Dell user -- first time lenovo buyer, x201...

Well after lurking here for a while I took the plunge and bought a new x201. I am a happy dell user, currently with two studio xps's. I bought this because I really miss my old xps m1210, which was a 12.1 inch screen. I love the form factor and the screen size is plenty enough for what I do. I have no problem at all with Dell, they just don't make a lappy with this screen size and these specs anymore. I am hoping it is as solid as so many here say it is.

Tell me I did the right thing! I wouldn't have tried it without the touch pad, but I've seen many who like the pointing stick, so I might try to use it for a while and see what I think.

Anyway, I might be showing up on this side of the forums for a while. Anything I need to know that might not occur to me?
I do no gaming, but I have a Bible study program that is very demanding, so I beefed it up.

Intel Core i7-620M Processor (2.66GHz, 4MB L3, 1066MHz FSB)
Windows 7 Professional 64
Display type 12.1" WXGA LED Panel, 2x2 UltraConnect II antenna; with Camera and Wireless Broadband Upgradeable
Total memory 6 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM 1067MHz SODIMM Memory (2 DIMM)
Hard Drive 500 GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm
Mobile media base ThinkPad X200 UltraBase
Media base bay devices DVD Recordable 8x Max Dual Layer, Ultrabay Slim (Serial ATA)
System expansion slots 3-1 Media Card Reader without Modem
Battery ThinkPad X200 Series 6 cell Li-Ion Battery
Integrated WiFi wireless LAN adapters Intel Centrino Advanced-N + WiMAX 6250
Integrated mobile broadband Integrated Mobile Broadband - Upgradable
Language Pack Win7 Language Pack US English
Microsoft productivity software preload Microsoft Office Home and Student 2010 (North America) - English

 

XPS M1210 is a good machine, i used one for a while.

You really specced up the X201 machine that you got. If you have any problems or questions don't hesitate to ask.

 

Welcome to the Lenovo forum! I think you will settle just fine with the X201, it is a mini marvel considering how much power it packs in a small package and the specifcations you configured are no exception!

On top of my head, the only thing you may need to get use to apart from the Pointing Stick (Trackpoint is what Lenovo/IBM officially calls them) is the FN/CTRL keys as Lenovo swaps the placement of these. My friend has a Dell Latitude and he finds this pretty unusual, the roles are reversed when I try to use his Dell as i'm used to the Lenovo placement!

 

Well, between the coupons here and the online discount, I got almost 900 dollars off. It was costly but I usually buy big and keep long. That's where I hope this brand shines...

 

X series are extremely robust and i imagine this baby should keep you happy for many years to come.

 

Like Apple MacBooks, ThinkPads also keep their value and sell well on eBay even when they're quite old, in fact some people are willing to pay a premium for "classic" and older models with features they want and discontinued on existing models. I know it's heresy to some here who collect ThinkPads and would never sell one they owned, but thought I'd mention it

 

Seems very good, post your opinion, when it arrives !

 

it'll be interesting to hear your thoughts after you get it. i don't know how important battery runtime is for you, perhaps the only thing that i would have opted out of was the i7 processor and gotten the i5 instead.

i just took delivery of my x201 a couple of weeks ago. i've used thinkpads as far back as the 600e. my last laptop purchase was in 2004 (an x31 which still works in good stead) and like you i believe in using and keeping my hardware for the long-term.

started lurking here in late july doing laptop research since a lot has changed in 5 years and there's a lot of great info here both by the regular forummers and the hosted website reviews as well.

cheers.

 

All that and no SSD?

 

Some people need a lot of space on their systems, which an SSD can't do just yet, at least for any reasonable expense. That's the main reason why I haven't really jumped into one, myself.

 

I learned my lesson never trust your important data to 1 drive only.
Backup over network/external storage with at least 2 hard drives.

 

I wish! But I use it a lot for a Bible study program, and I have a huge library that would not fit. Cost also comes into play...

 

This is very true. Most of my high-priority data is mirrored on two different flash storage(ExpressCard flash storage as well as an SD card; both of which fit neatly into either one of my ThinkPads). I also have copies of all my music and movies on three different systems. Redundant, but it means I can rebuild if one of my drives go south.

 

you can always get a SSD in the future when the price per gigabyte is more reasonable.