Any advice/opinion on what I should do for my computer needs

Currently, I keep my laptop plugged in my home office 99% of the time, and 90% of the time I spend on the computer is on the internet and microsoft office, and I usually spend 6-12 hours a day in front of the computer. I do like that it's a laptop so I can technically take my computer with me if needed, but travel with computer is kinda rare. There's a few different ways I can go for the future and I sometimes fluctuate between different choices and need advice/opinions on what to do:

1. I can buy a new t520 or t530 and have it as a desktop replacement (what I currently do with my 15" t60).

2. I can buy a monitor and keyboard and a docking station so I can maybe have a more comfortable computer experience since I am usually working from home anyway. But would that cause slower performance than if I just used laptop? If I do buy a docking station, would you recommend sticking with Lenovo for Monitor/keyboard/docking station or would I get better quality and deals overall with other brands?

3. I can buy a desktop (I guess I don't prefer that for some reason or another and maybe my job changes and requires me to be more mobile).

4. If I do #2, I should just buy an x220 for a better solution for when I do need to take my computer with me.

Thanks in advance for any advice/opinions/suggestions.

 

I vote for the X220 with the dock and monitor. There's little difference between the X220 and T520 when docked, but the X220 will be much more portable if you ever need it.

 

Thanks for the reply ZaZ, do you think the Intel graphics would be able to handle the external monitor and do I have to worry about any lag or any other issues by using a dock and monitor? Would you recommend the specific lenovo dock for the x220 or any brand that is highly rated and does the job (I really am not as concerned with being able to undock with one button as I am with complete desktop functionality while plugged in)?

 

The X220 can do two LCDs - internal + external or two external. It can do up to 2560x1600 via the displayport. Either of the three series docks or the ultrabase will work just fine. You don't even need the dock, but the docks/ultrabase are more convenient.

 

Sweet! Leaning that direction and getting excited for it, but is there anything I'll miss by not having a T? Quality-wise or performance wise? People often say that I don't need high end features or top of the line performance when I spend most my time on my computer on the internet and Microsoft office anyway, but when I am on the computer 12 hours and have an average of 20 internet tabs open along with excel, powerpoint, and word, performance does suffer and performance/functionality is the most important factor overall, not weight.

 

The T would offer you a chance to get quad core and a slightly better GPU, but for Office and Internet, even with 20 tabs, those aren't likely to matter at all. Quality wise I'd say the T and X would be about the same based on past experience. I'll be in a better position to judge the quality of the T when I get the T430 later this week.

 

Awesome, I'll be on the lookout or let me know when you have feedback on it. How about for monitor? Any benefit to sticking with Lenovo or would I be better off with a highly rated other brand? I think I'll stick to Lenovo for the keyboard since I trust them in that dept.

 

I would say go for a non-lenovo monitor, but that's simply because I find OEM's are overpriced with their accessories (*cough*Apple*cough*).

 

Dell makes some very nice IPS displays.

 

Ok, great! Thanks so much for the replies, I think this is the last thing before the decision is made...will there be any/even very slight slowdown (with or without docking solution) of computer performance/response time by using external monitor and keyboard vs. just using the laptops monitor/keyboard?

 

Not a lick.

 

Awesome, going to buy x220 or x230 before the current sale ends on the 11th. Last lingering question just in case is...since the computer will be plugged in and I'll be using external monitor and keyboard 95% of the time, is it okay to keep the monitor closed while the computer is running daily for so long or could that cause a temp issue/other issues?

 

I have been doing that for 10 yrs at work without any problems.

 

I did the exact advice I got in this forum thread....bought x230, ultrabase, Dell 24" eIPS, Lenovo Keyboard/mouse......thanks all for help. Everything will take some getting used to...The only slight issue I'm having is my monitor is too tall to see at eye level so that supposedly will strain my neck over time so I may need a new desk/chair or monitor. Also, although I'll currently be plugged in 95% of the time I'm not sure I will like the smaller screen on the x230 vs t530 during that time, especially if things change and I need to be on the go more. But maybe I'm just nitpicking and will get used to it and prefer the lighter/smaller size. Again, can't thank you all enough for the advice!!

 

Hello, a couple questions have come up related to this new setup and since I think ZaZ and others have a ton of knowledge/might have similar setups I was wondering any advice...

1. It is a bit of an adjustment getting used to the 24" screen, I'm sure eventually I'll get used to it/like this setup more, but something that concerns me is that even on the lowest height adjustment, I am at eye level at about 3/4ths the screen, I've read conflicting reports that it could cause neck strain/potential long term problems by looking up (I spend a lot of the time on the computer and on the internet so usually the browser tabs are on the top row of the screen). I've also read that 3/4ths is actually okay for big monitors like mine because you don't want to look down at too much of an angle, anyone experienced/any advice on this?

