Lenovo ThinkPad X220 Review Discussion

As I mentioned, I looked at the T420, but it starts at 4.8 pounds and does not have USB 3 listed as an option on the spec sheet. And no BD, just a basic DVD burner.

I read that elsewhere about the chipset issue with USB 3, and I do understand that it's more or less out of the hands of the manufacturers. Still, you would think that if even two or three of the major manufacturers pressured Intel, they might get quicker results. Also, as you pointed out, they can at least add one of their own, and it's ridiculous to see so many new laptops not offer that at least. I understand one here and there, but the majority of new releases should have it, yet most don't.

 

I'm referring to the T420( s). You can find the specs of it in the tabook.

 

Thank you for directing me to that. It's definitely a useful document. Apparently, it's one of the USB 2 ports on the X220 that's always on, so you don't have to choose between that and USB 3.

No mention of switchable graphics on any of the T420s models, so even if they do offer it eventually, I imagine it will be quite a while. They're also a little larger footprint than I care for, but at least the weight is nice. I'm curious why the battery life is so much lower than that of the T420 and the X220. There's also no IPS option, though I'm not sure how much that would really matter to me.

At this point, as much as I hate to "settle," I think that unless Sony's offerings prove to be really amazing or somebody else comes up with something in the next couple weeks, I may just go with the T420s or the X220 and do without discrete graphics and get a USB optical drive.

 

Huh I didn't realize the USB thing. Most of the reviews of the X220 that I've read mentioned that you could only have one or the other.

The T420s with Optimus has been mentioned a couple of times in this thread but its not slated to be officially "announced" unti later. While in part due to the larger screen, I think the main reason battery life suffers is that the batteries are rated at smaller capacities. It might be due to the fact that the batteries are flush with the laptop and don't protrude, resulting in a smaller battery overall.

 

That is quite true. Coincidentally, before they all got pulled off Newegg's site, Intel branded sandy bridge motherboards came with USB 3.0 via an NEC chip (I zoomed in on the pics to make sure). Just kind of funny.

 

Wow, the battery life per WHr on the new Sandy Bridge based Lenovo beats the previous version(X201) with the LV Arrandale chips by 10%.

So if you can pay for the extra cost, the 17W TDP Sandy Bridge models should achieve battery life levels on par with Brazos/Diamondville platforms but with all the performance.

Impressive!

 

I personally think 16:10 is better than 16:9.

I would prefer 1280x800 on x201 as opposed to 1336x768 on x220.

 

So the reviewed price is $1300. What is likely to be the street price upon release after typical coupons?
20% off, so maybe $1040?
That seems like a nice price, and I suspect many will bite for the IPS screen alone. That's the main attraction here, and the battery life.

 

If you get rid of the slice battery it would be sub 1000, This is the most exciting machine that Lenovo has put out since the x300s. I really hope that they still have the ips option when I get ready to purchase a new laptop on Black Friday.

 

If you take a look at the X220 Tech Specs PDF document, you will see that USB 3.0 would come when you order an X220 with the i7-2620M processor.

The tabook also confirms this by saying for the X220: i7 model: One USB 3.0, two USB 2.0 (one powered) .

This would probably mean that one USB 3.0, one powered USB 2.0 and one regular USB 2.0 port, as I read it. The (one powered) remarked is confusing, as to does it apply to the 2.0 ports or all the ports.

 

According to the tabook:

"i7 model: One USB 3.0, two USB 2.0 (one powered)
other model: Three USB 2.0 (one powered)"

This would indicate the powered port is one of the 2.0 ones. Even so, there is no "or," so even if with 3.0 that's the one that's powered, you still get both, although it wouldn't really make sense for them to have a 2.0 be powered in one configuration and the 3.0 to be powered in the other.

 

wow very nice! Makes me want the x220 even with the 1366x768 resolution. Now if only they offered a 1600x900 option...x220s maybe???

 

The other huge deal for me is the inclusion of DisplayPort!! Finally an X-series from Lenovo which has a digital video output without requiring a docking station. I know, I know, business projectors still all use VGA but when I'm not working, aka at home, this notebook can be used around the house on my TV's. I'll gladly take an i5 and DisplayPort over switchable graphics.

 

woah really, REALLY nice subnotebook. intel hd 3000 should handle sc2 in low details, and thats all i require from the gpu. battery life is a killer.
i hope that IPS screen with i3 will cost less than 1000$.

