Lenovo ThinkPad X200s Review

by Andrew Baxter

The 12.1-inch screen Lenovo ThinkPad X200s ultraportable notebookisa lighter and slightly less powerful version of the ThinkPad X200. The three major advantages the X200s offers over the X200 is a lighter weight, higher resolution LED backlit screen and better battery life. The better battery life comes as a result of using a lower voltage processor in the X200s, so that does leave you with a less powerful processor. If you're auser that values battery life and lower weight over performance then the X200s could fit your needs better than the X200 -- so long as you can justify the extra $500 price tag for those needs.

Overview

The ThinkPad X200s is a12" screenultraportable business laptop that replaces the X61s predecessor,the X200sis the lightest notebook offered in the ThinkPad series. With the smallest 4-cell battery installed the X200s weighs in atan amazingly light2.47 lbs. Consider the fact many of the 7 to 10-inch screen sized netbooks are weighing in at 2.5 lbs these days and here we have a 12.1" screen highly durable laptop with that same weight (alongwith a laundry list of superior featuresover netbooks)and you can start to understand what it means to have a nicely engineered product and why "you get what you pay for."

The X200s shares all of the same rugged features found in the larger sized T400 series, such as a magnesium roll cage and spill proof keyboard,and more.It alsohas the comfort of a full-sizedkeyboard that matches the size of the larger ThinkPad T400 (14.1" ) /T500 (15.4")series.

Since the X200s is designed to be a notebook for road warriors it uses an Intel Core 2 Duo low voltage (LV)processor to provide better battery life. While an LV processor does mean slower performance compared to the regular voltage Core 2 Duo processors used in an X200, for most normal business tasks you will not notice a slow down due to the lower clock speed.

The X200s also offers a bevy of wireless options and SSD storage to appeal to the business user types who worry about how they will connect to the Internetand how their data will be protected.

The Specifications of the X200s being reviewed are as follows:

• CPU: Intel Core 2 DuoSL94001.86 GHz (6MB L2 cache, 1066MHz FSB)
• Chipset: Intel GS45
• Memory: 2GB DDR3 1067MHz (1x 2048MB) (can support up to 4GB of DDR3 Memory @ 800/1067MHz)
• Hard Drive: 7200RPM 160GBHitachi Travelstar(HTS722016K9SA00 ) SATA
• Screen: 12.1" widescreen 1440x900 LCD, 250 nits of brightness
• No built-in Optical Drive (need X200 UltraBase for this capability)
• GPU: Intel X4500 Integrated Graphics
• Network/Wireless: Intel Wi-Fi Link 5300 (802.11 a/b/g/n) 1Gb Ethernet Card, Bluetooth, Wireless USB, WiMax (optional), 56 Kbps modem (optional).
• Inputs: 95 Key Keyboard with Three Button Touchpoint
• Buttons: Power, ThinkVantage, Volume Up and Down, Mute, and WiFi/Bluetooth On/Off Switch.
• Slots:ExpressCard/54mm, SD card reader (5-in-1 media card reader optional, not installed)
• Battery: Nine Cell Cylindrical (4-cell, 6-cell and 9-cell options)
• Weight:
  • 4-cell battery ~ 2.6 lbs
  • 6-cell battery~ 3.0 lbs
  • 9-cell battery~ 3.3 lbs
• Operating System: Windows Vista Business
• Extra Options: Web-cam, fingerprint reader, 56Kbps modem, 5-in-1 card reader

The price of the above configuration at the time of this review is $2,078 USD.

Competing Ultraportable Notebooks

It's always good to know what the competition is out there for similar notebooks, so here's a list of 12" business ultraportables sold by other manufacturers and links to reviews if available:

• Fujitsu P8020 12.1" ultraportable- Fujitsu LifeBook P8020 Review
• Dell Latitude E4200 12.1" ultraportable - First thoughts by corporatetraveller
• HP EliteBook 2530p 12.1" ultraportable - HP EliteBook 2530p Review
• Toshiba Portege R600 / R500ultraportable - Toshiba Portege R500 Review

The competition and design choices among each of the different 12.1" business notebooks are very interesting. Dell chose to offertheLatitude E4200 feather-weight 2.2lb SSD only laptop that can be decorated in Blue, Red or Black. HP went the route of offering an optical drive in their 12.1" 2530p. Toshiba also offers an optical drive in their 12.1" R600 laptop. The ultraportable category is always quite fascinating as it's where each company allows their engineers to really innovate and unleash their design prowess. Sure, more 14" and 15" laptops get sold, but it's the 12 - 13" screen laptop category that turns heads and gets the most attention for design.

