Thinkpads Forum

I have been reading this forum for a few weeks in preparation for the purchase of a new notebook. I still have a few questions that I am hoping you can help me with.
I have decided that I want a 12” screen. I had an iBook 12” a few years ago and absolutely loved its size. It was so much easier to deal with than having to drag around my HUGE 14.1” current notebook. This leaves me with the choice between the x60(s) or the x60t. I have owned tablets in the past and have found them useful…just not worth the loss in system performance. I think that the x60(s) and the x60t seem to have similar performance…am I correct?
I would love to make this notebook my desktop machine also so that I don’t have to deal with 2 machines…the problem with this is sheer performance. I currently use a Dell Inspiron 600m with a Intel Pentium M 1.6ghz Processor. I have 2gb RAM and a 160gb 5400rpm hard drive. This machine is proving to be too slow in Photoshop…which I occasionally have to use. I don’t know if a Core2Duo running at the same clock speed will provide much improvement…does anyone know?
I think that I can live with the tradeoffs of the tablet vs. non-tablet form factor. It seems that the only thing I am giving up is the ThinkLight. Is this correct?
In an ideal world I would be able to purchase a tablet or notebook AND a desktop workstation and just synchronize my tablet with my pc. This way all my important files would be synchronized, along with Outlook and my internet favorites. If anyone knows if this is possible please let me know how?
Last but possibly most important…should I wait for Santa Rosa? I have seen information about the T61 leak out but is the x61t going to come out in a similar timeframe?

Thank you all in advance for your help!
<><
michael

Personally, I am waiting for hopefully (cross my fingers) an X61T before school starts in the fall. But if it doesn't happen I'll hopefully pickup up a X60T. I need the tablet for school.

Trekk69-

I hope it arrives soon too. However I will have to make a purchase in a month or two regardless.

my-cool wrote:I currently use a Dell Inspiron 600m with a Intel Pentium M 1.6ghz Processor.....I don’t know if a Core2Duo running at the same clock speed will provide much improvement

Absolutely!

my-cool wrote:I have decided that I want a 12” screen. I had an iBook 12” a few years ago and absolutely loved its size. It was so much easier to deal with than having to drag around my HUGE 14.1” current notebook.

It's good that you have one less choice to make.

my-cool wrote:This leaves me with the choice between the x60(s) or the x60t. I have owned tablets in the past and have found them useful…just not worth the loss in system performance. I think that the x60(s) and the x60t seem to have similar performance…am I correct?

Yes. They both use Low Voltage CoreDuo/Core2Duo CPUs. Not as fast as the regular CPUs, but still pretty good. The X60 uses regular Core Duos and will be slightly faster. When it comes to RAM, HD speed and other things - the X60 series all use the same components, which are not any slower than of the 14" and 15" notebooks.

my-cool wrote:I would love to make this notebook my desktop machine also so that I don’t have to deal with 2 machines…

There is no way that a 12" sub-notebook can be a desktop machine. Just no way whatsoever. Well, actually there is, but you need the docking station, an external monitor, external keyboard+mouse, speakers, and possibly an external hard drive if you want a large one (200GB+). The bad thing about all of it is that the X60 don't support docks, only the Ultrabase, which has no DVI.

my-cool wrote:the problem with this is sheer performance. I currently use a Dell Inspiron 600m with a Intel Pentium M 1.6ghz Processor. I have 2gb RAM and a 160gb 5400rpm hard drive. This machine is proving to be too slow in Photoshop…which I occasionally have to use. I don’t know if a Core2Duo running at the same clock speed will provide much improvement…does anyone know?

There is no issue with performance. The best desktop CPUs are also Core2Duos (well, except the insanely expensive Core2Quad).

my-cool wrote:I think that I can live with the tradeoffs of the tablet vs. non-tablet form factor. It seems that the only thing I am giving up is the ThinkLight. Is this correct?

You're also adding some weight. But as of now, you can still get the Tablet with an FFS/IPS wide-viewing angle screen, which is better than any screen on X60/s, and 95% of the other laptops in the world. There's also an SXGA+ option exclusively on the tablet, although I personally wouldn't want it on 12".

my-cool wrote:In an ideal world I would be able to purchase a tablet or notebook AND a desktop workstation and just synchronize my tablet with my pc. This way all my important files would be synchronized, along with Outlook and my internet favorites. If anyone knows if this is possible please let me know how?

Why wouldn't it be possible. I myself synchronize 2-3 computers, and I do it manually. There are plenty of tools to do it automatically to.

my-cool wrote:Last but possibly most important…should I wait for Santa Rosa? I have seen information about the T61 leak out but is the x61t going to come out in a similar timeframe?

