My New X31 Thoughts

[fkelly]

I own a T42 that I use locked down as a desktop replacement. My wife had a T40 (just sold to get this X31) that she and I used to carry around the house and while traveling and I wanted something ultraportable to carry around.
Here came my new X31.
1. Feels like a mid sized hardback book in weight.

2. thin much like a T40.... And dare I say cute!!!!!

3. Heat- gets a tad warm but nothing like the heat I was expecting
based on comments from members comments.

4. If you get a good conditioned one you definitely have a keeper Thinkpad.

I really debated about the X40, X31, X60-61 models and knew my funds locked me into the older models but in time I would probably upgrade to a X60-61. But now that I have seen and played with the X31, I feel like I have a machine that will meet my needs for a few years.

Keyboard is as solid as their bigger brothers, the enter and backspace keys are about half what the T4 series are, but you quickly get used to it.
The palmrest is shorter, but you still have comfortable room to place your hands to type.

The model I have has a 1.7 processor and 1gb memory and it is as fast and handles webpages almost as quick as my T40. I use this machine to majorly browse the internet, youtube vids, music/tv streaming and a zillion e-mails. This machine handles all this easily.

So you want a latte at Starbucks, just "one-hand" grab your X31 out of it's base, fire it up at "bucks" and check email, browse the net, plug in your headphones to listen to www.pandora.com , check your xcel spreadsheets for work and enjoy your Thinkpad experience....

Loving it.

[ThinkPad]

[Stevesoura]

Yes nice post indeed. Although, Is the x31 really as thin as the T40?

[syedj]

Being a happy owner of fkelly's laptop's twin brother I felt like I had to add something here.

In the past few years I have used a number of Thinkpads, some highlights were A22m, A31p (a Sherman Tank of laptops), X41, X60, T60p, and a T61p now. Ever since I acquried this X31 I have been using it as my preferable machine putting aside the T60p that I use for actual work most often. X31 is much lighter, more manueverable and because of its smaller size and lighter weight perhaps a lot more resistant to body flex that all the other 14.1" and specifically 15" Thinkpads can develop over time. A lot of times I don't even feel that I have packed the X31 in the backpack and I have to visually confirm its presence by opening the bag.

I don't have a T4x to compare it against right now but for all likelihood its even thinner than a T4x. Not having to make room for an optical drive does save some thickness.

I agree about the heat but its nothing as compared to how hot some T43's get.

Having used an X60 just a few months ago - they are also mighty fine machines but - I don't think I can get the full potential out of that machine without having a bigger display. XGA can only be so much useful when multiple windows need to be opened and absolutely necessary to keep more than one window in the front simultaneously to compare their contents side by side, for example. But then again if it had a bigger display it won't be an X-series anymore. This is where X31 fits the bill perfectly. No one is expected to run virtual machines or perform heavy video editting on such a portable machine therefore having a dual core processor is so much of an overkill. For everyday use X31 is perfect in performance.

X31's keyboard is a joy to use. It's keyboard has such a nice feedback whereas some of the newer keyboard feel hollow in comparison. The LCD is crisp and bright only second to IPS/Flexview displays.

I would dare to compare the performance of this X31 with a T42 because of the PC2700 RAM.

And yes, I have used it at a couple of local Panera Bread restaurants many times while enjoying French Onion soup.

[pianowizard]

This is where X31 fits the bill perfectly. No one is expected to run virtual machines or perform heavy video editting on such a portable machine therefore having a dual core processor is so much of an overkill.

You made an excellent point. Indeed, XGA is so crippling that most people don't want to do anything fancy on such a laptop anyway, so things like 4GB RAM and dual core CPU are really unnecessary. That's why I think the X4* is even better than the X3*: it's fast enough for simple tasks, but even smaller and lighter (by almost 1 lb).

[fkelly]

Hey gents, I am definitely going to throw in an additional gig stick of memory but will I notice a great deal of improvement upgrading the HD from 40/4200. Will a 7200 really step up the performance.

So far it meets the need but if I can realize even more with a larger HD, I may spring for that down the road. This X31 is definitely a keeper, so I figure I will invest in the upgrade if it has a decent ROI.

Oh and Syed, I threw in the 2200 wireless card I had on hand, downloaded the latest driver package and I was wireless in seconds.

My wife is a tad [censored] at me at the moment, for it is her machine, but I am happily typing away on her X31........Conversation is kinda going like this,,," hey hon, just a few more minutes I have to finish downloading this program"........Guess it's time for me to get back on my T42.

[syedj]

That's why I think the X4* is even better than the X3*: it's fast enough for simple tasks, but even smaller and lighter (by almost 1 lb).

X4x are mighty nice machines, lighter and thinner than X3x and can do everything that a X3x can, however, the only handicap that they have in my opinion is their slower proprietary hard drive. I have a 7200RPM drive in my X31 and it helps increase the performance and usage experience.

[syedj]

You will notice some improvement by adding more RAM if you have a lot of simultaneous windows open - especially browser windows. Just make sure you buy matching speed DIMM to what you have already installed.

Going to a 7200RPM hard drive will DEFINITELY help. Since you are already thinking of upgrading the hard drive to a larger capacity one down the road I would highly recommend a 7200RPM model. In my personal experience, by upgrading the hard drive you will see a lot more noticeable improvement in performance than by adding more RAM.

I am glad you got the a/b/g wireless card in it now. At least now you can connect at higher speeds.