Design, Looks and Build Quality

The all black staidlook of the X200scan be calledeitherclean and professionalor downright boring, depending on your take.At last check bankers and CEO'sstill wear black suits to work so why should Lenovo change when its customers aren't either. You can't go wrong with black.

At 1.2-inches thick the X200s isnot super-modelthin like the Dell Latitude E4200 which is less than 1-inch thick, noris theX200s offered in red, blue or pink like the E4200. Nor does the X200s have a striking look or built-in optical drive such as you get with the Toshiba Portege R600. In terms of looks andeye-candy factor, the ThinkPad X200s is the least interesting of its competitors.

Where the X200s does shine is in the fact it has an incredibly light starting weight of 2.5lbs and still feels more durable than any other ultraportable we've handled. When you pick up the X200s with a 4-cell battery after seeing how solid it looks and feels, you'll simply be amazed by the weight. Upon initially picking theX200s up before bootupthis author thought it must have been a hollowed out prototype. The case feels rugged and durable so it seems like thethecasealone should weigh 2.5lbs.One trick Lenovo uses to keep weight down comes withthe carbon and glassfibre composite lid that offersdurability better than titanium at a mere 22%fraction oftitaniums weight. Material choices such as a magnesium rollcage that reinforces both the bottom of the notebook and keyboard area along with strategically placed plastic reinforcement plates also contribute to the durable feel of the X200s.

The most noticeable change we see between the X200s and its ThinkPad X61s predecessoris that the display is widescreen instead of the 4:3 ratio aspect screen seen on the X61s. This offers a lower overall system profile, more spacious keyboard and ability to more easily view two windows side-by-side.

More subtle design changes between the X61s and X200sinclude red accented mouse buttons coming back from the ThinkPad days of old. The volume control buttons have gone from a silver color on the X61s to black on the X200. The power button look changes to thatseen onthe ThinkPad X300, except it is not backlit.

The steel hinges that we're used to seeing on ThinkPad notebooks are of course still in place. The hinges keep the screen firmly in place with no wobble, even during bumpy plane rides. There are two latches to hold the lid tightly closed when you have it in a bag.

There are two spill drains on the keyboard area that will carry any liquid spills safely out of the bottom of the notebook. Spilling that morning cup of coffee on your X200s might not be disastrous thanks to this feature.

The ThinkPad Active Protection System (APS) for the hard drive is still part of the mix. The APS is software on board that works with a built-in accelerometer to detect drops and knocks and remove the read-write head of the hard drive so as to prevent any damage to the data.

For upgrades and repairs that might come up down the road, the X200s keeps the user in mind with easy to remove access panels and covers. The most frequent upgrade items being the HD and RAM are accessed through panels on the bottom and side of the X200s. Other items such as the keyboard, wireless cards, and backup battery can be reached by removing a handful of labeled screws on the bottom, and easily popped out. Worth noting is that even if you don't get WWAN configured at purchase, the necessary antenna is installed by default so all you would have to do is open up the X200s and put in the WWAN card and voila, built-in WWAN.

Input and Output Ports

The X200s port selection has changed a bit from the X61s, placements are especially a bit different. Gone is the old style PC card slot, it's now an ExpressCard 54mm expansion slot. The FireWire port the X61s had is dropped with no appearance on the X200s. You can choose betweenan SD card reader and no built-in modem or an enhanced 5-in-1 card reader and a modem.

