Thinkpads Forum

Hi all,

I'm looking to pick up a tablet PC over the summer before starting grad school in the fall. 50% of use would be basic notetaking, presentations etc, 25% web cruising and 25% monkeying in MATLAB. No widescreen movie watching, photo editing, gaming - my main concern is finding a laptop which is light, reliable, and good on batteries.

To that end, I've been eyeballing the X61 tablets (L7700 1.8Ghz, XGA screen) which have been on pretty big sales as of late, presumably leading up to the release of the X200 units. So my question to the better-informed out there is;

Knowing what I want to do, would there be any merit to waiting for the X200 units to come out (ie, significantly better on battery, etc) or would I be just as happy getting an X61t and keeping a few extra $$$ in my pocket?

Thanks in advance!


*Edited typo in the title so it makes sense

From the Forum FAQ:

jfh wrote:Don't base your decision on what MAY come SOMETIME. There will always be a better/faster/cheaper option after you place your order.

If you don't need it now, wait. If you do, don't wait.

Barring the unexpected the prices of laptops, both existing technologies and newer models now on the horizon, will always trend downwards. You will always get a better deal if you wait, because technological progress drives down prices. So if you wait, not only will the prices on X61T's go down, but you'll be able to compare the X61T with the new X200 line when it first debuts. Usually when major refreshes occur, such as the change from *60 --> *61, both model lines are available concurrently for a short time as the system fully updates and integrates. And even if overnight the X200 series replaces the X61T models at the Lenovo main site you'll be able to buy an X61T from elsewhere, not least the deeply discounted Outlet. So waiting always gives you more choice, at lower prices.

Lenovo is always having a "big sale" of some sort or other. Never once is there not a sale. You will rarely if ever save money by buying now rather than later; true there are a few instances where deep discounts could be had for the lucky, but most likely if you care about value wait.

If you need the machine for school in the fall, it sounds like you fall into the "If you don't need it now, wait" category. As is true in certain other select pursuits, "lethargy bordering on sloth" is a viable strategy in deciding when to take the final plunge, if you want a good machine at a reasonable price.

Edit: Fixed the quote

Lethargy bordering on sloth sounds like my new bumper sticker then - So it's generally the case that Lenovo is always having a similarly discounted sale (I've only started looking at them recently and getting 30+% off seemed too good to be true)? I guess I'll try to sit tight through whatever deals happen between now and late summer...thanks for the input! C'mon september....