Thinkpads Forum

Hi folks

I think this has probably been discussed before, but please let me ask for opinions again:

For x200s users, how do you install the OS using the disc since there is no optical drive? If I purchase the media bay and include the DVD rom, can I boot from the rom from the media bay when the lappy is docked onto it?

For x301 users, since the processor speed is relatively much lower than x200s, do you feel any slowness in performance?

By the way, I'm not a gamer I do office work most of the time and surf web/video etc...

Thanks mates.

For newer windows OS'es (Vista or Win , you can simply install from an USB stick - I've done this on a wide range of PC's.

This method works just fine:
http://kurtsh.spaces.live.com/blog/cns! ... 1665.entry

Yes, you can also install from an optical drive in the Ultrabase (this is what I did on my X200s as the preload was XP and I wanted Vista).

If you are using Microsoft Office (or similar) and web browsing, I very, very much doubt that you would be able to tell the difference between the X301 ULV CPU and an X200s LV one.

maumu wrote: 1) For x200s users, how do you install the OS using the disc since there is no optical drive?
2) For x301 users, since the processor speed is relatively much lower than x200s, do you feel any slowness in performance?

1) For only $59.99 I bought this excellent super small & thin external USB DVD Burner, the benefit is it works for any computer as opposed to being limited like a dock is. Just one cable to connect & power it, super easy.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6827151178

2) The speed of the SSD makes this machine nice and snappy. You will not be disappointed.

Cheers...

archer6 wrote:2) The speed of the SSD makes this machine nice and snappy. You will not be disappointed.

Just be aware the filling up the SSD can cause significant slowdowns. Try to keep it under 80% full and you should have no worries.

Gosh it is so hard to decide!

x200s has longer battery life right? Does anyone know the real-life battery life difference between x200s and x301? Assuming same power management setting (e.g. maximise performance).

But x301 has larger real estate! 13.3 is definitely more pleasing to the eye than 12.1...

maumu wrote:Gosh it is so hard to decide!

x200s has longer battery life right? Does anyone know the real-life battery life difference between x200s and x301? Assuming same power management setting (e.g. maximise performance).

But x301 has larger real estate! 13.3 is definitely more pleasing to the eye than 12.1...

I was in the same boat last week. It wasn't until I handled both of them that it became clear, for me, that the x301 wins. Find a thinkpad dealer and get your hands on both models. Type out a few lines, dicker with the screens ... I think of it like buying a car. Kick the tires.

maumu wrote:Gosh it is so hard to decide!
Does anyone know the real-life battery life difference between x200s and x301? Assuming same power management setting (e.g. maximise performance).

But x301 has larger real estate! 13.3 is definitely more pleasing to the eye than 12.1...

Overall functionality, keyboard comfort & tactile feedback are at the top of my list. Battery life is last on my list of priorities, even though I travel with mine daily & run on battery power. Having both models, I would offer this consideration. The X301 is quite energy efficient with the lower power processor & ssd. The main draw on the battery is the display. When I've done a non-scientific rough comparison I find the battery life between my X200/X200s/X301 models being close, yet the X301 is the longest. The build quality is better, the design & form factor of the X301 is simply excellent, and it is the best all around ThinkPad of my collection (for general work). There is no substitue for the extra size afforded by the larger display, which in daily usage is unbeatable. Space utilization is stellar with the X301 & makes it a standout. Having an SSD is another plus as the machine runs silent & cool. If I could only have one, it would be the X301 without hesitation.
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Cheers...

maumu wrote:Gosh it is so hard to decide!

x200s has longer battery life right? Does anyone know the real-life battery life difference between x200s and x301? Assuming same power management setting (e.g. maximise performance).

But x301 has larger real estate! 13.3 is definitely more pleasing to the eye than 12.1...

If you really have to choose between X200(s) and X301, I would say, go for X301. It has bigger screen and CD/DVD drive in it. Also, it enjoys great build quality. However, you will have to stick to 1.8'' drives. Regarding the SSD, you could, of course, always put a SSD into a X200 machine without problems. FYI, buying SSDs after-market is noticeably cheaper than from Lenovo. So, if you have the option to configure the X301 (provided you go for it) with some 1.8'' mechanical drive (like the one from Toshiba), you may want to use it.