The port locations are best described by taking a picture tour:

Left side - power jack, heat vent, USB port, monitor-out port, Gigabit Ethernet, USB port, ExpressCard 54mm slot, wireless on-off switch:

Front side - SD card slot or optional 5-in-1 card reader:

Right side - USB port, headphone out, microphone, modem port:

Keyboard and Touchpoint

The keyboard on the X-series ThinkPad has always been a standout in the field of ultraportables. Now with the extra real estate width the keys that were slightly shrunken on the X61s appear in their full glory here. The keyboard on the X200s is exactly the same as that on the T-series, so it's entirely comfortable to type on with no adjustments necessary for smaller keys you often find on ultraportables. The feel of the ThinkPad keyboard is well documented as beingone of the best in the industry. Each keyfeels individual and the feedback you get fromakey pressis verysatisfying.The keyboard isalso quiet and won't click or rattle to annoy others in a business meeting room, lecture hall or wherever you happen to be working.

While there havebeen some complaintsregarding keyboard flexon the T-series, there is no noticeable flex on the X200s under normal typing pressure. Of course, if you apply extra force on the keyboard you'll generate some flex, just as with any objectthat hasspace inside.

The lack of a touchpad will probably come as a shock to some users. To save space the X200s omits the touchpad system in favor of just a touchpoint/trackpoint. The trackpoint is a navigation stick in the middle of the keyboard, itallows you to move a cursor around the screen efficientlyas you cankeep your fingers on the keys while using it. Some users that are familiar with a touchpad will take some time to adjust to the trackpoint, and potentially never get over the fact the X200s is touchpad-less.

The mouse buttons just below the space bar are easy to use with a nice travel distance, good smooth feedback, and no stiffness or annoying click noisiness.

Screen

The ThinkPad X200s screen is of the LED backlight variety andhas a high resolution WXGA+ (1440 x 900) type display. The LED backlighthas athinner profile than a regular CCFL backlit display, a lighter weight and is morepower efficient.

Screen brightness is very good, measuring in at over 200 nits, which is better than the sub 200-nit screen the ThinkPad X61s had. The screen brightness can be adjusted along fifteen levels, if the room is dark it's recommended to dim the screen to half brightness in order to protect your pupils, there's no ambient light sensor to do that for you like with some business laptops.

The 1440 x 900 WXGA+ resolution is a real gift for those of us who crave being able to see more on a screen.The X200 offersa maximum resolution of XGA (1280 x 800) with no option for a higher resolution, so the X200s offers about 20% better viewing real estate. Of course, if you have poor vision the smaller text and icon sizes that come with the higher resolution might be a problem. For most, the higher res screen will mean better productivity. As an example of the extra screen real estate WXGA+ gets you on a 12" screen over XGA, you can see the top 9 forums displayed on the screen of the X200s while only the top 4 forums display on the XGA ThinkPad X61 screen with 1024 x 768 resolution.

Below is a screenshot of the NBR forums from a ThinkPad X61 12" screen with 1024 x 768 resolution display

Below is a screenshot of the NBR forums from the X200s 12" screen with 1440 x 900 resolution display

The viewing angles onthe X200s screen are typical for a laptop, the horizontal viewing angles are decent while vertically colors tend to invert as you tilt the screen away from you. With business users you'll often find a 3M privacy filter in place, especially when a business person is on the road, so we don't care as much about how good the viewing angles are on a portable business laptop - the goal might actually be for as few people around you to see the screen as possible.

Speaker

The mono-speaker on the X200s is located on the front side underneath the keyboard.The speaker loudness is good, butbecause thespeaker is located on the bottom of the laptop, the sound direction isn't exactly optimal. The speakersound quality is ok enough for listening to speech audiobut not as great when it comes to highs and lows associatedwithmusic, you'll want to plug-in earphones when listening to tunes.

Performance

The X200s utilizes the latestIntel Core 2 Duo low voltage processor. This particular review unit comes equipped with the Intel SL9400 1.86GHz processor. While the SL9400 is on paper a slower processor than the Core 2 Duo 2.40GHz processor, there was no noticeable performance difference for the daily tasks a typical business user would be doing. The PCMark05 score generated by the X200s was actually slightlyhigher thanwhatwas achievedonthe X200. PCMark05 measures overall system performance, not just processor, so a faster hard drive and fewer background processes might have been helping the X200s out in this case.

