Looking into getting an X200

[EchoFox]

Having just put a T43p to rest, I'm looking into getting an X200. I know no laptop is perfect, but I'd like to know if there are any signature problems with this model of ThinkPad and what I should do to avoid them occurring is possible.

I think I gather that they have a problem where they randomly shut down every now and then. Is that true?

[killer]

I don't know about the X200 but we just replaced my wife's T43p with an X201 and it is a fabulous piece of kit.

[EOMtp]

X200. ... they have a problem where they randomly shut down every now and then. Is that true?

No, it's nonsense!

[EchoFox]

woooaah haha, ok, it's nonsense. Friend of mine has an X200 and it happened to him like, twice in the year he's owned it, and I saw it mentioned somewhere else but it doesn't sound like a X200 specific thing.

So, if there's nothing I should worry about (you know, I would probably just buy another T4x series TP if it weren't for the fact the chips seem to be stuck to the mbr with chewing gum and luck), I'll go ahead and get an X200.

[ansible212]

I've had no random shutdowns with my X200s and its been heavily used since I've had it (around eight months) so I would have encountered that if it was a major problem.

I've had some blue screens at boot, but I think these are attributable to the latest Intel graphics driver, but that's about it. Mobile broadband can be a pain (I think that its got a bit worse connecting second and subsequent times due to the latest driver release).

It's been a great machine and I'm thrilled with it. Seeing people struggling on trains with their laptops with 14"+ screens (even ThinkPads ) vindicates my decision even more to go for an ultraportable.

I could moan a bit about the build quality here and there but generally its very well made. Sure the screen could be better, but I use a 24" HP TFT when working from home... I wouldn't want to be stuck in front of a 12" screen for 8+ hours at a time, no matter how good the quality is.

[LegendaryKA8]

I've had my X200 for a month, now. I've experienced no random shutdowns or any mechanical problems other than the inverter buzzing(a $20 part from Ebay and easily replaced), although I think that's because I purchased this one used... and it was very heavily used at that. The shine on the keyboard(since replaced) was about on par to the T21 I had used for 5-6 years before retiring, to give an example of how bad it really was.

Other than that it's a great system I got at a great price, and I don't see any reason to not stick with it for a few years.

[Goetterdaemmerung]

I have an x201s and it reliably shuts down 'randomly' if I play a 720p movie while it lays on my quilt. Thermal shutdown. Any laptop with sub-par thermal management will do it.

[andyP]

I have an x201s and it reliably shuts down 'randomly' if I play a 720p movie while it lays on my quilt...

Yes, preventing a laptop from being able to breath properly will almost guaranteed lead to a thermal shutdown. I think the question here is who / what is responsible for the sub-par thermal management. Here's an example of a notebook thermal heat pipe from a notebook used by someone regularily doing the same.

[LegendaryKA8]

Yes, preventing a laptop from being able to breath properly will almost guaranteed lead to a thermal shutdown. I think the question here is who / what is responsible for the sub-par thermal management. Here's an example of a notebook thermal heat pipe from a notebook used by someone regularily doing the same.

Agreed. While you might be able to get away with some light use whenever sitting it on a surface such as a bed, carpet, or blanket, it really restricts airflow to the internal components and that will cause overheating if you're putting it through some heavier use.

Consider getting a laptop desk or something of that nature... it'll eliminate your overheating problem.

[raydabruce]

I've only had my X201 for 3 weeks but I've been using it daily for long periods of time and often heavy usage, taxing the CPU and cooling system. However, it is always on a hard and flat surface. It has never shut down or bluescreened on me. The Power Manager that comes with it is very useful for regulating CPU and fan speed, etc., etc., there are many many settings you can tweak once you put the program into advanced mode.

[ThinkRob]

I've had quite a few ThinkPads, and I'd have to say that the X200 is my favorite ultra-portable. As with all things, YMMV.

[billp117]

My X200 would shut down randomly...like every other day. The problem went aways after upgrading some of the drivers. I don't know which one caused the problem but have had no further issues with Windwos 7 Ultimate on the X200.