2. I was thinking since I have a docking station, is there a way to turn on my computer with a remote (power on, not just waking up from sleep)? Also, a remote would come in handy when I'm eating at the computer/watching a video on the internet to switch videos/pause/search without opening up keyboard tray/using messy fingers. Are those two functions possible with the remote? I've read reviews of computer remotes but amazingly I can't seem to find out the answer to this. Most just seem to control Windows media player and couldn't get a good answer on those other uses.

3. My last laptop (t60) spent 99% of the time plugged in and I never drained the battery regularly to keep it in good shape and the battery eventually died. I think I may likely do the same thing for my x230 for possibly even weeks/months at at time, so I was wondering any other solutions if I don't want to do the regular draining solution? I was thinking of keeping my battery unattached until I know I am going to be leaving somewhere. That could cause my computer to shut off if power is lost which might happen a couple times a year, but I was thinking that may be better than not killing the battery, any thoughts/advice?

Thanks all for any help/advice.

 

I got #3 answered, looks like #2 is not possible because I don't have that option in BIOS. Still getting mixed views about my question #1. Anyone?

 

Alan, as I'm thinking about doing the same, have you found any downsides to this setup? Did it take a while getting used to the big monitor, etc (barring the height issue)?

2. I think the only way to power-on remotely is magic packet for which you need another machine. A remote should be able to bring it out of standby or hibernation.

3. Leave the battery charged at 40% for extended non-use.

 

Thanks for your reply vinuneuro. Actually for 3, I heard since it's a lithion ion battery and not nickel, I don't have to worry about discharge cycles. About the set-up, overall, I like it. I will list some of the downsides, it's up to determine how big a deal it is for you....
1. I only use the external monitor when docked, but a couple of times when docking both displays showed up and I had to turn the laptop one off manually (just a small bit of time), only happened a couple times and hasn't happened since because I haven't undocked that often.
2. Having to power on the laptop at the docking station everyday is also just a tiny inconvenience compared to when I used the laptop on my desk (my docking station is actually on the table next to my desk).
3. Like I mentioned before, I got a little thrown off what I was familiar with and it will take some time to get used to the new setup because I'm coming from 7 years of solely laptop use and it's only been about 2 weeks in the adjustment process so still getting used to the big screen, external keyboard, Windows 7 from XP, etc. It also makes you think of possibly adapting new methods for using the screen space/computer/w7 features and hopefully I can adopt at least some of them before going back to the usual ways.
4. Not really a downside to the setup but the flashy picture of the X1 on the lenovo website has me a little intrigued, especially since the screen size on the t230 seems a little small for those times I may want to use just the laptop. If somehow my laptop needs changed entirely and I had to use my laptop without the external monitor for huge amounts of time during the day this would be a bigger negative. But right now it's really minor since I'm plugged in 99% of the time and based on last years pricing, I'm pretty sure the x1 would be about $4-500 more anyway for the same setup. In fact, it's actually been really cool to just one touch and go with my laptop and I find myself already taking my laptop with me just in case I have downtime at places I go (I would really NEVER do that with 15.4 t60 setup).
5. Last small minor is I lose at least a little sound quality by having the laptop on the table next to me instead of in front of me so I will probably eventually plug in some external speakers which I was kinda planning to do anyway.

I may have dragged on too long on all these negatives (probably from the coffee I just had), but again, these are all really relatively small issues (at least for me), and overall I like it. Barring finding out I can't resolve this monitor height issue comfortably, I'm really happy with the decision to follow the advice and go for this setup.

 

Regarding the new X1C: do note that it does not have a docking port, so you won't be able to use it with your X230's dock.

Partially correct: you won't have to worry about the "memory effect" and needing to discharge it completely on a regular basis. But, a greater number of charge/discharge cycles will wear out a lithium ion battery as well.

As some people are reporting slight CPU throttling on the latest generation Thinkpads when no battery is inserted (not sure if this applies only to 65W adapters), I would use charge thresholds in Power Manager to keep your battery at a roughly half-discharged level if you are not going to use it for a long time (Li-ion batteries like to be stored at ~40% charge).

To do this, switch to Advanced mode in Power Manager, go to the Battery tab, and click on Battery Maintenance. Set your thresholds for 35% and 95% or something similar. This means your battery will not begin to charge when plugged in unless it is below 35% charge, and will be charged up to 95%.