PCMark05 benchmark results (higher scores are better)

Notebook	PCMark05 Score
Lenovo ThinkPad X200s (Intel Core 2 Duo SL9400 @ 1.86GHz, Intel X4500)	4,309 PCMarks
Lenovo ThinkPad X200 (Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 @ 2.40GHz, Intel X4500)	4,298 PCMarks
HP EliteBook 2530p (1.86GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SL9400, Intel 4500MHD)	5,787 PCMarks
Lenovo IdeaPad U110 (Intel Core 2 Duo L7500 @ 1.60GHz, Intel X3100)	3,445 PCMarks
Lenovo ThinkPad X300 (Intel Core 2 Duo L7100 @ 1.20GHz, Intel X3100)	3,467 PCMarks
Apple MacBook Air (1.6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P7500, Intel X3100)	2,478 PCMarks
Sony VAIO TZ (1.20GHz Core 2 Duo U7600, Intel GMA 950)	2,446 PCMarks
Lenovo ThinkPad X61 (2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300, Intel X3100)	4,153 PCMarks
Lenovo 3000 V200 (2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300, Intel X3100)	3,987 PCMarks
Lenovo T60 Widescreen (2.0GHz Intel T7200, ATI X1400 128MB)	4,189 PCMarks
HP dv6000t (2.16GHz Intel T7400, NVIDA GeForce Go 7400)	4,234 PCMarks
Sony VAIO SZ-110B in Speed Mode (Using Nvidia GeForce Go 7400)	3,637 PCMarks
Asus V6J (1.86GHz Core Duo T2400, Nvidia Go 7400)	3,646 PCMarks

3DMark06 is a benchmark that measures graphics performance, or more accurately measures the notebook's ability to play 3D computer games. The score is based in part on overall performance, but the single most important factor in this benchmark is the performance of the dedicated or integrated graphics. In the case of the X200s, the integrated graphics performance wasn't bad ... but you certainly won't be playing Crysis on this machine:

3DMark06 comparison results for graphics performance (higher scores are better):

Notebook	3DMark06 Score
Lenovo ThinkPad X200s (Intel Core 2 Duo SL9400 @ 1.86GHz, Intel X4500)	897 3DMarks
Lenovo ThinkPad X200 (Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 @ 2.40GHz, Intel X4500)	927 3DMarks
HP EliteBook 2530p (1.86GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SL9400, Intel 4500MHD)	898 3DMarks
Lenovo ThinkPad X300 (Intel Core 2 Duo L7100 @ 2.10 GHz, Intel X3100	502 3DMarks
Apple MacBook Air (Intel Core 2 Duo P7500, Intel X3100)	504 3DMarks
Lenovo IdeaPad U110 (Intel Core 2 Duo L7500 @ 1.60GHz, Intel X3100)	620 3DMarks
HP 2133 Mini-Note (1.6GHz VIA C7-M ULV, VIA Chrome 9)	93 3DMarks
Averatec 2575 (2.2 GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-64, ATI RS690T)	377 3DMarks
Dell Inspiron 1525 (2.0GHz Intel T7250, Intel X3100)	545 3DMarks
Dell XPS M1330 (2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300, NVIDIA GeForce Go 8400M GS 128MB)	1,408 3DMarks
Asus A6J (1.83GHz Core Duo, ATI X1600 128MB)	1,819 3DMarks
HP dv6000t (2.16 GHz Intel T7400, NVIDA GeForce Go 7400)	827 3DMarks

Battery Life

The ThinkPad X200s comes with three different battery options: 4-cell, 6-cell or 9-cell. The bigger the battery the longer the battery life and of course the heavier the weight. We have the 9-cell cylindrical battery which causes the system weight to jump to about 3.3 lbs instead of the 2.6 lb weight you get with the 4-cell. However, the 9-cell may well be worth carrying the extra weight, especially if you're a mobility freak that hates having to hunt down the next power outlet.

With the screen set to the to 8/15 level of brightness, Vista power mode set to power saver, wireless on and using the X200s for 4 hours to write this review, surf the web, check email and download programs and the rest of the time spent idling the X200s went into hibernate with 5% battery remaining at exactly 7 hours and 30 minutes of usage.

The power adapter for the X200s remains the same as that used for the X61 and X300, though the battery for the X200s is compatible with neither of those X-models. The power manager interface within the ThinkVantage software has also changed, the UI is a little more friendly, though some long time ThinkPad users may have to figure out how to find information they were used to seeing in a different way before, there's a bit of a re-learning curve if you will.

