Thinkpads Forum

Just over a year ago I stuck a SSD drive in my X61s and gave it a new lease of life. But the screen is now too dim for my needs - often teaching in bright rooms. So I'm thinking of getting a newer machine with a brighter screen. I'll be sorry to say goodbye to the X61s - the best thinkpad I've had. Any advice on an upgrade? Saw a X121e on ebay, which look interesting, but the 11.6" screen might be a tad too small.

Thanks,

Robert

Why not replace the LCD or the whole screen (or replace the CCFL if you are a good DIYer)?

H, the problem is even with a new LCD or screen it still wouldn't be bright enough for my needs; that's why I need a newer laptop. Reading a review of the X121e, the reviewer's only real complaint was the screen brightness, although it was better than the previous X series such as the X61s.

Thanks,

Robert

An X61s with the ultrabright option is within a few nits of the x121e. Perhaps your need is influenced not just by the bright lighting, but also the angle at which the display is positioned. If you're standing at a podium, the screen might be tipped back a bit, catching more ambient light than the typical use, where the screen is more vertical.

The difference between a 200 nit X61s screen, and a current 300 nit screen is less than 1/2 F-stop. Perhaps when subjective brightness is reported, other factors, misinterpreted as brightness, are involved.

Lenovo made one model, the T400 with the high nit option, providing 687 nits. Intended for outdoor use, it would probably make a big difference.

It might be helpful if you said what you're looking to spend. Something like the X220/X230 is near twice as bright as the X61s, though more expensive. Even something like the X200 would be 30% brighter than the X61s. Some are also LED LCDs, which won't dim over time.

As a keen photographer, I appreciate the reference to '1/2 a stop' as I can imagine the difference. Money wise the X220 is way outside my budget, especially as I will only use it when away from home (I have a nice 'self-built' PC at home). There are quite a few X200 machines on ebay, even less than £200 for a decent spec. I'll have to find one to see just what the screen brightness is like, but a 30% increase may be OK. Thanks for your replies.

Robert

Ah I thought I'd have to buy a whole new screen to just get the original backlight brightness!
Thank you RBS for suggesting replacing the CCFL. I have an A20m and a few T20's that can be used to see if I have the steady hand I need to fix backlighting. I didn't think it could be done so cheaply compared to replacing the whole screen.

I might consider trying this on my x61s if I ever have to replace it, but it should be a good 5 years from now.