Lenovo showed off its new ThinkPad X60 line on Thursday, lightening the load still further over its smallest, existing ultraportable laptop.

The X60 weighs in at just 2.5 pounds, two-tenths of a pound lighter than the X41, the current state-of-the-art ThinkPad ultraportable.

As a class, ultraportables refer to computers that weigh less than three to four pounds and which are typically thinner than most laptops. The design emphasis is on portability. Traditionally, the trade-offs of this compactness are the smaller keyboards and typically shorter battery life.

But the new unit boasts increased battery life up to eight hours with an extended battery — and better performance through optional dual-core processing and a faster Intel chip.

We have really improved over the X41, said Lenovos Matt Kohut, showing off the unit at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. 

The X60, which ships in February, has a 12-inch screen and an optional built-in capability to use mobile phone networks to provide data connections. It also sports an optional fingerprint reader that eliminates the need to remember passwords.

Jim Wolf , Reuters