Heat and Noise

The ThinkPad engineers have once again raised the bar on reducing both heat and noise. The X200s has adopted the "owl-like" fan design that was first seen in the ThinkPad X300. The fan is amazingly quiet when it runs and does its job well. Even if you don't care to appreciate the details of the engineering with the fan design, you'll appreciate the fact there's simply no areas of noticeable warmth on the X200s. Even if you put your hand up to the heat vent area it's hard to feel anything more than a bit of warm air coming out. We often find with ultraportables that the heat buildup can be off the scale and noisy fans the norm as designers have to cram all the internals into a smaller space. The X200s proves this does not have to be the case if the right type of engineering is used. Reducing the heat buildup is important to both your comfort and also ensuring that the system doesn't cook itself and break down under the heat stress.

Wireless

The X200s has a number of Wi-Fi options: the Intel WiFi Link 5100, WiFi Link 5300 and ThinkPad 11b/g Wireless LAN Mini PCI Express. The new Intel WiFi Link 5300 worked well for the most part, thoughsometimes we found that the ThinkVantage connection softwarefroze for a few seconds while the card was trying to connect to a network. Once connected things were fine though and the range and speed what you'd expect. The antenna placement at the top of the X200s screen and non-metal lid help when it comes to improving wirelessrange.

BlueTooth is also an option with the X200s. It's definitely a recommended feature for those that want to use a wireless BlueTooth mouse or pair the X200s with a PDA or Smart Phone device. Also part of the mix now is a built-in GPS option if your opt for WWAN.

Expansion Capabilities

The X200s has an updated docking connector and so there is a new UltraBase dubbed the X200 UltraBase. The X200 UltraBase allows you to snap into a dock with the following ports: UltraBay Slim (SATA), four USB 2.0 ports, VGA, DisplayPort, Microphone in, Headphone out, Stereo Speakers, RJ-45 Ethernet, Cable lock slot, Key lock slot, second battery charger. The list price for the X200 UltraBase is $219.

Conclusion

The ThinkPad X200s offers a few premium features over the X200 that do make it more desirable as a travel laptop, but you'll have to carefully assess whether the $500 price premium of the X200s over the X200 is worth it to you. The higher resolution screen and lighter weight of the X200s are definitely nice to have, and the performance is so close between the X200 and X200s that it's not even worth considering the difference. The battery life achieved with the X200s isn't much different to the X200 in our testing, you'll get about 9 hours with either if you turn off wireless radios and dim the screen. At the end of the day, both the X200 and X200s are great ultraportables, the higher-res LED screen on the X200s really gives it the edge and the lighter weight is sugar on top.

The downside of the ThinkPad X200s compared to the 12.1" screen HP 2530p and Toshiba Portege R600 is that there's no optical drive built-in and no touchpad for those that prefer that style of input. Having no built-in DisplayPort, HDMI or DVI port could be a deterrent for some. The all black and professional look has stood the test of time and looks both clean and professional, we like it, but the appeal for a more contemporary design such as the Latitude E4200 offers might sway some.

Overall, the X200s is an excellent business ultraportable due to its durability, light weight, great battery life (at least with a 9-cell battery) and more than adequate performance when it comes to business related applications.

Pros:

• Surprisingly good performance from a low voltage processor
• Runs very cool and quiet thanks to unique fan design
• New WXGA+ widescreen display and extra width means more keyboard space and can fit enough on the screen for dual-window viewing
• Great battery life, close to 9-hours with conservative usage on the 9-cell battery
• Very sturdy notebook built to last with mag-alloy case, magnesium internal roll-cage and carbon-glass fibre lid protection

Cons:

• No built-in high-definition video output port such as HDMI, DVI or Display Port
• No touchpad available, just TouchPoint
• No built-in optical drive
• Costs $500 more than the X200

 

A few questions.. What is the startup time from start to finish on this laptop? You mentioned that the display on this laptop was better than the X200 but when you showed the comparisson you compared the X200S to a X61. Also mentioned above was:
Notebook 3DMark06 Score
Lenovo ThinkPad X200s (Intel Core 2 Duo SL9400 @ 2.40GHz, Intel X4500) 897 3DMarks ??


