The TrackPoint was completely unresponsive, and the touchpad would only occasionally respond.  There’s a long thread in the Lenovo Linux forum on what seems to be a similar [edit: perhaps unrelated] issue.  I’m confident that the open-source wizards will fix this eventually.  For now I did my testing with my favorite accessory: a Lenovo compact USB keyboard/TrackPoint combo. It at least allowed some continued testing and may help when trying fixes in the future.

[edit] Tested Ubuntu 17.10.1 live on a flash drive.  The UltraNav problem persists.  No TrackPoint, intermittent touchpad response, TrackPoint buttons clicks not recognized.  Interestingly the "clickpad" aspect of the touchpad does seem to be recognized.

[more edit] Adding "psmouse.proto=bare" (without the quotes) to the linux line in the live flash boot stanza gets the basics of the TrackPoint and touchpad working :)  The full grub2 stanza looks like the below.  This is with Ubuntu 17.10.1:

menuentry "Try Ubuntu without installing" {
    set gfxpayload=keep
    linux    /casper/vmlinuz.efi  file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu.seed boot=casper psmouse.proto=bare quiet splash ---
    initrd    /casper/initrd.lz

A Few Quick Tests

I haven’t had this unit long enough to do really exhaustive testing.  I did make time to try some brief basic fiddling with USB-C accessories.

An Anker USB-C to USB 3.0 hub with GigE port worked fine.  As did a CableMatters USB-C to HDMI adapter.  I was able to run 3 displays – 720p TV, laptop display, FHD monitor – independently using the adapter and the laptop’s HDMI port.

[edit] This requires using the laptop's forward USB-C port.  The rearward port will support a USB-C to HDMI adapter but its use is exlusive of the laptop's HDMI port (one or the other - but not both).

I did not have time or appropriate displays to test resolution and refresh rate options.

Battery runtime looks to be 10-12 hours in my normal use mode: ~half screen brightness, ~half way on the performance slider, a few tabs open in FireFox, maybe a text editor running.  It’s too soon to make a very accurate call on runtime.

The Last Word

As stated, this is more  a quick survey than a review.  I’ll edit and add as/when/if things change.  In the meantime, I’m happy to try to answer questions as time and available gadgets permit.

I have noticed that the TrackPoint buttons require a firmer press than my other ThinkPads - perhaps due to size and thickness constraints.

I’ve also received a mechanical dock that works with the X280.  It’s a “side dock” that uses the laptop’s regular USB-C, Thunderbolt, and Ethernet connectors.  A look at that interesting design will come along in the fullness of time.  There just weren’t enough hours before CES to get to the dock.  I’m looking forward to it.

For now, here’s snapshot of the X280 parked in the mechanical Side Dock:

Basic Side Dock – Ports: Audio, Slim Tip Power, Display Port, VGA, USB x4, RJ45