Thinkpads Forum

I do wish, that the x30x would have a high powered discrete graphics card option that takes the form of an ultrabay module that can be plugged into its bay, when one needs it. Wouldn't matter if this would add a pound to the weight or have its cooling mechanism sticking a mile out of the laptop, as it could be taken out whenever unecessary. Then it would be perfect. I don't understand why no one does something like that.

malachont wrote:I don't understand why no one does something like that.

Because the number of people who'd buy this is very small. To make it profitable it would be very expensive.

Actually, competing companies have made such a product and a compatible laptop platform for a number of years. Its called the XGP port. Laptops that have it, and run on the Congo platform, can be a X301 size and weight netbook with slow integrated graphics and ultralight weight on the road, and at home it plugs into an external graphics card which turns the machine into a graphics and video monster, 7-9k's of 3DMARK06, at about $200-$250 for the module. This way one does not need a desktop anymore. The module also does crossfire with the integrated video (I think).
The $700 Ferrari netbook that's coming out soon with this XGP port is not the first machine that has this (A Fujitsu laptop released last year had it)

I also think that an $1500+ business ultraportable line that boasts synthetic CPU performance of a desktop looks very odd if it bottlenecks its real world performance with a crippled graphics capability about ten times slower than the average desktop workstation, forcing the customer to still shell out for a desktop for graphics/video chores. I'd simply not buy such a laptop at all, but spend $300 on some cheap 12" netbook and with a few hundred dollars more buy a desktop workstation. It sure would be nice if more manufacturers allowed us to get rid of one more device that duplicates cost and effort.

http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/mobile/dis ... phics.html

http://asia.cnet.com/crave/2009/09/28/m ... hics-unit/

http://www.nordichardware.com/news,7851.html


http://translate.googleusercontent.com/ ... quGVzv4GBA

There's another one of those external dedicated graphics card capable laptops- this one does it with a discrete docking station. Now if only if were the Geforce 250 and not the 220, and the notebook were compatible with the Lenovo power port, I'd buy it.

http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=5371

Why do the Thinkpads have to be always the last with such innovations? its not that they are conservative. They do innovate, but if only they would not concentrate on things such as adding a second 10" screen to a Thinkpad or tinkering with discrete instant boot OS's for netbooks when Lenovo could rid us of the desktop completely! and it will also be good for the environment.