[gator]

Having owned a near mint X31 in the past, I'll chip in with my points here:

1. X31 is a very rugged machine, absolutely NO flex ... I think all x31 keyboards are NMB. That says enough about the quality.

2. Very thin and light. With 2 fully powered USB ports you have the means to use all the peripeherals you need ... as syedj says, many times I have to make sure that I had packed it in my backpack.

3. Battery life - if you can get the extended battery (that fits the docking port) you'll easily get 5+ hours doing useful work. Thats a HUGE plus. Not only does the battery gives you extra juice, it makes a great stand too.

4. I thought that the machine did get hot, but with NHC and undervolting you can manage the temperatures pretty well.

5. Having the capability to use a 7200 rpm drive is a big plus and probably why I consider this better than the X41 ... X41 is nice and much lighter, but the HDD spoils the experience of using it imho.

The only part I was not happy about the X31 was the LCD panel. It was just horrible and probably the only reason why I did not mind selling it. It had very poor contrast and the backlight was bleeding like crazy. In contrast, the LCD on a 7 year old 600X is better in terms of usability even though its XGA on 13". I don't understand why the TN panels are getting worse as we march ahead .... for some crappy reason every manufacturer is pushing TN like there is no tomorrow.

[asiafish]

Having owned an X41 and an X32 I can honestly say that the X41 is by far the nicer machine, with even less flex, tighter construction and of course it is thinner and lighter, which is the whole point of this class.

That said, the tiny hard drives in the X4x series really cripple the machines, both in speed and capacity. The largest drive that will EVER fit in an X41 is 60GB and the fastest is 4200RPM. Speed is even worse than it sounds, as a 4200 RPM 1.8" drive like in the X41 is much slower than a 4200 RPM 2.5" drive like those that come with most consumer laptops.

With an X3, you have a slightly larger machine that (to me) felt a bit flimsier (still better than a T4x), but that will take a fast 5400 or 7200 RPM 2.5" drive. More important that speed perhaps is capacity. Those 60GB 1.8" drives are getting very hard to find and outrageously expensive, but you can put in 120GB, 160GB or even 200 or more GB into an X31 for next to nothing.

[pellicle]

Hi

I'm now on the 3rd x31 system. My first one was a hand-me-down with a dead systemboard out of warranty. I purchased another system board which lasted about 9 months then died. This time I've gone for a refurb machine with 3 years warranty (see my previous threads about this)

I do not agree that the x31 is a tight case, ok if you've only owned T series or Dell laptops they're great, but if you've had 560's 570's x20 laptops then I think you'll agree that the cost cutting is showing.

The sculptured base on the x20 especially around the GPU CPU area is very nice.

I don't wish to go back to a P-III 600 and USB 1.1 again, but after 3 years of hard labor my x20 will be a hard act to follow. (and I think the x20 is a little lighter too)

[pianowizard]

Having owned an X41 and an X32 I can honestly say that the X41 is by far the nicer machine, with even less flex, tighter construction and of course it is thinner and lighter, which is the whole point of this class. That said, the tiny hard drives in the X4x series really cripple the machines, both in speed and capacity.

In other words, each of them had major disadvantages, and that's why I was very excited when the X60s came out. It's even lighter than the X4* and every bit as sturdy, but it uses a 2.5" HDD just like the X3*. In addition, it has three USB ports, has a brighter screen (i.e. the Ultralight LCD), is faster, and most people have found that it has better battery life than the X3* and X4*. After Lenovo took over, the quality of the X series went up, not down, and the prices got better too.

[ajkula66]

As a form factor/build quality, X2 remains my favourite, hands down.

As for performance, X61S that I've recently had in my house blows away all of its cousins, battery life included.

Design wise, X40/41 are by far the prettiest. But I couldn't live with that 1.8" HDD on a long term basis.

Bang-for-buck, X31 and X32 take the cake. As much as I don't like the heat buildup factor on X31 (never had X32 so I really can't discuss them) and it's probably the first really upgradeable X series...the last one we've had with 2Gb RAM and 60/7200 HDD was a very serious toy indeed, and only some very intense gaming would be out of its league. Also, in OP's case, top-of-the-line CPU for this model definitely helps the overall performance.

Just my $0.02...

[fkelly]

X31 Update.....

Dropped in a 100GB 7K100 Hitachi drive tonight and (Yo Syed, you were so right), who needs frigging 2 gig memory. With 1 gig stick and this upgraded HD, this puppy sings.
I will say this drive is pretty quiet and programs load so much faster.

Yo Brad, you did good man.........All I can say regarding Brad is that he abso"frigging" lutely exceeded my expectations with this Hard Drive. What a Valentines Day present.

I chickened out and did a clean install versus cloning the drives, so got to get back to setting this thing up the way I had it.

Gentleman, Thank You............

[syedj]

Great! Now you have a blazingly fast X31

I chickened out and did a clean install versus cloning the drives, so got to get back to setting this thing up the way I had it.

Admit it Frank, you just can't let go of this machine

[pellicle]

Hi

if you feel like it, and you have your original install, try out drivesnapshot for backup and recovery. You can snapshot your system to another hard disk (say a USB one) then snapshot your old drive from a USB caddy

then you can reload your old drive onto the new one, it even repartitions the old drive details to match the new drive.

worst comes to worst you'll have to restore to your existing state

you need to have a usb boot disk for this

either way, you'll need a backup / recovery system one day, so why not play with it now?