The battery life question has been recently discussed here a few times. Yes, I would say, X200 wins. But with an ultrabay battery for X301 you could get some decent battery life too.

Cheers,

Marin

Marin85 wrote:But with an ultrabay battery for X301 you could get some decent battery life too.

Yes this is quite true. However in real world usage, what I've found having used Ultrabay batteries in a few of my T-series ThinkPads, is that they have a very short service life before they expire. It's due to the small size / capacity, and that it's the first battery to power your ThinkPad, therefore it reaches it's total number of cycles faster. That's the downside that I didn't realize until I started using them with regularity. Now I no longer bother.

Cheers...

Actually I already have a T60 now, which is you know, 14.1. The screen is big enough for me to decently do office-related work (e.g. Excel) efficiently.

My main concern for x200s is the small screen and high resolution... am worried that my eyesight may be affected in the long run. But, if I buy the docking bay which allows expansion of peripherals such as monitor, optical drive, then I think the problem should be solved right?

Basically I hope to get an ultraportable with good battery life for me to survive say, a whole day out of office with the use of Wifi or Wireless BroadBand around places

x301 smokes with the big screen and optical drive... but I think I've made up my mind - x200s still wins my heart

thanks all!

maumu wrote:am worried that my eyesight may be affected in the long run.

If you really have that concern, you should focus on getting a model with a good display. The only "good" displays lenovo has are these with ips panels. Only tablets and T60/T40 15 inch non-xga models do have ips panels. The 12 inch Tablets put some sort of digitizer over the other-than-that good display, so the contrast is usally somewhat less good than with the 15 inch models.

That said, stay away from models with bad displays. I'd especially stay away from the x301 with its inferior flickering display. I wonder if all lenovo displays using led technology are affected by this flickering. I bought a x301, used it for less than one hour and returned it. Having a lightweight notebook is one of my biggest priority, however now I prefer a heavy T60 with a rather good display.

ssd_thinkpad wrote: If you really have that concern, you should focus on getting a model with a good display. The only "good" displays lenovo has are these with ips panels. Only tablets and T60/T40 15 inch non-xga models do have ips panels. The 12 inch Tablets put some sort of digitizer over the other-than-that good display, so the contrast is usally somewhat less good than with the 15 inch models.

That said, stay away from models with bad displays. I'd especially stay away from the x301 with its inferior flickering display. I wonder if all lenovo displays using led technology are affected by this flickering. I bought a x301, used it for less than one hour and returned it. Having a lightweight notebook is one of my biggest priority, however now I prefer a heavy T60 with a rather good display.

Just out of curiosity, what are you using as data points for "good" or "bad" displays?

What criterion is being used to pronounce certain displays as "bad". Do you have personal experience with these?

I do.

Each of the models being discussed I've owned since new. The results I am experiencing with each and every one of these ThinkPads are quite different from yours.

Not one of mine is "bad".

So archer6, your x301's screen is OK? quite scary when I saw the youtube video...

I love my X200s with the 80 GB Intel X25-M SSD which is a configurable option for $400 (really $360 because of ongoing 20% off coupon). There is a big sale going on and you can get the X200s with SSD for a very good price.

I'm getting about 10 hours with my 9-cell battery using WiFi and Bluetooth and normal use. About 9 hours with the EVDO modem instead of the WiFi.

The X200s has a 1440 x 900 display and weighs only 3 lbs including the 9-cell battery.

maumu wrote:So archer6, your x301's screen is OK? quite scary when I saw the youtube video...

It never ceases to amaze me at how many people love to be negative and critical. Especially those who have never owned a particular product, whether it be a ThinkPad or something else. I've never used YouTube as a decision making tool, that's not something I trust.
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I trust my own eyes, and past experience with a huge number of new ThinkPads, as well as the other brands I've bought new such as Acer, Toshiba, Compaq, Panasonic, Apple, Sharp, Dell, Gateway, Asus, Sony & IBM. So the only point being, first hand experience is valuable when it comes to evaluating a new notebook. Far better than reading a review written by a journalist or someone else with an agenda.
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There is a lot to like about the X301, as well as many other new ThinkPads. Could they be better? Of course they could. After all in the warp speed world of notebook R&D, that could be said about any brand. Yet at the end of the day a ThinkPad remains an upper echelon computer. The X301 does nothing to diminish that.
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Cheers...
posted via BlackBerry Bold

archer6 wrote:What criterion is being used to pronounce certain displays as "bad". Do you have personal experience with these?