You did not mention with what battery you got these times..??

With the screen set to the to 8/15 level of brightness, Vista power mode set to power saver, wireless on and using the X200s for 4 hours to write this review, surf the web, check email and download programs and the rest of the time spent idling the X200s went into hibernate with 5% battery remaining at exactly 7 hours and 30 minutes of usage.

 

I believe Andrew had the 9 cell battery with the X200s for the review.

 

Nice review, and nice notebook.

1440x900 is a great resolution for a 12.1", that would be a selling point for me along with the excellent keyboard.

7.5 hours of life from a 9-cell is good, about 50 minutes per cell.

 

man this thing looks ugly... straight out from the 90's just thinner...

 

Just like every other ThinkPad made in the last decade?

 

Excellent performance and battery life for such a small machine.

However, I know my eyes wouldn't like the 1440 x 900 @ 12.1".

John

 

Oh yeah sure I go and ask about the X200s review, then you go behind my back and do it yourself. Thanks a lot.

The X200 got almost nine hours of battery life in its review. Wouldn't the LV CPU and LED screen lead to better battery life?

 

Decade? Try over two!

 

The PCMark05 Score is very weird...

If these results are correct, that mean the X200 has NO ADVANTAGE over the X200s.

I would highly recommend you guys re-evaluate the scores of both machines or find a better way of benchmarking.

 

i must say, I have owned the X200 for a couple of weeks with the 64GB Samsung SSD and it is the fastest computer I have ever owned. At 12" screen real estate at 1440x900 might actually b too small for me as 1280x800 was already sufficiently tiny to look at. I'm surprise battery life wasn't significantly better for the x200s with the ULV AND a LED screen, but who really knows what's going on.

Lastly, the lack of a touchpad and an optical drive was what made me sell the laptop. I had the pleasure to play with both a X300 and the protoge R500 and I must say, having a touchpad and an optical drive are commodities that I can't give up.

 

You made a mistake near the screenshots. You meant to say that the first screenshot is from x200, not x61, cause x61 has a 1024x768 screen, the x200 has 1280x800.

 

it's about ~ 50 seconds. Put an SSD in it and that'll change significantly of course.

That is correct, 9-cell. I have used a 4-cell equipped X200s for a period of 10 minutes so know its weight, but no idea on the battery life.

Yes, that's right, it was all to make you jealous.

You're right, the LV processor and LED backlight screen ought to equate to better battery life. Though my tests weren't rigorously scientific, my conclusion is there's not a ton of difference. I wish I had the X200 and X200s at the same time so we could set them up precisely the same and run a battery drain test with them both just idling.

Also, it appears that the X200s I got had been reviewed/used before and was a prototype, I don't know how old the battery actually was that we got. It could have been cycled more than a few times before it came to us, thus somewhat decreasing its capacity.

We don't have the X200 anymore, and the X200s already got shipped back as the loan period from Lenovo is over. Sadly we don't get to keep these evaluation units forever

I agree that the scores are odd though, as I stated, the scores were so close that you can consider them the same. Remember PCMark05 is not just measuring processor, that's just one factor of the score. You have to factor in differences such as was the Hitachi HD we had on the X200s better than the Seagate HD in the X200 (both were 7200RPM, but there are obviously other specs that can affect things)? What other system components could be affecting things? Did Kevin sneeze and affect the score by 20 points? (Try generating the exact same score with PCMark05 on a machine more than once and you'll see what I mean there).

I think it is at least safe to say there's not a lot of disadvantage with the low power processor platform from Intel these days, especially if all you're dealing with are office type applications.

nice catch, I actually did mean to say X61 and got the resolution wrong. Unfortunately I didn't have an X200 handy for a screenshot of the NBR forums.

 

How come the battery is worse compared to the T400???
Nice review however though.

 

Well the T400 has a larger battery. While they are both 9-cell the X200/X6x are usually around 72-74Whr while the T400 was almost 90Whr.

 

I think the word bitter would have been more appropriate. Nice review nonetheless.