 

Okay, thanks for the tip MidnightSun, just to be clear, with these thresholds, to keep it at about 40%, I will have to drain the battery to 40% before plugging in and then also have to change the settings to have it fully charge if I expect the need to be unplugged for longer?

 

You can simply toggle the threshold settings off and it will continue with the default behavior, charging up to 100%. When I need a full battery (ie for a longer flight), I usually just temporarily disable my charge thresholds until the battery is full, then re-enable them.

 

Ok, actually for Power Manager 6, there is an option to automatically optimize for battery lifespan which is supposed to always discharge the battery to 50% for you and keep it there when plugged in, however, it is not working for some reason.

 

I vote for the x220/x230 setup as well. At home, I use a 23" IPS monitor, and the integrated graphics power it just fine. I don't think about the battery too much since I consider it a consumable that it is not worth obsessing about. After 8-9 months of use, I get about 9-10 hours of use on battery at 2/3 brightness which is plenty for me.

 

Hey tongdakfiend, any opinion on the conflicting reports that it is best to be eye level with top of monitor vs eye level at 3/4ths screen? Update, the X1 is out, roughly $400 more for 32gb less SDD, no ultrabase option, and the rest of the config the same, think I made right choice with x230. Also, wanted to add that the external keyboard I bought is the Lenovo Thinkpad one, I'm extra geeked about that because I still get to use the trackpoint and have the classic thinkpad keyboard, I recommend that for anyone else transferring from solely laptop use.

 

Alan, what monitor do you have? Quick google shows that osha recommends the center of the screen to be 15-20 degrees below eye level for best ergonomics.

 

I have the Dell 24" eIPS. Actually on OSHA it says "Place monitor so top line of screen is at or below eye level.". OSHA Ergonomic Solutions: Computer Workstations eTool - Components - Monitors. However, I'm not sure that's taking into account large monitors, and on this website work environment - What's the correct monitor height for large monitors? - Super User, there seem to be conflicting reports whether it should be eye level at 3/4ths vs top of the screen so I was really hoping to get an answer on this good forum. I guess it's not a huge difference and may be looking too much into it but we spend so much time at our computer that it seems to make a lot of sense to get it right.

 

Update- All is fine with the setup except the monitor. Believe it or not, I actually plan to return my Dell 24" u2412 for a 23" u2312 even though with paying return shipping, the deal, etc., it even comes out to the same price! The issues are I lean in to look at my screen to see the text and I'm not happy with the height issue still (can't adjust desk/chair anymore/swivel arm) so I'm thinking the 1" lower height and the 1080 resolution (vs 1200 on the 24") will be more comfortable. I realize I lose 1" of screen space and a little more with the resolution and since I'm usually on the internet/office 1200 should actually be better. Anyone with advice in regards to what I am about to do?

 

If you do want a smaller screen and to place it more level with your eyes, go for a 21.5" 1920x1080 screen. Smaller (and higher DPI), but no loss of resolution. My brother has a screen of that size hooked up to his desktop.

 

Now that I'm using an U2412m your problem is a little confusing. This stand adjusts the monitor to a very very low height, something like 1.5" off the desk. Sitting on a fixed height chair I can see clear over the top of the screen even slouching (I'm 5'11). Even with the monitor raised it's not a problem if you tilt it. Are you sure you've got the right stand and that it's going down all the way? It'd be a pity to lose the vertical resolution if there's something else going on.

 

Thanks for the replies, I'm 5'7"...on a good day. 5'11"?! You don't even need a gardener to prune trees with that height :laugh:. I guess height's the reason because I even checked on Amazon and my desk is about average height/even lower than many others and I probably wouldn't be comfortable at my keyboard even if I could adjust my chair even higher. All that said, I think I decided to let it be after I was told text would actually be slighter bigger on my 1200 24" than it would be on a 23" 1080p. I really like these ultrasharp dells and actually just saw that they have a 20" 1620x1200 for more $, that may even be better for web pages/office but I am starting to get used to the 24" even though I sit too close and look up sometimes.
One more thing I wanted to add about this setup for anyone else considering it, for me personally, if I use Wifi, I've noticed that you get a bar or two less of signal by closing the laptop. I believe it's because the Intel wireless card is in the top of the monitor. It's not a big deal at all for me to just keep the laptop open, just wanted to add that though.

 

Btw, vinuneuro, I am getting that same 1.5" from the stand adjustment on the lowest possible setting for me....however, when I look in the back, there looks like there is another 1" the monitor could go on adjustment but doesn't, is that the same for you? I imagine it is probably the same for you because if it could go lower the bottom of the monitor would probably be touching the bottom stand, but just asking just in case. Thanks again for your help.