Contemplating an x200/201/220? Read here...

hi all,

i've been a long time member, don't post much, but i do frequent here to sift through whenever i am in the market for a new laptop. well, i just purchased an x201i and thought i would share my opinions in the hope of helping others who had similar hesitations in buying this laptop. i'll start off by saying that i have owned quite a few laptops: an old thinkpad (ibm, can't remember the model), alienware area m9700, 2 dell inspirons, asus g60. probably a few others that i can't recall. on to my thought process going in and further that, impressions:

i had a few hesitations with the x200 series. my biggest one was the screen size. at 12.1 i was really worried that i would have a hard time adjusting to the reduced real estate. up until recently, a 14 inch inspiron was my go to machine and i felt really comfortable with that screen size/portability combo. i did a ton of "x201 vs. t410" thread searches to gather opinions, ultimately knowing that everyone's mileage will vary when it comes to screen size. well i'm glad to say that after 48 hours of use, the 14 inch screen is a distant memory. i am completely acclimated to the 12.1 and have no issues at all. if i could get the ultraportability of the x201 with a 14 inch screen, would i swap? absolutely, but i found the portability/battery life vs. screen size less of a compromise than i had initially thought it would be.

another reservation was the lack of an optical drive. i am missing it quite honestly, but not enough to regret my purchase. i briefly considered the ultrabay, but at another $200, i think i will just opt for an external drive in the $40-60 range.

my last reservation was the lack of touchpad. the x201 i was eyeing was a great deal, but did not come with a touchpad. having owned a thinkpad before, i was familiar and pleased with the touchpoint, but it had been so long since i've gone without the touchpad, i was hesitant. as i was strictly shopping refurbished, the closest in price equipped with the touchpad meant a $150-200 price jump. for obvious reasons, i decided to go without. 2 days in and i don't miss the pad as much as i thought i would.


some other observations:

*battery life is great, am getting 5-6 hrs. off the 6 cell, which i am very happy about. have not tried battery stretch yet.
*very happy with the screen quality, people have differing views, but i see no problems with color saturation or brightness.
*i love the little thinklight, i notice my estimated battery life takes a hit when it is on, but it works well for its intended purpose.
*noise levels are louder than i had anticipated. nothing crazy, but i do have the coil/cpu whine which is common for the i series processors. the hdd is constantly kicking in and the fan kicks in pretty often with the latest bios. i seem to be able to "feel" the computer working underneath my palms more so then other laptops i have used.
*excellent keyboard, but you all knew that.
*build quality is great.

all in all, the best laptop i have ever owned. it has really changed the way i approach computing. i can tote this anywhere and even just around the house. it is too easy to move it upstairs, downstairs, from the desk to the couch to the kitchen. for a full fledged computer, i am really impressed. anyhow, i hope i have swayed anybody on the fence about this little gem. as i said up top, i found this forum an invaluable resource in making my purchase decision and hope i have returned the favor. i would be happy to answer questions for those still thinking about buying one.

 

Congrats, its a really nice laptop.

You should check eBay for the Ultrabase. I got a brand new one for I think $110. It used to be $150 on buy.com too.

 

re: user experiences with smaller screens (12")

my opinion is that those users who have used laptops longer (and the more the variety, the odds favor them better) tend to have less of an adjustment problem going from 14" inches to 12" than do relatively new laptop users.

when i was first exposed to smaller screen LCDs back around 2000 (anyone remember the ultrathin and small Toshiba Portege's then), i remarked that i could never use anything so small after using the thinkpad 76x/77x and 600 series.

my opinions didn't change that much over the next few years until the x30 series really changed my mind that you can have a very portable machine with decent resolution with a sufficient cpu/ram capacity ratio comparable to the larger business thinkpads. (the x20 series had a usable small screen but the cpu and max ram capacity were too limited).

my opinion is furthered corroborated when i deal with interns that come thru here who often use college issued or purchased laptops which are generally 14" or larger and they all uniformly echo that they couldn't or wouldn't use a 12" screen. the netbook offerings in the past several years have helped some people get introduced to smaller screens but typically, the people who have the most aversion to smaller screens are those who have lesser ownership experiences with laptops.

of course, eyestrain and less than 20-20 eye-sight might dictate that they wouldn't choose a smaller screen, but i can point out that i don't have 20-20 vision anymore and do tend to eye-fatique rather readily and would still prefer to have a 12" laptop display running at 1280x800 rather than a 14" at that same resolution; the screen real-estate tradeoff is more than compensated by the longer battery life and lesser weight of the smaller machine and don't have any additional eyestrain using the smaller display.