 

When I saw that the X300 had 1440x900 on a 13,3", I thought they wouldn't put the same res on an even smaller screen but, o boy, they did.
The vision of an eagle is surely a prerequisite when buying this baby

 

I thought Lenovo was saying 12 hours off a 9 cell battery.

 

What should the ThinkPad look like then? A black Macbook clone?

 

No I am not into the macs at all. I think macs have issues with looks too, when the peripherals and cords are white, that is very distasteful imho. Plus I am not saying it should look like some other computer. I am simply saying that it is very dated, bland, and ugly. I can't see myself buying a product that never changes in design and never moves on with the times. Would you buy a car that for 2009 that looks as it did in 1980? I sure as heck would not! Am I the only one here that thinks the lenovo thinkpad brands look bland, boring, dated, and ugly?? Seriously!

They have great hardware and internals, and very professional business machines and I praise them for that. I love their keyboards too for their legendary tactile feel. But, something needs to be done drastically with the external design. We need a fresh look and professional revamping! Then sales will pick up more. From my point of view at my school and work I see students and colleagues that primarily buy HP's, Dells, and comparable machines because they look more modern and refreshed. Maybe we will see more lenovo's on the block if they at least pick up the pace in that department.

That's my two cents.

 

Ok, I've got my answers!

Thx for a great review though x200s will be my weapon of choice if I could find it for a resonable price here in Sweden...

Btw, first post! Yejj!

 

You state in this review that the X200s has WWAN antennas built-in, but all of the other reports I've seen have said that the X200s does *not* have these antennas in the version with the LED-backlit screen (as reviewed). The Hardware Maintenance Manual also backs this up, showing 6 antennas (3 WLAN, 1 WUSB, 2 WWAN) in the CCFL backlit screen and 4 antennas (3 WLAN, 1 WUSB) in the LED backlit screen.

I'm pretty sure the same is also true of the webcam.

I've got one on order anyway, but you may want to confirm this and modify the review if it's inaccurate so as to avoid misleading people.

 

To say the truth, I bought my thinkpad because it didn't have a very flashy or "hip" look. Might be personal taste, but I'm a colledge student (the people who usually would take dells and apples) and i know plenty of people who share my opinion on the look modern notebooks. Although I must say the new Lattitude series does look modern and well built, as well as professional and not too flashy.

 

I actually love the look of Thinkpads'. I hope they never change. Solid black, good soft feel works great for me.

 

Business people, including road warriors, love the build-quality of the ThinkPad, and their overall reliability. Plus, those who make their living using notebooks tend to be very conservative. There's nothing wrong with the classic look of a ThinkPad, as its styling never goes out of style because it's never in style! The last thing I want in a notebook is flashy looks, and worthless bells and whistles. In the case of the ThinkPad, not only is beauty in the eye of the beholder, its beauty isn't only skin deep.

 

You completely misunderstood everything I said. I did not say a thing about flashy looks. Take a look at pictures of any make laptop from the 90's, doesn't have to be thinkpad, they all look the same, ugly and boxy. But back then they were the hottest things on earth. The thinkpads have maintained the same look only thinner. There are plenty of other business laptops today by other manufacturers that are very professional and targeted to businesses and business users are not flashy at all, but look good and modern. I guess I am not being able to get through on this point.

I understand thinkpads have great quality internally and great hardware and keyboards, I own one. But sadly will not buy one in the future as I am completely bored and tired of their same looks. I think I am speaking English here. As I said people do not buy a brand new car that looks the same as it did 20 years ago. And also I said students AND work colleagues.

This is why Lenovo is not able to sell enough as HP, Dell, and Acer, and others are. One guy made a comment that he loves the look of Thinkpads and that is why he buys them, well I can definitely say that is a minority as I hardly see thinkpads in people hands and I see a lot of laptops day-to-day from students and work colleagues.

 

Macbooks are like chihuahuas. Thinkpads are like bulldogs.

I like bulldogs.

 

I don't get it why touchtips are even made. Too difficult navigating

 

There are many haters, but TrackPoint lovers are a lot as well.

I'm the one who prefers TrackPoint to touchpad--which I think it sucks--anytime.

