First lenovo - x200, x230

Hi there.

Was wondering if I can get some advice.

I'm looking to buy a laptop for work, which will mostly be used for writing (I'm a copywriter) and multitasking browser, documents etc. - nothing too strenuous.

I'm torn between picking up an old x200 on ebay for £100-150, or going for an ex-show, pretty much new x230 with warranty until 2016 on eBay for just under £500.

I'm mainly worried the x200 will conk out after a few months, or will be a bit sluggish.

With the x230 I'm unsure about the screen resolution at 1336x768.

Alternatively there's the t430 (1336x768) for around £400 nearly new with warranty, or the older t410/20.

Any guidance and reccomendarions word help a lot, as I have little experience with lenovo.

I'm also open to laptop suggestions I haven't mentioned.

Thanks!

 

EDIT: Stupid double-post.

 

X200 in my sig with core2duo, 4gb ram and SSD is awesome, fast, with good battery life.
Thing is, it was a late stock clearance and I still have warranty on it, I got it brand new condition with brand new battery and brand new SSD, not like ebay with 20minute battery wrecks.
Considering even selling it to make an extra buck

What are the specs on the x230?
I see nothing for you to be unsure on the resolution about. Yea, you can get them in 1080p these days but really, these are sub-13" machines. Even the 1280x800 on my x200 doesn't feel small.

 

Thanks for answering.

The spec is:

Intel Core i5-3210M CPU @2.50GHz
4GB RAM DDR3
320GB Hard Drive 7200rpm
Intel HD Graphics 4000
Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
Fully Activated Microsoft Office 2010
And it ha a 6-cell battery

Sounds like you got lucky on that X200 - the only ones I can find are second hand/refurb.

 

Well, the machine looks just fine except for the fact that it has no SSD (huge turn off at that price point already).
Let me propose to you a couple of options:

I can source a x230i for you with the following specs:

Procesor: Intel I3 3120M 2.5Ghz Ivy Bridge
Ram: 4GB RAM DDR3 1600Mhz
HDD: SSD 128GB SATA 3
Video: Intel HD 4000 512MB
Others: Webcam,USB 3.0, Backlit keyboard
Battery: 9 hours

A tiny bit weaker CPU, identical otherwise, comes with an SSD, and I can have it shipped to you for 400GBP.
Otherwise like-new condition, though no warranty.

Or I can offer you my own X200 for 300GPB shipped
Although it has warranty, it's local, and probably the only item you'll still have warranty in the UK on would be the Samsung SSD.

Well, at least now you have options. Cheers

P.S.: I absolutely wouldn't recommend going for an X200 off ebay unless it has a new battery, is listed in new or excellent condition, and you manually install an SSD in it afterwards.
Core2Duo cheap laptops really shine with an SSD, but without it you kill both performance and battery life.
Same goes for the X230, when you want to have a professional machine which is snappy with good battery life, you don't want a slow and power-clogging HDD to take forever to load things.

 

X200 only has a 1280x800 screen, so 1368x768 of an X230 isn't that much worse. Most T410's will be OOW, but can be had like 200 USD depending on the spec you want.

 

That's very kind of you, but I'd rather opt for something with a warranty - or if not then a cheaper laptop around £150.

Will keep an eye out for something with an SSD too, or I can just stick one in.

Really having a tough time deciding what to go for!

 

Thanks for the info, appreciate it.

I looked at a few T410s. Here in the UK it seems like they go for £200-£250 in alright condition. But without warranty or anything, bit worried if it'll die in a couple of months.

 

Well there's not alot you can do with a 200-300 quid budget. You can look on ThinkPad forums, alot of trusted ThinkPadders like TuuS, ZaZ, erik, JaneL, ajkulla66, and me are on there. Plenty of used quality Thinkpads on there.

 

Actually, I'm quite shady.

I wouldn't be concerned about the X200 failing. They're very robust notebooks. They're very easy to take apart and repair should a problem arise. I had my X200 completely disassembled at one point. There are many knowledgeable users here and TPF more than willing to help with any hiccups. The trackpadless aesthetic is a nice bonus in my opinion.

What the X230 can offer you is USB 3.0, the ability to have a hard drive and SSD, and optional IPS LCD. I guess you'll have to decide that's worth the extra money. If you're going to get the X230, I'd try to get one with the IPS LCD.

Buying on eBay can get you some great deals, but it's a more risky proposition. I'd read the descriptions carefully and ask questions if you're unsure. You can always dispute it and you'll probably get your money back minus the shipping, but it's a hassle. I'd agree TPF is the best place to buy a used ThinkPad.

 

Thanks for the advice both of you.

My budget is whatever I make it, but sub £500.

I'll take a look at the TPF. I wasn't aware there was a market place there until you said.

Is it a fairly trustworthy place to trade? Or is it only recommended to buy from well known people there?

Again, thanks for the help.

 

Most people on there have been there for YEARS (thousands of posts, and almost since the beginning of TPF).

 

Just one thing to add here...

Having bought and sold literally hundreds of ThinkPads on TPF over the past seven years (sorry OP, don't have anything to offer you) I'll just say that both the sellers and buyers there are held to a *significantly* higher standard...

 

If your priorities are Warranty and Price, you could just go to some site like Amazon.co.uk, sort the 14" laptops by price, and buy the cheapest one that has a Core i5 CPU. You'll get a decent machine and spend less than 500GBP to get something brand new that has a full Warranty

 

What about X220? You get the traditional TP keyboard, IPS screen and USB3.0 if you opt for the i7 version.

Don't think you need the warranty unless you spill coffee on it or drop it by accident.

 

Good choice.

i7 tends to run hot in there, though...I've owned both the tablet and the standard version.

 

Again, tahnks for the responses.

I'll post over on TPF and see if anyone has anything.

I had a look on ebay for a x220 and the prices seem to be around £350-450 for an i5. Couldn't see any i7s or any with IPS screens (though I did just have a quick browse).

Still tempted to just go for a x200 for £150 or less and see how it runs.

The battery life on the later models does look a lot better though.

One of the main reasons I'm not just picking a random laptop from amazon is because of build quality. I'd like something I can stick extra ram in and that can take a bit of a beating as it'll be in my bag a lot.

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/lenovo/681991-second-hand-thinkpad-x301-owners-thread.html

 

I have noticed the fan is more active on my i7 X220 vs my i3 X220, though it's fairly quiet in low power mode.