Farewell X301

[elvair]

Farewell x301 - I think its a great shame that lenovo discontinued x301, it was a great machine, especially bad that they deviated from original thinkpad design now with latches and all that jazz, which suck very much too. Farewell thinkpad platform.

I think I'll try to buy another "copy" of x301 from old stocks somewhere just in case, and keep it, when my current x301 will die completelly and ill switch to a new one, from the looks of it - all of the upcoming thinkpads will be chineese crap - as everyone actually suggested would happen to thinkpad brand under lenovo.

If you ask me - X301 works PERFECTLY for a mobile warrior, its sufficiently small , design looks professional, the screen is sufficiently big (id say most of todays ultraportable are way too small to actually work in a comfortable fashion) . It has DVD burner in it , all of parts are easily replacable.

I had my original x301 almost from the very release date and its still alive and kicking - seriously sturdy nice machine. So far I had to replace fan, as it became too cloggy with various [censored] like dirt and dust (which is normal i guess, for that amounf of time) - also I replcaed keyboard, because it was way too dirty (which i guess also normal, since you use it and stuff gets underneath keys) and thats it. I would not dare to say that current thinkpads would withstand same test.

LOOKING FOR ANOTHER ROCKSOLID BUSINESS CLASS MACHINES BRAND

[pianowizard]

LOOKING FOR ANOTHER ROCKSOLID BUSINESS CLASS MACHINES BRAND

Have you looked into the Panasonic Toughbooks? Also, Toshiba's current R7** and R8** Porteges (which are business-class laptops) have received countless rave reviews and are very affordable, and have specs rather similar to the Thinkpad X301. Among Sony's business lines, the S Series looks decent but I haven't checked any reviews yet. Some of the Dell Latitudes and Precisions are quite good and comparable to the average Thinkpads, but none of them are as tough as the best Thinkpads. I have heard great things about the HP EliteBooks but haven't used them myself.

And yes, avoid consumer-class laptops.

[gaia]

If you ask me - X301 works PERFECTLY for a mobile warrior, its sufficiently small , design looks professional, the screen is sufficiently big (id say most of todays ultraportable are way too small to actually work in a comfortable fashion) .

I do so agree. I have 4 of them for me & my family.

I've upgraded mine to Windows 7 x64 professional, 8GB, 256GB SSD, replaced original 3 cell battery with 6 cell & replaced DVD with battery.

I've had notebook PCs since 1984 starting with the first IBM, then Toshiba, Apple, Sony & recently T43, T60, T61, x300, x301. I usually update every 12 to 18 months, but I can't see anything else that I'd rather have. Neither the x220 nor T420s inspire me like my x301 does.

Vale x301.

[ThinkRob]

I think I'll try to buy another "copy" of x301 from old stocks somewhere just in case, and keep it, when my current x301 will die completelly and ill switch to a new one, from the looks of it - all of the upcoming thinkpads will be chineese crap - as everyone actually suggested would happen to thinkpad brand under lenovo.

Huh?

The only latch-less real ThinkPad so far has been the X220 which has been quite well-received, and generally seems to be quite far from being "chineese crap" [sic]. I've used a huge range of ThinkPads from the last 17 years, and honestly I think that the current X and T lineup is actually something of a return of the brand. The T420 that I've got now, for example, is one of the better T series that I've used in recent memory.

Maybe I'm just missing the point of your post, but what exactly is it that's got you up in arms? The discontinuation of a single "halo" model?

[u751920]

I've upgraded mine to Windows 7 x64 professional, 8GB, 256GB SSD, replaced original 3 cell battery with 6 cell & replaced DVD with battery.

which SSD did you use?

I love my machine too. I know people complain about the screen but you just get used to it.
The only bits I'm tempted to buy, as a just incase, are the Batteries (6 cell & bay) and a spare screen (as they are so expensive!)

[miscthree]

I owned one for about 6 months and realized that there were better laptops out there and sold it.

I just received my t410s, and also own a t400s which both are heads and shoulders above and better than the x301.

Ok it's light and relatively fast depending on what you're doing on it. It does have a great form factor and the wxga+ screen is a great resolution for this size laptop..
But the x301 frame/chassis is flexy and has a non flexible 7mm bay. The newer model S series have much tighter keyboard tolerances which made the x301 keyboard feel all loosey-goosey...And that wxga+ screen...I tried and tried to ignore how bad it looked, but gave up..

Im curious to know if you have even tried the newer models. The odd quasi-racist 'chineeese' remark doesn't help your rant, nor does your misinformation regarding the latches.

