How much has the X range progressed beyond the excellent X61s?

I love my x61s to bits, its the best laptop i've ever owned. I bought it from the US with all the top specs, and then replaced the keyboard. Cost a pretty packet but I like it.

For me its the right size, the keyboard is excellent, the trackpoint is excellent and its just good hardware.

However, I'm a pretty aggressive tech/software person, so i'm looking to upgrade. For me the following were problems with the x61s:

• Poor Panel - Low resolution, a couple of dead pixels, etc... I would really like a higher resolution
• Graphics Card - Weak; I would love to be able to play Medeival 2: Total War or similar, hell I'd love to play Empire but I'm a realist here.
• Some small nags, trackpoint lays on the monitor when its closed, wireless is a bit flakey sometimes, closing doesn't always put it to sleep, etc.

Have these been addressed? How much has the X range evolved past the x61s? What is the top dog? Is there a comparison?

 

Most panels these days are junk. This would include the X series. The exception would include the X series tablets, which would include the X61t and the X200t. The X61t can be had with SXGA+ resolution while the X200t has the X4500 GPU which should be a step up from what you've got now.

 

Regarding the panel: The X200s has the option for a very high resolution (at least, on a 12" monitor) 1440x900 display. The X200t has a very nice and very bright 1280x800 screen.

Graphics card: The Intel GMA 4500MHD is capable of HD video decoding, although it's still obviously not the best gaming graphics chipset. It'll be an upgrade over your X61s though.

Trackpoint-touching-monitor: Some people have the problem, some don't. Easiest way to avoid problems is to put a thin microfiber cloth on the keyboard before closing the laptop for long journeys.

Wireless: The X200 models have the option of the Intel WiFi Link 5100 or 5300 cards. The 5300 card has been great in my T500; I am able to detect and connect to many more networks than any of my friend's laptops with other cards. No issues with connection dropping either.

 

Thanks guys, a tablet sounds interesting, I hadn't considered one of those.

I see there's an X210t out at the end of the year, and by the sounds Windows 7 supports multi-touch.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTABGen4Ckg

Will hold off on buying a tablet in that case!