For mobile computer users that want a small and lightweight organization, there are really only 2 options: an underpowered netbook or a more expensive ultraportable. Netbooks offering great battery life and portability merely are commonly limited to light tasks like word processing, checking east-mail, chatting online and watching standard definition video content. Meanwhile, ultraportables are pricier, but are modest enough for daily travel and pack more power than netbooks.

Intel's Dual Core Atom N550 is just now starting to striking the market merely early reports are only showing a 20% or so increase in performance over single core Atom chips. Fortunately, other options are available, similar the Lenovo ThinkPad X100e that we will exist taking a look at today. Lenovo describes the X100e every bit something in-between a netbook and a budget ultraportable, both in terms of pricing and operation output.

Forth with the 13" ThinkPad Edge that we reviewed earlier this year, the X100e was introduced at CES in January. Lenovo currently offers three different base models for the X100e: an introductory version priced at $449, a $509 Enhanced edition, and the Elite model which starts at $529. Lenovo sent the Aristocracy for evaluation, which features an upgraded processor and larger hard drive.

Our Aristocracy X100e is equipped with an AMD Turion Neo X2-Dual Core L625 operating at ane.6 GHz with 1MB of L2 cache, ATI Radeon HD 3200 graphics, 2GB of PC2-5300 DDR2 memory (single stick), a 250GB 5400 RPM Fujitsu hard drive, integrated WiFi, a vi-cell Li-Ion battery, and an 11.6" 1366 ten 768 display. Price every bit configured is $605, which starts to delve into the budget ultraportable territory.

The first affair to notice nearly the X100e is its classic ThinkPad await. Despite its netbook footprint, it's nevertheless a ThinkPad at heart. Our review sample is Midnight Blackness, but the X100e is also available in Heatwave Crimson at no additional cost.