University (computer eng.: ThinkPad x301 vs HP Folio 13

[rzl]

Hi all!

As of subject, I'm gonna go to university in october, and I need a new laptop.

I don't want something big and heavy.
I'll have to carry it everyday with me, so I don't want to be hating myself everyday.
This is why i discarded thr 15.6" option.

I ended up on 13" laptop.

ThinkPad X1 would be nice, but i just can't afford it.

At the moment, I'm in doubt between ThinkPad x301 and HP Folio 13.

X301 pros:
- ThinkPad (--> quality)
- HiRes screen (1400x900)
- Great keyboard
- CD/DVD Burner
- APS

X301 cons:
- I'll have to get a 2nd hand one
- short battery life
- 1.8" SSD
- Intel Core 2 Duo (1.4 or 1.6 ghz)


HP Folio 13 pros:
- Affordable new (~899€)
- Intel Core i5 (Sandy Bridge - 1.6 ghz)
- 2,5" SSD
- 9.5 hours battery life
- slim

Hp Folio 13 cons:
- mSata SSD (it's 128 gb only and well, it's practically not-replaceable)
- non-thinkpad (it would be my first hp laptop)
- combined audio in/out
- no cd/dvd
- ridiculous 1366x768 screen resolution

What I'll be doing is:

* programming (main - languages: C, C++, Java, Python and others)
* databases
* math (i mean, matlab/mathematica and things like that)
* artificial intelligence (it's a field i want to dive into)
* irc (for the lulz)
* linux (i plan to install it, as i usually do, and use it)
* android programming

plus, of course, email and web browsing.

The point is... If I get the x301, i can get a very well-build laptop, but it will probably be slower and less-expandable (1.8" ssd, mainly)

I'm disappointed by both of those two notebooks because of their small hard disk.
I want to store my musics, films and files, and 128 gb sounds so... Ridiculus.
And I don't want to attach an usb hard disk everytime i want to listen some music.

Plus, won't my ssd drive get fu**ed up after I'll have build something heavier (the linux kernel, kde, or android for example) a reasonable number of time?

Please, share your thoughts with me.

Thanks in advance,
--
Rzl

[pianowizard]

If I must choose between these two, I would opt for the X301 mainly because of its 1440x900. However, the Panasonic Toughbook CF-Y7 beats both by a huge margin: 14.1" 1400x1050, 1.5 kg, and internal DVD burner. Mine came with an 80GB 5400rpm SATA HDD but I upgraded it to 256GB SSD last week and the performance increase is rather dramatic. Even with this upgrade, I have so far invested only $450 on this unit.

[rzl]

I'm thinking that i should probably go for something like the x220/x201...

After all, 12.5" is very little smaller than 13", but i can get a core i5 processor, standard 2.5" hard disk and everything else...

[RealBlackStuff]

And if you get an s-version, as in X220s/X201s, it will even be a little lighter than the regular X220/X201.

[pianowizard]

After all, 12.5" is very little smaller than 13", but i can get a core i5 processor, standard 2.5" hard disk and everything else...

But with the X220, you would still be stuck with 1366x768.

And if you get an s-version, as in X220s/X201s, it will even be a little lighter than the regular X220/X201.

There is no X220s. But I too would recommend the X201s with 1440x900, hands down the best ultraportable Thinkpad ever. But it may be above the OP's budget.

[j-dawg]

i can't speak to the HP or the panasonic that another poster mentioned, but thinkpads consistently have excellent linux support. ubuntu will work better out of the box than does windows, with no extra configuration.

for what you are doing, i don't think you will need a lot of power, so i wouldn't worry too much about that.

[khtse]

I would avoid the X301. Either get a X220/230, or if you really need 1400x900, T420s/430s, or something non-Thinkpad.

X301 has outdated spec. Outdated and slow CPU (ulv core 2 duo). Screen is dim and has poor viewing angle. Poor battery life. 1.8" SSD is expensive and not many alternatives.

People would say that Core 2 Duo is fast enough. For day to day leisure use that is. A 2nd/3rd gen Core i5/7 would make a night and day difference in code compiling and matlab from my personal experience. Especially since the Core 2 Duo's on the X301 are the slower ones.

I would suggest you get a X220/230. They are fast, well built, long lasting (both in terms of battery life and physically) and the IPS screens are nice. While the resolution is limited to 1366x768, 1400x900 is not much better for coding. Ultimately you would do most of the coding hooking up to a giant external monitor.

[ThinkRob]

As somebody who loved his X300, I'd say:

Don't get the X301.

It's a nice machine, and if you have spare cash to spend on interesting computer hardware then by all means go for it. But if you're looking for a laptop to use as your primary/only computer, it's not a good choice.

If 1366x768 isn't an absolute deal-breaker for you I'd recommend either the X230 or the X220. They're both incredible machines in terms of build, performance, and especially battery life, and they can be outfitted to be plenty powerful. If that's not to your liking, I'd recommend you look at the T420s/T430s as those are the closest to the X30x form factor, and offer bigger screens than the X2x0 series.

If you're looking to really save money (and, based on your choices, I get the sense that saving some cash might be a consideration here) you might want to check out the T400s or T410s. They do have a known cosmetic flaw (a palmrest that cracks due to a manufacturing defect), but the replacement part (which does not have the defect) is pretty cheap on eBay. In addition to the usual ex-corporate choices on eBay, plenty of T400s models have been showing up on IBM's certified used store, and they come with a 3 month warranty (or a 1 year one if you purchase the extension.) If you do get a T400s covered by Lenovo's warranty and the plamrest cracks, you can always call them up and ask for the replacement FRU. Obviously this isn't ideal, but if you're willing to deal with this nuisance you can get a *very* nice T series for < 400 (less if you go the eBay route...)