 

maybe your theory is correct. i am quite surprised at how happy i am with 12.1. i used to think 15" was small. pretty crazy.

 

thanks. i have looked, right now nothing under $200 w/ the dvd/rw. i'll keep a lookout.

 

Co-incidentally, I just got my x201 today. I am also used to the 14" screen but have found the transition to the 12" screen non-problematic. In fact, as I mentioned in another thread, I find the 1280x800 res to be perfect for the 12".

On another note, I also find that the HDD is spinning under my right palm. This is different from my experience on the R400, but I am assuming that (1) because the x201 is a smaller machine, things are a bit mashed up inside and so I can feel the HDD. Point to note is that I have the 7200 rpm drive - maybe that makes a difference.

But all in all, like so many others have posted, I find the x201 to be a brilliant machine!

 

i actually have the 5400rpm drive, so i think its just the design. smaller case probably leaves less room for the vibrations to dissipate.

 

SSD, of course, is an option, albeit, from where I am, it is still and expensive one!

 

OK, so correction if I wasn't clear. I got Ultrabase only for $110. By default, it doesn't come with a DVD drive (I don't need it anyway). I'd suggest buying it separately. Btw here's the refurbished one for $110:

Lenovo 43R8781-06 Lenovo ThinkPad X200 UltraBase - Docking station Refurbished

No idea about the store but on Google Shopping they seem to have decent feedback. I'd guess you could nail both for ~$150ish total. Probably cheaper if you could be bother to camp eBay (I am not that kind of a guy. ).

 

Congratulations! I'm glad you're enjoying your new X201.

Mine is in my bag every time I am out and about. The 9-cell battery keeps me mobile for the whole day. The more I use it, the more I appreciate this little but capable computer. I don't use the optical drive at all. I attached an external USB once to create the recovery discs.

 

The only real thing that keeps me from selling my T410 and getting X201/X220 is going from generous 1440x900 resolution to 1280x800/1366x768. Im used to 17" desktop monitor with 1280x1024 resolution and would like to keep as much vertical space as possible. In real life however it might turn to be untrue and vertical space might not be issue for me, untill I test my T410 1440x900 in real life scenarious and compare it with 12" WXGA also in real life (should be achievable since my gf has 12" TravelMate) when actually doing some work and not just lazy net surfing I wont be able to decide !
Hence why I was so happy when I heard that X220 might get HD+ resolution.
X201s WXGA+ is out of question because its too expensive and CPU power leaves something to desire for more+its somewhat older with lesser battery life.
Been thinking about X120e, but its battery life, heat-noise ration and lack of full fledged CPU are those things that keep me away from it. Otherwise would be nice deal on such ultraportable.
Then again, perhaps Lenovo will release Edge E120 with Intel ULV which are cooler, more power efficient and more powerfull, but Im not sure I would like to have Edge'ish ultraportable, not a problem for 13" and up, but for my ultraportable I want my black box
I wish my T410 would be tad bit thinner and some 1lb lighter


EDIT. On the other hand given X series smaller dimensions, much lower weight and close to 2x battery life of my T410 then it might actually boost my creativity and productivity, tossing it around and being able to take it literally everywhere would be great, in this regard my T410 is on heavy-big side and the battery life is nothing to write home about, Id like it to be on par with T400 or higher.

EDIT2. Just to make it more on topic and not look like me babbling about something regarding T series - any comments regarding 11.6" screens?

 

If you have a home network, ie a router, and another computer that has an optical drive, you can share that optical drive over your network with your x201. That's what I do with my x40 and desktop computer. It is a little slower but I don't care since I hardly ever have to use it.

 

re: 12" screen

I don't think it is just an eye strain thing. I think it has to do with the desktop real estate. There are certain things that I will walk over to a desktop (or docked laptop) because it becomes frustrating on a lowER resolution laptop.

Mainly things where you need to have more than one window up on the scree.
Taxes: multiple documents to reference (fyi, don't live in NJ)
Software coding: test program, code for test program, maybe another window as reference
video editing: you usually need enough room to have two videos up

This limits most things I do on a laptop to watching movies, surfing the web, and checking email. Ofcourse one might say, why not get a netbook. I'd like the option to do all those things listed above for when I'm on travel and can't get to a desktop.

So I agree on some points. If you mainly use a laptop for things that require only one window, there probably wont be too much of a difference with less space, just more scrolling. Although I have had issues one some websites where I want to see a picture or video and it is too tall to fit.
If you mainly use a desktop and want to replace it with a laptop, that might be a problem.

Thats all just my opinion

 

the t410 was a real close second, believe me.

