The X41 vs. X40 thread!

[ManUtdFan]

Hi all,

As everyone of course knows, the IBM Thinkpad X41 is taking its time to get to the market. It will most likely be well worth it, and to fill the waiting time I thought I'd give my two cents about the whole X40 vs. X41 thing. Might help answer a few things for potential buyers like myself and perhaps stir up some healthy discussion!

Important points regarding the X41:
- Based on the Sonoma chipset (meaning DDR2 RAM, faster Low-Voltage Pentium M CPU, Intel GMA900 integrated graphics etc.)
- Better performance via faster CPU (1.5 GHz LV vs. 1.4 GHz max on the X40 - a few X40 models do, however, offer the 1.5 GHz as well)
- Better graphical performance (Intel's GMA900 performs roughly like the Radeon 9000, but is DirectX 9 compatible and therefore also Longhorn prepared (to some extent at least)) - benchmarks to test this in real life would help a lot though, hopefully soon to come
- Offers fingerprint reader as an add-in option
- Offers 60 GB hard drive as an add-in option (albeit still just 4200 RPM)
- Decreased battery life due to Sonoma upgrade (specifications state 5.7 hrs with the 8-cell battery vs. 8 hours on the X40) - still eagerly awaiting benchmarks to clarify this however

Important points regarding the X40:
- Can be found significantly cheaper due to its age
- Quite a bit better battery life according to specs (e.g. IBM's tabook.pdf document)
- Older graphics chip, probably won't be up to scratch for anything serious any more

My own situation:
Having been a fan of ThinkPads for a very long time, I finally decided to purchase one (X40) last year. But I hesitated due to the rumors about the X41 being under way. I am convinced that an ultraportable is the right choice for me - I'm a student at the Technical University of Denmark and an avid cyclist - decreased weight is therefore paramount. I also work as an IT journalist and reviewer, as well as doing technical support on the move. Subsequently, quality, stability and service are also extremely important to me, and I whole-heartedly trust IBM (/Lenovo) on that front. I would love it as an added bonus, to know for sure if either of the integrated graphics subsystems would be sufficient for a quick game of World of Warcraft or equivalent. Other than that, I'm very unlikely to be gaming on the machine and it's not at all a must. I'm still torn between the X40 and X41 - of course I'd prefer an X41 with fingerprint reader and 60GB hard disk, but the question is whether or not they'reoutweighed by the lowered battery life and higher price. Still awaiting more reviews, prices and benchmarks before I can decide, I guess...

Hope this can help others in my situation, spark some discussion and keep updated links to related news, reviews etc. in one easy-to-find place.

[dr.b]

just one point:

Decreased battery life due to Sonoma upgrade

That means also more heat....for that little fan...

[TakiusProteus]

I believe that the decreased battery life is one of the biggest problems with the X41. One of the most attractive things about the X4x series was the incredible battlife of the X40. This is also a problem with the X32... less than stellar battery life.