[ThinkRob]

My X200 would shut down randomly...like every other day. The problem went aways after upgrading some of the drivers. I don't know which one caused the problem but have had no further issues with Windwos 7 Ultimate on the X200.

In other words: software problems, not hardware.

[doktorek]

I'm in the same boat as the OP, but I'm currently running T60. This is my first laptop and I'm still very satisfied with it (20076QU), using it for a bit over 3 years, daily.

As I'm thinking about starting travelling in the next few months, I decided to look for something lighter but at least as powerful as my T60. I'm a web developer, running Linux with up to 4 VMs at the same time. I've been looking around for quite some time, but it seems Thinkpad is my only (real) choice. I gotta admit I love its trackpoint and keyboard, build quality, looks. I never use trackpad (I disabled it in bios).

X200 looks like a perfect choice (no trackpad - great!). My biggest concerns are

• a) smaller screen resolution - I currently have 1400x1050 - I wonder how it gonna affect my work. On the other hand, I'd rarely use it at home, where I work the most...
  b) bad quality panel - I've read a lot about it, but is it really much worse than the one in T60? I'm currently looking at a CCFL model with an AFFS mod possibility in mind
  c) horsepower - I really needed it along with 4GB of RAM (I currently have 3GB and sometimes I feel like I'm missing at least 0.5GB). I'm not sure, but it seems to me X200 and T60 have the same family CPUs, while X200 may be clocked higher. Don't know about voltage etc.

If anyone made a similar switch, I'd be greatful for responses.

I also wonder, If I can swap HDDs between those two - would be much easier than synchronizing.

I'm also looking at X201, but I'm not sure I want to pay that more for a CPU upgrade or even if I'd use those additional cycles at all...

[ZaZ]

I switched from a flexview R60 to a X200. I love it and I wouldn't go back to one of those behemoths. I'd get one to use around the house maybe, but even there I prefer the smaller size. Sure you're giving up some resolution, but you're getting a much more portable machine in return. Plus, scrolling on the trackpoint is so much easier, I think it to a large degree mitigates the lower resolution. If you're really a resolution junkie, there's always the X200s or the X201s, but there's not WXGA+ AFFS to upgrade.

I believe the X200 can take up to 8gb of memory if you're inclined. The Core 2 Duo in the X200 is three generations newer than the one in the T60. It'll be faster if you're pushing it, but probably won't seem much faster in day to day usage.

I did the AFFS mod on my X200. Once you've gone flexview, it's hard to use anything else. It requires a bit more finesse than the T60 or R60 as it's much more tightly packed, but it's doable. If you're looking for the matte version, they can be hard to find and expensive. You might want to take that into consideration. I got the glossy myself. I don't find the glare that bad. I'm just happy to have a good screen. I didn't find the original Samsung screen to be all that bad, at least compared to what else is available out there, but it'll never have the angles like the AFFS.

As I recall, I pulled the hard drive from my R60 and put it in my X200. It blue screened. I'd say it's a definite maybe on the hard drive swap.

I think you're right that while the performance is probably slightly better on the X201, the X200 probably offers much better value because you can get it for less.

[doktorek]

I don't have a flexview in my T60 and the viewing angles are pretty bad, but I have to admit I somehow got used to it and never complained about it (maybe because I haven't seen anything better?).

Not a resolution junkie here, it's rather a practical issue - tools I use take vertical space and sometimes I do have to struggle to make it more productive. That's why I'm a bit afraid of going down from 1050 to 800 px. But maybe in a smaller package (14" vs 12") it will be fine.
I've read about memory limits today, because 4GB is mentioned in the tabook and in all commercial offers I've seen. But it seems 8GB is supported by the intel chipset and some people report they got it working, so that's a nice bonus if real.

Good news about the CPU. I don't think I need anything much faster, I do however run at 90% RAM/CPU from time to time (thanks to VMs), so the power is needed. But it seems the CPU is not a problem and X200 supports DDR3, which should be a nice boost too.