 

agreed, the laptop is at its best single-tasking and i can't speak on things like video editing or programming, but i do some lightroom work and no its not perfect, but it gets it done on the road. what the world needs is a lappy that inflates and deflates according to your needs. now that would be something.

 

this is a good idea.

 

Sounds like you want a T410s or T420s.

 

Well, I think there's a laptop with a flip out screen so you can have dual screen. not sure how heavy it is.

I think just making better screens that can support higher resolutions is the answer. Then you can always lower the resolution whenever you want. or move your head closer to the screen.

 

Exactly. This is the same apprehension I had about the x201 when I was considering it. I too wished my R400 was thinner and lighter. It did not feel so as per my experience during my travels over the year that I've had it. But there is no denying the fact that it is a damn robust machine and I do like the screen real estate (but then that applies to larger screens in general - though to a point) as compared to the x201.

Aside: I was just thinking that not so long back I was thinking about a netbook!!!! I think that would have been a disaster for me.

I am hoping that the x201 will allow and encourage me to take it out and work with it - like say at airports, in cars, while waiting for someone at a cafe or someplace like that, around and about the campus etc. When I had only the R400, in situations like these, I often found myself hesitating to take it out of my bag - to me it felt a bit awkward (yes, I know, even after taking into account the fact that I went from a 15" down to a 14" and now am at 12").

 

I too keep vacillating between getting a 12 or 14 incher. My concern is the typing experience. No matter how many reviews I read about the comfort, and non-cramped keyboard/touchpad feel, I still feel like I can't trust it....I have reasonable big hands/long fingers. But it's not like I'm a journalist or anyone who would have to really be concerned with typing all day. I just dont want to have any discomfort when using the laptop.

But i still want to portability of a 12", for carrying the thing around campus. I will live on campus this coming fall, and I won't be going up any hills or anything. And I'll be close to the library too, but I just don't feel like carrying a 14" laptop. It's not like it's such a big machine, but in some pics it looks humongous, lol...

But then at home relaxing, I want the luxury of having a large(er) screen.

Man, I'm gonna keep second guessing myself even after I make my final decision.

 

If you've got two distinct places you'll use it like that, one on the go at class and one where you live, just get a dock and/or an external monitor. Best of both worlds - all the comfort of a real keyboard, mouse, monitor, etc., but a nice small 12" when you need to take it somewhere.

 

^Yeah I thought about that dock + external monitor. I could do that. I'd get a fairly cheap monitor I guess. I'm mostly hesitant about paying the extra 200$ for the dock.

 

I would like to thank the OP for sharing his experience.

I was facing the same conundrum as the OP. After reading the reviews of the X220, it seemed like such a sweet machine but the display size and lack of optical drive made me hesitant. I ordered one anyway from Cost Central to replace my aging T42. [BTW, I am hooked on ThinkPads because of their TrackPoint and quality keyboard. Can't stand touchpads.]

Regarding the display and overall size of the notebook, I wanted one that would fit inside my briefcase. In other words, one no larger than my T42. All the current 14" models are 1-1/2" wider than my T42 and even the 13" X301 is wider than my T42. My T42 barely fits in my briefcase as it is with the other items I carry in it. So the tradeoff was; do I buy a 13 or 14 inch ThinkPad and no longer carry my PDA in my briefcase, or do I buy the X220 and adjust to the lower resolution display?

Regarding the optical drive, I have an external DVD drive at home that is satisfactory for installing any software. I could even buy an inexpensive external DVD drive to keep at work. Where I would miss the internal DVD drive is when I wish to watch a movie on the laptop while on the road. I imagine I will be buying an Ultrabase soon, along with a DVD drive, a 2nd hard drive adapter, and a second hard drive. I like running several OS's and having a couple of hard drives for that.

 

You can probably get a good deal on the outlet. I also saw one on Craiglist recently for ~$100. Not sure if the X220 is compatible with the older docks...mostly I just see "X200-series dock".

 

Cool, cool.

I'll think about how I feel about 12"/12.5".

I really wish the X220 increased in length instead of width. Definitely would have appreciated greater keyboard palm rest.

 

You've just saved me from ordering an ultrabase from Newegg - and saved me about 60 bucks.

I have very few softwares that I install from disk nowadays - and I hate searching for the ones that I do have. Every software I purchase in packaged form gets turned into an ISO and stored on my NAS box. Sharing a drive for those quick times when you need it works, but you can also mount ISO's with software like Daemon Tools Lite - a must have utility for anyone with an X series. Installing from ISO is quicker than the drive, in most cases, and definitely beats drive-over-network installs.