 

Even maybe 8-10 years ago IBMs sometimes were criticized for the design in a similar way as today. The best comment I read then, that actually reflects quite well the truth is:
"One doesn't buy a Thinkpad to look at, one buys it make work done" (sorry if my English is not correct here).
And it is true, after some time you don't notice how tour notebook looks like, you concentrate on your work and appreciate how your Thinkpad helps you every day for years...
I even lost count how old my R40 is Sure, a dual core would be nice, but else... Pentium M 1.5GHz and 2GB of RAM does the job done for me even today... And it still looks more or less as I bought it then only the keyboard and the palm rest are worn a bit. While I guess many other similar age notebooks with painted bodies would look much worse and much more "out of style".

 

Excellent review. Good info. I love my T61, although I'm considering the x200

 

But you should try to keep them until the questions get asked.

I know what you mean. PCMark05 is an aggregate of numerous tests with unknown weightings for the final score. Not all tests may be relevant to individual usage conditions. GPU performance, for example, has a big weighting in the overall score but a notebook with a score of 6000 may be no faster for web browsing than another with a score of 3000 (web page rendering is one of the component tests).

John

 

I am a design student and i have a thinkpad T60 with flexview screen. I often get complaints from other colleagues that it's a very ugly and boring machine. And most of the complaints i get are coming from mac users(it's a designers related issue). It's not the fact that i have a better display than any of the mac laptop displays or a 2 year old computer that still works just fine. It's the looks.

But there is hope. As a future designers they are teaching us that the best design is the most functional one. So strip all the glossy surfaces, all unneccesary leds and glowing logos, and then choose your computer.
And if you use your computer just for show, not work, than do the opposite. Just pile 20 laptops in front of you and choose the best skin.

 

Everything looks good except for the absense of touch pad.

I don't agree its the space constraint as reviewer stated. Its the Thinkpad style coz even the tiniest netbooks have one. Too bad Thinkpads don't think the way I do .

 

if you get used to the joystick you don't want the touchpad back at any time..

 

The trackpoint is miles ahead of the touchpad in term of ergonomics.

Once you get used to it, you can operate the computer as fast as if you were using a mouse. That, on the other hand, is impossible to achieve with a touchpad no matter how used to the touchpad you are.

 

Well in the case of the X200, it was reviewed back in July. Some places dont want us keeping notebooks toooo long

 

I have some questions about the DisplayPort on the docking station:

What is the maximum resolution it will support?

Is it able to drive a 30" at its native resolution (2560 x 1600)?

If yes, can it drive a 30" AND the internal display at the same time with different content (extended desktop)?

Regards,

Andreas

 

If the documentation says that then it probably is the case. The unit I had did have the antennas, but it's not a production unit, so things could vary. Notice the hinges are colored black, that's not what you'll see on a shipped unit -- it'll be unpainted.

According to Intel the X4500 card inside the X200s should be able to do this:

"Support for the DisplayPort interface with up to 2560 x 1600 resolution, and the Digital Video Interface (DVI) with up to 2048 x 1536 resolution."

http://www.intel.com/Products/Desktop/Chipsets/G41/G41-overview.htm

 

I didn't see him mention the specs of the HDD of the X200

 

Many people would. Some prefer the understatement, some agree that those old cars have more spirit in them. Maybe that can also be applied to laptops.

 

I was thinking of getting the X200S and installing a Memoright GT SSD 64GB in there. My guess is bootup time should be under 30 seconds.. Any thoughts of how performance will be on this new X200S with a Memoright GT SSD in there?

 

Nice review thanks, I would've bought the X200s longtime ago if it had webcam.

 

All considered, I think I'd go with the plain X200 between the two...nice review!

 

1440 x 900 is quite a feat on a notebook so small.......this laptop is a primary example of why most 13" notebook should run 1600 x 900

 

Yes, I do like the resolution.

 

Great review Andrew

 

Hard Drive: 7200RPM 160GB SeaGate Momentus (ST9160823AS) SATA

(I'm assuming it's the unit reviewed recently)

 

Yes, that's correct, you can Google that part number if you want more specifics on the HD. With an SSD you'd certainly expect to get the boot time down to around 30 seconds. You can check out the stuff our resident SSD guru Les has posted to see how to really get bootup time down.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=196354

 

I want one... Its so small and awesome!

BTW, SOMEONE has a lot of unread PM's!