2011 Lappy Awards: Best Laptop Features of the Year

November 9th, 2011 by Brian Oliver Bennett, LAPTOP Senior Writer  

What separates a good laptop from a great one? That’s a tricky question, because there’s no single answer. It could be a supremely comfortable typing experience, speakers that blow you away, or a design so sleek it feels like it’s from the future. Our first-annual Lappy Awards recognize this excellence with prizes in 12 categories, including the above attributes and a host of other specific features that make our winners a cut above the rest.

Best Keyboard: Lenovo ThinkPad X1

Lenovo’s svelte 13-inch ThinkPad X1 makes a great first impression with its 0.8-inch profile, durable soft-touch chassis, and ultra-bright 350-nit screen. But it’s only when you start typing that you truly appreciate the beauty of this machine.

At first glance, the X1’s keyboard may look like a typical island-style layout. However, the key’s curvature and the feedback they provide rival the legendary IBM model M keyboard of the 1980s, right down to the pleasant clicking sound you get while typing. That’s not all; there’s an adjustable backlight for typing in low light, a soft palm rest to properly cradle wrists, and a comfortable slope to the deck. It all adds up to the best notebook typing experience ever.

Starting at $1,299; www.lenovo.com

Read our review of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1

Comments (4 Responses) 

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4 Responses to “2011 Lappy Awards: Best Laptop Features of the Year”

  1. Rafael Kireyev Says:
    November 10th, 2011 at 1:48 pm

    I think Lenovo is a good computers! But I don’t know exactly. I never used it, yet.

  2. Catherine A. McClarey Says:
    November 12th, 2011 at 9:33 am

    You mean those Lenovo ads where the parachutist has to get the Lenovo to boot & deploy its chute before it crashes (to show how Lenovo laptops have the fastest boot time) are a lie? Has Apple tried the “boot to deploy parachute” test on a MacBook Air yet? ;)

  3. Joe Says:
    January 30th, 2012 at 3:46 am

    I don’t understand what is so great about this keyboard?

  4. Mary Says:
    April 4th, 2012 at 2:34 am

    Joe, have you ever tried a thinkpad keyboard? It won’t make a difference if you only type with two fingers; but if you spend hours touch typing at time, this is the best laptop keyboard you can get. I had a Dell Latitude for over 3 years and when my company finally upgraded me to the ThinkPad X220, it was a huge difference.

    Even worse are the now widespread chiclet or island style keyboards. The keys are far apart, they have no curved surface, and they are typically harder to press.

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