 

That would be nice, but I don't think it's going to happen. Most likely the i3 will be offered on the budget pre-built "x220i" only, which, being a low-price option, is unlikely to be available with a premium screen.

 

Doubt you'll see it for under $1000 (unless you have coupons and EPP) since IPS panels are typically a few hundred dollars more just for that upgrade alone.

 

I think the upgrade price is like $150-200 for the IPS. So, you might be able to get a base with the IPS as the only other option for $1050 with a coupon after tax.

 

I'm wondering about the clickpad operation.

Does it allow for one to hold down the left click with your thumb for example, and drag with your middle finger at the same time (basically working like the old touchpad/button combo)? I can't imagine being able to use such a pad if the buttons weren't able to be depressed while still allowing for movement from another finger--at least in the habits I've developed (cad user)

Do the multi-touch gestures seem smooth (Zoom, two finger scroll, etc?---or what are the supported gestures)? I don't even bother trying multitouch on my x301.

How would it rate against the apple clickpad?

 

Reviewers has say they they are worse than Apple trackpad (mainly because of the size) but miles ahead of POS that came with HP laptop.

 

I've been using my X31 for past 5 years and the only reason I havent upgraded it is that I really hate the concept of batteries sticking out of the laptop body. The new X220 is a disappointment once again. Even my old X31 has a 6cell that is COMPLETELY hidden in the body. I would be willing to buy an X220 with a 3cell not sticking out, but i think it does....

Do you guys not care? I'm really interested in your opinions...

 

I'm more of a function before form person, not the other way around. As long as it's not completely awful looking and it performs well I'm not too worried about it. Maybe it's just because I'm used to it with my Inspiron 700m, but the battery sticking out doesn't really bother me, as long as the the battery lasts long enough, and the footprint, even with the extension of the battery, is still reasonable.

What I think would be neat would be to have a small, polymer, reserve battery inside the laptop, taking up all the odd, internal shapes, but have a normal battery that can be quickly replaced as well. This would allow for maximal use of space and swapping of the battery with a fresh one once it's depleted, during which time the laptop could just run off the internal. Right now you either have to choose to be able to easily swap the battery to keep the size down, but you have to plug in or shut down first, or you can have an internal that you can't quickly swap, but add a slice battery to get more juice without having to power off or plug in first, but then you're making it heavier and bulkier.

 

There is a 4 cell battery, that should last you for around 5hrs. The 4 cell should completely hidden inside the body of the x220. You could take a look at the Edge E220s/E420s, they have flush battery too.


x220 with 4 cell

 

Thanks for the picture! I searched the web for some pics of X220 with a 4cell but couldn't find any. I got worried when I looked into tabook and saw that the size with a 4cell and a 6cell is the same (19.0 - 34.6mm) which is odd because the 6 cell makes the back quite high-heeled ...
If the picture is real I might have finally found a successor to my dying X31.

 

The picture is accurate. The 4-cell battery has a flat bottom, and the "feet" of the laptop will touch the desk surface. The 6-cell battery has a curved bottom and protrudes slightly from the flat base of the laptop, so that the back "feet" of the laptop will not touch the desk surface--the "feet" on the battery will instead. I've seen an X201 with both the 4-cell and 6-cell, and honestly, there's almost no difference other than weight.

If you're bothered by the <1" protrusion from the 9-cell battery, I'd suggest going with the 6-cell. If battery life is a non-issue and you can't stand the slight protrusion of the 6-cell, then you could go with the 4-cell instead.

 

What was the estimated battery life on the 6-cell again?

 

From NBR's review of the X220:

You're probably looking at between 6-8 hours of solid, real usage.

 

That pretty good considering I get around that much out my TT with a ULV cpu, and this is standard voltage cpu.

 

Can I ask anyone who gets his/her hands on the X220 to measure the height of the back with a 4cell? (not including the "feet")

 

Hi, I'm new to the forum and will probably buy the Lenovo X220 Tablet when available. I have looked for information outdoor screen info but still remain confused on which screen would be best for me. I plan on occasionally using the tablet outside and realize the IPS with 300 nit would probably be the right display choice but wonder if gorilla glass makes the screen easier to see outdoors? I don't need the strength of the gorilla glass so if it has no bearing on outdoor viewing quality then I don't want to pay for something I don't need. I would appreciate any input of screen selection. Thanks

 

According to two different posts in this thread ( 1 & 2) it would seem there is no difference in reflectivity between GG and normal glass. So assuming the display tech is the same, the difference in glass isn't going to have an impact. If one offers an anti-reflectivity coating and the other doesn't, that would be the way to go.

