We can confirm that all the hype spreading over the net re the supposed new ThinkPad X200e NetBook is correct. With one glaring exception. The new small form factor ThinkPad NetBook will be called the ThinkPad X100e, and its been dubbed the ‘Entry level ultra portable, the first ThinkPad of its size’.

We predicted this new naming convention when we said the proposed ThinkPad NetBook would either be called a ThinkPad T100 or the ThinkPad X100 in our ThinkPad NetBook expose last April and the follow up in May.

There have been several dubious photo’s knocking around showing a ‘ThinkPad’ with the new style ThinkPad T400s flush mouse pad and a white lid and chassis, with the only traditionally ThinkPad style black being the keyboard deck and screen bezel.

We are going to stick our neck out right now and say that we believe that when the ThinkPad X100e NetBook arrives on the 5th January 2010, it will be all black!

Don’t Mess with the ThinkPad NetBook!

We are going to predict that Lenovo would not dare to mess with the ThinkPad brand by introducing and new ThinkPad in any other color than Black. Remember the outcry when the original ThinkPad SL Series launched with shiny lids? That was one of the main reasons all the ThinkGeeks decried the new SL400 and SL500 as ‘ThinkPad’s in IdeaPad clothing”.

The newly launched ThinkPad SL410 and ThinkPad SL510 have reverted to matte black lids as a sop to ThinkPad purists. We don’t think that Lenovo will make the same mistake twice!

So, what we have to endeavor to do right now is take an intelligent guess at how the new ThinkPad X100e NetBook will be powered. Have Lenovo gone for the bog standard Intel Atom Processor N280 1.66G? Will they go for the nVIDIA Ion HD graphics platform or will they take a brave step and use  the Athlon Neo chipset again as we predict in our ThinkPad NetBook Review in May?

‘AMD has targeted this sector with its new Athlon Neo chipset which has more cache, an integrated memory controller and the 1.6GHz Neo is partnered with either ATI Radeon X1250 graphics, or ATI Radeon HD3410 graphics.

The higher-end option runs the Windows Vista Aero interface very well, handles some basic 3D gaming, and most importantly can play back full 1080p video. I think that it’s a master stroke by AMD from the price performance view point.’

ThinkPad X100e NetBook specifications

So here is our guess at the new ThinkPad X100e NetBook specifications.

Operating system will be Microsoft Windows 7 for NetBook’s, Athlon 1.6GHz Neo processor with ATI Radeon HD3410 graphics, OR maybe, JUST MAYBE an Intel® Centrino®2 ULV Processor (1.4GHz) with the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD?

12.1 ” WXGA TFT 1280×800 screen, 3 GB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM, 160GB to 320 GB Hard Drive with a couple of SSD options thrown in, a 6 or 9 cell Lithium-Ion battery. Its our guess that Matt Kohut and his design Team are going to go for some record breaking battery performance here, and we are going to guess that there will be a plethora of built in broadband options from Verizon (including Gobi) and AT&T.

And we are still sticking to our prediction that the ThinkPad Design Team in Raleigh will give us a stunning little X100e UltraBase with a built in Optical drive to drop our ThinkPad X100e NetBook onto when we get back to our Hotel room, Office or back home.

And how about an auto synching app with our main ThinkPad PC as soon as the X100e is dropped into its Ultrabase?

ThinkPad X100e, World Class NetBook

All in all what we do know is this, the ThinkPad X100e NetBook will be a world class, enterprise level, UltraPortable. We wait for January 5th 2010 with anticipation! Put that NetBook purchase on hold till the ThinkPad X100e arrives.

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