ThinkPad X60 must be more than seven months old now (non-tablet). Has anyone heard whether or when we can expect a new model in the X lineup?

not until there's a new processor out, is my guess. What doesn't the X60 have in terms of the latest tech?

It has everything... I just wonder if now is a good time to buy. It would sort of suck if you bought a laptop and a new model came out within months.

SXGA+ screen, Core2 CPU, n-wireless network, flash based harddrive.

OK, so who is offering 12" notebooks right now with SXGA+ screens and flash-based hard drives? I think no one ... they simply don't exist in the broader marketplace. As for 802.11n, it can be added trivially easily (and cheaply).

I think the earliest time that you will see an X series refresh will be in the April-June timeframe when the Santa Rosa chipsets become available from Lenovo.

Samsung offers a flash based laptop called Q30, and IBM offers a X60T with a 12" SXGA+ screen. Combined, this should give the new X-series an advantage.

Toshiba has a 12" tablet with SXGA+ screen. Also, many manufacturers have widescreen 12" laptops, which is IMO a big improvement over XGA models because of the 30% extra pixels. And since Lenovo is getting into widescreens, they might introduce a new X-series model with WXGA.

X series would rock with these items

1) WXGA (1280x768 or 1280x800) LCD
OR
WXGA+ (1400x900) LCD

2) Slot loaded optical drive of some kind

I disagree, I use some of the MINI DVD's and they will NOT work on a slot driven optical drive!!!

I agree with draco2527...if you have a slot loading optical drive, you are only asking for problems if the drive started to flake out, or the system isn't running. As it stands right now, there is an emergency release button that I can use to eject CD/DVDs, even with the Thinkpad turned off.