Lenovo plans to launch two different versions of the ThinkPad 13 this year: one with Windows and the other with Chrome.
The basic specs for both are the same, including a 13.3 inch display and an Intel Core i5 processor. But I caught up with Lenovo this week and found that there are a few physical differences between the laptops.
The Windows model has a Lenovo TrackPoint system, for example, while the ThinkPad 13 Chromebook does not. And the Windows model has a single USB Type-C port and three full-sized USB ports. But the Chrome OS version has one full-sized USB port and two USB Type-C ports.
Sadly the Chrome model I saw wasn’t working, so I couldn’t really test it out. But both notebooks basically felt like entry-level devices with relatively cheap plastic cases… which isn’t surprising since they have entry-level prices. The Thinkpad 13 Windows laptop is coming in April for $449 and up, while the Chromebook 13 with Chrome OS should be available in June for $399 and up.
That makes it rather expensive by Chromebook standards, but there aren’t a lot of Chromebooks with Core i5 processors.