Any X460 owners here? Model feedback appreciated!

The more reviews I read of the X460 (and the more sales/rebates that appear), the more I like it! It looks amazing and the size/weight can't be beat, especially at the same price.

One of the features that has been praised unilaterally is the 300-nit LED display. The only reservation/concern I have is that only the WXGA (1280x800) resolution is available. I'm more fond of WXGA+ (1440x900) on a 14.1" display.

Thoughts, feedback, likes/dislikes- I'd love to hear some feedback from actual users. I've only had my Dell Latitude E6400 for five weeks and I love it...but I still may end up buying an X460 in the very near future, regardless! My niece will inherit an awesome E6400 if that happens.

 

The X460 thread has gone a bit quiet which suggests either (i) no one is buying this model or (ii) they have no problems.

As another E6400 who is attracted by the weight of the X460, I am worried that I would miss (a) the matte WXGA+ display; (b) the backlit keyboard; (c) eSATA; (d) the power economy of the intel GPU; and (e) the USB powershare.

I did see an X460 on display in a shop and noticed that it was plastic. I had previously owned the Samsung X60 and X60 plus which were metal. Maybe it is strong plastic but it must lack the ruggedness of the E6400. However, if Samsung fix the (a) to (e) in my list then I would give the X460 a try. Otherwise, if I'm willing to settle for 1280 x 800 then I can get the Toshiba R500 out of its bag. That notebook makes the X460 feel heavy.

John

 

I found this info pertaining to the X460's construction on the Samsung website:

"Encased in durable magnesium alloy and sleek aluminum, the SAMSUNG X460 is absolutely stunning. Ultra-slim in depth, it still has amazing strength and superior durability without the bulky weight."

As for the display, ideally I'd love to see a 1440x900 resolution on the 14.1" display. But 14.1" is the largest display size that I could still tolerate 1280x800. I had a work-issued ThinkPad R61 14.1" for a while last year and it had the standard 1280x800 display. The lack of brightness and dull colors were far more bothersome than the resolution.

As far as the display being glossy, that isn't a problem for me. The E6400 I have now replaced a Dell Studio 1535, which had a glossy display. It actually had the WXGA+ 1440x900 LED upgrade ($125) and it was the best display I've ever used on a laptop. Unfortunately, Dell has it for the second time in three months replacing the keyboard, motherboard and a few other parts under warranty. The 1535 was giving me so much trouble that I decided to go ahead an get the Latitude E6400 from the Dell Outlet. Otherwise, I'd be without a laptop for weeks while they're 'allegedly' repairing it. The day I get it back, I'm listing it for sale on eBay!!! But the one redeeming point of the entire crappy system was the WXGA+ LED display (250-nit, according to all I've read/seen). It has amazing image quality, brigher colors and it uses a lot less battery life, too. The X460's 300-nit LED will only be more beautiful, from all accounts so far.

I didn't realize that the X460 (or none of the other current models) doesn't have an eSATA (or combo eSATA/USB) port. Since the vast majority of competitors added eSATA to their systems with the upgrade to the latest Intel chipsets (GM45/GS45/PM45), it's a bit odd that Samsung skipped it on all models so far?

The back-lit keyboard is one of my favorite features on the E6400. I love the ability to adjust the brightness of the backlighting, turn it on/off, set it to turn off during periods of inactivity. I would miss it moving to a system that doesn't offer it.

I also wish Samsung had followed the lead of the major business notebook players (Dell, Lenovo and HP) and included a pointing device similar to the Lenovo TrackPoint or Dell TrackStick (nub in the middle of keyboard).

Still, there's so much more about the X460 that I LOVE that the few items listed above wouldn't detract me from it!

John- the X360 13.3" might be more your speed. It also has a 1280x800 display, but that's sufficient for a 13.3" unit (except the ThinkPad X301, with it's unique 1440x900 13.3" display). Like the X460's display, the X360's is also a 300-nit LED design. The X360 also weights just 2.9lbs, which is fully one pound less than the 3.9lb X460. The X360 also makes use of the Intel GMA 4500MHD integrated graphics card.

Here's the X360-34G, currently on sale for $1,449.00 (after $300 Mail-in Rebate).

One of the factors that drew my attention the X460 and continues to make it very appealiing, is the fact that Newegg has the X460-44G and 44P for $300 off MSRP + $300 mail-in rebate. That makes the $1,699 X460-44P cost only $1,099 and the 44G costs only $999 after discounts/rebates!

 

I'm sure that the X460 I saw had more plastic than I expected, but that was a month and a few thousand miles away.

