Super skinny ThinkPad X300: It exists!

(Credit: Gizmodo)

Today was the day we reviewers were supposed to get test units of the yet-to-be-announced but totally-not-secret ThinkPad X300. We were eager to see it--the super slim, 13.3-inch laptop looks poised to be a major advancement in ultraportables, not to mention a competitor to the MacBook Air--but, alas, were left empty handed this afternoon when Lenovo canceled our meeting.

Looks like Walt Mossberg got his, though, and he's already posted some first impressions. It's nothing particularly unexpected: The ThinkPad X300 is a bit thicker and heavier than the MacBook Air, but it also offers more ports and features. Mossberg does take issue with the price, noting that the ThinkPad X300 offers only a solid-state hard drive, which makes it more expensive than the entry-level MacBook Air (with a traditional hard drive). I'm not sure I agree: The MacBook Air costs $2,800 with a 64GB solid state drive, and a ThinkPad X300 with the same drive will reportedly have a base price between $2,500 and $2,800.

The real proof, though, will be in the benchmark pudding. Does the solid state drive speed up performance and lengthen battery life? Once we have our hands on a ThinkPad X300, we'll let you know.