IBM ThinkPad X31 Review

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The IBM ThinkPad X31, light enough that you don't have to be a champion bodybuilder to carry it. But it skips features that some would consider to be absolute necessities such as optical drives. Recommended more for business people than for students. See more results in this review, including details on Intel Pentium M 1.4 Ghz processor.

IBM, the most recognized name in computers for years and the only company that its said that you can't be fired for buying products from, has a legendary line of laptop computers called ThinkPads. ThinkPads are commonly bought through volume purchasing programs, but they are still available individually.

The ThinkPad X series is aimed at the extremely mobile computer user. This user spends the vast majority of time away from his or her desk. Because of these demands, its not uncommon to see X series laptops with the Low-Voltage and Ultra Low-Voltage Pentium M processors instead of the vanilla ones. These processors can sip power at ridiculously slow rates because of their low voltages, extending the battery life further. The battery life, however, comes at the expense of clock speed, with the Ultra Low Voltage Pentium M chips clocking in at 1 GHz and 900 Mhz. Also, note that most X series laptops, in order to extend that battery, skip on some features that buyers may find to be essential – such as optical drives and having more than one PCMCIA slot. As you can tell, the X series is aimed at a niche market.

The X31 is also a Centrino-based model. Intel's Centrino platform is the combination Pentium M, i855 chipset, and integrated wireless card solution. Manufacturers that include all of these Intel parts are allowed to use the Centrino trademark when marketing their products. Centrino notebooks are now very common, and most notebooks that have integrated wireless cards have the Centrino sticker.

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