what thinkpad to buy? x201s, t410s, x301 or older model?

[leland]

Need a new thinkpad for work. Currently have a T60p. Hate it. Too big. Can't open it on a plane in coach. And yes, I fly coach. At the office, I have 2 external monitors and docking station. When walking around the battery dies too fast even with a 9-cell.

So I need a new one. Going light and thin. SSD. Discrete graphics would be better, but not a big deal since I don't game at all. However I do need it to drive 2 external monitors. I'd be open to using a vidock or something at the office if necessary instead of the thinkpad dock. Just want something speedy for the standard corporate stuff of a million office docs open at once. Longer battery life does mean a lot, even if it means adding a slice or getting a battery for the optical drive. At first glance I was going to get one of the core i7 models - either x201s or t410s, but seems like these may not be the best of breed with poor screens.

What would you get if the sky is the limit (mine is)?

[RealBlackStuff]

Ask your boss to let you fly Business or First Class, and keep the T60p
What's more important, screen size or screen resolution?

[leland]

Yeah, our budgeting is entirely screwed up. Business class would make my life far better. But accounting rules win out.

For me resolution is more important -- regardless I would be getting the high resolution of any size, but I think I'd be fine with a 12, 13 or 14. Traditionally I've always used a 13 or 14, but I'm more interested in lightweight these days.

More than that, though, I'm more than confused by the difference in Intel's processors -- is the last generation faster than the current? And seems like the i5 is better than the i7, isn't it?

[BruisedQuasar]

i5?, i7? I take it price is not a major factor? i7 is rather powerful for a mobile business PC. Since you say mobility (dimensions & weight) is a factor & quality build and rugged is important for road warrior use, I'd look for class ultraportable--12" display, certainly no bigger than 14". I'd avoid netbooks. They tend to be under 11". I find 12" & 3lbs is about as mobile as they come in a real computer. I cannot imagine anyone who owned a T-60 series PC liking any netbook. They are slow & the displays too small for business use.

If I were on the road today I would want at least Dells replacement for the Dell D420, 3pounds, 12.1" Wide Screen, thin and 1.2MHz dual core. Heat is an issue when you get that small. So you want to look for design when you research possibilities. I loved the D420. My PC never leaves the house but the D420 is a real road warrier laptop. Rugged build. Cons: 4200 RPM 1.8" HDD (made for game & TV systems). External CD\DVD only.

The screen was not so bright but I loved it as I must work with my legs elevated. I am visually impaired but I could manage the 12' widesreen. I cannot image a smaller display than 12" for serious business use.

I was looking to replace the D420, as a laptop must be my main PC. Pricepoint was a factor, so I had to settle for something bigger but I really liked what I found about this Lenovo X-61 Ultraportable
1.8MHz Core 2 Duo, 12.1" 1024X768, 7200RPM 2.5" HDD

--Bruised

[leland]

Turns out we're not allowed to buy the X201s, so it was X201T or bust. I think I'll give a tablet a try for a few years. And if it doesn't work, then that's just the way it goes.

My real problem is that work requires TPM chips. If I could add one of those after the fact I would just buy a cheap consumer thin and light each year.