I know the AFFS pricing and it's fine with me - after watching the photos of a mod somewhere around here, I really think it's worth it. Not sure about the glossy version, people write it's not 'THAT' glossy, but it's a bit hard to imagine. Every glossy screen I've seen was terrible.

As for the hard drive - I was rather thinking about buying a new SSD and swapping it between both machines when needed (assuming I would be still using T60 at home and X200 on the go), to have the same data everywhere I go with the least hassle. But who knows, maybe I'll just make a full switch to X200 after I get it, just as you did.

By the way, is the CPU whine on battery still there?

Thanks for the reply!

[LegendaryKA8]

I don't really detect a CPU whine on battery, although I'll admit my hearing is kinda damaged. I forget which machine I noticed it with, though... it may have been my X60s/61s.

8GB should pretty much be plug-and-play. I know 8GB has been supported since at least the Santa Rosa chipset days, so I don't see why the X200 couldn't take it.

If you have data you'll be transporting between both systems frequently, i do have a suggestion. You can get large-capacity flash drives(up to 64GB capacity) that use the ExpressCard slot. They sit flush with the system and have decent transfer rates. The only problem is that they're a bit pricey... about $200USD for a 64GB version. I picked up my 16GB one for about $40 on sale last year, and it's been a great piece of kit. I keep the documents I'm always working on with both my T400 and X200 on that drive, and simply plug it into the system that I'm currently using.

[ThinkRob]

I replaced the panel in my X200. I didn't do the AFFS mod that most folks did, instead opting to add a PVA panel (as it has about twice the contrast ratio of the AFFS panel), but the procedure was the same.

If you're patient it's quite a straightforward mod. The X200 is really well designed (second in my book to the X40/X6x), so it's pretty packed -- but between the HMMs and the interchangeable parts it's not too bad.

As with all machines, I'd recommend getting the cheapest RAM/drive from the vendor and upgrading both later.

[ZaZ]

I see a fair number of machines and I've never heard the whine. Perhaps it's coincidence and I think some people are more likely to hear it than others.

[doktorek]

If you have data you'll be transporting between both systems frequently, i do have a suggestion. You can get large-capacity flash drives(up to 64GB capacity) that use the ExpressCard slot. They sit flush with the system and have decent transfer rates. The only problem is that they're a bit pricey... about $200USD for a 64GB version. I picked up my 16GB one for about $40 on sale last year, and it's been a great piece of kit. I keep the documents I'm always working on with both my T400 and X200 on that drive, and simply plug it into the system that I'm currently using.

Your solution is interesting - I could definitely fit my working files on a 32GB drive. The problem is, I also use/change system components as part of my work, so I'm dependent on both files (usually in my home dir), but also system configuration, database content etc. Putting that on an external drive would be quite tricky. That's why I thought about installing a 64bit OS on an SSD drive and swap this drive between machines as an easier solution. But that's just the theory, I might be completely wrong

And by the way, I'm using a standard 2.5 external drive right now with my T60 (through USB) and backups take 1-2 hours, which is a real pain. I was looking for other solution, which included using ExpressCard and esata/usb 3.0 drive among others. Because of the lack of ports on both T60 and X200 I though it would be the best choice, but I didn't find any review, that would confirm a real speed boost (not anywhere near the specs). The ones I could find talked about 2x/3x boost in comparison to usb 2.0, which still would be benefictial
Now, there could have been many culprits to this, like a slow internal/external drive etc. Maybe working with 2 SSDs (1 internal, 1 external), would make things much better. I wonder if anybody tried that.
Because I work on an encrypted filesystem, continuous (background) backups won't work.

[doktorek]

I see a fair number of machines and I've never heard the whine. Perhaps it's coincidence and I think some people are more likely to hear it than others.

Don't know for sure, but it's been said, that Linux systems are more vulnerable - I mean, the whine is louder while using them than the others. There are solutions like fiddling with the CPU states (which would probably drain the battery) or removing/suspending a usb module. My quick search did not find anything about X200 cpu whine so I hope for the best. My T60 whines quite a lot...

[ansible212]

I also wonder, If I can swap HDDs between those two - would be much easier than synchronizing.