Sounds like someone just found a spot under a rock and just likes everything the way it is..nothing wrong with that....if youre in Siberia!!

[dr_st]

Indeed.

The X301 is as much "chinese crap" as any other Thinkpad since and including the T60.

At any point in time there are people favoring the previous model compared to the current one. It is very natural. However with Thinkpads, people are always willing to blame it on "Lenovo, being a crappy Chinese company, deviating from the original Thinkpad design". Never mind that the "original Thinkpad design" they have in mind is also 100% Lenovo.

As for the X301 - I've had an opportunity to briefly use one a couple of months ago, and I was extremely impressed by the elegance of the design and the extreme portability induced by the very low weight coupled with the slimness. However, that thing had the absolutely worst screen I've ever seen on a laptop since about 1995. You win some, you lose some, I guess.

[Harryc]

and I was extremely impressed by the elegance of the design ... that thing had the absolutely worst screen I've ever seen on a laptop since about 1995.

I owned one for a time and that was my opinion as well.

[ssd_thinkpad]

The display comparision to the 1995 panels is not fair as these panels were smaller so that at least you could see everything that is on a screen.

The x301 has the highest build quality I have seen ever on any notebook - compared with the x20, x40, x60 and T40 and T60 series.

[gaia]

which SSD did you use?

256GB Crucial 1.8" RealSSD C300 Part #:CTFDDAA256MAG-1G1

I know people complain about the screen but you just get used to it.

I think that the screen's fine.

[JaneL]

I think that the screen's fine.

Me, too.

[sarbin]

me, three.

the x301 screen can't compare to ips or affs/+, which were my exclusive prior experience, but i did get used to it. it's a machine with a specific purpose and it does quite nicely at it, all imho.

[pianowizard]

I think people are picky about the x301's screen because it was a very expensive machine. I saw one at Frys and didn't think it's the worst laptop screen ever -- that honor goes to the R500. However, I wouldn't want to shell out close to $2000 for a laptop with such a mediocre display. The Microsoft Store had the X301 on sale for around $800 when it was about to be discontinued. Had that been the X301's regular price, its screen quality would not be so controversial.

[dr_st]

I think people are picky about the x301's screen because it was a very expensive machine. I saw one at Frys and didn't think it's the worst laptop screen ever -- that honor goes to the R500.

Perhaps you are right, I have never seen an R500's screen. But the one on the X301 clearly struck me (within the first 10 seconds or so of seeing it) as objectively worse than my T60 and my T410 and basically every laptop TN screen I've worked with in the past decade. The price of the machine had nothing to do with my assessment.

[u751920]

me, three.

the x301 screen can't compare to ips or affs/+, which were my exclusive prior experience, but i did get used to it. it's a machine with a specific purpose and it does quite nicely at it, all imho.

Highlights my point I think. It serves my purpose nicely so no complaints, however the screen is clearly not the best out there which one might expect of a laptop billed as the top of the range.
Overall the laptop is the best for my needs.

One thing I don't understand is why manufacturers continue to included DVD/CD drives in laptops? A complete waste of space, hence the bay battery.

[sanjuro]

Highlights my point I think. It serves my purpose nicely so no complaints, however the screen is clearly not the best out there which one might expect of a laptop billed as the top of the range.
Overall the laptop is the best for my needs.

One thing I don't understand is why manufacturers continue to included DVD/CD drives in laptops? A complete waste of space, hence the bay battery.

X301 screen is quite bad, but it makes up for it with its low weight. So that's important for mobile warriors.

I did wonder if they could have shaved further weight by getting rid of the DVD Drive. An obvious improvement was getting a better LCD, which probably would have weighed slightly more. If there was an option for a speedier CPU that would have stopped criticisms on being underpowered.

All in all I thought it was an interesting, imaginative platform perhaps somewhat ahead of, if not behind, its time and consequently unappreciated by many, if not most mobile computer users. Sandy Bridge CPU, non 16:9 IPS/AFFS LCD and further weight loss through external DVD would have made it a one fine machine.

[dr_st]

I did wonder if they could have shaved further weight by getting rid of the DVD Drive.

You can get rid of it yourself, and use a travel bezel, no? Or did they not come out with a travel bezel for this model?

All in all I thought it was an interesting, imaginative platform

Completely agree with you.

Sandy Bridge CPU, non 16:9 IPS/AFFS LCD and further weight loss through external DVD would have made it a one fine machine.

