Hardware

Review: The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Is an Ideal Choice for Healthcare

The laptop boasts a speedy processor and a high-definition screen that can benefit healthcare workers.

Jeffrey Sheen is a 20-year IT veteran in Columbus, Ohio, with a passion for innovation, new devices and just making things work.

While it has a slim design and weighs just a bit under four pounds, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme is no lightweight. It can ably tackle the serious business that doctors and other healthcare professionals face every day.

The laptop boasts plentiful power and speed. The guts include an 8th Generation Intel Core i7 processor backed by 16 gigabytes of RAM — upgradable to 64GB — with an incredibly nimble 512GB solid-state drive.

But its spacious screen is the real showstopper. A 15.6-inch, 3840x2160-pixel IPS display demands a user’s full attention. The ultra-high definition 4K screen is powered by two GPUs: an onboard Intel UHD graphics card and an NVIDIA GeForce 1050 Ti dedicated card with 4GB of GDDR5 SDRAM. At times during my testing, it was hard to believe this is a laptop display.

Such noticeable clarity will no doubt benefit clinicians who receive and study complex medical images while on the go.

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Ergonomic Design Offers Benefits for Users

Like past models, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme offers many familiar aesthetic features, including a rugged, matte black finish and a full-sized keyboard with a red TrackPoint button nestled in the center. The keys have a nice bounce when pressed, a plus for quick and efficient note taking. And there’s a 3.9-inch-by-2.3-inch track pad that supports 10-point pinch and zoom — ideal for taking full advantage of the high-definition screen.

A fingerprint sensor located to the right of the keyboard adds an additional level of security to ensure the laptop can’t be used by unauthorized parties.

With so much power under the hood, the X1 Extreme can get warm, but a cooling fan kicks on early and often. Battery life also varies: Using the default settings of a balanced configuration and continuously playing an HD movie netted 9 hours and 24 minutes of use. Typical office use was slightly better: The battery lasted nearly 11 hours in this context.

Still, Lenovo’s Rapid Charge technology can replenish a low battery back up to 50 percent of a full charge in about 45 minutes, a clear benefit to healthcare workers who must quickly regain the crucial mobility their jobs demand.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme: Apps and Add-Ons to Know

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme is a sturdy and speedy laptop ideal for healthcare workers. A number of features that come standard with the device can be beneficial too.

Helpful for just about anyone is the Lenovo Vantage application, which allows users to configure Windows- and Lenovo-specific updates in one tool and complete a hardware scan for anomalies. The application also allows a user to adjust a number of settings — including airplane mode, “Always On USB” (which can charge attached gadgets when the laptop is turned off) and battery gauge threshold to help increase a battery’s lifespan by setting a maximum charge value to less than 100 percent.

Audiovisual settings can be programmed to filter out blue light to reduce eye strain and can automatically adjust for sunrise and sunset. The camera can be switched off for added privacy.

Also of note is Lenovo Wi-Fi Security, an advanced, cloud-based software service that helps the X1 Extreme differentiate safe wireless networks from potentially malicious ones. It can detect (and avoid) threats such as wireless phishing, honeypots and VPN gaps as well as compromised routers and man-in-the-middle attacks.

REVIEW: The HP EliteBook x360 1030 G3 provides healthcare with extra security and durability.

Lenovo Pen Simplifies Workflow for Doctors

The optional Lenovo Active Pen can be used directly on the laptop screen, and there’s a handy application for programming various features of the device.

The top barrel button can be programmed to carry out key functions with a click: It can open Microsoft Cortana or OneNote, complete a set of keystrokes or access a web browser or email. The bottom barrel button, which defaults to an erase setting, can also be set to trigger any of the same applications.

Tilt and pen tip sensitivity are very useful settings that can be adjusted to best suit how a user employs the pen. For clinicians who take both digital and handwritten notes, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme offers ample ways to save time and stay secure — no matter where or how they work.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme

Display: 15.6-inch IPS screen
Processor: 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8750H 2.2GHz processor
Hard Drive: 512GB SSD TCG Opal
RAM: 16GB DDR4 SDRAM (upgradable to 64GB)
Demensions: 9.7x14.2x0.7 inches
Weight: 3.97 pounds