The design of the ThinkPads is a little love-it-or-hate-it. Here's the lowdown on the X1 from my perspective. The keyboard is the best on laptop, and certainly the best keyboard I've ever used. No competition. I got the highest-spec version, and the thing is a complete beast. It powers through everything I throw at it (excluding games - but then it's an ultraportable, so I don't need/expect a discrete graphics card). No unnecessary heat/noise to speak of, although the fan does kick in during processor intensive tasks, obviously. The touchpad is iffy (like pretty much all Windows trackpads) but the TrackPoint is wonderful: by far the best way to control a laptop. Battery life is good, but not stellar. Perfectly fine for everyday use, though.

But the best bit, and (along with the keyboard) the reason I would recommend it, is the build quality. Seriously, the X1 is the most beautifully crafted thing I've ever used. It even feels better than a Macbook, and that's saying something. This was truly engineered. Some may not like the blunt-instrument look - but to me, it's like a companion canine: always right by your side when you need it, ready to do whatever it takes.