 

I need the power and various options of the traditional x220, but I am worried that the IPS screen may not be bright enough (if I'm not mistaken, isn't the tablet screen brighter?). The peak brightness of the x220 according to notebookreview is 263 nit, which I know may not make it visible enough in sunlight. Anyone have any ideas on this?

Thanks!

 

thanks vertigo, that makes sense

 

I see no mention of the self-closing hinges in the review...any comments, Jerry? Perhaps a video?

 

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you.

First, keep in mind that when you launch almost every modern game with decent graphics will pop up with an alert saying the video card is not supported. If you can select the option to "continue anyway" then you can move forward with seeing what is playable.

Mass Effect 2 plays at 1366x768 with all the settings turned down/off. You get some nasty frame drops in some places and the game doesn't look amazing with those settings turned down/off, but it's playable. The X220's fan kicks into overdrive, though.

Left 4 Dead 2 plays at 1366x768 with no AA, low shader detail, medium effect detail and high texture detail. You get some frame rate drops in large areas and when zombie hordes rush you.

Crysis Warhead plays at 1366x768 with the "mainstream" graphics settings. Quite a few nasty frame rate drops and one time the game crashed while I was playing it.

Just Cause 2 renders at 1366x768 and low settings but the frame rate is so choppy that it makes this relatively fast-paced game completely unplayable.

The original Left 4 Dead doesn't render properly on the new Intel graphics. I suspect the problem is driver related since Left 4 Dead 2 plays fine, but at this time none of the textures render correctly so you can't see what you're doing when you play. I didn't have time to test every possible variation of graphics settings, but the default settings and turning everything on low didn't help. As far as we can tell, the original Left 4 Dead isn't compatible with the latest Intel graphics.

It might also be worth mentioning that playing games like these for even a few minutes not only made the system fan go to the highest mode but it remained on high for quite a while after the games were turned off.

 

Wow! Very nice machine!

Hmm ... I am still interested to see if the other 30 hour plus estimates for the 14 inch machines will work out to be accurate.

 

16:9 1366x768

You've got to be kidding...

First there was the X61 with 1400x1050
Then there was the X200 with 1440x900
Now we get the X220 with 1366x768

Really? 768 pixels? My phone has more pixels vertically than that.

And see again: there is absolutely no benefit to this widescreen mania. A giant dart board above and under the screen while any decrease in machine width is consumed by protuding batteries.

Why? Why don't we get 1400x1050?

 

Quite funny elpedro8!
I've been using a x31 for the past 5 years aswell, and I've been searching the net for the exactly the same question for quite som while
With this information, I'll be getting the x220!
Only negative is the added touchpad. I like the fact that other can't navigate my x31 as fast as I can. Actually I can navigate my x31 a lot faster than other people can navigate their laptops with touchpads.

 

Whats so good about the ips screen?

 

In a single phrase; viewing angles. With your regular TN screens, if you tilt the panel more than a few degrees forward or back, the colors will shift, as you leave the viewing "sweet spot". IPS panels can be tilted something like 178 degrees without significant color shift. For a photographic example of the difference, you can look at this thread, the first and second posts.

 

IPS screens generally have much better color accuracy as well, giving you vibrant and natural-looking images.

 

I'll second that question. I'd really like to know how thick this thing is without any of the bulging batteries. @Jerry Jackson, any chance you still have your review laptop around so you could tell us how thick the thing is at the thickest point (other than the feet and the battery)?

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-...after-dc2-equipped-hp-laptop.html#post6555099

They are just so nice and fluffy

 

lol...
last time i saw a contrast ratio over 700 screen, it was the ASUS G73...
that IPS screen + battery life made me fell for it... XD
though a higher resolution will always be appreciated...:<

 

These are the reasons why I decided to buy an external 22' IPS display. IPS screens (for desktop) are becoming inexpensive nowadays, I hope they will start making more laptops with IPS screen.

 

Hello all, first time poster. Loving all the information on here!