The X360 doesn't meet my needs. I really want the power and screen real estate of the E6400 + WXGA+, but the R500 is in the bag as a back-up in case I do get a problem (no Dell NBD service at my current location).

I also want an integrated burner. There's no telling when I may need to read or write a disc.

Anyway, this discussion should help you get to the X460 with no nasty surprises awaiting. Otherwise your niece may get a new X460!

It's certainly attractive with that discount and rebate. In UK the price is much higher but you can get a free Samsung monitor.

John

 

allfired we meet again i agree though, this is an unbeatable deal right now...

 

Digging this informative forum for reviews and user-opinions about the E6400 and X460 as to pick the right laptop for the next 2-3 years. I have found John's technical knowledge and using experience are extremely useful for me. So, thank you, John.
I have been looking for a business portable laptop some time already and narrowed my selection down to the E6400 and the X460. Reading all of the pros and cons really make the selection more difficulty since each of the unit has one or more distinctive features that I definitely need. It would be great if I can have your suggestions with the following information:
I would priority my need as (important > less important): Weight (less than 4.4lbs/2kg preferable) > Heat/noise > Display > Price > Design/style > Battery life > Keyboard >Material /Build quality > Webcam (I definitely need a webcam for conference)
For display preference, I’m totally a newbie. From my personal experience, I prefer the glossy screen of my Dell inspiron over the matte of the HP nc6400. I don’t like the dull color of my HP matte for picture viewing. However both of my units are couple years old so hopefully the new LED matte screen will perform much better as John’s review.
About the design/ style, I’m going out a lot, so it’s more enjoyable to have a stylish device with me. I haven’t had a chance to see a real X460 but I guess it’s the winner in this category.
About the storage, I don’t know by upgrading from 5.4k – 7.2k RPM HD will made significant improvement since Dell also offers 7.2k RPM HD. I will not need an optical drive.
About the graphic thing, I play Need for Speed occasionally, but I guess both E6400 and X460 GPU should be able to handle this game properly.
Another important factor for my situation, I live in a country that have no access to Samsung laptop distribution channel nor customer support, the only way to obtain once is direct shipping from US (which will cost me around 200 dollars or so). However, I can get a Dell here quite easy for around 2-300 dollars + Dell quote.
I’m not a tech savvy but I have done all hardware replacements myself for couple laptops so I guess technical support might be rarely needed but who know when it comes. Matter if I never own any Samsung before and wonder if the X460 is reliable enough for daily use in the next 2-3 years?
The Dell would be a perfect deal for me if it’s a little lighter, does backlit keyboard a great feature to compensate the weight disadvantage? Again, thanks for all of your inputs in advance.

 

I think I have covered most of the issues in my previous posts but:

(i) The LED backlit WXGA+ display in the E6400 is very good and can be used under almost all conditions, even outside in the sun. Glossy displays can give problems with reflections as I was reminded last year when my Zepto went for repair and I was temporarily using the Samsung X60 plus.
(ii) The backlit keyboard (an option, not standard) means that I can still use the E6400 when the lights go out (a daily occurrence in my current location).
(iii) The metal construction of the E6400 gives it a feel of durability that is not present in the X460. I've previously own the Samsung X60 and X60 plus and they were also metal.
(iv) The optional 65W auto/air/AC adaptor for the E6400 does help reduce the travel weight while the new slim E series 90W PSU (which I didn't get) is an improvement on the old design.
(v) If the E6400 does have a problem then it is designed to be easily repairable. The service manual, which explains how to replace every part, is available on the Dell support site.

The above points do come out strongly in favour of the E6400. The key advantage of the X460 is the lighter weight. However, if you haven't seen this review of the X460, then read it.

We could do with some X460 owners setting out some more advantages of their acquisition.

John

 

Thank you, John. Guess I will go with the E6400 as your analysis. Obviously I'm taking advantage of your knowledge of the field as well.

 

As much as I like the look and the light weight of the X460, I've come to the conclusion that I couldn't buy it without seeing/touching/using it myself. There is also the issue of the keyboard on the E6400- it's backlit and it is the best keyboard I've ever used (even better than my previous ThinkPads). The lack of a TrackPoint/Trackstick-like device is another deal breaker.

Actually, if vnuh needs something a bit lighter than the E6400, perhaps the Latitude E4300 (13.3") would work? It has received very good reviews and, to the best of my knowledge, it has all the same positive aspects as the E6400 plus it's lighter. Of course, there is one negative aspect...the price. It starts at $1549 here in the U.S.

 

Thanks allfiredup, I will have a look at it.