Ultraportables need two qualities above all else: to be sturdy enough to survive on the road despite a lightweight design, and to be capable of lasting long periods away from the mains. The ThinkPad X60 meets these criteria with ease, and ticks plenty of other boxes along the way.

We’ve seen the X60 before in a similar guise (Issue 104, page 44), but this model has the added security of a fingerprint reader and TPM to protect your company’s vital data. These features join a long list, which also includes the usual hooded-lid design with an integrated keyboard light. Although the 1.7kg X60 is heavier than the previous X41, it now has magnesium alloy top and bottom covers and a hard disk shock absorber for more protection.

The X60 comes with a joint-best three-year collect and return warranty covering parts and labour. The 60GB hard disk is a little small for the price, but Windows XP Pro is standard.

While the lack of any kind of optical drive will be a frustrating issue for some, the X60’s phenomenal battery life makes up for it for most people. The standard 5200mAh battery offers an incredible 10 hours 29 minutes of light use and almost five hours of intensive use.

2D grunt is also no problem for the X60. The muscle is provided by a 1.83GHz Core Duo T2400 processor, which, together with 512MB of DDR2 memory, raced through our benchmarks with a decent score of 0.85. It’s a little behind the Samsung, but feels very quick in general use.

Elsewhere, 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi and Gigabit Ethernet are present and there’s an SD card reader. As we’ve come to expect from ThinkPads, the LCD is one of the best on show, sticking with a standard 4:3 aspect ratio, a resolution of 1024 x 768 and no glossy coating, yet still with impressive brightness. A trackpoint replaces a touchpad but it’s very responsive, while the full-width keyboard has large, comfortable keys.

If the absent optical drive puts you off and you don’t need the security, the Samsung is a great alternative at a far lower price. But if you’re looking for a robust, secure and fast notebook for business on the move, the ThinkPad X60 is the one to choose.