Thinkpads Forum

Hi everybody,

can anyone tell the difference between a x201 3680-FAU and a x201 3249-2FU?

I have the choice between these two models from the same third party seller.

The x201 3680-FAU has neither cd/dvd burner nor ultrabase, and it comes with a 9 cells battery and a 3 years standard warranty.

The x201 3249-2FU has both cd/dvd burner and ultrabase, and it comes with a 6 cells battery and a 1 year standard warranty.

The funny thing is that the latter is costing 300 usd less than the former, and I'd like to understand in which respect it is a "worse" machine. Moreover a UB+DVD costs about 250 while the more powerful battery and the warranty are about 150, so the difference remains (and widens) even if I take the extra accessories away.

From the tabook I cannot tell any difference. The seller is clueless as well.

Best. Andrea

I just did a quick scan of the tabook. Apparently the 3680-FAU has 3 years of ONSITE warranty which is a lot more than standard warranty.

Go to the site and get the price differential on the warranty (which you should get an extension on) and reverse engineer to an apples to apples comparison.

I have done it, but according to my algebra

(price of nine cells battery [179usd] - price of a 6 cells battery [135usd]) + 3years onsite warranty [279usd] ~ ultrabase (200) + cd dvd (150)

and I am left with the 300 USD difference.

I contacted Lenovo's purchase assistance and the person I talked to said that there is non intrinsec difference between the two machines, beyond battery and warranty on the one side and UB and DVD burner on the other. He based his opinion on the tabook.

I asked how it was possible to justify the price difference, and he said that bundling is a possibility: the 3249 is a top seller, so Lenovo might price it differently.

You are pricing the warranty from the Lenvo store as if you are ordering a new machine. Yet if you purhcase from another channel you wont be buying the warranty from there but from IBM Parts maybe and the price could be higher. Bundling is also a possibililty.