x40 / x41 Rotate Display

[nickgbg]

Hi all,
I consider buying x40 or x41 (not tablet). Except ordinary things (general use, Internet browsing, documents, music, chat, etc.) I want to be able to use it sometimes as a book reader.
For that reason I want the laptop to have the option to rotate display (at 90*). Default shortcuts (on some versions this must be enabled first in the graphics settings) are Ctrl + Alt + Arrow (left, right -> rotate at 90*, down ->180*, up ->Restore normal)

As far as I know this is feature new Intel Graphics (maybe depend on drivers).
Today I tried to rotate display of one x40 , but unfortunately without luck. I upgraded the drivers to the latest, but still there was no luck.

My questions:
1/ Can some of you confirm is rotate display working or not on x40?
2/ And on x41?
3/ And on x60/x60s?
3/ Is it worth buying x60(s) instead of x40/x41?
4/ How is x60(s) compared to x40/x41 as a build quality, heat, battery life?

I found many information in the net about x60 with splits near power supply jack, between the PCMCIA slot and SD card reader, etc.

Generally I want a machine that will last as far as possible (hardware specification are at the second place, x41 is enough). Unfortunately buying a new machine is not an option.

Thanks in advance and have a nice Sunday

Nick

[mrozema]

If you want to use it as a book reader, are you looking for a tablet notebook?

If so, the software is included which auto-rotates the screen. There is also a hard button on the screen to change orientation manually.

1. There is probably a 3rd party software program that can do this if it's not included in the graphics card drivers. Rotating on an x40 might be a bit awkward when you go to turn your whole computer sideways.

2. The x41 tablet does this without any issues (I own this particular model).

3. Again, kind of awkward/pointless unless it's a tablet model.

3. The x60 has about a 30% increase in horsepower over the x40 models. My x41 tablet has no problems with any routine tasks. The choice is yours.

4. From a former IBM field service technician's point of view (that's me, among others) the x40 series was the last built by IBM and the last well built models in the X-series Thinkpad line. I have heard nothing, but bad stories about x60 machines, but take all opinions with a grain of salt. Battery life on the X41's 8-cell battery is said to last 7-ish hours while the X60's are good for 10-ish hours. Again, take those numbers with a grain of salt. They're not often that accurate.

I hope this helps you make an informed decision.

[nickgbg]

Thanks a lot for the info.

I'm now happy owner of x60.