Thinkpads Forum

This is for office stuff, word processing, Outlook, some You Tube. Display is a factor but long battery life is less important. Given the approximate price spread $1100 (new x201) $600(refurb x200 from Lenovo outlet), and $400 (used but with warranty from Lenovo for about a year, this is on Ebay), what looks like the sweet spot. We tend to run them for 4-5 years, this is replacing an x32 which was just fine until it dropped and cracked!

stuartf

The X61s is one my favorite ThinkPads, but then again, so is the X200. Given the choice, I'd pick the X61s due to its design (one of the pinnacles of IBM-inspired Lenovo engineering)... *BUT* the XGA screen is probably going to be limiting factor if you're looking for a 4-5 year lifespan. It's fine for me (as most of my work doesn't suffer with an XGA screen), but for office apps it might be a problem.

The X200 has more than enough power for any standard set of office tasks, so IMO the only justification for the $500 bump to the X201 would be if you needed a ton of horsepower.

My opinion: get the X200 unless you can identify a specific reason to get the X201 instead.

+1.

+2

+3. I found the XGA display of the X61s a real limitation when I had the system. The WXGA display on my X200 is much better for the apps and other things I do from day to day.

Is the new i series processors that much better than the core 2 duo processors on the x200?

I like my X61s, have used it for three years, but am now looking at the X200 or X201 mostly for better screen resolution, and reduced shutdowns due to heat -- an infrequent but annoying problem with my X61s, which I understand has a reputation for running quite hot.

And, my applications are mostly MS Office also. Fine with an external screen, but I had heat related shutdowns when doing that (hot graphics?). I'm doing more on just the X61s, and the screen is more limiting the more you do on it.

It's good to see that more and more people appreciate the higher res of that X20* compared to the X6*. Not too long ago, lots of people on this forum actually preferred the 1024x768 of the old X-Series over the widscreen X-Series' 1280x800, simply because these people weren't used to widescreens.

stuartf, you will find the extra real estate of the X20* very helpful for office work. And considering the $500 difference between the X201 and the X200, I would get the X200.

pianowizard wrote: Not too long ago, lots of people on this forum actually preferred the 1024x768 of the old X-Series over the widscreen X-Series' 1280x800, simply because these people weren't used to widescreens.

stuartf, you will find the extra real estate of the X20* very helpful for office work. And considering the $500 difference between the X201 and the X200, I would get the X200.

I still prefer it since the extra 32 vertical pixels don't make much difference in my work and the footprint is much smaller.

Now performance-wise I prefer the X200 to the X61s, but that's another matter...

ThinkRob wrote:I still prefer it since the extra 32 vertical pixels don't make much difference in my work and the footprint is much smaller.

The X6* does have a smaller footprint than the X20*, but for the screen itself, a 12.1" 16:10 screen actually has a smaller area than a 12.1" 4:3 screen. So, the X20*'s large footprint isn't really caused by the screen, but by the bezel.

And you don't find the additional width helpful for Office stuff? For example, I find 1024 pixel columns insufficient for showing comments in the right margin of a Word document.

12" XGA also has a much lower pixel density than the 12" WXGA, 105 on the X6x versus 125 on the X20x. That makes it easier on the eyes for those who need it. I'd agree I prefer WXGA. 1024 isn't wide enough for say firefox and a sidebar, which I like to use.

pianowizard wrote: And you don't find the additional width helpful for Office stuff? For example, I find 1024 pixel columns insufficient for showing comments in the right margin of a Word document.

Not really.

the older x series are awesome. if just you can fit a recent processor, sata drives and a new mb into those things, they would be perfect. they are built like a tank.

lenovo should reissue older thinkpads like nike did with the jordans.

codek wrote:the older x series are awesome. if just you can fit a recent processor, sata drives and a new mb into those things, they would be perfect. they are built like a tank.

lenovo should reissue older thinkpads like nike did with the jordans.

TBH, while there is definitely a difference in sturdiness between the X61s and the X200s, I can't say I noticed much of a difference between the X6x series and the X200.

The X4x chassis, on the other hand, feels quite a bit firmer, but it's no more or less durable in my experience than the X6x.

As a previous owner of X61s and X200s current owner of X201s, the X61s is definately more durable than the later models.

I'd go for the X200 if the money is that important (recall that if you're using the unit for five years, the price difference per year is not that much, esp. on a daily basis [$100 per year/365 is about 35 cents per day difference]).

In any of these cases, just be certain you have a good 3 year or so warranty and an Lenovo/IBM warranty, not some third party warranty.

You might consider getting accident coverage if buying the X200 or X201 since they are less durable than the X61s.

dfumento wrote: You might consider getting accident coverage if buying the X200 or X201 since they are less durable than the X61s.

I'd contest that actually. I believe the X20xs is less durable than the X61s, but having disassembled, used, and worn/torn all three (X200, X200s, and X61s), I'd say that the X200 is on par with the X61s in terms of durability.