I use Microsoft's free SyncToy to keep my documents up-to-date and synchronised between my various PCs... I generally do this via an intermediary Corsair 16GB flash drive, although SyncToy also works over networks as well.

(Configuring AutoPlay on Win 7 was a pain, but once set up it's worked flawlessly.)

[ThinkRob]

Don't know for sure, but it's been said, that Linux systems are more vulnerable

I don't know why that would be. The only thing I could think of would be a difference in when the cpufreq governor decides to scale up/down (as compared to how Windows chooses to do it.)

Look on the bright side: since the frequency is at the high end of human hearing, when you get older you might not be able to hear it!

[Jason404]

I use Microsoft's free SyncToy to keep my documents up-to-date and synchronised between my various PCs...

I used to use Microsoft's Live Mesh Beta, which keeps everything on cloudspace as well, but this is going to be replaced with a new version of Live Sync now, which is mixture of the old Live Sync and Live Mesh Betas. It is mainly for syncing, Sync Toy style, but also includes 2GB of cloud space, which is not integrated with SkyDrive for some reason (probably so not to confuse users).

Anyway, I've been using it and would recommend it to any travelling Windows using Thinkpadder, along with other cloud apps/services, like SDExplorer (SkyDrive access within Explorer) and Dropbox (great for syncing with Linux and web linking, but you cannot choose individual directories to sync).

EDIT: Added Dropbox referral link!

[ThinkRob]

Anyway, I've been using it and would recommend it to any travelling Windows using Thinkpadder, along with other cloud apps/services, like SDExplorer (SkyDrive access within Explorer) and Dropbox (great for syncing with Linux and web linking, but you cannot choose individual directories to sync).

For syncing files I have yet to find a solution superior to rsync. It works well, it supports compression, it's available for pretty much every platform under the sun, and it doesn't tie me to some hot new IPO-driven startup that may go belly-up tomorrow.

Unison is also quite nice, and supports quite a bit more than plain 'ol rsync. It too is cross-platform, and is not provider specific.

I've used both extensively, and have yet to see a proprietary solution that is any better.

As with all software, YMMV though.

[Turbo Audi]

I have had an x200s for a year now. I run 7 on it no problem. It has been under heavy use since I have had it; it is on pretty much 24/7, it goes onto one docking station to the other all the time (home and office). It runs noticeably cooler than the X60s I had. Never an issue, I use it outside with the LED screen and it works well enough. Very much recommended.

[Jason404]

For syncing files I have yet to find a solution superior to rsync. It works well, it supports compression, it's available for pretty much every platform under the sun, and it doesn't tie me to some hot new IPO-driven startup that may go belly-up tomorrow.

Unison is also quite nice, and supports quite a bit more than plain 'ol rsync. It too is cross-platform, and is not provider specific.

I've used both extensively, and have yet to see a proprietary solution that is any better.

As with all software, YMMV though.

I don't think they back up onto cloud space though, and if Dropbox stopped operating you'd still have your files on your machines.


A couple of other solutions I have sorted out for architecture firms are Jungle Disk and SuperFlexible which can back up onto Amazon S3 servers (and sync as well, in the case of SuperFlexible).

[ThinkRob]

I don't think they back up onto cloud space though, and if Dropbox stopped operating you'd still have your files on your machines.

Well things like duplicity *can* actually back up onto "cloud space". It supports S3, which is the same storage architectures that many of the startups use behind the scenes. (It also supports a number of vendor-neutral protocols with widespread deployment.)

To each their own though.

Personally, I'm only really comfortable using industry-standard tools with many years of stable development behind them, and even then only if they don't lock me in to a specific solution. I also like to use older, more established storage setups, even if they are lacking in the buzzword department. Just as with ThinkPads, I like to be conservative with my tech.

[Jason404]

Let me guess... Slackware, vi(m), vimperator, all on bash and vanilla X?

[ThinkRob]

Let me guess... Slackware, vi(m), vimperator, all on bash and vanilla X?

Nope. KDE 3.5, Kate, Iceweasel, all on Debian stable.