That is really a great question. I researched a lot before buying it as from all reviews it was the best notebook available for my needs. But personal experience is far more important than reading reviews, I agree with you on that. I wrote my impressions about the x301 in a short review. The build quality of the x301 is outstanding as are battery life and weight. Comparing the display of this model to all other owned models, I rate the displays from all other models higher. This is my personal experience with this notebook. I have met other people who owned the x301 and were very happy with it, including its display.The best way to value a model is to see it in real life. To get a good picture about its quality, I concentrate on high contrast ratio and stable picture (no flickering). Viewing angles are not that important to me as it is a notebook to work with in front of it, not a video playing device. For the flickering issue I'd like to quote Puppy.

Well, but current notebook lcd panels (especially the X300 one) are the lowest quality lcd panels ever. LCD panels might flicker but the technical reason is something completely different than low refresh rate known for CRT monitors. See links on that page http://www.techmind.org/lcd/ namely the "An application note from Intersil, concerning Vcom-originating LCD flicker".

The issue you are experiencing might be related to technology called "dithering". Super cheap LCD panels (read: horrible crap) used in all current notebooks including $3000+ ThinkPad models are trying to cheat your eyes/brain to pretend to display more than 262 000 colors by fast switching of two colors. Depending on the color conditions you might experience the flicker effect.

It is like single-chip DLP projectors and well-known rainbow-effect, some people can't stand the technology at all while some others barely notice the issue. So if someone says "the X301 display does not flicker" it means "s/he didn't recognize it". Solution ? None ... buy old ThinkPad with IPS panel

I am highly interested about the dithering technology and were it is used in which way throughout the actual thinkpad line.

hi folks

i've finally ordered the x200s from lenovo...

but i didn't opt for the ssd as i understand the lenovo's in-house pricing for ssd is more expensive than ebay's. so i'm wondering whether it is easy to replace the default hdd with a 2.5" ssd which i'm intending to buy (the 160gb from intel)?

any idea whether there would be another price cut soon for ssds? Or, will there be a 1.8" version for the 160gb intel ssd? right now the cheapest from ebay is US$600...

appreciate all your help

It's very easy to replace your drive with an SSD. One screw holds the HDD tray in. Pull that out, and it's just 4 small screws holding the drive in the tray. The Intel 160GB is a great choice, but I would also recommend the Samsung 256GB for about the same price. The Samsung 128GB is also a great drive for your X200s, and it's really cheap now.

csv96 wrote:It's very easy to replace your drive with an SSD. One screw holds the HDD tray in. Pull that out, and it's just 4 small screws holding the drive in the tray. The Intel 160GB is a great choice, but I would also recommend the Samsung 256GB for about the same price. The Samsung 128GB is also a great drive for your X200s, and it's really cheap now.

thanks... but i heard samsung's performance not as good as intel's... some controller bug problem resulting in drastic drop in read/write after some time?

i read somewhere that the 1.8" and the 2.5" requires a different setup (some holder or something). can someone tell me, what is the default size that comes with the laptop? i ordered the most basic one - 160gb @ 5400rpm

cheers mate

I bought 2 X301 refurbs with SSD. Great machines so far running XP....

I have 3 Samsungs (2x 128GB and 1x 256GB) and all of them work fine. No stuttering at all. I think people put too much weight into benchmarks. The difference between 10x faster than HDD and 11x faster than HDD is academic.

maumu wrote:
thanks... but i heard samsung's performance not as good as intel's... some controller bug problem resulting in drastic drop in read/write after some time?

cheers mate

guys

does anyone of u know which is the manufacturer for the LED screen in x200s? those in the US...

thanks

maumu wrote:guys

does anyone of u know which is the manufacturer for the LED screen in x200s? those in the US...

thanks

It's TMD.