I am looking to purchase the X220 when it comes out, mainly because of the IPS display. As a photographer who often do work on location, it is an indispensable factor for me. I will tether it to my cameras for when I shoot portraits, so the correct colour rendition is essential. I would use it for some Adobe Lightroom action, and on some rarer occasion, PS CS5, but nothing heavy. All the other specs look pretty good as well.

I was wondering if someone can answer some of my questions:

1) Is it likely we will see coupon codes for the X220 soon? I'm not in a huge hurry to buy, I can wait until June at the latest.

2) I definitely want to run a SSD. With the X220, can I just order one with a basic HDD and buy my own SSD to put in there? Will I have to take out the stock HDD for the switch, or can they co-exist?

3) What do you think is the approximate price if I choose the i7 with the IPS, and everything else bone stock? (I almost NEED the USB3 and unfortunately only the i7 version offers this)

I plan to stick 4GB more to max it out at 8GB, and looking at the Intel G3 SSD. I read that Intel SSDs are the most reliable? Stability is vital in my line of work.

Cheers!

 

You can either replace the hard drive with an SSD (in which case it is an actual replacement, not an addition), you can replace it with a Seagate Momentus XT (a hybrid SSD/platter drive), or you can order the X220 with a mini-PCIe SSD and a platter drive, which is what I plan on doing if I end up getting one.

It's typically cheaper to get the least amount of RAM offered and upgrade it yourself. You could get a 4GB in one module and only have to buy one other 4GB module, but it would probably be cheaper, or at least close in cost, to just get 2x2GB and replace both. This is also more ideal since RAM works best when it's paired with identical sticks, so it's best to buy them together as a kit.

Intel used to have the most reliable SSDs, but last I checked (a few weeks ago), it seems the others have for the most part caught up in reliability. Obviously, each brand will have some models that are fairly reliable, and some that aren't; that's where research comes in. Intel has fallen behind, though, in the bang for your buck category. For the same price, there are many other, faster and/or higher capacity options that are very close in reliability, if not as reliable.

Hopefully if you can hold out until June, Lenovo will realize by then that requiring the i7 just to get USB 3 is idiotic and shady, essentially coercing the consumer into spending more money for something they don't need. As much as I like the X220, I require USB 3 on any new laptop I buy, and I'm not about to pay the extra money for the i7 just to get it. IMO, that was a very poor decision on their part, and I hope they lose a lot of sales because of it.

 

Is it possible to order it with the cheapo HDD and add a mini-PCIe SSD in there myself?

If not, I'll probably go with just replacing a HDD entirely with a SSD.

I think I will do what you recommended as far as the RAM upgrades go.

Yes, it sucks they only include the USB3 with the i7, hopefully the price difference is not astronomical. I'd like the i7 anyway so it's more palatable.

What would be THE choice for reliability out of all the SSDs on the market right now? A 3rd gen. choice would be great to maximize speed, but not completely necessary I guess.

Thanks for your help!

 

Adding the mini-SSD would likely void the warranty. As for the RAM, I'd advise you compare prices: the cost difference between the minimum offered and 8GB through Lenovo and between the minimum offered by them and 8GB purchased elsewhere, which when I checked Newegg a week or two ago was about $75-90. When buying it separately, there's also the (small) possibility that it won't be compatible. You can research first to see if it is, take a hit with the restocking fee if it doesn't work (would probably still be cheaper), or order from somewhere that compatibility is guaranteed, but that's more expensive.

I couldn't tell you as far as reliability, things may have changed in the few weeks since I was looking, and I quit before digging real deep since I won't be getting a new laptop for a little while, and now I'm thinking I'll probably go with the mini-SSD. I was also looking at performance and cost/GB primarily, with reliability being a secondary concern, though still very much one. In case you're interested, when I quit researching I had narrowed it down to the following:

Corsair Nova V128
OCZ Vertex 2
Corsair Force F120GB
A-DATA S599
G.Skill Phoenix Pro
Mushkin Enhanced Callisto Deluxe

Ultimately, the most reliable drive is two drives (i.e. backup).

 

Intel X25 seems to be most reliable according to user reviews/complains on Newegg/Amazon. I bet you wouldn't notice the difference between it and any of the listed above anyway.

And yes, definitely backup the data once in a while - I use a regular HD for that plus I have all my documents synced across 3 computers. You cannot be too careful with this.

 

I doubt adding an mSATA drive would void your warranty--typically, such components on Thinkpads are CRUs (customer replaceable units), and can be installed separately by the end user.