LAS VEGAS (The PC Magazine) -- Lenovo is no stranger to the netbook genre, after successfully launching the Ideapad S10 and the S12. But it has yet to launch a legitimate one for business users, one that it can proudly call a ThinkPad.

Based on the short time I spent with it in advance of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the ThinkPad X100e is a viable contender.
The ThinkPad X100e dared and successfully squeezed dual pointing devices into an 11.6-inch frame. And though the X100e's battery life may not be as long lasting as some of its Ideapad siblings, the extra horsepower from the AMD parts might help ease the doubts.
Its classic black chassis with the ThinkPad logo can easily be mistaken for the ThinkPad X200 series, as it is small and very portable. It measures 11.1 inches by 8.2 inches by 0.8 inches and weighs as much as the 3.3-pound HP Mini 311 and the 3-pound Asus EeePC 1101HA – both netbooks with 11.6-inch widescreens. The X100e comes in “Midnight Blue” and “Heatwave Red”.

An 11.1-inch widescreen is one size smaller than the ones found on ThinkPad X200 and the Ideapad S12, which both use 12-inch displays. The X100e includes a basic 1,366-by-768 display, like most oversized netbooks.
In order to be truly called a ThinkPad, however, the X100e has to live up to their typing and navigating legacy – and it does. The island-style, full-size keyboard is clearly not a traditional ThinkPad keyboard, but the key caps are slightly curved and raised high enough so that it has the comfort of one. It also includes the signature Trackpoint pointing stick. If that weren't enough, Lenovo managed to squeeze in a touchpad and another pair of mouse buttons, providing an exceptional typing and navigating experience all around.
The feature set is respectable, but not outstanding. It comes with three USB ports, VGA-out, a 4-in-1 media card reader, and a Gigabit Ethernet port. It doesn't, however, have the Mini 311's and the U210's HDMI-Out port or the S12's ExpressCard slot. Wi-Fi (802.11n) is a standard feature, while Bluetooth and 3G are optional. The X100e includes a 5,400-RPM, 320-Gbyte hard drive, with an option for an SSD.

The services are also what make the X100e an enterprise netbook. In addition to the 1-year warranty and global support, Lenovo offers image-creation, deployment and end-of-life data and asset-recovery services. Lenovo also includes part of its Thinkvantage suite, including Access Connections, Power Manager, and Active Protection.
The X100e is a speedy netbook because it runs on an AMD Athlon Neo processor, the same one found in the Fujitsu Lifebook P3010, the MSI U210, and the HP Pavilion dv2-1030us. There's an option for the dual-core Neo X2 and Turion X2 as well, but they will likely bump the X100e's price over $500. The AMD Neo is a faster processor than any version of the Intel Atom and ships with 2GB of RAM. The X100e is also paired with a decent graphics chipset – the ATI Mobility Radeon 3200 – one that should allow you to play back high definition clips (1080p) smoothly.
If the Fujitsu P3010 and the MSI U210 are any indication, the X100e's components aren't as energy-efficient as Intel Atom based parts. According to Lenovo, a 6-cell battery should get you in the vicinity of 4 hours of battery life. A 3-cell battery is also available, but isn't worth having without the 6-cell.