Sure, Lenovo hasn't done a great job of keeping a lid on its new premium ultraportable, but that doesn't mean the official unveil of the Thinkpad X1 is any less exciting. The 13-inch laptop is far from just another thin and light ThinkPad in Lenovo's stash -- this one is actually packed to the little red nub with new tech and a totally fresh design. There's a lot to talk about here, so hit the break for a deeper look at what some at Lenovo are calling "the best ThinkPad ever."

Design

However, bigger changes await under the lid. If you're looking for the traditional ThinkPad keyboard, you'll want to head straight for the T Series or X Series order pages. Lenovo's introducing a whole new panel on the X1, and it's no small addition. The chiclet keyboard is a combination of the one on the Edge line and the more classic ThinkPad layout. The bottoms of the keys have been rounded or given "a smile," as Lenovo's VP of Design David Hill put it, and the shape specifically allows for a greater "forgiveness" area. Hill actually drew the diagram below out for me when I met him last week to explain just how the shape creates for a better typing experience than those standard chiclet layouts. You can see that the new shape creates for greater space around the keys, but you don't actually have to stretch your fingers any farther. All the details aside, I've always been a huge fan of the Edge keyboard, but the curved keys on the X1 feel even better. And the fact that it's now backlit, pretty much seals the deal.

Specs and batteries

Lenovo promises five hours of battery life with the non-removable 38.4Wh battery. However, it will also offer a $150 slice 35.5Wh battery that should jack the battery life up to 10 hours when attached to the bottom of the system. As you can see in the shot above, it blends quite well with the chassis, even if it does add a bit of heft. The bigger battery news is that both tout Lenovo's new Rapid Charge technology, which promises to charge the cells to 80 percent in just 30 minutes. On top of that, the fast charge cells are said to last up three years.

Outlook

It was just last week that I pointed out that HP's new ProBook 5330m was more than just a business laptop, and Lenovo's new ThinkPad X1 represents a similar trend in business rigs. Everything from its new rugged features to its incredibly thin design indicate that this machine is destined to go way beyond the boardroom. I'm looking forward to taking a deeper look at the system, but for those that just can't wait, it should be up for order tomorrow for $1,399. Hey, no one said it was going to be the cheapest ThinkPad ever!