Usage modes for X220 Tablet

[oreigal]

Hello there, as novice over thinkpad laptops searching for some wisdom around :

i'm considering buying X220T but since previously always worked on laptops at least with 14" screens, a bit considered with it's screens size, but also after searching this forum and others around, questioning if tablet version is realy worth the money investment. What is compeling to me is obviously capacity to operate over applications with touch/stylus, but how much of this are worth it ?

Could any happy, or not, owners of X220T share for what activities they tablets powers in real life, or it's just a nice to have add-on ? Could it be suitable for programming and not only for ready applications usage ?

As an alternative i'm eyeing on T420S, but got a couple of questions out there also ... will post them to 420 series group.

Thanks for any suggestions

[Kaze22]

Drawing stuff and taking notes, and signing electronic documents. Thats it.

Oh and CS 5 photoshop works with the touchscreen, you an actually use the digitizer to eraser stuff. Its pretty cool at first, but then you realize that you do all of that with a mouse, and get the same results.

[czatlantis]

I study electrical engineering and I use this tablet-pc to write down notes from lectures. We have bunch of matematical formulas, schematics and other non-text items to draw/write. And it is awesome!

On the other hand - studying other school or not needing drawings to write down, I wouldn't buy it - display quality is lower due to touch surface, it is more expensive, it has slightly higher power consuption, mechanical durability is lower with rotating display and it is "exotic" model - so it will be harder to get for example replacement parts.
When I am at home or during holidays, I don't use the pen at all...maybe something is faster like touch the screen to click an icon but you can do everything just fine with mouse.

[Kaze22]

Also the laptop comes by default with an HUGE battery, making it very hard to use as an actual tablet.
If you wanna use it as a Tablet, you need to get a 3 Cell battery which cost like $130.
Just so you know, if you really want to use this in tablet mode, you should call Lenovo have them swap out the original 6 cell battery for a 3 cell battery, save yourself 130 bucks.

I didn't realize this until I got the laptop, so ended up getting a second 3 cell battery for 130 bucks.
Also the 3 Cell battery actually cost more to buy later, since it's a exotic battery that few people buy.

[czatlantis]

Big battery is by default because with tablet you usually need more battery power. I have the 6cell battery and yes, it is quite huge but it gives me real 6hour working time...Having only 3 hours will be not enough

[Kaze22]

Well I guess if you use the laptop in laptop mode is fine.
But the battery makes it almost impossible to use in Tablet mode.
It doesn't even lay down flat with the battery. It's always at an angle.
Personally, 3 hours battery is enough for me, I rather have the better functionality.

[oreigal]

Thank you all for replies, after all i will probably go on T420S version ....