Sounds like you the X220 is very close to what you specified here. Of course it is not as thin as the X301, and consequently weighs about the same, despite being a smaller screen and no optical drive. I think it is due to mostly two factors: the non-low-voltage CPU (which requires better cooling) and the IPS screen, which generally tends to be heavier than a TN.

[JaneL]

I never saw a travel bezel. I put the bay battery in mine.

[pianowizard]

I vaguely recall that the X300 could be configured to have no optical drive. Not sure about the X301 though.

[dr_st]

Mystery solved by the HMM:

X300/X301 travel cover - FRU 42X5137.

[u751920]

Well as the gap was there I stuck the battery in it as opposed to the travel bezel. Personally I think they should have stuck another harddrive in it - are there any laptops with two hardrives? I suppose battery life would be greatly diminished, what do I know!!
Still I believe it's a good laptop.

[ZaZ]

The X220 can accept a msata drive in one of the mini-pci slots and a 7mm drive in the main bay, though there's no WWAN option with this configuration.

[arc888]

My x301 came with the travel cover. Makes it lighter and I've never missed having a dvd drive. You can choose a usb drive when running the media recovery program.

[u751920]

You can choose a usb drive when running the media recovery program.

Can you tell me how you put the recovery media onto a USB drive? Did you select USB when making the recovery media? Did you copy the CD's to two USB sticks?

Thanks

[sanjuro]

Sounds like you the X220 is very close to what you specified here. Of course it is not as thin as the X301, and consequently weighs about the same, despite being a smaller screen and no optical drive. I think it is due to mostly two factors: the non-low-voltage CPU (which requires better cooling) and the IPS screen, which generally tends to be heavier than a TN.

Yes, X220 has some of the features but I want X320 since I want larger LCD that is IPS, matte, and 900 pixels, preferably in 16:10 format.

Also not the regular voltage SB but the forthcoming ULV SB described here:
http://www.cpu-world.com/news_2011/2011 ... _CPUs.html

Then may be there will be a decent thinkpad version of macbook air fighter.

[rleo25]

There are contradictory ideas in some posts here. Somebody said that Lenovo has deceived the IBM´s Thinkpad quality and tells us that he owns one of the best machines of the brand the x301, this is so good that he thinks to buy another one to replace his beloved x301 when it gets out of use ... I have to remember to this guy that the X300 series has been enterely designed and manufactured by Lenovo!

Another post says that among the thoughest laptops you should take a look at the Toshiba´s Portege R700 and R800 series, sorry to contradict you, this is nonsense! I had a Portege R700 and sold it some weeks ago because of its poor build quality, the plastic case had scratches just out of the box, the keyboard had a lot of flex, the screen had very low contrast and poor color reproduction. It would be convenient to be more objective in the comments here, Thinkpads still have very good quality! No matter it is ownwed now by a Chinese company, they are doing things extremely well. Are we getting a little xenophobic here?

[pianowizard]

Somebody said that Lenovo has deceived the IBM´s Thinkpad quality and tells us that he owns one of the best machines of the brand the x301, this is so good that he thinks to buy another one to replace his beloved x301 when it gets out of use ... I have to remember to this guy that the X300 series has been enterely designed and manufactured by Lenovo!

You have to read between the lines. The person was saying that even though the X301 was made in the Lenovo era, its design still hadn't deviated very much from the Thinkpad design of the IBM era.

Another post says that among the thoughest laptops you should take a look at the Toshiba´s Portege R700 and R800 series, sorry to contradict you, this is nonsense!

That was my post. I never said it's one of the toughest laptops -- the word "tough" in my post referred to the Panasonic Toughbooks. I merely said that the R700 and R800 series had received lots of great reviews. I did play with an R700 at a local store and agree that it's NOT tough. Nonetheless, it's a highly popular business-class laptop because it's relatively cheap and has great features.

[rleo25]

I read between lines and there is no such mention of Lenovo´s era, the post simply says it is a shame that lenovo discontinued the x301 production, or perhaps You are right pianowizard in the interpretation of the whole idea, however my reading of it is that it sounds contradictory to blame against Lenovo´s quality and recognizing one of its products as an excellent one, I can´t get that.

[arc888]

Can you tell me how you put the recovery media onto a USB drive? Did you select USB when making the recovery media? Did you copy the CD's to two USB sticks?

Thanks

The Create Recovery Media program gives you the option of selecting an attached USB drive.

[u751920]

The Create Recovery Media program gives you the option of selecting an attached USB drive.

[/quote]

I must have missed that option when creating the disc's. Is there anyway of transferring the information from the disc onto a USB stick? And making it work?

Cheers