Worth Upgrading X30 ? or just get an EeePC

[chazz]

Hi all
recently My X30 HD die while I was on a three week trip..
I LUV the durablity, keyboard and quality feel...I mainly use it for email,a little typing and movies on trips..
I am on the fence about upgrading the X30 with a new HD
also I don't have a X3 Ultrabase with disc drive, so i need to get that too....Wondering if its worth upgrading the X30?

I've visted Bestbuy and checked out the Eee 900 series and really like the Asus Eee 900HA..the size (9") is great for my long trips..
and i types on it...and it seems ok..Not too sure about the heat or build quality though..

Can anyone comment about the performance between the two: 900 and X30?
is it really worth it reviving the x30 with so many netbook prices that are so attractive..
the cost of a new HD is almost 1/3 the price of some netbook...I don't know how they do it..but its amazing
how much prices has come down on computers...

also..I have a set of x31 Recovering CDs...would it work on a older X30...

thanks all...

[sjthinkpader]

I would consider an IdeaPad S10 before eeePC.

I have a X30 with 1GB of RAM and 32GB SSD. Since the X31/X32 uses discrete graphics and DDR, they must take more power than a X30 with integrated graphics and SDR RAM. If you can find one, the X32 with a Dothan, Radeon Mobility and DDR RAM has better performance than X40.

My motorcycle riding daughter is using a X41 with a 8GB CF SSD and 1.5GB of RAM. The size and ruggedness of that combination is perfect for her.

Although I have the Ultrabase X2, X3, X4, X6, an external USB housing with a old Ultrabay2000 stripped of the caddy pieces works great too.

[chazz]

thanks for the tip..sjthinkpader
I like the x30's form and especially the metal LCD casing...that X40/60s left behind
now just need to look for a way to boot from a external drive... i've tried a few older Cd drives pulled from desktops..hooked up through a usb to sata/ide cable..but it never worked...

can I use this?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0320446062
and remove the caddy piece (the IBM casing) and plug it though my USB/IDE cable...
is this what you are refering to? also I saw on Ebay...some adapter piece that connects from an IBM slim CD/DVD drive via USB cord..
maybe this is another option...
just trying to be cheap on NOT spending any more $ on thinkpads...(well trying)

thanks

[sjthinkpader]

Yes, and one of these:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0407517875

[mikeh]

Doesn't the X30 have the old slow USB 1.1?
If so, I wouldn't be using a USB external drive without a PC-Card USB2 adapter.

You should be able to get a new hard drive cheap enough. Try eBay.
Unlike the X4/6 series, its a common 2.5" IDE, not 1.8".

What about buying a later X-series instead?
The later X3* or X4* would be a big improvement with usb2, Pentium-M and DDR. I think
they compare well to a netbook. But we're biased here.

[ssd_thinkpad]

You already have a great notebook for the "net"! Your x30 may be as fast as a brand new atom processor netbook, but instead has far superior keyboard, display and build quality. I am not sure if an atom processor netbook will be an upgrade.

For display, keyboard and durability I'd highly recommend a x series over any available netbook. The x60s models are getting cheap nowadays, you may find a used one cheaper than a brand new netbook. Both the x60 and x30 use standard hdds (sata vs. pata). So you can upgrade/change both easily. The x40 uses proprietary pata hdds which are very hard to find.

Before buying a netbook, at least play with it in a computer store. You might be surprised how well your x30 feels compared to these models. I recommend to not just read reviews and buy it online

[mikeh]

There is nothing proprietary about the X40 HDD.
Its the standard IDE interface, but 3.3V. and 1.8" form.
I found one in my old MP3 player

[ssd_thinkpad]

Regarding the x40 I wanted to point out that it is hard to find a replacement for an acceptable price. There are not much drives on the market that fit into the x40.

[chazz]

thanks all...for the great suggestions
I will most likely keep the x30 a little longer .and upgrade it to a larger HD...the keyboard width on the x30 is about the same width as most new 10 inch netbooks today...so its really not as small as a x30 (width wise)...unless you get a smaller 9" screen..but the models at bestbuy feels pretty warm after being turned on the whole day...
also I was able to remove the HD...put into my R50P load the X31 RR Cd's from R50P...and it works..Iam working to fixing the video driver since movies looks choppy... but its possible to load the X30 HD on another thinkpad with a Cdrom drive...
Yhay!

[sjthinkpader]

I think the X30 is a good choice if you have the RAM already. Get one of the Transcend (or other brans) SSD from Newegg.com and you are good to go.

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=76598

Last month I went to the new GuangWua electronic market in Taipei. There were many shops selling ASUS, Acer and even Lenovo S10s. X30 is still good competition for these due to availability of parts, large LCD and nice keyboard. My X30 is sitting on the coffee table for those quick searches.