When you think about crossover vehicles, they typically fit somewhere between a standard sedan and a larger SUV. With the recent leak of the ThinkPad X1 from Lenovo, we find a notebook PC that’s try to straddle between the consumer and business markets.

Does that really work? Well, the average business user probably still enjoys some consumer-friendly features. With the ThinkPad X1, you get that corporate black styling that we’ve come to expect from the ThinkPad line, along with an encrypted hard drive, hardware-based password manager, and fingerprint reader.

But on the consumer side, you also get Dolby audio, a super thin profile that rivals the MacBook Air, HDMI output, and backlit keyboard. You can configure the X1 with a range of Core i5/i7 processors, along with Windows 7 Professional, a USB 3.0 port, DisplayPort, a single RAM slot with support up to 8GB, and a 160GB SSD. As is the case with competitors like the Samsung Series 9, there is no optical drive here.

When you walk into a business environment, you can’t exactly do it with a cherry red laptop. That just won’t demand the same kind of serious respect that a regular black ThinkPad can demand. That said, the X1 offers a slim and svelte package (along with a button-less trackpad and that signature red nub of a TrackPoint) that shows you’ve got style too. Prices start at $1,399 and go up with your upgrades.

The post Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Slices Into Crossover Market appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Just because you want a skinny laptop doesn’t mean that you have no choice but to buy a MacBook Air. The latest PC alternative in this realm is the Samsung Series 9, joining the ranks of laptops like the Dell Adamo.

Except, I think, it looks better. I had the opportunity to see this laptop, along with the Slider PC7, in person while at CESand it’s about as skinny as it gets. Think of it as a MacBook Air, only with Windows and a black exterior. The Series 9 measures 0.64-inches at its thickest point. It’s also a hair lighter than the MBA.

I’m not completely convinced that these super thin notebooks are worth their premium, but there is a market for them. The Series 9 has a 13.3-inch HD LED backlit display (only 1366×768, though), Core i5 processor, HD GT2 integrated graphics, 1.5W subwoofer, and up to 128GB SSD and 4GB DDR3 RAM.

Pricing starts at $1,599 and goes up with upgrades. Considering that, with the exception of the SSD, you can get an equivalently equipped laptop for less than a third of that price, it’s clear that the Series 9 is a niche product.

The choices seem to come down to the MacBook Air running Mac OS X or a Samsung 9 Series with Windows 7, which one do you choose?

The post The skinny on the slim Samsung Series 9 notebook appeared first on Mobile Magazine.