No way to know. The risk of waiting for me is that by then the FFS/IPS screen might be unavailable, as also the option of getting XP over Vista, which I absolutely despise.

I'm just about to order a x60 with the C2D cpu. As a student in Sweden we are offered quite good discounts (near 50%). The only thing that's holding me back is the thought of the upcoming x61. I would love to have higher screen resolution than 1024x768.

Does anyone know if the x61 will have higher screen res.?

dr_st wrote:

my-cool wrote:I have decided that I want a 12” screen. I had an iBook 12” a few years ago and absolutely loved its size. It was so much easier to deal with than having to drag around my HUGE 14.1” current notebook.

It's good that you have one less choice to make.

my-cool wrote:This leaves me with the choice between the x60(s) or the x60t. I have owned tablets in the past and have found them useful…just not worth the loss in system performance. I think that the x60(s) and the x60t seem to have similar performance…am I correct?

Yes. They both use Low Voltage CoreDuo/Core2Duo CPUs. Not as fast as the regular CPUs, but still pretty good. The X60 uses regular Core Duos and will be slightly faster. When it comes to RAM, HD speed and other things - the X60 series all use the same components, which are not any slower than of the 14" and 15" notebooks.

my-cool wrote:I would love to make this notebook my desktop machine also so that I don’t have to deal with 2 machines…

There is no way that a 12" sub-notebook can be a desktop machine. Just no way whatsoever. Well, actually there is, but you need the docking station, an external monitor, external keyboard+mouse, speakers, and possibly an external hard drive if you want a large one (200GB+). The bad thing about all of it is that the X60 don't support docks, only the Ultrabase, which has no DVI.

my-cool wrote:the problem with this is sheer performance. I currently use a Dell Inspiron 600m with a Intel Pentium M 1.6ghz Processor. I have 2gb RAM and a 160gb 5400rpm hard drive. This machine is proving to be too slow in Photoshop…which I occasionally have to use. I don’t know if a Core2Duo running at the same clock speed will provide much improvement…does anyone know?

There is no issue with performance. The best desktop CPUs are also Core2Duos (well, except the insanely expensive Core2Quad).

my-cool wrote:I think that I can live with the tradeoffs of the tablet vs. non-tablet form factor. It seems that the only thing I am giving up is the ThinkLight. Is this correct?

You're also adding some weight. But as of now, you can still get the Tablet with an FFS/IPS wide-viewing angle screen, which is better than any screen on X60/s, and 95% of the other laptops in the world. There's also an SXGA+ option exclusively on the tablet, although I personally wouldn't want it on 12".

my-cool wrote:In an ideal world I would be able to purchase a tablet or notebook AND a desktop workstation and just synchronize my tablet with my pc. This way all my important files would be synchronized, along with Outlook and my internet favorites. If anyone knows if this is possible please let me know how?

Why wouldn't it be possible. I myself synchronize 2-3 computers, and I do it manually. There are plenty of tools to do it automatically to.

my-cool wrote:Last but possibly most important…should I wait for Santa Rosa? I have seen information about the T61 leak out but is the x61t going to come out in a similar timeframe?

No way to know. The risk of waiting for me is that by then the FFS/IPS screen might be unavailable, as also the option of getting XP over Vista, which I absolutely despise.

As far as I am aware, you cannot get an X60S with a Core 2 duo chip, only core duo.

JosephD05 wrote:As far as I am aware, you cannot get an X60S with a Core 2 duo chip, only core duo.

Correct. Only X60 and X60 tablet.

If the X60 comes with a better graphics card, then I'm sold. Something like an onboard nvidia or ati chipset would be great.

Anyone have any information regarding the X61?

Thanks!

Kamika007z-
I have been wondering the same thing. I haven't heard a whisper of facts about the x61. Does Lenovo/IBM normally coincide the release of their new products...like the new T61 with the x series?..or does the x series update normally take a few months longer?

<><
michael

X60s (1702 models) will be shipping with Core 2 Duo L7400 VERY SOON!!!

Kamika007z wrote:If the X60 comes with a better graphics card, then I'm sold. Something like an onboard nvidia or ati chipset would be great.

Anyone have any information regarding the X61?

I think you are pretty much guaranteed to get integrated graphics in the X61, though Intel's graphics chips are getting better, too. But in the X series the extra heat and power consumption of discrete graphics doesn't make nearly as much sense as in full-size laptops.

Do you think we can expect DVI output on future X models?

What main/distinctive advantages does a Tablet model have over non-Tablet X laptop? I have never tried a Tablet and currently can't even think for what I could use it for... I guess i don't need it then?!

