Expected life of X200s/t

Do you think that life of a tablet will be shorter on account of excessive use of a screen (vulnerability to sractches or other damage, only one hinge). For example do you think, that X200s will last out longer period than X200t? How long do you expect your notebook to last?
Thanks

 

In my own experience with computers and just electronics/gadgets in general, whether something "works out" or not is largely dependent on plain old dumb luck more than anything else.

 

It all depends on how careful you are with your notebook and a bit of luck, really. They are both very well-built laptops.

EDIT: Haha, Zaz beat me to it

 

as long as you take care of it, then the tablet should last as long as the normal non-tablet cousins. But one thing is that the hinge on the tablet laptop are slightly weaker, it is more prone to loosening and breaking then the equivalent none tablet laptops. Other than that there should be no discrepancy to the life span of either laptop formats.

 

the hinge on my X200T is stronger than the pair of hinges on my X61s.   it's noticeably stronger than the hinge on my former X61T.

anyone who says the X200T hinge is weak should take the time to use one.   they're a lot better than you might think.

 

Agree on this point.

I'd also argue that the x200 Tablet has the potential to last longer from a usability standpoint because tablets are used for different purposes. The makings of a great tablet are:

• Display Quality
• Digitizer and/or touch quality
• Keyboard and other input quality
• Size/Weight
• Battery Life
• Reliability
• Usability and functional design

The x200T excels at all of these things, and they tend to become obsolete FAR slower than the primarily performance related metrics that are used for traditional notebooks.

 

Quick question about Thinkpad hinges in general:

Any way to tighten them up if they get loose over time?

 

no, you can't, they have to be replaced.

 

i don't have a X200t, so i can't really say how strong it is compared to the previous generations. But my point is that the tablet laptop hinge is 'usually' weaker than than the non-tablet cousin. I have had my X61t hinge replaced twice in 7 months, and i have yet to replace the X61 hinge for the same frequency of use. This is also true for the X60t that i bought off my friend yesterday (my friend have replaced the hinge three times in the past 3 years).

Maybe, the X200t hinge have increased in durability compared to the old. But so far my experiences with the tablet hinge on the previous generation is not that great as compared to the standard thinkpad one. I will sell the X61t and get a X200t.

 

"usually" doesn't apply to a design improvement that lenovo engineers specifically addressed with the X200T.   it's unfair to make a blanket statement about a product that you haven't used, especially since statements like this are potentially seen by thousands of people -- many of which will incorrectly assume you've used an X200T and found its hinge to be equal of the previous tablets (which obviously isn't the case).

get yourself an X200T and post back with your results.   you just might be impressed.

the only features i miss from my X61T are the navigation dial and high resolution.   since my X200T has enhanced multitouch, navigation isn't much of an issue.   i really wish i could get a WXGA+ display instead of WXGA though.

 

Hopefully that is the case, because i am a bit sick of having to service the hinge on the X61t in such a short period of time. Also, i thought they changed the pivot mechanism that connects the hinge to the base of the laptop, did they also changed the actual LCD hinge design on the X200t?

Also, what is the opening and closing lifecycle rating of the x200t hinge as compared to the x61t?

 

Thank you for your posts.
The advantage of having tablet for me is taking notes, better aspect ratio for reading and maybe editing photographs. I haven't had a tablet yet, so I don't know, if it's worth for the extra money. On the other hand similar X200s/t are available for the same price in lenovo outlet, so I was astonished how it is possible. In comparison to X200t, I tought that X200s has better batery life, roll cage technology, and of course you can imagine mechanical wear of keyboard after 4 years, so how it will affect the display? For example you can still use some seven-years-old thinkpads (T,X), but I have never seen tablet at the same age. What do you think about it? Have you got any experience with old thinkpad tablets? Should I reckon with extension of warranty at least?

 

the X200s and X200T use the same basic internal parts.   battery life between the two is almost identical.

X tablets are built slightly stronger than notebooks because they're expected to be used in the field.   i used to stack all kinds of weight on my X61T and never broke anything.   and, i just got back from a week-long business trip and had someone accidentally step on my backpack when it was on the floor of the airplane.   the X200T still looks new.

keyboards will wear no matter what.   the keys may take a shine after four years but can be easily replaced for a nominal fee (typically $35~60 USD depending on availability).

if you're going to get a tablet, go with an X200T if you can afford it.   if you use compactflash cards, you'll appreciate having an expresscard slot since it's 64-bit compatible.   plus, the X200T runs a bit cooler, gets excellent battery life, and has the option of two-finger touch displays on newer models.

a warranty extension is always a good idea.   just keep in mind that any system purchased through the lenovo outlet is limited to a 1-year warranty.

 

Do you think it is pointless to worry about having a screen with "shine" because of friction after couple of years?

 

The x200s and x200 Tablet use almost the exact same wattage. However, the 9 cell for the x200s has a higher WHr rating than the 8 cell for the x200 Tablet (84WHr vs. 66WHr). However, the 8 cell is better from a design/usability perspective (textured grip, runs the full width of the tablet [better balance], doesn't stick out the bottom). From a design perspective the x200s and x200T are very very similar.

CCFL backlights get weaker (and dimmer) over time but generally still work. LED backlights are supposed to maintain their brightness far more effectively (and use less energy at a given brightness level).

The reason you don't see any seven year old tablets is that very few exist. However, I have a few friends that are still actively utilizing a perfectly usable, albeit somewhat dim, x41T. This is the first tablet Thinkpad and dates from mid 2005. Naturally, you'd want to replace the battery if you're still using it after this many years.

To me, the tablet is definitely worth the moderate price/weight premium. The extra money buys you a much higher quality display and a far more versatile device. Additionally the extra pound for the tablet allows me to eliminate most books, readers, and other reference materials from my carry load (these would be far heavier than a pound).

The tablet is very durable as well. I've dropped mine a few times (onto very hard surfaces) and throw it onto soft surfaces (beds, chairs, etc.) all the time. Save for a very small piece of the outer hull that broke off [crushed by the zipper of my sleeve when it fell 4+ feet onto a tile surface (landed on the side/zipper)], it still looks new and works perfectly.

 

i've personally never heard of that happening.

it's pointless to worry about anything in life since the act of worrying doesn't control the outcome whatsoever.