 

Out of the question - cost too much and battery life is pathetic
IF it had battery life that of regular T series, then I would consider it, otherwise paying large premium for 14" big machine (yes, its big given its 14" surface area) with bit smaller height and lower weight and poor battery life is out of question, it makes it less usable, whats the point of ultraportable laptop that I cant take out of the house and work for it hours non stop without plugging it into AC ?

So its X series for me.

 

I think I agree.

I think T series is more for desktop replacement when you are near a AC plug. Like something I can pull out while I'm on the couch watching TV, or something I can pull out at meetings or at the airport. All places with AC plugs, all places that you probably would have a laptop bag.

I think X series is for ultra portability, using it anywhere, carrying it around with you everywhere. Like for students carrying around like a paper notebook everywhere.

Ofcourse like the other guy said, you can always get the X and dock it with a monitor when you get home or to your office. I would do this if the X220 had a 1600x900 screen. The 768 height is just too short for me. I've used netbooks with that height and find it very annoying to have to scroll all the time. Just the other day, I was trying to view something on google maps, when you add in the taskbar, browser nav bar, the google search bar, you arent left with much space.

 

Why does it matter which screen it has, if you dock it and use an external monitor?

Here's my office setup with X200t and the ultrabase for those on the fence whether it can be used nicely



The desktop on the desk is the old computer that I didn't bother removing yet and isn't used.

 

In the future, we all will have old desktop computers as interior design element, you know, fashionable thing to have in future era of tablets only

 

Or maybe everyone's desktop would be a mini supercomputer.

 

i did a lot of vacillating as well. what helped me decide was knowing that i had already experienced a 14" but i never owned anything as portable as the x201. if i went with the t410, i know i would always wonder, what if i had gotten the x201? i also started to think about when i travel and how in trips where i would normally leave my 14" at home, i will now bring my 12.1." i can't overstate how much portability makes me giddy.

 

really glad my wall of text was useful to someone! i should become a lenovo sales rep

 

I reject your idea of the future and substitute my own. Keyboardless devices have no place in my household! (Says the man anxiously awaiting the day he can purchase an HP Touchpad. For ebook reading. And Angry Birds.)

I still can't come to terms with touchscreen-silkscreen keyboards. Perhaps I should try living with an iPad, or one of its current android competitors for a few weeks, and I might change my mind. The closest I've gotten to being interested in the tablet revolution was the U1 Hybrid from Lenovo, which I wouldn't mind picking up if it had a TrackPoint.

 

All these threads on the x series is making me seriously consider that x220t. I've used a couple 12" ThinkPads as well as the XPS M1210, and I loved them...darn you NBR, spending all my monies.

 

Yeah. What's interesting is that there appears to be zero (?) other laptops that have been announced which can even remotely compete with the new X220. It's not even funny.

 

I wonder how much b*tching there was here when the X200 came out considering the current drama over a 32 pixel loss.

 

Your wallpaper, sir. I want it! Care to share?

 

There's still folks out there on the internet who are sore about the 4x3 to 16x10 move. I can't say I blame them. I used to be one of them, but not due to resolution differences. 1024x768 has its limitations, but I've had no qualms with it on my mobile machines for years - the screen got smaller, and the res stayed the same. I just didn't like that the laptop wasn't square-ish anymore. The square form factor was easier to bag, for me at least.

I'm not sure how I feel about the X220 being WIDER than my X201. I'll make the decision once I get to fondle one in person. The X201 looked much worse in pictures than it does in real life, so the X220 might surprise me as well.

 

I was thinking about the same since I want to move into tablets and lack of physical keyboard seemed like a huge minus to me because I do type quite alot and I think, subjectively, that no on-screen keyboard will give me the feeling of real key presses and speed of real keyboard.
And then I remembered that on some tablets you can write stuff with pen with very decent accuracy in handwriting recognition, so all is not lost

As for X1, if its tablet, then I hope it will have minimalist design or looks of pre-Arrandale ThinkPads (pre Tx10/X220). Love that industrial look, it just makes you want to do something with your laptop isntead of just playing movies and surfing web
"Hey, do something with me, you silly human, or Ill transform into fkin robo-beast and eat your brains out! "

LOL, well, probably except for those X tablet users that had those 1400xsomething screens everybody was happy to switch from XGA to WXGA

 

I was really thinking about getting an x201 as well but since I am so used to the x301 setup with the resolution I could not go back to the lower resolution.

I use lots of excel and tend to like working in bed primarily vs my desk with an external screen. Though in did order a dock for the t.

 

I wouldnt be travelling much, but who knows? Even having to carry something around campus all day might warrant serious consideration about portability. They'll be times when I dont want to go back to my on-campus residence, and so I would appreciate a compact computing machine.

It's like 60-40 in favor of the 12". But I might wait till I start school to see what my computing needs really are.