Thanks for clarification.

Just got word from our Lenovo rep that the x61t will be released on Tuesday the 8th. He said that it would probably not be shipping for an additional 4-weeks.

Just thought I would let ya'll know.

my-cool wrote:Just got word from our Lenovo rep that the x61t will be released on Tuesday the 8th...

exciting!

my-cool wrote:Just got word from our Lenovo rep that the x61t will be released on Tuesday the 8th. He said that it would probably not be shipping for an additional 4-weeks.

Just thought I would let ya'll know.

Boy, if that is indeed true, I have to consider whether or not to cancel my x60t, L7400 sXGA (ETA 5/22/07). Hopefully there's no restocking fee...

Does this mean that the non tablet versions will be releases the same day as well?

I don't know anything about how their release schedule is setup. I just know that we are ordering quite a few tablets and were notified this morning that the model that meets our specifications will be announced next Tuesday and available for delivery the following month.

new2tablet wrote:

my-cool wrote:Just got word from our Lenovo rep that the x61t will be released on Tuesday the 8th. He said that it would probably not be shipping for an additional 4-weeks.

Just thought I would let ya'll know.

Boy, if that is indeed true, I have to consider whether or not to cancel my x60t, L7400 sXGA (ETA 5/22/07). Hopefully there's no restocking fee...

haha... let's put it this way... if they no longer offer SXGA+ or if they don't have the 170 viewing-degree FFS in X61t, (and subsequently all just TN panels). Then, do you want a X61t better than a X60t?

I disagree that a laptop with a 12" screen can't be a desktop replacement--it all depends on your needs.

I used an x31 (12" screen) for a year while on sabbatical, and didn't miss my desktop at all. but then again, I don't play advanced games, and I mainly do writing and web-surfing.

bb

milstein wrote:

new2tablet wrote:

I would weigh my options. Standard Res. screens, $ inrease, or widescreen x61's would all be discouraging.

BB wrote:I used an x31 (12" screen) for a year while on sabbatical, and didn't miss my desktop at all. but then again, I don't play advanced games, and I mainly do writing and web-surfing.

Precisely, so you don't need a desktop. My girlfriend uses an X32, which is an awesome computer, and also doesn't need anything else.

Some people say "desktop replacement" when in fact they mean "primary computer". To me these terms are still different. Like you said, depending on the needs, a 12" (or even smaller) PC can be one's primary (and only) computer just fine. But not a desktop replacement.

But I did toss my desktop PC -- all I have now is an X31, so for me it certainly was a desktop replacement.

I drop the X31 into an Ultrabase when I get to the office in the morning, and I have an IBM Ultranav keyboard and a Dell 20" LCD (yes, it's a VGA connection but it's still sharp) hooked up to the Ultrabase. Other than the amount of disk space, the X31 does everything my desktop system did.

Is a single computer with just XGA really enough?

milstein wrote:Is a single computer with just XGA really enough? :? :? :?

90% of the time it is for me. The other 10% I have a big external LCD.

milstein wrote:Is a single computer with just XGA really enough?

At home, it's enough (though I'm contemplating a 20" panel for home for editing photos). And at the office, I have UXGA on my 20" LCD panel.

BB wrote:I disagree that a laptop with a 12" screen can't be a desktop replacement--it all depends on your needs.

I used an x31 (12" screen) for a year while on sabbatical, and didn't miss my desktop at all. but then again, I don't play advanced games, and I mainly do writing and web-surfing.

bb

Yeah it's funny. I have a 24" monitor sitting right next to me in my room, but 99% of the time I will just pick up my 12.1" laptop and use that instead. Even for studying. The only time I will use my desktop is for gaming (rarely) and for those times when I think "I paid for this, so I should use it."

The convenience of holding the thing in your hand and using while in bed is simply unbeatable.

If you plan on using a laptop as a desktop replacement, the most important thing is to have a backup drive or network drive or some other solution to your data getting lost.

Looks like our Lenovo rep was incorrect.

Our orders have not updated on the Lenovo ERP site. They normally update by noon Pacific. I am guessing that he was just blowing smoke to get the order.

Here's to hoping.

<><
michael

my-cool wrote:Looks like our Lenovo rep was incorrect.

Our orders have not updated on the Lenovo ERP site. ... I am guessing that he was just blowing smoke to get the order.

<><
michael

Well, maybe Santa Rosa (SRP) will come out corresponding with the end of this sale (May15th) since Lenovo will be one of the first to launch SRP. Then he would be off by a week. On the other hand, maybe everyone was jumping the gun in high hopes and it will be out in July.

I hope they fix the heat issue with the X60s on X61