This ThinkPad X1 Carbon ‘30th Anniversary Edition’ is for diehard Lenovo fans

Lenovo’s going big for 30 years of ThinkPad with a limited X1 Carbon (Gen 10) edition laptop with classic RGB logos … and we got one.

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What you need to know

When it comes tothe best business laptops, few are as iconic as the ThinkPad. Synonymous with “getting work done” with a focus on durability, the ThinkPad lineup has grown significantly over the last few decades (including changing hands from originators IBM).

Celebrating 30 years of ThinkPad, Lenovo has released a limited-editionThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 10), its flagship laptop for business. Or, as Lenovo puts it, the X1 Carbon “continues to embody the core values of an ideal mobile business laptop.”

How limited is this version of the X1 Carbon? Only 5,000 are being made, and each is individually numbered with a stamp on the hinge.

Luckily, I have one of them to show you what you get for this retro-throwback merged with 2022 technology.

ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 – 30th Anniversary Edition

The 30th Anniversary Edition of the X1 Carbon is packed with nearly all of Lenovo’s top-tier options. With 32GB of RAM, mighty Core i7 P-series processor, 1TB SSD, and a stunning 14-inch WQUXGA (3840x2400) IPS anti-Reflective/anti-Smudge, touch display with HDR 400, this X1 Carbon is fully loaded.

(It wouldn’t have hurt to throw in the 5G modem, Lenovo, just saying!)

You also get the aerospace grade carbon fiber and magnesium alloy (MIL-STD 810H) chassis, new full HD webcam (“Communications Bar”), and Dolby Voice/Vision/Atmos, with the entire package being 14.95mm thin and weighing just 2.48lbs (1.1kg).

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But you could buy that laptop yourself without the limited-edition bit. So, what makes this laptop so unique? I’m glad you asked.

Here’s a list of all the special features of the 30th-anniversary edition ThinkPad:

It all comes together as a svelte high-grade laptop but with Lenovo’s classic RGB logo, which looks so good. Likewise, for the classy 30th Anniversary Edition etching with “30th” in Lenovo red and (why not?) some ThinkPad stickers.

But the coolest difference is you get three additional RGB TrackPoint nubs with green, blue, and a slightly different red. Pop off the default nub and make your X1 Carbon more distinctive with blue or green.

Sure, it’s a little thing, but this whole endeavor is about paying tribute to the road warriors whoslaved tirelessly behind their RGB Lenovo ThinkPads, closing deals and selling products.

It’s all nerdy fun, and I’m here for it.

This unique “tribute” laptop isn’t the first time Lenovo commemorates its past. Forits 25th anniversary, the company released a re-branded Lenovo T470, which had RGB logos, its classic 8-row keyboard, and unique keycaps from that era.

(I still have this laptop, and despite the ‘meh’ full HD display, it’s awesome. Too bad my battery is dead!)

How much will the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 – 30th Anniversary Edition set you back? Just under $2,300, which is a slight premium over a similarly configured non-limited-edition version.

Whether it’s worth it depends on how strong your brand affinity is for Lenovo ThinkPads, but I know some hardcore laptop fans (seer/thinkpadfor some serious geekery) are likely to pick one up. If you’re one of those, do it before they’re gone forever.

Celebrating 30 amazing years of ThinkPads, Lenovo made a limited-edition ThinkPad X1 Carbon (10th Gen) with classic RGB logos and more. With only 5,000 being made, this laptop is for the hardcore laptop fan who wants a piece of history.

Daniel Rubino is the Editor-in-chief of Windows Central. He is also the head reviewer,podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft since 2007, when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, laptops, next-gen computing, and watches. He has been reviewing laptops since 2015 and is particularly fond of 2-in-1 convertibles, ARM processors, new form factors, and thin-and-light PCs. Before all this tech stuff, he worked on a Ph.D. in linguistics, watched people sleep (for medical purposes!), and ran the projectors at movie theaters because it was fun.